Thursday 17 July 2014

Health roadshow finds 130 people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes

Health roadshow finds 130 people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes

Half of the people tested at a diabetes roadshow in Northampton were found to be at risk of developing the condition. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Met Office issues level 2 heatwave warning

Met Office issues level 2 heatwave warning

The Met Office has today forecast potential heatwave conditions for parts of the South East, London, the East of England, the East Midlands and West Midlands for later this week, as it declared a Level 2 Heat-health alert.

This warning is triggered when the Met Office forecasts that there is a 60% or higher chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days and the intervening night to have a significant effect on health.

While many people enjoy hot weather, high temperatures can be dangerous, especially for people who may be particularly vulnerable such as older people, young children and those with serious illnesses.

NHS England jointly produces the Heatwave Plan for England 2014 with Public Health England.

Top advice for being sun safe:
Try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm.
Apply sunscreen of at least SPF15 with UVA protection.
Wear UV sunglasses, preferably wraparound, to reduce UV exposure to the eyes.
Wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes, a hat and light scarf.
Drink lots of cool drinks.
Look out for others especially vulnerable groups such as older people, young children and babies and those with serious illnesses.
Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals.

Level 2 warning is valid from 08:00am on Friday 18th July to 08:00am Sunday 20 July.

NHS Commissioning

Care minister backs assisted dying

Care minister backs assisted dying

Care Minister Norman Lamb says he has changed his mind and is now in favour of a law on assisted dying in certain circumstances. BBC News

Asthma inhalers make children half a centimetre shorter

Asthma inhalers make children half a centimetre shorter

Children who use corticosteroids inhalers to control asthma are likely to be 0.5cm shorter than they should be, because the drug stunts growth, a major review has found. Telegraph

Poll shows support for raising taxes to sustain NHS

Poll shows support for raising taxes to sustain NHS


Guardian/ICM poll finds 48% of voters back tax-funded spending increases, while 21% would prefer charges for some services

Voters remain wedded to Britain's taxpayer-funded model of healthcare even as NHS leaders question its sustainability, according to a Guardian/ICM poll. Analysis by NHS England and outside experts points to a large funding gap that could reach £30bn by the end of the decade, and last month 71 leading lights of the health service wrote to the Guardian to warn politicians that failure to level with the public about the black hole before polling day would jeopardise the service's future.

Asked how they would tackle the future funding of medicine, voters are resolved by a margin of more than two to one that "raising taxes for everybody, to put more money in" is the right way to go. Guardian

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King's Fund warns of "cracks" in system

King's Fund warns of "cracks" in system

The King's Fund has found further signs of financial stress on the health service - and warned that "cracks are starting to appear" in its performance against key targets. EHI News

Charging migrants to access NHS healthcare - implementation plan published 

Charging migrants to access NHS healthcare - implementation plan published 

The Department of Health has published the Visitor and Migrant NHS Cost Recovery Programme Implementation, it outlines what will take place over the next two years to ensure the NHS receives a contribution for the cost of healthcare it provides to non-UK residents. NHS Employers

Press release: Continuation of whooping cough vaccination programme in pregnancy advised

Press release: Continuation of whooping cough vaccination programme in pregnancy advised

Public Health England (PHE) welcomes today’s (16 July 2014) announcement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advising the Department of Health (DH) that the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination programme for pregnant women should continue for a further 5 years. The advice reflects new data on vaccine effectiveness and safety published byPHE and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The DH announced the temporary vaccination programme for pregnant women in October 2012, in response to a national whooping cough outbreak that led to several infant deaths. Vaccinating women against whooping cough in pregnancy (between 28 and 38 weeks) means that the mother passes immunity on to her unborn child, protecting the baby until they receive their first whooping cough vaccination at 2 months old.

UK research councils join forces in 'unprecedented move' to tackle rise of antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'

UK research councils join forces in 'unprecedented move' to tackle rise of antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'

All of the major scientific funding bodies in Britain are to collaborate on a joint research effort to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that threaten to end the era of modern medicine, it was announced today. Independent

Pharmacies demand to be 'first point of contact' for overstretched NHS

Pharmacies demand to be 'first point of contact' for overstretched NHS

Pharmacies and high-street health specialists are “key to the survival of the NHS” and should be the “first point of contact” for tackling smoking and obesity levels, according to a coalition of leading primary healthcare experts. Independent