Public health news: September 2006

UK antiviral stockpile complete this week

28 September 2006

Roche, the manufacturer of the antiviral oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), has announced that the UK's stockpile of 14.6m doses should be complete by the end of this week.  A recent survey among doctors has found that over 50% of individuals polled said they had received no information on pandemic plans. 

Roche says UK supply of Tamiflu in place  (Bloomberg, September 2006)
Concern over pandemic flu plans  (BBC News, September 2006)
Flu pandemic planning  (Internal link)

'Choosing Health' money being used to plug deficits

12 September 2006

The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADsPH) has begun a campaign to increase public awareness of the widespread redirection of money originally earmarked for public health work as part of the Choosing Health White Paper.  The ADsPH found that only about one-sixth of the money originally intended for Choosing Health work was being used to this effect in London.

'Public health plans in disarray'  (BBC News, September 2006)
ADsPH speaks out on safeguarding public health funds (ADsPH news page, September 2006)
Policy and legislation in the UK - Choosing Health (Internal link)

XDR TB uncovered

7 September 2006

A form of tuberculosis (TB) has been discovered which is even more resistant to current drugs than the multi-drug resistant (MDR) strain which can already make treatment difficult.  Extreme (or extensive) drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) is a form of MDR-TB which is resistant to three of the six second-line drugs used to treat TB, as well as both first line drugs (isoniazid and rifampicin).

Emergence of XDR-TB (WHO, September 2006)
'Virtually untreatable' TB found  (BBC News, September 2006)
Health protection (Internal link)

Public has unrealistic expectation of NHS

4 September 2006

Worryingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, a survey by the Institute for Public Policy Research has found that 31% of adults in the UK think the NHS should provide "all drugs and treatment, no matter what the cost", and a further 40% "the most effective treatment, no matter what the cost".  Only 28% thought the NHS should offer "the most effective drugs and treatment provided they represent good value for money". 

Most people expect more than NHS can ever deliver (IPPR, September 2006)
Public 'expect too much from NHS'  (BBC News, September 2006)