Robert Short

Access to cardiac rehabilitation varies widely across Europe.

Thousands of people throughout Europe are failing to receive cardiac rehabilitation for heart attack, heart failure, and other conditions, a survey of rehabilitation services across Europe has found. Birna Bjarnason-Wehrens presented the results of the first European cardiac rehabilitation inventory survey (CRIS) on behalf of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR) at EuroPRevent 2008 in Paris, France. So far, results have been obtained from 19 countries, but the association is hoping to obtain results from a total of 40. Commenting …

Black Africans have highest prevalence of tuberculosis in UK.

The number of cases of tuberculosis in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland rose by 10.8% from 2004 to 2005, the biggest increase in any one year since 1999. The number of cases rose from 7321 to 8113. The new figures were presented by John Watson, head of the respiratory disease department at the Health Protection Agency. London alone had 3479 cases in 2005, 43% of the total. The regions with the biggest rises in new cases were the North West, East Midlands, and the East of England. The …

Primary care trusts provide poor information for practice based commissioning

Practice based commissioning is being “sabotaged” by the failure of primary care trusts to provide good information to practices, an expert in commissioning said last week. Michael Dixon, chairman of NHS Alliance, an independent body that brings together GPs and primary care trusts, says that the latest survey carried out by the Department of Health shows that progress towards practice based commissioning has been …

UK government to spend £105m to improve stroke services

The health secretary, Alan Johnson, last week launched a new strategy for the treatment of stroke in the United Kingdom, aimed at preventing 1600 strokes a year and cutting 6800 deaths and disabilities. Stroke is the third biggest killer in the UK and the largest cause of severe disability. Mr Johnson said, “What we are publishing today is a bold vision for the stroke services—covering prevention through to lifelong support.” This strategy has been developed in partnership with stakeholders, including representatives from stroke charities; stroke professionals in the NHS and social care professionals; and people affected by stroke and their carers. The national director for stroke and heart disease, Roger Boyle, supported by these …

Smoking support is “excellent” in areas where it is most needed

Primary care trusts in deprived areas of England and Wales have been very good at providing tobacco control services and supporting their populations in reducing smoking, a new review from the Healthcare Commission says. The commission, which inspects the quality of health care and public health in England and Wales, reports that almost half of the primary care trusts it rated as “excellent” in providing antismoking services were in the most deprived areas (as defined by an index of multiple deprivation). In contrast, only 20% of trusts in affluent areas were “excellent.” Primary care trusts in more northerly regions and …

Doctors and managers come up with design rules for future NHS reform

Doctors and health service managers have produced a blueprint for shaping any further reforms of the NHS, which will ensure that they encapsulate the best clinical practices. The Joint Medical Consultative Council, which includes representatives of the medical royal colleges, medical schools, and the BMA, has produced a report with the NHS Confederation that sets out rules for successful reform of working practices in the NHS. The decision to produce the report came about because so many clinicians were unhappy about NHS reforms and …

Department sets out framework for commissioning in English NHS

The framework for commissioning health care by primary care trusts and GPs from local providers, published by the Department of Health last week, has provoked both opprobrium and approval. ![][1] London GP Dr Chaand Nagpaul: the document does not tackle the obstacles to practice based commissioning The document, Health Reform in England: Update and Commissioning Framework , sets out the proposed future arrangements for commissioning services for local communities—a role carried out mainly by primary care trusts until now, although increasingly individual GP practices are going to be encouraged to take on this role as well. The department has considered initially the commissioning—or purchasing—of hospital services. It intends to encourage what it calls “open tendering” by a variety of providers from the public, private, and voluntary sectors, which, it says, will ensure innovation, value for money, and choice. Increasingly, services will be offered in the … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif

UK urges free basic health care in poor countries

The abolition of fees for basic health services in developing countries, as achieved in Uganda, will remove a major barrier to improvement in the health of people in these nations. And such initiatives should be supported by the countries themselves and international donors. This is the belief of Hilary Benn, the United Kingdoms secretary of state for international development and head of the Department for International Development, which manages Britains aid to poor countries. He was speaking at a debate at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, and also launching the progress report on the UKs maternal health strategy. Citing the work of Chris …

Vegetables may slow cognitive decline in older people.

Eating lots of vegetables is associated with a slowing of cognitive decline in older people. In contrast, a high intake of fruit does not slow the rate of cognitive decline. This was the conclusion of a six year study of 3718 people aged 65 years or older by Martha Morris of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Chicago, and colleagues ( Neurology 2006;67:1370-6). The participants were taking part in the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), a 1993-2002 cohort study of older people from a population that …

GPs' college issues guidance on hepatitis A and B vaccination

Injecting drug users should be vaccinated against hepatitis A, and all users of illegal drugs should be vaccinated against hepatitis B, the Royal College of General Practitioners recommended this week. The vaccinations should be carried out without waiting for prevaccination tests for hepatitis A or B. One of the authors of the five page guidelines document, Dr David Young, clinical director of the drug and alcohol clinical management unit at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Trust, emphasised that the guidance was for the whole of …