Medical Practice

Dentists enlisted to tackle patients' alcohol excesses

(The Scotsman 22/11/2009)

DENTISTS are to join the fight against Scotland's alcohol crisis - by quizzing patients about their drinking habits. With alcohol misuse costing the country an estimated £2.25 billion a year, researchers in Glasgow are looking at new ways to reduce the growing burden on society. They are now working with the NHS to develop a scheme where dentists ask patients how much they drink, so those who may have a problem can be referred for help.

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NHS slated for failing to preserve patients' dignity

(The Scotsman 22/11/2009)

SCOTLAND's official NHS watchdog has castigated health boards for failing to treat a growing number of patients with the dignity they deserve. Jim Martin, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, said he was speaking out because he was seeing "too many" cases in which patients, many of them elderly and vulnerable, were not receiving adequate care - egTerminally-ill Burnett, who was suffering from pancreatic cancer, was left lying with his genitals exposed and covered in his own excrement.

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Flu jab warning as new strain emerges

(The Scotsman 22/11/2009)

DOCTORS urged people at risk of contracting swine flu to get vaccinated against the virus after five people were diagnosed with a strain resistant to Tamiflu. The advice came from Dr Roland Salmon, director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre at the National Public Health Service for Wales. He was speaking after it was announced that five patients at University Hospital, Cardiff, have been diagnosed with a strain resistant to the antiviral drug.

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Mutation found in swine flu virus

(World health - EU Monitor 21/11/2009)

THE WHO says a mutation had been found in samples of the swine flu virus taken following the first two deaths from the pandemic in Norway. "The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has informed WHO of a mutation detected in three H1N1 viruses," the WHO said in a briefing note overnight. "The viruses were isolated from the first two fatal cases of pandemic influenza in the country and one patient with severe illness," it said, although it added that no further instances were found in tests.

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Plans for funding care in England could cost Scots dearly

(The Scotsman 21/11/2009)

THE SNP has warned that UK government proposals for free personal care in England could result in Scottish pensioners losing £70 a week benefit. Plans to cut Attendance Allowance, which is claimed by people over the age of 65 with disabilities, and ploughing the cash into English free care have been mooted by the UK government in its paper Shaping the Future of Care Together. One of the options in the consultation paper is scrapping disability benefits and putting the money into care services.

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Thousands of Vicks spray recalled

(BBC 20/11/2009)

Procter & Gamble has announced it is recalling 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after small traces of bacteria were found in the product. Bottles shipped to the US, the UK and Germany are being recalled after traces of the B. cepacia bacteria were found at a German plant in Gross Gerau. The firm said no illnesses had been reported, but the bacteria can affect people with lung problems. It added that consumers who have the medication should no longer use it.

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NHS told to say sorry for errors

(BBC 20/11/2009)

The NHS should learn to say sorry to patients when mistakes are made, a health watchdog says. The National Patient Safety Agency, which monitors errors in England, said a simple apology can even reduce formal complaints and legal action. The group has also issued a number of tips to NHS trusts in a bid to create a more open culture about mistakes. The Action Against Medical Accidents patient group said "Being open when things go wrong" was important.

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Patients' confidential records on stolen ambulance laptop

(The Scotsman 20/11/2009)

THE confidential records of 600 NHS patients have been stolen after a laptop was taken from an ambulance headquarters. The laptop, which was stolen from the Scottish Ambulance Service headquarters in Morningside, Edinburgh, held the names, addresses and details of treatments for 600 patients. It is understood the information was protected by a password but was not encrypted. It was taken between 4:15pm on Tuesday and 7:30am on Wednesday.

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Too few Scots for own transplant organ pool

(The Scotsman 20/11/2009)

THE Scottish population is not large enough to provide the number of organs needed for transplant operations, and an independent Scotland would have to remain in the UK-wide pool of organ allocation, the Scottish Government has conceded. According to the latest consultation paper from the SNP's National Conversation, organ arrangements are one area of cross-border health co-operation that should continue if the Union is broken up.

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Swine flu vaccination: NHS prepares next step

(World health - EU Monitor 19/11/2009)

The swine flu vaccination programme will be extended to offer children over six months and under five protection against the virus. Extending the vaccination programme to young children is supported by the panel of experts that provide advice on vaccination issues. Children under five years of age are more likely than other groups to be hospitalised if they become ill with swine flu. Young children also have high rates of admission to critical care and, sadly, there have been some deaths.

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Liver cancer drug 'too expensive'

(BBC 19/11/2009)

A drug that can prolong the lives of patients with advanced liver cancer has been rejected for use in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said the cost of Nexavar - about £3,000 a month - was "simply too high". But Macmillan Cancer Support said the decision was "a scandal". More than 3,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer every year in the UK and their prognosis is generally poor.

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Critical care beds shortage fear

(BBC 19/11/2009)

There could be a shortage of intensive care beds for children this winter because of swine flu, experts say. Cambridge University researchers used official government predictions to look at how UK hospitals would cope. They said during a peak week half of the 300-plus beds could be taken up by flu patients, putting strain on units that are often running close to full. But the government said the NHS should be able to cope - albeit with some emergency measures put in place.

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100,000 X-rays 'went unchecked'

(BBC 18/11/2009)

A doctor has claimed he was sacked for being a whistle-blower after finding 100,000 unprocessed X-rays "hidden" in a hospital cupboard. Dr Otto Chan lost his radiology job at the Royal London Hospital in 2006. He told an employment tribunal the hidden X-rays would mean cancelled operations and missed appointments for people whose scans could not be found. Barts and the London NHS Trust claims Dr Chan, 52, was a "troublemaker" who had "undermined" management.

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Professional Santas want H1N1 shots

(World health - EU Monitor 18/11/2009)

A U.S.-based group representing people who portray Santa Claus during the Christmas season wants its members to be designated a priority group to receive the swine flu vaccine. Over the next few weeks, Father Christmases will come into contact with thousands of children at shopping malls and Santa Claus parades. The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas which provides training and resources for people who work or volunteer as Santa Clauses, said the health of its 700 members is a concern.

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NHS manager left £800,000 debts

(BBC 18/11/2009)

An NHS manager who oversaw care for terminally ill cancer patients in Birmingham and part of Staffordshire left her organisation with debts of more than £800,000 after overspending on advertising, consultants and printing costs, it has been revealed. Melanie Young had been working as the manager of the palliative care network, part of the Pan-Birmingham Cancer Network, which links together all the city's hospitals, trusts and hospices that provide cancer services.

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European antibiotic awareness day

(Health Protection Agency 18/11/2009)

Today (18th November 2009) marks the second annual European Antibiotic Awareness Day, established to highlight the problem of increasing antibiotic resistance and the need for prudent use of antibiotics. Figures from the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption project, which monitors antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in countries across Europe, suggest that antibiotic use in many countries remains too high.

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Admissions up before A&E target

(BBC 18/11/2009)

The number of A&E patients admitted to hospital rises dramatically in the last ten minutes of the waiting target, statistics for England show. The NHS Information Centre finds two thirds of patients still waiting in the last minutes of the four hour target are admitted, compared to 21% overall. The College of Emergency Medicine says meeting targets may be a factor, but other issues are also at play. The majority of A&E patients were seen within three hours, figures show.

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Private health scheme suspended

(BBC 18/11/2009)

A scheme which provides private health care on the NHS has been suspended following the death of a patient. NHS London, the strategic health authority for the capital, has begun an investigation into the fatality and some other incidents. The out-of-hospital services are run by Clinicenta in 20 boroughs across north London. The company said it was co-operating fully with the NHS London investigation.

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Concerns over social care plans

(BBC 18/11/2009)

The government's plan to offer the most vulnerable people free social care in their own homes in England has been met with a cool response. Charities and care homes said other groups of people could lose out. It comes while the government is consulting on a much wider reform of social care, prompting suggestions it has been drawn up for the election. It would take until next autumn to implement the bill which was announced in the Queen's Speech.

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Officials defend swine flu vaccination plan - Reuters

(World health - EU Monitor 18/11/2009)

U.S. public health officials defended the distribution of swine flu vaccines against criticism that their plan to protect Americans was confusing and over-optimistic. Manufacturers have delivered 48.5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told a Senate hearing. HHS had hoped to have as many as 120 million doses by now. The problem was worsened because the first vaccine is not suitable for some of the most vulnerable groups.

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Vaccine injury payouts urged

(World health - EU Monitor 18/11/2009)

Irish citizens who suffer rare adverse reactions to vaccines delivered as part of all national immunisation programmes should be entitled to ex-gratia payments ranging up to 200,000 Euro, according to a report. The report from the Vaccine Damage Steering Group, established by the Dept. of Health in 2007, which was published yesterday, says these payments should not be regarded as compensation but recognition that, in limited cases, an adverse event could take place following immunisation.

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NHS staff have a hard enough job without false TV role models

(BBC 18/11/2009)

TV hospital dramas can be exciting and entertaining but they are often filled with unprofessional behaviour, says Antony Sumara who runs the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Hospital Trust. He argues in this week's Scrubbing Up that such programmes are painting the NHS and its doctors and nurses in a poor light and not reflecting real hospital life. If you work in the NHS you either avoid NHS-based soap operas like the plague or watch them as an unofficial sofa critic.

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Pain relief patch advert banned

(BBC 18/11/2009)

A press advert for a pain relief patch endorsed by tennis champion Virginia Wade has been banned on the grounds it could be misleading. Makers Lifes2good said five clinical studies showed the Pain Ease Patch could speed up recovery from back pain, sciatica, arthritis and fibromyalgia. But the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the evidence was "not sufficiently robust" to justify that.

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Lothian's dementia timebomb is ready to explode

(The Scotsman 18/11/2009)

GROWING evidence of the dementia timebomb facing Edinburgh emerged today as it was revealed an average of one in five patients being treated at the city's main hospital now suffers from the disease. Charities and experts are warning that the number of patients who present themselves with everyday ailments but are also suffering from conditions such as Alzheimer's disease will rise "exponentially" as the population ages.

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Immigrant seekers won't have to get HPV vaccine

(World health - EU Monitor 17/11/2009)

DALLAS (AP) - Immigrant girls and women will no longer have to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus to get their permanent U.S. residency permits. Starting Dec. 14, the HPV, or human papillomavirus vaccine will no longer be on the list of immunizations female immigrants ages 11 to 26 must receive before becoming legal permanent residents. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the change on Friday.

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Dementia patient care criticised

(BBC 17/11/2009)

Hospital stays for people with dementia are far longer than for patients being treated for the same injury or illness but without dementia, it is claimed. The Alzheimer's Society says patients with dementia occupy a quarter of hospital beds and the majority leave in a worse state than when they arrive. It wants their stays cut by a week, saying it will save millions of pounds. The government said it had already asked NHS hospitals to take urgent action on this issue.

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Britain's first-aiders advised to keep giving kiss of life

(The Scotsman 17/11/2009)

HEALTH campaigners yesterday urged first-aiders to ignore advice that they should stop doing the kiss of life on patients whose hearts have stopped. Researchers in the US claim that giving cardiac arrest victims breaths between heart compressions is almost a complete waste of time because it interrupts the process of pressing on a victim's chest. But the British Heart Foundation urged first-aiders to continue with the life-saving techniques which were widely taught under official guidance.

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Licence to practice now required by all doctors

(The Scotsman 17/11/2009)

ALL doctors in Scotland who want to practice medicine will require a licence to allow them to continue seeing patients. The move is part of measures to ensure GPs are subject to regular checks. From now on all doctors in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council and also have a licence to practice. In Scotland, 18,867 doctors now have a licence to practice. The move is the biggest change in medical regulation since the first medical register was published 150 years ago.

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IVF couples face higher costs

(The Scotsman 17/11/2009)

COUPLES undergoing IVF might face higher bills after European regulators said they should be screened for diseases between each treatment cycle. British doctors said it was unlikely new cases of infections such as HIV and syphilis would be picked up through screening couples between cycles rather than just at the start of their course of fertility treatment. The move could mean couples needing to be tested every one or two months.

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Bid to separate conjoined twins

(BBC 16/11/2009)

A 25-hour operation to separate conjoined twins has been successful, say doctors in Australia. Bangladeshi twins Trishna and Krishna, who are nearly three years old, were joined at the top of the head. A 16-strong team began the delicate operation separating the girls' brain tissue at 2300GMT on Sunday. On Tuesday, Chief of Surgery Leo Donnan said both girls are "doing well" following the surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

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London medical records go online

(BBC 16/11/2009)

Millions of patient records are to go online in London after long delays to an NHS IT upgrade in the city. The £12bn government programme has been beset with problems and is four years behind schedule. The records, which contain details of patient medications and allergies, will go live on Thursday following pilot studies across England. It is hoped the system will allow data to be shared more easily. The scheme will also be rolled out across England.

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Warning over 'cosmetic ops risk'

(BBC 16/11/2009)

Lack of regulation and "professional greed" is putting patients undergoing cosmetic surgery at more risk than ever before, a leading doctor warns. Nigel Mercer, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, called the cosmetic surgery industry an "unregulated mess". Tighter control is needed to clamp down on issues such as two-for-one offers and untested products, he said. His views are backed by several doctors writing in the Clinical Risk journal.

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MS Society Scotland votes to stay with UK

(The Scotsman 16/11/2009)

Earlier this year the MS Society's board suspended the devolved Scottish council after rows with the London office. The incident led to MS Society Scotland's patron, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, standing down from the role. On Saturday, at a meeting in Perth, some members called for the Scottish arm of the charity to become independent from the UK body. Of the 836 members who voted, only 17 per cent backed independence.

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Ponds 'caused Bangladesh arsenic'

(World health - EU Monitor 15/11/2009)

Man-made ponds may be responsible for widespread arsenic contamination of ground water affecting millions of people in Bangladesh, a new study says. According to the journal "Nature Geoscience", the ponds have become a dumping ground for debris which releases arsenic into ground water. Around 25m people in the country have been exposed to arsenic through water.

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Concerns over right-to-die law

(BBC 15/11/2009)

A Bradford woman who won a court victory to have the law on assisted suicide clarified says she still has concerns. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer has published interim guidelines on when prosecutions could occur. The issue has now been put out to public consultation and permanent policy will be published next spring. Ms Purdy said: "He has said he's more likely to prosecute where somebody makes a financial gain but what exactly does he mean by that?

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London blocks Scotland's bid for doctors

(The Scotsman 15/11/2009)

The UK government knocked back an SNP attempt to fast-track job applications of foreign ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors, biochemists, eye specialists and oral-surgery consultants seeking positions in Scottish hospitals. Scottish ministers have argued that a different approach to immigration is required north of the Border and had specified that consultants from outwith the EU were required in Scotland to meet critical shortages in the specialities.

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