EU Medi Grid

David Cameron orders probe into 1,200-deaths Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust hospital

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:06:32 +0000

The Government will finally grant a long-awaited public inquiry into a hospital where up to 1,200 patients needlessly died.

PM David Cameron has bowed to demands from relatives of those who died in the care of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.

A full public inquiry could be announced as early as Wednesday and follows a damning report which said hospital bosses put savings and targets before care. A spokesman for the Department of Health said last night: “Any announcement will be made first to Parliament.” However, an independent inquiry by Robert Francis QC in February found the safety of sick and dying patients was “routinely neglected”.

Click here to read more

Quango and NHS staff given £37m in bonuses

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:04:17 +0000

Almost £37 million was paid out in bonuses to staff at quangos and in the NHS last year.

The Liberal Democrats said that answers to Freedom of Information requests showed £36.969m was paid out to public sector bodies in the 2008-09 financial year.

Of that, £26m was paid out in so-called “distinction awards” for senior NHS doctors. Scottish Water paid out almost £4.3m and the Scottish Prison Service £1.3m. Almost £1.9m went on core Scottish Government bonuses.

The Lib Dems called on the Scottish Government to get tough on bonuses during the economic crisis.

Click here to read more

Get the muscle gains you want – fast

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:30:03 +0000

Going to the gym can become quite a tedious task… particularly when you aren’t getting the results you want. So, how can you improve your workout to get the muscle gains you want… fast? It’s not actually as hard as you may think, and providing you put in the effort, you could see effects within four weeks.

First of all, think about how you’re lifting the weights themselves. Are you lifting them with rhythm, or are you simply jerking them up and down without any smooth movement? If you are doing the latter and not lifting weights in a rhythm, not only will you be preventing yourself from getting the results you are after, but you’ll be damaging your body too. However, if you simply slow down your reps and lift the weights more slowly and in a more controlled manner, you’ll find you feel much more resistance much sooner – which is exactly what you want when lifting weights – that way, you know you’re doing the right thing.

A simple tip to help you lift in a controlled manner is to count slowly while lifting. This will help you keep in time and under control. Lifting more slowly like this will help to tear more muscle tissues – which is exactly what you need to do in order to build muscle.

Secondly, think about the weights you are lifting/the exercises you are doing. Are you going into the gym and lifting any old weight you can find, or are you lifting weights under a strict workout plan. If you are doing the latter, you’re doing the right thing. Knowing what you’re doing when it comes to lifting weights is crucial, and if you just head into the gym and lift anything, you won’t be getting the results you want.

Finally, think about your diet. What are you eating that’s giving you energy for the gym and helping your muscles repair and grow at a faster, more efficient rate? If you aren’t sure of the answer, then the chances are, you won’t appreciate how important your diet is to getting the results you want in the gym.

Basically, when you work out, you are tearing your muscle tissues, and in order for them to repair and grow, you’ll have to feed them with ample amounts of protein. The best way to do this is to add a protein shake to your diet. Protein shakes are packed with high-quality protein… and this is exactly what your muscles need to repair and expand.

It is important that you find the best protein shake for you before you go out and buy one, so make sure you do your research. Figure out what you want to achieve, and then think about how much you want to spend and look around for the right protein shake for your needs.

For more information on protein shakes, and reviews on some of the best protein shakes on the market, such as Nutrisport 90+.

NHS spends £39m on National IT Programme lawyers

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:13:48 +0000

The NHS has spent over £39 million pounds on lawyers to support the National Programme for IT, which has so far lost half of its lead suppliers.

The troubled programme is over four years late and has seen two out of four main suppliers exit after tough contract negotiations.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway wins prestigious award

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:13:47 +0000

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has been recognised for making it easier for hospital staff and visitors to eat more healthily, by gaining a prestigious national award. David Matheson, catering Manager at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary picked up the healthy living award at the recent Promoting Health Service conference in Edinburgh.

The healthy living award, which is managed by Consumer Focus Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, gives recognition to caterers who take a range of steps to provide healthier options for their customers.

NHS fraud investigations cost three times more than they recover

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:38:36 +0000

Over the last three years, the budget of the NHS Counter Fraud unit was £32.4 million, while the squad recovered £10.1 million.

The figures, contained in a Parliamentary written answer obtained by the Liberal Democrats, also show that fewer than 200 convictions were secured.

Boom to bust: The NHS in the noughties

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:39:32 +0000

It seems like the NHS has hardly been out of the news over the last 10 years. Targets, superbugs and swine flu have all grabbed the headlines. But just how significant will the noughties prove to be?

From feast to famine could well sum up the past decade for the NHS.

The noughties kicked off with the NHS Plan, a 10-year vision to reform the health service.

Donations to hospital charities could become part of NHS budget

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:38:35 +0000

Hospitals are facing a rule change that could mean that the £2 billion in assets held by NHS charities effectively become part of the general NHS budget, it has emerged.

The Department of Health insists that donations to NHS charities will still be controlled by charity trustees rather than the Government. But charities leaders said last night that, in an era of public spending restraint, ministers would find it difficult to give more funds to organisations with access to millions of pounds of donations.

Renewed calls to scrap parking costs for patients at Leicester hospitals

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:38:29 +0000

Campaigners are today renewing calls to get hospital car park charges scrapped for cancer patients.

Patients at Leicester’s hospitals foot bills of more than £300 each to park while undergoing potentially life-saving treatment, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Anthrax test on Cumbria heroin user proves negative

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:37:39 +0000

Tests for anthrax poisoning on a heroin user who was suspected of having the condition have proved negative.

The patient, who was admitted to Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary on Christmas Day, has skin lesions – a typical symptom of the condition.