Thursday 14th January 2016- The Telegraph: Scientists hope tissue bank will hold key to combat pancreatic cancer

‘Scientists hope that a newly established tissue bank will hold the key to properly understanding pancreatic cancer.

The cancer has the worst ten-year survival rate of any cancer, with most patients being told they may have less than 12 months to live.’

‘Researchers will accumulate samples from six hospitals in England and Wales which it is hoped will lead to better treatments and earlier diagnosis.

There are 8,875 new cases of pancreatic cancer a year in the UK, with almost the same number of people dying from it annually.

Only one in 100 sufferers survive ten years after their diagnosis, a survival rate that has remained stubbornly unchanged for 40 years.

A little-known charity,the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF), raised £2m to fund the bank with little fanfare.

But the bank will store actual tumour samples – as well as blood, saliva and urine in which proteins indicating cancer can be found – from about 1,000 patients a year, which the fund hopes will in time reverse the tide of deaths from pancreatic cancer.

Prof Hemant Kocher, from Barts Cancer Institute, told the BBC: “Surgery is possible in only about 10-15% of patients with pancreas cancer at the moment.’

Related Articles:

Scientists hope tissue bank will hold key to combat pancreatic cancer

‘New research hope’ from pancreatic cancer tissue bank- BBC News

Friday 8th January 2016- The Independent: New alcohol guidelines: How much is 14 units?

BBC News article explaining new changes:

The Independent:-

‘The UK’s chief medical officer has fully reviewed alcohol guidelines issued in 1995, and reduced the recommended maxium number of limits to 14 for both men and women per week. Previously, men were told they could safely drink 21 units.

The guidelines also warn pregnant women that they should aim to abstain from drinking entirely, when they were previously told they could safely drink one or two units a week at most.

Below, we outline how what the 14 unit limit is equivalent to.

One unit of alcohol (10ml) is the equivalent to:

A single measure of spirits (ABV 37.5%); half a pint of average-strength (4%) lager; two-thirds of a 125ml glass of average-strength (12%) wine; half a 175ml glass of average-strength (12%) wine; a third of a 250ml glass of average-strength (12%) wine.

14 units of alcohol equal:

14 single measures of spirits (ABV 37.5%); seven pints of average-strength (4%) lager; nine and one-third 125ml glasses of average-strength (12%) wine; seven 175ml glasses of average-strength (12%) wine; four and two-thirds 250ml glasses of average-strength (12%) wine.’

The Telegraph:

Binge Drinking Across The UK:

Weekly Alcohol Consumption Guidelines Across Europe:

Related Articles:

New alcohol guidelines: How much is 14 units?

Alcohol limits cut to reduce health risks- BBC News

Weekly alcohol limit cut to 14 units in UK for men- The Guardian

Mapped: How the UK’s new alcohol guidelines compare with the rest of Europe- The Telegraph

Mapped: The binging regions furthest from the new alcohol guidelines- The Telegraph

Tuesday 5th January 2016- BBC News: Bionic eye changing woman’s life after losing sight

‘A woman who has gradually been losing her sight for years has been describing the joys of being able to see again after being fitted with a bionic eye.

Rhian Lewis, from Cardiff, Wales, was given the retinal implant as part of a trial which could go on to benefit thousands of people suffering from sight loss.

The 49-year-old had an operation to implant a tiny 3x3mm chip into her right eye.’

See:

Bionic eye changing woman’s life after losing sight

Sunday 3rd January 2016- BBC News: New laws on e-cigarettes to be introduced across EU

‘To some, they are the perfect way to quit smoking. For others, they are a new health risk.

Laws on electronic cigarettes will change across Europe this year, with new health warnings and controls on how they are sold.

In some parts of the EU, e-cigarettes are currently banned.’

See:

New laws on e-cigarettes to be introduced across EU

Monday 30th November 2015- The Guardian: Doctors’ strike called off after Hunt lifts threat to impose new contract

‘Junior doctors called off three days of planned strikes that would have seriously disrupted NHS services after a last-minute agreement to hold further talks with Jeremy Hunt to try to agree the details of a new contract.

The dramatic breakthrough in the increasingly bitter dispute arrived only hours before the first strike was due to begin at 8am on Tuesday, which would have left many hospitals in England offering only the very limited range of services usually seen on Christmas Day.’

‘It came following five days of discussions, overseen by the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), between the British Medical Association (BMA), NHS Employers and Hunt’s Department of Health (DH).

The BMA agreed to call off walkouts planned for 1, 8 and 16 December after the health secretary finally bowed to their repeated request to drop his longstanding demand – albeit temporarily – to impose a punitive new contract on England’s 45,000 junior doctors if agreement was not reached, largely on terms he had dictated. His stance had sparked huge anger among the affected doctors in training, 98% of whom voted for strike action in protest.

However, an estimated 20,000 patients will not have non-urgent operations that were planned for Tuesday, such as cataract and skin lesion removals and hip and knee replacements, as the decision – announced at 7.05pm on Monday evening – came too late. They will have their procedures rescheduled.

An Acas spokesman said: “Following five days of productive talks under the auspices of Acas, the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health have reached an agreement. Acas is pleased that the talks have been held in a constructive manner and cooperative spirit between the parties, that will allow an improvement in industrial relations.”

A detailed memorandum of understanding, which the three parties agreed, makes plain that agreement over junior doctors’ new terms and conditions must be reached “without undue delay”.’

Related Articles:

Doctors’ strike called off after Hunt lifts threat to impose new contract

Junior doctors’ strike called off but disruption still widespread- The Guardian

Disruption expected as junior doctors’ strike called off- BBC News

Junior doctors strike called off to grant more time for talks- The Independent

Junior doctors dispute: talks to resume in attempt to avert strikes- The Guardian

 

Friday 27th November 2015- The Telegraph: Junior doctors explain why they are striking

‘Faced with contract proposals they say would mean working longer hours for less pay, four junior doctors explain why they want the Health Secretary to look again at the issue’.

See:

Junior doctors explain why they are striking

Wednesday 25th November 2015- The Telegraph: Doctors ‘naive’ to think no harm will come to patients during strikes, says Harvard

‘Doctors are ‘naive’ if they think no harm will come to patients during strikes, analysts at Harvard Medical School have said, after studying the impact of previous walkouts.

Although industrial action does not usually result in extra deaths, it nevertheless leaves health services severely disrupted and delays medical procedures, they warn.

Dr David Metcalfe of Harvard, and colleagues, looked at the legacy of doctors’ strikes in high-income countries going back to the 1970s.

 They concluded that patients would not come to ‘serious harm’ provided that adequate provisions are made for emergency care.

However they warned that in South Africa, where only one emergency unit remained open for an entire province during a 10 day strike in 2010, the death rate rose by 65 per cent, mainly because people avoided using services until they were desperate.’

‘Under General Medical Council rules, British doctors are not allowed to strike unless they are certain that emergency rooms are staffed sufficiently and no patient is placed in danger.

However Dr Metcalfe said: “It would be naïve to imagine that industrial action can be undertaking without causing any harm to patients.[“]’

 

‘Around 98 per cent of doctors voted in favour of strike action earlier this month. The first day of action in December 1 would see junior doctors providing emergency care only, meaning planned operations and all routine appointments will be cancelled.

Further ‘all out’ strikes are planned for December 8 and 16 which would mean junior doctors will withdraw their labour entirely. The GMC has warned that they will take action if patients are left at risk during the walkout.

Doctors are angry about changes to their working contracts designed to provide a health services which operatres ‘seven days a week’. Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, claims that staffing shortages at the weekend lead to 11,000 lives being lost each year. Patients admitted at the weekend are 15 per cent more likely to die.

Mr Hunt planned to raise overall pay, but stop doctors being able to claim generous overtime packages at the weekend. However he has since backed down and said that doctors can still receive overtime for working Saturday evening.’

See:

Doctors ‘naive’ to think no harm will come to patients during strikes, says Harvard

Thursday 1st October 2015- The Guardian: BSE [Mad Cow Disease] found in cow on Welsh farm

‘A case of BSE – so-called “mad cow disease” – has been found in an animal on a farm in Wales.

The case is the first in Wales since 2013 but the devolved government in Cardiff described it as isolated and said the animal had not entered the human food chain. There have been six cases in the UK since 2013.

However, the discovery will be a blow to the beef industry in Wales and farming in general. Opposition politicians called on the Welsh government to make sure farmers were supported and to provide more information about the case.

Rebecca Evans, Welsh government deputy minister for farming and food, said it was discovered as a result of strict control measures, which see all animals over four years old that die on a farm routinely tested for the disease.

Government scientists will now work on finding out what caused the infection in the animal, and other cows it came into contact with – plus any offspring – will be traced and destroyed.’

See:

BSE found in cow on Welsh farm

Friday 10th July 2015- BBC News: NHS Wales missed hospital appointment £10 fine idea

‘A £10 fine for patients who frequently miss NHS hospital appointments in Wales would be introduced by the Conservatives if they win power at next year’s assembly elections.

New figures show 1.2m appointments were missed at Welsh hospitals alone in the last three years.’

‘The party said that wastes time and costs the NHS around £60m a year.

The health minister said a fine would be complicated to bring in, while GP bodies criticised the plan.

The figures do not include missed GP appointments, but an inquiry last year by the assembly’s public accounts committee found patients failed to turn up for more than one in 10 GP appointments – up to 600,000 per year.’

‘It estimated missed hospital appointments have cost the NHS more than £180m since 2012/13.

The Conservatives said they would bring in a pilot scheme – charging irresponsible patients who miss NHS hospital appointments a small contribution towards the resources wasted.

The highest number of missed hospital appointments was in the Cardiff and Vale health board area, where there were almost 100,000 last year.’

‘See:

NHS Wales missed hospital appointment £10 fine idea

Thursday 9th July 2015- BBC News: Pioneering chest deformity op carried out at Cardiff hospital

‘A Welsh hospital has become the first in the UK to offer a pioneering new treatment for patients with chest deformities.

The first procedure at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales was watched by specialists from a theatre gallery and over a video link.

A specially designed metal brace is inserted through two small incisions in the side of the chest to reshape it.

The operation helps people with pectus carinatum, known as pigeon chest.

The condition affects the breastbone and ribs which appear pushed out.’

‘Prof Mustafa Yuksel, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon from Istanbul in Turkey, designed the brace and has carried out over 150 similar operations in his home country.

He was invited by the UHW and Cardiff University’s Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy (WIMAT) to bring his expertise to Wales and he now also teaches at the university.’

See:

Pioneering chest deformity op carried out at Cardiff hospital