NHS Direct Wales launch new website
NHS Direct Wales have launched a new website, after research indicated that two-thirds of the country use the internet for health information. The new website, www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk, was launched last Thursday to give patients and public more information to make decisions about their own health and care. It was developed by the information service in partnership […]
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NICE announces implementation guidance databases
Two new online databases have been launched by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to help support the implementation of its clinical guidance. The databases were launched at NICE’s annual conference in Birmingham earlier this month and are aimed at supporting NHS trusts in implementing medical guidelines laid down by the organisation. […]
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IC and Newchurch partner to provide info services
The Information Centre for health and social care has announced a new partnership with commercial health information consultancy, Newchurch. The partnership’s aim is to develop products and services to provide local health communities with the tools needed to support commissioning, investment, public health and risk management. The work will primarily focus on four key analytical […]
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NHS data ‘not accurate enough’ to assess doctors
NHS hospital episode data is not accurate enough to monitor individual doctors’ performance, according to a pilot study conducted by the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) iLab. The pilot allowed doctors to access the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) in England and the Patient Episode Database Wales (PEDW). Both databases include information such as when a […]
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MHRA target UK illegal drug websites
The Medicines Healthcare and Regulatory Authority have conducted raids on five UK-based websites thought to be selling unlicensed or prescription-only medicines. Officers from the MHRA visited sites in Colchester, Canterbury, Preston, and Harrow and Hayes in Middlesex and seized computer equipment and substances such as ephedrine, a synthetic derivative of amphetamine often sold as […]
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Fewer flights
Identifying “frequent flyers” – patients at high risk of emergency admission – will soon be possible thanks to a new predictive tool that could save PCTs money
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CMO highlights e-health initiatives
A new programme using e-mail alerts, chat rooms and on-line notice boards has been developed to fight “consistently high” levels of obesity in the East Midlands. The programme is highlighted in the annual report of the chief medical officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson. He said the same issue was highlighted in last year’s report as […]
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Troubled child health system to be replaced
NHS Connecting for Health (CfH) looks set to replace an interim child health information system deployed in London last year and has already halted plans to extend it to include a community module. It has also emerged in a leaked letter, seen by E-Health Insider Primary Care, that a review of the problematic system has revealed […]
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More problems with London child health software
The Health Protection Agency has strongly criticised the interim child health systems used by ten primary care trusts in London after a fall in immunisation rates of up to 19% by primary care trusts using the system. The HPA said eight out of ten PCTs using the Child Health Interim Application (CHIA) supplied by the […]
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Sealed envelope safety risk raised by BMA
Doctors have raised concerns that Connecting for Health proposals to allow patients to hide some information in sealed envelopes puts patient safety at risk. Representatives at the British Medical Association’s annual meeting backed a motion which claimed that allowing patients to keep some medical information confidential from other doctors “may lead to significant patient safety […]
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