RECENT NEWS

Better training and computerised diagnostic tools help GPs diagnose dementia, according to new research funded by the Alzheimer’s Society.

A new case of variant-CJD associated with a blood transfusion has recently been diagnosed.

Research presented at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference in Birmingham recently has highlighted the need for better foot care to prevent amputations.

Health professionals are being offered new training to develop the skills they need to communicate and deliver care more effectively with ethnic minority groups.

The Stroke Association has responded to research published in the BMJ on the applicability to primary care of national clinical guidelines on blood pressure lowering for people with stroke.

How patients with head and neck cancers are cared for is described in the first report from a new national data collection, published recently.

At this year’s Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA) 36th Annual Infection Control Conference in September the first day will be dedicated to the issues around antimicrobial resistance.

Astudy published in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has raised serious questions about the efficacy of spinal manipulation treatment.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson, John Broughton, assistant chief constable, Essex Police and Sandra Caldwell, director of field operations at the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), have launched a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help ensure that investigations into serious patient safety incidents are conducted in a consistent and well co-ordinated manner that leads to effective learning.

Healthcare companies from across the region were recognised at the recent 2006 Medilink Yorkshire and Humber Innovation Day and Healthcare Business Awards.

Training to help healthcare staff deal with violence at work is making a difference, but only where it has a solid grounding in day-today situations, researchers have found.

The Royal Society of Medicine Press has published the latest practical guide on how to manage the menopause.

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.