June News
Managers 'braced for greatest ever NHS challenge'
Weekend free swimming for youngsters
NHS watchdog NICE calls for trans-fats ban in foods
Drug will save lives of accident victims, says study
White rice 'raises diabetes risk', say US experts
Watchdog backs a minimum price for alcohol
Rheumatoid arthritis 'on the rise in women'
Midnight snacking damages the teeth, experts warn
Scientists study if blueberries could aid diabetes
World Cup attacked for 'unhealthy sponsors'
Shipman coroner says all baby deaths must be probed
Men's skin cancer death rate doubles over 30 years
Doctor shortage sees new recruitment drive in India
Managers 'braced for greatest ever NHS challenge'
The NHS must find £20bn of savings in the coming years The NHS is facing its "greatest ever challenge" in maintaining quality services during the funding squeeze, managers say. Nigel Edwards, acting head of the NHS Confederation, warned there was "no silver bullet". He said moving care away from hospitals and improving the management of long-term conditions such as diabetes would be essential. But he also acknowledged cuts would be made - and managers hit as a result. The health service in England has been told to find up to £20bn of savings by 2014 - the equivalent of 5% of its annual budget.
Weekend free swimming for youngsters
Children and young people in Wales will now be able to enjoy swimming and other leisure centre activities for free at weekends.
A change to the minimum criteria of the current scheme, means that local authorities will now offer free swimming sessions or other leisure centre activities for children aged 16 and under on weekends as well as school holidays. The new agreement with local authorities also places more emphasis on delivery of structured sessions, which have greater participation and will help deliver the Assembly Government’s aim of every child learning to swim by the age of 11.
NHS watchdog NICE calls for trans-fats ban in foods
Trans-fats should be eliminated from food in England, NHS watchdog NICE has said. Trans-fats can be found in some fried foods. The artificial fats are often found in biscuits, cakes and fast food - but they can damage health. NICE is also pressing for further reductions in salt and saturated fats, to help prevent deaths from cardiovascular disease. The British food industry said it was already leading the world in promoting healthier production. Cardiovascular disease, which comprises heart disease and stroke, is the biggest cause of death in the UK. Experts who worked on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines say 40,000 of the 150,000 annual deaths are "eminently preventable".
Drug will save lives of accident victims, says study
Early treatment with TXA could combat the effects of serious bleeding Up to 100,000 lives could be saved every year if a known drug were given to seriously bleeding trauma patients, says a report from a global trial. The research reported in The Lancet shows that tranexamic acid (TXA), which helps blood to clot, could lower the risk of dying by 15%. Developing countries would benefit most from this treatment, say researchers after studying 20,000 patients. Each year 600,000 injured patients bleed to death worldwide. World Health Organisation figures show that nearly six million people die each year from injuries, which accounts for 10% of the world's deaths. Most of those injury deaths occur in developing countries, where deaths from road traffic crashes and homicide have been steadily increasing. Almost half of those deaths are caused by bleeding. Although previous smaller trials had shown that TXA reduced bleeding in patients undergoing major surgery, this was the first trial to test its effect on injured patients with severe bleeding.
White rice 'raises diabetes risk', say US experts
Replacing white rice with brown rice and wholemeal bread could cut the risk of diabetes by a third, US experts say.
White rice poses a diabetes threat because it causes steep rises in blood sugar, say Harvard researchers in Archives of Internal Medicine. Brown rice and other wholegrain foods are a healthier option as they release glucose more gradually, they say. The study is based on questionnaires; some say the data is not robust enough to base firm conclusions on. It may be that people who eat less white rice tend to live healthier lifestyles, for example. In the study of nearly 200,000 US people, white rice consumption was linked to type 2 diabetes.
Watchdog backs a minimum price for alcohol
A health watchdog has added its voice to calls for a minimum price per unit of alcohol in England. The recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is in guidance on reducing the harm from excess drinking. NICE says about one in four adults is drinking too much and damaging, or at least risking, their health. The coalition government agrees that alcohol misuse is a problem, but does not support a minimum price. NICE's guidance focuses on the damaging impact of excessive alcohol, and suggests ways for the government, the NHS and others to reduce the harm from misuse, based on the best available evidence.
Rheumatoid arthritis 'on the rise in women'
One of the most common forms of arthritis is on the rise among women in the US, according to a study. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota say rheumatoid arthritis cases rose 2.5% between 1995 and 2007, after 40 years of decline, but fell among men in the same 12-year period, Rheumatoid arthritis affects around 350,000 people in the UK. The condition is a form of arthritis which happens when the body's immune system attacks joints. This causes pain and swelling, which can lead to problems with mobility.
It often starts between 40 and 50 years of age and women are three times more likely to be affected by the condition than men. The study looked at cases of rheumatoid arthritis in Minnesota between 1995 and 2007.
Midnight snacking damages the teeth, experts warn
Midnight snacks may stick to the teeth for longer, experts suspect Eating food in the middle of the night can seriously damage your teeth, Danish experts have warned. Researchers examined medical records of 2,217 Danes and found midnight snacking ups the risk of tooth loss, regardless of the type of food eaten. The University of Copenhagen team blamed changes in saliva flow - it tends to dry up at night. Enough saliva is important to remove food debris from the mouth.
Scientists study if blueberries could aid diabetes
Experts from the University of Aberdeen are exploring if a concentrated capsule form of the fruit, which is part of the blueberry family, could help. They are looking for 60 overweight men, aged 40 to 70 with type 2 diabetes, to take part in the three-week study. The volunteers, from the Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire area, would take the capsule three times a day. Dr Nigel Hoggard, from the University of Aberdeen's Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health, who is leading the study, said: "The exact link between type 2 diabetes and obesity has never been pinpointed. "We think the answer to their connection lies in fat tissue. When fat increases, this is associated with a low grade inflammation, and the release of a number of hormones into the blood.
World Cup attacked for 'unhealthy sponsors'
The World Cup kicks off next month FIFA has scored an "own goal" by agreeing sponsorship deals for the 2010 World Cup with companies that sell unhealthy products, campaigners say. The World Cancer Research Fund criticised the governing body for partnering with the likes of Coca Cola, McDonald's and Budweiser. It said the tournament should be an opportunity to promote active lifestyles.
Shipman coroner says all baby deaths must be probed
The way in which neonatal deaths are investigated should be more consistent, a senior coroner said. John Pollard said the deaths of all babies in hospital should be reported to the local coroner or, in Scotland, to the procurator fiscal. Currently, baby deaths in hospitals are only reported if they are sudden, unnatural or violent. The Coroners Society said it could not direct its members to follow a particular practice.
In the UK, on average 17 babies die every day - either at birth or in the first four weeks of life.
Men's skin cancer death rate doubles over 30 years
The rate of men dying from the deadliest form of skin cancer has doubled over the past three decades. Figures from Cancer Research UK show a steep increase in deaths from malignant melanoma, especially in elderly men. In the late 1970s fewer than 400 (1.5 per 100,000) men died from melanoma but that figure has now risen to over 1,100 (3.1 per 100,000). Yet the cancer is preventable if people avoid sunburn and deal with 'worrying' moles early, the charity said. The death rates for women have also risen, from 1.5 to 2.2 per 100,000. Rates have soared since the 1970s. The figures also reveal that although more women are diagnosed in the first place, more men die from the disease.
Doctor shortage sees new recruitment drive in India
The junior doctor shortage is hitting hospitals across the UK. There is a shortage of junior doctors to start work in hospitals this August. So the NHS is trying to recruit from India. Tighter immigration rules introduced in recent years meant many overseas medics left Britain and returned home.
But the exodus, added to new European regulations limiting the hours of doctors, caused unfilled vacancies. Attempts to recruit scores of Indian doctors foundered on a disagreement between government departments.
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