RECENT NEWS

Doctors.net.uk, the doctors’ professional network has delivered online pandemic flu training to over 13,000 UK doctors since its launch in December 2005.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on photorefractive (laser) eye surgery for the treatment of refractive errors (short and long-sightedness) to determine whether it is safe enough and works well enough for use.

A nurse who instigated and led a cardiac rehabilitation programme tailored specifically to the needs of heart failure patients has won a British Heart Foundation Excellence Award.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton has announced the next step in helping the NHS deliver the fastest ever access to NHS hospital treatment. Eight “pioneer” health communities have been chosen to help the NHS deliver a maximum wait of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment.

In light of the recent Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warning that specialist nurses face cuts in the latest wave of NHS savings, the MS Trust has expressed concern about the current threat to cut the number of MS specialist nurses.

Hundreds of thousands of patients admitted to NHS hospitals lose weight when they enter hospital, slowing down recovery, increasing the risk of infections and complications, and increasing the risk that they will die from their condition, the Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) was told recently.

Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt has announced “fair and affordable” pay awards for NHSstaff, a move which while designed to address the funding deficit, has left many staff feeling short changed.

Details of the fifth annual “Completing the Picture” meeting have been released, with a final programme to follow shortly. The event is being held on the 18 May 2006 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham.

The Medilink Yorkshire and Humber Innovation Day 2006 is a celebration of good ideas, giving attendees the chance to hear about some of the most innovative and fresh developments in the healthcare industry, and an opportunity to be updated on key healthcare sector issues. The event will be held on the 28 March at Headingley Experience, Leeds.

Health Minister Jane Kennedy has announced a new health research strategy aimed at giving patients better access to groundbreaking new medicines and treatments, and supporting researchers carrying out health and social care research throughout England.

A newly published report, the Joint British Societies’ Guidelines on Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Clinical Practice, sets tighter blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose targets for people with diabetes than ever before.

Doctors can now learn how to help tackle the growing problem of mouth cancer thanks to a new course delivered free by onmedica.net, the educational website for GPs.

Garment specialist firm Grahame Gardner was recently drafted in to lift the image of both clinical and non-clinical staff on the children’s wards at Watford and Hemel Hempstead General Hospitals. The facilities were looking for uniforms which improved the hospital experience for patients and carers alike, and Grahame Gardner was chosen as its garments and services had the potential to fulfil this brief.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults and for the treatment of adults with established CVD.

New GP surgeries will open at the rate of one a week during the next 12 months as part of a £270 million transformation of NHS services outside of hospitals. The NHS plans to open around 60 new GP surgeries, health centres and clinics in 2006 under the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme.

A report titled Clinical Academic Medicine: the Way Forward and issued on behalf of all the UK’s Medical Royal Colleges and the Academy of Medical Sciences, states that the lack of clinical academics is a threat to standards of patient care.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has declared her support for 18 more NHS Trusts wanting to apply for Foundation status. The applications supported by the Secretary of State now go forward to Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts, who will decide which Trusts receive authorisation. The applications include, for the first time, five from Mental Health Trusts.

The Prostate Cancer Charity has backed the recent publication of the Public Accounts Committee report on Tackling Cancer: Improving the Patient Journey, which calls on the Government to put prostate cancer higher on its health agenda.

The Healthcare Commission has challenged hospitals to regain the confidence of patients on cleanliness by bringing all services up to the standards of the best. The regulator made the move when publishing the findings of the first independent inspections of hospital cleanliness in England.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has launched guidance on the use of implantable-cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) – potentially life-saving devices for people at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) as a result of cardiac arrhythmias. The guidance, which updates NICE’s original guidance published in 2000, is set to increase the number of people who might benefit from an ICD.