Latest news with #NICE
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Life-changing surgery denied for overweight patients
NHS areas in England and Wales are denying obese patients hip and knee replacements based on BMI, despite NICE guidance against it, to cut costs. Patients are required to lose weight before surgery, but NHS weight loss programs have long waiting lists or are shut down. The Royal College of Surgeons of England has criticised the policy, warning that denying care could worsen patients' health and mobility. Former health minister James Bethell urges the government to address the obesity crisis, suggesting investment in weight-loss treatments or a stricter food strategy to avoid increased NHS costs and public misery. An audit by the National Institute for Health and Care Research found that 15 of 42 NHS areas in England restrict surgery access by BMI, with some patients resorting to private care.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
ADHD symptoms to look for as NHS says staggering number of people in England have disorder
The NHS has shed light on the estimated colossal number of individuals presumed to have ADHD in England. ADHD, short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is marked by symptoms which disrupt focus and organisation, recognised as a neurodevelopmental disorder. This condition isn't just confined to the young; it can persist into adulthood, where its signs can be subtler and more easily confused. The overlapping nature of ADHD symptoms with other conditions can often lead to misdiagnoses. READ MORE: 'Unpoliceable' parking ban come into force but drivers are still being warned READ MORE: Single mum 'breaks down' after £100 rent hike and says 'it needs to stop' NHS England's current projections indicate that nearly 2.5 million folks in England might be living with ADHD, regardless of whether they've been formally diagnosed or not. For the first time, the public can gauge the potential prevalence of ADHD across the populace, reports the Manchester Evening News. Out of the 2,498,000 individuals believed to have ADHD, around 741,000 are thought to be children and youngsters between five and 24 years old, the data indicates. These numbers spring from calculations made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), noting an approximate three to four per cent of adults and five per cent of children and youth harbouring the condition. Further, the NHS data points out that over half a million persons (549,000) in England were queued up for an ADHD evaluation as of the end of March 2025 – a significant jump from the 416,000 tallied a year prior at the close of March 2024. Louise Ansari, at the helm of Healthwatch England, refers to these statistics as "a first step in understanding the scale of demand for ADHD care". She remarked: "Our new research highlights that many people with ADHD may simply be going without support. Long waits for assessments are one of the reasons people who show ADHD traits don't seek help, while those waiting for an assessment struggle to navigate the long waits. "While we welcome today's publication, however, there is a way to go to ensure data is comprehensive and robust. A move to official waiting list data in the longer term would give a clearer picture of waiting times, including who is experiencing the longest waits and why." ADHD Symptoms More Nuanced in Adults. Adults with ADHD often exhibit less obvious symptoms compared to children, largely due to the coping strategies they've developed over time. These understated indicators can range from regular forgetfulness to feeling swamped by routine tasks. The NHS lists several symptoms that adults with ADHD might experience: A tendency towards carelessness and overlooking details. Starting new activities before completing ongoing ones. Disorganised. Struggling to concentrate or prioritise. Regularly misplacing items. Forgetfulness. Feeling restless. Frequently speaking out of turn and interrupting conversations. In contrast, children and young people with ADHD might display signs of inattention, such as:. Being easily sidetracked. Difficulty paying attention to others or following directions. Neglecting daily activities, like personal hygiene or dressing. The NHS indicates that they may exhibit signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity, such as:. Possessing high energy levels. Fidgeting or tapping their hands and feet. Speaking loudly. Feeling restless, or rising and moving about when they're expected to remain seated. Struggling to wait their turn, or intruding on conversations. ADHD can also be misinterpreted for typical mental health issues. Individuals with ADHD may also be more prone to anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. The NHS recommends consulting your GP if you suspect you might have ADHD. They may refer you for a specialist evaluation.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Denying joint operations to obese patients is counterproductive
We fear that there are going to be many more stories such as this about the National Health Service before the wounds of a decade of underfunding followed by the coronavirus pandemic start to heal. Rebecca Thomas, our award-winning health correspondent, reports today that obese patients are being denied life-changing hip and knee replacements, and being left in pain as the NHS attempts to cut costs. One-third of NHS areas in England and some health boards in Wales are refusing joint replacement operations to patients who exceed a given body mass index. This is contrary to guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body responsible for deciding whether treatments are value for money. Of course, as long as healthcare is rationed, difficult choices will have to be made. And the blunt truth is that all expensive treatments on the NHS are rationed, as they have to be in a system of limited resources. Instead of being rationed by ability to pay, the usual mechanism for rationing in the NHS is queueing. At the same time, however, treatments are also rationed by need, and it is the role of NICE to help to decide which groups of patients should be prioritised over others. We can understand why some parts of the NHS might de-prioritise obese patients for hip and knee replacements. It might be argued that obesity is the cause of joint problems and that therefore treatment should focus on weight loss, or else the problems are likely to recur with the artificial joints. But the NICE guidelines recognise that causation may not be all one way and that for many patients joint problems contribute to obesity rather than the other way round. In which case, joint replacement is the key to reducing weight, allowing patients to exercise more. This is a field of healthcare undergoing rapid transition, as the availability of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic has changed the options available to patients, offering hope of treatment without surgery. But it remains important that overweight patients do not face a sweeping ban on joint replacement operations on the basis of arbitrary body mass index counts – especially as these BMI limits vary from area to area across the NHS. It is devoutly to be wished that this new government is beginning to turn the NHS round. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, will confirm at the spending review on 11 June that the health service will be allocated substantial increases in resources over the next four years. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has already taken the risk of overclaiming the improvement that has been made in just 11 months since the election. He claimed that waiting lists had fallen for six months in a row, only for the latest figure, for month seven, to show a small increase. His claim of having met his target for the number of new appointments 'seven months early' was undermined by figures obtained by Full Fact, the fact-checking charity, suggesting the rate of increase has in fact been slower than last year. We hope that resident doctors will vote against strike action, in order to allow these early, if overstated, signs of improvement to turn into real progress. In the meantime, difficult choices about whom to treat, and whom to treat first, will continue to beset the health service. In making those decisions, doctors must avoid unfair and discriminatory blanket bans based on arbitrary weight limits.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NICE Actimize Announces ENGAGE 2025 the Industry's Leading Fraud & Financial Crime Risk Management Conference
Fighting fraud and financial crime takes center stage, as NICE Actimize leads visionary sessions on how advanced AI technologies shape the future HOBOKEN, N.J., May 29, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NICE Actimize, a NICE (NASDAQ: NICE) business, today announced its information-packed agenda for ENGAGE 2025, the industry's premier financial crime and compliance industry event. To be held on June 17-18 at New York's Sheraton Times Square Hotel, NICE Actimize's ENGAGE will bring together financial institutions thought leaders and subject matter experts to discuss the technology advancements and best practices in financial crime fighting. More than 200 companies and 1000-plus industry executives from global and regional financial institutions will take part in the event's in-depth sessions, view demo stations showing the latest in advanced AI technology and learn from a renowned lineup of subject matter experts on financial crime risk management. Compelling KeynotesThe welcoming keynote address will be presented by Craig Costigan, NICE Actimize CEO who will focus on the impact of Agentic AI on financial institutions, and the new era of fraud and financial crime prevention. Another compelling opening-day keynote for ENGAGE will be delivered by Damian Williams, the former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), and current Litigation, Investigations and White Collar Crime partner at leading global law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Williams draws on his many years of experience as a senior leader, litigator and strategist to advise clients in high-stakes federal and state government investigations, white collar matters and sensitive internal investigations, and crisis management. During his tenure at SDNY, Williams supervised significant matters involving securities and commodities fraud, public corruption, national security threats, Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions violations, cybercrime, money laundering, sex trafficking, healthcare fraud, violent crime, civil rights violations, as well as False Claims Act and environmental matters. Sessions: Helping FIs Meet ChallengesThe content rich agenda will address powerful disruptors like generative AI and shed light on the most pressing challenges in financial crime, fraud prevention and compliance. Other critical sessions include "Implementing AI into your Financial Crime Programs"; "Dismantling Mule Accounts and Networks"; "Beyond Reimbursement: Taking the Fight to Scams"; "KYC & Fraud Join Forces to Defeat Deepfakes"; and "Synthetic Identities, The Future of FinCrime Tech Stacks." Day one of the event will also include insights from law enforcement on what financial institutions need to know. And on day two, a regulatory roundup panel will review advisory on key regulatory changes and implications. "Addressing the impact of AI on financial crime, NICE Actimize's ENGAGE industry event supports financial institutions as they develop targeted strategies for their future adoption of cutting-edge technologies," said Craig Costigan, CEO, NICE Actimize. "Financial institutions require a powerful combination of intelligence and automation to meet their newest challenges, and our industry-leading event will allow them to network and explore innovative solutions and more effective and efficient options." Please click here to preview the full ENGAGE agenda. To register, please click here. About NICE ActimizeAs a global leader in artificial intelligence, platform services, and cloud solutions, NICE Actimize excels in preventing fraud, detecting financial crime, and supporting regulatory compliance. Over 1,000 organizations across more than 70 countries trust NICE Actimize to protect their institutions and safeguard assets throughout the entire customer lifecycle. With NICE Actimize, customers gain deeper insights and mitigate risks. Learn more at About NICEWith NICE (Nasdaq: NICE), it's never been easier for organizations of all sizes around the globe to create extraordinary customer experiences while meeting key business metrics. Featuring the world's #1 cloud native customer experience platform, CXone, NICE is a worldwide leader in AI-powered self-service and agent-assisted CX software for the contact center – and beyond. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, partner with NICE to transform - and elevate - every customer interaction. Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICE's marks, please see: Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Mr. Costigan, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the "Company"). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "believe," "expect," "seek," "may," "will," "intend," "should," "project," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions; competition; successful execution of the Company's growth strategy; success and growth of the Company's cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company's products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties in making additional acquisitions or difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Company's dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners; cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; privacy concerns; changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, the effects of additional tax liabilities resulting from our global operations, the effect of unexpected events or geo-political conditions, such as the impact of conflicts in the Middle East that may disrupt our business and the global economy; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company's reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law. View source version on Contacts Corporate Media Contact Cindy Morgan-Olson, +1 646 408 5896, media@ ET Investors Marty Cohen, +1 551 256 5354, ir@ ETOmri Arens, +972 3 763 0127, ir@ CET
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Swindon family of girl with rare disease 'horrified' at latest trial update
The Swindon family of a young girl with a rare brain disease welcomed the news that her trial of lifesaving treatment will continue indefinitely. Addy Clarke is just one of 100 children in the world to be diagnosed with Batten Disease (CLN2), which is gradually taking away her ability to talk, eat and walk independently, and see. Her parents Hayley and Dave have previously spoken to the Adver about their heartbreak at seeing their daughter fade before their eyes while she is supported by vital cerliponase alfa treatments. Earlier this month, they celebrated NICE and the NHS coming to a commercial agreement to continue that treatment for Addy and all other children with CLN2 after the trial ends in 2025, describing the news as 'amazing'. But they were saddened to learn that the same access to the treatment would not be given to any child diagnosed after January 1, 2026. Recommended reading Building 700 homes at old golf course 'best option' for the area Family pays tribute to cyclist killed in collision by Wiltshire driver Wedding venue can continue to host events after planning appeal NICE explained that although its committee took into account the condition's rarity, severity and the effect of the treatment on quality and length of life, the most likely cost-effective estimate based on the proposed price of the medicine is not within what it considers to be an acceptable use of NHS resources. In a statement on Addy's Batten Adventure Facebook page, the Clarke family said: 'Whilst we are happy for our own little Addy, we sadly know firsthand the devastation that this news can cause on a family - which would be made all the worse if you knew other children in the country were on the same treatment that your child couldn't access because of the timing they were diagnosed, and cost. 'For us, this treatment has never been simply just about our Addy, but all children diagnosed with this earth-shattering disease - therefore we will fight on. 'The decisions by NICE have been horrific and it feels like they are trying to manipulate the pharmaceutical companies by using families as pawns in game. 'Thank you for all your support you have shown us through the ongoing questions, the donations, prayers, meals and many other things over the past five years of this journey. 'We take a big deep breath, gather our thoughts and go again.' The family has met with South Swindon MP Heidi Alexander as they try to raise awareness of this disparity in the treatment of children with the rare disease. As for Addy herself, she recently celebrated her ninth birthday by having a party with her friends and classmates at Swindon's hydrotherapy pool.
