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Welcome to this week’s edition of the myHSN week in health – five of the biggest and most important health stories this week, and what they mean for you.
NHS tech merger to cut the bloat
Laser therapy hailed as epilepsy breakthrough
First £100k to victims of infected blood scandal
UK-wide patient study needs your help
Ambulance crews forced to miss 999 calls
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NHS tech merger to cut the bloat
What?
NHS England is set to merge with NHS digital in a major shake-up of the funding and organisational arrangement of digital and technology services in the NHS. NHS Digital has been responsible for a number of healthcare technology innovations and oversees implementation of IT services in the NHS.
Why?
The merger has long been on the cards for a number of reasons. Many managers share job titles and responsibilities across the two organisations, and the merger is seen as a way to streamline services and cut ‘bloat’ from the way the organisation is run. NHS England will absorb NHS Digital and run technology services as a branch of its overarching organisation.
How (does it affect you)?
At a patient level, effects are seemingly minimal. Quoted aims are as follows:
- a streamlined experience due to a reduced need to repeatedly share information across the health system
- the ability to make more informed choices about care by providing information about length of wait for treatment, and making waiting lists by speciality and by provider more accessible – a key part of our plan for patients
- easier access to electronic patient records through accelerated digital transformation services for patients
The major concern is that digital innovation is being somewhat put on the backburner. It remains to be seen whether incorporating the innovation arm of the NHS into NHS England will result in the positive change the government hopes it will deliver.
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Laser therapy hailed as epilepsy breakthrough
What?
A cutting-edge laser therapy will hopefully shrink hospital admission times and procedure risks for those with treatment-resistant epilepsy. A small probe inserted into the brain will burn away pathways that cause seizures, reducing or even removing the risk of seizures for patients.
Why?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition which causes patients to have seizures. It can be caused by a wide range of factors and is usually controlled with anti-seizure medication. For cases that don’t respond to medication, neurosurgery can be performed to physically remove pathways in the brain that lead to seizures. Neurosurgery can see patients remain in hospital for 10 or more days, with a recovery time at home running into months. The new laser therapy can see patients leave hospital in only two days and a drastically reduced recovery time, with some going back to work the following week.
How (does it affect you)?
Around 1000 people in the UK are eligible for neurosurgery for epilepsy (compared to around 600,000 people with epilepsy). 150 people per year will be eligible for this new treatment on the NHS, with numbers set to expand as the treatment becomes more established. If you have treatment-resistant epilepsy, speak to your neurologist who may be able to refer you for this life-changing treatment.
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First £100k to victims of infected blood scandal
What?
4000 victims of the infected blood scandal are set to receive a £100,000 compensation payment after decades of campaigning.
Why?
Thousands of patients received blood products infected with HIV, hepatitis or other bloodborne diseases during the 1970s and 80s. The blood and blood products were given for a number of reasons, including treatment for clotting disorders like haemophilia or after car accidents. Donors of blood products were often prisoners and drug users with a high risk of being infected with bloodborne viruses. Many products came from the USA and at a time when HIV was not diagnosed and hepatitis was less understood.
Blood banks were found to be negligent in their screening processes, causing many thousands to become infected and suffer the negative consequences of these diseases as they developed in their bloodstream.
How (does it affect you)?
Thankfully blood products now undergo rigorous screening processes and receiving blood or blood products should now be safe. This is of course little consolation to those who had historically received infected blood products. The compensation and admittance of wrongdoing serves to right this historical wrong. If you or a loved one has been affected by the scandal, your payment will be due in the coming weeks and months.
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UK-wide patient study needs your help
What?
Researchers at Our Future Health have received over £200 million in funding to support one of the largest population-based studies of health in history. Participants are asked to volunteer to answer a questionnaire and provide health-based measurements including height and weight, along with a blood test.
Why?
The study aims to fill a void in current research. We know that people will go on to develop certain illnesses in their lifetimes, but it can be difficult to predict who will become unwell and what form the illness will take.
Researchers hope that by taking a comprehensive health survey of up to five million UK citizens they can understand which factors lead to the development of certain diseases, by comparing different factors as people within the survey develop diseases. This may be risk factors like smoking or diet, assessed via survey, or by identifying genetic signatures from gene testing blood samples.
How (does it affect you)?
Patients from specific regions will be invited to take part this autumn. The results of the study will inform health research and reduce the burden of disease on the NHS by catching conditions before they become serious. If you haven’t received an invite and wish to take part, visit Our Future Health and find out more about how to get involved.
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Ambulance crews forced to miss 999 calls
What?
117,000 urgent 999 calls have gone unanswered as ambulance crews queue outside busy hospitals waiting to deliver patients already under their care. Paramedics should usually be able to hand over patients to A&E and leave for the next call in under 15 minutes, but thousands of patients are waiting more than an hour, with some waiting over 24 hours before they are even seen by a hospital doctor.
Why?
Ambulance services are dealing with unprecedented demand and hospitals are suffering under increased patient numbers, with subsequent difficulties in discharging patients creating a hospital ‘exit block’.
How (does it affect you)?
Emergency NHS care is in dangerous territory and this directly affects you. These waiting times are unprecedented and serve to illustrate the deep crisis the NHS finds itself in. Unwell patients should always call 999, but patients should use alternative services if not experiencing an emergency – more information can be found here.
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As always, best wishes from myHSN!
