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HomeStatins could halve stroke deaths The NHS should consider giving statins to healthy people in order to prevent heart attacks and strokes, new research recommends. Published in the Lancet, a study of 175,000 patients concluded there would be a significant reduction of risk if statins were prescribed to more people...<<Read More>>
Information Commissioner concern at risk register veto The Information Commissioner, who was over-ruled by ministers when they decided last week to veto publication of the NHS transition risk register, has said that decision was unjustified and against policy. Chris topher Graham said this case did not meet the “truly exceptional”...<<Read More>>
Praise for £2.4m mental health ward upgrade Two hospital wards for adults with mental health problems have been officially re-opened after a £2.4m refurbishment. Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust upgraded its K1 and K2 wards in Bolton – which will shortly be renamed ‘Beech Ward’ and...<<Read More>>
Plans for UK-India health collaboration The UK and India can work together to improve primary healthcare in both countries, according to a new report. India plans to achieve universal health coverage, and health has been identified by the India-UK CEO Forum, established by the British and Indian...<<Read More>>
MPs warn of medicine shortages Patients in England are facing shortages of some medicines, according to the All Party Pharmacy Group of MPs. This is mainly due to drugs being bought cheaply within the UK and then sold at higher prices elsewhere in Europe, they warn. The MPs investigated shortages which have caused...<<Read More>>
Scottish organ donors hit 2 million The organ donor register in Scotland has exceeded 2 million people, around two-fifths of the population. This year also saw the highest ever number of deceased organ donors at 81, up by nine on 2011. The figures, as measured on March 31 of this year, show that...<<Read More>>
Anti-obesity campaign launched by royal colleges The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) is launching a campaign to tackle the rising problem of obesity, which it calls “the single greatest public health threat in the UK”. The campaign begins with a three-month evidence-gathering inquiry to compile the...<<Read More>>
Accidental injury leads to thousands of deaths There is significant variation in deaths and hospital admissions due to injury across England, according to research by the South West Public Health Observatories (SWPHO).A new online data tool, Injury Profiles, is launched today to demonstrate the differences...<<Read More>>
£706,309 funding for care project The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is set to receive up to £706,309 over the next three years to test and develop new approaches to improve health and wellbeing, care services minister Paul...<<Read More>>
Dental access improved in Yorkshire More than 10,000 new NHS dental places will be made available in York and North Yorkshire, it has been announced. NHS North Yorkshire and York is investing £5m in improving services and cutting the numbers of patients...<<Read More>>
NHS managers threatened for rationing care NHS chiefs could be sacked for rationing care to save money, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is set to announce today. The use of ‘minimum waiting times’ before patients receive treatment are to be banned from March 2012. This follows a report...<<Read More>>
BMA Northern Ireland calls for minimum pricing Doctors in Northern Ireland have called for action to combat alcohol misuse during this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week. In the face of alcohol’s huge costs to society and the health service, the BMA is advocating tough measures to reduce the...<<Read More>>
Drink drive limit to be lowered in NI The environment minister for Northern Ireland, Alex Attwood, has proposed to cut the blood alcohol limit for driving from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml. Plans also include a lower limit of 20mg/100ml for young drivers and people who earn their living by driving. The 50mg limit is the law...
BIT nudge to smokeless cigarettes The Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) has released its first annual report, suggesting the promotion of ‘safe’ alternatives to cigarettes, in order to save lives. BIT, also known as the ‘nudge unit’, is developing ideas based on the principle that the Government must...
Plant-based diet could ‘cut costs and save lives’ The World Preservation Foundation has sent a paper to all MPs arguing that a vegetarian diet could dramatically cut obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The paper, “Plant-Based Diets: A solution to our public health crisis”, calls for Government to actively promote...
Mothers need more obstetric physicians Experts say there is an urgent need for more obstetric physicians and more training in this area. Maternal mortality in the UK is becoming a problem, and needs urgent attention, they argue. Although there has been a dramatic reduction...
Cycling saves lives and cuts carbon Research shows cycling can save lives and significantly reduce carbon emissions. The study, by researchers at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, investigated a city bike sharing scheme in the Spanish city which has been running...
Audit shows rising diabetes cases but fewer tests New figures from the NHS Information Centre suggest the health service could be facing a “diabetes time bomb”. The number of cases of diabetes, particularly Type 2, is increasing, especially in poorer parts of the country. An audit of patients in England and Wales...
Organ donation registration has risen to 18 million in Britain, according to NHS Blood and Transplant. This accounts for nearly one in three people, with the highest percentage in Scotland, where 37% of people are on the register. Director of organ donation and...
London fire engines get improved first aid apparatus Fire engines in the capital are now equipped with better first aid capabilities following recommendations that came from the 7/7 inquests. The inquest heard that attempts to treat some of the victims of the terrorist attacks were hampered...
Teeth-whitening controls contested Controversy over teeth-whitening procedures has caused dentists to demand stricter controls. Currently, teeth-whitening can be conducted by staff with no formal training. The law is unclear in this area, as when the 1984 Dentists Act was created, the process was... <<Read More>>
Public health and training proposals slammed by BMA The BMA has accused ministers of seeking to “further fragment” the NHS with two new sets of proposals for public health and workforce planning. A better way forward, the BMA argues, is for all three areas of public health... <<Read More>>
US scientists have proclaimed the walnut as the healthiest nut, which should be eaten as part of a healthy diet. The findings, published in the American Chemical Society, state that walnuts contain the highest level of antioxidants, which are known to help protect the... <<Read More>>
Pandemic flu strategy overhaul The cross-Government pandemic flu strategy is to be updated, with a shift away from focusing on the ‘worst case’ planning assumptions. The Department of Health is putting out to consultation its proposed UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy, which... <<Read More>>
Women’s smoking patterns in 1960s cause ‘alarming’ rise in lung cancer today Lung cancer rates doubled for women over 60 since the mid-1970s, figures show, and tripled for women over 80. Cancer Research UK, which released the figures ahead of No Smoking Day on... <<Read More>>
Stroke campaign relaunched as awareness slips A high-profile campaign on stroke awareness has been relaunched by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. The award-winning ‘Act F.A.S.T’ campaign, first launched in February 2009, is thought to have boosted public awareness... <<Read More>>
More studies link moderate drinking to positive health effects A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of alcohol consumption on heart disease has shown that those who drink in moderation experience health benefits compared to those who don’t. Those who drink about once a day or less are...<<Read More>>
Domestic abuse identification scheme for GPs shows good results A programme helping GPs identify victims of domestic abuse and get them help has had “highly promising” results. A case study published by the Health Foundation has lessons for PCTs and commissioning... <<Read More>>
Government pledges thousands more health visitors and a ‘rejuvenated’ service The Government has announced plans to “rejuvenate” the health visiting service. Families with young children will get improved help and support, said health minister Anne Milton. The... <<Read More>>
More questions than answers after peanut allergy survey A study into peanut allergies has found a much greater incidence among better-off children, and stark gender differences. Scientists at Edinburgh and Maastricht universities studied records from more than 400 GP practices in... <<Read More>>
Number of new flu cases continues to fall The number of flu cases is at a fifth of the level of five weeks ago. During the past week there have been 24.1 GP consultations per 100,000 population in England involving people reporting flu-like symptoms, down... <<Read More>>
‘Fat tax’ plans for fast food businesses Public health campaigners have welcomed pioneering plans for local ‘fat taxes’ on fast food. Takeaways wanting a licence will have to pay a £1,000 levy to fund healthy eating and anti-litter campaigns in the town pioneering the... <<Read more>>
Coloured lenses sold without supervision could be damaging eyesight Contact lenses are being sold as fashion accessories without adequate supervision, it has been alleged. Cosmetic and coloured lenses should only be sold under the supervision of an optometrist... <<Read more>>
Minimum alcohol price a ‘very small step’ The Government has been firming up its plans for minimum alcohol price levels per unit on the urging of health campaigners. The proposed minimum would mean lager could not be sold for less than 38-78p, depending on its strength, or a litre... <<Read more>>
Public safety not improved by national confidential enquiries - research New research has cast doubt on national confidential enquiries. The investigations, which look at the reasons behind poor healthcare to improve patient safety drawing on systematic case reviews, are too expensive and... <<Read more>>
Medical profession’s strong showing in Honours list Doctors, scientists and NHS staff are among those honoured by The Queen. In the New Year’s Honours list, Professor Rory Collins, the co-director of the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit at the University of... <<Read more>>
UK is told ‘don’t wait for a rash’ Up to 34 million adults in the UK are risking death with the mistaken belief that the main symptom of meningitis is a rash. Believing the rash is the only symptom is costing lives; as the rash, that does not fade under pressure, (a sign of blood... <<Read more>>
Channelling experiences of anorexia A new intervention supporting the carers of people suffering anorexia nervosa is now being trialled at hospitals across the country. The adult eating disorders team at South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust, led by Prof. Janet Treasure... <<Read more>>
Poll suggests a third icy winter will bring increased delays in hospital discharge If Britain has a third cold winter patients will face ‘lots of delays’, many more than was experienced in the previous two cold winters (2008/9, 2009/10) says a survey of British Geriatrics Society’s members... <<Read more>>
NHS Alliance welcomes public health White Paper NHS Alliancehas welcomed the Government’s new public health White Paper, Healthier Lives, Healthier People, and says it looks forward to working with the Government and Department of Health on development of these plans. Dr Michael... <<Read more>>
Referral for specialist care varies by age, sex and social deprivation In the UK, the likelihood of being referred for specialist care varies according to age, sex and socio-economic circumstances, finds a study published on bmj.com. The research, which looked at referral rates for three common cond...<<Read more>>
Public Health England – a new service to get people healthy A radical plan to go further and faster in tackling today’s causes of premature death and illness and reduce health inequalities, with a public health service to make it happen, was unveiled today by Health Secretary, Andrew...<<Read more>>
Workplace asthma costs UK at least £100 million a year Workplace asthma costs the UK at least £100 million a year and may be as high as £135 million, reveals research published online in Thorax. An estimated 3,000 new cases of occupational asthma are diagnosed every year in... <<Read more>>
Temperature rise boosts kids’ hospital admissions for serious injury Every 5°C rise in maximum temperature pushes up the rate of hospital admissions for serious injuries among children, reveals one of the largest studies of its kind published online in Emergency Medicine Journal. Conversely, each... <<Read more>>
New guidance for people with learning difficulties The government has released new guidance which it says will improve the quality of information given to people with learning difficulties. This is part of a wider government push to improve communications with disabled people in general. Minister... <<Read more>>
Wide variation in maternity care experience, according to figures Figures from the NHS Information Centre have shown that is inconstancy in terms of how well woman rate maternity services across Britain. The chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, Tim Straughan, said that the figures indicated... <<Read more>>
Citizens must play key part in healthcare, says Turning Point Health and social care charity Turning Point has said that citizen involvement will play in a key part in the success of healthcare, as part of the government’s Health Watch. Citizen advisors will inform and target health services to local needs...
Pregnancy smoking connected to repeat offenders, says BMA Experts have found a link between smoking during pregnancy and the rates of repeat offending in those babies once they grow up into adults. The results were announced in a report in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and were...
Data released by The Health Protection Agency show that there were 9,040 cases of tuberculosis in the UK last year, up from just over 8,600 in 2008. This was the highest number of cases for nearly 30 years. Two thirds were among people born outside the UK, mostly in Africa and the Indian sub-continent...
The Department of Health has issued a plea to the public to not underestimate the effects of seasonal flu and to take necessary action to protect their health. Professor David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health said: “This year, the swine flu virus will be one of the most...
The EUROCARE-4 study into cancer survival released this summer in the Lancet Oncology once again threw the NHS’ apparently inferior performance in terms of health outcomes into the limelight. The UK is depicted as out on a limb, with survival rates remaining ‘stubbornly low’ and the exception - with Denmark - to the general rule that countries spending the most on health care do better...
The Prime Minister has announced plans for a new programme in England to screen all men over 65 years of age for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and to assess adults for risk factors or early signs of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes...
Health secretary Alan Johnson has launched a comprehensive five-year plan to further improve NHS cancer services. In the biggest review of cancer services since the Cancer Plan of 2000, the NHS Cancer Reform Strategy contains a wide-ranging package of measures to tackle cancer and improve patient care...
Should smokers be forced to apply for an annual licence to purchase cigarettes? And what about one hour’s exercise every lunch hour for all employees during the working day? When Professor Julian le Grand raised the issue of how far the state should try to prevent individuals from leading unhealthy lifestyles, we asked three public health specialists for their views...
Tough on disease, tougher on the causes of disease It was more of a pep-talk than a policy statement. More about dressing the stall than shifting the tectonics. More for the media than the health community. But to me as a public health person, the Prime Minister’s New Year speech on the next big leap for the NHS came across as an event of some significance, says Dr Alan Maryon-Davis...
Gary Needle, head of NHS assessment at the Healthcare Commission, gives an insight into this year’s annual health check results
Regulation does not tend to set many people’s pulses racing. However, its importance in healthcare has certainly come under the spotlight of late...
Behaviour change and the health of England Mildred Blaxter looks at two recent publications - The Health Profile of England 2007 and NICE public health guidance Behaviour Change at Population, Community and Individual Levels...
Large variations in medical cover in hospitals at night Research carried out by the Royal College of Physicians has identified large variations in the provision of medical cover at night, with some doctors being responsible for up to 400 patients. The study, to be published later in the year in Clinical Medicine, examined the makeup of clinical teams in hospitals in England and Wales and the number of patients for which each team was responsible. It found that, at night, doctors were responsible for an average of 61 patients...
Let’s all start playing the game Thanks to funding primarily from the Premier League and fittingly from the Professional Footballers Association, the Football League Trust has been established with one of its key priorities ‘to promote health and wellbeing in Football League club’ communities, says Dave Edmundson There is an LS Lowry original painting displayed prominently at the Manchester offices of the Professional Footballers’ Association. ‘Going to the Match’ depicts in true Lowry style...
In the current financial climate, the NHS is finding itself under increased pressure to reduce costs and at the same time improve patient outcomes. Many professionals now see integration, which enables the joining up and more efficient use of resources to better meet people’s needs, as the obvious solution, says Richard Kramer Turning Point’s experience of working with people with complex needs shows that services must become more joined up in order to effectively meet the needs of...
As the financial squeeze tightens, the NHS will need a radical overhaul. Whether it will get it or not remains another matter, says Dr Michael Dixon At the NHS’s core, we need to end that terrible disconnect between managers, who believe they are running the show, clinicians who are spending their money (and happy to remain doing so on the touchline) and patients, who sometimes feel that they are simply stooges being pushed down the tramlines created by...
Co-operatives – dividends for healthcare? Over the last few months, there has been much talk in political circles about the role of co-operatives in public services. Co-operatives have been around for a couple of centuries and more, but could they help the modern NHS deliver better services more efficiently, asks Mo Girach and Geraint Day Like the organisational units of the NHS, co-operatives come in many guises. They all adhere to a number of principles agreed...
The coalition government needs to focus on cultural change, if it is to deliver on its health reforms, according to the NHS Alliance. The NHS Alliance – a primary care coalition that brings together PCTs with practices, clinicians with managers and board members – believes that the Department of Health cannot take a top down approach and cascade instructions down to the frontline. Dr Michael Dixon, chairman of the NHS Alliance said: “Command...
Doctors say patients with a learning disability receive poorer care Almost half of doctors and a third of nurses say that people with a learning disability receive a poorer standard of healthcare than the rest of the population, according to a survey published by learning disability charity Mencap to launch its new campaign, Getting it right. Mencap’s Death by indifference(ii) report in 2007 highlighted six cases of people with a learning disability who died unnecessarily in NHS hospitals. Since then the charity has received more accounts of...
National Award for Lancashire Alcohol Campaign Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (LDAAT) have collected a national award for their ‘Make Your Night Last Longer’ campaign. The campaign successfully helped to encourage young people in Lancashire, particularly university students, to drink more sensibly. The ‘Make Your Night Last Longer’ campaign collected two awards at the prestigious Best of Health Awards 2010 ceremony which..
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