Health system innovator

UK hospitals have started testing newborns for more than 200 rare genetic conditions in what researchers call a landmark national study. Forty-seven NHS hospitals, including Sunderland Royal Hospital, South Tyneside District Hospital and Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, are taking part in the Generation Study. The aim is to test 100,000 babies, with the study set [...]

Fourteen NHS trusts will have their maternity services investigated after long-running system failures, the government has confirmed. The investigations form part of a rapid review of England's maternity services announced in June. Health secretary Wes Streeting praised the "extraordinary courage" of bereaved families who raised concerns spanning 15 years. Some families have criticised the process, [...]

Missed medical appointments cost billions, and can mean the difference between early detection and a devastating diagnosis. A pioneering AI platform is tackling medical ‘no-shows’ and getting more women into lifesaving cervical screenings. The US loses US$150bn to missed medical appointments each year, with the cost of no-shows thought to be around £1.2bn in the [...]

University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) has secured £250k to trial a dye-based technique in endometriosis surgery aimed at reducing pain and surgical complications. The two-year ICE trial will compare the use of indocyanine green (ICG) dye with standard ureter stenting, aiming to better protect urinary structures during deep endometriosis procedures. Funded by the NIHR [...]

Every baby in the UK will have their DNA tested under a new 10-year NHS plan announced by the health secretary. The whole-genome sequencing initiative aims to detect hundreds of conditions early and offer preventive care before symptoms appear, according to Wes Streeting. This is part of a broader plan to shift the NHS towards [...]

Women aged 25 to 49 in England will be invited for cervical screening every five years instead of three, if they test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV), under new changes beginning 1 July. The update brings England into line with Scotland and Wales, which have already adopted the extended screening interval for women who test [...]

A Cambridgeshire hospital trust has teamed up with a local product innovation consultancy to develop an advanced AI feature for an innovative hand-held newborn eye screening device. The innovation, being co-developed by  Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and 42 Technology, aims to further improve the accuracy of diagnosing congenital cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause [...]

Birmingham Women’s Hospital is now home to the NHS’s first simulation suite dedicated to maternal and neonatal health  following a £1 m donation from high street fashion entrepreneur George Davies via the George Davies Charitable Trust.  The new simulation lab has improved the training of maternity and neonatal teams, offering the opportunity to learn and [...]