This site is intended for health professionals only


GPs ‘refusing prostate cancer tests’, aspirin use linked to hearing loss and what David Cameron stands for

By Steve Nowottny

Our roundup of news headline on Monday 1 March.

A relatively quiet day for health news this morning, with many of the papers choosing to focus on David Cameron's keynote speech to the Conservative Party Spring Forum.

The speech included prominent mention of the NHS – although it wasn't alone. Under the Daily Mail's banner headline (‘Cameron: This is what I stand for') we're told the Tories' Mr Fix It also plans to support marriage, support pensioners, allow schools to escape local council control and tackle the budget deficit.

The Daily Telegraph reports a poll by The Prostate Cancer Charity which found that ‘a fifth of men in at-risk age groups who asked their GP for a test used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer had their requests turned down'.

The story quotes prostate cancer survivor John von Radowitz, 55, from London, who says: ‘If my GP had refused my request for a PSA test, I probably wouldn't be here now, because my cancer was locally advanced and quite aggressive. It's absolutely outrageous that GPs are turning down requests.

The Telegraph also reports a study published in the American Journal of Medicine which found that ‘the regular use of common painkillers such as aspirin and paracetemol can signficantly increase the risk of hearing loss'.

Researchers found that men under 60 are a third more likely to have hearing problems if they regularly take aspirin.

And finally, the Independent reports concerns that the scale of murders committed by the mentally ill is being ‘played down', with campaigners warning that there may be more than 100 such incidents every year, compared with the 50 stated officially.

Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know and we'll update the digest throughout the day...

Daily Digest