October - 2021

GPs think older patients cannot handle health apps on phones

Older patients are being excluded from beneficial health technology because “ageist” doctors presume they cannot work a smartphone, research has suggested. Experts have accused doctors of “stereotyping” older people as being incapable of using technology and warned patient safety was being put at risk by a failure to support them in using appropriate online health tools. GPs typically recommend NHS-approved health apps to about one in 10 patients aged under 35 to help them ma

NHS mental health referrals to surge by a third due to pandemic

Mental health referrals are forecast to rise by a third in the wake of the pandemic, resulting in an extra 1.8 million cases, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has warned. The organisation is calling for £5 billion in recovery funding for mental health, warning that the NHS is already facing the biggest backlog of those waiting for such help in its history. Forecasts from The Strategy Unit, which carries out NHS analysis, suggest that the number of referrals for mental healt

Yearly prostate checks benefit some men aged 40 plus

Some men should have annual prostate checks once they turn 40 to spot early, treatable cancers, UK experts say. Targeted screening would save lives, the Institute of Cancer Research team says, even though the PSA blood test it relies on is not accurate enough to offer more widely. It was trialled in men at high genetic risk for certain cancers. PSA is a protein made only by the prostate gland and a raised level can be a sign of cancer. Paul Cunningham, 67 and from Plymouth, i

This hidden condition has left half of sufferers feeling 'unsupported' through pandemic

Half of people living with type 1 diabetes in the UK feel unsupported as a result of the pandemic, according to a new report by the charity JDRF. A survey of 1,152 adults living with the disease and parents of children who have it found that 47% believe the pandemic is likely to have a long-term negative impact on their lives. This is mainly due to missed routine appointments as a result of lockdowns and the volume of staff and resources needed to treat COVID-19 patients. Sho

World Menopause Day: Here's how to (literally) keep yourself together

It's World Menopause Day (18th October) but for plenty of women, every day is menopause day, over a period of years. It's only recently that we've begun to talk about it openly, with The Countess of Wessex discussing debilitating symptoms and leading a campaign for menopause awareness in the workplace, and well known mid-life women such as Mariella Frostrup, Davina McCall and Lorraine Kelly producing books and documentaries on the topic. Yet millions are still unaware of the

Periods and low confidence put some girls off sport

Periods, low confidence and being watched by other people are factors preventing about a third of girls in England enjoying sport, a report says. Data from the Youth Sport Trust shows over the last three years, periods have become the biggest concern for girls when doing PE in school. A total of 37% said periods stopped them from getting active in school last year, up from 27% in 2018-19. The charity is campaigning to give girls a greater say in PE in schools. The charity's G

Flu jab vital this winter along with Covid vaccine

The public are being reminded to come forward for their flu jab to maximise their protection ahead of winter. Health officials are worried because this will be the first winter Covid and flu circulate fully at the same time. Research shows those infected with both viruses are more than twice as likely to die as someone with Covid alone. More than 40 million people across the UK - 35 million in England - are being offered a jab this year in the biggest flu vaccination campaign

First new treatment for sickle cell in 20 years

The first new sickle-cell treatment in 20 years will help keep thousands of people out of hospital over the next three years, NHS England has said. Sickle-cell disease is incurable and affects 15,000 people in the UK. And the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said the hope of reducing health inequalities for black people, who are predominantly affected and often have poorer health to start with, made the drug worth recommending. It called it "an innovative tre