Medical technology has developed rapidly in recent in recent decades and there is now real potential to apply these technological developments to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare worldwide. In a report published in the leading medical journal, The Lancet, Peter Howitt and colleagues from Imperial College London examine how medical technology should best be used to improve health in low- and middle-income countries. The report concludes that in many cases, medical technology — almost exclusively developed in rich countries— is not appropriate for use in poorer nations. Although medical technology is making a substantial contribution to global health, there is much more that it could do if developed and applied correctly for low and middle income countries.
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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