The first treatment for sickle cell disease in over 20 years will be rolled out to thousands of patients in England with life-saving benefits, the head of the NHS announced today. People with the condition endure severe pain during a ‘sickle cell crisis’ that can occur multiple times per year, often requiring hospital admission so […]

Genetic testing on the NHS will spot a rare form of diabetes in thousands of people unaware they are living with the disease, alongside a new training scheme for staff. The test being rolled out across England can also spot whether people have passed the affected gene on to their children, while the health service […]

Children in England are set to be the first in the world to be offered a cure for hepatitis C, as part of NHS plans to eradicate the disease entirely. More than 100 children have been identified for treatment, with hundreds more set to benefit in the coming months and years. Those aged 3 to […]

Thousands of lives will be saved thanks to more blood pressure checks in high street pharmacies, the NHS said today. Every NHS pharmacy in England will be able to provide the lifesaving checks to people aged 40 and over from October thanks to a new deal between pharmacies and the NHS. Over the next five […]

Thousands of cystic fibrosis patients in England have had their health drastically improved by a “miracle” treatment, allowing one to give birth to a baby, since the NHS made it available exactly one year ago today. In the past 12 months, NHS patients in England benefited from one of the fastest rollouts in the world […]

Every patient who needs kidney dialysis will benefit from free transport to and from vital hospital appointments, the NHS in England announced today. New rules will also come into place to make it simpler for other patients to get free transport, including those with long term conditions and mobility problems. After a full public consultation […]

An ‘artificial pancreas’ designed to revolutionise the life of people with Type 1 diabetes will be provided by the NHS, 100 years after the discovery of insulin, health service chief executive Sir Simon Stevens announced today. Speaking at NHS Confederation’s conference this morning, Sir Simon said that up to 1,000 patients will benefit from a […]

The NHS has appointed former Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield OBE to help transform the care of children and young people with a learning disability and autism. As the new independent chair of the Learning Disability and Autism Children and Young People’s Steering Group, Anne will champion the rights of children and young people to ensure […]

Dozens of babies with spina bifida have been spared paralysis and other life-limiting conditions after undergoing surgery in the womb in a cutting-edge procedure made available on the NHS. Spina bifida prevents the spine and spinal cord developing properly and can lead to paralysis, bowel, bladder and kidney problems. Operating on babies between 23 and […]

A small, portable device that can zap away excruciating headaches is now available to anyone who needs it on the NHS. The gadget is held against the neck and delivers a low-level electric current to block pain signals, relieving pain from people suffering from ‘cluster’ headaches. NHS England is expanding the use of gammaCore after […]