Displaying items by tag: NHS

The father of an autistic child, who is also a GP administering MMR vaccine to babies, reports that outbreaks of measles in France and Italy have prompted the authorities to make childhood immunisation compulsory. Now a newspaper editorial demands similar UK measures, insisting that ‘parental refusal of immunisation should not be tolerated’. A notorious 1998 study in The Lancet suggested a link between MMR and autism. The paper presented no evidence for this link, which caused undue alarm among parents of children with autism and parents of children due for vaccinations. Since then a voluntary approach to childhood immunisation has successfully ensured high levels of protection for British children. An anti-vax cause has been politically endorsed by Donald Trump and Italy’s Beppe Grillo, in spite of accurate and ethical grounds for opposing compulsion. A voluntary approach to childhood immunisation has consistently protected British children despite scares and ill-informed campaigns.

The main political parties have published their manifestos, and leaders have taken to the airwaves to define their ideas and criticise those of their opponents. There is a degree of common ground between Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat proposals on health. With the population living longer and more people living with long-term conditions, more seamless care will become a central challenge in the next parliament. Funding for social care for the elderly and vulnerable has been cut by 16 % recently. Although the Care Act brings clarity and consistency to social care entitlements, it will not end social care rationing. All three manifestos promote the importance of joined-up care, particularly for the elderly and chronically ill. We can praise God that this need is recognised, and pray that positive pledges will be implemented now that all parties have got the message that the NHS needs additional funding to survive.

The health watchdog is looking into claims that women are being offered free IVF treatment if they give away half of their healthy eggs. Undercover reporters from the Daily Mail went to one clinic, and recorded a consultant talking about how thousands of pounds change hands for donated eggs. In one recording a nurse says, 'It's just like giving blood.' The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) says donations are supposed to be voluntary and unpaid. Dr Trevor Stammers is a Christian medical ethics expert and a former GP. He is also a lecturer at St Mary's University in Twickenham in London. He said the HFEA needs to act. ‘This story is extremely sad, disturbing but actually not surprising. Fertility treatment is extremely costly and women seeking it are very vulnerable, so the power of a doctor to persuade a woman to donate eggs for others is extremely powerful.’ He added that the HFEA needs a radical overhaul and more funding.

Two devout evangelical Christians whose 10-year-old son is in intensive care with a brain tumour are in a High Court battle with doctors. Specialists want a judge to allow them to limit the treatment they provide to the youngster, saying the boy cannot recover and should be made as comfortable as possible without further ‘invasive’ procedures. The boy's parents, who are separated, disagree and say doctors should not limit treatment options. They ‘lavish’ the youngster with love, and play gospel music to him. The judge began considering evidence in the family division of a high court on Tuesday. Lawyers representing the boy's parents said life was ‘precarious and uncertain’, and people sometimes made unexpected recoveries. The parents believe there are things that could be done, but that doctors are giving up.

Record numbers of patients spent more than four hours in accident and emergency units in England in January, figures leaked to the BBC suggest. It seems that January was the worst performing month since the four-hour target was introduced. The figures also suggest record numbers of people waited longer than twelve hours for a hospital bed once seen in A&E. The British Medical Association said the Prime Minister could no longer ‘bury her head in the sand’, and accused the Government of failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation. But a spokesman from the Department of Health said the vast majority of patients were seen and treated quickly, and busy periods in hospitals were supported by an extra £400 million of funding. The figures seem to show that of over 1.4 million attendances at A&E last month, only 82% - rather than the target 95% - were transferred, admitted or discharged within four hours. More than 60,000 people waited between four and twelve hours for a hospital bed after a decision to admit, known as a ‘trolley wait’.

Thousands of National Health Service (NHS) patients have had their data accessed by the Home Office as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration. The data are made up of non-clinical information, which includes names, dates of birth and the individual’s last known address. An investigation by the Guardian revealed for the first time the extent and details of Home Office requests for information. Between September and October 20126, 2,224 such requests were made: in 1,659 cases the details were traced, in 516 there was no trace, and in 69 instances requests were turned down. The number of requests has risen threefold since 2014, as the Government has toughened its stance on illegal immigration. Data can be requested about people who have absconded from immigration control, escaped detention, exceeded their time in the UK, sought to obtain leave to remain by deception, or failed to comply with reporting restrictions. It should be noted that NHS Digital retains the right to refuse requests which it deems to be against the public interest.