UK Health News 07/06/2009
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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
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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”.
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Give doctors the basic information so they can save patients’ lives – The Times 6th July 2009
The principle that doctors should have access to anyone’s health records — be that person a regular patient or seen in Accident and Emergency late at night — is an important one.
But current attempts to hold health records on a vast central database, the Connecting for Health project, is a mess and way behind schedule. They should and could have sorted out at least the “summary care record” long ago, and the reason for the delay is very straightforward.
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Ethics could sink Tory plan for Google or Microsoft health records – The Times 6th July 2009
The plan to transfer confidential medical records to internet servers run by companies such as Google and Microsoft is anything but straightforward.
The chance for patients to have 24-hour access to their doctor’s notes on password-protected websites will appeal to the middle classes and the “worried well” who already diagnose their ailments with the help of the internet. But there is a welter of ethical and practical difficulties that could yet scupper the idea and must be considered by Francis Maude and his Tory policy implementation unit before the plan can be approved.
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NHS to buy off-the-shelf software – The Times 6th July 2009
Hit by embarrassing delays and cancellations in its IT programme, the UK’s biggest employer is re-examining its options
Hospitals in the South of England are to be allowed to buy “off-the-shelf” software systems to make up for the failings of the £12.7 billion project to upgrade NHS computers.
The National Progamme for IT (NPfIT) is already running at least four years late in parts, having been set back by the withdrawal of two major suppliers due to spiralling costs.
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New laser eye surgery technique could prevent age-related sight loss – The Times 6th July 2009
New techniques in laser eye surgery could prevent millions of people from losing their sight, one of the country’s leading surgeons has said.
Professor John Marshall, a senior ophthalmologist at King’s College, London, has developed a short pulse laser technique which can delay the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of sight loss in Britain.
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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.
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Hope for cure for blindness – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
A surgeon who pioneered laser eye surgery to cure short-sightedness has announced a new technique which could prevent millions of older people from going blind.
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Mother fights to save frozen embryos – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
A mother faces losing 11 frozen embryos under a new law which rules they must be destroyed after five years.
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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.
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Privacy concerns over Tory plans to farm NHS records out to private firms – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
NHS records could be transferred to private companies under plans being drawn up for the Tories.
The party has commissioned a review of the sprawling NHS computer system that may conclude patients should instead be given the option of moving their data to firms such as Bupa, or even Google or Microsoft.
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One in six children clinically obese when they start primary school – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
A sixth of children in parts of Britain are clinically obese when they start primary school.
Medical experts say there is growing evidence that many parents are unable to distinguish between ‘puppy fat’ and obesity.
They have also warned that ‘fat ghettos’ are emerging in the poorest areas.
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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.
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Blindness treatment could stop millions from losing their eyesight – Daily Mail 6th July 2009
A revolutionary laser treatment could save the sight of millions, British experts claim.
The process is said to stop the onset of age-related macular degeneration, one of the commonest forms of blindness, which leaves victims unable to read, drive or live independently.
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Crusading mother in race to save ‘death row’ embryos – Daily Mail 5th July 2009
Dozens of women will be denied the chance to have children unless a mother wins her legal fight to halt the destruction of frozen embryos.\n\nMichelle Hickman, 36, will lose 11 of her own embryos if she fails to have a five-year storage limit overturned in the next three months.
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11 serious errors a day in NHS surgery – Daily Mail 5th July 2009
Eleven people are seriously harmed during NHS surgery every day, it emerged yesterday.\n\nThe number of major errors has risen by 28 per cent in five years, with more than 4,000 patients hurt in 2007/08.\n\nMistakes include objects such as scalpels and coils being left inside patients, organs being punctured, and the wrong dosage of drugs being given.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Heatwave putting pressure on A&E – The Bolton News 3rd July 2009
SOARING temperatures are putting local health services under increased pressure, NHS bosses said last night.
Both the Royal Bolton Hospital and the North West Ambulance Service have reported a rise in demand over the last week.
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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
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Swine flu’s at my gate. But I’m not afraid – The Observer 5th July 2009
My doctor was coming to see me one evening last week to discuss an article he was writing on the medical consequences of climate change, so I bustled home, to a message saying he couldn’t come. The surgery was overwhelmed by swine flu and he was out making visits. Until then, I’d thought of swine flu as something that happened in cities, not in rural Wiltshire, and I was shocked. But it didn’t fill me with terror.
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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.
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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
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We’ve had years of growth – so let’s not be afraid of cuts – The Observer 5th July 2009
The British problem, so the aphorism has it, is that we want Swedish levels of public service with US levels of tax. So do the Swedes. That’s why, during a fiscal crisis with many parallels to our own – when the Swedish Social Democratic Party, then in opposition, promised spending cuts to eliminate a huge budget deficit – its electoral support fell five percentage points.
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Cuts package threatens deep political divisions – The Observer 5th July 2009
Labour risks a damaging repeat of the 10p tax row by trying to claw back £60 a month from 300,000 low-income households. Meanwhile, the Tories know they must not be seen as the party of indiscriminate cuts. In the coming election, spending decisions will not just be about money – they will be an indication of the values and morals of the parties
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Older prisoners’ shame – The Guardian 3rd July 2009
Ronnie Biggs is one of thousands of older people condemned to isolation and humiliation in ill-equipped prisons
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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.
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19-year-old becomes fourth Briton to die from swine flu – The Independent 4th July 2009
A south London teenager who died on Wednesday was the fourth person in Britain to succumb after contracting swine flu.
The 19-year-old, who had serious, unspecified medical problems, tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus following his death in hospital.
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Online buyers warned over fake flu drugs – The Independent 3rd July 2009
The Government’s Chief Medical Officer today warned the public to avoid panic-buying “counterfeit” anti-swine flu drugs online after it was revealed the number of new cases could reach 100,000 per day.
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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.
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London teenager becomes Britain’s fourth swine flu death – The Times 4th July 2009
A 19-year-old man has become the fourth person in Britain to die after contracting swine flu and the first fatal case in London, officials announced yesterday.
The unnamed man, from South London, had serious underlying health problems and it is not known if the flu infection contributed directly to his death.
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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.
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Cow saves baby’s life – The Sunday Telegraph 5th July 2009
A baby born with two missing heart valves was saved when surgeons implanted tissue from a cow.
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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.
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Dying man denied morphine, family claim – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
Thomas Milner was dying from leukaemia and all his family wanted was for his last moments to be relatively pain free.
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Nurse mocked frail pensioner as ‘drama queen’ – Telegraph
Frail pensioner Ann McNeill was mocked by hospital nursing staff as a “drama queen” after being left agony.
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Patient lived with cancer for 50 years before dying of bedsore – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
Cancer patient Pamela Goddard battled against cancer for 50 years before she died of an infected bedsore during a stay in hospital.
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Tumour patient was treated in corridor – The Telegraph 4th July 2009
As Barbara McVernon was wheeled to the operation for brain surgery, she broke into song: “Wish me luck, as you wave me goodbye…”
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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.
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New figures have revealed the parts of the country with the highest proportion of children who are obese when they start school.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Fourth person in Britain dies after contracting swine flu – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
A teenager in London has become the fourth person in Britain to die after contracting swine flu, it has emerged.
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Swine flu: first death in London – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
The first person to die after contracting swine flu in London was confirmed on Friday, taking the British death toll to four.
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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.
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David Beckham’s niece diagnosed with swine flu – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
David Beckham’s schoolgirl niece Georgina Every has been diagnosed with swine flu.
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Swine flu: don’t buy Tamiflu online, says Sir Liam Donaldson – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
The Government’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has warned the public to avoid panic-buying fake swine flu drugs online after it was revealed the number of new cases could reach 100,000 per day.
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A child under the age of 12 is treated in hospital every 48 hours for the effects of binge-drinking, new figures have shown.
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Cases of swine flu ‘could top 100,000 a day by August’ – The Telegraph 3rd July 2009
New cases of swine flu could top more than 100,000 a day by the end of August, ministers have warned, as they admitted they can no longer contain the spread of the virus.
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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.
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