Latest news – Page 2750
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What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is the most common form of severe mental illness and affects one in 100 people at some point in their lives. There are about 250,000 diagnosed cases in Britain. The disease tends to begin in men in their late teens and in women a few years later.
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How is it treated?
Antipsychotic drugs have been used to treat schizophrenia since the 1950s. The older drugs, such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol, relieve the 'positive' symptoms but are less effective at controlling the 'negative' ones. Patients may become resistant to treatment and/or experience movement problems (extra-pyramidal effects). However, some can be injected as ...
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Double negative: a mother's story
Ruth Davies is a lecturer in nursing studies at the University of Wales, and her son was 41st on the list for clozapine when Cardiff Community trust was operating its limited-numbers policy. The trust has now revised its policy, and her son has had his medication switched to the drug.
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Cost-effectiveness of drug treatment
A month's supply of one of the older antipsychotic agents, such as haloperidol, in the usual dose, costs well under £10. In contrast, a month's supply of one of the 'atypical' agents costs between £100 and £150.
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More in control: the patient's story
Paul Reynolds (not his real name) has been treated for schizophrenic illness for more than 20 years, and has held down a full-time job as an administrative assistant for 12. He attributes his success to his care package, including drugs, therapy and carer support.
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Hutton is derided for 'pandering to tabloids'
The government's stance on community care came under fire from new quarters last week when junior health minister John Hutton faced more than 300 professionals and activists.
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Steep rise in NHS dentists earning more than £200,000
The number of dentists earning more than £200,000 a year from the NHS has increased dramatically.
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Days like this
As the final draft of the NHS white paper went to the Cabinet, shadow health secretary Robin Cook released an 'authoritative' summary. It included plans for managers to be given greater pay bargaining flexibility, and tax relief for people over 65 taking out private health insurance. Mr Cook condemned it ...
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Private eye
The government has been coy about releasing its long-awaited review of the private finance initiative. Ann Dix reveals what is in it
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Lucky bar steward
A new trust chair is confident of grappling with a £90m turnover - he manages the finances of the Labour club in the PM's constituency. Patrick Butler reports
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The way forward: proposed 'improvements' to PFI procurement
A halving of trusts' PFI procurement costs (from 3 or 4 to 2 per cent of capital cost) and the time from when a project is first advertised to financial close (from an average of three years to 18 months).
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Dig the new breed?
When health secretary Frank Dobson declared he would purge 'Tory deadbeats' from trust boards 18 months ago, he made it clear that a new type of chair would succeed them.
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1999 start-date for CHI looks doubtful
Doubts are emerging that the Commission for Health Improvement, the government's key quality body, will be set up this year as promised in The New NHS white paper.
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'Weak' managers failed abused elderly patients
Health secretary Frank Dobson has 'utterly condemned' standards of care and 'weak management' detailed in a report about a hospital in his constituency.
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Leadership academy seeks rise in standards
Plans to set up a 'leadership academy' aimed at raising standards of management across all NHS professions are being considered by the NHS Executive and the NHS Confederation.
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Unlicensed and off-label
Off-label means the drug is being prescribed outside the terms of its product licence. In Professor Choonara's study, the commonest reasons for off-label use were that the child was outside the specified age range, or that the drug was used for some purpose other than that referred to on the ...
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Licensing flaws
There is a lack of incentive for firms or hospitals to change an unsatisfactory status quo when it comes to unlicensed drug use in children,
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Bangs and M*A*S*H
It may be treating the victims of landmines and helicopter crashes in an old factory, but the UK field hospital in Sipovo, Bosnia, is not immune from more familiar NHS problems.
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TA for nothing: combining NHS work with military service
The more mundane issues which affect the NHS also have an impact in Bosnia. The Ministry of Defence admits that its medical services have only half the doctors they need and three-quarters of the nurses. The worst shortages are among orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthetists.
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Strain of thought
The findings of a study on hernia operations come at a time when the DoH is keeping an eye on success rates as proposed high-level performance indicators. Jenny Bryan explains