Health News Update
Here are the most recent main news stories concerning health issues. If you or anyone you know have been affected by the issues below and would like some legal advice please contact us for accurate claim advice.
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15 January 2008
Cancer patients fertility appeal
NHS fertility treatment for cancer patients must be improved, leading doctors say. Full story:
Superbug test case to be heard
A test-case involving a woman suing a hospital for giving her MRSA is to be heard in Edinburgh. Full story:
Scientists in hybrid embryos plea
Leading scientists have urged peers not to block the use of human-animal hybrid embryos for research. Full story:
14 January 2008
Hospital deep cleaning under fire
Hospital bosses and cleaning firms are questioning the wisdom of the government's £50m deep clean programme. Full story:
Ski-break knee injuries 'rising'
A boom in short skiing holidays abroad is leading to a rapid increase in knee injuries, an expert warns. Full story:
'Spare part heart' beats in lab
The stripped-out shell of a heart has been made to work again - using brand new cells planted inside it. Full story:
13 January 2008
Organ donor system overhaul call
Gordon Brown backs moves to treat everyone as a potential organ donor as advisers look to increase transplants. Full story:
Vomiting bug 'hits three million'
Almost three million people have been affected by norovirus so far this winter, figures suggest. Full story:
Gene therapy implants for tendons
Freeze-dried implants are being developed which may help repair injured and difficult-to-treat tendons. Full story:
12 January 2008
Bad cholesterol genes discovered
Scientists find novel genes linked with 'bad' cholesterol, paving the way for therapies to treat the risk. Full story:
11 January 2008
Removed patient in care struggle
A terminally-ill Ghanaian woman sent home after her UK visa expired is struggling to get medical treatment. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk/7182467.stm
Statins for all diabetics urged
Diabetics should receive cholesterol-busting drugs regardless of their heart disease risk, researchers say. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7180733.stm
Chewing gum weight loss warning
Too much "sugar-free" chewing gum can lead to severe weight loss and diarrhoea, doctors warn. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7180800.stm
Dentists' test for breast cancer
Dentists could test patients' saliva samples for breast cancer if a new device gets the go-ahead. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7181596.stm
10 January 2008
Bid to claw back NHS drugs charge
The assembly government hires corporate investigators to see if Wales' NHS was overcharged for drugs. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/wales/7179701.stm
Call for quicker drug decisions
A faster, more streamlined system of assessing treatments for the NHS should be introduced, MPs say. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7179699.stm
Dementia drug instant hit claim
Scientists claim a drug can reverse some early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease - with effects seen within 10 minutes. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7179060.stm
Doctors 'not reporting assaults'
One in three doctors have been either physically or verbally assaulted in the last year, research suggests. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7178777.stm
09 January 2008
Hospital bug strategy is set out
Ministers say they are getting to grips with hospital bugs as they set out measures in the fight against them. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7177090.stm
Breast screening 'really works'
UK researchers say they now have proof that breast cancer screening really does reduce mortality. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7176386.stm
A little alcohol 'can be healthy'
Moderate drinking and a healthy active lifestyle may be the best recipe for a longer life, research suggests. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7177506.stm
08 January 2008
A&E new 15-minute patient target
Hospitals will be given a 15 minute target to get patients out of ambulances when they arrive at A&E. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/wales/7175646.stm
Healthy living 'can add 14 years'
Regardless of how fat or poor you are, four key changes could add 14 years to your life, a major study finds. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7174665.stm
Smear test call for young women
Cervical screening should be reinstated in England for women in their early 20s, researchers say. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7174723.stm
Low vitamin D heart health risk
Having too little vitamin D has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, a US study has concluded. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7175400.stm
07 January 2008
PM to announce screening plans
At-risk patients in England are to be offered screening for heart disease and strokes, Gordon Brown is to say. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7174340.stm
Cosmetic clinics 'downplay risks'
Some cosmetic surgery clinics are putting sales before patient safety, warns a consumer watchdog. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7171789.stm
MRSA 'could be treated at home'
Experts on MRSA say that up to a third of people with the bug could be treated at home and not in hospital. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7172219.stm
06 January 2008
Medical abbreviations 'pose risk'
Doctors are warned that ambiguous abbreviations in medical notes are putting patients' lives at risk. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7171453.stm
Competition 'tough' for NHS posts
Junior doctors across the UK are being warned they face the toughest competition ever for training posts. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7171601.stm
Regulation plans for homeopathy
A new body is set to regulate a range of complementary therapies such as homeopathy and aromatherapy. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7173026.stm
05 January 2008
Competition 'tough' for NHS posts
Junior doctors across the UK are being warned they face the toughest competition ever for training posts. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7171601.stm
Aneurysm screening gets go ahead
Men aged 65 and over in England are to be offered screening for a potentially fatal blood vessel condition. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7172094.stm
Many wards closed by vomiting bug
The virulent norovirus has forced at least 100 hospital wards across the UK to close to new patients. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7170948.stm
04 January 2008
Many wards closed by vomiting bug
Virulent norovirus has forced at least 56 hospital wards across England and Wales to close to new patients. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7170948.stm
Indigestion 'busting NHS budget'
At least £100m from is being spent unnecessarily by the NHS each year on indigestion drugs, doctors say. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7169396.stm
Children's bodies moved illegally
Children's bodies are being illegally transported across the country for post mortem examinations because of a shortage of pathologists, say experts. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7170106.stm
03 January 2008
'Standardised' social care urged
The "postcode lottery" in social care for the elderly must be addressed, a charity says. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7167734.stm
CJD death 'is no cause for panic'
A mysterious case of CJD raises the possibility of a new group of people falling prey to the illness. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7167866.stm
Smoking link to hearing problems
Teenagers who smoke, or whose pregnant mother smoked, are at risk of hearing problems, a study claims. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7167997.stm
02 January 2008
NHS 'now four different systems'
Patients in the UK's four nations are getting different services following devolution, say health chiefs. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7149423.stm
Cameron suggests superbug fines
Hospitals should be fined for every patient who catches a superbug, Tory leader David Cameron is to say. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk/7167365.stm
UK and US 'keenest on fast food'
The UK is the country most attached to fast food, closely followed by the US, a global survey suggests. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7165990.stm
01 January 2008
PM thanks staff as NHS turns 60
Prime Minister Gordon Brown pays tribute to NHS staff and hints at a new constitution for the health service. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7166429.stm
Disturbed sleep link to diabetes
An interrupted night's sleep may increase the risk of developing diabetes, a US-based study suggests. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7163217.stm
Ban on junk food ads introduced
A ban on adverts for junk food during television programmes aimed at children under 16 comes into force. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7166510.stm