Heart Beat

October 15 – One in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated, most likely because people are failing to wash their hands properly, experts warned yesterday. A study conducted by scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London, found that although 95 per cent of people claimed [...]

October 5 – Millions of pounds of NHS cash could be allocated to personal budgets for people with long-term health needs from next year, it was announced yesterday.  Some two billion pounds that is spent annually on continuing health care will be available for these budgets, health secretary Andrew Lansley said. Currently more than 1,300 [...]

  A England-wide bowel cancer awareness campaign is to be launched, it has been announced. The 8.5m UK pound campaign is part of a wider plan to improve cancer services and outcomes. The “Be Clear on Cancer” campaign has been tested in regional pilot schemes in the South West and East of England. It features [...]

How would you like to be able to tell a patient that instead of an injection in their behind, or a selection of chunky pills or some foul tasting medicine, they have instead been prescribed 2 slices of warm Belgian chocolate gateau with a rich white chocolate ganache filling, chocolate brownie chunks, thick triple chocolate [...]

Nurses who led a professional strike in a remote African country have been given a major human rights award. Masitsela Mhlanga and Thabsile Dlamini, from Swaziland, were honoured by the International Centre for Nursing Ethics at Surrey University, UK, last week. They were named as joint winners of the tenth Human Rights and Nursing Awards. [...]

  Parents were being urged today to keep an eye on their children’s weight as they head back to school. The NHS Choices service offered parents a helping hand – while issuing a warning about rising obesity rates. It said 30 per cent of British children are currently overweight or obese. It advises parents to [...]

September 5 – Clinicians can share genetic information about families without breaching confidentiality, according to guidelines published today. Sharing may help improve the care of family members, according to the guidelines from three professional organisations. When genetic conditions are treatable, professionals should make attempts to ensure those relatives who may be at risk aware of [...]

September 3 – New guidelines have been drawn up to tackle “major concerns” about complications in heart disease among pregnant women. Published by the European Society of Cardiology, and launched at its congress in Paris, the guidelines on the management of heart disease in pregnancy are published in the European Heart Journal. Although pre-existing heart [...]

September 1 – Widespread testing for HIV could be introduced to reverse Britain’s “woefully inadequate” approach to preventing the spread of the disease, senior politicians said today. Tests could be offered to all new GP patients – and hospital admissions – on an opt-out basis, according to the House of Lords health select committee. The [...]

August 29 – All hospitals need clear protocols to care for pregnant women with sickle cell disease, according to new UK guidelines. The women need the care of a multidisciplinary team including an obstetrician, a midwife and a haematologist, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The guidelines come in the wake of [...]