Tag Archives: nhs

What are you doing for Black History Month?

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As the UK enters Black History month, NHS Choices, the national website of the NHS is putting the spotlight on black health heroes at www.nhs.uk/blackhistorymonth. The siteprofiles members of the African and Caribbean community who are improving the health and lives of others. NHS Choices also sheds light on conditions that are more likely to affect the black population, www.nhs.uk/blackhealth.

Amongst the celebrated health heroes is Dr Tunji Lasoye, an A&E consultant and surgeon in an inner city hospital, who often encounters victims of knife crimes. Also featured is Rudolph Isaacs, a rare-type blood donor whose donations are especially vital to people who suffer with sickle cell anaemia, which affects the black community more than others. The work of the trailblazer Nola Ishmael OBE, is also acknowledged for her contributions to nursing.
According to recent statistics from the NHS Information Centre, the numbers of BME (black and minority ethnic) hospital doctors are on the rise. There has been an 73% increase of BME hospital doctors, from 22,775 in 2000 to 39,476 in 2010.[1]

Barry Mussenden OBE, Deputy Director for Equality and Partnerships at the Department of Health says; “Black and minority ethnic people have contributed greatly to the NHS for over 60 years since the Windrush era, this recognition by NHS Choices shows the appreciation to all those inspirational health heroes throughout the UK.”

To further help ethnic minority communities to get reliable health information, NHS Choices has now incorporated a translation function into the site. This enables visitors to read most pages in more than 50 languages.

For more information about other health heroes, visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk/blackhistorymonth

How To Treat A Cold

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Aaachoo! Most of us will have a cold this winter, but do you know how to treat it?

NHS Choices reveals some of the myths around treating a cold and offers advice on how to
get well quickly

According to NHS Choices, on average an adult can expect to catch a cold between two and four times a year, with more people suffering during the winter months. But do you know how best to treat a cold?

Myths about cures for the common cold:
· Vitamin C – according to NHS Choices, one in three people believe that Vitamin C can help cure a cold. In fact, research has shown that Vitamin C doesn’t prevent or cure a cold.
· Echinacea – many think that Echinacea can be used to prevent a cold or treat one, but research has shown that there is no proof of this being the case.
· Over the counter medicines for colds – over the counter medicines do not cure a cold. The usual ingredients are painkillers and decongestants, which only help manage the symptoms.

In reality, the best thing you can do if you do get a cold this winter is to rest, eat well, avoid stress and keep hydrated. As most colds are caused by viruses, you don’t need antibiotics to help treat it.

Dr. Knut Schroeder, GP, says: “Many people will catch a cold this year – but there really isn’t any miracle cure out there. A balanced diet and regular exercise can help you to stay healthy. But, if you are to catch a cold then my advice is to try and stay warm, drink plenty of fluids and to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. All this can help your body naturally fight the cold virus.”

For more information on surviving colds this winter visit, www.nhs.uk/livewell/coldsandflu.

Recession Delays Women Having Babies

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The recession is having a direct effect on birth rates, with one in four women being forced to delay or reconsider having a baby, according to the 2011 Red National Fertility Report.

The results, published in Red’s October issue out on Tuesday 6th September 2011, shows the effect the recession has had on women trying for a baby – from how much they would be prepared to pay in order to conceive, to postponing motherhood due to redundancy and the rising costs of living. The report surveyed over 2,500 Red Magazine readers aged 30-45.

Key findings include:

· The recession has resulted in a 25% drop in babies tried for, with 10% of women saying the recession had made them postpone trying for a baby, and 15% saying they’d decided not to try at all.

· Baby prices have dropped more than house prices – with the average amount women would be prepared to spend to conceive dropping from £15,000 to £12,000 – a 20% drop in just 12 months. * The average house price is down 2.65% from July 2010 to £163.981 – Halifax House Price Index.

· The percentage of women who would be prepared to spend £50,000 to guarantee them a baby has dropped even more dramatically from 10% to 6% – a 40% drop over the same period.

· Following increased financial pressure on the NHS, when it comes to offering free IVF, 62% of women don’t think it should be available for anyone who wants it – up 17% from 2007 (45%). This suggests that when funds are tight, fewer women perceive having a baby as a right for all.

· Due to lack of IVF on the NHS, 61% have paid for IVF privately, with only one in five getting all their treatment for free.

Sam Baker, Editor-in-chief of Red Magazine, said of the findings: “This report provides an incredible in-depth view on the effect the recession has had on women’s baby plans.
The comparable figures show that the last year has hit women and their families hard, with many having to postpone or reconsider trying for a baby.”

Brigid Moss, Red magazine’s Health Director added: “Fertility treatment can be expensive, and this report shows that fewer people have been able to afford it, while the NHS provision for fertility treatment remains a postcode lottery. The report shows that having problems trying to conceive and treatment is also stressful, too. Both of these factors only add to the stress of someone who’s having problems trying to conceive.”

THE REPORT IN FULL:

MONEY

· The recession has resulted in a 25% drop in babies tried for, with 10% of women saying the recession had made them postpone trying for a baby, and 15% saying they’d decided not to try at all.

· Baby prices have dropped more than house prices – with the average amount women would be prepared to conceive dropping from £15,000 to £12,000 – a 20% drop in just 12 months.

· The number of women prepared to spend over £50,000 to guarantee them a baby has dropped even more dramatically from 10% to 6 % – a 40% drop over the same period.

· Due to lack of IVF on the NHS, 61% have paid for IVF privately, with only one in five getting all their treatment for free.

· A staggering 100% of women surveyed would, or have, cut back on school fees to pay for fertility treatment. 94% of women say they would cut back on all aspects of their lives to pay for fertility treatment if they needed it (includes holidays, eating out, pensions, savings, health insurance, clothes and selling possessions).

· Most women paying for fertility treatment have said that the money came from savings (88%), but 17% received a gift or loan from their family, 13% took on extra work and 13% put fertility costs on their credit card.

· 23% would consider moving / down-grading their house to get free NHS IVF provision to help them conceive.

· 17% of women who need fertility treatment have been prevented because of the costs, and 12% said the recession has directly prevented them from having treatment or more treatment.

GOVERNMENT POLICY / NHS

· Following increased financial pressure on the NHS, when it comes to offering free IVF, 62% of women don’t think it should be available for anyone who wants it – this is up 17% from 2007 (45%). This suggests that when funds are tight, fewer women perceive having a baby as a right for all

· 74% of women believe the government should ensure women are provided with three free cycles of IVF on the NHS.

· 95% think it’s unfair that there are different NHS IVF provisions depending on where you live.

· Nearly 60% believe that women should be given IVF on the NHS even if they have a child with their current partner, rising to 90% if they have a child from a previous relationship.

· BUT 62% don’t think that IVF should be available on the NHS to anyone who wants it.

SUCCESS CONCEIVING

· 23% of the women asked have had problems conceiving.

· For those who have had IVF treatment, 38% have only had it once, and 10% have had it more than five times.

· When it comes to the success of IVF, 45% got pregnant and had a baby, 31% didn’t conceive and 5% conceived naturally.

· 18% would consider going abroad for treatment if provisions were not available at home.

STRESS

· Fertility treatment is more stressful than the recession – 59% found it more stressful than dealing with financial concerns.

· 40% find the process more distressing than the ending of a relationship.

· Three in four (71%) found it more stressful than moving house.

· Nearly two thirds (62%) found fertility treatment more stressful than being made redundant.

· A third of women (36%) said that fertility problems made them depressed with 2% even signing off work due to stress / mental health problems.

· Nearly half of women(47%) said their husbands found it hard to cope when they were not getting pregnant.

EGG FREEZING

· 27% of women have considered freezing their eggs for the future.

Campaign for Abolishment of Prescription Charges in England.

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Frost is campaigning to abolish prescription charges in England, the last place in the ‘United’ Kingdom to have to pay. Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland all pay nothing. Scotland was the last country to do so this year.

When I went to visit my parents in Scotland I had a prescription I forgot to get, despite the fact they didn’t know how to put it through the till, I had to pay £7.40 as I live in London. It is unfair and undemocratic for England to have to pay. Please join our campaign to make the United Kingdom more united.

You can add your signature and support here

Thank you

Catherine Balavage [Editor]

NHS 'Letting Patients Die to Save Cash' Says Official Report

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A report by the Co-operation and Competition Panel (CCP), an independent watchdog that advises the NHS, claims that NHS managers are deliberately delaying operations, hoping that patients will die or go private in a ‘callous’ attempt to cut their budgets.

The report says that health service trusts will be ‘likely to impose greater pain and inconvenience’ by making those in need of care wait longer than necessary for surgery, the official report found.

By making patients wait for as long as four months, it is hoped they will remove themselves form the list ‘either by dying or by paying for their own treatment’.

NHS bosses are having to make £20billion of savings by 2014. The panel’s report claims unfair practices are ‘endemic’ in areas of England.

CCP chairman Lord Carter of Coles said: ‘Commissioners have a difficult job in the current financial climate, but patients’ rights are often being restricted without a valid and visible reason.’ 

Katherine Murphy, of independent charity the Patients Association, said: ‘It is outrageous that some primary care trusts are imposing minimum waiting times.

‘The suggestion that it could save money because patients will remove themselves from the list by going private or dying is a callous and cynical manipulation of people’s lives and should not be tolerated.’ 

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansely has spoken out and accused NHS managers of risking lives by making patients wait longer for treatment in a ‘cynical’ bid to save money. Lansley said the report showed why the NHS needed to be reformed.

‘This is exactly why we need to put patients’ interests first,’ he said. ‘Too many primary care trusts have been operating in a cynical environment where they can game the system – and in which political targets, particularly the maximum 18-week waiting time target, are used to actually delay treatment.

Care services minister Paul Burstow said: ‘This report illustrates exactly why we need to modernise the NHS and increase choice for patients.’

Rise of Cyberchondria; NHS Launches Online Healthchecker

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Frost has noticed an upturn in the rise of cyberchondria, people across the UK are googling their aches and pains. Any smart person knows that googling you health problems will never help, the result you get is always death! The NHS has put together an online health checker which shows a more realistic solution to your problem.

MOT YOUR HEALTH ONLINE TODAY

Is my diet affecting my health? Am I drinking too much? Am I active enough? Getting personalised health information, whether to address specific concerns or just see how you are faring, can be tricky. But from today, it will be much easier to check how healthy you are using a free, revamped tool on the NHS Choices website.

The LifeCheck (www.nhs.uk/lifecheck) tool asks you a small number of questions about your age and lifestyle which generates an individual health profile, and health tips tailored to your specific needs. You’ll then be able to set achievable goals to improve your health and wellbeing, and get to relevant, reliable advice and information on the NHS website.

Designed for all ages from newborns to grandparents, the user-friendly tool now combines an upgraded and extended version of three existing tools Baby LifeCheck (5-8 months), Teen LifeCheck (12-15 years) and Mid-LifeCheck (over 40s).

How Well Do You Know Your Penis?

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Most men would probably say they’re on pretty good terms with their ‘little fella’, but for National Men’s Health Week (13-19 June), NHS Choices are encouraging men to get to know their penis even better.

For example, did you know you could break your penis? Were you aware that a healthy man can have between three and five erections lasting up to 35 minutes while asleep? Did you know shorter penises increase more in length when they become erect than longer ones?

If some of these came as a shock to you, there’s more – and even if they didn’t, NHS Choices suggests men log on to learn more about their penis and how to keep it healthy at www.nhs.uk/livewell/penis-health.

The somewhat appropriately named Dr. Knut Schroeder, NHS Choices GP and author, said: “Many people find it embarrassing to ask questions about their manhood. As a result, there are many commonly held misconceptions about what’s considered ‘normal’ when it comes to the penis. NHS Choices therefore offers the perfect forum for men to get the facts, which may help them to alleviate any concerns they might have. Of course, if a man notices anything unusual about their penis and is genuinely worried, I would strongly advise them to visit their GP.”

Combat the side effects of Christmas. {Health}

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Christmas is one of the happiest times of year, but it can leave some of us depressed, tired and piling on the pounds. NHS Choices has put together www.nhs.uk/healthychristmas to help us through the season.

According to NHS Choices, rich food and too much alcohol can take their toll on our physical and mental health over Christmas. We may eat up to three times our recommended daily calorie intake at one Christmas meal and gain around five pounds by the New Year. In addition, both men (54%) and women (41%) are likely to binge drink during the festive season (Source: Drinkaware) which can end in awkward or dangerous incidents and poor health that last beyond the season.

NHS Choices drink-by-drink guide, based on a standard (175ml) 12% volume glass of white wine and 4% strength pint of lager, shows how quickly alcohol can affect your mind and body.

You should bear in mind that some people (e.g. young people, those with smaller builds, women and various others) may experience the effects of alcohol at lower levels than the “typical” levels suggested below. If you have developed a tolerance to alcohol you may find that some of these effects do not apply to you. In that case you should certainly consider whether it is time to cut back on your drinking or whether you may need to seek help.

As well as advice on the risks of binge drinking, the NHS recommends that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day and that women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day. ‘Regularly’ means drinking these amounts every day or most days of the week. See www.nhs.uk for more information

Typical effects:

One glass of white wine or a pint of lager (approx. two units)

· You’re talkative and you feel relaxed.
· Your self-confidence increases.
· Driving ability would already be impaired – which is why it is best not to drink and drive at all.

Two glasses of white wine or two pints of lager (approx. four units)

· Your blood flow increases.
· You feel less inhibited and your attention span is shorter.
· You start dehydrating, one of the causes of a hangover.

Three glasses of white wine or three pints of lager (approx. six units)

· Your reaction time is slower.
· Your liver has to work harder.
· Your sex drive may increase, whilst your judgment may decrease.

Four glasses of white wine or three and a half pints of lager (approx. eight units)

· You’re easily confused.
· You’re noticeably emotional.
· Your sex drive could now decrease and you may become less capable.

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking usually refers to drinking to get drunk, or drinking a lot of alcohol in a single session, that puts you at greater risk of harm. Researchers normally use – as the best indicator of binge drinking – drinking more than eight units of alcohol in one go for men, and more than six units for women. This is a really helpful guide – even though tolerance and the speed of drinking in a session varies from person to person. The important thing is to pace yourself, to avoid drinking more than you are used to, and to avoid drinking until you get drunk.

This is even more important if you are out in risky or unfamiliar circumstances. You can be at risk from others, and may not be able to look after your friends. You can easily lose control of what you do or say and may make risky decisions, thinking you’re invulnerable. From a health perspective, binge drinking increases the risk of heart attack and, if you’re sick when very drunk, you could breathe in your own vomit and suffocate.

Download the free alcohol tracker app to easily monitor your drinks on the move: nhs.uk/tools/pages/iphonedrinks

Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of alcohol awareness charity, Drinkaware, says: “For some people the festive season is seen as a guilt-free time to relax and over-indulge. For others, the pressures of present-buying, turkey-roasting and family gatherings can see them reaching for a drink to de-stress.

“To avoid the pitfalls of excessive festive drinking, like weight gain, a disturbed night’s sleep and looking foolish the day after the night before, it’s important to keep an eye on how much you drink. Adopting simple tips like eating a meal before you start drinking, pacing yourself by alternating alcoholic drinks with water and soft drinks and not drinking every day can help avoid the short and long term health risks associated with drinking to excess.”

As part of its guide to a healthy Christmas guide, NHS Choices has tools to help keep track of how much alcohol you drink and information and advice on coming out of the festive season healthy at www.nhs.uk/healthychristmas.