Latest news with #UniversityHospitalSouthampton
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Jersey: Hospital patients let down by Blue Islands' cancellations
David Thompson has a tumour on his right lung. He was travelling from Jersey to Southampton for a scan and biopsy to find out whether he has cancer when his flight was cancelled with less than an hour's flight was one of 29 between Jersey and Southampton which have been cancelled or delayed so far this year by Channel Islands airline Blue Thompson said he managed to reschedule his medical appointments but was "fearful" it wouldn't be possible. He had cancer seven and a half years ago and said he knew with a disease like cancer "every day counts". Blue Islands said it was "truly sorry" a small number of patient hospital flights had been disrupted in recent weeks. 'Exception rather than norm' A spokesperson from the airline said patient hospital travel was one of the most important services it provided for airline acknowledged the weekday morning flight from Jersey to Southampton was key to reaching hospital said since the beginning of this year it had two cancellations on this service – one for technical reasons and one for crew more had been cancelled for weather reasons, the company said, and one when Jersey airport was closed due to a security airline said: "Although we know it will come as no consolation to those whose journeys and hospital visits were impacted, such events are the exception rather than the norm." 'Upset me a lot' Jersey Hospital regularly sends patients to University Hospital Southampton for treatments it cannot provide Mr Thompson's partner shared his experience with Blue Islands in a Facebook group, he was astonished by the number of people who replied with similar stories, dating back to Thompson said it felt like the airline did not said the cancellation cost him £140 in hotel and taxi costs, but what concerned him most was that he believed there were three other people on the flight due to have PET scans - for cancer diagnosis or said: "One of them was a really older gentleman so, for him, it would have been a hell of a long day. "When we were collecting the baggage from the baggage carousel, he shed a tear. "That upset me a lot."Mr Thompson is still waiting for the results of his PET scan and biopsy. Four days after Mr Thompson's flight to Southampton was cancelled, Annette Jackson, travelling to get treatment for a degenerative eye condition, had a similar was booked on a 15:00 BST flight the afternoon before an appointment in Southampton when her flight was cancelled. She was put on a flight scheduled to leave three hours later, but it was delayed until 20:30 BST."I got to Southampton at 10 o'clock at night when I should have been there at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, very tired, very exhausted," she Jackson said Blue Islands claimed the flight was cancelled because of technical issues."They'd shoved us all on to the later flight, which was full and the same coming back," she Islands said it did not cancel flights at the last minute due to passenger said this not only impacted customers but came with significant financial costs. 'Very traumatic' Mrs Jackson said it could be "very traumatic" to spend five hours in an airport because of her sight loss."Luckily, my husband was with me or else it would have been really bad because I can't see anything in bright light," she Jackson said she was "dreading" her next flight to the UK for another medical appointment in eight weeks' time. The Jersey Consumer Council (JCC) said situations like this were "the tip of the iceberg" when it came to the way flight cancellations could impact Carl Walker said there had been growing problems in recent months, with increasing flight cancellations and a result, the JCC has launched a survey for passengers to share their experiences of flying with Blue Islands. Mr Walker said UK and EU law meant passengers on UK and EU-based airlines could claim more than £200 compensation for cancellations, but equivalent law did not exist in the Channel said because Blue Islands was a Channel Island airline, anybody using it was unprotected from a consumer Walker said: "The government needs to change the law, it either needs to create its own compensation scheme for any airline based in the Channel Islands or it simply needs to try and extend the the UK Law to cover the Channel Islands."This really does need urgent attention." 'It isn't acceptable' In 2020, Jersey's government loaned Blue Islands £10m to be paid back over six of this agreement was to help the airline keep providing islanders with "access to essential medical care".Mr Thompson said the government should be doing something to make sure people could rely on the service, and to make sure the money the health service spent on patient flights to Southampton was not wasted."It isn't acceptable," he said: "It's not about me, it's about everybody who needs that treatment in Southampton, they deserve better than this... because in a lot of cases it can be the difference."The BBC has approached the Government of Jersey for comment.
STV News
29-04-2025
- Health
- STV News
World-first clinical trial launched in the UK for a fridge-free vaccine
A world-first clinical trial has been launched in the UK for a fridge-free vaccine, which could greatly increase access to jabs. The Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02) is completely stable at room temperature and the firm behind it says up to 60 other vaccines may benefit from the advanced technology. The first-in-human trial of the vaccine is taking place at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton clinical research facility at University Hospital Southampton. One of the biggest barriers to people getting vaccines in some parts of the world is the 'cold chain' required to keep vaccines cold from manufacture to the point they are injected. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that up to half of vaccines are wasted globally every year – largely because of a lack of temperature control and the logistics needed to support an unbroken cold-chain. UK-based biotech company Stablepharma has shown it can converts existing approved vaccines to fridge-free versions that can be stored for long periods of time at room temperature. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'For years, vaccines have been held back by the need to be stored in a fridge – causing endless amounts of wastage and making it difficult to deliver them to remote communities. 'But thanks to this Government's vision and our investment through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, all that could be about to change. 'We are leading the charge by pushing through the world's first trial for fridge-free vaccines. 'This could be a real game changer and lifesaver globally – as it unlocks new ways for poorer nations to deliver vaccines to their patients, where they're often needed the most. 'Groundbreaking science is amongst the things that Britain does best, and this innovation reaffirms our position as a world leader in vaccine development and research, boosting growth and economic security – the cornerstone of our Plan for Change.' The clinical trial is being led by Professor Saul Faust from the University of Southampton and Stablepharma chief development officer, Dr Karen O'Hanlon. Prof Faust said: 'It is fantastic to see cutting-edge UK science reach the milestone of a first clinical trial and to be able to give the opportunity for people living on the south coast to take part. 'This research will be an important step toward exploring whether this innovation could eradicate vaccine wastage and move away from the need for the cold-chain.' The trial is expected to complete this summer, with results published by the end of the year. Stablepharma hopes the new vaccine will be in use globally by 2027. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
ITV News
29-04-2025
- Health
- ITV News
World-first clinical trial launched in Southampton for a fridge-free vaccine
A world-first clinical trial has been launched in the UK for a fridge-free vaccine, which could greatly increase access to jabs. The Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02) is completely stable at room temperature and the firm behind it says up to 60 other vaccines may benefit from the advanced technology. The first-in-human trial of the vaccine is taking place at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton clinical research facility at University Hospital Southampton. One of the biggest barriers to people getting vaccines in some parts of the world is the 'cold chain' required to keep vaccines cold from manufacture to the point they are injected. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that up to half of vaccines are wasted globally every year – largely because of a lack of temperature control and the logistics needed to support an unbroken cold-chain. UK-based biotech company Stablepharma has shown it can convert existing approved vaccines to fridge-free versions that can be stored for long periods of time at room temperature. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'For years, vaccines have been held back by the need to be stored in a fridge – causing endless amounts of wastage and making it difficult to deliver them to remote communities. 'But thanks to this Government's vision and our investment through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, all that could be about to change. 'We are leading the charge by pushing through the world's first trial for fridge-free vaccines. 'This could be a real game changer and lifesaver globally – as it unlocks new ways for poorer nations to deliver vaccines to their patients, where they're often needed the most. 'Groundbreaking science is amongst the things that Britain does best, and this innovation reaffirms our position as a world leader in vaccine development and research, boosting growth and economic security – the cornerstone of our Plan for Change.' The clinical trial is being led by Professor Saul Faust from the University of Southampton and Stablepharma chief development officer, Dr Karen O'Hanlon. Prof Faust said: 'It is fantastic to see cutting-edge UK science reach the milestone of a first clinical trial and to be able to give the opportunity for people living on the south coast to take part. 'This research will be an important step toward exploring whether this innovation could eradicate vaccine wastage and move away from the need for the cold-chain.' The trial is expected to complete this summer, with results published by the end of the year. Stablepharma hopes the new vaccine will be in use globally by 2027.
The Independent
29-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
World-first trial for ‘room temperature' vaccines launched in the UK as nearly half go to waste
A world-first clinical trial for a fridge-free vaccine has been launched in the UK which could greatly increase access to jabs in the future. The firm behind a vaccine that is completely stable at room temperature – the Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02) – says up to 60 other vaccines may benefit from the advanced technology it uses. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton clinical research facility at University Hospital Southampton will house the first-in-human trial of the vaccine. The requirement to keep most vaccines in a 'cold chain' remains one of the biggest barriers to people getting accines in some part of the world. It can often prove challenging to maintain the conditions needed from manufacture to the point of injection. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that up to half of vaccines are wasted globally every year – largely because of a lack of temperature control and the logistics needed to support an unbroken cold-chain. UK-based biotech company Stablepharma has shown it can converts existing approved vaccines to fridge-free versions that can be stored for long periods of time at room temperature. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'For years, vaccines have been held back by the need to be stored in a fridge – causing endless amounts of wastage and making it difficult to deliver them to remote communities. 'But thanks to this Government's vision and our investment through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, all that could be about to change. 'We are leading the charge by pushing through the world's first trial for fridge-free vaccines. 'This could be a real game changer and lifesaver globally – as it unlocks new ways for poorer nations to deliver vaccines to their patients, where they're often needed the most. 'Groundbreaking science is amongst the things that Britain does best, and this innovation reaffirms our position as a world leader in vaccine development and research, boosting growth and economic security – the cornerstone of our Plan for Change.' The clinical trial is being led by Professor Saul Faust from the University of Southampton and Stablepharma chief development officer, Dr Karen O'Hanlon. Prof Faust said: 'It is fantastic to see cutting-edge UK science reach the milestone of a first clinical trial and to be able to give the opportunity for people living on the south coast to take part. 'This research will be an important step toward exploring whether this innovation could eradicate vaccine wastage and move away from the need for the cold-chain.' The trial is expected to complete this summer, with results published by the end of the year. Stablepharma hopes the new vaccine will be in use globally by 2027.
Times
29-04-2025
- Health
- Times
‘Revolutionary' fridge-free vaccines to be trialled in UK
British scientists have launched the world's first trial of a vaccine that does not need to be kept in the fridge, using revolutionary technology that is set to be a 'global lifesaver'. At present vaccines need to be refrigerated or frozen, and this 'cold chain' is a huge barrier to getting people vaccinated in developing countries — meaning that about half of all vaccines are thrown away each year. The UK biotech firm Stablepharma has developed new technology, backed by the government, which converts existing vaccines to fridge-free versions that are 'thermostable' and can be stored for long periods at room temperature. One of their vaccines, the Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02), is now being tested on humans in a clinical trial at University Hospital Southampton.
