NEWS


New research on diabetes and exercise


NEWS IN BRIEF


Top NHS nurse joins health regulator


Dr Ruth May, a former NHS theatre sister and chief nurse, is joining the health sector regulator Monitor. She has been appointed to the role of nursing director – a key post within Monitor’s patient and clinical engagement team. In this role she will complement the clinical advice provided by Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor, Monitor’s medical director and executive director of patient and clinical engagement. Dr May said: “This is a really exciting


time to be joining Monitor. The NHS faces a real challenge delivering the quality of care patients expect within the funding available. “The recent ‘Stop the Pressure’ campaign,


Reducing insulin dosage can help diabetics avoid blood sugar dips at night after exercising in the evening, a new study from Northumbria University has found. Funded by Diabetes UK and the Northumbria University Strategic Investment Fund, it is the first study to have found a way to completely avoid these dangerous falls in blood glucose that occur after exercise. Dr Dan West, a senior lecturer in sport,


exercise and rehabilitation, and his PhD student Matthew Campbell, who is now a senior research associate in the department, set out to test whether altering diet and insulin doses could help to prevent this potentially life-threatening problem. “For diabetes sufferers, the fear of experiencing a dangerous blood sugar dip after exercise can prevent them from exercising altogether – which has both physical and psychological implications,” explained Dr West. “We have developed a strategy to manage insulin dosage in a way that prevents these falls in blood sugar so that diabetics can exercise safely.”


Their two-part study, which was carried out at the Royal Victoria Infirmary’s National Institute Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility in Newcastle in collaboration


with Professors Mark Walker and James Shaw looked at the effects of adjusting slow-acting insulin levels in a group of 10 male participants with Type-1 Diabetes. Blood sugar levels were monitored using a continuous glucose monitor which sits underneath the skin and has an alarm which is trigged if levels begin to fall dangerously.


In the first test, all participants took a normal slow-acting insulin dose and then completed a 45 minute exercise session at 6pm in the evening. Around 7-8 hours after the exercise, 90% of the patients experienced a blood sugar dip, all of which occurred while they were sleeping. During the second test, the insulin dose was


reduced by 20% and participants took part in the same evening exercise session. This time, however, none of the participants suffered from drops in blood sugar. Unexpectedly, the study also found that the


20% reduction of insulin not only prevented blood sugar from falling but also stopped glucose levels from rising too high. With this dose, levels remained within the ideal healthy range, and other important markers such as ketones and inflammatory cytokines were not affected.


Medway to benefit from new NHS support team


Medway NHS Foundation Trust has agreed an enhanced buddy arrangement with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which will support the new leadership team at Medway to improve the performance of the hospital. The collaboration, which will involve a


small and highly experienced team from Guy’s and St Thomas’, will assist the leadership at Medway to implement and embed best practice, strengthen clinical leadership and support the significant changes they are


12 THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL


making to improve patient care and standards. Medway was put into special measures by


Monitor in July 2013, and as part of special measures, Trusts are often partnered with high performing NHS organisations. This buddying usually concentrates on specific projects. However, the support package announced will offer advice and expertise to support Medway delivering its own 18 month recovery plan to ensure widespread, lasting improvement for patients.


which I led, demonstrates how thinking creatively can improve patients’ experience – in this case reducing the number of pressure ulcers by 50% – and deliver cost savings to the NHS…I look forward to bringing that kind of thinking to the health regulator.”


New proton therapy centres


Varian Medical Systems has announced that it has been selected to equip and service two new national proton therapy centres in England with the Varian ProBeam proton therapy system. Under a public tender, Varian was selected as the preferred supplier to provide equipment and service to operate two three-room centres to be constructed in London and Manchester in a contract valued at up to £80 million. Varian expects to conclude and sign the contract and book the equipment portion of the order in the summer. Equipment installation is expected to take


place from August 2017, with patient treatments expected to begin from 2018. The UK’s two national proton therapy centres will be located at UCLH (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) in London and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester.


City & Guilds accredited training on endoscope care


Aquilant Endoscopy, the exclusive provider of Fujifilm endoscopy equipment in the UK, has been awarded City & Guilds accreditation for its endoscope care and maintenance course. The first programme of 2015 was held at Aquilant Endoscopy’s Ross-on-Wye technical centre and was attended by approximately 10 nurses and healthcare assistants who are involved in the cleaning and care of scopes. Delegates gained an in-depth understanding of effective cleaning methods and were provided with background knowledge and technical insight into endoscopes and gastro-intestinal procedures.


APRIL 2015


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68