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The public health minister defended the 24-week limit for abortions in front of a committee of MPs yesterday. Dawn Primarolo told the science and technology committee's inquiry that the medical consensus was clear that survival of severely premature babies had not improved, so there was no justification for lowering the age limit.
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Plans to relax law on early abortion - The Times 25th October 2007
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Jon Henley asks: Is the flu jab a waste of time? - The Guardian 25th October 2007Additional Story
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On balance, probably not. The WHO reckons "vaccination of the elderly against flu reduces the risk of serious complications or death by 70-85%". But a new report from the Health Protection Agency suggests that, despite Britain's £150m programme to vaccinate 15 million-plus people (including three-quarters of the over-65s) each winter, having the jab makes no difference to an elderly person's chances of ending up in hospital with a more serious flu-related respiratory illness.
Doctors providing out-of-hours care in north-west England will be the first to get access to a controversial database storing summaries of patients' medical records, NHS chiefs disclosed yesterday. The scheme was criticised by the British Medical Association and computer privacy experts last year when ministers unveiled plans to put the medical records of 50 million patients on to an electronic national database known as the Spine.
Professor Le Grand's attempt to dismiss Seumas Milne's commentary on the destruction of the NHS as "rant" is an all-too-typical New Labour response (Letters, October 22). Perhaps his own direct responsibility for New Labour's reforms, as Tony Blair's senior health policy adviser, which he did not mention, has made him lose objectivity.
I discovered a list of my son's sexual conquests, including details of three-in-a-bed sessions. I'm concerned about his attitude towards women and whether he'll ever have a loving relationship
Breakthrough in fertility treatment as first British babies are born using new technique. A landmark in the development of fertility treatment was announced by doctors yesterday with the birth of the first babies to be conceived using a revolutionary technique that offers a safer, cheaper alternative to IVF.
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A revolution in the making - now it's up to the scientists - The Independent 25th October 2007
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Birth of twins gives hope to women who cannot use IVF - The Times 25th October 2007
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The IVM babies: Twins are first in Britain to be born using new, 'safer' fertility technique - Daily Mail 24th October 2007
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First UK birth from lab-grown egg - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
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First UK birth from lab-grown egg - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
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The contrast between the life expectancy of the National Health Service patients I saw, who either lived in a relatively deprived inner-city council estate in Norwich or later in Whitechapel, East London, and those I met as private patients in Devonshire Place, close to Harley Street, always worried me.
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Wealthy, healthy and aged 85: the women living ever longer - The Times 25th October 2007
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Why accountants live longer than builders - The Telegraph 25th October 2007
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Gulf in rich-poor life expectancy - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
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Why accountants live longer than builders - The Telegraph 25th October 2007
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Gulf in rich-poor life expectancy - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
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The hospital at the centre of the fatal Clostridium difficile outbreak has been forced to close after being struck by a highly infectious virus known as the winter sickness bug. Maidstone Hospital in Kent, one of three hospitals run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, in which 90 people died as a result of C. diff, is one among several hospitals across Britain experiencing an outbreak of norovirus.
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Virus outbreak forces hospital to shut ward - The Telegraph 25th October 2007
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Virus outbreak forces hospital to shut ward - The Telegraph 25th October 2007
Media focus on young women with breast cancer can distort the success of older females’ survival rate Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) does a valuable service in advising women of the disease’s early signs and symptoms, the need for screening and the achievements of research work into causes and treatment. If there is a criticism of the annual campaign it is that too many of the true stories told on TV, radio or in newspapers are preoccupied with the devastating effect of the diagnosis on patient and family.
GlaxoSmithKline announced a £1.5 billion cost-cutting drive yesterday that includes plans to cut at least 5,000 jobs, close plants and outsource the manufacture of drugs that have gone off-patent. Europe’s largest pharmaceuticals company gave the news as it reported a 7 per cent fall in third-quarter profits, led by weaker sales of Avandia, its controversial diabetes medicine, and increased competition from makers of generic drugs.
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Drugs group to shed 1,000 UK jobs in attempt to reduce costs - The Times 25th October 2007
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Food labels are confusing and even misleading shoppers about omega 3 content, a report says. Laboratory tests showed levels in some products ranged from 1,000 per cent more to 98 per cent less than the amount stated on the pack, according to Which? magazine.
A reader in East Sussex with arterial problems in his legs asks if his doctor is being alarmist by insisting he take the treatment recommended for patients with suspect coronary arteries. Can pain in the legs when walking, cold feet and a poor pulse in his feet truly give evidence of an increased risk of a heart attack?
The head of one of the biggest banks in the world has spoken candidly of his battle against clinical depression. Lord Stevenson of Coddenham, the chairman of the HBOS financial group which includes Halifax and the Bank of Scotland, said he first suffered from the condition 12 years ago. Although he says he has fully recovered, he described the illness as "a bug" and said it was as painful and debilitating as a frozen shoulder.
Not for the first time in my life, and doubtless not for the last, I woke up yesterday morning feeling dazed and confused. Having felt deep shame and embarrassment on Tuesday because of our country's status as the fattest, drunkest, sickest and ugliest nation in Europe, I was now being told that our population is set to soar, in part because of immigration, but mostly because we are increasingly outstaying our welcome on Planet Earth. Refusing to die. Getting old.
Public sector pension commitments have risen to more than £620 billion, the Government has admitted. The increase — £142 billion in a single year — means that meeting all of the Government's pension liabilities over the coming years could cost every household in Britain almost £30,000 over the next four decades.
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Inspectors will be able to close dirty hospitals to protect patients from infections as part of the Government's drive on superbugs. A health and social care regulator will be set up with powers to close wards, services or whole hospitals, sack bosses and issue warning notices and fines.
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Watchdog told to target superbugs - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
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Watchdog told to target superbugs - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
A trial that tests patients for MRSA before surgery could cut rates of serious post-operative infection by up to a third. The trial, at University College Hospital in London, started in January and uses a faster method of testing for the superbug, which can kill.
British GPs are happier with their salaries than any of their counterparts in Europe, a poll has revealed. Perhaps that's because they are the most highly paid, with average pay exceeding the £100,000 barrier for the first time. Some GPs are even taking home as much as £250,000.
The buzz of the alarm clock forces you out of bed, blearyeyed and anything but refreshed. You snap at your partner, lose patience with the children and struggle into work with all the dynamism of a slug.
When her father contracted the superbug that killed him, champion horse trainer Jenny Pitman was appalled by the lack of cleanliness in the hospital. Her anger was re-doubled when she went back to the same hospital to visit her brother and saw that hygiene levels seemed to have fallen even further.
NHS trusts have a £4bn backlog of key maintenance repairs which range from fixing heating to meeting fire safety rules, government figures suggest. The figure is eight times this year's much-heralded NHS surplus, which was achieved by making a variety of cuts.
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Why heroines die in classic fiction - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
To read classic fiction is to know that if the heroine gets wet, a swift descent into brain fever and death bed scenes is assured within a chapter or so. But, dear reader, have you ever wondered what was actually wrong with these swooning creatures?
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International Health News
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The documentary film-maker Michael Moore has never shied from using the tools of propaganda to get his message across. His new film, Sicko , is as manipulative and disingenuous as ever, but there’s no denying its emotional impact.
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The brain circuit that makes most people natural optimists has been identified by scientists, promising new insights into the origins of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. It is well established that humans tend to be optimistic about the future even when the evidence suggests otherwise. People generally overestimate their life expectancy while underestimating their chances of early death.
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The new cervical cancer test that could kill off smears - Daily Mail 24th October 2007
Should young girls be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer? The Department of Health has agreed to an annual vaccination programme for all girls aged 12 and 13 - and is now considering a "catch-up" programme for older girls.
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Too much cannabis 'worsens pain' - BBC Health News 24th October 2007
Smoking large amounts of cannabis for therapeutic reasons may increase rather than reduce pain, a US study suggests. The pain-relieving qualities of cannabis have long been hailed, and several countries have made it available for medicinal purposes.
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Cheshire and Merseyside Health News
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THE chance of a large avian flu outbreak in the UK has been reduced to almost zero after experts at the University of Liverpool discovered large outbreaks are more likely to involve duck meat. The scientists at the university found that while 73% of avian flu outbreaks in the UK would not spread beyond the initial infected farm, larger outbreaks are much more likely to involve the duck meat industry.
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UNDERCOVER patients are being sent into hospitals to spy on staff. The volunteer snoops are also reporting back on cleaning standards. In some cases they put on gowns in preparation for treatment before revealing who they are.
A MERSEYSIDE GP has been suspended from practising while a probe is carried out. Dr Kamala Kant Jha, who lives in Blundellsands, works from a practice in Aintree Road, Bootle. Today Sefton primary care trust confirmed it had suspended the doctor but refused to say why they had taken the decision.
BOSSES at the Countess of Chester Hospital are ‘disappointed’ to see their rating for quality of service go down in a national assessment. In last year’s Health Checks by the Health Commission, which analyses NHS providers throughout England, the Countess was rated as ‘good’.
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Results boost for merged hospital - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 24th October 2007
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Health trust is 'weak' - Knutsford Guardian 24th October 2007
NEARLY 15% more children and adults in this region are attending NHS dentists than the national average. This is one of the main successes of a new dental contract brought in 12 months ago by the Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust.
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Hospital trust benefits from charitable £12,900 donation - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 24th October 2007
A CHARITABLE donation is enabling doctors to stay one step ahead in cancer care. Wirral & North Cheshire Prostate Cancer Support Group, which was started in Ellesmere Port and covers this borough, had raised £12,900 for the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
C-DIFFICILE cases have more than doubled at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Health Protection Agency figures for cases of the potentially deadly superbug and MRSA across England show a 116% rise in Clostridium difficile between the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007.
MID Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust – which is in charge of Victoria Infirmary and Leighton Hospital – has announced changes to its top team. Phil Morley, currently Director of Operations at the Trust, will take up the post of Chief Executive when Stephen Eames departs at the end of November.
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A PATHOLOGIST found guilty of ‘serious professional misconduct’ over his involvement in the Sally Clark case must wait to discover the outcome of his High Court appeal. After hearing a week and a half of intensive legal argument Mr Justice Davis told Dr Alan Williams he needed more time to consider his decision.
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Cumbria and Lancashire Health News
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PLANS to transform the YMCA building in Carlisle into a support centre for young homeless people have been agreed by councillors. The Fisher Street premises would be transformed to provide emergency accommodation for up to 17 people.
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Workplace stress causing problems - Lancashire Telegraph 24th October 2007
THERE seem to be many misconceptions about why many people are suffering from mental health problems. Enforced unemployment, brought about by political engineering has ruined the lives of many ordinary men and women. It is that simple.
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Greater Manchester Health News
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Children get vision of hope - Manchester Evening News 25th October 2007
THIS is the first photo of the stunning new £150m children's hospital being built in the heart of Manchester. The massive facility, beside Manchester Royal Infirmary in Oxford Road, is expected to revolutionise the treatment of youngsters when it opens in 2009.
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Pupils get set for a healthy life - The Bolton News 24th October 2007
THESE youngsters in Bolton were taught how to get off to a healthy start in life. Timetable lessons were scrapped at Pikes Lane School, Deane, in the week before half-term and replaced by fun keep-fit activities and lessons in healthy eating.
Full links to the articles detailed can be found at www(dot) fade the blog 2 (dot)blogspot (dot)com, This has been a Podcast of Another 15 Minutes ... Health News from the Fade Library.
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