Australia launches review after health portal hack; Macmillan partners with government on neighbourhood health schemes; new plan to improve women's health in Scotland
Australia launches review after OpenAI programme hacks health portal
The Australian government has launched a review after an OpenAI agent 'infiltrated' part of its healthcare scheme Medicare. The autonomous computer programme accessed a statistics portal in June. OpenAI became aware in August and told the Australian government in September. Earlier this week OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke to the UN security council in New York. He called for international standards for the AI industry.
Read the latest coverage on the BBC website here.
Macmillan partners with government on neighbourhood health schemes
Communities across England will see redesigned health and care services, backed by funding from the Office for the Impact Economy. The projects will help more people receive joined-up support earlier so they can remain independent for longer. The government has partnered with Social Finance, Macmillan Cancer Support and West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Six sites will develop and test new neighbourhood health models that bring together NHS services, councils, community organisations and local people to improve outcomes and tackle inequalities.
CHSS launches new plan to help close the gender health gap
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has launched its new Women’s Health Plan 2026–2029, setting out the charity’s commitment to improving the health outcomes for women in Scotland. Chest, heart, stroke and Long Covid conditions are among the leading causes of death and disability for women in Scotland. Yet women continue to face inequalities. The plan sets out seven aims to improve women-specific health information and awareness, and strengthen prevention and early detection.
Read more on the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland website.
Young people waiting longer than adults for mental health care in A&E
Children and young people are less likely than adults to be seen by a liaison psychiatry team within an hour, according to data from the Nuffield Trust. While most people attend A&E for a physical injury or emergency, a small group do so because of a mental health reason. Emergency departments in England are expected to provide mental health liaison services and ensure patients are seen by a liaison psychiatry team within an hour from referral. New data explores how many people are seen in a timely manner, and how this differs between adults and children and young people.
See the results from the Nuffield Trust here.
Patients to get quicker treatment at pharmacies
Patients will be able to get quicker treatment for everyday conditions at hundreds of pharmacies in England from autumn, without needing to see their GP first. The expansion of the Pharmacy First Scheme allows people to get care for certain common conditions from qualified pharmacists. People will be able to get on-the-spot treatment for acne, migraines, scabies, ear infections and rhinitis from participating pharmacies.
Read more on the NHS England website.
‘How we can use cancer as a blueprint for improving dementia care’
Scientific advances in dementia are transforming our understanding of the condition and changing what seems possible. However, the contrast between scientific optimism and the reality for people living with dementia today is stark. Sarah Woolnough of The King's Fund and Michelle Dyson of Alzheimer's Society have written a piece to mark World Alzheimer’s Day. They make the case for a more hopeful national conversation about dementia to help drive progress in prevention, research and care.
Updates made to NHS App
Improvements have been made to the Medicines Record in the NHS App based on users’ feedback. The changes include replacing clinical and administrative terminology with more user-friendly language. Page structures have also been made simpler to ‘deliver a more consistent and intuitive experience that better reflects how people think and talk about their medicines’. An NHS App promotional toolkit is available to encourage patients to check their medicine information and request repeat prescriptions in the app.