Tuesday, December 09, 2003

National and International News



Brown pledges more cash for child aid

A big expansion in childcare for the very young, including new tax incentives for employers to fund workforce childcare, were signalled yesterday by the chancellor, Gordon Brown.

The Guardian 09/12/03


BT hits jackpot with NHS deals

BT sealed two of its most important deals yesterday as it signed contracts with the National Health Service to design and run two patient record databases,
worth £1.6bn over the next decade.

The Guardian 09/12/03


Choice is good, but no panacea

John Reid's mantra, ever since he became Health Secretary, has been one of “patient choice�.

The Times 09/12/03


Cot death research casts new doubt

The reduction in the number of cot deaths in recent years may have been the result of a "natural variation" rather than campaigns to make sure babies are put to sleep on their backs, research has claimed.

The Guardian 09/12/03
The Independent 09/12/03


Health clubs may damage your health

Health clubs, gyms and fitness centres are letting down their customers by serving fatty meals and fizzy drinks, according to the Consumers’ Association, which says that they are confusing people with mixed messages about healthy living.

The Times 09/12/03


HRT: Flawed, but still beneficial

An osteoporosis expert has resigned from the Committee on Safety of Medicines over its recommendation that HRT should no longer be prescribed for thinning bones because it doubles the risk of breast cancer. He insists it is safe. What should women believe?

The Times 09/12/03


Medical records on net will be available to doctors

The medical records of 50 million people should be accessible on the internet to health professionals within two years after the Department of Health yesterday handed out three huge contracts.

The Times 09/12/03


Reid prescribes patient power to revive NHS

The Health Secretary believes only a cultural revolution can save the health service from a mass defection to the private sector.

The Times 09/12/03
The Guardian 09/12/03


'Sticky blood cuts life short'

When Louise Gergel, who died three years ago at the age of just 32, was found to have Hughes syndrome, it was the first she and her husband Laurence had heard of the condition. “My father-in-law is a dentist and did a quick survey of 50 GPs he knew, but none of them had ever come across it either,� says Laurence.

The Times 09/12/03



Services for teens are patchy, says thinktank

Connexions, the government's much vaunted youth advice service, has failed to provide teenagers with adequate support, a centre left thinktank has warned.

The Guardian 09/12/03


Shyness may lead to an early death from cancer

Shyness may shorten a person's lifespan, findings from a new animal study suggest.

The Independent 09/12/03


Student midwives sue for maternity pay

Three student midwives began a legal battle for the right to receive maternity pay yesterday.

The Independent 09/12/03
The Guardian 09/12/03


Teens face obesity and infertility
Britain is breeding a generation of adults that will tend to be infertile, obese and prone to mental illness, the British Medical Association (BMA) said yesterday.

The Times 09/12/03
The Guardian 09/12/03
The Independent 09/12/03


The great drugs lottery

If a top executive in one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies casts doubt on whether medicines work, is it worth taking them at all? Sophie Petit-Zeman reports

The Guardian 09/12/03
The Independent 09/12/03


Unhealthy bias

Public support for the NHS is as strong as ever, but conflicting reports from self-interested groups give us little idea how it is really performing

The Guardian 09/12/03


Cheshire and Mersey News


Dental crisis looms over NHS funding

Merseyside is to get around £1.6m to plug huge gaps in dental service provision, as fears grow that the number of NHS practices switching to private plans will snowball.

Daily Post 08/12/03


Cumbria and Lancashire News


Top mark for air quality in valley

Air quality in the Ribble Valley is officially very good, according to a new report.

Lancashire Evening Telegraph 08/12/03


Greater Manchester News


Bully doctor 'shook me like rag doll'

A doctor branded as a bully has been convicted of assault after terrorising staff at a surgery in Moston.

Manchester Evening News 08/12/03


Doctor aiming to boost health of the elderly

A £1 million regional campaign is to improve health and life expectancy in towns like Bolton where people die earlier than in other parts of the UK.

Bolton Evening News 08/12/03


Warning for 999 timewasters

Time-wasters in Greater Manchester made a staggering 73,000-plus 999 calls last year - demanding ambulances for such "emergencies" as broken toenails, shaving cuts or even a bad case of the hiccups.

Manchester Evening News 08/12/03

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