News
Research on quality and safety in NHS and independent hospitals
Academic experts from the University of Manchester and the University of York have joined forces to launch new research into the quality and safety of patient care in NHS and independent hospitals. Set to culminate in 2025, the project marks the first time the substantial changes to the way the NHS and independent sector work together have been studied since the COVID-19 pandemic. The research will build on reforms led by both NHS Digital and the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), which will create a single dataset for all admitted patient care across all acute hospitals. The research team plans to use existing routine data to explore patterns of care provision and patient flows, to examine the scope of practice of doctors working across both sectors, and any differences in quality of care. Through national surveys of hospital leaders and
on-site qualitative fieldwork, the team will explore how reforms to clinical governance are working
Manufacturing medicines at the point of care
The UK will be the first country to introduce a tailored framework for the regulation of innovative products manufactured at the point where a patient receives care, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced. This will mean that new medicines with very short shelf lives and highly personalised medicines can be more easily made in or near a hospital setting or ambulance, and can get to the patients who need them much more quickly. The new framework will ensure there
and how information is used in practice to support quality improvement. Qualitative research will also examine patients’ experiences of care across the NHS and independent sectors.
Genetic test to prevent deafness in babies
New guidance has been issued by NICE on antibiotic prescribing for babies who develop a neonatal bacterial infection. Usually, the antibiotic gentamicin would be prescribed. However, this carries the risk of hearing loss if the baby has the m.1555A>G genetic variant. Other alternative antibiotics are available but
cannot be more widely used because they are associated with an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance. At present, laboratory testing would not produce
results quickly enough to give treatment within an hour – in line with guideline recommendations. NICE has conditionally recommended the use of the genedrive kit, a diagnostic test for detecting the
m.1555A>G variant in newborn babies being cared for in hospital. The test works with a swab of DNA from inside
the newborn’s cheek and results are displayed on a screen in under an hour. If the m.1555A>G variant is found, the baby can be treated with alternative, equally effective, antibiotics. Mark Chapman, interim director of Medical
Technology, at NICE, said: “The costs associated with hearing loss to the NHS are high, so driving an innovation like genedrive into the hands of health and care professionals, to enable best practice, can ensure that we balance the best care with value for money, delivering both for individuals and society as a whole.”
are no regulatory barriers to innovative manufacturing and that products made via such routes have the same assurances of safety, quality, and effectiveness as those for conventional medicinal products. The establishment of a regulatory framework for POC manufacturing would bring a range of benefits to patients and carers, by providing access to new and more personalised treatments in a timely and more convenient manner. Once implemented, this framework will apply to all POC products manufactured in the UK, including a range of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, such as cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineered products; 3D printed products, blood products, and medicinal gasses.
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