The Health News United Kingdom February 20 2018

• Health and social care services in the south of Nottinghamshire have been placed on the highest alert. The Opel four status, formerly known as black alert, has been in effect at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust since Monday. But the warning has now been extended to include council-run health services and the ambulance service. NUH said it had seen high numbers of admissions relating to respiratory conditions and a shortage of beds.
• Cases of “highly contagious” scarlet fever are continuing to soar in Wales, with more than 90 cases reported in the last week alone. According to new data for the week ending February 11, 92 suspected cases of scarlet fever were reported in Wales. The number is much higher than in the sixth week of the year in the previous four years, with 27 cases reported in 2017, 25 in 2016, and 23 in 2015.
• A study has found that skin supplements could be a waste of money. Scientists at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) found there was little evidence that added exotic ingredients, such as green tea, pomegranate extract, fish oil, collagen and co-enzyme Q10 had any effect as supplements. The global beauty supplements market is expected to reach £5.1 billion pounds by two thousand twenty three, with many containing ‘neutraceuticals’, such as vitamins A, C, B2, B3, B7, and the minerals iodine and zinc.
  

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 20th of February 2018. Read by Tabetha Moreto.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-43098140

Health and social care services in the south of Nottinghamshire have been placed on the highest alert. The Opel four status, formerly known as black alert, has been in effect at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust since Monday. But the warning has now been extended to include council-run health services and the ambulance service.

NUH said it had seen high numbers of admissions relating to respiratory conditions and a shortage of beds. It is the second time this year the Greater Nottingham system has been placed on Opel four status. The system includes Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, as well as Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and East Midlands Ambulance Service. The Greater Nottingham system is at the highest level of alert, known as Opel four NHS England’s Operational Pressures Escalation Levels (Opel) Framework aims to bring consistency nationally in times of pressure.

Wendy Saviour, managing director for health and social care, said there had been “unprecedented demand” on urgent and emergency services since the beginning of the year. She said that additional hospital beds made available earlier this year were already full.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/scarlet-fever-map-wales-most-14297694

Cases of “highly contagious” scarlet fever are continuing to soar in Wales, with more than ninety cases reported in the last week alone. According to new data for the week ending February eleven, ninety two suspected cases of scarlet fever were reported in Wales.The number is much higher than in the sixth week of the year in the previous four years, with twenty seven cases reported in two thousand seventeen, twenty five in two thousand sixteen, and twenty three in two thousand fifteen.

Scarlet Fever can be treated quickly and effectively with a full course of antibiotics and all general practitioners are trained to diagnose and treat it. Since the start of the year, there have been two hundred seventy three cases of scarlet fever reported in Wales – more than double the one hundred twenty four seen in the same period in two thousand seventeen. Numbers also appear to be rising week on week, with ninety two in the week to February eleven, compared to seventy six the week before, forty seven in the week to January twenty eight, and twenty six in the week to January twenty one.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection that usually presents with a sore throat, fever, headaches and a rosy rash that generally starts on a patient’s chest.

Public health experts are advising parents to be on the lookout for symptoms, which include a sore throat, headache and fever with a characteristic fine, pinkish or red rash with a “sandpapery” feel.

http://metro.co.uk/2018/02/13/expensive-skin-supplements-complete-waste-money-7310044/

A study has found that skin supplements could be a waste of money. Scientists at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) found there was little evidence that added exotic ingredients, such as green tea, pomegranate extract, fish oil, collagen and co-enzyme Qten had any effect as supplements.

Ayela Spiro, nutrition science manager at the British Nutrition Foundation, said: ‘As consumers can spend hundreds of pounds a year on oral beauty supplements, we felt it was important to investigate the association between the ingredients in these products, and the signs that we associate with skin ageing, such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity and moisture.

The global beauty supplements market is expected to reach five point one billion pounds by two thousand twenty three, with many containing ‘neutraceuticals’, such as vitamins A, C, Btwo, Bthree, Bseven, and the minerals iodine and zinc. While these ingredients are beneficial as part of a healthy diet they do not guarantee the younger, firmer or glowing skin the supplements promise. In the review Nutraceuticals And Skin Appearance: Is There Any Evidence To Support This Growing Trend?, the BNF said some results from lab experiments suggested these ingredients could have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or collagen enhancing effects. But it said it could not be assumed that these results would be relevant beyond studies on skin cells in a dish. The BNF was only able to identify a few well-conducted human trials, and said the findings of these were inconsistent.