What Do We Know About The New Chikungunya Vaccine So Far?

The world of travel health has just gotten a little more exciting with the recent approval in the UK of IXCHIQ®, the first-ever vaccine designed to protect adults against the debilitating Chikungunya virus. This ground-breaking development, marks a crucial step forward in safeguarding travellers and individuals in endemic regions. What is Chikungunya? Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne […]
How Can We Better Understand and Manage Pain in Children?

Assessing pain in children is a complex and often misunderstood area, and it’s something we don’t always get right. Paediatric pain is frequently mismanaged, largely because children may struggle to pinpoint where their pain is or express it in ways that differ from adults. A distressed or upset child can leave us questioning whether they’re […]
Continuing Education and CPD for Nurses

Continuing professional development (CPD) is a fundamental requirement in nursing today. In the fast-paced healthcare environment that we find ourselves in, continuing education is not optional—it’s essential. CPD helps nurses stay knowledgeable, capable, and ready to meet the ever-changing demands of modern healthcare. More than just maintaining competency, it provides opportunities for professional growth, skill […]
Delegation of Injections: When Is It Appropriate and What are the Risks?

Delegation in healthcare is a valuable practice that allows the workload to be shared among a team. However, when it comes to injections—particularly in the context of childhood immunisations and travel health—delegation requires careful consideration, especially when the person administering the injection has not conducted a risk assessment themselves. Page 20 of the RCN immunisation […]
Beating January Blues for Healthcare Workers

January – the month we often associate with feeling down, tired, and a little lost. We’ve all heard of ‘Blue Monday’, said to be the most depressing day of the year. But who decided that? According to the internet, the third Monday of January is deemed the most depressing, based on weather, post-holiday fatigue, and […]
Physician Associates in the UK: What GMC Regulation Means

The healthcare sector in the UK is constantly evolving, with regulatory updates shaping the practice landscape for professionals. One of these recent changes involves the regulation of Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) by the General Medical Council (GMC), that came into effect on the 13th December 2024. This development helps to bring clarity […]
10 Resolutions to Enhance Your Practice (and Your Confidence!) in 2025

Happy New Year from Health Academy! The start of a new year offers a perfect opportunity to reflect on our professional development and set meaningful goals. For healthcare professionals, it’s a time to reflect on what we can do enhance patient care, improve well-being, and stay current in an ever-changing field. Whether you’re a practice […]
Caring For Mental Health During The Festive Season

For many, Christmas and the Festive Season is an exciting and magical time—a season of joy where families and friends gather to enjoy good food, exchange gifts, and create cherished memories. But for some, Christmas feels entirely different. It can be a lonely, isolating, and overwhelmingly difficult time of year. According to a poll by […]
Deprescribing: Just Because It Was Appropriate Then… It Might Not Be Now

Deprescribing in my opinion can be more important than the act of prescribing but what does this involve? Deprescribing is a term first used in 2003 and is defined by deprescribing.org as ‘planned and supervised process of dose reduction or stopping of medication that might be causing harm or no longer be of benefit’. Deprescribing […]
Should We Use Alcohol Swabs Before Injections? A Look At The Arguments

At the beginning of November 2024, it was reported in the news that 77-year-old, Patricia Lines, had sadly died shortly after receiving a Vitamin B12 injection the year before, in October 2023. On the day following the injection, she had become unwell and was admitted to hospital with a confirmed Group A Streptococcus infection. She […]