December 29th, 2009
Just a quick post on something funny I found…
find the interesting comparison in this paragraph taken from the Health Assessment of Swansea:
For boys in Wales the prevalence of smoking in 11, 13 and 15 year olds is lower than England and amongst 15 year olds considerably lower than the HBSC average (Wales 12.1%, HBSC average 18.1%). Despite the high prevalence of daily smokers amongst girls aged 15 in Wales, this is considerably lower than in Greenland where one in two girls aged 15 smoke on a daily basis.
i can see resemblance in both countries – cold, lifeless, high levels of eskimos… they weren’t searching for a comparison, any comparison to make wales look okay were they? 
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Tags: eskimos, greenland, smoking, wales | No Comments
December 24th, 2009
US Health reforms – Senate voted yes to Obama’s health reforms to change insurance rules and improve healthcare for Americans- so now its all sorted right? No more “which leg would you like saved.. because we can only afford to keep one of them…” scenarios?
Sadly no. Because of how the US political system works – what the House of representatives have voted to have and what the senate have voted to have must be combined into one single bill.
This is a bit like when you used to start writing your christmas list when you were younger and you put “Mega BMX bike with 32 gears and flashing stripes” and you persuaded your mum to say yes.. which she does to shut you up. Then come christmas time she tries to persuade you to have your sisters hand me down bike with the dolls seat on the back.
Because basically – the House version (the mega BMX of the example) of the bill is better- leaving fewer Americans uninsured, forcing firms with a payroll of over $500,000 to provide insurance and increasing existing medicare schemes. However it is more expensive (like the BMX) and more controversial – House scheme include the option of a government run insurance scheme which would rival insurance plans. Republicans like this about as much as you like your sisters bike.
So these hugely different bills have to be merged… which is a bit like your mum and you compromising. This is clearly hard to do without losing the benefits of the house bill.
A long road still left.. and one which will be watched by the millions of uninsured US citizens, hoping that the bill is sorted before their next trip to ER.
House reforms - YEAH - clearly better, but more expensive
Senate bill- your sisters bike - more conservative and clearly not an option
Categories: general health news |
Tags: health reforms, USA | No Comments
July 1st, 2009
Today the BMA voted to refuse doctors the right to be able to ask patients whether they would like prayer- saying that it would encourage proselytizing on the wards.
This move is backed by the Government who view spiritual care as the role of the Chaplaincy service.
This is appalling! Have they asked the patients how they would feel about having prayer or spiritual care offered to them by a Doctor ? NO!!!
Of course, Doctors of any faith or none who push or force ideologies on patients and make them feel uncomfortable should be disciplined. However, this heavy handed approach means that patients who might have benefited from prayer will now be denied the chance.
BMA and the Government is scared of something which is out of their control and which they cannot define.
Hopefully Brace doctors who feel moved to offer prayer to affected patients wil continue to do so, despite such oppostion. This measure also need to be defined as to whether they are banning all discussions of religion, or just offering to pray!
According to the national secular society, this move will help patients avoid the “embarrassment, irritation or conflict with their doctor”. It’s my view that these feelings are minor compared with the true comfort that many patients would have received from a listening prayerful doctor.
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Tags: BMA, NHS, prayer, religion, Spirituality | No Comments
June 28th, 2009
Doctors are trying to assert their right to bring up faith in discussions about patient care, it was reported at a BMA conference yesterday.
Medics say they often feel that spirituality issues are sidelined, and that with the individual’s consent these can form part of a patient’s plan of care.
However, the DoH takes a very hardline approach along the lines of ALL RELIGION IS BAD!!!! – and that mentioning religion and associated issues could be seen as trying to convert patients.
They also say to quote “Although all staff should be sensitive to religious needs and preferences of patients, the delivery of spiritual care should be provided by the hospital chaplaincy service.”
So what about holistic care? If we as Health care professionals are supposed to care for the whole person in all their facets, why do we suddenly have to step aside and leave a crucial part of their care to somebody else?
Lots of patients find it difficult to talk about deeper issues, and are much more likely to do so in passing with a nurse, or HCSP. Chaplains are more likely to be used by those familiar with religion, and who have a particular faith.
Therefore, the DoH is shooting themselves in the foot with this- denying spiritual care to the people (agnostics, atheists, humanists etc) they seem to be trying to support.
In light of the accusations made towards Caroline Petrie over offering to pray for a patient, the whole policy of the DoH about supporting holistic care must be reviewed.
At least if the BMA start to speak out, it highlights these issues- though there is still much to be done
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8116497.stm
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Tags: BMA, Department of health, Faith, Holistic Care, NHS, Nursing, plan of care, religion, Spirituality | No Comments
June 3rd, 2009
In a call today to make having the MMR compulsory and refusing children entry to school unless they have it in Wales, basic principles of patient choice and autonomy seem to have been forgotten.
Drives to increase vaccination rates after recent measles outbreaks and a low uptake over the past 10 years since flawed research released linked MMR to autism.
Sir Sandy Macara, ex chairman of the BMA has already tried to bribe parents to vaccinate their children by threaten to remove child benefit if they don’t. Having a bit of a personal agenda in this field (Macara suffered from paratypoid fever and whopping cough as a child), and known for being a “medical Fuhrer” – Sandy Macara is bluntly trying to push through this measure, disregarding parents right to choice.
Sadly, however wrong or misguided we feel parents to be, if they choose not to vaccinate their children- that is their right. Medical Ethics clearly states patient autonomy- as people that we have the right to choose.
And no matter how leftwing Welsh health politics is becoming- this must not be disregarded.
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Tags: MMR, Sir Sandy Macara, vaccinations | No Comments
June 3rd, 2009
It emerged yesterday that the first case of swine flu had been confirmed in Wales http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8075830.stm - considering that there 211 cases in England and 17 in Scotland – is it that nobody likes coming to Wales?
Also its over a month since it first came to the UK! clearly welsh people don’t like Mexico.
Which explains the lack of Tex Mex restaurents in Swansea (apart from Chiquito’s which doesn’t count).
You win some you lose some.
Only country in the world not really affected by pandemic – plus
Lack of decebt fajitas – minus
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April 30th, 2009
Right…
further to my last update- we have recieved another threatening letter at our halls of residence – addressed to the communal area of our flat.
This states (again!) that we have to get a license as enforcement officers are visiting addresses in our area.. though at least they didn’t tell us wheat to wear to court this time.
However… we have rung up TV licensing and asked in the past, explaining the circumstances of our flat, how people have license for their own rooms and they have said that we don’t need one for the kitchen
now they are saying that we need to get a seperate license for the kitchen, though one of our friends contacted them and they said to her that she needs to send them copies of her flat mates licenses and then they’ll be fine
becuase we don’t have any evidence that they said it was all alright we are verily screwed
and ther’s still 3 and a bit months til we leave…
ARGARGARGARGARG…….
to be continued….
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Tags: student life, stupid people, tv licensing | No Comments
March 30th, 2009
According to the Metro- Killing zombies and fast paced blood thirsty computer games generally improve your contrast sensitivity (how you see light and dark) more than playing something nice and friendly like the Sims from research done by Rochester University, NY. This could help with driving at night and reading… though number of gamers who do the later is small lol
-this research is clearly funded by xbox..
or Tom
on another matter-if i get one more threatening letter from TV licensing i will actually go ape sh*t – thats a sum total of 4 letter now…
I HAVE TOLD THEM WE DON’T NEED A LICENSE
quote from the letter: ” it is best to arrive early to court…”
well thanks for the advice… you’re going to need it
kx
Categories: general health news, Uncategorized |
Tags: , computer games, losers, Tom, tv licensing, zombies | No Comments
February 23rd, 2009
Got to love NHS Direct Wales- was looking on their website earlier for an assignement – and found the following quote:
Research has shown a link between the amount of a fish people in different countries eat, and the level of depression. In Japan, where people eat on average 70 kg (150 lbs) of fish a year, the rate of depression is 0.12%. Whereas, in New Zealand, where people eat only 18kg (40lbs) of fish a year, the rate of depression is almost 50 times higher.
Do we not think there might be other factors involved?!!??! – you could for example write:
The number of sheep in a country is directly linked to how depressed people are. In New Zealand there are huge numbers of sheep and high rates of depression. In japan no sheep = happy people ! This finding could have bad implications for wales…… what are the sheep doing …… !
Yes I know all about Omega 3 and the affects of it on serotonin levels but just that quote made me laugh- an example of logical fallacy of corellation equalling causation me thinks.
For another example (though more tongue in check) follow this link: http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/
scroll down to the chart. You’ve got to agree they’ve got a point
K x
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Tags: causation, corellation, fish, japan, new zealand, pirates, sheep | No Comments
