National and International News
Nurses' co-op to bid for NHS work - The Observer 13/11/05
Nearly 800 NHS nurses and therapists in Surrey have formed themselves into a John Lewis-style employee-owned company and will find out this Tuesday whether they can sell medical services to Surrey Health Authority.
Letters to the Editor - The Observer 13/11/05
Congratulations on Anushka Asthana's article on home carers (News, last week), highlighting the extremely difficult and vital role they play in our society. This is a stressful and heroic job, due to become even harder if state-funded support for carers is to be frozen.
Dr John Briffa: Petal pusher - The Observer 13/11/05
With coughs and even bird flu closing in, a study says we should give echinacea the cold shoulder. But Dr John Briffa thinks the herb is not to be sniffed at
Stars set 'bad example' in rush to slim after childbirth - The Observer 13/11/05
Britain's leading obstetricians have criticised the growing trend among celebrities of rushing to lose post-pregnancy weight, saying it sets a dangerous precedent for 'normal' mothers when they are at their most vulnerable.
In brief - GPs criticise delays on drugs - The Observer 13/11/05
Six out of 10 GPs believe the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) takes too long to decide if new drugs are cost-effective, writes Anushka Asthana.
Oliver James: Girls will be boys - The Observer 13/11/05
If casual sex is supposedly an inherently male instinct, why are women's appetites increasing as gender roles become more equal? Oliver James reports
No return to Narnia - The Observer 13/11/05
Education, not legal action, is the key to reducing the number of underage pregnancies
Say it loud, autistic and proud - The Observer 13/11/05
For many, it's a condition which evokes pity and even fear. But a campaigning group of activists is determined to change the way we view autism by dealing not with its many downsides, but by focusing on its positives. Jerome Burne reports
What's in your basket? - The Observer 13/11/05
John Banville, this year's Man Booker Prize winner drinks rather too much, reckons Dr John Briffa
He'll blaze away, not fade away - The Observer 13/11/05
The extraordinary truth about the Prime Minister is that he walked into last week's seismic vote knowing that he would be defeated
Pride and a fall - The Observer 13/11/05
Blair faces fresh ID card rebellion - The Observer 13/11/05
Children's czar warns of huge leap in bullying - The Observer 13/11/05
A culture of violence in Britain is to blame for an epidemic of school bullying that is devastating the lives of millions of children, according to a devastating attack by one of the country's leading experts on young people.
New children's czar vows: 'I'll stamp out the school bullies' - The Observer 13/11/05
How to fight back - The Observer 13/11/05
'No child deserves to be bullied' - The Observer 13/11/05
Celebrities' junk food ads face ban -The Independent 13/11/05
Advertising campaigns that hire celebrities to promote junk food to youngsters could be in jeopardy under new proposals to ban the use of famous personalities to sell fatty, sugary and salty foods and drinks.
Child food adverts face ban on celebs - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
Pin back your ears, otoplasty is the latest craze in surgery - The Independent 13/11/05
After the boom in busts, bee-stung lips and implanted bottoms, plastic surgeons are now noting major growth in an entirely different part of the body: the humble ear.
Record numbers of men are being hit by their stressed-out wives and girlfriends - The Independent 13/11/05
For centuries, women have been stereotyped as the passive victims of violence and aggression. Yet experts are now warning that record numbers of men are being physically abused by their stressed- out wives and girlfriends.
Iran's transexual revolution - The Independent 13/11/05
Iran's transexual revolution
Survivors of the Pakistani earthquake left to die of cold - The Independent 13/11/05
At least 500,000 earthquake survivors in Pakistan still have no shelter with the fierce Himalayan winter just days away, international relief agencies have warned. Aid workers are scrambling to get tents to survivors in high mountain areas where snow may arrive any day, but the international relief effort is failing.
NHS chaos exposed by new e-mails - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
A COMPUTER project costing £6.2 billion that is central to Tony Blair’s National Health Service reforms is in “grave” danger of being “derailed”, leaked Whitehall e-mails reveal.
Surgery blunder at Bupa costs 1m - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
A COMPANY director who suffered permanent brain damage in a minor operation at a Bupa hospital to treat a runny nose will receive a 1.32m payout tomorrow from his surgeon.
Male nurse claims sex bias in ban on caring for women - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
A MALE nurse is mounting a test case against two NHS trusts, accusing them of sexual discrimination for refusing to allow him to carry out routine procedures on female patients.
Tesco tops list for under-age drink - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
TESCO has emerged as the supermarket most likely to sell alcohol to under-age drinkers, a campaign run by the Home Office has found, writes Andrew Porter.
Dentist in NHS queue - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
YOUR article Looking for the perfect smile? (Magazine, last week) underlined the shortage of dentists working in the NHS. Based on my own experiences, I am not surprised. I qualified at one of the top dental schools in the US and, after working in private practice there for five years, I decided to return.
Nursery staff fall foul of nanny state - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
NURSERY staff are “consulting” children as young as 18 months on their educational needs so that they don’t breach their human rights.
Suicide bill is backed by doctor - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
ONE of Scotland’s most senior doctors has backed a proposed bill that would make mercy killing legal.
Elderly to get 1.4bn euros health boost - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
THE Irish government has agreed a €1.4 billion package for the elderly, to fund new initiatives planned by the Department of Health and to repay money taken illegally from nursing home patients.
Answer the Question: Chris Woodhead: Let parents teach their toddlers - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
The government’s plans, announced last week, to offer a “national curriculum” for under threes are worrying me. Does it mean that if I send my child to a day nursery she risks being hot-housed and possibly switched off education before she even starts school?
Parenting: On a mission to put fun back into reading - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
Parents make bad teachers - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
'I wasn't prepared for the grief I feel after the death of my ex-husband' - The Telegraph 13/11/0
They don't write self-help books for ex-spouses on coping with bereavement. But it would be a good idea, because I wasn't prepared for the grief I feel now that my ex-husband has died.
Government to launch 'biggest ever' crackdown on drunken yobs - The Telegraph 13/11/05
The Government is to launch its largest ever crackdown on drunken yobs, ahead of the introduction of controversial licensing laws allowing 24-hour drinking, the Home Office has confirmed.
'I was raped and beaten. I lost the will to run away' - The Telegraph 13/11/05
Irina Valinsky perches on the edge of her bed in a north London flat and puffs anxiously on a cigarette. "Twenty-five to 30 a day," she says nervously. The 21-year-old Lithuanian is not answering a question about her tobacco habit, but about the average number of men she is forced to have sex with every day.
Daily beer is a 'draught of good health' - The Telegraph 13/11/05
First it was chocolate and then it was red wine. Now new research reveals a beer a day is healthy, too.
Sauerkraut could fight bird flu, say scientists - The Telegraph 13/11/05
Sauerkraut, the dish adored in Germany but much maligned in Britain, could prove to be a secret weapon against the threat of bird flu, experts revealed yesterday.
Parrot worker left untreated for days - The Telegraph 13/11/05
Crucial treatment for a hospital worker exposed to Britain's first case of deadly bird flu through his other job as a quarantine worker was delayed by at least three days because of a blunder by government officials, the Sunday Telegraph has learnt.
Schools 'must run sex disease clinics' - The Telegraph 13/11/05
Chlamydia, the sexual disease that wrecks fertility, has taken an alarming hold among girls who have under-age sex, prompting calls for clinical testing to be introduced in schools.
Pill reminder text message launched - Daily Mail 13/11/05
A young businesswoman has launched a mobile texting service to help prevent forgetfulness when taking the contraceptive pill leading to unplanned pregnancies.
'Gamma camera' pioneer Anger dies - Daily Mail 13/11/05
Hal Anger, a pioneer of nuclear medicine who is credited with inventing the gamma camera, has died, it has been announced. He was 85.
Nursery shuts after E.coli found - BBC Health News 13/11/05
A private nursery in Brecon in Powys has been closed following the emergence of E.coli among children there.
Nursery shut after E.coli bug found - Daily Mail 13/11/05
British man 'recovered from HIV' - BBC Health News 13/11/05
Doctors are planning further tests on a British man whose body has reportedly cured itself of HIV.
Doctors baffled as HIV man ‘cures’ himself - The Sunday Times 13/11/05
Plea to 'miracle-cure' HIV patient - Daily Mail 13/11/05
Man is cured of AIDS - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Medics appeal to patient over HIV 'miracle cure' claims - The Telegraph 13/11/05
Chinese medicine outlets probed - BBC Health News 13/11/05
Scores of traditional Chinese medicine stores in Britain's high streets are being investigated for selling illegal medicines, the BBC has learned.
Surgeons tackle folly of smoking - BBC Health News 13/11/05
Smoke and you could be left seriously disfigured, losing part of your tongue or jaw, if not your life.
Mouth cancer peril 'not a worry' - Daily Mail 13/11/05
Norvasc better for lowering aortic blood pressure - Reuters 13/11/05
Pfizer Inc.'s Norvasc was more effective at reducing blood pressure near the heart than standard, older treatments known as beta blockers, according to a study presented on Sunday at the American Heart Association scientific meeting.
Bone marrow cells improve heart after attack-study - Reuters 13/11/05
Heart attack survivors whose hearts were infused with stem cells from their own bone marrow showed nearly twice the improvement in the organ's pumping ability as patients given a placebo, according to a new study presented on Sunday.
Bacteria modified to combat HIV - BBC Health News 13/11/05
Scientists have genetically modified bacteria living in the human body to produce chemicals that block HIV infection.
Nurse and pharmacist prescribing powers extended, UK - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Patients will be able to get quicker and more efficient access to medicines thanks to extensions to nurse and pharmacist prescribing announced today by Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt at the Chief Nursing Officer's conference in London.
BMA calls for urgent meeting with Patricia Hewitt on plans to extend prescribing powers, UK - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Mr James Johnson, Chairman of the British Medical Association, has called for an urgent meeting with Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, to discuss the government's proposals to extend prescribing powers to nurses and pharmacists.
Two in five hospital patients feel hospitals “wash their hands” of them upon discharge, UK - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Two out of five (39%) hospital patients feel they don't count once they leave hospital as they receive no follow up after a procedure according to new research from CHKS Ltd, the leading provider of analytical benchmarking to the NHS. Four of five (78%) also stated that they would welcome the opportunity to feedback to a hospital after receiving treatment.
Male Infertility, New Insights and Hope Treatment, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Research - Medical News Today 13/11/05
New research is expanding what we know about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility in men.
Manchester Heralds New Era in Cancer Research - Medical News Today 13/11/05
A new cancer research centre is set to make Manchester a world leader in the exploration and treatment of the disease.
Harnessing genomic research - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Regeneration of spinal nerve cells, a new way to personalise breast cancer treatment, rapid near-patient diagnosis of meningitis, MRSA and Chlamydia and effective vaccines to protect against salmonella are all important applications to have benefited from a £30M research programme built around harnessing knowledge of the human and other genomes.
Tuberculosis risk for patients taking HIV drugs - Medical News Today 13/11/05
People taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV infection remain susceptible to tuberculosis, though the risk is lower than for HIV-infected patients not on HAART, according to an article in the Dec. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Hewitt Sets Out New Financial Diagnostic Checks And Next Steps For Trusts Going For Foundation Status, UK - Medical News Today 13/11/05
UK Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt today set out new financial diagnostic checks and the next steps for NHS trusts wanting to apply for foundation status.
Genes involved in biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus - Medical News Today 13/11/05
The biologist Alejandro Toledo Arana has identified two new genes that operate as regulators in the formation process of the biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus, one of the bacteria most frequently involved in infections following medical implants, and has explained the functioning of a structural protein involved in this process. His research was the subject of a PhD thesis recently defended at the Institute of Agribiotechnology, a joint CSIC and Public University of Navarra centre, and is an advance in the race to identify action targets for the development of pharmaceutical drugs to combat these infections.
Meditation associated with increased grey matter in the brain - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Meditation is known to alter resting brain patterns, suggesting long lasting brain changes, but a new study by researchers from Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows meditation also is associated with increased cortical thickness.
EURYI expands horizons for young scientific researchers in Europe - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Compelling curiosity and the desire to excel are common traits among each of the 25 winners of the 2005 European Young Investigator (EURYI) Awards scheme, who will have ample opportunities to put their ideas into action starting right now.
Older people who take sedatives for insomnia, risks may outweigh benefits - Medical News Today 13/11/05
For older people, the risks outweigh the benefits of taking sleeping pills and other sedatives, say researchers in this week's BMJ.
Vacations provide mental health benefits for women - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Women who take vacations frequently are less likely to become tense, depressed or tired and are more satisfied with their marriages, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wis.
Important DNA repair mechanism linked to premature aging yields its secrets - Medical News Today 13/11/05
A team of scientists led by Priscilla Cooper, a senior staff scientist in the Life Sciences Division of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has discovered new players in the first steps of transcription-coupled repair (TCR), an essential but still mysterious mechanism of DNA repair.
Grants to fund research on preparing for bioterrorist attack - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Research teams at the University of Rochester Medical Center have received two $10 million grants to help ready the nation to defend itself against terrorist attacks where viruses or bacteria are used as weapons. Together with a September grant meant to improve emergency medical treatment after a "dirty bomb" radiation attack, the new grants bring to $41 million the anti-terror research funding received by the Medical Center in two months.
Vitamin D status appears more important than high calcium intake for maintaining calcium metabolism - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Calcium intake levels of more than 800 mg/day may be unnecessary for maintaining calcium metabolism if vitamin D status is adequate, according to a study in the November 9 issue of JAMA.
Chinese AIDS Advocates Detained After Attempting To Submit Letter to Vice Premier at Conference - Medical News Today 13/11/05
About 30 Chinese AIDS advocates who contracted HIV through unsafe blood collection procedures were detained by police on Monday after trying to submit a letter to Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi at an AIDS conference in the country, Agence France-Presse reports. The detainees are part of a group of about 50 advocates from Henan province who traveled to the conference in Henan's capital, Zhengzhou, to submit the letter to Wu, whom they thought would be attending the meeting. The letter included 16 demands, including increased access to health care services and drugs with fewer reported side effects, assistance in paying living expenses and punishment for the individuals whom advocates allege are responsible for the unsafe blood collection procedures. According to AIDS advocate Wan Yanhai, Wu is not attending the conference, which opened Monday and is sponsored by China's State Council. About 500 people are expected to attend the conference, including officials from the country's Ministry of Health and UNAIDS (Agence France-Presse, 11/7). In the early and mid-1990s, many farmers in Henan contracted HIV through unsafe blood collection procedures. The government-sponsored blood collection program paid farmers for their blood and sold it at state hospitals and private clinics. The Chinese government estimates that there are 840,000 HIV-positive people in the country, including 80,000 people living with AIDS; however, the United Nations estimates that there are at least one million HIV-positive people in China (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/9).
Chlamydia pneumoniae present in eyes with 'wet' age-related macular degeneration - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) have found that Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium linked to heart disease and capable of causing chronic inflammation, was present in the diseased eye tissue of five out of nine people with neovascular, or "wet," age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, it was not found in the eyes of more than 20 individuals without AMD, providing more evidence that this disease may be caused by inflammation. The study is described in the November issue of Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.
Sweetener of the future? - Medical News Today 13/11/05
A low-calorie sweetener that tastes like sugar and could help control diseases like diabetes and obesity may be closer to reality thanks to research published today.
New book on bipolar disorder targets 12 million affected Americans, families - Medical News Today 13/11/05
Nearly 4 percent of adults in the United States - almost 12 million people - suffer from some version of bipolar disorder. Commonly referred to as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder is characterized by cycles of mania, depression or mixed emotional states that often disrupt work, school, family and social life. Recent revelations by popular television host Jane Pauley and former Chicago Bear football star Alonzo Spellman on their struggles with bipolar disorder have shed light on what was once a very hidden and misunderstood disease. A new book, Bipolar Disorder For Dummies (Wiley, 340 pages, $19.99) breaks down the barriers to understanding, treating and living with this complex disease.
