The recent series of heavy earthquakes and aftershocks in the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna has a dramatic impact on the area’s medical device industry. The region between the cities of Modena and Mirandola is home to over 100… Read moreEarthquakes in Italy damage medical device industry

At the end of April we reported the publication GP Online’s attempt which was blocked by the Department of Health to get the data on which the 3ML claim for savings from the extended use of telecare and telehealth is… Read moreAfter the evidence, GP Online still doubts telehealth savings (UK)

The BBC is the latest mainstream news organisation to report concerns about the NHS North Yorkshire & York PCT (NYY) telehealth programme where 2,000 Tunstall health monitoring units were paid for upfront by NYY and the Strategic Health Authority of the time at a cost of £3 million. It was covered on Friday in a local TV news broadcast and in an online article. Telehealth scheme criticised by GPs in North Yorkshire. The BBC report is partly based on a copy of the confidential internal audit report which it obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. [Just because a document is released under FOI does not mean that it is in the public domain, which is a pity as it must be a fascinating read.] In the BBC report, Dr David Geddes for the PCT confirms that, as we industry observers had suspected, the scale of the procurement was driven by the need to ‘spend the money or lose it’.

In brief, for readers who may not be up to speed with the other concerns, around the commissioning… [Read More below.]

Bosch Healthcare, major insurer Techniker Krankenkasse and Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus (a hospital supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation) have together launched a programme called Alltag mit Telemedizin erfolgreich meistern (A.T.e.m. – ‘Coping with everyday life with telehealth support’) for people with COPD. Approximately… Read moreFirst nationwide provision of support for high risk COPD patients in Germany

In a press release today, but not yet online,15 companies that have so far contributed (at least ?) £10,000 each to the 3ML campaign have been named: 02 Health; Air Products; BT Health; Care Innovations; Cisco; Harmoni; Invicta Telecare; Peaks… Read more3millionlives: Organisations that have committed financial resources (UK)

An ISfTeH Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Prof. Louis Lareng (France) at the occasion of the Med-e-Tel 2012 Opening Ceremony on April 18th. Prof. Lareng is a Telemedicine and eHealth pioneer and at the age of 89 still active… Read moreLifetime Achievement Award for telemedicine pioneer (France)

Nottinghamshire-based United Telehealth (UTH) has been acquired by Harrogate-based cloud services provider InTechnology. The Yorkshire company has also taken a stake in Healthsolve, a London-based developer of healthcare software. According to the press release “The investments build on InTechnology’s position… Read moreInTechnology acquires United Telehealth (UK)

From the Liverpool Echo: “Peter Mohan, 79, lives in sheltered accommodation in Litherland and suffers from debilitating stomach and intestinal conditions. When he was confused about what he thought were duplicated phone bills and didn’t pay one of them, phone… Read moreConfusion over phone bill endangers man (UK)

UPDATE 6 June: The Compendium has now been edited to refer to reminder services in general (page 30). New download link.

Just as a minister’s speech is not the place to endorse a particular company by name, neither is an official Department of Health publication. Yet that is just what the Long Term Conditions Team has done in its third edition of the Long Term Conditions Compendium of Information. (PDF download. Link now defunct) published 30th May. What the heck were they thinking?…