Patients and healthcare providers are set to benefit from a new era of cancer treatment as the UK government cuts deficits to unleash life-saving innovations.
NHS patients will be the first in Europe to benefit from groundbreaking, non-invasive liver cancer treatments as government change plans put a burden, drive innovation and establish their role as a healthcare technology powerhouse.
Ultrasound technology developed by US-based company Histosonics is used to destroy tumors without surgery, scalpels, or radiation, with minimal damage to surrounding organs.
Patients can benefit from faster recovery times, potentially high survival rates, fewer potentially dangerous complications, and shorter hospital stays. All this helps reduce waiting times for others and mark a new era of cancer treatment.
New cancer treatments bring unlimited benefits
Ongoing research is investigating the potential for converting other difficult-to-reach tumors, including kidney and pancreatic cancer. It brings hope to many more NHS patients in the future.
Treatment is performed in one short session, potentially not exceeding 30 minutes, pain is unlimited or quickly recovered, and can be performed as a daily case.
Available through the UK’s innovative devices Access Pathway program. It is a government-funded scheme designed to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge health innovations into the market, allowing NHS patients to benefit from the technology several years before plans.
Wes Streeting, secretary at Health and Social Care, said: “As we are reducing deficits through planning for change, new treatments that change the game will be faster to the forefront of the NHS and change healthcare.
“Our common sense approach to regulation streamlines the approval process, freeing countless patients from life-limiting conditions.”
First patient treated this summer
A new cancer treatment called Histotripsy is being introduced at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, part of the Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), where the first NHS patients are being treated this summer using game-changing devices.
The technology was raised and established thanks to generous donations from the Li Ka Shing Foundation to Cambridge University.
“We are pleased to announce that we are a great opportunity to help you,” said Roland Sinker, CEO of Cambridge University Hospital.
“By providing this non-invasive, targeted treatment, we can care for more people as outpatients and free up surgeons time to treat more complex cases.
“A shorter recovery time means patients can return to normal life more quickly. This also reduces pressure on hospital beds, allowing patients to receive the right treatment at the right time.”
Ensuring UK status as a global health technology leader
The government’s Change Plan focuses on securing the UK’s position as a global technology powerhouse, including healthcare, which will change the lives of workers and promote innovation to achieve a decade of national renewal.
The move will fulfill the government’s commitment to tackling bureaucracy that thwarts the complexities of investment and regulation that previously stifled growth.
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