Health BLOG | berkeley-pharmacy

Most people in England to be offered flu vaccine

Most people in England, about 30 million, are to be offered a free flu vaccine this year, the government says. It is to prepare for a winter that could see the annual flu season coincide with a surge in coronavirus. The NHS flu programme will add all over-50s, people shielding and those who live with them and children in their first year of secondary school. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted "everyone to have a flu jab in the run up to this winter". He said it was important to "protect the NHS in the winter months because we've still got Covid and the threat of a second spike of Covid, and its vital therefore to keep that pressure off the NHS by everybody getting a flu jab." How ba

Patients will be prescribed walks in the great outdoors on the NHS

Patients may soon be prescribed a walk in the great outdoors on the NHS. In a bid to reduce pressure on the health service, environment secretary George Eustice has said GPs and other medics in the UK will be able to hand out “green prescriptions” over pills from autumn. Under the £4m ($5m) scheme, doctors can encourage people to take up gardening, cycling or even planting trees in their local area. Vulnerable individuals, like care home residents, may even be sent on coach trips to national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Officials hope the scheme will boost Briton’s mental health, while tackling obesity and even helping coronavirus survivors to recover. n an online speech to

'Broken heart syndrome' on the rise during coronavirus pandemic

“Broken heart syndrome” is on the rise amid the coronavirus outbreak, research suggests. Scientists from the Cleveland Clinic have reported a significant increase in the number of people experiencing stress cardiomyopathy. Known as broken heart syndrome, this can occur when emotional distress triggers dysfunction of the heart muscle. Amid the pandemic, people around the world are mourning the loss of loved ones, with the death toll exceeding 550,000. Others are battling anxiety that they or those they care about may catch the infection. Months of lockdown has also triggered an economic fallout that has left many scared for their jobs, while the vulnerable may be enduring loneliness brought o

Coronavirus: Snacking and family meals increase in lockdown

Changes in young people's eating habits, tracked during the lockdown in England, show both increases in snacking and families eating together. Researchers found 60% of young people thought more shared family meal times were positive for health and wellbeing. Young people in the study said they wanted to keep having meals together. The research, from the Guy's and St Thomas's Charity and the Bite Back 2030 healthy eating charity, studied over 1,000 14-19 year olds. The youth co-chair of Bite Back 2030 is Christina Adane, the 16-year-old Londoner who set up the petition for free school meals over the summer holidays, which footballer Marcus Rashford supported. "I don't want us to be the victim

Period poverty: Rise in free sanitary products needed in lockdown

The number of women and girls facing period poverty has risen sharply during the coronavirus lockdown, according to charities working to help them. Women unable to afford or access sanitary products have resorted to using items including newspaper, pillow cases, or tea towels. One charity said the number of packs it gave out had risen about five-fold. Poverty left some struggling to afford products and schools and community centres that distribute them have shut. The government said its scheme launched in January to give out free period products in schools was still in operation. National charity Bloody Good Period said it usually distributed 5,000 packs a month but had handed more than 23,0