Thursday 31 December 2015

GP surgery in Northamptonshire left blank prescriptions in unlocked offices

GP surgery in Northamptonshire left blank prescriptions in unlocked offices

Staff at a Northamptonshire doctor’s surgery have been reprimanded by inspectors for exposing blank prescriptions to theft. Chronicle & Echo

GP records database delayed at 'huge cost' to taxpayer

GP records database delayed at 'huge cost' to taxpayer

MPs on the Public Account Committee say that the cost of a giant medical database to extract GP records has risen from £14million to £40milliion after series of failings. Telegraph

Mental health now area of most public concern within NHS

Mental health now area of most public concern within NHS


Inadequate support of greater concern than trouble getting a GP appointment and desire for more joined-up services

Mental health has become the area of NHS and social care the public most worry about and want improved, with delays in getting treatment and too little support for people in need their main concerns.

Inadequate support for people with mental illness has replaced the difficulty of getting a GP appointment as the public’s main frustration with the NHS, research by Healthwatch England shows. Guardian
Continue reading...

Junior doctors increasingly pessimistic a deal can be reached to avert new year strike

Junior doctors increasingly pessimistic a deal can be reached to avert new year strike

The most significant industrial action by medics in 40 years could take place as early as the second week in January. Independent

Dementia in the family: the impact on carers

Dementia in the family: the impact on carers

This report highlights the realities of daily life for carers who are looking after their loved ones and reveal how dementia changes family relationships, leaving people feeling socially isolated, and affects both the health and finances of family carers. NHS Networks

New obesity measure 'is better at predicting risk of early death than BMI'

New obesity measure 'is better at predicting risk of early death than BMI'

University of West Virginia scientists developed the surface-based body shape index (SBSI), which takes into account body surface area, vertical trunk circumference, height and waist circumference. Daily Mail

Counting the cost of alcohol to the NHS – share your stories

Counting the cost of alcohol to the NHS – share your stories


Doctors, nurses, administrative staff and other healthcare professionals – tell us about your experiences and the impact of alcohol on the health service

The festive party season is in full swing. But what effect is it, and increased alcohol consumption in general, having on health and social care services and the people who work in them?

The cost of alcohol is being felt across the health service all year round. More than 10 million adults in England now drink more than the recommended daily limit (pdf). Up to 35% of all A&E attendance and ambulance costs may be alcohol related, according to the Nuffield Trust. In 2013-14, more than a million hospital admissions were as a consequence of an alcohol-related diagnosis, and this figure is increasing. Guardian

Continue reading...

High dose vitamin D could treat multiple sclerosis, scientists find

High dose vitamin D could treat multiple sclerosis, scientists find

Low levels of vitamin D are known to be associated with an increased risk of developing MS but it is the first study to show that supplements can help the condition. Telegraph

Press release: Chronic smoking-related lung disease blights over 1 million lives in England

Press release: Chronic smoking-related lung disease blights over 1 million lives in England


Public Health England (PHE) is today (29 December 2015) highlighting the debilitating nature of serious lung diseases for which smoking is the biggest preventable risk factor, after the latest GP figures revealed that more than 1 million people are living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is the umbrella term for serious lung conditions that include chronic bronchitis and emphysema

People with COPD have difficulties breathing, primarily due to the narrowing of their airways and destruction of lung tissue. Typical symptoms include breathlessness when active, a persistent cough and frequent chest infections.

Smokers can often dismiss the early signs of COPD as a ‘smoker’s cough’, but if they continue smoking and the condition worsens, it can greatly impact on their quality of life. Large numbers of people with COPD are unable to participate in everyday activities such as climbing stairs, housework or gardening; with many even unable take a holiday because of their disease.

HSCIC figures show COPD led to over 113,000 emergency hospital admissions in England in 2013 and 2014.
Public Health England

E-cigarettes are no safer than smoking tobacco, scientists warn

E-cigarettes are no safer than smoking tobacco, scientists warn

Cells exposed to the e-cigarette vapour showed several forms of damage, including DNA strand breaks, which can lead to cancer. Telegraph

NHS paid more than £1m in compensation due to helpline's bad advice - Express.co.uk

NHS paid more than £1m in compensation due to helpline's bad advice - Express.co.uk


THE HEALTH service has had to pay out more than £1million in compensation to patients who suffered after being given poor advice from the controversial NHSDirect telephone helpline. By Matthew Davis, exclusive. PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, Dec 27, 2015 ... Health News from around the web
and more »

Why your GP may be recommending a dose of the great outdoors in 2016

Why your GP may be recommending a dose of the great outdoors in 2016

'Green prescriptions' are common in other countries – and research suggests they can be more effective than drugs.  Independent

Gonorrhoea could become untreatable, says chief medic

Gonorrhoea could become untreatable, says chief medic


Dame Sally Davies asks GPs and pharmacies to ensure they are prescribing correct drugs after 16 cases of drug-resistant strain of STI this year

Gonorrhoea is at risk of becoming an untreatable disease, England’s chief medical officer has said.

Dame Sally Davies has written to all GPs and pharmacies to ensure they are prescribing the correct drugs after the rise of a highly drug-resistant strain of the infection.  Guardian

Related: Drug-resistant gonorrhoea outbreak sparks England-wide alert

Continue reading...

Adding fluoride to water supply may have no benefit, say experts

Adding fluoride to water supply may have no benefit, say experts


Critics call for end to scheme designed to prevent tooth decay in children, saying its effectiveness remains unproved

Water fluoridation has been in place in England for more than 40 years, and now covers about 6 million people. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls adding fluoride to drinking water one of the 10 great public health achievements in the 20th century.

Public Health England (PHE) describes it as “a safe and effective public health measure” to combat tooth decay in children and, alongside dentists’ groups, has called for it to be implemented more widely.  Guardian

Related: Call for water fluoridation across England to cut childhood tooth decay

Related: US lowers fluoride levels in drinking water for first time in over 50 years

Continue reading...

Easier said than done: why we struggle with healthy behaviours and what to do about it

Easier said than done: why we struggle with healthy behaviours and what to do about it


This report sets out some of the reasons why we might find it hard to live in a healthy way, exercising, eating well, getting adequate sleep, and checking for early warning symptoms. It also looks to the field of behavioural science for strategies that people can use to overcome those hurdles and to initiate lifestyle changes. These include commitment devices, temptation bundling and implementation plans. RSA
Report
RSA - publications