Public health news: January 2007

Call to abolish prescriptions, but charge for some procedures

29 January 2007

The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADsPH) have called for removal of the standard NHS prescription charge, but also the introduction of charging for some procedures which have little evidence of efficacy, such as tonsillectomies.

Charge for some NHS procedures, but make most prescriptions free (ADsPH press release, January 2007)
Call to reform NHS charge system (BBC News, January 2007)

WHO backs involuntary detention for XDR-TB as last resort

25 January 2007

The World Health Organization has confirmed that in trying to stop the spread of XDR-TB (Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis) national governments may be justified in involuntarily detaining patients with confirmed XDR-TB should they refuse voluntary isolation.  The guidance takes into account a recent PLoS paper highlighting the XDR-TB problem in South Africa.

WHO guidance on human rights and involuntary detention for XDR-TB (WHO, January 2007)
Singh, JA et al, PLoS Medicine doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040050 [?] (PLoS, January 2007)
XDR-TB uncovered  (Internal link, September 2006)
International and global public health (Internal link)

Free prescriptions in Wales

24 January 2007

Welsh Assembly politicians have voted for the removal of prescription fees from 1 April 2007.  The move is hoped to reduce inequalities resulting from the current practice of charging a nominal fee for prescription medication, which can be especially burdensome for some chronic diseases.  A prescription charge - of £6.65 - will remain in England.

AMs vote for free prescriptions  (BBC News, January 2007)

Innovative GP practice puts patient advice videos on web

5 January 2007

A GP surgery in Wales has launched a number of videos on You Tube, the video download site recently bought by Google.  The videos available so far include teaching patients correct inhaler technique and showing them how to use blood glucometers.  Such an approach complements well the work of centres such as DIPEx, which carries video and audio of patients describing their experiences of different diseases on its website.

Builth Surgery videos (YouTube, January 2007)
Builth & Llanwrtyd Medical Practice  (B&LMP, January 2007)
GP launches YouTube health films (BBC News, January 2007)
DIPEx - patient experiences (DIPEx, January 2007)
Health promotion  (Internal link)

Centre for Healthcare Associated Infections opens

5 January 2007

A new department at the University of Nottingham has opened, dedicated to research into antibiotic resistance.

Leslie Ash to launch new national centre to fight healthcare associated infections (Press release, University of Nottingham, January 2007)
Actress opens new superbug centre (BBC News, January 2007)
Health protection (Internal link)

Smoking minimum age set to rise in UK

1 January 2007

The Government has announced plans to increase the legal minimum age for buying tobacco in the England and Wales from 16 to 18 with effect from October 2007.  This will follow the ban on smoking in public places which is due to come into effect in July.  It is hoped both measures will assist the decline in smoking prevalence among adults in the UK.

Minimum legal age to purchase tobacco to rise from 16 to 18 (GNN, January 2007)
Cigarette-buying age set to rise (BBC News, January 2007)
Health promotion (Internal link)