He'll starch my shirts and collars but he'll never touch my waistcoat

Visit to see Dave B. was a qualified success. Good folk he's working with, fun time had by all but suspect that his crew suspect what I suspect, I've been given a lemon to do. Still it'll be a learning experience.

Home and it's time to unplumb the washing machine and deposit on the doorstep in preparation for the delivery of the new machine the following day. All goes well until I remoe the cold water pipe and discover the cold water tap don't want to switch off. There's a 'little Dutch Boy, finger in the dyke moment', followed by a reattaching of the offending pipe with the other end shoved in a bucket to cope with the dribble of water that comes out. Not perfect but it does the job and this morning I empty a full bucket of water.

The new machine arrives around lunchtime and has been on since along with the dyer as we catch up with the washing of the week. News is sorted for the day. Footie is listened to as is the Captain Sensible 'Live at the Milky Way' and is mighty fine too. Now just waiting on Arsenal's visit to Anfield in the Cup.... Julie I'm not hopeful!

Now Mr. Wu, he's got a naughty eye that flickers

National News

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Superbug 'apocalypse' warning - The Guardian 6th January 2007

An expert in infection control warns today of a looming healthcare apocalypse as MRSA and other superbugs spread and the world runs out of antibiotics to treat those infected. Richard James, director of a new national research centre dedicated to the fight against spread of infections, launched at the University of Nottingham yesterday, says there is an impending crisis on the horizon.

Additional Story

Actress opens new superbug centre - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

New Story

Doctored information on celebrity nutritionist - The Guardian 6th January 2007

It's just not cool to anonymously edit your own Wikipedia page. It's an online encyclopaedia, free to access, a tribute to the powers of the hive mind, and anyone can edit any page. This makes it a valuable resource in the hands of those who know its limitations, but it has certain vulnerabilities, certain rules, and certain moral codes. It's even less cool to get your hip young PR agent to anonymously edit your Wikipedia page for you. Patrick Holford is a self-styled "nutritionist," and probably the second most famous of the bunch: flattered on ITV last night, starring on GMTV next Wednesday, feted by the media. He writes plausible, reference-laden, sciencey-looking books, and is used as an "authority." Since anyone can use the title, I am a nutritionist too, so take this as one nutritionist to another, Patrick: You have been the subject of justified public criticism - in my case, with references to back me up - and for a long time.

New Story

Hospitals refuse to warn of bone contamination - The Guardian 6th January 2007

Three hospitals are refusing to inform patients that they may be contaminated with bone illegally harvested from cadavers in the United States, including the body of the late BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke. The Guardian has learned that the hospitals are refusing to notify patients who had orthopaedic procedures with the controversial bone products after deciding that their risk of being contaminated with HIV or other serious diseases was "negligible".

New Story

Polonium-210 traces found in West End restaurant - The Guardian 6th January 2007

Traces of the poison that is believed to have killed the former Russian agent, Alexander Litvinenko, have been found in a London West End restaurant as detectives continue their investigation into his death. Staff at the restaurant are being tested as a precaution but members of the public who might have visited it were told that there was "no significant risk" to their health.

New Story

A life without Mum - The Guardian 6th January 2007

At 16, Clover Stroud's idyllic childhood was shattered when a riding accident left her mother severely brain-damaged. Now, 15 years on, funding for her care is being withdrawn. Can that be right?

New Story

Doctor in MMR controversy drops Channel 4 libel action - The Guardian 6th January 2007

The doctor who sparked the controversy over the safety of the MMR vaccine has dropped a two-year libel action against Channel 4, a fortnight after a high court judge ordered the disclosure of confidential documents to his opponents. Andrew Wakefield sued Channel 4, 20-20 Productions, and reporter Brian Deer over a November 2004 Dispatches programme MMR: What They Didn't Tell You.

Additional Story

MMR doctor drops libel action - The Times 6th January 2007

New Story

Landmark case could bring refunds to families who fund nursing care - The Guardian 6th January 2007

This week's £50,000 award could pave the way for thousands of relatives whose homes were sold to make claims. Miles Brignall reports

New Story

The scandal of Britain's free food - The Guardian 6th January 2007

Tristram Stuart can find a good meal for nothing whenever he wants - in supermarket bins. It is, he says, a national disgrace

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The celebrity guide to detox: Pass out, check in, and dry out - The Independent 6th December 2006

If you're going to own up to drink dependency or a painkiller problem, you might as well do it in style. As Britney Spears checked into an exclusive resort in Arizona with 'exhaustion', Helen Brown sneaks a peek at the rehab elite

New Story

Shoppers face confusion in battle of food health labels - The Times 6th January 2007

Shoppers will receive conflicting information on food labels today after the official food watchdog clashed with some of the biggest supermarkets in Britain over how to label unhealthy products. The Food Standards Agency announced yesterday a publicity drive for a colour-coded traffic light system that highlights fatty, salty or sugary products with a red warning mark.

New Story

We should eat less to show solidarity with the poor, says cardinal - The Times 6th January 2007

The Archbishop of Westminster has called upon Roman Catholics to practise fasting as a sign of solidarity with the world’s poor. Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O’Connor, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, is urging his flock to return to the “simple life” to counter the culture of consumerism.

New Story

NHS needs fresh ideas, not more cash - The Times 6th January 2007

It is clear from Nigel Hawkes’s report (“Operations cancelled as NHS runs out of money”, Jan 4) that the “tractor production is rising” view of the NHS is finally running out of fuel. As our nationalised healthcare system implements swingeing cuts and delays countless operations, it is increasingly clear that nurses should no longer sign up for careers in public sector healthcare only to find they are unable to access the resources and autonomy they need to do their chosen work.

New Story

Celebrity big bother - The Times 6th January 2007

Why we could all benefit from a scientist inside that house. THE 11 Z-LISTERS who stormed into the Big Brother house were not the only celebrities under scrutiny this week. Sense about Science, a charity that promotes the importance of scientific evidence, took Joanna Lumley, Melinda Messenger and others to task for not checking facts before backing theories and campaigns.

New Story

Too-posh-to-push women 'should pay for their own caesareans' - The Telegraph 6th January 2007

Women who have caesareans as a "lifestyle choice" rather than for medical reasons should have to pay for their treatment, a leading public health expert said yesterday. NHS money would be better spent on expensive cancer treatments than on mothers who choose the procedure because they are afraid of the pain of labour, Dr Tim Crayford, president of the Association of Director of Public Health, said.

New Story

Sir Gerry Robinson: How I would fix the NHS - The Telegraph 6th January 2007

If 2006 was the "best year ever" for the NHS, according to Patricia Hewitt – a statement that made millions of us wonder if we inhabited the same universe, let alone planet, as the Health Secretary – then the start of 2007 hints at this being one of the grimmest. A week into the new year and hospitals are being told to delay surgery for as long as possible to ease budget problems; a leaked government report is predicting 37,000 health service jobs will be lost as hospitals battle to manage deficits, while also warning of a drastic shortage of doctors and nurses by 2010.

New Story

Battle for Alzheimer's drugs goes to court - The Telegraph 6th January 2007

The agency which sanctions drugs for the NHS is to be challenged in the High Court on its decision to limit the use of treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Eisai which holds the licence for one of the drugs, Aricept, supported by Pfizer, which markets it, confirmed yesterday that it had formally applied to the High Court requesting a judicial review.

New Story

Testing 1,2,3 - The Telegraph 6th January 2007

Fitness gadgets: six devices to help you keep in trim, reviewed by Claudine Beaumont

New Story

Class action - The Telegraph 6th January 2007

David Marshall, a fitness guru known as the Bodydoctor, has created a system for schools that has children exercising with a smile. One London school swears by it; the only problem is getting the politicians to listen. Year Six are wagging their tails. I know all about 'wag your tail': roll on to your back like a puppy, feet in the air, knees bent, put your hands behind your head, lift your shoulders, engage core muscles and wag your hips/tail as hard as you can. This and other exercises from the Bodydoctor, alias David Marshall, cured my long-standing lower-back problem, so I know how to do it and I know how tough it is, but to Year Six at Barrow Hill Junior School in St John's Wood, London, it appears to be a breeze.

New Story

Warning over pro-anorexia sites - BBC Health News 6th January 2007

Eating disorder support groups are warning that a growing number of websites are pushing vulnerable people into anorexia and bulimia. Experts say so-called "pro-ana" sites claim to offer support, but actually glorify the diseases and discourage people from seeking medical treatment.

New Story

Dawn machine 'beats winter blues' - BBC Health News 6th January 2007

A simulator that mimics the atmosphere of dawn may reduce depression linked to lack of winter sun, say scientists. They claim the machine, which boosts light levels during sleep, is an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

New Story

Hearing aid pledge 'may not work' - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

Moves to cut waiting lists for the hard of hearing could result in even longer queues for hearing aids, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf fears. Research by Conservative MP Grant Shapps found waits of up to five years for new digital hearing aids.

New Story

NHS waiting lists are lowest ever - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

NHS waiting lists in England have fallen to an all-time low according to Department of Health figures. Between October and November 2006, NHS inpatient waiting lists dropped by 8,000 to 769,000.

New Story

GP launches YouTube health films - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

A GPs' surgery in mid Wales has launched a series of health education films on YouTube, better known as a website featuring home videos. Advice about flu vaccination and cervical screening are two of the topics covered by Builth and Llanwrtyd Medical Practice in Powys.

New Story

Additives lurk in everyday diets - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

People in Britain consume on average 20 different food additives every day, with some eating up to 50, a study has suggested. Yet many people are unaware of this figure, with nearly half of the 1,006 people surveyed thinking they ate only 10 additives each day.

New Story

Skin bleaching cream couple fined - BBC Health News 4th January 2007

A couple believed to have earned £1m selling toxic skin lightening creams were ordered by a court to pay nearly £100,000 in fines and costs. Yinka and Michael Oluyemi sold banned bleaching concoctions from their two cosmetics shops in south-east London.

International News

New Story

Concern over anti-obesity drugs - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

Better data on the long-term effects of anti-obesity drugs is needed before more widespread use of the therapies, a Canadian study says. Researchers said such drugs would become more important in the future to combat the growing obesity crisis.

New Story

Toys 'could help 200m children' - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

Programmes using basic toys could boost educational achievement of 200 million developing world children not reaching their potential, a report says. Poverty, a lack of stimulation and malnourishment leaves millions unable to benefit from schooling even if it is available, the Lancet study says.

New Story

WHO chief issues bird flu warning - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

The new chief of the World Health Organization has taken office, warning that bird flu remains a global threat. Margaret Chan, a bird flu expert from Hong Kong, is the first Chinese citizen to become the head of a UN agency.

Cheshire and Merseyside News

New Story

We'll save our nurses - Liverpool Echo 5th January 2007

INDIAN embassy officials have met Merseyside police to find a way to stop yobs racially abusing nurses. After the ECHO revealed NHS nurses in Fazakerley were coming under attack from young thugs, the Indian High Commission discussed the problem with local officers.

New Story

100 homes and a mental care unit for hospital site - Liverpool Echo 5th January 2007

MULTI-million pound plans for a mental health centre and new homes are set to go ahead on the site of Southport general infirmary. The last few doctors and nurses are due to leave the old hospital in the next few weeks to make way for redevelopment.

New Story

Patients’ praise - Southport Visiter 5th January 2007

PATIENTS have been known to pass impromptu messages on to the catering staff after a meal, sometimes on the back of a serviette. Here is a selection of them:

• Being in a side room has its perks. Nobody can see you licking the plate clean
• That was the best goulash I have ever eaten.

New Story

Tough choice ahead over care budget - Southport Visiter 5th January 2007

VITAL decisions regarding Sefton’s social care provision will be made at cabinet next week, as officers battle to avoid a council tax increase in 2007. The result of a pay review and the Single Status Agreement, a national scheme to deliver equal pay for equal work, will add up to £2million in costs when the new tax year starts on April 1.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

New Story

120 teen boozers are hospitalised in a year - Carlisle News & Star 6th January 2007

MORE than 120 teenagers in north and west Cumbria were hospitalised due to alcohol abuse in 12 months. Between October 2005 and September 2006, 83 people under the age of 20 were admitted to the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and 43 in the same age bracket were admitted to the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, due to alcohol-related illnesses, totalling 126 within the year.

New Story

Group to meet at hospital - Carlisle News & Star 6th January 2007

ORGANISERS of a new support group for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are hoping for a good response at their first meeting in west Cumbria next week. More than 100 people flocked to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle when the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society held its inaugural meeting last autumn.

New Story

Surgeons slam bid to create private clinics - Carlisle News & Star 6th January 2007

A GROUP of top north Cumbrian consultants have condemned government plans to bring in privately-run clinics to ease local waiting lists. The four ear, nose and throat surgeons say the proposals will disrupt existing services and have dire consequences for patients across the area.

New Story

Dental charity’s helpline - Carlisle News & Star 6th January 2007

A LEADING dental charity is reminding Cumbrian patients that a dedicated helpline is available to those suffering from toothache and jaw pain. It follows news that these complaints were among the top 10 reasons people called NHS Direct this Christmas.

And Knee-jerk Negativity Just Never Got Me Through

Bit of a blur yesterday....

Virtual Reference Desk

Announced to the library world it certainly had an impact on visits to the site, other than Michael from Ormskirk nobody said hello though!

More locally we hit an IT hitch. The thing works with our permission set, but not across the way in WFAS or upstairs in Clinical Governance. I call the Grand Imperial Wizard of the Nonsense Service locally. We chat, it works for him but not on his friendly neighbourhood we don't touch this but keep it here for decoration machine. I've piqued Graeme's interest, he's looking into it. Er... and all this subverts the way we should operate, which pleases me (despite the piss take of the Nonsense role he's another one of the good guys who'll deal with me direct).

Result is that you can see the thing in Wigan, Salford, can't use it at Central Mancy Trust because meebo is banned and you can't use the thing 20 yards outside the library in Reggie. Freaky!

Invites, Witter, and Mexican Food

Get an invite to visit Pat Jones today, yesterday (make whatever sense of that you like) at the Liverpool Film Studios. Not as exciting as making an epic remake of 'Conan the Librarian' (although ask me to cast it and Wigbol Dave is a shoe-in for the lead role) but something to do with a desire to effectively use the Chief Nursing Officer's Bulletin's by jazzing them up a little with some local stuff too. What Pat and Helen don't know is that I plan to drag Helen along because I plan on Helen looking after this bit of current awareness. I'm also flattered that as a service we get described as a Can Do service (think to be honest this translates as a service that don't say no but what the heck lets just focus on the positive!)

Conclusion of the day is a demand from Cal to make him some unspecified Mexican food. Cook some sort of bastard burrito type things without a huge amount of spices, create salsa's, fry some fresh tortilla chips to have with guacamole as a starter and make a Mexican Chocolate pud. Not bad for an off the cuff meal pulled together at the last minute.

Dinner concluded I read a little of 'A tale etched in blood and hard back pencil' the Chris Brookmyre from Christmas that I haven't had a real chance to settle down with. Enjoy a couple of chapters and exhausted fall asleep. Wake an hour or two later and curse myself because I'm now awake. Doze off in front of the TV.

The Waking Dream... Update on Today So Far

Wake good and early and relatively refreshed. Not today for me the mistake of thinking it was Decemeber (like yesterday). Usual news run, wash up, into work good and early. Need to prepare for a meeting with Dave B. this afternoon about a VLE learning object the LDB want me to do. I've done fuck all planning or reading about it thus far. No change there then. Right I'm away for coffee having fully livened myself up to the sound of the Psychedelic Furs.

All of Her Lovers All Talk of Her Notes and the Flowers That They Never Sent

Listen to this edition of Another 15 Minutes...Health News from Fade

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National News

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Scientists attack plan to ban 'hybrid' embryos - The Guardian 5th January 2007

Groundbreaking research into incurable diseases could be jeopardised if permission to create human embryos from animal eggs is withheld, scientists warned yesterday. British researchers want to use the embryos to make stem cells with genetic faults linked to conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and motor neurone disease. Studying how the cells grow could yield unprecedented insights into disease, leading to cures for the otherwise untreatable conditions.

Additional Story

Hybrid animal-human embryos face ban - The Independent 5th January 2007

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Medicine faces ban on rabbit-human embryos - The Times 5th January 2007

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Cloning 'can beat disease' - The Times 5th January 2007

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'Research is now my only hope of a cure' - The Times 5th January 2007

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Ministers have been spooked by 'frankenbunny' headlines - The Times 5th January 2007

Additional Story

Hybrid embryo work 'under threat' - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

New Story

Milestones that showed the way to modern medicine - The Guardian 5th January 2007

Fifteen of the most important milestones on the road to modern medicine are identified today by the British Medical Journal. They range from vaccines to computers to the pill - and the journal is calling for readers to vote on which was the most significant. The 15 have been shortlisted from more than 100 nominated discoveries since the BMJ was launched in 1840. Anyone can log on to www.bmj.com and cast a vote.

Additional Story

BMJ poll to choose the top advance in medicine - The Times 5th January 2007

Additional Story

Vote for the greatest medical milestone - The Telegraph 5th January 2006

Additional Story

Penicillin to the Pill, what is the greatest medical miracle? - Daily Mail 4th January 2007

New Story

Herceptin improves some breast cancer survival rates, says study - The Guardian 5th January 2007

Giving women with certain breast cancers the drug Herceptin improves survival rates two years on, a study reports today. Previous research has shown that Herceptin stops breast cancers returning for the 15-25% of women who have a type of early breast cancer called HER2-receptor positive. But this is the first time a reduction in the number of deaths has been recorded.

Additional Story

Dosage loophole restricts Herceptin for NHS patients - The Independent 5th January 2007

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Herceptin reduces cancer deaths by a third, study shows - The Times 5th January 2007

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Campaigners proved right over Herceptin - Daily Mail 4th January 2006

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Herceptin does cut cancer deaths - BBC Health News 5th January 2007

Viv Groskop on women who breastfeed other people's babies - The Guardian 5th January 2007

It may be taboo, but some British women still quietly breastfeed other people's babies - and in Hollywood and China, wet-nursing is actually becoming fashionable. Hurrah, says Viv Groskop

New Story

X-ray plan for young asylum seekers - The Guardian 5th January 2007

Young asylum seekers entering the UK face undergoing x-rays of their teeth and wrist bones to try to assess their age under government plans opposed as unethical and ineffective by an array of medical specialists and children's campaigners. A Home Office document seen by the Guardian, a final version of which is due to be published within days, outlines plans to introduce the medical procedures in measures to determine whether unaccompanied young asylum seekers without valid documents are under 18.

New Story

Equalising Opportunity - The Guardian 5th January 2007

Today's sex and power report is the Equal Opportunities Commission's last ever independent publication. From the autumn it becomes a component part of the new Human Rights Commission. Yet, as the report so gloomily illustrates, its work is far from done. Once more the EOC audit of the division of the spoils at the top finds that men are in charge almost everywhere, from the courts and parliament to the civil service and the boardrooms of the FTSE 100 - even, it has to be admitted, in the editors' offices of national newspapers. Thirty two years after the EOC was founded, the pay gap sticks stubbornly at 17%, the part-time pay gap at 36%. More women remain in pension poverty, and will still do so after the latest proposals. Plugging away at individual discrimination cases, finding women brave enough to take on their employers at the cost of their own prospects, has brought modest progress. It is time for a change of tactics.

New Story

Cheap drugs for poor nations - The Guardian 5th January 2007

Two UK-based academics have devised a way to invent new medicines and get them to market at a fraction of the cost charged by big drug companies, enabling millions in poor countries to be cured of infectious diseases and potentially slashing Britain's drugs bill. Sunil Shaunak, professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College, based at Hammersmith hospital, calls their revolutionary new model "ethical pharmaceuticals".

New Story

Better care and drop in smoking cuts heart disease deaths by 36% - The Times 5th January 2007

The number of people dying from heart disease has fallen by more than a third in the past ten years thanks to better treatment, better detection and a decline in smoking. The dramatic reduction in deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD) is underlined by data released today by the Government. The figures show a 35.9 per cent drop in heart disease deaths for those under 75 since 1996.

Additional Story

Cholesterol drugs help cut heart deaths - The Telegraph 5th January 2006

Additional Story

Heart deaths 'continue to fall' - BBC Health News 4th January 2007

New Story

Surgery on smokers 'is wasted' - The Times 5th January 2007

Smokers should be denied surgery on the NHS unless they kick their habit, a leading doctor has said. In a debate published today in the British Medical Journal, Professor Matthew Peters, the head of thoracic medicine at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, Australia, claims that five non- smokers could be operated on for the cost of four smokers, and that their outcomes would be better.

New Story

37,000 job cuts needed to pay NHS salary bill - The Times 5th January 2007

The Government is looking for ways of cutting the huge NHS salary bill to bring the service back into financial balance. Tens of thousands of job cuts and a three-year pay deal, starting with a low or zero increase for 2008-09, are strong possibilities, as the Department of Health wrestles with booming staff numbers and mismanaged pay deals.

New Story

Sex? Yes. Fight? Yes. Smoke? No - The Times 5th January 2007

The Government’s latest wheeze is to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes from 16 to 18. So let me see if I have this straight. You will be able legally to have sex at 16 — or younger, according to senior policemen — but the law won’t allow you a postcoital cigarette until two years later. Not even if you are married (legal age: 16). At 16, you will be old enough to join the Army and train to fight wars.

New Story

Celebs, cancer and scientific sense - The Times 5th January 2007

Sense About Science has highlighted how important it is for celebrities to check their messages with scientists (report, Jan 3). This doesn’t diminish the vital role celebrity support plays for charities. Celebrity endorsement can help to raise funds and can also prove an invaluable tool for spreading health messages.

New Story

Italian GP loses his £10,000 job - The Telegraph 5th January 2006

The Italian doctor who was paid £3,200 to work in the NHS for five days over Christmas has had his next health service job cancelled. Dr Annibale Bertollo, 53, was told yesterday by his agency, Team24, that he was not needed for a £10,000, two-month stint at Greywells Medical Centre, in Leigh Park, Havant, Hampshire. He was due to start tomorrow.

New Story

The mother who faints if she says: I love you - Daily Mail 4th January 2007

Telling someone you love them can sometimes be tricky. But for Wendy Richmond it is nearly impossible - because every time she gets emotional she risks collapsing to the floor.

New Story

British gene team are on the brink of cancer breakthrough - Daily Mail 4th January 2007

British scientists are on the verge of producing a drug that could revolutionise cancer treatment. It shuts down the rogue genes that cause cancer and is due to be tested on humans for the first time in the next few months.

New Story

Hypnosis may help anxious teens - BBC Health News 4th January 2007

Self hypnosis could be useful in aiding treatment for children suffering from anxiety, research has suggested. A small study found that hypnotherapy helped psychological treatment in reducing anxiety and feelings of helplessness in students.

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International News

New Story

Ashley's story - The Guardian 5th January 2007

When news broke that a disabled American girl had been given radical treatment to prevent her growing up, it caused a furore. Here, in an edited extract from his blog, her father explains why the family did it

Additional Story

British mother of a girl with similar condition to Ashley's gives her reaction - The Guardian 5th January 2007

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Treatment keeps girl child-sized - BBC Health News 4th January 2007

New Section

Cheshire and Merseyside News

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Alder Hey test site dig - Liverpool Echo 4th January 2007

PITS will be dug in Springfield Park to try to find out the cost of the new Alder Hey. Engineers will bore five holes into the soil to find out how strong the clay is, as well as five pits to help builders examine it.

New Story

New role to tackle domestic violence - Liverpool Echo 4th January 2007

SEFTON has appointed a new official to help tackle domestic violence. Caroline Rowsell started her new role just before Christmas when she joined the council's Community Safety Unit.

New Story

Patients served up cut- price meals - Midweek Advertiser 3rd January 2007

PATIENTS at Ormskirk and Southport hospitals have just £1.17 spent on an average meal - less than half that at some other hospitals.

New Story

NHS system working well - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 4th January 2007

THE end of 2006 marks the second birthday of a revolutionary NHS computer system. West Cheshire Primary Care Trust says the local electronic patient record system has transformed its out-of-hours service for the benefit of patients.

New Section

Cumbria and Lancashire News

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Beating fraud against the NHS - Ormskirk Advertiser 4th January 2007

WRIGHTINGTON Hospital took part in the NHS’s Fraud Awareness Month. This was a campaign to raise awareness of the damage fraud against the NHS can do to patient care – and what honest staff and patients can do to help stop it.

New Story

Breath of fresh air... - Lancashire Telegraph 4th January 2007

HEALTH bosses are urging East Lancashire smokers to quit once and for all with a new drug which has just been released on the NHS. They said residents can kick the habit this New Year with the help of Champix, which reached the UK last month.

New Story

Sickness virus warning to visitors - The Bolton News 4th January 2007

VISITORS to Blackpool are being warned about an outbreak of a vomiting virus. Health officials say several cases of viral gastroenteritis have been reported, some by hotel guests, on the Fylde coast.

New Section

Greater Manchester News

New Story

Children at risk numbers grow - The Bolton News 4th January 2007

THE number of children at risk of being sexually exploited has doubled over the past two years in Bolton, according to new figures. In 2004, the number of children aged up to 18-years-old at risk was 13. Currently the numbers stand at 26.

New Story

Eighth top for physio - Bury Times 4th January 2007

BURY has the eighth highest percentage of patients in the North West seeking hospital treatment for severe musculoskeletal disorders, new figures reveal. During 2005, of the 46,911 residents treated by Bury Primary Care Trust on admission to Fairfield General Hospital, a total of 2,096, (7.1 per cent) required physiotherapy for conditions ranging from lower back pain and rheumatoid arthritis to gout.

New Story

Give us your hospital ideas - Altrincham Messenger 4th January 2007

THE public consultation at Altrincham General Hospital has caused some confusion. Following our first public consultation event, we feel that we must offer some clarification. Many people have told us that they would like to have a range of services available that weren't previously provided. For example, there have been suggestions for rehabilitation that may be led by nurses or GPs rather than hospital doctors.

New Section

Podcast

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Dunno Why I'm Thinking Hairy?

National News

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NHS facing glut of consultants and nurse shortage - The Guardian 4th December 2007 Leaked government documents forecasting a glut of NHS hospital consultants and an acute shortage of nurses provoked fury last night among doctors' and nurses' leaders. A draft workforce strategy from the Department of Health said the NHS in England is heading for an unwanted surplus of 3,200 consultants by March 2011 "which we cannot afford to employ".

Additional Story

Leaked report forecasts shortage of NHS nurses - The Independent 4th December 2007

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Thousands of NHS doctors qualify for jobs they can't have - The Times 4th December 2007

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NHS will be 14,000 nurses short, says report - The Telegraph 4th December 2007

Additional Story

Shortage of NHS staff predicted - BBC Health News 4th December 2007

New Story

Two further polonium-210 cases found - The Guardian 4th December 2007 A member of the public who visited the bar where the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned has tested positive for polonium-210, the Health Protection Agency revealed yesterday. The person was one of about 250 who drank in the Pine Bar of the Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, on November 1, the day Mr Litvinenko received a fatal dose of the radioactive element.

New Story

Drug policy challenge to intellectual property rights - The Guardian 4th December 2007 Sunil Shaunak and Steve Brocchini have come up not with a cheap way of inventing new drugs, but a cheap way of getting round the intellectual property rights on drugs developed by drug companies at vast expense (Scientists on a mission to bring cheap drugs to the world's poorest countries, January 2). This is likely in the short term to benefit drug users, and governments and insurance companies paying for healthcare. The long term is something else

New Story

Leader: Health service - The Guardian 4th December 2007 Rebuilding a raft while floating on it should be possible, but only if one plank is tackled at a time. NHS reforms, though, risk looking more like an attempt to replace all the planks at once, which is no way to navigate choppy waters. The last two weeks alone have seen a private company awarded control of an NHS hospital, local trusts imposing minimum waits to ration their way out of financial difficulties and Labour's robotically loyal chair Hazel Blears rediscovering free will when faced with service closures in her backyard. Reports today that staff contracts may be recast were bound to be controversial, but against this background look explosive.

New Story

Food firms take on official watchdog in battle of the labels - The Guardian 4th December 2007 Food and drink giants will today launch the opening salvo in an unprecedented battle over nutritional information as they unveil details of a campaign to promote a scheme rejected by the government's food watchdog. The £4m publicity drive will promote a system which shows the percentage of "guideline daily amounts" (GDAs) of fat, salt and sugar contained in food products, rather than the "traffic light" warnings backed by the Food Standards Agency.

Additional Story

Food labelling campaign launched - BBC Health News 4th December 2007

Additional Story

'Energy flashes' to highlight chocolate bar calories - Daily Mail 3rd January 2007

New Story

Healthy eating trend sees sales of smoothies soar - The Independent 4th December 2007 Health-conscious shoppers have made smoothies "the drinks success story of the 21st century" with an explosive growth in popularity in the past five years, according to a report. Sales of the crushed fruit drinks rose 523 per cent in the five years to 2006 and the number of smoothies sold is expected to almost treble by 2011.

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Operations cancelled as NHS runs out of money - The Times 4th December 2007 Patients are being denied basic operations, including treatments for varicose veins, wisdom teeth and bad backs, as hospitals try frantically to balance the books by the end of the financial year, The Times can reveal. NHS trusts throughout the country are making sweeping cuts to services and delaying appointments in an attempt to address their debts before the end of March. Family doctors have been told to send fewer patients to hospital, A&E departments have been instructed to turn people away, and a wide range of routine procedures has been suspended.

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Show with babies 'is sick and irresponsible' - The Telegraph 4th December 2006 The BBC was condemned yesterday for making an "irresponsible and sick" series in which teenagers take on the role of parents to other people's children, including babies. During the making of The Baby Borrowers, which starts on BBC3 next week, one baby had to be removed from its young carers and another child was not fed for a day.

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The NHS becomes sicker by the day - The Telegraph 4th December 2006 For the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, 2006 was the NHS's "best year ever". For the Right-of-centre think-tank Reform, the service is going backwards, delivering a poorer service now than two years ago. It says spending may have doubled under Labour, but performance has improved by less than one third. With increasing numbers of trusts facing budget deficits and operations being cancelled, we know whose verdict we'd believe. Listen also to the assessment of businessman Sir Gerry Robinson (a Labour donor and supporter), who has spent six months as a troubleshooter at Rotherham General Hospital for a television programme. Here is a man who believes the NHS is one of the glories of this country — yet was appalled by its "collective inertia" and weak management.

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Your doctors don't want to be GPs, says Italian paid £3,200 - The Telegraph 4th December 2006 The Italian doctor who was paid £3,200 for five days' work in Scotland said yesterday that foreign GPs were in demand because their British counterparts regarded it as "an awful job" and wanted to be consultants. Dr Annibale Bertollo said he had received hundreds of telephone calls after the details of his 1,000-mile working trip between Venice and Inverness were published in The Daily Telegraph.

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Son wins back £50,000 fees for Alzheimer victim's care - The Telegraph 4th December 2007 A retired Scotland Yard detective sergeant who was forced to sell his late mother's home to pay for her nursing care has won back the fees of more than £50,000 in a landmark settlement with a health trust. Michael Pearce sold his mother Ruby's house to fund three years of nursing home fees after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

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Girl Guides to be offered advice on safe sex - The Telegraph 4th December 2007 Lord Baden-Powell must be turning in his grave. A century after he founded the Girl Guide movement to imbue young ladies with a love of the outdoor life and clean living, the organisation has decided it is necessary to teach them about safe sex, date rape and abortion. About 450 members across Britain will be trained as "peer educators" to run sessions on contraception, sexual health, bullying, eating disorders, binge drinking and stress management.

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Patients kept waiting in car park as hospital 'too busy to cope' - Daily Mail 3rd January 2007 Patients were left waiting for up to an hour in ambulances in a car park, being looked after by paramedics, because a hospital was so busy over New Year, it was claimed today. Campaigners said the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro was swamped with admissions on New Year's Eve and the early hours of New Year's Day. They pointed out that two wards were closed last year and hundreds of staffing posts axed under cost cuts.

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Tests after three OAP home deaths - BBC Health News 3rd January 2006 Tests are under way after a viral outbreak in two care homes in Gwynedd contributed to the deaths of three residents over the Christmas period. The National Public Health Service for Wales(NPHSW) said two residents had died at a home in Criccieth and a third at another in nearby Pentrefelin.

New Story

Doctors angry over 'op meddling' - BBC Health News 3rd January 2006 Doctors have criticised "potentially harmful" changes in the way patients are referred for surgery. Half of English GPs are being forced to use referral management centres which act as "middle-men" between hospitals and GPs recommending where patients go.

New Story

Phobias 'to be cured on the web' - BBC Health News 3rd January 2006 People suffering from phobias could soon learn to overcome their fears through cyberspace. Specialists in Aberdeen are working on a virtual treatment delivered direct to patients' homes through the internet, overcoming any lack of therapists.

New Story

Stars must 'check science facts' - BBC Health News 3rd January 2006 Celebrities have been asked to check their facts before lending support to scientific research and campaigns, rather than risk misleading people. Some celebrity-backed campaigns have done more harm than good, such as linking the MMR jab to autism, says the charity Sense About Science.

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International News

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Brain-damaged girl is frozen in time by parents to keep her alive - The Independent 4th December 2007 THis is a story about a girl who will never grow up. Nine-year-old Ashley, who has severe brain damage, has an undiminished life expectancy. But with the use of hormones, her parents have ensured that she remains child-sized, forever. The Seattle-born girl is described by her parents as their Pillow Angel because she stays where they place her - most usually on a pillow. The rare brain condition known as static encephalopathy that she suffers from means she cannot sit or talk and is fed by tube.

Additional Story

Parents defend decision to keep girl a child - The Times 4th December 2007

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Cheshire and Merseyside News

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Actor proves he is a good neighbour - Liverpool Echo 3rd January 2007 NEIGHBOURS star Alan Fletcher has spent Christmas and New Year with a voice coach as he gets ready to raise thousands of pounds for Liverpool cancer victims. The actor, Dr Karl Kennedy in the soap, is appearing on ITV's Soapstar Superstar from Fridayand has had singing lessons.

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Stateside smoking ban visit - Liverpool Echo 3rd January 2007 YOUNG smoke-free campaigners from Liverpool are to visit New York next month. Members of the DMYST (Direct Movement by the Youth Smokefree Team) group hope to learn from American youth campaigners.

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Coke menace sweeps city - Liverpool Echo 3rd December 2007 THE shocking spread of cocaine abuse in Liverpool is revealed today. An ECHO investigation found evidence of the highly addictive class A drug being taken in some of the city's most high-profile buildings.

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£2.3m cash tonic to cut waiting time for people in A&E - Northwich Chronicle 3rd December 2007 MILLIONS of pounds are to be pumped into upgrading A&E facilities at Leighton Hospital in a bid to slash waiting times. The Mid Cheshire Hospitals Trust has announced a £2.3m revamp of the casualty department at the Crewe hospital, starting this month.

Additional Story

Hospital A&E unit's £2.3m upgrade - Crewe Chronicle 3rd December 2007

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Hospital given big gift - Crewe Chronicle 3rd December 2007 GENEROUS members of Leighton Hospital's League of Friends have been applauded for donating £15,000 to buy state-of-the-art equipment. The computerised digital video stroboscopy (CDVS) will benefit patients suffering from a range of throat conditions, such as polyps and nodules, which can have a major impact on the voice, after it was bought for the Ear, Nose and Throat Department at the Crewe hospital.

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Cumbria and Lancashire News

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Three of a kind - Carlisle News & Star 3rd December 2007 A TRIO of new arrivals greeted the New Year at the West Cumberland hospital on Monday. Two girls and a boy were born to the delight of their mums.

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Greater Manchester News

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Lifestyles increase demands on NHS - The Bolton News 3rd December 2007 Poor diet and exercise levels in Manchester are placing huge demands on the NHS with high levels of serious illness, researchers have warned. The city is named in the top 10 of areas where high levels of severely unhealthy lifestyles are likely to lead to serious illness, according to a new study.

New Story

Health centre blitzed - The Bolton News 3rd December 2007 VANDALS have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a health centre. They threw rocks at Little Lever Health Centre in Mytham Road smashing 10 double-glazed windows and a set of automated doors.

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Podcast

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The Manic Hedgehog T-Shirt Ferrago Remembered

New blood in the library throws up fresh challenges as things are looked at with fresh eyes. This is good and the result of a simple query about instant messaging from Helen so she can stay in touch with us when working from home results in an implementation of Meebo and the creation of a virtual reference desk on the library site (it's something I've had in mind for a while just never had the excuse to get round to it). I suppose I should check if IT'll be cool with the thing before going for it but what the heck, if I ask them they might care, if we do it ourselves they won't notice until it's too late, there is a head of steam behind the thing - a far easier way to deal with any objections. So having rejigged things accordingly, I get a surprise when I'm sorting out instant messaging tools to feed into Meebo at home when I start receiving messages from Tracy via the thing..... as the Inspiral Carpets would have it this is as Cool as - well you can insert the rest yourself. Now I know this kinda stuff ain't new but it's new to us so bear with me!

Price from Heritage for their Marc Module wings its way to me via Michael at Ormskirk, and their web hosting. Chat to Stevie P. about the latter, check in with Mike F. about the former which confirms my worst fears and my opinion of Heritage. Thankfully we don't use the thing!

Just Another Bit of Crumpled Paper on the Desk

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New Section National News

New Story Cash for medication plan urged - The Guardian 3rd January 2007 A group of psychiatrists today suggest that some patients with schizophrenia could be paid to take their medication on a regular basis as a way of helping to stabilise their condition, reduce the chances of problems with the police or neighbours and keep them out of hospital. The suggestion is contentious even among psychiatrists, but a study published in a journal of the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that payments can be successful incentives and acceptable to the patients. Additional Story Mentally ill patients offered cash incentive to take drugs - The Independent 3rd January 2007 Additional Story Mental illness drug payments call - BBC Health News 3rd January 2007

New Story GMC hears surgeon used texts to pester patient for a date - The Guardian 3rd January 2007 A surgeon sent a patient a string of text messages begging her to go out with him just days after operating on her, the General Medical Council heard yesterday. Wasim Aftab had claimed he needed her phone number so that he could contact her with the results of a biopsy, but instead sent a series of text messages. He eventually left an "aggressive" voice message after he learned she had complained to the King George Hospital in Ilford, Essex, where he was a senior house officer. Additional Story 'Text-pest doctor harassed patient' - The Times 3rd January 2007

New Story Trust repays nursing home fees of £50,000 - The Guardian 3rd January 2007 A man who was forced to sell his mother's home to pay for her nursing-home care yesterday won back more than £50,000 from a health trust in a landmark case. Mike Pearce sold his mother Ruby's home to meet bills so she could receive round-the-clock care after she was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's. She was judged ineligible for care on the NHS despite her condition worsening until she was incapable of doing anything for herself but chew food and swallow.

New Story Neutralise radiation and stay off milk: the truth about celebrity health claims - The Guardian 3rd January 2007 From Madonna's efforts to find a way to "neutralise radiation" to Carol Caplin's advice on keeping "your lymph system unclogged" if you want to avoid breast cancer, celebrities are seldom shy about offering scientific-sounding health tips. But with the season for promoting new year diets and health fads in full swing, a group of scientists are hoping to steer the rich and famous away from making pseudo-scientific gaffes. Additional Story Scientists warn about celebrity mumbo-jumbo - The Telegraph 3rd January 2007

New Story Health warning over safety of bottled water - The Independent 3rd January 2007 Britain's £2bn-a-year thirst for bottled water is not only financially and environmentally foolish, it may even harm the drinkers' health, campaigners say. Possible problems associated with shop-bought water include excess sodium, the leaching of toxins and benzene contamination, according to a report published yesterday by the sustainable food and farming group Sustain.

New Story Consequences of smoking - The Times 3rd January 2007 Although a non-smoker I am confused by the Government’s stance on banning the selling of cigarettes to young people (report andleading article, Jan 1 and letters, Jan 2). The same Government may well support the notion of votes at 16, and has regularly taken people into its Armed Services below the age of 18. How preposterous it is then that a young person can fire a weapon (as I did at 17) and might in the future be able to vote on issues such as smoking but is banned from buying cigarettes.

New Story Dentists help women to fight bone disease - The Times 3rd January 2007 Dental X-rays could be used to test for osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease, a study has found. By measuring the thickness of part of the patient’s lower jaw, using software developed by the researchers, dentists could easily identify many women at risk of the disease.

New Story Girl Guides to teach about alcohol and sex problems - The Times 3rd January 2007 It may not be one of the usual reasons why parents encourage their daughters to join the Guides. But this year the skills taught by the movement will be extended from first aid and camping to include problems of sex. About 450 Guides are to be trained as “peer educators” to run sessions covering sex, contraception, abortion and abuse, as well as alcoholism, stress, bullying and compulsive eating.

New Story Red tape is 'lowering standards of patient care' - The Telegraph 3rd January 2007 More than half of family doctors in England are being forced to refer patients to hospital through an extra layer of red tape and many are prevented from naming a consultant they know and trust. In some cases the referrals are refused and doctors have to argue the case for the patient to be seen by a consultant.

New Story So how long before you give up the gym? - The Telegraph 3rd January 2007 Thousands of people who take their expanded Christmas waistlines to the gym this week will have abandoned their good intentions by June, health experts said yesterday. The fitness failures will have resigned themselves to being 5lb heavier, they said.

New Story Mental illness drug payments call - BBC Health News 3rd January 2007 Paying people with severe mental illnesses to take medication may encourage some to stick to their drug regime, a team of London doctors says. They have quoted four cases where payments reportedly increased use of medication and cut hospital admissions.

New Story Dentists could do bone tests - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Millions of women at risk from the bone wasting disease osteoporosis could soon be tested every time they visit the dentist. Scientists at the University of Manchester have created a way to detect the disease - which affects 15 per cent of all Western women and 70 per cent of women over 80 - using ordinary dental X-rays. Additonal Story Dentists help women to fight bone disease - The Times 3rd January 2007

New Story Stomach ache 'most common festive complaint' - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Stomach ache, tooth ache and coughs topped the nation's medical gripes over the festive period. More than 250,000 calls were made to NHS Direct during the 10-day Christmas and New Year holiday. Health bosses said with 6.5m calls, inquiries were 15 per cent lower than last year, but visitors to the service's website - www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk - soared by a third, with 340,000 visits. Additional Story Stomach pain leads calls to NHS - BBC Health News 2nd January 2007

New Story Record number of smokers aim to quit in 2007 - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 A major new poll by a leading health charity has today revealed a record number of smokers are aiming to beat their addiction during 2007. The survey by the No Smoking Day charity revealed 2.8 million people are aiming to quit ahead of a nationwide ban on smoking in public places from July 1 this year.

New Story Festive diary: did we really drink that much? - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Tis the season to be merry — and many people have been just that during the festive period. The offi-cial advice is that to prevent it affecting your health, women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week and men 21 units. A large glass of wine contains three units of alcohol, a small sherry one, a glass of champagne one-and-a-half and a bottle of premium lager two. But with Christmas lunches, cocktail parties and catching up with old friends, many find that their alcohol consumption rockets during the festive period, often without their even real-ising it.

New Story The unending agony of the Elephant Man - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Life was pretty calm before the 'cytokine storm' that flooded through my boyfriend's body and nearly killed him last March. Nino Abdelhady, my partner of two years, was left critically ill after a drugs trial that became known in headlines around the world as the 'Elephant Man' disaster. I gave that monstrous 'Elephant Man' tag to Nino in a BBC interview while I was in a state of shock from seeing his face and neck grotesquely inflated.

New Story Are you brave enough for the doomsday test? - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 A new gene test can predict your risk of getting cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. But do you really want to know? JEROME BURNE got his test results and was in for a few surprises

New Story So is detox just a waste of time? - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 A few weeks ago I read that detoxing didn't work, but most of my friends swear by it. Is it worth doing?

New Story Dave Dee was lucky his cancer was found early. But then treatment went horribly wrong... - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Sixties pop star Dave Dee - lead singer of the group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - discovered he had prostate cancer by chance in 2000, after deciding to have a top-to-toe medical. He then underwent treatment that went horribly wrong.

New Story Quarter say cancer 'down to fate' - BBC Health News 3rd January 2007 Over a quarter of people believe that fate will determine whether they get cancer, a survey says. More women than men thought destiny would determine their chances - and smokers were 50% more likely than non-smokers to believe in it.

New Story Health warning for inner cities - BBC Health News 2nd January 2007 Inner city boroughs may overtake former industrial towns as the unhealthiest places in Britain, researchers say. Market analysts CACI and TNS looked at smoking and disease rates and dietary habits to plot the least healthy places in England, Wales and Scotland.

New Story Medicines patent loophole 'found' - BBC Health News 2nd January 2007 Researchers who have found a way to bypass the legal patent on an expensive drug say others should follow suit. Imperial College experts have developed a potentially cheaper version of an existing Hepatitis C drug by altering the molecular structure.

New Story NHS patients face fake drug risk - BBC Health News 2nd January 2007 Patients are being put at risk as counterfeiters target the NHS supply chain with fake drugs, regulators say. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned it is investigating twice as many counterfeit cases as it was five years ago.

New Section International News

New Story Report links premature babies to common cervical treatment - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Women who undergo a common treatment of the cervix are more likely to have a premature baby later in life, according to research out today. The study found women who underwent loop excision, the most common treatment for removing precancerous cells of the cervix, had an increased risk of having an early baby. Additional Story Cancer therapy link to premature birth - The Times 3rd January 2007

New Story The little gadget that could banish insomnia - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 A pocket-sized device that is used for 15 minutes before bed has been developed to treat insomnia. The gadget, which enables users to lower their own heartbeat by regulated deep breathing, has started clinical trials at Duke University in America.

New Section Cheshire and Merseyside News

New Story Stroke care will be best of British - Liverpool Echo 2nd January 2007 STROKE care in Liverpool hospitals is to become the best in the country under new plans. Consultants from Fazakerley and the Royal are to launch a round-the-clock rapid response team.

New Story Region's ambulance crews at full stretch for New Year - Daily Post 2nd January 2007 AMBULANCE workers in Merseyside and Cheshire responded to almost 800 emergency calls on New Year's Eve, including many life threatening cases. And the start of 2007 proved just as busy, as paramedics dealt with more than 400 calls from 11.30pm on New Year's Eve through to 5am yesterday.

New Section Cumbria and Lancashire News

New Story Cumbria population to rise 60,000 by 2029 - Carlisle News & Star 2nd January 2007 CUMBRIA’S population is set to rise by 59,500 by 2029, putting more pressure on roads and health services, and worsening the shortage of affordable homes. Official figures obtained by the GMB trade union show that the number of people living in the county is expected to grow from 494,800 to 554,300, an increase of 12 per cent.

New Story Doctors' trust is in the black - Lancashire Telegraph 2nd December 2007 AN East Lancashire health authority said it expects to end its year with £1.5million in the bank - as hospital bosses struggle to meet costs. Blackburn with Darwen NHS Primary Care Trust, which organises GP surgeries and decides what hospital treatment is available, is expecting a £1.5million surplus by the end of the financial year in April.

New Story Orthopaedic trainer puts back into it - Lancashire Telegraph 2nd December 2007 EAST Lancashire's hospital authority has scooped a top medical prize for the second year in a row. Orthopaedic surgeon Robin Paton was awarded the North West Orthopaedic Trainees Association Trainer of the Year 2006 Award.

New Story Doctors rebel - Lancashire Telegraph 2nd December 2007 A DOCTORS practice is refusing to allow patients to book their own hospital appointment - because managers say they can't be trusted to do it. Brookhouse Medical Centre, Whalley Range, Blackburn, has not joined most other surgeries using the Government's much touted "choose and book" system.

New Story Mix-up left patient with long wait - Lancashire Telegraph 2nd December 2007 A PATIENT waited more than six months for hospital treatment after being missed off the waiting list, it has been revealed. The "administrative failure" meant the unnamed patient was only added to the list after attending another clinic.

New Story MP urged to back campaign - Lancashire Telegraph 2nd December 2007 TOWN councillors in Todmorden are calling on their MP to help keep their health service local. The move has come amid concerns about health services being moved as far away as Huddersfield.

New Story 999 calls treble for New Year - Lancashire Telegraph 2nd December 2007 EMERGENCY crews reported a busy New Year's Eve. The North-west Ambulance Service received 725 calls. A normal night can expect about 200.

New Section Greater Manchester

New Story City named as diet and exercise blackspot - Manchester Evening News 2nd January 2006 POOR diet and exercise levels in Manchester are placing huge demands on the NHS with high levels of serious illness, researchers have warned. The city is named in the top ten of areas where high levels of severely unhealthy lifestyles are likely to lead to serious illness, according to a new study.

New Story Bundles of New Year joy - The Bolton News 2nd December 2007 PARENTS in Bolton were toasting the New Year and a new baby yesterday. First to make an appearance at the Royal Bolton Hospital was Callum Reece Morris-Broome, who was born at 12.40am on New Year's Day.

Dentists could do bone tests - Daily Mail 2nd January 2007 Millions of women at risk from the bone wasting disease osteoporosis could soon be tested every time they visit the dentist. Scientists at the University of Manchester have created a way to detect the disease - which affects 15 per cent of all Western women and 70 per cent of women over 80 - using ordinary dental X-rays. Additonal Story Dentists help women to fight bone disease - The Times 3rd January 2007

New Section Podcast

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