Family Carers

A recent report by Mencap has revealed that most family carers are still not getting the help they need in the form of short respites.

Many family carers are left feeling exhausted and disillusioned, with eight in ten people who care for a loved one with a learning disability at breaking point.  The government invested £1.2billion in short breaks for carers in 2010, however, the money was not ring-fenced and Mencap’s report shows it has not been spent on short break services.  The report also shows across the UK councils have actually cut short break services even though it benefits them to have family members provide care.

Family members caring for their loved ones save the tax payer approximately £119billion each year.  Mencap would like to see the money ring-fenced so that it reaches the carers who need it most and urges councils to intervene at the appropriate time so that no carer is left at breaking point.

Stomach Wind

Thousands of people suffer from bloating, gas and flatulence which can be a source of great discomfort and embarrassment; some can cope with it and some find it limits their ability to function.

On average an adult expels between 200ml and 2 litres of gas each day.  Gas can be triggered by excess air in the stomach, which can be expelled by a belch, or bacteria in the gut, which triggers wind.  Most causes of wind are benign but if bloating in women is persistent and doesn’t vary throughout the day, she should get it checked out by her GP to rule out a gynaecological issue.

To avoid excess air in the tummy, Dr Anton Emmanuel, consultant gastroenterologist at University College Hospital, London, suggests drinking water after meals rather than during them as we swallow air whilst consuming fluids, slowing down whilst eating and taking at least 20 minutes to eat the meal.  Other causes include intense exercise, being anxious and too much dairy.

Nurses’ Paperwork

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, would like to cut the amount of paperwork doctors and nurses have to do by a third so that they can spend more time with patients.

Mr Hunt has asked the NHS Confederation to come up with a plan in coming months to reduce the amount of red tape, box-ticking and “burdensome regulation” that nurses have to complete in order for them to spend more time with patients.  Mr Hunt will comment: “We must avoid thinking that care and compassion can be commanded from on high either by regulators or politicians.  Endless boxes to tick, cumbersome bureaucracy and burdensome regulations are the problem – they cannot be the solution.  It is because people believe in the value of the NHS that they spend their working lives in it.  So this about unlocking those values that lie inside the outstanding doctors and nurses who deliver care week-in and week-out and stopping the dead hand of top-down targets crushing the goodness out of them.”

Horse Meat Scare

The Department of Health has said that the current horse meat scare is unlikely to cause harm to those who have consumed it.

Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said: “There is nothing to suggest a safety risk to consumers who may have eaten the products.  All of the retailers involved so far have removed potentially affected products from their shelves.  Dame Sally admits it’s understandable that the public are concerned: “It’s understandable that people will be concerned, but it is important to emphasise that, even if bute is found to be present at low levels, there is a very low risk indeed that it would cause any harm to health.”

Bute, short for phenybutazone, can be found in horse meat as it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain in animals.  There are international checks to ensure the drug doesn’t get into the food chain as there is a low risk of serious effects.

Tooth Decay

Studies suggest that 60 per cent of adults don’t brush their own teeth correctly so tooth decay is on the rise despite fluoride in drinking in water and the advances in modern dentistry.

Shockingly, one million under-fives have at least two fillings and approximately 36,000 children under 16 go to hospital for tooth extractions caused by decay every year.  On average most adults in the UK only brush their teeth for 40 seconds instead of the recommended two minutes.

Dental advisor at the British Dental Health Foundation, Karen Coates, says: “Studies show electric toothbrushes – not the battery-operated ones that lose power – are up to 45% more effective at cleaning than manual brushes.  The best ones are ones that oscillate and pulsate, have an inbuilt timer and include a pressure sensor that buzzes or flashes if you brush too hard.”