UK News for April

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."

Books on Asthma and Allergy Care

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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