And goldfish that swim in a pool, there’s a small brick wall
National and International News
Orange study volunteers wanted - Daily Mail 08/05/05 Scientists are looking for volunteers to test how bright the future is for people who eat oranges.
Work needs boost 'silver surgery' - Daily Mail 08/05/05 Competition in the workplace is fuelling a rise in older people having face lifts and other youth-boosting operations, figures suggested.
Whisky claimed to cut cancer risk - Daily Mail 08/05/05 Drinking whisky can help protect you against cancer, a conference of international scientists heard.
Snails could aid memory research - Daily Mail 08/05/05 The search for a "Viagra for the brain" to help prevent memory loss is being boosted with the help of an unlikely suspect.
Cranberries 'may benefit heart' - Daily Mail 08/05/05 Cranberries improve the health of pigs' hearts and may do the same for humans, researchers said.
The illegal meat trade that can bring a deadly virus to our high streets - The Observer 08/05/05 As smuggling of animal carcasses into Britain booms, Jamie Doward reports on the government's fight to avert a nightmare scenario in which Ebola finds its way into our food chain Virus fear over smuggled bushmeat - The Observer 08/05/05
The Networker: Labour's love lost on the net - The Observer 08/05/05 The internet as we know it today is 22 years old. It was a spin-off from an earlier network, the Arpanet, which was built between 1969 and 1972. Design work began in 1973 on what was initially known as the 'internetworking' project and reached fruition when the internet officially went live in January 1983. Everything that has happened since has been determined by the philosophy of, and decisions made by, the engineers who created it.
Gland on the run - The Observer 08/05/05 One minute you're feeling a little dizzy at a party, the next you're undergoing radical prostate surgery. Here, time out publisher Tony Elliott tells Simon Garfield how he survived the most common cancer facing men in this country
Anger as Labour's spend on advisers hits 2bn - The Observer 08/05/05 The government spent nearly 1.9 billion on management consultants last year, up 46 per cent on 2003.
Not what the doctors ordered - The Observer 08/05/05 Medicine for the public services is the same as for the Bank of England: be independent. Simon Caulkin reports
'I have listened and I have learnt...' - The Observer 08/05/05 On an extraordinary night Tony Blair won a historic third term even as his majority collapsed around him. A chastened Prime Minister now vows to put people first
Future perfect: what Britain needs now - The Observer 08/05/05 Patient power, more music, a lighter touch with civil liberties and 21st-century trains... Observer writers suggest items for the govenment's attention
Blair's new third way [Leader] - The Observer 08/05/05 Another term and genuine three-party politics should spell a radical change for the better under this Labour government
In brief - The Observer 08/05/05 Plans to allow nurses and other health workers to carry out simple surgical procedures have been criticised by junior doctors. Delegates at the British Medical Association's junior doctors conference said they had concerns over the planned introduction of more so-called surgical care practitioners (SCPs) in the NHS. They voted in favour of a motion calling for the junior doctors' committee to publicly fight the proposals. Delegates expressed concern that their own training would be hampered by the introduction of the practice. Around 400 SCPs are already working in the UK, helping in surgery and completing simple operations such as removing skin lesions, but this could grow to as many as 3,000 in a few years.
Drug users who drive face police crackdown - The Independent 08/05/05 Festival-goers who take illegal drugs then drive home afterwards will be targeted in a major government campaign this summer.
Charities barred from endorsing health foods - The Independent 08/05/05 Major charities involved in fighting cancer and heart disease could lose millions of pounds a year under proposals from Brussels to ban them from endorsing healthy foods.
Pig molecule to combat superbugs - BBC Health News 08/05/05 Scientists believe pigs could provide a new weapon to help fight off hospital infections, and maybe superbugs such as MRSA.
Refugee doctor: 'I came with nothing' - BBC Health News 08/05/05 When Dr Sabri Trepca fled to the UK from the former Yugoslavia, he felt disorientated and alone.
Foam treatment for varicose veins - BBC Health News 08/05/05 Injecting patients with a foam that expands in the blood vessels can successfully treat troublesome varicose veins, say doctors.
Children need frights, not rights - The Telegraph 08/05/05 Along with developing pates and paunches, complaints about the young are perfectly normal symptoms of middle age in the male.
Revealed: the pro-euthanasia group that helps finance visits to Swiss suicide clinic - The Telegraph 08/05/05 A secret organisation headed by a retired family doctor is illegally providing terminally ill British people with thousands of pounds to enable them to travel to a Swiss suicide clinic, The Telegraph can reveal.
Parents' plea to Michael Schiavo: 'Tell us where Terri's ashes are' - The Telegraph 08/05/05 The family of Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman who died in March after her feeding tube was removed, say that they have no idea where her ashes have been laid to rest.
Last-minute talks in bid to halt strike by nurses - The Sunday Times 08/05/05 HEALTH officials will meet nurses’ unions on Wednesday in an effort to avert a strike over plans to allow untrained staff to perform low-level medical tasks.
The low carb diet doctor bites back - The Sunday Times 08/05/05 In a world where dietary claims fly around like reduced-fat custard pies, Anna Burnside meets a quiet guru whose advice has achieved real results
Doctors put girls aged 10 on the pill - The Sunday Times 08/05/05 DOCTORS have prescribed the contraceptive pill to girls as young as 10, according to research that will reignite the debate over the spread of under-age sex in Britain.
Get stressed, stay young – the new health advice - The Sunday Times 08/05/05 FOR decades doctors have warned us to cut down our stress. Now experts on ageing say seeking out stress may actually help you stay young, beautiful and healthy.
Junior doctors condemn hospital food - The Telegraph 07/05/05 Junior doctors are urging Jamie Oliver to work his magic in hospitals after they condemned the standard of food given to patients. NHS food 'needs Oliver treatment' - BBC Health News 06/05/05 Hospital food standards condemned - Daily Mail 07/05/05 Now junior doctors ask Jamie to help improve our hospital food - The Observer 08/05/05 Jamie's hospital dinners are just the remedy for Britain's 'awful' NHS food, say doctors - The Independent 08/05/05
Plea for key NHS development roles - Daily Mail 07/05/05 Britain's doctors have urged newly installed Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to give them a key role in developing the National Health Service.
Two tons of cancer-dye spice in the food chain - Daily Mail 07/05/05 More food products have been withdrawn from supermarkets after it emerged that two tons of spices contaminated with a cancer-causing dye have got into the supply chain. The figure is six times more than was previously known to have been sold to British food manufacturers. Illegal dye found in more food - Daily Mail 06/05/05 12 more products confirmed have illegal dye Para Red - Medical News Today 08/05/05
Weekend letters - The Guardian 07/05/05 What is "militant" about women breastfeeding their babies beyond one year (Bosom Buddies, April 30)? Nowhere in your article could I find evidence of the women being combative in support of their cause. They were simply and quietly doing what they felt was best for their children. I was appalled by the tabloid-style coverline "Militant lactivists". I'm still breastfeeding my 13-month-old — does that make me a militant, too?
Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 07/05/05 I've always had good skin, but in the past couple of months it's become blotchy. My pores have opened and my cheeks are often red and puffy.
Does it work? Face reflexology - The Guardian 07/05/05 Being a reflexology virgin, I wasn't sure what to expect from this treatment. It's pretty much like its sister, foot reflexology, but is more of a health/ beauty treatment in that you get the added bonus of a fantastically glowing complexion.
Hazel Curry: The flyaway doctors - The Guardian 07/05/05 For years we've pampered our faces with little thought for our locks - but not for much longer. Bring on the hair and scalp medics, says Hazel Curry
Heston Blumenthal: The appliance of science - The Guardian 07/05/05 I was a bit surprised to see a year-old environmental health officer's report on the Fat Duck on the Guardian's front page last Monday. The piece said that the health officer had concerns about some of our cooking practices, though it concluded that they were eventually deemed satisfactory. That's not much of a story, but it did raise some thoughts about the problems inherent in developing techniques so new to professional kitchens that it takes time for health inspectors to keep up.
Health check ... do you know your rights? - The Guardian 07/05/05 Everything the over-60s can get free from the NHS
Not just anybody: Gaby Roslin - The Times 07/05/04 Gaby Roslin, 40, mixes boxing with yoga, avoids meat and dairy, but likes chips and bubbly
How to cheat at eating... cherry bakewell tarts - The Times 07/05/04 Woulda ... MR KIPLING CHERRY BAKEWELLS Fat 8.3g each Sugars 15.7g Price £1.03 for six Verdict These look home-made but the icing is thick and sickly, as is the jam, and together these overpower the taste; even the pastry is sweet. Although there’s a slight aftertaste of almonds, these cherry bakewell tarts are almond-free. Instead, the sponge layer appears to be made from coconut flour, ground rice, sugar syrup and flavourings. Overall, these bakewells are exceedingly sugary, making them a surefire hit with sweet-tooths. 190 calories each Coulda ... WEIGHTWATCHERS CHERRY BAKEWELLS Fat 5g each Sugars 16g Price 98p for six Verdict The icing on these is so thick that it fills half the pie. Nevertheless, they’re not overly sweet. They have a good almond flavour but, again, contain no real almonds (even though the packaging has a nut allergy warning on the back, indicating perhaps that they’re made on a production line that also makes nut-containing foods). They’re quite high in fat and calories but as an occasional treat they won’t do too much harm to waistlines. Definitely the best. 156 calories each Shoulda ... ASDA LESS THAN 5% FAT CHERRY BAKEWELL SLICES Fat 0.7g Sugars 16g Price 76p for six Verdict These are missing the trademark cherry. The yoghurt-flavoured icing is spread thinly and is a little dry, but the sponge is moist. The jam filling is very sweet, which makes the whole thing taste quite sickly. Sadly, the whole slice is gone in just a few mouthfuls, leaving you wanting more, and perhaps wishing that you’d gone for a more substantial cherry bakewell in the first place. 98 calories each
The right stuff: recipes - The Times 07/05/04 Cheese and dairy products may not be the best way to healthy bones. Instead, eat foods that are very alkaline as they allow the body to retain the calcium and minerals which promote bone health.
The lovely bones diet - The Times 07/05/04 Cut down on dairy and you can avoid — and even treat — brittle bones. That’s the controversial new message from Dr Marilyn Glenville, says Simon Crompton
Healing in store - The Times 07/05/05 You've brought the frock, now you want the complementary therapy. Carol Midgley does shopping with a very personal touch
Potty for dry nights - The Times 07/05/04 Dr Jane Collins, The Times paediatric consultant, answers readers questions My daughter and grandson, aged four years, three months, have lived with me for the past two years. My grandson, who didn’t have problems toilet training, still wets the bed at night. He doesn’t want to wear a nappy in bed, though. For five nights every fortnight he sleeps at his dad’s house, but we aren’t really sure what happens there; there is minimum communication between his parents. What do you recommend?
Sex with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 07/05/04 After the birth of our daughter, my partner found that, try as he might, he couldn't climax inside me. I lost confidence, we stopped having sex and, finally, he left me. I am now with another man but we have the same problem. I've tried all the pelvic-toning exercises, but nothing works. Please can you help me
What's wrong with your ... congestion charge? - The Times 07/05/04 It’s not the 5 pound payment that I mind, it’s the punishment for forgetting about it
Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 07/05/04 Should a GP trust a patient? Obviously not. They’ve learnt which buttons to press to get exactly what they want
Junk medicine: complementary therapies - The Times 07/05/04 To benefit from therapies such as acupuncture we need to strip away the mumbo jumbo
Analyse this: The Apprentice - The Times 07/05/04 IF THE general election lacked excitement, this could hardly be said for the grand finale of the BBC Two series The Apprentice, in which a group of young people vied for a plum job with the businessman Sir Alan Sugar. As they competed frantically with each other, Sir Alan’s harsh and acerbic judgment left no room for charity.
A different pitch - The Times 07/05/04 Ex-footballer David Ginola has the looks, a new career as an actor, a film premiere at Cannes next week. So why is he anxious? He tells Matt Nieme how the tsunami has changed his outlook
Google book project angers France - The Independent 06/05/05 France has identified a new enemy in its battle to protect the language of Molière: the search engine Google, which French critics say is bent on an act of Anglophone cultural imperialism.
Bionic ears, please - The Times 07/05/04 Thousands of deaf people are being deprived of the chance to hear again, says Roger Dobson
Cleaning up his act - The Times 07/05/04 Is your husband lazy? Messy? Selfish in bed? Then two new books may help. But do we want a perfect partner, asks Alex O’Connell
I’m eating for three . . . - The Times 07/05/05 Broadcaster Gabby Logan talks of cravings and calories in her second monthly column on pregnancy
Celebrity storkers - The Times 07/05/04 Every self-respecting celebrity mum simply must have a baby guru of her own. In keepingwith the current trend of having a holistic approach to health, today’s stellar mums-to-be are all desperate to birth their babies naturally. Step forward the birthing gurus; the professionals who combine medical expertise with a holistic approach to pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
Mummy knows breast? - The Times 07/05/04 Kate Winslet, Emma Freud, Trinny and Susannah — they’ve all consulted the breast-feeding guru Clare Byam-Cook. This ex-midwife insists nursing is a skill that must be learnt, says Morag Preston
Top ten action health list - The Times 07/05/04 Health priorities for action by the new Government
Get slim, in reverse - The Times 07/05/04 THE next diet craze to hit your plate could involve eating backwards. Tricia Cunningham has earned a welter of publicity in America after she lost 12st, and kept it off, by having meals in reverse.
Women drinkers drive up the sales of rosé to 200m - The Times 07/05/05 YOUNG women are in the pink and driving up sales of rosé wine.
Nurse helps patients get into the habit of dignity - The Times 07/05/05 A LONDON hospital has redesigned the hated patients’ gown, from the bottom up.
Hospitals told to check for illegal staff after fraud inquiry - The Telegraph 07/05/05 All NHS hospitals are to be asked to instigate checks for illegal workers after only half of 100 porters, cleaners and catering staff at a London trust were able to produce the right documents.
Surgeons should be called Dr, says president - The Telegraph 05/05/05 The 150-year-old convention of calling surgeons "Mr" or "Miss" should be abandoned in favour of "Dr", like their physician colleagues, says the president of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Safety fear turns flag day into a sad day - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Their daily lot includes confronting violent offenders but now police have been told that it is too dangerous for them to put up a flag.
New generation with no cause to rebel - The Telegraph 05/05/05 No longer single-minded in their pursuit of hedonistic pleasure, Britain's 17 to 24-year-olds are focusing on more responsible goals and ambitions, according to research.
Doubt cast on needle therapy for migraine - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Acupuncture is no better at reducing migraines than fake treatment, researchers say today.
Blair hints at error over cannabis downgrade - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Blair hints at error over cannabis downgrade (Filed: 05/05/2005) Tony Blair admitted yesterday that his Government could have been wrong to downgrade the seriousness of cannabis.
A lonely life can be bad for the heart - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Being a party animal could be good for the heart, according to a study linking loneliness with furred-up arteries.
'Breast is best' - but only when it works - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Trying to feed a baby can be a miserable experience for some new mothers. Rachel Carlyle was one them
Eating Quorn can damage your health, says US protest group - The Telegraph 05/05/05 A US lobby group has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Quorn, claiming the meat alternative is not "healthy and delicious" as the makers contend, but can in fact cause life threatening allergies.
800 queue for NHS dentists - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Eight hundred people queued outside a dental practice in the Cotswolds after it announced that it was taking on more National Health Service patients.
Breast cancer tests reviewed as faults shut screening unit - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Hundreds of women will have to wait an extra year for breast cancer screening after the closure of an Essex unit where equipment was found to be faulty.
Be wise - sleep off the election - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Raj Persaud investigates links between sleep deprivation and memory loss
Paedophiles 'turning Christian to target children in church' - The Telegraph 05/05/05 Children are at growing risk from paedophiles who convert to Christianity in prison and join a church on their release, a government-backed charity said yesterday.
Chilli powder: the heat is on - The Telegraph 07/05/05 Powdered spices containing food dyes have become a source of concern. Rachel Forder suggests alternatives
It's own-up time: I'm a hardcore yoga fan - The Telegraph 06/05/05 Everyone has his own guilty secret. For some, it might be an obsession with chocolate biscuits; for others, an addiction to shopping, their cupboards stuffed with clothes they will never wear. Mine? It's Bikram yoga.
MRSA 'linked to nurse shortages' - BBC Health News 06/05/05 Patients in intensive care are more likely to develop the hospital superbug MRSA if there is a shortage of trained nurses, research suggests. Less nurses equals higher superbug risk - Daily Mail 06/05/05
Antioxidants a key to 'long life' - BBC Health News 06/05/05 Boosting the body's levels of natural antioxidants could be the key to a long life, according to US scientists.
Young blood 'aids ageing muscles' - BBC Health News 06/05/05 Young blood could help revive tired ageing muscles, researchers suggest.
Human longer life hopes - Daily Mail 06/05/05 Scientists have created dramatically longer living and healthier mice by boosting levels of an antioxidant in their bodies with genetic engineering, it has been revealed.
Breast-op error doctor cleared - Daily Mail 06/05/05 A doctor whose misdiagnosis of breast cancer led to a woman having an unnecessary mastectomy has been cleared of serious professional misconduct.
Governments 'must act over flu' - Daily Mail 06/05/05 Governments around the world must stop burying their heads in the sand as the threat of a global avian flu outbreak grows, a doctor has said. Doctor calls for bird flu protection - Daily Mail 06/05/05 Politicians bury their heads in the sand while global avian flu threat mounts - Medical News Today 07/05/05
Broccoli ice-cream anyone? - Daily Mail 06/05/05 An organic food company has come up with an innovative way to entice children to eat their greens - with vegetable ice-cream and frozen yoghurts.
Denied treatment because they are too old - Daily Mail 06/05/05 A national health advisory body has proposed denying patients certain treatment on the grounds of their age, it confirmed today.
Cervical cancer vaccine by end of 2006 - Daily Mail 06/05/05 Scientists hope a vaccine to protect women against cervical cancer could be available by the end of 2006, it has emerged.
Breast is best say fathers - Daily Mail 05/05/05 The majority of men would want their child to be breastfed, a survey revealed today.
More warnings to quit smoking and lose weight - Daily Mail 06/05/05 As if quitting smoking was not hard enough, experts now want people to watch their weight at the same time.
Hospital employed 'Illegal' immigrants - Daily Mail 06/05/05 A crackdown on illegal workers at a major teaching hospital led to several staff disappearing, it emerged today.
Survey finds Americans prefer 'safer' older drugs - Reuters 06/05/05 Concerned by recently discovered dangers of relatively new arthritis and depression drugs, most Americans would prefer a drug that has been on the market at least a decade, according to a new survey. Most Adults Prefer Older Medications, Survey Says - Medical News Today 07/05/05
Drug combos up survival for heart disease patients - Reuters 06/05/05 Drug combinations involving statins, aspirin, and beta-blockers improve the survival of people with heart disease involving ischemia -- restriction of blood flow through the coronary arteries -- according to UK doctors.
Indonesia steps up polio vaccinations - Reuters 06/05/05 Indonesia stepped up polio vaccinations around several villages in West Java province on Friday as international concern grew over an outbreak of the virus that has crippled six infants.
Natural enzyme helps mice live longer in study - Reuters 05/05/05 Mice genetically engineered to produce a human antioxidant enzyme lived longer than normal mice, which U.S. scientists on Thursday cited as evidence that antioxidants can counteract the effects of aging and disease.
Gambling and mental health concern of Native Americans - Reuters 05/05/05 Gambling addiction seems to be a particular concern for some Native Americans, with the problem often going hand in hand with other psychiatric disorders, new research indicates.
Breast cancer risk less when pregnant mom smoked - Reuters 05/05/05 Women whose mothers smoked while they were pregnant have a reduced likelihood of developing breast cancer, according to a new study.
Prostate surgery often works after radiation fails - Reuters 05/05/05 "Salvage" surgery should be considered for men who have persistent prostate cancer despite undergoing radiation therapy, US researchers contend.
Morphine for chest pain worsens death risk-study - Reuters 05/05/05 High-risk heart attack patients given morphine for their chest pain have almost a 50 percent higher risk of dying, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Immune system, blood altered in autism -studies - Reuters 05/05/05 Children with autism show different immune system responses from children without the condition, and these might be measured in the blood for a possible screening test, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Chlamydia strikes San Francisco penguin colony - Reuters 07/05/05 A mysterious outbreak of chlamydia, a bacterial infection which humans pass to each other through sex, has killed a dozen penguins at the San Francisco Zoo, a zoo spokeswoman said on Friday.
Obesity Report Card Shows Some States Gaining on Issue, USA - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Only one state - California - earned an A in the report card. The researchers credited the state's legislative package targeted at the nutrition and diets of schoolchildren at risk of becoming obese for the high grade. Overall, California earned a B for its anti-obesity work for all populations.
Top AIDS Researchers to Discuss Latest Advances on Vaccine Development for HIV-1 at Academy Meeting - Medical News Today 08/05/05 David Ho, Mitchell Warren, Emilio Emini Among Others to Speak on May 11 Therapeutic approaches to the treatment of HIV/AIDS over the last 25 years have led to the development of numerous drugs that are currently in use and that complement existing prevention programs. But the world is still awaiting the development of a safe and effective vaccine to prevent this devastating disease. .
Brush your teeth well, not hard - and don't forget to floss - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Relieving the pain of sensitive teeth begins with proper brushing and good oral hygiene, according to Nico Geurs, D.D.S., assistant professor of dentistry at UAB.
The Young & the Vigorous: Study Explains Aging Stem Cell Behavior - Medical News Today 08/05/05 A comprehensive study from Canada's Robarts Research Institute has pinpointed two genes that shed significant light on why stem cells divide and develop less vigorously as we age.
Why yogurt is good for you - Medical News Today 08/05/05 A yogurt a day may not mean fewer doctor visits, but there are plenty of health reasons to make this dairy food a regular in your diet.
A Bioartificial Kidney? - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Despite advances in dialysis, acute kidney failure while in the hospital carries a mortality rate that tops 50 percent. Current therapies filter body waste but fail to compensate for other renal functions, such as immune surveillance and metabolic activity.
VA Raises Hepatitis C Awareness - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Did you know that symptoms of hepatitis C could take 20 to 30 years to appear? Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver and is spread through contact with infected blood or contaminated needles, tattoo tools, and other means. An estimated four million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with hepatitis C. In some cases, veterans seem to have higher rates of infection than others.
Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Could be Improved by Controlling Weight Gain - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Controlling a person's weight after they have given up smoking could help maximise the benefits for their lungs, suggests a study in this week's issue of The Lancet.
Time Is The Best Medicine - Medical News Today 08/05/05 “Time heals all wounds,” isn't just a trite expression, according to Mark Stafford, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at UAB.
WHO's HIV Initiative at Risk of Failing - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Lack of financial resources, staff, and commitment from key countries, may hamper WHO's goal to provide life-long antiretroviral therapy to 3 million people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries by the end of 2005 (3 by 5), states an editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.
The Real Risks of Antidepressants - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most widely prescribed medications, and they are remarkably safe and effective. But no medical treatment is without risk. The May issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter reviews the potential side effects of these popular antidepressants and puts them into perspective.
With Stroke, Every Minute Counts - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Stroke is the number one cause of adult disability in the U.S., and the third leading cause of death. More than 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke each year. Every 45 seconds an American has a stroke; every three minutes someone dies of a stroke in this country; and 15-30 percent of stroke survivors have serious long-term disability. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that it hospitalizes 15,000 veterans with a stroke each year. Many are hospitalized outside VA as well.
Underweight problems - Osteoporisis, regulating body temperature, infections and decreased mucle strength - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Health problems associated with being underweight can include fighting off infection, osteoporosis, decreased muscle strength, trouble regulating body temperature and even increased risk of death.
Therapy Helps Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Psychological treatment that teaches children to face their fears is the most effective treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a new Mayo Clinic analysis of previously published research.
Scripps Research Scientists Identify Infertility Molecule - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute are reporting that mice created to lack a certain type of molecule known as an LPA receptor have fertility problems, which suggests that these receptors play a major role in conception.
Research Showcased at Occupational Therapy Conference Part 2 - Medical News Today 08/05/05 This tip sheet highlights only a few of the hundreds of sessions being presented by members of the American Occupational Therapy Association at their 85th Annual Conference to be held May 12 through May 15.
Research Showcased at Occupational Therapy Conference Part 1 - Medical News Today 08/05/05 This tip sheet highlights only a few of the hundreds of sessions being presented by members of the American Occupational Therapy Association at their 85th Annual Conference to be held May 12 through May 15.
Preventing spread of rabies among racoons in New York State - Medical News Today 08/05/05 On Saturday, May 7, the New York State Health Department - working closely with the City Health Department - is baiting a small residential area along the Queens/ Long Island border to prevent the spread of rabies virus among raccoons in the area. This effort is in response to a growing number of rabid raccoons found in Nassau County in recent months. As Queens shares a border with Nassau County, a small border area is being baited. The majority of baiting is taking place in Nassau County, also in collaboration with the State Health Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services (see Nassau County press release online at http://www.co.nassau.ny.us/health/pr050205.html).
New Genetic Information Could Improve High Blood Pressure Diagnosis, Treatment - Medical News Today 08/05/05 New Genetic Information Could Improve High Blood Pressure Diagnosis, Treatment Canadian and US researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin today announced important new information on the genetics of hypertension offering hope for improved diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, a condition that affects millions of North Americans.
Mixing Music and Messaging to Improve Asthma Treatment Among African American Adolescents - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and The John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County are embarking on an intriguing study to measure the impact of mixing music and celebrity messaging to improve asthma outcomes among low income, urban adolescents.
Malnutrition Benchmarked in World's Developing Regions - Medical News Today 08/05/05 International health advocates and policymakers still have work to do to meet the nutrition goals set by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002, according to a survey of nutrition needs in developing regions published by Tulane University researchers. The researchers benchmarked the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, anemia, iodine-deficiency disorders and underweight children as measures of malnutrition in developing regions.
Higher lead blood levels lowers older children's IQs - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Blood lead concentration at the time of IQ testing is the best predictor of cognitive effects of lead exposure, according to a study published today in the May 2005 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives. This refutes earlier assumptions that blood lead concentration at age 2 was the best predictor of IQ scores at ages 5 and 7. While blood lead concentrations typically drop as children age, the study found a stronger association between older children's current blood lead concentration and their IQ scores, with higher blood lead correlating with lower IQ scores.
Farm-Raised Salmon Poses Increased Health Risks for Consumers - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Consumption of farm-raised salmon poses greater health risks from dioxin and dioxin-like compounds than does the consumption of wild salmon, according to a study published in the May 2005 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Dioxins, pollutants associated with numerous adverse health effects (most notably cancer but also extending to suppression of the immune system, learning disabilities, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, impaired prostate development, and endometriosis), have been reported to be present at higher levels in farmed salmon, possibly resulting from the levels of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) and other organic contaminants in the feed.
GPhA Says USP Monograph Shows Scientific Support for Generic Biopharmaceuticals, USA - Medical News Today 08/05/05 The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) today said that the US Pharmacopeia's (USP) new monograph on human growth hormone validates the science underlying generic biopharmaceuticals and shows that biopharmaceuticals can be characterized. Approval of generic biopharmaceuticals would yield tremendous cost savings for America's healthcare system.
Eating Nuts Promotes Cardiovascular Health - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health have examined the effect of eating nuts on cardiovascular health, reports the Harvard Men's Health Watch. "Their work shows that nuts really are healthy, especially for men at risk for heart disease," says Dr. Harvey B. Simon, editor.
Depression Is Common During Pregnancy but Often Goes Undetected - Medical News Today 08/05/05 A new evidence report by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality states that depression is as common in women during pregnancy as it is after giving birth. Health care providers and patients may fail to recognize depression during pregnancy because signs of depression like tiredness, trouble sleeping, emotional changes, and weight gain may also occur with pregnancy.
Attack of the Superbug - Medical News Today 08/05/05 A report this week indicated that hospital-acquired infection rates have worsened in the United States during the last several years, including antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Along with a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that more than 70 percent of the bacteria that cause infections are resistant to at least one antibiotic used to treat them, a USC pharmacist advises being more selective in using these drugs.
After Surgery, Emphysema Patient Looks Forward to Spring Yard Work - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Emphysema-sufferer and La Verne, California, resident Charlotte Kelley wished for the energy to go back to work, tend to her plants, or take her grandchildren to Disneyland - things she could do before a chronic, progressive lung disease stole her breath and robbed her blood of oxygen.
BMA disappointed as police surgeons' pay talks break down, UK - Medical News Today 08/05/05 The BMA expresses disappointment today (Wednesday 4 May, 2005) that employers' representatives have not agreed to its proposals for a UK-wide deal on Forensic Physicians' pay.
Antidepressants, Psychotherapy Effective In Chronically Depressed Patients - Medical News Today 08/05/05 Switching from an antidepressant medication to psychotherapy or vice versa may improve symptoms in chronically depressed patients who prove unresponsive to their initial treatment, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
65% of cancers prevented by not smoking and following a healthy lifestyle - Medical News Today 08/05/05 There's no doubt that cancer is scary. A woman in the United States has about a one in three chance of developing cancer. Here's a more reassuring statistic: As many as 65 percent of all cancers many be prevented by not smoking and following a healthy lifestyle.
Polio - what happens to you if you catch it? - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Although polio paralysis is the most visible sign of polio infection, fewer than 1% of polio infections ever result in paralysis. Most cases (90%) produce very mild or no symptoms and usually go unrecognized. A further 5% to 10% of polio infections result in aseptic meningitis, a viral inflammation of the outer covering (meninges) of the brain. The rest involve mild flu-like symptoms common to other viral infections - mild fever, sore throat, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
Polio cases in Indonesia - the race to stop the spread - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Indonesia had been polio-free for over a decade - now, according to authorities at the Ministry of Health, four cases have emerged. Indonesia's Ministry of Health has launched an immunization programme aimed at 5 million children. Hopefully, said one official, these measures will help stop the spread in its tracks.
Restless Leg Syndrome drug, REQUIP®, approved by FDA - Medical News Today 07/05/05 The US FDA has approved Requip® (ropinirole HCl) Tablets for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in adults, GlaxoSmithKline announced today. Requip is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for those patients with moderate-to-severe primary RLS, a chronic and disruptive neurological condition.
CPR instructions should focus on continuous chest compressions, UT Southwestern physicians recommend - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions given over the phone by emergency dispatchers to lay rescuers should focus primarily on continuous chest compressions instead of the traditional ABC's - "airway, breathing, circulation," according to Dr. Paul Pepe, chairman of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Congressional Hearing Focuses on Merck's Marketing for COX-2 Drug Vioxx - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Merck sales associates were given detailed instructions not to mention certain potential cardiovascular risks when promoting the company's COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx to doctors, according to an analysis of 20,000 pages of internal documents by congressional investigators for the... House Committee on Government Reform delivered at a hearing Thursday, the Washington Post reports (Kaufman, Washington Post, 5/6). Merck in September 2004 voluntarily withdrew Vioxx from the market, citing cardiovascular safety risks.
Cambodia's fourth reported case of Avian Flu, 20 year old woman - Medical News Today 07/05/05 The Ministry of Health in Cambodia confirmed today that a 20-year-old woman from Kampot province who died on 19 April in a hospital in Viet Nam, was the country's fourth reported case of avian influenza.
By creating molecular 'bridge,' scientists change function of a protein - Medical News Today 07/05/05 By designing a molecular bridge, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have forged a successful pathway through a complex ocean of barriers: They've changed the function of a protein using a co-evolution approach.
NC Researchers Find Cost-Effective Way of Conducting HIV Test That Detects Virus Earlier, Could Reduce Spread of Disease - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in collaboration with the... North Carolina Division of Public Health on Wednesday announced they have found a cost-effective way to use an improved but expensive HIV test that can detect the virus weeks earlier than standard screening, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. The study -- which was funded by NIH and used donated lab supplies -- was published in the May 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Christopher Pilcher, an associate professor of medicine at UNC-CH, and colleagues tested 109,250 patients between November 2002 and October 2003 at state-funded testing sites. The researchers found 583 HIV-positive people using standard HIV antibody testing but identified an additional 23 cases when they used the "more sophisticated" nucleic acid amplification to test the negative samples, according to the News & Observer (Avery, Raleigh News & Observer, 5/5). Nucleic acid testing, which was developed in 1999, is used to screen about 14 million units of donated blood each year. NAT can detect minute amounts of viral genetic material in pooled plasma samples by amplifying gene fragments of the virus. If a pool tests positive for HIV, the individual sample can be detected and removed for further processing, and the donor can be deferred and notified (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/19/04). Because NAT looks for the virus and not antibodies, health professionals are able to identify HIV-positive patients in the days immediately following infection -- when they are most contagious -- which could help slow the spread of virus. Following interviews with the 23 patients who were newly infected, researchers and public health workers identified 18 more HIV-positive people who were sex partners of the people identified through the study (Raleigh News & Observer, 5/5). Testing with the more sophisticated method produced two false positive results, according to the study.
Doctor voices concerns over new NHS IT system, UK - Medical News Today 07/05/05 The political drive to implement the NHS's national programme for information technology is failing to take account of professionals' anxieties, argues a GP in this week's BMJ.
HHS Secretary Leavitt Advocates Public, Private Collaboration on Health Care IT Standards, USA - Medical News Today 07/05/05 US Federal, state and private-sector stakeholders should work together to encourage the adoption of a national health information technology system,... HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt said Thursday, according to a report in Technology Daily. Speaking at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers' midyear meeting, Leavitt said, "We're going to collaborate in the development of standards, we're going to adopt them, and (we're going to) insist that everyone who does business with us adopts them in the same way." He said the federal government would work to ensure that health care stakeholders adopt interoperable standards, but he added that "the standards setter has to be outside of government." According to Leavitt, implementing a uniform health care IT platform is an "economic imperative." He said, "We have seen health care costs triple as a percentage of all activity in the country. If health care begins to push out all other priorities, it becomes impossible to keep a balanced equation." Leavitt said HHS requested $125 million from the federal government to fund a health care IT initiative in the fiscal year 2006. "There is a lot of enthusiasm in the Congress for this, and I'm confident that we'll be financed adequately for that undertaking," Leavitt said (Albanesius, Technology Daily, 5/6).
Decline in major heart disease offset by rise in diagnosed angina among British men - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Rates of heart attack and coronary death among British middle aged men have fallen steadily since the late 1970s, but this has been largely offset by an increase in the rate of diagnosed angina, finds a study in this week's BMJ.
Everyday memory loss associated with persistent ecstasy use - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Persistent use of ecstasy leads to a loss of everyday memory, researchers from Northumbria University have discovered. For the study 23 regular users of ecstasy were compared to 30 people who had never used the drug.
FDA To Implement Guidelines Banning Men Who Have Sex With Men From Donating Sperm Because of Perceived HIV Risk - Medical News Today 07/05/05 FDA on May 25 will implement new rules banning anonymous sperm donation by any man who has had sex with another man within the past five years because the agency says that such men collectively are more likely to be HIV-positive than other men,... Long Island Newsday reports (Taylor, Long Island Newsday, 5/6). The rule is part of FDA's new tissue donation regulations, which were released in May 2004 and will require tissue banks to test donors and donated tissues for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis and other diseases and ask donors about their risk factors for such diseases. Chlamydia and gonorrhea testing also will be required for sperm and egg donation. Exceptions to the rules exist for cells or tissues removed from a person and implanted back into them and for sperm and eggs from a person's sexual partner. The rules also include exceptions for repeat anonymous sperm donors (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 5/21/04). In addition, the guidelines would not prevent men who have had male sexual partners within the past five years from donating sperm to a friend or family member, according to the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune (Crary, AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 5/5).
Infants Born to Pregnant Women Near World Trade Center Attack Affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Study Says - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Infants born to pregnant women who were in or near the World Trade Center when it was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, have biological markers indicating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study published online on Tuesday in the... Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the Washington Times reports. Rachel Yehuda, a professor of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine who specializes in stress disorders, and colleagues studied 38 women who were in or near the World Trade Center and pregnant at the time of the attack. Researchers measured the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the women's saliva to determine if they had signs of PTSD, as indicated by a low cortisol level. The infants born to women with low levels of cortisol had correspondingly low levels of the hormone, indicating that they also were vulnerable to PTSD. Previous studies have shown corresponding low levels of cortisol in Holocaust survivors and their offspring, but researchers had attributed the association to "lifestyle factors," such as growing up with a parent who was depressed or anxious or hearing numerous stories about the Holocaust, according to the Times. However, the infants of the women involved in the Sept. 11 attack were too young to understand or identify with their mother's anxiety, suggesting that "mechanisms for transgenerational transmission of biological effects of trauma may have to do with very early parent-child attachments and possibly even in utero effects," according to Yehuda. The researchers concluded, "The data suggest that the effects of maternal PTSD related to cortisol can be observed very early in the life of the offspring and underscore the relevance of in utero contributors to putative biological risk for PTSD."
Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Angola - 308 cases, 277 fatal - Medical News Today 07/05/05 As of 3 May, the Ministry of Health in Angola has reported 308 cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever. Of these cases, 277 were fatal. In Uige Province, which remains the epicentre of the outbreak, 297 cases, of which 266 have been fatal, were reported. The large increase in the number of reported cases for Uige is the result of retrospective investigation and entry into the database of cases that occurred previously. However, new confirmed cases and deaths continue to be reported in Uige.
Mapping 'circuitry' of yeast genes using technique that could be applied to humans - Medical News Today 07/05/05 In a paper published in the May issue of Nature Biotechnology, researchers reported that their new approach allowed them to predict new functions for 343 yeast proteins based on their positions in the new wiring diagram.
Mass. House Approves Bill Allowing Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Banning Reproductive Human Cloning - Medical News Today 07/05/05 The Massachusetts House on Wednesday approved 119-38 a bill... (SB 2039) that would allow human embryonic stem cell research in the state, including cloning for research purposes, but ban human cloning for the purpose of reproduction, the AP/Boston Globe reports (LeBlanc, AP/Boston Globe, 5/4). The measure -- which was approved by the state Senate last week -- would eliminate the requirement that scientists engaged in stem cell research get approval from the local district attorney and instead give the state Department of Public Health some regulatory controls over the research. The bill also would establish a 15-member biomedical research advisory council, which would hold public meetings, advise legislators on the research in an annual report and investigate whether women should be compensated for donating their eggs (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 4/28). The bill does not include any allocation of state funding for embryonic stem cell research, but state senators have said they might consider "setting aside some tax dollars to encourage the research," the AP/Globe reports (AP/Boston Globe, 5/4). Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) opposes embryonic stem cell research and has said that he will veto the measure, according to the New York Times (Zezima, New York Times, 5/5). However, the vote margins in both the state House and Senate exceeded the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a gubernatorial veto (AP/Boston Globe, 5/4).
NHS suffers from poor childcare for doctors, UK - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Six in ten doctors responding to a BMA News poll published today (Friday 6 Mat 05) do not or did not have adequate access to affordable childcare - forcing many to put their careers on hold.
HIV/AIDS Advocates Urge Congress To Support $303M Increase in Federal Funding for ADAPs, USA - Medical News Today 07/05/05 HIV/AIDS advocates, patients and experts on Thursday during a legislative briefing on AIDS Drug Assistance Programs urged members of Congress to support a $303 million increase in federal funding for ADAPs, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/6). ADAPs are federal- and state-funded programs that provide HIV/AIDS-related medications to low-income, uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive individuals (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/21). Advocates at the briefing asked legislators to add their signatures to a letter sent by Reps. Mary Bono (R-Calif.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) to House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee Chair Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio). The letter, which already has been signed by more than 100 House members, asks the House to approve the requested $303 million in additional funding. Advocates said a minimum of $303 million is needed in fiscal year 2006 to provide antiretroviral drugs to all HIV-positive people in the United States who need them. Federal and state funding shortfalls are making it "increasingly likely that thousands of low-income HIV patients will suffer" and not have access to antiretroviral medication, the advocates said, according to CQ HealthBeat. Louisiana AIDS Director Beth Scalco said the estimate does not include increases in the amount or types of medications available to HIV/AIDS patients. Scalco discussed the "variety of pressures" facing ADAP directors across the country, including rising drug costs and increases in the number of patients who need coverage, factors that are forcing many states to adopt cost-containment measures, including waiting lists, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/6).
Researchers develop promising new gene network analysis method - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Compared with a long-used linear model, a correlation-based statistical method is a more reliable way to map complex gene interactions and pinpoint genes that may be potential cancer treatment targets, according to new Brown University research.
Those Who Remain Abstinent As Teens Make More Money, Have Lower Divorce Rate in Late-30s, Study Says - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Men and women who had not had sexual intercourse by age 18 have higher salaries and a lower risk of divorce at age 38 than people of the same age who were not virgins at age 18, according to a study conducted by the evangelical Christian group... Focus on the Family and published in the April issue of Adolescent & Family Health, the New York Post reports. Dr. Reginald Finger, a medical issues analyst with Focus on the Family, and colleagues used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth collected between 1979 and 2000. The researchers analyzed data on 3,750 men and 3,620 women, approximately half of whom reported being virgins at age 18 and half reported having had intercourse by that age. The study found that 20 years after the initial data collection men and women who had reported being virgins at age 18 were about 50% less likely to be divorced, had completed one additional year of formal education and had annual incomes about 20% higher than people who were not virgins at age 18. The study also found that women who were virgins at age 18 were half as likely to receive government assistance and more likely to have a positive financial net worth than women who reported having had sex by age 18. "It is very much as we suspected: that adolescent virginity has a significant impact on well-being in middle adulthood," Finger said, adding that the benefits were "inherent to remaining abstinent," not just to avoiding pregnancy (Hoffmann, New York Post, 5/5).
3,500 AIDS Advocates March in Washington, D.C., To Draw Attention to HIV/AIDS Pandemic - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Approximately 3,500 AIDS advocates marched in Washington, DC, on Thursday to mark the launch of the... Campaign to End AIDS, an advocacy organization that is "reflecting a shift in the make-up of the AIDS activism movement," the Washington Post reports. The advocates carried about 8,000 pairs of shoes down Pennsylvania Avenue to Lafayette Square across from the White House to "remind anyone watching" that 8,000 people die of AIDS-related causes each day worldwide and that the "victims are as many and as varied as the sandals, wingtips and sneakers the protestors brought with them," according to the Post. "Way back when, the activists were usually gay, white men, privileged and educated," Eric Sawyer, co-founder of the advocacy group ACT UP, said, adding, "Today we've got African-American churchwomen from the South walking with someone straight out of prison, walking with an Asian Harvard graduate." Several participants also said that the importance of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and awareness programs, as well as funding, has "dimmed on the public's radar," the Post reports. "There's a general public perception that AIDS is not a problem right now," C2EA organizer Tim Murphy said, adding, "This is not 1989. We have the tools to treat this now. They're just not accessible for a huge percentage of the population" (Dvorak, Washington Post, 5/6). The march was the first in a series of C2EA events planned for 2005, including a planned youth training institute in June and nine cross-country caravans planned for the fall (C2EA release, 5/5).
School violence worldwide linked to competitive test scores - Medical News Today 07/05/05 A Penn State (USA) study shows a significant link between school violence on a global scale and educational inequality.
UCR chemist part of team identifying new areas of gene regulation - Medical News Today 07/05/05 Discovery of new location in a key protein that activates genetic activity aided with use of mass spectrometry at UCR - Researcher Kangling Zhang at the University of California, Riverside is part of a team that has discovered a new way that yeast governs genetic expression and repression, a finding that could be repeated in cells of other organisms.
'Enormous Barriers' Exist in Reaching WHO 3 by 5 Initiative Treatment Target, Editorial Says - Medical News Today 07/05/05 There are "enormous barriers" to reaching the goal of the... World Health Organization's 3 by 5 Initiative to treat three million people with antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2005, an editorial in the May 7 issue of the Lancet says. Although there have been "substantial success[es]" for the initiative -- including elevating antiretroviral treatment to a "mainstream" U.N. program, tripling the initial target of the number of outlets providing drugs, improving the focus on HIV prevention strategies and exceeding by 20,000 people the December 2004 treatment target of 700,000 people on antiretrovirals worldwide -- "closer inspection" of the measures taken to scale-up treatment "reveals important gaps between the achieved and published targets," the editorial says. The program's financial resources of $163 million is below the $174 million needed, and the number of WHO staff members assigned to the initiative "is well below what it should be," according to the Lancet. Even more "crucially," only 30 countries so far have established treatment goals, although the initiative aimed to have 50 countries with established targets by December 2004, the editorial says. In addition, India, South Africa and Nigeria "in particular" need to demonstrate their commitment to the initiative in order for the overall treatment target to be met within the next eight months, according to WHO HIV/AIDS Programme Director Jim Yong Kim, the editorial says. If the 3 by 5 Initiative had the "political clout" to influence South Africa into implementing its recommendations, then the three million treatment target would "more likely" be attained, according to the Lancet. "Without South Africa on board, with its 837,000 people affected by HIV/AIDS and its leadership position within Africa, 3 by 5 is but a pipe dream," the editorial says. S African Health Minister Criticizes WHO 3 by 5 Target, Says Good Nutrition as Important in HIV/AIDS Treatment as Antiretrovirals - Medical News Today 07/05/05
Cheshire and Mersey News
Cash offer over gum menace - Daily Post 06/05/05 CHEWING gum-maker Wrigley has resisted calls led by Liverpool City Council to introduce a tax on gum to help clean up the streets.
Affordable housing plan is put on hold - Chester Chronicle 06/05/05 PLANS for six affordable homes in a Chester village were withdrawn by planning officers from a Town Hall meeting.
Green waste station planned - Skelmersdale Advertiser 05/05/05 AN application has been made to build a waste transfer station on Pimbo Industrial Estate which is expected to process 63,000 tonnes of waste a year.
Hospital in top 40 for fourth year - Skelmersdale Advertiser 05/05/05 FOR the fourth year running, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has been named among the top performers.
Hospital in top 40 for fourth year - Skelmersdale Advertiser 05/05/05 FOR the fourth year running, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has been named among the top performers.
Doctor held in murder inquiry - Daily Post 05/05/05 A FAMILY surgery in a leafy Merseyside suburb was raided by police yesterday after its doctor was arrested as part of a murder inquiry.
Get active with council bike ride - Maghull & Aintree Star 05/05/05 MAGHULL and Aintree residents are invited to generate some pedal power with a bike ride on Sunday (May 8) from 11am.
Waste plan out in front - Formby Times 05/05/05 A NEW front-of-property refuse collection service is underway in Formby.
Holiday brain op for councillor - Widnes Weekly News 05/05/05 THE longest-serving councillor in Halton has undergone life-saving emergency surgery in a Turkish hospital after falling ill while on holiday.
High five for health - Bootle Times 05/05/05 STAFF at Bootle's Hillside High School have been so impressed with the Sefton 5 challenge that they have decided to hold their own healthy living competition for students and their families.
Greater Manchester News
Cancer sufferer's rock treat - Manchester Evening News 07/05/05 CANCER sufferer John Schoolden couldn't believe his luck when a pal handed him tickets to see Rod Stewart.
Cancer cure websites "mislead" patients - Manchester Evening News 06/05/05 CANCER patients are being put at risk by dodgy herbal medicine websites, a Manchester doctor has warned.
Christie blueprint defies NHS chiefs - Manchester Evening News 06/05/05 CHRISTIE Hospital has unveiled its own plan for the future of cancer care in Greater Manchester, in defiance of a possible shake-up by NHS bosses.
Action needed over avian flu threat - Manchester Evening News 06/05/05 Governments around the world must stop burying their heads in the sand as the threat of a global avian flu outbreak grows, a doctor said today.
Ambulance flies in for vital lesson - Manchester Evening News 06/05/05 HELICOPTER paramedics made a flying visit to Manchester to improve emergency cover in the region.
Traffic boost at Fairfield Hospital - Bury Times 06/05/05 PATIENT admissions to Fairfield Hospital are running smoothly with the help of a new traffic light signal scheme installed on the wards.
Care kids get big boost - Bury Times 06/05/05 EIGHTEEN disabled children have been granted a stay of execution in having their care chopped by Bury social services.
Treatment delays for cancer victims - Bolton Evening News 06/05/05 HALF of the women suffering from breast cancer were not treated within 31 days at the Royal Bolton Hospital according to the latest monthly figures.
Pressures on hospital don't go unrecognised [Letter] - Bolton Evening News 07/05/05 I WRITE in response to your lead article, April 25, regarding pressures at the Royal Bolton Hospital. The report contained a claim that GPs were blaming Social Services for "bed blocking".
