The Health News United Kingdom September 12 2017
Overview
- According to new figures, one in four NHS hospital trusts is failing to give antibiotics to half their patients with sepsis within the recommended time. There are 44,000 deaths in the UK due to sepsis as well as 14,000 preventable deaths every year.
- World expert urges government action after analysis shows growth in female life expectancy at birth is worst in Europe and male growth second worst. In Britain, the female life expectancy at birth is 83, below the EU average, while for men it is slightly above the average at 79.
- Alcohol is reportedly responsible for approximately 4% of new cancer cases every year. However, the Drinks industry is accused of denial and misrepresenting the evidence of alcohol-cancer link to favour their own interests.
News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 12th of September 2017. Read by Tabetha Moreto. Health News
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-41204389
According to new figures, one in four NHS hospital trusts is failing to give antibiotics to half their patients with sepsis within the recommended time. Figures from one hundred four trusts seen by BBC Panorama show seventy eight percent of eligible patients are being screened and sixty three percent are getting antibiotics within one hour. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the NHS had “more to do” to stop “preventable” sepsis deaths occurring. Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of an infection. Without prompt treatment, it can lead to multiple organ failure and death. In two thousand fifteen, concerned at the growing number of sepsis cases going undetected, the NHS told hospital trusts to examine how successful they were at identifying patients with the conzsredition. The figures seen by Panorama cover the twelve months to March two thousand seventeen.
There are forty four thousand deaths in the UK due to sepsis as well as fourteen thousand preventable deaths every year. Thirty seven percent of patients that need antibiotics for sepsis are not getting them within an hour. Fourteen hospital trusts are only screening one in every two people with signs of sepsis.
A world expert in health outcomes has urged the UK government to launch an inquiry into why life expectancy rates in Britain have stalled. Sir Michael Marmot, the author of a government-ordered report on health inequality, said the country risked becoming the “sick man and woman of Europe”. He compared progress in Britain with that of other European nations, many of which have longer and extending life expectancies. His analysis found that according to the EU statistics body Eurostat, the UK is falling further behind, with growth in female life expectancy at birth the worst in Europe and male growth the second worst.
In Britain, the female life expectancy at birth is eighty three, below the EU average, while for men it is slightly above the average at seventy nine. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Health inequality is a challenging and complex area – deeply rooted, difficult to turn around and driven by a variety of factors. She also added: “We are investing more than sixteen billion pounds in local government services over the current spending period to help tackle public health issues, in addition to free NHS health checks, screening programmes and funding for campaigns such as Be Clear on Cancer.”
https://www.nhs.uk/news/cancer/drinks-industry-accused-downplaying-alcohol-cancer-risk/
Many people still don’t appreciate that alcohol can increase the risk of a range of cancers, such as breast, liver and mouth cancer. As part of their corporate and social responsibility goals, the UK alcohol industry shares health information to inform and encourage their consumers to drink responsibly. But the industry has been accused of misrepresenting the evidence to favour their own interests. Researchers wanted to see if the health information produced by the alcohol industry is scientifically accurate.
Critics of the drinks industry have likened this approach to that of the tobacco industry in the nineteen sixties and seventies, when the link between smoking and lung cancer was first proved. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ recommendation is men and women drink no more than fourteen units a week, spread evenly over three days or more. The study was carried out by researchers from several institutions, including the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Karolinska Intitutet in Sweden, and the University of Tromsø in Norway. No sources of external funding were reported. It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol Review.
It’s well established that drinking alcohol is associated with an increased risk of at least seven types of cancer, including mouth, throat, liver, breast and colon cancers. Alcohol is reportedly responsible for approximately four percent of new cancer cases every year. Despite the volume of evidence, the alcohol industry has disputed the relationship between drinking alcohol and cancer. This involves denying or disputing any link with cancer, or deliberately failing to mention the relationship. Five out of the twenty seven organisations denied there was any association between drinking alcohol and developing cancer. Examples include inaccurate claims that light to moderate drinking doesn’t lead to an increased risk of developing cancer. This research highlights important themes and strategies used by the alcohol industry. This qualitative analysis aimed to determine the accuracy of health information circulated by the alcohol industry on the links between alcohol and cancer.
Current UK recommendations on alcohol advise that men and women drink no more than fourteen units a week, with one unit equal to ten milliliters or eight grams of pure alcohol.
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