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Cervical cancer vaccine plan extended
Tuesday July 22nd, 2008
The new cervical cancer vaccine is to be offered to young women of 17 and 18, it was announced yesterday.
The extension will mean an additional 300,000 people receiving the human papillomavirus vaccine in the coming year.
Ministers said the move justified their decision to go for a low-cost vaccine, Cervarix.
Critics have accused the government of missing a chance to protect women against a wider range of viruses, responsible for genital warts.
The government says the vaccine will protect against viruses responsible for 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer.
Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Our policy to vaccinate girls against cervical cancer is one of the biggest public health campaigns in recent history. It will mean that up to 400 girls' lives will be saved each year.
"By choosing the right vaccine we have been able to make savings which means we can extend the programme to 17 and 18 year olds. This could save an additional 400 lives."
Drive to boost teen health care
Monday July 21st, 2008
Health professionals are being urged to improve their skills at dealing with young people, using new training materials.
The learning programme, launched last week, have been developed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and by the Royal College of Nursing.
The colleges warned that the health of young people has failed to improve over the last 40 years in pace with progress amongst other age groups.
Smoking, alcohol, drugs, obesity, dangerous sex and poor mental health all place many adolescents in danger, they warn.
There are also rising rates of chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes.
The Adolescent Health Project offers face-to-face and e-learning on all aspects of adolescent health.
RCPH president Dr Patricia Hamilton said: "For too long, health services for adolescents have fallen between those provided for children and those for adults.
"Special skills and competencies are needed by all staff when dealing with young people. Health professionals need not just clinical skills and medical knowledge, but also particular skills in language, listening and communication."
And Fiona Smith, of the RCN, said: "Nurses are well placed to provide sensitive and confidential health advice to young people to help them make changes in their lives so they can lead a more healthier and active right life through to adulthood."
Further backing came from Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs.
He said: "Improving health services for young people must be a priority for all health care professionals. Lifestyle choices made in adolescence can have a major impact on health later in life."
Launching the project, health secretary Alan Johnson said: "It is a very exciting step forward and clear recognition of the increased profile of adolescent health we will see reflected in our forthcoming Children and Young People's Health Strategy."
How A&E could tackle knife crime
Friday July 18th, 2008
Emergency department specialists could help tackle knife crime by helping identify violence "hotspots", an expert suggested today.
The proposal came as new government figures claimed violent crime is falling - whilst popular alarm at reports of teen deaths increases.
An 18-year-old became the 21st teenager to die in London this year last night.
Some 22,000 offences involving knives in England and Wales were recorded over the last year - the first time they have been recorded separately.
While police figures showed an eight per cent reduction in violent crime, they showed a two per cent increase in gun crime.
Professor Jonathan Shepherd's proposal, published on-line in the British Medical Journal, seeks to deal with suggestions that hospitals treat more victims of knife crimes than are reported to police.
He suggests that emergency departments could collect information anonymously from victims.
This would be shared with local crime reduction partnerships, helping them to identify troublespots and flashpoints.
Professor Shepherd, of the violence research group of Cardiff University, Wales, says: "It is not safe to assume that the most serious violence, including knife and gun violence, will have been reported."
He adds: "Key to this will be emergency medicine consultants being directly involved in partnership prevention work, including attending meetings with the police and local authority representatives."
Plan for terminal care at home
Thursday July 17th, 2008
Some £286 million is to be pumped into care for dying people - with a view to enabling more to die at home, it was announced yesterday.
A ten year strategy for "end of life" care services calls for 24 hour community nursing services to care for people who want to die at home.
There will also be specialist care palliative outreach services and research into the best care for the dying.
The proposals had been foreshadowed in the Darzi review of health services and this had called for greater opportunities for dying people to stay at home.
Actor Hugh Grant, speaking for the Marie Curie charity, said: "Since 2004 Marie Curie Cancer Care has campaigned hard for the public to have the choice to die at home.
"I am delighted to see that the Government is now honouring its 2005 Manifesto pledge to double investment in end of life care."
Health secretary Alan Johnson said: "People coming to the end of their lives and their loved ones deserve high quality, compassionate and dignified care, on their own terms. This strategy will help make that happen."
The plans were welcomed by the Royal College of Nursing but it warned it would need trained staff.
He said: "Delivering quality palliative care requires a well resourced workforce and it is vital that Strategic Health Authorities recognise the need to invest in the staff that provides these specialist services.
"There are numerous examples of the voluntary sector and independent hospices delivering high quality care across the UK and it's important that such work is recognised."
Children with eating disorders need expert nursing
Wednesday July 16th, 2008
Nurses have an increasingly important role helping children who suffer from eating disorders, says Nursing Standard today.
Eating disorders are becoming more common among younger children in the UK, including boys, says the article. Nurses working in specialist units can offer a lifeline as they have a particular set of skills and qualities that can help.
In 2007, 206 cases of eating disorders were reported in children under the age of 13. Patients were as young as eight years old, and half needed to be admitted to hospital.
ChildLine received 1,900-plus calls on the subject last year. Sue Minto from ChildLine said: "Eating disorders in children are among the most challenging problems that counsellors have to deal with. They are a minefield for everyone affected by them.
"One of the saddest revelations is the sense that, for some, the disorder is a coping mechanism that stops them from 'doing something worse' and, as an alternative to suicide, is a familiar friend that keeps them alive."
She added that family, friends and professionals need to work together to ensure there is always someone to turn to.
Dee Dawson of treatment unit Rhodes Farm in north London, UK, believes good nursing is vital. "Having sympathetic nurses and carers around them can help change these children's views on eating and exercising," she said.
Manager of the Mildred Creak Unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, Philip Yearley, agrees. He said: "I believe passionately that nurses make a huge difference because we are with the child 24 hours a day - almost like being a parent. Other professionals do not see the children all the time."
Baby boom pressures midwifery care
Monday July 14th, 2008
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show a rise of three per cent in the number of births in England and Wales over a year.
There were 690,013 live births in 2007, compared with 669,601 in 2006, reported the ONS last week (on July 10).
Fertility rate figures, also released last week, show that each woman now has an average of 1.91 children - the highest since 1973. The number of births went up in every English region.
This shows that the emerging baby boom is continuing to put pressure on midwifery services, commented Dame Karlene Davis of the Royal College of Midwives. She said: "In 2007, in England, there were over 90,000 more live births than in 2001, a rise of over 16 per cent, but the number of midwives is not keeping pace with the increasing birth rate. Indeed we are seeing midwives posts being lost and services being cut.
"This is putting midwives under huge pressure, leaving many women and their babies facing poor a service and a poor birth experience, and difficulty getting much needed support at home after the birth, as highlighted by the recent Healthcare Commission report."
The report was commissioned after a series of investigations into deaths at maternity hospitals. A survey of 150 trusts found low staffing levels and poor facilities in some hospitals.
Dame Karlene added: "At the heart of this is the need to deliver a real quality service to women, their babies and their families. We need investment that actually reaches the front line, better staffing levels and better facilities. It has also got to start happening now."
Family nurses boost chances
Thursday July 10th, 2008
England's new family nurse programme is helping boost the chances of vulnerable children, a report said yesterday.
The Family Nurse Partnership scheme began in ten areas of England last year.
Nurses are assigned to build close relationships with families, helping them to adopt healthier lifestyles and provide good care for babies.
An independent evaluation shows that the programme has enrolled more parents under the age of 20 than over it - and that clients gave the programme high marks.
Nurses also gave the scheme a high rating.
One nurse said: "I applied for my post as a Family Nurse after reading about its success in the United States. At first I thought it sounded too good to be true. Here was a long standing, tried and tested programme that seemed to have a long lasting positive affect on peoples lives.
"It is very different from my previous role as a health visitor. We work closely with the parents from early pregnancy so that by the time they have their babies we have travelled a long way together.
"We place particular emphasis on working with fathers and I have found that they are pleased to be included, and want to learn as much as they can and be very hands on in their children’s upbringing."
Children's minister Beverly Hughes said: "I am pleased to see that the programme is giving these young mothers and fathers a fantastic opportunity to learn and develop crucial skills so that they can give their children the best start in life.
"The research shows that this alternative way of working by family nurses is making a real difference to the lives of young parents."
Healthier eating scheme for public sector canteens
Wednesday July 9th, 2008
New healthy eating measures are to be implemented for public sector workers, patients and prisoners.
Canteens catering for these groups have been targeted by a government healthy eating initiative encouraging them to meet new guidelines on fat, salt and sugar content, presentation and portion sizes.
The move was announced by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo yesterday (July 8) as part of the government's "Food Matters - Towards a strategy for the 21st Century" strategy.
Under the plans, the government will award a new Healthier Food Mark to canteens that meet food criteria such as "Providing nutritionally balanced, appetising and enjoyable menus built around choice and variety".
The scheme is already compulsory in schools, and will be taken up on a voluntary basis by the NHS, prisons and government offices.
Ms Primarolo said: "Our ultimate aim is for healthy food to be the norm across England - in hospitals, care homes, prisons and in all public workplaces across the country and to ensure that patients are well fed.
"The public sector has a duty to look after their staff and people in their direct care, such as patients and prisoners, so it's essential we serve up healthy and nutritious food."
Almost a third of all meals served by caterers in the UK are served in public sector institutions. Every day, about one million meals are served to NHS patients and staff alone.
If successful, the scheme will eventually be rolled out across the entire public sector. Schools that are already signed up to healthy eating will automatically qualify for the Healthier Food Mark unless Ofsted inspectors state that the school's food standards are not up to scratch, say the department of health.
NHS plans for infection damages active
Tuesday July 8th, 2008
The NHS has set aside more than £40 million to pay damages over hospital infections, it was revealed today.
The figure set aside by the NHS Litigation Authority was revealed through Freedom of Information requests.
Some 100 victims have already received more than £7 million, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Another 243 claims have been lodged.
The figures related to MRSA and C.difficile.
Meanwhile a European study warns that Britain's problems may pale in comparison with the risks faced by other countries.
The study of antibiotic resistance in cattle showed it is at low levels compared with Belgium, France, Latvia and Spain.
The study, reported in Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, warns there is evidence of MRSA in cattle in Spain and France.
And it warns of a "frightening number" of samples of E.coli resistance in France, Spain, Italy and Belgium.
Researcher Rene Hendriksen, from the Technical University of Denmark, said: "The differences in resistance may reflect the differences in antimicrobial use between countries and veterinarians."
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
Sir Trevor plugs healthy lifestyle
Monday July 7th, 2008
Broadcaster Sir Trevor Macdonald has signed up to raise awareness of the risk of cancer amongst Britain's ethnic minorities.
He will launch a cancer awareness week for black and minority ethnic communities tonight at a launch in the House of Commons.
According to Cancer Research UK, people of ethnic minority background are less likely than others to recognise the signs of cancer.
The organisation says other barriers exist which can cause delays in getting access to treatment and services.
Sir Trevor said: "According to Cancer Research UK half of all cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle and it is vital that we get that message across to Britain's many and varied BME communities.
"Raising awareness about the signs and symptoms of cancer means that the disease is more likely to be caught in the early stages and allow patients the best chance of recovery.
"Providing information about how to change your lifestyle to reduce your risk of getting cancer is as important as developing new treatments and drugs to combat the disease."
Vanessa Gordon-Dseagu, of Cancer Research UK, said: "We hope the community-based events taking place this week will bring greater awareness of cancer to people who need to access information and cancer services."
GP plan will use web active
Friday July 4th, 2008
On-line registrations and email consultations will be introduced as part of the drive to encourage patients to shop around for GPs, it was announced yesterday.
And in a further nod to new technology, patients will be encouraged to log on to "myhealthspace" to book appointments and update their care records.
The technologies are part of the government's new primary care strategy launched yesterday.
It includes a pledge to change GP funding to reward practices that take on new patients.
Performance and quality information about GP and community services will be published on the NHS Choices website, according to the strategy.
The strategy pledges to make it easier for GPs to refer patients to exercise classes or stress counselling.
It also promises to "transform" community health services to "unlock" the talents of 250,000 staff, including health visitors and community nurses.
One Devon GP, Professor Michael Dixon, chair of the NHS Alliance, described the strategy as a "big thumbs up" for general practice.
He said: "The principles and values upon which it is based, such as the registered list, quality and personal care and continuity, are those that matter most to good GPs."
But Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GP committee, said the strategy contained many "positive" points but government had lost the profession's trust.
He said: "Some of the ideas are not new - patients have always been able to consult by phone and practices have always been funded on the basis of the number of patients who are registered with them.
"Many of the ideas, such as personal plans for all patients, faster and simpler access to a wider range of community based services and early intervention to improve the long-term outcomes for patients, are good and welcome."
More power for Welsh ward sisters
Thursday July 3rd, 2008
New government plans mean that ward sisters and charge nurses in Wales will get more decision-making power.
They will be "put firmly back in charge of patient care", according to Nursing Standard. Under the changes, nurses will be able to decide on ward rules, such as visiting times and the organisation of cleaning chores.
To support them into a more powerful role, sisters will receive special training on staff management and overseeing wards to improve patients' experiences.
There are also moves to standardise nurses' uniforms across Wales. The aim is to allow patients to recognise nurses more easily, and will include dedicated changing facilities and in-house laundry services.
The changes were outlined in the Welsh Assembly government's report Free to Lead, Free to Care, released last week. They are fully endorsed by Rosemary Kennedy, the Welsh chief nursing officer.
Ms Kennedy said: "Somewhere along the way we lost our way and let general management take over, rather than keep patients as our focus. Now there will be a clear mandate from chief executives, backed up by executive nurses, that ward sisters have full and absolute control over the care environment."
She explained that the new uniform facilities will help to improve infection control and prevent nurses having to travel to work in uniform.
These plans tie in with Lord Darzi's review of the NHS, which proposes a boost in the size of independent nurse-led provision of primary care. It also recommends an increased investment in nurse education and training.
"In the future, the NHS will have a culture where nurse leaders are supported and empowered to effect meaningful change," says Dr Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing.
Football hero sets goal for prostate cancer treatment
Wednesday July 2nd, 2008
The lack of treatment options offered to many men with advanced prostate cancer was publicised yesterday by England's most eminent footballer.
Sir Geoff, the 1966 World Cup hero, is fronting a campaign calling for better access to treatment to fight the disease, which has affected such footballing giants as Ray Clemence and Denis Law.
Sir Geoff scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final, delivering England its only World Cup.
The "7 out of 10" campaign is sponsored by the drug company sanofi-aventis and has been backed by leading doctors, MPs and patient groups. The campaign aims to encourage all men with prostate cancer to be aware of their options, and to help break down barriers currently preventing them accessing treatment.
To launch the campaign, Sir Geoff and ten other high-profile men including Professor Jonathan Waxman, head of oncology at Hammersmith Hospital and Ian Banks, of the Men's Health Forum, gathered at the Albert Embankment, in front of St Thomas' hospital in London, UK.
They represented the many thousands of prostate cancer patients around Britain. Cancer Research UK estimates that about 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year - making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK.
Sir Geoff said: "I am at an age when prostate can affect your life. I think a lot of men don't own up to having it. Sometimes they don't go forward to have the tests and don't know what is available as treatment.
"There is not enough uniform treatment of the disease. Around 35,000 men get diagnosed, 10,000 die and of this figure only 30 per cent know about the treatments available. That means 70 per cent are not getting the treatments available for this particular disease."
Soldiers unharmed by vaccines
Tuesday July 1st, 2008
Multiple vaccinations have not caused ill health to soldiers in Iraq, British experts report today.
Researchers from King's College London instead found that 'recall bias' - when people link a perception of ill health with their memory of multiple vaccinations - is to blame.
Research associate Dominic Murphy and colleagues randomly chose 4,882 soldiers with a median age of 32 years who had all been to Iraq since 2003.
All had been given vaccinations of tetanus, typhoid and yellow fever and an anthrax vaccine offered to those prepared to sign a consent form.
Researchers used detailed questionnaires to ask soldiers about the maximum number of vaccinations they had received in any one day.
They then randomly selected and assessed the health records of 10 per cent of the group to see if multiple vaccinations had led to adverse health effects reported at the time.
There were "significant associations" between people recalling two or more vaccinations in one day and complaints of fatigue, common mental disorders and a variety of physical symptoms, they report in the British Medical Journal.
But the medical records of 10 per cent of the group found there were no health differences between people who had one or multiple vaccinations.
Significantly, this 10 per cent had, like the entire group, also been more likely to report ill health if they recalled having had two or more vaccinations in one day.
Military personnel's memories of the number of vaccinations had in one day "cannot be considered reliable" unless they only had one vaccination, which they remembered correctly, said researchers.
BMJ 2008. doi:10.1136/bmj.a220
Thousands quit after smoking ban
Monday June 30th, 2008
England's ban on public smoking persuaded as many as 400,000 people to quit, researchers claim today.
The proportion of smokers in England fell by 5.5 per cent in the nine months after the ban was introduced one year ago, a conference will be told.
In the previous nine months it fell by just 1.6 per cent - suggesting that even anticipation of the ban did not reduce smoking rates.
More than 32,000 people took part in the survey, reported to a conference in Birmingham, UK.
Researcher Professor Robert West, of Cancer Research UK, said: "These figures show the largest fall in the number of smokers on record. The effect has been as large in all social groups, poor as well as rich smokers.
"I never expected such a dramatic impact and of course there are no guarantees that smoking rates will not climb back up again."
Similar findings are reported in the journal Lancet Oncology today - and are due to be presented to the International Lung Cancer conference in Liverpool, UK, next week.
Researchers led by Dr John Pierce, of the University of California, San Diego, USA, write: "Not only do these policies achieve their aim of protecting the health of non-smokers by decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke, they also have many effects on smoking behaviour, which compound the expected health benefits."
Lancet Oncology July 2008
Heart attack treatment spreads
Thursday June 26th, 2008
Growing numbers of heart attack patients are undergoing an effective medical intervention to save them, according to a report published yesterday.
Heart attack patients in urban centres enjoy a specially good chance of getting primary angioplasty, according to the MINAP project.
Experts say the procedure to reopen blocked arteries is preferable to administering thrombolytic drugs to break up blood clots.
The study says that in London, Birmingham and other parts of the urban West Midlands thrombolytic treatment is infrequent in hospital.
MINAP shows that 54 hospitals in England and two in Wales can now perform primary angioplasty compared with 35 a year ago.
Some 4,472 patients underwent the procedure over the last year compared with 3,148 the previous year in England.
The report says thrombolytic treatment still plays a key role in treatment of heart attacks before hospital - especially where long journeys are involved.
Dr John Birkhead, MINAP clinical director, said: "This year has been noteworthy for the increase in numbers of patients receiving pre-hospital treatment (up 8 per cent) and primary angioplasty (up 42 per cent)."
The national heart director, Professor Roger Boyle, said: "We continue to see improvements in treatment at all levels of the health service, from more pre-hospital treatment given by paramedics, to increased numbers of hospitals able to provide lifesaving primary angioplasty.
"In the light of such good progress, it is immensely rewarding to see the mortality rate for heart attack patients continue to fall.
"We are continuing with our efforts to reduce the number of heart attacks and to save more lives. The proposed vascular checks programme to be rolled out nationally from next year represents a further advance in our national strategy."
NHS should think survival - Cameron
Wednesday June 25th, 2008
A new Tory government would switch NHS priorities towards improving survival rates, Tory leader David Cameron pledged yesterday.
Mr Cameron pledged to sweep away a range of NHS management targets - replacing them with health outcomes.
The Tories unveiled their new targets yesterday as Mr Cameron delivered a speech to the Royal College of Surgeons.
The targets would Britain to surpass average European performance on cancer, stroke, heart disease and lung disease.
There would also be annual improvements required in the condition of patients with long-term illnesses, in the number of adverse events and in patient satisfaction.
Mr Cameron said: "We still have some of the worst health outcomes in the whole of Europe. Right now, England's near the bottom of the table when it comes to five-year cancer survival rates.
"And it's awful that you're more likely to die from a stroke in England than you are in any other country in western Europe.
"So we've got a situation where we pump the same money into our health system as other countries, but on the thing that actually matters - a patient's health and the results of their actual treatment - we're doing worse."
Health minister Ben Bradshaw told the BBC: "The Tories plans would take us back to the bad old days of people waiting two years or more for an operation and languishing on trolleys in A&E.
"If you talk to both staff and people who use the NHS, having some core basic standards of service have been vital in driving up performance and outcomes."
Row as abortions increase
Monday June 23rd, 2008
Anti-abortion campaigners may be increasing the number of procedures undertaken - by highlighting their existence, it was claimed yesterday.
Figures published last week showed increasing rates of abortions.
The biggest increase was a four per cent rise in Scotland - compared with a 2.2 per cent rise in England and Wales.
The figures showed an especially large jump in abortions involving under-aged mothers.
Some 165 girls under the age of 14 had abortions in 2007 compared with 135 in 2006.
And amongst under-16 year-olds there was a ten per cent increase, representing about 400 extra procedures.
Some 13,704 abortions were performed in Scotland - a much lower rate than the total of nearly 198,499 in England and Wales.
Yesterday Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service - which provides abortion services, said of Scotland: "The intention may have been to dissuade women from abortions, but in fact, because these type of attacks attracted so much publicity, it fixes the idea in women's minds that abortion is an option, and oddly enough, that may well reduce the stigma about it."
She told the Sunday Telegraph: "Even if the message is railing about sin, and an amoral society, the other point getting through is that lots of women are doing this, and that it is more acceptable."
The new figures come ahead of continued parliamentary debates on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
Having seen off attempts to restrict abortion, the government is under pressure to put forward amendments to make it easier to obtain.
Health visitors and chaplains hold out as pay deal signed
Friday June 20th, 2008
Twelve health unions reached a deal on NHS pay yesterday - but one is holding out for possible action.
Under the deal negotiations can be reopened next year if inflation exceeds expectations.
Two unions which bitterly opposed the three year NHS deal, the Royal College of Midwives and the GMB, agreed to sign the deal on these terms.
But Unite, which represents health visitors, chaplains and a range of other staff, said it was pressing ahead with a strike ballot.
The union said its members have now voted for a ballot on industrial action.
Karen Reay, of Unite, said: "The message to government from our members in the health sector and across public services is clear. This government must listen and act on our members concerns.
"This unprecedented call for a ballot for industrial action must be heard."
Josie Irwin, lead negotiator for the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Our consultation responses told us that members recognise this is the best deal that could be negotiated but they are very concerned about the economic situation.
"That is why we have said we will not hesitate to trigger the re-opener clause if inflation continues to rise."
Quality of compassion to be measured
Thursday June 19th, 2008
Nurses are to be rated according to their compassion levels, it was announced yesterday.
Good hand-washing will also be measured as part of a series of indicators to assess the quality of nursing care, health secretary Alan Johnson said.
The move was welcomed by nursing leaders, who said it would give the profession recognition.
Mr Johnson did not say how compassion would be measured but most likely it would be based on patient surveys.
Safety measures would record the number of falls in wards and infection rates.
And measures of "effectiveness" would record management of pain, hand-washing and patient nutrition.
Mr Johnson told the NHS Confederation: "Our nurses do a brilliant job, often delivering very intimate care. They know instinctively that a patient's understanding of quality in the NHS is about much more than excellent clinical care.
"The personal touch is so important too. Patients want to be kept well-informed by staff and treated with compassion and sensitivity."
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, warned that nurses would need to understand the measures were intended to improve performance, not to "punish" poor nursing.
He said: "We are delighted that the government has recognised the need to measure quality in nursing care. These new standards are groundbreaking in that they will directly recognise nurses for the kind of care that patients really value."
NMC leaders quit
Wednesday June 18th, 2008
Britain's senior nursing regulators quit their posts yesterday after a damning report into the organisation they ran.
Members of the Nursing and Midwifery Council were accused of "inappropriate" conduct in the report issued on Monday.
And the organisation was accused of relying too heavily on lawyers - making life miserable for complainants and accused nurses alike.
Yesterday the NMC president Nancy Kirkland announced she was stepping down in the wake of the report.
And the chief executive Sarah Thewlis said she would be resigning also.
The report was published by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence following allegations of racism and bullying made in Parliament. No evidence of racism was found.
Ms Kirkland said she would stay on the NMC as a Scottish representative but would leave the president's post.
She said: "Although I have only been President of the NMC for a short time (8 months), I share and take responsibility for the criticisms made by CHRE and I feel honour bound to do so.
"I therefore intend to resign as President of the NMC in order to maintain public confidence in the NMC and the important work the organisation continues to do to safeguard the health and well-being of patients and the public."
Ms Thewlis said: "Leading a demanding organisation such as the NMC brings great professional satisfaction, particularly an organisation responsible for protecting the public.
"However, with that professional satisfaction also comes personal accountability, leadership and a shared sense of responsibility for the NMC. That is why I have taken this decision."
Nurse watchdog condemned
Tuesday June 17th, 2008
Nursing regulators were reeling yesterday after a damning report condemned their behaviour.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council was accused of relying too much on lawyers - and its council members were accused of inappropriate conduct.
The report was published by the watchdogs' watchdog, the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, after MPs complained in parliament about the NMC, accusing it of bullying and racism.
The CHRE report also accused the NMC of giving poor service to members and failing to use computer systems properly - but it found no evidence of racism.
The report states: ".We have seen and heard evidence of behaviour that is undoubtedly experienced as bullying by many people involved."
It says there has been a "constant" recourse to lawyers for each and every complaint - and this has not been helpful.
An NMC spokesman admitted the report was "tough reading".
He said: "The report identifies the NMC's strengths in the provision of standards and guidance for nurses and midwives. But we are acutely aware that there is still a big job to do at the NMC."
But CHRE Chief Executive, Harry Cayton said: “We have serious concerns about the inadequate operation of the NMC’s fitness to practise processes, governance framework and lack of strategic leadership, the inconsistent availability and provision of information to Council to ensure effective planning and decision making and its ability as an organisation to retain the confidence of key stakeholders."
And a joint statement by by four nursing unions call for "urgent" implementation of the report's recommendations.
The statement says: "Whilst the report states that they are fulfilling their statutory function its clear that they are not doing this to the reasonable standard that the public and registrants should expect."
Trusts still struggle to beat bugs
Monday June 16th, 2008
Dozens of hospital managers have admitted failing to meet standards for preventing infection, it was announced today.
A Healthcare Commission report shows that 26 per cent of English NHS Trusts admit to failing to meet one of its standards - some 103 out of 391.
The standards require them to keep facilities clean, to have adequate infection control and to follow guidelines on decontaminating equipment.
The Commission reports today on Trust's annual self-assessment of their performance.
The trust declarations will be subject to checks by the Healthcare Commission before it publishes its final annual report.
Commission chief executive Anna Walker said: "However the picture on hospital acquired infection is mixed. There were improvements in two out of the three relevant standards.
"But overall we are still in a situation where too many trusts have self declared non compliant."
GPs get one million backers
Thursday June 12th, 2008
Primary care staff have collected well over one million signatures calling for traditional GP practices to be saved, it was announced today.
The BMA reported the success of its general practice petition to the ocnference of the local medical committees today.
The petition has been collected in surgeries throughout Britain objecting to primary care being handed over to "large commercial companies".
The BMA said the signatures were collected in the space of three weeks.
The announcement underscores a week in which alarmed government ministers launched an all-out onslaught on the BMA, accusing it of "scaremongering" over polyclinics.
But LMC chairman Dr Laurence Buckman will today attempt to hand the petition into 10 Downing Street.
He will warn of short-term contracts being handed out to polyclinics.
He will say: "If the government won't listen to you, their doctors, then surely it will listen to the 1.2 million men and women who call for a halt to the plans to promote the use of commercial companies in general practice.
"Voters don't want funding to move from GP practices to commercial companies who are accountable primarily to shareholders rather than patients. They want to be treated as patients, not customers."
Drink spiking with drugs very rare
Wednesday June 11th, 2008
Fear of drink spiking is out of proportion to the true risk, a nurse reports today.
Shelley Cummings, a senior sister at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, Surrey, UK, carried out an audit in her emergency department. She examined the data from patients' notes between 2005 and 2007.
In this month's issue of the journal Emergency Nurse, she reports that a total of 75 patients had "drink spiking" as their reason for attendance. Eighty-two per cent were women, mostly between 18 and 22 years of age, and often presenting between midnight and 4am.
They reported feeling strange, forgetting periods of time, feeling unwell, drowsiness or weakness. Almost all (95 per cent) had consumed alcohol. Only a third were referred to the police or given urine sampling kits for analysis, and quarter left hospital before seeing a doctor.
When a doctor's letter was available, a third were classed as intoxicated, with no mention of drink spiking. When spiking was mentioned it was often qualified with statements such as "claimed" or "alleged".
Ms Cummings believes that when drinks are spiked it is more likely to be with extra alcohol rather than drugs such as flunitrazepam, better known as Rohypnol.
"Media reports have heightened public concern about the risks of taking drugs unknowingly, and have led to an increase in the number of people attending emergency departments while intoxicated, in the belief that their drinks had been spiked," she said.
In England, no urine samples sent for analysis between March 2006 and January 2008 gave positive results for either Rohypnol or GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) - the drugs most commonly associated with drink spiking.
Cummings, S. Altered perceptions. Emergency Nurse, Vol. 16, June 2008, pp. 10-13.
Teens face cancer delays
Monday June 9th, 2008
Many teenagers who develop cancer face significant delays in getting treatment, a conference in London is to be told today.
A study found that teenagers with bone tumours had waited an average of 15 weeks for diagnosis after their symptoms first appeared.
Although the delays were partly caused by their hesitating to go to a GP, the study also found delays in referral to specialists.
Many teenagers reported four GP visits before referral and some reported delays of up to four years before diagnosis.
Professor Tim Eden, of Manchester University, whose post is sponsored by the Teenage Cancer Trust, reported surveys of some 200 young people with cancer.
Nurse Sam Smith, of Christie Hospital, Manchester, will tell the conference, organised by the Trust, that 80 per cent of teenagers sought help quickly while seven per cent reported having delays for months.
She said that as many as 50 per cent of patients with bone or brain tumours or Hodgkin's lymphoma reported four or more visits to a GP before referral.
Professor Eden said: "A small number of patients may delay in seeking help and we can improve education about health and the meaning of symptoms for the public, but the biggest challenge seems to be to overcome delays by professionals.
"We need to assist professionals in: recognising signs and symptoms as being potentially serious; referring patients in a timely fashion to appropriate experts; but above all, considering the possibility of cancer in this age range.
"Cancer is, after all, the most common disease causing death in the 15-24 age range, accounting for 11 per cent of all deaths."
NHS matron numbers double
Friday June 6th, 2008
The number of modern matrons working in the NHS has doubled in the last year, it was announced yesterday.
There are now 5,538 modern matrons, health secretary Alan Johnson announced today (June 6).
Gordon Brown pledged to boost matron numbers in his keynote speech at the Labour party conference in September last year. The prime minister promised to add around 3,000 matrons to the previous 2,153.
Speaking at the time, Dr Carter of the Royal College of Nursing said: "The RCN has long called for more modern matrons with a central, supported role in the NHS that recognises their key contribution in tackling hospital acquired infections, driving up standards of patient care and providing leadership on the wards.
"This investment is badly needed and is a welcome signal that this government is making a genuine commitment to the future of the NHS and its workforce that will be of long-term benefit to staff and their patients."
The department of health states that matrons are "strong clinical leaders given the power to make things better for patients and families, with distinctive uniforms to ensure that they are highly visible".
Alan Johnson announced today that the new matrons have been told to order additional cleaning or change cleaning contracts if standards are not up to scratch.
"We set ourselves an ambitious milestone last year to double the number of matrons and I am very pleased that we have been able to meet this need with more than five thousand matrons now in post," he said.
Chief Nurse at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, Eileen Sills, commented: "We now have a very talented group of matrons and I have no doubt that they will make a real difference."
Call for overseas service
Thursday June 5th, 2008
British nurses and midwives are to find out about how they can reverse the "brain drain" of staff from poor countries.
The two professional colleges have teamed up with aid organisations to discuss how their members can help the developing world.
The issues are to be discussed at a conference later this month organised by the Royal colleges of midwives and nursing together with Voluntary Service Overseas and Medecins San Frontieres.
It comes after a report of the Global Health Workforce Alliance last month which warned that policies are "failing" to boost numbers of health workers in poor countries.
"The number of people being educated and trained is too small to make a difference."
The taskforce says Africa alone needs another 1.5 million health workers.
The conference, entitled "Work Overseas: Use your skills to change lives" is aimed at all nurses and midwives who are interested.
A spokeswoman said: "Delegates will learn about the realities of working internationally in aid or development as a nurse or midwife, and gain an understanding of the role of major charities in global health and humanitarian aid.
"They will also have an opportunity to network with providers of healthcare overseas and to discuss how working overseas fits with their future career."
Doubt over hospital wipes
Wednesday June 4th, 2008
Disinfectant wipes in British hospitals are failing to decontaminate surfaces properly, researchers reported yesterday.
Wipes that are purchased to kill bacteria only work once - and after that spread germs rather than kill them, Welsh researchers said.
The findings were reported in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, to the conference of the American Society for Microbiology.
Researcher Dr Gareth Williams, of Cardiff University, said the disinfectant wipes need to be tested to ensure they successfully remove bacteria.
The study of existing wipes found that some could "remove" large numbers of bacteria from surfaces. But they did not kill them - only transfer them elsewhere.
Dr Williams said: "Our work suggests that if these wipes encounter highly contaminated surfaces in practice, the survival of bacteria on the wipe material could lead to the cross-contamination of other surfaces if used more than once."
He calls for routine "surveillance" to ensure that cleaning programmes are working.
Johnson will bring back friends
Tuesday June 3rd, 2008
The NHS will give better support to its volunteers under plans announced yesterday.
The new plans aim to boost organisations such as the WRVS and Leagues of Friends, who have sometimes been marginalised by the commercialisation of the NHS.
Health secretary Alan Johnson spent time working as a volunteer in a hospital shop at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, yesterday before announcing a six months consultation on how to improve support for volunteers.
The consultation says hospitals need to give better support to managers of voluntary organisations and to recognise that they face significant administration costs.
Ministers say there is evidence that volunteering is also good for volunteers and improves their physical and mental health.
Mr Johnson said: "Volunteers do an amazing job, they are vital to the lifeblood of the NHS and social care services. Volunteering does not just benefit patients, research has shown that it makes the volunteers happier too.
"There is a long established tradition of volunteering across the full range of health and social care settings, indeed the NHS grew from the pre-NHS voluntary hospitals."
Plans to deter teen smokers
Monday June 2nd, 2008
Increased pack sizes and vending machines that require proof of age might help prevent young people starting to smoke, according to new government proposals.
Released on World No Tobacco Day, the proposals suggest larger pack sizes might prevent teenagers being able to afford them.
The consultation suggests that vending schemes could be banned or restricted to adults.
It also suggests removing branding and logos from tobacco packaging, limiting displays in shops and banning the advertising of cigarette papers and other "paraphernalia".
More than 200,000 children and teenagers under the age of 16 take up smoking every year.
Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "If banning brightly coloured packets; removing cigarettes from display; and removing the cheap option of a pack of ten helps save lives, then that is what we should do - but we want to hear everyone's views first.
"Smoking related disease kills 87,000 people a year, the equivalent to the entire population of a major city such as Durham. Despite much progress over the past ten years with 1.9 million fewer smokers since 1998, smoking it is still the biggest killer in England."
The British Medical Association said the government had taken on board many of its recommendations.
But the World Health Organisation said governments needed to ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
It warned that the industry was using the Internet to influence young people as well as traditional media.
Dr Douglas Bettcher, of WHO, said: "The tobacco industry employs predatory marketing strategies to get young people hooked to their addictive drug.
"But comprehensive advertising bans do work, reducing tobacco consumption by up to 16 per cent in countries that have already taken this legislative step."
NHS must go green - minister
Friday May 30th, 2008
The days of NHS radiators venting their heat through open windows must come to an end, health ministers pledged yesterday.
New NHS buildings and vehicles must cut their carbon emissions, using insulation and new energy sources, according to a new NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy.
Ministers highlighted the new Kentish Town Integrated Health Centre in London as an example of what a modern NHS building should do to reduce carbon emissions.
The centre has been built to minimise air conditioning costs by using solar reflective glass and solar-powered wind catches - which maintain air flow. It is said to be 12 times as efficient as its predecessor.
The strategy, which is now out to consultation, commits the NHS to reducing its "carbon footprint" by 60 per cent by 2050.
It will also recycle 75 per cent of its waste by 2020.
The service admits to being responsible for some three per cent of England's total carbon dioxide emissions - emitting some 18 million tonnes annually.
Health minister Ivan Lewis said: "Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our health and well-being.
"As part of our commitment to sustainable development we will work with the NHS to enable organisations to reduce their carbon footprints. Climate change also has real health implications, and so we are taking action to help people adapt to our changing climate.
"Climate change is happening on our watch - it will be our legacy. We must all work together to tackle this global problem."
Speed bump research promised
Tuesday May 27th, 2008
Speed bumps and safe sex adverts are all to be put under the microscope in a major new government-backed research project.
Some £10 million a year is to be put into evaluating a range of projects that are touted as likely to improve public health.
Projects to tackle obesity in children will also be evaluated by the new public health research programme, established by the National Institute for Health Research.
The department of health's director general of research Professor Sally Davies said there was a shortage of research about many ideas that are thought to boost public health.
She said: "The NIHR Public Health Research Programme will address the shortage of research into the real effectiveness and impact of interventions that can really affect the health of the public.
"The substantial budget for this programme will give it the scope to fund both smaller-scale studies and large studies of national or international importance, which may be beyond the capacity of most other funders."
Health minister Dawn Primarolo added: "In order to continue improving the health and wellbeing of the people of this country we need reliable, relevant evidence on the most effective ways of protecting from disease, preventing illness and promoting good health."
Pledge to "new middle-aged"
Thursday May 22nd, 2008
A series of measures to boost the healthcare of the "new middle-aged" was announced yesterday.
Better toenail clipping, improved services for injuries caused by falls and faster hearing tests were promised by health secretary Alan Johnson.
Mr Johnson said old age was becoming the "new middle age" and that the elderly could be helped to live longer, healthier and more independent lives.
He said an expert group would be helping the NHS provide better services for falls, fractures and osteoporis.
And there will be review of footcare services.
He said: "People are living longer and that is to be celebrated. But I want to ensure, where possible, those extra years are quality years where people have and are aware of basic entitlements to help them lead healthy, independent lives."
Age Concern England welcomed the announcement.
Director general Gordon Lishman said: "We are living longer, but for many older people later life is often blighted by illness and disability.
"We strongly welcome the intention to focus on preventative health, including podiatry and nail cutting, as well as life threatening conditions."
MPs reject abortion change
Wednesday May 21st, 2008
MPs have declined to lower the time limit for abortions - and voted to liberalise IVF rules.
MPs rejected an attempt to reduce the limit from 24 to 22 weeks by 71 votes.
They also voted, by a majority of 75, to scrap the requirement for fertility clinics to "consider the need for a father" - a move expected to make it easier for lesbian and single women to have IVF treatment.
The votes mean that the government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill has survived a whole series of hotly-fought votes in Parliament unscathed.
Tory MP Edward Leigh, who pressed for a 12-week limit, told MPs: "In modern Britain the most dangerous place to be is in your mother's womb. It should be a place of sanctity."
He added: "98 per cent of abortions are social - only 1.3 per cent are for foetuses which are handicapped, 0.4 per cent are for risk to mother's life. It is a bleak picture of modern Britain."
But health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "The upper gestational limit for termination of pregnancy was set by Parliament in 1990 at 24 weeks because the scientific evidence of the time was that the threshold of viability had increased and babies were increasingly surviving at 24 weeks and above.
"That was the case in 1990 and it's certainly the case now."
And Labour MP Chris McCafferty said that restricting the abortion time limit was "cruel, cynical, ill-informed and inhumane".
MPs vote on embryos
Tuesday May 20th, 2008
MPs have voted to extend the boundaries of medical research and treatment, allowing mixed embryos and so-called "saviour siblings".
Several votes last night allowed the creation of mixed animal-human embryos for research purposes. The embryos can be kept alive for 14 days.
A move to ban all mixing was defeated overwhelmingly by 336 to 176 votes while a later move to restrict the nature of the embryos, preventing gamete and pronucleus mixing, was defeated more narrowly by 286 to 223.
MPs voted overwhelmingly to allow "saviour siblings", babies selected and born with a view to providing bone marrow treatment for older siblings.
Religious leaders have expressed opposition to many of the measures but Prime Minister Gordon Brown threw his weight behind them.
Opposing the creation of hybrid embryos, Tory MP Edward Leigh stated:"We do not believe that regulation is enough. We believe this is a step too far and therefore should be banned.
"In embryos, we do have the genetic make up of a complete human being and we could not and should not be spliced together with the animal kingdom."
But health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "The use of animal eggs will provide a valuable resource to embryo research scientists, giving them the ability to perfect the techniques that could one day help to develop our understanding of diseases and to speed up the development of their cures."
Public urged to cut drinking
Monday May 19th, 2008
Some £10 million is to be spent putting Britons right about exactly how much they are drinking, it was announced today.
The department of health is setting out to explain alcoholic units - which are used to define safe drinking.
The campaign was launched after surveys showed most people knew about units - but few were able to say correctly how much a unit is.
A YouGov survey commissioned by the department found fewer than half of all men know their safe alcohol limits - of no more than four units a day. Women knew their recommended daily guideline - which is no more than three units a day.
Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, said: "Glass sizes have grown larger and the strength of many wines and beers has increased, so it's no wonder some of us have lost track of our alcohol consumption.
"This campaign is all about helping people understand how many units are in their favourite drinks, and helping them to keep an eye on their intake for the good of their long-term health.
"Excessive alcohol consumption is proven to play a significant role in the development of numerous diseases, including several cancers, heart disease and stroke. That's why this campaign is so important to the public's health."
The campaign was welcomed by the British Medical Association.
Chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said: "Raising awareness about units is only one part of the solution, however, and the government needs to tackle other issues like the accessibility and affordability of alcohol products.
"The Government also needs to focus on providing more treatment for people suffering from alcohol addiction."
Allergy help from pharmacies
Friday May 16th, 2008
A new allergy screening service is set to become available through pharmacies.
Allergy UK is launching the service to help the estimated 20 million people in the UK who will suffer from an allergy at some point in their life.
The charity says it is often very difficult for sufferers to get the advice they need in order to discover what they are allergic to and how they can avoid the problem.
Allergy UK is regularly contacted for advice on how to get a reliable diagnosis, so they set up the service which will be available through local pharmacies from May 19, the first day of National Allergy Week. It will offer a consultation by a pharmacist who will have had special training in allergy. Further support and information will then be provided by Allergy UK.
CEO Muriel Simmons said: "This is an exciting development for people with allergy and we have listened to those who contact us desperate for help. They want a local, affordable service where they can feel confident in the advice being given.
"We are delighted to be working with the National Pharmacy Association to introduce this much needed service. The local pharmacy is often the first place that people turn to for advice with a health problem and it is therefore logical to establish a high quality allergy screening service within the pharmacy."
Deputy CEO of Allergy UK, Jules Payne, added: "Any sufferer going to a pharmacist bearing the Allergy UK accreditation can be assured that the person they are seeing is a highly trained healthcare professional."
Darzi to get bill
Thursday May 15th, 2008
Hospitals will face cash incentives to improve care and treatment, the Prime Minister said yesterday.
The government announced it is setting aside time for an NHS Reform Bill to put in place legislative changes needed by minister Lord Darzi.
According to the department of health, this is likely to strengthen public involvement in primary care trusts.
There would also be "greater scope" for patients to shape the care they receive.
And the idea of an NHS Constitution, setting out rights and responsibilities of staff and patients, will also be implemented.
According to the Prime Minister, hospitals will also face cash incentives to improve their services.
He told MPs yesterday: "For the first time, payments to NHS hospitals will be adjusted according to patient satisfaction and health outcomes, deepening our commitment to a patient-focused NHS."
Lord Darzi is due to publish his final report in the summer.
Health secretary Alan Johnson said: "This is a momentous year for the NHS. The 60th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the huge improvements in healthcare over the past sixty years while the Next Stage Review will provide a vision for the future - a health service ready to meet the challenges of the next decade, led by clinicians and patients, not driven from Whitehall.
"This week NHS local health authorities have started publishing their visions for providing the best quality care for patients in their communities.
"Every proposal that is emerging is the result of what local clinicians, NHS staff and patients have determined is needed across every aspect of healthcare, based on the best clinical evidence."
Patient satisfaction inches up
Wednesday May 14th, 2008
Patient satisfaction in British hospitals is "inching" up, a major national survey showed today.
Some 42 per cent of patients rated their overall care last year as "excellent", according to the Healthcare Commission survey.
This compares with 41 per cent in 2006 and 38 per cent in 2002.
The most popular hospital was a specialist orthopaedic hospital in Shropshire, the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt.
The findings reflected growing concern about cleanliness with fewer than half of patients reporting lavatories and bathrooms as clean.
Some 68 per cent said doctors always washed their hands between patients - one percentage point less than 2006.
Some 22 per cent of patients replied "yes" to a question about whether nurses or doctors talked "over their heads" as if they were not there.
Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker said: "Overall, it's encouraging that a steadily increasing percentage of patients say care is ?excellent'. But the survey also shows that in some hospitals the NHS is struggling to deliver on some of the basics of hospital care.
"There are striking variations in performance in key areas such as providing single-sex accommodation and giving people help when they need it. Those performing poorly must learn from those who perform well."
Dr Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the BMA consultants' committee, said a better way to measure clinical outcomes was needed to ensure "real, informed" patient choice.
He said: "It is excellent to see a substantial increase in the number of patients rating their care with top marks since the last survey. I am particularly pleased to note the increased recognition of team working between doctors and nurses.
"Issues like waiting times, quality of food and mixed-sex sleeping areas are important to patients and it is positive that improvements are being made on these fronts though there is still more that could be done. "
Health minister Ann Keen said: "We are not complacent. We will continue to listen to patients and work on those areas where improvements need to continue."
Plea for pregnancy support
Monday May 12th, 2008
Pregnant women are not getting the help and support they need because of midwife shortages, according to a new survey.
Advice on breast-feeding and dealing with obesity are among areas where there are the greatest deficiencies, according to the Royal College of Midwives.
The RCM surveyed both women and midwives to compare their experience of ante-natal and post-natal services.
Just 22 per cent of midwives they can offer obesity clinics whilst 30 per cent of women said they would have liked to use the service.
In England and Wales just 47 per cent of women said they were offered breast-feeding services and 15 per cent said the service was not very good.
The survey showed most women could get help with smoking or alcohol problems during pregnancy.
RCM general secretary Dame Karlene Davis said: "Midwives are in a key position to influence the health of women at a point in their life when they are most receptive to advice about their health. By doing this they can also exert a positive influence on the health of the unborn child that can have profound effects on that child well into adulthood.
"It is short-sighted and sheer folly that because of midwife shortages we are not using these opportunities to have a major impact on the health of the nation, and one that will reap benefits for decades."
New hope for early detection of lung cancer
Friday May 9th, 2008
Doctors have set out plans to target and screen a group of high risk patients with a view to detecting lung cancer early.
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and who smoke are at a high risk, so Professor Stephen Spiro of University College London Hospitals, UK, and colleagues are investigating the benefits of screening this group.
They say that lung cancer is often diagnosed in its late stages, when it is more difficult to treat. Earlier diagnosis would significantly improve survival.
About 1,300 patients will take part in the new trial. Half will receive the standard care for COPD, with a chest x-ray after five years. The remaining patients will provide blood and phlegm samples once a year. If abnormal cells are found, the patient will take two more tests - a spiral CT scan and fluorescence bronchoscopy, which examines the lining of the airways and can detect lung cancer.
"Many of the tests that have been used to screen for lung cancer have not been able to pick up very early signs of the disease so we're using two new tests which we think could be better at picking up lung cancer earlier," explains Professor Spiro.
He added: "The cost of treating lung cancer remains an enormous burden on the NHS and sadly the disease is the UK's biggest cause of cancer death, with 33,000 patients dying each year.
"This trial is selectively screening people who are at high-risk of developing lung cancer and we hope this will eventually lead to a nationwide cost-effective screening programme that could save tens of thousands of lives."
The trial is opening at six major hospitals and is funded by Cancer Research UK.
New drive to boost stroke services
Thursday May 8th, 2008
Stroke coordinators are to be appointed in every district of England in a new drive to improve services for patients, it was announced yesterday.
The coordinators will be appointed by local councils to ensure social care for patients is up to scratch.
An average of some £100,000 will be given to each council. They will also be expected to set up counselling and support services and also support for getting back to work.
Cash will also go to strategic health authorities, which cover England's regions.
Some £2.4 million in each region will be expected to help improve emergency responses and rapid access to scans and clot-busting treatment.
Health Minister Ann Keen said: "Stroke survivors often say that the full impact of their condition only hits them once they leave hospital. For some, this can feel like a time of abandonment, when it is hard to know how to access help."
The chief executive of the Stroke Association, Jon Barrick, said: "All too often stroke survivors tell us that their transition from hospital back into the community was daunting and disorganised with poor links between health and social services.
"By providing these ring-fenced resources to social services, we hope to see a vital increase in specialist and voluntary sector stroke expertise in the community - something stroke survivors desperately want and need."
A further welcome came from the government's clinical director for stroke, Professor Roger Boyle.
He said: "Treating stroke as an emergency will save lives. The challenge now for the NHS is to accelerate its response to stroke. Some people will benefit from clot-busting drugs, but everyone can benefit from getting into hospital quickly, being seen by a specialist and scanned within three hours of feeling unwell.
"I want to see the NHS use this extra money to develop rapid-response systems so that people are scanned quickly before being swiftly moved to a specialist stroke unit for the best treatment."
'Misleading' homeopathic malaria remedy banned
Wednesday May 7th, 2008
A high street retailer has been officially ordered to remove a homeopathic malaria remedy from sale.
The cosmetics chain Neal's Yard Remedies has been told by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that it is an offence to sell, supply and advertise the product without their authorisation.
The remedy, Malaria Officinalis 30c, was highlighted in the BBC Inside Out investigation programme, Homeopathy and Malaria. It "clearly intended to be viewed as a treatment or preventive for malaria", said the MHRA.
Malaria is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease, said David Carter of the MHRA. "We regard the promotion of an unauthorised, self-medicating product for such a serious condition to be potentially harmful to public health and misleading."
In a statement, Neal's yard accepted that there was no clinical proof that the product worked. "We know there have been no clinical trials for the use of homeopathy in the prevention of malaria but homeopathy does have a good track record in preventing and treating other epidemic diseases," they said.
The statement added: "We do not advertise or sell the remedy as a prevention for malaria. It is supplied on request by practitioners working in Neal's Yard Remedies stores and in fact the practitioners have been trained to always explain that the remedy should not be considered as a guarantee of prevention of malaria."
Following the BBC investigation last month, Neal's Yard Remedies asked their shops to remove the product from sale.
All homeopathic remedies are classed as medicines and require prior authorisation by the MHRA before being sold to the public.
Student midwives face jobs crisis
Monday May 5th, 2008
Student midwives are struggling to get jobs - placing the future of the profession in jeopardy, it was claimed yesterday.
More than 90 per cent of final year students have had no job offers, according to the Royal College of Midwives.
The RCM survey of students found that most lacked confidence in their job prospects.
The RCM said students are also struggling with growing levels of debt, aggravated by the move to degree only training. Some students have debts rising to £9,000.
Some 170 students took part in the survey.
Alison Anderson, a final year student from Central Scotland said: "Getting a job is a huge concern. The need for more midwives is apparent on nearly every shift. It seems extremely unlikely that I will be able to secure a permanent post on qualifying.
"I will be unable to consolidate the experience I have gained during my training, which is extremely disheartening, as the demands of the course on individuals and their families are huge."
RCM general secretary Dame Karlene Davis said: "This survey confirms what we have been saying for some time - that morale amongst student midwives is declining because of their accumulated debts and uncertainty about job prospects.
"However, the survey also shows that student midwives want to deliver high-quality care and apply their training, but too many are not getting this opportunity. We are campaigning for a £10,000 non-means tested bursary for all student midwives."
Court sides with drug firms over Alzheimer's medicine
Friday May 2nd, 2008
Drug companies were victorious in court yesterday against the NHS' drug advisers, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Judges at the Court of Appeal decided that the process by which NICE decided to restrict the Alzheimer's drug Aricept was procedurally unfair.
In the landmark ruling, NICE were deemed to have acted unfairly in refusing to allow Aricept's makers - Eisai and Pfizer - full access to a computer model used to assess its cost-effectiveness. This put the drug firms at a disadvantage when appealing against NICE's advice to the NHS. NICE must now make this computer model available to the companies.
Lord Justice Richards said: "Procedural fairness does require release of the fully executable version of the model."
Nick Burgin of Eisai commented: "We believe that this decision represents a victory for common sense. As soon as we have reviewed their cost-effectiveness calculations we will submit any new findings to NICE. We hope that this action will ultimately restore access to anti-dementia medicines for those patients at the mild stages of Alzheimer's disease."
NICE had previously advised the NHS that the drug, which costs about 2.50 UK pounds per day, was not sufficiently beneficial to be prescribed. The organisation still has the option of appealing to the House of Lords.
Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, responded to the court decision in a statement yesterday. He said: "We will be considering very carefully the findings and the implications. The ruling will increase the complexity of our drug appraisals in some cases and they may take longer as a result."
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