Erwin James on the treatment of elderly prisoners in British jails – The Guardian 6th July 2009
Elderly prisoners – people like Ronnie Biggs – are the fastest growing age group in British jails. Often frail and ill, their treatment is inadequate and inhumane, says Erwin James
tags: Prison Health Services, Older People, Quality, Health, News, UHN, The Guardian
Additional Story
The Observer profile: Liam Donaldson – the nation’s own flu fighter – The Observer 5th July 2009
The chief medical officer is steering the country through the increasing epidemic. Meanwhile, not one to take notice of the libertarians, he wants to go even further with the smoking ban. And he’s got Kate Moss in his sights
tags: Pandemic, Influenza, H1N1, Health, News, UHN, Epidemiology, The Observer
Additional Stories
- Swine flu’s at my gate. But I’m not afraid – The Observer 5th July 2009
- David Beckham’s niece diagnosed with swine flu – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
- Cases of swine flu ‘could top 100,000 a day by August’ – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
- Swine flu: Your questions answered – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Fear for cancer patients as vital drugs are exported – The Observer 5th July 2009
Supplies of vital medicines, including those used in the fight against cancer, are running short because UK pharmacies and drug wholesalers are selling them abroad to maximise profits.
The situation is becoming so critical that last night major pharmaceutical companies and leading charities called for the government to introduce new regulations to ensure supplies will be guaranteed in the future.
tags: Cancer, Drug Therapy, Pharmaceutical Industry, Health, News, UHN, The Observer
Chancellor refuses to rule out pay freeze for public workers – The Observer 5th July 2009
Alistair Darling says public sector pay must reflect prevailing conditions as inflation hits lowest level in years
tags: Pay, Health Economics, Public Sector, Economics, Health, News, UHN, Politics, The Observer
Additional Stories
- Alistair Darling signals pay squeeze for public sector workers – The Observer 5th July 2009
- We’ve had years of growth – so let’s not be afraid of cuts – The Observer 5th July 2009
Cuts package threatens deep political divisions – The Observer 5th July 2009 - Alistair Darling hints at cuts and pay squeeze as finances worsen – The Sunday Times 5th July 2009
- Alistair Darling warns that public sector workers face pay squeeze – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
- Alistair Darling hints at public sector pay freeze as Britain’s economy continues to suffer – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
- All public sector workers should have pay frozen, urges head of public spending watchdog – Daily Mail 5th July 2009
- Spending chief urges pay freeze – BBC Health News 5th July 2009
Hope for blindness cure with laser breakthrough – The Observer 5th July 2009
Pulses of light clean key membrane to prevent the onset of macular degeneration
tags: Ophthalmology, Surgery, Health, News, UHN, The Observer, Laser Treatment, Older People
Additional Stories
- Hope for cure for blindness – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
- Blindness treatment could stop millions from losing their eyesight – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
How lottery dream can turn deadly – The Observer 5th July 2009
Many live happily on a £1m windfall – but a new study shows a win can lead to a king-size drink and drug problem
tags: Lifestyle, Mental Health, Health, News, UHN, The Observer
CBI issues swine flu alert – The Observer 5th July 2009
Employers say firms must draw up plans to cope with pandemic
Businesses of all sizes should start making contingency plans to deal with the swine flu pandemic, after the government’s warning that the number of people falling ill with the virus could soar to 100,000 a day by August, employers groups have warned.
tags: Strategic Planning, Economics, Mortality, Pandemic, Influenza, H1N1, Health, News, UHN, The Observer
Life expectancy gap between rich and poor is widening – The Guardian 3rd January 2009
The gap in life expectancy between the prosperous middle classes and those in the most deprived homes is widening sharply, latest health figures show.
The emerging pattern suggests that the well-off are adopting healthier lifestyles while the poor are still drinking and smoking and cannot afford to change diets.
tags: Life Expectancy, Poverty, Deprivation, Equity, Public Health, Health, News, UHN, The Guardian
Teenager is fourth person in UK to die from swine flu – The Guardian 3rd July 2009
A 19-year-old man has become the fourth person in the UK to die of swine flu and the first in London.
The teenager, from south London, who has not been identified, had serious underlying health problems, as had all those who have died in the UK so far. He tested positive for the H1N1 virus after his death at Lewisham hospital on Wednesday.
tags: Mortality, Pandemic, Influenza, H1N1, Health, News, UHN, The Guardian
Additional Stories
- 19-year-old becomes fourth Briton to die from swine flu – The Independent 4th July 2009
- London teenager becomes Britain’s fourth swine flu death – The Times 4th July 2009
- Fourth person in Britain dies after contracting swine flu – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
Swine flu: first death in London – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009 - First swine flu death in London – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Reprieve for dentist who enforced Islamic dress – The Guardian 3rd July 2009
A dentist who told Muslim patients he would treat them only if they wore Islamic dress can still practise, the General Dental Council ruled today. While working at a clinic in Bury, Greater Manchester, Dr Omer Butt told two women to wear head scarfs before he would see them and their families. The GDC concluded he sought to impose a dress code on Muslim patients between April 2005 and June 2007. Butt “discriminated” against people and “did not act in the best interests of his patients” but it said the events took place “a considerable time ago” and he had not repeated the conduct since.
tags: Dental Health, Professional Discipline, Ethics, Religion, Health, News, UHN, GMHN, The Guardian
Government warns public against swine flu drugs from internet – The Guardian 3rd July 2009
Fourth death in UK as chief medical officer says Britain has enough Tamiflu and online pills may be counterfeit
tags: Drug Therapy, Internet, Pharmacy, Ethics, Mortality, Pandemic, Influenza, H1N1, Health, News, UHN, The Guardian
Additional Stories
- Online buyers warned over fake flu drugs – The Independent 3rd July 2009
- Swine flu: don’t buy Tamiflu online, says Sir Liam Donaldson – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
- Warning over fake Tamiflu sales – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Two mothers in three ‘fear stares if they breastfeed’ – The Independent on Sunday 5th July 2009
Parliament to debate change in the law to support nursing mothers
It is as near to the elixir of life as a liquid can get, especially for a newborn baby. But children are still being denied breastmilk by new mums who are too self-conscious to nurse on the go for fear of attracting the opprobrium of a “bottle-fed” nation, according to a new survey that deals a fresh blow to Britain’s attempts to improve its pitiful track record on breastfeeding.
tags: Breastfeeding, Legislation, Health, News, UHN, The Independent on Sunday
Google or Microsoft could hold NHS patient records say Tories – The Times 6th July 2009
Health records could be transferred to Google or Microsoft under a Tory government, The Times has learnt.
Patients will be given the option of moving their medical notes to private companies after the Conservatives said that they would replace Labour’s “centrally determined and unresponsive national IT system”.
tags: Politics, Health, News, Information Technology, UHN, The Times, Confidentiality, Medical Records
Additional Stories
- Give doctors the basic information so they can save patients’ lives – The Times 6th July 2009
- Ethics could sink Tory plan for Google or Microsoft health records – The Times 6th July 2009
- NHS to buy off-the-shelf software – The Times 6th July 2009
- Privacy concerns over Tory plans to farm NHS records out to private firms – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
Mother fights for embryos ‘on death row’ – The Sunday Times 5th July 2009
A mother who faces losing 11 frozen embryos is leading a campaign on behalf of dozens of women to change rules that would prevent them having more children.
Some of the women could lose the chance of having any children of their own if laws which state that their IVF embryos must be destroyed on October 1 are not changed.
tags: In Vitro Fertilisation, Ethics, Health, News, CMHN, UHN, The Sunday Times
Additional Stories
- Mother fights to save frozen embryos – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
- Crusading mother in race to save ‘death row’ embryos – Daily Mail 5th July 2009
NHS allowing photo sales reps on maternity wards – The Telegraph 6th July 2009
Hospitals are making thousands of pounds by allowing a private firm access to new mothers who are persuaded into buying photos of their babies just hours after they have given birth.
tags: Health, News, UHN, Ethics, Obstetrics, Hospitals, NHS
Slimming pill Alli monitored over liver fears – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
A popular slimming pill available in the high street is being monitored over fears it could be linked to liver damage.
tags: Liver Diseases, Obesity, Drug Therapy, Health, News, UHN, The Sunday Telegraph
Cow tissue used to save baby boy’s life after heart bypass – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
A baby born with two missing heart valves was saved when surgeons implanted tissue from a cow in him.
tags: Transplantation Services, Surgery, Ethics, Neonatology, CMHN, UHN, The Sunday Telegraph, Heart Diseases
Additional Story
Cruelty, neglect and a catalogue of blunders: stories from today’s NHS – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
Hospital patients are repeatedly being exposed to cruelty, neglect and blunders at the hands of the health service, a report has warned.
tags: NHS, Quality, Clinical Governance, Cancer, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph, Infection Control, Negligence, Mortality, Pain
Additional Stories
- Dying man denied morphine, family claim – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
- Nurse mocked frail pensioner as ‘drama queen’ – Telegraph
- Patient lived with cancer for 50 years before dying of bedsore – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
Tumour patient was treated in corridor – The Telegraph 4th July 2009 - 11 serious errors a day in NHS surgery – Daily Mail 5th July 2009
Childhood obesity revealed in fat map – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
One in six children are obese by the time they start school in some parts of the country, a new “fat map” of Britain has revealed.
tags: Obesity, Children, Epidemiology, Mapping, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph
Additional Stories
- Four-year-olds in North East England four times as likely to be as obese as others – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
- One in six children clinically obese when they start primary school – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
Blind man has sight restored by having tooth implanted in his eye – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
A man who was blinded in an accident at work has seen his wife for the first time after his tooth was transplanted into his eye to restore his sight.
tags: The Telegraph, Ophthalmology, Health, News, UHN, Surgery
Self-help books ‘can have the opposite effect’ – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
Self-help books may actually have the opposite affect on their readers and could do more harm than good, according to new research.
tags: Psychology, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph
Additional Story
Relaxing rules on GPs removing skin cancer will ‘put patients at risk’ – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
Patients could be put at risk as rules allowing GPs to remove cancerous moles are set to be relaxed despite evidence the treatment fails in almost half of cases, experts have warned.
tags: Skin Cancer, Dermatology, Primary Care, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph, Regulations, Diagnosis
Additional Story
Pensioner fighting to bring dying husband home – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
A pensioner, Dorothy Townend, is fighting to be allowed to nurse her dying husband at home after he was taken into residential care by their local NHS trust.
tags: Ethics, Older People, Alzheimers Disease, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph
Mumps cases soar in students – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
Cases of mumps have soared with the number of people struck down so far this year exceeding the total for the whole of last year and the previous year.
tags: Mumps, Immunisation, Epidemiology, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph
Recession increases food poisoning risk, watchdog warns – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
Britain faces the risk of a serious food poisoning outbreak as companies and consumers cut corners to save money in the recession, the chairman of the Government’s food watchdog has warned.
tags: Food Hygiene, Food Poisoning, Economics, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph
One child under 12 admitted to hospital every 48 hours after binge-drinking – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
A child under the age of 12 is treated in hospital every 48 hours for the effects of binge-drinking, new figures have shown.
tags: Alcohol, Accident and Emergency Departments, Children, Health, News, Epidemiology, UHN, The Telegraph
Patient cleaned ‘filthy’ ward while attached to a drip – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
A patient was so disgusted at the “filthy” hospital ward she was being treated on that she forced herself out of bed and cleaned it while still attached to a drip.
tags: Hygiene, Hospitals, Infection Control, Health, News, UHN, The Telegraph
I had to know if my breasts could kill me: After losing her mother to breast cancer Dawn Porter embarked on a journey to find out if she had inherited the gene – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
As a woman, I love my breasts. They are an important part of my femininity and I like wearing pretty bras and clothes which show off my cleavage. My curves are what makes me feel like a woman. But my breasts also constitute my biggest fear – for there’s a good chance they could kill me.
My mum died from breast cancer when she was only 34 – just four years older than I am now. My great-grandmother also died of the disease in her early 30s.
tags: Breast Cancer, Genetics, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail
It had all the hallmarks of a political sting: an attractive young writer with secret links to Labour interviews a Tory frontbencher and produces a ‘scandal’ gleefully fed to the media by ex-Downing Street Press chief Alastair Campbell.
But last night the Tories claimed that Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is the first victim of an internet-based unit involving the son of former Deputy PM John Prescott, that Labour plans to use in the next Election.
tags: NHS, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail, Politics, Mass Media, Ethics
Harry Potter star Rupert Grint hit by swine flu- Daily Mail 4th July 2009
Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint is recovering from a “mild bout” of swine flu.
Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the films, took a few days away from filming the latest film, but has now been able to return to work.
“It has just been confirmed that Rupert Grint has taken a few days out of filming due to a mild bout of swine flu,” his publicist said.
tags: H1N1, Epidemiology, Health, News, UHN, Influenza, Pandemic, Daily Mail
Additional Story
How computers can harm your children’s future… by damaging their brains- Daily Mail 4th July 2009
Children who spend hour after hour on the computer may be damaging a vital part of their brains. Here, in a stark warning, Baroness Susan Greenfield, director of the Royal Institution and Oxford Professor of Synaptic Pharmacology, explains how this could be creating a generation blighted by obesity and gambling.
One can look at the world through experience or poetry, or one can view it in terms of science. Science does not invalidate other ways of perceiving things, but it can help explain what we see. And it can do so with regard to young people who spend several hours of the day playing computer games, or in online chatrooms.
tags: Obesity, Gambling, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail, Information Technology, Children
Why the pepper is worth its salt (in Vitamin C)- Daily Mail 4th July 2009
The humble pepper has a very surprising secret – it is a wealth of Vitamin C.
‘The pepper contains three times more Vitamin C than oranges and other citrus fruit,’ says Bridget Benelam of the British Nutrition Foundation. ‘They are a little-known, yet rich source of this immune-boosting vitamin.’
tags: Diet, Nutrition, VItamins, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail
I’d always protected my sister. But I was powerless when her breast cancer struck again, says Joan Bakewell- Daily Mail 4th July 2009
I always called her ‘our kid’. I did it in defiance of my mother’s social pretensions, but also to tell the others on the street or in the playground that she was under my protection. I took my role as senior sibling very seriously.
Susan was born six years after me in the winter of 1939 and I was obsessively fascinated by the new baby. I was given my own baby doll that I insisted had a parallel life: I washed, changed and fed her exactly as and when my mother was doing the same.
tags: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail
Baby girl faces liver checks after Tesco pharmacist mistakenly prescribes huge dosage- Daily Mail 4th July 2009
A baby girl is being monitored for long-term liver and kidney damage after a bungling Tesco pharmacist gave her a massive overdose of penicillin.
Kirsty Hensby picked up a prescription from the supermarket after her three-month-old daughter Summer developed a rash.
But the locum pharmacist labelled the medicine with the wrong dosage, meaning that for four days Miss Hensby unwittingly gave Summer an amount more suitable for a six-year-old child.
tags: Liver Diseases, Kidney Diseases, Negligence, Antibiotics, Pharmacy, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail
Father saves his daughter from dying of lung cancer after doctors sent her home with antibiotics- Daily Mail 4th July 2009
Grateful Laura Hicks has every reason to listen to her father.
When the twenty-year-old developed breathlessness and persistent coughing three years ago, her doctor said she had asthma and sent her home with antibiotics.
But concerned father Stan Hicks refused to accept the diagnosis.
tags: Diagnosis, Negligence, Lung Cancer, Cancer, Health, News, UHN, Daily Mail
Genetic clue to brain cancer risk – BBC Health News 5th July 2009
Genetic warning signs of an increased risk of the commonest kind of brain cancer have been discovered.
UK and US scientists identified genetic indicators that someone is at greater risk of developing a glioma – which accounts for 50% of all brain tumours.
tags: Cancer, Diagnosis, Genetics, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News
Twins’ mothers ‘need more advice’ – BBC Health News 5th July 2009
Two thirds of parents of twins and multiple births are being denied access to vital birth advice, a poll suggests.
The charity Tamba (Twins and Multiple Births Association) says such support improves outcomes and can help prevent post-natal depression.
tags: Maternal Care, Midwifery, Obstetrics, Postnatal Depression, Mental Health, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News
Inside Medicine: Lipidologist – BBC Health News 5th July 2009
In a series focusing on medical specialties, the BBC News website meets lipidologist Dr Dermot Neely.
Lipidology is the study of fats which play a key role in the body.
tags: Medical Staff, Metabolism, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News
Majority ‘do not exercise enough’ – BBC Health News 4th July 2009
Nearly two thirds of UK adults risk their health through insufficient exercise, a survey shows.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy polled 2,084 adults, and found 63% admitted to not taking enough exercise.
tags: Physical Activity, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News
Self-help ‘makes you feel worse’ – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Bridget Jones is not alone in turning to self-help mantras to boost her spirits, but a study warns they may have the opposite effect.
Canadian researchers found those with low self-esteem actually felt worse after repeating positive statements about themselves.
tags: Psychology, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News, Mental Health
Pharmacist pay premium rejected – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Unions have reacted furiously to ministers’ rejection of a proposal for a national recruitment and retention premium for junior pharmacists.
The independent pay review body recommended the scheme as a way to boost numbers of pharmacists in the profession across the UK.
tags: Pharmacists, Pharmacy, Pay, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News
Mother admits aiding ME suicide – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
A mother of a prominent ME sufferer and campaigner has admitted aiding and abetting the suicide of her daughter.
Bridget Kathleen Gilderdale, 54, of Stonegate, near Heathfield, Sussex, pleaded guilty to the charge at Lewes Crown Court.
tags: Myalgic Encephalitis, Suicide, Euthanasia, Health, News, Ethics, Jurisprudence, UHN, BBC Health News
Overweight to be paid to get slim – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Volunteers will receive shopping vouchers as they lose weight on a new scheme in Essex.
The Pound-for-Pound project, which starts in September, will give dieters a £1 voucher for healthy food for every 1lb they lose.
The three-month pilot will be offered to 100 overweight volunteers.
tags: Obesity, Incentives, Health, News, UHN, Primary Care, Ethics, BBC Health News
Maggot infestation hunt continues – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
A search for the source of a maggot infestation at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Aberdeen will continue over the weekend.
The discovery has caused the closure of three operating theatres, and postponements of procedures.
tags: Surgery, Hygiene, Infection Control, Hospitals, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News
‘I was given a cold to help others’ – BBC Health News 3rd July 2009
Catherine Lewington is excited that she has her first cold of the year.
And unlike the many other common colds the 59-year-old has suffered, Catherine knows exactly what type she has – RV16.
Despite having the lung condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Catherine is feeling relatively well and being regularly monitored by clinicians.
tags: COPD, Health, News, UHN, BBC Health News, Respiratory Tract Diseases
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