RECENT NEWS

As part of an ongoing trial, the use of drones to deliver blood samples for urgent testing is now embedded as an essential part of the South West London Pathology (SWLP) modernisation agenda, with expansion planned to additional hospital and GP sites.

The latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey has found sustained improvements in how well services involve patients’ families and carers, with small gains in communication and information.

While Europe has made steady progress in preventing hepatitis B and C, with the prevalence of hepatitis B now at near-zero levels among children below five years old, an uneven implementation of key measures means that the region is set to miss the 2030 target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat, according to new data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on World Hepatitis Day.

Draeger Medical UK and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust have signed a pioneering three-year strategic partnership that will see the organisations work together to develop and explore next-generation medical technologies designed to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published a new recommendation and additional considerations to Government on a routine meningococcal B programme for adolescents. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will consider the recommendation before a decision is made on any changes to the NHS meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination schedule.

A report by the Nuffield Trust shows that around one in five mothers attend A&E in the year after they give birth, while 6% have an emergency hospital admission. Black women, those from the most deprived areas, and those with mental health conditions are among more likely to receive emergency care.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has confirmed it will launch a landmark public consultation on a new draft Code and a refreshed Revalidation process – the first such review of these key regulatory tools in more than a decade. The Code details the standards of performance and conduct that guide each of the 867,935 nursing and midwifery professionals on the Register in their daily practice.

NHS Trusts have come under fresh pressure to end arbitrary restrictions on the numbers of absorbent continence products supplied to patients after ministers reiterated that continence care should be based on clinical need and uphold patients' dignity. The Department of Health and Social Care said NHS services are expected to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and standards set by the Royal College of Nursing when assessing which absorbent continence products patients require, and in what quantities.

The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) is dedicated to infection prevention and control (IPC), supporting healthcare professionals through education, research, networking and the sharing of best practice to improve patient safety. Each year, IPS brings together healthcare professionals from across the UK and internationally at Infection Prevention, its flagship annual conference.

A gynaecological surgical team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have successfully completed over 100 robotic-assisted hysterectomies. Robotic-assisted surgery enables surgeons to make fewer and less invasive incisions, reducing pain, scarring, postoperative complications and shortening recovery time.

Thousands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England are to be offered a new ‘signal booster’ therapy on the NHS to help them walk more easily and live more independently. Fampridine is the first medicine designed to improve walking in adults with MS and will now be routinely available on the NHS.

The majority of lower-limb amputees in the UK say they were not properly involved in choosing their first prosthetic limb, with many later experiencing pain, mobility problems and feeling it had been the wrong choice for them, according to a new survey conducted in Spring 2026.

Children hospitalised with severe pneumonia can safely switch from injectable to oral antibiotics once they begin to recover, allowing many to return home sooner and complete treatment outside hospital.

Healthcare technology is evolving faster than ever, and Clinical Engineering teams are at the heart of helping the NHS embrace innovation while maintaining safe, effective and efficient patient care. That is why professionals from across the NHS and industry are set to come together at the NPAG Clinical Engineering Conference 2026, themed "Smart Hospitals – Equipping & Digital Transformation."

The results of 59 ground-breaking trials will be unveiled for the first time at ESC Congress 2026, the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology, which takes place 28–31 August in Munich.

A major population study of type 2 diabetes in England has shown a clear generational divide, with rates of diagnosis rising rapidly among younger adults, particularly in women, although declining in older age groups.

Involving almost 30 cardiac centres across the UK, the randomised trial is designed to identify the safest and most effective blood-thinning treatment to use after heart valve surgery for patients who also have an irregular heartbeat.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has warned that the NHS must be made fit for hotter summers, after new figures revealed the continued scale of corridor care across England during a month of extreme pressure on urgent and emergency care.

A coalition of 13 medical organisations, led by the Medical Protection Society (MPS), have united to urge the Government to reconsider its plan to retain the General Medical Council’s (GMC) right to appeal the decisions of its own tribunal service.

The latest results of the biggest annual insight into medical training in the UK have now been published. The General Medical Council (GMC)’s national training survey gives an unparalleled picture of the experiences of tens of thousands of doctors in postgraduate medical training across the UK, on topics such as their working conditions, workplace culture and the quality of training.