Contact Form


How well do you rate the NHS medical service?:

Legal News

New superbug threatens patients in UK hospitals Read More


Gynaecologist receives reprimand Read More


Boy wins £3 million compensation for brain injury Read More


Health Service is complacent about the needs of the mentally ill. Read More


40,000 medication and prescription blunders every year Read More

Recent News

New treatment for arthritis sufferers
Tuesday, 20 July, 2010 - 14:02
A new intensive form of therapy for arthritis sufferers is being trialled in Leeds.

The Arthritis Research Campaign is funding the £500,000 trial which is testing 200 people in Leeds who suffer from psoriatic arthritis, an early form of the illness which also affects the skin. The trial, being run at Chapel Allerton Hospital concentrates on intensive therapy and monthly checks. The Leeds team believe that this form of treatment could reduce joint damage more effectively that the current, less frequent method. If successful it could become standard practice throughout the country.

Dr Philip Helliwell, who is leading the team at Chapel Allerton, said: “We think that a tighter, more aggressive treatment of psoriatic arthritis, in which patients are given escalating dosages of drugs if their condition is not responding, and see a specialist every month with the aim of controlling their symptoms fully and as soon as possible, will result in a good outcome after 12 months.”

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/New-hope-for-Leeds-arthritis.6426598.jp


Flu jabs could be replaced
Tuesday, 20 July, 2010 - 13:53

Scientists believe that they have developed a skin patch which will in time replace the conventional flu jab.


The new patch would deliver the vaccine through microscopic needles which dissolve after penetrating the outer layer of the skin and scientists say it would have the advantage of eliminating dangers posed by dirty needles in the developing world where conditions such as HIV and hepatitis B are prevalent. It also has the advantage of being able to be administered by someone with no medical training.

The scientists, from the US, who designed the 100-needle patch, say that the needles are made of biodegradable plastic and painlessly inoculate the patient before dissolving. Dr Sean Sullivan, who carried out the study, said: “We envisage people getting the patch in the mail or at a pharmacy and then self-administering it at home. Because the microneedles on the patch dissolve away into the skin, there would be no dangerous sharp needles left over."

Though it may be several years before it becomes a routine vaccination and replaces the flu jab, the scientists are confident it eventually will and that the technique could also be extended for use with other vaccines.”


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/19/flu-patch-vaccine

Hospitals failing to administer medication to some patients
Thursday, 11 March, 2010 - 13:42

Hospitals throughout England & Wales have been failing to give some patients medication or have been late providing it


The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has found that many hospital patients are not getting the medication that they require.


The health watchdog has found evidence of this medical negligence in all hospitals throughout England and Wales, where medication is being dispensed late or not at all, with 27 occurrences resulting in patients dying.


All hospitals in England and Wales are being contacted by the NPSA urging them to take appropriate action in preventing these incidents of medical negligence.


Over a period spanning from September 2006 to June 2009 reports were received by the NPSA of around 21,000 instances where medication was administered late or not at all, as a result there have been 27 deaths, 68 severe harm occurrences, with the rest being less serious cases, but still cases where medication had not given in a timely manor.


There are fears that this figure may be significantly less than the actual number, as occurrences of missed or late medication are only reported to the NPSA on a voluntary basis.


The most common reason given for missed medication was that the prescribed drugs were not available on the ward, but in many cases no reason at all was given raising concerns that staff may be forgetting to administer the medication altogether.


A Department of Health spokesperson said that patient safety is a "top priority".



Source http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8558476.stm