Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced the launch of the Digital LightCyclerⓇ System, Roche's first digital polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) system. This next-generation system detects disease and is designed to accurately quantify trace amounts of specific DNA and RNA targets not typically detectable by conventional PCR methods.

Opinion Article by Derrick Measham, Head of Research and Development, Cloud Telephony Specialist X-on.
It's no secret that GP practices are under enormous pressure, or that this is undermining public confidence in primary care.

The problem was spelled out in Dr Claire Fuller's 'Stocktake' for NHS England in May, which reported that "there are real signs of genuine and growing discontent with primary care - both from the public who use it and from the professionals who work within it."

A condition linked to thousands of UK deaths has been significantly reduced by healthcare professionals at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, with the help of a new care model, supported by specialist nurses, and developed in partnership with NHS technology provider C2-Ai.

Created to help identify and promptly treat patients in hospital at risk from acute kidney injury, the project has led to a reduction in hospital acquired AKI of more than 80%.

Opinion Article by Vivek Krishnan, CTO, Alcidion Group.
The future of healthcare systems lies in open standards that free data from traditional, stand-alone silos and make it available to the many applications that need it. But how are we going to reach that future?

Realistically, we have two options: open Electronic Health Record, better known as openEHR and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, or FHIR.

Two of the NHS' most dynamic chief information officers have joined Highland Marketing’s advisory board of NHS IT professionals and health tech industry experts.

Ian Hogan, a CIO at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and Neil Perry, the director of digital transformation at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, have joined the expert group that acts as a discussion forum for issues relating to digital health and provides advice to the agency and its clients.

Opinion Article by Paul Bensley, Managing Director of Primary Care Cloud Telephony Specialist X-on.
It is good to see the publication of this strategy [A plan for digital health and social care], which confirms the direction of travel set before the COVID-19, while seeking to build on the rapid adoption of technology that we saw during the pandemic.

It's particularly good to see the strategy's focus on using technology to support primary care and what it calls 'urgent and emergency care' - the services that help patients with an immediate care need that might range from a call to NHS 111 to a trip to the local pharmacy to a visit to A&E.

Opinion Article by Gary Birks, Gary Birks, General Manager, UK and Ireland, Orion Health.
The latest strategy for health and care IT looks to build on what has been achieved over the past two decades, while making sure that all trusts, integrated care systems, and social care departments are levelling-up and have the right foundations to deliver a 'digital revolution'.