Author Archives: Maureen
NHS chiefs ‘abuse system by delaying treatment’
29 July 2011 Last updated at 10:46
Patients lives are being used to save money
NHS managers are abusing the system by making patients wait longer for treatment, the health secretary says.
Andrew Lansley was speaking out after a competition watchdog criticised the way non-emergency operations, such as knee and hip replacements, were being run.
The Co-operation and Competition Panel said some primary care trusts had introduced minimum waiting times to save money and level-down performance.
‘Breast cancer screening saves lives’
A study published today in the British Medical journal has found breast cancer screening had “little detectable impact” on reducing death rates from the disease. Dr Sarah Rawlings from Breakthrough Breast Cancer insists screening programmes are still important in saving lives.
6:51PM BST 29 Jul 2011
Dr Rawlings said the study did not take results from breast cancer screening in England but instead compared breast cancer death rates in three pairs of similar territories: Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland; Sweden to Norway; and The Netherlands to Flanders in Belgium.
“It is estimated that 1,400 lives are saved every year by women attending breast screening,” Dr Rawlings said.
“It would be a real shame if women over the age of fifty who are eligible for breast screening now stop going because of this report.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8670523/Breast-cancer-screening-saves-lives.html
Stem cell treatment ‘could prevent MS brain damage’
It is hoped these new trials will eventually lead to a proven treatment and a reduction in the draw of overseas treatments.
A major new global clinical trial will test whether stem cells can be safely used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), it was announced today.
8:39AM BST 29 Jul 2011
The £10 million trial, involving up to 200 patients around the world, is due to start later this year and will last between three and five years.
