Time pressure, cost cutting and reams of paperwork - the daily routine for health and social care workers often equates to tilting at windmills. Diakonie- Pflege Verbund Berlin - which provides social care services in Germany's capital - turned to technology to address these pressures more effectively and improve both quality of care and staff working conditions.

Diversified technology company 3M has announced the launch of its new RFID enabled Patient Record Tracking Solution. With a successful track record in RFID related markets and technologies, 3M now offers a solution that allows hospital staff to quickly and easily locate any of their Patient Records.

GP surgeries in Southwark Primary Care Trust (PCT) have been using iPLATO's text messaging solution to invite patients for their MMR jab and to alert parents of the recent measles outbreaks in local schools within the Borough.

IBA Health Group Limited (ASX: IBA), Australia's largest listed health information technology company, announced that its iSOFT European business has signed contracts with two major hospital groups in the Netherlands totalling €8.8 million ($17.6 million).

Royal Philips Electronics today announced that it is leading a major new European project to develop drug delivery technologies that could significantly impact the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. By allowing drugs to be delivered to disease sites via the patient's bloodstream and then activated by focused ultrasound pulses, the SonoDrugs project aims to maximize the therapeutic efficiency and minimize the side effects of drug treatments for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) has reported Q4 sales of EUR 7.6 billion. Healthcare showed strong Q4 sales growth of 9% and improved earnings; lower sales at Consumer Lifestyle and parts of Lighting reflect the challenging retail and automotive markets.

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) and VTT opened today an InnoHub in the city of Espoo, close to Helsinki to generate innovative ideas and translate these into profitable businesses. Focus areas for the InnoHub are health, life-style and well-being. The centre is a melting pot of people from different backgrounds and experiences, who work closely together in an inspiring and real-life setting that includes a hospital room, a nurse's station as well as a home environment.