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beyondanomie
Reorganising Urgent Care
From the BBC: The NHS in England needs to provide a much simpler and co-ordinated system of round-the-clock urgent and emergency care, a review of its services says. It also warns that many patients are confused about who to turn to when they need urgent medical help, so too often they go to A&E units. … Continue reading
Red or Black? 50:50 lifetime risk of cancer
From the BBC: The number of people in the UK who will get cancer during their lifetime will increase to nearly half the population by 2020, a report has forecast. People living longer is thought to be a major reason for the increase. But the [Macmillan Cancer Support] said that more people were surviving cancer … Continue reading
Don’t go to the (operating) theatre on Fridays…?
From the BBC: People who have surgery towards the end of the week are more likely to die than those who have procedures earlier on, researchers say. A British Medical Journal report into non-emergency operations in England, suggests the overall risk of death from such planned procedures remains low. But it shows “unacceptable” variation in … Continue reading
Supplementing Diet
From the BBC, The Telegraph & The Daily Mail: Iodine deficiency ‘may lower UK children’s IQ’ Vitamin C kills drug-resistant TB in lab tests Vitamin B could stave off Alzheimers Vitamin D ‘helps beat symptoms of asthma’ Areas to think about: Hardly a day goes by without a news article suggesting that one or other … Continue reading
Angelina Jolie’s Double Mastectomy
From the BBC: Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer… She said her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. “I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could,” she … Continue reading
SARS-like virus spreading
From Reuters: World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Sunday it seemed likely a new coronavirus that has killed at least 18 people in the Middle East and Europe could be passed between humans, but only after prolonged contact… A public health expert who declined to be identified, said “close contact” meant being in the … Continue reading
Antibiotics treat back pain?
From Sky News: Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark say 40% of patients with chronic low back pain are suffering from an infection in their spine. They found that a 100-day course of antibiotics could significantly reduce pain and disability. Dr Hanne Albert, who led the research, told Sky News: “These people suffer constantly. … Continue reading
No more grey hair?
From Sky News: A cure for grey hair which means millions will be able to throw away messy dyes may not be too far off, researchers have said. Scientists found people who are going grey develop “massive oxidative stress” via an accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes hair to bleach itself … Continue reading
111 Troubles
From the BBC: The new NHS non-emergency 111 telephone service in England is in a fragile state in a number of areas ahead of bank holiday weekend, NHS bosses admit. Reports have been emerging for weeks of calls going unanswered and poor advice being given, leading to hospitals being inundated with patients. The problems plaguing … Continue reading
UKCAT 2013 Format Changes – IMPORTANT
The 2013 UKCAT exam differs significantly from previous years, both in terms the the nature of the subtests and the number of questions in each section. More details can be found at the UKCAT website. GeMS – Get into Medical School offers UKCAT preparation courses for candidates wishing to gain extra familarity and practice before … Continue reading
