RECENT NEWS

Lung cancer rates in women rising

Lung cancer rates in women have risen by 73% over the last 40 years according to recently released Cancer Research UK figures.

Distribution route for EIRUS

Maquet and Pulsion have announced a collaboration to distribute the EIRUS continuous glucose and lactate monitoring solution in Europe.

Criminal sanctions: unhelpful and costly?

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) believes that the proposals to introduce a criminal sanction for wilful neglect will lead to large numbers of doctors being investigated.

Survey on the use of A&E for non-emergencies

According to survey findings from Healthwatch England, 18% of people admit to having knowingly used A&E for a non-emergency at some point in their lives.

Staff believe that reforms do not benefit public health

According to research undertaken by the British Medical Association (BMA) public health consultants and trainees believe that the recent health reforms have failed to benefit the public’s health and more than half of specialists have considered leaving the profession.

Staffing levels affect ICU outcomes

A study led by the University of Greenwich shows that patients in intensive care units (ICUs) have a better chance of survival if there are more doctors and nurses working on the unit.

Nerves could be repaired after spinal cord injury

A new discovery suggests that, in the future, it may be possible to chemically reprogram and repair damaged nerves after spinal cord injury or brain trauma.

Barriers to quality care highlighted

Doctors discussed the barriers that exist to delivering quality care, at the What’s A Doctor Worth? BMA event which was undertaken to inform contract negotiations.

European Working Time Directive: adverse effects

The implementation of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) in the NHS has had an adverse impact on training in certain medical specialties, including surgeons and doctors working in acute medicine, says an independent taskforce, commissioned by the Government.

No clear strategy for specialist shortages

The Public Accounts Committee has published its 46th Report on emergency admissions to hospital and chronic shortage of specialist A&E consultants. The results show that there is no clear strategy in place for tackling a lack of A&E specialists.

Wales obesity rates: call for better bariatric funding

Surgeons and healthcare professionals in Wales are concerned over a lack of funding for bariatric surgery and obesity treatments across the country, despite the launch of an all-Wales strategy more than three years ago.

Social networking and alerts technology improves patient care

Technology that gives instant alerts about patients to healthcare staff, and allows them to communicate over a secure social network, has transformed how teams work and has significantly improved patient care, according to Dr Michael Bedford, a renal research registrar at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust (EKHUFT).

Better services needed for those at higher risk of bowel cancer

Bowel Cancer UK has highlighted a lack of surveillance screening and is calling for this to be addressed to ensure early detection of the disease, particularly for younger people who are at higher risk of bowel cancer.

Building a culture of candour

An independent review has concluded that healthcare organisations, including hospitals and GP practices, need to embrace a new culture of candour so that patients and their families are told honestly about any harm that has been caused and what will be done to put it right,.

Physical illness increases the risk of self-harm

New research quantifying the risk of admission to hospital for self-harm has identified a raised risk of self-harm among groups of patients with certain physical illnesses.

Safety alert for ECG machine records

A patient safety alert has been issued to NHS services that use ECG machines to diagnose cardiac problems, highlighting the risk associated with printing the wrong patient’s ECG records, which could lead to misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment.

First Medtech Innovation Briefings published by NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published the first Medtech Innovation Briefings on a range of novel technologies.

Students offered increased clinical-setting learning

A new curriculum, designed to encourage junior doctors to study in Wales, will see medical students spending more time training in clinical settings. BMA Cymru Wales has welcomed the modification at Cardiff University’s medical school called C21 (21st century).

Prenatal testing discussed

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is likely to become a primary screening method for chromosomal abnormalities in pregnancy in the future, reducing invasive testing and the associated risks, according to a scientific impact paper published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).

Better diabetes awareness needed

With almost one-in-five children with diabetes developing a dangerous complication known as Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) – a lack of insulin in the body – before they are officially diagnosed with the condition, doctors are calling for greater diabetes awareness.

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