Media Monitoring: 19 – 25 August

A new report has found underinvestment is hampering the progress of ICSs.
Staff pressures, financial constraints, issues in the social care sector – alongside the continued disruption from industrial action – were identified as the main barriers to success by ICS leaders.
The health leaders polled were, however, supportive of ICSs and believe they have made good progress in their first year.

A new rapid test has been developed to rule out heart attacks in those who present with chest pain.
The LoDED trial used one highly sensitive troponin test alongside an ECG to assess the effectiveness of the process.
Over 40% of patients were discharged within 4 hours when assessed through the trial, saving their time and reducing pressure on services.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan has appointed Professor Patrick Chinnery as the next Executive Chair of MRC.
Professor Chinnery is currently the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Director of Clinical Sciences and Professor of Neurology at the University of Cambridge where he is head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.

Researchers have claimed that new approach to diagnosing illnesses in children could help doctors choose the right treatment more quickly.
The Imperial College London team claims looking at gene patterns in someone’s blood could speed up diagnosis.
However, development of the test remains at an early stage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the G20 India presidency announced a new Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) at the Health Minister’s Meeting of the G20 Summit hosted by the Government of India.
The new GIDH initiative (pronounced “guide” for short) will operate as a WHO-managed network and platform to support the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025.
WHO serves as the Secretariat for the strategy implementation to converge and convene global standards, best practices and resources to fast track digital health system transformation.

Patients with respiratory infections to be given wearable devices that allow doctors to monitor them at home.
Virtual wards remain a priority for NHSE as a means of reducing pressure on hospitals.
In January, NHS England set out plans for integrated care systems to expand their virtual capacity to 40-50 virtual beds per 100,000 people – around 24,000 in total – by December.