At a recent visit to my obstetrician, my doctor gave me a stern warning: avoid traveling to areas where the Zika virus is active or I will need to wait six months to try to get pregnant. If my husband and I go to a country where this virus is still posing a threat to expecting mothers and their babies, we would have to use birth control to ensure I do not get pregnant after the possibility of exposure. I was surprised to hear her caution. Zika was something I worried about when I was pregnant with my first child back in 2016. At the time, there were frequent news stories about the virus and its devastating effects on babies in utero. But I could not remember the last time I had heard about the virus. It is no longer a topic of conversation among my friends, nor has it been on my radar in years. Is it still really a problem? Yes it is, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is that in 2018, no local mosquito-borne Zika transmission and infection … [Read more...] about Zika publicity has faded, but the health threat remains real
Health
Believe Republicans When They Say They’re Coming After Your Health Care
POLITICS 10/30/2018 05:45 am ET It's not just the lies about pre-existing conditions. The GOP still wants to go after Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare. By Jeffrey Young Republicans have been very busy lying about health care: lying about their policy agenda, lying about Democrats calling them liars and lying about who said who was really lying about all this. Amid those lies, however, GOP officials and candidates have occasionally lapsed and told the truth: The party, like it always has, wants to cut federal health care programs. They want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, still without having any idea how to replace it, and they’re working hard to make the law worse in the meantime. They want to slash Medicaid. They want to shrink Medicare. Even without the rare moments of honesty, however, we would know this is what Republicans want because of the simple fact that they’ve been trying to slash health care programs for decades. Former House Speaker … [Read more...] about Believe Republicans When They Say They’re Coming After Your Health Care
GOP’s Latest Campaign Punch On Health Care Relies On Classic Hook: Medicare
Once again, Medicare is front and center in this fall’s campaigns. Democrats throughout the election season have been hammering Republicans over votes and lawsuits that would eliminate insurance protections for preexisting conditions for consumers. But now Republicans are working to change the health care conversation with a tried-and-true technique used by both parties over the years: telling seniors their Medicare coverage may be in danger. It’s not yet clear, however, whether these dependable voters are responding to the warning. Republicans charge that Democrats’ support for expanding Medicare would threaten the viability of the program for the seniors who depend on it. “The Democrats’ plan means that after a life of hard work and sacrifice, seniors would no longer be able to depend on the benefits they were promised,” wrote President Donald Trump in a guest column for USA Today on Oct. 10. “Under the Democrats’ plan, today’s … [Read more...] about GOP’s Latest Campaign Punch On Health Care Relies On Classic Hook: Medicare
£2 billion increase in mental health funding welcomed by Peterborough NHS trust chief
0 Have your say A £2 billion increase in mental health funding announced in yesterday’s Budget has been welcomed by the chief executive of the NHS trust which runs mental health services in Peterborough. Tracy Dowling said she was “proud” measures first introduced by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) are to be rolled out across the country with the extra funding.This includes 24/7 mental health support in A&Es and a mental health crisis line along with ‘safe havens’.The additional £2 billion forms part of the extra £20 billion a year by 2023 for the NHS in England which Theresa May announced earlier this year, although UNISON claims this is not enough to “heal the wounds caused by eight years of Tory cuts”.Ms Dowling said: “We welcome the Chancellor’s announcement around the increase in funding for mental health.“For too long funding for mental health has … [Read more...] about £2 billion increase in mental health funding welcomed by Peterborough NHS trust chief
Health chiefs sitting on £13million repairs backlog at South Tyneside Hospital
Repairs of more than £13m need to be carried out by hospital bosses in South Tyneside to bring its facilities up to scratch. Data released by NHS Digital has revealed the extent of the maintenance backlog across NHS property and facilities in England.The South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust is currently sitting on a backlog of £13.7million worth of repairs or replacements which should have been carried out on its buildings and equipment.Last year, the Trust spent £415,000 trying to reduce its backlog - but the overall bill rose 12% compared to the previous year.Hospital bosses say much of the work is in areas not connected with the direct delivery of patient care.According to the data, which covers the 12 months to March, problems with the trust’s infrastructure led to 38 incidents where patients were either harmed or put at risk of harm.There were 17,900 incidents across England during the same period, an increase of 800 in a year.Steve Jamieson, director of … [Read more...] about Health chiefs sitting on £13million repairs backlog at South Tyneside Hospital