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The current structure of global incentives to develop new antibiotics is insufficient and requires urgent resolution revealed a new report 'Incentivising new antibiotics' by the Office of Health Economics (OHE). OHE analysis demonstrates that on a global level, it is estimated that an effective 10-year incentive would require £3.5bn ($4.2bn) to adequately cover the entire research and development process for a new antibiotic. The report considers how health systems in the UK and around the world can stimulate the research and development (R&D) of new antibiotics. In 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England initiated an Antimicrobial Resistance pilot with the aim of incentivising pharmaceutical companies to develop new antibiotics by addressing the issues associated with reimbursement, which historically has deterred companies from pursuing AMR research.

As the new school year approaches parents won't just be in a flurry of buying new pencil cases and the next size up in shoes but also will be looking to stock their cupboard for their health needs for the next year. Along with the Supermarket's Back-to-School sales there is also the opportunity to help parents with a clever display of the top needed cupboard accessories with some smart recommendations to help with choices. Looking at the UK retail market it is also worth considering that we are seeing a push for sustainability in products with those touting green credentials starting to stand out from the competitors but with a backdrop of rising prices making price perhaps more important than ever. Cuts and scrapes One to definitely think about in the children's health range for back to school is plasters and wound cleaning preparations for those inevitable playground grazed knees, cuts and scrapes. With a focus on sustainability and some strong green credentials Elastoplast Green and Protect should be considered for any back to school health display with eco-friendly construction and a climate neutral product but there is also Patch Kids Bamboo Sensitive Plasters which boast being home compostable.

A new study has revealed that public trust in services provided by local pharmacies ranks highest in the UK, although confidence in the NHS has nosedived following the pandemic. The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer report published on Wednesday (April 21) found that around 78 per cent of respondents trust their local pharmacies, the highest for any provider cited in the survey. Besides, 72 per cent said pharmacists are among the most trusted to tell the truth about health matters and protect public health, almost similar to 'my doctor' (75%) and health experts (74%). Just under half of them said the pandemic has decreased their confidence that the NHS is well-equipped in handling major health crisis. The survey also revealed that 60 per cent think they lack access to high-quality healthcare.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) temporary register which was expected to close on 30 September 2022 will continue for the next two years following a request from the secretary of state for health and social care. The temporary register was set up in 2020 after the then secretary of state asked the GPhC to use its emergency powers in order to rapidly register pharmacy professionals to assist in the national response to the Covid-19 emergency. The UK government has made this decision, which is referenced in its new 'Plan for Patients' in England to enable health professionals on the temporary registers to continue to support the health and social care system. The Government had previously announced that the temporary registers established by the health professional regulators were expected to close on 30 September 2022. The decision by the UK government to ask the regulators to keep the temporary registers means that pharmacy professionals on GPhC temporary register can continue to practise.

"The UK remains genuinely world-leading for life sciences in numerous areas - yet we continue to underperform on our potential," said Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). His statement is based on recent government data indicating that the UK is not fully capitalizing on its strong historical and institutional advantages in life sciences across a range of economic, health, and research indicators. The latest 'Life sciences competitiveness indicators 2024' report from the government's Office for Life Sciences revealed that while the pharmaceutical industry leads in R&D spending with £9 billion in 2022, representing a fifth of total business investment, the country saw a notable decline in foreign direct investment (FDI), industry clinical trials, and exports. In 2023, FDI dropped by 21 per cent to £0.8 billion, following a trend that saw a 52 per cent decrease over the previous two years, including a £0.9 billion fall in FDI the year prior.

Opella Healthcare, trading as Sanofi Consumer Healthcare, said it has entered into a dual partnership agreement with Alliance Healthcare and Phoenix Healthcare Distribution for the wholesale supply of its products to UK pharmacies. In effect from the start of February, the new dual partnership will ensure Sanofi Consumer Healthcare 'continues to provide its customers with exceptional customer service', the company said, adding that the increased efficiency will facilitate improved service levels and stock availability of Cialis Together, Allevia, Buscopan, Dulcolax and Phenergan to community pharmacies in the UK. "At Sanofi Consumer Healthcare we are committed to supporting the self-care agenda in the UK," Nick Linton, head of UK country operations, commented. "Making healthcare as simple as it should be to bring health and wellbeing to all is a key priority for us in 2024 and beyond. Our new wholesale model reflects our deep commitment to working as efficiently as possible in close partnership with pharmacists to shape a healthier future."

Campaigners have submitted an open letter to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), urging the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health to freeze prescription charges to keep people with long-term conditions alive and well. The campaign is led by the Prescription Charges Coalition, which represents over 50 organisations, including Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). Currently, the prescription charge is £9.65 per item, and campaigners have asked the government to freeze it for 2024 and 2025 as people living with long-term health conditions in England are "being forced to choose between heating, eating, and taking their vital medication on a daily basis." In 2023, a study conducted by the Prescription Charges Coalition revealed that almost 10 per cent of survey participants had skipped medication in the previous year due to the cost of prescriptions. This led to increased physical and mental health problems, as well as impacted the time they took off work. Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition and Head of Campaigns at Parkinson's UK, expressed deep concern that a further rise in the charge this year will lead to people skipping or not taking the full dose of their medication, which will affect their health and put more pressure on the already under pressure NHS.

Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, delivered a compelling speech at the NHS ConfedExpo 2024, emphasising the critical need for investment in community-based care and the revitalisation of primary care services. In his address, Taylor also criticised the current health policy as "not fit for purpose," calling for radical changes to shift the NHS from a reactive to a proactive health model. Addressing delegates at the Manchester event, Taylor highlighted the importance of shifting resources towards prevention and community services. Underscoring a strategic pivot from reactive to proactive health models, he said: "We must see action to fulfil the long-held vision of a health service that invests better upstream in prevention, in primary and in community-based care."

The UK government has announced plans to update legislation to enable more services and individuals to provide take-home supplies of naloxone - a life-saving opioid overdose antidote - over the next few weeks. Naloxone can immediately reverse the effects of an opioid overdose by reversing breathing difficulties. The medicine can be administered by anyone in an emergency. However, current legislation allows only drug and alcohol treatment services to supply it without a prescription to individuals for future use. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed on Tuesday (14 May) that more professionals, including nurses, paramedics, police officers, probation officers and pharmacy professionals, will be able to supply the medicine without a prescription to save lives. Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins warned that opioid addiction can ruin lives and it accounts for the largest proportion of drug-related deaths across the UK.

The UK Government is investing £100 million to accelerate the use of AI in life sciences and healthcare under a new mission. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission in his speech last week. The new initiative will capitalise on the UK's unique strengths in securing "health data and cutting-edge AI." It will also help to identify those at risk of "dementia" and will ensure that patients participate in the trials at the right time to develop new treatments effectively. Henceforth, it will provide us with better data on how well new therapies work. Sunak said: "AI can help us solve some of the greatest social challenges of our time. AI could help find novel dementia treatments or develop vaccines for cancer."

Highlighting the growing workforce challenges in the UK, a new report has indicated that nearly one in five (18 per cent) flexible health and care sector workers, engaged in agency work through private providers, might leave the sector in the next two years. With tens of thousands of flexible staff working within the sector every week, providing care for thousands of people, the report cautioned that failure to address their concerns could result in poor system performance and patient experience. The report is based on views drawn from over 10,000 flexible health and social care professionals, including a significant number of those working in pharmacy, gathered by strategic workforce partners Acacium Group. According to the report, 24 per cent of workers surveyed reported feeling overstretched by their workload, contributing to burnout and dissatisfaction. Concerns about working conditions and the level of support from management were cited as key reasons why some healthcare professionals are considering leaving the sector.

Dr Thérèse Coffey, the MP for Suffolk Coastal, has been appointed as health secretary - the fourth person to get the job after Jeremy Hunt, Matt Hancock, Sajid Javid and Steve Barclay in the past five years. She replaces Steve Barclay who held the job for just two months between July and September. Having first been elected in 2010 and subsequently re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019, Dr Coffey has served as secretary of state for the Department of Work and Pensions. Previous to that she served as environment minister, deputy leader of the House, government whip and parliamentary private secretary. As an MP she has campaigned on improving NHS experience for patients. Dr Coffey grew up in the North West and has a PhD in Chemistry and a chartered management accountant qualification.

According to the report, in 2022-23, 4.4 million people were diagnosed with diabetes "Bold action is needed to reverse the rising trend in type 2 diabetes, overturn our broken food environment, and give every child and young person the best possible chance to grow up in good health," retorts Chief Executive of Diabetes UK. A newly published report, Reverse the Trend - Reducing type 2 diabetes in young people, reveals a troubling 40 per cent rise in type 2 diabetes diagnoses among younger people from 2016-17 to 2022-23. The report highlights that almost 168,000 individuals under 40 in the UK are currently living with type 2 diabetes, an increase of over 47,000 since 2016-17. Historically associated with older adults, type 2 diabetes is now increasing more rapidly among younger populations, particularly affecting those from deprived areas and Black and South Asian communities.

Cancer patients in the UK are being given a new immunotherapy treatment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as part of a global phase 1/2 clinical trial, which aims to evaluate its safety and potential for treating 'solid tumour' cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer. The experimental therapy, called mRNA-4359, has been designed to train patients' immune systems to recognise and fight cancer cells, according to researchers at Imperial College London. For the first time in the UK, cancer patients received the treatment at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Imperial Clinical Research Facility at Hammersmith Hospital. In this non-randomised trial, mRNA-4359 is administered to patients either alone or in combination with an existing cancer drug called pembrolizumab, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor. The researchers are hopeful that this new therapeutic approach, if proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials, could lead to a new treatment option for difficult-to-treat cancers.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that monkeypox is to be listed as a notifiable disease in law from Wednesday (June 8). The new legislation means all doctors in England are required to notify their local council or local Health Protection Team (HPT) if they suspect a patient has monkeypox. Laboratories must also notify the UKHSA if the monkeypox virus is identified in a laboratory sample. Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, said: "Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of monkeypox. This new legislation will support us and our health partners to swiftly identify, treat and control the disease. "It also supports us with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission."

The outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) in the UK, which is associated with contaminated eye gels imported from India, has led to the death of one person, and many others falling ill, according to a government report. Bcc is a group of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are widely found within the environment. Although it rarely causes infection, it can result in severe ones in individuals with compromised immune systems and those living with cystic fibrosis, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Between January 2023 and February 2024, there were 52 confirmed and six probable cases across the UK linked to the bacteria outbreak, as revealed in the Health Protection Report published by UKHSA. Forty-one of these cases were hospital inpatients, 38 of which were in critical-care settings. Twenty-five cases were considered to have "clinically significant infections attributable to Bcc", out of which 11 had eye infections, nine had respiratory infections and four had bacteremia (bacteria entering the bloodstream). Two individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) were infected, and while one was treated, the other died, with the report indicating Bcc infection to have "contributed to the death."

Boris Johnson has picked Steve Barclay as the new health secretary following the resignation of Sajid Javid, who stepped down on July 5 after saying he had lost faith in prime minister's leadership. Barclay - who had served as chief of staff of the prime minister since February 2022 - was previously a junior health minister in 2018, responsible for NHS workforce and finance, before serving as Brexit secretary, chief secretary to the Treasury, and chancellor of the duchy. He is the fourth health secretary after Jeremy Hunt, Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid in the past five years. In a statement on his appointment, Barclay said it was "an honour" to be take up the position, adding: "Our NHS and social care staff have showed us time and again - throughout the pandemic and beyond - what it means to work with compassion and dedication to transform lives. "This government is investing more than ever before in our NHS and care services to beat the Covid-19 backlogs, recruit 50,000 more nurses, reform social care and ensure patients across the country can access the care they need."

Louth and Horncastle's MP Victoria Atkins has taken the new role of Health Secretary today (13 November) amid the PM's cabinet reshuffle. Steve Barclay, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was moved to become Environment Secretary after being assigned the role of Health Secretary. The following decision was made consequent to Steve Barclay being reassigned from the role. The news comes at a time when the NHS faces enduring challenges and industrial action, making this change particularly significant. MP Atkins is married to Paul Kenward, managing director of British Sugar, which also grows medicinal cannabis.

With a trusted army of loyal fans on social media, the Nordic liquid iron supplement, BlueIron, is set for a refreshed look and big ambitions under a new distribution agreement. Lanes Health, the family-owned business known for its passion and expertise in manufacturing and supplying natural and herbal remedies, has acquired the distribution rights for the Finnish brand. As part of the deal, Lanes Health has been working to refresh the packaging and website, as well as developing a robust marketing campaign involving advertising, digital, social media, PR and influencer relations. A liquid iron supplement formulated with Nordic blueberries, BlueIron provides iron which is highly bioavailable and fast working. With the added benefit of a patented micro-encapsulated form of iron, it is easily absorbed and gentle on the stomach. Iron is an essential mineral used by our bodies for many health benefits, it is important for making red blood cells, transporting oxygen around the body, supporting energy metabolism, maintaining cognitive function and reducing tiredness and fatigue.

Good news for patients whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by standard anti-seizure drugs! Next month, NHS England will introduce a cutting-edge laser beam therapy that can prevent seizures in these individuals. Known as Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), the advanced treatment targets the part of the brain causing seizures without the need for invasive surgery, the health service said. The new fibre optic laser therapy is being offered at King's College Hospital in London and The Walton Centre in Liverpool. Starting from June, it will be gradually extended to eligible patients across England. Each year, it is expected to benefit up to 50 epilepsy patients in England who are resistant to standard anti-seizure medications. "This groundbreaking new treatment will change the lives of those with severe epilepsy improving quality of life and providing much-needed assurance," said Andrew Stephenson, Minister of State for Health.