RECENT NEWS

Hundreds of hospital appointments have been cancelled after MRI scanners failed during the heatwave at Norfolk’s largest hospital. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident on Wednesday after hot and humid weather affected the cooling systems needed to keep its MRI scanners operating. The Trust said at least 362 outpatient appointments were cancelled because of the disruption.

The Department of Health and Social Care says mothers and newborns across the country will be better protected, as a landmark patient safety measure, Martha’s Rule, will be rolled out to all maternity settings in England. The move follows a string of serious and sustained failures at maternity wards in the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) will hold the world’s foremost cardiology meeting in Munich from 28–31 August. ESC Congress 2026 brings together international experts to advance cardiology through presentations and discussions on cutting-edge research, pioneering technologies and collaborative initiatives.

Tiny algae-based robots guided by magnets could improve bladder cancer treatment by boosting delivery of chemotherapy drugs into tumours, researchers say. Tracked using real-time imaging, the miniature robots help drugs penetrate deep into tumour tissue while limiting damage to healthy cells.

Early results from a UCL and UCLH-led clinical trial suggest that a type of CAR T-cell therapy - developed by Autolus Therapeutics, a UCL spinout - could offer a new treatment approach for people with severe, treatment-resistant lupus.

While a link between laughing and mental health benefits has been well established, there is a lack of research into how it could improve the lives of those with physical health conditions. Researchers at King’s College London are addressing this gap in understanding. Scientists believe that the respiratory effects of laughter have potential as a low-cost, scalable intervention which could be offered outside of hospitals and within communities.

The Urology Trade Association, in partnership with The Urology Foundation and the Spinal Injuries Association, and with the support from Shine, have published a new UK-wide report on the experiences of people living highlights how people living with continence conditions.

The NHS depends on overseas medics, but their commitment to the UK can no longer be assumed, the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council (GMC) has warned.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is inviting nursing and midwifery professionals in the UK to shed new light on their experiences of working in health and social care – including the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) – through the regulator’s annual professionals’ survey.

The NIHR has awarded more than £4.6 million to 18 projects that support under-represented disciplines and specialisms in research. The 18 funded projects range from research on improving mental health for children with food allergies, to assessing the effectiveness of personal wellbeing planning to prevent depression in cancer survivors.

Women with type 1 diabetes who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should be offered a pregnancy-specific 'artificial pancreas' device, according to draft guidance published by NICE.

One of Scotland’s leading healthcare innovation bodies believes that a new and ever-evolving online hub ‘is set to be vital in helping pioneering thinkers unlock the true value in their assets’.

The Functional Gut Clinic, the UK’s leading specialist provider of digestive health diagnostics, today announced the expansion of its Manchester operations into a new, state‑of‑the‑art facility at CityLabs: the flagship biomedical campus at the heart of Manchester’s innovation district.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been estimated to reduce the risk of cervical cancer death before age 30 to effectively zero, according to the first study looking at lives saved by the vaccine.

A sold-out summit at the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering will bring together innovators, clinicians, regulators, investors and policymakers to explore how artificial intelligence can address some of the biggest challenges in women's health, while ensuring innovation is developed responsibly and equitably.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its first Health Security Risk Assessment (HSRA), a publication which characterises the most significant health security risks facing the UK over the next 5 years.

A worsening shortage of radiologists and cancer doctors is causing dangerous delays to diagnosis and treatment for patients across the UK, according to new Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) 2025 workforce data.

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has flagged patient safety risks across regional care pathways, warning that unclear roles, limited oversight and inconsistent information sharing can limit how risks are identified and managed across NHS organisations.

GPs overwhelmingly support the principle of giving patients a choice of where they receive their NHS treatment, but NHS referral systems and administrative barriers are making it difficult to deliver consistently in practice, according to a new report from the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN).

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.