Another 15 Minutes...Health News from Fade
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National News
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£2bn NHS plan to bypass consultants - The Guardian 29th December 2006
Routine hospital check-ups for patients who have undergone even major surgery are set to be scrapped under plans which will save the NHS almost £2bn a year, the Guardian has learned. Consultants will no longer automatically see patients six weeks after surgery. Instead, patients will be referred to their GPs.
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Consultant check-ups after surgery to be scrapped to cut costs - Daily Mail 29th December 2006
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Letters: Price of bypassing NHS consultants - The Guardian 30th December 2006
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No hospital check-ups after operations - The Telegraph 30th December 2006
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Routine post-op checks 'to end' - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
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Psychologists seek key to successful new year resolutions - The Guardian 29th December 2006
The first mass-participation experiment to unravel what makes a new year's resolution a successful step towards self-betterment - or more commonly, a dismal failure of willpower - is launched by psychologists today. Volunteers taking part in the study can take comfort from knowing that no matter how badly they fail to keep their resolutions they will help psychologists identify the best, and worst, techniques for motivating people to change their lives for the better. Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at Hertfordshire University, hopes to enrol around 10,000 people in the online experiment.
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Graphic £7m adverts try to get smokers off the hook - The Guardian 29th December 2006
An office worker is dragged from his desk, over grimy carpets and down concrete stairs, to his usual smoking spot in a freezing car park by a giant fish hook that protrudes from his cheek. The same hook violently hurls a mother away from her small, reproachful daughter, and yanks a man through traffic as he is dragged into a newsagent's to buy cigarettes.
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Terence Blacker: Why can't I smoke and be merry? - The Independent 29th December 2006
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Smoking addiction advert launched - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
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2007: the year to come - The Guardian 29th December 2006
Debbie Andalo previews what 2007 has in store for the public and voluntary sectors - and predicts a cash-strapped year
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Expectant mums offered 'babymoon' hotel breaks - The Guardian 29th December 2006
Busy expectant parents are signing up for antenatal classes in spa hotels to combine preparation for their baby with a weekend of fine food and pampering. Once antenatal options were limited to often packed hospital-based courses or classes at a tutor's house. Now choices range from private one-to-one sessions in a couple's own home to spa hotels' "babymoon" mini-breaks in Scottish country houses where golf and falconry are on offer alongside tips on pelvic floor exercises and pain relief.
Read this: noticeboards save hospital lives - The Independent 30th December 2006
A hospital has cut its death rate dramatically by posting notices in wards reminding staff of basic safety measures. The rate at Luton and Dunstable Hospital in Bedfordshire plummeted 16 per cent in two years, after doctors and nurses were warned to wash their hands between patients, check drugs before dispensing them and mark patients correctly for surgery. The "back to basics" approach pioneered by the hospital is in the vanguard of a global campaign to improve patient safety with the potential to save thousands of lives, and millions of patients from harm.
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Blears accused of hypocrisy after joining protest over hospital closure - The Independent 29th December 2006
Hazel Blears, the Labour Party chairwoman, has been accused of hypocrisy after she joined picket lines to protest against a threat to close her local maternity services. Ms Blears, a cabinet minister and ultra-loyal Blairite, defended her right to protest, and denied it was part of her battle to hold on to a seat against neighbouring Labour MPs after boundary changes.
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Hazel Blears: Action Woman - The Independent 30th December 2006
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Three ministers in NHS cuts protest - The Times 29th December 2006
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Labour 'hypocrisy over NHS cuts' - The Telegraph 29th December 2006
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Farce as junior health minister joins protest against NHS closures - Daily Mail 29th December 2006
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Minister backs Blears on protest - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
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Science on a roll in 2007 - The Times 30th December 2006
From restoring sight to new weapons in the war on superbugs, Kate Wighton asks the experts to predict the year ahead
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Housework can help you to beat breast cancer, women are told - The Times 29th December 2006
Doing housework can cut substantially a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, according to researchers. A study comparing the beneficial effects of different types of exercise found that moderate housework had the biggest obvious effect.
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Housework cuts breast cancer risk - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
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Schools to tackle homophobia - The Times 29th December 2006
Schools must tackle the use of homophobic language in the classroom and playground as seriously as they deal with racist abuse, the Home Office urges today. Pupils and parents are also told that they must report schools that fail to tackle homophobia.
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Working mothers 'damage their child's health' - The Telegraph 30th December 2006
Working mothers are harming their children's long-term development by sending them to nursery from an early age, a leading author said yesterday. Michael Morpurgo, the former children's laureate, sparked controversy by saying that it was "utterly extraordinary" that half of mothers with children under five had jobs outside the home.
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Watchdog shows teeth in food labels battle - The Telegraph 29th December 2006
The battle over food labelling will heat up next month when the first television adverts promoting "traffic light" warnings will be launched by the Government's food watchdog. Under the Food Standards Agency (FSA) scheme, which is designed to encourage healthy eating, processed food carries colour-coded labels revealing levels of fat, sugar and salt. Each nutrient is labelled red, amber or green depending on whether the levels are high, medium or low.
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Profile: What's bugging Nick Adams - The Telegraph 29th December 2006
A former Barings corporate financier is at the forefront of the fight against hospital superbugs. He tells Katherine Griffiths of the frustrations involved in the business. What business are you in if you save lives yet you have to disguise yourselves in a florist's van? The answer is Bioquell, Britain's biggest eradicator of hospital superbugs. Nick Adams, its chief executive, says in the past few years, as outbreaks of superbugs which can make patients very ill or even kill them have risen sharply, distressed hospital executives have made unusual requests to disguise the company's presence on wards.
'Healthy fruit smoothies more sugary than cola' - Daily Mail 30th December 2006
Bursting with fruit, smoothies are the drink of choice for many health-conscious Britons. However, many of the colourful drinks are actually more sugary than Coca-Cola. Experts also warn that smoothies can be low in vitamins and fibre - and say we may be better off eating actual pieces of fruit instead.
Obsessive sunbather's harrowing tumour pictures - Daily Mail 29th December 2006
For year after year Joanne Shiel enjoyed trips to some of the world's most exotic and hottest locations. Despite being fair-skinned, she loved nothing better than to lie on a sunbed and read a good book. Now she is paying a terrible price - skin cancer. In just eight months the 54-year-old has gone from being normal to looking like this.
Parents eat more than childless couples - Daily Mail 29th December 2006
Every parent knows the temptation of eating up their children's leftovers. But all those bits of ice cream, crisps and other salty snacks are taking their toll. New research shows it adds up to the equivalent in saturated fat of an entire pepperoni pizza a week.
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The vaccine to prevent every strain of flu - Daily Mail 29th December 2006
British scientists are on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine that works against all major types of the disease. Described as the 'holy grail' of flu vaccines, it would protect against all strains of influenza A - the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu.
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Why I gave vegetarianism the chop after 17 years- Daily Mail 29th December 2006
Handsome sides of dry-cured bacon hang, crystalline, all along one wall; there are pork pies and black and white puddings; faggots and blocks of lard are piled high and appealing in the long display cabinet below. The shelves are crammed with pickles and relishes, mustards and accompaniments; the wipe-clean boards offer lists of more exotic game - pigeon, rabbit, venison, snipe and woodcock - alongside the everyday cuts and joints on show.
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Three-year-old blogger's inspiring chemotherapy diary- Daily Mail 28th December 2006
A three-year-old girl hailed as Britain's bravest blogger is preparing to find out whether she has won her inspirational fight against cancer. Little Samantha Hughes has spent the past year battling a disease of the nerve cells that affects fewer than 100 children in the UK each year.
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Pioneering surgery saves life of baby Evelyn - Daily Mail 28th December 2006
She looks a picture of health but six months ago, baby Evelyn Huddy was diagnosed with a condition that meant she could die at any moment. Today, thanks to groundbreaking surgery and the efforts of doctors from Great Ormond Street Hospital, she is able to enjoy life like any other child.
Drug trial safety expert knighted - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
The man who led the inquiry into safety after a drugs trial incident that left six men seriously ill, is among those named in the New Year's Honours.Professor Gordon Duff, who is also Medical Research Dean at Sheffield University, received a knighthood.
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Nurses face sack over cups of tea - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
Nurses have been warned they could face the sack for taking cups of tea from ward trolleys. Staff at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, have also been told to buy their own tea bags, milk and sugar.
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Nurses face sack over cup of tea - The Telegraph 30th December 2006
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Pharmacist fraud claims inquiry - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
Fraud experts are investigating claims that pharmacists have defrauded the NHS by exaggerating the number of smokers who quit. Chemists can claim cash rewards of up to £85 per patient if they help them stop smoking for at least four weeks.
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Superbug claims 'underestimated' - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
The amount the NHS has paid out in hospital superbug-related compensation claims is 10 times higher than previously thought, figures show. The NHS Litigation Authority has been saying recently there have only been seven cases in the past four years.
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Mental ill men found in Scotland - BBC Health News 28th December 2006
Two patients escaped from a south London secure mental health facility and travelled 400 miles by train before being arrested six hours later. The pair fled from Shaftesbury Clinic at Springfield Hospital on 14 December and travelled up to Edinburgh.
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Superbug increase sparks warning - BBC Health News 28th December 2006
A superbug could cause "huge problems" for the NHS, a Nottinghamshire coroner has warned.
Nigel Chapman said the infection clostridium difficile (C Diff) had been a contributory factor in 12 deaths in Nottingham hospitals in the past month.
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Christmas baby bet may yield £800 - BBC Health News 28th December 2006
A woman will receive more than £800 if she wins a bet that her fourth child will be born on Friday to maintain a sequence of Christmas births. Wendy Legister, from Worcestershire, has given birth before on 26, 27 and 28 December and has placed a £29 bet at 29/1 that the run will be extended.
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International News
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Cloned meat could be on next year's US Christmas menu - The Guardian 29th December 2006
Ten years after the birth of the world's first cloned animal, Dolly the Sheep, America was set yesterday to become the first country to introduce meat and milk from cloned cattle into the food supply. After five years of study, the Food and Drug Administration, the government regulatory agency, yesterday ruled it saw no difference between conventionally raised farm animals and clones. The products of both were equally safe to eat.
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Cloned milk and meat expected to go on sale in months after winning US approval - The Times 29th December 2006
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Cloning: Q&A - The Times 29th December 2006
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Cloned animals safe for meat, say US officials - The Telegraph 29th December 2006
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US body backs sale of cloned food - BBC Health News 28th December 2006
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Spiky surface 'kills infections' - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
Adding a special "spiky" coating to surfaces can kill bacteria and viruses, research suggests. US scientists found painting on spike-like structures kept the surfaces infection-free.
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'Mutant genes' could treat cancer - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
The same genetic mechanism that drives tumour growth could also treat cancer, US scientists believe. Inheriting the wrong number of gene-rich chromosomes both caused and prevented cancers developing in mice, the California University team found.
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China court in Viagra crackdown - BBC Health News 28th December 2006
A Chinese court has ordered two local firms to stop selling generic versions of the anti-impotence drug Viagra. The court upheld the validity of Viagra-maker Pfizer's patent, ordering one firm to pay $38,000 (£19,400) damages for trademark infringements.
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Cheshire and Merseyside News
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Help for disabled residents - Liverpool Echo 29th December 2006
A NEW plan should improve life for thousands of disabled Liverpool residents. It includes proposals for a postal library service, accessible parking meters and disability awareness training for taxi drivers.
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Patient had £60 stolen while he had op - Liverpool Echo 29th December 2006
THIEVES stole money from a patient while he was on the operating table. The callous criminals left the man's trousers carefully folded after taking £60 from the pockets.
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£5,000 'an insult' to son's memory - Liverpool Echo 29th December 2006
A MIDWIFE who sued her own hospital over her son's death today said the compensation paid was an insult to his memory. Carol Holland, 50, was offered £5,000 by Whiston hospital after her son David, 28, died there three years ago.
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Hospital warns of excess drinking - Chester Chronicle 29th December 2006
VIOLENT drunks who tumble into A&E during the holiday period will face a zero-tolerance policy from staff, warns a hospital consultant. Up to 65,000 people are admitted at the Countess of Chester A&E department each year as a result of drink.
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First fogs prompt lung care warnings - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 28th December 2006
WITH the first fogs of winter rolling in Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust has issued advice to help patients with COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The name covers a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease, all of which can occur together.
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Bid to provide a fairer deal for the disabled - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 28th December 2006
PEOPLE with a disability will get a fairer deal under a far-reaching action plan set out by the borough council. The Disability Equality Scheme lays out the council's commitment to improving the quality of life for disabled people over the next three years.
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Ambulance strike averted - Runcorn Weekly News 28th December 2006
FEARS that Halton would be left without essential ambulance services over the festive and New Year period have been allayed. Union officials say ambulance staff in Cheshire and Merseyside were planning to strike over Christmas and New Year because over pay and conditions, but the move was called off after an agreement was reached.
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Don't take wards away, pleads MP - Widnes Weekly News 28th December 2006
HALTON MP Derek Twigg has added his voice to the campaign to keep vital health services at Halton Hospital. Protesters battling to stop ward closures at the Runcorn hospital from going ahead recently spoke of their fury at Tony Blair for supporting the move.
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Mental unit fears - Widnes Weekly News 28th December 2006
RESIDENTS in Halton View say their worst fears have been realised after bosses at a new, multi-million pound mental unit confirmed it will house people detained under the Mental Health Act. Building work on a private, medium security hospital in Dans Road, near Fiddlers Ferry, is already in progress after Halton Borough Council gave the thumbs up for The Priory Group to install the mental unit in Widnes.
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Milder winters are still risky for the elderly - Midweek Advertiser 27th December 2006
DESPITE Met Office figures that this has been one of the warmest Autumns in 347 years, managers of the Government funded Warm Front Scheme are urging the elderly and the vulnerable not to be complacent this winter. Warm Front Director, Adrian Hull, said: “Some people may be surprised to hear that England has one of the worst winter death rates in Northern Europe, even though we typically have milder winters than some of our neighbours in countries like Norway and Iceland.
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Cumbria and Lancashire News
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MP joins fight for physios - Carlisle News & Star 28th December 2006
PENRITH and the Border MP David Maclean has joined a parliamentary fight to get more physiotherapists into the NHS. An early day motion put down by Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, with cross-party support, is calling on the government to address the jobs crisis by getting health trusts to lift their freeze on filling vacancies. The motion notes a survey from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy which shows nine out of 10 of the year’s 2,529 physiotherapy graduates had no NHS job to go to in the summer.
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Shock at level of rural poverty - Carlisle News & Star 28th December 2006
ONE in five people live in poverty in rural areas like Cumbria, the Commission for Rural Communities has highlighted. Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean has now added his name to a growing list of MPs who have signed an early day motion calling for action.
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Health super centre sites confirmed - Blackpool Citizen 28th December 2006
Two of the three proposed Blackpool health super centres' have been confirmed at locations in the town. Following a three-month public consultation earlier this year, new super centres have been earmarked for South Shore Hospital and Whitegate Drive, Blackpool.
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Get your flu jab now plea - Midweek Advertiser 27th December 2006
Doctor says he is worried about take up. EVEN though there have been few flu outbreaks so far this year, health officials – worried people are becoming complacent – are warning West Lancashire folk to continue going for their flu jabs. The Health Protection Agency North West is urging people eligible for flu vaccination to ensure they protect themselves as vaccine is available.
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Greater Manchester Health News
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Health plan to invest £1m - in baby unit! - The Bury Times 28th December 2006
FAIRFIELD Hospital's maternity department could have up to £1million invested to expand its services - despite health chiefs condemning it to closure. The department, including its special care baby unit, is to be axed within the next five years along with services at Rochdale Infirmary under controversial plans to transform children and maternity services across Greater Manchester.
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Hospital falls into the red by £200,000 - The Bolton News 28th December 2006
THE ROYAL Bolton Hospital has fallen almost £200,000 into the red. Finance bosses have blamed an overspend in the savings plan, which was supposed to slash £6 million from the budget in this financial year, between the end of March 2006 and April 2007.
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£12m health centre unveiled- The Bolton News 28th December 2006
The first image of plans for a multi-million pound health centre to be built in Bolton have been unveiled. The £12 million project is due to be completed by the end of 2008, on the site of the Alistair Ross health centre in Breightmet.
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Hospital fails to hit targets - The Bolton News 28th December 2006
THE Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Bolton Hospital has narrowly missed achieving its Government targets. A public meeting of the hospital trust board revealed 97.8 per cent of patients attending casualty throughout November were treated, admitted or discharged within four hours.
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A step forward for hospital - Altrincham Messenger 28th December 2006
CHRISTIE Hospital took a step forward today in its bid to become a foundation trust. Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has given the hospital the green light to move to the next stage of its foundation trust application.
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Blears accused of hypocrisy after joining protest over hospital closure - The Independent 29th December 2006
Hazel Blears, the Labour Party chairwoman, has been accused of hypocrisy after she joined picket lines to protest against a threat to close her local maternity services. Ms Blears, a cabinet minister and ultra-loyal Blairite, defended her right to protest, and denied it was part of her battle to hold on to a seat against neighbouring Labour MPs after boundary changes.
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Three ministers in NHS cuts protest - The Times 29th December 2006
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Labour 'hypocrisy over NHS cuts' - The Telegraph 29th December 2006
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Minister backs Blears on protest - BBC Health News 29th December 2006
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