Latest news with #Merron
Scotsman
22-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
'A real turning point': Endometriosis advocates meet health minister
🗣 'This is more than just a medical condition. This is everyone's business.' Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Campaigners have praised a 'turning point' in the journey to improve endometriosis care, as they met with a health minister to call for action. We brought more than 400 stories of your stories to the Department of Health, which were collected as part of our Endo The Battle campaign. We launched the campaign to shine a light on the challenges and barriers those living with the condition face, from getting a diagnosis to accessing healthcare. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alongside a group of advocates, we presented the experiences to Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health, and discussed what needs to be done for the future of endometriosis care in the UK. Jodie Hughes, who chairs charity Endo South Coast, said the meeting was a 'real turning point'. She told us: 'Being in the room with ministers gave us the chance to ensure that the lived experiences of people with endometriosis were heard directly and clearly. 'Advocates play a crucial role in bridging the gap between policy and reality—we bring the human impact to the table, which is essential if we want to see meaningful, lasting change.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As a health writer, and someone living with endometriosis, I know firsthand the uphill battle patients experience every step of the way. More than 400 of you shared your experiences with us via our anonymous survey, outlining issues from knowledge gaps within the healthcare sector, to dismissal of symptoms, delays in getting a diagnosis and long waiting lists. I brought a file containing all of your experiences, which included patients being told the 'only way to fix it was pregnancy,' misdiagnosed with IBS, symptoms being blamed on 'anxiety and depression', or left to languish on lengthy waiting lists. Health writer Sarah McCann and Laura Collins (Publisher, Worlds Division, National World), handing over the folder containing over 400 anonymous responses to our Endo the Battle survey to Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health. | Sarah McCann Campaigners at the table included author and educator Jen Moore, Katy Phillips, founder of Endo Buddies, and Endo South Coast's Jodie Hughes and Chloe Gwinnet, whose twin sister Freya died from complications related to thoracic endometriosis in December 2023. Others attended the meeting virtually, including advocate Rey, author of Endometriosis and the Knowledge Gap, Sarah Harris and Neelam Heera from Cysters UK and Anna Cooper from the Menstrual Health Project. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Campaigners touched on their personal stories, the research and work they were doing and their enthusiasm to be part of the conversation to help change the future of endometriosis care. Common themes included symptom dismissal, misinformation, medical misogyny, disparity in care amongst underrepresented communities and long delays to get a diagnosis or access healthcare. (L-R: Sarah McCann, health reporter, Jodie Hughes, Endo South Coast, Jen Moore, Chloe Gwinnett, Endo South Coast, Katy Phillips, Endo Buddies, Laura Collins, Publisher, Worlds Division, National World) | Sarah McCann Baroness Merron thanked campaigners for being so open, trusting and honest with their assessments of care around endometriosis and their recommendations to make improvements. She said she felt "impacted" by the amount of work and commitment campaigners had shown to support other people. Each of the campaigners presented self-funded research and findings, making suggestions on how to work together with the Department of Health and Social Care to improve care. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Baroness Merron said: "This is more than just a medical condition. This is a condition that clearly impacts on every single area of your life. It impacts work life, friends and families and the list continues. "This is everyone's business. You have spoken about the system and not being heard. The system needs to work around the patient, not the patient around the system." What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a systemic inflammatory condition where cells similar to the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body, which can cause debilitating symptoms. It takes on average eight years and 10 months for an endometriosis diagnosis in England and Scotland, nine years 11 months in Wales and nine years and five months in Northern Ireland. Symptoms can include: painful periods painful bowel movements painful urination pain during or after sex infertility chronic fatigue She stressed that as part of the NHS' 10 Year Health Plan, there is a "framework for change" with women's health being central to that. She added: "There is a lot of work that needs to be done. This is the beginning. It's not about waiting 10 years. There are changes we want to make now. It's about changing the way the NHS works." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Endo the Battle campaign is being spearheaded by health writer Sarah McCann - read her endometriosis story. If you have been affected by the content of this article or suspect you may have endometriosis, you can find out more at the Menstrual Health Project.
Scotsman
22-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
'A real turning point': Endometriosis advocates meet health minister
🗣 'This is more than just a medical condition. This is everyone's business.' Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Campaigners have praised a 'turning point' in the journey to improve endometriosis care, as they met with a health minister to call for action. We brought more than 400 stories of your stories to the Department of Health, which were collected as part of our Endo The Battle campaign. We launched the campaign to shine a light on the challenges and barriers those living with the condition face, from getting a diagnosis to accessing healthcare. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alongside a group of advocates, we presented the experiences to Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health, and discussed what needs to be done for the future of endometriosis care in the UK. Jodie Hughes, who chairs charity Endo South Coast, said the meeting was a 'real turning point'. She told us: 'Being in the room with ministers gave us the chance to ensure that the lived experiences of people with endometriosis were heard directly and clearly. 'Advocates play a crucial role in bridging the gap between policy and reality—we bring the human impact to the table, which is essential if we want to see meaningful, lasting change.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As a health writer, and someone living with endometriosis, I know firsthand the uphill battle patients experience every step of the way. More than 400 of you shared your experiences with us via our anonymous survey, outlining issues from knowledge gaps within the healthcare sector, to dismissal of symptoms, delays in getting a diagnosis and long waiting lists. I brought a file containing all of your experiences, which included patients being told the 'only way to fix it was pregnancy,' misdiagnosed with IBS, symptoms being blamed on 'anxiety and depression', or left to languish on lengthy waiting lists. Health writer Sarah McCann and Laura Collins (Publisher, Worlds Division, National World), handing over the folder containing over 400 anonymous responses to our Endo the Battle survey to Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health. | Sarah McCann Campaigners at the table included author and educator Jen Moore, Katy Phillips, founder of Endo Buddies, and Endo South Coast's Jodie Hughes and Chloe Gwinnet, whose twin sister Freya died from complications related to thoracic endometriosis in December 2023. Others attended the meeting virtually, including advocate Rey, author of Endometriosis and the Knowledge Gap, Sarah Harris and Neelam Heera from Cysters UK and Anna Cooper from the Menstrual Health Project. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Campaigners touched on their personal stories, the research and work they were doing and their enthusiasm to be part of the conversation to help change the future of endometriosis care. Common themes included symptom dismissal, misinformation, medical misogyny, disparity in care amongst underrepresented communities and long delays to get a diagnosis or access healthcare. (L-R: Sarah McCann, health reporter, Jodie Hughes, Endo South Coast, Jen Moore, Chloe Gwinnett, Endo South Coast, Katy Phillips, Endo Buddies, Laura Collins, Publisher, Worlds Division, National World) | Sarah McCann Baroness Merron thanked campaigners for being so open, trusting and honest with their assessments of care around endometriosis and their recommendations to make improvements. She said she felt "impacted" by the amount of work and commitment campaigners had shown to support other people. Each of the campaigners presented self-funded research and findings, making suggestions on how to work together with the Department of Health and Social Care to improve care. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Baroness Merron said: "This is more than just a medical condition. This is a condition that clearly impacts on every single area of your life. It impacts work life, friends and families and the list continues. "This is everyone's business. You have spoken about the system and not being heard. The system needs to work around the patient, not the patient around the system." What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a systemic inflammatory condition where cells similar to the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body, which can cause debilitating symptoms. It takes on average eight years and 10 months for an endometriosis diagnosis in England and Scotland, nine years 11 months in Wales and nine years and five months in Northern Ireland. Symptoms can include: painful periods painful bowel movements painful urination pain during or after sex infertility chronic fatigue She stressed that as part of the NHS' 10 Year Health Plan, there is a "framework for change" with women's health being central to that. She added: "There is a lot of work that needs to be done. This is the beginning. It's not about waiting 10 years. There are changes we want to make now. It's about changing the way the NHS works." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Endo the Battle campaign is being spearheaded by health writer Sarah McCann - read her endometriosis story.
Business News Wales
24-06-2025
- Health
- Business News Wales
AI Breakthroughs Drive Expansion of ‘Airlock' Testing Programme to Support AI-Powered Healthcare Innovation
A £1 million boost to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) pioneering AI Airlock programme will expand access to a first-of-its-kind regulatory testing ground where companies can work directly with regulators to safely test new AI-powered medical devices and explore how to bring them to patients faster, through streamlined regulations. Applications for the second round of the programme have opened and follow a successful pilot phase that saw four breakthrough AI technologies, including software that could help doctors create personalised cancer treatment plans, and a tool to help hospitals, AI developers, and regulators monitor AI performance in real time, tested in a regulatory 'sandbox' environment. Similar to an airlock on a spacecraft, the 'sandbox' testing space creates a boundary between experimental AI and fully approved medical technology used in the real world. This initiative builds on commitments in the UK Government's AI Opportunities Action Plan and the government response to the Regulatory Horizons Council report on regulation of AI as a medical device to enable safe AI innovation through strategic guidance to regulators and enhance their AI capabilities. This programme is backed by the UK Government's new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which is supporting regulators to test more agile, flexible ways of working that can keep pace with emerging technologies like AI. Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said: 'Backing innovation means backing better regulation – and that's what the RIO is here to do. 'Smarter, faster approaches like the AI Airlock are helping to cut red tape, bring safe new technologies to patients quicker, and ease pressure on our NHS – fuelling the Government's Plan for Change.' Health Minister, Baroness Merron, said: 'AI has huge potential to improve healthcare, and we need to use it safely and responsibly. The AI Airlock programme is a great example of how we can test new technology thoroughly while still moving quickly. 'This £1 million investment will help bring new medical tools to patients faster and strengthen the UK's position as a global leader in healthcare innovation.' Those selected for the next round of the AI Airlock programme will be able to test their AI healthcare products under careful supervision allowing for regulatory challenges to be identified early and adjustments made. James Pound, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Innovation and Compliance, said: 'Traditional regulatory pathways weren't designed with AI's unique characteristics in mind – including its capacity to analyse large quantities of data and help automate existing manual processes. The AI Airlock programme helps address this gap by creating a supervised testing ground where these novel technologies and challenge areas can be safely investigated. 'The technologies and devices which have been evaluated to date have shown the limitless potential of AI to improve patient outcomes, free up NHS resources, and enhance the accuracy and efficiency of healthcare services. 'With AI, we must balance robust oversight with flexibility that doesn't stifle innovation, and this programme achieves that balance.' Four projects were selected for the inaugural AI Airlock cohort, each focused on addressing critical healthcare challenges using AI. Among them was health technology multinational Philips' Radiology Auto Impression project which tested the use of generative AI to automate the writing of radiologists' final impressions – a critical section of radiology reports that summarises key findings from imaging procedures. Working directly with MHRA experts through weekly meetings, the team gained valuable insights about the need to involve their end users – radiologists – to help define testing strategies. As Yinnon Dolev, Philips' Advanced Development NLP (Natural Language Processing) Tech Lead noted, the collaboration with regulators was 'almost unheard of' and provided 'a catalyst for meaningful progress expediting our development activities.' OncoFlow, another first round project, looked at the use of AI to help healthcare professionals create personalised management plans for cancer patients, with the potential to reduce waiting times for cancer appointments, leading to earlier treatment and the possibility of significantly increasing patients' chances of survival. Co-founder Aruni Ghose said the Airlock programme provided his team with the chance to validate the product in a simulated clinical setting and 'pressure-test it against real regulatory standards' which has helped the company accelerate its progress 'from idea to a validated MVP (Minimum Viable Product).' Rounding out the cohort have been two projects; one by Automedica Ltd, investigating the regulatory advantages of using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technologies with verified knowledge bases and Large Language Models (LLMs); and the other by health tech startup Newton's Tree testing its Federated AI Monitoring Service (FAMOS) to identify and mitigate AI risks in clinical settings, including performance drift or safety issues. Results from all four pilot projects will be published later this year, providing valuable insights that will shape the AI Airlock programme moving forward and help inform broader regulatory approaches to the effective and safe use AI in healthcare. Eligible candidates for the second cohort must demonstrate that their AI-powered medical device has the potential to deliver significant benefits to patients and the NHS, presents a new treatment approach, and offers a regulatory challenge ready to be tested in the Airlock programme. Applications for cohort two will close on 14 July 2025.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
UK faces major blood crisis, calls for 2,00,000 more donors as ‘red alert' looms large
Live Events Black donors needed NHS urgently needs more lifesaving blood donors: Health Minister Merron (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The National Health Service (NHS) has issued a warning that the UK requires one million regular blood donors to maintain supply and avoid a "red alert". The 'red alert' suggests that blood supplies are so low that there is a threat to public health service has called for 2,00,000 new donors to step forward citing that it continues to face a "challenging" shortage of blood. The NHSBT managed to add just 2% of the population, under 8,00,000 people, who sustained the whole of England's blood supply in the last one claimed that there is a "critical" need for more donors who have O negative blood. It is the universal type used in emergencies or when a patient's blood type is July 2024, officials had issued an "amber alert" for stocks of O negative and O positive blood following the cyberattacks that hit London hospitals. According to media reports, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has stated that blood stocks have remained low on the blood stock situation, Dr Jo Farrar, NHSBT chief executive has said that the stocks have been challenging over the past 12 months. 'If we had a million regular donors, this would help keep our stocks healthy - you'd truly be one in a million,' he said."Please book an appointment today, experience how good it feels to save lives, and come and do it again in a few months," Farrar further media reports have claimed that NHSBT has stressed over the requirement of more Black donors, who are more likely to have specific blood types that can help in the treatment of people with sickle cell Minister Baroness Merron has said that the NHS is in urgent need of more lifesaving blood donors from all backgrounds."We are working alongside NHS Blood and Transplant to make donating blood easier than ever before, opening up new donor centres and making appointments available closer to home," she said, as reported by The Guardian. Women can donate blood once every four months and men can do the same once every three months.
Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
NHS could issue first ever 'Red Alert' for blood donations as stocks run low
NHS says transfusions for cancer patients and women after childbirth are among those which may be halted if a Red Alert is declared for the first time ever as the service struggles with low stocks A million people need to give blood to avoid a first ever Red Alert as the NHS struggles with dangerously low stocks. NHS Blood and Transplant says it is going through its worst ever shortage and around 200,000 more donors are needed in England to stabilise blood supply. Routine transfusions for cancer patients and women after childbirth which aid recovery are among those which may be halted if a Red Alert is declared. This would mean less than one day's blood stocks are available and must be prioritised for immediately life threatening cases. The NHS aims to have six days' stock at any one time. Currently 785,000 people - or 2% of the population - are keeping the nation's blood stocks afloat. The NHS is asking more people to give blood regularly and tackle the crisis with 'the country's largest volunteering force'. Health Minister Baroness Merron said: 'I am extremely grateful to the many thousands of people who donate regularly – the blood you donate saves people's lives, from mothers in maternity wards to victims of car crashes. However the NHS is in urgent need of more lifesaving blood donors from all backgrounds.' It comes after the Mirror launched the Give a Pint, Save a Life campaign to help blood stocks recover after the Covid-19 pandemic amid ongoing shortages. One donation can save up to three lives. The NHS remains in its longest ever Amber Alert for low blood stocks which was declared last July. Red Alert which would mean demand far exceeds capacity, threatening public safety and causing widespread surgery postponements at hospitals nationwide. The shortages are due in part to changing habits as more people work from home since the Covid-19 pandemic. Most available donation slots are at larger town and city centres. NHSBT chief executive Dr Jo Farrar said: 'There are many thousands of people who donate regularly and help us keep patients alive. You keep the NHS going and save and transform thousands of lives a year. Our stocks over the past 12 months have been challenging. If we had a million regular donors, this would help keep our stocks healthy – you'd truly be one in a million." Isaac and his 'Hulk blood' The NHS is calling for a million donor superheroes to start giving blood to help keep people like Hulk fan Isaac Balmer alive. Isaac, aged four, needs his regular supply of 'Hulk blood' every 12 weeks to keep him strong and healthy. The youngster from Hull was born with Hereditary Spherocytosis, which is a genetic blood condition which causes fragile red blood cells to break down faster than normal leading to severe anaemia and other complications. Mum Jasmin Suggit said: "During his transfusions, he refers to donor blood as 'Hulk blood' and imagines himself becoming stronger and healthier. She said: 'Isaac's haemoglobin levels fluctuate and when they drop significantly, he becomes lethargic and jaundiced. But when he receives his transfusion you see the colour return to his cheeks and his energy levels soar before our eyes. It is incredible. But this wouldn't be possible without the real life, everyday superheroes who keep Isaac and others like him alive, thanks to their regular blood donations.' Two thirds of all the blood currently collected by the NHS is used to treat patients who rely on blood transfusions, including cancer and life-long blood conditions. Isaac receives transfusions every three months at Hull Royal Infirmary where mum Jasmin works in the newborn screening team. Jasmin said: "Until you're one of those who need blood yourself or know someone who does, it may not always be a priority. But Isaac's journey has put things into perspective and his journey has inspired me to become a blood donor myself. It's a small act that can make a big difference in someone's life." There are currently between two and three days' of blood stocks available to the NHS but rates of donations have been falling. There are 55,000 unfilled appointment slots in the next six weeks. The 'active donor base' - which refers to donors who have given blood in the last 12 months - stood at 785,000 at last count in April. This is down from 800,000 before the pandemic in 2020. The NHS needs over 5,000 blood donations every day - or around 1.8 million a year in England. This requires around one million donors who regularly donate to help maintain a reliable blood supply. NHSBT's blood director Gerry Gogarty said: 'Blood stocks are critically low and there's a pressing need to avoid a Red Alert. We can do this if we fill the available appointment slots – particularly in town and city centres. That could have a severe impact on the NHS with non-urgent services potentially being paused to focus on the most critical needs.' There is a critical need for O negative donors – the universal blood type compatible with anyone and used in emergencies. Just 8% of the population have O negative blood but it accounts for 15% of the blood used by hospitals and first responders. There is also an increasing need for donors of Black heritage as around 50% have a blood subtype called Ro, which is used primarily to treat people with sickle cell disease. This is the country's fastest growing genetic blood disorder and patients require regular transfusions to prevent agonising and life threatening blockages. Last year England saw an increased wave of blood donation registrations – including the largest ever increase in registrations from Black heritage communities. However only one in four have gone on to donate, with a quarter of a million people who signed up yet to roll up their sleeves to make a lifesaving donation. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS Co-National Medical Director, said: 'Regular blood donors provide a lifeline for patients across the NHS, and I'd like to thank them for their incredible generosity. Donating blood is a powerful way you can make a meaningful difference to people's lives, so I'd encourage anyone considering becoming a donor to please come forward to help stabilise blood stocks as we near a critical low – you could help save someone's life.' What would a Red Alert mean? The Red Alert has never before been used but is designed to help the NHS save and improve as many lives as possible. Routine procedures which require blood will be postponed so stocks are preserved for patients with life threatening haemorrhages, emergency operations such as heart surgery which cannot be delayed for 24 hours and patients who need a lifesaving transfusion due to illness. NHS Blood and Transplant will declare a Red Alert for blood stocks if there is a severe shortage of red cells. There are two levels of Red alert, dependent on the number of days of stock available. 'Red B' is between 0.5 and 1.0 days' supply of stock; 'Red A' is less than 0.5 days' supply of stock. The appeal comes just before the one year anniversary of the Amber Alert being in place across England and at the start of National Blood Week. NHSBT chief executive Dr Jo Farrar added: "Please book an appointment today, experience how good it feels to save lives, and come and do it again in a few months.'
