A quarter of all diabetics undiagnosed
A quarter of all people who have diabetes remain undiagnosed, leaving them at serious risk of developing serious complications. The findings come from the largest ever UK clinical audit of diabetes care, carried out by the Health and Social Care Information Centre on behalf of the Healthcare Commission. In one of the largest audits of […]
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NHS telecoms fraud survey taken on by consultancy
An international consultancy company has stepped in to fill what it says is a hole in NHS telecommunications fraud prevention services created since the wind-up of the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA). Steve Mason, senior consultant at Vega, previously worked in telecoms fraud prevention at the NHSIA before it was disbanded in April. After most of the NHSIA’s responsibilities […]
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Royal Society to investigate ICTs in health
The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has launched an investigation into how the rapidly developing fields of information and communication technology will impact on health and healthcare. Professor Peter Wells of Cardiff University, chair of the working group that will conduct the study, said: "The rapid advances we are seeing in the […]
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Telecare specialist Tunstall bought in £225m deal
Tunstall, the specialist in personal and home telecare, has been acquired by private equity firm Bridgepoint from Hg Capital in a deal worth a total of £225m. In a simultaneous deal Tunstall has acquired Attendo Response and Attendo Systems, a market-leader in Scandinavian telecare solutions. The acquisition will create a group with combined annual sales […]
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Robot doctor has plans to link to NPfIT
St Mary’s NHS Trust, Paddington, is trialling the use of robot medics that will not only allow doctors to go on their rounds without leaving their chair but also may eventually connect to the National Programme for IT. The RP6 (Remote Presence) robots (right), dubbed ‘Sister Mary’ and ‘Dr Robbie’, are similar in design to […]
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Somerset EPR “commended” by Healthcare Commission
The Healthcare Commission has praised Somerset Partnership NHS & Social Care Trust for its implementation of an electronic patient record, calling it "pioneering" but noting that some staff are having problems accessing information on the service. In its annual clinical governance review or ‘health check’ of the trust, the Healthcare Commission said that the trust’s […]
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Evercare pilots highlight need for better data
Case management will not get off the ground unless PCTs, acute trusts and GPs improve their data management and quality, a report for the Department of Health has shown. The report by UnitedHealth Europe assessing its nine Evercare pilot sites funded by the DH last year uncovered significant issues with data quality and access to […]
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New Information Centre launched
The start of the new NHS financial year sees another round of musical chairs with the abolition of the old NHS Information Authority (IA) and creation of the new Health and Social Care Information Centre as a new authority, and the National Programme for IT morph into an executive agency called ‘Connecting for Health’. The […]
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Remote monitoring for heart patients in Newham
Newham University Hospital NHS Trust has officially launched a telemedicine service that allows patients to self-monitor their conditions from their homes. The Service Transformation Redesign and Innovation Project (STRIP) consists of a touch-screen connected to a web server on the NHS site, and allows staff to monitor the vital signs of a patient remotely. The […]
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Integrated IT system installed in central health lab
The Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), Colindale, has completed the installation of a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) which enables automated results to be sent online and real-time statistical analysis. The software brings nine laboratories, including those which monitor bacterial infection, respiratory and neurological viruses and sexual health, each of which had a separately-developed […]
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