National and International News
New poll boosts demands for total pub smoking ban - The Observer 18/09/05
A blanket ban on smoking in all pubs became increasingly likely last night after it was claimed there has been a strong shift in public opinion.
Late baby blues? Blame the men - The Observer 18/09/05
As a child I dreamt of announcing my birthday in a national newspaper. Think of all those presents. I'm getting old enough now to care about the age more than the book tokens, but I must declare an interest: my name is Juliette, I have no children and on Thursday I will be 35.
Retiring to the barricades - The Observer 18/09/05
Oliver Morgan on the level of anger that has set trade unions and the government on a collision course over pensions
Why 50-stone Barry seized a chance of life - The Observer 18/09/05
Britain's fattest man decides to lose weight to show others the many dangers of obesity
Fox calls for abortion limit to be lowered to 12 weeks - The Observer 18/09/05
Women should be banned from having abortions after as little as 12 weeks of pregnancy, halving the current legal limit, according to Tory leadership contender Liam Fox.
Child abusers who shame British football - The Observer 18/09/05
Paedophiles, bullying coaches, aggressive parents ... Martin Bentham reveals details of a new report which will show how boys - and girls - are being put at risk by failures in the running of football at all levels.
Top football clubs hit by child abuse allegations - The Observer 18/09/05
Fears for child safety in bid to end care checks - The Observer 18/09/05
Children left in daycare while their parents work will be put at risk under government plans to scrap official checks on carers, children's organisations are warning.
Try saying sorry, NHS doctors told - The Observer 18/09/05
'It is a good rule in life never to apologise,' wrote PG Wodehouse. 'The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.'
Travel deals to beat holiday 'truancy' - The Observer 18/09/05
Cut-price deals during school holidays are to be offered as part of a government drive against 'middle-class truancy'.
Cheaper summer holidays to combat truancy - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
Poison experts attack 'hysteria' over chemicals - The Observer 18/09/05
Britain's leading poison experts united last week to denounce pressure groups for mounting a 'hysterical, scaremongering' campaign about dangerous chemicals in the environment.
2-hour limit for TV 'keeps kids healthy' - The Observer 18/09/05
Two mothers are on a mission to unglue a whole generation from the hypnotic box
Dying nurse sues NHS for denying her cancer drug - The Observer 18/09/05
A nurse with breast cancer is taking legal action to force the NHS to prescribe her a powerful, life-saving drug which could significantly increase her life expectancy.
Nurse sues for right to have breast-cancer drug - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
Accused medic tells of doctors' pacts on euthanasia - The Guardian 17/09/05
Several doctors have "twinning" arrangements with fellow medics to help each other to commit suicide if a painful death threatens, according to a 74-year-old retired doctor who could be struck off the medical register this month.
Unilever brands on the block as consumers chill out with healthier option - The Guardian 17/09/05
Unilever is considering selling or closing some of its struggling frozen foods plants in western Europe after more than two years of disappointing sales as supermarket shoppers increasingly favour chilled ready meals.
So much more than blood - The Guardian 17/09/05
Evangelical Christian, single mother, teenager, great-grandmother - what does family mean to them? Libby Brooks launches a year-long project chronicling the day-to-day lives of 11 diverse British families. The soap opera starts here ...
The stigma of being a teenage mum - The Guardian 17/09/05
Hannah White gave birth to a baby in the middle of her GCSEs - and still got 12, seven of them As. She talks to Decca Aitkenhead about a broken condom, tough decisions, and the stigma of being a teenage mum
Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 17/09/05
I'm 70 years old and have areas of oversensitised skin in rather embarrassing places, which, from time to time, irritate unbearably. I'm looking for something that would ease the itching and, hopefully, give permanent relief.
Loose ends - The Guardian 17/09/05
Whatever happened to the Citizen's Charter?
Bird flu could cause global economic catastrophe - The Independent 18/09/05
Bird flu threatens to cause a "catastrophic" economic crash in Britain and around the world, unprecedented in modern times, according to new research.
Tory contenders call for tax cuts to support marriage - The Independent 18/09/05
Three Conservative leadership contenders vying for the right-wing vote in next month's election have each issued calls for the tax system to be changed to give extra breaks to married couples
Rogue plastic surgery clinics to be named - The Independent 18/09/05
Plastic surgery clinics that lure patients in with the promise of cheap deals and quick "lunch-hour" surgery will be named and shamed this week.
Sedated, abused and confined in bleak wards: a woman's life inside Broadmoor - The Independent 18/09/05
Janet Cresswell, the award-winning playwright who spent 25 years in Broadmoor, has written a shocking exposé of life behind the walls of the psychiatric hospital and the harsh treatment of women patients.
Overweight girls 'face lifetime of discrimination and low pay' - The Independent 18/09/05
Teenage girls should prepare themselves for serious, long-lasting discrimination if they are overweight at the age of 16, according to new research.
'I enjoyed the daft ritual, the euphoria. We were all on it' - The Independent 18/09/05
In the 12 years after leaving university I made such an incremental transition from stern critic of class A drug abuse to regular cocaine user that I barely noticed I had switched sides.
Cocaine & the catwalk - The Independent 18/09/05
UK plays host to firm behind the first water-powered car - The Independent 18/09/05
A business planning to develop the world's first water-powered car will launch in the UK later this week.
Focus: The good life - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
Public sector workers plan to strike over plans to raise their retirement age. Yet ordinary taxpayers must pick up part of their pension bill
Focus: Are we sleepwalking our way to apartheid? - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
The Commission for Racial Equality says segregation in Britain is going the way of New Orleans. Is it right and, if so, what can be done, ask Richard Woods and David Leppard
Race chief warns of ghetto crisis - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
Britain faces New Orleans-style segregation, says race chief - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Mental problems soar among children using cannabis - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
THE number of children treated for mental disorders caused by smoking cannabis has quadrupled since the government downgraded the legal status of the drug, according to a leading drug charity.
Ministers to review 24-hour drinking - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
THE government will this week make a key concession to critics of its controversial 24-hour drinking reforms by agreeing to a review of the law's operation soon after it comes into force, writes Andrew Porter.
Pity the poor children left to Blair's care - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
When people come to look back on the legacy of new Labour they will feel a deep indignation that, for some reason, is expressed at the moment only by very few. Labour has always prided itself on being the caring party, champion of the underprivileged and the vulnerable. Yet the people who have done worst out of new Labour are children, particularly the most deprived children.
Excluding pesticides - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
MANY pesticides commonly used in California have been detected far from the site of application, some as far as 25 to 50 miles (Crop spraying is health risk, say scientists, News, last week).
Focus: This couple left having children till 40 and very nearly failed. Now doctors say women are being lulled into a costly and dangerous epidemic - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
After training for five years to become a nurse, Bernadette Hoban set off on a round-the-world trip before settling down in the West Midlands to get her career back on track. She was 30.
Focus: The baby count
Best age for childbearing remains 20-35 - Delaying risks heartbreak, say experts - Medical News Today 16/09/05
Random inspections to crack down on superbug - The Sunday Times 18/09/05
HYGIENE hit squads are to carry out unannounced inspections of Scottish hospitals in a crackdown on MRSA, the superbug that is resistant to antibiotics.
Taking a different view of life - The Times 17/09/05
Just graduated and in a well-paid job, Susannah Stevens gave it all up to care for her aunt who was dying of cancer
Where to eat out with your little darlings - The Times 17/09/05
Warm welcomes, from making pizzas to scrawling on tablecloths
Junk medicine: embryo research: hysteria over 'virgin birth' - The Times 17/09/05
In reproductive biology, a lot can hang on a name. Parthenogenesis is the perfect example. This Ancient Greek term for a virgin birth is used in science to describe the process by which eggs spontaneously divide, without fertilisation by sperm, to form an embryo. Lizards and bees occasionally procreate by parthenogenesis, though such embryos invariably die in humans and other mammals.
Breaks and break-ups - The Times 17/09/05
Returning from holiday can put your relationship on the rocks. Mary Fenwick says it doesn't have to be terminal
Why can't restaurants serve good food to kids? - The Times 17/09/05
Kids' food in restaurants is unhealthy and unappealing. We ask why eating out for families is so hard to digest and list some child-friendly establishments
A-Z of relationships: H is for humour - The Times 17/09/05
The joker in the pack
Agony aunt: Irma Kurtz: Love's deadly weapon ... - The Times 17/09/05
I'm 50 and divorced, as is my partner. We've been together for seven years and have been very happy but she has always been intensely jealous and distrustful of me, to the extent that she cannot bear to see me even talking to another woman. She frequently accuses me of having affairs, although I have given her no reason for her suspicions and have constantly reassured her of my love and fidelity. She has now disclosed to me that she had a "one-night stand" with an old friend and deeply regrets it. I'm hurt but still at a loss to understand her behaviour. Was it a "pre-emptive strike" or is there some other explanation?
Sex matters with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 17/09/05
I think my last girlfiend left me because my penis is too small. What is the normal size for a man and can I do anything to maximise my performance?
Sorted: household medical cabinet - The Times 17/09/05
Our paediatric expert Dr Jane Collins chooses quick fixes to have at hand for family emergencies
Not happy about the potty - The Times 17/09/05
My grandson, who is 3 years and 4 months, is coming with his 12-month-old sister to stay with us for a week while his parents go on holiday. He is a healthy boy but refuses to sit on the potty or loo and prefers to wait until he is wearing his nappy. I would like to try to "train" him while he is with us. Do you agree with bribes and persuasion? His mother worries that he might stop himself going and become constipated.
'I'm a vegetarian, but I eat roadkill' - The Times 17/09/05
London's open spaces are stuffed with tasty, healthy wild food, if you know where to look. Nick Wyke meets a professional forager and learns to live off the land
Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP: mind the attitude gap - The Times 17/09/05
Case 1: "I'm terribly sorry to bother you, doctor, I know you're busy, I really don't want to call you out, I just wondered if you might give me some advice about this indigestion-type pain I'm getting, because those marvellous antacids you prescribe for me don't seem to be helping ...
Well fit: Gabby Logan: get into shape with a mate - The Times 17/09/05
A new training buddy to keep me on the ball
Not just anybody: Katie Melua - The Times 17/09/05
Singer Katie Melua, 21, gets a kick from jumping off high buildings - and Georgian comfort food
Interview: Jack be nimble, Jack be quick - The Times 17/09/05
Ozzy Osbourne's youngest has dumped drink and drugs, and lost a third of his weight. He tells Rupert Mellor he's more than fit for his new TV role
Running on electricity - The Times 17/09/05
New implant technology could transform lives and be a step towards real-life bionic people
The warrior diet - The Times 17/09/05
Feast or famine: do our ancestors hold the key to a healthy life?
Aids fears lead teenagers to try safer kind of sex - The Times 17/09/05
MORE than half of American teenagers aged 15 to 19 say that they have had oral sex, with females and males reporting similar levels of experience, according to the most comprehensive survey of US sexual habits yet conducted.
Oral sex experienced by half of US 15-19 olds, 70% of 18-19 year olds - Medical News Today 16/09/05
More Than Half of 15-19 Year Olds Have Engaged in Oral Sex; Practice More Common Than Sexual Intercourse, Survey Data Show, USA - Medical News Today 18/09/05
How a squeeze at night can give you vision of a new life without glasses - The Times 17/09/05
A TECHNIQUE that corrects short sight as you sleep could give millions of people 20/20 vision without the need for spectacles.
How a squeeze at night can give you vision of a new life without glasses Graphic - The Times 17/09/05
Mandarins found the answer in the sands - The Times 17/09/05
Alarm as prescriptions of Ritalin to children reach a record high - The Telegraph 18/09/05
The number of children being prescribed drugs for so-called behavioural disorders has soared to a record high, causing alarm that children are being unnecessarily "drugged into submission".
Keep pushing, and smile. The birth of the labour party - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Once it was the private preserve of mother and cherished newborn. Then dad was allowed to join in. Now the birth of one's baby is being transformed into a truly social occasion.
Put that light out! Now Prescott plans to send in the 'energy police' to make us go green - The Telegraph 18/09/05
'Energy wardens' will police homes and offices to ensure that they do not waste gas and electricity under a radical plan being considered by John Prescott.
Parents offered cheap holidays to stop children missing school - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Parents who book trips away during the school holidays will get free child places and 15 per cent discounts, under a Government campaign to stop pupils missing school.
40,000 a day to take pupils to school by taxi - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Local councils are spending up to 40,000 a day on taxis to take children to and from school.
Government bows to pressure for late-night drinking review - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Ministers have announced a climbdown over plans for late-night drinking in an attempt to head off criticism over their proposed shake-up of licensing laws.
Talk is cheap - well, 25 an hour actually with a professional listener - The Telegraph 18/09/05
"Professional listener", said the postcard in the window of a north London newsagent. "No advice. No criticism. No interpretation. Simply listening. 25 per hour. Contact Isabel."
Alzheimer's sufferers hit by further delay in NHS approval for vital drugs - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Thousands of Alzheimer's sufferers will have to wait until next year to learn if they will get vital drugs on the National Health Service.
One million years BA (before Atkins) - The Telegraph 18/09/05
It's 6pm and in her kitchen in Boston, Massachusetts, Lucy Frost, is preparing dinner. For her starter, she will have tomato soup pepped up with sour cream. Her main course will be a deluxe cheeseburger and fries with coleslaw, delivered by the local burger joint, and being kept warm in the oven. For pudding, she will have some Ben & Jerry's ice cream with fudge sauce. In the meantime, she will keep herself going with some Doritos dipped in salsa and a handful of Chewy Chips cookies.
Dieters warned to avoid Chinese slimming aids - The Telegraph 17/09/05
Dieters were warned yesterday to avoid traditional Chinese slimming aids after one - Shuabo Slimming Capsules - caused a case of irreversible liver failure.
Chinese medicine slim aid warning - BBC Health News 16/09/05
Chinese medicine slimming warning - Daily Mail 16/09/05
NHS slides into the red despite record increases in health care spending - The Telegraph 17/09/05
The National Health Service in England has gone into the red for the first time in five years despite record increases in Government spending, figures showed yesterday.
NHS in the red - The Telegraph 17/09/05
NHS chief criticises trusts for running up 250m deficit - The Guardian 17/09/05
Gay fathers face new legal battle - The Telegraph 17/09/05
Britain's first openly homosexual couple to become surrogate fathers are facing a fresh battle for permission for their third child to stay in the country.
Lung disease strikes Street's Vera - Daily Mail 18/09/05
Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn is suffering from the incurable lung disease emphysema, soap bosses have revealed.
Corrie star suffering from lung disease - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Nurse stabbed in care home break-in - Daily Mail 18/09/05
A nurse was stabbed by a burglar after disturbing him during a break-in at a residential home in South Wales early on Saturday morning.
Doctor embarks on tale of two faces - Daily Mail 18/09/05
Five men and seven women will secretly visit the Cleveland Clinic in the next few weeks to be interviewed for the chance to have a radical operation - a face transplant.
Warning over antibiotics for acne - Daily Mail 16/09/05
Taking antibiotics to treat acne for long periods of time may double the risk of throat infections.
Acne antibiotics throat bug risk - BBC Health News 16/09/05
Acne antibiotics aid throat bugs - The Times 17/09/05
Cannabis-smoking GP struck off - Daily Mail 16/09/05
A married GP who had a two-month affair and smoked cannabis with a vulnerable patient was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and struck off the medical register.
'Hepatitis C' surgeon suspended - Daily Mail 16/09/05
A surgeon who had hepatitis C and put his patients at risk by carrying out invasive procedures has been found guilty of serious professional misconduct and suspended from the medical register for three months.
Hepatitis C surgeon could be struck off by GMC - The Guardian 17/09/05
Cancerous dye in food colouring - Daily Mail 16/09/05
Traces of the cancer-causing dye Sudan 1 have been found in an artificial colouring used in food and drink, the Food Standards Agency said.
Smart food labels in Nestle deal - Daily Mail 16/09/05
A UK firm that makes a revolutionary label telling people when food is unsafe to eat is celebrating an alliance with multinational Nestle.
Living like men cuts women's life expectancy - Daily Mail 16/09/05
Women are paying the price for living and working like men - with a closing of the life expectancy gap.
Lifestyle 'hits life length gap' - BBC Health News 16/09/05
Life expectancy gap between sexes narrows - The Independent 16/09/05
Child clothes 'fail to block sun' - BBC Health News 17/09/05
A quarter of children's clothing could be failing to give proper protection from the sun's harmful rays, experts have warned.
Probe into cap on drugs profits - BBC Health News 17/09/05
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to examine restrictions on the profits that pharmaceutical firms make from sales of drugs to the NHS.
Stem cell patients 'are healthy' - BBC Health News 16/09/05
Blood cancer patients who had stem-cell transplants are virtually as healthy as their peers 10 years later, an American study has found.
Sperm ships for fertility seekers - BBC Health News 16/09/05
British people may soon be able to board ships anchored off the coast to obtain fertility treatment forbidden in the UK, such as anonymous donor sperm.
Biomira Announces Completion of Enrolment in BLP25 Liposome Vaccine Phase 2 Safety Study - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Biomira Inc announced that it has completed the enrolment of a 20-patient phase 2, single-arm, multi-centre, open label study of BLP25 Liposome Vaccine (L-BLP25). The drug is being developed in collaboration with Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany.
News of Antioxidants in Coffee Is Not a License to Make it a Mainstay in Health Regimens - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Coffee may be a chief source of antioxidants in the American diet, as recently reported at the meeting of the American Chemical Society by Dr. Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton, but "that is not a license to make it a mainstay of your health regimen," says Dr. Keith I. Block of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care & Optimal Health in Evanston, Illinois. Vinson recently found that, based on both the concentration of antioxidants in coffee and the relative amounts we consume of coffee and the more conventionally acknowledged antioxidant sources - fruits and vegetables - coffee contributes more to our antioxidant intake than any other food.
High Blood Sugar, Heart Disease Risk Factor - Diabetics and Non-Diabetics at Increased Risk - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Lowering blood sugar levels could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in both diabetics and non-diabetics, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The researchers found that Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)-a measure of long-term blood glucose level-predicts heart disease risk in both diabetics and non-diabetics. An elevated blood glucose level is the defining feature of diabetes, but until now it was unclear whether elevated glucose levels contributed independently to increasing heart-disease risk. The study is published in the September 12, 2005, issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Parkinson's Patient Advocates Call on Amgen to Move Forward with GDNF Clinical Trials - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Sunday's CBS News program "60 Minutes" profiled several courageous Parkinson's patients who volunteered for Amgen, Inc.'s clinical trials of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a promising Parkinson's treatment for which the biotech giant company holds the patent. Today, Tuesday, September 13, 2005, a coalition of grassroots Parkinson's patients and organizations published an open letter to Amgen President and CEO Kevin Sharer in a full-page ad in the Ventura County Star, where Amgen is headquartered, urging him to restart human trials of the growth factor or license it to a company that will.
Firmly Established Central Laboratories Pose a Stiff Challenge to Novel Point-of-Care Testing Technologies - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Laboratories are traditional testing points and pose the biggest threat to the point-of-care (PoC) testing industry. The assertion of these laboratories that PoC testing cannot match laboratory testing in terms of cost and accuracy is severely curtailing the growth of PoC technologies.
BMA responds to GMC proposals for a risk-based approach to regulation - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Commenting on proposals announced by the GMC today (14/9/05) to introduce a risk-based approach to the regulation of doctors, Mr James Johnson, BMA Chairman, said:
Clinical trial results for new epilepsy treatment Keppra (levetiracetam) reported at 6th European Paediatric Neurology Society - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Paediatric clinical trial results of the new epilepsy treatment Keppra (levetiracetam) were reported in Europe for the first time, at this week's meeting of the 6th European Paediatric Neurology Society Congress hosted in Sweden. Data indicate that levetiracetam adjunctive therapy provides enhanced seizure freedom over placebo, and is well-tolerated in children with partial epilepsy who have been resistant to anti-epileptic (AED) therapy1.
MRC Salutes The Two British Lasker Award Winners - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Professor Colin Blakemore, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council (MRC) said: "I am delighted that two British scientists, Professor Sir Edwin Southern and Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, have been awarded the Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research in recognition of their work, which transformed the field of human genetic analysis.
CHMP - Initial marketing authorizations, Europe, September 2005 - Medical News Today 18/09/05
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) gave positive opinions on initial marketing authorisation applications for: -- Macugen (pegaptanib sodium), from Pfizer Ltd, for the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that leads to vision loss resulting from damage to the central part of the retina. EMEA review began on 20 September 2004 with an active review time of 216 days. -- Naglazyme (galsulfase (recombinant human N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase)), from BioMarin Europe Ltd, for long-term enzyme replacement therapy in Mucopolysaccharidosis VI, an inherited enzyme deficiency resulting in greater than normal levels of mucopolysaccharides in body tissues. EMEA review began on 20 December 2004 with an active review time of 213 days. Naglazyme is the twenty-third orphan medicinal product to receive a positive CHMP opinion.
Patients reap the benefits of quality care, BMA Northern Ireland - Medical News Today 18/09/05
With the publication on Friday, 16 Sept 2005 of the scores in the Quality and Outcomes Framework of the new GP contract, Northern Ireland's GPs have demonstrated the high quality of general practice in the province and the quality of care practices are providing to patients. The average practice score was 989 points out of a possible score of 1050.
MRC Study To Monitor Pentosan Polysulphate As A Treatment For CJD Receives Ethical Approval, UK - Medical News Today 18/09/05
The plans for a monitoring study on patients being treated with Pentosan Polysulphate (PPS) for CJD and variant CJD have received a favourable opinion from the Eastern Multi-Centre Research Ethics Committee. This follows a provisional opinion from the committee in August.
New lung cancer blood test available to public - Medical News Today 18/09/05
CeMines, Inc announced that it has entered into a clinical research and product distribution agreement with Denver-based Colorado Heart & Body Imaging, LLC (CHBI), a recognized leader in the early detection of cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.
Health and economic benefits from sun exposure are much greater than risks: study - Medical News Today 18/09/05
Health and economic burdens from insufficient solar UVB irradiance and vitamin D greatly outweigh all known adverse health outcomes. These are the findings from a rigorous study published this week by the journal Photochemisty and Photobiology. Scientists investigated the annual number of cases and deaths due to cancer, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporotic hip fracture that likely could have been prevented with sufficient vitamin D as well as the number of cases and deaths from skin cancer and melanoma as well as cases of cataracts that likely have been prevented by avoiding excess UV irradiance. Economic burden values were then determined for these results.
Progress on Alzheimer's Vaccine - Campus Vienna Biocenter - Medical News Today 18/09/05
An innovative vaccination can significantly reduce deposits of the substances in the brain responsible for causing Alzheimer's disease. This result was disclosed today by Affiris GmbH, a company located at the Campus Vienna Biocenter, Austria. The rapid progress during the pre-clinical development phase has already enabled the Vienna-based company, although having operated only since April 2004, to plan clinical trials for 2006, and thus proves the international competitiveness of the Campus Vienna Biocenter.
UNAIDS Executive Director Piot Says He Is 'Hopeful But Not Yet Optimistic' About Curbing HIV/AIDS Pandemic - Medical News Today 18/09/05
The HIV/AIDS pandemic can be reversed because world leaders have a greater awareness of the disease and more funding is being funneled into the fight against it,... UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said this week ahead of the U.N. 2005 World Summit in New York, BMJ reports. "I'm hopeful but not yet optimistic," Piot said, adding, "We have the political will to reverse the epidemic." He cited the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- a five-year, $15 billion program proposed by President Bush that directs funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria primarily to 15 focus countries and provides funding to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria -- as a step in the right direction. "When global leaders meet, AIDS is on the agenda," he said, adding, "Heads of government or their deputies are leaders (against AIDS) in about 40 countries. ... They can be a link between the civil society and the state -- a link that is often missing" (Hopkins Tanne, BMJ, 9/17).
World Bank Provides $32M for HIV/AIDS Programs in Rwandan Province - Medical News Today 18/09/05
The World Bank Multisector AIDS Project on Wednesday announced it will provide $32 million for HIV/AIDS programs in the northern Rwandan province of Ruhengeri, which has few programs to fight the disease compared with the rest of the country,... Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 9/14). MAP representatives at a meeting this week urged officials from the province to encourage residents to get tested for HIV. Fred Manzi, the MAP representative in Ruhengeri, said the project also has funds available to support HIV/AIDS organizations and encouraged the creation of more organizations (Kalenzi, New Times, 9/14). Rwanda's HIV/AIDS epidemic was exacerbated by the 1994 genocide (Xinhuanet, 9/14). During the genocide, Hutu militia raped Tutsi women in a deliberate plan to use HIV/AIDS as a weapon (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 9/9).
Current Issue of Ground Water Focuses on Transboundary Ground Water Issues - Medical News Today 17/09/05
The September-October 2005 issue of the journal Ground Water is devoted entirely to the subject of transboundary ground water, featuring 14 papers exploring the legal, political, economic, institutional and scientific aspects of transboundary ground water.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Patients Suffer For Two Years Before Seeking Medical Help - Medical News Today 17/09/05
People are suffering with distressing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for an average of two years before seeking care and advice from their primary care physician.1 Results from the Burning Desires survey, revealed today, indicate that this may be due to a perception amongst sufferers that while over-the-counter (OTC) medications are effective, prescription medications will not help. This is despite the fact that prescription medication in the form of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been proven to provide relief from one of the main symptoms of GERD - heartburn - within five days in most people.
New Product Converts Standard Room into Temporary Emergency Isolation Suite - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Related Life Sciences Ltd are launching a unique and inexpensive solution to convert existing rooms into temporary isolation suites for the treatment of Infectious diseases within 10 minutes.
UNFPA Saddened By U.S. Decision Not to Rejoin Nations' Support For Multilateral Work to Protect Women's Health - Medical News Today 17/09/05
The United States Administration's decision for the fourth consecutive year not to release $34 million appropriated by Congress for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is regrettable, especially when leaders at the World Summit are stressing the need to act together on global concerns, the Fund said today. The funds are urgently needed for effective multilateral work in developing countries to prevent maternal and child deaths, stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, provide voluntary contraception and to support the work to end poverty.
How to eliminate salmonella bacteria from the poultry production process - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A team of researchers in the newly-formed Department of Population Health at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine has launched a study to determine how to eliminate salmonella bacteria from the poultry production process.
Doctors missing chance to talk to obese children and their parents about ways to control weight - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Many physicians may be missing the chance to talk to obese children and their parents about ways to control the children's weight, according to Saint Louis University research reported in Pediatrics.
Researchers find human fat cells produce C-reactive protein - Obesity, inflammation and vascular disease link - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Researchers at The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have found that human fat cells produce a protein that is linked to both inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Childhood-onset wheelchair users report less shoulder pain than adult-onset users - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study examines whether the prevalence of shoulder pain in adult wheelchair users who began using their wheelchairs during childhood is similar to those who began using their wheelchairs as adults.
Injury, bed rest, rehabilitation length linked to functional ability in patients with spinal cord injury - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study describes the rehabilitation length and functional outcome in the Netherlands for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Low-impact wheelchair propulsion: Achievable and acceptable - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study investigates the performance and user acceptance of a low-impact wheelchair pushrim. A low-impact pushrim is one that absorbs shock as the hand impacts it at the beginning of the push, important as this has been associated with the development of repetitive stress injuries among wheelchair users.
How to do a Breast Self-Exam (BSE), Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Web Site - Medical News Today 17/09/05
The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has a very informative web site to help women carry out a Breast Self-Exam. The web site includes information in both English and Spanish and contains some well laid out illustrations.
Manual wheelchair skill influences social participation - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study describes the relationship between manual wheelchair skill and social participation in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) one year after injury.
Functional electrical stimulation reverses muscle degeneration - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study investigates muscle recovery induced by a new system of life-long functional electrical stimulation training in permanent denervated human muscle.
Literature review indicates best practices following spinal cord injury - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study reviews select recovery outcomes and measures from multicenter studies and a large spinal cord injury (SCI) database to show that future SCI treatment strategies should be based on demonstrated effective interventions.
People with spinal cord injury report lower quality of life - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study reviews literature on the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and discusses the validity of some QOL measurement tools.
Excess weight, push technique contribute to upper limb injury in users of manual wheelchairs - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study makes recommendations for wheelchair propulsion and setup that may reduce the risk of developing shoulder and wrist injuries.
Prematurity - research could improve clinical care, help educate women - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A March of Dimes expert panel has recommended a targeted research agenda designed improve the lives of thousands of babies by preventing premature birth. The agenda has been published today in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
NIH launches National Commission on Digestive Diseases - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This week, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, announced the establishment of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases. This is a major victory for patients with digestive diseases and for the AGA, which has worked tirelessly for the creation of the Commission.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk across all ethnicities - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A cohort study of 55,371 menopausal American women has found no significant differences among different ethnic groups for the increased risk of breast cancer related to hormone replacement therapy. The study, published online September 16, 2005 in the International Journal of Cancer, the official journal of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), did find that leaner women taking hormone replacement therapy had a relatively greater increase in breast cancer risks than heavier women. The study is available via Wiley InterScience (interscience.wiley.com/journal/ijc).
Rehabilitation improves wheelchair propulsion capacity in persons with spinal cord injury - Medical News Today 17/09/05
This study describes the effect of rehabilitation to increase the ability of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) to push a wheelchair. One hundred and thirty-two persons with SCI were tested three times during rehabilitation.
Digital mammography detects more breast cancers than screen film mammography - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A landmark breast cancer screening trial shows that digital mammography detected more cancers - up to 28 percent more - than screen film mammography in women 50 and younger, premenopausal and perimenopausal women, and women with dense breasts.
Digital mammography may improve cancer detection - Reuters 16/09/05
Pioneering program to help children with extreme anxiety - BRAVE program - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A pioneering University of Queensland (UQ) research project will help children overcome extreme anxiety.
Signs Point to Worsening HIV Epidemic in Philippines Despite Low Official Prevalence Rate, Health Officials Say - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A low official HIV prevalence rate in the Philippines misrepresents the extent of the "creeping" epidemic in the country, according to some health officials,... Reuters reports. The Philippines officially has recorded 2,200 HIV cases and 676 AIDS cases, but the country's Department of Health and the World Health Organization estimate that 10,000 HIV-positive people lived in the country in 2003. A conservative culture strongly influenced by the Catholic Church might be deterring some HIV-positive people from getting tested and reporting their status, according to Reuters. "We're definitely not getting the right figures," Dominic Garcia of the AIDS Society of the Philippines said, adding, "There are a lot of Filipinos that are HIV-positive but don't know it. Some haven't even heard of the disease." In addition, the commercial sex industry, low condom use rates, an increasing number of injection drug users and rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases are some "red flags" that HIV prevalence is at risk of increasing, Reuters reports. "All the ingredients of an explosion are there," Roderick Poblete of the Philippine National AIDS Council said, adding, "If we don't shape up by 2010, the epidemic may turn the tide on us" (Bhushan, Reuters, 9/12).
Mozambique Launches World Bank-Funded Project That Aims To Improve Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Mozambique's National Council for the Fight Against AIDS (CNCS) on Tuesday launched a project that aims to improve the media's coverage of the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic,... Xinhua/People's Daily reports. The World Bank is funding the 18-month project with a $1.6 million grant. The project will train journalists, with a focus on the country's television and radio stations. Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo, chair of CNCS, said the media "are crucial to changing people's behavior and to transforming their attitudes," adding that it is important that the media sustain HIV/AIDS coverage after the project ends (Xinhua/People's Daily, 9/14).
Signs Point to Worsening HIV Epidemic in Philippines Despite Low Official Prevalence Rate, Health Officials Say - Medical News Today 17/09/05
A low official HIV prevalence rate in the Philippines misrepresents the extent of the "creeping" epidemic in the country, according to some health officials,... Reuters reports. The Philippines officially has recorded 2,200 HIV cases and 676 AIDS cases, but the country's Department of Health and the World Health Organization estimate that 10,000 HIV-positive people lived in the country in 2003. A conservative culture strongly influenced by the Catholic Church might be deterring some HIV-positive people from getting tested and reporting their status, according to Reuters. "We're definitely not getting the right figures," Dominic Garcia of the AIDS Society of the Philippines said, adding, "There are a lot of Filipinos that are HIV-positive but don't know it. Some haven't even heard of the disease." In addition, the commercial sex industry, low condom use rates, an increasing number of injection drug users and rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases are some "red flags" that HIV prevalence is at risk of increasing, Reuters reports. "All the ingredients of an explosion are there," Roderick Poblete of the Philippine National AIDS Council said, adding, "If we don't shape up by 2010, the epidemic may turn the tide on us" (Bhushan, Reuters, 9/12).
Mozambique Launches World Bank-Funded Project That Aims To Improve Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Mozambique's National Council for the Fight Against AIDS (CNCS) on Tuesday launched a project that aims to improve the media's coverage of the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic,... Xinhua/People's Daily reports. The World Bank is funding the 18-month project with a $1.6 million grant. The project will train journalists, with a focus on the country's television and radio stations. Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo, chair of CNCS, said the media "are crucial to changing people's behavior and to transforming their attitudes," adding that it is important that the media sustain HIV/AIDS coverage after the project ends (Xinhua/People's Daily, 9/14).
Health Affairs Reports Discuss Barriers, Advantages, Costs of Implementing Health Information Technology Systems - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Several newspapers on Thursday addressed three studies and one editorial on health care information technology published Wednesday in the September/October edition of... Health Affairs. Summaries appear below.
China To Distribute 305M Condoms to Hotels, Entertainment Venues at No Cost - Medical News Today 17/09/05
The Chinese government has signed an order to purchase 305 million condoms for distribution throughout the country, China's largest condom manufacturer announced on Tuesday,... Xinhuanet reports. The Gaobang Latex Products Manufactory said the government purchased the condoms using special funds allocated for HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The condoms have been sent to local sites of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and 42 hotels in the southern tourist city of Guilin, where Gaobang Latex is based. Condoms also will be made available at no cost in public entertainment venues, according to the manufacturer. China already has launched condom use programs in Hubei, Yunnan and Jiangsu provinces, with plans to reach regions such as Fujian and Beijing. Health officials have requested that condom use programs be implemented in all regions of the country. "If people could get a condom as convenient and natural as buying a Chinese cabbage, the AIDS prevention function carried by condom could finally imbue into people's lives and change their biases," Tao Ran, a member of the China Youth HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Fund, said, adding that condoms are still widely unaccepted by the Chinese population. According to official statistics, 30% of China's 840,000 HIV-positive people contracted the virus through unprotected sexual intercourse (Xinhuanet, 9/14).
Scientific Consensus, Tighter Funding Restrictions Needed To Avoid Duplicate HIV Vaccine Studies, IAVI Official Says - Medical News Today 17/09/05
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative wants a stronger scientific consensus on priorities for developing an HIV/AIDS vaccine and a more regulated funding system to avoid "duplication and a wasted use of resources," a senior IAVI official told a meeting of the... Global Forum for Health Research in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, Reuters reports. IAVI Senior Vice President for Public Policy Robert Hecht said, "There is that danger we see right now in AIDS vaccines, a lot of so-called 'me too' or similar vaccines being tested," adding, "We estimate that through a series of coordinated and targeted efforts, the timeline [for developing an effective HIV vaccine] could be speeded up by as much as 50%." More than 30 HIV vaccine candidates are in clinical trials worldwide, but scientists are not confident any of them will be effective in quashing HIV because the virus frequently mutates, according to Reuters. Hecht said the approximately $680 million spent worldwide annually on vaccine research falls short by hundreds of millions of dollars. He added that antiretroviral drug treatment programs are expected to cost $4 billion in 2005 and will continue to increase, making the need to find a vaccine "urgent" in order to prevent new infections (Reuters, 9/13).
Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson Alleges Ortho Evra Contraceptive Patch Caused Pulmonary Embolism in User - Medical News Today 17/09/05
The law firm of Parker & Waichman on Wednesday filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who suffered a pulmonary embolism after using the... Ortho Evra contraceptive patch, alleging that Johnson & Johnson was aware of potentially amplified medical risks associated with the patch and failed to warn patients adequately, the AP/Kansas City Star reports. J&J is the parent company of Ortho-McNeil, which manufactures the contraceptive (AP/Kansas City Star, 9/14). The patch is worn on the skin for one week at a time, delivering progestin and estrogen to the blood stream. The Associated Press in July reported that according to FDA records it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, women using Ortho Evra in 2004 were three times as likely as women using birth control pills to die or develop nonfatal blood clots. FDA and Ortho-McNeil said they were aware of a possible increased risk of blood clots among patch users but said that the patch is as safe as birth control pills. J&J in March launched print and television advertisements for Ortho Evra featuring doctors who discuss risks associated with the patch (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 7/19). The lawsuit says that the woman had been using the patch for seven months when she experienced the pulmonary embolism (AP/Kansas City Star, 9/14).
Number of U.S. Pregnant Women Choosing Voluntary C-Section Increased 36.6% From 2001 to 2003, Report Says - Medical News Today 16/09/05
The number of pregnant women in the US who are undergoing "patient-choice" caesarean-section delivery -- a c-section performed on a woman who has never experienced labor or childbirth and has no medical reason to undergo the procedure -- increased 36.6% from 2001 to 2003, according to a... HealthGrades report released on Monday, the Denver Business Journal reports (Denver Business Journal, 9/12). The study examined data on deliveries from more than 1,500 hospitals in 17 states that represent about 58% of the total U.S. population. The researchers found that from 2001 to 2001 the proportion of patient-choice c-sections increased from 1.9% of all deliveries to 2.6% and varied widely from state to state (HealthGrades release, 9/12). Report author Samantha Collier, an internal medicine specialist and vice president of HealthGrades, said the increase could be attributed to some women's fear of labor, desire for convenience in scheduling deliveries and the perceived reduced risk of complications associated with c-sections (Shelton, Orlando Sentinel, 9/13). While some physicians support a woman's choice to have a c-sections, others believe women are not fully aware of the risks associated with the procedure, such as hemorrhage, pain and infection for the woman, and respiratory problems, surgical cuts and an increased risk of breastfeeding problems for the infant, according to the report. Collier said women need to gather as much information as possible about c-sections and discuss their choices and options with their physician to evaluate the risks (Gordon, HealthDay/Yahoo! News, 9/12).
Genes from mother and father can trigger pre-eclampsia - Medical News Today 16/09/05
Genes from both the mother and father can trigger pre-eclampsia, finds a study published online by the BMJ today.
Type of scintigraphy scan may help proper diagnose and treatment of two forms of cardiac amyloidosis - Medical News Today 16/09/05
A type of scintigraphy scan may help clinicians properly diagnose and then treat two forms of cardiac amyloidosis, a rare type of heart failure caused by abnormal protein deposition in the heart, according to a new study in the Sept. 20, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
DNA-based sensors for nano-tongues and nano-noses created at University of Pennsylvania and Monell Chemical Sciences Center - Medical News Today 16/09
Nano-sized carbon tubes coated with strands of DNA can create tiny sensors with abilities to detect odors and tastes, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Monell Chemical Sciences Center. Their findings are published in the current issue of the journal Nano Letters, a publication of the American Chemical Society.
NY Times Examines Folic Acid Levels During Pregnancy To Protect Against Neural Tube Defects - Medical News Today 16/09/05
The New York Times on Tuesday examined how adequate levels of folic acid among pregnant women, especially during conception and the first three months' gestation, can protect against neural tube defects in infants. Since about half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned and neural tube development occurs three to four weeks after conception -- before many women know they are pregnant -- women of childbearing age should act to increase their blood levels of folic acid to prevent the defects, according to the Times. Scientists are unsure exactly how folic acid helps neural tube development in a fetus, but to prevent defects, they recommend a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid, beginning before a woman becomes pregnant. Neural tube defects, which are among the most common serious birth defects, affect about 4,000 pregnancies annually in the U.S., about 1,500 of which are spontaneously or purposefully terminated as a result.
Black immigrants who come into US experience eroding health the longer they stay in US - Medical News Today 16/09/05
In the first national study of its kind, sociologists from Rice University and University of California (UC)-Irvine find that black immigrants who arrive in America from black-majority regions of the world are healthier than those from white-majority regions; but regardless of how healthy blacks immigrants are when they come to the U.S., the longer they stay, the more their health erodes. The findings suggest racial discrimination is a major cause of poor health for American blacks -- native and foreign-born alike.
Polymorphisms in CD32 influence the response to antibody therapy in cancer - Medical News Today 16/09/05
Clinical reports show that polymorphisms in a receptor called CD32 influence the response to antibody therapy in cancer. In a paper appearing online on September 15 in advance of print publication of the October 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Adam Boruchov and colleagues from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center dissect the contributions of CD32 isoforms in human dendritic cell (DC) activation and function.
Doctors brace for 'second disaster' after Katrina - Reuters 18/09/05
Doctors are bracing themselves for what they call a "second disaster" as residents of New Orleans and surrounding areas return to their devastated city.
New Orleans could face 'second disaster' - The Telegraph 18/09/05
Irish pub workers breathe easier after smoking ban - Reuters 18/09/05
Ireland's nationwide ban on smoking in all workplaces has not only cleaned up the air in pubs and restaurants, it has also improved the health of the people who work there, researchers said on Sunday.
Implanted defibrillator problems rising -US FDA - Reuters 17/09/05
Implanted cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, and pacemakers were "directly responsible" for 61 deaths out of nearly 3 million implants between 1990 and 2002, according to a Food and Drug Administration report released on Friday.
Implanted Heart Defibrillator Malfunctions Increase, FDA - Medical News Today 17/09/05
Vaginal contraceptive ring reduces bleeding days - Reuters 16/09/05
Using a contraceptive-releasing vaginal ring for extended cycles of up to one year can reduce the number of days with menstrual bleeding, researchers report in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Parkinson's drugs may trigger gambling obsession - Reuters 16/09/05
Recent reports suggest that pathologic gambling, a severe addiction to gambling, is a rare complication of using anti-Parkinson's drugs. Now, new research delves deeper into this association and reveals that the gambling may resolve when the drug is stopped and that the drug pramipexole is often implicated.
Vioxx likely leads to heart problems-expert witness - Reuters 16/09/05
The probability that Merck & Co. Inc.'s arthritis drug Vioxx could lead to heart problems or stroke is very high, an expert witness told a court hearing a closely watched product liability lawsuit.
Gulp! Indian state fights dengue with fish - Reuters 16/09/05
Indian health authorities are using colorful aquarium fish with a taste for mosquito larve to fight a dengue epidemic that has left dozens dead, health officials said on Friday.
Amantadine curbs weight gain with psychiatric drug - Reuters 16/09/05
Amantadine (Symmetrel, Endantadine), a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease as well as the flu, may help stabilize weight in patients taking the antipsychotic drug olanzapine (Zyprexa), researchers report in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
$200 million pledged to Clinton's initiative - Reuters 16/09/05
Former President Bill Clinton received pledges of more than $200 million for economic development in Africa and to fight HIV/AIDS on Thursday at a private summit on some of the world's most pressing woes.
More Than $200M Pledged at Clinton Global Initiative for HIV/AIDS, Development Projects Worldwide - Medical News Today 18/09/05
More veggies may curb pancreatic cancer risk -study - Reuters 16/09/05
Eating more raw vegetables every day, especially yellow and dark green ones, may help cut the risk of pancreatic cancer in half, according to a study released on Thursday.
Italy passes decree to prepare for bird flu - Reuters 16/09/05
Italy's cabinet passed a decree on Friday to try to prevent an outbreak of bird flu and be prepared with vaccines if they are eventually needed.
Cheshire and Mersey News
Debate on disabled - Skelmersdale Advertiser 15/09/05
WEST Lancashire's MP has joined up with the Disability Rights Commission to launch a major national debate on the future of disabled people's equality in Britain.
Dial-a-ride facing axe - Ormskirk Advertiser 15/09/05
BUS services that transport thousands of elderly and disabled people in West Lancs could be axed due to lack of funding.
Smoke-free life earns 100 - Bootle Times 15/09/05
THE Roberts family from Netherton are celebrating their new healthy lifestyle, with £100 worth of home improvement vouchers and a consultation with an interior designer.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Phone helpline is valuable asset - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 16/09/05
RE the letter from H Hamer (LET, September 8) about NHS Direct.
Emergency line can save lives - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 16/09/05
IN response to H Hamer's letter (LET, September 8), about the helpline -- NHS Direct.
Booze purge hailed a success - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 16/09/05
A summer-long crackdown on booze-related disorder has "hit home" after slashing crime levels by 13 per cent.
Doctor 'threatened to kill his patient' - Lancaster Guardian 16/09/05
A MARRIED Lancaster GP threatened to kill a patient after their illicit affair ended, the General Medical Council heard on Tuesday.
Walking their way to health and fitness - Lakeland Echo 16/09/05
FORESTRY commission staff in Cumbria have been putting their best feet forward this summer as part of a campaign to improve health and fitness.
Greater Manchester News
Dentists turn away new NHS patients - Bolton Evening News 17/09/05
BOLTON is in the grip of a dental crisis.
Banish stress in work place - Bolton Evening News 17/09/05
ROYAL and SunAlliance has launched a guide for firms to combat work-related stress within their organisations.
Hospital patients waiting in style - Bolton Evening News 16/09/05
PATIENTS at the Royal Bolton Hospital are sitting pretty after a local firm donated sofas for a waiting room.
Keep elderly at home or in hospital - Bolton Evening News 16/09/05
REFER to Paula Waites' comments on September 13 with regard to care in the community.
Helping the Aids orphans - Bolton Evening News 16/09/05
WHEN Norman Vernon saw the suffering of children with Aids at a Thai orphanage, he vowed to make a difference.
Eye doctor has vision for Africa - Asian Image 16/09/05
A Preston-based doctor has used his skills to help restore the eyesight of hundreds of people in Africa.
Lifting the lid on Domestic violence - Asian Image 16/09/05
Domestic violence is being tackled head on through a series of pioneering workshops.
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