Saturday, 26 March 2011

Welsh hospital food 'needs to improve', says auditor

24 March 2011 Last updated at 06:44

Welsh hospital food 'needs to improve', says auditor

The daily cost of feeding a patient varies from £1.33 to £5.66, says the report

Hospital catering is improving in Wales but more must be done to ensure patients get the right "nutritional care", a finance watchdog says.

Many patients were satisfied with the food although not all received the help they needed at mealtimes, the auditor general said.

Large amounts were also being wasted and the daily cost of patient meals varied greatly.

Nursing chiefs said "significant work" had been done on improvements.

The report said many Welsh hospitals provided patients with an "appropriate choice of good quality food".

But there is still "much room for improvement", with the auditor general finding that not all patients get the help they need at mealtimes.

What at-risk patients ate was not always recorded, and care plans were not always in place for those with nutritional problems, the report found.

Auditor General for Wales, Huw Vaughan Thomas, said more needs to be done.

"NHS organisations must recognise the importance of patient nutrition and ensure that there is effective leadership at ward level so that best practice is implemented," he said.

Report recommendations

The need for the assembly government to develop and issue standard all-Wales nursing documentation to promote consistent nutritional screening and care planning
The need to develop a clear costing model for patient and non-patient catering services that supports meaningful comparisons of hospital catering costs across Wales
Setting clear pricing policies for non-patient catering services
Establishing local and national targets for food wastage
The need for NHS bodies to audit compliance with all aspects of the assembly government's nutritional care "pathway"
SOURCE: Wales Audit Office

The report found the daily cost of feeding a patient ranged from £1.33 to £5.66.

There was also an "unacceptably high" amount of food wasted on many wards which, if tackled, "could generate significant savings".

"The cost of unserved meals on the wards we visited was approximately £1.5m," said the report.

"If these wards reduced unserved meal wastage to the best performing wards in our sample, savings of over £758,000 could be achieved."

The report found that where there was strong leadership, nutritional care was "invariably better".

Chair of the assembly public accounts committee, Darren Millar, said: "Although hospital catering services in Wales have improved, a great deal still needs to be done to make sure patients get the nutritional care they need, that the amount of food waste on wards is reduced, and that better financial information on catering services is available," he said.

Chief nursing officer for Wales, Prof Jean White, said she was pleased the "significant work" done to improve hospital food was recognised.

Save money

Patients were now assessed on arrival and a food record ensured dietary and nutritional requirements were given the same priority as medication.

"Through Welsh Health Supplies, all NHS organisations in Wales already collaborate when procuring goods and services and are on target to save £20.7m in this year," she said.

"Contracts ensure that food in hospitals is sustainable, safe, of good quality and procured efficiently."

Prof White said they were also looking at linking with councils to buy-in supplies.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said the report provided "yet more evidence that the health service in Wales is still struggling to provide basic care for every patient."

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

European hospitals asked be on standby for Japan's ill

15 March 2011 Last updated at 12:40

European hospitals asked be on standby for Japan's ill

By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News

Red Cross worker being checked for radiation exposure

Workers in the area are checked for radiation exposure

Japan Earthquake

Five hundred bone marrow transplant centres across Europe are being asked to be on standby to treat Japanese radiation victims if the need arises.

The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) has alerting its members, which include 3,000 medics in specialist units.

It is unclear how many in Japan might need their help, but the centres have plans and protocols ready to action.

Many were drawn up after the 11 September 2001 terror attacks.

It will be up to each centre to decide whether or not to take on any patients. In the UK there are 55 centres that could potentially help.

The president of the EBMT, Professor Alejandro Madrigal, said: "We are asking centres to tell us their level of response and capacity so we can measure the level of commitment at centres."

Professor Ray Powles, chair of the nuclear accident committee for EBMT, said it may be that between 20 and 30 workers at the nuclear Fukushima plant who are striving to contain the radiation will need treatment.

"It is too early to tell yet, but it is better to be prepared.

"If there was a humanitarian reason it would be something that could be offered.

"We have contacted Japan directly and have also offered our services to them through the World Health Organization.

"It's a logistic exercise.

"We have had training sessions and have a consensus on how to treat people who have been exposed to radiation.

"If workers have been exposed to harmful levels of radiation then we have a few days before they will get ill to plan their treatment.

"They might just need antibiotics or they might need antibiotics and other drugs as well as blood and platelets. It's not that dissimilar to treating leukaemia."

The treatment would largely be supportive care to manage the damaging effects of the radiation exposure. A few may require bone marrow transplants.

Professor Powles stressed that these patients would not pose any radiation risk to others around them.

Tuesday, 22 February 2011

A watch-like device “could revolutionise blood pressure monitoring

Blood pressure device performs well

Monday February 21 2011

Wrist-worn blood pressure monitors are not new

A watch-like device “could revolutionise blood pressure monitoring”, BBC News has reported. According to the website, the monitor can be used to measure pressure in the wrist, which can then be used to estimate pressure in the aorta, the largest artery in the body.

Although news coverage has focussed on the wrist-worn monitor, the research devised a technique to combine blood pressure readings from the wrist and upper-arm to estimate central aortic systolic pressure (CASP). This measure of pressure in the aorta is thought to be a better way of predicting heart problems than traditional measures of blood pressure, such as using an inflatable cuff around the bicep.

A device to measure blood pressure at the wrist is not new, and the method does not replace the traditional approach of using a cuff on the upper arm. However, the researchers’ method for combining the two results to estimate CASP appears to have some merit, and may filter into medical care.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Leicester, the National Institute for Health Research, Gleneagles Medical Centre in Singapore and Healthstats International in Singapore. The study was financially supported by the Leicester National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit in Cardiovascular Diseases. The study was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

What kind of research was this?

Blood pressure has been measured through a blood vessel in the upper arm – the brachial artery – for many years. However, there is a current debate about whether the blood pressure measured in the arm accurately represents the corresponding pressure in the aorta, the large blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart. Recent evidence suggests that central aortic systolic pressure (CASP), the pressure exerted as blood is pumped out of the heart and into the aorta, is a better predictor of structural damage to the heart and blood vessels.

In this study, researchers tested a mathematical algorithm to determine whether it could accurately estimate CASP using measurements of pressure in the radial artery at the wrist. The brachial artery in the upper arm divides at around the elbow, and the radial artery is one of the main branches of this, supplying blood to the forearm, wrist and hand.

The best way to measure CASP is to insert a pressure sensor into the aorta, but this is invasive and is usually only done when people undergo a procedure known as cardiac catheterisation. The procedure involves making an incision into the groin or upper arm to gain access to the arterial system, then feeding a guide wire and sheath through the arterial system so that a tiny pressure sensor can be positioned into the aorta or heart.

There are other ways to estimate CASP, such as reading the pressure in the radial artery and applying mathematical functions, called generalised transfer functions. Although this method is widely used, the application of generalised transfer functions has been criticised. In this study, researchers explored a different mathematical model to estimate CASP from the radial pressure.

This study had three separate parts, each involving a different group of participants. In the first, the researchers tested some key mathematical properties of their model. In the second, they compared their new way of estimating CASP with a well-known, accepted mathematical method. In the final part, they compared their non-invasive estimates of CASP with measures taken with cardiac catheterisation in people undergoing surgery.

What did the research involve?

The researchers tested the application of a mathematical approach called the n-point moving average. This is commonly used in other fields of study to help filter data and find underlying trends.

With each beat the heart contracts and relaxes, resulting in fluctuations in blood pressure over short periods of time. In their first experiment the researchers needed to determine how many tiny measurements of radial pressure their model would need to make within the cycle of a heartbeat. They enrolled 217 volunteers to help with this aspect of their model development.

In the second study, they used blood pressure readings taken as part of a large study that ran in Leicester over the course of five years. From this, they had 5,349 individual blood pressure readings to validate their new approach to calculating the central aortic pressure.

The final part of the experiment included 20 adults undergoing routine diagnostic cardiac catheterisation at the Gleneagles Medical Centre in Singapore. Their CASP was measured near the aortic valve directly in the heart. At the same time, a device was attached to their wrists to measure the radial pressure and a device was placed over the bicep of the same arm to measure the brachial pressure. The researchers were able to compare the measures of CASP from their model with the direct CASP measures in real time for up to three minutes.

What were the basic results?

The researchers determined the best structure for their model in the first group of volunteers. This structure led to estimates of CASP that closely approximated those derived through the more standard CASP estimation models. The accuracy of their estimates was not affected by age, gender, presence of diabetes or hypertension treatment in the participants.

In the invasive blood pressure experiment, brachial blood pressure (the standard measure in the upper arm) overestimated blood pressure compared to direct measurement of pressure in the aorta. There was strong correlation and agreement between direct measures of CASP and those estimated by the researchers’ mathematical model.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that their study demonstrates that a “simple moving average method” can be applied to brachial blood pressure measured across the wrist to estimate CASP.

Conclusion

This complex study involved the application of mathematical approaches to derive a measure of CASP from both radial artery pressure and brachial artery pressure. The researchers have developed a mathematical algorithm that appears to accurately predict CASP.

In commenting that a sensor strapped to the wrist that can “measure the pressure in the aorta”, The Independent misunderstood the mechanics of measures of radial pressure. The researchers measured pressure at both the wrist and at the upper arm and use mathematical approaches to convert them into an estimate of the pressure in the aorta.

The HealthSTATS sensor mentioned in news coverage is certainly not the first device of its kind, and there are several monitors which can be strapped to the wrist to measure radial pressure. However, it seems that the study’s technique of combining it with a traditional upper-arm cuff readings to create an estimate of CASP has some merit. The researchers make it very clear that this technology does not replace the traditional inflatable cuff, and that both methods are needed.

Past research suggests that CASP is a better marker of cardiovascular problems than upper-arm blood pressure readings. As such, more accurate measures of it, such as that allowed through this new approach, are likely to play a growing role in clinical practice

Blood pressure ! Millions 'misdiagnosed by GPs'

Patients will be sent home to test blood pressure as millions 'misdiagnosed by GPs'

One in four under 40s give a misleadingly high reading due to 'white coat nerves'

Patients suspected of having high blood pressure will be sent home to test themselves for an extra 24 hours to make sure they were not misdiagnosed in the doctor’s surgery.

The additional tests follow concerns that some are being wrongly diagnosed because their blood pressure rises in the surgery - so-called ‘waiting room nerves’.

Currently, anyone suspected of having high blood pressure is diagnosed by a GP with an inflatable arm cuff.

They then have additional readings, but always at their surgery or in hospital.

Under new draft guidelines, which are open to consultation, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence proposes doctors do not rely solely on readings taken in their surgeries.

Instead, after the initial assessment a patient should be sent home and asked to wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, or ABPM, device.

This is an inflated arm cuff which takes spot readings over a 24-hour period. Around eight million people in Britain are currently diagnosed with high blood pressure, and at least six million are on drug treatment, with the majority aged 50 and over.

But experts say that up to a quarter of those under 40 are misdiagnosed because they develop ‘white coat hypertension’ in which their blood pressure gives a misleadingly high score because they are nervous.

The new guidelines will not change the threshold for treatment but provide an additional check to make sure no-one is incorrectly labelled as having high blood pressure.

More...

How to keep a closer watch on your blood pressure

In 2008, 32 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women in England had high blood pressure – defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140mmHg or over, or a diastolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or over – or were being treated for the condition.

Under the Nice guidelines, if blood pressure measurements taken during a consultation are 140/90mmHg or higher, then extra confirmation should be obtained over 24 hours at home.

Bryan Williams, professor of medicine at the University of Leicester, led the development of the guidelines.

He said doctors currently have to bring patients back to the clinic twice or more to get an accurate reading.

‘As many as 25 per cent of young people might record having high blood pressure when they go to the doctor when they actually don’t have it,’ he added.

‘When you are older, you are more likely to be hypertensive but, if you are at the margins and particularly if you are younger, then there’s a big error rate with diagnosis.

‘Evidence shows that if you used ambulatory testing before you treat, you would get the correct diagnosis more often.’

He said the guidance was not just cost-effective, but was cost-saving in the long run as less cash is spent on treatments.

He added: ‘What we want to do is ensure that the treatment goes to those people who need it

Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Zinc can be an 'effective treatment' for common colds

By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News

Common cold viruses are spread by sneezes

Taking zinc syrup, tablets or lozenges can lessen the severity and duration of the common cold, experts believe.

A review of the available scientific evidence suggests taking zinc within a day of the onset of cold symptoms speeds recovery.

It may also help ward off colds, say the authors of the Cochrane Systematic Review that included data from 15 trials involving 1,360 people.

But they say zinc cannot be used long-term because of toxicity concerns.

Excessive amounts can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Now more work is needed to determine the exact dosing required, say the experts.

Cold viruses

Adults catch between two to four colds a year and children up to 10 a year.

There is little a person can do to avoid these infections because the viruses responsible are so commonplace.

“Start Quote

This review strengthens the evidence for zinc as a treatment for the common cold”

End Quote The review authors

Cold viruses can be passed from person to person not only by coughs and sneezes but also by touching contaminated surfaces such as door handles.

There is no proven treatment for the common cold, but experts believe zinc medications may help prevent and lessen infections by coating the common cold viruses and stopping them from entering the body through the thin lining of the nose.

It also appears to stop the virus from replicating, at least in laboratory tests.

There is also the suggestion that zinc aids the immune system and may dampen down some of the unpleasant reactions the body has to an invading virus.

Speedy recovery

Lead researcher Meenu Singh, of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, said: "This review strengthens the evidence for zinc as a treatment for the common cold.

"However, at the moment, it is still difficult to make a general recommendation, because we do not know very much about the optimum dose, formulation or length of treatment."

According to trial results, zinc syrup, lozenges or tablets taken within a day of the onset of cold symptoms reduce the severity and length of illness.

At seven days, more of the patients who took zinc remedies every couple of hours during the daytime had cleared their symptoms compared to those who took placebos.

And children who took 15mg of zinc syrup or zinc lozenges daily for five months or longer caught fewer colds and took less time off school.

But the 15 trials in the review all used different treatment timescales and doses, making it impossible to reach a consensus.

And the people who used zinc also reported more side effects, such as an unpleasant aftertaste or nausea, than the placebo group.

Editor in Chief of the Cochrane Library, David Tovey, said: "This is a treatment that is showing some promise which, where treating the common cold is concerned, is unusual.

"Although there are many over-the-counter cold remedies already available, we are not awash with things that can stop cold symptoms or greatly reduce their severity.

"But there is still uncertainty about the best doses, timings and formulations and more studies will be needed to look at this."

Professor Ronald Eccles, Director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, remained doubtful about zinc's benefits as a cold treatment in current formulations.

He said zinc's toxicity would also be a potential concern if taken over longer periods.

Tuesday, 15 February 2011

Shocking accounts of poor patient care released-Helpline appeal launched

Today the patients association publishes Listen to patients, Speak up for change, a collection of 17 firsthand accounts of hospital care of older patients from across the NHS. All told by people that had contacted our Helpline in the past year, these stories highlight serious failings in standards of nursing care, poor communication with relatives and an ineffective complaints handling system.

A follow up to last year’s Patients not numbers, People not statistics it’s publication marks the launch of a fundraising drive (supported by the Daily Mail) for the Patients Association Helpline as we try to deliver a more active support service. We are seeking to raise £100,000.

Find out what we will do with the money raised HERE

Patients Association President Claire Rayner, who passed away earlier this year, wrote the foreword for last years report and her son Jay Rayner writes the foreword this year in memory of Claire. Commenting on the launch of the report her husband, Des Rayner, said

“Let the haunting begin”

in reference to Claire’s famous last words ("Tell David Cameron that if he screws up my beloved NHS I'll come back and bloody haunt him!").

Chief Executive Katherine Murphy said:

'Surely the essentials of nursing care are what every patient deserves and should get? The NHS should get this right all of the time. Lack of help with eating and drinking. Lack of help with personal hygiene. Lack of help with toileting needs. It is clear from the stories we hear on our Helpline that too many patients are being badly let down. It’s a scandal and it’s outrageous that has been persisting for years. Families are left with a life sentence of grief, with no lessons learnt and the same failings continuing.'

‘The fact this problem hasn’t been properly addressed before is a sad indictment of our society. If we continue to ignore the problem, then many millions of us will end up in a similar position in the years to come. We will regret not having spoken out. Every single one of us needs to say enough is enough.’

‘The people who wrote these stories were not asking for the earth. They just wanted their relatives to be cared for, to have their basic needs met, for staff to show their loved ones kindness and compassion. I think we’d all want that if we were in their shoes.’

'The NHS has tried to bring back matron, but is hasn't worked. That absolute commitment to patient care seems to get sidelined by targets, finances and bureaucracy. What we need is a matron who can ignore all of that. They can tell Trust managers, ‘forget your strategic framework and middle manager initiatives, it is meaningless if patients are not getting the vital nursing care they are entitled to.'

'We've been told for years that the NHS is listening to patients, but where is the proof? Complaints are not being listened to. That is a fundamental thing that needs to be put right. The whole complaints system needs to be reviewed urgently starting with surveys for complainants so we can find out where the really poor performers are.'

'Patients and carers need to be able to call on a real advocate when they complain, someone to fight their corner.'

‘When we published our report in 2009 we were inundated and ever since we have heard story after story after story. Our calls are going up and with the help of the Daily Mail readers we will try to make sure everyone who contacts us gets the help they need.’

Kieran Mullan from the Patients Association supported the story tellers during the difficult process of producing their accounts and commented:

'Their grief is palpable. Many of them feel guilty that the system disempowered them so thoroughly. Taking part in the report reminds them they are not alone, that it was not their fault. It is the system they were up against that is at fault.'

'It is vital that other people show the courage these people have shown because unless people speak out the problems will continue. It was a privilege to help them do this. We can't publish everyone's story, but everyone's story helps us to shout from the roof tops as loud as we possibly can.'

'When I took the stories and showed them to Claire last year she was upset and then she was angry. We know she would have been even more angry that these things are still happening. We should all be angry. This is our NHS run by our Government. The NHS exists to meet our needs and the needs of our families and friends. We shouldn't tolerate such abysmal failings. Our story tellers are speaking out. They are saying enough is enough. We all need to get behind them.’

On the plans for the Helpline, Michael Watson Helpline Manager said

‘We want the resources to help more individuals to make their voices heard locally. Whether that be writing letters to Trusts and MPs, putting them in touch with local patient groups, getting them expert advice. Anything we can do to help. At the moment we are limited to sign posting, helping people to help themselves. The need is just so great that we are determined to do more and we hope people can support us and donate to the appeal.’

To make a donation by cheque please send cheques to The Patients Association, PO Box 935, Harrow, Middlsex, HA1 3YJ.

To make a donation online please visi

NHS 'failing to treat elderly with care and respect'

15 February 2011 Last updated at 00:01

NHS 'failing to treat elderly with care and respect'

By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News

The elderly population is set to double over the next 25 years

The NHS is failing to treat elderly patients in England with care, dignity and respect, an official report says.

The Health Service Ombudsman came to the conclusion after carrying out an in-depth review of 10 cases.

The ombudsman, which deals with serious complaints against the NHS, said the patients - aged over 65 - suffered unnecessary pain, neglect and distress.

Charities said the findings were "sickening", while the government admitted improvement was needed.

While the report is only based on 10 cases, the ombudsman said they were far from isolated examples.

Of nearly 9,000 complaints made to the ombudsman last year, 18% were about the care of older people. In total, it accepted 226 cases for investigation - twice as many as for all the other age groups combined.

Ageing population

The report concluded there was a gulf between the principles and values of the NHS and the reality being experienced by older patients.

And the ombudsman, which is called in once a complaint cannot be resolved by individual NHS trusts, said the fact there was an ageing population made it even more essential that the concerns were dealt with.

Several themes became clear from the ombudsman's analysis. Half the people featured did not consume adequate food or water during their time in hospital.

Case study

After being admitted to hospital with severe abdominal and back pains, Mr D was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer.

He asked to be discharged so he could die at home. But when his daughter arrived to collect him, she found him sitting behind a closed curtain in distress.

He had been left for several hours, was in pain, desperate to go to the toilet and unable to ask for help because he was so dehydrated that he could not speak or swallow.

The emergency button had been placed out of his reach, his drip had been removed, fallen and had leaked all over the floor.

At home, his family discovered Mr D had not been given the right pain relief.

His daughter said later: "It was as if he didn't exist." After investigating the case, the ombudsman found the trust had failed on a number of grounds.

Some were left in soiled or dirty clothes. One woman told the ombudsman how her aunt was taken on a long journey to a care home by ambulance.

She arrived strapped to a stretcher and soaked with urine, dressed in unfamiliar clothing held up by paper clips, accompanied by bags of dirty laundry, much of which was not her own.

Communication was also highlighted as a problem with one 82-year-old woman recalling how, on being discharged from hospital after minor surgery, she was frightened and unsure of how to get home.

She asked the nurse to phone her daughter, but was told "this is not my job".

In another case, a cancer patient wanted to be discharged to die at home. When his daughter arrived to collect him, she found him sitting behind a closed curtain in distress.

He had been left for several hours in pain and desperate to go to the toilet. He was unable to ask for help because he was so dehydrated that he could not speak or swallow.

'Harrowing'

Ann Abraham, the Health Service Ombudsman, said the accounts painted a picture of NHS provision that was "failing to meet even the most basic standards of care".

"These often harrowing accounts should cause every member of staff who reads this report to pause and ask themselves if any of their patients could suffer in the same way."

Michelle Mitchell, of Age UK, said: "The inhumane treatment of older people described in this report is sickening and should send shockwaves through the NHS and government."

And Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, added the report echoed the findings of research her group had done.

"How many reports do we have to have before anything will change and patients will stop suffering?"

Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts, said the cases highlighted were "completely unacceptable".

But he added: "It is of course important to put these 10 examples in perspective. The NHS sees over a million people every 36 hours and the overwhelming majority say they receive good care."

Care services minister Paul Burstow agreed, but acknowledged standards still needed to improve.

"We need a culture where poor practice is challenged and quality is the watchword. The dignity of frail older people should never be sidelined."

He said the government's reforms of the NHS would strengthen the voice of patients.

Have you or your family been affected by any of the issues raised in this article? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Swine flu narcolepsy 'link' probed by WHO

8 February 2011 Last updated at 12:59

More than 30 million doses of swine flu vaccine have been given in Europe

At least 12 countries have reported a possible link between a swine flu jab and a rare sleeping disorder, the World Health Organization has confirmed.

It said "further investigation was warranted" following reports of 52 cases of narcolepsy linked to the Pandemrix jab in Finland.

Cases have also been reported in Sweden, Iceland and the UK.

The government agency which regulates medicines in the UK said a link had not been confirmed.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: "The Pandemrix vaccine remains available and should continue to be used as recommended.

"The benefits of vaccination outweigh any risk of a possible side effect."

Narcolepsy is a rare condition where a person falls asleep suddenly and unexpectedly.

A possible connection between the swine flu vaccine and the illness first came to light in Finland.

Finland and other Scandinavian countries have reported a general rise in cases of narcolepsy - in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people - but the cause has not been established.

UK cases

A recent investigation by Finnish authorities found children given the swine flu jab Pandemrix were about nine times more likely to develop narcolepsy than those who had not been vaccinated.

The WHO's global advisory committee on vaccine safety reviewed this, and other data, last week.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a rare illness, with around 10 new cases per million people every year
The main symptom is falling asleep suddenly
The cause of narcolepsy remains unclear
Some people may be predisposed to the condition by their genetics
Suggested initial triggers include infections such as measles or mumps, accidents and the hormonal changes that take place in puberty
It most often begins between the ages of 15 and 30

It said the committee would continue to monitor the situation and agrees that "further investigation is warranted concerning narcolepsy and vaccination against influenza (H1N1) 2009 with Pandemrix and other pandemic H1N1 vaccines".

The WHO said an increased risk of narcolepsy had not been observed with any other vaccines - for flu or other diseases - in the past.

It said: "Even at this stage, it does not appear that narcolepsy following vaccination against pandemic influenza is a general worldwide phenomenon and this complicates interpretation of the findings in Finland."

The Pandemrix vaccine, made by Glaxo Smith Kline, has been used in 47 countries following the swine flu outbreak last year.

More than six million doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been given in the UK, with more than 30 million given across Europe.

The MHRA said it had received four unconfirmed reports of narcolepsy following vaccination.

It said the reports so far in the UK "are no more than we would expect to see by coincidence after vaccination".

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Chinese New Year...marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit

Chinese New Year, marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit. But for the millions of individual rabbits and other animals suffering on Chinese fur farms, today is a day like any other.

These gentle animals spend nearly their entire lives crammed in filthy wire cages that are so small the animals are often unable to move more than a few tiny steps. They are born and raised to die at the hands of workers who kill them using methods — such as neck-breaking, suffocation, poisoning, and electrocution — that keep the rabbits' skin intact so that it can be sold. The skin of rabbits who are not fortunate enough to die instantly is often ripped from their bodies while they are still conscious.

Why are these animals subjected to such cruelty and abuse? It's all done in the name of fashion!

Millions of individual animals are killed each year for the clothing industry — and more than half the fur used in the U.S. comes from China. PETA is convincing leading retailers and designers around the world to eliminate fur and exotic-animal skins from their clothing lines, and top designers — including Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Liz Claiborne — are setting fashion trends without using any skins.

Even though she knows about the suffering that's behind every fur-trimmed coat, hat, and bag, Donna Karan continues to use fur in her collections. Even footage like petas has failed to convince her to remove fur from her clothing lines.

PETA is leading the fight to save animals through our eye-opening campaigns against retailers and designers — such as Donna Karan — who still use animal skins. We are on the front lines in the fight to convince the fashion industry that compassion is the fashion — and we're winning! Our affiliate PETA Asia is also on the ground fighting in China. But our work would not be possible without the support of members like you.

With kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

Sunday, 6 February 2011

Amazon drought 'severe' in 2010, raising warming fears

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News

Both droughts had a major impact on people living in the Amazon basin, as well as the forest

Last year's drought in the Amazon raises concerns about the region's capacity to continue absorbing carbon dioxide, scientists say.

The scientists, from the UK and Brazil, suggest this is further evidence of the Amazon's vulnerability to rising global temperatures.
They also suggest the days of the Amazon forest curbing the impact of rising greenhouse gas emissions may be coming to an end.
The 2010 drought saw the Amazon River at its lowest levels for half a century, with several tributaries completely dry and more than 20 municipalities declaring a state of emergency.
Research leader Simon Lewis, from the University of Leeds, is the scientist who gained an apology from the Sunday Times newspaper last year over the so-called "AmazonGate" affair.
"It's difficult to detect patterns from just two observed droughts, but to have them close together is concerning," he told BBC News.
Both droughts were associated with unusually warm seas in the Atlantic Ocean off the Brazilian coast.
"If that turns out to be driven by escalating greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, it could imply that we'll see more drought years in the near future," said Dr Lewis.

“Start Quote

Current emissions pathways risk playing Russian roulette with the world's largest rainforest”

End Quote Dr Simon Lewis Leeds University

"If events like this do happen more often, the Amazon rainforest would reach a point where it shifts from being a valuable carbon sink slowing climate change to a major source of greenhouse gases."

Some computer models of climate change - in particular, the one developed at the UK's Hadley Centre - project more droughts across the region as the planet warms, and a diminishing capacity to absorb CO2.
There are several ways in which warming can turn greenhouse gas-absorbing forests into emitters.
In the Amazon, the principal mechanism is simply that trees die and then rot; in addition, those trees are then not available to absorb CO2 from the air.
Eye in the sky
For this research, scientists used data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), a US/Japanese satellite that monitors rainfall in a belt extending either side of the Equator.
Its observation showed that whereas the 2005 drought covered an area of nearly two million sq km, in 2010 it stretched for three million sq km.

Data came from the US/Japanese TRMM satellite, a window on tropical rainfall

Following the 2005 drought, scientists were able to study the impact on trees and work out the relationship between the rainfall loss and the release of carbon.
In an average year, the basin absorbs about 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.
By contrast, the impact of the 2005 drought, spread over a number of years, was calculated as a release of five billion tonnes.
The new paper calculates the figure for 2010 as about eight billion tonnes, as much as the annual emissions of China and Russia combined; but this, the researchers acknowledge, is a first estimate.
"It could be that many of the susceptible trees were killed off in 2005, which would reduce the number killed last year," said Paulo Brando from the Amazon Institute of Environmental Research (IPAM) in Belem, Brazil.
"On the other hand, the first drought may have weakened a large number of trees, so increasing the number dying in the 2010 dry season."
Leeds University is part of a research group that maintains about 130 land stations across the Amazon region.
If funds are forthcoming, the team will visit them all in the coming months to gather first-hand data on tree deaths.
This should provide for a more accurate estimate of the 2010 drought's contribution to global emissions.
Closing the gate
The likely fate of the Amazon under climate change came under focus early last year when, as one of a series of attacks on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Sunday Times newspaper accused the panel of having included an unsubstantiated claim that up to 40% of the forest could be affected by climate change in future.

Two fishermen on a boat on the dried bed of the Negro river, 120km from Manaus

Some Amazon rivers saw their lowest level for decades in 2010

It used quotes from Dr Lewis in support of its claim.
In fact, Dr Lewis was concerned about the region's vulnerability and had sent the newspaper a sheaf of scientific papers to back the case.
He told the newspaper that the IPCC had sourced its statement to a report from environmental group WWF, when it should have referenced the scientific papers WWF had used in its report.
"In fact, the IPCC's Amazon statement is supported by peer-reviewed scientific evidence," the Sunday Times acknowledged in its apology.
Commenting on that so-called "AmazonGate" episode from the perspective of the new research, Dr Lewis noted:
"The notion that the Amazon is potentially very vulnerable to droughts linked to climate change was reasonable and defensible at the time, and is consistent with the new findings.
"If greenhouse gas emissions contribute to Amazon droughts that in turn cause forests to release carbon, this feedback loop would be extremely concerning.
"Put more starkly, current emissions pathways risk playing Russian roulette with the world's largest rainforest."

Amazon drought 'severe' in 2010, raising warming fears

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News

Both droughts had a major impact on people living in the Amazon basin, as well as the forest

Last year's drought in the Amazon raises concerns about the region's capacity to continue absorbing carbon dioxide, scientists say.

Researchers report in the journal Science that the 2010 drought was more widespead than in 2005 - the last big one - with more trees probably lost.
The 2005 drought had been termed a "one in a century" event.
In drought years, the Amazon region changes from being a net absorber of carbon dioxide into a net emitter.
The scientists, from the UK and Brazil, suggest this is further evidence of the Amazon's vulnerability to rising global temperatures.
They also suggest the days of the Amazon forest curbing the impact of rising greenhouse gas emissions may be coming to an end.
The 2010 drought saw the Amazon River at its lowest levels for half a century, with several tributaries completely dry and more than 20 municipalities declaring a state of emergency.
Research leader Simon Lewis, from the University of Leeds, is the scientist who gained an apology from the Sunday Times newspaper last year over the so-called "AmazonGate" affair.
"It's difficult to detect patterns from just two observed droughts, but to have them close together is concerning," he told BBC News.
Both droughts were associated with unusually warm seas in the Atlantic Ocean off the Brazilian coast.
"If that turns out to be driven by escalating greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, it could imply that we'll see more drought years in the near future," said Dr Lewis.

“Start Quote

Current emissions pathways risk playing Russian roulette with the world's largest rainforest”

End Quote Dr Simon Lewis Leeds University

"If events like this do happen more often, the Amazon rainforest would reach a point where it shifts from being a valuable carbon sink slowing climate change to a major source of greenhouse gases."

Data came from the US/Japanese TRMM satellite, a window on tropical rainfall

Some Amazon rivers saw their lowest level for decades in 2010

Saturday, 5 February 2011

Brain scan of a patient with variant CJD

Blood test for vCJD 'could identify carriers'

By Sonya McGilchrist BBC News health reporter

Brain scan of a patient with variant CJD, the yellow areas are diseased

A blood test for variant CJD has been developed by British scientists.

Currently patients suspected of having the human form of BSE have to undergo a series of tests, including a brain biopsy, to confirm a diagnosis.
The new test, reported in The Lancet, offers the chance of earlier diagnosis and potentially the ability to screen donor blood.
But further studies are needed before it can be widely used to screen healthy people who may be silent carriers.
Variant CJD or vCJD is the human form of BSE - "mad cow" disease. It affects the brain and is believed to have passed from cattle to humans through infected food.
There have been 170 confirmed deaths from vCJD in the UK, but a previous study suggested one in 4,000 Britons could be incubating the incurable degenerative disorder without symptoms.
CJD causes the brain to develop a spongy texture known as spongiform encephalopathy.
Early symptoms include anxiety, depression and tingling pains. Doctors often do not realise that a patient has the brain condition until other features occur, such as difficulty with movement, or loss of mental abilities.
At present, there is no treatment for variant CJD and the diagnosis is often made when patients are terminally ill.
The new test was tried on 190 blood samples, of which 21 had variant CJD. The test picked up 15 of the samples with variant CJD - a 71% success rate.
It did not produce any "false positives" - showing that someone had CJD, when they did not.
Early diagnosis
Professor John Collinge of the Medical Research Council is one of the doctors involved in the research. He said that he would begin using the new test on patients in his clinic straight away.
He said: "An earlier diagnosis will give patients and their families more time to plan what they would like to do in the time left available to them."

“Start Quote

This lifts us into the next stage and takes us to a position of hope”

End Quote Peter Mills Father of vCJD patient

Fergus Walsh: A signifcant advance

Professor Collinge is currently working on research to treat the disease with antibodies.

He told the BBC that the first clinical studies involving patients could be carried out as early as next year.
A test that provides an early diagnosis will become even more significant if treatments for the disease become available.
The development was welcomed by Peter Mills, whose daughter Holly was diagnosed with variant CJD in 2003.
He described the test as milestone, saying: "This lifts us into the next stage and takes us to a position of hope. It gives us great confidence that therapies to treat the disease are a realistic prospect - but this test has to come first."
Silent carriers
The new test could provide more information on how many people have variant CJD and be used to screen for the disease.
However, further large scale studies on populations where the disease is not present would be needed before it could be used as a screening test.
The lead author of the research, Dr Graham Jackson of the Medical Research Council's Prion Unit, said: "This test could potentially go on to allow blood services to screen the population for vCJD infection, assess how many people in the UK are silent carriers and prevent onward transmission of the disease."
Patients and their families can find out more about the new development by looking at the National Prion Clinic website.
Chris James, from the Haemophilia Society said they would push for the test to be used as soon as it is clinically available: "The Haemophilia Society has long called for tests to be offered, in combination with pre and post-test counselling, to people with bleeding disorders who have been told they are at risk for public health purposes in relation to vCJD."

Saturday, 26 March 2011

Welsh hospital food 'needs to improve', says auditor

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Tuesday, 15 March 2011

European hospitals asked be on standby for Japan's ill

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Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Blood pressure device performs well

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Conclusion

Patients will be sent home to test blood pressure as millions 'misdiagnosed by GPs'

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Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Zinc can be an 'effective treatment' for common colds

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Tuesday, 15 February 2011

Shocking accounts of poor patient care released-Helpline appeal launched

NHS 'failing to treat elderly with care and respect'

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Thursday, 10 February 2011

Swine flu narcolepsy 'link' probed by WHO

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Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Sunday, 6 February 2011

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Amazon drought 'severe' in 2010, raising warming fears

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