Health Advice

The government’s Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has unveiled plans to create a £50 million cancer fund, to help patients access drugs not currently available on the NHS.

The new programme, starting in October 2010, will give greater powers to doctors working in local groups, who will be able to decide how funding is spent in their areas. Most importantly, doctors will be able to improve the quality of life for cancer patients by offering them non-NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) approved medication.

This funding is an interim measure, as it has also been revealed that a new fund for cancer drugs will be launched in 2011.

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Due to the urgent need to cut the budget deficit down to size, the government has been cost-cutting in nearly every department. Although ministers said they would not cut the budgets of frontline services like the NHS, they are still planning some important changes.

In brief, these include the following:

• £80 billion of funding will be given to GPs to manage care in their areas
• Primary care trusts will be scrapped by 2013
• Foundation Trust hospitals will allowed more freedom to treat private patients and boost income
• Health Watch, a patient champion body, will be set up
• Patients will be given more control over their medical records and care, and they will also be allowed to communicate with their doctor via email
• Hospitals will be forced to inform patients of mistakes made during their care

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You may have heard the term ‘superfood’ bandied about as much as certain newspapers like to accuse every type of food of causing cancer, but what exactly are these superfoods and why are they so good for us?

A superfood is said to be one with a high phytonutrient content, offering numerous health benefits. A good example of this kind of food is blueberries, which have high levels of:

• Anti-oxidants
• Anthocyanins
• Vitamin C
• Dietary fibre

Whilst these foods may be healthy and good for you, professional nutritionists rarely go as far as to call them ‘superfoods’. These experts believe that the term is used far too much as a marketing ploy.

So, are these ‘superfoods’ healthy? Yes. Will they give you superpowers or cure diseases? Definitely not.

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The Met Office has issued its first heat-health warning of 2010, as temperatures are expected to soar this weekend and at various points throughout the summer.

A Met Office spokesperson has said:

“While there is the possibility of daytime temperatures reaching trigger households, it is the night time values which are of real concern. High humidity and the lack of any breeze could make matters worse for people with underlying health problems.”

Most at risk from heatstroke, sunburn and existing medical conditions being made worse by the heat are young children and the elderly. The NHS is advising these people to cover up with loose, breathable clothing, to drink plenty of water and have cool washes should the temperatures become too much.

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With the current predictions health expects are suggesting that by 2020 almost half of the UK population will be over 50. However statistics show that as people get older the level of exercise that they do is decreasing. Regular exercise regardless of what age you are is key as it helps conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise will make you feel more energetic whilst if you sit around then you tend to become sluggish. Your sleep will improve as with the physical workout your body will feel like its done some work and be ready for a good nights sleep. The benefits are endless and as well as keeping your blood pressure down it will strengthen your muscles and joints and bones.

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Although we know the benefits of exercise many of us find it hard to make the time for it. If your body remains inactive for a period of time then there are many risk which are caused by this and the most common being coronary heart disease which will increase the risk of you dying from a heart attack. Exercising regularly will not only reduce the risk of cardiovascular illnesses such as high blood pressure but it will also give you the feel good factor mentally and manage disorders such as stress, anxiety and even depression. It will also help you manage your weight can also cause many problems with health.

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For those suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome there are a number of symptoms which accompany the illness. In short it can be referred to as CFS) and has also been known as Post Viral fatigue syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue. Although it can affect people in various age groups it’s most common in the ages 25 and 45 and in the UK statistics show that it seems to be more women who are affected and current figures are at approximately 15000. If you are to be diagnosed with CFS then you must have the conditions and symptoms of the illness for at least 4 months and ensure that no other medical conditions are the cause of the fatigue.

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