The NHS is potentially vulnerable to fraud due to loopholes in the issuing of European Health Insurance cards, the Department of Health has admitted. An investigation by the Daily Mail found people who had never worked in Britain were able to obtain a free EHIC card…
Author: Dave Hollis
Hand Washing Web Programme ‘Helps Reduce Infections’
A web-based programme encouraging people to wash their hands more frequently could reduce the risk of catching and passing on infections, a study suggests. Researchers writing in The Lancet tested it on around 16,000 households in the UK during the winter flu season. They found a 14%…
Music in The Operating Room Off-Putting, Study Suggests
Playing music in the operating theatre can be disruptive and surgeons should think twice about pressing the play button, according to a small study. Researchers filmed 20 operations at two UK hospitals to observe. When music was played, operating staff often had to repeat themselves…
Obama’s Energy Plan ‘Step in Right Direction’ For Asthma Sufferers, Doctors Say
President Barack Obama unveiled the final version of his plan to cut emissions from U.S. power plants Monday, flanked by parents of pediatric asthma patients, medical professionals and Environmental Protection Agency officials. Calling it the “single most important step” America has taken to fight climate…
Pancreatic Cancer Urine Test Hope
A simple urine test that could detect pancreatic cancer much earlier than at present has been developed by scientists.They found a protein “signature” only present in people with the disease. Pancreatic cancer is often very advanced by the time it is diagnosed – and only…
Prostate Cancer: Five Types ‘Found’
Scientists have identified five types of prostate cancer, each with a distinct genetic signature.And by comparing 250 samples removed in surgery with the patients’ subsequent progress, they have identified some types that are more likely to recur. Until now, there has been no reliable way…
Coffee May Lower Inflammation And Reduce Risk Of Diabetes
New research finds drinking coffee may lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who drank coffee were about 50 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people…
Clot-busting Stroke Drug Safe, Says Expert Review
A panel of independent experts has decided that a clot-busting drug often used to treat strokes is “safe and effective”.The UK medicines watchdog wanted the benefits and risks of alteplase to be analysed after concerns were raised about its safety. The panel concluded that the…