Global Scans · Horizon Scanning NHS · Weekly Summary

• [New] Unprecedented progress in reducing the number of women smoking during pregnancy in England could be put at risk by NHS funding cuts. Mirage News
• NHS England has revealed its new model ICB blueprint, which will see more than a dozen functions transferring out of integrated care boards and includes requirements to cut the number of board members. Health Service Journal
• Responsibility for data collection, management and processing will move to a national source, likely to be within the Department for Health and Social Security given the plan to abolish NHS England over the next two years. UKAuthority
• Digitising NHS and adult social care services across the UK will require an estimated £21 billion - of which £14.75 billion would be for England - over the next five years. UKAuthority
• Innovations have the potential to transform treatment for NHS patients and launch a wave of globally significant new Medtech products. Precedence Research
• University Hospital Southampton is leading the development of the Wessex Secure Data Environment, a new online platform which will use NHS data to improve health outcomes and save lives. Wessex Health Partners
• An artificial intelligence-powered tool for triaging patients with suspicious skin lesions, developed by Skin Analytics, will be used by the NHS to reduce waiting times. Pharmaphorum
• Recently NHS England enlisted the services of an AI company to help identify patients at high risk of A & E attendance and hospital referrals by GPs. Pulse Today
• The NHS is one of the UK's largest buyers of healthcare services, offering opportunities that can provide financial stability, credibility, and growth. CQC Experts and Bid Management Consultancy | DKJ Suppor
• A groundbreaking targeted treatment for the most common type of bladder cancer has been approved for use by the NHS, offering new hope to hundreds of patients. The Independent
• The scrapping of NHS England could be a massive roadbump in the development of a new 10-year health plan for the health service. The Guardian
• A GROUNDBREAKING gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease has been approved for use in the UK by the NHS, offering the potential for a cure. European Medical Journal
• The number of staff employed by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, numbering 15,300 and 3,300 respectively, will be cut by 50% - a cumulative reduction of around 9,000 roles. Manchester Evening News
• Safeguarding and appropriate use of data is key if the NHS in Wales is to realise the full potential that wider availability of data can bring. Welsh NHS Confederation
• Through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, a collaboration between NHS England and Genomics England, the UK aims to deliver 10,000 personalised cancer vaccine treatments by 2030. Pharmaceutical Technology
• The UK has unique potential to bring health data securely together with an NHS system that recognises the value of innovation, to accelerate and deliver the next generation of medicines and vaccines for patients. GOV.UK
• Thousands of other jobs in the 42 integrated care boards in England and corporate service posts in NHS trusts will be cut. The Guardian
• Scrapping NHS England completely will cause disruption and divert time and energy of senior leaders at a time when attention should be focused on improving care for patients. Kent Online
• Leading the way towards sustainable healthcare, the National Health Service in England has taken a national initiative to map greenhouse gas emissions from healthcare and has set a net zero target for emissions by 2040, for the sake of present and future public health. BioMed Central
• The recent announcement to merge the work of NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care might help break down bureaucratic silos and improve information-sharing. medscape
• Across all Integrated Care Systems, the adoption of NHS SBS's full portfolio of services holds the potential for an additional £3 billion in annual savings - a transformative sum for the health service. NHS SBS
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to abolish NHS England, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and improve healthcare efficiency. Leverage Edu
• Many thousands more people who work for the NHS's 42 integrated care boards in England will see their roles axed, as well as the 10,000 working for NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care who have already been earmarked to go. The Guardian

Last updated: 28 May 2025