RECENT NEWS

Life expectancy is at the highest level ever, deaths from cancer, heart disease and stroke are falling, and infant mortality is at its lowest level ever according to the Health Profile of England 2007, published by the Department of Health.

The first national clinical audit to investigate the care received by patients who have fallen and fractured bones (hip, wrist, arm, pelvis or spine) shows that an inadequate service is being provided by most local health services, and that there are unacceptable variations of care across PCTs and Trusts in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Royal Philips Electronics recently unveiled a range of futuristic design ideas for the healthcare sector based on the company’s “sense and simplicity” concept at London’s Earls Court exhibition centre. Drawing on the expertise of anthropologists, sociologists and engineers, the concepts took a holistic approach to “wellbeing” coupled with the view that healthcare is becoming more consumerdriven.

Patients being fed through nasogastric tubes could soon be receiving a safer and more secure treatment as a result of a new system developed by the University of Hull. Feeding tubes usually need to be inserted into the stomach, but because there is currently no definitive, safe and reliable method of verifying where the tube is being placed, they can sometimes be misplaced. If they are inserted into the lungs, for example, this can lead to serious and sometimes fatal consequences.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) released new data on patient safety incidents relating to nutrition and hydration in hospital.

The Government has admitted that it has shifted the “goal posts” in relation 18-week waiting times and is no longer looking to achieve its 100% target.

AUK-wide survey of emergency emissions has concluded that care for female heart failure patients lags behind that offered for men. The study, published in Heart journal, examined 9,500 admissions and found that women were less likely to receive recommended investigations such as ultrasound scans or drug treatment such as beta blockers. They were also less likely to be given treatment to prevent worsening of their symptoms when they left hospital.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the go-ahead to build a new £228 million hospital in Pembury, Kent. The new redevelopment will house 512 en suite bedrooms and be the first 100% single room facility in England enabling much better isolation of patients with infections. It is expected to be completed by 2010.

2. Braun Medical has called on hospitals throughout the country to conduct regular audits of surgical instruments to boost patient safety. The company claims that some NHS Trusts are unsure how many instrument sets they have, or have ineffective systems in place for checking on their condition.

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have found that having more years of formal education delays the memory loss linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

The Government has announced that it will scrap plans for six clinics that were to provide privately run services for the NHS. One clinic which is already up and running will also be closed. This is likely to result in the Government having to reimburse bid costs and compensation worth millions of pounds. Wave two has cost £84 m on legal fees and procurement costs, although some of this has been spent on schemes that have been implemented. Dr Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the BMA’s consultants committee described the waste of money as a “crying shame”.

The All-Party parliamentary thrombosis group has found that around two-thirds of Trusts are failing to follow Government guidelines on DVT, which could have resulted in 11,000 unnecessary patient deaths.

Bosses at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have approved a one-off payment of £100 to staff as a thank you for helping the Trust to achieve an “excellent” score in the recent NHS performance ratings.

The London Clinic is set to be the first UK hospital to offer cancer patients advanced RapidArc treatments as part of a long-term collaboration with Varian Medical Systems.

Barts and The London New Hospitals Programme is the largest PFI Healthcare scheme ever to be signed in the UK.

The NHS is failing to offer sufficient out of hours GP care for severely ill patients according to a report by the Royal College of Physicians taskforce.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have announced a new joint arrangement for clinical trials. The initiative forms a key part of the developing MRC-NIHR joint strategy for translational research.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has launched a comprehensive five-year plan to further improve NHS cancer services, supported by an investment of £370 million. Key elements of the strategy include focus on prevention, faster treatment, extended screening, fast-track drug approval and extended services for the increasing numbers of people surviving cancer.

Bill Al-Khatib has been appointed managing director of Maquet.

AUK-coordinated clinical trial involving up to 20,000 patients across the globe is testing a new way of stopping blood loss in patients who have suffered a major injury (trauma). Trauma is the second biggest cause of death in young people worldwide, claiming about three million lives each year. The CRASH-2 trial has been funded by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme, part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of using tranexamic acid.