Research and Technology

Getting more out of our medicines

20.06.18: Paul Chrisp, programme director of medicines and technologies at NICE, describes how the organisation is re-purposing drugs in order to improve patient care quickly and cost-effectively. Developing new medicines and then ensuring they are u...

The great untold story of research

13.06.18: Simon Denegri, national director for patients, carers and the public at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), advocates closer public involvement in NHS research and innovation. The British people have high hopes for their heal...

Lord Darzi calls for ‘full automation’ strategy for repetitive health and care tasks

11.06.18: The NHS could free up £12.5bn worth of frontline time through investing in a far-reaching programme of automation, according to a report to be published later this month. As well as saving almost 10% of the NHS’s annual running cost...

New Birmingham hospital stalled by Carillion collapse loses over £100m in EU funding

07.06.18: Funding for the building of the Midland Metropolitan Hospital has been terminated by the European Investment Bank (EIB) following the collapse of lead contractor Carillion. The EU bank had previously pledged the cash to be put towards the h...

RCN seeks views on mental health parity

25.04.18: The Royal College of Nursing is seeking the views of nursing staff working in mental health or delivering mental health services. The RCN will be asking what could be done to make a difference, both in the workplace and nationally, to achie...

Cyber security plans impossible as NHS still in dark about WannaCry

18.04.18: The WannaCry cyber-attack on 12 May 2017 was a wake-up call for the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) must now act on priorities by June this year, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has argued. The attack caused wide...

NHS England fast-tracks four initiatives to boost patient care

09.04.18: Four innovations are to be fast-tracked into use though NHS England’s Innovation and Technology Payment programme. The scheme aims to deliver improvements in patient care by cutting bureaucracy for clinicians and innovators and encouragin...

King’s Fund chief executive to step down

02.03.18: The chief executive of the King’s Fund, Professor Chris Ham, has revealed his intention to step down. Ham is expected to leave the position by the end of this year after holding the role since 2010, when he replaced NHS Confederation...

Charity puts £45m investment into cancer clinical trials

15.02.18: Cancer Research UK has announced a £45m investment into clinical trials. It will be one of the charity’s biggest investments to date and will be used to find cures for hard to treat types of cancer. Over the next five...

Buzzing about biosimilars

07.02.18: Biosimilars have the exciting potential to accelerate treatment access and drive huge cost savings across the NHS, explains Divya Chadha Manek, head of business development (commercial) at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). ...

Health Foundation awards largest-ever grant to healthcare improvement institute

30.01.18: A new research institute is hoping to create a world-leading asset for the NHS by improving the science behind healthcare organisation and delivery. The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), led by the University of Cambrid...

Robots, AI and 3D printing: the future of surgery?

24.01.18: Richard Kerr, Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) council member & chair of the Commission on the Future of Surgery, looks into how technological advancements could transform the surgical profession in the years to come. Surgeons have alway...

NHS Digital hits back at rising pressure with electronic prescription pilot launch

22.12.17: NHS Digital has confirmed the launch of a pilot scheme for the new Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) for urgent care. The system has been rolled out for GP services since 2009, but rising pressure across urgent services has prompted NHS...

World-best innovations supported to scale

20.12.17: Programme director Dr Amanda Begley introduces the high-impact innovations selected to join the 2017 NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA), addressing key challenges in primary care, urgent & emergency care and mental health. In June of this...

NHS £45m online GP service ‘not a silver bullet’ despite central pressure

23.11.17: Plans to introduce an online consultation system for GPs may not fix workload and waiting time issues in the way the government is hoping, it has been argued. Research, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), has sugges...