Julie Penfold

Durham

Health Journalist at Freelance

Freelance journalist specialising in everything health-related. Usually recovering from a sports injury. Likes to run and swim. Sunderland fan.

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Articles

AI Scribes Cutting GPs’ Admin and Boosting Patient Care

2 weeks ago | medscape.com | Julie Penfold

Artificial intelligence (AI) scribing tools are increasingly being used in NHS settings to enhance patient care and free up staff time. In April, the Department of Health and Social Care announced support for NHS doctors to adopt AI tools that “bulldoze bureaucracy,” allowing clinicians to focus more on their patients and less on documentation. This follows a multi-site evaluation led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, England, and funded by NHS England.
“Our goal is to print a kidney in 24 hours”

3 weeks ago | rarerevolutionmagazine.com | Julie Penfold

Written by Julie Penfold, RARE Revolution insiderInterview with Vidmantas Šakalys, chief executive officer, Vital 3DEstimated reading time: 6 minutesVidmantas Šakalys is chief executive officer of Vital 3D, a Lithuanian biotechnology company that is working towards its long-term goal of printing a kidney in 24 hours.
Regulating these 5 sleep hormones can help you fall asleep fast and stop you waking up at night

1 month ago | tomsguide.com | Julie Penfold

If you’ve ever wondered why you sleep better some nights rather than others, your hormones might be the culprit. From renowned sleep hormones such as melatonin to lesser known ones, our sleep hormones help us to thrive and reset at the right times each day. They play a crucial role in the sleep-wake cycle, helping us wind down in the evening and wake feeling refreshed and ready to go.
Rotations and Job Uncertainty May Push Young Doctors to Quit

1 month ago | medscape.com | Julie Penfold

The toll of rotational training and uncertainty over first jobs may drive more future doctors to abandon medicine altogether, experts have warned. For the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA), which represents hospital doctors, these contribute to what it describes as “an ongoing mental health crisis” among resident doctors. “It can be very lonely and very bleak at times,” explained Dr Matt Church, chair of the HCSA’s resident doctors committee.
NHS England in Talks on UK Biobank Access to GP Patient Data

2 months ago | medscape.com | Julie Penfold

UK Biobank has confirmed to Medscape News UK that NHS England is conducting audits on its systems. The checks could pave the way for anonymised primary care data from GPs to become available via the biomedical database. The audits include a review of the consent process for participants and whether access to GP data covers that consent. A separate cybersecurity audit of UK Biobank’s systems, focused on accessing GP patient data via the platform, is also underway.
Enhancing the gut microbiome for rheumatoid arthritis prevention

Mar 26, 2025 | hospitalhealthcare.com | Julie Penfold

Unlocking the key to early prevention of rheumatoid arthritis would be a real game-changer and researchers have found what could be central to this: enhancing the gut microbiome. Dr Chris Rooney and Professor Kulveer Mankia, experts in medical microbiology and rheumatology respectively, speak to Julie Penfold about their latest research and how their findings could positively impact clinical practice and optimise patient care.
"Taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep could be a sign of stress, anxiety, or sleep issues," says sleep expert

Mar 22, 2025 | tomsguide.com | Julie Penfold

We all know someone who falls asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow but how quickly we go from being awake to entering the land of nod can affect our health. Sleep latency is the term that describes the time it takes you to fall asleep. It’s thought that on average, we generally take around 10 to 20 minutes to go from awake to asleep. You might find that you occasionally go to sleep even quicker than this, however, when you’re feeling especially tired.
"Taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep could be a sign of stress, anxiety, or sleep issues," says sleep expert

Mar 22, 2025 | yahoo.com | Julie Penfold

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: ShutterstockWe all know someone who falls asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow but how quickly we go from being awake to entering the land of nod can affect our health. Sleep latency is the term that describes the time it takes you to fall asleep. It’s thought that on average, we generally take around 10 to 20 minutes to go from awake to asleep.
"Fatigue can cause the body’s nervous system to misfire, and this can lead to sleep twitches" — expert shares 5 most common causes of hypnic jerks

Mar 18, 2025 | tomsguide.com | Julie Penfold

It tends to happen when you’re just about to drift off where your legs or your body will suddenly twitch or jump. It might momentarily disturb your sleep but it usually doesn’t affect your ability to instantly return to the land of nod. But what are these fleeting moments called and why do they happen? Hypnic jerks (also referred to as sleep starts) are involuntary muscle contractions that occur infrequently for most of us. We don’t always forget about them either.
How to tackle loneliness and feel less isolated

Feb 11, 2025 | saga.co.uk | Julie Penfold

Feeling isolated and socially disconnected from others can be enormously detrimental to both your physical health and your mental wellbeing. Loneliness was recently described as being as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day in a report by the US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy. Age UK also says that loneliness is a “global mental health issue that can affect anyone, anywhere, and at any age”. If you’re feeling lonely, it’s so important to know that you are really aren't alone.