Alzheimer’s sufferers dying in drug ‘scandal’

Alzheimer’s sufferers dying in drug ‘scandal’
A class of drugs widely prescribed for people suffering from dementia is leading to the premature death of thousands of patients every year, according to research published today.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 30 March 2007, page 5

Chancellor takes hard line on child poverty
Gordon Brown has refused to commit to increased spending to combat child poverty in this autumn’s spending review, despite admitting that his key inequality target was proving a challenge.
Source:- The Times, Friday 30 March 2007, page 31

MPs condemn asylum system as ‘inhumane’
Thousands of people fleeing persecution end up victims of the UK’s “degrading and inhumane” asylum system, a committee of MPs has said today.
In a report today, the joint committee on human rights criticised the detention of children and said the system of asylum support was a “confusing mess”.
Source:- The Independent, Friday 30 March 2007, page 26

Asbos breached
Three out of four young people breach their Asbos in areas worst hit by vandalism and thuggery, according to figures given to the Daily Mirror.
Source: – Daily Mirror, Friday 30 March 2007, page 17

UK ‘needs radical new policy to beat drugs’
The head of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency has admitted that Britain’s current drugs strategy is “making no difference” and needed to move beyond simply a law enforcement-based approach.
Sir Stephen Lander said the current policy had failed ot reduce the availability of substances such as cocaine and heroin.
Source:- The Independent, Friday 30 March 2007, page 26

Blair faces ‘botched job’ protests as Home Office is carved up
The split in the Home Office, between its criminal justice and security functions, has been condemned by MPs and judges. Former home secretary Charles Clarke said it would damage the coherence of the criminal justice system.
Source:- The Independent, Friday 30 March 2007, page 29

Many staff would not want to be patients in own hospitals
Many NHS hospital staff would not be happy with the standard of care they would get if they were patients in the place they work, the government’s health watchdog said today.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 30 March 2007, page 13

Stabbed for taking drugs stand
A community worker was stabbed in the head as he tried to get a drug dealer off his street.
Source:- The Times, Friday 30 March 2007, page 42

Girls head truancy table as 43,000 pupils skip classes
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers are missing a fifth of the school year even though more than a billion pounds has been spent on anti-truancy initiatives, according to official figures released yesterday.
Source:- The Times, Friday 30 March 2007, page 9

‘Cuts creating crisis in sexual health’
Teenagers and young women are being denied free access to contraception and family planning services because of cuts in local NHS funding, doctors say.
Sexual health services are heading for a crisis, with chronic “disinvestment”, forcing local health authorities to close clinics.
Speakers at the British Medical Association’s annual public health conference in central London said that patients were often unable to book appointments, clinics were forced to close early because of overwhelming demand and some doctors were unable to offer recommended implants and IUDs because of a lack of training.
They said that services were suffering because of a lack of funding and the Government’s failure to ring-fence money intended for frontline services.
Source:- The Times, Friday 30 March 2007, page 9

Capping dropped
Ministers have decided not to carry out threats to cap town halls that set council tax increases at more than 5 per cent.
On Tuesday, when the hovernment published the final plans for council taxes across England, more than 35 authorities, including the police, broke the suggested 5 per cent limit.
Source:- The Times, Friday 30 March 2007, page 9

Sister of ‘honour victim’ says she was threatened
The sister of a young Kurdish woman allegedly murdered by her family in a so-called honour killing described yesterday how she had been told she deserved to be “turned to ashes”.
Source:- The Times, Friday 30 March 2007, page 43

Scottish news
 
Parents of autistic children ‘feel guilty’ over MMR
Parents of autistic children have reported feelings of anxiety and guilt over whether they should give their children the MMR vaccine, a new study has found.
They have told researchers they felt they had “let their children down” by deciding to give their children the triple vaccine to ward against measles, mumps and rubella, despite assurances from scientists and doctors that it is safe.
Researchers from the Medical Research Council said the parents also reported being let down by doctors, health professionals and health visitors over what they felt was unclear and inconsistent guidance over MMR.
Source:- The Herald, Friday 30 March 2007

Care home owners insist £501 a week not enough to cover care costs for older people
A number of private businesses are threatening to close their older people’s car homes in a dispute over funding.
The problem is particularly serious in Edinburgh which is facing the prospect of hundreds of beds closing because owners claim they cannot afford to continue.
The closures could cause serious harm to frail residents and will also mean more bed-blocking in hospitals.
Source:- The Scotsman, Friday 30 March 2007

Welsh news
No social care news today.