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More than one million blood glucose testing strips are being recalled because ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a><img src="http://cdn3.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article29379994.ece/ALTERNATES/w300square/Falcon+9.jpg"/><img src="http://cdn1.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/article29499191.ece/ALTERNATES/w300square/cover_media_cmg36d1f81d-758d-413a-8a36-af3304a8d962_0"/><img src="http://cdn1.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/woman/fashion-beauty/article29499197.ece/ALTERNATES/w300square/cover_media_cmg4d4566f9-896b-447e-ad2e-cca097ab1f12_0"/><img src="http://cdn4.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article29215954.ece/ALTERNATES/w300square/400+city+hall+statue.jpg"/> <img src="http://cdn2.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/article29499485.ece/ALTERNATES/h342/PANews+BT_N0136051376489734121A_I1.jpg"/> More than one million blood glucose testing strips are being recalled because they could give inaccurate results More than 1.7 million blood glucose testing strips are being recalled over potential false readings. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said people with diabetes should not use the strips over fears they could give inaccurate results, leading to a patient injecting too much insulin. The strips have been subject to a manufacturing fault. They are GlucoMen LX Sensor blood glucose test strips for use with the GlucoMen LX and GlucoMen LX PLUS blood glucose meter. The strips are manufactured by Menarini in Italy and distributed in the UK. There are no reports at present of patients being harmed by using the strips, the MHRA said. Just over 1.7 million test strips in the affected lots were sold to pharmacies in the UK between October and November 2012. The affected lots are 3212219249 (expiry date 31/08/2014) and 3212214249 (expiry date 31/08/2014). The MHRA is investigating why the manufacturer did not alert it to a potential problem with the strips until last month. The strips were not distributed in the UK past November last year but officials are worried they may still be on shelves or people may still have them in their homes. The manufacturing fault has now been resolved. John Wilkinson, the MHRA's director of medical devices, said: "People who have GlucoMen LX Sensor blood glucose test strips from these specific lots at home should not use them. "The manufacturing fault in these test strips could give a misleading reading that may result in people overestimating the amount of insulin they need to take." <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

More than one million blood glucose testing strips are being recalled because ...

Sport News More than one million blood glucose testing strips are being recalled because they could give inaccurate results More than 1.7 m...

8:12 AM

Alcohol: Kids 'frequently' see peers drunk online

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a><img src="http://www.nursinginpractice.com/sites/www.nursinginpractice.com/files/imagecache/400xY/Article/mi-34030"/> Over a third of children have seen pictures of their friends drunk online, research has revealed. The poll, released by alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, shows that 39% of children ages 10-17 have seen images of their friends drunk on social networking websites. More than one in ten (13%) of respondents were as young as 10-13 years old. Peer influence increases steeply with age, the research shows, with 7% of 10-11 year olds claiming they have been encouraged to drink by someone their age or younger, rising to 37% by the time they are 15-17 years old. Drinkaware marketing and communications director Anne Foster said: "Children as young as 10 are seeing drunkenness normalised through images - whether this is online, in the media or through their own experiences. Undoubtedly, friends are influential in shaping the way young people think about alcohol, but just as influential are parents who can provide support and advice to help children cope with these pressures." <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Alcohol: Kids 'frequently' see peers drunk online

Sport News Over a third of children have seen pictures of their friends drunk online, research has revealed. The poll, released by alcohol a...

7:27 AM

GPs hand out record 42m drugs for diabetes costing the NHS an EXTRA £250m ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a>Official figures reveal a 57% rise from 27.1 min only seven years in England Cost increased by nearly half from £514million to £764.1 million last year By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 17:51 EST, 13 August 2013 | UPDATED: 17:51 EST, 13 August 2013 The number of prescriptions for diabetes drugs has soared by more than half to a record 42.5 million in less than a decade. Official figures reveal a 57 per cent rise from 27.1 million in only seven years in England. In the same period, the cost of the medicines increased by nearly half from £514million to £764.1 million last year. <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/08/13/article-2392403-1AFDA137000005DC-786_634x399.jpg"/> This is costing the Health Service an extra £250 million a year to treat the country's 3 million diabetics. The report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre said the rise in prescriptions and bills is driven by the increasing prevalence of diabetes. Other factors include greater use of newer and more costly medicines. Experts believe another 850,000 people are unaware they have the condition. However, increasing numbers have been identified since the start of a system rewarding GPs financially for diagnosing and treating patients. Items for diabetes now account for 9.3 per cent of the total cost of prescribing in the NHS and 4.3 per cent of all items. <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/08/13/article-2392403-16B91BAF000005DC-867_634x400.jpg"/> This compares with 6.6 per cent of the bill and 3.8 per cent of items in 2005-6. Simon O'Neill, director for health intelligence at the charity Diabetes UK, said more investment is needed to ensure that patients receive the right treatment earlier. This would help cut the estimated £8billion a year spent on treating the complications of the condition, he said. Nine out of ten of patients have type 2 diabetes, when the body cannot process blood sugar. This leads to high levels which can damage organs and lead to years of ill-health. Type 2 is strongly linked to lifestyle factors, including being overweight, eating a poor diet and not exercising enough. According to Diabetes UK, 24,000 people with diabetes in England and Wales die early each year because of the condition. <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

GPs hand out record 42m drugs for diabetes costing the NHS an EXTRA £250m ...

Sport News Official figures reveal a 57% rise from 27.1 min only seven years in England Cost increased by nearly half from £514million to £7...

12:42 AM

Whipps Cross hospital had 'systematic failings', finds NHS watchdog

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2013/8/13/1376420503232/Whipps-Cross-University-h-008.jpg"/> NHS inspectors have uncovered "a catalogue of failings" at a London hospital including uncaring staff, blood-stained equipment, poor hygiene standards, patients not being helped to eat and a high mortality rate. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the NHS care watchdog, has castigated Barts Health NHS Trust for the "very serious concerns" its inspectors found when they staged two unannounced inspections in several key departments at Whipps Cross University hospital in east London in May and June. During the visits a midwife was seen being sarcastic and unsympathetic to a new mother in a blood-stained gown who complained of being in pain. The midwife brought her tablets but did not explain what they were. She then also brought the woman the wrong sort of formula milk for her baby, did not accept that she had done so and did not then offer to bring her the right one. "We found that, in places, the hospital was unsafe and dirty, and that staff didn't always show patients the compassion that people deserve," said Matthew Trainer, the CQC's regional director for London. "Patients were not receiving the care and support they should have been able to expect, and in some cases this was putting them at risk of harm. If staff have uncaring attitudes, are not supported properly to do their job, or if they are not properly supervised, the consequences for patients can be very worrying," he said. In an unusually critical assessment, inspectors said the hospital was in breach of 10 of the 16 national standards for quality and safety of care. Some failings were so grave that patients' safety was in danger. Barts Health, which is the biggest NHS trust and runs five other hospitals, has been issued with three formal warnings to improve Whips Cross's performance - on cleanliness and infection control; safety, availability and suitability of equipment; and support to staff. The CQC has demanded urgent action in these areas. "We saw examples of poor care, unacceptable staff behaviour and poor infection control in maternity services. In surgery, theatre processes and communication arrangements put people's safety at risk. Surgery and maternity were both too busy, did not have enough staff to look after people's needs, and lacked bed capacity, which meant they were not as effective as they should be and not always responsive to people's needs," one of the CQC's two reports into the hospital said. Management had not done enough to tackle these problems, it added. In the maternity unit, staff on the postnatal ward were found to be uncaring, while in the labour ward inspectors found blood stains on a stainless steel bowl in a room that staff said was ready to use. In another there were also stains on the disposable curtains. Care was "not always delivered safely" and some newborns ended up in intensive care "related to a failure by midwives to carry out the correct observations at the right time and escalating mothers [for treatment] when required", the CQC said. A lack of maternity beds meant the unit occasionally had to shut temporarily, with women who expected to give birth there being sent instead to other hospitals when they were already in labour. In surgical services, a lack of staff on two wards inspected "led to people receiving unacceptable levels of care", while a bed shortage "meant that people waited too long in the recovery areas after surgery" and operations were often cancelled. In addition, "people were having poor outcomes after surgery as the 90-day post-surgery mortality rate was higher than the national average". The A&E unit had not met the key NHS target of treating 95% of patients within four hours for six months before the inspection and patients arriving in ambulances sometimes ended up receiving medical attention while still on a trolley. In the elderly care department, some wards had to share equipment and inspectors saw that some patients had to wait to be helped to eat their meal or received no help at all, while water was sometimes put out of their reach. Five patients had developed pressure sores after admission, while checks on feeding tubes were not done. Peter Morris, Barts Health's chief executive, said it was "extremely sorry for the failings" the CQC had found. He said it had already introduced "robust action plans", including improvement in training and care standards for maternity staff, bringing in personnel from its other hospitals and ensuring that the 500 staff who look after elderly patients always provided excellent care. The Department of Health said: "It is unacceptable that Whipps Cross hospital is failing to meet fundamental care standards. It is right that the regulator has exposed these problems, and that this hospital takes urgent steps to improve." <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Whipps Cross hospital had 'systematic failings', finds NHS watchdog

Sport News NHS inspectors have uncovered "a catalogue of failings" at a London hospital including uncaring staff, blood-stained eq...

4:12 PM

Neon Roberts should not be subjected to 'unproven treatments', court told

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/12/20/1356031309095/Neon-Roberts-010.jpg"/> Alternative therapies a mother wishes to explore to prevent her seven-year-old from having radiotherapy to treat a brain tumour, were "not an option", the high court has heard. Sally Roberts, 37, was refused extra time to seek experts in alternative treatments including immunotherapy, boron neutron capture therapy, photo-dynamic therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for her son Neon, who is receiving treatment for medulloblastoma. Refusing her application to adjourn the case until the new year, judge Mr Justice Bodey said any further delays would be detrimental and not in Neon's "best interests". Roberts, had wanted to call evidence from alternative and integrated medical practitioners about the treatments, which also included Tyrosine-Kinase inhibitors and molecular targeting therapy. But counsel for the hospital trust treating him, which cannot be named, said Neon should not be subjected to "experimental therapies" and "unproven treatments". The judge is expected to rule on Friday if Neon must undergo radiotherapy. Neon underwent an emergency operation on Wednesday after the judge ordered the surgery against the mother's wishes. Roberts asked for a delay, saying she was "not persuaded of the need and not persuaded of the urgency" of surgery, and wanted a second opinion to investigate whether the growth was residual or regrowth tumour from a previous operation in October, or if it could be "inflamed scar tissue". Bodey ordered surgery, after medical practitioners treating Neon said it was "highly, highly, likely he would die over a relatively short period of time". Even at the eleventh hour Roberts tried to prevent it, applying to the court of appeal in the early hours of Wednesday morning, just hours before he was due to be operated on. Her appeal failed. The judge heard that surgeons had "found evidence of a tumour nodule" which a biopsy showed was "consistent with medulloblastoma". After the second operation surgeons now felt no obvious tumour had been left behind, but that adjuvant therapies such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy were required "because of the risk of microscopic tumour being left behind". He was now "standard" rather than "high risk", which was "very, good news". Roberts made headlines when she went missing with Neon for four days earlier this month to prevent him having radiotherapy following his first operation. The court heard doctors want to start radiotherapy no later than 16 January, and ideally by 9 January. Roberts has prevented her son from taking antiemetic drugs, which control nausea, after the operation, the court heard. Ian Peddie, QC, representing Roberts, whose case is being funded by legal aid, said: "The mother remains concerned that radiotherapy is not in [Neon's] best interests." She required time to find doctors who could offer alternative "credible medical treatment to the therapy proposed". But, opposing any further delays, Victoria Butler-Cole, representing the hospital trust, said it was clear that at least one on the list of four private practitioners provided by Roberts, "was not familiar or remotely expert" in the treatment of medulloblastoma. The diseasemedulloblastoma, she said, "is spelled wrongly" and his description of it seemed to have been from the internet or newspaper cuttings. Another was "not GMC-registered". None of them was "on the specialist [GMC] register", meaning it was highly unlikely they were specialists in paediatric oncology. The website of the doctors described using "herbs, nutritional supplements, enzymes, diet and psychological healing strategies in treatment for cancer", added Butler-Cole. She compared this with treatment at "a hospital and centre of excellence that offered the gold standard treatment being offered to all other children in this country who have this disease". The prospect was that Neon would not be admitted to any "formal proper research programme" but rather to "unproven treatments". It was unlikely any such alternatives would be funded on the NHS. Butler-Cole said: "The dose of realism that is required is whatever these doctors may be prepared to say or prepared to do, provided funding could be found from a private source, the prospect of the court accepting their views in preference to the gold standard in this country is so small as to enable the court to take a robust approach to the mother's position today." Neon's father, Ben, 34, an IT consultant from west London, who is estranged from Roberts, was "anxious" that an order on the radiotherapy be made this week. He had supported the second surgery, and was at his son's hospital bedside on Thursday. A leading paediatric oncologist, treating Neon, known only as Dr A said none of Roberts' proposed therapies "are alternatives to standard treatment" for medulloblastoma. Cross-examined by Peddie, he said the chance of a someone undergoing radiotherapy of having another benign or malignant tumour in the future was between 2% and 4%. He said any decline in a seven-year-old's IQ as a result of radiotherapy was "very marginal", just 0.42 points per year over four years, using a standard 100-point IQ.There was an 86% five-year survival rate for medulloblastoma for those undergoing radiotherapy treatments. Of the effects on Neon, he said: "I can't guarantee that somebody would be exactly the same as if they didn't have a medulloblastoma tumour. But this is a medulloblastoma that we can cure." But Roberts told the judge: "I still feel the same, that there are other ways." She had spent "many, many hours of research and study", she said, and had been "inundated" with emails about other treatments due to the publicity of her case. Regarding proposed applications that Neon would live with his father during treatment, Roberts, a mother-of-two originally from New Zealand, said she agreed "as long as I can see my son every day and be part of his recovery". Asked about Neon's passport, and fears she might return to New Zealand, she said her son had no current passport. "I would never take him away from his father," she said. "I had my children with an Englishman and I can't take them away from their father." The case continues. * The above article was amended on 21 December 2012. An editing error led to us calling antiemetic drugs anti- hermetic drugs. This has been corrected. <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Neon Roberts should not be subjected to 'unproven treatments', court told

Sport News Alternative therapies a mother wishes to explore to prevent her seven-year-old from having radiotherapy to treat a brain tumour, ...

3:27 PM

Half of patients believe tax rises 'needed to pay for NHS'

Half of patients believe tax rises 'needed to pay for NHS'

Sport News Continue reading - simply register below It only takes two minutes to do and you'll immediately have access to our news and o...

3:12 AM

Possible Hints of Consciousness After Death Found in Rats

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a> For a brief time after their hearts stop beating, electrical activity that some scientists have linked to consciousness in humans continues in the brains of rats - a finding that could shed light on reports of near-death experiences in humans, and opens new possibilities for studying consciousness. "People have just assumed that, after the heart stops, when the brain has very little oxygen or glucose, then the brain should not function," said neurophysiologist Jimo Borjigin of the University of Michigan, leader of an experiment described August 12 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Higher brain function may require less oxygen and energy than many scientists had thought, Borjigin said. Borjigin's team implanted electrodes on the surface of the brains of nine rats, then injected the animals with potassium chloride, causing their hearts to stop beating and blood to stop flowing. This is the clinical definition of death. At this point, or shortly after, neurological activity is supposed to cease. Yet for up to 30 seconds, the researchers' electrodes detected patterns of synchronized, high-frequency activity known as gamma waves. In humans, some scientists have suggested that gamma waves could play a role in the interplay of perception, awareness, and intent known as consciousness. In earlier rat research, Borjigin observed a sudden release of neurotransmitters at the moment of death. If what they've seen in rats has human analogues, said Borjigin, the combination of neurochemical surge and continued electrical activity could be involved in near-death experiences, in which people report continuing perceptions for minutes after their hearts have stopped. "By presenting evidence of highly organized brain activity and neurophysiologic features consistent with conscious processing at near-death, we now provide a scientificword(s) missing to begin to explain the highly lucid and realer-than-real mental experiences reported by near-death survivors," wrote Borjigin's team. Of course, it's impossible to know what their nine rats experienced. Whether they saw a rodent version of the light, so to speak, and whether similar neurological mechanisms exist in humans, remains unknown. Critical care physician Sam Parnia of Stony Brook University, who leads the Human Consciousness Project's AWARE study, which documents after-death experiences in hospitals across North America and Europe, stressed the uncertainties. 'There's still so much we don't know.' Parnia said the study is "very interesting and raises many questions," but said the assumption that these patterns exist in humans and might explain near-death experiences "is extremely presumptive and unsupported by evidence." Some people who've been resuscitated after dying have described seeing and hearing events that occurred tens of minutes after their heart stopped, said Parnia. Electrical activity in Borjigin's rats didn't last longer than 30 seconds. The types of signals her group recorded also haven't been detected in human patients monitored as they died. According to Borgijin, that's likely because the signals are relatively weak, and the electroencephalograph machines used to detect brain activity in patients aren't as sensitive because they take readings from their scalps, not directly from brain tissue. In future studies, it might be possible to revive cardiac-arrested rats and see whether they recall some stimulus presented after they died, but while brain activity continued, said Borjigin. It may also be possible to obtain more sensitive recordings of human patients going into cardiac arrest, then ask what they've seen if they recover. Yet to Borjigin, questions the study raises about near-death experiences are less interesting than questions about the nature of consciousness itself, and whether it actually requires far less oxygen and energy than previously thought. If the rats are truly aware after death, the experiment could offer a methodology for testing questions about consciousness. Researchers could, for example, give rats a drug that blocks a particular protein's activity, then see whether after-death neurological activity is affected. That might ultimately provide insights into the biological mechanisms of consciousness, which remains difficult to explain in neurological terms. "Techniques like the ones we used in this study point us in directions to study," said Borjigin. "There's still so much we don't know." Citation: "Surge of neurophysiological coherence and connectivity in the dying brain." By Jimo Borjigin, UnCheol Leed, Tiecheng Liu, Dinesh Pal, Sean Huff, Daniel Klarr, Jennifer Sloboda, Jason Hernandez, Michael M. Wang, and George A. Mashour. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 12 August 2013. <img src="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/wp-content/gallery/biopics/me_august2_square_small.jpg"/> <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Possible Hints of Consciousness After Death Found in Rats

Sport News For a brief time after their hearts stop beating, electrical activity that some scientists have linked to consciousness in humans...

3:56 PM

The real

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a> He is never down in the dumps as a result of the illness hitting the frontal lobe of his brain that controls emotions <img src="http://i4.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2158001.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3-Malcolm-Myatt-2158001.jpg"/>Having a laugh: Malcolm Myatt Meet the real life Mr Happy who is smiles better after recovering from a major stroke which left him unable to feel sadness. Chirpy Malcolm Myatt is never down in the dumps as a result of the illness hitting the frontal lobe of his brain that controls emotions. The 68-year-old, from Cannock, Staffordshire, suffered the stroke in 2004 and spent 19 weeks in hospital. He was left with little feeling in his left side but Malcolm and wife Kath soon noticed that he was extremely upbeat too. Retired trucker Malcolm said: "I am never depressed. I would rather be happy all the time than the other way round. "Now I barely even notice that I don't feel sadness. It's only other people that give me funny looks. "There must be a part of the brain that remembers jokes. I love telling them. "I always have, but now I want other people to feel happy too." Before the ordeal, Malcolm was fit and healthy and played football until he was 52. He was also a referee. He said: "The day before the stroke I'd driven the length of the M1. "Later, I went downstairs and made toast and coffee - but by the time I got upstairs I'd spilt half the coffee and the butter was an inch thick. "The doctors didn't know if I was going to make it through the night - they told Kath to prepare for the worst. "But I was still hanging around days later. I say thank you every morning I wake up." <img src="http://i4.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2157564.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3-Malcolm-Myatt-With-His-Wife-Kath-2157564.jpg"/>The happy couple: Malcolm Myatt and his wife Kath Kath said: "He's very childish now. It's infectious. When Malcolm starts laughing everyone in the room does. "If he's in hysterics, everyone else is too. "It has affected his short term memory. He can remember things he did 20 years ago but cannot remember the last week. "Malcolm just says what he thinks, he sometimes doesn't understand that it's rude. If someone has an ugly dog, he'll tell them. "It's worst when we go to a funeral. He'll still be smiling and telling jokes while everyone else is completely sombre. "The doctors told me that I shouldn't apologise for him but sometimes I have to explain his situation." <img src="http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2149016.ece/ALTERNATES/s148/%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3The-Phillips-family-2149016.jpg"/> Companies love them because, unlike many "families" seen in adverts, they are the genuine article rather than strangers put together. See more stories you'll love You've turned off story recommendations. Turn them on and we'll update the list below with stories we think you'll love ( how we do this). Recommended in News Why? Most Read in News <img src="http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article391092.ece/ALTERNATES/s308/29-04-09-image-3-487170365-391092.jpg"/> See more stories you'll love You've turned off story recommendations. Turn them on and we'll update the list below with stories we think you'll love ( how we do this). Recommended on the Mirror Why? <img src="http://stats.mirror.co.uk/?rt=1&ctxId=74&pubId=2&cat=&meta=read-news&objId=2158003&type=article&title=The+real-life+Mr+Happy+unable+to+feel+sadness+after+stroke+hits+his+grumpy+side&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mirror.co.uk%2fnews%2freal-life-stories%2freal-life-mr-happy-malcolm-myatt-2158003"/> <img src="http://stats.mirror.co.uk/?rt=1&ctxId=4682&pubId=2&cat=&meta=read-profile&objId=1334150&type=article&title=Luke+Traynor&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mirror.co.uk%2fauthors%2fluke-traynor%2f"/> <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

The real

Sport News He is never down in the dumps as a result of the illness hitting the frontal lobe of his brain that controls emotions Having a la...

10:43 AM

Newcastle reveller critical after taking drugs from suspected dodgy batch

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a> A reveller is in a critical condition after taking drugs from a suspected dodgy batch being sold in Newcastle <img src="http://i2.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/article1764892.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/15259601-1764892.jpg"/>Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary A reveller is in a critical condition after taking drugs from a suspected dodgy batch being sold in Newcastle. The 27-year-old man was rushed to the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary in the early hours of yesterday morning. He was taken by paramedics from a house in Blakelaw, Newcastle, where it's believed he'd headed after being out in Newcastle's West End on Saturday night. Suffering what police say are "extreme adverse effects" the man remains in a critical condition after taking four tablets thought to be ecstasy. Another 27-year-old who took the same pills needed treatment after having a reaction, but has since been released from hospital. Police fear there is a dodgy batch of the drug being sold in pubs in the Newcastle area. Police believe both men bought the drugs while in a pub in the West End. Their investigations were last night continuing. Chief Supt Ian Dawes said: "I'd ask friends and family of those who have been socialising in Newcastle to check on their welfare if they haven't heard from them as there may be people who have taken the drugs who are too ill to seek medical treatment. "I'd urge people to be aware of the heightened risks posed by these pills on top of the risks already faced when taking any illegal drugs. Anyone who feels ill after taking drugs should seek medical attention immediately. "Two people were admitted to hospital after taking these drugs, one of which is in a serious condition. Our inquiries are ongoing to locate this drug to stop any further incidents. "Those with any information about this drug, including its whereabouts and its source, should contact us as soon as possible." It just weeks after the death of 29-year-old mum Gemma Hurst. Gemma had been at a party in Walker, Newcastle, when it's believed she had an adverse reaction to a of a suspected illegal drug. She was taken to the RVI were she died at 3.30am on July 22. Tragically the 29-year-old had been with friends marking the fifth anniversary of her brother Paul's death. Paul died in 2008 from pneumonia. At the time officers said they were in the process of having drugs found at the house tested. It is believed they are from a separate batch to the most recent incident. Police are warning anyone who feels they are suffering adverse effects from drug use to seek medical help. Symptoms include low consciousness, raised heart rate and shortness of breath. Anyone with information about the drugs can contact police on 101, extension 69191. For advice on drugs, contact FRANK on 08700 77 6600 or visit www.talktofrank.com <img src="http://i1.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/article5696832.ece/ALTERNATES/s148/bannatyneJPG-5696832.jpg"/> Entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne has revealed his new co-star has helped improve his health <img src="http://i1.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/article5694803.ece/ALTERNATES/s148/Tyne-Bridge-by-Robert-Atkinson-5694803.jpg"/> View your stunning pictures of Newcastle upon Tyne landmarks including: The Tyne Bridge, Newcastle Quayside, Jesmond Dene and Leazes Park See more stories you'll love You've turned off story recommendations. Turn them on and we'll update the list below with stories we think you'll love ( how we do this). Recommended in News Why? Most Read in News <img src="http://i3.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/article5696939.ece/ALTERNATES/s308/JS23258295-5696939.jpg"/> See more stories you'll love You've turned off story recommendations. Turn them on and we'll update the list below with stories we think you'll love ( how we do this). <img src="http://stats.chroniclelive.co.uk/?rt=1&ctxId=2541&pubId=6&cat=&meta=read-news&objId=5699557&type=article&title=Newcastle+reveller+critical+after+taking+drugs+from+suspected+dodgy+batch&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.chroniclelive.co.uk%2fnews%2fnorth-east-news%2fnewcastle-reveller-critical-after-taking-5699557"/> <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Newcastle reveller critical after taking drugs from suspected dodgy batch

Sport News A reveller is in a critical condition after taking drugs from a suspected dodgy batch being sold in Newcastle Newcastle's Roy...

3:57 AM

Scientists find way to boost cancer

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a>Stem cell technology can be used to mass-produce cancer-killing immune cells designed to target different kinds of tumour, scientists have shown. The research opens up the prospect of immunotherapy treatments helping many more cancer patients in the future. In theory, cancer can be tackled by elements of the body's own immune defences, especially white blood cells called T-cells. But in practice, T-cells that target and kill cancer cells while ignoring healthy cells are very rare, and progress toward immune-based cancer treatments has been limited. The new approach provides a way to reprogramme T-cells. A small number of healthy T-cells were first reprogrammed into malleable stem cells with embryonic properties, US scientists reported in the journal 'Nature Biotechnology'. Injected into mice with a human form of lymphoma, the lab-grown T-cells significantly suppressed tumour growth and increased survival. Irish Independent <img src="http://www.independent.ie/editorial/images/logo-itunes.jpg"/> <img src="http://www.independent.ie/editorial/images/playstore.png"/> <img src="http://cdn3.independent.ie/incoming/article29487088.ece/ALTERNATES/w135square/picture.JPG"/> <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Scientists find way to boost cancer

Sport News Stem cell technology can be used to mass-produce cancer-killing immune cells designed to target different kinds of tumour, scient...

10:57 PM

Obesity warning issued for children

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="http://goo.gl/an7uT5">Sport News</a> <img src="http://cdn1.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/article29490681.ece/ALTERNATES/h342/PANews+BT_N0062391376185849201A_I1.jpg"/> Around one in three children and young people are overweight or obese Children who skip meals, consume fizzy drinks and watch too much TV are storing up serious health problems for later in life, a charity has warned. Teenagers seem to be worse than younger age groups, with many leading inactive lifestyles and missing out on vital nutrients, according to a report from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Oxford University. Around one in three (30%) children and young people are overweight or obese, which can cause problems including diabetes and heart disease. The report, which brings together a range of health statistics, found around two in five 13-year-olds (39% of girls and 43% of boys) drink a soft drink every day. The figure is 32% among 11-year-old girls and 38% among 11-year-old boys, along with 39% of 15-year-old girls and 43% of 15-year-old boys. Almost half (47%) of boys and over a third (36%) of girls aged 13 go without breakfast as do 29% of 11-year-old girls and 26% of 11-year-old boys. The figure is even higher among 15-year-olds, with 57% of girls and 38% of boys going without breakfast. Most (80%) children aged five to 15 are not eating the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day, with the figure being 83% among 15-year-olds. Most (85%) of girls and 73% of boys aged 13 do not do the recommended one hour of physical activity a day compared with 20% of 11-year-old girls and 33% of 11-year-old boys. Almost three-quarters of 13-year-olds (68% of girls and 74% of boys) watch at least two hours of TV on a weekday, as do 60% of 11-year-old girls and 64% of 11-year-old boys. Overall, around a quarter of children aged two to 15 spend at least six hours every weekend day being inactive. Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the BHF, said: "These figures are a warning that many of our children are in grave danger of developing coronary heart disease in the future if they continue to live the same lifestyle. This is simply unacceptable." The charity is expanding its Hearty Lives programme by committing £1.2 million to fund seven new community projects. Mr Gillespie said: "The projects, run in partnership with local authorities, the NHS and non-profit organisations, will use a range of interventions to help. These include employing a dietitian to work with children struggling with obesity in Manchester and running weight management programmes for teenagers in Scotland. Through our new Hearty Lives projects we are committed to working with local communities to give young people most at risk of heart disease a healthier start in life." The report was produced in partnership with the BHF health promotion research group at Oxford University. <a href="http://goo.g/uTMMu">Harga Laptop</a></div>

Obesity warning issued for children

Sport News Around one in three children and young people are overweight or obese Children who skip meals, consume fizzy drinks and watch to...

7:42 PM

Cat allergy discovery promises new treatments

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Allergy Also Included In: Veterinary; Immune System / Vaccines Article Date: 25 Jul 2013 - 3:00 PDT Patient / Public: <img src="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/images/rater/notyetrated.gif"/> Healthcare Prof: <img src="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/images/rater/notyetrated.gif"/> New research led by the University of Cambridge in the UK has discovered the reason for the extreme immune reaction in some people who are allergic to cats. A study published online this week in the Journal of Immunology explains how the cat allergen Fel d 1 triggers an immune receptor that is also involved in allergic responses to dust mites. Lead author Dr. Clare Bryant, from Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine, told the press: "We are hopeful that our research will lead to new and improved treatments for cat and possibly dog allergy sufferers." The idea is that new drugs could target the pathway to the newly discovered receptor so it can't trigger the severe immune response in affected people. Until this study, scientists were somewhat mystified by the severe reaction of the immune system to cat allergen. They already knew that the most common culprit was the cat allergen Fel d 1, which is present in cat dander, the microscopic pieces of cat skin that are often accompanied by saliva from grooming and become airborne, landing on furnishings, bedding, carpets, curtains and many other surfaces and objects in the home. Allergic reactions are the result of the immune system responding to what it perceives as dangers or threats to health and life. Normally these threats are from pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Part of the mechanism of recognizing and reacting to pathogens are proteins called receptors, which behave like unique locks, which can only be released when the correct key comes along. But sometimes the immune system misidentifies a non-threatening substance, reacts to it as if it were a pathogen and mounts the same inflammatory response. One way this happens is because a "key" that shouldn't release a lock somehow does so. In the case of Fel d 1, the lock that it releases or triggers is the pathogen recognition receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 is already known to be involved in allergic reactions to dust mites and the metal nickel. But Bryant and colleagues discovered that Fel d 1 is aided and abetted by another culprit. It teams up with a bacterial toxin found everywhere in the environment. It only needs very low doses of this toxin, called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to unleash the severe immune response seen in people with cat allergy. For their study, the team ran a set of tests where they exposed human cells to cat and dog dander proteins. In some tests they added low levels of LPS, and in the others they did not. They discovered that the presence of the bacterial toxin LPS somehow increases the signalling to the immune system, intensifying the response to the cat allergen Fel d 1. In a further set of tests, they then discovered TLR4 was the part of the immune system that was reacting to the combination of LPS and Fel d 1. And when they used a drug that blocks TLR4 (essentially by occupying the lock so the allergen "key" can't get in to release it), they found the cat dander protein had no effect on human cells: they had prevented the inflammatory immune response. Bryant says: "Not only did we find out that LPS exacerbates the immune response's reaction to cat dander, we identified the part of immune system that recognises it, the receptor TLR4." The team also found that the allergen Can f 6, which is present in dog dander, also activates TLR4 when LPS is present. Drugs to inhibit TLR4 are already available, says Bryant, so they are hopeful that their "research will lead to new and improved treatments for cat and possibly dog allergy sufferers." Funds from the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council (MRC) helped finance the study. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our allergy section for the latest news on this subject. "Allergens as Immunomodulatory Proteins: The Cat Dander Protein Fel d 1 Enhances TLR Activation by Lipid Ligands"; Jurgen Herre, Hans Grönlund, Heather Brooks, Lee Hopkins, Lisa Waggoner, Ben Murton, Monique Gangloff, Olaniyi Opaleye, Edwin R. Chilvers, Kate Fitzgerald, Nick Gay, Tom Monie, and Clare Bryant; Journal of Immunology 1300284, published ahead of print 22 July 2013; DOI:10.4049/jimmunol.1300284; Link to Abstract. Additional source: University of Cambridge Press Release. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report: Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead. Add Your Opinion On This Article 'Cat allergy discovery promises new treatments' Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information. If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name. All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam). We reserve the right to amend opinions where we deem necessary. Contact Our News Editors For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.<img src="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/images/transpixel.gif"/> Please send any medical news or health news press releases to: Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions. <img src="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/images/rightbar/160665-hayfever.jpg"/> Hay fever (or hayfever), also known as allergic rhinitis, is a common condition that shows signs and symptoms similar to a cold with sneezing, congestion, runny nose and sinus pressures. Read more... Most Popular Articles Follow Our Allergy News On Twitter <img src="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/images/icons/twittericon_rightbar.jpg"/> Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Allergy Twitter account and select the 'follow' option. </div>

Cat allergy discovery promises new treatments

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Allergy Also Included In: Veterinary; Immune System / Vaccines Article Date: 25 Jul 2013 - ...

5:12 AM

The stress factor that's costing the UK £10billion a year: Eight million Britons ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Eighteen different conditions cost the country £112billion a year The cost of brain disorders to society will increase as society ages Stigma surrounding mental health means less money devoted to research DoH: The UK should lead the world in researching brain diseases By Fiona Macrae PUBLISHED: 18:41 EST, 24 July 2013 | UPDATED: 18:42 EST, 24 July 2013 Stress, panic and anxiety related to modern-life costs Britain almost £10billion a year, it has emerged. A study by leading psychiatrists found that more than 8million men, women and children suffer from anxiety disorders a year - at a cost to the country of £9.8billion. The figure includes cost of treatment and lost productivity and covers problems from stress to obsessive compulsive disorder. <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/25/article-2377254-1AFAEEF2000005DC-368_306x423.jpg"/> It also includes people with phobias such as agoraphobia, a fear of open spaces that can leave people afraid to leave their home. Cambridge University researcher Barbara Sahakian said that anxiety problems and depression can be exacerbated by the stresses and strains of modern life. Worries about debt and job security can make matter worse. She said: 'Mental health disorders tend to increase in urban environments, partly due to the stress of urbanisation and the competiveness. 'Debt is something that causes an increase in mental health disorders.' Around half of the £9.805billion is spending on drugs and counselling and other psychological treatments. The rest goes on lost productivity, including sick days, early retirement and 'presenteeism' - or being at work but being hugely unproductive. Professor Sahakian said that anxiety disorders are particularly costly because they are often chronic and so dog a person throughout their life. They also often occur alongside other conditions such as depression. The figures, which are for 2010, come from a study of the burden of brain disorders to the UK. Overall, the 18 different conditions, from dementia and multiple sclerosis to headaches and alcoholism, cost the country an estimated £112billion a year. This is more than the GDP of New Zealand. Dementia was the most costly at almost £20billion a year - or almost a fifth of the total. Most of this money goes on nursing home care, rather than drugs and hospital treatment. Schizophrenia and other 'psychotic disorders' are the next most expensive, with an annual cost of £14billion a year. <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/25/article-2377254-1AFAEEF8000005DC-993_634x346.jpg"/> Depression, bipolar disorder and similar conditions take third place, with £17billion and alcoholism and depression come fourth, with an annual spend of £9.832billion. This is only slightly more than anxiety which is in fifth place, the Journal of Psychopharmacology reports. The researchers said that the cost of brain disorders to society will only increase as society ages and we must act now, if we are not to be 'overwhelmed'. They said that stigma surrounding mental health has led to much less money being devoted to research than for other conditions such as cancer. More cash would speed the search for new drugs and techniques to pick up disease early. Together, they could be used to nip problems in the bud. Professor Sahakian said that with extra money, great strides could be made in Alzheimer's. 'The outlook is really exciting but we don't have the research funding to push ahead in a major way. 'We could do so much if we had the same sort of money as goes into cancer research.' The Department of Health said it is investing in a raft of new studies into brain disease. A spokesman added: 'We want the UK to lead the world in researching debilitating brain diseases like dementia. That's why we're investing millions of pounds to increase research into these conditions through a number of projects.' </div>

The stress factor that's costing the UK £10billion a year: Eight million Britons ...

Eighteen different conditions cost the country £112billion a year The cost of brain disorders to society will increase as society ages Stigm...

5:12 PM

Life expectancy in England and Wales highest in East Dorset

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/7/24/1374690070080/Weymouth-in-East-Dorset-010.jpg"/> People in East Dorset have the highest life expectancy in the country, according to the latest official figures which show a continuing stark north-south divide. Both men and women appear to benefit from the climate or, more likely, the lifestyle of East Dorset, which extends from Weymouth on the coast inland to Dorchester and Blandford Forum. In 2009-11, according to the Office for National Statistics, it had the highest male life expectancy at birth in England and Wales, which was 83 years. Women also had the highest life expectancy there, at 86.4 years. The lowest life expectancies were in the north of England. Men in Blackpool had the lowest average at birth, which was 73.8 years - nine years less than their compatriots in East Dorset. The lowest for women was in Manchester, where women could expect to live to an average of 79.3 years - seven years less than those in East Dorset. The north-south divide in life expectancy matches patterns of socio-economic deprivation. Successive governments have had little success in their attempts to tackle it. A study published in 2010 in the British Medical Journal looked at the data from 1965 to 2008 and found that, among deaths from all causes, inequalities in the north-south divide "were severe and persistent" over the four decades. It found that people in the north were a fifth more likely to die prematurely - defined as before the age of 75. The authors found that "many factors might plausibly determine the northern excess mortality, including socioeconomic, environmental (including working conditions), educational, epigenetic, and lifestyle, which may act over the whole life course, and possibly over generations." The economic disparities between north and south were marked, it said, and government policies between 2000 and 2008, aimed specifically at evening out health inequalities, had failed to make much difference. </div>

Life expectancy in England and Wales highest in East Dorset

People in East Dorset have the highest life expectancy in the country, according to the latest official figures which show a continuing star...

11:48 AM

African governments still underfunding health, warns UN watchdog

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Environment/Pix/columnists/2013/7/24/1374670445519/MDG--health-spending-in-A-007.jpg"/> Twelve years after African governments pledged in the Abuja declaration (pdf) to allocate at least 15% of their annual budgets to healthcare by 2015, just six countries have met this goal. Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Togo and Zambia have hit the target, and five other countries are spending at least 13% of their annual budgets on health, according to data compiled by the UN World Health Organisation (WHO). While on aggregate spending on health has increased, up to 10.6% from 8.8%, about a quarter of African Union (AU) member states have regressed and are spending less than in 2001, the data shows. Recently, the AU held another special summit on HIV and Aids, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria in Abuja, Nigeria, dubbed Abuja+12, which provided an opportunity for African governments and other stakeholders to review progress made and to discuss what should be done to ensure health funding targets are met before 2015. The HIV and Aids experience "A renewed and bold commitment here in Abuja is essential as, drawing from experiences in the Aids response, we know that smart investments will save lives, create jobs, reinvigorate communities and further boost economic growth in Africa," said Michel Sidibé, the executive director of UNAids, in a press statement. At present, funding for healthcare remains short of requirements and is unevenly spread across countries. According to UNAids, an additional $31bn (£20bn) per year will be needed to meet the continent's 15% health funding targets. As of 2011, at least 69% of the world's 34 million people estimated to be living with HIV and Aids were in sub-Saharan Africa. But there are encouraging signs. The number of new HIV infections fell to 25% in 2011 compared with a decade earlier. "The main challenge in the fight against HIV and Aids globally is how to ensure universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support, and ... ensuring zero transmission of new HIV infections in children," Ghana's president, John Dramani Mahama, wrote in a blog in May. Among 21 priority countries in Africa, the number of children newly infected with HIV has fallen by 38% since 2009, according to a joint AU-UNAids report (pdf) launched at Abuja+12. Malaria and TB burden Africa is also lagging behind in reducing cases of - and deaths from - TB and malaria. Globally, Africa is the only region not on track towards halving TB deaths by 2015, and it accounts for almost a quarter of the global caseload, according to the WHO. Inadequate TB detection and drug-resistant strains of the disease, which can be 100 times more expensive to treat, pose significant challenges in Africa. About 40% of TB cases in Africa go undetected, says the WHO. Malaria is also a serious health problem. Some 80% of the world's cases, and 90% of malaria-related deaths, occur in Africa. The Liberian president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, in a statement to the Global Fund, said: "We are at a turning point for making historical gains in Liberia's health sector - where no child dies of malaria and every mother living with HIV can give birth to HIV-negative children while living healthy lives themselves." Liberia allocates 18.9% of its annual budget to healthcare, the second highest proportion in Africa; Rwanda spends 23.7%. Health for development According to the AU-UNAids Abuja+12 report, there is an economic case to be made for further investment in healthcare: for every year that life expectancy rises across the continent, it argues, GDP will increase by 4%. The average life expectancy in Africa is 54.4 years, the lowest globally. Mahama said: "A sick population cannot generate the productivity needed to maintain the acceleration of our economy.". More funding for health could also mean more jobs within the health sector. In 2012 for example, the AU approved a business plan to increase the output of the local pharmaceutical industry. "Focusing on three things that Africa needs to do urgently - decrease dependency by growing African investments, deliver quality-assured drugs sooner to the people who need them, and leadership - the blueprint will help African countries to build long-term and sustainable solutions," Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, the AU commissioner of social affairs said in the runup to the Abuja+12 summit. "Africa's health and our prosperity are inextricably linked." </div>

African governments still underfunding health, warns UN watchdog

Twelve years after African governments pledged in the Abuja declaration (pdf) to allocate at least 15% of their annual budgets to healthcare...

9:14 AM

Police renew warning over 'green Rolex' pills

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68671000/jpg/_68671954_greenrolextablets.jpg"/> Police have issued a renewed warning about fake ecstasy pills in Northern Ireland known as 'green Rolexes'. It follows a number of small seizures of the tablets in recent days by police in County Antrim. Forensic analysis has revealed that other recently seized pills have been found to contain the highly toxic chemicals PMA and PMMA, as well as ecstasy. Police said there was no such thing as a "safe drug or dose". Earlier this month, the Health Minister Edwin Poots said two out of the eight recent sudden deaths of people in their 20s and their 30s in Northern Ireland may be linked to "green Rolexes". Detective Inspector Andy Dunlop of the PSNI's Organised Crime Branch said on Wednesday that "despite previous warnings by police and continued uncertainty surrounding the causes of a number of recent unexplained deaths, people are continuing to put their lives at risk". "The combination of MDMA (ecstasy) and PMA can be particularly hazardous to health and has been linked with numerous deaths world-wide," he added. "PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine) is particularly toxic. "Both dealers and users may be unaware that what they believe to be ecstasy, actually contains PMMA. "PMMA pills are slower to take effect. This may cause the user to take more - which can lead to seizures, convulsions, heart attack and ultimately death." Police have repeated warnings to members of the public. They said the chemicals had "also been found in numerous other coloured pills bearing different logos throughout Great Britain, Europe and in Canada". "They have been directly linked to death," they said. "Anyone found suffering ill-effects after having taken drugs should be treated as a medical emergency." Mr Poots had said other drugs were being examined in the investigations into the other six deaths. Seven of the eight deaths took place in the greater Belfast area, with the highest death toll in the east of the city. The eighth person died in Coleraine, County Londonderry. </div>

Police renew warning over 'green Rolex' pills

Police have issued a renewed warning about fake ecstasy pills in Northern Ireland known as 'green Rolexes'. It follows a number of s...

8:51 AM

Indian food poisoning school headteacher arrested

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2013/7/24/1374670189943/Schoolchildren-eat-their--008.jpg"/> Indian police have arrested the headteacher of a school where 23 children died after eating a meal contaminated with a pesticide in one of India's deadliest food poisoning outbreaks in years. The woman, who had been missing for over a week, was detained while on her way to court to surrender herself, said Sujit Kumar, superintendent of police in Saran district, in the eastern state of Bihar. The children fell ill within minutes of eating a meal of rice and soya bean-and-potato curry in their one-room school on 16 July, vomiting and convulsing with stomach cramps. Some died on the floor of a hospital where they were sent for treatment within hours of consuming the food. Forensic tests showed the meal was contaminated with monocrotophos, a lethal pesticide banned in many countries. Police have said the headmistress is the key to solving the mystery of how the pesticide ended up in the food. Police have been searching for the woman since she fled the district. Kumar said she had been hiding in the area. The free school lunch was part of India's midday meal scheme, which feeds 120 million children in an attempt to fight malnutrition and encourage school attendance. The programme had already drawn many complaints over food safety. </div>

Indian food poisoning school headteacher arrested

Indian police have arrested the headteacher of a school where 23 children died after eating a meal contaminated with a pesticide in one of I...

6:27 AM

Meningitis B vaccine rejected by UK

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/7/24/1374665031608/Person-receiving-a-vaccin-010.jpg"/> The first vaccine to protect children against meningitis B, which can kill or disable them, has been rejected by the government's advisory committee for use in the UK. The Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) said there was not enough evidence that Bexsero, developed by the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis, will protect children well enough to justify routine vaccination. The decision has dismayed meningitis charities, which have been campaigning for the vaccine since it was licensed in January. The Meningitis Research Foundation called on its supporters to lobby MPs to press for a change of heart by the JCVI. "This is the disease most feared by parents," said Chris Head, the Meningitis Research Foundation chief executive. "It kills more children under five than any other infectious disease and leaves survivors with life-changing disabilities. Today's news is a severe blow for everyone campaigning against this dreadful disease. We know every delay costs lives and leaves many more with lifelong disabilities. "The UK's child mortality rates are among the highest in Europe. We simply cannot afford to let this licensed vaccine hang in limbo any longer. There is a tiny window of opportunity over the holiday season to encourage a change of heart and we are urging our members and supporters to lobby their MPs while we submit yet more, potent arguments to the JCVI on why this vaccine is vital." But the JCVI, after careful consideration of all the research, including studies of the vaccine commissioned in the UK, said there was not enough evidence that the vaccine would work well enough to justify its introduction. The vaccine has been licensed by the European authorities "in the absence of key data to support an assessment of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness", it noted. No country has yet taken it up in a national immunisation programme. "This is a very difficult situation, where we have a new vaccine against meningitis B but we lack important evidence," said Prof David Salisbury, the director of immunisation at the Department of Health. "We need to know how well it will protect, how long it will protect and if it will stop the bacteria from spreading from person to person. We need to work with the scientific community and the manufacturer to find ways to resolve these uncertainties so that we can come to a clear answer." The committee said the vaccine could be given to people who are at particularly high risk of meningitis B and also lab workers who could be exposed to the bacterial infection. But, it said: "On the basis of the available evidence, routine infant or toddler immunisation using Bexsero is highly unlikely to be cost-effective at any vaccine price based on the accepted threshold for cost-effectiveness used in the UK and could not be recommended." The data on the effectiveness of the vaccine comes from measuring the levels of antibodies to the meningococcal bacteria in the blood of vaccinated individuals, rather than from observing how many vaccinated versus unvaccinated children fall ill. Those trials would be hard to do because - fortunately - the numbers of children getting meningitis B have fallen. There were 613 lab-confirmed cases and 33 deaths in the year 2011/2012. One in 10 survivors will have major physical and/or neurological disabilities. </div>

Meningitis B vaccine rejected by UK

The first vaccine to protect children against meningitis B, which can kill or disable them, has been rejected by the government's adviso...

5:12 AM

How telehealth can make savings and improve patient care

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/7/23/1374589483015/Telecare-008.jpg"/> The NHS is facing a £30bn hole in its budget by 2020 and Clare Gerada, chair of the Council of the Royal College of GPs has said that we are currently short of 8,000 GPs, and by 2021 we shall need an additional 16,000. It's obvious that the current way of delivering healthcare within the NHS is not sustainable. There is already wide recognition of this and the development of integrated care pathways is evidence of progress. However, the savings generated are limited and the shift of location of care simply puts an even greater burden on general practice and primary care. Real savings come through removing the need for NHS care. Britain is not alone in facing this problem. In the US, the Obamacare changes will give an additional 70 million people access to healthcare. The issue there is not financial - they have allocated a budget of $400bn - but the lack of a trained and skilled workforce. In China the problem is even greater, as more than one billion people move from traditional forms of healthcare to western-style services. So it's no surprise that the annual international self-care day started in China last year on 24 July 2012. What is interesting is the different focus that is emerging. In Europe the prime target for self-care has been around the management of minor self-limiting conditions, which account for 20% of GP consultations. However, the focus of the international self-care day movement is non-communicable diseases, which account for over 60% of NHS spending. It is this element of expenditure which is ballooning. The initial focus is on illness prevention: living healthy lifestyles to improve quality and quantity of life. This only defers the need for healthcare, however. All our bodies start to fail at some point. The big issue in terms of self-care is full involvement in the management of one's own illness, especially long term conditions. I have never understood why clinicians believe themselves to be the experts. Diabetics spend on average 3.5 hours a year with a clinician. For the remaining 8,756 hours they are on their own with minimal support. I have just been involved in an audit of readmissions to a major London teaching hospital within 28 days of discharge. The results were fascinating: a common theme was the lack of a clear ongoing care plan agreed with the patient and communicated before discharge to the GP and the patient's carers. I even came across a chronic bronchitis discharged without rescue medication. Even where best practice is initiated, it is not always followed. I have been a patient in the past three years and am aware just how disempowering it is. Even as a GP who has been practising for 40 years, I waited to be told what to do rather than acting on my own initiative. What every patient needs is their own healthcare professional who can give reassurance and advice as soon as it's needed. That scenario is now available, with telecare and telehealth. It astounds me that it is taking so long to become the norm. Placing this technology in a patient's home as part of a complete package of care can revolutionise their wellbeing as well as reduce hospital admissions. It does this at the same time as reducing GPs' workload, by interactively monitoring individuals in their home. The vital thing here is interaction. As well as the technology, there must be a skilled, trained individual monitoring the data and interacting with the patient. If a chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder sufferer's breathing deteriorates, early advice to use rescue medication can avoid hospital admission. The same can apply to heart failure patients who gain weight as a result of fluid retention. We are not going to get another 16,000 GPs or an additional £30bn. It's time to support patients in their role as experts in their own health. A prime plank of this should be telehealth. Dr Simon Fradd is a GP in Southwark This article is published by Guardian Professional. Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to receive regular emails and exclusive offers.</div>

How telehealth can make savings and improve patient care

The NHS is facing a £30bn hole in its budget by 2020 and Clare Gerada, chair of the Council of the Royal College of GPs has said that we are...

2:42 AM

Health tourists make good villains

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/EasysiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=424221&type=full&servicetype=Inline"/> It is easy for the press and government to whip up reports blaming so-called health tourism of visitors and migrants, for a multitude of sins of the NHS.But then it is always asier to blame someone who cannot fight back than an organization that my be more responsible but has political clout. Doctors of the World UK has developed some myth busters on health tourism Health tourism is where people from other countries come to the UK for free NHS care and leave shortly after receiving it, costing us all lots of money. "But there is absolutely no evidence that happening on a significant scale. At our clinic in East London, we have interviewed migrant patients for the past seven years and found only 1.6% left their country for health reasons. Most migrated to the UK find work or education or escape persecution." Health tourism is not one way "A January 2013 study in the British Medical Journal found that there are in fact more UK residents who travel abroad for medical treatment than there are international patients who travel to the UK to access treatment (in the NHS and privately)." Health tourism is costing the UK £billions "Not at all. Estimates vary, but NHS figures suggest the amount lost providing care for foreign nationals in 2012/2013 was £12 million, just 0.01% of the total £108.9 billion NHS budget for the same period. This should also be seen in the context of the £18 billion overseas visitors spend in the UK each year and £3 billion they pay in taxes. Additionally, migrants to the UK contribute £16.3 billion to the UK economy (1.02% of GDP), according to the OECD. And all migrants, working or not, contribute to the health service by paying VAT." The NHS is over-generous compared to other European countries "No. The UK is far from unique in offering healthcare to undocumented migrants with many countries in Europe offering comparable or better care. In France and Belgium, migrants have free access to essential primary and secondary healthcare with medical providers getting reimbursed for treatment. In Portugal, undocumented migrants have full access to healthcare once they have stayed over 90 days." There is no harm in charging migrants for the NHS "Frustratingly, the NHS proposed changes would be costly to put in place and would endanger people's health needlessly. Early detection of illness by GPs is the cheapest way of minimizing costs as well as ensuring health conditions can be managed and maintained. If not treated early, patients have a higher chance of presenting at A&E, which costs the NHS three times as much as GP visits. The current system in which visiting a GP is free for anyone who is ordinarily resident regardless of their status or ability to pay makes the most sense, in terms of both economics and individual and community well-being." We should not provide healthcare to immigrants unable to pay "Offering care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay is part of the NHS constitution. As Aneurin Bevan, the Minister for Health when the NHS was introduced wrote in 1952." It will not affect British citizens "How does a GP or hospital distinguish a visitor from anybody else who is legally resident or even born here? Britain is multicultural and multiethnic -so colour is no guide. The only solution is for all British citizens to carry means of identification everywhere at all times to prove that they are not visitors; an ID card. It would not be much work for GPs or hospitals "Healthcare professionals should not have to act as immigration officials and should be allowed to focus on delivering medical care. The admin involved would be heavy. Some people are exploiting the NHS "There are already mechanisms in place to deal with individuals who exploit the system. For instance, if debts are run up and the person has left the country, the UKBA will not let them re-enter the UK without paying up." In short, the claims being made about health tourism are often wildly exaggerated and politically driven. Health insurance news: 24 July 2013</div>

Health tourists make good villains

It is easy for the press and government to whip up reports blaming so-called health tourism of visitors and migrants, for a multitude of sin...

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