:: Fade - the blog ::
News, views and the odd bit of strange stuff from the North West Grey Literature Service.If you want to understand the origins of the headings go to Friday, November 29, 2002.
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:: Friday, August 08, 2003 ::
International, National and Local health and Social Care News:: Thursday, August 07, 2003 ::
Employers' liability for stress at work
From Lord Herschell Sir, I was surprised to read (report, August 5) that hospitals that are found guilty of “failing to protect doctors and nurses from stress at work” will be fined, possibly heavily, by the Heath and Safety Executive.
The Times - Letters 08/08/03
Employers warm to heatwave legislation
Hot and bothered employees may scoff at the idea that their bosses could be so understanding.
The Independent 08/08/03
Fast lane to fitness
ONE MORNING, about five years ago, I left the Today programme flat out on a stretcher. The ludicrous circumstance that caused this indignity still makes me blush.
The Times 08/08/03
Gene therapy could slow motor neurone disease
A potential breakthrough in the treatment of motor neurone disease has been announced by scientists in the US who have prolonged the survival of mice suffering from the same fatal disorder of the nervous system.
The Independent 08/08/03
Health alert as heat causes worst air quality in a decade
Health warnings were issued to asthmatics and the elderly yesterday as it was revealed that air pollution in London has risen to its highest level for a decade during the heatwave.
The Guardian 08/08/03
The Times 08/08/03
History of alarms raised by scientists
The Guardian 08/08/03
HIV student to be deported 'to her death' in Malawi
David Blunkett, the home secretary, was accused last night of signing the death warrant for an HIV-positive student from Malawi by ordering her deportation.
The Guardian 08/08/03
HRT treatment doubles risk of breast cancer
Doctors and women on hormone replacement therapies are being advised to review the use of treatments following powerful new evidence that they increase the risk of breast cancer.
The Guardian 08/08/03
The Independent 08/08/03
The Independent 08/08/03
The Times 08/08/03
BBC Health News 08/08/03
Measles menace looms as parents shun vaccine
Measles could be about to make a comeback. According to research published today outbreaks in England and Wales have grown since 1998 as more parents have refused the triple-jab MMR vaccine for their babies.
The Guardian 08/08/03
The Independent 08/08/03
The Times 08/08/03
The Times 08/08/03
BBC Health News 08/08/03
Panic alarms to be fitted in schools and hospitals
Schools and hospitals will be equipped with panic alarms and swipe card doorlocks to protect them from intruders and violent attacks on staff in pilot schemes starting next month prove effective
The Guardian 08/08/03
Protein caused brain damage in boy
THE parents of a boy suffering from a rare medical condition were told by doctors that they were the unwitting cause of their son’s brain damage.
The Times 08/08/03
Sars scare hammers hotels group
The collapse in business and tourist travel in the Far East due to the outbreak of Sars drove Millennium & Copthorne Hotels to a first-half pre-tax loss of £6.3m, the company said yesterday.
The Guardian 08/08/03
Warning over pregnancy gap
Doctors have warned women against getting pregnant soon after giving birth.
BBC Health News 08/08/03
Cheshire & Merseyside News
You Say
SIX weeks ago the Hospital Trust moved children's A&E from Southport to Ormskirk.
The Liverpool Echo 07/08/03
Cumbria & Lancashire News
Fiver says it pays to eat healthily
MEET Fiver the bunny, who is set to spearhead a campaign to get people in Bolton to eat more fruit and vegetables.
Bolton Evening News 08/08/03
Greater Manchester News
:: Kieran 12:10 AM [+] ::
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International, National & Local Health & Social Care News:: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 ::
Bowel diseases linked to bug in milk
Changes to the way milk and water are prepared for human consumption may be needed to fight "a public health tragedy" linked to a bug causing illness in hundreds of thousands of people, it was claimed last night.
The Guardian 07/08/03
Breakthrough on Ebola vaccine
Scientists have developed a fast-acting Ebola vaccine that protects monkeys after a single shot.
BBC Health News 07/08/03
Couch potatoes are born idle, say scientists
Couch potatoes may be born, not self-made. Research from New Zealand suggests that overeating and sluggish behaviour could begin in the womb.
The Guardian 07/08/03
Gel 'reverses poor eyesight'
A revolutionary gel could soon replace the need for reading glasses or laser eye surgery.
BBC Health News 07/08/03
Health warning to Atkins dieters as the heat goes on
PEOPLE following the Atkins diet during the current heatwave could be endangering their health, a leading dietician claimed yesterday.
The Times 07/08/03
India orders an inquiry into 'toxic soft drinks' claim
The Indian government has ordered in investigation into why an analysis of 12 brands of cold drinks owned and marketed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi allegedly found that they contained on average more than 30 times the EU legal limit for pesticides.
The Guardian 07/08/03
Longer holidays for longer hours
BRITONS could have longer annual holidays under compromise proposals designed to head off a row between Tony Blair, Europe and the trade unions over rules imposing a maximum 48-hour working week.
The Times 07/08/03
Most hospital doctors plan to leave early
More than three-quarters of NHS hospital doctors plan to quit the health service before normal retirement age because of long hours, stress and depression, according to a survey of the profession published today.
The Guardian 07/08/03
The Times 07/08/03
Pfizer threat on Canada's US drug sales
Pfizer threatened to cut drug sales to Canadian pharmacies if they sell them at a discount into the US, where drugs are more expensive.
The Financial Times 07/08/03
Search for stress inducers will go on
Sir, You report ("Stress blamed for public sector's lead in lost days", August 6) on the Health and Safety Executive's "landmark" enforcement notice against West Dorset Hospitals NHS Trust - requiring it to assess its doctors' and nurses' stress levels and to introduce a programme to reduce these or face prosecution if it fails.
The Financial Times - Letters 07/08/03
Secret recipe of quack ointment revealed at last
The Poor Man's Friend, which was sold all over the world as a miracle cure for aches and pains for more than 200 years, gave up its secrets yesterday when its recipe was disclosed.
The Guardian 07/08/03
Underlying rise as Galen sales show good lift
Galen, the specialist pharmaceutical group, beat expectations yesterday by reporting a 73 per cent increase in sales to $135.7m (£80.7m) for the third quarter.
The Financial Times 07/08/03
Vitamin cuts passive smoke damage
Vitamin C may help to reduce the risks associated with being exposed to second-hand smoke, a study suggests.
BBC Health News 07/08/03
Weird and dangerous: the side-effects of a heatwave
Warmer weather means an increased incidence of food poisoning of 5 per cent (an extra 4,000 cases) for each 1C.
The Times 07/08/03
Cheshire & Merseyside News
Hunt for patient
A PATIENT has escaped from a secure psychiatric unit in Merseyside. The unnamed man vanished from the Scott Clinic in Rainhill yesterday afternoon.
The Liverpool Echo 06/08/03
Mission to raise alarm for diabetics
BIG-HEARTED Winsford carnival queen Rebecca Yearsley is devoting her time to helping her big sister Jenny and other diabetes sufferers in the region.
Cheshire Chronicle 06/08/03
PALS working well for patients
A GROUP set up to give confidential advice to patients in Southport has bucked a national trend and claims it is working.
The Liverpool Echo 05/08/03
Stressed doctors 'plan to quit NHS'
Many hospital doctors intend to leave the health service before retirement age because of long hours, stress and depression, a new survey has showed.
The Liverpool Echo 07/08/03
Trust equiped with specialist unit
SOUTHPORT and Ormskirk NHS Trust has been equipped with a decontamination unit so that it can treat people who have suffered anything from petrol burns to chemical warfare exposure.
The Liverpool Echo 05/07/03
Cumbria & Lancashire News
Cash crisis threat to old folk's home
A RESIDENTIAL home is facing possible closure because of a cash shortage.
Bolton Evening News 07/08/03
Colour conscious in the surgery
I WAS filling in a questionnaire to help my new general practitioner. It mentioned ethnic origin and you had to tick the appropriate one from a list which said: white, black Caribbean, black African, black other, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Vietnamese, other.
Accrington News 06/08/03
Increase in accidents due to hot weather
STAFF at the Royal Bolton Hospital say they have seen an increase in the number of accident and emergency admissions due to weather related incidents over the past weeks.
The Bolton Evening News 06/08/03
Town to get £3m health centre
A NEW health centre costing nearly £3 million is being planned for Atherton. The centre, which will house three GP surgeries, eight doctors and a pharmacy, will be based on the former St George's infants school off Bag Lane.
Bolton Evening News 07/08/03
Greater Manchester News
:: Kieran 12:15 AM [+] ::
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International, National & Local Health & Social Care News
Brittle bone changes revealed
Scientists have mapped out a chemical chain reaction which helps cause osteoporosis in women after the menopause.
BBC Health News 06/08/03
Depressed GP found hanged was a perfectionist
A doctor who was suffering from depression has apparently taken her own life, feeling she could not do enough to help her patients.
The Guardian 06/08/03
The Times 06/08/03
Drugmaker Merck gives up on Medco
Merck plans to spin offits Medco Health Solutionsunit to shareholders in two weeks, closing a bitter chapter in which the US drugmaker attempted to expand into the distribution of prescription drugs.
The Financial Times 06/08/03
Dutch alert on 'sperm for sale'
Dutch authorities are investigating a private company which has unveiled plans to deliver "fresh" sperm to prospective parents. John Michaels, 35, a Dutch-Australian entrepreneur, is planning to launch Baby Donors International next month and his website - babydonors.com - is already taking orders.
The Guardian 06/08/03
Graduate suicide blamed on internet pharmacies
Liam was driven to suicide after spending two tortuous years dependent on powerful cocktails of prescription drugs that he was able to buy with ease over the internet.
The Independent 06/08/03
Green tea 'can block cancer'
Green tea's ability to fight cancer is even more potent and varied than scientists suspected, research suggests.
BBC Health News 06/08/03
Health watchdog to monitor risks of everyday chemicals
Public health officials yesterday promised the first national system for monitoring the long term effects of low-level chemical and radiation exposure.
The Guardian 06/08/03
Love-making is no joke, says therapist
THE British face a lifetime of sexual inadequacy because of their innate fear of taking love-making seriously, Austria’s leading sex doctor said yesterday.
The Times 06/08/03
Mosquitoes found in UK raise threat of tropical diseases
Health officials are to monitor the presence of foreign insects amid increased fears that lethal tropical diseases could hit Britain.
The Independent 06/08/03
The Times 06/08/03
NHS narrows down field for £2.3bn IT contracts
Capita and McKesson are among the big information technology and service companies to have lost out in a bid to become prime providers under the National Health Service's plan to transform its IT.
The Financial Times 06/08/03
Pension review for NHS expects its critics
The body carrying out the review of the National Health Service pension scheme has admitted that it expects criticism.
The Financial Times 06/08/03
Stress blamed for public sector's lead in lost days
Health and council workers take one day off sick for every four working weeks, according to a survey that highlights the public sector's effort to deal with stress, illness and absenteeism.
The Financial Times 06/08/03
Ten babies born via new IVF technique
Ten babies, including one set of twins, have been born to women whose IVF treatment included a controversial embryo screening procedure which has only recently been allowed in Britain.
The Guardian 06/08/03
The long and short of depression
A new study into the length of the gene that transmits serotonin among brain cells may hold the key to a better understanding of this illness
The Guardian 06/08/03
Traumatic stress test for children
Children who need hospital treatment for injury can develop post-traumatic stress, and experts have developed a simple test for it.
BBC Health News 06/08/03
Cheshire & Merseyside News
DRUG REHAB CENTRE TO OPEN SOON
Planning chiefs at the city council gave permission last month for the rehab centre to open at Aqua House, Boughton, and now NHS Trust bosses have confirmed that they hope to be in by the end of the year.
Chester Evening Leader 06/08/03
GPs turned off by health care reform
MANY doctors are becoming disillusioned with their involvement in Primary Care Trusts, preventing them from delivering their key roles and responsibilities, according to a new paper.
The Liverpool Echo 05/08/03
Plan to treat children at home
A SCHEME was being launched today to treat more children at home rather than in hospital.
Liverpool Echo 05/08/03
Cumbria & Lancashire News
Lindsey's war on internet food sites
A BOLTON woman is campaigning for a ban on internet sites which give tips to anorexics on how to fool doctors and family into thinking they are eating healthily.
Bolton Evening News 05/08/03
Sex disease rise blamed on behaviour
A HUGE rise in the levels of sexual diseases will not be reduced unless behaviour is modified, warns a top Bolton doctor. Numbers of people contracting diseases such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia in Bolton, have gone up by 130 per cent in the last five years.
Bolton Evening News 06/08/03
Greater Manchester News
Dentist suspended over 'NHS fraud'
The General Dental Council's professional conduct committee barred Tameside-based Peter Coffey from working for two months after finding him guilty of a string of offences.
Manchester Evening News 05/08/03
'Tormented' GP found hanged
Dedicated GP Dawn Harris, 38, was found hanged at her home in Holcombe Brook, Bury, by her husband Michael Churchill.
Manchester Evening News 05/08/03
:: Kieran 11:55 PM [+] ::
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International, National & Local Health & Social Care News:: Monday, August 04, 2003 ::
Bodybuilders risk death by using insulin booster bought from diabetics
Diabetics are selling their life-saving insulin to bodybuilders who use the drug as a performance booster.
The Independent 05/08/03
BBC Health News 05/08/03
Botox regulars are given a loyalty card
A cosmetic surgery group is to introduce a loyalty card scheme under which regular customers are rewarded with free treatments.
The Guardian 05/08/03
Eye checks 'could save NHS billions'
Screening programmes for the early detection of serious eye diseases would not only save sight but could save billions of pounds each year, a new report claims.
The Liverpool Echo 04/08/03
Hospitals flout fire safety rules
Many NHS hospitals are potential firetraps and are failing to meet safety standards, BBC News Online has learnt.
BBC Health News 05/08/03
I give up
I've been bombarded with pro- and anti-smoking bumf since starting this column. Anything from Forest, the smokers' rights group, is the best. The Forest belief system is based on the theory that the world is in the evil grip of a bunch of power-crazed non-smokers.
The Guardian 05/08/03
Like a duck to water
What better way to cool off on a hot summer's day than by taking a dip? If you have the confidence, that is. With 100,000 children unable to swim at the age of 11, we're becoming a nation of doggy-paddlers.
The Independent 05/08/03
My girl is plagued with tonsillitis
MY DAUGHTER, who is nearly six, has suffered with tonsillitis for about two years. She sees our GP every couple of months
The Times 05/08/03
NHS trust becomes first employer to be given official stress warning
An NHS trust has become the first organisation in the country to receive an official Government warning about stress levels in the workplace.
The Independent 05/08/03
The Times 05/08/03
Patients mark foundation hospitals down
The government's method of selecting foundation hospitals was condemned as a fraud yesterday after the Liberal Democrats exposed glaring inconsistencies in the official data of the NHS.
The Guardian 05/08/03
Scientists to check CJD transplant risk
The government is planning tests to establish whether the deadly human form of BSE might be accidentally transferred from organ and tissue donors to patients undergoing transplant surgery.
The Guardian 05/08/03
Sexual Health Week 4-10 August 2003
BBC Health News 05/08/03
Study arts, die young
To be, or not to be - an arts, science, medicine or engineering student? That is the question following a study last week which suggests that what you study could affect your long-term health. According to a new report by Dr Peter McCarron and colleagues at Queen's University Belfast, science and engineering students have the best chances of living a longer, healthier life, followed by medical students, and then those in law and art.
The Guardian 05/08/03
The alternative to HRT?
IS THERE an alternative to HRT? After the reports last year that researchers had stopped the major US Women’s Health Initiative Study into hormone replacement therapy because of increased risks of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia, many menopausal women — and doctors — were left floundering for other options.
The Times 05/08/03
The taboo that killed my brother
When James had his first seizure, we were on a family holiday in the south of France. He and I were sharing a bedroom in our holiday villa when in the early hours of one morning, I awoke to grunts and irregular breathing patterns from the adjacent bed. After he did not respond to his name, I turned on the light to see his body convulsing under the sheets.
The Guardian 05/08/03
Tory plan for health checks on immigrants 'unworkable'
A Tory call for new immigrants and asylum-seekers to undergo compulsory health tests was condemned yesterday as "extremist and unworkable".
The Independent 05/08/03
What not to wear
Last week, men all over Britain loosened their ties - and it had little to do with the soaring temperatures. In an announcement sure to please proponents of "dress-down Friday", a US study revealed that wearing your tie too tightly might increase your risk of developing the eye disease glaucoma.
The Guardian 05/08/03
Work stress 'increases heart attack risk'
Workplace stress increases the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, according to new research.
BBC Health News 05/08/03
Cheshire & Merseyside News 05/08/03
Work stress 'ups heart attack risk'
Exposure to stress in the workplace significantly increases your chances of dying from a heart attack or a stroke, research has claimed.
Liverpool Echo 05/08/03
Cumbria & Lancashire News
Addicts to help drugs fight
PRESCRIPTION drug addicts in the North West are being sought for a campaign to stop others becoming addicted.
Bolton Evening News 04/08/03
Children who skip school to go to work
HUNDREDS of Bolton youngsters are working illegally, say council officials. Now, in a bid to clamp down on youngsters working long hours for low pay, Bolton Council has appointed a Child Employment Officer.
Bolton Evening News 04/08/03
Greater Manchester News
Labour accused after critical report
THE ruling Labour group on Trafford council has been slammed by the Tories following a damning report into its services for children. The row blew up during an emergency council meeting.
Manchester Evening News 05/08/03
:: Kieran 12:41 AM [+] ::
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International, National & Local Health & Social Care News
Alarm over cost and viability of London hospital project
The National Health Service is about to spend £1bn on a white elephant at the St Mary's teaching hospital site in west London, senior staff have warned.
The Financial Times 04/08/03
Caffeine kick-starts a day in the office
COFFEE has been described as the most commonly used addictive drug in the world. Although reliance on it is ubiquitous, its over-consumption is a feature of Western life.
The Times 04/08/03
Call for health checks for immigrants
All immigrants entering the UK should be screened for infectious diseases, the Tories have said. Shadow health secretary Liam Fox said that the adoption of compulsory screening for immigrants and asylum seekers was essential to prevent such diseases being brought into the country.
BBC Health News 04/08/03
Coffee before exercise 'helps fight the flab'
DRINKING a cup of coffee before taking exercise can increase stamina while helping to promote weight loss.
The Times 04/08/03
Outrage at new block on Aids drug
South Africa's first national Aids conference opened yesterday with a withering attack on the government for its decision to restrict the use of a key drug.
The Guardian 04/08/03
Sunscreen blamed for cancer
Sun worshippers may be increasing their risk of developing skin cancer by using sunscreens that encourage them to stay too long in the glare, researchers say.
The Independent 04/08/03
Tories call for public health commissioner
AN INDEPENDENT public health commissioner charged with issuing frank advice on sensitive issues such as Aids and obesity would be created by the Tories under plans announced today.
The Times 04/08/03
Tories pledge to cut 'health tourism'
The Conservatives last night raised the stakes in the battle for Britain's health agenda by warning that the government's failure to modernise its approach to public health is creating a "time bomb" of diseases which could "swamp the NHS".
The Guardian 04/08/03
Unsafe sex fuelling infection crisis
Widespread ignorance of sexually transmitted diseases is contributing to a growing crisis in sexual health, according to a report. The Family Planning Association (FPA) found that despite repeating public health campaigns, many people were still failing to use condoms.
BBC Health News 04/08/03
Walkers warned of tick threat
WALKERS have been warned to be on their guard against a tiny blood-sucking insect after cases of a potentially fatal disease rose dramatically.
The Times 04/08/03
'Worn out' cigarette warnings must change
CIGARETTE packets should carry pictures of cancer-ravaged organs to stop smokers becoming complacent about health warnings, a study has recommended.
The Times 04/08/03
BBC Health News 04/08/03
Cheshire & Mersey News
Chemical fears as waste site is found
CHEMICAL drums and waste metals which were dumped in a village 50 years ago have been uncovered. Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council made the discovery at the site of a former tip in Smithy Lane, Willaston.
The Chester Chronicle 01/08/03
Claims that visitors may be treated
DAY trippers to Southport will be able to use our hospital because they don't know the way to Ormskirk, claims Southport Party councillor Margaret Brown.
Liverpool Echo 01/08/03
Environmentalists investigate waste dump
ENVIRONMENTALISTS are to investigate possible health risks associated with a chemical waste dump near Frodsham.
Chester Chronicle 01/08/03
London 'is TB capital of the west'
The Tories have defended their controversial plans for health tests for all new asylum seekers, warning that London was now "the TB capital of the western world".
The Liverpool Echo 04/08/03
Parents blasts hospital after daughter is taken ill
A BIRKDALE couple have blasted the service at Ormskirk's A&E department after their six-month-old baby was treated at the hospital.
The Liverpool Echo 01/08/03
Street scheme for Chester community
A CHESTER community is to be transformed into a pioneering 'neighbourhood of the future'- and local people are being asked to help in its design.
The Chester Chronicle 01/08/03
Cumbria & Lancashire News
Critical shortage of Asian organ donors
THE need for organ donation in Bolton's Asian communities is up to three times higher than the general population.
Bolton Evening News 04/08/03
Greater Manchester News
:: Kieran 12:30 AM [+] ::
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