Wednesday 30th September 2015- BBC News: Womb transplants given UK go-ahead

‘Doctors have been granted approval to carry out the UK’s first 10 womb transplants, following the success of the procedure in Sweden.

The go-ahead has been given by the Health Research Authority – as part of a clinical trial – which launches in the spring.

Around one in 7,000 women are born without a womb, while others lose their womb to cancer.

If the trial is successful, the first UK baby could arrive in early 2018.

Dr Richard Smith, a consultant gynaecologist at the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London who has been working on the project for 19 years, will lead the transplant team.

He said childlessness could be a “disaster” for couples, but the technique would offer hope to those whose only other option is surrogacy or adoption.

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Womb transplants given UK go-ahead

Womb transplants: first 10 British women given go-ahead- The Guardian

Tuesday 29th September 2015- The Independent: Junior doctors protest outside Downing Street over ‘unsafe and unfair’ contract changes

‘Hundreds of junior doctors descended upon Downing Street yesterday evening to protest against changes trainee contracts.

The proposed changes which will force young medics to work longer hours for no extra pay, have been branded “unsafe and unfair” for both patients and doctors by the British Medical Association (BMA).

Wearing scrubs, stethoscopes and holding placards with messages such as ‘don’t make us leave’ and ‘tired doctors make mistakes’, the trainee’s marched around Westminster before amassing at Downing Street.’

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Junior doctors protest outside Downing Street over ‘unsafe and unfair’ contract changes

Junior doctors’ protest explained in placards- BBC News

Saturday 26th September 2015- The Guardian: Junior doctors to be balloted for strike action, says British Medical Association

‘Junior doctors in England are to be balloted for industrial action, the British Medical Association has said.

The BMA’s junior doctors’ committee said the ballot was being held because the government wanted to impose new terms and conditions on trainees’ contracts from August. They described the reforms as “unsafe and unfair”. Trainee doctors in Scotland and Wales will not be balloted because they will not have to face new contracts.

Dr Johann Malawana, the new leader of the committee, described the decision as “a reflection of the anger felt by the thousands of junior doctors who have told us that the government’s position is not acceptable”.’

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Junior doctors to be balloted for strike action, says British Medical Association

BMA to ballot junior doctors on industrial action- BBC News

Junior doctors vote to ballot over strike action- The Telegraph

Friday 25th September 2015- The Independent: Tiny baby born four months early on cruise ship survives

‘A woman who unexpectedly gave birth on a cruise ship months before her due date says she wrapped towels around the 1 1/2-pound boy and, with the help of medical staff, managed to keep him alive until the ship reached port.

Emily Morgan, of Ogden, Utah, said Thursday that doctors didn’t expect her son Haiden to live, but thanks to strong lungs, a makeshift incubator and an early arrival in Puerto Rico, the baby made it. He’s now receiving care at a neonatal intensive care unit in Miami.’

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Tiny baby born four months early on cruise ship survives

Friday 25th September 2015- World Health Organisation: WHO Removes Nigeria from Polio-Endemic List

‘WHO announced today that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria. This is the first time that Nigeria has interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus, bringing the country and the African region closer than ever to being certified polio-free.’

‘The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the public-private partnership leading the effort to eradicate polio, called this a ‘historic achievement’ in global health. Nigeria has not reported a case of wild poliovirus since 24 July 2014, and all laboratory data have confirmed a full 12 months have passed without any new cases.’

‘Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, has now been stopped nearly everywhere in the world following a 25-year concerted international effort. Polio remains endemic in only 2 countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan. The eradication of polio globally now depends primarily on stopping the disease in these countries. As long as polio exists anywhere, it’s a threat to children everywhere.’

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WHO Removes Nigeria from Polio-Endemic List

Nigeria reaches polio ‘milestone’ as disease declared to be no longer endemic- The Independent

Friday 25th September 2015- The Telegraph: UK cancer survival worst in western Europe

‘Research published in the European Journal of Cancer shows the UK has the worst survival rates for cancer in western Europe, with rates one-third lower than those in Sweden.’

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UK cancer survival worst in western Europe

Friday 25th September 2015- The Guardian: Addenbrooke’s: why are internationally renowned hospitals struggling?

‘The Care Quality Commission’s decision to classify the renowned Cambridge University hospitals foundation trust, which runs Addenbrooke’s hospital, as inadequate is only the latest example of specialist hospitals running into serious problems with their district general hospital (DGH) services.

Imperial College healthcare NHS trust was designated “requires improvement” last December, with concerns over cleanliness, weaknesses in the safety culture and “markedly varied” leadership in its hospitals. The famous John Radcliffe hospital, part of Oxford University hospitals NHS trust, was similarly judged “requires improvement” in May 2014 in light of a failure to learn from “never” events and problems in surgery, while senior doctors were said to be alienated from the board. In January 2014 the CQC issued University College London hospitals foundation trust with four compliance notices over the risk of unsafe surgery, serious problems in A&E and poor record-keeping on its wards.

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King’s College hospital foundation trust has also struggled since it took over Bromley’s troubled Princess Royal University hospital, triggering a investigation by regulator Monitor.’

See:

Addenbrooke’s: why are internationally renowned hospitals struggling?

Thursday 24th September 2015- BBC News: Paralysed man moves legs using brain-reading device

‘A paralysed man has regained some control over his legs using a device that reads his brain, scientists say.

Brainwaves were interpreted by a computer, which then controlled the electrical stimulation of his leg muscles.

The US study, in the Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation, showed he was able to walk just under four metres with support.

Experts said maintaining balance was an issue that needed to be addressed.

A spinal cord injury prevents the flow of messages from the brain. However, the brain is still able to create messages and the legs are still capable of receiving them.

The researchers at the University of California, Irvine, used a brain-computer interface to bypass the damage in a man who had been paralysed for five years.’

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Paralysed man moves legs using brain-reading device

Man paralysed in both legs helped to walk again thanks to electrodes in his knees- The Independent

Paralysed man uses mind control to walk again- New Scientist

Thursday 24th September 2015- The Independent: Cancer patients denied best medicines because drug firms charge more in Britain

‘People with cancer are not being given the best medicines because some drug companies charge far more in the UK than in other countries, according to a report.

The NHS has decided not to pay for two drugs, lapatinib for breast cancer and dasatinib for leukaemia, because they were deemed to be not cost-effective.’

‘People with cancer are not being given the best medicines because some drug companies charge far more in the UK than in other countries, according to a report.

The NHS has decided not to pay for two drugs, lapatinib for breast cancer and dasatinib for leukaemia, because they were deemed to be not cost-effective.

Lapatinib, sold under the brand name Tyverb, costs £24,000 for a patient for a year in the UK, but about £11,600 in Thailand, The Guardian reported. And dasatinib, brand name Sprycel, costs about £22,100 in the UK, but about £10,100 in Brazil.

A number of other expensive drugs for cancer are available on the NHS, but they can be bought for much less in other countries.

Dr Andrew Hill, of Liverpool University, the lead author of a paper about the cost of cancer drugs to be published at the European Cancer Conference in Vienna, told The Guardian: “Some of the drugs which have been recently removed from the [Government’s] cancer drugs fund are actually very cheap to manufacture, and are being sold in other countries at prices much lower than the UK.

“If these cancer drugs could be introduced to the UK at these lower prices, they would be affordable and patients could benefit from them.

“For example dasatinib, used to treat leukaemia, is being sold in Brazil at less than half the UK price, and the cost price of production is 99 per cent lower than the UK price.”’

See:

Cancer patients denied best medicines because drug firms charge more in Britain

Thursday 24th September 2015- The Guardian: Medical Research Council cancer funding down by a third since 2010

‘Spending by the Medical Research Council (MRC) on cancer research has fallen by a third since David Cameron became prime minister, according to figures released on Thursday.

The amount spent by the organisation on projects relating to the treatment of cancer has fallen from a peak of £112m in 2011 to £76.2m in 2014, according to the data released by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

The amount going into projects is determined by spending commitments made over the previous five years.

The figures emerged in an answer to a written question by the former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna to the department, which provides funding to the MRC.

Umunna, MP for Streatham since 2010, said the figures showed that government claims to have protected vital science and research budgets could not be further from the truth.

“The Medical Research Council’s spending on cancer research, including into causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, has fallen by almost a third since 2010,” he said.’

See:

Medical Research Council cancer funding down by a third since 2010