70A IDEAS TO SAVE THE NHS PART TWO

After seven decades, our NHS is facing more pressure than ever before. Rosie Taylor continues her search for innovative ideas to secure our health service

As it reaches its 70th year, the National Health Service is under pressure – from an expanding, ageing population and limited budgets.

But behind the scenes, a hive of activity is taking place to make the NHS more cost-effective and beneficial.

From advanced technology to common-sense initiatives to prevent people getting ill in the first place, here – in the second of our three-part series highlighting 70 NHS innovations – we offer another 25 ideas that could help preserve our health service for future generations. (To read part one go to telegraph.co.uk/nhsw70) 26 Breathalyser to detect lung cancer Cambridge researchers have invented a device that can detect cancer biomarkers in breath in just 30 seconds.

The breathalyser, developed by start-up firm Owlstone, could be used to spot the early stages of cancer. The idea was pioneered by Dr Billy Boyle, whose wife, Kate Gross, a former adviser to Tony Blair, died from cancer at the age of just 36.

It is being tested in the East of England and is part of a Cancer Research UK trial studying how breath tests can help early detection of eight different cancers. 27 Patch to help children monitor their diabetes People with type 1 diabetes must check their blood sugar levels repeatedly, usually with fingerprick tests, to ensure their insulin doses are correct.

The Freestyle Libre is an arm patch that monitors blood sugar levels continuously and can be scanned with a smartphonesized device to give readings. It prevents the need for fingerprick tests, which can be tough for children, and encourages patients to monitor their health closely.

Approved in November for children aged four and upwards, it is now funded by around half of CCGS in the country.

28 Singing lessons to stop loneliness

“loneliness epidemic” means up to one in four people suffer from being alone. In Wealden, East Sussex, a Gpprescribed health coach is helping to match lonely and ill people with group activities to improve health and reduce isolation. Activities include coffee mornings, walking groups and singing workshops, which also improve lung health. More than 80 patients have already been reported to have benefited from improved mental health, fitness, weight loss or reduced their medication, while repeat GP visits were cut by up to 61 per cent.

29 A Red Bag to help care home residents going to hospital

The “Red Bag” scheme means care home residents going into hospital travel with their health notes, medication and personal belongings all in one bag.

The purpose-made bags can hold glasses, dentures, hearing aids and regular medication, as well as information forms that care home staff can fill out if a resident needs to be rushed to hospital.

The scheme has prevented unnecessary calls, items going missing and discharge delays. It was launched three years ago in Sutton, south-west London, and saved £473,000 spent on longer stays and replacing lost items. It is now being rolled out in nine out of 10 areas.

30 Cardboard box to cut cot death

The UK has one of the highest infant mortality rates in Europe, with 4.19 deaths per 1,000 births.

Some trusts are following Finland, which has one of the lowest rates in the world, by giving every new mother a cardboard box for her baby to sleep in. It is thought the box – which comes with a baby mattress – reduces cot death as it prevents babies from rolling, and its portable nature means it reduces the risk of babies being left on sofas or in adult beds. The scheme follows a pilot at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London using The Baby Box Co boxes, which also contain educational materials.

31 Apps to check symptoms with GP

Unnecessary GP appointments cost the NHS more than £300 million every year.

Apps to help patients choose where to go for help are one way to combat this. Doctorlink encourages patients to use a “symptom checker”, which tells them if they need to see a pharmacist, GP or call 999. One practice saved 10 per cent of GP appointments in a year when one in three of its patients used the app. Another app, Ask NHS, is being trialled in the West Midlands and south-east London. Patients use it to check their symptoms, get self-care advice and make appointments.

32 Paramedics treating patients in A&E

Emergency department waiting times reached record highs this winter, as staff struggled with an influx of patients and a lack of beds.

To help doctors and nurses, some hospital trusts have employed specialist paramedics to help triage and treat patients within A&E.

Officials say paramedics are skilled at delivering emergency first aid and deciding when patients need to be seen by someone more experienced. Wye Valley NHS Trust has described its A&E paramedics as “a proactive way to increase staffing levels, given the shortage of nurses”.

33 Social media coping lessons for children

Secondary school pupils are being given lessons to help them cope with the stresses of modern life in a bid to improve childhood mental health.

Public Health England has backed a series of lesson plans from campaign group Rise Above that cover topics including cyber bullying, body image, social media and “fomo” (fear of missing out).

Health officials have said the lessons are designed to improve resilience. A 2014 survey found one in five secondary schoolchildren have been subject to some form online abuse and a third of pupils asked think they are “too fat”.

34 Museum app to help dementia patients enjoy past

National Museums Liverpool’s House of Memories app improves dementia patients’ quality of life by helping them discuss the past with family and carers.

The app is about joining the dots that link people through their life experiences, dreams and shared histories, and displays pictures of objects older people are likely to remember from their past, such as cinema tickets, a Singer sewing machine and a 10-shilling note. Touching the pictures on a tablet screen opens up descriptions, sounds and music to help bring the memories to life.

Families can also add their own photographs from the past for their older relatives to look back on.

One woman who cares for her husband said using sharing the activity had brought them “back together”.

35 Tapping into the skills of veterans

To combat the dual problems of healthcare staffing shortages and mental health problems among veterans, health officials have launched a scheme to get former Armed Forces personnel working in the NHS.

The Step into Health initiative – piloted at five NHS trusts – encourages veterans to consider NHS jobs and emphasises where their existing skills would be compatible with healthcare roles. It also asks trusts to advertise apprentice jobs specifically for veterans, offer them work experience and support applicants.

36 Pop-up bedrooms for dying patients

Only 20 per cent of British patients die at home, despite up to 75per cent of us saying it is our preferred place of death.

So Derby Teaching Hospitals are making dying in hospital more comfortable with pop-up bedrooms. It is not always possible to give patients private rooms, so staff provide printed screens with religious sites or the countryside, mood lighting, recliner chairs, free parking and food vouchers. Families are encouraged to bring pillows or blankets, and pets are admitted for a cuddle.

37 Ankle bands to speed up surgery

Patients undergoing surgery must be treated for swelling first, known as pre-operative oedema. A watch-style ankle device that rapidly reduces swelling is being used by 31 hospitals. It sends mild electrical impulses through the leg triggering muscle movement, increasing blood flow and reducing swelling. Studies showed it could improve readiness by two days, saving £569 per patient.

38 Fingerprint-operated medicine cabinets

An estimated 237 million medication errors occur in the NHS in England every year, causing between 1,500 and 22,000 deaths, research shows.

More than 100 UK hospitals have adopted automated medicine cabinets to help avoid errors and wastage, saving around £10,000 per ward. Omnicell cabinets are opened by the fingerprints of approved staff, contain lights to guide nurses and monitor expiry dates.

39 Virtual library to support patients with chronic conditions

An online video library is helping patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes, back pain and heart failure manage their conditions.

Doctors can sign up patients who can view a series of animated films with tips on how best to cope with their illness. It is being used in 10 areas in England. Two thirds of patients in Leics said they went to hospital fewer times as a result.

40 Sourcing home care for patients when they arrive at hospital

Bed-blocking costs the NHS £820million a year, with

1.15 million bed days lost to those who have no care in place so they can leave. Kings Mill Hospital, Mansfield, identifies such patients as soon as they present. The ASSIST Hospital Discharge Scheme works with the council to prepare accommodation and care while patients recover. It saves 4.5 bed days per patient and up to £1.3million per year.

41 Cancer wards designed as “villages”

Cancer patients at Guy’s Hospital in London were asked what would make their lives easier. As a result, the new Cancer Centre – opened in September 2016 – contains a series of “villages”, grouping together services like radiology, chemotherapy and outpatients. Care was provided at 13 locations in two hospitals, but now everything is under one roof. Early tests showed it has halved the proportion of late-running clinics.

42 Cutting out-of-hours strokes deaths with video link diagnosis

Every five minutes, someone in the UK suffers a stroke, but specialist doctors are often only in hospitals during office hours. The Telestroke system is helping stroke patients at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust get the right diagnosis quickly, no matter the time, as it links to an on-call expert at home. It means fewer on-call specialists are needed and could save £150million a year.

43 Fitbit-style monitors to get obese patients moving

Obese patients at risk of type 2 diabetes are being offered wearable technology – like Fitbitstyle wristbands – to encourage them to exercise. Health officials say recording activity levels, combined with a coaching app, could be as effective as a personal trainer. Eight pilot areas will offer the scheme to 5,000 patients over the next year with the Diabetes Prevention Programme.

44 UV light to kill superbugs

Superbugs – caused when bacteria mutate to become resistant to treatment – are a major threat to global health, the World Health Organisation has warned.

As bacteria become more resistant to traditional cleaning products, some hospitals are using UV light to disinfect medical equipment instead, using products like the Nanoclave Cabinet, designed by tech firm Finsen. It decontaminates surgical tools and electronic devices in 60 seconds using UV-C light, which disrupts the DNA of bacteria, including norovirus and MRSA.

45 App to draft GPS into short-staffed surgeries

The number of GPS in England fell by 1,193 in the year to October 2017, according to NHS Digital, and continues to decline.

Short-staffed practices in 40 regions are using technology to avoid having to limit appointments. A software system called Lantum connects locum doctors with surgeries who have gaps in their rotas, avoiding the need for expensive agencies. It has saved the NHS £7.7 million and enabled more than 4.2million GP appointments since 2012.

46 Self-testing kits for HIV

The number of new cases of HIV in the UK fell by 18 per cent, from 6,286 in 2015 to 5,164 in 2016.

Health officials say drives to encourage condom use are partly behind the fall, but they also credit it to the rise of self-testing kits.

Public Health England can provide clinically-proven testing kits free of charge to over-16s to use at home, avoiding any embarrassment or inconvenience of having to attend a clinic; order online at freetesting.hiv.

47 World’s largest cancer diagnosis database

Cancer survival rates in the UK are lower than the European average, partly due to the late diagnosis. To better understand why the disease is spotted later in Britons than in our European counterparts, health officials have created the largest cancer diagnosis database in the world, containing information on nearly 3 million cases.

The data is helping scientists see which cancers are least likely to be picked up by GPS, and whether survival is affected by age, sex, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status.

48 Artificial pancreas to automatically give insulin to diabetics

University of Cambridge researchers are developing an artificial pancreas that automatically detects blood sugar levels and provides the right dose of insulin via a pump.

The machine is designed to help the 78,000 children and young people worldwide diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year.

Monitoring blood sugar levels accurately is vital to avoid life-threatening complications, but can be difficult for children and their parents to manage.

49 Angled scissors to spare mothers from childbirth injury

Around one in six women in labour will undergo an episiotomy – a surgical cut aimed to prevent tearing.

But when surgeons use normal scissors, which lack the precision needed, around one in 25 women will suffer damage to the birth canal, which can cause a lifetime of distressing consequences, such as incontinence.

Episcissors, which have an angled blade, have been shown to reduce risks such as these by as much as 43 per cent.

One in three NHS trusts running maternity services has invested in the scissors, which cost £400.

50 Gadget that turns smartphones into portable ultrasound machines

Doctors in emergency situations or rural locations may not always have access to their equipment.

Electronics manufacturer Philips has come up with a solution: a device that turns a smartphone or tablet into a portable ultrasound machine.

The Lumify gadget, adopted by seven NHS trusts, plugs into a phone and uses an app to display the image. It means an ultrasound can be done at any bedside, in an ambulance or at site of an emergency.