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!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Office fitness
Exercise is something most of us don't get enough of, for whatever reason. So why not do some exercising at work? The examples here offer a range of effective ways to keep fit at the comfort of your desk.
Monday, August 13, 2012
NHS operation rationing condemned by eye surgeons
Recently the NHS has come under fire for rationing certain procedures including cataract operations, knee operations and hip replacements. Eye surgeons have recently spoke out against this saying that thousands of patients are being put at risk at more than half of the NHS trusts as a result of this.
Due to the cutbacks, those waiting for treatment have to suffer unnecessarily, being left unable to read, write or drive for long periods of time as a result of the ever increasing waiting periods. Eye specialists have attacked this move, labelling it as unfairly restricting operations for those requiring surgery and stating that is putting their lives at risk.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Collegeof Optometrists and the Optical Confederation have released a joint statement urging the primary care trusts to ditch their rationing that is resulting in patients having to wait for even longer periods of time.
According to the group, some patients with cataracts in both eyes are only being treated for one, which leaves people unable to judge distances properly and become increasingly more likely to cause accidents. Professor Harminder Dua, president of the Royall College of Ophthalmologists, stated that he is deeply concerned about the rationing of cataracts surgeries through increasing the vision threshold required to qualify for surgery.
He believes that if a cataract is negatively affecting a person’s life, they should be able to qualify for the relevant treatment. It should also be noted however that the patient should know the risks involved in such a surgery and should be qualified from a health standpoint to be suitable for the operation.
Elizabeth Wade of the Primary Care Trust Network has come back to this response detailing the massive financial strain the NHS is currently under because of the reforms. As a result, commissioners and the primary care trusts must work within their means whilst offering the highest quality of care for their patients within those budgets. The Department of Health does not provide guidelines for the maximum amount of time a patient should have to wait before being able to receive an operation.
If this is a concern for you or someone you know, going private may be the solution to have these kinds of issues impact your life as little as possible. Healthcare provider Health-on-Line offer a number of options and you can get a private medical insurance quote online now.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Summer safety abroad
Going abroad during the summer is pretty much everybody's idea of a great time. The sun, the sea, the nightlife - not to mention the food, the shopping, the sports activities. Plus the general summer happiness and fun.
But with all the fun of going abroad there are a couple of things that we all need to make sure we remember. The first one is to remember your passport and your sun screen. And the second one is to make sure you've got the right medical cover. For instance if you're doing any sports such as kitesurfing or maybe even playing rugby - then you'll need to make sure you're covered for all eventualities. Even if you're not planning on anything spectacularly energetic, health cover is still a must.
And if this is a point that needs highlighting, then recent news figures posted by the Foreign Office should help to do this very well indeed. The annual British Behaviour Abroad report published by the government shows that last year an average of seventy people a week were hospitalised overseas. Incredibly, out of 2000 people interviewed for the survey very nearly half (48%) of respondents didn't know that without travel insurance they'd have to pay for medical bills in the event of treatment being required. In addition to this, the Foreign Office say they see many instances where people have invalidated their policy by things like not declaring a pre existing condition.
The moral of the story is this: make sure you get travel or international medical insurance before you set off on your travels.
But with all the fun of going abroad there are a couple of things that we all need to make sure we remember. The first one is to remember your passport and your sun screen. And the second one is to make sure you've got the right medical cover. For instance if you're doing any sports such as kitesurfing or maybe even playing rugby - then you'll need to make sure you're covered for all eventualities. Even if you're not planning on anything spectacularly energetic, health cover is still a must.
And if this is a point that needs highlighting, then recent news figures posted by the Foreign Office should help to do this very well indeed. The annual British Behaviour Abroad report published by the government shows that last year an average of seventy people a week were hospitalised overseas. Incredibly, out of 2000 people interviewed for the survey very nearly half (48%) of respondents didn't know that without travel insurance they'd have to pay for medical bills in the event of treatment being required. In addition to this, the Foreign Office say they see many instances where people have invalidated their policy by things like not declaring a pre existing condition.
The moral of the story is this: make sure you get travel or international medical insurance before you set off on your travels.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Cholesterol and your arteries
This is an interesting video - and a good way to motivate the healthy diet!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Dental work and the recession
It's only natural that during times of economic squeeze people will try to save a bit of money here and there, by trading down at the supermarket for cheaper brands, or maybe cancelling a magazine subscription. However it seems that in some cases people are - due to the recession - deferring or even cancelling dental work.
Given the amount that some dental treatment can cost - even if it's just some root canal work and a couple of white fillings - it's no wonder that sometimes people are reluctant to shell out for a trip to the dentists. Sometimes it can be a pain in the wallet.
In fact, in a survey of dentists by the British Dental Association last year, two thirds of practitioners reported that they had seen customers either hold off on dental treatment or cancel it completely.
However, the BDA board chairman commented at the time that putting things off isn't the best decision either health-wise or in terms of money:
"Neglecting your oral health can increase both the complexity of the problems you face and the cost of the treatment you must eventually have."
In other words, if you decide that you will postpone treatment, then the treatment you will need in the future could well be more extensive, and costlier as a result. Making sure your teeth are in order is also important during a recession when jobs are harder to come by and we all need to present ourselves well - so it's always advisable to get the treatment that you require rather than assume it will sort itself out or not continue to develop.
Buying a dental plan is one way to ensure that you'll be able to get the treatment you require without any unexpected bumps to the bank balance. This kind of plan means that up to certain limits you can claim back the money for crowns, fillings and other things like x-rays too.
Have you ever felt tempted to cancel dental work due to the recession? Please let us know in the comments.
Given the amount that some dental treatment can cost - even if it's just some root canal work and a couple of white fillings - it's no wonder that sometimes people are reluctant to shell out for a trip to the dentists. Sometimes it can be a pain in the wallet.
In fact, in a survey of dentists by the British Dental Association last year, two thirds of practitioners reported that they had seen customers either hold off on dental treatment or cancel it completely.
However, the BDA board chairman commented at the time that putting things off isn't the best decision either health-wise or in terms of money:
"Neglecting your oral health can increase both the complexity of the problems you face and the cost of the treatment you must eventually have."
In other words, if you decide that you will postpone treatment, then the treatment you will need in the future could well be more extensive, and costlier as a result. Making sure your teeth are in order is also important during a recession when jobs are harder to come by and we all need to present ourselves well - so it's always advisable to get the treatment that you require rather than assume it will sort itself out or not continue to develop.
Buying a dental plan is one way to ensure that you'll be able to get the treatment you require without any unexpected bumps to the bank balance. This kind of plan means that up to certain limits you can claim back the money for crowns, fillings and other things like x-rays too.
Have you ever felt tempted to cancel dental work due to the recession? Please let us know in the comments.
Friday, August 3, 2012
E-health research centres: a health care move forward
Last week it was reported that the drug testing facilities for the London 2012 Olympics will be turned into a permanent research centre - so when all the international athletes have packed up their kit and flown off home to all four corners of the globe, the legacy of London 2012 will partly be to the benefit of UK health care generally. The HM Government website's news room has this information on the purpose of the e-health centre initiative:
"The new centres will enable the UK to make more effective use of electronic health data – a field with huge possibilities for health care delivery and the understanding of disease"
The other planned e-health centres along with the London one (greater London, actually: it's based at Harlow) are to be established in Dundee, Manchester, and Swansea. Described by the Prime Minister as "an impressive example of collaboration between top-class research, the NHS and industry" the ehealth centres will use electronically stored health data to find new insights into disease and thus help with health care delivery.
This is all good news and potentially cutting edge UK research - we'll revisit this story in time when the e-health centres' work is underway and hopefully bringing some interesting results. Until then, though, the Olympics continue and the UK summer - despite a bit of rain here and there - welcomes millions of tourists to London to watch the games and also check out the history and culture available in the capital.
"The new centres will enable the UK to make more effective use of electronic health data – a field with huge possibilities for health care delivery and the understanding of disease"
The other planned e-health centres along with the London one (greater London, actually: it's based at Harlow) are to be established in Dundee, Manchester, and Swansea. Described by the Prime Minister as "an impressive example of collaboration between top-class research, the NHS and industry" the ehealth centres will use electronically stored health data to find new insights into disease and thus help with health care delivery.
This is all good news and potentially cutting edge UK research - we'll revisit this story in time when the e-health centres' work is underway and hopefully bringing some interesting results. Until then, though, the Olympics continue and the UK summer - despite a bit of rain here and there - welcomes millions of tourists to London to watch the games and also check out the history and culture available in the capital.
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