Superbug linked to deaths of 17 elderly patients at hospital

Superbug linked to deaths of 17 elderly patients at hospital
A virulent strain of the Clostridium difficile superbug has been linked to the recent deaths of 17 elderly patients at a hospital.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 8

Mental Capacity Act: Decide now who can turn off your life support
People should start considering now who they would like to take medical treatment decisions for them should they lose the power to decide for themselves, the British Medical Association advised yesterday.

When the Mental Capacity Act comes into force in October, individuals will be able to appoint a close friend or relative to act on their behalf if they lose the ability to say yes or no to treatment.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 10

Olympics will rob charities
Lotto bosses have admitted charities will miss out as funds go to the nine billion London Olympics. But the National Lottery Forum said the games will have a lasting impact across the country.
Source:- Daily Mirror, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 2

Camelot in £2.6bn shortfall for charity
Camelot is set to raise £2.6bn less than it promised for good causes in the current National Lottery licence and will be nearly £1bn short of the amount it raised in its first licence, according to a Financial Times analysis.
Source:- Financial Times, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 1

Beat goes on and on for older people at the Ministry of Sound
Nightclub opens for Southwark senior citizens as residents flock to council’s festival of old age.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 17

Escape route for troubled NHS hospital
The first takeover of a financially ruined NHS hospital by one of its more successful neighbours was approved yesterday by Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 20

Inmates could be freed to ease prison crowding
The jail population reached a record high yesterday as the future justice minister refused to rule out the early release of prisoners to tackle the crisis.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 24

Offenders escape £15 charge
Thousands of serious offenders such as murderers and burglars who are jailed or given a community punishment will escape having to pay a £15 cash surcharge to help the victims of crime.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 31

UK headed for prison meltdown
The former head of the prison service has warned that up to 100,000 people could be in jail by the end of the decade unless drastic and immediate action is taken by the government.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 31 March 2007, page 1  

One-fifth of British women were sexually abused as children
More than one-fifth of women in Britain have been the victim of sexual abuse as children, according to new figures.
This week, ministers will unveil a special action plan aimed at increasing the conviction rate against violent sex offenders, including rapists and paedophiles.
The Home Office minister Vernon Coaker is to announce an increase from five to 40 in the number of sexual assault referral centres, where women are provided with medical care and counselling.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, 1 April 2007, page 2

Rise in UK’s child mortality rate is linked to inequality
Britain has the second highest child death rate among the 24 richest countries in the world, with infants in the UK twice as likely to die before the age of five as children in Sweden, a study has shown.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, 1 April 2007, page 26

‘Apartheid’ warning over psychiatric care
Warnings of ‘a kind of apartheid’ in the mental health system have been made by Lord Patel of Bradford, chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission. He said it could be one reason why some black groups were 18 times more likely to be in psychiatric care. Lord Patel said it had to be established why there was an over-representation of black people in psychiatric care.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 6

Thousands of disabled parking badges forged
An investigation into the growing and widespread black market in parking passes for the disabled has found that tens of thousands of motorists are using forged or stolen blue badges to avoid parking and congestion charges.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 14

Cherie: we must help young stay out of jail
Britain’s prison system is failing young offenders and contributing to soaring reoffending rates, Cherie Booth will say in a speech this week, highlighting her concerns about the treatment of young adults in custody.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 5

Designer baby to beat risk of Alzheimer’s
Doctors are planning the first British “designer baby” free from the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in middle age.
Source:- Sunday Times, 1 April 2007, page 12

Police probe ‘web torture’ at top school
One of Britain’s top independent schools is under police investigation over allegations of pupil bullying involving the use of internet images of torture, murder and child pornography. Council social services and police officers specialising in child protection launched their inquiry last month.
Source:- Sunday Times, 1 April 2007, page 1

‘Give young pupils lessons in equality’
Children should be taught from an early age that discrimination against ethnic minorities, homosexuals, the disabled and women is unacceptable, says the head of Britain’s new equality watchdog. Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, believes there is an urgent need for children to reject discrimination if damaging repercussions for society are to be avoided.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 16

Chatroom users face charges over suicide
Dozens of internet users who allegedly goaded a depressed father to hang himself could face criminal charges.Kevin Whitrick, 42, killed himself live on the internet after being incited by chatroom users who initially believed he was play-acting.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 14

Staff suspended after ‘bogus’ hours inquiry
Eight people on the staff at Broadmoor maximum security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire have been suspended after an inquiry into alleged bogus hours and shifts.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 14

Longer school hours ‘will harm families’
Family life risks being damaged by government policy that will allow parents to drop their children off at school earlier in the morning and pick them up later in the afternoon, teachers will warn this week.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 4

Bishop blocks gay youth worker’s job
A leading bishop has fuelled the controversy over the Church of England and equality after being accused of refusing to employ a youth worker because he is gay.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 5

7out of 10 have no ties to local community groups
The traditional Britain of community groups is disappearing because people are too busy or just do not care enough to become involved, a survey has found.

Seven out of 10 people questioned had no ties to groups or associations in their neighbourhoods.
Source:- Sunday Telegraph, 1 April 2007, page 6

This house is the last chance for a disturbed child – but it costs £5,000 a week
Report on Britain’s 178 single-unit children’s homes. The units look after just 2.4 per cent of the 62,000 children in care, but they can cost the local authorities who have to pay their bills as much as £6,000 per week to run.
Source:- Sunday Telegraph, 1 April 2007, page 18

Allowed to stay: 200,000 lost asylum seekers
Up to 200,000 asylum seekers will be allowed to remain in Britain because Home Office officials admit they will never be able to track them down.
Source:- Mail on Sunday, 1 April 2007, page 1

Teenage victim of asylum scandal faces deportation
The home office is seeking to deport the Zimbabwean teenager who exposed a major sex-for-asylum scandal in the Immigration Service.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 1

Asylum backlog hits Olympic hope
A talented wrestler who appeared in adverts for London’s quest to host the Olympics has been told he may be barred from competing for Britain because he is an asylum seeker.
Aman Sakhizadeh, 19, who fled to Britain five years ago after his parents were killed in Afghanistan, has won several national and international junior titles and had been tipped for a medal at next year’s Beijing Olympics. He has been told he will be unable to compete because a Home Office backlog may delay his passport for up to five years.
Source:- Sunday Telegraph, 1 April 2007, page 2

‘I let my son have skunk. It ruined his life’
The cannabis Anne smoked as a teenager bore little resemblance to the drug that changed her son’s personality.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, 1 April 2007, page 28

Long-term cannabis use raises risk of lung cancer
Cannabis increases the risk of lung cancer and may cause 5 per cent of cases of the disease in people aged 55 and under, according to a new study being published later this year.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, 1 April 2007, page 28

Sponsors turn their backs on academies
The government is being forced to give the go-ahead to city academies without financial sponsors because of dwindling offers from big business.
Source:- Sunday Telegraph, 1 April 2007, page 1

Muslim leaders helped to tackle extremists
Ruth Kelly, the communities and local government secretary, will this week announce details of a £6 million “hearts and minds” drive to deal with growing radicalism among young British Muslims which can fuel terrorist plots.
Source:- Sunday Telegraph, 1 April 2007, page 4

Three new books blow the whistle on the NHS, police and schools
A new breed of author is exposing the ineptitude of our public services.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 1 April 2007, page 10