Epilepsy link to suicides

Epilepsy link to suicides

People with epilepsy are three times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, a study, which will be published in the Lancet Neurology journal next month, has found.

Source:- The Sun Tuesday 3 July 2007 page 26

NICE was wrong to ration sight-saving drug, claim doctors

Doctors have attacked the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to restrict access to two sight-saving drugs.

Last month, Nice, which is responsible for deciding which drugs should be available on the NHS, recommended a bar on prescribing Macugen and said Lucentis should be restricted to people who have already gone blind in one eye.

An article in today’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin attacked the decision, saying there was good evidence that both drugs were effective.

Source:- The Daily Mail Tuesday 3 July 2007 page 19

Security expert and Muslim join Cameron’s shadow team

Former Times journalist Michael Gove has been appointed to shadow new children, schools and families Ed Balls.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 3 July 2007 page 15

Rape Crisis closures

Source:- The Times, Tuesday 3 July 2007, page 4
 
Town hall “workfare”

The Local Government Association will today call for devolved welfare budgets to allow town halls to set up their own American-style “workfare” schemes.

Source:- The Times, Tuesday 3 July 2007, page 4
 
MS drug approved

A breakthrough drug to treat multiple sclerosis is to be made available on the NHS to about 3,000 patients with the most severe form of the disease.

Source:- The Times, Tuesday 3 July 2007, page 11

100 a day admitted to hospital over drinking

More than 100 people a day are admitted to hospital for liver damage caused by excessive drinking.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 3 July 2007, page 10
 
Working parents turn to ‘granny nannies’

Two out of three families in which both parents work now rely on grandparents’ goodwill to do some childminding – saving them more then £2,500 a year, research showed yesterday.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 3 July 2007, page 13
 

Welsh news

Wales must provide childcare for families

For some families in Wales finding a childcare place is harder than getting their child a place at Eaton a Plaid Cymru MP has claimed.

Hywel William, MP for Caernarfon, said the problem was particularly acute amongst Welsh speaking families.

There is currently a lack of funding for organisations to set up childcare services in Wales. The bulk of the money which has been provided has come from the European Social Fund and the Big Lottery, formerly the New Opportunities Fund, both of which will end next year.

Source:- Western Mail, Tuesday, 3 July 2007