Health and care sector latest developments
NHS England to give urgent help away from A&E to cut ‘corridor care’
The Guardian has reported that hundreds of thousands of patients needing urgent medical help will be treated in settings other than A&E as part of a drive to cut ‘corridor care’ and avoid another NHS winter crisis.
The move is a central plank of a government plan to improve urgent and emergency care in England, tackle the long delays many patients face in A&E and banish overcrowding in hospitals.
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, hopes the initiative will lead to the one in five people who attend A&E despite not having a physical health emergency being treated elsewhere.
Matthew Taylor said:
“Health leaders across systems, providers and primary care will welcome this plan to provide better, faster and more appropriate emergency care, an area which is facing high demand and rising public concern over performance.
“As the plan shows, there is a lot of good practice across the health service to build upon, including expanding the number of same-day emergency treatment, mental health crisis assessment centres and rolling out more ambulances.”
Full comment: Health leaders welcome plan to improve emergency care performance | NHS Confederation
Blood test for Alzheimer’s could soon be available on the NHS
A new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease has been found to accurately detect early symptoms of the illness, according to new research.
The Independent said experts from the Mayo Clinic in the US examined two proteins in blood plasma – amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217 – which are associated with amyloid plaque build-up, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, to provide further evidence that blood tests can accurately diagnose dementia.
The study, which was carried out on more than 500 people in an outpatient memory clinic, found the blood test was highly accurate, with 95 per cent sensitivity.
Key takeaways from world’s largest cancer conference in Chicago
Doctors, scientists and researchers shared new findings on ways to tackle cancer at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, the world’s largest cancer conference.
The event in Chicago, attended by about 44,000 health professionals, featured more than 200 sessions on this year’s theme, Driving Knowledge to Action: Building a Better Future.
NHS App director joins tech consultancy firm
The national director for NHS digital channels has been appointed as a strategic adviser to a tech consultancy firm.
Joe Harrison, who is also the CEO of Milton Keynes University Hospital Foundation Trust, will work as an adviser for Channel 3 Consulting while continuing his NHS roles.
Last month, Mr Harrison was also appointed as the new chair of the NHS advisory board for procurement and supply.
Trusts ordered to help with ‘heartbreaking’ diagnostic delays
NHS England has told trusts they must help neighbours to cut the number of children waiting for hearing tests, even if it affects their own performance.
NHS England co-medical director for secondary care Meghana Pandit has written to regional and integrated care board leaders warning that some areas have fallen behind in responding to serious concerns about paediatric audiology.
In 2023, an NHSE audit found that more than a thousand children might have been misdiagnosed or had problems missed. As of February, 1,374 children were still waiting to be seen, and of the 775 who had been assessed, 31 had suffered severe or permanent harm and another 76 moderate harm.
