RECENT NEWS

Skills for Care, supported by Skills for Health, has launched a stakeholder consultation as part of a DHSC-commissioned review of the Frailty Care Core Capabilities Framework.

Weston Park Cancer Centre’s radiotherapy remote monitoring team have scooped the British Association of Urological Nurses’ Urology Team of the Year title after successfully implementing a new remote monitoring service and nurse-led escalation clinic for prostate cancer patients receiving follow up care after intensive radiotherapy treatment.

A major UK clinical trial has shown that adding the corticosteroid dexamethasone to standard antiviral treatment for encephalitis (brain inflammation), caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) does not improve long-term outcomes overall, although early use may lead to better recovery, and the treatment is safe for patients in whom encephalitis is suspected.

There has been a lasting and disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on diagnosis rates for conditions including depression, asthma and osteoporosis.

Severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher rate of hospitalisation for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey. Scientists found that those with a severe deficiency (below 15 nnmol/L) were 33 per cent more likely to be admitted to hospital for treatment than those with sufficient levels of vitamin D (at least 75 nmol/L).

​The NHS is facing continuing winter pressures as the country approaches another cold snap, and as rising pressures are pushing hospitals to their busiest levels for this time of year since before COVID-19.

Men with high‑risk locally advanced prostate cancer in England will soon be offered the drug abiraterone on the NHS, following landmark findings from the UCL-led STAMPEDE trial.

The UK’s sole trade union for surgeons has joined calls from surgical training associations to scrap virtual interviews, over fears that trainees are using AI to skew outcomes and get jobs in positions they are not suitable for.

Over one million people are estimated to currently have glaucoma in the UK, a figure projected to reach more than 1.6 million by 2060, according to a study led by Moorfields and UCL researchers.

The world’s leading cardiovascular societies, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation (WHF) have issued the first ever joint statement calling for urgent action to address environmental stressors as major, yet preventable, causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Jess’s Rule asks GPs to take a ‘fresh eyes’ approach and think again if, after 3 appointments, they have been unable to offer a patient a substantiated diagnosis or their symptoms have escalated.

Starting in January 2026, and funded by the European Union Innovative Health Initiative, the Cities@Heart consortium will design, pilot and evaluate a series of city-level strategies to improve cardiovascular health for all. This ambitious project aims to help reduce the burden that cardiovascular disease places on urban environments, as well as reducing the health inequality gap.

A new technique which slashes the time taken to diagnose microbial infections from days to minutes could help save lives and open up a new front in the battle against antibiotic resistance, researchers say.

Aston University has published a paper setting out best practice on enhanced therapeutic observations for healthcare professionals. It has been published as a continuing professional development (CPD) article by the Royal College of Nursing and is designed to support nurses, nursing associates and healthcare support workers.

London Ambulance Service reached sick patients faster in December than in any Christmas period since 2020. Response times for people with a life-threatening condition, such as those who had stopped breathing, were 45 seconds faster on average, while those with serious medical emergencies like heart attacks or strokes were reached by ambulance crews more than 17 minutes faster, according to the latest figures.

The Functional Gut Clinic (FGC), a provider of specialist gastrointestinal (GI) diagnostics, has announced the launch of its dedicated GI Clinical Trials establishing the organisation as the country’s first boutique, end‑to‑end clinical research provider focused exclusively on digestive health.

Deep-rooted inequalities in medicine continue to impact careers and opportunities for ethnic minority and non-UK qualified doctors working in the NHS, General Medical Council (GMC) Chief Executive Charlie Massey cautions in a new report.

A new technology has been developed that enables cuffless non-invasive blood pressure monitoring by using ultrasonic to track real-time changes in vascular diameter — without the need for a traditional cuff. The technology is expected to serve as a core component in future wearable healthcare devices and smart medical monitoring platforms.

Patients with chronic illnesses face a significantly higher risk of complications from cosmetic botulinum toxin injections, commonly known as Botox, according to a major UK study.

Sinai Health researchers have shown that a blood test can predict Crohn’s disease years before symptoms appear, opening the doors to early diagnosis and potentially prevention. The test measures a person’s immune response to flagellin, a protein found on gut bacteria.