National and International News
60 people a week dying alone at home, says MP - The Guardian 29/12/05
Up to 60 people die alone in their homes each week in England without friends or family to support them or arrange their funerals, research suggested yesterday.
'Home alone' deaths for thousands - BBC Health News 29/12/05
Inequality, overcrowding and poor health: overseas aid agency sets sights on East End - The Guardian 29/12/05
A Somali woman buys her groceries from a stall run by a Bengali man in the shadow of Norman Foster's "Gherkin" tower. Like centuries of immigrants before them, both have made their home in the East End of London, where extreme poverty rubs up against the growing island of affluence spreading out from Canary Wharf.
7m for founder of doctors' recruitment firm - The Guardian 29/12/05
The founder of a company specialising in recruiting foreign doctors for the NHS is poised to net almost 7m after agreeing to sell the business. Justyn Randall owns half of Global Medics which will be sold to specialist recruitment firm Multi Group for a maximum of 13.7m in the new year.
Bestselling diet is 'recipe for trouble' - The Guardian 29/12/05
A fat-busting diet craze that knocked Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code off the top of Australia's bestseller list has been branded a "recipe for trouble" by the science journal Nature.
Fresh hopes for life-saving breast cancer drug - The Guardian 29/12/05
Hopes that new breast cancer drugs might save thousands more lives were raised again last night with the publication of further promising evidence to suggest they outshine tamoxifen, the long-established gold standard treatment that has revolutionised treatment of early breast cancer since the 1980s.
Ketamine made illegal after health concerns - The Guardian 29/12/05
A horse tranquilliser the popularity of which is rocketing in the underground club scene is to be made illegal, it was announced yesterday. Ketamine - manufactured for use in animals and humans under the brand name Ketalar - will become a Class C drug from January 1.
Club scene 'special K' drug to be outlawed - The Independent 29/12/05
Ketamine to be made illegal - The Times 29/12/05
Club 'horse' drug to be outlawed - BBC Health News 29/12/05
Christmas calls to NHS Direct hit record high - The Guardian 29/12/05
NHS Direct, the health service's telephone advice line, took a record number of calls over the four-day Christmas weekend, as Britain coughed and sneezed its way through the festivities.
Fresh hopes for life-saving breast cancer drug - The Guardian 29/12/05
Hopes that new breast cancer drugs might save thousands more lives were raised again last night with the publication of further promising evidence to suggest they outshine tamoxifen, the long-established gold standard treatment that has revolutionised treatment of early breast cancer since the 1980s.
Delay over top cancer treatment for women - The Times 29/12/05
Breast cancer drug 'is better than tamoxifen' - The Telegraph 29/12/05
Letrozole Better Than Tamoxifen In Reducing Risk Of Recurrence For Breast Cancer Survivors, IBSCG Study Published In NEJM - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Some are more equal than others - The Guardian 29/12/05
Today is the 30th anniversary of the Wilson government's Sex Discrimination Act. To cynics who believe that the 1975 act - and the Equal Opportunities Commission that it established - was a waste of time, there are plenty of advances to which supporters can now point. It was the EOC in 1986 that made sexual harassment a form of discrimination for the first time, and which, one year later, at the end of an 11-year campaign, helped to establish the right to equal pay for work of equal value.
Call for new laws to beat sex discrimination at work - The Guardian 29/12/05
Thirty years on, women still face discrimination in the workplace - The Independent 29/12/05
Equal opportunities: 'What we need now is deeper cultural change' - The Independent 29/12/05
Cameron will campaign to end women's pay 'scandal' - The Telegraph 29/12/05
Tories drop hardline stance on migration in new policy shift - The Guardian 29/12/05
The Conservative party moved yesterday to ditch its hard line on migration, urging the government to scrap the requirement that migrants from eastern European EU states must register on entering Britain.
'Zero-tolerance' policy on sex trade criticised - The Independent 29/12/05
Ministers have been criticised after dumping plans to create licensed "tolerance zones" to remove prostitution from residential areas. The Home Office was attacked for focusing instead on "zero tolerance" campaigns against kerb-crawlers when it releases its prostitution strategy next month.
Plans for licensed red light districts are shelved - The Telegraph 29/12/05
AstraZeneca licenses new Alzheimer treatment - The Independent 29/12/05
AstraZeneca, the UK's No 2 pharmaceutical company, has signed its third deal in as many business days, bolstering its pipeline of new drugs with the licensing of an experimental treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Dead mother's baby goes home - The Times 29/12/05
A baby born five weeks ago while her dying mother was kept alive on a life-support machine went home from hospital with her father yesterday.
Fathers urged to fight for a better work-life balance - The Times 29/12/05
THE head of the national sex-equality body has issued a rallying call to British men to “come out” as fathers and claim their right to balance work and family life in the same way that women do.
Letters to the Editor - The Times 29/12/05
The Times has been particularly thorough in covering the issue of a potential influenza pandemic. However, I think the situation may be more threatening than even your correspondents suggest or the House of Lords has concluded.
Should I give up alcohol for January? - The Times 29/12/05
A reader tells us that, although he is in his early fifties, he has been drinking more heavily in the pre-Christmas period than in previous years. Socialising with younger people is essential to his job but he is beginning to find it hard to keep up with their partying and the quantity of alcohol they drink. He worries about his liver and the general state of his health, and wonders whether he should give up alcohol for January.
NHS 'is failing babies by delaying ear implants' - The Telegraph 29/12/05
A surgeon who pioneered the use of cochlear implants in Britain has warned that the NHS is failing profoundly deaf babies because of delays in offering them the operation.
Obesity can lead to blindness - Daily Mail 28/12/05
Overweight and obese people should be aware that their unhealthy lifestyle could put their eyesight at risk, scientists say.
How fatty diet may cause diabetes - BBC Health News 29/12/05
Researchers say they have discovered how a high-fat Western-style diet may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
How malaria dupes immune system - BBC Health News 29/12/05
Scientists have discovered the genetic secret behind the ability of the malaria parasite to evade attack by the human immune system.
Couple's wait over newborn mix-up - BBC Health News 28/12/05
A couple were forced to endure a five-week wait for DNA results to find out if a newborn baby was theirs.
Misdosing Common For Powerful Anti-clotting Drugs - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Because of inaccuracies in prescribing, 42 percent of patients rushed to emergency rooms with symptoms of a heart attack received doses of powerful drugs intended stop clotting in coronary arteries outside of the recommended range, a new analysis by Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) cardiologists has found.
Medication Reduces Risk Of Heart Irregularities After Cardiac Surgery - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Use of the medication amiodarone is associated with one-half the incidence of atrial tachyarrhythmias (rapid, abnormal heart beat) following cardiac surgery, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.
Dietary Intake Of Antioxidants Associated With Reduced Risk Of Age-related Macular Degeneration - Medical News Today 29/12/05
A diet with a high intake of beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc is associated with a substantially reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in elderly persons, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.
Flexible Drug Dosing Produces Less Side-effects In People With Epilepsy - Medical News Today 29/12/05
For the first time, researchers compared dosing regimens of an antiepileptic drug (AED) used for treatment of partial epilepsy in adults, in conjunction with other AEDs. They looked at dosing used in clinical everyday life (flexible dosing) and that used in classical clinical trials (fixed dose) and discovered that the flexible dosing method was superior. The study is published in Epilepsia, the official journal of the International League Against Epilepsy.
Throw Out Your Cigarettes Now, American Lung Association - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Now is the ideal time to throw out your cigarettes: not only is the new year just around the corner, but also Chicago will go smoke-free on January 16.
Top Five Healthcare Events Of 2005, According To Decision Resources - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Decision Resources, Inc, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and health care issues, announced its list of the top five key healthcare events of 2005.
FDA Approves Femara(R) As Initial Therapy For Postmenopausal Women With Early Breast Cancer After Surgery - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Novartis announced today the US regulatory approval of Femara(R) (letrozole) in a new indication as a treatment for use after surgery in postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer (adjuvant setting).
Losing Weight Is One Of The Most Popular New Year's Resolutions - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Losing weight is a popular New Year's Resolution for 2006. According to a new survey commissioned by Weight Watchers and conducted by Harris Interactive(R) about half (45%) of U.S. women say losing weight will be one of their New Year's resolutions for the upcoming year. Among those who will resolve to lose weight in the New Year, almost all (97%) say they think they will need some assistance to keep their resolution.
Sinusitis One Of The Most Diagnosed Diseases In USA, American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Each year 35 million Americans are affected by chronic sinusitis, making it one of the most diagnosed diseases in the United States, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals' Topical Psoriasis Treatment In Phase IIa Trial - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Amex: MHA) reported that a Phase IIa study has been initiated with PTH (1-34), its experimental product for the topical treatment of psoriasis. The investigator-initiated study is being conducted at Boston University Medical Center.
One Million People In 100 Days Call From Oxfam Great Britain - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Oxfam today will escalate its current activity to an unprecedented level by calling on 1,000,000 people to pledge their support for the fight against poverty over the course of the next 100 days.
Avian Vs Pandemic Flu: Understanding The Threat, PAHO - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Officials at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) acknowledged today that the spread of avian influenza from Asia to Europe has raised public concerns that the H5N1 virus could reach the countries of the Americas. While such concern is justified, in some cases it reflects confusion about the differences between bird flu and pandemic flu.
NYC Health Dept Warns Against Use Of Herbal Medicine Products Made In India That Contain Lead Or Mercury - Medical News Today 29/12/05
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) today warned residents against the use of certain herbal medicine products made in India containing dangerous levels of lead or mercury. Though there are no specific federal standards, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends that certain food additives contain no more than 2 ppm (parts per million) of lead and no more than 1 ppm of mercury.
Having A Sibling With Heart Disease Significantly Raises Personal Heart Disease Risk - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Having a sibling with a history of cardiovascular disease carries the same or greater risk as having a parent with a history of the disease, according to a new report from the long-standing Framingham Heart Study conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Personal risk of having a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease, may be raised by as much as 45 percent in middle-aged people whose brother or sister has had such an event.
Reconstructive Surgery Helps Restore Vital Functions For Mutilation Victims In Northern Uganda - Medical News Today 29/12/05
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Interplast Holland today began the provision of reconstructive surgery to civilians mutilated in the course of the conflict in northern Uganda. Many villagers have been mutilated - including having lips, ears, noses or fingers cut off - as part of the extensive violence directed at civilians in the region in recent years.
Two New Malaria Treatments Available In 2006 - Medical News Today 29/12/05
First medicines developed by Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) will be easier to use and less expensive than current ACTs, but action is needed to make sure the treatments reach patients.
Public Health Notification Regarding Ralstonia Associated With Vapotherm® Respiratory Gas Administration Devices, USA - Medical News Today 28/12/05
This report updates information previously published regarding contamination of Vapotherm® respiratory gas administration devices (Vapotherm, Inc., Stevensville, Maryland) with Ralstonia spp. (1,2). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an updated Preliminary Public Health Notification, advising health-care providers to use alternative devices until the source of the contamination has been identified.
Flu Activity, UK, Still Within Baseline Levels, Dec 05 - Medical News Today 28/12/05
Influenza activity in the United Kingdom remained within baseline levels during weeks 50/05 (week ending 18/12/05). In England, GP consultations for influenza-like illness remain at similar levels to previous weeks with the slightly higher rates recorded amongst those aged between 15-64 years and in northern and central regions. Influenza and influenza-like illness levels remain at low levels in Wales and Northern Ireland, with influenza activity rates slowly increasing in Scotland.
Agencies Urge The NHS To Step Up Measures To Minimise Risk Of Patients Contracting Clostridium Difficile, UK - Medical News Today 28/12/05
The Health Protection Agency and the Healthcare Commission today (Wednesday) urged the health service to do more to minimise the risk to patients of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).
Health Canada Prohibits Sale Of Bextra In Canada - Medical News Today 28/12/05
Following a review of safety information, Health Canada is informing the public that Bextra, an
High Lead Levels In Some Children's Necklaces And Zipper Pulls, Warns Health Canada - Medical News Today 28/12/05
Health Canada is advising the Canadian public that children's metal necklaces and zipper pulls manufactured by Stravina Operating Company of California have been recalled. The items, sold between March 2002 and September 2005, pose a risk of lead poisoning to children if mouthed or swallowed and should be removed from children's reach.
When Buying Tamiflu Online Be Careful, Says Health Canada - Medical News Today 28/12/05
Health Canada is advising consumers to be cautious if buying the prescription drug Tamiflu over the Internet and to avoid any products claiming to be "generic" Tamiflu, as there are no authorized generic versions of the antiviral on the market.
Health Canada Approves Clinical Trial For Vancouver AIDS Patients - Medical News Today 28/12/05
Health Canada has approved a clinical trial protocol that will allow AIDS patients in Vancouver to use the experimental drugs TMC 114 and TMC 125.
FDA Issues Recall Of Tropical Fruit Ackee Because Of Possible Health Risks - Medical News Today 28/12/05
FDA is announcing the recall of some shipments of ackee - a tropical fruit imported from Jamaica - because the fruit has levels of a naturally occurring toxin called hypoglycin that are of health concern. The recall involves 31 cases of Ashman's Ackees in Brine, distributed by Harvest Foods, Hartford, CT.
Commission Launches Much-awaited Revision To The Medical Device Directives, Europe - Medical News Today 28/12/05
Medical devices have become an increasingly important health care area in relation to their impact on health and health care expenditure. The sector covers some 10,000 types of products, ranging from simple bandages and spectacles, through life maintaining implantable devices, equipment to screen and diagnose disease and health conditions, to the most sophisticated diagnostic imaging and minimal invasive surgery equipment.
European Commission To Co-host International Pledging Conference On Avian And Human Influenza In Beijing - Medical News Today 28/12/05
The European Commission is to co-host with the government of the People's Republic of China and the World Bank an International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Influenza. Over 90 countries have been invited, as well as 25 organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Cheshire and Mersey News
Ready for anything - Halton Weekly News 29/12/05
HALTON is well-equipped to deal with a major industrial accident, according the to an expert at the heart of Britain's emergency planning system.
Pub ban to tackle drunken violence - Halton Weekly News 29/12/05
DRUNKEN louts who go on the rampage in pubs in Halton will be landed with a borough-wide ban as part of a hard-hitting campaign to stamp out booze-fuelled violence.
Jack the lad's a perfect festive gift - Halton Weekly News 29/12/05
MUM Rebecca Helsby was looking forward to a quiet Christmas but her son Jack had a different idea when he made his entrance into the world on December 25.
Smoking outlawed at centres - Ormskirk Advertiser 29/12/05
WEST Lancashire's sports centres are not waiting for the Government to ban smoking in public places. They have done it themselves.
Taking back the community - Birkenhead News 28/12/05
A COMMUNITY'S fighting spirit has reaped its rewards with the total transformation of a neighbourhood.
Christmas heartbreak - Birkenhead News 28/12/05
A PENSIONER was forced to spend Christmas in a residential home after a care package promised by social services failed to materialise.
Prayers answered - Liverpool Echo 28/12/05
IT WAS a chance to spend precious time with her gravely-ill son - and to pray for a miracle.
Scandal church growing in city - Daily Post 29/12/05
A CONTROVERSIAL church being investigated over child trafficking allegations is experiencing a renaissance in Liverpool, the Daily Post can reveal.
Liverpool can forget red light zones - Liverpool Echo 28/12/05
LIVERPOOL'S plan for a managed prostitute zone appeared in tatters today after reports the government would not support the proposal.
Mersey teen booze toll highest in the country - Liverpool Echo 28/12/05
MERSEYSIDE'S teenage drinkers are heading for an early grave, a new report warns.
'Please don't waste our money' - Knutsford Guardian 28/12/05
THOUSANDS of pounds raised by volunteers could be wasted if NHS bosses scrap Knutsford Community Hospital.
Labour plans to merge NHS services - Knutsford Guardian 28/12/05
THE NHS services that cover Knutsford could be centralised a year after voters rejected plans for regional Government.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Hospital 'sorry' for transplant blunder - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 29/12/05
A HOSPITAL has apologised and pledged to improve after being accused of a "catalogue of blunders" over an East Lancashire girl's failed kidney transplant.
Tragedy of baby Alexis - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 29/12/05
A BLACKBURN mum today told how she was numb with grief after the death of her "perfect" 15-day-old daughter just days before Christmas.
Area's kids' rotten teeth shame - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 29/12/05
CHILDREN in parts of East Lancashire have some of the most rotten teeth in the UK.
Thank you, Burnley - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 29/12/05
CHRISTMAS cheer spread to Burnley General Hospital when more than 28,000 was handed over to create a new children's high dependency unit.
Band aid to boost hospice funds - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 29/12/05
ROSSENDALE hospice is selling the latest craze - charity wristbands to raise funds.
Vitamin boost on cancer - Carlisle News & Star 28/12/05
RESEARCH showing that a large daily dose of vitamin D can dramatically lower the risk of developing common cancers was given a cautious welcome today.
MBE dentist to go private next year - Carlisle News & Star 28/12/05
ANOTHER 2,000 NHS patients face losing their dentist after a high-profile Cumbrian professional announced her practice is to go private.
Cumbrian men work most hours - Carlisle News & Star 28/12/05
MEN in Cumbria work longer hours than the UK average, a new survey has found.
MP's hospital fight goes to House of Commons - Carlisle News & Star 28/12/05
A CUMBRIAN MP is calling for Government support, branding plans to cut the number of beds at the county’s cottage hospitals as “ill thought-out”.
Couple's wait over newborn mix-up - BBC Health News 28/12/05
A couple were forced to endure a five-week wait for DNA results to find out if a newborn baby was theirs.
Greater Manchester News
Council quash ASBO for Tourette's boy - Manchester Evening News 28/12/05
MANCHESTER City Council said today it has withdrawn an ASBO against a teenager who suffers from Tourette syndrome.
Blair launches red light crackdown - Manchester Evening News 28/12/05
A ZERO tolerance campaign against kerb crawlers and prostitutes will be launched next month, it was revealed.
Hospital sale cash 'will not pay debt' - Bolton Evening News 28/12/05
CASH earmarked to pay off a huge chunk of the Royal Bolton Hospital's multi-mullion pound debt may never be made available, it has emerged.
Policy review on giving stop smoking aids to youngsters - Bolton Evening News 28/12/05
CHILDREN as young as 12 could be given nicotine patches and chewing gum to help them stop smoking as part of new proposals being discussed in Bolton.
1m lab opens at hospital - Bury Times 28/12/05
A 1 million laboratory has opened at Fairfield General Hospital.
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