The key points from the latest release are: Performance on the five standards has remained around their highest recorded levels, during the period April to June 2008, namely: - 99.9% of patients were seen within 2 weeks from urgent GP referral to outpatient appointment. This is a marginal increase from... 

The key points from the latest release are: Inpatient Waiting times - The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over the 26 weeks standard for inpatient admission at the end of July 2008 was 82 (compared to the total of 542,000). - The number of patients, for whom... 

This is the fourth quarterly practice survey, covering a sample of practices from each primary care trust (PCT), conducted between June and August 2008. The aims of the survey are to get feedback from practices on their perception of the support offered by their PCT and on the clinical and financial... 

While jams and other consumer products are strictly regulated and are required to pass stringent tests before they can be sold, tobacco has no restrictions and manufacturers can, and do, add anything they want into the product. Published in Respirology by Wiley-Blackwell, the invited editorial “Regulation... 

A child born in a Glasgow, Scotland suburb can expect a life 28 years shorter than another living only 13 kilometers away. A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than another in Japan. In Sweden, the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 17,400; in Afghanistan, the... 

Yale University researchers have found a new method to create lasting genetic changes within human cells, opening up the possibility of new treatments for inherited diseases like sickle cell anemia. The researchers corrected a specific defect within a human gene that causes the blood disorder thalassemia,... 

The fifty-eighth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa is scheduled to take place from 1 to 5 September in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This year’s meeting of the Regional Committee, WHO’s Governing Body in the African Region, will take place in the context of... 

The finalists for Reel Lives: The Cancer Chronicles, the first ever international documentary film competition on cancer, have been announced in a line-up that includes 2007 Oscar winner Freeheld and many other remarkable films from 16 countries worldwide. The finalists were chosen from an impressive... 

Van Andel Institute (VAI) researchers have found that curcumin, a component of the curry spice turmeric, blocks herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) infections that commonly result in facial cold sores. Finding out how curcumin blocks the infections will be key to developing a treatment for cold sore sufferers. “We... 

RBIs, batting averages, home runs, ERAs, strikeouts — there are many numbers to keep track of in baseball. Some players and coaches have to watch other numbers, too, like blood glucose levels, carbohydrates, and insulin units. In the September issue of Diabetes Forecast, the consumer magazine of...