BHF highlights heart risks from obesity; Call to keep Healthwatch England; Google calls for regulation
BHF analysis highlights heart risks from obesity
PIF member The British Heart Foundation has warned, if current trends continue, around 170,000 people in England could die from obesity-related cardiovascular disease by 2035. The charity is urging the government to accelerate obesity prevention measures, including healthier food policies, to reduce avoidable heart attacks and strokes.
Read all about it on the Guardian website.
‘Don’t scrap Healthwatch England’, says National Voices
National Voices, which is also a PIF member, is calling for Parliament to retain Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch. It has submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee scrutinising the Health Bill. It focuses on the Bill’s patient voice provisions, including the proposed abolition of Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch. “We recognise the problems the Government has identified, including unclear routes for feedback and limited influence on decisions. But removing the only statutory national and local infrastructure for independent patient, carer and service-user voice is not the answer,” says Matt Heath, Policy & Communications Manager.
You can find all the evidence on the Health Bill here.
Google calls for regulation
Google has called for US authorities to ‘build an independent regulatory organisation for frontier AI with government oversight’. The paper states: “The debate over AI governance is stuck in a false choice between over-regulation and no regulation. There is a middle way: a pragmatic, dynamic, and evidence-based approach that recognises the unique challenges and opportunities posed by frontier AI on the one hand and widely deployed AI on the other.”
Read the paper, titled A Pragmatic Approach to AI Governance in America, here.
Women with PMOS ‘should have yearly NHS checks’
NICE has published draft guidance recommending annual NHS health checks for women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). It also recommends earlier diagnosis and improved monitoring to help identify associated risks such as diabetes, heart disease and poor mental health. PMOS, which affects around one in eight women, used to be known as polycystic ovary syndrome. It was renamed in May, external to better reflect the broad impact it can have across the body.
Read the guidance from NICE here.
New tech could help cut wait for endometriosis diagnosis
PIF member Endometriosis UK has welcomed NICE’s announcement that two new non-invasive diagnostic technologies can now be used in the NHS to speed up diagnosis in primary care. They will be used while further evidence is generated to speed up the diagnosis of endometriosis in primary care.
Read the story on the NICE website here.
Pressures facing prison health services
Dr Miranda Davies, senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust, has shared new insights into the health of people in prison and the challenges they face in accessing healthcare. This follows the Nuffield Trust’s recent research on A&E attendances by prisoners, which found there was a higher-than-expected number of A&E attendances by prisoners due to paracetamol overdose, seizures and acute coronary syndrome.
Read Dr Davies’ article in Public Sector Focus.
Find out more about the Nuffield Trust’s report.
‘Prevention is better than cure’ – Health Secretary
Public Health Scotland statistics have shown sustained progress in reducing waiting times. Scotland’s Health Secretary Angela Constance welcomed the official figures, saying real long-term progress will mean improving access to care on our doorstep and in communities. She said: “We are investing in more community care, including opening more GP walk-in centres across the country and introducing heart and lung MOTs. Prevention is better than cure and catching problems early saves lives.”
Read more on the Scottish government website.
People awaiting hospital treatment to get three weeks’ notice
NHS England plans to require hospitals to give patients at least three weeks’ notice of appointments, tests or procedures. It is part of new patient experience standards aimed at improving communication and reducing missed or delayed appointment notifications.
It comes after research by the King’s Fund found that almost 1 in 4 patients were being notified about their appointment after it was meant to have happened.
Read the story on the NHS England website.
And discover the King’s Fund research here.
- A former medical student turned data scientist has created a free tool for patients to opt for treatment under another trust with shorter waiting times. Find out more at HospitalWaits.co.uk
The populist challenge to women's health
The second Trump administration’s assault on science primarily targets women’s health programmes, warns a paper published in the European Journal of Public Health. It sets out five imperatives, addressing matters such as building coalitions, investing in digital literacy, anticipating political volatility in funding models, and actively engaging with the policy environment.