RECENT NEWS

Research published in the American Journal of Medicine concludes that moderate coffee consumption is well tolerated in patients with either known or suspected arrhythmia.

NICE has launched a training package to support and reinforce the skills and competencies of midwives, health visitors and social workers when raising sensitive issues with pregnant women who face difficult social circumstances.

Microsoft’s Vergence single sign-on and context management solution has been selected by Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to further its strategic approach to patient care, efficiency and improve the productivity of clinicians.

The NHS could, potentially, save up to £5.5 million a year if health organisations improve the way they dispose of waste, claims the Royal College of Nursing.

People who use aspirin at least once a month may have a reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer US scientists have discovered. A research team at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota studied 904 patients with pancreatic cancer and a further 1,224 healthy patients, all over 55.

The pressure for major changes to health legislation is being stepped up by doctors leaders following the announcement by the Government that there will be a “pause” for further consultation about the Health and Social Care reform bill.

The Plan for Growth, published by the Government in March, contained a range of measures, including a firm commitment to build on the “Innovative Technology Adoption and Procurement Programme (iTAPP)” in the NHS, giving the companies involved the opportunity to present their ideas and innovations to the NHS.

Stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates in the UK have shown a downward trend since 2000, says the Perinatal Mortality 2009 report, published by the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE).

New figures, presented at the British Society of Gastroenterology’s Annual Meeting in Birmingham in March, highlight the quality of colonoscopy and pre-cancer detection rates in the UK since the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme was rolled out in 2006.

Recently published UCL research outlines a strategy for regenerating skeletal muscle tissue using cells from the recipient’s own body.

A study of twin veterans in the US has linked antidepressant use to thicker arteries, possibly contributing to the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Ten million pounds is to be invested over four years to improve care by growing the Scottish telehealthcare sector.

New research, undertaken by PruHealth, has revealed that one-third of Britons want people to pay for “self-inflicted” health issues,

The Stroke Association has joined a partnership that sees telecare response service CarelineUK providing personal emergency alarms and monitoring services to stroke survivors.

Commenting on the release of figures on NHS staff numbers by the NHS Information Centre, Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said:

According to research from Astellas Pharma Europe the top three challenges facing urologists across Europe are a lack of funding for research and development; a lack of understanding among referrers; and a lack of new treatments available to patients.

The number of managers and senior managers working in the NHS in England decreased last year, alongside an overall expansion in the size of the workforce, according to a report from The NHS Information Centre (IC).

A round-up of NHS quality and financial performance between October and December 2010, published by the Department of Health, shows that the NHS is continuing to provide improvements in the quality of patient care and robust financial management while preparing to transition to a health service more focused on improving patient outcomes.

As endoscopes become more sophisticated, and changes in technology occur, now more than ever it is important to ensure endoscopy unit staff are fully trained on the importance of the basic knowledge of the reprocessing system, and the significant role they play within this process.

Although a parliamentary report states that death rates from cancer have fallen and survival rates have improved since the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is still calling for more to be done to tackle the gap between the survival rates in England and those seen in the best-performing countries in Europe.