RECENT NEWS

NICE has announced a new programme dedicated to the evaluation of innovative medical technologies (including devices and diagnostics).

Babies born in Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust are about twice as likely to have been delivered by Caesarean section as those born in Sherwood Hospital in Nottingham, a report from The NHS Information Centre has revealed.

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) has awarded Steris with a contract to supply vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP) systems to hospitals in England.

Vanguard Healthcare, a supplier of mobile surgical services, has announced its intention to offer its mobile healthcare solutions across Europe, supported by key strategic alliances.

The UK has some of the worst cancer and heart attack survival rates in the developed world, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Hospital admissions for obesity in England have risen by 60% in the last year and by 360% compared to five years ago, according to figures released by The NHS Information Centre.

Marking the growing demand for remote patient technologies as the NHS looks to streamline costs, the Bosch Group has announced a move into the UK telehealth market.

Two London NHS Trusts, that serve more than 1.25 million patients, have asked Medica to provide Nighthawk teleradiology services.

Funding from the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council has been awarded to a team that includes experts in brain disease from UCL’s Institute of Neurology and the Royal Free Hospital, as well as the University of Dundee and University of Sheffield.

According to a report by the BBC, researchers in Australia plan to test a medical “scaffold” designed to stimulate natural breast tissue to “regrow” following surgery.

The BMA has warned politicians that a “slash and burn” attack on NHS services would be “dangerous and short-sighted”, while calling for action to improve public health and an end to “market-based policies”.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has announced an initiative that will see the NHS and healthcare industries develop safety design solutions which will improve patient safety.

Existing guidance on the management of some infections may be too long and complex for many doctors to have time to absorb, according to the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAI) Working Group at the Royal College of Physicians.

The RCN recently warned that the economic downturn could be the greatest threat to nursing and patient care in living memory, following the publication of a report of a roundtable discussion attended by health policy experts.

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield has officially opened a new PET/CT scanning centre at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. The centre provides a permanent home for the latest in cutting-edge diagnostic technology to NHS patients in the city and the surrounding area.

Australian scientists have found that Vitamin D may slow the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Figures showing that people living in Tasmania are seven times more likely to develop MS than Queenslanders had suggested a link between sunlight exposure and the disease. Researchers at the Menzies Institute have now found that taking more vitamin D may also reduce the symptoms of the disease.

Hospital admissions for obesity in England have risen by 60% in the last year and by 360% compared to five years ago, according to figures released by The NHS Information Centre. These latest figures coincide with the publication of YouGov research, commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology, which shows that young Brits (18-24 year olds) are unaware of the health issues obesity can cause. While most correctly identified the links with diabetes (80%) and high blood pressure (81%), less than a third knew it could cause cancer of the colon (28%).

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has published strengthened guidelines for NHS organisations on how to communicate with patients, their families and carers when something goes wrong.

Scientists have countered findings of previous clinical trials by showing that giving supplemental oxygen to animals during a stroke can reduce damage to brain tissue surrounding the clot.

A new centre for the collection of vital cord blood donations has been opened by Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron.