The Healthcare Commission has admitted that more needs to be done for those with mental health problems, “there is a greater need for access to talking therapies – such as counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy or psychoanalysis.”
Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker said, “The majority of people who suffer from mental illness receive their treatment read more »

Patients given the drug AS1404 as well as standard chemotherapy lived an average of 14 months compared with 8.8 months if given chemotherapy alone according to an article on BBC News. In preliminary trials, this experimental lung cancer drug has extended patients’ life expectancy by approximately 50%.
The new drug works by cutting off blood supply read more »

Four out of five adults with a long-term lung disease are unaware of their condition, research suggests. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) includes bronchitis and emphysema and only 18.8% of sufferers have had it diagnosed and only 46% of those in its severe stages know they have it.
“The lack of diagnosis is a concern because read more »

Sharon Wallace, an author from Devon, is a survivor of abuse – physical, mental and sexual. In an effort to help others who are still living through abuse today, she has written a book about her own perception of what happened to her when she was growing up.
“My aim for writing about my abuse and read more »

Roaccutane, a popular treatment for severe acne, has been tested by University of Bath scientists after claims it has caused depression and suicide since 1982 when it was first introduced. The findings suggest the treatment produced depressive behaviour in mice, however, researcher Dr Sarah Bailey said, “Without more research it is difficult to say for read more »

A survey of parents has found that more than one third of children with ADHD have been excluded from school. The survey was carried out on 526 families as part of the first national ADHD awareness week. ADDISS (the Attention Deficit Disorder Information Support Service) said the survey highlighted a lack of resources and support read more »

The government have rejected calls for tighter controls on alcohol advertising and sponsorship. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs said, “tougher methods to teach children about alcohol and tobacco are needed”. However, Schools Minister Lord Adonis said the government was focusing on existing policies to combat a consumption rise.
Raising duty on alcohol, read more »

According to a survey conducted by the GP magazine, Pulse, 1,092 premises out of more than 7,000 across the UK were below minimum standards. “The problem is getting worse and putting key policies such as moving care into the community in jeopardy”, the survey revealed.
According to the government, the premises were getting better as read more »

An article on the BBC News website explains how drug users in need of care may not receive the treatment they need due to where they live. A report conducted by the Healthcare Commission and the National Treatment Agency showed that only 5% of the 149 Drud Action Teams around the UK were rated read more »

A new study has investigated ways in which our cognitive skills as humans have been shaped by our primate ancestry – new findings show that human infants display the same preferences as all the other great apes in their strategies for remembering where things are, but apparently these preferences shift as humans develop.
The study found read more »