UKHSA publishes business plan for 2025-25
The UK Health Security Agency has published its business plan for 2024 to 2025, which outlines the Agency’s key deliverables and activities to protect and improve the public’s health and reduce health inequalities. Strategic priorities include being ready to respond to all hazards for health, reducing the impact of infectious diseases and anti-microbial resistance, and improving action on health security through data and insight.
Further case of Clade1b mpox announced
The UKHSA has confirmed an additional case of Clade 1b, bringing the total to six. This case is unconnected to the previous five. The case was detected in East Sussex and the individual is under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The person had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox. UKHSA says it expects to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.
Policy statement issued on hearing aids in the UK
The Department of Health and Social has published a policy statement on hearing aids in the UK, with different scenarios relating to the sale of hearing aids. Assessing or testing an individual’s hearing, or prescribing a hearing aid with a view to the sale of a hearing aid to, or for the use of that individual is regulated, but not hearing aid sales where prescription or professional assessment and testing is not involved, or there is no sale. The government intends to review this to achieve the right balance.
