Healthcare
Roundup
 
5 August 2022
 
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Seven days in the NHS and health IT
Backlog
Community backlog grows beyond one million patients
More than one million people are on growing waiting lists for community services, Health Service Journal has reported. The publication based its story on a reportedly leaked document from NHS England. According to the report, more than 75,000 children are waiting for paediatric care in the community, with a similar number awaiting speech and language therapy. Around a third of a million adults were currently waiting for musculoskeletal services including physiotherapy. Though overall numbers are lower than the acute elective backlog, community lists were reported to be growing at a much faster rate.
Mental Health
Children’s mental health workforce rises by 4,500
The number of children’s mental health professionals working in the NHS is now 40% higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to NHS England. NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch said thousands more staff were needed to meet demand that had “skyrocketed”, with more than 22,000 mental health vacancies in the NHS. The overall NHS mental health workforce was reported to have grown by more than 18,500 full time staff in the two years following March 2019.
AI
AI screening programme aims to help eliminate hepatitis C
Tens of thousands of people living with hepatitis C could be diagnosed and treated sooner, in a new programme starting in September. The initiative will involve searching records for risk factors associated with the condition, to help identify many patients who don’t know they have the virus. Patients identified by the screening will be contacted to see their GP, NHS England announced. The Guardian reported that the programme will involve artificial intelligence, and quoted national clinical chair Professor Graham Foster, who described the programme as “a significant step” in helping to eliminate the virus. It is anticipated that the programme could help to save thousands of lives.
Virtual Reality
Surgeons use VR to prepare as they separate conjoined twins
Surgeons on different sides of the world have used virtual reality to help to separate conjoined twins. Surgeries took place in Rio de Janeiro. But surgeons in both Brazil and in London’s Great Ormand Street Hospital wore virtual reality headsets to work together ahead of the surgery, working on virtual projections of the twins, according to the BBC. The collaboration was said to be the first of its kind in the world. The Washington Post reported that medical experts had previously considered the separation impossible, with the twins joined at the head.
Wearables
New devices ‘life changing’ for type 1 diabetes patients
Type 1 diabetes patients in England are being offered continuous glucose monitors, following a new deal announced by NHS England, the BMJ reported. The Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices use a small sensor attached to the patient’s arm, and send information to a mobile app. NHS England described the devices as ‘life changing’, anticipating they will reduce hospital admissions as patients better manage their condition. Patients will be able to monitor glucose levels, without the need for scans or finger prick tests. Once prescribed, initial starter packs are being provided from GP surgeries and hospitals. Patients will then be able to go to pharmacies for repeat prescriptions.
Patient Records
GPs express workload concerns over patient record redaction
GPs are concerned about the amount of time they will need to spend redacting patients’ prospective records, before they become accessible through the NHS App in November. Talking to Pulse, several GPs raised the issue following new guidance from the Royal College of General Practitioners. The guidance reportedly said GP practices are responsible for redacting “potentially harmful or confidential third party information” from patients’ prospective GP records. One GP told the publication additional work could also arise from patients misunderstanding records.
Digitisation
South Tees deploys ePMA in Alcidion EPR programme
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has deployed Better Meds, as part of its electronic patient record programme with Alcidion, Health Tech World has reported. Daniel Pugh, a senior informatics pharmacy technician for the trust, said the electronic prescribing and medication administration system was already acting as a “safety barrier” and helping prescribers to make important decisions. Dr Andrew Adair, the trust’s CCIO, described the deployment as an “important step” in the South Tees EPR journey. The trust is advancing its digital maturity as it deploys Alcidion’s Miya Precision as a modern, modular EPR, with which Better Meds was reported to closely integrate.
Health tech
Health tech in the news: Welsh language in health IT, drones for meds at Boots, AI to help tailor kidney cancer treatments
The Welsh language will be built into IT systems used within health and care services in Wales, UKAuthority reported. According to the website, the move is designed to ensure patients and service users can access services in Welsh, without having to make a request. Boots is exploring the use of unmanned aircraft in the delivery of medicines, Health Tech Newspaper reported. A test flight was said to have already been completed, using a drone to deliver medicines from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight. And The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is working with the Francis Crick Institute and AI provider Owkin to understand kidney cancers and tailor treatments, according to a story in DigitalHealth.net.
Health tech comms for tough, competitive times
Highland Marketing Blog
The NHS is emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic with limited resources to meet the huge pressure it is under. That’s focusing attention on national targets and upping the stakes for health tech companies with digital solutions to help deliver on them.

At times like this, effective sales, marketing and PR campaigns are essential. Highland Marketing co-founders Mark and Susan Venables have some pointers to offer.
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