RECENT NEWS

Researchers have devised a breath test that can help doctors diagnose the early signs of oesophageal and gastric cancer. The test has produced encouraging results in a clinical study, and will now be tested in a larger trial involving three hospitals in London.

The experiences of almost 19,000 children and young people who stayed in hospital overnight or were seen as a day patient reveal that the majority of children and young people said they were happy with the care received, thought staff did everything possible to control their pain and they understood the information given to them by staff. However, children with physical or learning disabilities, or mental health needs reported poorer experiences of care than those without.

Laboratory produced red blood cells are set to be transfused into humans by 2017, NHS Blood and Transplant has announced. The landmark in-man clinical trials of manufactured blood form a key part of the blood and organ service’s 2020 Research and Development programme.

The Ebola virus responsible for the outbreak in West Africa mutated at a similar rate to previous outbreaks, according to a new international study led by Public Health England (PHE) and published in Nature.

DMI is a privately owned UK supplier of disposable medical instruments, able to provide a dedicated, bespoke service.

HYGIENA INTERNATIONAL manufactures and sells rapid hygiene detection systems to measure cleanliness and risk, that are proven and well established. The patient environment is a reservoir for pathogens and HCAI bring added cost and misery.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for the disclosure of results from clinical trials for medical products, whatever the result. The move aims to ensure that decisions related to the safety and efficacy of vaccines, drugs and medical devices are supported by the best available evidence.

The main drugs used to treat alcoholic hepatitis are not effective at increasing patients’ survival, a major study has found. In a trial of over 1,000 patients, prednisolone and pentoxifylline, treatments recommended in international guidelines, did not achieve a statistically significant reduction in mortality after 28 days, 90 days or a year.

A new study has found that alternative providers of primary care in the NHS, including private sector companies, do not perform as well as traditional GP practices. Alternative providers have been contracted to offer primary care in the NHS since 2004 under reforms designed to increase competition.

New dates have been announced for MEDICA, and COMPAMED. Both events will run in Düsseldorf, in parallel, over four days, from 16 to 19 November.

The latest event in the well-established Reducing HCAIs series of conferences will focus on ‘Combating Pervasive Threats’ – exploring the greatest infection risks facing healthcare providers today.

A new animal study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, led by Dr Christos Mantzoros, indicates that a diet containing walnuts may slow colorectal tumour growth by causing beneficial changes in cancer genes.

A new study finds that men with prostate cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes, who have a significant risk of dying from the disease, can benefit from the addition of radiation therapy to treatments that block the effects of testosterone.

Hepatitis B stimulates processes that deprive the body’s immune cells of key nutrients that they need to function, according to the latest research.

Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have jointly launched a Stratified Medicine Consortium to help personalise bowel cancer treatment by matching patients to the most effective therapies.

A new programme to get doctors into General Practice has been launched with the backing of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), NHS England, Health Education England and the BMA. The Induction and Refresher scheme is designed to support GPs who have previously been in practice to introduce them back into the workforce.

A new report by The King’s Fund argues that shortages and other critical pressures within the NHS workforce could jeopardise plans outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View to deliver new models of care.

The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) has appointed Ros Moore RGN RNT BSc (Hons) Nursing, MA (Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland 2010-2014) to the AfPP board as a non-elected Trustee from the 1 June 2015. With a nursing career that commenced in 1981, Ros has held posts in clinical practice and nurse education before becoming professional development manager and then assistant director in an acute Trust.

A new report, “The NHS: How does it compare?”, from The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) has found that the UK has fewer doctors, nurses, hospital beds and crucial medical equipment than most other wealthy nations.

Two cutting-edge cancer treatments using targeted radioactive therapy injections to destroy cancer cells are now being offered to patients with rare neuroendocrine tumours and patients with prostate cancer at Weston Park Hospital.