RECENT NEWS

Virgin Health Bank, the UK’s only licensed and accredited cord blood bank, has welcomed greater government interest and involvement, as health secretary Alan Johnston opened the new cord blood bank at Nottingham Trent University last month.

This year’s Chief Health Professions Officer’s Conference will include an action learning set session to support leadership development, and opportunities for delegates to meet representatives from key high-profile organisations to find out what they have to offer.

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has been commended for being an effective and publicly accountable regulator in a report published recently by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).

GE Healthcare IT has announced an extension to the Centricity laboratory contract at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to support the pan-Warwickshire pathology service. The formation of this service has brought together the laboratory services of the South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Recently, Quest Biomedical welcomed Martyn Seemley to its human leucocyte antigen (HLA) sales support team.

British-owned Labcold, the UK’s largest specialist manufacturer of scientific, medical and laboratory refrigeration products, has recently doubled its factory area. At the same time, the company has also hired additional engineers and office staff, and has launched completely redesigned ranges of its blood bank and pharmacy refrigerators.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the winner of a Microsoft Corporation 2008 Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Award in the Discovery and Product Innovation category. The award honours best-in-class companies that have made the most innovative use of Microsoft-based solutions. Together with AstraZeneca, Thermo Fisher Scientific is pleased to be acknowledged for their contributions to advancing science.

Northern Ireland Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Michael McGimpsey (pictured, left) visited Randox Laboratories in August to learn about the research and development taking place at the company. Outside the core Randox product offerings, the major areas of interest were the new Ranplex colorectal cancer screening biochip and the cardiac biochip.

Two leading UK organisations have joined forces to develop and launch a ground-breaking publication that is set to provide a benchmark for safety and operating practices associated with liquid nitrogen. Worcester-based CryoService and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have developed a 44-page publication entitled Standards for liquid nitrogen supply.

Roche Diagnostics has introduced the first wireless hospital blood glucose meter, the Accu-Chek Inform II system, which sends blood glucose results, patient and operator information to the hospital’s information system through a data manager.

Sterilin has launched its updated and rebranded 30-page catalogue featuring its range of silicone device products. With over 70 years’ experience in plastics and silicone processing, Sterilin offers unrivalled expertise in all aspects of custom design and manufacture, in particular for the medical device and diagnostics markets, from general laboratory silicone products to radical bespoke medical devices.

Applied Biosystems has announced the addition of new members to its software development community by forming relationships with InteRNA Genomics and Biotique Systems. The commercial software solutions offered by these companies are intended to advance data analysis and management for researchers using Applied Biosystems’ SOLiD system, the company’s ultra-high-throughput platform for DNA sequencing and genomic analysis research.

Laboratory autoclave manufacturer Priorclave is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It was founded by Charles Prior, with a staff of six, in February 1988, in a modest manufacturing facility on the former Royal Arsenal site at Thamesmead, London.

The European Space Agency announced recently that it had appointed the SEA Group to lead a team of experts, including members of the Health Protection Agency, to define the requirements and initial concept for a biocontainment facility to handle safely any samples which may be brought back from Mars.

Nobel prizes were first awarded in 1901, after Alfred Nobel, a wealthy Swedish chemist, engineer, armaments maker and the inventor of dynamite, decided to devote his enormous fortune to the betterment of mankind. In his will, he established annual awards in the fields of physical science, chemistry, medical science or physiology, literature and peace (an associated prize was later created in economics).

Groundbreaking research to enable rapid diagnosis of avian influenza,

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has launched a consultation on a revised code of practice for post-mortem examinations. The consultation also covers seven revised codes including those on consent and the disposal of human tissue. Under the Human Tissue Act 2004, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, post-mortem examinations must be carried out on premises licensed by the HTA.

Immediate and accurate tests to diagnose and monitor bleeding and blood clotting disorders could soon be available at every GP’s surgery.

The National Comparative Audit Programme includes a series of audits of the safe and appropriate use of blood. It is operated in collaboration with the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit of the Royal College of Physicians. All hospitals in England are invited to participate in the audits, and those in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are invited to participate through the blood services in those countries.

A large-scale survey of Africans in England shows that targeted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention services are required to improve people’s confidence and skills, in order for them to avoid catching HIV or passing it on.