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Found 798 results
  1. News Article
    Artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to UK health services that disadvantage women and ethnic minorities, scientists are warning. They are calling for biases in the systems to be rooted out before their use becomes commonplace in the NHS. They fear that without that preparation AI could dramatically deepen existing health inequalities in our society. A new study has found that AI models built to identify people at high risk of liver disease from blood tests are twice as likely to miss disease in women as in men. The researchers examined the state of the art approach to AI used by hospitals worldwide and found it had a 70% success rate in predicting liver disease from blood tests. But they uncovered a wide gender gap underneath – with 44% of cases in women missed, compared with 23% of cases among men. “AI algorithms are increasingly used in hospitals to assist doctors diagnosing patients. Our study shows that, unless they are investigated for bias, they may only help a subset of patients, leaving other groups with worse care,” said Isabel Straw, of University College London, who led the study. “We need to be really careful that medical AI doesn’t worsen existing inequalities.” Read full story Source: iNews, 9 July 2022
  2. News Article
    When Susan Sullivan died from Covid-19, her parents’ world fell quiet. But as John and Ida Sullivan battled the pain of losing their eldest, they were comforted by doctors’ assurance that they had done all they could. It was not until more than a year later, when they received her medical records, that the family made a crushing discovery. These suggested that, despite Susan being in good health and responding well to initial treatments, doctors at Barnet hospital had concluded she wouldn’t pull through. When Susan was first admitted on 27 March 2020, a doctor had written in her treatment plan: “ITU (Intensive therapy unit) review if not improving”, indicating he believed she might benefit from a higher level of care. But as her oxygen levels fell and her condition deteriorated, the 56-year-old was not admitted to the intensive unit. Instead she died in her bed on the ward without access to potentially life-saving treatment others received. In the hospital records, seen by the Observer, the reason Susan was excluded is spelled out: “ITU declined in view of Down’s syndrome and cardiac comorbidities.” A treatment plan stating she was not to be resuscitated also cites her disability. For John, 79, a retired builder, that realisation was “like Susan dying all over again”. “The reality is that doctors gave her a bed to die in because she had Down’s syndrome,” he said. “To me it couldn’t be clearer: they didn’t even try.” Susan is one of thousands of disabled people in Britain killed by Covid-19. Last year, a report by the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme found that almost half those who died from Covid-19 did not receive good enough treatment, including problems accessing care. Of those who died from Covid-19, 81% had a do-not-resuscitate decision, compared with 72% of those who died from other causes. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 10 July 2022
  3. Event
    until
    Entrenched health inequalities have come to the fore over the past couple of years and we have seen some of the sharpest declines in health and wellbeing for our children, young people and their families. Never has there been a more urgent need to address the link between wider social, economic and environmental causes to the increased risk of poor public health and mental health. These are best understood and addressed at a local level by people and organisations that have relationships and knowledge of the nuances and cultures of individuals and communities. The formation of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) represents a significant opportunity for Boards to engage the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in order to enable a truly integrated Health and Social Care System to be delivered. These new arrangements which will bring together local system partners should serve to strengthen relationships between the NHS and VCSE sector and promote greater equity. This free webinar, co-produced and sponsored by Barnardo’s, brings together an esteemed panel of experts to discuss how we make the most of these opportunities at this critical time, as well as showcasing innovative VCSE projects that are delivering improved outcomes for children, young people and their families. Register for the webinar
  4. Content Article
    This is the transcript of a Westminster Hall debate in the House of Commons on waiting lists for gynaecological services.
  5. News Article
    Emma Hardy MP has secured a Westminster debate on gynaecological wait times. Gynaecology waiting lists across the UK have now reached a combined figure of more than 610,000 – a 69% increase on pre-pandemic levels. New analysis by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) shows that in England, gynaecology waiting lists have grown the most by percentage increase of all elective specialties. Emma is co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) for Surgical Mesh and Endometriosis - both come under the heading of ‘gynaecological conditions’ and both are being impacted by increased waiting times. Through her involvement with these APPGs, Emma has heard the testimony of so many women whose lives have been impacted by conditions that can be so painful and debilitating that they impact on every aspect of family, social and work life. Emma will ask the minister to launch an investigation into possible gender bias in the prioritisation of gynaecology services and ensure that elective recovery will address the unequal growth of gynaecology waiting lists compared to other specialties. Emma said: "It is completely unacceptable that 610,000 women are waiting for gynaecological care across the UK. The reality is that many of these women will be in excruciating pain awaiting treatment, unable to go about their day-to-day lives." Read full story Source: Hull Daily Mail, 5 July 2022
  6. Content Article
    The Indian Liver Patient Dataset (ILPD) is used extensively to create algorithms that predict liver disease. Given the existing research describing demographic inequities in liver disease diagnosis and management, these algorithms require scrutiny for potential biases. Isabel Straw and Honghan Wu address this overlooked issue by investigating ILPD models for sex bias. They demonstrated a sex disparity that exists in published ILPD classifiers. In practice, the higher false negative rate for females would manifest as increased rates of missed diagnosis for female patients and a consequent lack of appropriate care. Our study demonstrates that evaluating biases in the initial stages of machine learning can provide insights into inequalities in current clinical practice, reveal pathophysiological differences between the male and females, and can mitigate the digitisation of inequalities into algorithmic systems. An awareness of the potential biases of these systems is essential in preventing the digital exacerbation of healthcare inequalities.
  7. Content Article
    Pretty soon there won’t be a trust without an associate director or even board level director fully dedicated to all things equality, diversity and inclusion; relatively new senior roles that must have a purpose, job description and performance indicators. They will spend energy on yet more strategies, start from the top and hope something trickles down. Or they could start where the work is done, and build the tools to make equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) everyone’s responsibility. Trusts are full of people passionate about EDI. So many roles, so many champions. They meet, share stories, and champion the importance of EDI. All this busyness typically outside a governed frame without the necessary reporting, investigating, actions, outcomes, learning, and measurable improvement. To normalise EDI and make it everyone’s responsibility will involve enabling reporting of EDI incidents, investigating it, taking action, and learning from it, writes Dr Nadeem Moghal in an article for HSJ.
  8. Content Article
    This retrospective cohort study in JAMA Internal Medicine aimed to determine whether there are systematic racial and ethnic biases in pulse oximetry among patients with Covid-19, and whether these biases result in patients not being accurately recognised as candidates for oxygen threshold–specific therapy. The authors found that patients from racial and ethnic minority groups with Covid-19 are often subject to overestimation of arterial oxygen saturation levels. This contributes to them not being recognised, or a delay in them being recognised, as eligible to receive Covid-19 therapies.
  9. News Article
    The number of knee replacement operations carried out has dropped in regions of England with restrictions on surgery for overweight patients, with people in more deprived areas worst affected, researchers have found. Patients needing surgery but unable to lose weight are being denied surgery that could ease pain and increase mobility, the team from the University of Bristol said. Health campaigners expressed alarm, claiming the policy was a “blunt tool” being used to replace conversations between doctors and patients and risked exacerbating health inequalities. Over the past decade, rules have been brought in by some clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) across England to restrict access to hip and knee replacement surgery for patients who are overweight or obese. The study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, suggests that regions that introduced policy changes for access to knee replacement surgery based on a patient’s weight or BMI have seen a decline in surgery. The lead author, Joanna McLaughlin, of the Bristol Medical School, said: “Our study raises the concern that these policies are linked with worsening health inequalities with fewer NHS operations for the least affluent groups. “We could see the rates of surgery dropped for those worst off but increased for those who are best off, which correlates with more private surgery going on in those areas.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 29 June 2022
  10. News Article
    Reproductive health doctors are reacting to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs Wade, the 1973 case that allowed people to seek abortions with limited government intervention. On Friday, Justice Samuel Alito delivered his opinion on the case Dobbs vs Jackson Women's Health, saying he favoured the state of Mississippi in the case. Now, Roe vs Wade, which allowed abortion until about 24 weeks of pregnancy, is overruled, and individual states have the power to decide their residents' abortion rights. OBGYNs who provide abortion care and family-planning services told Insider they worry for their patients' health and safety, and the future of all reproductive healthcare including miscarriages, fertility treatments, and birth control. "This decision made by the SCOTUS is one that completely obliterates freedom from reproductive justice and women's health directly," Dr. Jessica Shepherd, a Texas-based gynecologist and Chief Medical Officer at Verywell Health, told Insider. Dr. Stephanie Ros, a Florida-based OBGYN, says she fears most for working-class abortion seekers. "I'm not worried about my wealthy patients – they will have the means to go 'visit an aunt' in Europe or elsewhere, and access abortion care if they so desire. I'm terrified for my middle class and poor patients, who don't have the means to pick up and travel on a moment's notice, and who often don't have access to medical care to even discover they're pregnant until later than their wealthy counterparts." Read full story Source: Insider, 24 June 2022
  11. Content Article
    This report by researchers at the University of Birmingham is the first granular analysis of the known and hidden waiting lists for elective procedures in England. There has been previous analysis of the NHS waiting list, but it has been based on the overall waiting list and has included patients waiting for all types of consultant-led care, including outpatient clinic visits and non-surgical treatments. The authors of this report have used procedure-level data to produce estimates for the need for elective procedures.
  12. News Article
    New plans to strengthen the regulation of medical devices to improve patient safety and encourage innovation have been published. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has a unique opportunity to improve how medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) are regulated in the UK. The package of reforms will apply to medical devices such as hearing aids, x-ray machines and insulin pumps; new technologies such as smartphone apps and Artificial Intelligence (AI); as well as certain cosmetic products like dermal fillers. The new measures include: Strengthening the MHRA’s powers to act to keep patients safe. Giving the public and patients greater assurance on both the performance and safety of the highest-risk medical devices, such as those which need to be implanted. Increasing the scope and extent of regulation to respond to public need. Enhancing systems that are already in place to better protect users of medical devices and certain cosmetic products, and providing greater assurance of their performance and safety. Addressing health disparities and mitigating identified inequities throughout medical devices development and use. Mitigating against inequities in medical devices, ensuring they function as intended for diverse populations. The government has launched a review into the potential equity issues in the design and use of medical devices to tackle health inequalities and will update in due course. Making the UK a focus for innovation, and the best place to develop and introduce innovative medical devices. Ensuring the new regulatory framework encourages responsible innovation so that patients in the UK are better able to access the most advanced medical devices to meet their needs. Setting world-leading standards and building the new UKCA mark. Transforming a new stamp of certification, replacing the CE mark, into a trusted brand that signifies global safety, health and environment protection standards have been met for medical device products. This will in turn boost the MHRA’s global reputation and growing partnerships with other regulators. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Now we have left the EU, these new changes will allow innovation to thrive and ensure UK patients are among the first to benefit from technological breakthroughs." "We are now able to introduce some of the most robust safety measures in the world for medical devices to ensure patients are protected." Read press release Source: Gov.UK, 26 June 2022
  13. Content Article
    Following the UK's exit from the European Union, the government aims to improve how medical devices and diagnostic devices are regulated through a new framework. The MHRA held a consultation on the future regulation of medical devices in the UK in autumn 2021 and this report outlines the government's response to the consultation. The consultation received 891 responses and aimed to collect views on developing a future legislation for medical devices which delivers: improved patient and public safety greater transparency of regulatory decision making and medical device information close alignment with international best practice, and more flexible, responsive and proportionate regulation of medical devices.
  14. News Article
    Covid vaccines cut the global death toll by 20 million in the first year after they were available, according to the first major analysis. The study, which modelled the spread of the disease in 185 countries and territories between December 2020 and December 2021, found that without Covid vaccines 31.4 million people would have died, and that 19.8 million of these deaths were avoided. The study is the first attempt to quantify the number of deaths prevented directly and indirectly as a result of Covid-19 vaccinations. “We knew it was going to be a large number, but I did not think it would be as high as 20 million deaths during just the first year,” said Oliver Watson, of Imperial College London, who is a co-first author on the study carried out by scientists at the university. Many more deaths could have been prevented if access to vaccines had been more equal worldwide. Nearly 600,000 additional deaths – one in five of the Covid deaths in low-income countries – could have been prevented if the World Health Organization’s global goal of vaccinating 40% of each country’s population by the end of 2021 had been met, the research found. “Our findings show that millions of lives have likely been saved by making vaccines available to people everywhere, regardless of their wealth,” said Watson. “However, more could have been done.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 24 June 2022
  15. Content Article
    The first COVID-19 vaccine outside a clinical trial setting was administered on 8 December 2020. To ensure global vaccine equity, vaccine targets were set by the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility and WHO. However, due to vaccine shortfalls, these targets were not achieved by the end of 2021. Watson et al. aimed to quantify the global impact of the first year of COVID-19 vaccination programmes. The study found that COVID-19 vaccination has substantially altered the course of the pandemic, saving tens of millions of lives globally. However, inadequate access to vaccines in low-income countries has limited the impact in these settings, reinforcing the need for global vaccine equity and coverage.
  16. Content Article
    Understanding health information (health literacy) is essential for taking medications correctly, knowing which health services to use and managing long-term conditions. Around half the population struggles to understand health information, and the most disadvantaged groups in society are most likely to have limited health literacy. Improving health literacy is therefore key to tackling health inequalities and improving health outcomes for everyone. This resource collection from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) brings together messages from research highlighted in NIHR Alert summaries. It includes research on the impact of unclear health messages, how we can help people understand health information and which groups of the population may need extra support.
  17. News Article
    Women including refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants are being charged as much as £14,000 to give birth on the NHS in England, a report by Doctors of the World (DOTW) has found. The report, which examined inequalities in maternity care among migrant pregnant women and babies, gathered the experiences of 257 pregnant women accessing DOTW’s services from 2017 to 2021. It found that over a third (38%) who accessed its services had been charged for healthcare, often inappropriately. The women were charged £296 to £14 000, and half of them were billed over £7000. The report said that inequalities in access to antenatal care experienced by migrant women were likely to lead to poorer outcomes for their pregnancy and the health of their children. The evidence highlights the need for urgent action to address the inequalities experienced by migrant pregnant women and their babies. There is a pressing need for immigration status to be considered as part of the ethnic and racial health inequalities agenda and for independent action to be taken to review the impact of NHS charging policy. Read full story (paywalled) Source: BMJ, 20 June 2022
  18. Content Article
    Despite an increased focus in maternity services on ethnic and racial inequalities resulting in poorer outcomes, the experience of migrant women is often hidden from these data, research and improvement programmes. To understand these inequalities and their impact further, Doctors of the World UK (DOTW UK) analysed data collected through provision of health support to 257 pregnant women accessing their service between 2017 and 2021
  19. News Article
    People with disabilities must be helped more by health providers to access information, a report has found. Over 300 people in North Yorkshire were asked about communication from GPs, hospitals, and healthcare providers in a survey by watchdog Healthwatch. The report said there is "some good practice" but many patients are not being contacted in their preferred format. This leads to missed appointments which "costs time and money". Since 2016, the Accessible Information Standard means health and care organisations must legally provide a "consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing, and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss," Healthwatch said. But the report said some people receive printed letters which they are unable to read meaning they have to ask for private and confidential information to be relayed. Scarborough respondent Ian said it was "amazing" that in the 21st Century many are still facing such issues. "The [GP booking] system doesn't anticipate that not everyone can use the phone," he said. "The problem is a lot of organisations haven't moved with the times". Read full storyp Source: BBC News, 21 June 2022
  20. Content Article
    The NHS Confederation has published a new report, 'The unequal impact of COVID-19: investigating the effect on people with certain protected characteristics', which maps existing research into COVID-19 inequalities onto some of these protected characteristics, showing how the pandemic has interacted with them. The report then showcases four case studies of how different health and care systems have put in place interventions to respond to these inequalities when designing their COVID-19 response. It focuses on a number of key areas including the impact of COVID-19 on: BAME communities people with disabilities older and younger people. The report concludes with a series of recommendations for health and care systems across the UK.
  21. News Article
    Just over half of senior ethnic minority leaders have considered leaving the NHS due to experiencing workplace racism a survey suggests. The survey was carried out by the NHS Confederation’s BME Leadership Network and its 123 respondents included chief executives, directors and senior managers. Responses were collected from network members online before three roundtables were held with senior ethnic minority leaders to understand their experiences and the challenges they have faced in relation to discrimination. The survey found: 51% of respondents said they had considered leaving the NHS in the past three years because of their experience of racist treatment while working. More than 20% said they had experienced verbal abuse or abusive behaviour targeting racial, national or cultural heritage five times or more in the last three years. 69% had experienced this behaviour from other leaders or managers within their organisation at least once in the same timeframe. 57% had experienced it from leaders or managers in another organisation at least once over the same period. Joan Saddler, NHS Confederation’s director of equality and partnerships, said the NHS was at risk of losing “committed, highly skilled and motivated talent to institutional racism and discrimination”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 June 2022 You may also be interested in reading: BMA: Racism in medicine
  22. Content Article
    This report from the BME Leadership Network spotlights the findings from a recent survey and engagement on the experience of senior black and minority ethnic leaders in the NHS.
  23. News Article
    Only half of healthcare professionals feel they have sufficient tools to manage the long-term damage that sickle cell disease brings, new research has revealed. The in-depth study by Global Blood Therapeutics - carried out across 10 countries including the UK, US and Canada - shows that patients living with the illness remain dramatically underserved by healthcare systems, while healthcare professionals don’t feel like they have the knowledge of the disease or their patients, to properly treat them. More than two in five (43%) doctors and nurses cited difficulties due to having different ethnic backgrounds from their patients, it was revealed, while almost three quarters (73%) stated patients of lower economic status can be more difficult to treat. Almost a third of healthcare professionals (31%) found it challenging to understand their patients’ needs. Sebastian Stachowiak, Head of Europe and GCC at Global Blood Therapeutics, told The Independent that the survey “confirms the lack of options for physicians” and expressed hope that, with recent advances in available treatment, patients can be better served in the future. The study also found that almost half (46%) of patients say that emergency room healthcare providers did not believe them about their symptoms, while 48% said that they have been treated like a drug seeker in the emergency room. Read full story Source: The Independent, 14 June 2022
  24. Content Article
    A new multinational survey, on more than 1,300 patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals in 10 countries, shines a needed light on the misunderstood realities, unseen burden and care challenges of sickle cell disease. The Sickle Cell Health Awareness, Perspectives and Experiences (SHAPE) survey, one of the largest global burden of disease surveys conducted in sickle cell disease, identified long-term health complications of sickle cell disease as a key concern among 1,300 patients and healthcare professionals surveyed from 10 countries The survey also revealed that sickle cell disease patients' caregivers face profound physical, psychosocial, and economic burdens resulting from taking care of people living with the disease. The findings of the survey were presented during a poster presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2022 Hybrid Congress. “Sickle cell disease is a lifelong condition that causes damage in the body and has a profound impact on the quality of life of those who suffer from it and their caregivers. The SHAPE survey is important because it illustrates how vital it is that we understand our patients’ needs, and it suggests what we within the medical community can do to help change perspectives, increase education and awareness, and improve care,” said Dr. Baba Inusa, professor and consultant of paediatric haematology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London and chair of the National Haemoglobinopathy Panel in England. “These results are a wake-up call, and I believe that the actions that follow can enable us to help drive a better dialogue and improved conversations around the management and care of this long-neglected and devastating disease.”
  25. News Article
    The number of children being treated at paediatric diabetes units (PDUs) in England and Wales has increased by more than 50% amid a “perfect storm” of rising obesity levels and the cost of living crisis, health leaders have said. Diabetes UK said alarming obesity levels among children had led to a “concerning climb” in the number diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and predicted that the cost of living crisis could lead to further problems in the years to come. Data from NHS Digital shows that almost one in seven children start primary school obese – a rise of almost 50% in just a year. More than a quarter are obese by the time they finish primary school. The high levels of obesity combined with the squeeze on personal finances are creating a “perfect storm which risks irreversible harm to the health of young people”, Diabetes UK said. It accused the government of “letting our children down” as it called for concerted action to tackle obesity. Chris Askew, the chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “We are very concerned that this spike in childhood obesity will translate into an even greater increase in children with type 2 diabetes in the coming years, a crisis fuelled by longstanding health inequalities and made worse still by impacts of the cost of living crisis." Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 June 2022
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