UK healthcare: encouraging patient empowerment

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Stroke: two-fifths of UK emergency testing takes more than two hours

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Women's mental health: no easy thinking, no easy solutions

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Infectious diseases: defeating superbugs with surveillance

The UK also provided the smallest number of individual hospital responses to the survey of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus, which is a significant cause of death in hospital patients. Meanwhile, Sweden provided the highest response rate and one of the lowest infection rates. While this may be coincidence, it seems to imply that improved surveillance is the best way to defeat the problem.

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Lung cancer: the UK needs more resources

Research from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation also says UK patients are 70% more likely to die within five years than other EU patients. The figures highlight a lack of oncologists, thoracic surgeons and radiotherapy equipment and technicians - as well as a lack of understanding of the disease amongst physicians.

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UK healthcare: NHS changes will have an impact - eventually

The grossly underfunded NHS is finally receiving some help. The additional funds will be used for modernization, financial incentives, paying debts, and increasing staff - all necessary steps to improve patient care. While this budget increase is only the first step in a 20-year program, any rise in NHS funding is good news for staff, patients - and medical device companies.

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Coronary surgery: UK procedures to increase 1%

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Cytotoxics: new regime out on a limb

By isolating the cancerous limb from the rest of the circulatory system, ILI allows doctors to step up chemotherapy doses significantly. ILI is also far less invasive than similar procedures such as ILP. The combination of greater efficacy and lower cost is likely to drive strong uptake among physicians, in turn boosting the usage of cytotoxic therapies.

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Health insurance: bringing the Brits back

The number of people taking out private medical insurance in the UK continues to fall, because of rising premiums. But premiums are on the rise because the number and cost of claims is rising. Insurers are trying to cut premiums through better claims management, but the real market opportunity is in developing innovative new products with lower premiums.

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GlaxoSmithKline: smoke blows both ways

A new study suggests that without physician support, OTC nicotine replacement drugs may be useless. This is interesting reading for GSK, which is the biggest producer of anti-smoking drugs. The news should boost prescription-only Zyban, but GSK may have to invest in physician support to maintain sales of NRT drugs Nicorette and NicoDerm.

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