feminists of labour

Labour women attack 'laddish' PM

Mr Brown appointed just four women to full cabinet posts

Senior female Labour MPs have hit out at Gordon Brown for a government style that they say excludes women.

Ex-Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt told BBC Radio 4 that there was a "laddish" culture inside No 10.

And Caroline Flint, who resigned saying Mr Brown treated women as "window dressing", said female ministers were "picked out" for hostile briefings.

But Business Minister Baroness Vadera said Mr Brown was committed to getting more female MPs into Parliament.

Former children's minister Beverley Hughes said she was "shocked" at the lack of women in cabinet.

Former minister Jane Kennedy said she agreed with suggestions that Mr Brown dealt with colleagues like a "mafia boss".

Ms Hughes also reignited speculation about a possible leadership contest by suggesting that Mr Brown had three or four months at most to improve Labour's standing in the polls.

'Overwhelmingly male'

Mr Brown has faced criticism for appointing only four women as full members of the cabinet.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Gordon's Women programme, several prominent female MPs criticised the lack of women in senior positions as well as the prime minister's style of conducting government business.

Ms Hewitt said she was "surprised as well as disappointed" by the lack of women in senior jobs.

She added that, with the exception of adviser Sue Nye and Baroness Vadera, "Gordon Brown's inner circle has always been small, almost entirely men and as far as I can see really rather laddish in its culture".

Ms Hewitt added that the prime minister "needs to get a move on" with fulfilling his pledge to the Parliamentary Labour Party to change his style of government.

I don't think he trusted me and we never got a chance to really get to develop our relationship Caroline Flint Former Europe minister

Ms Flint - whose "window dressing" remarks in her resignation letter as Europe minister threw the spotlight on Mr Brown's relationship with women - said the cabinet "power base" was "overwhelmingly male".

She said female ministers had been offered roles which merely entitled them to attend cabinet "to give an impression that women are there and are equal" when they were not.

"When Tony (Blair) left government I think a third of his cabinet were women and I'm talking a third of cabinet - proper cabinet," Ms Flint added.

She said of the present prime minister: "For one reason or another I don't think he trusted me and we never got a chance to really get to develop our relationship.

"I don't think he really knows me and what makes me tick."

Asked about Mr Brown, former Lords leader Lady Jay admitted that "personally I find him quite intimidating" because he "doesn't make it easy to feel that you've established a personal connection".

Ms Kennedy - who resigned saying she could not support Mr Brown - said the prime minister lacked "clarity and willingness to listen to what the voters are telling us about policy", describing this as a "a behavioural trait that you keep being promised is going to change and doesn't".

She added that, as a result, "I fear that with Gordon as leader we don't have much chance" of winning the next general election.

Asked by presenter Martha Kearney whether it was true that the prime minister acted like a "mafia boss" who "might not pull the trigger but he knows who's getting bumped off", Ms Kennedy replied: "Yes, that's how I would characterise it - that's my perception of it."

'Good enough'

However, some prominent Labour women defended the prime minister.

Discussing the number of women in front-line politics, Lady Vadera said that "Gordon worries about that - and that's why we work so hard to get women into parliament".

Angela Smith said the number of women ministers compared favourably with "any party's alternative government".

She added: "I have never, ever felt held back by the Labour party because I am a woman."

Pollster Deborah Mattinson said Mr Brown had made clear he did not know that hostile briefings had taken place and had put a stop to them, adding: "That's good enough for me."

swines

Concern over Ebola virus in pigs

Ebola can cause deadly disease in some forms

A form of Ebola virus has been detected in pigs for the first time, raising concerns it could mutate and pose a new risk to humans.

Ebola-Reston virus (REBOV) has only previously been seen in monkeys and humans - and has not caused illness.

But researchers are concerned that pigs might provide a melting pot where the virus could mutate into something more menacing for humans.

The new discovery - in the Philippines - is featured in the journal Science.

However, the researchers, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress that the virus at present appears to pose no risk to humans.

It has been detected in farm workers who tend the infected pigs, and they have shown no signs of illness.

However, writing in Science, the researchers said: "REBOV infection in domestic swine raises concern about the potential for emerging disease in humans and a wider range of livestock.

"There is concern that its passage through swine may allow REBOV to diverge and shift its potential for pathogenicity."

REBOV belongs to the family of filoviruses which usually target primates.

Deadly bleeding

These viruses cause viral haemorrhagic fevers, which cause extensive internal bleeding, and can be fatal.

The latest study examined tissue samples taken from pigs from different parts of the Philippines suffering from unusually severe respiratory infections.

Analysis showed that the animals were infected with widely varying strains of the virus, suggesting it may have circulated widely in pigs even before it was first discovered in monkeys exported to the US from the Philippines in 1989.

The researchers said it was possible that REBOV originally emerged in another, as yet unidentified, host. Fruit-eating bats have been suggested as one possibility.

Pigs are known to provide an ideal host for viruses to mutate. Experts say the potential risk is magnified because they are an essential part of the human food chain, and come into close contact with people.

Researcher Dr Michael McIntosh said: "We know this family of viruses are associated with fatal illnesses in humans.

"Even though there is no evidence at this time to suggest REBOV causes diseases in humans it does seem that it can infect humans, and be transmitted from swine to humans.

"The effect of such an infection on an immuno-compromised host - humans or swine - is also an unknown factor of concern."

The World Health Organization says that pork is still safe to eat, provided it is prepared and cooked properly

labour badly wrong

EUROPEANS THINK ISLAM IS DANGEROUS

Lord Carey is among report’s authors

Sunday January 27,2008

By Jason Groves

Have your say(85)

AN “overwhelming majority” of Europeans believe immigration from Islamic countries is a threat to their traditional way of life, a survey revealed last night.

The poll, carried out across 21 countries, found “widespread anti-immigration sentiment”, but warned Europe’s Muslim population will treble in the next 17 years.

It reported “a severe deficit of trust is found between the Western and Muslim communities”, with most people wanting less interaction with the Muslim world.

Last night an MP warned it showed that political leaders in Britain who preach the benefits of unlimited immigration were dangerously out of touch with the public.

The study, whose authors include the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, was commissioned for leaders at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

It reports “a growing fear among Europeans of a perceived Islamic threat to their cultural identities, driven in part by immigration from predominantly Muslim nations”.

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And it concludes: “An overwhelming majority of the surveyed populations in Europe believe greater interaction between Islam and the West is a threat.” Backbench Tory MP David Davies told the Sunday Express: “I am not surprised by these findings. People are fed up with multiculturalism and being told they have to give up their way of life.

“Most people in Britain expect anyone who comes here to be willing to learn our language and fit in with us.”

Mr Davies, who serves on the Commons Home Affairs Committee, added: “People do get annoyed when they see millions spent on translating documents and legal aid being given to people fighting for the right to wear a head-to-toe covering at school.

“A lot of people are very uncomfortable with the changes being caused by immigration and politicians have been too slow to wake up to that.”

The report says people have little enthusiasm for greater understanding with Islam and attempts to improve relations have been “disappointing”.

And with the EU Muslim population expected to reach 15 per cent by 2025 it predicts: “Any deterioration on the international front will be felt most severely in Europe.”

But leading Muslim academic Haleh Afshar, of York University, blamed media “hysteria” for the findings. She said: “There is an absence of trust towards Muslims, but to my mind that is very much driven by an uninformed media.

“To blame immigration is much harder because the current influx of immigrants from eastern Europe are by-and-large not Muslim.

The danger is that when people are fearful of people born and bred in this country it is likely that discrimination may follow.”

EUROPEANS THINK ISLAM IS DANGEROUS

14.03.09, 12:31pm

I agree a million percent if there was such a figure . How right up to the hilt are those already writing their comments and this morning in the Sunday Express on page 5 we have members of the WRAF being told to wear Headscarves when entering mosques in Peterborogh . How dare they desecrate our uniform of the Queen's ROYAL AIR FORCE.(where is the MARSHALL OF THE RAF
We must stamp hard on this insurgence of Isam in the K We have had enogh and if we dont we shall end up bieing subjagated by this faactical religion.. Every last one of the MUslims should be shipped back to their own country. I never hear anyone and i me anyone with common sense agreesing with this policey of multi culturalism Its is not what soldiers fought for in WW2 and this is what we are fighting for now, What a disgrace to allow those protesters last week in LUton and for the POLICeE to arrest a decent white English person and charge them with an offnce abslutely abhorrent and i shall never accept any Muslim in this country .

• Posted by: Eeldu • Report Comment

EUROPEANS THINK ISLAM IS DANGEROUS

28.12.08, 8:46am

Great article and about time too, this once great country has been sold out by the malignant pc crazed bunch of socialists that without manadate rule this country. They are in total spineless and I urge, no demand at least one of them to read the article and the majority of agreeing comments and then to stand up, be recognised and agree with their countrymen and women that enough is enough and make preparation for the removal of every vestige of non conforming immigrants. Equally to end this stupid and incoherent policy of an open door Britain.

• Posted by: lowwise • Report Comment

EUROPEANS THINK ISLAM IS DANGEROUS

04.11.08, 10:01am

An overwhelming yes to this statement. We are British in these Islands, and the onslaught of Muslim beliefs being forced upon us is not acceptable. It is clear to see to any normal thinking person that this threat is going to grow. Yes there are peaceful muslims, but the fanaticism of the extremists begs extreme measures to remove them. Allowing Mosques\\ every where, is an invitation for them to eventually gain footholds they should not have.
Has\\ anyone else seen the fanatical marches in London ? I rest my case. But our Government should act, and act now in the interests Britishness, and adopt Australian standards full stop. Kerry0

• Posted by: Kerry0 • Report Comment

**COMMENT REMOVED**

22.06.08, 12:28pm

***ABUSIVE COMMENTS WILL BE REMOVED***

• Posted by: bri9999111 • Report Comment

ISLAM IS DANGEROUS

25.05.08, 9:34am

The problem is that it is getting too late to do anyhting to stop the colonizattionof europe by Islam. The British goverenment has doen all it can to turn the country into a polyglot dumping ground for all races, and amongst these many thousands are those who wish us nothing but hram. But when you opn the folldgates as we have done, how do you close them again?

An open plea to the politicians: When can we have our country back?

• Posted by: saracen • Report Comment

ISLAM IS VERY DANGEROUS

11.05.08, 2:35pm

The Islamic invasion of Europe has begun, the advance guard are here in Britain and taking over large areas of our inner cities. Seemingly immune from British law the Islamic hordes have even persuaded the simple Archbishop of Canterbury that Islamic Shari law should be practised in Britain.(Presumably he also condones the barbaric atrocities and repression of woman carried on in the name of Islam). Where the Islam invasion lands the mosques spring up, christianity retreats and evil Imams are allowed to preach hate and terror for the country whose social security benefits they enjoy.

The tolerance of Islam in this country borders on the insane. Iran would not show any tolerance at all for a christian in Tehran. Islam does not show any tolerance for infidels. Barbaric corporal punishments, stoning to death, beheadings and amputations are all carried out in the name of Islam. Fatwahs and death sentences are issued against all who dare to challenge their way of life. Islamic fanatiscism breeds terrorism and the Islamic society sheilds the terrorist from international justice. Allahu Akbar!!

Islamists do not integrate into our society , they do not accept our standards but rather seek to force their culture on us. We should not tolerate schoolgirls in the yashmak or Imams preaching violence or any suggestion that shari laws can prevail in this country. Islamic aims for world dominance and Islamic terrorism are a clear and present danger and the warning signs are everywhere. The inbred hatred has been intensified by the illegal war in Iraq. We are all in danger from the growing invasion . The army of Islam is swelling too fast in this small country of ours and it is time to close the door to people that do not like us

seaweed saturday

Did you know that seaweed and your body have something in common? Ocean vegetables are a reflection of the body fluids of a person—in good health!

"In the internal environment of our human system, and only there, do we find the same mineral make-up and the same physiognomy as that of seawater." - René Quinton

Our body fluids have the same mineral composition as seawater. In his celebrated work Sea Water, Organic Substance (1897), noted scientist, René Quinton wrote, "In the internal environment of our human system, and only there, do we find the same mineral make-up and the same physiognomy as that of seawater."

Our blood, lymphatic fluid and intracellular fluid or plasma (the colorless fluid part of the blood), contains all one hundred or so minerals and trace elements that exist in the ocean. Just imagine, the necessary life-giving elements that circulate in the ocean currents, are the very same elements, and in very similar concentrations, that flow through our veins!

While we were babies growing in the comfort of our mother's body, we were swimming in fluids which has almost the same composition as that of seawater. Keep that in mind next time you see a pregnant woman walk by. She carries in her her own little ocean!

And get this, amniotic fluid is similar to the unprocessed sodium in seaweed! Seaweeds — the ocean’s main plant life — are just as abundant with the natural goodness of the sea. They act like sponges, and soak up all the minerals and trace elements found in seawater. When we consume these ocean vegetables, all the energy-rich nutrients are absorbed by our bodies and are easily integrated into our cells and tissues. This makes ocean vegetables our important link to the ocean—man’s vital source of life!

In conclusion, because seaweed and your body's mineral make up is similar, a daily diet of these ocean delights is the most natural way for us to re-mineralize, replenish any depleted nutrients, and rebalance internally — to keep us in good, vibrant health!

Proceed from seaweed and your body to the homepage

chicken or egg

Oldest dinosaur burrow discovered

Matt Walker Editor, Earth News

A burrow photographed from above, showing a cross section, with the entrance on the right side and chamber on the left

The world's oldest dinosaur burrows have been discovered in Australia.

Three separate burrows have been found in all, the biggest 2m long, each built to a similar design and just big enough to hold the body of a small dinosaur.

The 106-million-year-old burrows, the first to be found outside of North America, would have been much closer to the South Pole when they were created.

That supports the idea that dinosaurs living in cold, harsh climates burrowed underground to survive.

The only other known dinosaur burrow was discovered in 2005 in Montana, US.

Described two years later, this burrow dated from 95 million years ago and contained the bones of an adult and two juveniles of a small new species of dinosaur called Oryctodromeus cubicularis.

It provides an alternative explanation for how small dinosaurs might have overwintered in polar environments Palaeontologist Anthony Martin

Now the older burrows have been found by one of the researchers who made the original Montana discovery.

"Like many discoveries in palaeontology, it happened by a combination of serendipity and previous knowledge," says Anthony Martin of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, US.

"In May 2006, I hiked into the field site with a group of graduate students with the intention of looking for dinosaur tracks. We did indeed find a few dinosaur tracks that day, but while there I also noted a few intriguing structures."

Martin returned to the site, a place dubbed Knowledge Creek that lies 240km from Melbourne, Victoria, to study these structures, once in July 2007 and again in May this year.

His first reaction was one of astonishment.

"I was scanning the outcrop for trace fossils, and was very surprised to see the same type of structure I had seen in Cretaceous rocks of Montana the previous year," says Martin.

That original structure turned out to be the burrow of O. cubicularis, which Martin described with colleagues David Varricchio from Montana State University, Bozeman, US, and Yoshi Katsura of Gifu Prefectural Museum in Seki City, Japan.

"So to walk up to the outcrop and see such a strikingly similar structure, in rocks only slightly older, but in another hemisphere, was rather eerie."

Twisting structures

Within the rock, which forms part of the so-called Otway group of rocks that have yielded a rich diversity of vertebrate fossils, Martin found three separate burrows less than 3m apart, which he describes in the journal Cretaceous Research.

Two of the burrows formed a semi-helix, twisting down into the rock that was once soil.

The largest and best preserved, dubbed tunnel A, turns twice before ending in a larger chamber. In total, it is more than 2.1m long.

Martin calculates that an animal around 10kg in size would have made each burrow.

Modern animals which create such burrows include aardwolves, alligators, coyotes, gopher tortoises and striped hyenas. Twisting burrows can help stop predators getting in and keep the temperature and humidity constant.

Martin can't be sure which species of dinosaur made the burrows, but he is struck by how similar their designs are to the burrow made by O. cubicularis.

A variety of small ornithopod dinosaurs were also known to have lived in the area during the same time in the Cretaceous. These ornithopods stood upright on their hind legs and were about the size of a large, modern-day iguana.

Surviving the cold

Martin has ruled out a variety of other factors that could have created the burrows.

The fact that they were made by dinosaurs makes sense, he says.

Twenty years ago, researchers in Australia, including Patricia Vickers-Rich of Monash University in Clayton and Thomas Rich of the Museum of Victoria, first proposed that some dinosaurs may have climbed into burrows to survive harsh climates they couldn't escape from by migrating.

"It gives us yet another example of how dinosaurs evolved certain adaptive behaviours in accordance with their ecosystems," Martin says.

"Polar dinosaurs in particular must have possessed special adaptations to deal with polar winters, and one of their behavioural options was burrowing. It provides an alternative explanation for how small dinosaurs might have overwintered in polar environments."

Martin now hopes that palaeontologists will be on the look out for a range of different types of dinosaur burrow, and for dinosaurs that are physically adapted to burrowing into soil

absolute rubbish prove it

Whale 'missing link' discovered

By Helen Briggs Science reporter, BBC News

The animal was small, stocky and about the size of a raccoon

The whale is descended from a deer-like animal that lived 48 million years ago, according to fossil evidence.

Remains found in the Kashmir region of India suggest the fox-sized mammal is the long-sought land-based ancestor of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Research in Nature indicates the animal lived mainly on land but dived into water to escape predators.

Whales are known to be descended from land-dwellers but the "missing link" has been a mystery until now.

Although Indohyus, as it is known, looks nothing like the whales of today, it shares certain anatomical features.

We've found the closest extinct relative to whales and it is closer than any living relative Professor Hans Thewissen

The structures of its skull and ear are similar to those of early whales, and like other animals that spend a lot of time in water, it had thickened bones that provided ballast to keep its feet anchored in shallow water.

"We've found the closest extinct relative to whales and it is closer than any living relative," said study leader Professor Hans Thewissen of the Department of Anatomy at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Ohio, US.

Hippo link

Indohyus belongs to an ancient order of mammals that had two or four toes on each foot. Modern day representatives of the group include camels, pigs, and hippopotamuses.

Hans Thewissen holding the skull of Indohyus

DNA studies show that hippos are in fact closely related to modern whales. They do not appear in the fossil record, however, until about 15 million years ago, some 35 million years after the cetaceans originated in south Asia.

This led Professor Thewissen and his team to search for an older land-based ancestor that would fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge of the whale's dramatic evolutionary journey from land to sea.

After seeing loose teeth and fragments of jaw bones found by the late Indian geologist A Ranga Rao some 25 years ago, Professor Thewissen obtained rock samples from Rao's private collection. They harboured a treasure trove of complete Indohyus fossils, including skulls and leg bones.

Dietary clues

The stable-oxygen-isotope composition of its teeth suggests the animal spent much of its time in water.

Some have assumed that the ancestor of whales first took to the water to feed on fish but the latest evidence suggests otherwise.

"The new model is that initially they were small deer-like animals that took to the water to avoid predators," Professor Thewissen told BBC News. "Then they started living in water, and then they switched their diet to become carnivores."

Although the behaviour and habits of Indohyus appear somewhat strange, there is a modern day parallel in the African mousedeer (chevrotain).

The mousedeer lives on land, but is known to leap into the water to avoid predators such as eagles.

what is clean

Chick found during maggot inquiry

NHS Grampian said about 25 maggots were found by cleaners

Specialists probing an outbreak of maggots at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital believe the carcass of a chick could be to blame.

The discovery of the maggots caused the closure of three operating theatres, and postponements of procedures.

NHS Grampian said about 25 maggots were found by cleaners on the floor.

What is believed to be the carcass of a chick was found in pipes above two theatres and has since been removed. No further infestation has been found.

NHS Grampian said generally high levels of hygiene had been found and the roof space was clean and in good order.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said she had been "very disturbed" after first reports of the incident.

I.Q. que

High IQ link to being vegetarian

Vegetarianism has been linked to better heart health

Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life, a study says.

A Southampton University team found those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10.

Researchers said it could explain why people with higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates.

The study of 8,179 was reported in the British Medical Journal.

Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarian - although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.

Men who were vegetarian had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians.

We've always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment Liz O'Neill, of The Vegetarian Society

There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken.

Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.

Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher occupational social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians.

However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.

Lead researcher Catharine Gale said: "The finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life."

Intelligence

However, she added the link may be merely an example of many other lifestyle preferences that might be expected to vary with intelligence, such as choice of newspaper, but which may or may not have implications for health.

Liz O'Neill, of the Vegetarian Society, said: "We've always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment.

"Now we've got the scientific evidence to prove it. Maybe that explains why many meat-reducers are keen to call themselves vegetarians when even they must know that vegetarians don't eat chicken, turkey or fish."

But Dr Frankie Phillips, of the British Dietetic Association, said: "It is like the chicken and the egg. Do people become vegetarian because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they tend to be more aware of health issues?"

The NHS needs help

NHS faces 'folly' of short-sighted cuts

VIEWPOINT Dr Alan Maryon-Davis President, UK Faculty of Public Health

Services - including those helping people stop smoking - could be cut

The NHS is facing "seven years of famine" because of the economic downturn, whoever wins the next election.

Preventive healthcare is liable to see serious budget cuts - but public health expert Dr Alan Maryon-Davis says in this week's Scrubbing Up health column that this would be "short-sighted folly".

After a decade of record investment, with a tripling of its budget since 1997, the health service is facing "seven years of famine" from April 2011 as the Treasury claws back money to help rebuild the reserves it spent on bailing out the banks.

Even now, with 15 months of the good times still to go, the planners are looking to see where they can make so-called 'efficiency savings' - cuts to you and me.

The NHS is facing a new ice age

My worry is that, if history is anything to go by, the first things for the chop will be preventive programmes such as stop smoking services, healthy eating initiatives, physical activity promotion, alcohol education projects, mental health work and safe sex drives.

These are all 'soft targets' for the axe-swingers.

The benefits are in the future and there aren't any immediate shrouds to wave.

History lesson

The last time there was a raid on NHS budgets in 2006-07, the millions allocated to a national health improvement strategy called Choosing Health were quietly snaffled to prop up the massive overspend on hospital services and medication.

Suddenly, the much-vaunted Choosing Health strategy, with its high hopes of a healthier nation, was dead in the water.

But that financial crisis was a mere hiccup compared to the year-on-year hard times just over the horizon.

This time the 'efficiencies' will be deeper and longer-lasting. The NHS is facing a new ice age.

Only a paltry 1% or so of the NHS budget is currently spent on promoting health - a proportion that has hardly changed in 20 years

My plea to the army of health service planners and commissioners is simple; hands off prevention. Find your savings elsewhere.

Precious NHS money is still being wasted.

Too many cases are being inappropriately treated in hospital. Too many people are using A&E instead of a GP. Too many are being sent for unnecessary tests. Too many are prescribed high cost drugs when cheaper ones would do.

We need to spend more money on prevention, not less.

'Adding to the burden'

It is sheer short-sighted folly to cut back the very programmes that can help prevent the chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancers, chronic lung disease and mental illness, that are crippling the health service.

Our ageing population with its greater health needs, the spiralling cost of high-tech hospital diagnosis and treatment, expensive new drugs and long-term care are all adding to the burden the NHS has to bear.

By promoting health and wellbeing, and preventing disease, we can help people stay younger longer, in better physical and mental shape and less dependent on drugs and expensive treatments.

In short, we should be aiming to add life to years rather than simply adding years to life.

Absolutely preventative health is way to go. Read your comments

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) has repeatedly shown how cost-effective low-tech preventive programmes such as stopping smoking and promoting exercise can be compared to long-term medication and high-tech diagnosis and treatment.

Only a paltry 1% or so of the NHS budget is currently spent on promoting health - a proportion that has hardly changed in 20 years.

True, rather more is spent on clinical preventive services such as antenatal care, newborn screening, childhood immunisation, cancer checks, contraception, eye tests, oral health and check-ups in general practice.

Lip service

But even so, the whole prevention slice is tiny compared to the money spent on trying to patch people up after they have already fallen ill.

This is simply unsustainable. We need to move from a 'national illness service' to much more of a 'national health service'.

Politicians of all hues pay lip-service to this mantra. But there's real danger that such good intentions will be steamrollered thinner than an NHS finance director's smile by the impending cuts.

The recession has meant that many people are finding it harder to lead healthy lives and need all the support they can get. Health inequalities continue to widen. Prescriptions for depression are soaring.

We need not only to protect the health promotion and disease prevention services we've got, but actually invest more in them.

And we need to start doing that right now