Expanding the strategic and clinical leadership role of accredited specialists.

Background: We sought to explore the value and benefits of accredited specialists employed in the National Health Service (NHS), and proposed strategies for expanding their role.

Aims: To explore the core characteristics of accredited specialists and to examine how their skills could be further utilized to enhance occupational health (OH) services.

Methods: Mixed methods comprising a survey and qualitative work.

A proof-of-concept study of the removal of early and late phase biofilm from skin wound models using a liquid acoustic stream.

Chronic wounds fail to progress through the normal stages of healing, with the largest remediable cause of chronicity being presence of a multi-species biofilm. Removal of biofilm from the wound environment is central to wound care. A device for mechanically removing biofilms from wounds has been devised.

Prevalence of genetic muscle disease in Northern England: in-depth analysis of a muscle clinic population.

We have performed a detailed population study of patients with genetic muscle disease in the northern region of England. Our current clinic population comprises over 1100 patients in whom we have molecularly characterized 31 separate muscle disease entities. Diagnostic clarity achieved through careful delineation of clinical features supported by histological, immunological and genetic analysis has allowed us to reach a definitive diagnosis in 75.