Research and Technology

Routine breech scans could lower mother and baby mortality rates and save NHS money, researchers say

17.04.19: Scanning mothers-to-be late in their pregnancy could prevent 15,000 unexpected breech births, 4,000 emergency C-sections, and the deaths of up to eight babies a year, new research has shown. Breech births, where a baby’s bottom or fee...

NHS rolls out new digital portal for home care vacancies in bid to reduce hospital discharge delays

16.04.19: A new digital portal that allows hospital staff to find care home spaces for patients is to be rolled out across the NHS in a bid to reduce delays. The ‘Capacity Tracker’ is being rolled out by NHS England to hospitals, care hom...

Mixed reviews for ‘full of jargon’ NHS App pilot ahead of summer rollout

12.04.19: NHS Digital has published the results of the pilot phase of the NHS App, finding that users were “enthusiastic” about using the app to order prescriptions but appointment bookings were “full of jargon.” A number of c...

A smarter approach to tackling AMR

10.04.19: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is estimated to cause 700,000 deaths each year globally. This could rise to 10 million by 2050 if we do nothing. Better stewardship, new diagnostics, and effective health education is crucial to tackling this growi...

DHSC reveals early focus for NHSX digital unit and names CEO

04.04.19: NHSX has named its new chief executive as the government announces that its digital specialists will be joining up with cancer and mental health national policy teams to help improve patient experiences through technology. The Department of...

GDEs: Harnessing technology's potential

03.04.19: Gareth Thomas, clinical co-chair of the Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) blueprinting steering group, consultant in intensive care medicine and anaesthesia, and chief clinical information officer, discusses the publication of the first wave of GDE...

Rolling out mental health trials in schools

03.04.19: Anna Moore and Dr Daniel Hayes, researchers at the Evidence Based Practice Unit (UCL and Anna Freud Centre), discuss their leading research into mental health and wellbeing in schools. As recently announced by the education secretary Damian...

Utilising smart meters in assisted living

27.03.19: Dr Sudip Sikdar, consultant old-age psychiatrist, and Pauline Parker, head of research at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust; alongside Dr Carl Chalmers, senior lecturer in computer science, and Dr Paul Fergus, reader in machine learning at Liverp...

Heart surgeries cancelled and patients warned of fatal infection risk due to deaths at Edinburgh hospital

25.03.19: NHS Lothian has written to nearly 200 patients who have undergone heart surgery in the last six months warning them of a potentially fatal infection risk. The decision was taken by an Incident Management Team after it found that six patient...

Plans unveiled to replace fire-ravaged Christie hospital cancer unit

14.03.19: Plans for a new cancer research centre in Manchester has been revealed to replace a fire-damaged building at the Christie hospital. The regeneration of the Paterson building, which was destroyed in a huge fire in 2017, sets out plans for a...

MPs express ‘extreme concern’ at NHSE’s decision to hand cancer scan services to private firm

13.03.19: An MP has written to NHS England CEO Simon Stevens stating she is “extremely concerned” about the decision to take cancer screening services away from an Oxford hospital trust and hand it to a private firm. Government and opposi...

NHS staff and families to be evicted under plans to close accommodation

22.02.19: Staff at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust could be forced out of their homes as the trust’s plans to close the accommodation at the facility have been brought forward. A letter sent by the trust to tenants, seen by NHE, out...

NHSX: Hancock unveils new digital unit to bring together all of NHS’s tech leaders

19.02.19: Matt Hancock has unveiled the creation of a new digital unit dubbed NHSX tasked with bringing forward technological innovation and will take over many of the digital responsibilities currently handled by NHS England in a bid to speed up the NHS&...

GP at Hand cleared to expand to Birmingham after NHS England lifts objections

14.02.19: Babylon’s controversial GP at Hand is to be expanded to Birmingham after NHS England reversed its decision to block the doctor app. Babylon applied last year to launch its remote video consultation service in Birmingham, but the appli...

Major redevelopment of Newcastle General Hospital unveiled as university buys land from NHS trust

12.02.19: Ambitious plans to redevelop the former General Hospital have been unveiled by Newcastle University after it bought the hospital site from owners Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The vision would see the 29-acre site expa...