Monday, August 20, 2012

Health news headlines this week

Here's a quick roundup from the news headlines in the health pages this week.

Baldness cure on the cards? The Telegraph reports that a treatment could be available within a couple of years. This will no doubt arouse a great amount of interest - we'll follow the story as it happens.

Rise in diabetes. It's being reported this week that Scotland's diabetes rates continue to increase, with nearly quarter of a million people suffering from the condition - or 4.7% of the population.

The effect of sickness absence from work has also been making the news, with a recent survey indicating that only just over half of employers believing they're "well equipped" to deal with the problem. Being 'well equipped' isn't defined in this context but presumably the better equipped employers will have a health and wellbeing strategy, provide group medical insurance, EAPs and so on.

The Guardian posits an interesting theory today regarding Obamacare - namely that the President's affordable care act will mean the US being short of doctors - tens of thousands of them. This is because so many currently uninsured Americans will have access to healthcare. So the possibility, according to the story, is that the US shortfall could be made up in part by UK doctors leaving for jobs across the pond. Which could then cause a shortage here.

And that's all from us just now. If you have any comments on the above stories, then please leave us a comment - we's love to hear from you!


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