Positive changes have a domino effect meaning people who don’t smoke tend to eat less fatty food and those who quit cigarettes find that they eat more fruit and vegetables.

The study was carried out by the social research experts at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) for the Department of Health.

While healthy habits breed more healthy habits, the same was also found with unhealthy habits.

People who regularly ate fried food were more likely to eat too much salt and people who consumed too much alcohol also ate fewer fruit and vegetables.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies said: “The New Year is a great time to renew efforts and give up unhealthy habits, such as smoking, and take up healthier ones, such as regular physical activity, improving our diet and drinking less.

“This NatCen research shows that if you make one healthy resolution this New Year you might get double the benefits as you are more likely to make other positive healthier changes too. So, start thinking about other areas where you can improve your health and set yourself up for a healthier life, for 2012.”

So if you have made a promise to improve your wellbeing in 2012- you now have a double reason to stick to your new lifestyle. Good Luck!

Health Direct wishes you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

We would also like to take the opportunity to thank and support all of those hard working professionals within the NHS- without whom we would all be paddleless.

A large proportion of the patients involved were aged over 75, the figures from the NHS Information Centre show. Illnesses related to such infections led to average stays in hospital last year of 31.1 days.

Experts blamed poor hygiene for the dramatic rise in infections, including superbugs MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C. diff) as well as norovirus and E.coli.

But the Department of Health dismissed the “misleading” figures, published online, saying that officials have “got better and better at tackling hospital infections”.

According to the new figures, supplied by NHS hospitals, the number of patients found by consultants to have hospital acquired infections rose last year reached a record 42,712.

That figure increased from the 31,447 recorded in the previous year and almost double the 22,448 documented in 2008/09.

Last year’s figures were the highest levels recorded in the 13 years in which the records have been publicly available. In 1998/99 there were just 335 such cases. The Centre did not provide a breakdown of illnesses.

It came as the Health Protection Agency said that there were 46 suspected outbreaks of norovirus in hospitals over the past two weeks, with more than half leading to ward closures or admissions restrictions.

The agency said the levels were within seasonal norms.

Commenting on the overall infection levels Joyce Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, said the figures were a “terrifying prospect for vulnerable elderly people who think they are going into hospital to get better”.

“It contrasts sharply with the happy propaganda that has been telling us that infection rates had dropped sharply,” she said.

A DoH spokesman said: “The NHS has got better and better at tackling hospital infections, demonstrated by the record lows we have seen this year.

“Because we are not complacent, we have introduced mandatory reporting of more hospital infections. That means that we have shone a light on the problems previously swept under the carpet.  But patients should be confident that the measures we have taken will continue the downward trend in hospital infections.”

Overall confirmed individual cases across the country from July to mid-December are 19 per cent higher than during the same period last year.

Norovirus is extremely contagious and can be lethal to the elderly, very young or very sick patients.

People who have been ill are being asked not to visit friends and relatives in hospital until they are well.

Medical bosses at hospitals across the country are working to prevent the condition spreading and to reopen wards that were closed yesterday.

Nationally data from the Health Protection Agency released last week shows that norovirus rates remain below the level expected for this time of year, possibly reflecting the mild weather until now.

The HPA declares norovirus season has started when 4.8 per cent of calls to NHS Direct are about vomiting. Last week there were 4.2 per cent of calls about vomiting.

The first sign of Norovirus is usually a sudden sick feeling followed by forceful vomiting and watery diarrhoea. Other symptoms include a raised temperature, headaches, stomach cramps and aching limbs.

The data showed that last week the North East and South West were the worst affected.

Three hospitals reported that 124 beds are unavailable as a result of the ward closures. It is thought that the true number across all eight hospitals will be more than 200.

Wards were also closed to new patients at Montagu Hospital in South Yorkshire while 82 beds were closed on two wards at Northwick Park in Harrow, north London.

Croydon Health Services said it had one ward closed to new admissions.

Two wards were also closed at Warwick Hospital and the Richard Wells Ward was shut at Bedford hospital to contain a bout of gastroenteritis.

Director of nursing and patient services at Bedford hospital, Eiri Jones, warned visitors not to sit on hospital beds and not to visit at all if they had been ill in the preceding 72 hours.

Queens Hospital in Burton had one ward temporarily closed after a number of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting while the Countess of Chester Hospital had visiting restrictions in place at four wards to contain the outbreak.

A 14-bed ward at the University Hospital Southampton Trust was closed and County Durham and Darlington said it had seen isolated cases but had not had to close any wards.

Visitors to Northern Devon hospitals were warned only close relatives should visit patients and Mid Essex Hospital Trust said it had closed wards last weekend because of a similar outbreak.

The Royal College of GPs say the virus has not been a major problem so far this year – although outbreaks can occur very quickly, as the complaint is extremely infectious.

A statement from the Health Protection Agency said: “Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by consuming contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The virus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools, nursing and residential homes.

“Anyone who thinks they may have norovirus should not to go to their doctor’s surgery or A&E as this could spread the illness to vulnerable people and health care workers.”

More than 660,000 people were brought back to hospital last year within 28 days of leaving, statistics show, sparking allegations that patients are being “hurried through the system” so the NHS can meet waiting-list targets.

The official figures show that some NHS trusts have seen their emergency readmission rate rise more than threefold over the past decade – while some hospitals have seen only a modest increase.

Last night, Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, said that the “hugely distressing” trend must stop.

“Patients have a right to expect that when they go in for treatment that they are looked after properly and that the treatment they are given helps them to recover,” he said.

“Having to be readmitted and treated all over again is hugely distressing. These figures show how Labour’s obsession with waiting time targets meant that patients were treated like parts on a production line to be hurried through the system rather than like people who need to be properly cared for.”

The Department of Health has released detailed information on the number of emergency readmissions in every area across Britain.

The figures show that 620,054 patients had to be readmitted in 2009-10 – compared to just 348,996 a decade before, a 78 per cent increase. Over the past five years, there has been a 31 per cent rise and a five per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

The data also highlights the widespread regional variations. The rate of readmission in the Kensington & Chelsea PCT area has risen by 287 per cent over the past decade to 1,582 people.

However, North Lincolnshire PCT has only experienced a 3.37 per cent rise over the same period.

Hospitals within the Hampshire PCT area readmitted 13,239 people last year. The nearby area covered by the Isle of Wight PCT only had to readmit 1,098 people.

The figures, do not include patients suffering from cancer or mental health problems or maternity patients.

Most of the areas with the highest increases in readmission numbers are in London and the south east, where pressure is greatest on the NHS. The Department of Health has analysed the social make-up of each area and concludes that the so-called “thriving London periphery” – the relatively wealthy commuter hinterland around the capital has suffered the biggest recent deterioration.

About 10 million people are admitted to hospital wards each year. Critics claim that government targets, such as the demand that patients be admitted to hospital for treatment within 18 weeks of seeing their GP, mean hospital managers are pressured into releasing patients early to make beds available.

Earlier this month, The Daily Telegraph disclosed that the Government is moving from a system of targets for hospitals based on waiting and treatment times – to a system of so-called “outcomes” which measures the success of treatment.

In a criticism of previous targets which he blames for the increase in emergency readmissions, Mr Lansley said: “Instead of focusing on the results which actually matter for patients, they focused on narrow processes to the detriment of patient care. That is why we have taken action to address these increases in emergency readmissions.

“One of the new goals we are setting the NHS is reducing emergency readmissions. In order to help achieve this we have created a re-ablement fund of £300 million and we have taken action to stop hospitals being paid when they readmit a patient after discharging them too early. These steps will turn Labour’s poor performance around.”

Under the Government scheme, hospitals will effectively be responsible for people’s care in the weeks after they return home and will be financially penalised for discharging patients too soon.

From:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Scandal-of-NHS-production-line-as-readmissions-soar

The annual study carried out across England is a detailed survey of the “postcode lottery” in NHS treatment.

Ministers say the results will help identify “unjustified” disparities and drive up standards resulting in “consistently high quality care”.

The report shows a stark contrast in the rate of prescribing anti-dementia drugs.

Patients in north Lancashire are being described 25 times as many treatments and tablets to help “temporarily improve or stabilise symptoms” than in Kent.

The report suggests that one possible reason is the lack of awareness some GPs have about how to spot early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – a concern shared by campaigners for those living with the illness.

It also highlights worries that some breast cancer patients are staying in hospital too long in some parts of the country as compared with others.

The survey notes that most patients undergoing breast cancer surgery can be “safely managed as day cases or with a single overnight stay” but that currently more than 20 primary care trusts have average lengths of stay “in excess of three days”.

For example, the same surgery carried out in parts of south Wales resulted in patients staying in hospital for a few days where in Hertfordshire they stayed only one night.

Access to care homes – paid for by the NHS for those receiving end-of-life care or round-the-clock intensive care – also varied considerably.

In Devon and Cornwall, with its high elderly population, the admission rate for those aged over 74 to care homes funded by the NHS was just under three per 100,000 of the population. The figure in Northumberland was 190.

Meanwhile the rate of angioplasty operations – which tackle blocked and narrowed arteries – was three times higher in Peterborough than County Durham.

The report measures 71 key indicators, including hospital admission rates, what treatments health trusts choose to fund, and how children are managed in the NHS.

It attempts to map the “utilisation of healthcare services that cannot be explained by variation in patient illness or patient preferences”.

Health minister Lord Howe said: “The Atlas of Variation lets us look at how the local NHS is meeting the clinical needs of their local population.

“This will help commissioners to identify unjustified variations and drive up standards so patients are receiving consistently high quality care throughout the NHS.

“We are committed to improving results for patients and our new NHS Outcomes Framework will hold the NHS to account for this. Commissioners will be able to apply contractual penalties if any organisation is failing to deliver improvements for patients.”

The Prime Minister will say that the controversial industry has the potential to be a powerhouse of Britain’s 21st century economy, but that it is stifled by excessive regulation at present.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Burnham said that while he did not object in principle to close ties between the NHS and private sector life science companies, he was concerned that “one of the patients’ groups that was on the working group looking at this issue has walked away”.

“That gives real cause for concern and rings alarm bells” he said. “The Government simply can’t say: ‘This is all red tape and it all must be brushed away’”.

“Proper regulation, essential safeguards need to be in place when it comes to the use of patient data.”

The move, which will give life science companies more freedom to run clinical trials inside hospitals, is likely to face a backlash from privacy campaigners who have consistently opposed private companies being given access to medical records.

There will be particular opposition from animal rights activists who object vehemently, and sometimes violently, to vivisection, while religious groups, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, could object to firms that use stem cells harvested from embryos being allowed access to NHS data.

One senior executive at a leading drugs company well-known for using animal testing said: “You can look at the NHS as one massive database with 60 million people in it.”

The Prime Minister will stress that greater integration between private companies and the NHS could advance medical science, give patients greater access to cutting-edge treatments and save money, while boosting economic growth.

With Britain teetering on the brink of a double-dip recession, ministers are keen to show that they have a positive vision of the future.

“Britain has the potential to become a powerhouse in the world’s life sciences industry,” said a Downing Street source this weekend.

“We want to see much closer collaboration between the NHS and life science companies — not just greater data-sharing, but more clinical trials in hospitals.

“These changes will not only boost the industry, but also potentially give the NHS early access to new, innovative drugs treatments.”

Welcoming the move, Andrew Witty, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, said: “Any action the Government takes to improve the environment in this country for life science across these activities is welcome.”

Britain is considered uniquely placed to become a world leader in life sciences because of the strength of scientific research at its top universities and the amount of data and expertise amassed by the NHS since its creation in 1948.

The industry already employs about 160,000 people in 4,500 companies, ranging from large multinationals to small businesses.

These firms employ highly skilled researchers with PhDs down to lower-skilled workers in drugs manufacturing plants.

Whether such companies would be charged for access to NHS records was not clear.

Although personal information should be anonymised, the public sector has an appauling history of handling the personal details of citizens.

Numerous health trusts have been criticised for losing patient records in recent years and HM Revenue & Customs has previously lost the financial records of millions of taxpayers.

Privacy campaigners led a vigorous campaign against the previous Labour government’s plans to place every medical record on a central electronic database.

It is understood that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency would oversee the sharing of NHS data with businesses.

Joyce Robins, from Patient Concern, said many people would be “deeply disturbed” by the notion that their private medical records could be handed to firms seeking new markets.

“Even when they say records will be anonymised, the amount of detail contained in medical records means that companies may be able to find ways to target people with particular conditions,” she said.

“This data is absolutely private; it is not the Government’s to give.”

Health Direct has long warned that patients’ personal data security.

If the Government is genuine in their desire to speed up drug development- they ought to cut red tape.

10 years ago 10% of all new drugs developed in the world were tested in the UK. Since labour created the killer quango National Institute for Curbing Expenditure (NICE) this figure that fallen to only 3%.

But a pilot in four areas – Luton, County Durham and Darlington, Lincolnshire, and Nottingham – is highlighting worrying problems.

Official statistics show that in September, 12 per cent of calls went unanswered.

Across the four areas there were 33,707 calls to the service.

The Department of Health expects 12 million calls a year to the free 111 number in England, based on scaling up that figure.

Writing on the NHS’s own web page about the 111 number, one caller expressed frustration at being unable to get through despite waiting 35 minutes.

“All I wanted was a bit of advice. I now need to go to work and have had no help from anyone,” the caller wrote. “I had the sense to take pain killers myself, hope this new service gets better.”

A month ago Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, announced that 111 would be rolled out nationwide by April 2013, abolishing the concept of “out-of-hours” care. It is also meant to encompass NHS Direct.

The Department of Health claimed the September statistics showed an “encouraging picture”.

A spokesman said: “Lessons learned from the pilots will ensure that when the service is rolled out nationally it will provide people with a first class service.”

He added: “We know that unanswered calls are usually callers who get through to the NHS 111 message and hang up. This could be because they wanted to speak to their GP practice, but it was still in the ‘out of hours’ period and they were therefore transferred to NHS 111.

“This figure does not mean patients are receiving a poor service.”

A spokesman for NHS Direct echoed this, saying the vast majority of the 12 per cent of unanswered calls were of people who chose to hang up, after learning they were being put through to the 111 service when they wanted to speak directly to their GP.

From:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/NHS-111-number-1-in-8-calls-unanswered

‘Nudging’ people to lose weight by thinking about their lifestyle shows little evidence of success, an analysis of published data suggests.

The report, by The Cochrane Library, looked at studies involving nearly 4,000 people around the world.

The method, known as the transtheoretical model (TTM) stages of change, is used to encourage people to move towards more healthy forms of behaviour.

The five step process encourages people to see the need to change and then give it a go.

It has been shown to be successful in helping people quit smoking, and has also been used in alcohol and drug addiction.

The analysis looked at five trials – in the UK, US, Netherlands, Canada, and Australia – involving 1,834 overweight or obese patients, and 2,076 people of normal weight.

The authors, led by Professor Azeem Majeed and Dr Nik Tuah of Imperial College London, found no convincing evidence of any sustained or significant weight loss.

Professor Majeed: “Changing people’s dietary patterns is very difficult – that’s why we’ve got such a problem with obesity.”

Dr Tuah added: “This review does not necessarily challenge the notion that diet and exercise are effective weight loss strategies, but instead raises questions about how to approach lifestyle changes for individuals who want to adopt them.”

The report concluded: ” The use of TTM SOC resulted in minimal weight loss (about 2 kg or less) and there was no conclusive evidence for sustainable weight loss amongst participants.”

The report’s abstract is at: Transtheoretical model for dietary and physical exercise modification in weight loss management for overweight and obese adults

Researchers say about 30% of cancer patients may be taking part in clinical trials, but for diabetes that figure is less than 1%.

About 2.8 million people in the UK are known to have diabetes.

But the charity Diabetes UK believes another 800,000 people may not know they already have the disease.

Part of the reason researchers have found it hard to find diabetes patients is that most only see their GP.

But three regions in England have been chosen to pilot a scheme which aims to offer 25,000 patients, with any form of diabetes, the chance to take part in clinical trials or other forms of research.

A recruitment drive is taking place in north east London, the south west and the north west of England.

Prof Martin Gibson, from the Diabetes Research Network at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, says clinical trials are essential in order to find better treatments for diabetes – or even a cure.

“Pretty much everyone I talk to with diabetes is interested in research but they don’t get the opportunity.  It’s not like cancer where people are increasingly offered the chance to take part in research projects.”

“Part of the problem is that people with diabetes are very often out in the community, which is not where the researchers are.  So what we’re trying to create is a dating agency so we can bring the two groups together, because both are very interested in trying to find a cure for diabetes.”

Diabetes UK estimates that about 10% of the total NHS budget across the UK is spent on illnesses related to the disease.

The charity calculates this works out at about £173m a week – or £1m an hour.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: “This is a huge opportunity for people with diabetes to play their part in crucial research that is piecing together the gaps in our knowledge and in our understanding of the condition.

“This exciting campaign will help future generations of people diagnosed with this serious, life-long condition and help us take a step further to a future without diabetes.”

If you would like to be involved in the diabetes research project please click here now.

The launch was hosted by television presenter Eamonn Holmes, who will also front the live draw to be shown on ITV1 and Channel 5 each Saturday from October 8.

He said: “It’s such a great idea, I am really excited about being part of something that not only makes people smile every week, but also has the ability to change lives in the longer term.

“In these difficult economic times, the Health Lottery will inject a sizeable amount of new money into that local network, and the projects that are supported will help people live longer, healthier lives.”

Twenty pence from tickets, which cost £1, will go towards health-related good causes.

Matching three numbers wins £50 and four numbers £500.

No matter how many people win, everyone will get the advertised prize, the Health Lottery said.

John Hume, chief executive of the People’s Health Trust, said: “We will be working directly with communities to identify practical and sustainable ways in which funding from the Health Lottery can have real impacts on health and well-being in communities experiencing significant disadvantages.”

Martin Hall, chief executive of the Health Lottery said: “The Health Lottery game is a fresh new alternative which has one single good cause at its heart – health.

“We will be offering people the opportunity to win a life-changing amount of money while at the same time contributing to tackling real health issues in their own communities.

“It is an exciting new launch which will benefit every community in Great Britain.”

But the launch attracted criticism from Sir Stephen Bubb, of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, who dubbed it a “disgraceful new development”.

He wrote on his blog: “He (Northern & Shell owner Richard Desmond) intends to only give 20p in the pound to health, whereas the National Lottery is giving 28p to good causes.

“So if people switch to Desmond from the National Lottery charities will lose out.”

Health Direct also notes that the marketing and admin charges are higher for the new lottery than the national Camelot lottery.

NHS Hospitals are breaking the law by failing to report incidents that result in severe harm to patients a charity has warned.

He was commenting on National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) figures, showing an 8.5 per cent increase in the total number of reported incidents in the NHS in England, between April to September 2010 and October to March 2011.

The vast majority of such incidents result in “no harm” (69 per cent), “low harm” (24), or “moderate harm” (six).

However, one per cent result in “death or severe harm”. Since April 2010, health trusts have had to report these incidents.

Between the two most recent six-monthly periods for which data are available, the number of such reported incidents rose by 13 per cent – from 4,358 to 5,012.

While significant, Mr Walsh believed if all trusts were reporting as they should, the rise would be larger still.

He said: “Given that there was a new set of rules that came in, in April 2010, that made it a statutory requirement for trusts to report incidents that cause severe harm or death, we would have expected a bigger increase.

“So we think some trusts might be holding back on reporting incidents that caused severe harm.”

He added: “We think work is needed looking at why trusts do not seem to be reporting at a rate we would expect.”

Individual cases that were known through clinical negligence claims should be checked back, to see if trusts had reported them to the NPSA, he recommended.

A spokesman for the NPSA said that overall new figures reflected an improving culture of reporting incidents in NHS trusts.

Sarndrah Horsfall, chief executive of the NPSA, said: “Identifying patient safety incidents and ensuring they are reported and analysed is at the heart of reducing risk in healthcare.

“NHS organisations should use the data and review the tools, guidance and support available to them. This will ensure patient safety incidents continue to be reported and learned from, strengthening the patient safety culture across all levels of the NHS.”

From:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Hospitals-failing-to-report-serious-safety-incidents

Patients have been left at risk as the country’s main health watchdog quango carried out 70 per cent fewer inspections in order to focus on bureaucracy MPs find.

The situation was made worse by the fact that almost 300 posts were unfilled at the regulator and it failed to make Government understand the difficulties it was facing in adding dentists to the professions it monitors.

A damning report accuses the CQC of responding “woefully” to a whistleblower who uncovered abuse of people with learning disabilities at a private hospital, and of only offering “out of date and unhelpful” information to the public.

The MPs also call on the watchdog to focus on the broader culture at hospitals and care homes, rather than individual failings in treatment, to make sure that complaints are not being suppressed.

Stephen Dorrell, the Health Secretary under John Major who now chairs the select committee, said: “In its review of the CQC, the Committee concluded that the organisation’s priorities became distorted by a statutory deadline for the registration of dentists and that this distortion led directly to a drop of 70 per cent in inspection activity during the second half of 2010-11 compared with the same period in the previous year.

“The primary causes of this distortion, which resulted in increased risk to patients, were the unrealistic statutory obligations imposed on the CQC.”

Rosie Cooper, a Labour member of the committee, said: “I was really disappointed that the CQC allowed itself to get trapped in the regulatory profess and that restricted its ability to carry out inspections, which left vulnerable people at risk.”

The CQC, which has a budget of more than £160 million, was formed in 2009 in a merger of three separate watchdogs for healthcare, mental health and social care, and set about registering thousands of NHS hospitals and care homes.

But it missed its target of registering 8,000 dentists by April because of its complex process and the deadline for putting GP practices on its books has been postponed for a year so it can catch up.

As a result of this focus on administration, the select committee says that CQC inspections to see if patients are being looked after safely fell by 70 per cent, from 6,840 between October 2009 and March 2010 to 2,008 in the following six months.

Meanwhile its number of job vacancies rose from 148 in June 2010 to 297 a year later, “a further cause for concern”, almost half of whom were the inspectors and registration assessors it needed the most.

The MPs said the watchdog should have argued its case to Government more persuasively and far sooner.

Caseloads for the CQC’s inspectors have risen from 50 to 62 organisations over the past year, and so many assessments are mere “box-ticking” exercises carried out from its offices.

After a nurse contacted the CQC to complain about abuse at Winterbourne View, its response was “woefully inadequate”. Calls from whistleblowers elsewhere increased after the scandal was exposed by Panorama but this could be “only the tip of the iceberg”.

The CQC has a website where patients and relatives can read reports on hospitals and care homes but in many cases they are “several years old” and contain “limited” information.

The MPs say that inspectors should visit hospitals and nursing homes every year and speak to staff, patients and visitors to get a true picture of the quality of care being provided, rather than just relying on easily met targets.

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Patients-left-at-risk-by-watchdogs-focus-on-red-tape

Scientists found that small amounts of dark chocolate may improve health in a similar way to exercise.

Dr Moh Malek, from Wayne State University in Detroit, who led the US study on mice, said: ”Mitochondria produce energy which is used by the cells in the body. More mitochondria mean more energy is  produced the more work can be performed.

”Aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, is known to increase the number of mitochondria in muscle cells. Our study has found that epicatechin seems to bring about the same response –  particularly in the heart and skeletal muscles.”

A specific type of epicatechin from cocoa was given to mice twice a day for 15 days.

At the same time, the animals underwent 30 minutes of treadmill training each day.

Researchers found that mice only fed epicatechin had the same exercise performance as those running on the treadmill.

The findings were published today in the Journal of Physiology.

The scientists hope their research will lead to better ways of combating age-related muscle wasting.

”The number of mitochondria decreases in skeletal muscle as we age, and this affects us physically in terms of both muscle energy production and endurance,” said Dr Malek. ”Applying what we know  about epicatechin’s ability to boost mitochondria numbers may provide an approach to reduce the effects of muscle ageing.”

Middle aged mice who both exercised and ate epicatechin showed an even greater benefit.

”It appears epicatechin treatment combined with exercised could be a viable means to offset muscle ageing,” said Dr Malek.

He added: ”At the moment it would be a leap of faith to say the same effects would be seen in humans. But it is something we hope to identify in future studies.”

From:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Chocolate-as-good-for-you-as-exercise

Health bodies spent £289m on redundancy payments but the number of staff employed in hospitals actually rose by almost 8,000.

Dozens were found at fault with the “value for money” they offer and a fifth of all NHS bodies failed to meet their savings targets despite cutting back on staff and the number of patients they treat.

The Audit Commission, the public spending watchdog that is being scrapped, warned that health service providers face even tougher times ahead as savings become harder to find and Government spending increases dry up.

Andy McKeon, managing director for health at the Audit Commission, said: “It is impressive that the NHS overall performed so well financially last year, even if some organisations struggled.

“But there is no room for complacency. Tighter funding, and the need to continue to improve services and implement reforms, will make the next three years much tougher.  NHS organisations will need to make a determined effort to find further recurrent savings while continuing to deliver high quality services.”

The watchdog looked at the 2010-11 accounts for Primary Care Trusts, which pay for treatment; hospitals not including the semi-independent Foundation Trusts; and the regional Strategic Health Authorities.

It found that they were running a £1.5 billion surplus and had actually underspent by £272 millon on the £2.95 billion in capital expenditure they were given by the Department of Health, twice as much as recorded the previous year.

But seven hospitals and two PCTs failed to break even, one fewer than in 2009-10, with the biggest deficit of £41m recorded by South London Healthcare NHS Trust.

At least 16 NHS organisations needed additional financial support from PCTs which is never paid back “thereby obscuring their real financial health”.

Managers gave out £90 million to hospitals, while the Department of Health issued loans totalling £34 million to four hospitals and also gave £76 million to two trusts which did not even have enough money to pay back loans.

Ministers want to cut management costs by 45 per cent at SHAs and PCTs, which are being restructured, and they did let 5,713 people go with average pay-offs of £40,000 each.

But the headcount at hospitals actually rose by 7,616 and only fell by 27 in the 10 SHAs.

The Audit Commission did not find any NHS body’s accounts were not “true and fair”, but it did issue “qualified Value For Money conclusions” for 27 hospitals and 18 PCTs, suggesting they had problems with “financial resilience” or “economy, efficiency and effectiveness”.

The Audit Commission warns next year will be “a more financially challenging year” as there will be no “significant real-terms increase” in the central budget, so trusts will require “determined effort and strong leadership”.

From:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/NHS-hospitals-needed-200m-in-bailouts-and-loans

It suggested areas like Manchester and the London borough of Tower Hamlets would lose out to parts of the wealthy south east, such as Surrey and Hampshire.

Labour based the claims on an assessment of funding reforms by public health bodies in Manchester.

But the government has disputed the allegations and claimed Labour’s figures were misleading.

Department of Health officials said primary care budgets in Surrey and Tower Hamlets would go up by a similar amount this year.

The Conservatives claimed every area would have suffered health funding cuts under Labour.

A Conservative party spokesman said: “This is yet another own goal from Labour. If they had won the last election, the NHS would now be being cut by £28 billion across the country. Every area would have seen spending on the NHS cut – as it is in Labour-run Wales.

“This Government is increasing spending on the NHS in real terms over this parliament, and every region of the country will receive more money as a result of this investment.”

Health Direct has repeatedly tracked Labour’s proud boast when it was in power of creating postcode lotteries based on it’s voting constituencies:

Friday, April 13, 2007 Labour voting areas get most PFI NHS cash
http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2007/04/labour-voting-areas-get-most-pfi-nhs.html

Wednesday, November 22, 2006 Hewitt defends NHS cash for Labour voting areas
http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2006/11/hewitt-defends-nhs-cash-for-labour.html

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 NHS cuts twice as likely in Tory and Lib Dem areas
http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2006/10/nhs-cuts-twice-as-likely-in-tory-and.html

Monday, September 25, 2006 NHS closures rigged in Labour voting constituencies
http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2006/09/nhs-closures-rigged-in-labour-voting.html

Friday, September 15, 2006 Labour accused over hospital cuts in marginal constituencies
http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2006/09/labour-accused-over-hospital-cuts-in.html

The researchers said they were surprised to find the chromosome defects which appeared to have occurred during the second stage of the specialised process of cell division that leads to the creation of the human egg cell.

Chromosome defects in eggs were previously considered to have resulted in the first stage of cell division, which occurs when a woman was herself a foetus in the womb. Finding them during the second stage, which occurs at ovulation, therefore suggests they may have resulted from the hyperstimulation of the ovaries during IVF treatment.

The defects included abnormal variations from the usual number of 23 pairs of chromosomes. Three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the normal two, for instance, leads to babies with Down’s syndrome. As women get older it becomes increasingly difficult for them to produce enough viable eggs for IVF treatment. It is common practice for older women to have their ovaries stimulated with stronger doses of drugs than is the case for younger women.

The results of the study are to be presented at a fertility conference in Stockholm this week but the scientists behind the research said that they wanted to reassure older women considering IVF treatment. They said further work needs to be done fully to explain the findings and there is no evidence to suggest that IVF babies of older women are at any higher risk of birth defects than babies conceived naturally by women of the same age.

“We found that some IVF eggs have up to seven chromosome abnormalities. This suggests the possibility that ovarian stimulation during the treatment may have caused some of these defects,” said Professor Alan Handyside, director of the London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre, who led the study.

“These defects are unexpected and it may be that this is just an undiscovered aspect of biology. At the moment all we can say is that this is part of the natural process as women get older.”

The study, which will be presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, analysed more than 100 egg cells from 34 couples undergoing IVF treatment. The average maternal age was 40.

Scientists screened the chromosomes of the eggs and structures known as “polar bodies” that result from a type of cell division known as meiosis. Meiosis is a specialised form of division that results in eggs with half the normal complement of chromosomes – crucial to ensuring that the fertilised egg has the full complement of 46 chromosomes when it fuses with a sperm cell.

The first stage of meiosis occurs when the woman’s ovary is developing in the foetus before birth, when the dividing chromosomes are held together by a kind of cellular “glue” ready for the second stage of division at ovulation.

However, when the ovary of an older women is stimulated with synthetic hormones it is possible that this dislodges the glue prematurely. This might result in abnormal numbers of chromosomes to segregate into the resulting egg cell.

“Our evidence demonstrates that, following IVF, there are multiple chromosome errors in meiotic divisions, suggesting more premature separation of single chromosomes resulting in more random segregation,” Professor Hanyside said.

Stuart Lavery, a consultant gynaecologist at Hammersmith Hospital in London, said “This provides evidence that there is a problem, but it does not prove that it’s treatment related,” Mr Lavery said.

The most important conclusion to be reached from this research isn’t so much the “why” but that the screening process for eggs to be used in IVF must be improved.

It is possible to screen the chromosomes of so-called First Polar Body eggs, at least as part of research. This paper stresses the importance of also screening Second Polar Body eggs, those that have been fertilised.

Doing so will, we can now see, allow us to better identify eggs that have developed abnormalities that result in conditions like Down’s Syndrome.

The issue of whether drugs used to stimulate ovulation are having a role is two-fold. Are the drugs damaging the eggs or simply releasing those that would otherwise be discarded naturally because of abnormalities? Or it could be the drugs have no role at all? We don’t know.

One intriguing point is that if the drugs are a factor we would have anticipated having seen more cases of Down’s Syndrome among older mothers. They may be there but we haven’t detected any such increased risk yet – it means we need to research the possibility.

From:  http://www.independent.co.uk/ivf-drugs-may-be-linked-to-genetic-defects-discovered-in-embryos

But it says plans to reward groups which treat addicts so they can return to work are open to manipulation.

The Department of Health said it aimed to get users “off drugs for good”.

The coalition government wants to change the way drug addiction is tackled, with more people with problems diverted away from prison and into treatment as part of what it calls a “rehabilitation revolution”.

Part of this involves rewarding treatment providers who show addicts have improved their health and employment prospects.

A report from the right-of-centre think tank, which has links to the Conservative Party, says these payment by results schemes were being run by the very organisations “responsible for the current failure of policy”.

It says the current annual cost of maintaining treatment for 320,000 problem drug users is made up of £1.7bn in benefits, £1.2bn for looking after their children and £730m for prescribing the heroin substitute methadone.

Kathy Gyngell, Centre of Policy Studies: “The Department of Health has been paying 153,000 people to be on methadone”

The think tank calls for “a real transfer of power from large distant organisations to small innovative providers” for rehabilitation.

It says such units have a better chance of getting addicts off drugs completely, adding: “There is one simple measure of success: That of six months abstinence from drugs.”

According to the report’s author Kathy Gyngell, chairwoman of the prisons and addictions policy forum at the CPS, prescribing methadone to addicts delays their recovery.

She told the BBC: “The state is subsidising people to be any number of years on methadone, which has turned out not to be a cheap option and will only subsidise the tiniest proportion – 2% – to go into a rehabilitation unit that would actually free them from dependency and allow them to live their life.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “The 2010 Drug Strategy is fundamentally different from those that have gone before.

“Instead of focusing primarily on reducing the harms caused by drug misuse, our approach will be to go much further and offer every support for people to choose recovery as an achievable way out of dependence.”

He added: “Work is under way to support local recovery systems tailored to the needs of communities, many of which are already showing positive results.”

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13826759

Health Direct has for a long time noted the costly failure that is the current policy on drugs. On August 02, 2006 in Risks of taking drugs compared- Scientific review of dangers of drugtaking- Drugs, the real deal

we reproduced the first ranking based upon scientific evidence of harm to both individuals and society.

It was devised by government advisers – then ignored by ministers because of its controversial findings.

The analysis was carried out by David Nutt, the then senior member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and Colin Blakemore, the chief executive of the Medical Research Council.
http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2006/08/risks-of-taking-drugs-compared.html

But the organisation said even more people needed to register.

Although nearly 30% of the UK population have registered their willingness to help others live in the event of their death, Black and Asian people had to wait three times longer for a transplant, because of a shortage of donors in those communities.

Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation, said the number of people on the register represented “a fantastic achievement”.

But she added: “Getting people to sign up to the register is only half the battle.

“In order to see that their wishes are carried out in the event of their deaths, it is essential that those who want to become donors discuss donation with family and friends.”

People in Scotland are the most likely to donate, 37% are on the register. The South West of England isn’t far behind with 35% of people signing up.

In 2010, more than 1,000 people donated their organs, and 2,700 organs were transplanted, across the UK.

However, 10,000 people are still on a waiting list for transplants.

To add your name to the NHS Organ Donor Register, please ring 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

Such is the concern in Downing Street at the damage the issue of NHS reform is causing the Government, that Mr Cameron will put his reputation on the line with a personal pledge to protect its core values. It represents his boldest attempt yet to assuage criticism from his Liberal Democrat Coalition partners and from many health professionals over the impact of the reforms.

In his speech, the Prime Minister will admit that he is willing to act on their concerns after listening to the “profession and patients” during a two-month exercise which was held after Mr Cameron called for a “pause” in the Health Bill’s passage.

His “five guarantees” are designed to show the Prime Minister is committed to the NHS, and “he is hearing what is being said”, according to one source. Mr Cameron’s promise on integrated care is designed to ensure patients receive continuity of treatment, without having to explain their condition from scratch each time to different doctors.

It also means that nurses and hospital professionals will retain a role in commissioning services, and that not everything is transferred to GPs.

His commitment to the “national” part of the NHS represents a pledge to keep it as a universal service, free at the point of use. But Mr Cameron will also say that “no change” is not an option.

He will echo the words of Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, who wrote in last week’s Daily Telegraph about the threat to the NHS if it does not reform. He warned of a £20 billion a year funding black hole without reform.

Despite ring fencing health spending, Mr Cameron is expected to make clear that NHS services will be threatened unless there is reform because of the rising costs of drugs and an increasing elderly population.

Mr Cameron is likely to say that the Coalition’s reforms will see the NHS working better. He will point out that in Europe there are health systems which work more effectively.

The speech comes as ministers prepare to rewrite much of the Health Bill. At present the plans involve abolishing two tiers of NHS management and handing control of a £60 billion-a-year budget to groups led by GPs, who can choose to buy treatment for patients from local state-run hospitals or private providers.

This week, the Royal College of Nursing is expected to renew its call for nurses to have a key role on the GP commissioning boards. Mr Lansley will not commit to such a plan until he has heard from the Future Forum, which is reporting back on possible changes to the Bill.

Tomorrow, Mr Lansley, who has been subject to rumours that he is about to resign or be sacked over the issue, faces MPs in the Commons. He will defend the reforms, although he is prepared to see them substantially watered down. However, Labour will seize on stories circulating that Cabinet colleagues had suggested he would not last the year in his post.

Downing Street polling has painted a stark picture of the problems Mr Cameron faces over the NHS and Mr Lansley’s presentation of the plans over the past 12 months is being blamed.

Last week Stephen Dorrell, who was health secretary in John Major’s government, added to speculation that he will replace Mr Lansley. Asked on BBC’s Question Time about whether he would do a better job, he said: “I am going to plead the Fifth Amendment.”

From:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/David-Cameron-puts-reputation-on-the-line-with-five-pledges-on-the-future-of-the-NHS

That includes liver disease and mental disorders due to alcohol abuse as well as some cancers, accidents and injuries.

The Department of Health will publish a new alcohol strategy later this year.

The number of admissions reached 1,057,000 in 2009-10 compared with 945,500 in 2008-09 and 510,800 in 2002-03.

Earlier this year the charity Alcohol Concern predicted the number of admissions would reach 1.5m a year by 2015. It estimated that would cost the NHS £3.7bn a year.

Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, said: “Today’s report shows the number of people admitted to hospital each year for alcohol related problems has topped 1m for the first time.

“The report also highlights the increasing cost of alcohol dependency to the NHS as the number of prescription items dispensed continues to rise.

“This report provides health professionals and policy makers with a useful picture of the health issues relating to alcohol use and misuse. It also highlights the importance of policy makers and health professionals in recognising and tackling alcohol misuse which in turn could lead to savings for the NHS.”

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “This confirms doctors’ impressions that the health harm from alcohol continues to rise.”

“While total alcohol consumption has fallen in recent years it is likely that the number of abstainers in England is increasing, but those who do drink continue to do so in a harmful and destructive way.”

The body which represents drinks manufacturers in the UK, the Portman Group, expressed surprise that admissions had increased at the same time as alcohol consumption had decreased.

David Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group, said: “If the hospital admissions data are robust, they clearly put paid to the argument that measures to reduce overall alcohol consumption are effective in reducing harm.

“The report shows that the proportion of people misusing alcohol is falling. We just need to find a way of persuading and educating this hard core of misusers who account for these admissions to drink responsibly.”

Alcohol Concern said the latest set of figures were alarming but that early detection of alcoholism contributed to the increase.

Its director of policy and communications, Nicolay Sorensen, said: “More people than ever before are drinking in a way that is harming their health and it’s a serious public health problem. It’s one of the biggest public health problems facing the country.

“In addition, the NHS has been doing some great work to identify people that have alcohol problems and so some of the increase is due to better identification and better referral.”

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: “These statistics show that the old ways of tackling public health problems have not always yielded the necessary improvements.

“We are already taking action to tackle problem drinking, including plans to stop supermarkets selling below cost alcohol and working to introduce a tougher licensing regime.

“We will also be publishing a new alcohol strategy later this year.”

Rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions came down in the past two years in Scotland, after increasing for a decade. In Wales, figures for up to 2006 showed increasing admission rates and in Northern Ireland the total number of admissions increased year on year since 2006/07.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13559455

They argue: “The reforms have received a very bad press lately but much of the criticism has been noticeably misinformed.”

The doctors are all heads of recently-formed GPs’ consortia – groups of practices that have joined together to take over responsibility for almost four-fifths of the NHS’s £100 billion budget from 2013.

They write that they “wholeheartedly support” moves to scrap primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, which currently decide how that money is spent.

“The reforms are not revolutionary but an evolution,” they say.

Putting GPs in charge will make the health service more effective and accountable at a time of “considerable financial constraints”, they add.

The letter is a welcome boost for Mr Lansley after Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, described the reforms as a “disruptive revolution”.

It also marks the first time that a significant group of doctors has pledged such apparently unequivocal support for the Bill, which has attracted fierce criticism from health professionals over several months.

The attacks led Mr Lansley to tell MPs last month that there would be a “pause” in the Bill to listen to critics and, if necessary, make changes.

Some Liberal Democrats want the Bill killed, fearing that moves to make it easier for private companies to become NHS suppliers amount to privatisation by the back door.

Earlier this week, the Royal College of General Practitioners wrote to the Prime Minister warning that the bill could damage the NHS irreparably.

In today’s letter, GPs say that ditching the reforms would be a mistake.

The signatories, led by Dr Jonathan Munday, chairman of the Victoria Commissioning Consortium in London, write: “Our patients should feel comfortable that decisions about the local provision of health care are to be taken in future by their family doctors, many of whom they know personally. We caution the Coalition of the danger of confusing and diluting the responsibility for effecting change in any amendments to the current proposals.”

They add: “Now that there are considerable financial constraints nationally, difficult decisions will have to be made on the provision of care. Surely it is better that these decisions are taken locally by professionals in daily contact with the patients who will be affected by them, rather than by remote administrators.

“On average, our patients see their GP four times a year, and if they are dissatisfied with the services … will have no difficulty in saying so. When was the last time any patient managed an audience with a PCT chairman?”

They also claim that the advantages of plans to coordinate health and social care into “a seamless whole” have been overlooked.

“If successful, there will be enormous benefits to the most elderly, infirm and vulnerable people in our community, whose care is often currently too fragmented,” they say.

The letter neglects to mention concerns about privatisation, however.

Responding to the letter last night, Mr Lansley said: “I welcome the appetite shown by doctors to lead improvements in the NHS and deliver benefits for patients.”

Stephen Dorrell, the Tory chairman of the Commons health select committee, added: “The reforms are an evolution of the policies pursued by both Labour and Conservative governments since 1990.

“No change is not an option. We need to move on to discuss this process of change to ensure that the health service continues to meet the needs of patients in the years ahead.”

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Health-reforms-will-benefit-most-vulnerable-in-society

The findings are based on measurements of more than 2,500 children aged four to 17, taken in 2009-10.

High street retailers will use the results to provide more accurate sizes. Several of them sponsored the research, and they will also use the data to better design children’s clothes.

Girls are typically 2cm taller, with waist measurements up by 8cm, and boys are 4cm taller, with waists up by 7cm.

The survey, called Shape GB and carried out by Select Research, suggests that two current beliefs prevalent among retailers are wrong: that boys’ and girls’ body shapes do not differ significantly before the age of seven, and that the average height of five-year-old boys is 110cm when it is actually 115cm.

An average 11-year-old girl today is 148.8cm tall, compared with 146cm in 1978, an increase of 2.8cm or 1.9%.

Because the 3D scanner does not compress the skin like a tape measure does, and the scanner also measures the small of the back, it produces waist measurements around 1.9cm larger than a tape measure.

Accounting for that difference, the average 11-year-old girl’s waist has increased by 8.3cm, or 13.9%, to 70.2cm.

The last major survey on the topic was released by the British Standards Institute in 1990, based on measurements taken from more than 8,300 children in 1978.

The average boy of 11 now stands 148.2cm tall, up from 144.6cm in 1978, a 3.6cm or 2.5% increase. His waist is up by 7cm to 70cm.

Richard Barnes, of Select Research, said the 3D measurements could help to develop a body volume index (BVI), which may prove to be more useful than body mass index (BMI) in assessing the health risks posed by childhood obesity.

Mr Barnes said: “The increases in waist circumference since 1978 show that children have got bigger. However, increases in height and chest size show that children in the UK have grown over the years in many ways.

“Measuring body shape in 3D and where a child’s weight is distributed may provide us with new insights on the actual risk to health and change perceptions of what health interventions are required.”

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13066252

Health Direct mentions that if you are looking for weight loss assistance, some of these links might help you: Bariatric surgery Gastric band surgery or weight loss surgery

The cost of living has gone up and many people are feeling the pinch on their finances. With the ongoing increases in food, fuel and utility prices, household budgets are being stretched. It has now become essential for many families to examine their outgoings and see where cuts can be made in order to make ends meet.

With less disposable income it can be tempting to feel that you can’t afford life insurance; but the question you should ask yourself is whether you can afford not to have life insurance.

For the average family, suddenly losing a source of income can have devastating effects. Should a person die without life insurance in place, the surviving partner and children can be left in a very difficult situation.

Mortgage payments still need to be paid, as do all the other usual household bills. In addition, the surviving partner is likely to need to take time off from their job, which can further reduce income. Funeral costs will also need to be met at an already financially difficult time.

Having life insurance in place provides you and your family with the peace of mind that if something did happen to you, provision will be made to make up the financial deficit.

While it can seem cold to think about something as impersonal as money, in relation to the possibility of a loved one dying, it’s a harsh reality that simply cannot be ignored.

The good news is that life insurance is something that is quick and simple to put in place; arranging it shouldn’t be an overwhelming task. It can also be surprisingly inexpensive for the peace of mind that it affords.

Level term life insurance policies are thought to be one of the cheapest ways to protect your family’s financial situation; this is a fairly simple type of policy that pays out to your dependants in the event of your death.

There are two key pieces of terminology to consider when purchasing life insurance.

The Royal College of Surgeons says the NHS should prepare for rising demand.

Ministers say it is up to the local NHS to provide weight management services.

The report says the world has been engulfed by a pandemic of obesity. In the UK, it says there are about one million people who could benefit from bariatric surgery – which includes gastric bypasses and gastric bands.

Out of an estimated 10,000 such operations carried out in the UK during the financial years 2008/09 and 2009/10, the audit looked at 7,045.

The report includes detailed one-year follow up data for 1,421 operations. Of these, 379 patients had type 2 diabetes before surgery, while one year later that figure had fallen to 188.

There were also improvements in blood pressure and in everyday tasks such as climbing stairs.

The authors argue that by reducing the associated costs of obesity, such as treatment for diabetes, bariatric surgery offers “a real bargain for the health economy and for wider society”.

Alberic Fiennes, a bariatric surgeon and chairman of the National Bariatric Surgery Registry (NBSR) Data Committee, said the treatment should be made more widely available on the NHS.

“An approach that limits treatment to a fraction of those who would benefit is one which the NHS will rue in years to come as these patients become an unsustainable burden on the health service,” he said.

“Prevention strategy alone has proved ineffective; there are at least two generations of morbidly obese patients who are now presenting with diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer for whom preventative measures are utterly irrelevant.”

When asked about the morality of the surgery, he said: “There is no question people become overweight because the eat more food than they need.”

Royal College of Surgeons president John Black said the problem was not going to “miraculously disappear” and called on the government to develop a long-term plan.

“Surgeons have been saying for years that the NHS is on the brink of being swamped by obesity-related referrals,” he said.

However, the chairman of the charity Diabetes UK, Professor Sir George Alberti, emphasised that people who were obese should try to lose weight through diet and lifestyle changes first.

“We agree that bariatric surgery should be used as an alternative treatment to help people lose weight if all other attempts have been unsuccessful and their diabetes remains poorly controlled,” he said.

David Stout, deputy chief executive of the NHS confederation, which represents bodies such as foundation hospitals, primary care trusts and doctors’ groups, said it was not just a question of cost.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13052309

Health Direct mentions that if you are looking for weight loss assistance, some of these links might help you: Bariatric surgery Gastric band surgery or weight loss surgery

About half a million people in Scotland are expected to benefit from the change, which has been brought in by the SNP government.

It comes on the same day as prescription charges per item rise in England by 20p to £7.40.

Prescription charges were first introduced in 1952 – just four years after the NHS was set up – in order to prevent the “frivolous use” of the health service.

The fees were abolished in Wales on April 1, 2007 and Northern Ireland followed in 2010.

The BMA has campaigned against the charges.

“The bureaucracy needed to administer prescription charges is cumbersome, many of the exemptions are confusing and unfair. Patients with disabling long term conditions still have to pay them, despite a recent report recommending they be phased out,” he added.

The BMA accepts that these are financially difficult times, said Dr Meldrum but, he added: “this is a tax on the sick that contributes only a modest amount to the NHS budget and does not offset the unfair disadvantage of asking the ill to pay for their medicine.”

From : http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/doctors-slam-uk-prescription-charge-postcode-lottery

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One such measure involves preventing anyone owing the health service £1,000 or more from staying or entering the UK until their debt is paid off, and as such the NHS will be expected to pass details of foreign patients who have failed to pay for treatment on to the UK Border Control Agency.

According to the government, this action alone should capture 94% of outstanding charges owed to the health service.

In other changes for NHS patients in England, the time UK residents can stay abroad and keep their entitlement to free hospital treatment has been extended from three to five months.

In addition, the small number of failed asylum seekers co-operating on registered Home Office support schemes will be exempt from charges, while all unaccompanied children under local authority care will also be guaranteed free hospital treatment.

However, the government feels that the existing system is still too complex, generous and inconsistently applied, and so has launched a wider review of practice.

This, it says, will look at changing the residency criteria for treatment, whether GPs should and other ex-hospital services should charge non-residents, and whether visas should be dependent on health insurance, in order to ensure that the system is both fair and affordable.

According to health minister Anne Milton, the changes will “begin the process of developing a clearer, robust and fairer system of access to free NHS services which our review of the charging system will complete”, with the aim of creating a system that “maintains the confidence of the public while preventing inappropriate free access and continuing our commitment to human rights and protecting vulnerable groups”.

From: http://www.pharmatimes.com/Government_cracks_down_on_health_tourism

Pauline Smith, the end of life care lead for the region, said it was “not good enough” that only those who could afford to travel to Dignitas suicide clinics in Switzerland were able to control their own deaths.

Her comments will be seen as a boost for the right to die campaign, as West Midlands has become the first health authority to back calls for a change in the law to date.

It comes as the government’s clinical director for cancer services warned that many hospitals were failing to provide adequate care to the terminally ill because doctors were not “comfortable” talking about death with their patients.

Last year the Director of Public Prosecutions issued revised guidelines setting out the factors that make the prosecution of someone who helps a loved-one die less likely. Chief among them was the fact that the suspect had acted solely out of compassion.

An inquiry is now being held, organised by the think-tank Demos, into whether the law should be changed further to legalise “assisted dying”.

Mrs Smith said the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, which serves a population of 5.4 million with a budget of £8.5 billion, was “neither for nor against assisted suicide”.

But she told the inquiry, which is chaired by former Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer: “Our view is that the current law does not match the requirements of the 21st century.

“We really do need to look at a system that allows public and patient choice in ways that the law does not allow at the minute.  At the moment we have a situation where only some people can make that choice.”

“If you can afford to go to Switzerland that’s fine but if you can’t, you are stuck within a system that doesn’t really allow you to talk about it, never mind have access to it.”

She said protecting patients against abuse was important but added: “There is abuse in the current NHS system – some people are assisted – but we don’t articulate that very well.”

Professor Tim Maughan, a consultant oncologist, rejected Mrs Smith’s arguments, warning that some patients who wanted t