News
NHS Expands Rapid 7-Minute Cholesterol Checks to Local Pharmacies
NHS Expands Rapid 7-Minute Cholesterol Checks to Local Pharmacies Getting your cholesterol checked is now easier than ever. Under a new NHS initiative, high street pharmacies are offering rapid, point-of-care blood tests that can reveal your cholesterol levels in just...
Community Care: A Care Worker & Manager Guide to NICE Medicines Management (NG67)
Community Care: A Care Worker & Manager Guide to NICE Medicines Management (NG67) For social care managers and frontline care workers supporting individuals in the community, managing medicines safely, person-centredly, and effectively is essential. The National...
NHS Issues Urgent Guidance on Amitriptyline Side Effects Impacting Eye Health
NHS Issues Urgent Guidance on Amitriptyline Side Effects Impacting Eye Health Healthcare professionals, social care workers, and family carers are being urged to monitor individuals taking amitriptyline following highlighted NHS safety advice regarding key symptoms...
Schools Face Mandatory Allergy Safety Rules Under ‘Benedict’s Law’
Schools Face Mandatory Allergy Safety Rules Under 'Benedict's Law' New statutory guidance and allergy safety duties—commonly known as Benedict’s Law—come into effect across schools in England. Introduced via the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act alongside dedicated...
NHS Launches Home Cervical Screening Kits to Boost Access and Save Lives
NHS Launches Home Cervical Screening Kits to Boost Access and Save Lives The NHS has rolled out a major new initiative offering at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing kits. This service allows eligible individuals to collect a vaginal sample privately using a...
Smart Sensors in Homes Cut Hospital Admissions and Save NHS Millions in Landmark Dementia Trial
Smart Sensors in Homes Cut Hospital Admissions and Save NHS Millions in Landmark Dementia Trial LONDON — A two-year trial of 'Minder Care'—an innovative remote monitoring technology—has demonstrated that installing smart, non-intrusive sensors in the homes of dementia...
UK Becomes First in Europe to Authorise New Oral Diabetes and Weight Loss Treatment
UK Becomes First in Europe to Authorise New Oral Diabetes and Weight Loss Treatment The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised Foundayo (orforglipron)—often referred to by healthcare teams as the new oral GLP-1 treatment. The...
Two Hours of Weekly Strength Training Linked to Significant Drop in Early Death Risk, Study Shows
Regular muscle-strengthening exercise—for as little as 90 minutes to two hours per week—is linked to a substantially lower risk of dying early. Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that incorporating resistance training into weekly...
NHS Expands Access to Mobility-Boosting MS Drug Fampridine
A key development in neurological care is set to benefit thousands of individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) across the UK. NHS England has officially approved routine funding for fampridine (also known by the brand name Fampyra), bringing access in line with...
Compassion in Community Care: How the ‘Daffodil Standards’ Are Transforming Local Pharmacies
Compassion in Community Care: How the 'Daffodil Standards' Are Transforming Local Pharmacies Neighbourhood pharmacies are fundamentally changing how they support individuals facing advanced illnesses, moving from a traditional dispensing role into a proactive, deeply...
Department for Health and Social Care Backs Physical Activity Guidelines
Department for Health and Social Care Backs Physical Activity Guidelines Health and social care providers are being urged to reshape how they talk about fitness, as the UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) issue a comprehensive framework for the national physical activity...
MHRA Issues Summer Medication Storage Warning
MHRA Issues Summer Medication Storage Warning As summer travel peaks and seasonal temperatures climb, health and social care professionals are being urged to remind patients about the dangers of improper medicine storage. On July 17th, 2026, the UK’s medicine...
New falls and fractures alert for people taking vitamin D or calcium
New Advice Raises Questions About Vitamin D and Calcium Supplements for Preventing Falls and Fractures A major new review has found that vitamin D and calcium supplements may do little to prevent falls and broken bones in most older adults living independently at...
Low iron levels linked to higher dementia risk, new research suggests
Low iron levels linked to higher dementia risk, new research suggests A new study by researchers at Stockholm University has found that people with low iron levels may face a higher risk of developing dementia later in life. The research, published in the journal...
Government confirms continued training funding for adult social care workforce
Government confirms continued training funding for adult social care workforce The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that its Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) will continue into the 2025–2026 financial year, providing ongoing...
New AI Tool Could Predict Heart Attacks Years in Advance
New AI Tool Could Predict Heart Attacks Years in Advance Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that could help prevent heart attacks by spotting risks much earlier than current methods. The technology works by...
Flu Jab May Help Lower Alzheimer’s Risk in Over-65s, Study Suggests
Flu Jab May Help Lower Alzheimer’s Risk in Over-65s, Study Suggests A new study published in Neurology has found that older adults who receive a high-dose flu vaccine may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The research adds to growing evidence that...
Skills for Care Publishes New Guidance on Delegated Healthcare Activities in Adult Social Care
Skills for Care Publishes New Guidance on Delegated Healthcare Activities in Adult Social Care New resources released by Skills for Care aim to improve transparency, safety and consistency when healthcare tasks are delegated to care staff in adult social care...
NICE Backs Weight-Loss Jab to Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes
NICE Backs Weight-Loss Jab to Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes The UK’s medicines watchdog, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has approved the use of a weight-loss injection to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events,...
New Study Warns Vaping May Increase Risk of Lung and Oral Cancer
New Study Warns Vaping May Increase Risk of Lung and Oral Cancer A new review by researchers at UNSW Sydney has raised fresh concerns about the safety of vaping, suggesting it could increase the risk of both lung cancer and oral cancer. The research team analysed a...
CQC to change how it inspects services
CQC to Change How It Inspects Care Services The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced a big change to how it will inspect health and social care services in England. Instead of using one main system for everything, the CQC will now create separate inspection...
Meningitis Cases Rising in Parts of the UK – What to Watch For
Meningitis Cases Rising in Parts of the UK – What to Watch For Health officials are dealing with a recent meningitis outbreak in Kent, mainly affecting students and young people in the Canterbury area. So far, there have been around 29 to 34 cases, and sadly two...
Porridge Could Help Lower Risk of Heart Disease, Study Finds
Porridge Could Help Lower Risk of Heart Disease, Study Finds A recent study by Professor Marie-Christine Simon from the University of Bonn has found that eating porridge could help lower the risk of coronary heart disease. The study, published in 2026, looked at...
Visiting rights for people in health and social care settings to be reviewed
Government Plans Stronger Visiting Rights for People in Care The government has announced new plans to strengthen visiting rights for people living in health and social care settings, such as care homes and hospitals. The move comes after concerns raised during the...
Recent Research Links Alcohol Consumption to Increased Alzheimer’s Risk
New research has emerged suggesting a potential link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. While the complex mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's are still being investigated, this latest study adds to a growing body of...
Landmark Update for Care Certificate: New Standards Prioritize Learning Disability and Autism Awareness
A significant overhaul of the Care Certificate is underway, with the introduction of a redesigned framework featuring 16 updated standards. In a move widely welcomed by advocacy groups and care professionals, the crucial areas of learning disability and autism are now...
NHS Embraces Robotic Surgery for Routine Operations
Here in the UK, the landscape of healthcare is undergoing a fascinating transformation. While the whirring and beeping of robots might once have seemed confined to the realms of science fiction, they are increasingly becoming a reality in NHS operating theatres. What...
UKHSA Releases Watch List of 24 Diseases Posing Future Risk
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new watch list identifying 24 pathogen families that pose a significant potential risk to public health in the future. This list is intended to guide and prioritize research and development efforts in diagnostics,...
Increased risk of Alzheimers disease due to sleeping problems
A recent study has found a link between poor sleep quality, specifically the length of time it takes to enter the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep phase, and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the UCSF...
Cold-health alert action cards for health and social care providers
As winter approaches, health and social care providers across the UK are being urged to prepare for the impact of cold weather on vulnerable individuals. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued Cold Weather Alerts, prompting the release of cold-health alert...
Health Innovation Centre Named After Pioneering Matron Daphne Steele set to open
Huddersfield Unveils Cutting-Edge Health Innovation Centre Named After Pioneering Matron Daphne Steele Huddersfield is set to become a hub for healthcare innovation with the grand opening of the Daphne Steele Health Innovation Centre. Named in honour of the NHS's...
Council provide free home care services for residents
Hammersmith and Fulham Leads the Way: Council Provide Free Home Care Services for Residents The borough, located in West London, is the first and only local authority in England to introduce this unprecedented initiative, which aims to offer much-needed support to...
Assisted dying bill backed by MPS
MPs Back Assisted Dying Law in Historic Vote In a landmark decision, Members of Parliament in Great Britain have voted in favor of a bill that would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by Labour...
One day bespoke training
We had a fantastic day delivering a bespoke one day training course to five community carers from a domiciliary care company in West Yorkshire on Tuesday 26th November 2024. We started the day with Basic Life Support, which covered infection control, how to manage a...
Skills for Care update ‘Delegated healthcare activities’ guidance
The delegated healthcare activities that carers and personal assistants can undertake has ben reviewed and new guidance issued. A delegated healthcare activity is an activity that a regulated healthcare professional, such as a nurse, nursing associate, occupational...
Pharmacy First: A New Era of Convenient Healthcare
The Pharmacy First Scheme: A Game-Changer for Patient Access to Care The UK healthcare landscape has seen a significant shift with the introduction of the Pharmacy First scheme, which officially launched on January 31st, 2024. This innovative initiative empowers...
Martha’s rule
Marthas rule background In the summer of 2021, 13-year-old Martha Mills fell off her bike, injuring her pancreas. Martha was admitted to kings college Hospital (KCH) in London, where she was under the care of the paediatric liver team. She remained on the ward as her...
New NHS pill to help smokers quit
NHS Launches New Pill to Help Smokers Quit A Game-Changer in Smoking Cessation The NHS has introduced a new medication, varenicline, to aid smokers in their journey to quit. This innovative treatment offers a powerful tool to combat nicotine addiction and improve...
NHS 111 offers dedicated mental health support
The NHS has launched a crises helpline on 111. This gives people the opportunity to get urgent help if they are struggling with their mental health. People of all ages, including children, who are in crisis or concerned family and loved ones can now call 111, select...
The Elizabeth Emblem award for emergency service workers who have died in the line of duty
The first recipients of the Elizabeth Emblem have been announced today. The next of kin of over 30 former firefighters, police officers and other public servants who have died in public service will receive the award in recognition of their deceased loved ones. The...
WHO declares Mpox a public health emergency of international concern
The World Health Organisation has declared Mpox a public heath emergency of international concern. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox is a rare infection most commonly found in parts of central Africa. To date there have been a very low number of cases in the United...
CQC state of care report
CQC have release their 'State of health care and adult social care in England' report for 2023/2024. A full version can be found here https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/state-care/2023-2024 The summary is as follows Primary and community care More people...
Medication administration course
Our Medication administration course has been updated to meet the requirements of the new Skills for care 'Statutory and Mandatory' training guide for adult social care employers . We provide an interactive and informative Medication administration course at your...
CQC publish their review of the single assessment framework
A review has been undertaken to assess the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the implementation of the single assessment framework and recommendations on solutions to CQC's current problems. The main findings are CQC has been unable to fulfil its primary purpose “to...
The Herbert Protocol
The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme that can help police locate a missing person, who may be vulnerable, especially those with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, brain injuries or learning disabilities . The protocol is named after George Herbert, a Normandy...
Basic life support training
A few weeks ago we provided a 3 hour Basic Life support course to Heavy Metal gym. It was a fantastic day with loads of practical work and group interactions. The staff at heavy metal gym were amazing and easily passed their assessments to analyse emergency situations...