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Worsening maternity care, the ‘kerb-crawling’ GPC member and how your future is written in your hands

By Nigel Praities

Our roundup of health news headlines on Friday 26 November.

The Daily Mail's ‘life' section is a marvellous read. Not only does it have in-depth analysis of the attractiveness of Gary Lineker's wife's breasts, it bosts whole-page feature on how your hands reveal your future.

Apparently women with short index fingers are more likely to be lesbians and be aggressive, take risks and have bigger muscles. They are also more likely to be sexually adventurous, which brings me neatly to our next story on Dr Grant Ingrams.

You can almost hear Paul Dacre rubbing his calloused hands together, after Dr Ingrams appeared at a fitness to practise hearing at the General Medical Council. Dr Ingrams, a West Midlands GP who sits on the GPC, was accused of (how can we put this delicately) purchasing certain services from ladies... but has mercifully been allowed to keep his job with certain conditions.

Moving on swiftly, the newspapers are full of bad news for new mothers. Concerns over maternity care have been raised by a report from the Care Quality Commission that shows too few women are giving birth lying down and one in five mothers are left alone and worried after delivery.

Pregnant women with epilepsy taking the drug carbamazepine are more likely to have a child with spina bifida, and if you are pregnant and live near a main road you are more likely to have your baby prematurely.

Lovely news – thank goodness for the light relief of Mrs Lineker's bountiful boobies.

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

Daily digest