{"id":722,"date":"2024-12-11T08:38:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T08:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surreycirclehealth.co.uk\/?p=722"},"modified":"2024-12-11T08:38:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T08:38:01","slug":"health-news-december-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.surreycirclehealth.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/12\/11\/health-news-december-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Health News – December 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hello and welcome to your end of year edition of your favourite Health News roundup folks! Where did 2024 go? This month\u2019s News features an NHS patient survey, an NHS pill that helps to give up smoking, celebrities protesting against 5G on the tube network, as well as nurses who are still waiting for financial support having contracted long-Covid \u2013 Enjoy!<\/strong><\/strong>
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30th<\/sup> Broadstone<\/strong> \u2013<\/mark> NHS GP Patient Experience<\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 2024 GP Patient Survey (GPPS) <\/em>revealed that nearly 40% of patients found it difficult, or very difficult to access their NHS GP (38%). Of those that tried to contact their GP, 23% either couldn\u2019t contact them at all or didn\u2019t know what to do afterwards. Many of these patients tried to treat themselves, or turned to friends, family, or even the internet for help.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of these 31% sought information or advice online, from friends or family, or elsewhere. 15% didn\u2019t do anything further when they couldn\u2019t contact their GP. 12% attempted to treat themselves or the person they were calling for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


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12th<\/sup> The London Standard<\/strong> \u2013<\/mark> <\/b>Stephen Fry, Chrissie Hynde and Sophie Winkleman sign letter protesting 5G advertising on the Tube<\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/strong>Stephen Fry, Chrissie Hynde and Sophie Winkleman are among the celebrities and concerned London residents who have signed an open letter protesting TfL<\/em> signage that promotes 4G on the Tube. The letter calls for removal of a poster that shows a young woman looking at her phone with the caption \u201c5G is coming to the Tube.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message, which is spearheaded by musician and Save Soho founder Tim Arnold, <\/em>warns of the \u201cpotential dangers\u201d of this advertisement. \u201cAs parents and health professionals campaign worldwide to protect their children from the numerous harms associated with smartphone apps, your administration is normalising the pervasive technology they\u2019re fighting against,\u201d it says.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs these parents work tirelessly, without resources for large-scale media campaigns, to preserve their children\u2019s right to develop without the constant distraction of digital connectivity, London\u2019s Underground stations now send an implicit message to children \u2013 and parents \u2013 that smartphone use is the default, leaving little room for alternatives.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also references the U.K. Code of Broadcast Advertising. <\/em>Said code advises that \u201cadvertisements must not condone, encourage or unreasonably feature behaviour that could be dangerous for children to emulate.\u201d The letter (which is still open to sign) implies that the TfL<\/em> 5G advertising breaches this code.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter goes on to suggest an alternative poster in the style of TfL\u2019s<\/em> \u2018Be Kind\u2019 <\/em>and \u2018Be Considerate To Others\u2019 <\/em>campaigns with illustrator Toby Triumph. <\/em>The new poster bears the slogan \u201cIt\u2019s Ok To Be Off Grid If You\u2019re A Kid.\u201d Arnold<\/em> argues that \u201cchildren want to [switch off], but are scared to step outside these digital norms, pressured into smartphone use or bullied if they choose otherwise.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arnold\u2019s<\/em><\/strong> signature on the letter to TfL<\/em> is followed by several celebrities, including Stephen Fry, The Pretender\u2019s Chrissie Hynde, actress Sophie Winkleman, Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams collaborator Guy Chambers and costume designer Sandy Powell, as well as Labour councillor Paul Dimoldenberg (who also happens to be the father of TikTok and YouTube famous daughter, Amelia Dimoldenberg).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the Mayor, Arnold<\/em> says: \u201cI implore you to be a leader for London who understands that while advancing technology can bring benefits, it doesn\u2019t always lead to social progress \u2013 especially when its presence is all-encompassing, and for young minds, often pervasive.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter requests that the current poster be removed and replaced with an alternative, in order to \u201cacknowledge the rowing evidence of the adverse effects of excessive device use on children\u2019s attention and neurodevelopment, as highlighted by NHS professionals.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12th<\/sup> The Times <\/strong> \u2013 <\/mark>Daily pill on the NHS will help thousands give up smoking<\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tens of thousands of adults will be given pills to stop them smoking as part of a big government drive aiming to prevent ill health. Varenicline<\/em>, which is taken daily, works by binding to receptors in the brain to stop people craving or enjoying nicotine. It is being introduced in England across GP surgeries and stop-smoking services as an option for anyone who wants to quit. More than 85,000 people a year are set to benefit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drug\u2019s manufacturer lists its cost at about \u00a325 for 28 tablets. It is seen as a vital new tool in efforts to phase out smoking over the coming decades. Its availability through the NHS builds on legislation announced last week that would make it illegal for anyone now aged 15 and under ever to buy cigarettes, and ban smoking in some outdoor spaces.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrevention is better than cure,\u201d Wes Streeting, the health secretary, <\/em>said. \u201cThe rollout of this pill can save the NHS millions of pounds, save appointments to help other patients be seen faster, and save lives.\u201d Labour has vowed to put more emphasis on preventing the root causes of ill-health, such as smoking and obesity, arguing that this is the only way to make the NHS financially sustainable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One in eight adults in the U.K. smoke \u2013 about six million people in total \u2013 and last year smoking caused more than 400,000 hospital admissions. Analysis by University College London <\/em>suggests that the use of Varenicline<\/em> on the NHS in the next five years would prevent 9,500 smoking-related deaths, including from cancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Pritchard, NHS England\u2019s chief executive<\/em><\/strong>, will announce the introduction of Varenicline<\/em> in a speech at the NHS Providers annual  conference <\/em>in Liverpool today. She will say: \u201cThis simple daily pill could be a game-changer for people who want to quit smoking and is another vital step in shifting our NHS further towards prevention.\u201d Varenicline<\/em> zis the most effective medication yet developed to help people stop smoking. Research shows that it helps one in four people quit, making it more effective than nicotine-replacement gum or patches. A branded version, called Champix<\/em>, had been available on a limited basis until it was withdrawn from the U.K. and Europe in 2021 because of an impurity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The treatment is now being made available through a collaboration between NHS England <\/em>and the pharmaceutical company Teva U.K., <\/em>which has agreed to make a version of the treatment for the NHS at a significantly lower cost and without the impurity. The NHS said that more drug options to help smokers quit were \u201con the near horizon\u201d, with a second drug, Cytisine<\/em>, being considered.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NHS chiefs said the benefits of the drug will vastly outweigh the costs. Each year the NHS spends \u00a32.6 billion on treating health problems caused by smoking: it is leading cause of preventable illness and deaths. It is estimated that one in six hospital admissions for respiratory disease in 2022-23 was related to smoking, along with 8 per cent of all admissions for cancers and 7 per cent of admissions for cardiovascular diseases.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ian Walker, Cancer Research U.K.\u2019s executive director of policy, <\/em><\/strong>said: \u201cSmoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the U.K. and stopping completely is the best thing you can do for your health. Around 160 cases of cancer are caused by tobacco every day in the U.K., so it\u2019s essential that action is taken to prevent people from smoking in the first place.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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16th<\/sup> ITV News <\/strong> \u2013 <\/mark>\u2018Complete Betrayal\u2019: Nurses who contracted Long Covid still waiting for access to financial support<\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of nurses and doctors who contracted Long Covid during the pandemic are still waiting for access to financial support, according to the Royal College of Nurses (RCN).<\/em> This is despite the Industrial Injuries and Advisory Council (IIAC) <\/em>recommending Long Covid to be listed as an occupational disease two years ago, which would allow those who contracted the virus at work to apply for extra benefits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many healthcare workers have stopped working and taken an early retirement because of Long Covid symptoms, leading to a huge loss in earnings. The nursing union has called this a \u201cbetrayal\u201d and is urging the government to take action. Lisa, a former children\u2019s intensive care nurse for 25 years, contracted Covid in 2022. Warning Long Covid  leaving hundreds of doctors \u2018miserable\u2019 and \u2018penniless.\u2019 \u2018My life was tipped upside down,\u2019 says this mum.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She worked in the adult intensive care unit at various hospitals during the pandemic, and believes she contracted the virus whilst at work. Lisa says she suffers from debilitating Long Covid symptoms, including chronic fatigue in her legs and arms, brain fog, memory loss and Raynauld\u2019s phenomenon. She said as a result she was forced into early retirement. \u201cI can\u2019t do the job that I love doing, that I\u2019ve done for the last 25 years. It\u2019s really, really sad, but it\u2019s one of those things. I need to move on and hopefully get a little bit better, so that I can then get back to nursing children, which is what I love,\u201d she told ITV News.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022 the IIAC<\/em> recommended Covid complications be recognised as an occupational disease. This would mean staff would have more routes to access Industrial Injuries and Disablement Benefits (IIDB).<\/em> However, despite IIDB<\/em> covering more than 70 diseases, Covid is still not listed, making it harder for affected staff to access financial support.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa says she feels \u201ccompletely betrayed\u201d by the government because the disease still isn\u2019t listed. \u201cI am now on hardly any money. I feel that it\u2019s something that I can try and claim, but it\u2019s been very, very difficult. There\u2019s been lots of hurdles. It\u2019s like everyone clapped for us, but where are they now? What are the government doing now? It\u2019s really hard on myself and family. My 14-year-old has had to become my carer. She has had to do a lot of stuff for me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RCN<\/em> has written a letter to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall <\/em>urging the government to act. Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary <\/em>and Chief Executive Professor<\/em>, told ITV News: \u201cThousands of nurses have contacted us for support because they have contracted Long Covid and sadly many of them have had to retire early. The careers that they love ended and some of them living on as much as \u00a3500 a month.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


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That\u2019s your lot good people, as interesting as ever! Regarding GP access, many health insurers offer not only remote appointments but also nominally-priced \u00a320 face-to-face Private GP Appointments, with Bupa and VitalityHealth being two good examples of such. Further discussing the 20th<\/sup> century addiction, that enticed huge swathes of the population into becoming reliant upon nicotine smoke, this 21st<\/sup> century appears desperate to quash this self-destructive, death dealing habit, which puts a huge strain upon the NHS of course, whilst cautiously embracing 5G technology on our transport networks, mindful of the harm that it is proving to have had upon our younger generation\u2019s mental health, and no doubt everybody\u2019s. Until 2025 please stay fit and healthy as the seasonal more wintery weather takes hold.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kind regards,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Donoghue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MD, \u2018Whole of Market\u2019 Broker – Surrey Circle Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Private Healthcare Broker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Surrey<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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