Statistical genetics is a rapidly developing field that is producing models and methods for the analysis and interpretation of genetic data. Recent advances in new biotechnologies are generating detailed maps of genetic data are leading to potentially major developments in our understanding of the genetic basis of health and disease. An example of research in this area is a paper published recently by one of our statisticians, Dr Utz Pape, in the journal Nature. In the paper, Dr Pape and his colleagues investigated the link between an genetically-linked enzyme defect and myeloid cancers.
NHS budgets are under considerable pressure. It is therefore unsurprising that many NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) In England will aim to prioritise price in contract awards, But this approach is a significant threat to community-centred healthcare. While competitive tendering is a legally required, an excessive focus on costs in awarding NHS contracts risks overshadowing key factors such as established community trust, local expertise, and the long-term impact on continuity of care. This shift towards cheaper, often external, commercial providers threatens to cut the links between communities and their local health services. The argument that competitive tendering is solely about legal compliance, and not cost, is undermined by the very nature of such tendering, which by design encourages the lowest bid. This approach risks eroding the social fabric of local healthcare provision, where established relationships and understanding of specific community needs are essential. Establishe...
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