Mark Hughes

Lives could be saved and the public better protected against future epidemic and pandemic threats through a £33.2 million UK Government investment in vaccines against some of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. This investment will help scientists to develop, test and deploy vaccines faster when new health threats emerge, both supporting people in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and, in turn, protecting the UK by strengthening pandemic preparedness and improving resilience to future epidemic and pandemic threats. The programme has already demonstrated the value of investing, having supported development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This latest investment will help researchers respond more quickly to future threats. Supported by the UK Vaccine Network and delivered through Innovate UK, the funding will target diseases including Ebola, plague, Marburg, Lassa fever, Nipah virus, chikungunya and Mayaro. Eight projects will advance promising vaccines, clinical trials and technologies that can make vaccine design and manufacture faster and more effective. The new awards will build the research, clinical trial and technical capability needed to develop, test and deploy vaccines at speed. They will also help make vaccines affordable, accessible and ready for use in countries at greatest risk. Read full article. Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 8 October 2026

Along-awaited review aimed at identifying “systemic changes” to Scotland’s crisis-hit maternity services has begun. The nine month-long nationwide review will examine how care can be improved for women, babies, and families across the country. The independent review is being chaired by the maternal and child health expert, Professor Christine McCourt, who is expected to submit her findings and recommendations in July 2027. The Scottish government said the review will take a “whole-system approach,” drawing on data, evidence and the direct experiences of women, families and staff at every level of care. However, some bereaved families have voiced misgivings about the scope of the review, and warned that it was in danger of becoming an “absolute insult” as a result. Read full article. Source: The Scotsman, 5 October 2026

This report sets out the findings and recommendations of an independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism. The review, chaired by leading clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy with the support of vice chairs Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Gillian Baird, found that mental distress has increased substantially among children and young people. The findings show this has been driven by several factors, including social media, financial insecurity, increased uncertainty about the future, poorer sleep, and reduced feelings of connection and belonging. While referrals and diagnoses for ADHD and autism have risen significantly, the review found that population-level prevalence of these conditions appears broadly stable.

This Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) learning resource is aimed at learners with roles in healthcare safety investigation, including investigation, commissioning, oversight and involvement. By the end of this resource, you will be able to: Understand why you would use SEIPS in an investigation. Explain the elements of the SEIPS framework in their relation to a patient safety event. Justify the use of SEIPS as part of a safety investigation.

This strategy sets out Spain's strategic framework for strengthening patient safety over the next decade, promoting safer healthcare systems, fostering a culture of safety, and advancing patient-centred care across all levels of the health system.

There is a risk of people being over-diagnosed with ADHD and autism, an official review in England has found. Experts said a rise in diagnoses over the past 25 years meant cases now appear to be outstripping the expected number in the population for some younger age groups. The review called for tougher regulation of private firms offering assessments for the NHS, saying they had concerns about quality and consistency, and a ban on advertising. It concluded economic uncertainty combined with social media was driving an increase in mental health problems among young people and said there needed to be better support in place for all conditions. It is likely to feed into government policies on everything from NHS services and benefits to support for young people who are not in education, employment or training. Read full article. Source: BBC News, 9 October 2026

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have launched a new global roadmap to tackle hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, which affect millions of women every year. These disorders remain among the leading causes of death and serious illness for pregnant women and their babies, with tragic long-term impact on their families. Hypertensive disorders complicate an estimated 10–15% of pregnancies worldwide. They account for around 16% of maternal deaths globally, resulting in an estimated 42 000 deaths each year, as well as more than 500 000 stillbirths and newborn deaths. In many countries, women still lack reliable access to basic blood-pressure measurement, urine protein testing and essential medicines, including aspirin, antihypertensives and magnesium sulfate. Weak referral systems, shortages of trained health workers and limited emergency obstetric services can further delay life-saving care. Launched at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Global Conference, the Global roadmap for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy from 2026 to 2035 and beyond sets out coordinated actions across research and innovation, global clinical guidance, access to medicines and diagnostics, implementation, advocacy and accountability. The roadmap highlights a striking innovation gap between the scale of the problem and the lack of medicines specifically developed and approved by regulators for the prevention or treatment of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Research investment has largely focused on diagnostics, with chronic underinvestment in new preventive and treatment options. Read full article. Source: World Health Organization, 8 October 2026

At least a fifth of baby deaths last year may have been preventable, with this estimate considered “a minimum”, an analysis of thousands of care reviews has concluded. The findings were set out in the latest annual report into 2025 Perinatal Mortality Review Tool investigations, published today by MBRRACE-UK. The report comes amid intense scrutiny of maternity services following the publication of the national maternity and neonatal investigation and Donna Ockenden’s Nottingham review this summer. Read full article (paywalled). Source: Health Service Journal, 9 October 2026

Nine digital technologies for dementia diagnosis, including AI-enabled clinical decision support, remote cognitive assessments and faster MRI scans, will undergo real-world testing in NHS settings. Diagnosis for dementia can take more than a year, with around 60% diagnosed within 18 weeks of referral. The Dementia Challenge, backed by up to £80 million through UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP), aims to increase the proportion of people diagnosed with dementia within 18 weeks of referral to 92%. Read full article. Source: Digital Health, 8 October 2026

The UK Government has confirmed it will accept all 44 recommendations made by the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, published 10 September, and has set out how they will be delivered across the UK. Alongside the response, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is opening the call for applications for the third phase of AI Airlock, its regulatory sandbox for AI-enabled medical devices, with testing themes directly informed by the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission concluded that the current regulatory approach must evolve for AI technologies by designing a more proportionate, lifecycle-based framework. The Government's response commits the UK to developing a world-leading agile approach to AI device regulation that supports innovation while maintaining patient safety and public trust. The reforms aim to ensure patients can benefit from safe, effective and trusted AI more quickly, while maintaining robust safeguards as technologies evolve. Among the first steps set out in today’s response, the MHRA is also committed to issue draft guidance by December 2026 on a new approach to managing changes to AI-enabled medical devices as they adapt and improve over time, moving towards a regulatory system that is designed to maintain safety while supporting timely access to innovative devices. The MHRA will also begin next year by consulting on how to qualify and classify AI-enabled devices, the first recommendation of the National Commission. Other commitments include exploring new staged authorisation pathways, allowing promising AI tools to be used in the NHS earlier under close supervision while further real-world evidence is gathered. A full implementation roadmap, setting out timelines and responsibilities across all 44 recommendations, will be published by Spring 2027, with regular progress updates to follow. Read full article. Source: MHRA, 6 October 2026 Related Reading Patient safety and the regulation of AI in healthcare (Patient Safety Learning) Reflections on the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare recommendations (Clive Flashman)

Staff at a trust subject to a statutory inquiry are paralysed by fear, a review has discovered. Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust is under scrutiny by the Lampard Inquiry, which is examining the deaths of over 2,000 services users in the organisation’s care. It began in 2023 and is expected to report by 2028. An external review of how the trust is coping has been undertaken by the King’s Fund and charity brap. This has revealed the impact of the Lampard Inquiry, service pressure, and financial constraints on senior managers, middle managers, and frontline staff. Read full article (paywalled). Source: Health Service Journal, 6 October 2026

Women across the country will be better supported to spot the signs of breast cancer and know where to turn for help as the UK Government announces its first partnership to help deliver its renewed Women’s Health Strategy.  Marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Department of Health and Social Care will partner with the UK’s largest breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now, over the next 3 years, giving women practical information to build confidence in checking their breasts, recognising changes, and seeking advice sooner - particularly in underserved areas. It comes as new research from Breast Cancer Now reveals almost a third (29%) of women in England who regularly check their breasts do not feel confident to notice a change, while just over one in 10 (11%) of those checking less than once a month say it’s because they do not know what to look out for.   One in 5 (20%) UK adults also say they are not confident they would know where to find trusted information about breast cancer if they had concerns.   Women will also be provided with better support after their treatment, including clear information to understand the possible signs of breast cancer returning or spreading and how to live a healthy lifestyle post breast cancer treatment.   Healthcare professionals will receive additional training, alongside a practical toolkit for healthcare teams, so they can provide the best possible advice to women adapting post-treatment.  Read full article. Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 5 October 2026

Women report suffering more pain than men, a major new global study has found. That was true for all types of pain the researchers measured, and comes amid continuing concern about the gender pain gap, which means women are less likely to be prescribed the pain relief they need. Researchers from all over the world carried out “one of the largest harmonisation efforts in pain epidemiology to date”. Data was collected from more than 6 million people from 118 countries from 1990 to 2025, and included people from aged five years to more than 100. The research, published in Nature Medicine, looked at how pain, as the leading global cause of disability, was distributed both around the world and across the human lifespan. It found women’s self-reported pain across 11 bodily sites – head, face, neck or shoulder, foot or ankle, hand or wrist, elbow, chest, back, stomach or abdomen, hip and knee – was higher than for men. Read full article. Source: The Guardian, 5 October 2026

Ten mental health trusts have been reported to the health regulator after problems with patient consent procedures when monitoring patients using camera technology. The issue emerged during the latest hearings of the Lampard Inquiry, which is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 people who spent time in mental health units in Essex between 2000 and the end of 2023. The infrared technology is used in patients' bedrooms and can monitor breathing and pulse without staff having to enter the room. NHS England told the inquiry it had passed information to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after reviewing the use of digital monitoring systems, including Oxevision. Read full article. Source: BBC News, 6 October 2026