News
‘Biggest shake-up in type 2 diabetes care in a decade’
Millions of people are set to benefit from earlier access to newer type 2 diabetes treatments – the biggest shake-up in care for a decade – as part of NICE’s commitment to re-evaluate priority clinical pathways described in the 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS. The announcement in draft guidelines from NICE
moves away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, shifting from automatically starting everyone on one medicine to personalised treatment plans that aim to prevent heart failure, heart attacks and other serious medical problems. NICE’s independent guideline committee has expanded access to newer diabetes medicines called SGLT-2 inhibitors (such as canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin) from being second-choice treatments to first-choice
treatments. Some groups of patients stand to benefit from another type of medicine called GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as liraglutide or semaglutide), rather than keeping them for later stages of treatment. For patients who cannot tolerate metformin
(the traditional first diabetes medicine), the new guidelines recommend starting with an SGLT-2 inhibitor on its own. This is because growing evidence shows these medicines protect the heart and kidneys beyond just controlling blood sugar. New evidence also suggests that nearly 22,000 lives could be saved once uptake of the recommended changes for SGLT-2 inhibitors, as a joint first line treatment option with metformin, reaches 90% of the patient population. Professor Jonathan Benger, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer at NICE, commented: “We’re moving beyond simply managing blood sugar to taking a holistic view of a person’s health, particularly their cardiovascular and kidney health. The evidence shows that certain medicines can provide important cardiovascular benefits, and by recommending them as part of initial treatment, we could help prevent heart attacks, strokes and other serious complications before they occur. This is particularly important given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes.”
Dartford and Gravesham implements Clinisys ICE for radiology and pathology orders
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has taken a significant step towards a more digital future by rolling out electronic test ordering using Clinisys ICE. The Trust deployed the order communications system to around 2,000 clinical users across all of its wards, the maternity and paediatrics units, the emergency and same day emergency care departments, and outpatients in June. Previously, clinicians placed orders for imaging and pathology investigations on the Trust’s 25-year- old patient administration system or on paper. The move to ICE means they can use a modern, intuitive system designed to make the process faster and safer. The implementation also paves the foundations for further IT developments. The Trust is looking to procure a new electronic patient record, while its laboratories will deploy the Clinisys WinPath laboratory information management system next year. Once the new LIMS is in place, clinicians will also be able to receive test results electronically through ICE, improving
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turnaround times and making more information available to clinicians for diagnosis and treatment. The implementation of Clinisys ICE at Dartford and Gravesham is also part of a wider series of pathology IT developments in the Kent and Medway Pathology Network. This is a partnership of seven laboratories across four NHS Trusts: Dartford and Gravesham, Medway, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, and East Kent Hospitals University. The network wants to create a single pathology platform, by implementing Clinisys WinPath at all seven laboratories, and making ICE available to all the hospital clinicians and GP surgeries that order tests from them. In a separate project, GPs have moved from paper to digital ordering for radiology tests conducted at Dartford and Gravesham in February. A second tranche of practices started using ICE to order radiology tests from East Kent Hospitals University in June. The next step will be for these practices to start using ICE for pathology testing.
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NHS marks major milestone with 100,000 people home tested for hepatitis C
More than 100,000 people in England have now been tested for hepatitis C through the NHS’s confidential home testing service, in a major milestone towards eliminating the virus as a public health threat. England is one of the few countries in the world on track to eliminate hepatitis C well before the World Health Organization’s 2030 target, thanks to concerted action by the NHS, public health teams and charities. Latest data shows that 105,998 people have
ordered an at-home NHS hepatitis C test, since the portal launched in May 2023. Around 225 people have been saved from the deadly virus thanks to NHS treatment, after testing positive through the scheme. The virus, which can lead to liver failure and cancer if left untreated, can be cured in more than 9 out of 10 cases with a short course of antiviral tablets. Many people infected have no symptoms for years, meaning targeted testing is vital to find and treat hidden cases. Analysis of the testing data reveals that 70%
of all positive cases have come from the most deprived half of the population – underlining the importance of targeted outreach to address health inequalities. Positivity rates are highest among 40–44 and 45–49 year-olds (both 0.81%), followed by those aged 35–39 (0.6%). The most common risk factors reported by positive cases include injecting drug use, sharing needles and other drug paraphernalia, and a history of prison. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS National Medical Director, said: “Reaching this milestone shows the NHS is firmly on track to eliminate hepatitis C in England ahead of the global target, saving more lives from preventable liver disease.”
(JLco) Julia Amaral -
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Hepatitis. Medical Concept on Red Background.
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