Health & Wellbeing

In late September 2013, Kerry Ford, a 46 year old teacher, was in the Falkland Islands going about her daily life, while her veteran husband Nobby was undergoing an operation to remove scar tissue left over from an earlier procedure at another hospital. Five days after this second operation Nobby suffered a carotid artery blow out, an unexpected complication causing brain damage.

Following the release of the Department for Transport’s latest THINK! Drink Drive campaign, which states that ‘A second drink could double your chance of being in a fatal collision’, alcohol safety experts are calling for drivers to be aware of their alcohol levels the morning after drinking and not just immediately after. 20% of the UK’s drink-driving convictions are as a result of ‘morning after’ breath tests, and in 2014 alone, alcohol accounted for 5,650 accidents and 8,320 casualties on UK roads.

Almost one in three families would not be able to care for an older relative after they leave hospital without additional support, according to a new report. The study, from older people’s charity Royal Voluntary Service, explores the experiences of families of older patients during hospital discharge and transition and reveals that while family networks come together at the point of crisis, many are unable to continue that support at home when their older relatives leave hospital.

The scale and consequences of childhood obesity demand bold and urgent action from Government, says The Health Select Committee in their report on the subject. With one third of children leaving primary school obese or overweight, Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, agrees that bold action is needed and has called for investment in the walk to school to tackle physical inactivity.

"I am writing to invite your readers to sign up to the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) toughest fundraising challenge yet, a 100km trek. The BHF has four 100km treks available which will push participants to the limit. Each challenge takes, on average, 26 hours to complete and will see participants cover 62.1 miles, walking nonstop through the night to raise funds for the BHF’s life saving research.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) Charity is raising money to help bring Christmas to over one million patients and staff who will be at hospital over the festive period. From elderly care patients with few or no family members, to children receiving radiotherapy, a gruelling course of treatments five days a week for six weeks, over one thousand patients will face the prospect of spending Christmas Day in the QE.

A UK health charity has expressed deep concern following new data which reveals the alarming use of online self-diagnosis. The British Dental Health Foundation believes an over-reliance on websites, particularly online symptom checkers, could lead to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of life threatening diseases such as mouth cancer.

The latest estimates from the International Diabetes Foundation Atlas indicate that there are 382 million people living with diabetes worldwide. A further 316 million people are currently at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the number expected to increase to almost 500 million within a generation.

Ahead of England’s fourth annual National HIV Testing Week, which will feature on buses travelling across Birmingham, new figures released this week by Public Health England (PHE) reveal there were 10 per cent more diagnoses in the West Midlands in 2014 compared to 2013, showing HIV testing is working.

If you’re thinking about putting your house on the market and moving on to pastures new then you might want to think again, as according to a new survey 43 per cent of people consider moving house to be life’s biggest headache. The survey of 2,000 UK adults by Syndol Headache Relief also revealed that over a quarter of people (28 per cent)think it’s the process of buying the house itself that causes the most stress.

During this Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, Public Health England (PHE) is advising people in the West Midlands to have their fossil fuel and wood burning appliances – such as boilers, heaters and cookers – checked by an appropriately registered engineer before winter sets in. There are about 30 accidental deaths a year from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in England and Wales.

A community activist from Birmingham has been given an award by the national charity Rethink Mental Illness for his work to improve attitudes to mental health. Steven Gilbert, has been awarded winner of the Janey Antoniou award for his passion and commitment to improving the lives of people living with mental illness.

Health visitors and children’s centres in Wolverhampton have been praised for their work to promote breastfeeding and improve care for new mums. They have been awarded the prestigious Baby Friendly Award from Unicef, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and in doing so have joined the maternity unit at New Cross Hospital in securing the accreditation.

A survey of opticians has revealed the most common complaint they hear from patients who drive is that they momentarily fall asleep at the wheel. A poll of members of Sight Care – a support network for independent opticians – found that 57 per cent rated losing concentration and briefly falling asleep as the complaint they heard the most from driving customers.

People who care for a friend or relative can find out about the support available to them during this year's Carers Rights Day on Friday 20 November, 2015. The charity Omega is holding a free outreach and information session at Beckminster Church, Birches Barn Road, from 10.30am-2pm, with a host of organisations on hand to highlight the help available to carers.