What’s the ideal gift to bring someone who is in hospital? Hospitals can be very tedious places for patients and a visit from family or friends bearing a small gift can brighten anyone’s hospital stay. However many people struggle to think of an appropriate present. It’s best to keep in mind that some traditional gifts, […]
A&E forward planning is ‘too little, too late’ according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. New data from NHS England shows that plans to reduce pressure on A&E departments over winter are proving ineffective. There are fewer beds and a higher percentage of beds occupied than at the same point last year. NHS 111 […]
Dry January feels like it’s been around forever, doesn’t it? It’s as ubiquitously January as New Year’s resolutions and the post-Christmas belly. But how much do you know about it? Dry January has gone from zero to over five million participants in four years. This is its fifth year running, and we’re expecting the biggest […]
What do we mean by the use of performing arts in community NHS treatment? In a previous article for the Hippocratic Post, I explained how working with the creative arts, and music in particular could improve wellbeing. In this article I will give examples of NHS community based performance projects which enhance well-being and quality […]
Why do five million people every year decide to take part in Dry January? There are a number of reasons and everyone is different. It might be a New Year resolution to get fit, or lose weight, or simply that you are sick of 3-day hangovers. However, right at the heart of this hugely successful […]
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Christmas is the season of giving and goodwill and NHS Digital has trawled through the analytics of NHS Choices over the past year to bring you the numbers behind what the nation is searching for via this improvised Christmas Carol. On the first day of Christmas NHS Choices gave to me – 525 million reasons […]
Christmas trees, candle fumes and smoking Christmas puddings may be festive but they can all make asthma symptoms worse this holiday season. A sudden change in weather, especially gusts of freezing air, thunderstorms, colds and flu can all trigger asthma attacks. Asthma sufferers have more sensitive airways and the condition can lead to unpleasant symptoms […]
Christmas is an exciting time of year as families come together to celebrate. However, studies by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have shown it is also a potentially dangerous time of year. More than 6,000 people will end up in hospital on Christmas Day and more than 80,000 will visit A&E […]
NHS England is proposing to draw a new line between when the NHS will help someone, and when citizens are required to fall back on their own private resources when it comes to prescriptions for over-the-counter medicines. This may or may not be a good idea, but it certainly shouldn’t be motivated by a funding […]
Sight loss costs London’s economy £6.4 billion, around £750 per Londoner, per year, according to a new report Eye Health- preventing sight loss in London, and by 2030, an extra 194,000 Londoners are predicted to have a sight-threatening eye condition and an extra 74,000 with sight loss. Already one in twelve adults in London has […]