Category: Health
Vodafone provides 30 days of free unlimited data to NHS staff
Vodafone has announced it will be extending its 30-day free access to unlimited mobile data offer, by upgrading customers who have personal Pay Monthly contracts and who are registered in its systems as working for the NHS. These customers will receive a text informing them of this upgrade from April 6th. Vodafone has already upgraded…
Google parent Alphabet agrees £1.6bn Fitbit deal
Fitbit is being acquired by Google’s parent company for about $2.1 billion dollars (£1.6 billion). The deal enables the internet company to step back into the hotly contested market for smartwatches and health and fitness trackers. A pioneer in wearable technology, Fibit’s market capitalisation soared to just under $10 billion after becoming a public company…
Wearable cameras allow doctors to check heart patients
Could Big Brother actually be your GP? Doctors may one day use monitoring cameras to check that heart failure sufferers are taking care of their condition properly. Improved self-management has been associated with reduced mortality, hospital admissions and healthcare costs, but forgetting to do crucial tasks such as taking medication on time and physical activity…
Student creates 3D Kidney model to help train cancer surgeons
A student has used 3D printing technology to create a model of a kidney that could be used to help train cancer surgeons. The model created by Glasgow School of Art (GSA) student Lisa Ferrie could help surgeons hone their skills in performing a robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy – a procedure that removes part of…
Social media companies ‘must tackle vaccines misinformation’
The UK has seen a rise in the number of reported cases of measles (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Di/PA) Social media companies need to do more to fight “misinformation” on vaccines following a “spike” in measles cases, health minister Jo Churchill has said. Ms Churchill said the Government will work alongside…
Mental Health app could help young people who self-harm
A smartphone app designed to manage negative emotions and periods of anxiety could help to reduce self-harm in young people, according to research. BlueIce is a prescribed app – meaning access must be given through medical professionals – and is designed to be used alongside traditional face-to-face therapies. It was developed by clinical psychologist Professor…
Computer models to match patients with ‘digital twins’
Advanced computer models could improve diagnosis and treatment of common diseases by linking patients with 'digital twins', a study suggests. The technology could be used to better tailor medicines to individual sufferers by computationally testing thousands of drugs across different cell types before actual treatment takes place. Currently, medication can be ineffective in many patients…
Virtual GP service ‘risks destabilising care for patients with greatest needs’
Expansion of a virtual GP service where patients are consulted over smartphones risks “destabilising care” for the most complex and vulnerable cases, a heath professor warned. If rolled out more widely, the NHS GP at Hand service would “cream off” fit young patients from existing practices at the expense of those with the greatest needs,…
Urinary tract infections smartphone app test could save NHS millions
A smartphone app test could save the NHS millions of pounds by helping women find out if they have a urinary tract infection without having to see a doctor. Women will be offered a Dip UTI test – a standard dipstick urine test used by GPs with a smartphone app that can accurately scan the…
Facebook takes action against bogus health content
Facebook is taking action against bogus health content and sensational miracle cures on its platform by reducing their visibility, the company has confirmed. The social network said that it started ranking health posts differently by factoring two indicators to minimise low-quality health posts from appearing on the News Feed last month. It now considers whether…
