National Health Service

Surgical tool left in Czech woman | Video | Reuters.com

2010-02-18T20:11:00.000Z

Surgical tool left in Czech woman | Video | Reuters.com

VisualDXhealth, Health Care Search Finder

2007-09-21T01:36:00.000+01:00

Let VisualDxHealth help by providing medical pictures of common diseases and conditions as they appear on different parts of the body. More powerful than just words, let this interactive tool be your guide. See your doctor for any rash that is not resolving, a rash associated with a fever, a changing or new mole or any rash of concern....Click Here....

Note: This site is very medically graphic. Not to be viewed while having lunch...! Seriously.

2007-09-19T00:44:00.000+01:00

The Future Direction of General Practice
NHS Road Map...(pdf)

E-Health Insider Primary Care :: Practices told to update own NHS Choices details

2007-09-19T00:33:00.000+01:00

E-Health Insider Primary Care :: Practices told to update own NHS Choices details

2007-09-18T23:37:00.000+01:00

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, battling to control the spread of superbugs like MRSA, will in future ban the signature long-sleeved white coats, favoured by doctors.

The ban which is part of an NHS shake-up aimed at tackling hospital superbugs will also include watches, jewellery such as rings and bracelets, and neckties.

The "bare below the elbow" dress-code has been unveiled by Health Secretary Alan Johnson, and applies to every doctor, nurse and therapist.

The aim is to stamp out the deadly infections plaguing the National Health system such as Clostridium difficile (C.Diff) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

+++++++

2007-09-17T19:54:00.000+01:00

2007-09-14T00:10:00.000+01:00

Happier hospitals means healthier patients.

The National Inquiry into Management and Medicine looked at hospitals across the UK, focussing on the often troubled relationships between doctors and NHS managers. It found that where the two sides have formed a genuine alliance, the health service runs more efficiently – and patient outcomes are improved.
( Source The Hindu )

Nine out of 10 patients treated in NHS hospitals in England are happy with their experiences, a survey suggests....Link

There is always room for a smile and happiness...? Well done NHS you have my "vote of confidence"

NHS: 'East Kent patients happy with their GPs'

Book's...Just For You...

Advanced-cancer-information

2007-09-11T23:06:00.001+01:00

check out the advanced cancer information swicki at eurekster.com

Tooth Loss Linked to Heart Disease Risk

2007-09-10T18:01:00.000+01:00

A new study suggests that young adults who lose their teeth to cavities or gum disease may have a greater risk of dying from heart disease later in life. A long-term study of more than 12,000 UK adults found that those with 9 or more missing teeth in young adulthood were one-third more likely to die of heart disease than their peers with fewer than 5 missing teeth. Scientists speculate that bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum disease may enter the blood stream, and damage blood vessels or trigger inflammation in the body. Read More

As Reported by ABC News

Dental Anatomy: A Self-Instructional Program (10th Edition) by Nancy Shobe Karst

2007-09-10T16:09:00.000+01:00

Health giant buys UK hospitals
The Canberra Times - Canberra,Australian Capital Territory,Australia
The public health service is outsourcing to the private sector to increase patient care and choice, and reduce waiting lists. Ramsay managing director Pat ...

Unbelievable....

2007-09-09T21:01:00.000+01:00

Chinese woman's 'needle ordeal'

The needles were revealed by hospital X-rays

Doctors in China have discovered 26 sewing needles embedded in the body of a 31-year-old woman.

They think they were inserted into Luo Cuifen's body when she was a baby by grandparents upset she was not a boy. LINK

2007-09-08T15:14:00.001+01:00

Luciano Pavarotti 1935-2007: Fan Map.

Click here please to pin map...

Please add your post in memory of the "Maestro" and his uniquely identifiable tenor voice which was the best in the world...

2007-09-07T16:38:00.000+01:00

HSE warns NHS Trust Hospitals that they have a duty to ensure the safety of patients from falls from

UK-End of Life Care Strategy

2007-09-07T01:42:00.000+01:00

UK-End of Life Care Strategy. (pdf)

Digestive Diseases

2007-09-06T08:11:00.000+01:00


	A to Z list of topics and titles


	Digestive diseases in U.S. populations


	Studies recruiting patients, clinical practice guidelines

2007-09-05T19:57:00.001+01:00

GPs reconsider advice to patients on sick leave

A new survey of 1500 GPs has found that two-thirds (64%) are unaware of the evidence that work is beneficial for physical and mental health. However, nearly 90% said that if they knew of this evidence it would affect the advice they give to their patients.

All American...Just for you... - Hypothyroidism

2007-09-05T13:14:00.000+01:00

All American...Just for you... - Hypothyroidism

Herbal tea can lower the risk of developing breast cancer.

2007-09-05T04:14:00.000+01:00

Drinking herbal tea can lower the risk of developing breast cancer.

Research based on 4,400 women who were monitored for more than six years shows that those who drank herbal tea more than halved the risk of developing the disease.

The women were all cancer-free at the start of the study, but by the end nearly 100 breast cancers had been diagnosed.

When their diets were analysed, it was found that those who had been drinking herbal teas, which are rich in antioxidants, had a 57 per cent lower risk than non-drinkers.

'The results suggest consumption of herbal tea may have a role in the prevention of breast cancer,' say the researchers for the French institute, Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants.

The study also showed that drinking ordinary tea, coffee, fruit juice or wine is not linked with risk for developing breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Britain— one in nine women will develop the disease at some point in their lives.LINK

[ Normalize estrogen levels for both breast and uterine health ]

[ Tummy Bulge a Problem? ]

2007-09-04T20:25:00.000+01:00

Women 'choosier' over partners

Men placed a high store on beauty

Men look for beauty, while women go for wealth when it comes to assessing future partners, researchers say.

An Indiana University team looked at the behavior of 46 people taking part in a speed-dating session.

They found that the men were more likely to go for the more attractive women, while women opted for those who could give the best financial security.

Men were also likely to want to date more women, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported.

2007-09-04T20:22:00.000+01:00

BMA demands apology from Wales Audit Office
The British Medical Association in Wales has demanded an apology from the Wales Audit Office for suggesting GPs will take advantage of lax governance and commit fraud in their QOF returns. LINK

2007-09-02T19:49:00.001+01:00

All American Book's Link.

2007-08-30T14:32:00.000+01:00

SMS cuts missed appointments by 27 per cent across 16 surgeries

Hitting the Headlines assessment: Statins and incidence of ...

UK's First Academic Health Science Centre

2007-08-30T01:09:00.000+01:00

Trust Merger Approval Key Step In Creating UK's First Academic Health Science Centre

Issued on behalf of Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, Imperial College London and St Mary's NHS Trust

For immediate use
Wednesday 29 August 2007

The UK's first Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) was given the green light today by the Secretary of State for Health following an extensive public consultation. The Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust will merge on 1 October and integrate with Imperial College London. The result, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, will form the foundation for the AHSC, and will be the largest NHS Trust in the UK.( Read More)

Note:- Please follow the link and scroll down to read the continued article.

Predictive software shows health risks to patients

2007-08-29T18:38:00.000+01:00

29 Aug 2007

A GP has developed a predictive software tool which shows patients the benefits for their future health if they change particular lifestyle habits.(Read more)

Failing carers threaten children's future

2007-08-29T18:25:00.000+01:00

Thousands of children are being failed by inadequate care from childminders, nurseries and creches, which could be putting their development at risk, government inspectors report today.

(Read More)

Maxine Hill: Child care questions that parents should ask

Have your say: Do you worry about your children's day care?

2007-08-29T01:27:00.000+01:00

Two reports on shifting care outside hospital

Date Published

28/08/2007

Resource Links
	Link to DoH letter
	Link to ‘Getting the basics right’
	Link to ‘beyond projects’

Abstract

The reports have been prepared by the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) at Birmingham University on behalf of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. They draw from fourteen change projects, across five local health communities, which were supported by the Institute over the past year. ‘Getting the basics right’ identifies the key factors that affect the ability of local bodies to deliver shifts in care and sets out the conditions that have to be met if such service improvements are to occur. ‘Beyond projects’ explores five of the projects in detail, highlighting these factors and conditions in a practical context. The five cases are:

• Birmingham back pain care
• Derbyshire COPD care
• Derbyshire end of life care
• Manchester gynaecology care
• Torbay diabetes care

2007-08-29T01:02:00.000+01:00

Assaults on Welsh NHS staff soar

WELSH NHS staff suffered an attack nearly every hour last year, we can reveal today.
Shocking new figures show the scale of violence...

2007-08-27T10:32:00.000+01:00

Scientists have identified two blood chemicals linked to itchy eczema, offering new treatment possibilities.

The latest research adds to evidence that two specific chemicals found in the blood - "brain-derived neurotrophic factor" (BDNF) and "substance P" - are somehow connected to itchy sensations.
(Read More)

The Eczema Solution

Experts push NHS to use US-style cancer care

2007-08-27T03:58:00.000+01:00

From The Sunday Times August 26, 2007
Experts push NHS to use US-style cancer care

LIKE many other British cancer sufferers before him, Rob Ellert travelled to one of America’s leading hospitals to give himself a better chance of survival.

Now in remission, he is so determined that National Health Service patients should no longer die unnecessarily that he has enlisted Lord Darzi, the health minister, to transfer best practice across the Atlantic. He has also set up a charity to promote American-style cancer treatment in Britain.

Optimising your health with herbs

2007-08-27T03:42:00.000+01:00

Optimising your health with herbs

In order to change your health you usually need to change some of your habits. The people who benefit the most from herbal treatment make some positive changes to their lifestyle as well. These changes can be on various levels; emotional, dietary or lifestyle adjustments. It can often involve including something extra in life whilst also removing something else. In China there is a saying; “crisis is an opportunity for change”. Change can release beneficial growth.

Seven Steps to Health:

Eat a fresh and healthy diet: Change your diet according to your constitution and the season.
Seasonal living: Adjust your routine according to the season.
Rest: Take adequate rest; at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
Exercise: Take sufficient exercise; four 30 minute sessions of aerobic exercise per week.
Relax! Learn a relaxation technique; yoga, t’ai chi, deep breathing and try to practice15 minutes per day
Herbal supplementation: Take herbal supplements regularly to assist your body’s own healing powers.
Peace and love: Make peace with everyone you know, let the love flow, you know it makes sense…

Lifestyle tips

Help yourself by including each of these recommendations as much as you can in your life. Many research studies have proved that these practices help you feel better and live a healthier life.

Exercise: Moderate exercise is known to improve health and immunity.
Yoga: The benefits of regular yoga practice are invaluable to a healthy immune system.
Breathing: Regular exercises to bring life-giving prana into the system and regulate the flow of vitality around the entire system.
Meditation: Meditation has been shown to improve cellular immunity in geriatric patients (Kiecolt-Glaser). Relaxation and assertiveness training improves immune helper T-cells in HIV infected men (Antoni). Melanoma patients who learnt stress management had improved immune cell function and greater survival rates (Fawzy).
Emotional expression: Supportive-expressive therapy doubled survival time in women with metastatic breast cancer (Spiegel). It also improved mood and reduced depression, anxiety and anger (Goodwin). Writing about upsets improves immunity and health (Pennebaker, Smyth).
Regular massage: Massage improves immune cell activity in HIV infected patients (Ironson). Massage increases weight gain in premature babies (Field). Massage decreases inflammation and increases serotonin levels (Field). Massage reduces pain and anxiety in cancer patients (Corbin).
Surround yourself in a pleasant environment: Stressful visual stimulation depresses the immune response; uplifting stimulation enhances it (McClelland). Lavender oil has been shown to reduce aggressive behavior in patients (Lee).
Sleep: Getting the correct amount of sleep is essential for your overall well being and immunity. We all know how viruses and bacteria can affect our health but modern research has shown how much our emotions influence our well-being;
Loneliness reduces immune Natural Killer (NK) cell activity (Kilecot-Glaser). These NK cells are the first line of defence in ‘mopping up’ invading bacteria and viruses. Lonely students have reduced NK cell activity and higher Epstein Barr virus levels (the virus implicated in ME and Chronic Fatigue).
Excessive stress reduces immunity. It has been shown that caretakers of dementia patients suffer from reduced immunity. People under extreme academic stress show reduced levels of lymphocyte and interleukein production (both responsible for assisting the immune response) and higher cortisol levels, indicating a challenged immune system not functioning as well as it could. (Guidi)
Bereavement causes reduced immunity with reduced lymphocyte activity in men (Schliefer) and depression post bereavement causing increased cancer and death.
Marital conflict also affects immunity raising Blood Pressure, cortisol and immune NK cell activity (Miller)

The Ayurvedic way to a healthy life

From the Ayurvedic point of view good health is about your whole way of life being rejuvenating and beneficial to yourself and the world around you. Make sure that you get enough:

Pure air
Pure water
Pure food
Balanced digestion
Reduced toxins
A strong heart and balanced emotions
Avoidance of negative habits and behavioural patterns that can reduce your inherent immune reserve.
A regular lifestyle: Ayurveda lays much emphasis on prevention so as to prevent the degenerative cascade that can occur. This is an orderly routine that balances personal hygiene, nourishment, exercise, relaxation, creativity, wealth and love.
Protection: your daily activities should be 100% healing with active avoidance of immune depressing chemicals and foods to keep your immune system intact
Tonification: daily use of strengthening herbs and foods that will rejuvenate your
Check out Pukka Herbs and teas

In The News.

2007-08-26T11:30:00.000+01:00

Age alone not a barrier to liver transplantation

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The findings from a study of septuagenarians suggest that age per se

should not prevent a patient from having a liver transplant.

According to a report in the Archives of Surgery, older patients often do well, provided that any accompanying risk factors are appropriately addressed.

"Biological and physiological variables may play a more important role than advanced age in predicting poor survival after liver transplantation," senior author Dr. Ronald W. Busuttil, from the University of California at Los Angeles, and colleagues state.

The team compared the outcome of 62 transplant recipients age 70 years or older with those of 864 recipients in their 50s. All of the patients were first-time recipients and underwent transplantation between 1988 and 2005.

No significant differences in survival were noted between the two age groups. For the older group, the 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 73 percent, 47 percent, and 40 percent, respectively.

The corresponding survival rates for the younger group were 79 percent, 65 percent, and 45 percent.

After more extensive analysis, the researchers identified some patient factors that significantly predicted death. These included the need for hospitalization before the surgery, hepatitis C infection, and alcoholic cirrhosis.

Conversely, being 70 years of age or older not a significant predictor of death.

Measures that assess a patient's age based on his physical condition, rather than his chronological age, as well as estimates of the risk of complications "should be used in the evaluation process of elderly transplant candidates." Continued...

Reuters Health News Archive

Star Sighting...

2007-08-26T11:22:00.000+01:00

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Victoria Beckham watches David play with the L.A. Galaxy, the same day he got in a screaming match on the field with a Chivas USA player (Getty Images, Toby Canham) Brawl it like Beckham

Six Killers

2007-08-26T10:51:00.000+01:00

They are the leading causes of illness and death today: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, in that order. If you want to hang around get to grips with these six.

A collection of articles, some published in The New York Times.

2007-08-26T10:26:00.001+01:00

How a Stroke Occurs

My Year Off: Rediscovering Life After a Stroke

2007-08-25T15:15:00.000+01:00

Tools for Personal Growth

Developing Patience

Content:

Read:-Anger: The Seven Deadly Sins (New York Public Library Lectures in Humanities)

The British Humanist Association

2007-08-24T19:04:00.000+01:00

About the BHA

Our Vision
A world without religious privilege or discrimination, where people are free to live good lives on the basis of reason, experience and shared human values.

Our Mission
The British Humanist Association exists to promote Humanism and support and represent people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs.9 (Read More)

2007-08-24T17:43:00.000+01:00

Cancer and the Environment... Play Video
Health reporter Gina Kolata discusses links between cancer and the environment with toxicologist and cancer survivor Michael Gallo.

Related link.

Lost in Translation

2007-08-22T18:50:00.000+01:00

The public sector spends millions on translation services every year.

According to a study by the BBC, more than £100 million is spent on translation every year; local councils spend at least £25 million; the police £21 million; and the courts system over £10 million. Yet the biggest outlay is by the NHS - it spends, at a conservative estimate, £55 million. (Read More)

Hey!.. if you want to translate this page; please use the translator at the top of the page..Best of all it's Free... Just for you...

2007-08-22T12:00:00.000+01:00

RCN Media centre

The RCN Media centre is the UK's leading source of information for journalists on nursing issues.

UK latest press releases
(Phone: 020 7647 3633)
Scotland latest press releases
(Phone: 0131 6621010)
Wales latest press releases
(Phone: 029 2075 1373)
Northern Ireland latest press releases
(Phone: 028 9066 8236)

MyRCN | Sitemap | Contact Us | A-Z | Search:

Nursing Standard Link's... Just for you...

Book's...for you.

Health Libary & Information Service Directory

2007-08-22T10:30:00.000+01:00

News

The Health Library and Information Services Directory (HLISD) has quickly become a valued resource. There are now nearly 900 library and information services entered and over 700 contact names....Click Here...

Need Identity Theft Protection..Click here.

Book's...Just For You...

Obesity 'may be linked to virus...

2007-08-22T02:52:00.000+01:00

Obesity 'may be linked to virus'

Obestiy is becoming more common

Scientists believe a virus may play a role in obesity, raising the possibility that medication could be used to tackle the condition.

A team at Louisiana's Pennington Center found that a common virus could cause stem cells to change into fat cells in lab experiments.Read More

UK Cancer Survival Rates

2007-08-22T00:44:00.001+01:00

UK Cancer Survival Rates

Despite the £Millions poured into the National Health Service, apparently the United Kingdom has some of the worst rates of cancer survival in Europe, significantly worse than others spending a similar amount. ...
Telegraph Article (Read More)

2007-08-21T02:43:00.000+01:00

Heart disease controls often skipped in diabetes care

While patients well understand high blood glucose can lead to ugly complications like blindness and kidney failure, few recognize that keeping cholesterol and blood pressure low are equally critical steps in avoiding deadly heart attacks. And their providers aren't getting the job done either,it seems. In fact, the CDC says only 7 percent of patients are getting all of the treatments they need.

Why the gap? In part, it's because many primary care doctors aren't adequately trained in diabetes care, getting only a few hours of instruction on the condition when in medical school. These PCPs, in turn, often spend no more than 10 minutes with such patients. Not only that, critics say, pharmaadvertising often encourage them to focus on blood sugar rather than heart attack risks. Unfortunately, that often leads to needless heart-attack deaths.

To learn more about the diabetes care gap:
- read this piece from The New York Times

Related Articles:
Glaxo: Avandia's safe as other diabetes drugs. Report
Avandia controversy sparks FDA criticism. Report
CMS P4P project shows diabetes care savings. Report
CMS to post hospital heart attack care data. Report

Image link's to article. Unlocking secrets of the heart.

Number of days some cancer patients have to wait for treatment in Britain

2007-08-20T21:19:00.001+01:00

Two Hundred Twenty
By mhsiegel
No, that's not the name of a sequel to 300, it's the number of days some cancer patients have to wait for treatment in Britain's wonderful National Health Service:. CANCER patients are still waiting up to seven months for treatment. ...
MOOREWATCH -

Hodgkin's Disease

2007-08-19T22:49:00.000+01:00

Hodgkin's Disease

Also called: Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's disease is a type of lymphoma. Lymphoma is cancer of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow. The first sign of Hodgkin's disease is often an enlarged lymph node. The disease can spread to nearby lymph nodes. Later it may spread to the lungs, liver or bone marrow. The cause is unknown.
(Read More)

Hey.!! The good news about Hodgkin's disease is that most people with this disease are cured.

I wish you well my friend... This link may be of Interest...Click here.

2007-08-19T14:06:00.001+01:00

Recommended Reading...Just For You..

2007-08-19T05:53:00.000+01:00

The Comfort of Home: A Complete Guide for Caregivers

Nothing has been left out in this very well-written guide that a person needs to consider when undertaking this process.
Maria M. Meyer with Paula Derr, RN
Care Trust Publications (2007)
ISBN 9780966476798

Try cut and paste the ISBN Number. 9780966476798 Paste into your Amazon Search...Below.

Promise of a normal life for diabetics

2007-08-19T03:24:00.000+01:00

It is a life-threatening disease - but now a medical breakthrough offers hope that Britain's 250,000 type 1 sufferers could be freed from the tyranny of injections and dangerous blackouts. By Denis Campbell
(Read More)

2007-08-19T02:00:00.000+01:00

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

2007-08-19T00:37:00.000+01:00

MMR Vaccination and Autism...Special Report...

Independent evidence-based thinking about health care.

Book's ...Just For You..

Ten lifestyle tips...Just for you...

2007-08-19T00:19:00.000+01:00

This sheet is a quick summary of ten lifestyle tips to help avoid seeing a doctor about heart disease or cancer, based on good quality information. For more details, see the healthy living pages . Download pdf of page.

Eat whole grain foods (bread, or rice, or pasta) on four occasions a week. This will reduce the chance of having almost any cancer by 40%. Given that cancer gets about 1 in 3 of us in a lifetime, that's big advice.
Don't smoke. If you do smoke, stop. Nicotine patches, gum or inhaler won't help much, and acupuncture won't help at all. Try to reduce your smoking, as there is a profound dose-response (the more you smoke, the more likely you are to have cancer, or heart or respiratory disease). So cut down to below five cigarettes a day and leave long portions of the day without a cigarette.
Eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, and especially tomatoes (including ketchup), red grapes and the like, as well as salad all year. This protects against a whole variety of different nasty things:
- It reduces the risk of stroke dramatically
- It reduces the risk of diabetes considerably
- It will reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Use Benecol instead of butter or margarine. It really does reduce cholesterol, and reducing cholesterol will reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke even in those whose cholesterol is not particularly high.
Drink alcohol regularly. The type of alcohol probably doesn't matter too much, but the equivalent of a couple of glasses of wine a day or a couple of beers is a good thing. The odd day without alcohol won't hurt either. Think of it as medicine.
Eat fish. Eating fish once a week won't stop you having a heart attack in itself, but it reduces the likelihood of you dying from it by half.
Take a multivitamin tablet every day, but be sure that it is one with at least 200 micrograms of folate. The evidence is that this can substantially reduce chances of heart disease in some individuals, and it has been shown to reduce colon cancer by over 85%. It may also reduce the likelihood of developing dementia. Folate is essential in any woman contemplating pregnancy because it will reduce the chance of some birth defects.
If you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, coffee is best minimised. For the rest of us drinking four cups of coffee a day is likely to reduce our chances of getting colon cancer and Parkinson's disease.
Get breathless more often. You don't have to go to a gym or be an Olympic marathon runner. Simply walking a mile a day, or taking reasonable exercise three times a week (enough to make you sweat or glow) will substantially reduce the risk of heart disease. If you walk, don't dawdle. Make it a brisk pace. One of the benefits of regular exercise is that it strengthens bones and keeps them strong. Breaking a hip when elderly is a very serious thing.
Check your height and weight on a chart to see if you are overweight for your height. Your body mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in metres squared: for preference it should be below 25. If you are overweight, lose it. This has many benefits. There is no good evidence on simple ways to lose weight that work. Crash diets don't work. Take it one step at a time, do the things that are possible now, and combine some calorie limitation with increased exercise. The good news is that in a few years time we may have some appetite suppressants to make it easier.

2007-08-18T18:12:00.000+01:00

Government funding for areas hit by July floods

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced that 36 local authorities affected by the July floods will receive a share of £6.2 million of Government funding to help the people in their communities in the greatest need.

16 August 2007 14:53

Communities and Local Government

Well done Hazel.. Top marks you get my vote....ps..I know a good shop for platform wellie's!

2007-08-17T08:56:00.000+01:00

Duradiamond Healthcare wins OH Olympic construction contract
The company behind occupational health services at all of Britain's seven airports has been awarded the prestigious contract to supply OH to the construction workforce for the London 2012 Olympics. Duradiamond Healthcare, which provides ...
PersonnelToday.com - All HR news stories - http://www.personneltoday.com/

The Caduceus vs the Staff of Asclepius

2007-08-17T01:05:00.000+01:00

The Caduceus of Mercury (Roman) and the Karykeion of Hermes (Greek)

Many "medical" organisations use a symbol of a short rod entwined by two snakes and topped by a pair of wings, which is actually the caduceus or magic wand of the Greek god Hermes (Roman Mercury), messenger of the gods, inventor of (magical) incantations, conductor of the dead and protector of merchants and thieves. It is derived from the Greek karykeion = "herald's staff", itself based on the word "eruko" meaning restrain, control.

Professional and patient centred organisations (such as the NZMA, in fact most medical Associations around the world including the World Health Organization) use the "correct" and traditional symbol of medicine, the staff of Asclepius with a single serpent encircling a staff, classically a rough-hewn knotty tree limb. Asclepius (an ancient greek physician deified as the god of medicine) is traditionally depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe that leaves his chest uncovered and holding a staff with his sacred single serpent coiled around it, (example right) symbolizing renewal of youth as the serpent casts off its skin. The single serpent staff also appears on a Sumerian vase of c. 2000 B.C. representing the healing god Ningishita, the prototype of the Greek Asklepios. However, there is a more practical origin postulated which makes sense [See Dracunculus medinensis].

Reject this health pay offer!

2007-08-16T23:38:00.000+01:00

Five months of negotiation since the initial offer of a staged 2.5% have produced no real results. Staging the deal meant that it would be worth only 1.9%. So health service staff were being offered less than the governments own suggested raise... ( Source workers Liberty)

Is this enough?... I don't think so!

2007-08-16T20:05:00.000+01:00

Diet Still Important to Patients on Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs...(Read More)

2007-08-16T18:17:00.001+01:00

Government announces advanced supply contracts for pandemic flu vaccine.

Advanced supply contracts to provide the vaccine for a possible flu pandemic were today awarded by the Department of Health to pharmaceutical company GSK and Baxter Healthcare.

16 August 2007 09:54

Department of Health

atishoo, atishoo...Great news.. Need some more info on the probability factor of the pandemic.? how do they forecast this...I am interested...

2007-08-16T17:57:00.000+01:00

'Self care' plan to ease pressure on doctors blasted

By Siobhan Ryan

A plan to ease pressure on doctors by getting patients to 'self care' has been ridiculed by health campaigners.

Bosses at West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) say encouraging people take better care of themselves would reduce the number of attendances at accident and emergency and GP surgeries.

This includes improving their diet, taking more exercise and ensuring they take their medication properly. (Read more...)

What's wrong with this idea..? Encouraging people to take care of themselves sounds good to me..It's a breath of fresh air...

2007-08-16T14:10:00.000+01:00

Amazon Link...Just For You...

2007-08-16T00:23:00.000+01:00

Mens Health....Take a tip from the Bandolier's..,Click here.

Check out this link..Clinical Knowledge Summaries.

Book's ...Just For You..

2007-08-15T20:29:00.000+01:00

Accountant's 'shameful' NHS swindle

Aug 15 2007

Ellesmere Port Pioneer

AN ACCOUNTANT has been slammed as 'appalling and shameful' for swindling £339,000 of NHS money then fleeing to Thailand on a one-way ticket.

(Read more)

Naughty Naughty....!..Probably spent is all by now.

Former clinics on market for £1m

2007-08-15T20:13:00.000+01:00

By Monique Cleaver

TWO former healthcare buildings are up for sale for more than £1m – and the sales could pave the way for more new homes.

Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust has put the two vacant properties on the market and will use the revenue to improve health services in the county.

The former health centre in High Street, Burton Latimer, which has been replaced by a new complex in Higham Road, is on the market for offers in excess of £250,000.

Stockburn Memorial Clinic in Southlands, off London Road, Kettering, which was used as office accommodation because it was deemed unsuitable for modern health services, is also for sale.

It became surplus to requirements earlier this year when the primary care trust amalgamated its offices.

The former clinic is being marketed by Lambert Smith Hampton for more than £800,000.
( Read more)

No Comment...

2007-08-15T13:19:00.000+01:00

Speech therapy is in the bag

A PURPOSE-DESIGNED bag for speech therapists on the move has been invented by Papworth-based therapist Corinne Garvie.

She developed the idea with Health Enterprise East, the NHS Innovation Hub for the region, with commercial sponsorship from Fresenius Kabi, who are making the bags and perhaps can be blamed for the unfortunate name given to the new product range, Thick & Easy - not a nice moniker for any lady to have to carry around on her bag.

Anyway, the bag itself is a good idea and full of gadgets to help patients who find it difficult to swallow.

"Until now therapists working in the community have had to carry around a wide range of equipment and supplies in a box in the car," Corinne says. "Having everything to hand in a specially-designed bag is much easier.

14 August 2007

2007-08-15T13:17:00.000+01:00

Dignity in Care Practice Guide...Read more...

2007-08-15T12:00:00.001+01:00

Statistical press notice: Dagnostic test waiting times

The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health:

Diagnostics waiting times & activity data: month ending June 2007

This data shows the NHS' progress in tackling the waiting times for diagnostic tests like scans. The monthly data published today gives the waiting times for 15 key diagnostic tests carried out in the NHS. This data will help the NHS in delivering the new 18 week maximum wait from GP to treatment, including all diagnostic tests, by 2008. More information, including a diagnostic data Q&A, is available via the 18 week website.

Links: Diagnostic data: http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/diagnostics/index.htm
18 week website: http://www.18weeks.nhs.uk

Department of Health (National)

'Vitamin breakthrough on diabetes'

2007-08-14T19:22:00.000+01:00

8th August 2007 three newspapers reported that a lack of vitamin B1 has been linked to vascular disease in people with diabetes. The newspapers reflected the conclusions of a case-control study, however, given the prevalence of diabetes, this was a small study on which to base such strong conclusions.

On 8th August 2007, three newspapers (1-3) reported that a lack of vitamin B1 has been linked to vascular disease in people with diabetes.
The research, published in Diabetologia , was a small case-control study involving 94 people (26 type 1 diabetes; 48 type 2 diabetes; 20 controls). Plasma thiamine levels were 76% lower in people with type 1 diabetes, and 75% lower in people with type 2 diabetes compared to controls. Urinary excretion, renal clearance and fractional excretion of thiamine were all substantially increased in those with diabetes.
The newspaper reports generally provided an accurate overview of the results of the study. The Daily Express (3) reported a 75% decrease in the risk of kidney problems with a thiamine supplement 300 times greater than that naturally derived from the diet; these data were not presented in the study. The study involved 94 people and given the prevalence of type 1 and 2 diabetes, this was a small number of people on which to base such strong conclusions.

Evaluation of the evidence base for low plasma thiamine concentrations in diabetics as a marker of vascular disease.

Where does the evidence come from?

The study was conducted by Dr Thornalley and colleagues from the Department of Biological sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK; the Clinical Sciences Research Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry; the Colchester General Hospital, Colchester; and the Ipswich Diabetic Foot Unit and Diabetes Centre, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Ipswich, UK. The project was funded by Diabetes UK.

References and resources

1. Vitamin B1 shortage linked to diabetes damage. The Daily Telegraph, 08 August 2007, p10.

2. Vitamin breakthrough on diabetes. Daily Mail, 8 August 2007, p5.

3. A daily pill for all diabetes sufferers. Daily Express, 8 August 2007, p17.

( Source National Library for Health)

I have just been looking through my cupboard for that old bottle of brewers yeast tablets..*Smiles.

New software tool predicts risk from diseases

2007-08-14T00:00:00.000+01:00

A University College London (UCL) postgraduate student has developed a tool that allows patients to see how changing different aspects of their lifestyle can contribute to their overall future health.
( Source ITPRO )

Well done top marks, have you say please place any comments...

2007-08-13T23:53:00.001+01:00

£200k hotel bill for NHS staff



by Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo

A HEALTHCARE agency ran up a bill of more than £200,000 hiring hotels and conference centres to train the key NHS workers of the future.

( source Wales.co.uk)

The question is was it worth it?

2007-08-13T23:43:00.001+01:00

UK court upholds drug restriction in mild Alzheimer�s
(Source ::: REUTERS)

Should drugs be available to all regardless?

Migraine...Special report

2007-08-12T20:13:00.000+01:00

This report was produced in 2002 but is extremely informative and useful in the understanding of Migraine.. (Read More)

2007-08-08T21:33:00.000+01:00

Cancer patient wins drug appeal

The PCT said it had reassessed Mr McNamara's case

An NHS trust which refused to supply the drug Velcade to a terminal cancer sufferer has now granted the treatment after reassessing his case.

John McNamara, 47, from Harrogate, had been refused Velcade by North Yorkshire and York NHS Primary Care Trust.

He claimed other patients in the same Leeds hospital where he was receiving treatment were getting the drug and complained it was a "postcode lottery".

On Thursday, the PCT said it had decided to fund a course of Velcade.

"Well Done Johnny boy....."Read more...

2007-08-07T16:34:00.000+01:00



	Health and Safety Executive (North West)

	(HSE) HSE warns NHS Trust Hospitals that they have a duty to ensure the safety of patients from falls from windows


	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded NHS Trust hospitals of their responsibility to ensure the health and safety of patients especially from the dangers of falling from windows. The warning comes after the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust were fined a total of £14,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,982 at South Cheshire Magistrates Court, following a HSE prosecution. The charges relate to the case of a 30 year old male patient with mental health problems who was seriously injured when he managed to get out a first floor ward window at Leighton Hospital, Middlewich Road, Crewe on the 4 August 2005. The Trust was fined £12,000 for a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and £2,000 for a breach of Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Health and Safety Executive Division director for the North West, David Ashton said: "The injuries to the patient were entirely avoidable.

2007-08-03T00:07:00.000+01:00

BI spurs innovation lead at NHS procurement hub

Posted: 13:00 03 Aug 2007

The North West NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (NWCPH) is hitting all of its targets thanks to the successful implementation of a Business Intelligence (BI) integration project.

NWNCP is using QlikTech’s QlikView and says that the software has assisted in saving it many hours of management time, and has had the spin-off benefit of raising the profile of the Hub with both the Trust bodies and throughout the NHS.

Great result On time and on budget...

2007-07-27T02:32:00.000+01:00

Method for cancer therapy using herbal extracts

US Patent Issued on April 10, 2007
A new method is described for the treatment of cancer. In one alternative, the method utilizes two main compositions. The first composition is Soma, a healing herb described in the Rig Veda, the sacred scriptures of the Hindus. The second composition is a composite of plant-derived substances and a mineral. When they are administered to cancer patients following the recommended therapeutic regimen, regression of the cancer results. Alternatively, the second composition can be used alone.

NHS related Link's

2007-07-24T13:57:00.000+01:00

Department of Health
Find out the latest policy and guidance from the Department of Health.
www.dh.gov.uk

NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
The NHS Institute will work to drive, lead and commission the development and research needed to build an evidence base of best practice in service transformation.
www.institute.nhs.uk

NHS Integrated Service Improvement Programme
The NHS Integrated Service Improvement Programme (ISIP), can help you plan and deliver transformational change in an integrated way. They can provide guidance, tools and techniques to support joined-up working across your local health and social care community.
www.isip.nhs.uk

Health and social care news

Health Service Journal
The UK's leading journal focused upon heathcare.
www.hsj.co.uk/nav?page=hsj

Guardian Unlimited – Health
A weekly supplement from the Guardian newspaper focused upon health related issues and news.
http://society.guardian.co.uk/health

Guardian Unlimited – social care
A weekly supplement from the Guardian newspaper focused upon social care related issues and news. http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialcare

Electronic libraries

NHS Modernisation Agency
This website is an archive for selected work of the NHS Modernisation Agency. Here you will find information and publications on a variety of healthcare improvement topics.
www.wise.nhs.uk/cmswise/default.htm

National electronic library for health
www.nelh.nhs.uk

Electronic library for social care
www.elsc.org.uk

Health information

Women’s Environment Network (WEN)
WEN represents campaigns on issues that link women, environment and health. Recent topics include reducing bleach content in nappies, promoting breast feeding and research into breast cancer.
www.wen.org.uk/health/index.htm

Sustainable Development Commission
Contains case studies showing how sustainable development can become a reality in the NHS.
www.sd-commission.org.uk

Sure Start
Sure Start aims to increase the availability of childcare and improve young children's health and emotional development.
www.surestart.gov.uk/research/keyresearch/healthwellbeing

Social Exclusion Unit - Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
The website contains a number of interesting case studies on health and social exclusion issues such as teenage pregnancy and health inequalities.
www.socialexclusion.gov.uk/page.asp?id=5

Commission for Patients and Public Involvement in Health
The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health is an independent, non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health. The Commission's role is to make sure the public is involved in decision making about health and health services in England.
www.cppih.org

National Primary Care Development Team
The National Primary Care Development Team develops capability to apply improvement skills to clinical and organisational challenges.
www.npdt.org

Healthcare Commission
The commission promotes improvement in the quality of the NHS and independent healthcare.
www.healthcarecommission.org.uk

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
NICE is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health. .
www.nice.org.uk

National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
The NPSA co-ordinates efforts to learn from patient safety incidents occurring in the NHS.
www.npsa.nhs.uk

Human papillomaviruses (HPV)

2007-07-20T10:37:00.000+01:00

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a group of more than 100 types of viruses (see Question 1).
Most HPV infections go away on their own (see Questions 1, 4, and 5)
HPVs are the major cause of cervical cancer. HPVs may also play a role in cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina, and penis, and some cancers of the oropharynx (see Question 3).
Although there is no cure for HPV infection, the warts and lesions these viruses cause can be treated (see Question 10).
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute and elsewhere are conducting research on HPV-related cancers (see Question 11).

Related Information.

Publications (available at http://www.cancer.gov/publications)

National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 3.79, Human Papillomavirus Vaccines: Questions and Answers
National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 5.16, The Pap Test: Questions and Answers
Understanding Cervical Changes: A Health Guide for Women
What You Need To Know About™ Cancer of the Cervix




	For information on the HPV vaccine, see HPV Vaccine Questions and Answers. Print Version High-Resolution Version for Professional Printing (1.8MB) Some files on this page require Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. What is genital HPV infection? How common is HPV? How do people get genital HPV infections? What are the signs and symptoms of genital HPV infection? How is genital HPV infection diagnosed? Is there a cure for HPV? What is the connection between HPV infection and cervical cancer? How can people reduce their risk for genital HPV infection? Where can I get more information?

2007-06-30T01:12:00.000+01:00

Show more news

Trust Merger Approval Key Step In Creating UK's First Academic Health Science Centre

Lord Tugendhat appointed first Chairman of Imperial College NHS Trust - News Release

Date		29 Aug 2007
Category		All

Issued on behalf of Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, Imperial College London and St Mary's NHS Trust

For immediate use
Wednesday 29 August 2007

Over three quarters of respondents to the consultation, which ran for three months earlier in the year, thought the merger was a good idea, with many believing that it would lead to better health services, better use of resources and the development of new and innovative solutions to modern medical challenges.

Lord Tugendhat has been appointed the first Chairman of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust by the independent Appointments Commission. He said, "The creation of the AHSC is a major advance for patient care, clinical teaching and scientific invention and innovation. The fusion of the different strands of our work and the achievements that we can now expect will lead to significant benefits for patients and greater advances in healthcare than those we could have delivered apart.

"I feel privileged and excited to be offered the opportunity to chair the new Trust. We will be breaking new ground for patient care and academic discovery. We will bring together two of the UK's leading NHS Trusts with one of the world's premier medical research institutions. We will nurture and celebrate the skills, dedication and expertise of our staff and create a world-class Trust worthy of our patients' expectations, and one which collaborates with all parts of the NHS."

Lord Tugendhat's extensive career has encompassed the successful chairmanship of FTSE100 companies and public service as a Member of Parliament, as a working Peer and as one of the UK's European Commissioners. He is currently a Senior Adviser on Lehman Brothers' European Advisory Board, having previously been Chairman of Lehman Brothers in Europe from 2002 to 2006.

-ends-

For more information please contact Nick Samuels, Director of Communications, Transitional Executive Team, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, on 020 8383 3864

Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and St Mary's NHS Trust were recently rated the second and third best hospitals in the country for clinical performance, quality of care and safety1. Dr Foster Good Hospital Guide 2006 - How healthy is your hospital (April 2007).

Imperial College is one of Europe's largest medical research institutions and was recently ranked fourth in the world for biomedical research. The Times Higher Education Supplement 2006 world university rankings.

It is expected that Imperial College would sponsor an application for the AHSC to become an Academic Foundation Trust in 2008. This would be subject to a separate consultation.

This proposal did not include any service changes. Any proposals for service change would require separate business cases and impact assessments and would be subject to the statutory consultation and scrutiny requirements.

In December 2006 the AHSC partners were selected as one of the UK's 11 Biomedical Research Centres. The award guarantees the partners research funding of £19.5 million per annum for the next five years, and makes the West London BRC the leading centre for the UK. BRCs will be leaders in translating scientific research into benefits for patients.

In April 2007, St Mary's Hospital, Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trusts and Imperial College London were announced as one of two Research Centres for NHS Patient Safety and Service Quality in the UK. The £4.5 million Research Centre will be based in Imperial College's Biosurgery and Surgical Technology section, at St Mary's Hospital, London.

A transitional executive team has been appointed to take forward the new Trust from 1st October 2007. It was formed from the existing executives of the merging Trusts. It is anticipated that a permanent executive will be appointed during the next 6 months through open and competitive recruitment processes.

More information about the AHSC is available online at: www.ahsc.org.uk

About Imperial College London

Rated as the world's ninth best university in the 2006 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 11,500 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

With 66 Fellows of the Royal Society among our current academic staff and distinguished past members of the College including 14 Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medallists, Imperial's contribution to society has been immense. Inventions and innovations include the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of our research for the benefit of all continues today with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle climate change and mathematical modelling to predict and control the spread of infectious diseases.

The College's 100 years of living science will be celebrated throughout 2007 with a range of events to mark the Centenary of the signing of Imperial's founding charter on 8 July 1907. Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

2007-05-30T19:58:00.000+01:00

BLT: The Big Lifestyle Trade Off
Is it worse than Mc Donalds? The BLT sandwich is an icon, the ultimate symbol of convenience culture. Tesco alone sells 5 million a year. This is what the £1.80 you pay for your BLT buys...

Date:22/09/2006

Author:Jon Hughes & Pat Thomas

BACON:

78,000 - The number of pigs killed every week at one Danish slaughterhouse.

Danish Crown has developed a new slaughterhouse in
Horsens, which is believed to be the largest in the world. It is equipped to kill 78,000 pigs a week. The whole process is automated, from when the pigs are stunned with C02 in mini gas chambers through to being eviscerated and having their backs split in preparation for butchering. Either the whole carcass or the cured bacon will then be dispatched in refrigerated lorries to Tulip Ltd in the UK.

The bacon in your BLT will be Danish. 8,886 pig farms in Denmark produce 25 million pigs for slaugter annually. In 1985 there were 44,222 farms, but today 9% of farms have more than 4,000 pigs – a clear sign of industrialisation. Danish pigs are confined in a succession of sheds from birth, with the size of cage and space they are allotted determined by weight. A pig weighing under 10kg is given 0.15m2 space, just over half the width of this page, rising in six increments to 1m2 for a pig weighing 90-100kg – slaughter weight. A century of breeding has created the Landrace pig, which is prized for its ‘uniformity of product’.

Manure

The Danish swineherd produces nine billion litres of manure a year. A sow producing an average 22 pigs for slaughter at 90 kg
‘liveweight’ can excrete around 100 kg of nitrogen and 18-20 kg of phosphorous a year. Most of this washes away from under the pig
pens into rivers and aquifers. The OECD say, ‘Impacts on the environment include the degradation of aquatic ecosystems, air pollution from odours and ammonia emissions, as well
as impacts on soil quality and biodiversity.’

Feed

Pig feed comes in the same dry, pelleted mix throughout the
pigs lives. It comprises of barley, wheat, soya, minerals, fat,
fishmeal and milk. Proportions vary as the pig nears slaughter
weight – so the level of soya in weaner feed is 8% rising to
20% in finishers. Soya is liked because it’s cheap and has a
high protein content, which promotes weight gain. This
ingredient, which is vital to industrial pig farming, travels
7,568 miles.

Growth Promoters

It is illegal to use growth promoters except for ‘health reasons’. As
industrial pig farming causes stress and anxiety through premature
weaning and over-crowding it is easy to see how this loophole is
open to abuse. It might explain why they reach slaughter weight
more rapidly than their traditional counterparts – in five months as
opposed to around one year. The annual premature death rate of
pigs on commercial Danish farms runs at just over 20%.

Fishmeal

Fishmeal is made from what is known as ‘lean’ fish (haddock and
cod) and ‘industrial’ fish (including herring, sardines and mackerel).
Fishmeal is made by cooking, pressing, drying and grinding the
fish, which can take place at sea on board factory ships.

Sodium Nitrate

A recent study which followed 200,000 Hawaiian men and women over 7 years found those with a high diet of meat containing
sodium nitrite had a 67% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. It has also been linked to colorectal cancer, leukemia in children and
brain tumors in infants. The industry likes it because it enhances colour and texture and reduces waste by killing bacteria, mainly
botulism. Sodium triphosphate is another preservative that performs a similar function.

Flavouring

A typical bacon flavour will consist of 12-20 chemicals. These chemicals will come from processing plants in either Germany
or the UK. Sugar and apple are used to off-set the harshness of the salt required to cure the bacon. Alongside the other flavouring, smoke flavour is also injected.

Stabilisers

Stabiliser ingredients are not used in their natural form. For instance, honey will be dried as the liquid version is too difficult to handle. So the honey is put through a spray drier to replace the moisture with
maltodextrin, producing a dry powder. Most honey for this purpose will come from the company Avebe in France or ICI in the UK.
As with synthesising any chemical for food processing, this is an
energy intensive process.

To make it palatable the bacon in your BLT is injected with salt,
sugar, apple, flavouring, sodium triphosphate, honey,
chicory and sodium nitrite. The different flavourings used
by different manufactureres are ‘trade secrets’, which, of
course, denies us an informed choice about what we put in
our mouths. These ingredients come from France and
Germany, adding 1,049 food miles to your BLT.

GM

90% of the world’s soya harvest – 200m tonnes – goes into animal
feed. Denmark is a major purchaser of soya from Argentina, the
world’s third biggest producer of genetically modified (GM) soya after
America and Canada. Food labels such as that on your BLT do not have to state if animals have been fed on a GM diet.

Soya

In 1971 soya was farmed on 37,000 hectares in Argentina; now it covers over 14m hectares. It is predicted that 10,000 hectares of forest is being lost annually and that if this continues, in five
years’ time the country’s native forests will disappear completely.
There are also increasing health concerns regarding soya in the food chain. The bean is high in phyto-oestregens that have been linked
to an increased risk of some cancers in humans and sterility in men. It has also been claimed that it damages brain function in men and causes
hidden developmental abnormalities in infants.

LETTUCE & TOMATO

1,070 The number of dams used to irrigate horticulture in southern Spain

Ten per cent of lettuces in Spain are grown in polymer tunnels, the rest are grown in the open. In both cases, the lettuce is grown under irrigation due to the lack of natural water sources; rainfall in southern
Spain is 2/3rds less than in the UK, at an average 300mm. Fertilizers and pesticides are drip-fed to the plants via water pipes. The average
lettuce crop takes around 60 days from seeding to harvest.
During the growing period migrant labour is used to weed and thin the cropby hand. Finally the lettuce is cut by hand, wrapped or bagged
and transported to a cold store where it is cooled to 0°C. This keeps it freshlooking but destroys the nutrients. It will then be put on a refrigerated lorry, where it will be kept at temperatures between 0-5°C,
on its journey to the UK.

Seeds

Seeds for lettuce and tomato crops in Spain probably come from Syngenta (head office Cambridge), with a turnover of around $2,000 million. Alongside seeds, Syngenta is one of the world’s leading
makers of pesticides. Seed companies develop new hybrids to meet the
supermarkets’ demand for innovation, or to suit their production and distribution processes – ie, something that lasts much longer on the
shelf. The seeds are patented and expensive. If a lettuce
turns up at a supermarket depot with an aphid, blemish,
or slug still on it, a farmer’s whole batch may be rejected.
Hence, seed companies such as Syngenta supply an
agrochemical recipe to go with them. The farmer can’t afford to risk not following the advice and Syngenta benefits twice. Many seeds
now come with a seed dressing of pesticides applied.

Farm

The plastic-sheeted tomato greenhouses of Almeria can be seen from space. Inside the polymer tunnels tomato plants grow on perlite – a
volcanic rock that retains moisture, which is mined and crushed for the purpose in Greece, 1382 miles away. As with lettuce, seeds are
selected on the basis of yield, resistance to common diseases, and consumer preferences. For instance, tomatoes produce ethylene, a
plant hormone which promotes aging. This is often inhibited so that the tomatoes arrive looking red and firm but are unripened and
consequently lack flavour. The seeds will be germinated for
15 days in a nursery before being transplanted to the greenhouse. They are drip-fed water, fertliser and pesticides in the same way as lettuces, using the same feed ingredients in different blends.
Harvesting is wholly manual and the tomatoes are again
immediately cold-stored and chilled on their journey to the UK.

Fertilisers

Due to the poor fertility of soil in southern Spain, fertilisers are heavily used. These contain nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. A study concluded that growers are applying 1 tonne of nitrogen per hectare, as opposed to 200 kg N/ha for crops in a rotation, which creates a vicious circle: the
nitrogen causes the soil to deteriorate further meaning more fertiliser is required. The run-off causes algae blooms in rivers, causing ‘dead zones’. In humans nitrate turns to nitrite which decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Excess levels of nitrogen in humans has been linked to heart-disease and numerous cancers. Roughly half of
the inorganic nitrogen ever used on the planet has occurred in the past 15 years. The production and use of nitrogen also contributes to climate change. As a greenhouse gas, nitrogen is 300 times more potent than C02. Nitrogen use as a growth promoter is expected to double over the next 40 years.

Water

Southern Spain is the driest part of Europe and and is facing a water crisis. As there is not enough water to naturally sustain horticulture, Spain is one of the most irrigated countries in the world, with 3.5 million hectares relying on it as a source of water. Spain has 1,070 dams for this purpose. Increasingly, however, diverting water is causing
friction between regions, which is why the construction of 20 desalination units is being considered. Meanwhile, a report from the WWF has said Spain has over half a million illegal boreholes used to
irrigate agricultural land, often paid for in part by EU agricultural subsidies. This means acquifers are being plundered causing untold environmental damage, destroying wetlands, causing soil erosion
and allowing sea water to enter the water table. This combination of events caused by growing salad ingredients in a wholly unsuitable
environment resulted in the International Soil Conservation Organisation Conference warning in 2004 that Murcia is on the brink of desertification. Waterwise has calculated it takes 10 litres of
water to grow one tomato and 22 litres to grow

Desalination

Desalination is an energy intensive process. ‘It is estimated that a
desalination plant that produces 50 million gallons of freshwater a
day consumes approximately 35 megawatts of electricity a day,
enough to provide electricity to approximately 35,000 homes,’ a
white paper for California American Water reported in 2005.
Furthermore there is the problem of what to do with the brine,
which is twice the concentrate of the seawater originally taken.
Roughly 30 per cent of the water desalinated becomes brine. In
Spain this could be allowed to evaporate or returned to the sea.
Both threaten the environment in that excess salt in the sea can kill
much of the marine life and lead to dead zones, and in the
atmosphere salt will make the land more acid and less fertile,
hastening desertification. When promoting the desalination plan
Spain’s environment minister said it would stop farmers using raw sewage to water their plants.

Pesticides

Intensive pesticide usage, and repeated spray rounds,
are necessary to protect both crops. More pesticides are
applied to field grown lettuce than any other vegetable
crop, with an average 11.7 applications each 'season'.
Residues most commonly detected are of inorganic
bromide, a metabolite of the soil sterilant methyl
bromide. A wordlwide ban on methyl bromide should
have come into effect last year, but Spain secured
exemptions for continued use. This is an ozonedepleting
chemical, and kills the soil as well as the pests
it is designed to attack. In 2005 random tests on lettuces
from Spain by the UK government found Spanish
lettuce contained the residue of 17 different chemicals
related to pesticides, many of which are linked to
causing cancers and heart disease. A Dutch study in
2004 found that Spanish tomatoes had 90 times more

Horticultural production in Spain depends on the use of large armies of migrant workers, most of whom hail from sub-Saharan Africa and
have risked their lives crossing to Spain from Morocco.
Without this cheap casual labour – they are paid the equivalent of around £20 a day – the system would collapse. These casual workers
live rough as near as possible to where there is work. Over
half have no access to drinking water or sanitation. According to official estimates some 70,000 migrants live this way. Once harvested the lettuce and tomato will be sent to the UK. G’s Marketing in Cambridge is the UK’s largest supplier of veg to the retail and
wholesale sector and owns 2,120 hectares in Murcia. They also have 20 suppliers in the region. 50% of lettuce in UK shops is imported, the
majority of which, 67,000 tonnes comes from Spain. G's will sell their produce either direct to wholesalers and retailers or via a
middle-man, such as Mack Multiples, which is one of the country’s largest importers.

Bread

The UK is largely selfsufficient in wheat (likewise with barley). Domestic wheat accounts for 80-85 per cent of flour used in bread. The rest is
made up of imported wheat from the US, Canada and Germany, each with different characteristics to help produce the high protein flour needed for industrially produced bread. Factory bread requires a
specific type of flour that is high in protein and produced
from hard winter wheat. There are an astonishing 30,000 varieties of wheat in the world, but only 25-30 varieties are grown in the UK.
Of these, only four are high quality bread making varieties
(Malacca, Hereward, XI 19 and Paragon) necessary for industrial breadmaking. An additional 10 varieties of lower quality wheat can be
used in breadmaking blends, if they are combined with high quality wheat imported from elsewhere. Only 25 per cent of the wheat grown in the UK is used for making flour. 50 per cent is used for biscuit
making, distilling and export. The remainder is used for animal feed.

Pesticides II

Wheat is treated with a variety of pesticides at every stage of its production. Around 4.7 tonnes of pesticides were applied in
commercial UK grain stores at, or during, storage, accounting for 38% of the total weight of stored grain. Wheat is grown using a variety of pesticides and a study by the UK’s Pesticides Residues Committee (PRC) in 2005 found that wholemeal bread contained more
pesticide residues than any other bread type. Wholemeal bread contains more of the oily germ that acts like a magnet for lipophilic (fat-loving) pesticides.

GM II

Traces of the genetically modified crops have been found in both the unmilled wheat and flour used to make bread. Biotech soybeans and corn, the two most widely grown GM crops in the world, are the
likely culprits. Rank Hovis imports US wheat to its mills and the company’s own in-house testing has repeatedly found evidence of GM soybeans and corn particles mixed in with wheat supplies.

Milling

The UK has some 31 companies operating 59 large industrial mills. The two largest, Rank Hovis McDougal and ADM, control around
50% of flour production in the UK. Rank Hovis is the UK’s leading miller with factories in mills in Selby, Hull, Manchester, Southampton
and Wellingborough, and is the likely source of the flour for this sandwich. The company mills one million tonnes of flour per year from
50,000 lorryloads of wheat containing 635,000,000 wheat
berries. They supply flour in package sizes ranging from 1kg to 29 tonnes to plant bakeries such as its sister company British Bakeries.
Industrially processed flour is lower in nutrients than traditionally milled flour. And the longer the flour is stored before usage the more
nutrients it loses. Flour can be stored for 15 to 60 days, although rancidity has been detected as early as 2-14 days after milling.
Rancid flour and the bread made with it may have important health effects. In a study where rats were either fed freshly ground flour or
bread made from freshly ground flour, or were fed rancid flour and the bread made from rancid flour, the animals eating the latter became infertile within just 4 generations.

Additives

Modern mills can produce more flour more quickly,
but they also alter the quality of that flour in
fundamental ways. Nutrients are lost which is why by
law flour millers must ensure that the following
nutrients are added back into all wheat flour other
than wholemeal flour:

Calcium carbonate: 235mg/100g
Iron: 1.65mg/100g
Thiamine: 0.24mg/100g
Nicotinic: 1.6mg/100g

The problem, apart form the ethics of forcibly
medicating the population, is that these nutrients
are often added in forms that are not as easily
assimilated by the body as naturally occurring
nutrients. In some instances, as with thiamine, the
baking process can destroy the added nutrients.

Biodiversity

High yielding and more profitable winter wheat has largely replaced spring-sown crops in the UK, with a disastrous effect on the environment. Farmland birds such as the grey partridge, turtle
dove, skylark, linnet, tree sparrow and corn bunting have all experienced massive population declines due to habitat destruction.
Plants that thrive in arable fields including the shepherd’s needle, cornflower and corn cockle are also under threat and with them, invertebrates that depend upon them – around 2,000 (not counting micro-organisms) – are also in decline. The destruction of habitat spreads beyond the UK. Most industrial bread contains vegetable fat, often made from palm oil. Over 80 per cent of the world's production of palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, 6,530 miles away.
Endangered species such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, Asian elephant, orang-utan and tiger are losing their natural habitat as the palm oil
plantations encroach upon the tropical forests.

Baking

Over half of the bread sold in the UK is produced by enormous plant bakeries. The two biggest Allied Bakers and British Bakeries Limited
control more than 80 per cent of the UK bread market.
Supermarkets produce around 18 per cent of the bread we buy and at the bottom of the list are the craft or artisan bakers that account for
only 2 per cent of the UK bread market. Plant bakeries can churn out
bread at a rate of more than 8,000 loaves per hour, and at the largest bakeries around 1.5 million plus loaves per week. Today around 80% of the UK industrial bread market, which produces over 7 million
large loaves per day, is operated by a dozen or so companies operating from around 60 industrial bakeries. Traditional bread takes 2-24
hours to make. Modern bread is shortcut bread. Produced by what is known as the Chorleywood process, basic ingredients can be
transformed to a sliced loaf in less than 3 hours. The British baking industry employs around 125,000 people, of which about 50,000
are bakers. Approximately 20,000 are employed in the plant bakeries, where wages are low: the basic rate for plant bakery workers is
between £7,600 and £9,600 a year. The Chorleywood process is
energy intensive, consuming 4-8 times the energy necessary
to produce bread the traditional way. According to figures released
by the European Commission, Allied Bakeries, emitted more
than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2004 – a figure greater than that of many small countries.

Dough (Additives)
Traditional bread needs nothing more than flour, water and
yeast. Short cut bread needs lots of additives to turn the dough
into a loaf.
Ascorbic acid, or E300 The main constituent of vitamin C is
not necessary in traditional breadmaking. It’s used as an
‘improver’ to increase the level to which the dough rises.
Yeast Levels of up to 1.75% of wheat are used in dough made
by the Chorleywood process, compared with 0.5% 50 years ago.
The increase is yeast is now being linked to a dramatic increase
in yeast intolerance in the West. The yeast is cultivated in
molasses, which comes from South America, 5,961 miles away.
Salt CBP bread is tasteless and so requires more salt to give it
flavour. As a result modern bread is now considered a high salt
food that increases our risk of high blood pressure.
Water Used as a cheap bulking agent that can account for 45%
or more of a factory loaf. Modified fatty acids, with no
nutritional value, are necessary to hold the water in the mix.
The more water there is in bread the less nutritious it is.
Enzymes Often genetically modified, these are used to speed
up the Chorleywood process and to enhance taste and keeping
qualities. Because these genetically modified enzymes are
classed as ‘baking aids’ they needn’t be declared on the
labelling of the bread. Most dough additives come from
processing plants in France, Germany and Italy, adding a further 6,355 food miles to your BLT.

BUTTER & MAYONNAISE

Subsidies

The UK dairy industry is the most subsidised agriculture sector and is paid for producing a surplus. In 2004 Dairy Crest, the UK’s largest dairy
processor, received £19.8m fom EU Common Agricultural Policy funds – despite making £85m. In total UK dairy processors received over £50 million. Since 2004 Dairy Crest and Nestle have claimed £126m of taxpayers' money for sending surplus butter and milk powder to poor countries.

Butter

Butter is made from cream which is obtained by separating whole milk into its major constituents: cream and skimmed milk. There are two million dairy cows living on the UK’s 21,000 dairy farms; 95% of these are now black and white North American Holsteins. Since the 1970s high yield Holsteins, producing around 8,000 litres of milk a year,
have replaced Friesians on most UK dairy farms. A cow’s natural lifespan could be 25 years, but most modern dairy cows are sent for
slaughter at about five years old. Calves born on dairy farms are
weaned within days of birth. A dairy cow spends seven months of every year simultaneously pregnant and producing milk. This physical
demand requires her to eat four times more food each day than a beef cow. Dairy cows are fed a diet of silage (wet, fermented grass)
and high protein feed (a mixture of cereals, rape meal, sunflower meal, maize and soya, much of it GM; (see Pig Feed). Male calves are
unwanted. 200,000 are shot at birth and incinerated. The
rest are fattened for use in low-grade fast food products.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is an emulsion of egg yolk and oil. Companies producing mayonnaise for the sandwich industry generally source their eggs from the most competitive markets, so they can come from the UK
but equally they may come from Spain, Germany or Holland. Similarly depending on the supplier the eggs may come from intensive farming
and/or from free-range farming, or more likely a mix of both. As a consumer you may never know what you are eating unless the ingredients label makes a specific claim for organic or cruelty-free
eggs. Intensively farmed chickens are amongst the most abused animals in the farming system. Battery farms – where hens are stacked on top of each other in cages so small that they cannot stretch
their wings, walk or scratch at the ground during their short
lifetimes – exist to supply the food market with the cheapest possible eggs. On the largest farms 90,000 caged hens may be crammed
into one windowless shed. Even if the eggs are freerange there are nagging welfare issues. In many commercial ‘free-range’ egg
farms, hens may have little more than a single, narrow exit leading to an enclosure, too small to accommodate all of the birds at once. Many
will never see the light of day.

Butter

Dairy Crest is the likely source of the butter in your BLT. Approximately 20 kg of whole milk goes into 1 kg of butter. Churning cream into butter by hand could take half an hour or more. Industrially produced
butter is churned in a giant cylinder fitted with a beater rotating at about 2,700 rpm, which converts the cream into butter in a matter of seconds. Industrial butter making is energy intensive. Fossil fuels
and electricity are necessary for powering electric motors on process equipment, for heating, evaporating and drying, for cooling and
refrigeration, and for the generation of compressed air. Butter is usually packaged in plastic boxes in bulk quantities (25 kg) for long-term storage or large scale catering. Some makers of mayonnaise
like Suffolk Foods produce their products in-house, others like the giant Unilever Bestfoods outsource some or all of their production to
other countries. It takes 15 minutes to produce 500-100kg
of mayonnaise and package it into 10-litre tubs.

Spirit Vinegar

Real vinegar gets its sharp and complex flavours from a lengthy fermentation process. This cheap short-cut non-fermented vinegar
gets its sharp taste from added alcohol.

Sugar

British Sugar is the UK’s largest supplier of sugar, processing some 9 million tonnes of sugar beet – the UK’s entire crop – each year. Real mayonnaise does not require sugar. In industrial mayonnaise it is used
to counter the strong taste of the spirit vinegar and also has stabilising properties.

Milk Production

Milk production is land intensive. To produce a tonne of butter requires 30 hectares, compared to less than one hectare for a tonne of vegetables. Intense dairy farming generates solid manure and manure slurries. These along with the chemical fertilisers and pesticides used in the production of pastures and fodder crops, can pollute surface water and groundwater.

Water

Dairy processing requires large quantities of fresh water –
primarily for cleaning process equipment and work areas. At
modern dairy processing plants, a water consumption rate of
1.3–2.5 litres water/kg of milk intake is typical. Between 0.5–4%
of the milk coming into a processing plant is discharged as
effluent, into public sewers in urban areas, or to irrigate land in
rural areas. If not managed correctly, salts in the effluent damage soil, cause salinity and pollute groundwater.

PACKAGING

Bradgate Bakery

Although it is called a bakery, Bradgate in Leicester does not make bread. It was established in 1993 specifically to make pre-packaged
sandwiches. It started out making 11 varieties and now makes 60, producing over one million sandwiches a week for Tesco and its sister company Ginsters. Bradgate employs 800 people and is in production 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week and has a turnover of £20m a year. Bradgate is part of the Samworth Brothers Group. The company has two distribution centres in Leicestershire and Cornwall with a fleet of over 60 articulated lorries, collectively covering over nine million miles each year. The two distribution centres handle over 30 million cases of product a year and will deliver to Samworth Brothers'
customers and a number of third party customers at destinations from Aberdeen to Penzance.

The plastic wedge, or 'skillet' that your sandwich comes in is only the tip of the ice-berg in terms of packaging. At the meat processing plant, in the lettuce fields and tomato greenhouses, in bakeries and
chicken farms plastic packaging is required so that food can be transported. Around 4% of the world’s annual oil production is used
in food packaging and a further 3-4% in its production. Although it is
technically recyclable this doesn't always happen. Due to the logistics
of separating out such packaging it either has to go to landfill or be incinerated (see Ecologist, July/August 2006). Waste from ‘food on
the go’ such as sandwiches increased by 10% between 2004 and 2005, say DEFRA. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) – which
removes some or all of the oxygen from packaging and replaces it with gases such as C02 and nitrogen – is used throughout the journey the
ingredients take. It is a techno-fix to keep the food fresh looking, although it destroys many of its natural nutrients.

Oil

Mayonnaise is comprised of around 70% ‘vegetable oil’ – a generic term
that usually means oilseed rape (also known as canola). Around 600,000 hectares is grown annually in the UK. While the UK is about 90% self-sufficient large refineries such as Cargill will supply manufacturers with raw materials from wherever the price is most competitive. Thus the oil in your mayonnaise may be from the
UK, or from Europe or America, and therefore may be GM.

BLT

The ingredients of your BLT have travelled over 31,000 miles and left a
trail of destruction in their wake. If that’s what it takes to produce
a BLT then it’s not too difficult to comprehend what’s gone into
your chicken tikka masala TV dinner or other processed foods. You will notice that there is no mention on the BLT label of nutritional value.
That’s because there is none. You are getting energy alone and an unhealthy dose of fat (55% of your recommended daily intake) and salt (59% of your RDI). This is because of the way the ingredients are synthesised and grown to make them look nicer and last longer.
Foods high in such chemicals and fat and salt have been linked with heart disease and an increase in many forms of cancer. Indeed, the health effects of eating such foods are so widely known they feature in popular TV programmes such as Honey, We’re Killing The Kids,
where devastated parents are shown how their children will look aged 40 unless their diet and lifestyle change.

Yet we rarely hear of the food industry’s role in this
health crisis talked about in the corridors of power.
Indeed, the government under pressure from food
industry lobbyists recently caved in and allowed many
manufacturers to miss targets to reduce the level of salt in
processed foods ‘for manufacturing reasons’.
The iconic BLT is a symbol of this process, which leaves a
devastating health and environmental footprint. It’s the
money you pay for your BLT and other convenience
foods that is supporting this insane trade. In the UK we
spend nearly £3bn on 1.7 billion pre-packaged
sandwiches annually.

As the government refuse to act against the food
industry the only option open to us is to stop buying
these ersatz products.

Instead, wherever possible, buy locally grown products –
which means they will retain their nutritional value; even
more if you can source organically grown – and make your
own sandwiches and meals.
It’s good for you and it’s good for the planet.

Additional reporting: Sophie Hackford, Xenia Tolstoy,
David Altabev.

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