The little boy with three mums (and they're ALL sisters) - Daily Mail 5th June 2008

When Alex Patrick’s second child is born this autumn, she is looking forward more than anything else to introducing the baby to his or her three-year-old brother Charlie. ‘Charlie’s very excited about it,’ says 35-year-old Alex. ‘He understands that the baby’s coming from the same, special place that he did – his Auntie Helen’s tummy.’

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Vegetarians warned that 'superfood' tofu may harm your memory - Daily Mail 5th June 2008

Eating high levels of some soy products, including tofu and other so-called 'superfoods,' may increase memory loss, scientists say. Experts funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust found a 20 per cent lower level of brain functioning compared with those eating very little of the product.

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Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia' - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

Should you chew a Chow Chow or munch a Mooli? Your guide to new vegetables on store shelves - Daily Mail 5th June 2008

Demand for far-flung vegetables such as Dudhi, Methi and Mooli has shot up so much that Tesco has doubled its range of world food produce. But what on earth is a Mooli or a Chow Chow - and what are their nutritional benefits? Read on to find out...

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Dark chocolate sales double in two years thanks to its healthy image - Daily Mail 4th June 2008

For years we have largely managed to resist its smooth, bitter-sweet charms. But now it seems the tastebuds of more and more Britons are being tantalised by dark chocolate. Sales have almost doubled in two years to reach £85million last year, a report revealed yesterday.

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NHS role 'could be more profound' - BBC Health News 5th June 2008

Public health experts have called for a radical extension in the role of the NHS to protect people from sickness. They say getting the health service to lead regeneration of deprived communities could help tackle obesity, crime and low achievement in schools.

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A chair to aid breastfeeding in public - BBC Health News 5th June 2008

Mothers are always being told that breastfeeding is best, but many complain that they are not really encouraged to feed their baby in public. Some shops and cafes have designated feeding areas, but others banish feeding mothers to the toilet areas, claiming other diners might be offended or embarrassed by them feeding their babies.

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Donor children 'emotionally well' - BBC Health News 5th June 2008

Children conceived using donor sperm or eggs or through surrogacy do as well emotionally as those conceived naturally, research suggests. The Cambridge University study which followed children up to the age of seven found little difference in family relationships between the two groups.

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Sulston argues for open medicine - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

A Nobel Prize-winning scientist has hit out at what he terms the "moral corruption" of the medical industry. Britain's Sir John Sulston says that profits are taking precedence over the needs of patients, particularly in the developing world.

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GMC dismisses child doctor case - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

The latest case against paediatrician Dr David Southall has been dismissed by a General Medical Council hearing. He and two other doctors were accused of not gaining the correct consent during a medical trail of a new type of ventilator for premature babies.

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Lab returns organs to wrong body - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

The funeral of a 35-year-old man was delayed by five weeks after pathology staff mistakenly placed some of his organs in another corpse. Andrew Bandelow from Sudbrooke, Lincolnshire, died suddenly at his home in May and post-mortem tests were carried out at Lincoln County Hospital.

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HealthSpace site lets patients manage medical records online - The Guardian 4th July 2008

A website allowing patients to manage their health records is to be set up by the government in an attempt to give people more control over their care. The website, HealthSpace, which is being piloted, will allow patients to record information about their health as well as what treatments they are receiving.

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Travellers to Africa risk deadly form of malaria - The Guardian 4th July 2008

The number of people returning to Britain with a potentially fatal form of malaria has risen sharply because travellers are not taking antimalarial drugs, health officials said yesterday. Cases of falciparum malaria now account for three-quarters of all UK malaria, up from a third of cases two decades ago, according to a Health Protection Agency study.

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Doctors call for heart checks on athletes - The Guardian 4th July 2008

Mandatory heart screening should be introduced for all athletes taking part in competitive sports, doctors said. Regular heart check-ups could dramatically reduce the number of athletes who die from sudden heart failure by identifying medical problems early on, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.

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Response: All patients can benefit from our collecting of statistics - The Guardian 4th July 2008

The analysis and sharing of treatment data has been hugely effective across the NHS, says Kevin Cleary Mark Salter fails to grasp the fundamental point of measuring outcomes for patients and using evidence to improve treatment (Get away from statistics. Trust the doctor, July 1). He asserts that there are two branches of medicine where you can't "put your finger on outcomes": psychiatry and general practice. This simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

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Minister criticises college that refused to admit convicted teenager - The Guardian 4th July 2008

A government minister yesterday criticised a medical school for withdrawing an offer to an A-grade student from one of the poorest areas of the country because of a burglary conviction. Bill Rammell, minister at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said universities should be open to applicants such as Majid Ahmed.

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Marc Leverton reports from a Bristol hostel for homeless people - The Guardian 4th July 2008

Hostels for the homeless are notoriously grim places and Jamaica Street in Bristol has been no exception. For years, residents have only been trusted to talk to staff through intercoms and thick, protective glass. Since the end of May, homeless people in Bristol have experienced the transformation of the old hostel. Jamaica Street has been refurbished and rebranded as The Compass Centre. The protective windows have gone. The foyer now has wooden laminate flooring, department store tables and chairs and potted plants.

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NHS choice: 'Our patients want and value continuity' - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

Two doctors respond to the plans outlined today to make GPs compete for patients When I joined this practice in 1983, we did interviews with 10-15 elderly doctors who told us about what it was like before the NHS. Pre-NHS there was cut-throat competition and doctors filching patients. It was an inner-city area where people were poor and couldn't afford fees. Patients were moving around all over the place. Once doctors became properly funded, patients families were happy to register and felt a good bond with their doctor.

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Ministers will force family doctors to take new patients - The Independent 4th July 2008

Analysis: Whatever the genetics, parents can reduce the danger - The Times 4th July 2008

Sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death, is by nature unexpected and, at least initally, unexplained: the term is used when an apparently healthy baby dies in its sleep and no obvious cause is found at the post-mortem examination. Several factors are now well known to raise the risk, and this has led to a substantial decline in the incidence of cot death over the past two decades.

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Nationwide shortage of vaccines puts babies' health at risk - Daily Mail 3rd July 2008

Babies could be put at risk by a critical shortage of vital vaccinations. Every GP practice in the country has been warned that limits will be imposed from Monday on three types of vaccine which protect youngsters from tetanus, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough and meningitis.

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Woman took out false loans to pay for grandmother's Alzheimer's drugs the NHS denied her - Daily Mail 3rd July 2008

A woman who took out loans of more than £6,000 under false names to pay for Alzheimer's drugs her grandmother needed was spared jail yesterday. Fiona Bartlett, 41, fraudulently applied for 18 loans in a desperate attempt to pay for a £250-a-month drug after her grandmother was refused NHS funding.

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After years of working for free, Down's syndrome man must PAY to wash councillors' dishes - Daily Mail 3rd July 2008

A Down's syndrome man and Special Olympics champion who has been working for free for years is now being charged a fee to wash councillors' dishes. Virgil Taylor has been helping to wash up, wipe tables and set up trolleys in a restaurant used by town hall staff for 17 years as part of subsidised adult care services.

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New cancer depression treatment - BBC Health News 4th July 2008

A new treatment programme for cancer patients suffering clinical depression significantly improved their quality of life, according to researchers. Patients received information and problem-solving therapy to help them overcome feelings of helplessness.

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Call for prescription charge end - BBC Health News 4th July 2008

Three-quarters of people in the UK want to see prescription charges scrapped in England, a BBC poll suggests. The survey of 1,000 adults, to mark the 60th anniversary of the NHS, reveals discomfort with different health policies across the devolved nations.

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'Deadliest' malaria rising in UK - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

More cases of the most dangerous type of malaria than ever before are being brought back to the UK from trips abroad, official figures show. A Health Protection Agency study identified 6,753 cases of falciparum malaria diagnosed in the country between 2002 and 2006.

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Sporting 'heart screening' call - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

Screening sportsmen for signs of hidden heart conditions could save lives, a study has concluded. Each year in the UK, hundreds of apparently fit people suffer 'sudden cardiac death'. In Italy, athletes have to undergo ECG tests, and scientists writing in the British Medical Journal said this had detected heart problems.

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'Mental risk' of Facebook teens - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

Children growing up alongside the rise of social networking websites may have a "potentially dangerous" view of the world, says a leading psychiatrist. Dr Himanshu Tyagi said sites such as Facebook and MySpace may be harmful.

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Health worker loses patient data - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

A health worker with NHS Lothian has admitted losing a memory stick containing the personal information of 137 patients. Copies of letters sent to GPs over two years had been stored on the device.

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Doctors shocked by own water baby - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

Two doctors who live near a maternity hospital were caught out when their baby was suddenly born in the bath. Nicola and Peter Murchie, from Aberdeen, were expecting their second child.

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Scientists warn that biological clock affects male fertility - The Guardian 7th July 2008

The biological clock ticks for men as well as women, doctors warn today, after research found that male fertility begins to decline when they reach their mid-30s. Doctors said men who wait until their 40s before starting a family face a greater chance of their partner having a miscarriage, because of the poorer quality of their sperm.

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Men, your biological clock is ticking too - The Times 7th July 2008

Why the risk of miscarriage soars for a woman once her man reaches 35 | Mail Online

Male biological clock 'ticks too' - BBC Health News 6th July 2008

Science thinks big for better IVF - The Times 7th July 2008

Infertile men can more than double their chances of fatherhood with a new IVF technique, according to the most comprehensive study of the procedure yet conducted. The results of a major trial of the approach, which builds upon the technique of injecting sperm directly into an egg, suggest dramatic benefits for the one in 12 couples affected by malefactor infertility. A far more powerful microscope is used to identify the sperm most likely to succeed.

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Letters: Women's right to safe maternity care - The Guardian 5th July 2008

As a Nigerian woman, I know first-hand the tragedy of women losing their lives to pregnancy-related complications (Comment, June 30). As an attorney who recently completed a report on the causes of nearly 60,000 women dying every year in Nigeria, I know it's time for us to move beyond the global promises to address maternal mortality and to start enforcing the legal human rights obligations already agreed upon in state constitutions and international treaties. Nigeria, for example, has adopted numerous policies that would reduce the high number of maternal deaths, but the government repeatedly fails to implement them.

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Drink red wine for a better life – but not a longer one - The Independent 4th July 2008

The secrets of a healthy life may lie at the bottom of a glass of red wine – but scientists have warned that such a life may not necessarily be a long one. A study has shown that a substance found in the skin of red grapes has anti-ageing properties that protect the heart, bones and eyes from the ravages of old age.

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Fussy babies 'are more likely to grow up to be liars and bullies' - Daily Mail 5th June 2008

Fussy babies are likely to grow into tiny tyrants who rule the roost at home and are often in trouble at school, according to a major study. Their bad behaviour seems to follow them into their early teens as they develop into children who disobey parents and cheat, lie, and bully at school, doctors said.

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Gender 'impacts on transplants' - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

Women who get a replacement kidney from a male donor are more likely to reject the new organ, scientists suggest. Swiss researchers looked at almost 200,000 operations, finding an 8% increase in the chance of failure when male kidneys were given to women.

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Brain imbalance 'cot death key' - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

More evidence has emerged that a chemical imbalance in the brain may play a key role in cot deaths. Researchers found low levels of serotonin triggered changes in heart rate and body temperature that led to sudden death in tests on mice.

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Ghana gets tough on 'brain drain' - BBC Health News 4th June 2008

To coincide with the 60th anniversary of Britain's National Health Service, the BBC looks at healthcare around the world. The BBC's Will Ross reports from Ghana where the "brain drain" has left hospitals struggling.

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'Pregnant man' Thomas Beatie gives birth to baby girl - The Times 4th July 2008

The pregnant man who conceived a child after a gender-reassignment operation has apparently given birth to a healthy baby girl. “She’s really cute, really pretty,” a source told ABC News.

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Want the Viagra effect without taking a pill? Try eating a watermelon - Daily Mail 4th July 2008

Eating fresh watermelon could help men pep up their love lives, scientists said yesterday. The fruit has a similar effect to taking Viagra, the nutritionists claim. But don't get too excited. You'd have to eat at least six slices to have the same effect as one Viagra tablet, and it's not as 'organ-specific' as the impotence drug.

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Grandmother aged 70 gives birth to twins and sets new world record as oldest mother - Daily Mail 4th July 2008

She was utterly determined to have a son. The fact that to do so would make 70-year-old Omkari Panwar the world's oldest mother didn't even cross her mind.

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Romanian girl in UK for abortion - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

An 11-year-old Romanian girl is to have an abortion in the UK despite being cleared to have one in Romania. The girl is 22 weeks pregnant after being raped by an uncle, who has since gone missing. Abortion is illegal in Romania after 14 weeks, but a government panel last week decided she could have a termination because of exceptional circumstances.

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Denmark 'world's happiest nation' - BBC Health News 3rd July 2008

Denmark is the happiest country in the world, according to the latest World Values Survey published by the United States National Science Foundation. The annual study surveyed people in 97 countries to discover who is happiest.

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Cheshire and Merseyside Health News

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Hospital festival – and a new name – to mark 60 years of the NHS - Liverpool Daily Post 7th July 2008

A LIVERPOOL hospital held a festival to commemorate the NHS’s 60th anniversary on Saturday. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital – previously known as the Cardiothoracic Centre, in Broadgreen – held the event, which involved guided tours of an operating theatre, free health checks, acupressure massage, salsa and Tai Chi classes.

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60 years on: Liverpool unveils news NHS challenges - Liverpool Daily Post 5th July 2008

Happy 60th to NHS: you saved my baby - Liverpool Echo 5th July 2008

Rewards for healthy attitude to NHS work - Chester Chronicle 4th July 2008

Southport Hospital staff mark 60 years of the NHS - Southport Visiter 4th July 2008

NHS celebration events to be held across the region - Liverpool Daily Post 4th July 2008

Comedian digs in to launch new name for city hospital - Liverpool Daily Post 4th July 2008

Protest on NHS birthday - Liverpool Echo 3rd July 2008

Tell us what you think of Wirral hospital revamp - Liverpool Daily Post 7th July 2008

TODAY marks the start of a 12-week public consultation on multi-million pound proposals to transform a Wirral hospital. Wirral Primary Care Trust (PCT) is asking members of the public to give their views of its vision to build a new healthcare facility at St Catherine’s Community Hospital, in Birkenhead.

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Letters to The Telegraph - One city, nine NHS chief executives - The Sunday Telegraph 6th July 2008

Your correspondent is right to identify financial inefficiency within the National Health Service (Letters, May 29). The rot started in earnest in the mid-1980s when local health authorities, then managing the whole service for a community, were replaced by multiple independent trusts, each with their own highly-paid internal structures. In Liverpool today there are nine trusts managing substantially fewer beds and services than were managed by one (slim) health authority 20 years ago.

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New surgery - Liverpool Echo 3rd July 2008

WOMEN receiving hysterectomies at Arrowe Park hospital, in Wirral, are among the first in the country to benefit from keyhole surgery which can reduce recovery time by more than a third.

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Women in Merseyside among first to benefit from pioneering surgery - Liverpool Daily Post 3rd July 2008

Katie helps save diabetic dad - Liverpool Echo 3rd July 2008

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl who helped saved her dad’s life when he fell into a diabetic coma has been praised by ambulance bosses. Katie Green was at home in Glazebrook, Warrington, with her father Gary when she realised there was something wrong.

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Hospitals turn to public for views - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 3rd July 2008

NORTH Cheshire Hospitals Trust is calling on members of the public to help decide how its centres should be run. The NHS trust, which incorporates Halton and Warrington Hospitals, will be holding elections for the first ever public and staff hospital governors in September, in support of its application for NHS Foundation Trust status.

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You say on trust’s services - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 3rd July 2008

Hospital election - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 3rd July 2008

Health centre hit by blaze - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 3rd July 2008

HARD-PRESSED staff at a Runcorn health centre were forced to work overtime after a serious fire threatened to throw services into chaos. Five fire crews from Widnes, Runcorn and Stockton Heath were called to Castlefields Health Centre at 1.20pm on Friday when a blaze ripped through its roof.

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Cumbria and Lancashire Health News

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NHS dental patients fall 19,000 in county - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

MORE than 19,000 fewer people are seeing an NHS dentist in Cumbria than before the Government’s reforms in April 2006. According to the NHS Information Centre for health and social care, in the two years to March 2006 a total of 290,793 people in Cumbria saw an NHS dentist, of which 212,787 were adults and 78,006 children – 58.7 per cent of the population in the area.

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Flawed vision for NHS future - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

The plans for the NHS unveiled by Health Minister Lord Darzi, whereby hospitals will be paid according to the care they provide, are worrying. The radical 10-year plan will see patients given questionnaires to test their ‘experience’ and the results will be published on hospital “dashboards”.

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£9m for hospitals – if patients are happy! - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

CUMBRIA’S hospitals could cash in on £9 million a year each – if patients are happy with the service they receive. Under plans unveiled by health minister Lord Darzi, hospitals will be paid according to the care they provide, taking into account everything from compassion shown by staff to surgeons’ death rates. The 10-year plan for the NHS will see patients given questionnaires to test their experience on how quick and convenient their treatment was, as well as the respect they were shown by doctors and nurses.

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Public invited to discuss services for mental health - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

MENTAL health services in Cumbria will take a significant turn tomorrow, on the same day as the NHS celebrates its 60th anniversary. A new series of members meetings is being launched, designed to put local communities at the heart of the decision-making process and help shape the way future services are developed.

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Number of teenagers being treated for hepatitis has quadrupled - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

The number of teenagers being sent out of county to be treated for Hepatitis B and C has more than quadrupled over the last year. injectiondf Drugs: Shared needles are one way in which hepatitis can be passed on. Unprotected sex is also behind the increase in cases The region’s Health Protection Unit was notified about nine North Cumbrian youngsters who tested positive for the liver diseases, a rise of seven on 2006.

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Not funded by the NHS, a life saver in need of help - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

CUMBRIA has two air ambulance services ready to rush to the rescue when speed is of the essence. The NHS-affiliated North West Air Ambulance service, based in Blackpool, is on call to tackle accidents or emergencies in the region. Even better known and more frequently called upon is Cumbria’s very own guardian angel – the Great North Air Ambulance.

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Smokers should stop moaning about their filthy habit - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

IT’S a no-brainer really. In 100 years time, if we haven’t wrecked the planet, people will gasp in amazement when they are told about the pre-historic people of the 21st century who used to put little sticks of smoke in their mouths and breathe in.

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Tackling accidents, booze and cigs are priorities - Carlisle News & Star 3rd July 2008

Tackling hospital admissions caused by alcohol, reducing the number of people injured on county roads and getting people to stop smoking are among the top priorities for Cumbria council chiefs.

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Greater Manchester Health News

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Vaccine shortage warning - Manchester Evening News 3rd July 2008

ABIES could be put at risk by a critical shortage of vital vaccinations. Every GP practice in the country has been sent a letter - leaked to the M.E.N. - which reveals that from Monday limits will be put on three types of vaccine which protect youngsters from tetanus, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough and meningitis.

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Nurses step back in time - Manchester Evening News 3rd July 2008

NURSES at Trafford General, the birthplace of the NHS, have been celebrating by dressing in 1940s uniforms. Patients at the former Park Hospital are to join in the 60th anniversary fun with a commemorative menu and a birthday cake tomorrow.

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NHS sees cancer survivors double - Manchester Evening News 3rd July 2008

THE number of people surviving some of the most common types of cancer has doubled since the NHS was launched 60 years ago, figures suggested today. Patients with breast, colon and bowel cancer have a far greater chance of surviving than when the NHS was born.

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Insight into Bevan's NHS launch - Manchester Evening News 2nd July 2008

AS the world waited for Aneurin Bevan to launch the first national health service one young girl had a unique insight into his preparations that she has never forgotten. June Rosen was just eight years old when the health minister stayed at her parents' house the night before he announced the start of the NHS at Park Hospital, now Trafford General.

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Cannabis dangers: Skunk smokers more at risk of psychosis than hash users - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

People who smoke the more powerful kind of cannabis known as skunk are 18 times more likely to develop psychosis than those who smoke milder forms, according to research by psychiatrists. Early results from a study presented to the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggest that skunk poses significantly greater dangers to mental health than the traditional kinds of cannabis, such as hash.

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Why 'skunk' smokers are 18 TIMES more likely to become psychotic than other cannabis users - Daily Mail 3rd July 2008

Skunk 'psychosis risk' warning - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

Doctor arrested after patient's death says he did nothing wrong - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

A consultant anaesthetist who was arrested and bailed by Humberside police after the death of a man at a hospital said yesterday he had done nothing wrong. Dr Sean Bennett, 50, has not been at work at Castle Hill hospital in Cottingham since concerns emerged about the death of a patient in his 50s who was understood to have a bleak prognosis.
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Stephen Pollard: Beyond the matron state - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

No wonder Johnson is so scared of co-payments - they would spark a real revolution in the NHS One might have thought that a self-proclaimed plan for the NHS's next 60 years would deal with one of the most iniquitous of its many problems. But when health secretary Alan Johnson introduced Lord Darzi's report on Monday, mention was there none.

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Government 2.0 is a rubbish name for a good initiative - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

Government 2.0 is a daft term. Its first airing, as the title of one of those management-consultant books on "how the digital revolution is transforming government and politics" was at least fresh. But that was in 2005. That said, government 2.0 is a useful code - purely temporary, and in the absence of anything better - for a fascinating revolution happening in British public life. This is a new and nearly ubiquitous enthusiasm for the power of information, including but not exclusively web 2.0 innovations, to improve public services.

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Small IT is beautiful - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

The government needs 'more enlightened procurement policies' to avoid further IT disasters In last year's dismal parade of government IT security blunders, it was a relatively minor exhibit. A system supposed to automate the matching of trainee doctors with jobs was abandoned after applicants' personal details became visible on the website (Junior doctors' personal details made public in website blunder, April 26 2007).

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Mother accuses mental health trust of signing her son's death warrant - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

The family of a fitness instructor killed by a man with paranoid schizophrenia yesterday accused medical staff of in effect signing his death warrant. Matthew Carter, 22, was so badly disfigured by Sean Perry during a random attack two years ago he had to be identified by his DNA.

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Patients went on to kill 'after failures of mental health trust' - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Brussels offers NHS patients Europe-wide treatment - The Times 3rd July 2008

Patients will be able to demand NHS-funded treatment anywhere in the European Union without the prior approval of a doctor under wide-ranging proposals to guarantee health rights announced yesterday. Under the EU scheme, patients would be able to beat NHS queues or avoid problems such as high superbug rates by shopping around for care abroad. They would then be eligible to recoup the NHS cost of the procedure.

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Analysis: Health tourists won't cost us - and won't come anyway - The Times 3rd July 2008

Case Study: 'The NHS is fine - if you're at death's door' - The Times 3rd July 2008

The EU tooth fairy: Plan to let patients travel abroad for free treatment includes dental work - Daily Mail 3rd July 2008

Children shouldn't brush their teeth after every meal - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

Children may be doing their teeth more harm than good by brushing after every meal, experts said yesterday. As acid in food and drink can make tooth enamel soft, using a toothbrush straight after eating can scratch the surface and wear it down. According to a poll, 79 per cent of dentists see acid erosion on youngsters' teeth at least once a week.

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Minister says GPs blocking choice - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

GPs have been attacked by a minister for operating "gentlemen's agreements" whereby they promise not to accept other doctors' patients. In a BBC News website interview, Ben Bradshaw accused family doctors in some areas of blocking patient choice.

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NHS staff win petrol cost fight - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

NHS unions have won a battle to compensate staff for rising fuel costs. The deal will give one million staff a 10% increase in mileage allowance effective from 1st July. Staff have been feeling the pinch with rising fuel costs and unions had warned the government that many are struggling financially to travel to and from work.

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Video games get into shape - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

I've had my share of gaming injuries. Alongside the calluses and cramps that extended play sessions can produce, I've suffered Tempest-induced Dry Eye, and only narrowly escaped a tendon inflammation brought on purely by the Dreamcast controller's right trigger.

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Does the NHS have a future? - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

The simplicity of the National Health Service idea has survived the complexity of extraordinary medical progress. Universal, funded from taxation and free at the point of need - these are phrases which Health Secretaries have reiterated for six decades, the principles which underpin the NHS.

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Tahmima Anam on climate change and 'perineal re-education' - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

Two recent polls attempting to judge the public mood about climate change have revealed contradictory results. Last week's Ipsos Mori poll told us that most people doubt the human causes of climate change. Yesterday's Guardian/ICM poll told a slightly different story, one of a growing concern with climate change, with many people considering it a higher priority than the faltering economy.

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Is watermelon the new Viagra? - The Guardian 3rd July 2008

We should be suspicious of news about watermelons timed to coincide with the Fourth of July, when watermelons are traditionally consumed in the US. If you'd made an earth-shattering discovery about watermelons, chances are you wouldn't save it.
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How a daily cup of green tea can give you a healthy heart in minutes - Daily Mail 3rd July 2008

A cup of green tea a day could help keep your heart healthy, a study shows. The drink was found to widen the artery which runs from the shoulder to the elbow by 4 per cent within 30 minutes - reducing the risk of blood clots.

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How cell therapy breakthrough could boost sperm count and give 1.5m men hope of fatherhood - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

Hundreds of thousands of infertile men could achieve their dream of fatherhood after a breakthrough by scientists. Researchers have succeeded in replenishing the number of ' nurse-maid' Sertoli cells, which are vital to the development of sperm. Around 1.5million men in the UK are believed to have fertility problems, with up to 15 per cent of cases blamed on a shortage of the cells.

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Oldest women hit hard by dementia - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

Almost half of all women in their 90s are suffering from dementia, Californian research suggests. The analysis of more than 900 people aged 90 or over, published in the journal Neurology, found it was far less likely in men of the same age.

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Cold sore virus secret revealed - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

The secret of how the cold sore virus manages to persist for a lifetime in the human body may have been cracked by US scientists. The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can lie dormant in facial nerves, emerging periodically to cause sores.

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Cheshire and Merseyside Health News

Articles relating to mass media Health news about the Cheshire and Merseyside patch of the NHS in the North West of England.

Clean hands campaign backed - Liverpool Daily Post 2nd July 2008

A HAND washing scheme to improve hygiene in Liverpool’s doctors’ surgeries and healthcare centres has been launched. Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT) has signed up to the latest phase of the National Patient Safety Agency’s (NPSA) cleanyourhands campaign.

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Hospital festival - Liverpool Daily Post 2nd July 2008

THE Cardiothoracic Centre in Broadgreen is celebrating changing its name to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital with a festival on Saturday. There will also be events to celebrate the NHS’s 60th anniversary. The festival is free and celebrates good health.

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City hospital celebrates new change - Liverpool Echo 2nd July 2008

Bid to boost provision of care services - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 2nd July 2008

THE new council covering Ellesmere Port is already developing closer links between social care and health to ensure “joined-up” services. The news is contained in a report by Cheshire County Council’s director of children’s services, Joan Feenan, who is a lead officer for the shadow West Cheshire & Chester Council.

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Stuart rescues river plunge crash victim - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 2nd July 2008

A PARAMEDIC helped save a young woman’s life after her car crashed through a bridge wall and landed upside down in a river. Stuart Ryland, based at Ellesmere Port ambulance station in Coronation Road, dragged the 24-year-old to safety after she had been trapped inside the water-filled vehicle for more than 30 minutes.

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Health centre is just what doctor ordered - Crewe Chronicle 2nd July 2008

A £4.5M health centre allowing patients to use a host of community services under one roof will open in Alsager this month. Work on kitting out the new Alsager Health Centre will begin next week. It will house the town’s two medical practices, as well as the P Williams pharmacy on Crewe Road.

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Cumbria and Lancashire Health News

Articles relating to mass media Health Stories about the Cumbria and Lancashire patch of the NHS in the North West of England.

Ellen’s proud moment - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

A WOMAN who has dedicated her life to nursing has taken part in the 60th anniversary celebrations of the NHS in London. Ellen Cullen – the president of the West Cumbria Branch of the Royal College of Nursing – represented nurses from across Cumbria at the service at Westminster Abbey yesterday (Wednesday).

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A new nuclear power station mst lead to better health service funding - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

Having been drawn to Cumbria by its stunning rural scenery 16 years ago, Mahesh Dhebar found a place he and his wife could call home. But the respected surgeon never imagined those very same landscapes that brought him here would prove to be the thorn in the side of the community he was now part of.

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Health tips for mums-to-be - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

HEALTH professionals will be in Barrow later this month to warn mothers-to-be about the dangers of being overweight during pregnancy. Midwives from the University of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust will be running information stalls in Barrow offering advice on healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle changes that can help mothers achieve a healthier weight prior to the birth of their baby.

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Axe for mental health beds - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

HOSPITAL beds for mental health patients in Barrow and South Lakeland are set to be closed. The cuts are part of a county wide shake up of mental health services by Cumbria Primary Care Trust. Health campaigners in the area have already voiced concerns over the proposals - stating provision for those with mental illnesses must be increased.

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Parents urged to check MMR doses - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

COPELAND parents are being urged to check that their children have been immunised against measles following reports that the number of cases of the disease is on the rise. Across the North West the uptake of MMR vaccination is below the rate which is needed for immunity on a community level. Consequently there is a risk of further measles cases.

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Smokers stubbing out habit - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

A YEAR after the Government told smokers to stub out in public places, more than 2,000 have quit full stop in Cumbria. The number of people asking Cumbria Primary Care Trust for help in giving up was in excess of 3,000 and only 1,000 of those failed to make it past the four-week mark.

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New screen service could help save lives - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

COPELAND lives could now be saved thanks to the launch of a £600,000 bowel screening programme. This month invitations will start dropping through the letterboxes of local 60 to 69 year olds, asking them to participate. Early detection through this screening will help reduce deaths by as much as 16 percent.

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Should the alcohol buying age be raised to 21? - Carlisle News & Star 2nd July 2008

Soon it will be against the law for poeple under the age of 21 to buy alcohol from shops and off licences in Scotland. Should Cumbria follow suit?

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Health: Patients and dentists let down by NHS reforms, say MPs - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

The government's "unpopular and untested" reform of NHS dentistry in England has failed patients and the profession, MPs on the Commons health select committee said last night. An investigation of changes made two years ago showed fewer NHS dentists were providing less treatment for 900,000 fewer patients. The working conditions of dentists had deteriorated and there was a danger of a mass exodus into private practice in 2009, when those working for the NHS lose the right to a guaranteed minimum income, the MPs said.

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NHS dentists still not available to all – despite Blair's pledge - The Independent 2nd July 2008

Dentist contract overhaul 'has made situation worse' - The Times 2nd July 2008

This looks like more than teething pains - The Times 2nd July 2008

Patients are needlessly losing their teeth because Labour has 'plunged NHS into dark age of dentistry' - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

NHS dentistry reforms 'failing' - BBC Health News 1st July 2008

Nutrition: High level of fat and salt in fun park food, says report - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Children on school outings are being offered meals which have "overwhelmingly" high levels of fat, salt and sugar, a report says today. Not one of nearly 397 meals checked at 220 theme parks, wildlife parks, museums and other leisure attractions last year met fully the official guidelines for healthier food expected in schools in term time, says the Local Government Association.

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Children's meals at theme parks 'shockingly' unhealthy - The Independent 2nd July 2008

Unhealthy cost of a family day out: Theme park food has 600 per cent too much fat for youngsters - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

Child food 'poor' at attractions - BBC Health News 1st July 2008

Maternity: Delayed childbirth linked to big increase in caesarean sections - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

The trend for women to delay having babies until later in life has been a significant factor in the increase in caesarean sections, experts said yesterday. Researchers at Cambridge University, who examined the statistics for Scotland, calculate that if the age of new mothers had not increased between 1980 and 2005, there would have been 6,200 fewer caesareans.

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Four in ten Caesarean births are down to women delaying child birth until late 30s, say researchers - Daily Mail 1st July 2008

College's rejection criticised by MPs - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Imperial College London is coming under increasing pressure to review its decision to withdraw a place to study medicine from a straight A-grade state school pupil on the basis he had been convicted of a minor criminal offence. MPs yesterday criticised the decision, saying it was robbing Majid Ahmed, 18, of the chance to become a doctor on the basis of a one-off mistake made as a young teenager.

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Student barred from becoming a doctor after admitting spent conviction for burglary - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

Alison Benjamin reports on how personal care budgets are best spent - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Despite fears that the system could be open to abuse, the government this week made it clear that personal budgets for care are the key to providing services that people really need. Alison Benjamin reports

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David Brindle: What social care service users say about personal assistants - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Iraq: MoD to open brain unit to treat blast injuries - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

The Ministry of Defence is to open a medical unit to treat troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild brain injuries caused by high-powered explosions or blows to the head. The facility, to be based at the Headley Court military rehabilitation centre in Surrey will deal with those suffering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), which can lead to memory loss, depression and anxiety.

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Yvonne Roberts: Mum is the missing word - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Motherhood has all but gone from the lexicon of family policy, denying women vital support A colleague has two children, a husband who is often away, and a full-time job. Last Wednesday she had an evening meeting, already postponed once. The childminder was ill, the neighbour's au pair had a date. Crisis help was cobbled together via friends - for that night at least. Now, was that a parenting dilemma? Or more to do with the business of mothering? And does the difference matter?

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Councils prioritise voluntary sector - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Almost half of England's biggest councils have officially staked part of their reputation on achieving a "thriving" local voluntary sector. Under new arrangements designed to make services more locally responsive and accountable, 1,200 government-imposed performance targets have been reduced to 198. Of those new targets, each council has been allowed to draw up a core list of 35 priority policy areas, known as local area agreements (LAAs).

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Councils prioritise voluntary sector - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Almost half of England's biggest councils have officially staked part of their reputation on achieving a "thriving" local voluntary sector. Under new arrangements designed to make services more locally responsive and accountable, 1,200 government-imposed performance targets have been reduced to 198. Of those new targets, each council has been allowed to draw up a core list of 35 priority policy areas, known as local area agreements (LAAs).

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David Walker: For fresh thinking, don't forget history - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Darwinians can have fun with the NHS. In evolutionary terms, what happened in 1948 was the big bang or Genesis, with Aneurin Bevan acting the part, if not of God, then of intelligent design. Since then, the NHS has proved remarkably good at adaptation; you might conclude its survival for six decades proves its fitness for purpose.

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Practice: Specialist courses help people who have suffered head injuries get back to work - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Specialist courses are helping people who have suffered serious head injuries get back to work

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Letters: We need the courage to fight poverty - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

There is a strong desire in parliament and among NGOs and some employers to end poverty in the UK; but there are as many policies for doing it as there are government departments and NGO campaigns. The Family Budget Unit and The Centre for Social Policy Research have now provided a focus on the weekly cost of minimum needs for a healthy life and essential participation in the community, in their publication of minimum income standards yesterday.

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NHS patients will have right to free medical treatment in Europe - The Telegraph 2nd July 2008

NHS patients will be given the right to free medical treatment anywhere in Europe under a new blueprint for "health tourism". The move, which will apply to all European union members, is designed to give patients greater freedom and ease congestion in countries that have long waiting lists for operations.

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Now we can all be NHS health tourists and shop around EU for best treatment - Daily Mail 1st July 2008

EU plans cross-border healthcare - BBC Health News 1st July 2008

Hard to swallow: the truth behind the health myths - The Telegraph 2nd July 2008

Health has long been an area beset by superstition and spurious claims, and despite our medical advances, some common myths persist. In physicist Claudius Galen's day - around 130AD - illness was thought to be the excess of one of the four humours (yellow bile, black bile, phlegm and blood), which were treatable by bloodletting and purges.

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'Three quarters of child leukaemia victims are now cured,' claim scientists - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

Three in four children diagnosed with leukaemia are now completely cured of the disease, say experts. Since the early 1970s, when the children's cure rate was 25 per cent, the figure has more than doubled to 68 per cent according to the latest estimates.

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Study reveal show broccoli could combat prostate cancer - Daily Mail 2nd July 2008

Broccoli may combat prostate cancer by altering the genes involved in tumour growth, a study has shown. Scientists made the discovery after adding either peas or broccoli to the diets of two groups of men for a year.

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Laser treatment breakthrough could spell end for MRSA - Daily Mail 1st July 2008

A laser treatment that wipes out drug-resistant bacterial infections may one day help doctors tackle the growing problem of superbugs, British researchers revealed today. They found a laser-activated dye widely used for medical diagnosis produces a number of bacteria-killing chemicals.

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My sight is so clear I can see the dust I used to miss cleaning up - Daily Mail 1st July 2008

Every year, around 2,500 Britons - usually over the age of 65 - undergo a corneal transplant. Jessie Brett, 83, who lives in London, was one of the first in Britain to have a new, simpler procedure with a faster recovery time.

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Why are our schools full of deadly asbestos and why isn't anything being done about it? - Daily Mail 1st July 2008

Don't tell anyone, but we have a problem. Most of the 24,000 schools in this country have significant amounts of asbestos. The possible effects on children of ingesting asbestos fibres or dust into their immature lungs are only fully revealed many years later when they start falling prey to a cancer with a poor survival rate and a difficult name: mesothelioma.

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Devoted to the NHS for 60 years - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

For 60 years the NHS has been Professor Harold Ellis' working life. He qualified the month of its inception in 1948 - today aged 82, he is still working in it, teaching clinical anatomy at Guy's Hospital, London.

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Hospital committed 'gross error' - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

The treatment of a 63-year-old County Fermanagh woman who died in Belfast City Hospital has been criticised by the Northern Ireland Ombudsman. Tom Frawley critisised the hospital in his report into the death the woman, identified only as Mrs M.

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Smoking? The least of my worries - BBC Health News 1st July 2008

Thousands of people are being prevented from smoking as the public places ban is extended to the buildings and grounds of mental health facilities in England. They were given an extra year to bring it into effect, but one former patient and advocate, Judy Mead, thinks the ban could make people's problems worse.

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Parents fight for 'right to life' - BBC Health News 1st July 2008

A couple say they face a legal battle with a hospital to keep alive their six-year-old daughter in future. Amber Hartland, from Cwmbran, Torfaen, has an incurable brain disorder and needs intensive care treatment in Cardiff when she gets chest infections.

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Mass media stories about Health News from outside of the UK

Fertility: Doctors find test to predict chances of IVF success - The Guardian 2nd July 2008

Fertility doctors have found a way of predicting a woman's chances of becoming pregnant after IVF treatment. The test is designed to be used once a couple have had IVF embryos created, but before they are implanted. Researchers at Stanford University medical school, California, who developed the test said it could help tailor treatment and counselling for the tens of thousands of couples who attend IVF clinics each year.

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Dutch smoking ban: No tobacco in your joints, cafes ordered - The Guardian 1st July 2008

Dutch coffee shops, long considered as synonymous with the Netherlands as tulips or attacking football, face a new challenge from today when a ban on smoking tobacco in restaurants and cafes comes into effect. The owners claim the law, which will allow customers to light up potent tobacco-free pure cannabis joints but ban milder spliffs in which tobacco is mixed with cannabis, threatens to put hundreds of them out of business.

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Dutch tobacco ban means cafe smokers can only light up pure cannabis cigarettes - The Telegraph 1st July 2008

Miracle diet from the Med - The Independent 2nd July 2008

How adding six types of food can cut the risk of cancer by 22 per cent Adopting elements of a Mediterranean-style diet, which is high in fruit and vegetables and low on red meat and dairy produce, can reduce the risk of cancer by almost a quarter, according to a major study of people's eating habits.

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Mediterranean diet 'cuts cancer' - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

How drinking red wine with your steak cancels out cancer causing effects of red meat - Daily Mail 1st July 2008

It is the perfect excuse to enjoy a glass of red wine with your Sunday roast. Scientists have shown that the drink cancels out some harmful substances produced by the meat in the stomach. The chemicals - released during the digestion of fat - are linked to a host of ills, including cancer, hardening of the arteries, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

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Ukraine's hybrid healthcare system - BBC Health News 2nd July 2008

To coincide with the 60th anniversary of Britain's National Health Service, the BBC looks at models of healthcare around the world. In Ukraine, a hybrid system - a mixture of public and private - is starting to take root.

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Caffeine 'could help prevent MS' - BBC Health News 30th June 2008

Mice given the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop a disease similar to multiple sclerosis, a study found. Researchers hope this could lead to new ways to prevent MS in humans.

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Rapid test for drug resistant TB - BBC Health News 30th June 2008

Multidrug resistant TB is a growing problem A two-pronged initiative aims to speed up diagnosis and treatment of people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in developing countries. The World Health Organization is working with partners to make a rapid test - which gives results in two days - more widely available.

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Tobacco giant 'breaks youth code' - BBC Health News 28th June 2008

A British tobacco giant is breaking its own marketing code covering the sale of cigarettes to young people in Africa. An investigation for the BBC has found evidence in Nigeria, Malawi and Mauritius of rules being broken.

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Cheshire and Merseyside Health News

Articles relating to mass media Health news about the Cheshire and Merseyside patch of the NHS in the North West of England.

Thousands in Merseyside kick the smoking habit after ban - Liverpool Daily Post 1st July 2008

THE smoking ban has prompted thousands of people to give up the habit in Merseyside and Cheshire. Figures released one year after the law was introduced show every borough except Wirral has seen a rise in the number of people quitting between April 2007-8, compared with the previous year. And Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have reported a 20% overall rise in successful quitters.

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Smokers kick habit thanks to cig ban - Liverpool Echo 1st July 2008

Doctors fear for staff safety under extended hours scheme - Liverpool Daily Post 30th June 2008

A LIVERPOOL doctor says staff safety will be put at risk by Government plans to extend GP opening hours. Rob Barnett, secretary of the Liverpool Local Medical Committee, thinks steps to make practices open later in the evening or at the weekends have not been thought through, and will leave GPs and receptionists vulnerable when working in isolation.

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Drugs conference to return after 21 years - Liverpool Daily Post 30th June 2008

LIVERPOOL will host a leading international drug conference expected to bring thousands of delegates into the city. Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) won a bid to host the International Harm Reduction Association’s (IHRA) annual conference in April, 2010, at the Echo arena.

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Drugs date - Liverpool Echo 30th June 2008

Alder Hey surgery will change orphan’s life - Liverpool Daily Post 28th June 2008

AN ORPHAN from Belarus is recovering at a Liverpool hospital after a life-changing operation. A cyst the size of a small grapefruit was removed from eight-year-old Allessia Chueva’s back at Alder Hey hospital on Wednesday.

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Paramedic hailed a hero - Liverpool Daily Post 28th June 2008

A HEROIC paramedic who rescued a woman from her submerged car has been commended for his actions. North West Ambulance Service praised paramedic Stuart Ryland, who plunged into the river to pull the woman above water. The victim, thought to be in her 20s, sustained leg injuries in the crash and was trapped for 40 minutes yesterday.

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Healthy start - Liverpool Echo 1st July 2008

LIVERPOOL’S heart hospital begins a new era today with a new leader and a new name. The world-class Cardiothoracic Centre in Broadgreen will now be known as Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.

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TUC march on NHS 60th - Liverpool Echo 1st July 2008

TRADE unionists are staging a march in Liverpool this Saturday to mark the 60th anniversary of the National Health Service. Merseyside TUC says it is to celebrate the NHS and to protest at “continual privatisation”.

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Boy’s fear after being cut by blood-filled syringe - Liverpool Echo 30th June 2008

A MUM told how her schoolboy son faces an agonising wait after he was cut by a blood-filled syringe. Adam Rooney, 12, from Seaforth, was sat in the back of a cab on the way home from his mum Sharon’s birthday meal when the needle pricked his finger.

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Camera boost - Liverpool Echo 30th June 2008

PATIENTS at University Hospital, Aintree, are the first in the country to routinely benefit from a new camera which will help diagnose liver cancers more quickly.

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Hospital food wins top prize - Liverpool Echo 30th June 2008

A MERSEYSIDE hospital trust’s healthy eating project scooped first prize at the prestigious Food Northwest Awards 2008. The team – which provides meals for patients, visitors and staff at both Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals – won the award for the Healthy Eating Agenda from a shortlist of three.

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Liverpool woman eats first meal for four years - Liverpool Echo 28th June 2008

A LIVERPOOL woman has eaten her first meal in four years. Jill Powell tucked straight into steak and kidney pie after a rare condition that stopped her stomach working was cured in a new operation.

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Inspectors catch out nine smokers - Liverpool Echo 28th June 2008

INSPECTORS caught just nine people lighting up in the first year of the public smoking ban in Liverpool. Critics had suggested many pubgoers and clubbers would ignore the controversial rule, which stopped smoking in any indoor premises classed as a workplace.

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Baby died after dad fell asleep on sofa - Liverpool Echo 26th June 2008

A WEEK-old baby boy died after his father fell asleep on the settee while holding him in his arms. An inquest heard how Michael Davies, of Bootle, woke to find his son lying on the floor, a foot away from the sofa. He was blue and not breathing.

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Cancer check-up call - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 26th June 2008

A SCHEME which aims to combat Halton’s alarming number of cancer deaths by urging people to get checked early has been launched in Halton. Halton and St Helens PCT’s Get Checked scheme aims to turn the tide on the borough’s cancer death rate by encouraging people to see their GP as soon as potential cancer symptoms are noticed.

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Runner’s call to get a check for cancer - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 26th June 2008

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