Dealing with the effects of someone else’s addiction can be incredibly challenging and isolating, causing physical, emotional, social and financial distress while many also suffer mental ill health and experience abusive behaviours.

Adfam is the leading families and addiction charity that works in England to advocate for the millions of people affected by someone else’s drinking, drug use or gambling. Often, family members  — children, siblings, parents, partners, friends and grandparents — simply don’t know where to turn when confronted with this complex issue.

Improving lives of people experiencing substance use

Established in 1984 by Simon Ann Dorin who could not find the support she needed to deal with her son’s heroin use, Adfam started as a volunteer-led charity operating in the vestry at St George’s Church in Campden Hill, West London. This 2024 is its 40th anniversary as a charity. Over time, it has evolved, adapted and changed, but its mission has always remained the same: to improve life for anyone affected by someone else’s substance misuse and ensure they are heard, valued and have access to support.

An estimated 5 million adults in the UK
are currently negatively affected by the drinking
or drug use of a family member or friend.

The flagship Adfam@Home service provides remote, professional 1:1 support to family members. It has achieved enormous success in helping them deal with the negative effects of their loved one’s substance use and to find a positive way forward. However, the availability of this specialist support across the country is very much a postcode lottery, and more services are needed to reach the many who suffer in silence.

Accessible support for people affected

While a lot has changed politically and societally over the past 40 years, the experiences of these individuals are still very much apparent. An estimated 5 million adults in the UK are currently negatively affected by the drinking or drug use of a family member or friend. The need for support hasn’t gone away and never will.

Additionally, substance use continues to be a stigmatising and polarising issue. While there has been a gradual shift in recognition and understanding of the problems, there’s still not enough. Stigma silences people affected by substance, and more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issues facing them and ensure their needs are not forgotten.

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In recent years, new technologies have been producing lighter, more comfortable spectacles with specialised designs and coatings to enhance vision and comfort in demanding environments.

The demands on our vision are higher than ever, prompting spectacle lens designers to continually enhance vision zones and offer tailored lens options. Your dispensing optician can recommend lenses perfectly suited to your needs, like a custom-made suit. You can also request lenses specifically designed for computer and tablet use.

Thinner and lighter spectacle lenses

Dispensing opticians are the experts in finding the thinnest and lightest lenses for your spectacle prescription. This will ensure they are as comfortable as possible. This is true whether you are short- or long-sighted and even when you need reading spectacles.

Across the world, more children are
becoming short-sighted (myopic).

Therapies for the ‘myopia epidemic’

Across the world, more children are becoming short-sighted (myopic).¹ This means that, without spectacles, they cannot see clearly in the distance. This may be due to insufficient time spent outdoors and prolonged use of tablets and laptops.

Changes in lifestyle can help, although using specially designed spectacle lenses has been shown to slow down the increase in short-sightedness as your child grows. Dispensing opticians can discuss the options available to children and to reduce future risks of eye problems as lens power increases.

Coloured and driving lens

While many of us visit the optometrist and dispensing optician to update our glasses, some experience discomfort, like flickering words and headaches, even when a new prescription is not required. Such discomfort can be associated with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder (ADD) autism, Asperger’s syndrome, dyspraxia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine and headaches.² It has been found that, for some patients, the use of an overlay with coloured plastic can reduce and sometimes eliminate these symptoms.³ There are eye care professionals who specialise in this subject, which often affects children at school and therefore their learning.

Lens designers recognise that vision quality while driving is crucial, especially at night, on long trips and as we age. Dispensing opticians are the experts in visual task analysis and can recommend helpful products. Polarising lenses are useful on sunny days; light (specialist colour) tints can help at any time; and more specialised driving lenses can enhance the experience. Anti-glare coatings are essential, with some designers offering advanced coatings for even greater visual comfort.

[1] Myopia: A Global Epidemic. (2019). Retina Today.
[2] What is Irlen Syndrome?. (2022). Irlen Syndrome Foundation.
[3] Use of coloured overlays and lenses are unlikely to help children with dyslexia, study finds. (2015). BMJ, 350, h2830. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2830

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In an era where technology is seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, the healthcare sector is undergoing a transformative shift towards digital health.

This evolution is not just a futuristic concept but a present-day reality that is reshaping how we approach health and wellness. Unlike traditional healthcare, which normally requires patients to visit hospitals or clinics for care, digital healthcare might bring monitoring and support directly to individuals, wherever they are. This shift ensures continuous, personalised care that adapts to a patient’s daily life, enhancing convenience and early intervention. For cardiac health, this means empowering individuals with real-time insights into their heart’s performance, enabling earlier detection of issues and more effective management of chronic conditions.

Reshaping cardiac diagnosis

Heart and circulatory diseases, including atrial fibrillation (AF) — which can feel like a racing or irregular heartbeat, sometimes accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue or a fluttering sensation in the chest — remain a significant health challenge in the UK, affecting around 1.4 million people.*

With an ageing population and improved survival rates, these numbers are expected to rise. Early and accurate diagnosis of conditions like AF is crucial for effective treatment and management. Digital health solutions play a critical role in enabling continuous, accurate monitoring and data collection, which can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

New era of cardiac monitoring

Boston Scientific, a leading medical device company, is at the forefront of digital health innovation. The company offers a comprehensive suite of cardiac diagnostic solutions, including the BodyGuardian MINI Remote Cardiac Monitor. This innovative solution can be worn up to 15 days and provides access to full disclosure data post-study, providing data-rich reports that allow physicians to access raw data.. This feature is crucial for collecting reliable AF-related data, which requires continuous monitoring. Additionally, the device’s strips can be replaced without interrupting the study, making it a practical choice for long-term cardiac monitoring.

As digital health continues to evolve,
it provides patients with new opportunities
to take a more active role in managing their health.

Enhancing quality of life after cardiac interventions

Beyond individual health monitoring, digital health is not just about managing diseases but also about enhancing the overall quality of life. Devices like the BodyGuardian MINI ensure that patients can maintain their daily routines without constant reminders of their health conditions. This seamless integration of health monitoring into everyday life is a significant step towards a future where health management is proactive, personalised and patient-centric.

Empowering patients and transforming healthcare systems

Digital health technologies are reshaping the healthcare landscape, offering the potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and enhance the overall efficiency of healthcare systems by enabling remote monitoring, early diagnosis and data-driven decision-making. By identifying potential issues early, these devices can help prevent serious complications and reduce the need for hospitalisations.

As digital health continues to evolve, it provides patients with new opportunities to take a more active role in managing their health. By staying informed about the advancements in remote monitoring and digital diagnostic tools, patients can explore options that suit their individual needs and lifestyles. It is important to ask healthcare providers about the possibilities these tools offer for more personalised and proactive care.

Taking steps to understand and track health-related data can lead to earlier detection of potential issues and better long-term outcomes. Patients have the power to embrace these changes — not as a replacement for traditional care but to complement it and take greater ownership of their health journey. By being proactive, every patient can contribute to building a healthcare system that is more responsive, efficient and centred on individual wellbeing.

*Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/

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Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a big problem in the UK. More innovative treatments are needed from pharma firms, alongside life-saving training and awareness initiatives.

You might not think of addiction to drugs or alcohol as a medical condition. But it absolutely is, insists Julia Jones — and a particularly devastating one at that.

Addiction in the UK causes devastation

“I can’t think of another medical condition that strips you of everything,” says Jones, Director of Critical Care and CNS (Central Nervous System) at pharmaceutical company Accord Healthcare. “That’s what addiction does. You can lose your job, home, relationships, mental health and physical health. If you take too much of a particular substance, it can lead to the ultimate loss: the loss of your life.”

Addiction statistics in the UK make grim reading. According to estimates from the European Centre for Drugs and Drug Monitoring (EMCDDA), around 140,000 people received treatment for opioid disorder (although the number of those with opioid addiction issues is thought to be much larger). EMCDDA also reveals that around 6,000 drug users die of overdose each year across the whole of the EU, and around three-quarters of those deaths involve opioids. In 2023, GOV.UK reported that more than 4,000 people die from an avoidable drug overdose every year, and the majority of these deaths involve opioids.

They might have an opportunity to save a
person’s life, but only if they know that
a medicine exists — and how to use it.

Committed to working in the addiction space

Are these worrying statistics part of the reason why Accord Healthcare is now committed to working in the addiction space? “We wanted to move into the area of addiction because we thought it needed more focus and more attention,” says Jones. “The drugs available to treat addiction haven’t changed much over the years, but we felt we could add value by offering alternative formulations that might improve them in some way.”

The company has had a number of successes, too, such as bringing to market opioid use disorder medicines that reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. “This deters a person’s compulsion to seek out illicit drugs,” explains Jones. “It helps to keep on a treatment programme under the regular supervision of a doctor, and therefore much less likely to die from an opioid overdose.”

Delivering knowledge that can save lives

To get life-saving solutions to patients as quickly as possible, the company is dedicated to working in partnership with local health boards, the NHS and even other pharma firms. “For example, a company might develop a product but lack the ability, expertise or reach to commercialise it,” says Jones. “We can use our knowledge and infrastructure to help bring it to market.”

Battling addiction isn’t just dependent on new and improved medicines. It also needs training and awareness on a massive scale so that a person’s family members and friends — and the wider public, for that matter — know how to act in an emergency, such as an overdose situation.

“It’s why we provide various training and awareness initiatives, distributing instructional aids and other supportive tools wherever possible,” says Jones. “We also partner with the police, prisons, universities, academic institutions and other organisations likely to be first responders. Because they might have an opportunity to save a person’s life, but only if they know that a medicine exists — and how to use it.

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A new way to deliver treatment for opioid overdose is saving the lives of newly discharged prisoners and those still in custody, says a substance misuse nurse at HM Prison Swansea.

Rebecca Osborn is dedicated to changing — and saving — lives. As a Charge Nurse working in the area of substance misuse at HM Prison Swansea, she looks after the care and wellbeing of all prisoners who have addiction issues with drugs and alcohol.

Rising opioid addiction and deaths

“It’s my job to deliver the treatment interventions needed by these prisoners,” Osborn explains. “It’s a wonderful and frightening responsibility and, in terms of my nursing career, the biggest thing I’ve ever done.”

Most prisoners with addiction issues already have them when they arrive at HM Prison Swansea, notes Osborn. However, an increasing number develop issues while they are in custody because of the amount of illegal drugs circulating in UK prisons, including opioids and synthetic opioids. Because of this, drug-related deaths of prisoners and former prisoners are on the rise in the UK.

Normalising and simplifying the delivery of medication

If someone overdoses on opioids or synthetic opioids, the result can be fatal; although timely administration of an opioid antagonist can bring them back from the brink, reversing the opioid overdose. However, at HMP Swansea, the treatments were delivered by injection — and, as Osborn discovered, this was a significant barrier to its use.

Timely administration of an opioid
antagonist can bring them back from
the brink, reversing the opioid overdose.

First, prison officers were wary of carrying medication around with them in case they administered the treatment incorrectly. Second, prisoners who were being discharged back into the community would often refuse to take doses of treatment home with them for their family or friends to administer. “It was delivered in a big yellow syringe,” explains Osborn. “That was like a sign saying: ‘I’m a drug addict.’ There’s a stigma attached to it.”

So, three years ago, Osborn reached out to pharma company Accord Healthcare to see if they could if they could offer training and support in normalising and simplifying the administration of opioid antagonist treatments. “They came up with an unobtrusive nasal spray version,” she says. “Now, a prisoner who has overdosed can be given treatment easily, and the results can be instantaneous, depending on the amount of drugs they have taken.”

Training prisoners in overdose awareness and treatment

To ensure a successful roll-out, Osborn started an innovative pilot programme, which involved training prisoners to recognise the signs of overdose and then administer the opioid antagonist themselves. This sounds like a risk, admits Osborn — yet the opioid antagonist is completely safe and cannot be abused, which means that prisoners can be given doses to keep in their cells to use in emergency situations. “At first, prisoners were stunned that we were giving them this responsibility,” she says. “When we explained that we saw them as mentors who could use the medication to save the lives of their fellow prisoners, they understood our rationale.”

Using and delivering the opioid antagonist in this way has already prevented prisoner deaths. “When one prisoner overdosed soon after arriving in reception, a mentor quickly obtained the medicine and saved his life,” says Osborn. “In fact, the last death from an opioid overdose at HMP Swansea was more than 24 months ago. My hope is that other prisons will look at what we’ve achieved and adopt it as standardised practice because it’s working so well.”

The post How a pioneering intervention for opioid overdose has saved lives in a UK prison appeared first on Health Awareness.

The NHS benefits from an agile approach to digital transformation, according to Michael Odling-Smee, Founding Director of tech and innovation experts, Aire Logic and Aire Innovate.

How are companies like yours supporting digital transformation within the NHS?

We founded the consultancy side of our business, Aire Logic, because we saw how challenging it could be to deliver big technical projects in the NHS and felt we could help improve agility and efficiency. We work with customers in a true partnership to deliver their aims and ensure they have the knowledge and skills to drive future transformation themselves.

The NHS also needs revolutionary tech solutions for improved patient outcomes; so, on the Aire Innovate side of the business, we developed a suite of products. This includes a digital forms engine, a workflow engine and an electronic healthcare record (EHR). These and other tools can be used to build a scalable platform tailored to specific healthcare needs. They’re ‘low code,’ so users effectively become masters of their own destinies. They don’t need us to create new capabilities for them.

What’s the best way to achieve digital transformation within the NHS?

In an agile way. Transformation should be less of a ‘big bang’ event and more of an ongoing process. The NHS does need to make changes to ‘business as usual,’ but taking a ‘big bang’ approach means huge swings in workforce, huge swings in effort and potentially huge failures; whereas an agile approach is incremental — and any failures can feed back into future success.

What are the challenges of the NHS’s current procurement procedures?

Procurement needs to be smarter. There are pockets of good procurement practice but, overall, there’s a tendency within the NHS to say: ‘We have this problem today. What piece of technology will fix it?’ The trouble is that the technology that’s chosen might not solve tomorrow’s problems. There needs to be more lateral thinking about how tech can evolve and flex to meet future needs.

These are human lives, so
there’s no room for error.

How important is systems integration across the NHS for seamless data sharing?

If you buy a new system, it may not talk to all your other systems. It’s why we’re very strong advocates of interoperability and why we wanted to create a super-flexible platform that users could arrange in any way they wanted. There’s still a lot of debate about the importance of different systems adhering to the same technical standards, but most of the challenge comes at the human — rather than technical — level.

Can technology give patients a better healthcare experience?

Absolutely. For instance, better remote communication with their healthcare professional can reduce the constant need for patients to book appointments or be placed back into an over-burdened system. It can also make it easy for the patient to see where they are on the clinical pathway.

How will AI be used in the NHS in the future?

I see it becoming more of a commodity in the next five or 10 years, so the surrounding infrastructure will need to be able to support it. Our platforms are flexible, so plugging in AI is easy. However, there’s a big question about how AI could be used to summarise an EHR so that healthcare professionals can see where each patient is on their healthcare journey. These are human lives, so there’s no room for error.

As a service and tech provider, what does ideal engagement with the NHS look like?

At a recent conference someone said: ‘When the NHS is procuring a supplier, it’s not just procuring a product or a service. It’s procuring a relationship.’ That’s absolutely our view, too. Obviously, we’re alive to the customer-supplier relationship: we’re brought in for a reason, and we’re expected to deliver. But we also want collaboration and to build a relationship of equal partners who work well together and trust each other.

The post How the NHS can use scalable tech to build tailored healthcare solutions appeared first on Health Awareness.

Despite strides in medical science, women’s health remains underrepresented. The UK Government’s Women’s Health Strategy has brought attention to this issue, showing healthcare solutions and research overlook their unique needs.

On average, women live longer than men but spend more of their lives in poor health.¹ Bridging this gap calls for immediate action, particularly in supporting femtech startups, which are vital for long-term advancements in women’s healthcare.

Gender disparities in healthcare

Statistics reveal a stark imbalance: women are diagnosed an average of four years later than men across various diseases, from diabetes to cancer.² Chronic conditions like heart disease are often considered male issues, yet they remain a leading cause of death among women worldwide. Furthermore, women make up 70% of chronic pain sufferers, yet 80% of pain medication testing excludes female subjects.³ This disparity leads to higher risks of adverse effects for women, underlining the need for female-specific health innovations.

We’re fostering a supportive
environment for life sciences
companies focused on health equity.

Investing in female-founded solutions

Investment in femtech also lags, with only 2% of venture capital allocated to female-founded businesses.⁴ Yet, female-led companies, often resource-efficient and highly innovative, are uniquely positioned to address women’s health concerns effectively. For meaningful change, it’s crucial to support more female-founded businesses in health technology, promoting gender diversity in both leadership and investment.

Supporting femtech health equity

At Discovery Park in Kent, we’re fostering a supportive environment for life sciences companies focused on health equity. Through our Discovery Spark programme and Discovery Park Ventures, we provide mentorship, funding and networking opportunities to empower startups in the femtech space. We believe in the importance of female-focused data to create personalised, effective healthcare solutions, which is why we’re committed to advancing this field through our initiatives and partnerships.

The future of healthcare hinges on addressing historical biases and supporting femtech innovations. By prioritising women-specific research and encouraging investment in this space, we can pave the way for a healthcare system that truly serves everyone’s needs.

[1] gov.uk, 2022.
[2] University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 2019.
[3] Harvard Medical School, 2017.
[4] World Economic Forum, 2024.

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The promise of a reformed NHS has been front and centre of the new Labour Government’s priorities.

The shift from sickness to prevention, hospital to community, and analogue to digital has underpinned all new policies and guidance. However, the push to use technology and innovation in improving the delivery of healthcare services has been ongoing for years.

Potential of AI in healthcare

The NHS uses emerging technology in various ways, from scans to detect bone fractures to helping rule out throat cancer and predicting patterns of illness. However, is it the silver bullet that it is touted to be?

Several benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) underpin the strong push by various governments to use it in healthcare services. AI has the potential to make healthcare delivery efficient and effective. It can provide vital support in cutting down costs, improving resource allocation and reducing the continuously growing waiting times the NHS experiences.

The uses of AI don’t stop at just large-scale diagnosis and prediction; a fifth of GPs use AI tools to help with administrative tasks such as writing letters for their patients after appointments, according to a survey.¹ While the technology has been crucial in alleviating pressures on healthcare providers, it does raise concerns regarding the accuracy of results and patient privacy.

AI models need to be trained
on patient data, which contains
sensitive and confidential information.

Ensuring privacy and patient benefit

If AI is to be integrated into healthcare practices, several concerns should be addressed in guidelines drafted for its use. AI models need to be trained on patient data, which contains sensitive and confidential information that should be handled with ethical consideration. Moreover, inaccurate patient data will lead to AI models producing inaccurate outputs — an important consideration when used for diagnosis and treatment.

Lastly, it is important to understand the extent to which AI integration is viable, helpful and effective in improving healthcare service delivery. As its use cases continue to evolve, all healthcare professionals must understand the weight of using such technologies in patient care delivery.

Maintaining high-quality care standards

As the new Government continues supporting technological advancement in healthcare, it must ensure every step remains patient-centred. Thoughtful investment in AI should be balanced with a commitment to protecting patients and upholding quality care standards.

[1] Charlotte R. B., et al. Generative artificial intelligence in primary care: an online survey of UK general practitioners. BMJ Health & Care Informatics 2024;31:e101102.

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In the drive to build a resilient health and social care system, adult social care is the NHS’s most essential yet under-resourced partner.

While prevention efforts traditionally focus on stopping illness onset, an equally crucial aspect is preventing the worsening of pre-existing conditions. This is where adult social care excels, providing critical support that helps individuals manage their chronic conditions effectively within their communities thus avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.

Reducing hospital strain with preventative social care

Effective adult social care not only prevents people from needing emergency care but also stabilises and improves their conditions, thereby reducing their risk of hospitalisation. By enabling timely interventions that keep people healthy and independent, social care providers play a vital role in sustaining overall healthcare delivery. Yet, the sector remains chronically underfunded and often seen as separate from mainstream healthcare. As a result, essential preventative support is lacking, leading to avoidable strain on hospitals: 45% of delayed discharges, for instance, are linked to social care shortages (Care Quality Commission, 2024).

Role of ICBs and policymakers in prevention

To address these challenges, integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities (LAs) and national policymakers must recognise that prevention is not just about halting illness; it’s also about intervening to stop conditions from escalating. With adequate funding and resources, social care can be organised to act as a buffer against the progression of illnesses, supporting people where they live and keeping hospitals available for acute care needs. This requires ICBs to integrate social care into health planning fully, seeing it as a partner that complements and extends the reach of the NHS rather than a separate entity.

Social care providers play a
vital role in sustaining overall
healthcare delivery.

Building a resilient ecosystem with social care investment

Strengthening adult social care in a preventative capacity would lead to fewer hospital admissions, improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. For this to succeed, funding must prioritise workforce development to mitigate severe staff shortages and digital innovation to streamline care coordination.

Call to invest in social care for prevention

By investing in adult social care as a primary preventative measure, ICBs, LAs and the national Government can create a healthcare ecosystem that not only prevents the onset of illness but also halts its progression, fostering independence and resilience among those who require the most support. 

The post Strengthening adult social care to improve NHS resilience and preventative healthcare appeared first on Health Awareness.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tasked to ‘reform or die’, the case for developing a circular NHS — one that eliminates waste while keeping products in their highest-value state — has become an existential imperative.

With tightening purse strings, the typical household might look to make the best use of the goods they have. Despite enduring budget issues, such thriftiness has long not been true for the NHS: plastics used in the NHS for example are repurposed at a rate around 10 times less than average household waste. In the NHS, ‘linear’ healthcare is ingrained, as single-use devices are used as a standard, and unused surgical products are often simply thrown away out of habit.

Advantages of circular healthcare

With millions of different products and procedures to make circular, this will be no mean feat, though the UKRI National Circular Economy Research Hub this year spotlighted several encouraging cases already in practice. Remanufactured catheters, for example, can halve both costs and carbon emissions, while reusable PPE cuts waste and makes supply more reliable.

Reusable PPE cuts waste and
makes supply more reliable.

Teaching circular behaviours

Scaling these solutions up requires a cultural overhaul in the NHS, as sustainability is routinely sidelined by misplaced concerns around the quality and cost of care. Pioneering trusts such as the UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are showing how effective leadership can achieve change.

Alongside its 2020 green plan and 2023 net-zero strategy, the trust has set up a sustainability board comprising leaders from across medical disciplines. It has also developed a staff engagement structure to report successes and make sustainable healthcare business-as-usual in all practices.

These innovations in management have led to quick successes. These include the steep reduction of greenhouse gas-intensive anaesthetic gases; the elimination of waste bound for landfills; and a new waste recovery programme to repurpose metals and plastics in devices.

Shifting the linear healthcare paradigm

The UCL Trust’s model of leadership shows how we can achieve the necessary paradigm shift to circular healthcare, in time for the Government’s ambitious 2045 deadline to remove single-use devices from the NHS where possible. Health leaders can make an essential first step to providing a positive vision for sustainable healthcare through the forthcoming long-term strategy for the NHS.

Those interested in this topic are encouraged to participate in a forthcoming inquiry. Policy Connect will be chairing sustainable healthcare practices, run through the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Sustainable Resources and Health.

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