Healthcare News

An aging problem

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:33:13 +0000

That Britain finds itself in a quagmire as far as the National Health Service is concerned, is an understatement. Not all of it is happenstance as one may be led to believe. How do you justify a developed nation not being able to take care of its people? Be it dental implants or a regular check-up, as long as it is not life threatening, it will just have to wait. In fact, patients are facing more pain and longer waiting periods as the NHS is forced to cut 20 billion pounds from its budget by 2015. This is the most radical change being made since its’ very inception. Along with this, about 20,000 jobs are slated to be axed over the next two years. What baffles the mind is this is happening in a country considered as developed and being an economic power in its own right.

Does this mean there were no experts in the last 60 years, since the inception of the NHS, who could see the downslide and suggest corrective measure that could have been taken in time to arrest this fall into ignominy? Or was the matter pushed under the carpet by successive governments?

Considering the ageing population, it would seem prudent to provide more rather than a reduction of the medical budget. It would make sense to cut down on other expenses that are not essential and focus on the issue at hand. A mere 11% opt for private healthcare in the UK. And considering the current economic downturn, it is expected to remain at that figure. There is also a small percentage that prefers to go to a developing country where the medical facilities are cheaper but relatively at par with the western counterparts to get a painful condition attended to without delay. The major chunk of patients continues to stay in the UK and await their turn - often up to a year - while bearing the pain that invariably increases.

The point then is to increase the number of hospitals and medical staff so that the citizens with a medical condition do not have to prolong their suffering before getting the required treatment. This is something that needs to be planned with a lot of foresight as it would mean a sacrifice in spending elsewhere. Perhaps spending on things like covert ops and defence spending could take a backseat while the long suffering citizens have their aches and pains addressed. After all, what is a nation of sick people with the most sophisticated weapons?

Advantages of the NHS

admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:33:03 +0000

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK aims to provide healthcare to anyone who needs it, regardess of age, financial situation, Fatality Accidents compensation and circumstances. Despite regular put-downs in the national and international media the NHS is a beacon of British healthcare. The advantages, including cost, quality and care provided are outlined in this article. Officially founded in 1948, as a result of World War II, the NHS is a staple in British medicine.

The NHS provides free healthcare for most residents in the UK, It all depends on eligbility and Entitlement of Care. Most people will now have to pay for prescriptions (students, children and OAPs are exempt). But the NHS provides free insurance, particular tests and treatments. This is unlike other countries where you would have to pay for quarterly surgey fees and insurance. The NHS is funded through taxes. When someone gets their paycheck it is automatically deducted, along with National Insurance. The NHS provides free care for minor illnesses such as coughs and colds to major illnesses such as cancer. Pregnancy care is also available for all women.

The quality of care available is very varied. Depending on your condition you may be seen by a doctor, dentist or optician, receive hospital treatment or go to walk-in/drop-in centre. NHS care includes anything from treatment for flu to vaccinations, mental illness to ectopic pregnancy care. You can choose to see a male or female doctor and you can even choose up to three hospitals to visit. This is very convenient if you want any of your family or friends to visit. Some treatments such as acupuncture and hypnosis may be subject to a small fee- unless they are on prescription.

The NHS are always under quality reviews. This means they must keep their standards high in order to continue treating the British public. The constant observation is to ensure everything runs as smooth as possible. Local and national authorities monitor the NHS and medical practioners. Targets are issued to the NHS in order to maintain good service and progress with development. This is excellent news for patients as they get the best care available.

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Whose responsibility?

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:03:16 +0000

The recent health scare over whether a certain brand of breast implant is actually likely to put women who have them at risk seems to have started a heated argument between the NHS and the private sector. Although women in France are being told that they can have the implants and removed and replaced at no cost to themselves, here in the UK no-one has yet taken responsibility for paying for all those surgical procedures – and both sides are remaining very stubborn!

The NHS has said it is more than happy to pay for replacement surgery for those women who had the first implants done on the NHS in the first place. In reality, this means that only women who had breast restructuring after cancer will get the surgery for free as all cosmetic procedures are carried out at private hospitals. Private hospitals themselves are saying that it is not their responsibility to test implants for safety as this falls under the remit of the government agency NICE. Their argument says that if NICE authorised the use of these particular implants in the UK, then it is NICE’s fault that they have to be replaced and therefore the cost of the all those surgeries should come out of the public purse.

Unsurprisingly, many people are unhappy at the thought of taxes being spent on cosmetic surgery procedures, even if there is now a medical need for them to be carried out. As with most debates of this nature, there is no one single customer view that is right; women with the implants need to have them removed so that their health won’t be damaged, whereas those of us who haven’t felt the need to butcher ourselves in the name of vanity feel aggrieved that we’re going to end up funding Jordan’s latest boob job.

Common food Allergies You Should Know About

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:33:03 +0000

Health problems come in all shapes and sizes, and most of them completely take you by surprise. One of the strange kinds of health conditions is food allergy; strange because you never knew that some kind of food you always liked has suddenly become a no-no for you. However, since food allergies do happen and they can be really difficult to correctly diagnose for the first time, here are few most common food allergies most of the people usually suffer from.

Peanuts

Many people are completely allergic to peanuts and sometimes, even other kinds of nuts, such as hazelnuts etc. To the allergic people, peanuts and even the small pieces of peanuts can cause narrowing of the respiration air passage. Peanuts and its products, such as peanut butter or peanut oil should be avoided if you are allergic to peanuts. If you know that you or your children choke on nuts or are allergic to nuts, it’s best to not get them out from the storage lockers to keep them away from everyone’s reach.

Eggs

Often present with the young babies or infants, the allergy to eggs usually goes away over time. Usually, the egg allergy affects the skin by causing red patches or rashes, but in some cases it can cause little more serious symptoms, such as breathing disorders.

Fish

It is a relatively more common allergy amongst adults and full-grown people. However, this is a difficult allergy to detect because most people are allergic to one kind of fish and are not allergic to other kinds of fish. As an easy solution, people usually choose to avoid seafood altogether since it’s difficult to find which fish you are allergic to.

Milk and dairy products

This allergy is usually present in the small children and infants, which goes away automatically with aging. The symptoms of this allergy are usually not very severe, i.e. milk and milk products may cause some skin problems temporarily.

Wheat

Wheat protein or wheat gluten sometimes causes allergic symptoms in younger people. However, this allergy has been seen in some grownups too. It can be prevented by avoiding baked products that use wheat gluten and wheat protein.

Full circle: how the World came to love cosmetic surgery

admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:03:03 +0000

At one time, if you had liposuction then you were attacked on all sides, from all possible angle: the newspapers made sure to run photos of how you looked before, reminding everyone of something you were trying very hard to forget, and health ministers from every country declared you a terrible example. And this is saying nothing about the horror stories which terrified the general public. With many of the legislative rules and regulations completely in flux during this changing time, there were very few ways to make sure that someone was who they said they were.

…it isn’t only the general public and a group of new celebrities who are taking advantage – pick up any newspaper and you will find that MPs and many people in the public eye are going in for treatment…

Nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to be able to stroll down a high-street without passing at least one botox clinic. In fact, speaking of the new procedure presently charming the general public, botox in cheshire and other counties has exploded. Now, there are a range of clinics in every major town, and all of them are geared up to help you with a number of procedures in a sterile environment that can be trusted implicitly.

One such place which has seen a tremendous increase in business would be Court House Clinics, 3 Swan Street, Wilsmlow, Cheshire, SK9 1HF

Recognised as one of the leading UK clinic chains, Courthouse’s web-sites boast all kinds of information – both general info for the person scanning to see what is on offer, and much more detailed facts and figures for those seriously considering anything from Tattoo removal to leg vein treatments.

Thanks to the popularity of these clinics, and shows like The Only Way Is Essex, everyone can now get the exact look they have been waiting for for a reasonable price. And it isn’t only the general public and a group of new celebrities who are taking advantage – pick up any newspaper and you will find that MPs and many people in the public eye are going in for treatment, in an industry that shows absolutely no sign of slowing down soon.

Lastly, there’s no need to worry now about turning up at a clinic and then later discovering it isn’t correctly registered. In the last few years strict guidelines have come into being which prevent most illegitimate firms from being able to grab a strangle-hold on the business. This means added assurance for you, the client, and a feeling that cosmetic surgery is now well and truly established as one of the trends of the Century.

’Ecstasy'Treats Cancer

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:04:07 +0000

BBC has announced the results from a research materials provided by American and British scientists and medical expert who have conducted several tests on cancer cells. They have concluded that modified Ecstasy drug formula might actually improve the drug and turn it from an addictive drug to a healing method for blood cancer. This seemed quite doubtful even for Locum GP work specialists who are not generally involved in the area, but research proves otherwise with efficiency of almost 90% against blood cancer cells.

The drug is composed of ingredients with various effects but the criminals producing the drug rely solely on its effects on the nervous system. Thus it gives unlimited energy supply for a certain amount of time for the people using it but hitting strong their liver when the drug is absolutely consumed by the organism. It is widely spread among young people and is often mentioned as being a cheaper replacement for cocaine. Nevertheless, it remains dangerous and prohibited. But by modifying it, scientists claim that its effect on the liver can be reduced and almost no consequences for the nervous system would be generated - instead other chemical elements in the drug would be released in the blood and supply antibodies to fight mutated blood cells in the organism.

Scientists believe that in the next 5 years they will absolutely prepared to conduct experiments on people and are sure of they results. The modified formula would deliver a cheaper and at the same time more effective cure for blood cancer which is generally extremely hard to treat with standard procedures.

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Ethnic Issues In Health Care In UK

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:33:09 +0000

You may not have thought twice about the ethnicity and nationality of red diesel suppliers operating in your neighborhood. However, chances are high that you know the ethnicity and nationality of an individual working in a local health care center. Why? Well, we pay a lot more attention when our health is at stake.

This concern automatically increases when the health of our family members is at stake. In such a scenario, we are comfortable dealing with a person who is, culturally speaking, in sync with our own ideas and notions. On the other hand, dealing with a person of a different nationality may be a less comforting experience.

This is not to say that persons from other nationalities will not make good nurses or doctors. However, there is no denying that people would prefer dealing with someone they can identify with when their health is at stake.

This is one issue that will have to be sorted out if the British health care system is to improve. Britain has become the land of immigrants and there are fears that the white population may become a minority in the near future. Well, Britain may have learned to live together in a harmonious manner but that does not mean all conflicts have been avoided. As the population grows, new complications with come up and the onus is upon the government and people to act in a sensible and mature manner to tackle the same.

It is advisable to start working towards such a goal as early as possible. It is better to prevent conflicts rather than repair them after they have occurred.

BBC’s Panorama – Eye Opener On Mental Health Care In UK

admin — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 10:03:10 +0000

The sting operation carried out by BBC’s Panorama in the Winterbourne View care home revealed numerous instances of assault and abuse of patients by support staff. This has raised disturbing questions on the efficacy of outsourcing such activities to private organizations.

Health car involves something more than doctors performing a GP doctor job. Mental health is an important aspect of health care and this includes providing care for individuals with special needs. No reasonable person will expect the state to provide 5 star level comforts and facilities. However, the government has to ensure that patients are not subjected to physical and mental harassment by support staff with sadistic and perverted tendencies.

The role of the Care Quality Commission which acts a the regulator of institutions like the Winterbourne View care home is particularly suspect. It now appears that more than one individual sought to bring the mistreatment of the patients to the knowledge of the management and the regulator. The management conveniently brushed the issue under the carpet while the regulator promised to revert back seeking more information and never did so.

The world reacted in outrage when scenes of mistreatment of prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison became public. The fact that such scenes have occurred in a UK health facility raises very disturbing questions about the condition of patients in the country. Old age care is not just a financial but a social problem as well. A nation that does not take care of its elderly sets a very bad precedent for its younger generation.

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Why African Doctors Travel

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 09:03:10 +0000

The African continent is blessed with many world class professionals in various endeavours which include medicine. There are doctors in Africa who are as skilled as their counterparts in the developed countries despite the fact that those of them who schooled there had minimal facilities at their disposal. As for the ones who were schooled in Western countries, we have seen reports about their excellent grades and brilliance. They excelled in many things including Botox. Many of the Doctors in West Africa are however leaving the shores of their country to practice elsewhere around the world. They seek for qualifications that allow them to practice in the United States, Britain, Germany and many other countries. The question is why are these sets of professionals leaving their home country?

My answer to the above question is that doctors are leaving their home countries for greener pastures. Greener pastures in terms of opportunities, facilities and of course better financial gains. In Nigeria for example, we learnt that their doctors are finding their way to Saudi Arabia where they are known to be hardworking. For the young doctors, it seems that money is the major motivation even if most of them deny this. The pay package for doctors in Saudi Arabia is way higher than what they receive in their various African countries. In a country like Nigeria, doctor’s wages are usually very good as well but not enough. Many of them also go because they of the better working conditions and facilities which make their jobs more interesting to confront. Finally, benefits of scholarships, grants and various courses are also one of the reasons why doctors in Africa leave their countries of origin.

Private Healthcare in the UK

admin — Sun, 08 May 2011 20:03:12 +0000

Health care in England is looked after by England’s public health service, the National Health Service (NHS), which provides healthcare to all permanent residents of the UK that is free at the point of use and paid for from general taxation. The NHS is generally thought to be one of the best public health care systems in Europe, if not the world. In fact, the NHS is the envy of the general public in the US.

Given these facts, readers of this article would be surprised to know that over 8 % of Britons have private medical insurance. Recent changes in services provided by the NHS means that various essential medical services like psychiatry, dentistry & surgery is not covered by the NHS, or that there is an interminable waiting list. Utilizing the NHS for eye surgery or fertility treatment, among other types of procedures, can sometimes mean waiting for up to 40 months for corrective medical procedures. There is also a concern about contracting MRSA, an antibiotic resistant super bug that is commonly contracted by patients during hospital stays. Given these factors, it is no surprise that so many Britons are choosing to go private.

Individuals can choose to pay for private medical insurance themselves and many companies offer fixed price surgery schemes or loans for private surgeries at attractive interest rates.

Before choosing a private hospital or doctor, even if opting for a mild treatment like hair restoration, you should conduct a thorough due diligence and background check to ensure that you receive a high quality of care. The Healthcare Commission publishes a report each year that ranks hospital on 32 parameters, and accessing this free report could be the first step on deciding which private medical care provider to choose.