RECENT NEWS

Healthcare excellence and innovation was recently recognised at the Medilink UK Awards 2009. Sponsored by Xiros, the Medilink UK annual awards celebrate cutting edge technologies, outstanding business achievements, international success and collaboration.

Findings of the sixth annual survey of NHS staff show a decline in the number of workers who experienced bullying, harassment or abuse by patients or their relatives, while nine out of 10 felt they “made a difference” for patients.

The Care Quality Commission (which recently replaced the Healthcare Commission) has commended the majority of NHS Trusts for improving infection control.

Vanguard Healthcare, which operates the UK national fleet of mobile operating theatres, has been acquired by its management from Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest healthcare charity.

A study published by the British Medical Journal online (D. Pagano et al) has revealed that people from areas of social deprivation have significantly worse outcomes following cardiac surgery and concluded that social deprivation independently predicted the risk of dying following cardiac surgery.

The number of people working for the NHS has reached an all-time high with virtually all categories of staff seeing increases in numbers, a census by The NHS Information Centre has revealed.

NHS health checks, which could prevent 1,600 heart attacks and strokes each year, are now being rolled out across England.

The NHS is celebrating the shortest waits since its records began, Health Secretary Alan Johnson recently announced – with the average wait for treatment for admitted patients now just 8.6 weeks.

Improving lifestyles now could prevent 12,000 cases (26%) of bowel cancer by the year 2024 – a new report by Cancer Research UK has predicted.

Cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in the UK have increased by 2% from 8,496 cases reported in 2007 to 8,679 in 2008 according to new provisional figures released by the Health Protection Agency.

The first survey of staffing levels in stroke units in England estimates that more than 2,000 whole time equivalent (WTE) extra posts are needed to provide the best care to patients. ”

A survey of nurses and doctors treating patients with alcohol related harm has shown that many believe that action on sales of low priced alcohol is the most important weapon for tackling the rising tide of alcohol problems.

Doctors’ swipe cards are a potential source of hospital-acquired infection, according to research published in the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

This year, the “Completing the Picture” educational symposium will take place on Thursday 11 June 2009, at the Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire.

Pregnant women should not undergo some types of medical examination that involve high doses of radiation to the foetus because of the small increased risk of causing childhood cancer, according to guidance developed by the Health Protection Agency, The Royal College of Radiologists and the College of Radiographers.

The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) has spoken out to show its continued support of “Patient Safety First”, the patient safety improvement campaign for England.

NHS hospitals are making mixed progress on ensuring staff are properly trained and have the specialist skills necessary to provide good quality care for children, according to a report by the Healthcare Commission (now replaced by the Care Quality Commission).

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has opened a new state-of-the-art clinical skills unit, marking the second phase of the College’s Eagle Project which will provide the UK with one of the most advanced surgical teaching facilities in the world.

Patients who have lost part of their visual awareness following a stroke can show an improved ability to see when they are listening to music they like, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Healthcare professionals believe that patients will play a key role in making healthcare systems sustainable, according to a major new research report, Fixing Healthcare, written by the Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by Philips.