A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom.

‘Shifty’ Whiting changed stories, Sarah jury
told

Lewes crown court was told that a jigsaw of compelling
scientific evidence proved that Roy Whiting abducted and killed
Sarah Payne in July last year.

Timothy Langdale QC said Roy Whiting had been shifty, lied and
was evasive when questioned about his movements on the weekend that
the girl vanished.

In his closing speech, Langdale said he had given two
dramatically different stories about his movements on 1 July last
year. He initially told police he had been to a fun fair, but
earlier this week, it emerged he had also visited a number of parks
before driving home to Littlehampton.

He denied he had been on the prowl for children, and also denies
kidnap and murder.

Sally O’Neill QC is due to begin her closing speech for
the defence today.

Source:- The Times Friday 7 December page 11

Schizophrenia link to lack of ethnic
community

Levels of schizophrenia among black people may depend on the
size of the ethnic minority communities in which they live,
according to research published today.

The study reveals that there are more likely to be
proportionately more patients with the disorder when they are
living among fewer people from the same ethnic background.

The lower proportion of non-whites in an area, the higher the
rate of schizophrenia, said the study of mental health in people in
Camberwell in south London, which was conducted over 10 years to
1997.

Higher levels of schizophrenia have long been reported among
Africans and Afro Caribbeans, but this study published in the
British Medical Journal suggested rates might be worse where
individuals lacked social networks to protect against
discrimination and alienation.

The study was carried out by researchers at the Institute of
Psychiatry in London.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 7 December page 9

Private involvement in NHS is here to stay, says
Milburn

The private sector will play a permanent and increasing role in
National Health Service provision, the government pledged last
night.

Tony Blair said the government would go much further than the
scheme announced yesterday, which will allow 180,000 patients to be
treated in a private or NHS hospital if they have been waiting for
an operation for over six months.

People waiting for heart operations will be the first to
benefit.

Blair said: “I will not let ideology or dogma prevent this
government from doing what it knows to be right for patients.”

Source:- The Independent Friday 7 December
page 1

‘I’ve no idea if I could cope caring for a
sick relative’

The widespread closure of nursing homes for the old and ill must
be reversed, the Princess Royal says.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Friday 7 December page 11

Scottish newspapers

Using private hospitals would cut NHS waiting lists by
10,000

Using private hospitals to treat NHS patients would cut hospital
waiting lists by up to 10,000, it was claimed last night.

Gordon Masterton, chairperson of the Scottish Independent
Hospitals Associations, said that ministers could make substantial
cuts in Scotland’s 80,000-long waiting list if they entered
into full partnership with the private sector.

Masterton’s admission, however, contradicts recent
assertions by health minister Malcolm Chisholm that with a total
capacity of 900 beds, the private sector was so small it could not
provide any real hope.

Masterton said spare capacity in private hospitals varied from
very busy on the lead up to Christmas to hardly used in summer
months. He claimed the spare capacity could be harnessed if the
executive gave a clear lead to the trusts and co-ordinated planning
between the two sectors.

Source:- The Scotsman Friday 7 December 01

I will put cancer unit back on track

The troubleshooter ordered to cure a crisis at Scotland’s
largest cancer centre said his role would be an “enormous
challenge”.

Dr Adam Bryson said reversing the decline at Glasgow’s
Beatson oncology centre would be difficult after the resignation of
four consultants.

Yesterday, he said he would recruit abroad if necessary to fill
10 vacant posts, six of which are newly created, after talks with
staff, his director and the chief executive of Greater Glasgow NHS
Board.

Former NHS medical director Bryson was appointed to manage
Beatson after Malcolm Chisholm ordered it to be taken out of the
control of North Glasgow NHS Trust.

Source:- The Scotsman Friday 7 December