Public health

  • Federated health data becomes the NHS’s strongest defence against winter demand

    By Sanius Health The NHS is shifting focus towards preventative care ahead of what officials expect will be one of the most challenging winters in recent years. The health service hopes that better use of data can help it identify risk earlier, manage capacity more effectively and save billions of pounds in avoidable costs. More [...]

  • Experts weigh targeted prostate cancer screening to cut UK deaths

    Prostate cancer screening could reduce deaths by 13 per cent, research has revealed, prompting UK experts to assess whether to introduce a national screening programme. Cancer screening specialists are reviewing the evidence, with a decision expected before the end of the year on whether routine prostate testing should be introduced across the UK. A new [...]

  • One Ashford Hospital launches new bariatric surgery service to tackle rising obesity rates

    One Ashford Hospital has announced the launch of a new comprehensive bariatric surgery and weight management service, designed to meet the growing demand for safe and effective weight loss treatments across Kent and the Southeast. The service is led by three of the region’s most experienced bariatric surgeons - Mr Basu, Mr Mamidanna, and Mr [...]

  • Teen boys using personalised AI for therapy, research finds

    Teenage boys are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for therapy, companionship and romantic relationships, with just over a third saying they would consider having an AI friend, new research shows. The study found that 53 per cent of teenage boys said the online world felt more rewarding than real life, raising concerns about their emotional [...]

  • Oxygen deprivation heightens risk of illness by changing genes, study reveals

    Low oxygen levels can alter immune cell genes, weakening the body’s ability to fight infection even after oxygen levels return to normal, new research has revealed. Scientists found that oxygen deprivation – known as hypoxia – changes the genetic material of neutrophils, white blood cells that form one of the body’s first lines of defence [...]

  • Europe celebrates the heart of healthcare decision-making as laboratory medicine professionals take centre stage

    On 5th November 2025, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) proudly marks its 4th European Laboratory Day, celebrating the professionals at the heart of healthcare decision-making. Across Europe, laboratories will open their doors to showcase the science, innovation and dedication that underpin medical decisions and shape better health outcomes for all. [...]

  • Millions of young people at risk as Gen Z shuns medical trials

    Young people are underrepresented in medical trials, prompting warnings that future treatments could be less safe or effective for younger generations, The Guardian has revealed. Gen Z – those born between the late 1990s and the early 2000s – make up 8 per cent of England’s population but just 4.4 per cent of participants in [...]

  • Opinion: Why GPs must signpost to help primary care

    By Sharon Hanley, director of Primary Care, X-on Health General practice is operating under unsustainable pressure, it has long been the front door to the NHS, but despite the introduction of tools such as digital and AI automations designed to assist GPs, the weight of demand is intense. Rising patient need, widening inequalities, and a [...]

  • ‘Super vaccine’ could stop cancer spread, researchers say

    Researchers have developed a nanoparticle-based cancer vaccine that prevented melanoma, pancreatic and triple-negative breast cancers from spreading in mice. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst found the vaccine could both shrink and eliminate cancer tumours in rodents, as well as act preventively. The experimental jab kept up to 88 per cent of vaccinated mice [...]

  • New GP chatbot integration offers early alcohol advice via Drinkaware partnership

    X-on Health, one of the UK’s leading providers of digital front door solutions for primary care, has announced a new partnership with Drinkaware, the UK’s leading alcohol charity. The collaboration will see signposting to Drinkaware’s evidence-based resources integrated directly into X-on Health’s AI Surgery Assist chatbot, used by GP surgeries across the whole of the [...]