The US Senate Finance Committee approved the health reform bill with a 14-9 majority on 13th October 2009.
The bill, drawn up by chairman Senator Max Baucus, proposes a ten-year US$829 billion plan to reduce health costs and provide affordable health insurance, but does not include a government-run, universal health insurance scheme.
The bill will now go through a compromise process with the bill approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions (HELP) Committee in July 2009, before receiving a full vote on the Senate floor.
The Finance panel is the last of five Congressional committees to put forward health reform proposals.
Further reading - An in-depth analysis of the US medical device market, including some background information on the healthcare system and reform plans, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: USA (published September 2009)
Monday, 26 October 2009
Friday, 23 October 2009
UK - NHS in Wales Scrap 22 Local Health Boards
On 1st October 2009, the 22 local health boards in Wales were scrapped, and integrated with NHS trusts to form seven new local health boards. These will control all hospital and community services, in addition to GP and dentist funding. The new boards will also be responsible for meeting hospital targets on waiting times.
The new local health boards are:
The new local health boards are:
- Betsi Cadwallader;
- Hywel Dda;
- Abertawe Bro Morganwg University;
- Powys Teaching;
- Cwm Taf;
- Cardiff and Vale; and
- Aneurin Bevan.
The only NHS trusts to remain are the Welsh Ambulance Service and Velindre Hospital in Cardiff, which specialises in cancer treatment.
Further reading - An in-depth analysis of the UK medical device market, including some background information on the NHS, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published September 2009)UK - Diabetes Now Affects 5% of the Population
Around one in twenty people in the UK has diabetes, with around 145,000 new cases diagnosed in the past year, according to figures published by Diabetes UK in October 2009.
The data was compiled from GP practices and reveals that 2.6 million people now suffer from the condition, and around 90% of these have diabetes type II, which is linked to obesity on many occasions.
Diabetes UK warned that the increasing number of cases is putting a strain on the NHS, as diabetes already costs the health service £1 million an hour to treat. Also, diabetes can lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness.
Furthermore, it is estimated that around half a million people in the UK have the condition but have not been diagnosed, as the condition can remain undetected for around 10 years. Therefore, many of these may already have complications by the time they are diagnosed.
The rise in cases of diabetes is known to be linked to rising levels of obesity, which is a factor in around 80% of cases of type II diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation.
Further reading - A detailed analysis of the UK medical device market is available from: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published September 2009)
The data was compiled from GP practices and reveals that 2.6 million people now suffer from the condition, and around 90% of these have diabetes type II, which is linked to obesity on many occasions.
Diabetes UK warned that the increasing number of cases is putting a strain on the NHS, as diabetes already costs the health service £1 million an hour to treat. Also, diabetes can lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness.
Furthermore, it is estimated that around half a million people in the UK have the condition but have not been diagnosed, as the condition can remain undetected for around 10 years. Therefore, many of these may already have complications by the time they are diagnosed.
The rise in cases of diabetes is known to be linked to rising levels of obesity, which is a factor in around 80% of cases of type II diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation.
Further reading - A detailed analysis of the UK medical device market is available from: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published September 2009)
Friday, 2 October 2009
India - Doctors Working in Rural Areas to be Given More Money
Doctors who work in rural areas will be compensated with extra money and assistance when they apply for higher study, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced on 17th September 2009.
The Indian government is also planning to set up more medical colleges, as there is expected to be a lack of medical personnel in the coming years. According to a Planning Commission report, India is facing a shortage of around 600,000 doctors, one million nurses and 200,000 dental surgeons.
Further reading - An in-depth review of the Indian medical device market, including some background information on healthcare personnel, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: India (published June 2009)
The Indian government is also planning to set up more medical colleges, as there is expected to be a lack of medical personnel in the coming years. According to a Planning Commission report, India is facing a shortage of around 600,000 doctors, one million nurses and 200,000 dental surgeons.
Further reading - An in-depth review of the Indian medical device market, including some background information on healthcare personnel, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: India (published June 2009)
Thursday, 17 September 2009
UK - NHS Workforce Proposals Rejected
Proposals to cut the NHS workforce in England by up to 10% in the next five years have been rejected by the government, who claim the NHS need more staff, not less.
Consultancy firm McKinsey and Company advised the Department of Health in September 2009 that the loss of 137,000 clinical and administration posts would save around £20 billion by 2014. The report also recommended a recruitment freeze to begin within two years, with the possibility of medical school places being reduced, and also suggested an early retirement programme should be established.
However, Health Minister Mike O’Brien said, “Ministers have rejected the suggested proposals in the McKinsey report and there are no plans to adopt these proposals in the future”, claiming that certain services, particularly maternity, nursing and primary care, need more staff rather than fewer.
McKinsey also claimed that up to £3 billion a year could be saved by improving staff productivity, while nearly £2 billion could be saved on external contracts for areas such as food and waste.
Further reading - An in-depth analysis of the UK medical device market, including some background information on healthcare personnel, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
Consultancy firm McKinsey and Company advised the Department of Health in September 2009 that the loss of 137,000 clinical and administration posts would save around £20 billion by 2014. The report also recommended a recruitment freeze to begin within two years, with the possibility of medical school places being reduced, and also suggested an early retirement programme should be established.
However, Health Minister Mike O’Brien said, “Ministers have rejected the suggested proposals in the McKinsey report and there are no plans to adopt these proposals in the future”, claiming that certain services, particularly maternity, nursing and primary care, need more staff rather than fewer.
McKinsey also claimed that up to £3 billion a year could be saved by improving staff productivity, while nearly £2 billion could be saved on external contracts for areas such as food and waste.
Further reading - An in-depth analysis of the UK medical device market, including some background information on healthcare personnel, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
UK - GP Consultations Rising
The number of GP consultations has risen from 217.3 million in 1995 to 300.4 million in 2008, according to data published by the NHS Information Centre in September 2009.
The study, conducted using the QResearch general practice database, revealed that an average patient had 5.5 consultations in 2008, compared with 3.9 in 1995. Meanwhile, the average GP surgery carried out 34,200 appointments in 2008, up from 21,100 in 1995.
The study also highlighted an increase in the number of patients seen by a nurse in primary care. In 1995, 76% of consultations were undertaken by GPs, 21% by nurses and 3% by other clinicians, whereas in 2008, 62% were carried out by GPs, 34% by nurses and 4% by other clinicians. However, this increase in proportion could be explained by an increase in patients seeing nurses in general, rather than fewer patients seeing a GP.
However, the study did not take into account the length of consultations, or the number of tasks undertaken within a consultation, which could impact on the reliability of the findings.
Further reading - A detailed analysis of the UK medical device market, including further statistics on ambulatory care, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
The study, conducted using the QResearch general practice database, revealed that an average patient had 5.5 consultations in 2008, compared with 3.9 in 1995. Meanwhile, the average GP surgery carried out 34,200 appointments in 2008, up from 21,100 in 1995.
The study also highlighted an increase in the number of patients seen by a nurse in primary care. In 1995, 76% of consultations were undertaken by GPs, 21% by nurses and 3% by other clinicians, whereas in 2008, 62% were carried out by GPs, 34% by nurses and 4% by other clinicians. However, this increase in proportion could be explained by an increase in patients seeing nurses in general, rather than fewer patients seeing a GP.
However, the study did not take into account the length of consultations, or the number of tasks undertaken within a consultation, which could impact on the reliability of the findings.
Further reading - A detailed analysis of the UK medical device market, including further statistics on ambulatory care, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
UK - Axis Shield Posts Positive Sales Performance
Scottish company Axis Shield posted positive financial performance in August 2009, following strong demands for its diabetes testing machine.
By the end of June 2009, Axis Shield had sold a total of 5,000 Afinion machines, compared to 4,000 machines sold during the whole of 2008. The company expects to sell a further 2,500 machines by the end of the year, with 50% of sales in the US.
The Afinion machine can screen blood or urine samples for diabetes indicators. The company now plans to market an Afinion test for high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), an indicator of cardiovascular disease, and has also secured rights to a new test for sepsis diagnosis.
For the six months up to 30th June 2009, pre-tax profit more than quadrupled, rising from £1.6 million to £7.5 million. Axis Shield ‘s sales amounted to £50.6 million in the same period, rising by 18.5%. The Point-of Care division’s sales amounted to £22.1 million, a rise of 27.3%, while sales from the Laboratory division rose by 23.0% to total £12.8 million.
Further reading - A detailed review of the UK medical device market is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
By the end of June 2009, Axis Shield had sold a total of 5,000 Afinion machines, compared to 4,000 machines sold during the whole of 2008. The company expects to sell a further 2,500 machines by the end of the year, with 50% of sales in the US.
The Afinion machine can screen blood or urine samples for diabetes indicators. The company now plans to market an Afinion test for high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), an indicator of cardiovascular disease, and has also secured rights to a new test for sepsis diagnosis.
For the six months up to 30th June 2009, pre-tax profit more than quadrupled, rising from £1.6 million to £7.5 million. Axis Shield ‘s sales amounted to £50.6 million in the same period, rising by 18.5%. The Point-of Care division’s sales amounted to £22.1 million, a rise of 27.3%, while sales from the Laboratory division rose by 23.0% to total £12.8 million.
Further reading - A detailed review of the UK medical device market is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
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