Northamptonshire cancer survivor joins forces with Macmillan to break the ‘menopause taboo’

Northamptonshire cancer survivor joins forces with Macmillan to break the ‘menopause taboo’  A Northamptonshire cancer survivor, who faced the menopause in her twenties as a result of her cancer diagnosis, has joined forces with Macmillan to help other women going through the experience and break the taboo.

Now she’s working with the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support team at Northampton General Hospital to co-design an early menopause workshop to encourage women to seek support for their symptoms. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS at 75: What are we up against? – with Professor Jagjit Chadha and Anita Charlesworth

NHS at 75: What are we up against? – with Professor Jagjit Chadha and Anita Charlesworth The fact the NHS survives by a kind of miracle is one of its endearing British features – so said former health secretary, Kenneth Clarke. Well, can that miracle continue? 

As we approach the NHS’s 75th birthday in July, we’re launching a series of three podcast episodes setting out the big questions facing the health service. This first episode explores current pressures on the NHS, economy and wider society and what the future might hold.  

What are the questions that policymakers may face as the population’s health and care needs change over the coming decade? How can the UK economy power the investment needed for health services to survive and thrive? And how can more long-term thinking help to foster good health and economic productivity? Podcast from The Health Foundation

People's experience with thyroid disease: survey results

People's experience with thyroid disease: survey results One in twenty people in the UK have a thyroid problem, with women six times more likely to suffer from the condition than men. This survey of people with thyroid disorders was carried out to collect information on patients’ experience from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis/treatment and on the effects of thyroid disease, before and after diagnosis / treatment, on their wellbeing and labour market engagement. University of Aberdeen

Cost of living - a barrier to healthcare for the most vulnerable

Cost of living - a barrier to healthcare for the most vulnerable The cost of living is having a detrimental impact on people's decisions about their healthcare. But if you are disabled, on means-tested benefits or aged 18-24, you're more likely to avoid vital health services due to the fear of extra costs. We set out immediate actions for the government and the NHS. Healthwatch England

Research: Malaria in the UK: annual report

Research: Malaria in the UK: annual report Malaria does not occur naturally in the UK but travel-associated cases are reported in those who have returned to the UK or arrived (either as a visitor or migrant to the UK) from malaria-endemic areas.

This report presents data on malaria imported into the UK, based on figures reported to the UK Health Security Agency's Malaria Reference Laboratory (MRL).

Chief Medical Officer for England on vaping

Chief Medical Officer for England on vaping The key points about vaping (e-cigarettes) can be easily summarised. If you smoke, vaping is much safer; if you don’t smoke, don’t vape; marketing vapes to children is utterly unacceptable. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Quitters’ aid or addiction risk? Growing debate over vape regulation The Guardian

‘Smart bandages’ could improve outcomes for patients with non-healing wounds

‘Smart bandages’ could improve outcomes for patients with non-healing wounds Pioneering new technology could help patients with non-healing wounds avoid infections and the need for antibiotics, scientists say.

Wirelessly powered, environmentally friendly “smart bandages” have been developed by a team of scientists from the UK and France, with the University of Glasgow and the University of Southampton leading the research.

The bandage could help improve the quality of life for people with chronic non-healing wounds as a result of conditions such as cancer, diabetes or damaged blood vessels, they said. The Independent

See also:

• Wirelessly Powered Drug-Free and Anti-Infective Smart Bandage for Chronic Wound Care (abstract) IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems
• Wirelessly powered 'smart bandage' could provide drug-free wound care Medicalxpress

What is the standoff between Covid inquiry and Cabinet Office about?

What is the standoff between Covid inquiry and Cabinet Office about? Wrangling over Boris Johnson’s notebooks and WhatsApp messages continues in earnest, with the government and the official Covid inquiry locked in a standoff over what should be shared. The Guardian

See also:

• No 10 denies cover-up over Boris Johnson Covid WhatsApps BBC News
• Ministers dodge Covid inquiry questions on care home deaths until after election The Daily Telegraph
• Former Johnson aide at centre of Covid inquiry battle over private messages The Daily Telegraph
• Sunak accused of trying to cover up ministers’ actions during pandemic The Guardian
• Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp row descends into farce as senior Tories call for Sunak to end dispute The Independent
• The Covid-19 inquiry timeline and what it's hoped it will achieve ITV News
• Prime minister Rishi Sunak says government is 'cooperating with COVID inquiry' Sky News

Dangerous lab leaks happen far more often than the public is aware

Dangerous lab leaks happen far more often than the public is aware | Alison Young At biological research facilities across the United States and around the world, hundreds of safety breaches happen every year at labs experimenting with dangerous pathogens. Scientists and other lab workers are bitten by infected animals, stuck by contaminated needles and splashed with infectious fluids. They are put at risk of exposures when their protective gear malfunctions or critical building biosafety systems fail.

And, like all humans, the people working in laboratories make mistakes and they sometimes cut corners or ignore safety procedures – even when working with pathogens that have the potential to cause a global pandemic. The Guardian

See also:

• Covid: Top Chinese scientist says don’t rule out lab leak BBC News
• Covid lab leak theory should not be ruled out, top Chinese scientist says The Guardian
• 'Don't rule out' COVID-19 lab leak theory, Chinese scientist says Sky News

Warning that life-saving research is being put on hold due to delays

Warning that life-saving research is being put on hold due to delays Life-saving research is on hold due to a three-month backlog in approving medical trials, MailOnline can reveal.

Any study involving giving humans drugs must be signed off by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

These can include testing new medications and vaccines for the UK's biggest killers, such as dementia, cancer and heart disease. The Daily Mail

NHS bosses could be set for a summer of chaos as doctors' union hints that pay offers aren't enough

NHS bosses could be set for a summer of chaos as doctors' union hints that pay offers aren't enough NHS bosses are braced for a summer of chaos after union leaders suggested a 50 per cent pay hike would not be enough to stop senior doctors from striking.

In comments unearthed by the Daily Mail, officials from doctors' union the British Medical Association (BMA) said that if ministers were to offer consultants 50 per cent it would still be just a 'drop in the ocean'.

See also:

• Health Secretary Steve Barclay rules out new pay offer for nurses despite 'constructive' meeting with RCN chief Sky News