A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By David Callaghan and Reg McKay.

‘Secret’ tests for pregnancy on girls

Senior nurses have spoken out against the practice of giving
pregnancy tests to girls as young as nine without their
knowledge.

Children arriving in accident and emergency wards with stomach
pains are often tested without their approval or their parents’,
paediatric nurses have said.

A survey carried out at the Royal College of Nursing accident
and emergency nursing association conference found that one in five
nurses working in A&E are involved in the practice, according
to a report in the Nursing Standard magazine.

Sue Burr, the Royal College of Nursing’s adviser in paediatric
nursing, said it was “an infringement of human rights”.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 7 November page 8

NHS looks for 1,000 foreign doctors

Health secretary Alan Milburn said the NHS needs a thousand more
doctors and 2,000 nurses. The department of health has set a target
of 7,500 extra consultants by 2004.

Speaking at the launch of a recruitment drive in Madrid, Milburn
said there had been 1,500 expressions of interest from Spain,
Germany, America and Israel, and 150 applications.

He said: “My strong preference is not to send NHS patients
abroad for treatment but to encourage doctors from abroad to come
here to treat English patients at home.”

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 7 November page
15

One child in 20 eats no fresh vegetables

A survey of children’s eating habits reveals that one in 20 ate
no fruit or vegetables in the previous seven days.

The research by the Cancer Research Campaign and the supermarket
chain Iceland shows that the average consumption was less than two
portions a day, a third of the level recommended for a healthy
diet.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 7 November page 13

Guardian Society

Credit unions are improving health in poor
communities

Page 4

Top pay for housing association leaders

Page 4

Champion of children’s rights dies

Page 4

Ghost towers

Peter Hetherington on the scandal of England’s empty
houses and attempts to bring abandoned properties back into
use

Page 5

Two schemes which support vulnerable people to enable
them to live independent lives have won awards for excellence,
reports Alison Benjamin

Page 10-11

Treating people with mental health problems as partners,
not patients is having positive results

Page 120-119

Drive to recruit social workers and reform the
profession

Page 119

Scottish newspapers

Inadequate psychiatric services for young
people

Young people with mental health problems in Scotland are still
being cared for in adult facilities contrary to official policy,
according to the Mental Welfare Commission’s annual report
published yesterday.

The report says there are no adolescent psychiatric care units
in Scotland, and young people with mental health problems often
have to be admitted to one of two units in the north of
England.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 7 November

Court sees video diary of girl with
disabilities

In a rare move, the court of session has viewed a video diary of
parents caring for their severely disabled teenage daughter as part
of a case of alleged negligence against Tayside Health Board.
Hamish and Moira Miller claim that in 1992 staff at Ninewells
Hospital in Dundee were negligent when treating their daughter,
then aged six, for a rare condition, OTC deficiency, which could
result in an excess of ammonia in her body and lead to brain
damage.

Following treatment, the girl was left unable to walk, talk or
feed herself and in need of constant care. The hearing is expected
to last several weeks.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 7 November page 7