:: Fade - the blog ::

If you want to understand the origins of the headings go to Friday, November 29, 2002.

:: Thursday, March 06, 2003 ::

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Another 15 Minutes... Health News via Fade
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Another day, another new benefit from the ultimate miracle pill

Studies published this week suggest that the world's most successful drug can cut the risk of a variety of cancers. What is its secret?

The Independent 06/03/03
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Best GPs promised more autonomy

The health secretary, Alan Milburn, today pledged to give the top performing family doctors the same freedom from Whitehall control as independent foundation hospitals.

The Guardian 05/03/03
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Binge drinking damaging health

Binge drinking is putting the health of Northern Ireland's under-30s at risk, according to new research.

BBC Health 06/03/03
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Blurred vision

Care agencies fear that changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act could land in trouble with the law

The Guardian 05/03/03
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Cancer: another way?

AFTER A GOOD DINNER my sons are apt to reminisce about their childhood.

The Times 06/03/03
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CJD treatment hope

Scientists say they have proof that it will one day be possible to prevent diseases such as vCJD and BSE.

BBC Health 06/03/03
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Drugs scheme fails criminals

A flagship scheme to tackle drug abuse among criminals has been beset by problems with huge variations in the way probation officers impose national guidelines, says a report.

BBC Health 06/03/03
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Kidney removal 'forced by earlier abortion'

A woman lost so much blood during an abortion that surgeons were forced to remove one of her kidneys, the General Medical Council has heard.

The Liverpool Echo 06/03/03
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Maternity hospital in TB screening

Forty mothers and babies at a maternity hospital are to be screened for tuberculosis after a suspected case of the infection was confirmed.

The Liverpool Echo 06/03/03
BBC Health 06/03/03
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NHS quality and performance: the issue explained

The government has gambled heavily on improving the performance of the NHS.

The Guardian 06/03/03
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One in six women abused

One in six women have suffered domestic violence, a study suggests.

BBC Health 06/03/03
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Quarter of NHS consultants 'ready to quit over contracts stalemate'

A new survey claims more than a quarter of NHS consultants in England are ready to resign or retire unless a contracts stalemate can be resolved.

The Liverpool Echo 06/03/03
BBC Health 06/03/03
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Shrink away the pain

A new multifunction drug will bring relief to men suffering from the pain and fear caused by anlarged prostrate

The Times 06/03/03
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Superbug spreads beyond hospitals

New strains of a superbug are spreading among healthy people in the community, doctors have warned.

BBC Health 06/03/03
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Tea 'increases incontinence risk'

Drinking tea and smoking heavily has been linked to urinary incontinence in women, research suggests.

BBC Health 06/03/03
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:: Tracy 1:19 AM [+] ::
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Une valise a ses cotés - Today's Grey Literature
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Big grey literature story of the day is the Audit Commissions 'Waiting List Accuracy: Assessing the Accuracy of Waiting List Information in NHS Hospitals in England' these are the results and recommendations from auditors' 'spot checks' of 41 NHS trust, which reviewed up to six waiting list performance indicators. The report includes the auditors' judgements, where assessments range from 'Deliberate misreporting' to 'No significant problems found'.

The North West features with:
Deliberate misreporting: South Manchester University hospitals
Evidence of reporting errors: Central Manchester & Manchester Children's University hospitals, Countess of Chester hospital, Walton Centre for Neurology & Neurosurgery
System weaknesses increasing risk of error: Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University hospitals, Wirral hospital

From the Department of Health 'Incident arising in October 2002 from a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in Middlesbrough: Report of Incident Review' which sets out a detailed chronology of an incident in August 2002, when a patient in Middlesbrough General Hospital was unexpectedly diagnosed as suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). It includes an assessment of the decontamination procedures in use in the Trust to minimise the risk of transmission of CJD. Pubished to coincide with 'Annual Report of the CJD Incidents Panel 2001 - 2002' which details the work of the Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) Incidents Panel, which assists healthcare bodies in taking appropriate action in order to handle incidents involving potential transmission of CJD between patients through clincial intervention.

The Department for Education and Skills have produced Aiming High: Raising the achievement of minority ethnic pupils which based on new data from the annual pupil census confirms that opportunties are unequal for pupils from ethnic backgrounds. The census shows students from Chinese and Indian backgrounds receive significantly above average results. However, black pupils and those from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds achieve poorer GCSE results than other groups.


:: Kieran 11:56 PM [+] ::
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Another 15 Minutes... Health News via Fade
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Aspirin 'prevents cancer'

Aspirin may protect against cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus, a study suggests.

BBC Health 05/03/03
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Child and animal cruelty linked

The NSPCC and the RSPCA go into partnership today after evidence that families mistreating pets are more likely than others to abuse their children too.

The Guardian 05/03/03
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Drive to help ethnic minority pupils

The government yesterday launched a drive to raise achievement among pupils from ethnic minorities after new data confirmed generally low levels of attainment in GCSE exams across some groups.

The Guardian 05/03/03
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Fatherhood and legal paternity

The ruling of Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss granting legal paternity to the biological father of twins born by IVF (report, February 27) was undoubtedly legally correct. However, it raises wider questions about the nature of fatherhood and why it should be based solely on biological criteria.

The Times 05/03/03
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Foundation status chance for all hospitals

Alan Milburn yesterday moved to head off a backbench rebellion, saying he would like all NHS hospitals to achieve independent foundation status to avoid creating a two tier NHS.

The Guardian 05/03/03
The Independent 05/03/03
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Heed the whisper of the silent killer

The ovarian cancer awareness campaign is launched this week to alert women to the fact that the symptoms of the disease are often mistaken for less serious conditions.

The Times 04/03/03
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'I'm sending you straight to the hospital'

Jan Crocker, 61, of Plymouth, is a writer and retired teacher. A divorcée who lives alone, she has a 35-year-old son.

The Times 04/03/03
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Indigestion

I’m in the office and I’m in trouble: stomach pain, nausea, wind and a burning in my chest that feels like a heart attack. What’s happening?

The Times 05/03/03
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Just in time

Nicky Johnson, , 41, lives in Tyne and Wear with her partner Malcolm Carr, and works part-time as an operations assistant with a high street chemist.

The Times 04/03/03
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“Millions hooked on alcohol”

Around 3 million people in the UK cannot get through the day without a drink according to new research. Photo Matthew Munro Health Media Ltd Conference on alcohol and mental health Statistics released on Tuesday 04 03 03 by the charity Alcohol Concern reveal that this equates to 1 in 13 adults – twice the amount of people that are dependent on all other forms of illegal and illegal drugs.

Health News UK 05/03/03
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MS: a radical view

Is it time for a rethink of the way we treat the 80,000 people in this country who have multiple sclerosis? Not only did two reviews last month conclude that the main drug used is of limited value, but research just published suggests that the widely accepted theory about the origins of MS may be incorrect.

The Times 05/03/03
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Small pharmacies face mass closure

Community pharmacies could close at the rate of more than one a day if proposals for deregulation go ahead, warn analysts.

BBC Health 05/03/03
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Spot check by auditors finds NHS waiting lists fiddled

The credibility of government claims to be cutting NHS waiting times is put in doubt today by a report from the audit commission showing widespread error in hospitals' official waiting list records.

The Guardian 05/03/03
The Independent 05/03/03
Manchester Evening News 04/03/03
Financial Times 05/03/03
BBC Health 05/03/03
Full Text of Report
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Tattoo a life and death issue

When the time comes Frances Polack wants to make a swift and dignified exit - no hesitations, no encores. At the age of 85, the former nurse is determined to have a last laugh in the face of defensive medical bureaucracy. Mrs Polack has had her chest tattooed with the words "do not resuscitate", a phrase commonly attributed to hospital doctors and one which has given rise to controversy over the question of patients' rights and euthanasia.

The Guardian 05/03/03
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Young consultants

I was privileged to be appointed to my first consultant post at the age of 29 and took up the position shortly after my 30th birthday.

The Times 05/03/03




:: Kieran 11:47 PM [+] ::
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Une valise a ses cotés - Today's Grey Literature
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Those busy people at the Department of Health are responsible for producing 'Modernising Medical Careers The response of the four UK Health Ministers to the consultation on Unfinished Business: Proposals for reform of the Senior House Officer grade' which proposes that the Senior House Office (SHO) grade is reformed so that SHOs pass through time-limited, managed basic specialist training programmes with clearly defined end-points. It proposes reform of the non-consultant career grades to effect a better link with the new training grades and offers better career development for doctors in these grades. There is also a summary of responses here. For those interested in health statisitcs, 'General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics April - September 2002' outlines the number of sight tests paid for by health authorities, and how many pairs of glasses were paid for using vouchers which are reimbursed by the authorities.



:: Kieran 1:18 AM [+] ::
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Evil Edna's Corner - Broadcast Health for Next Week
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Evil Edna's Corner is a listing of programmes available on terrestrial TV and radio in the UK requiring no additional set top boxes or gizmos beyond a standard television set or three band radio receiver and is of course named in honour of the Willow the Wisp character....
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Health Matters Mon 3 Mar, 20:05 - 20:30
BBC World Service

Living With Cancer: In the first of four programmes, Graham Easton talks to patients, survivors, advocacy groups, medical experts and counsellors about the treatment choices facing those with cancer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/h_matters_sci.shtml
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Body Hits Tue 4 Mar, 00:25 - 00:55
BBC One

BBC THREE On BBC ONE: Weekend Junkies: Dr John Marsden asks what makes illegal drugs so pleasurable, and looks at the physiological effects of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. Strong language. W/S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/bodyhits.shtml
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Health Matters Tue 4 Mar, 02:05 - 02:30
BBC World Service

Living With Cancer: In the first of four programmes, Graham Easton talks to patients, survivors, advocacy groups, medical experts and counsellors about the treatment choices facing those with cancer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/h_matters_sci.shtml
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Health Matters Tue 4 Mar, 15:05 - 15:30
BBC World Service

Living With Cancer: In the first of four programmes, Graham Easton talks to patients, survivors, advocacy groups, medical experts and counsellors about the treatment choices facing those with cancer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/h_matters_sci.shtml
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At The Cutting Edge Tue 4 Mar, 21:00 - 21:30
BBC Radio 4 FM

2. Sue Armstrong follows a woman who finds a lump on her breast and investigates a much maligned and misunderstood branch of medicine, pathology.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/cuttingedge.shtml
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Health Matters Wed 5 Mar, 10:05 - 10:30
BBC World Service

Living With Cancer: In the first of four programmes, Graham Easton talks to patients, survivors, advocacy groups, medical experts and counsellors about the treatment choices facing those with cancer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/h_matters_sci.shtml
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All In The Mind Wed 5 Mar, 16:30 - 17:00
BBC Radio 4 FM

Dr Raj Persaud investigates the pressing issues in psychology and psychiatry, hearing about mental health concerns from those affected, and pursuing the latest research with the experts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/allinthemind.shtml
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Check Up Thu 6 Mar, 15:00 - 15:30
BBC Radio 4 FM

Heart Failure: Barbara Myers is joined in the studio by Professor Martin Cowie, from the National Heart and Lung Institute. Followed by an Appeal on behalf of The Bibini Centre. [Rpt of Sun 7.55am].
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Campaigning For Health Fri 7 Mar, 04:30 - 04:45
BBC World Service

Dee Palmer looks at the ways health care professionals try to give us the information we need. She also discovers how health campaigns are targeted and planned.
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Facelift Diaries Fri 7 Mar, 22:30 - 23:00
ITV 1

Featuring 29 year-old Sally Anne who is having a breast enlargement to increase her self confidence.
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Sunday Surgery Sun 9 Mar, 21:00 - 23:00
BBC Radio 1

Emma B and Dr Mark Hamilton with help and advice on listeners' dilemmas. Call 08700 100 100 [national rates], or call free on 0800 110 100 to speak to someone off air.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/djs/sunday_surgery.shtml
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:: Kieran 8:16 AM [+] ::
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