Ministers to scrap IVF laws denying access to people with HIV
- Ministers are to scrap “outdated” IVF laws that deny access to people with HIV and force lesbians to pay extra for tests
- Lesbian couples will no longer be required to pay for expensive screening before IVF
WHO publishes 2023 list of essential in vitro diagnostics
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled its highly-anticipated 2023 Essential Diagnostics List (EDL), a comprehensive catalogue of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) aimed at aiding nations in making informed decisions regarding diagnostic tools
- This year’s release is marked by two groundbreaking inclusions: revolutionising the global approach to healthcare for hepatitis E virus (HEV) and broadening personal use of glucose monitoring devices
Cancer: Number of diagnoses in Northern Ireland continue to rise
- The number of people being diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland has continued to rise
- Over the last five years there has been a 9% increase in female breast cancer cases and 6% increase in lung cancer
- The report highlights the importance of screening, in particular access to the new FIT test for bowel screening
Case study finds regulatory challenges are affecting MedTech innovation in the UK
- Researchers from the King’s School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences have published a new study analysing the impacts of regulatory challenges on medical technology development projects in the UK
- General trends in the United Kingdom and European Union suggest that regulations on new medical devices are becoming more stringent. Consequently, EU Notified Bodies and UK Approved Bodies, which audit manufacturers against regulations, are experiencing an increased burden imposed by these changes; the total number of these bodies has also decreased
- The study concluded that to position the UK as an attractive place to launch transformative medical devices, the MHRA must implement feedback taken from consultations, work with industry and Approved Bodies, and assess their regulations’ impact on timeframes and support available for those who wish to enter the UK market
The NHS waiting list: when will it peak?
- The NHS waiting list for elective treatment in England has been growing since 2013 – almost tripling in size over the decade to 7.7 million. The waiting list had already reached 4.6 million before the pandemic. During the pandemic the waiting list grew sharply, as care was suspended
- The monthly number of referrals to treatment has now returned to pre-pandemic levels and is growing at a faster rate than before the pandemic as people are now coming forward, having postponed seeking treatment. The NHS is responding – monthly treatments are also growing at a faster rate than pre-pandemic. But the waiting list is still rising as the number of treatments does not yet exceed the number of referrals
- The elective care recovery plan, published in February 2022, set out ambitions to reduce long waits for treatment and an expectation that the waiting list would be falling by March 2024. In January 2023, the Prime Minster pledged that ‘NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get care more quickly’
Government to deliver 160 community diagnostic centres a year early
- The government will meet its target to open 160 community diagnostic centres a year early
- All 160 centres will be open by March 2024, a year ahead of the original March 2025 target – speeding up access to potentially lifesaving tests and checks
- The government has announced 3 of the final CDC locations which will serve tens of thousands of patients in London, Sussex and Yorkshire
