Friday 30th December 2005: Avian flu
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Is a pandemic of avian flu coming? Read this review of the situation.:
http://general-medicine.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2005/1230/1?q=etoc |
Saturday 10th September 2005: Private checkups, scans and screening
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| Most tests have false positives thus requiring more invasive tests to confirm or refute. The evidence base for the services being offered just does not exist and even if early signs are detected, e.g. heart problems on BUPA's heart scans, no trial has shown lives have been saved. America is well down the road of increasing investigations but are they healthier as a result. Read Dr Gilbert Welch's book "Should I Be Tested For Cancer". |
Thursday 11th August 2005: Accuracy of blood pressure measuring equipment
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| An audit of some practices in London found that their equipment for measuring blood pressure were inaccurate. In this practice all our equipment is checked for accuracy by an independent body at least annually. In addition, we only use automated equipment that has been validated by BOTH the British and the American Hypertension Societies. |
Wednesday 3rd August 2005: Ibuprofen and non-selective anti-inflammatories
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| The Times reports on yesterday's announcement by the European Medicines Agency, which said patients should continue to use common painkillers such as ibuprofen as prescribed by their doctors. Following a review of the research on the cardiovascular (heart disease) safety of non-selective anti-inflammatories, as requested by the European Commission in June, the agency found that there was insufficient evidence to suggest risks of heart attack or stroke outweighed the drugs benefits. The agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use said it "does not recommend any changes to the advice to patients and prescribers". It did however suggest that "all patients should take the lowest effective dose of non-selective anti-inflammatories for the shortest time necessary to control symptoms." |
Tuesday 2nd August 2005: Bowel Cancer Screening
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| The Government is launching a programme to screen patients for bowel cancer 'by post.' Pilot studies have shown that home screening avoids embarrassment and can cut death rates by 15%. The programme, starting next April, is for men and women aged 60 to 69, and it is hoped that the scheme could save 2,000 lives a year. The programme will aim to screen two million people a year, with screening every two years, at a cost of ₤37.5 million in the first two years. The pilot scheme showed that tests could be carried out to detect blood in the stools, a tell-tale sign of a cancerous lesion in the bowel. People being screened will be asked to post samples to one of five regional laboratories, with results being ready in two days. Information about bowel cancer:
Click here |
Monday 6th June 2005: More people consult Google over health
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| The Times reports on a survey which has found that Google, the internet search engine, has become one of the patient's best friends, second only to the family doctor. A survey of 1,000 people, by ICM Healthcare, has found that the internet is the first port of call for 21 per cent of people seeking medical advice (with over half looking at Google first) while 52 per cent still turn to their GP first. The survey found that while 94 per cent trust their GP, nearly as many (86 per cent) believe that what they find from a Google search is accurate. For more information about using the internet see our Site Warning |
Monday 11th April 2005: GI diet & breast cancer
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| This story today concerns new findings on the links between high carbohydrate diets - or glycaemic index diets - and breast cancer formation. A study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York claims that women who follow high-carb diets following the menopause can significantly increase the risk of breast cancer by 87 per cent. It is believed that high insulin levels, caused to run at high levels after eating carbohydrate-rich foods, may be linked to the development of the disease. See weight reducing diets on this site for more information about diets. |
Monday 21st March 2005: NHS charges increased
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| See NHS charges on this site for more details. |
Friday 4th March 2005: Vitamin E supplements can be harmful
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| Contrary to the view several years ago, vitamin E supplements do NOT reduce risk of heart disease and may higher doses may be harmful. See Vitamins on this site for more details. |
Thursday 3rd March 2005: Lingering fears of MMR-autism link dispelled
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Ian Sample, science correspondent in The Guardian, reports that a Japanese study into autism has revealed that the withdrawal of the MMR vaccine in favour of single-shot vaccines did nothing to slow the rise of autism in children. The study by Hideo Honda, of the Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre, and Professor Michael Rutter, of London's Institute of Psychiatry, was published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The study, reported in today's New Scientist, looked at 31,425 children in Yokohama, Japan, and found that the number of children diagnosed with autism by the age of seven doubled after the MMR vaccine was withdrawn in Japan in April 1993. Before the vaccine was withdrawn, between 48 and 86 children per 10,000 were diagnosed with autism. After the vaccine was withdrawn, 97 to 161 children per 10,000 were diagnosed with the condition. Dr Honda says that the vaccine cannot have caused
autism in the many children with autism spectrum disorders in Japan who were born and grew up in the era when MMR was not available. Dr Baxter says that parents should take this as further reassurance that this is an effective vaccine that does not cause autism. Experts are still unsure of the cause of rising autism rates around the world. Some believe that environmental factors are responsible, but others say that the apparent rise could be the result of changing diagnostic criteria and increased awareness of the disorder. See MMR on this site for more details. |
Friday 4th February 2005: Mumps cases increase markedly
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| Mumps is proving a particular problem at universities at the moment. See MMR on this site for more details. |
Monday 24th January 2005: Average GP consultation times
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| Last week on Radio 4, the Secretary of State for Health John Reid stated that since Labour came to power the average GP consultation time had increased to 14 minutes. This was met with incredulity nationally. Even his top GP adviser distanced himself from the claim. Further investigation has identified Dr Reid's mistake. He was quoting nurse not doctor averages. |
Friday 5th November 2004: "Ask about medicines week" November 1st - 6th
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| We have just received this year's dates from the PCT! The aim is to get people talking with pharmacists to improve understanding about medicines prescribed and to get medicine users more involved in decisions about medicine taking. Click here |
Monday 18th October 2004: Internet health warning
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| In today's Daily Telegraph, Celia Hall, medical editor, reports that research by University College London has found that people who take medical advice from health websites are often found to be worse off than less-informed patients. The major report, published in the Cochrane Collaboration this month, claims that "cyber-medicine" may have some benefits for patients with diseases such as asthma or diabetes, but that it failed to assist many sufferers in altering their behaviour and actually left some in worse health. The study's leader, Dr Elizabeth Murray, said that her team had found specific examples of how using the cyber medicine packages could be detrimental to diabetes sufferers. Also see our Site Warning and
Click here for details about our information services. |
Thursday 7th October 2004: Influenza vaccine shortage
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| The shortage of vaccine resulting from the withdrawal of the manufacturing licence from one company does not affect our campaign. We use a different vaccine from a different UK manufacturer. Click here for information about our programme |
Friday 30th July 2004: NHS Computer project to hold your medical records
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| The National Programme for IT has won "Most Appalling Project" at Privacy International's 6th Annual UK Big Brother awards at the London School of Economics, due to continuing concerns over security of electronic patient records. See our site for more information about NHS Computing: Click here |
Tuesday 13th July 2004: NHS gateway
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| On 13 July, the home page at www.nhs.uk became a gateway entry page for the public looking for information about the NHS. The original nhs.uk website will now be accessible via the URL www.nhs.uk/england. Patients who don’t have access to a computer can get the same information by contacting NHS Direct, which uses www.nhs.uk/england for its source information. |
Wednesday 7th July 2004: Mumps epidemic
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MMR scare blamed for huge rise in mumps . Source: Daily Telegraph Date: 07/07/2004
Britain is suffering the most serious outbreak of mumps for more than a decade according to the Health Protection Agency. Teenagers and young adults who missed out on the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine programme that began in 1988 are most at risk. Mumps can cause serious complications in adults including infertility. There were 578 confirmed cases of the disease in England and Wales in the first quarter of 2004; the highest number since records began in 1995. Rare complications include deafness.
If you are aged between 18 and 25 years, you can be protected by 2 doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). If you have not received the 2 doses, please make an appointment with our nurse practitioner Sr Sally. |
Tuesday 25th May 2004: Smoking in public places
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| A pro-smoking organisation is claiming that the majority of the population are AGAINST banning smoking in public places. Join the big smoke debate and complete an on line survey for the West Midlands Region public health services which runs until 30th June: |
Monday 24th May 2004: Department of Health expects us to turn away patients with heart disease risk
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| When we heard about statins being made available over the counter Click here , we did not know that the Department of Health expects us to turn away most patients with a 10-year heart disease risk between 15% and 30% and tell them they can but statins over the counter. This is at odds with advice from cardiologists and may lead to undertreatment even if the statin is purchased as only the 10mg dose is available. NICE will issue guidance in autumn 2005 but may support the Department of Health on cost grounds. We will continue to issue statins on prescription until directly ordered to stop doing so. |
Friday 14th May 2004: Strong UV sunlight forecast for this weekend
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| The ultraviolet exposure from sunlight this weekend will be stronger than usual for early summer and the risk of sunburn is high. Click here for advice about the sun, protection and skin cancer. |
Thursday 13th May 2004: Over the counter cholesterol lowering drugs
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| Over the counter purchase of the cholesterol lowering drug simvastatin will be allowed soon. Click here for details. |
Tuesday 6th April 2004: Increased prescription charges
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| Charges increased this week. Click here for details of charges and help with NHS charges. |
Thursday 19th February 2004: Suspect pregnancy tests
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| The faulty pregnancy tests have never been used by the Good Hope pathology laboratory which processes our tests. However, the Early Pregnancy Unit at Good Hope has used the suspect tests. A negative test carried out in that unit may NOT be truly negative. Speak to Sister Sally here if you are concerned. |
Tuesday 17th February 2004: Diabetes risk with certain blood pressure combination treatments
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| A synopsis of an article in The Times is displayed below. The situation is rather surprising as the combination is the commonest first line combination. Dr Causer has asked the Health Authority's prescribing adviser for further information and the situation seems very complex. There has been no new research but previous study results have been pooled and then substudies carried out. This research approach has proved to be unsound in other situations. More details in due course. Do NOT change your treatment in the meantime. Stopping beta blockers can lead to rebound and very high blood pressure. We will be measuring your blood sugar level if not already checked and you are on this combination. Diabetes alert over blood pressure pills
Source: The Times Date: 17/02/2004
Combining thiazide diuretics and a beta blocker for the treatment of those with high blood pressure carries a 20 per cent higher risk of leading to diabetes than other treatments, according to new research. Patients should not mix the two drugs unless absolutely necessary, according to the latest draft NICE guidance on treating hypertension. The NICE will tell doctors that for some patients, such as those who suffer bad reactions to other drugs, the benefits of the treatments will still outweigh the risks. NICE based the advice on pooled data from seven trials covering more than 70,000 patients, the largest such study to date. |
Thursday 29th January 2004: Latest position regarding patient's electronic records
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| Click here for details about the current position regarding NHS computing. |
Friday 21st November 2003: Injecting drug users - outbreak of tetanus
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| An outbreak of tetanus is currently being experienced around the country. It is affecting women more than men. This is probably because they tend to inject into muscles more than veins. It cannot be caught from another user just by contact. Follow this advice given at the time of the last "heroin bug" outbreak: http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/injectingdrugusers/advice.htm |
Friday 31st October 2003: "MMR not risk factor for autism"
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Today, in The Lancet, a member of the team that reported a possible link between MMR and autism in 1998 says: "There is now unequivocal evidence that MMR is not a risk factor for autism - this statement is not spin or medical conspiracy, but reflects an unprecedented volume of medical study on a worldwide basis.......By any rational standards of risk/benefit calculation, it is an illogical and potentially dangerous mistake for parents to be prepared to take their children in a car on the motorway......., but not to protect them with the MMR vaccine. An unprotected child is not only at personal danger, but represents a potential hazard to others, including unborn children."
For maximum child safety, the World Health Organisation recommends 95% uptake of vaccine but some areas of England now have an uptake below 70%. Measles cases have doubled in the past year and a measles epidemic is only a matter of time and may occur this winter.
Click here for details about the MMR debate. |
Saturday 25th October 2003: Use of laser treatment in acne
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| The press carried information about research published in The Lancet. Click here for more information. |
Friday 17th October 2003: "BackCare Awareness Week" October 13th - 17th
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| The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists has produced information regarding the prevention of back pain in drivers. Click here for more information. |
Thursday 16th October 2003: Semicarbazide, cancer and jars of food
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| The front page of today's Daily Mail warns that jars of baby food could contain carcinogenic chemicals. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has discovered the chemical semicarbazide (SEM) in glass jars and bottles containing foods such as fruit juices, jams, pickles and baby food, and has warned food manufacturers to change the seals on their jars in case of a risk of contamination. The contamination is linked to the spongey plastic used in airtight gaskets on the lids. Some studies of SEM on animals have linked it to cancers, liver damage and, at high doses, miscarriage and birth defects. The EFSA said the risk to humans was 'very small', but is advising parents to avoid jars of baby food.
Click here for more information about infant feeding. |
Saturday 11th October 2003: "Ask about medicines week" October 12th - 18th
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| The aim is to get people talking with pharmacists to improve understanding about medicines prescribed and to get medicine users more involved in decisions about medicine taking. Click here |
Friday 10th October 2003: Electronic booking for hospital appointments.
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| This system is not yet available locally. It forms part of a major development in NHS computing. Click here for an overview. |
Monday 29th September 2003: Influenza Immunisation.
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| Information about influenza and its prevention has
been updated and details of
our clinics for this year are now on line. Click here The brand of vaccine we use does not contain thiomersal (mercury) and is more effective. |
Saturday 26th September 2003: Weight reducing diets.
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| The Atkins diet publicity has lead to many questions about dieting. New information added on weight reducing diets. Click here. |
Tuesday 16th September 2003: Dental hygiene and pregnancy
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| Click
here for information about pregnancy and dental care. |
Friday 8th August 2003: Breast
cancer and hormone replacement therapy
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| Click
here for information about the increased risks of breast cancer
with use of hormone replacement therapy. |
Monday 4th August
2003: National Sexual Health Week
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| Click
here for information about sexual health and sexually transmitted
infections displayed on this website. |
Wednesday 16th July
2003: Hospital Star Ratings
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| The Commission for Health Improvement has
just published the latest star ratings for NHS trusts. In the acute hospital
sector, Queen's Hospital Burton was rated 3 stars and Good Hope Hospital
rated no star. Click
here for further information. |
Monday 7th July 2003: GPs
stop advance bookings to meet Government access targets
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| There is increasing evidence that targets
lead to perverse changes in service provision. In the case of GPs, some
practices have stopped or severely curtailed advance booking to improve
figures for access to GPs within 48 hours. Patients in these practices are
told to call on the day. Your practice has not curtailed advance booking. We
achieve our access targets by adding new slots when required. |
Monday 30th June
2003: Mercury in vaccines
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|
Click here.
for information about thiomersal. |
Thursday 8th May
2003: Vitamins and minerals
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| The Food Standards Agency has
issued a report regarding vitamin and mineral supplements http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/ There is also
information on this site about vitamins and antioxidants
Click here. |
Friday 25th April
2003: Yo-ball toys banned.
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| The Government has banned
yo-balls sold under various names. A fluid filled ball at the end of rubber
string, the yo-ball toys are highly elastic and can wrap round a child's
neck causing strangulation. Already purchased toys are not illegal but
parents should be aware of the potential hazard they pose. |
The Minster Practice, Lichfield
