Seven day GP access plans from 'cloud cuckoo land', child respiratory infections dropped after smoking ban, and fruit snacks worse than a bag of sweets

The Guardian reports that the Government’s plans for seven day working have been branded ‘cloud cuckoo land’ by RCGP chair Professor Maureen Baker.

The college has lambasted the Government for forcing the issue on a ‘political imperative’ while the profession is ‘teetering omn the brink’ and said better investment in regular services would allow much more demand to be taken on.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: ‘These comments are out of step with what we know patients want – access to a GP after office hours or at the weekend to suit their busy lives. The fact is that thousands of GPs share our vision and are already opening clinics seven days a week.’

There have been 11,000 fewer children admitted to hospitals each year with lung infections since the intrdocution of the ban on smoking indoors in public places in 2007, the BBC reports.

The study by the University of Edinburgh reviewed 1.6 million admissions of under 14s from 2001-12, comparing actual admissions with those expected had the ban not been introduced.

It was estimated that admissions with respiratory infections fell by 3.5% immediately after the ban, while admissions with chest infections fell by 14%. Though the study can’t prove causation, the authors said ‘the introduction of smoke-free legislation was associated with significant reductions in hospital admissions among children.’

And finally the Independent reports that processed fruit snack packs, marketed for children as healthy alternatives to sweets, actually contain higher concentratiosn fo sugar that a bag of haribo

Campaign group Action on Sugar said parents were being misled and showed 80 out of 94 fruit pack products surveyed contained more than 47g of sugar per 100g.