UK Health Radio – Medical News Update - Gracie on Toothache

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update

Toothache

Toothache is pain in and around the teeth and jaws that is most often caused by tooth decay. The pain starts quickly and can be mild to really painful, which is often worse at night. The area of your jaw near to the infected tooth may also be sore and hurt when it is touched.

Toothache can come and go or can be there all the time. Eating or drinking can make the pain worse, espeacily when the food or drink is hot or cold.

If you have toothache for longer than 1or 2 days, you should visit your dentist straight away to get it treated. The longer you leave it, the worse it will get.

Toothache happens when a layer of the tooth , called dental pulp , gets puffed up.

The type of treatment you have for toothache depends on the cause of the pain, so your dentist will look in your mouth and may carry out an x-ray to try to find the problem.

To avoid toothache you should: brush your teeth 2 times a day, cut down on sugary food and drinks and don’t smoke.

Visit your dentist once a year for a check-up. Children should have a dental check-up every 6 months so that tooth decay can be spotted and treated early.

Gracie Timms

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update

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UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour - Drugs U Turn

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Drugs U Turn

The BBC’s health reporter Hugh Pym has covered a story that the Letters sent to hospital chiefs and cancer research leaders by NHS England about a cut in funding for care of patients taking part in drug trials may be incorrect. The letter sent to health bosses in London blamed the "financial climate".

NHS England has now over-ruled the letter, which was obtained by Labour and seen by the BBC and says it will be writing to area teams to clarify the position.

Excess treatment costs (ETCs) cover the care of patients involved in drug trials that are not already covered by the pharmaceutical or academic research body involved.

Traditionally the NHS has covered these costs for patients who take part in the trials.

The letter from the head of specialised commissioning at NHS England London Region, dated 21 November, was written to hospital trust medical directors and leaders in the field of cancer research.

It said: "I am sure you will appreciate that in the current financial climate, the primary call for resources is to support clinical service provision for established service priorities.

"To this end, the NHS England London Region Area Team is unable to identify any uncommitted resources which could be used to support ETCs for clinical trials.

"This is the national position which is being adopted, in respect of all current requests for ETCs."

Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary, called the withdrawal of the letter "a U-turn".

He added: "This was announced as a new national policy to be rolled out and we are not convinced that this is simply an inaccurate letter. "[Health Secretary] Jeremy Hunt must make a full statement to clarify what has happened."

Mr Burnham said the letter "indicates the growing financial crisis in the NHS". Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said the episode had been "shambolic" and it was clear the health service needed more money.

Prof Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "The partnership between the NHS and organisations which fund research, such as Cancer Research UK, has been a great success story.

"We lead the world in being able to offer patients participation in clinical trials, but all this will be undone if the NHS cannot keep its side of the bargain."

A spokesman for NHS England said: "We strongly support medical research and we will fund excess treatment costs in line with the national rules, so these local letters were incorrect and are being withdrawn."

Have you every volunteered for a clinical trial?  We would love to hear what you think about this story.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour - Lowest ever number of winter deaths recorded last year

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Lowest ever number of winter deaths recorded last year

The BBC has reported that the lowest ever number of winter deaths was recorded last year, according to official figures for England and Wales.

An estimated 18,200 excess winter deaths occurred in 2013-14, the lowest number since records began in 1950-51.

Last winter was notably warmer than in previous years and had a relatively mild flu season, which contributed to the lower number of deaths. Temperatures were 2C above average for December and January last year.

The data compares deaths in winter months with averages in other seasons. It showed 11.6% more people died last winter and elderly people were affected the most, with 14,000 of 18,200 excess deaths, being in the over-75 year age group.

The report said: "The peak in mortality for 2013-14 was much less pronounced than in previous years with 8% fewer mean [average] daily deaths during December and January compared to the five year average."

While excess winter deaths are linked to low temperatures, hypothermia is not the main cause. Experience shows that the majority of such deaths are due to heart disease, stroke and respiratory illness.

However, the flu season was mild and the type of flu virus circulating last winter had a bigger impact on young adults than it did on elderly people.

"The combination of mild winter temperatures and circulation of a subtype of influenza virus which predominantly impacts on young adults rather than the elderly may partly explain the low levels of excess winter mortality in 2013-14," the report said.

The Met office predicts that this winter is likely to be relatively mild as well.

Looking back, in 1950-51, an estimated 106,400 excess winter deaths were recorded, but the figures were closer to 60,000 for most of that decade.

There has been a consistent decline since then with deaths averaging around 50,000 in the 70s and 40,000 in the 80s.

Commenting on the report, Age UK's Caroline Abrahams, said: "It is truly shocking that thousands of older people are dying unnecessarily every winter because they cannot afford to keep warm.

"This is a national disgrace and a damning indictment of our failure to tackle the root cause of the problem: cold, energy-inefficient homes.

"Fewer older people died last year compared to recent years, but the winter was exceptionally mild: we must not be complacent about the cold homes which cause so many deaths among older people because who knows how bad this and future winters will be."

She called on the government to "bring all our housing up to a high energy efficiency standard".

What do you think about this story?  Do you have a problem affording heating for your home or do you worry about a neighbour?  What do you think the answer is?

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour - People with learning disabilities in England are being kept in hospitals far from home for too long.

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

People with learning disabilities in England are being kept in hospitals far from home for too long.

A BBC report has said that Sir Stephen Bubb, recommends introducing a charter of rights and more community facilities for people with learning disabilities and that  "inappropriate" in-patient facilities should be closed.

The report comes after abuse was exposed at Winterbourne View care home in Bristol in 2011.

Sir Stephen, chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), was asked by NHS England how to address "serious shortcomings" in support for those with learning disabilities.

The BBC spoke to Phill Wills, whose son Josh has a learning disability and severe autism, has to travel 300 miles from Cornwall to see him at a treatment hospital in Birmingham.

He told BBC News he has "fought tooth and nail" to have Josh's care provided nearer to his home.

"When we felt that we weren't being listened to, it felt like Josh wasn't being listened to," he said.

Neglect and abuse of patients by staff at the Winterbourne View private hospital, near Bristol, was uncovered by BBC Panorama. Six people were jailed in 2012 and five given suspended sentences.

Sir Stephen said: "We urge immediate action, to close all Winterbourne-style institutions and ramp up community provision.

"The time for talk is over. It's time for people with learning disabilities or autism and their families to be put first."

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "We have got to do more to get people out of hospitals and into loving and caring homes in the community."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said there were still more people with learning disabilities moving into care than leaving.

Gary Bourlet from advocacy group People First England, who has a learning disability, said: "The report is full of good words. But there's not much here that hasn't been said before.

"We need someone to take charge of making change happen. And that person should be working alongside someone with a learning disability. We call that co-working. And we need a timetable as well."

NHS England expects about 1,000 reviews, which are supported by clinicians as well as NHS and local authority commissioners, to have taken place by the end of the year.

Do you have any experience of this?  We would love to hear your story.  

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour - Too Few Toddlers are Having the Seasonal Flu Protection

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Too Few Toddlers are Having the Seasonal Flu Protection

The chief medical officer for England has warned that not enough youngsters are having their flu protection.  The BBC has reported that the latest figures show fewer than one third of two to four-year-olds are getting the nasal spray.

The uptake is down on the same point last year, the first time that children were routinely immunised against flu. Public Health England said that young children were "super-spreaders" and stopping flu in children would protect their parents and grandparents.

Last winter was a relatively mild flu season and health agencies have already warned against the danger of complacency when it comes to getting immunised.

More than two million toddlers are being targeted in vaccination campaigns, but immunisation rate data up to 23 November shows:

·       28.5% of two-year-olds had been immunised, down from 34.1% this time last year

·       30.5% of three-year-olds had been immunised, slightly down from 30.6% this time last year

·       23.9% of four-year-olds had been immunised

Figures also released by Public Health Wales shows that 78% of children there are unvaccinated.  

Part of the problem is thought to be awareness. Two and three-year-olds were vaccinated for the first time last winter and the programme has been extended to four-year-olds this year. But Prof Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, said half of mums were unaware that the vaccine existed or that children needed vaccinating every year. She said: "Flu can be really nasty for toddlers, leading to time off nursery which has a big impact particularly on working mums and dads and sometimes even a stay in hospital.

"They also spread the virus easily and often pass flu to grandparents and other relatives who can become very ill, fast.

"Giving two, three and four year olds the free nasal spray really is in everyone's interests if you want to help avoid a miserable winter for all the family."

The ambition is to gradually extend vaccination to all two to 16-year-olds.

On average, every person with flu passes on the infection to two people every two days.

And children are more likely than most to spread flu. The vaccination programme is aimed at reducing flu in children and in turn cutting cases in at-risk groups.

"Children are very effective at spreading flu. You just need to look at a child with a cold - the dripping nose: they wipe their hand across their face and then touch something."

Symptoms of flu include fever, sore throat, aching muscles and extreme tiredness.

Are you having your toddler immunised or have you decided against it?  We would love to know what you think about this seasonal story.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update - Gracie looks at Coronary heart disease (CHD)

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update

 
Coronary heart disease (CHD)

CHD is the most common type of heart disease and the main cause of heart attacks.

CHD is sometimes called ischaemic heart disease 73,000 people in the UK die of it each year. About 1 in 6 men and 1 in 10 women die from CHD.

It affects men more than women, but after the age of 50 the chances of getting this disease are similar for men and women.

The main symptoms of CHD include: chest pain, heart attacks and heart failure. You can also get other symptoms, such as heart palpitations and breathlessness.

But not everyone has the same symptoms and some people might not even have any before it is diagnosed. CHD can be caused by a build-up of atheroma on the walls of the arteries around the heart. Atheroma is made up of cholesterol and other waste substances. There is no cure for coronary heart disease, but there is treatment that can help manage the symptoms and can make the chances smaller of problems like heart attacks.

Treatment can include doing regular exercise and stop smoking as well as medication and surgery.

To make the risk of getting CHD smaller you can : Eat a healthy balenced diet, Do regular exercise, Stop smoking and control your sugar levels.


Gracie Timms

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

　

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - A&E Missing Targets

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

A&E Missing Targets

The BBC have reported that Accident and emergency departments in England saw 92.9% of patients within four hours last week - the lowest percentage since April 2013, NHS data shows. The government sets a quarterly target for hospitals to see 95% of emergency cases within four hours. A&E waits have been below that level since the end of September.

The Department of Health says it recently announced extra support for A&E teams and officials say there is rising demand for emergency services, with more than a million extra visits to A&E last year compared to 2010.

A Department of Health spokesman is reported as saying: "The NHS is performing well despite unprecedented demand and hospitals continue to treat the vast majority of people quickly, with around 2,000 more people every day seen within the four-hour target in A&E last year compared to 2010.

"Last week we announced extra support to keep services sustainable year-round and in the long-term, we want to reduce demand by looking after people in the community."

Andy Burnham MP, Labour's shadow health secretary, said: "After a week of worrying reports about full A&E departments, it is clear hospitals in all parts of England are struggling to cope.

"Labour has repeatedly warned David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt about the danger of ignoring the warning signs.

"They have ignored the problem for far too long and now it is threatening to drag down the NHS this winter."

The standard recommends patients should be seen and then admitted to hospital or discharged within four hours of arrival in A&E.

 At UK Health Radio we are always concerned about the things that affect us all and this is definitely one of them.  Have you had an experience in A&E, good or bad?  We’d love to hear about it.  Contact us through the blog.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Bed Blockers to face Legal Action

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Bed Blockers to face Legal Action

The BBC have reported that a hospital is to give so-called "bed blockers" seven days to leave or face possible legal action, saying that too many families are refusing to take elderly relatives home when they are fit to leave hospital.

On Wednesday, 70 patients at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital were medically fit to leave but were still in beds on the wards.

Nearly half had somewhere safe to go - either to a family home or care home.

The hospital said some families were giving very poor reasons for not taking their loved ones back. Katie Whiteside, clinical manager for discharge services, said one family asked the hospital to "keep hold" of a relative while they took a two-week holiday in Turkey.

She said, "We have relatives coming back telling us they don't like the decor of care homes, or they don't like the member of staff who met them at the door," she said.

"Sometimes they are decorating the house or having a 'granny annexe' built and they know that, while the patients are here, they are being fed, watered and looked after."

Having large numbers of medically fit patients occupying beds causes problems throughout the hospital.

Ms Whiteside said new patients, sometimes seriously ill, may have to wait in corridors or on trolleys in Accident and Emergency, while routine operations are cancelled because there are simply not enough beds.

The hospital trust is now planning to give a week's notice to patients who are fit enough and have a safe place to go.

And it could even evict them if they refuse to leave, or their families refuse to take them.

"We would be in a position to commence legal proceedings and formally evict a patient if that was necessary," Ms Whiteside said.

"It would be an absolute last resort but it's something we are in a position to do with the solicitors here at the trust."

She said most cases could be resolved with discussions but, if a case went to court, families and patients could be liable for legal costs of up to £50,000.

Martyn Webster, of Healthwatch Dorset, said he was concerned by the move.

"Threatening patients with legal action won't help solve the problems many people face when leaving hospital," he said.

The problem of delayed discharge patients - or bed blockers - is common across the NHS. Most of the time it is not the patients' fault - many want to go home but need significant support, which is not always available.

This move, which Bournemouth Hospital hopes will be copied across Dorset, signals a much tougher approach to solving that problem.

So what do you think about this?  We would love to hear your opinion or experience, let us know on the blog. 

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Eye Treatment Need Not Be so Expensive

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Eye Treatment Need Not Be so Expensive

The BBC have reported that a drug that prevents elderly people losing their sight should be routinely available on the NHS, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Avastin has been found in clinical trials to be safe and effective for patients with wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), that is a major cause of sight loss in older people.

The Royal College says switching to the drug could save the NHS £100m as Avastin is cheaper than the officially approved treatment, Lucentis.

Lucentis typically costs about £700 for an injection, but the price for Avastin is about £70 and recent studies have concluded Avastin is just as effective and safe as Lucentis.

Doctors can prescribe it "off-label", but they are only supposed to do that if there is no suitable licensed drug.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, experts from the Royal College say regulators should find a way of getting round what they call the "bureaucratic hurdles" that prevent its use, and called for the General Medical Council and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to examine the situation and also warn that hospital eye services are struggling to cope with demand, they warn.

"Either the regulators must find a way to license a drug without the sponsorship of the company that owns it or NICE must find a way to consider an off-label drug that is not being submitted for appraisal by its owners."

Cathy Yelf from the Macular Society said that the society agreed with the Royal College's view, and had been campaigning for regulators to carry out an appraisal of Avastin for use in ophthalmology since 2010.

"We are aware that some Clinical Commissioning Groups are looking at ways of using Avastin. However, it is individual doctors who are legally accountable if an unlicensed drug is prescribed. It is not right that clinicians should be pressurised by the NHS to use Avastin without proper legal protection."

In a statement, Novartis, which markets Lucentis in the UK, said it was aware of the BMJ editorial.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health in England said:

"Age-related macular degeneration is a very serious condition and there are already other licensed and NICE-recommended drugs available to treat this condition. Avastin is not licensed for this purpose and only the manufacturer is able to apply for a new licence.

"Doctors are free to prescribe unlicensed medicines and licensed products off label if they feel they are clinically appropriate for their patients."

Please let us know what you think about this story on the website.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Kindly sponsored by 1-stop-health-shop.com