Media Monitoring: 5th – 11th June

The purchase of approved digital products and services used for diagnosing and treating NHS patients should be reimbursed centrally, the chief executive of the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has told HSJ.

Former UK Prime Minister Lord Cameron calls for all children admitted to pediatric or neonatal intensive care to undergo genome sequencing.
He argues that widespread testing can shorten the “diagnostic odyssey” for families and unlock faster paths to treatment.
The article references Lord Cameron’s role as Chair of the Advisory Council for the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre (OHC), a transatlantic initiative that aims to deliver life-changing therapies for 40 rare diseases in the next decade—including spina bifida, Alzheimer’s, and rare cancers.

New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that syphilis diagnoses in England continued to rise in 2024 compared to 2023.
Overall, there were 9,535 diagnoses of early-stage syphilis diagnoses in 2024 compared to 9,375 diagnoses in 2023 – a 2% rise. Concerningly, the overall figure for syphilis, including late-stage syphilis or complications from the infection, increased 5% from 12,456 in 2023 to 13,030 in 2024.
Encouragingly, there was a 16% drop in gonorrhoea cases, with 71,802 diagnoses of gonorrhoea in 2024, compared to 85,370 in 2023.

The NHS app will become the default method of communication for millions more patients in England and save the health service £200m over the next three years, the government has said.
More test results, screening invitations and appointment reminders will be sent directly to smartphones as part of a £50m investment in the app, in a move away from traditional communication methods such as letters.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that people who cannot access app messaging – including elderly patients – will receive text messages and then a letter as a last resort, and NHS phone lines would be freed up.

Sexual health services in England are facing unprecedented pressure, with new figures from the UK Health Security Agency revealing a record 4.5 million consultations in 2024—up from 2.9 million in 2013.
The surge in demand has prompted urgent calls from local councils for a long-term national sexual health strategy.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils responsible for commissioning sexual health services, has warned that the current system is struggling to cope. Without immediate action, patients could face longer waits and reduced access to vital care.

Many of the top ten priority questions pertained to diagnostics, including: How can the diagnosis of sepsis become faster, more accurate and reliable?; can diagnostic tests be developed for sepsis that can be used wherever the person is receiving care (e.g. in a GP surgery, hospital, ambulance or at home)?; and are there ways to tailor treatment of sepsis to the individual (e.g. based on blood markers or other indicators)?