Tuesday 7 January 2014

A&Es see some people 50 times a year

A&Es see some people 50 times a year Some patients are going to A&E units in the UK more than 50 times a year, a BBC investigation into the issue of repeat visits shows. BBC News

AUDIO: Oesophageal cancer deaths up by 50%

AUDIO: Oesophageal cancer deaths up by 50% Death rates from oesophageal cancer rise by almost 50% over the last 40 years, according to Cancer Research UK. BBC News

Experts say sadness is wrongly being medicalised

Experts say sadness is wrongly being medicalised  Two experts have warned that antidepressants are being “doled out as cure for simple sadness,” reports The Daily Telegraph.
The news is based on an opinion piece written by two professors in the British Medical Journal. It is one of an ongoing series of articles looking at the potential harms of overdiagnosing different conditions.
The authors argue the current criteria for diagnosing depression includes wide groups of people with mixed severities of the condition, and are therefore too broad.

There's a new climate of diktat and fear sweeping through the NHS | Polly Toynbee

There's a new climate of diktat and fear sweeping through the NHS | Polly Toynbee An occupational therapist who won awards for her work has been sacked for querying cuts to a stroke unit.

Nurses face three-year competency checks

Nurses face three-year competency checks Nurses and midwives will be forced to reflect on the comments of their patients and retrain if necessary to keep their registration. The Daily Telegraph

Your life in their hands: is the care.data NHS database a healthy step or a gross invasion of patient privacy?

Your life in their hands: is the care.data NHS database a healthy step or a gross invasion of patient privacy?

Within the next few weeks, everyone living in England will see a little white and blue leaflet from the NHS land on their welcome mat. The Independent