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17/05/2008 - Toxic strain of bug kills two in separate hospitals (The Scotsman)
Clostridium Difficile infection: TWO patients have died after contracting a bug which has struck in two different Scottish cities.
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17/05/2008 - Cord blood cancer therapy boost (BBC)
Immune cells grown from cord blood may one day be used to improve leukaemia treatment, say US researchers.
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16/05/2008 - Obese 'adding to food crisis' (The Scotsman)
OBESE people are contributing to the world food crisis because of the amount they eat, experts claim.
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16/05/2008 - NHS IT 'at least four years late' (BBC)
It will be at least 2014 before the NHS in England has a single electronic records system, say auditors.
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16/05/2008 - New treatment for psoriasis (NHS Choices)
A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story about a new psoriasis treatment giving 'hope' to sufferers.
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16/05/2008 - Local child surgery 'threatened' (BBC)
Surgeons who carry out routine child operations at local hospitals may become in short supply, experts warn.
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16/05/2008 - Hope for psoriasis sufferers (The Independent)
A dramatic advance in the treatment of psoriasis, the debilitating skin condition which affects more than one million people in the UK, was announced by scientists yesterday.
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16/05/2008 - Asbestos cancer chemo questioned (BBC)
Chemotherapy does not help people with asbestos-related cancer, according to UK researchers.
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15/05/2008 - Warning after takeaway tests (BBC)
Lovers of takeaway food could be eating more than their daily allowance of fat and salt in just one meal, scientists have warned.
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15/05/2008 - Superbug victims get green light to sue NHS (The Scotsman)
SCOTLAND'S health service could be hit by compensation claims for millions of pounds after a judge yesterday refused to throw out a raft of damages actions over the hosp
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15/05/2008 - Sunbed regulations 'absolutely useless' to protect public (The Scotsman)
GUIDANCE covering the regulation of sunbed parlours was yesterday branded "absolutely useless" by MSPs.
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15/05/2008 - Staff unaware of free eye tests (The Scotsman)
MORE than a third of workers are not aware of their legal right to a free eye test, while some are too afraid to ask their boss, according to a new report yesterday by the Col
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15/05/2008 - Single anti-flu drug 'not enough' (BBC)
No single drug will be enough to treat all the victims of a global flu pandemic, research suggests.
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15/05/2008 - Powdered passion fruit may cure asthma, say scientists (The Scotsman)
PUK Comment: Giving powdered passion fruit peel (PFP) to Asthmatics in a scientific trial reduced reported wheezing and cough but didn't improve lung function. PFP might have a use in asthma treatment. Further trials are required.
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15/05/2008 - Phone alerts get cocaine warning over to clubbers (The Scotsman)
A MOBILE phone campaign to warn clubbers and pub-goers about the dangers of cocaine has been hailed a success and could now be rolled out across the UK.
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15/05/2008 - Now stroke victims get a Wii bit of extra help (The Scotsman)
DOCTORS at an Edinburgh hospital have found a new tool to nurse stroke victims back to health ' a games console.
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15/05/2008 - Meningitis B trials 'encouraging' (BBC)
Initial results of clinical trials on a possible vaccine against meningitis B show "encouraging" results.
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15/05/2008 - Hope over smear test alternative (BBC)
Testing for human papillomavirus (HPV): A test for a sex infection may be better at screening for cervical cancer than smear tests, a study suggests.
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15/05/2008 - Clampdown on disability bullying (BBC)
Schools in England are being told how to tackle bullying of children with special needs or disabilities.
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14/05/2008 - The other national lottery: the real guide to hospitals (The Independent)
Hospital care survey: The Healthcare Commission's survey provides an unprecedented insight into the performance of NHS trusts across the country. From the standards of hygiene to the quality of the food, Jeremy Laurance reveals which hospitals are in rude health %u2013 and which are on the sick list
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14/05/2008 - Sunbed operators try to stop ban (BBC)
Sunbed parlours attempt to stop a ban on the use of coin-operated tanning machines by teenagers.
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14/05/2008 - Method to spot viable IVF embryos (BBC)
Scientists use gene analysis to identify the genetic profile of IVF embryos that result in a successful pregnancy.
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14/05/2008 - Hospitals' care standards 'vary' (BBC)
Most hospital inpatients are satisfied with their care, but there are problems in certain areas, a survey suggests.
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14/05/2008 - Exercise and breast cancer (NHS Choices)
'Young women can cut their risk of developing breast cancer substantially by taking regular exercise', The Daily Telegraph reported today. It says a US study has found that by doing regular exercise...
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14/05/2008 - Cancer patients may still have to go private for drugs ' Sturgeon (The Scotsman)
SOME cancer sufferers may still be forced to turn to the private sector for life-saving drugs, Nicola Sturgeon, the health secretary, admitted yesterday.
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14/05/2008 - Call for debate on dementia care (BBC)
A debate is needed over the ethical dilemmas facing people caring for dementia patients, experts say.
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14/05/2008 - Beta-blocker surgery risk (NHS Choices)
A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent nesw story that 'Beta-blockers have caused 800,000 deaths'.
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13/05/2008 - Viagra 'aids muscular dystrophy' (BBC)
The anti-impotence drug Viagra may potentially aid muscular dystrophy patients, research suggests.
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13/05/2008 - Snack ban 'helps healthy eating' (BBC)
Researchers find that banning all unhealthy food from school is the best way to get pupils to eat healthily.
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13/05/2008 - Prem mothers 'need feeding help' (BBC)
Mothers of premature babies need more advice and support to breastfeed, says baby charity Bliss.
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13/05/2008 - Pollution 'lifts blood clot risk' (BBC)
Deep Vein Thrombosis risk: Breathing in air pollution from traffic fumes can raise the risk of potentially deadly blood clots, a US study says.
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13/05/2008 - Hospital's new breast milk bank (BBC)
Donated breast milk is pasteurised and stored for sick and premature babies at a Devon hospital.
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13/05/2008 - Food warning for Indian children (BBC)
More than 1.5m Indian children are at risk of malnutrition because of rising food prices, Unicef says.
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13/05/2008 - Don't sit still and avoid DVT (NHS Choices)
'Desk-bound workers at double DVT risk,' reads the headline in The Daily Telegraph today. Workers who 'sit at a desk for eight hours a day and spend more than three hours...
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13/05/2008 - Breastfeeding 'may cut arthritis' (BBC)
Breastfeeding can help women cut their chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis by half, research suggests.
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13/05/2008 - Breastfeeding and arthritis (NHS Choices)
A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story that 'Breast feeding your baby for at least a year can dramatically reduce the chance of contracting rheumatoid arthritis'.
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13/05/2008 - Breast cancer gene test to predict risk of disease (The Scotsman)
THOUSANDS of women could be spared the trauma of breast removal by a breakthrough breast cancer test, it was revealed yesterday.
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13/05/2008 - Beta blockers cost more lives than they save, study claims (The Independent)
PUK Comment: This refers specifically to a study of deaths attributed to beta-blockers given to patients undergoing surgery to reduce cardio-vascular risk in the period after the operation. It does not relate to patients given beta-blockers for other medical reasons.
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13/05/2008 - 1,100 Scots underage drinkers admitted to hospital (The Scotsman)
ALMOST 1,100 underage drinkers were admitted to hospital last year after abusing alcohol, figures showed yesterday.
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12/05/2008 - Scots child diagnosed with rare drink-related disease (The Scotsman)
A CHILD in Lanarkshire has become the youngest person in the UK to be diagnosed with a rare drink-related brain disease that usually affects alcoholics.
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12/05/2008 - NHS Board admits drugs mistakes (BBC)
More than 500 mistakes when issuing drugs are recorded by NHS Tayside over the last three years.
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12/05/2008 - Mentally ill 'go without food' (BBC)
People with mental health problems are struggling to make ends meet, the charity Mind finds.
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12/05/2008 - Japan smokers face age test (BBC)
A Japanese company is developing face recognition software for cigarette vending machines - to curb underage smoking.
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12/05/2008 - Diabetes 'is no extra road risk' (BBC)
People with diabetes who use insulin have no more car accidents than those without the condition, research shows.
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12/05/2008 - City warned of dementia time bomb (The Scotsman)
THE Capital is facing a dementia time bomb, with the number of sufferers set to rocket.
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12/05/2008 - Antidote to lethal germ 'closer' (BBC)
Scientists work on an antidote for botulinum toxin - one of the world's most feared biological weapons.
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12/05/2008 - Antidepressants may help body fight HIV and cancer (The Independent)
Antidepressant drugs may help the immune system fight serious illness, research suggests. They enhance the activity of natural killer cells, key elements of the immune system, and could help the body combat infections such as HIV, and even cancer
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12/05/2008 - Antidepressants and immunity (NHS Choices)
'Antidepressants may help body fight HIV and cancer' was the headline in The Independent today. The newspaper article was on research that suggests that antidepressant drugs may help the immune system to...
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11/05/2008 - Warning over social care funding (BBC)
Ministers will warn that England's care system is heading towards a '£6bn shortfall unless there is radical reform, the BBC learns.
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11/05/2008 - Spending sprees plunge mental health patients into chronic debt (The Independent)
People with mental health problems are three times more likely to be debt-ridden than the general population as personal borrowing reaches record levels in the UK.
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11/05/2008 - Scots doctors pioneer trial to remove 'mad cow' risk from donated blood (The Scotsman)
THE world's first trial to make blood transfusions free of the human form of 'mad cow disease' has been launched by doctors in Scotland.
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11/05/2008 - Incubators may be linked to higher risk of cot death (The Independent)
Life-saving incubators may cause babies to die later from cot death, startling new research suggests.
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11/05/2008 - Grouse eaters braced for US health warning (The Scotsman)
IT'S enough to make a Highland laird choke on his porridge. American researchers claim diners who eat grouse or deer meat killed on the Scottish hills could be at risk of lead poisoning.
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11/05/2008 - Drugs blunders hit five patients a day (The Scotsman)
Scotland: FIVE hospital patients a day are put at risk as a result of blunders over drug prescriptions, an investigation by Scotland on Sunday has revealed.
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11/05/2008 - Call for vaccine opt-out penalty (BBC)
Tough sanctions are being proposed for parents who refuse routine vaccinations, such as MMR.
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11/05/2008 - Breast vs bottle: the new battleground (The Independent)
Efforts to encourage more women to breastfeed are being threatened by "aggressive" lobbying directed at the Government by the baby milk manufacturing industry, campaigners warned yesterday.
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10/05/2008 - Suckers for trendy treatment (Telegraph)
PUK Comment: In modern times, medicinal Leeches have been used to good effect in osteoarthritis of the knee and hand, plastic or re-attachment surgery, penile replantation, haematomas and severe tongue enlargement. But now, a celebrity has found a use for which there is no evidence of benefit.
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10/05/2008 - Scientists' protest discouraged (BBC)
Scientists are being discouraged from attending Parliament to show their support for proposed embryology and fertility legislation.
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10/05/2008 - Depressed fathers 'hit learning' (BBC)
Depressed fathers may hinder their child's language development, US research suggests.
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09/05/2008 - Warning over malaria dangers (The Scotsman)
AN Edinburgh pharmacist has warned sunseekers to take malaria health advice more seriously before heading abroad.
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09/05/2008 - Very early birth survival 'the same' (NHS Choices)
'Survival rates of babies born before the 24-week abortion limit have not improved significantly in the last decade,' The Daily Telegraph reports today. The newspaper says that a study...
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09/05/2008 - Promises made over NHS overhaul (BBC)
Ministers have sought to allay fears over the forthcoming overhaul of the NHS in England.
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09/05/2008 - HIV funding priority shift call (BBC)
Funding for HIV prevention is being wasted on strategies which have little impact, say US researchers.
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09/05/2008 - Half city's youth 'take cocaine' (BBC)
More than 50% of young people in Liverpool admit to having taken cocaine, a new report claims.
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09/05/2008 - Europeans get drunk 'to have sex' (BBC)
Some teenagers and young adults get high on drink and drugs to improve their sex lives, research suggests.
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09/05/2008 - Diphtheria fear after child dies (The Scotsman)
A CHILD in London has died from suspected diphtheria ' the first such fatality in Britain for 14 years.
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09/05/2008 - Children's peers are best people to warn of smoking dangers (The Independent)
The most important health warning that parents can give their children - don't smoke - is best delivered by their friends, researchers have found.
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09/05/2008 - Caveman fad diet (NHS Choices)
'Eat like a caveman for a healthy heart', is the headline in The Daily Telegraph today. It and several other newspapers report on a new study which claims that a 'paleolithic'...
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09/05/2008 - Abortion: the battle lines are drawn (The Independent)
A study of the survival rates of premature babies has provided a vital boost to pro-choice campaigners, ahead of one of the most significant parliamentary debates on abortion for a generation.
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08/05/2008 - Weight link to dementia (NHS Choices)
A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story that 'Obesity doubles the risk of Alzheimer's'.
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08/05/2008 - Trial tests lung cancer screening (BBC)
PUK Comment: A trial where COPD Patients are to be screened for early signs of lung cancer and offered treatment.
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08/05/2008 - Stillbirth rate not coming down (BBC)
Stillbirth rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are not decreasing, according to a report.
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08/05/2008 - Scotland's Alcohol Shame: Hungover middle-class parents who leave children to fend for themselves (The Scotsman)
PARENTS are damaging their children through their alcohol use without realising they are doing it, experts believe.
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08/05/2008 - Obesity increases Alzheimer's risk (The Scotsman)
OBESITY can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by up to 80 per cent, researchers say. PUK Comment: there have been a number of recent scientific studies linking general and abdominal obesity with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in later life.
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08/05/2008 - Jab urged after diphtheria death (BBC)
Infectious disease experts have warned parents to check their children are vaccinated after suspected death from diphtheria.
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08/05/2008 - Doctors to be consulted on easier abortions plan (The Independent)
Abortions could be carried out in family planning clinics, GP-run polyclinics and cottage hospitals after the Government claimed that pilot schemes designed to make access to terminations easier for women had been successful.
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08/05/2008 - Deadly virus threatens China's children (The Independent)
Chinese health authorities are grappling with a virus that has killed 28 children and is set to claim more lives, with reports of a preliminary cover-up of the highly contagious disease echoing the Sars epidemic of 2003. PUK Comment: This appears to be due to a rare but more serious form of Hand Foot and Mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71). In the UK, Hand Foot and Mouth disease is normally a short, mild, illness.
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08/05/2008 - Confusion over official advice on healthy diet (The Independent)
Most people are increasing their chances of developing heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions later in life by failing to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, r...
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08/05/2008 - Cannabis crackdown 'makes little difference' (The Scotsman)
RESTORING cannabis to its former class B status will make "very little difference" to levels of consumption, one of Scotland's leading drug experts has warned.
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08/05/2008 - Adults with autism to be audited (BBC)
For the first time the government is to calculate the number of adults with autism in England.
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