It’s time for another news in brief and as always there has been plenty happening in the health tech community…
NHS launch new bionic arm prosthetics to aid amputee patients
NHS England has announced that amputee patients across England will now be offered access to bionic arms.
The prosthetics are controlled by electrical brain signals and have multi-grip capabilities to enable a greater range of movement.
The technology is being made available to every patient across the NHS who may require it, following a rollout for veterans and two independent reviews. Each patient will be assessed accurately to find the correct prosthetic depending on individual requirements and ability.
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: “The arms, for both children and adults, use the very latest tech which will boost peoples’ independence and change the lives of dozens across the country.”
South Tyneside opens new resuscitation centre
Emergency staff in South Tyneside District Hospital are treating patients in a new resuscitation area, as part of a major investment into their emergency department.
The improvements include smart glass technology to allow staff to observe patients and enable them to frost the glass when privacy is required. In addition, the new resus area is fully integrated with the trust’s electronic patient record so that all clinicians have access to up-to-date information. Staff can also link up with colleagues at Sunderland Royal Hospital via video link to support patient assessments.
Alongside the resuscitation centre, a new critical care unit is to open this year and an integrated diagnostic centre is opening next year.
Princess Alexandra Hospital introduces digital information guide for patients
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust has introduced a personal child health record known as the eRedbook, which will be given to parents and carers to provide information and support about the healthy child programme.
Along with providing information for parents and carers at the click of a button, the eRedbook allows them to contact maternity professionals online, record developments such as the baby’s weight, reduce the number of face-to-face appointments they need to attend after the birth, and more.
To find out more about the eRedbook, click here.
New long COVID information hub launches in Lincolnshire
People who are suffering from long COVID can now access a new digital resource hub in Lincolnshire that provides information and guidance including documents and videos to help with symptom management and advice on where to find further help.
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, Connect to Support Lincolnshire and voluntary sector organisations have partnered to develop the information hub, providing peer support and making sure physical activity providers are familiar with the condition and symptoms.
Vicky Thomson, Chief Executive Officer at Every-One Charity, stated: “It became apparent whilst working alongside people with long COVID that it wasn’t just themselves who needed access to support and resources. It was important to develop a digital hub that people’s families, carers, employers and schools could access too, so the person was fully supported in all aspects of their lives.”
Respiratory virtual wards in Nottingham
Virtual wards are being implemented across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in order to support patients with respiratory infections or a flare-up of a long-term lung condition from the comfort of their own homes.
The decision to launch the respiratory service was based on learnings from COVID-19 virtual wards, and it is hoped that they will support services during the expected rise in respiratory infections over winter.
Patients in the virtual wards will be observed on a day-to-day basis using a remote monitoring app, other technology platforms and medical devices such as pulse oximeters.
In addition, plans are in place to provide frailty virtual wards across the region.
NSFT release online support for veterans and service women
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is launching an online forum for women who have served in the British Armed Forces to give them a chance to share experiences and access support.
The aim of the online forum is to provide a safe space to discuss mental health and wellbeing challenges, to grow a community, and eventually to develop online sessions into events across Norfolk and Suffolk.
Michelle Firmin, Senior Armed Forces and Veterans Practitioner, said: “We hope to explore some specific areas that adjustment to civilian life can bring up. This may include concerns about women’s health, fertility, childcare and getting older, for example. We also want to acknowledge the high levels of anxiety which may be triggered by transitioning out of the military, which can be caused by finding new employment, meeting like-minded people, being part of community and making new friends.”
South West London ICS promote their digital midwives
South West London ICS has shared information about how their digital midwives work on improving patient safety and reducing health inequalities.
Within each maternity service at the ICS hospitals, a digital midwife works on digitising patient records, notes and systems, which an aim to support healthcare professionals in safely and securely accessing, managing and sharing information as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Ultimately, this work aims to support them in making informed, timely decisions about patient care, and to make information and resources more readily available to women.
The ICS also share the digital midwife focus on making sure that “all data that is captured locally flows into national data sets to ensure safety is upheld as part of the maternity incentive scheme for trusts”.
South Tees Hospitals funds new radiology theatre
A second intervention radiology theatre has opened at The James Cook University Hospital, with the aim of providing “rapid access to a wide range of life saving and life altering image-guided procedures at any time of the day or night”.
The theatre uses imaging technology such as x-ray, CT and ultrasound to look inside patients and perform minimally invasive procedures. The trust note that this plays “a vital role in both planned and emergency patient care. Its innovative, evolving and often complex techniques have revolutionised patient care in a wide range of diseases and these less invasive procedures help save lives and enable patients to make a faster recovery.”
An investment of £3 million has been made by the trust, including the recruitment of new interventional radiology consultants, radiographers and radiology nurses.
