Expert Witness : Medico Legal – page 11

Banning 'pocket money-priced alcohol' could save thousands of lives, say doctors

Your Expert Witness Andrew Lansley Group of leading doctors and academics say there is an 'urgent need' to raise the price of cheap alcohol

Thousands of lives could be saved if cheap alcoholic drinks were made more expensive, medical experts said.
A group of leading doctors and academics urged the Government to bring in a minimum price for alcoholic beverages, saying that 'pocket money prices' should be a thing of the past.

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, 19 experts said there was an 'urgent need' to raise the price of cheap alcohol.

WHO issues Europe measles warning

Your Expert Witness measles Measles is usually a mild illness - but can be fatal

European countries need to act now to tackle measles outbreaks, the World Health Organization warns.

The WHO report says there were over 26,000 measles cases in 36 European countries from January to October 2011.

Western European countries reported 83% of those cases, with 14,000 in France alone.

Health and Council Chiefs pledge to reduce young people’s harmful drinking

Your Expert Witness Alcohol pledge North West health and Council chiefs have pledged to reduce the harm caused by alcohol to children and young people, as new studies show alcohol continues to pose a risk to under-18s, with more than half getting drink from their parents.

A total of 16 Directors of Public Health from NHS and local government organisations across the region signed up to the North West Young People and Alcohol Programme in a ceremony in Manchester.

Imperva says staff training is essential when medical records are concerned

Your Expert Witness Rob Rachwald Commenting on reports that healthcare and IT experts warned the US Congress earlier this month about security concerns surrounding the increasing use of EHRs (electronic health records), Imperva says that media reports and research points to a lack of understanding within healthcare organisations as to why EHRs need protecting.

According to Rob Rachwald, director of security with the data security specialist, recent research from PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 64 per cent of staff working with EHR data were unaware of whether – or not – their firm had suffered a data breach within the last two years (http://bit.ly/sS0NmX).

Breast cancer drug refused on the NHS

Your Expert Witness breast cancer A new breast cancer drug that can extend the lives of sufferers cannot be provided on the NHS, the drugs rationing body has announced.

The drug, Faslodex, may help women with breast cancer to live for a further three years but will not be provided on the NHS, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has ruled.

The drug costs £500 a month, up to 84 times more than alternatives already available, and the evidence it works any better is 'uncertain', a spokesman for Nice said.