UK patients want better access to early and accurate diagnosis of health problems, according to new survey data from the Patients Association. Many patients would consider paying to get tests done privately if they faced a long wait for NHS tests. Nine in ten (90%) of UK patients say it should be more straightforward to […]
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Simulation and health experts at Coventry University are working together to create simulated patients that students can ‘touch’ in virtual reality. The university is at the forefront of exploring Virtual Simulated Placements (VSPs) to enable the training of more health professionals. This new work involves the use of haptics – the science of touch – […]
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NHS dentistry at a tipping point, as BBC reveal true extent of access crisis: Nine out of ten NHS dental practices unable to offer appointments to new adult patients, in the most extensive survey of patient access ever undertaken. The British Dental Association has pressed government to step up and deliver urgent reform, as new […]
The Chancellor had several key questions to answer at this Budget, so that patients could understand how he would be ensuring the health and care system has the resources it needs. Instead, he has produced a Budget that tells patients nothing. We already knew that he had committed to five more years of below-trend growth […]
In December 2014, Dr Myles Bradbury, a Consultant Paedicatrian, was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment (reduced to 16 on appeal) for abusing 18 children at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. He would abuse his victims and secretly film what he did using a “spy pen”. Often the parents would be in the same room but behind […]
Technology and innovation are being invoked as saviours of an over-stretched NHS whose seventieth birthday is looming, particularly as both hospitals and general practices face unprecedented winter pressures. Whether teleconsultation, direct-to-consumer genetic testing or using artificial intelligence to predict risk of disease, the promise of these novel approaches seems compelling. Professor Tony Young, National Clinical […]
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What’s the ideal gift to bring someone who is in hospital? Hospitals can be very tedious places for patients and a visit from family or friends bearing a small gift can brighten anyone’s hospital stay. However many people struggle to think of an appropriate present. It’s best to keep in mind that some traditional gifts, […]
Biosimilar medicines have been the hot subject of debate for a number of years. But as health systems around the world face continued budget squeezes and seek to increase the number of patients treated with biosimilars, the use of these less expensive options becomes ever more pertinent. Today (Tuesday 15th November) patient groups from across […]
Lung cancer has very few symptoms at early stage and many people dismiss it as a possibility. We know that 37 per cent of lung cancer patients are only diagnosed when they make an emergency trip to A&E which is far too late. Only around 30 per cent of people with lung cancer survive one […]
Patient safety is an essential component of healthcare quality and has become a topic of increasing focus at all levels of the health system, domestically and internationally. In the UK, the focus on patient safety has never been stronger. In the past five years, a number of important milestones – the NHS Constitution; the Five […]