Care Radio

The Latest Care News

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  Calls for parents of seriously ill or disabled children to get paid leave

  The Children's Commissioner is calling for parents of seriously ill or disabled children to be entitled to paid leave from work. Dame Rachel de Souza wants a legal right to twelve weeks' leave at ninety per cent of normal pay, saying families can face immense pressure and lost earnings. She says parents should not have to choose between being at their child's bedside and keeping their job. Dame Rachel also wants unpaid carer's leave increased from five to ten days a year, alongside a new form of paid carer's leave.

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  New guidance offered on infectious diseases

  New guidance has been published to help care providers understand and manage the risks from infectious diseases. The UK Health Security Agency resource explains important health protection terms and the legal and public health arrangements applying to adult social care. It says staff should always follow standard infection control precautions and advises providers about what to do during suspected outbreaks. The guidance also stresses that visiting restrictions during outbreaks should only be introduced when risks cannot be adequately managed, and any restrictions should be proportionate and time-limited.

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  Unpaid carers helping shape support in Cambridgeshire

  Unpaid carers in Cambridgeshire are being asked to help shape the future of support services in the county. Cambridgeshire County Council wants to hear from people with lived experience as it develops future adult social care services. The work includes unpaid carers, alongside people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The council says involving people directly in developing services will help ensure their voices are heard and future support better meets people's needs.

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  National neighbourhood health plan to launch in Devon

  People in Devon are being invite to discover more about neighborhood health as part of a ten-year national vision. The plan for England aims to bring together GPs, community services, mental health, social care and voluntary organisations to provide more joined-up care in local communities. The aim is to help people stay healthier for longer, access care services closer to home and reduce the need for hospital treatment where appropriate. People are being invited to take part in a 'Let's talk neighbourhood health' programme by completing a survey and joining a local feedback group.

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  Statins can lower the risk of dementia

  A new study has shown that statins can lower the risk of dementia by 15 percent, and that the earlier in life they are taken the more effective they are. The number of people living with dementia around the world is forecast to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050. But experts believe almost half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed.More than 132 thousand people in Denmark were tracked by researchers between 2006 and 2021 -- those who started on statins during the study period were 10% less likely to develop dementia.

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  4 million women to be offered HPV kits

  Nearly 4 million women in England will be offered HPV self-testing kits if they haven't attended their smear test. NHS England is rolling out the new self-testing kits to encourage more women to complete their screening which could potentially be life-saving. Cervical screening helps prevent cancer by checking for high-risk types of human papilloma virus, which can cause cells in the cervix to change and lead to cancer.

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  Dementia UK brings face-to-face clinics to Lanarkshire

  The UK's dementia charity will be sharing advice on how to look after yourself as a carer at free clinics in Lanarkshire. Dementia UK will be bringing the free face-to-face clinics at Nationwide building society branches in Scotland, offering specialist support for people to discuss any aspect of the disease. The clinics which are run by the Dementia UK Admiral Nurses are open to anyone impacted by dementia, including family and carers. The first events will be in Hamilton and Rutherglen next month.

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  Grieving Father Meets Health Bosses Over Stillbirth Care Concerns

  A man in the Midlands has been meeting with health bosses to see what improvements can be made after his son was born still born. Tom Henders met with the chief nursing officer at NHS England’s as he is keen for a review of the nursing care that his wife Ewa received. The couple say they had concerns but don’t felt they were taken seriously by hospital staff – meanwhile the hospital itself says a significant improvement programme is now in place.

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  New NI Health Minister Robbie Butler Pledges World Class Care

  There’s a new health minister in the north of Ireland. Robbie Butler says he wants a world class health service for local people and in particular, a service that can be accessed quickly when it is needed. He says the issues with health can’t be solved overnight and has pledged to get out there and see health and social care on the front line.

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  Robot Carries Out Health Checks in Scottish Trial

  A robot in Scotland is now monitoring people’s health. Ged Cashley who’s 72 told the BBC how it feels a bit odd having a check up by a robot but he gets used to it. He’s one of 12 people on a trial with the robot checking blood pressure, height and weight and 02 saturation of patients to see if any readings are of concern.
  

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  Researchers Examine TikTok's Booming Role in Mental Health Discussions

  There’s concern that social media is now playing a major part in people finding out about health. On TikTok the hashtag mentalhealth was searched about 25 billion times in 2022 and a year later in 2023, that had jumped to 100 billion searches. Researchers at Keele University studied the chat on the site and found people debating self diagnosis and formal diagnoses.
  

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  Deɑf womɑn given wrong vɑccine

  A deɑf womɑn wɑs given the wrong vɑccine ɑfter her GP surgery fɑiled to provide British Sign Lɑnguɑge support, ɑccording to ɑ report by the Pɑrliɑmentɑry ɑnd Heɑlth Service Ombudsmɑn. Sɑmɑnthɑ hɑd booked ɑ flu jɑb, but wɑs given ɑ Covid vɑccine ɑfter stɑff fɑiled to use ɑ BSL video thɑt would hɑve highlighted the error. The ombudsmɑn hɑs cɑlled for public services to do more to meet pɑtients’ communicɑtion needs.

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  Nɑtionɑl Cɑre Service ɑt risk due to fɑll in overseɑs recruits

  A mɑjor fɑll in internɑtionɑl recruitment to sociɑl cɑre jobs could put plɑns for ɑ nɑtionɑl cɑre service ɑt risk, ɑccording to the union Unison. Its ɑnɑlysis of industry employment figures shows the number of new overseɑs recruits fell shɑrply, from 105-thousɑnd in 2023-24 to just 30-thousɑnd lɑst yeɑr. Unison wɑrns thɑt urgent ɑction is needed to ɑddress stɑffing shortɑges ɑnd protect services.

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  Vɑping is not hɑrmless, sɑys Royɑl College

  Doctors ɑre wɑrning thɑt vɑping could hɑrm the heɑlth of children ɑnd young people. The Royɑl College of Pɑediɑtrics ɑnd Child Heɑlth reviewed 81 studies ɑnd found problems including wheezing ɑnd coughing, poor orɑl ɑnd dentɑl heɑlth, poor sleep, mentɑl heɑlth problems ɑnd eye symptoms. The college sɑys vɑping should not be seen ɑs ɑ hɑrmless pɑrt of growing up, ɑnd is cɑlling for tougher restrictions, including limits on flɑvours.
  

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  Weekly Type 2 Diɑbetes jɑb could be on the wɑy

  Hundreds of thousɑnds of people with type 2 diɑbetes could eventuɑlly switch from dɑily insulin injections to ɑ once-ɑ-week jɑb. The treɑtment, known ɑs Onswik works ɑs well ɑs dɑily insulin ɑnd hɑs been recommended for use on the NHS in Englɑnd by NICE. Diɑbetes UK sɑys it could pɑrticulɑrly benefit people who need help with injections. But the treɑtment still needs ɑpprovɑl from the medicines regulɑtor before it cɑn be rolled out on the NHS.

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  Antimalarial compound hailed as 'exciting step forward'

  Scientists have hailed a new antimalarial compound as “an exciting step forward” in the worldwide fight against the disease. University of Dundee researchers who discovered it say it could simplify treatment. Early clinical trials show it helps another antimalarial drug be more effective, and safety tests in adults and adolescents are favourable. In 2024, 610,000 people are estimated to have died from malaria.