| NHS dentists ’may get scarcer’ |
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Reforms aimed at ensuring more people have access to NHS dentists are at risk of failing, a watchdog says.
A shake-up in NHS dentistry will come into force next October in a bid to move from drill and fill treatments towards more preventative work.
But the National Audit Office (NAO) said dentists may end up cutting their NHS commitments because of scepticism and a lack of detail about the changes.
The government said there were risks but pilot areas had been working well.
The NAO report also highlighted concerns about how the new system would be run.
It said primary care trusts, which will commission services under the deal, did not have the expertise required.
And it added more information was needed on the charging system if patients were to understand the changes.
Risks
The report also warned that the new contract may lead to dentists spending more time with their current patients rather than taking on others, as they are guaranteed a set income over the three years of the deal.
Under the current system, dentists are paid for each individual treatment they carry out, which critics say encourages over-treatment.
Report author Karen Taylor, health director at the NAO, said: There are clear compelling reasons for why we need change.
But there are concerns that unless the risks are sorted out quickly, the intended benefits of the new system will not be realised.
Health Minister Rosie Winterton accepted there were risks with the arrangements.
But she said they would make the system more simple for dentists and patients.
She also rejected the criticisms of primary care trusts.
I understand there are risks with it but PCTs are learning very quickly.
The government is introducing the contract, which will be offered to about 20,000 dentists in England, in a bid to move away from intervention-based working.
It believes dentists have been unable to offer the best service for patients because the payment system is weighted towards treating people rather than addressing why they needed treatment.
The government is also aiming to recruit an extra 1,000 doctors by October 2005.
A review by the Department of Health last year found there was a shortage of 1,850 dentists.
The thinking is that by reducing the amount of time dentists are treating patients and by boosting numbers, more people will be able to get access to dentists.
At the moment just 17m adults and 7m children in England - about half the population - are registered with dentists.
’Ill thought-out’
British Dental Association chief executive Ian Wylie said the government had to get the changes right first time if it is not to lose what little confidence the dental profession has left in NHS dentistry.
With less than a year to go until implementation, and still without a draft contract, it’s no wonder that many dentists are seriously considering whether or not their future lies within the NHS.
Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, to which the NAO reports, said the government had to step up its efforts.
Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said it was an ill thought-out policy.
Labour has shifted responsibility for dentistry to PCTs without ensuring they have the capacity to deliver.
And Liberal Democrat health spokesman Paul Burstow said: The new contract is no guarantee that dentists will come rushing back to the NHS.
There is a real risk that local health trusts will not have the experience to deliver dentistry services, and ministers need to urgently ensure that these trusts have support to provide better access to NHS dentistry.
A spokesman for the NHS Confederation, which represents PCTs, said: Trusts do already have a full agenda, and the NAO is right to highlight the challenges this new role poses.
It is vital that over the coming months there is a full programme in place to support implementation and that the necessary resources are available.
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| Student Health Plans Thanksgiving Tradition - Nov 26, 2004 18:26 IST |
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MedSave.com is gearing up for a lesser-known Thanksgiving tradition. Thousands of college students change their health insurance plans during their trip home to see parents this week. From the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following weekend, online and telephone requests from students and their parents have come in at a record pace. This trend has grown each year since the enrollment firm’s launch in 1997. Despite efforts to take more calls and process more applications, the firm still expects a backlog of business on Thanksgiving weekend. Other enrollment firms report similar trends. MedSave.com focuses on low cost health insurance, so it serves a higher percentage of students than some other enrollment firms. In addition, students are more likely than adults to enroll for a health plan online rather than traditional paper methods.
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| Protein stops heart attack damage - Nov 26, 2004 18:27 IST |
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University of Texas scientists worked on mice, but hope their findings will eventually lead to new treatment for heart disease.
The protein, Thymosin beta-4, is already used in clinical trials to promote wound healing on the skin.
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| Prevent Adds ErgoSlide to Nationally Acclaimed Get A Lift! Program - Nov 26, 2004 18:22 IST |
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Prevent, Inc. has added the ErgoSlide™, an innovative Slide Tube exclusively designed by ErgoSafe Products. The ErgoSlide™ can be used to move patients up or across a bed and turn them without pulling the patient’s body and without the caregiver having to lift. It is made from a strong nylon material sewn into a long roller band and is wide enough for a patient to lie on. Webbed handles are on both sides of the sheet around the full length, which are used to turn or slide the patient
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| Let Earthen Products Get Your Skin in the Mood to be Renewed! - Nov 26, 2004 15:58 IST |
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Spring is a time of rebirth and growth. It is a time to let the inner you come forth and face the warm sunny days ahead. Time to put your “best face forward” and what a better way to do this then with vibrant healthy looking skin! Earthen Inc. is to introduce three products that will “renew” your skin after the long harsh winter months: InstantPeel, Instant Cellu-Moist, and Peptide Infusion.
InstantPeel is an extraordinarily unique skin exfoliant that is the safe and gentle alternative to chemical peels. What is truly exciting about InstantPeel is that now you can have a facial within seven minutes, while in the comfort of your own shower. Unlike ordinary exfoliants, results are truly immediate and not over time. You’ll see dead skin cells and debris gently peel away as you massage. Unlike anything else, InstantPeel binds only to dead skin and debris, leaving younger-looking, baby soft skin in its place. Chemical peels are painful and produce redness, the acidity level of InstantPeel is close to neutral, and there are no aftereffects. Dermatologist-approved, clinically tested InstantPeel is hypoallergenic and safe for even the most sensitive of skins.
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| Medical Billing Firm Moves Into New Location and Unveils New Website After Growing 200% in the First Year. - Nov 26, 2004 15:49 IST |
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Outsource Management Group is an industry leading medical billing & medical coding outsourcing company providing physicians with complete practice management solutions nationwide.
The release of the new website and medical billing blog are indicative of Outsource Management Group’s commitment to being a leader in the industry by providing the best possible service and latest information and news.
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| Permanent Cosmetic Leader to Network Physicians, Provide Medical Care - Nov 26, 2004 15:48 IST |
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Premier Pigments, which provides the majority of the permanent make-up pigments used throughout the world by physicians, cosmetic technicians, and body artists, announced today an unprecedented offer to arrange medical treatment for anyone who has an allergic reaction to permanent cosmetics. The offer of medical care covers not only their clients, but also the customers of certified technicians who use other pigment suppliers.
Permanent pigments are overwhelmingly safe and successful and we will expend time and money to care for anyone who has an allergic reaction, identify physicians who can treat problems, and greatly enhance our programs to educate both doctors and technicians. Premier Pigments will also direct individuals who are dissatisfied with results to technicians who are skilled in correctional procedures. We are committed to strengthening the confidence the public has in our products and in the entire permanent cosmetics industry, said Sandi Hammons, president and CEO of Premier Pigments.
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| 9 Months until Your Vitamin Supplements Will Be Banned - Nov 26, 2004 14:44 IST |
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In 2002 the European Union passed the directive on dietary supplements. This directive, which is part of a larger form of legislation called codex alimentarius, is a dangerous directive which takes away your rights as An American citizen to control your own health.
This directive is on track to take effect in the United States in less than one year. August 2005 to be exact, and the scenario above will become reality for all of us. These laws will classify proven and safe supplements as “medical drugs”.
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| Cancer-Treatments.org Offers Information on New Cancer Treatment Options - Nov 26, 2004 14:41 IST |
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Did you know there is a doctor in Mexico who has a 98% success rate with curing bone cancer? Did you know clinics exist that can offer a 90-100% success rate with curing 4 and 5 stage cancers? Did you know there is a new form of super supplement that helps people quietly cure themselves of cancer?
Unfortunately, most cancer patients don’t know about this treatment... and they continue to suffer through hours of debilitating chemotherapy. Cancer-Treatments.org hopes to change that.
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| Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CEO to Present at the 15th Annual Wall Street Analyst Forum Conference - Nov 26, 2004 13:51 IST |
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Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX: KAL), a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of drugs to treat cancer and osteolytic bone disease, announced today that Dr. Gary S. Jacob, Callisto Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 15th Annual Wall Street Analyst Forum Conference on December 1, 2004, at 11:40 a.m. Eastern time. The conference will be held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York.
Dr. Jacob will present an update on Callisto’s strategy and business development efforts, followed by an overview of its Annamycin and Atiprimod drug candidates. Annamycin, a drug from the anthracycline family, recently completed a Phase I/IIa trial in refractory leukemia patients. Callisto plans to initiate a Phase IIb trial in relapsed leukemia patients in the first half of 2005. Callisto’s second drug, Atiprimod, a small-molecule, orally-available drug with antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity, began an open-label Phase I/IIa clinical trial in relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) patients on May 25, 2004.
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| Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb Study Results Mis-Reported: Study Revelaed the Real Enemy is Junk Food - Nov 26, 2004 13:51 IST |
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Recent headlines suggesting low-carb dieters were more likely to re-gain weight than low-fat dieters resulted from misinterpretation of a study presented earlier this month at a major conference on obesity. In fact, the study showed no difference between the two groups of dieters. The real “enemy” revealed by the study was junk food consumed after subjects had lost weight.
According to Catherine LaCroix, editor in chief of LowCarb Living magazine, the study presented earlier this month at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity was widely misreported. “A review of the data showed there was absolutely no difference in weight re-gain between the ‘low-carb’ and ‘low-fat’ groups,” said LaCroix. “So we talked to Suzanne Phelan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Human Behavior at Brown University, who presented the study. She admits that those headlines proclaiming ‘low fat beats low carb’ were ‘somewhat misleading.’”
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| Consumers Buy Klonopin, Clonazepam And Rivotril From Online Pharmacies In Increasing Numbers. - Nov 26, 2004 13:45 IST |
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Back by popular demand - the frequently prescribed anxiety medications Klonopin and it’s generic counterparts Clonazepam and Rivotril at US-Meds.com.
Consumers are now going to online pharmacies in increasing numbers in order to protect their privacy and to get immediate service - which is usually not available with traditional face to face doctor visits.
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| AIDS Walk Founder Available for Comment: The Significance - Nov 26, 2004 13:34 IST |
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While many cite declining numbers in fundraising for AIDS organizations as evidence of waning public interest in HIV/AIDS, the ever-successful AIDS Walks in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, demonstrate that public support for domestic HIV/AIDS services remains strong.
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| Dispelling the myth. The reality behind human organ trafficking. Professor Nancy Scheper-Hughes in interview - Nov 26, 2004 13:28 IST |
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Professor Nancy Scheper-Hughes, an anthropologist of international renown, first studied the phenomena of organ trafficking from the perspective of an urban myth. Her years of research however uncovered a system that is all too real.
In a rare interview with Three Monkeys Online Magazine, Professor Nancy Scheper-Hughes talks about the international system of trafficking in human organs, where people from impoverished countries sell kidneys, eyes, and any other body part that can be transplanted, to international brokers.
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| Obesity? New Career? Forget the New Year Resolutions - Nov 26, 2004 13:18 IST |
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On January 1, 2005, 97% of Americans will have made their New Year resolutions. By the end of January 2005, 95% of Americans will have discarded them as useless and unworkable. Is there a solution that will change lives or are such thoughts only for foolish dreamers?
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| Good Samaritan Hospital To Provide Advanced Dialysis Therapy Vital In The Treatment Of Unstable Patients - Nov 26, 2004 12:48 IST |
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Following the installation of new equipment and several months of staff training, the Frank and Fannie Weiss Renal Dialysis Center at Good Samaritan Hospital is now capable of performing continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), an advanced and alternative dialysis therapy.
CVVH is a more gentle and gradual dialysis therapy most commonly used in intensive care units for critically ill and unstable patients with acute renal failure. The Weiss Center is the only hospital-based facility in the county offering the procedure.
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| The Myth About Illegal Drugs...Are They Cast - Off Psychiatric Drugs? - Nov 26, 2004 12:35 IST |
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The founders of Label Me Sane, a California based company announced a nationwide lecture series to educate the public about both illegal and prescription drugs, specifically the psychiatric medication mass marketed today for all types of psychiatric disorders.
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| One of the Finest Premier Spas in Ft. Lauderdale - Nov 26, 2004 12:8 IST |
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Your unforgettable journey at The Retreat Spa, one of the finest spas in Ft. Lauderdale starts with our complimentary luxury Aromatherapy Steam room, unwind your body, mind and soul... while rejuvenating your spirit.
Next, loosen up those tight muscles with a Swedish or deep tissue massage, or try one of our Signature Treatments, a European Facial or Body Wrap.
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| LegalServicesInfo Offers Vioxx Lawyer and Vioxx Attorney Information to Consumers - Nov 26, 2004 12:1 IST |
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Are you or someone you know one of the estimated 84 million people who were prescribed the drug Vioxx? If so, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering. On September 30th, Merck took the drug Vioxx off of the market after a study showed that the popular painkiller nearly doubled the risk of heart attacks and stroke when taken for more than 18 months.
A Food and Drug Administration reviewer who recommended that the drug be pulled stated that research indicated that Vioxx caused up to 160,000 heart attacks and strokes.
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| Breast Enhancement Pills or Surgery? What are your expectations? - Nov 26, 2004 11:29 IST |
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Approximately two years ago we set out to produce the best herbal breast-enhancing supplement that money could buy. After many months of careful research we were amazed by the claim other producers of breast supplements were making. Some of the claims read, Add 3 cup sizes in weeks! Others promised results that simply were not attainable by any herbal supplement. As time went on some of the companies making these claims were fined by the F.T.C. for making “false and misleading statements.”
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| Be Prepared - Affordable Health Care Through the Holiday Season - Nov 26, 2004 11:3 IST |
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As the weather turns colder and Thanksgiving approaches, our attention turns more towards the holiday feasts and gift giving. This is a joyous time of year and should always remain that way.
With this in mind, the fine folks at MedCare Advantage (http://www.medcareadvantage.com) are working even harder to get Affordable Health Care to everyone who needs it.
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