Agfa HealthCare is launching the next generation of its gold-standard MUSICA (Multi-Scale Image Contrast Amplification) image processing software with new technology improvements that enhance both image quality and workflow for radiographers and radiologists at the upcoming 2013 RSNA meeting, in Chicago, USA. The new version is expected to be available in March 2014.

iPLATO Healthcare, a UK leader in mHealth and Analytics, has launched a new feature which allows practices to completely automate the collection of patient data. For the 'QoF season', users of the company's premium service (iPLATO Enterprise or iPLATO Pro) will be able to automatically Read Code patient replies to text messaging campaigns back to the medical record.

QResearch® has announced details of this year's QInnovation Award which recognises innovative research to improve the nation's health - with a grant of up to £10,000 for the winner. Now in its second year, the award is inviting entries from UK research teams involved in projects that are likely to benefit patients or improve clinical care in primary, secondary or community health.

Dr Ian Denley and Markus Bolton have unveiled Shearwater Systems, a new company established with £2.16m of initial funding to develop mobile clinical applications and health records for the UK health and social care market. Canterbury-based Shearwater Systems has already taken on 15 staff, the majority of whom are technical. The team is developing a range of healthcare IT products including the Rapport Clinical Portal and the Rapport Patient Portal.

NHS England will be joining IMS MAXIMS on stand A44 at this year's annual EHI Live conference and exhibition on November 5-6 at the NEC, Birmingham. IMS MAXIMS is one of the first suppliers in the UK to discuss an open source package for patient administration systems and electronic patient records. Delegates are invited to the stand to find out more about open source and what it could mean for them.

Following on from a successful pilot, social enterprise and NHS healthcare provider Bristol Community Health CIC has gone live with the TotalMobile™ App Platform across three of their community healthcare teams and their citywide phlebotomy service. The TotalMobile App, a mobile workflow management solution, allows Healthcare Professionals to spend less time on administration and travel, and more with patients.

The College of Emergency Medicine claims A&E departments have become "like warzones," while the Care Quality Commission has admitted that in some parts of England, emergency care is now "out of control." At Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, however, innovative technology developed with Caradigm is helping to support the hospital's A&E department in the daily management of these challenges.