Category Archives: Health

NHS website records 552% surge in heat exhaustion queries

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Figures from NHS England reveal people seeking heat-related health advice as temperatures surpass 32C

Hot weather has led to a 552% increase in people seeking heat exhaustion advice from the NHS website this week, figures show.

There were 32,130 visits to the health advice page on heat exhaustion and heatstroke from Sunday to Thursday this week, according to figures released by NHS England, which runs the NHS website.

Consume plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising.

Take cool baths or showers.

Wear light-coloured, loose clothing.

Sprinkle water over skin or clothes.

Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm.

Avoid excess alcohol.

Avoid extreme exercise.

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NHS to begin autumn Covid jabs next week as new variant spreads

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Pirola variant has prompted concern among scientists because of high number of mutations it carries

Care home residents and people who are housebound will be offered Covid vaccines from Monday, with over-65s and other vulnerable groups to be called for their jabs from the week after.

The NHS will kick off its autumn programme of Covid vaccines from next week, having moved the date forward by a month in response to the spread of a new variant nicknamed Pirola.

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Florida supreme court to hear abortion case that could drastically limit access

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If state’s highest court upholds the 15-week ban, a separate, stricter law would take effect prohibiting abortion after six weeks

The Florida supreme court on Friday will hear arguments in a case that could drastically limit abortion access in the south-eastern United States.

Abortion providers in Florida filed a lawsuit to block the state’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

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Mexican activists hail abortion ruling but warn of lack of access to care

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Campaigners say many facilities and medical workers are likely to deny access since procedure is banned in many local jurisdictions

Human rights activists in Mexico have welcomed a historic ruling by the country’s supreme court that decriminalized abortion, but warned that the historic decision will not automatically make terminations accessible for all Mexican women.

Wednesday’s unanimous decision stripped away federal criminal penalties related to abortions – but not the many local laws banning the procedure, which remain on the books in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.

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Women in England urged to help shape reproductive health policy

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Government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy

Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences of a range of issues.

The government’s launch of the survey comes more than a year after ministers first promised to seek women’s views on issues including periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause, as part of its women’s health strategy.

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Health concerns plague ageing Congress members returning to Capitol Hill

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Republicans Mitch McConnell and Steve Scalise join others in increased scrutiny over recent health issues

Lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill as they race to reach a short-term funding deal by the end of the month to keep federal agencies open and avert a government shutdown. But worries about the health of two top Republicans loom over the high-stakes talks as politicians’ age has become a growing concern.

Speaking to reporters last week in Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, the 81-year-old Senate Republican leader, appeared to freeze for 30 seconds after calling the possibility of a shutdown “a pretty big mess”. The incident raised questions about his health and mirrored an earlier incident where he suddenly paused for several seconds while speaking to reporters at the US Capitol.

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Question time chaos – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

Tasmanian hospitals experiencing significant demand, public asked to reconsider attending

Tasmanians are being urged to stay away from the state’s two main hospitals unless it’s an emergency as they face “significant demand”.

The hospitals are closely managing elective surgery activity to maintain access for emergency demand. This includes working with private hospitals to access contracted bed capacity and elective surgery.”

I think the Qantas board has to seriously consider some of the decisions that they have been making. I mean, not for nothing, you’re in front of the competition watchdog for what is alleged to be quite egregious behaviour.

You have also sought to, as I said, keep on your balance sheet half a billion dollars of your customers’ money rather than giving it back in the middle of a cost of living crisis. (The flight credits)

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Facility accused of exorcisms and gay conversion practices applied for funding a month after Morrison announced it

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Freedom of information documents show officials scrambling for information after then PM announced $4m for Esther Foundation

The Esther Foundation – a rehabilitation facility accused of performing exorcisms and gay conversions – applied for “promised funding” a month after the funding had been announced.

Freedom of information documents show the health department rushing to get information after the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced $4m for the group in the lead-up to the 2019 election.

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Labor’s refusal to tie public hospital funding to full reproductive care condemned as ‘outrageous’

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Women forced to ‘shop around’ for abortion care due to Catholic public hospitals’ refusal to provide terminations

Despite harrowing stories from women about having to “shop around” for abortion care even when their pregnancies are unviable, the federal government will not make providing abortion services a condition tied to millions of dollars in funding it allocates to major public hospitals.

An investigation by Guardian Australia detailed the still widespread practice of Catholic hospitals across Australia using the cover of religion to opt out of providing reproductive care, with devastating consequences.

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Schools concrete crisis is risk to pupils’ mental health, headteacher warns

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Leader of a secondary school in Essex warns upheaval could have similar negative impact to that caused by Covid lockdowns

A headteacher whose 830 pupils must learn semi-remotely for at least a term because of the schools concrete crisis has warned that the upheaval could cause a recurrence of the negative mental health impact of Covid lockdowns.

James Saunders, the leader of Honywood school in Coggeshall, Essex, fears that year-seven students entering their first term at secondary school could face future struggles after the Department for Education last week ordered the closure of 22 classrooms as part of a nationwide safety alert.

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‘Martha’s rule’: ministers consider law to give right to second medical opinion

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Mother of girl who died after hospital failed to admit her to intensive care says policy would make it easier for patients and families to seek advice from senior doctor

Ministers are considering introducing Martha’s rule in England to make it easier for patients and their families who believe their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff to get a second medical opinion.

Steve Barclay, the health secretary, said a similar measure enforced in Australia had been shown to have saved lives. He said officials had been tasked with looking into such initiatives could “improve patient safety here in the UK”.

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Speaker investigates after rowdy pharmacists disrupt question time in Canberra

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Independent MP Zali Steggall claims opposition members encouraged protesters and calls for ‘disorderly conduct’ to be addressed

A rowdy group of pharmacists has disrupted question time and allegedly verbally abused parliamentary staff, prompting an investigation by the Speaker into who signed them into the building.

The Community and Pharmacy Support group (Caps) protested against the Albanese government’s 60-day medicine dispensing changes at Parliament House on Monday, calling on the health minister, Mark Butler, to resign.

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Fracking projects in NT risk exposing people to cancer and birth defects, report finds

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Recent studies from the US have seen evidence for health harms from oil and gas projects grow ‘substantially stronger’, experts say

Fracking projects fast-tracked by the Australian government risk exposing people to cancer, birth defects, asthma, cardiovascular disease and other harms, a new report published on Monday has found.

The report, led by the University of Sydney, was written in response to paediatricians in the Northern Territory who are deeply concerned about a full-scale fracking industry in the Beetaloo Basin. Guardian Australia’s exclusive investigation revealed the proposed Middle Arm industrial development on Darwin harbour would enable the export of gas from the basin, despite the project being labelled a “sustainable development precinct”.

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Hope for new skin cancer therapy as UK cases soar

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Researchers discover a technique that can kill melanoma cells with few toxic side effects, but warn there is still no cure

Skin cancer rates are rocketing. Thanks to over-enthusiastic sunbathing in previous decades, melanoma cases have tripled in numbers in the UK since the early 1990s – and scientists predict worse is to come.

The type of cancer once relatively rare in Britain is now its fifth most common. Broadcaster Chris Evans recently revealed he had been diagnosed with the disease.

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Disability groups hit out at move to drop Queensland Health vaccine mandate

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‘Come and live in somebody’s shoes who is at high risk of serious complications from the flu or Covid,’ disability advocate says

People with disability are more likely to feel unsafe in Queensland health institutions and may even avoid them after the state launched plans to drop its vaccine mandate for health staff, according to an advocacy group.

Nicole Lee, president of People with Disability Australia, said Queensland had been a leader in Covid protections and she had hoped the state might make the mandate permanent.

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Young people, pregnant women and drivers should avoid cannabis – study

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Largest review of its kind says while cannabis-based medicines may help some people, drug is detrimental for others

Teenagers, young adults, pregnant women, drivers and mentally ill people should avoid cannabis, according to the largest ever health review of its kind.

However, cannabidiol can help reduce seizures in epilepsy patients, and cannabis-based medicines may help with multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, inflammatory bowel disease and in palliative care.

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‘National tragedy’: figures show large rise in people dying while on NHS waiting list

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Figures obtained by Labour show an estimated 120,695 people died in England while awaiting treatment

More than 120,000 people in England died last year while on the NHS waiting list for hospital treatment, figures obtained by Labour appear to show.

That would be a record high number of such deaths, and is double the 60,000 patients who died in 2017/18.

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UK health officials bring forward autumn flu and Covid vaccinations

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Move in England comes after detection of highly-mutated coronavirus variant that is spreading around the world

Health officials have brought forward plans for autumn flu and Covid vaccinations after detecting a highly-mutated Covid variant that is spreading around the world.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said vaccinations would be available from 11 September in England as a precautionary measure intended to protect the most vulnerable as the winter months approach. The vaccination programme had not been scheduled to launch until early October.

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Ohio Republicans accused of trying to mislead voters with abortion ballot wording

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New lawsuit accuses ballot board of presenting voters with a confusing summary on November ballot about access to abortion

Abortion rights advocates in Ohio filed a lawsuit on Monday, claiming that state Republican leaders are trying to confuse voters on a ballot measure about access to reproductive healthcare.

Last week, the Ohio ballot board – led by the Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose – approved the wording of Issue 1, a November ballot measure that will ask voters if the state constitution should guarantee a right to abortion, contraception, fertility treatment and miscarriage care.

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Men in England to be offered blood pressure checks in barbershops

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Tests part of NHS drive to cut heart attacks as study finds risk for men twice as high as for women

Men are to be offered blood pressure checks in barbershops as part of an NHS drive to prevent heart attacks, as research reveals they face double the risk of women.

Having high blood pressure raises the risk of a heart attack, but many men and women remain unaware they may be affected because typically there are no symptoms.

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