By Laura Passi
Our roundup of the health news headlines on Monday 14 February.
‘Hospital admissions due to alcohol could rise more than a third by 2015', says the Independent today. The figures come from Alcohol Concern, who have found that the number could rise to 1.5 million admissions a year, ‘unless the Government steps in to tackle the problem'. They recommend the introduction of ‘alcohol health workers in hospitals, A&E units and GP practices' to offer advice to patients about cutting down their alcohol intake.
The Guardian reports the imminent High Court decision which could see the final administration of medical abortions taking place at home. ‘At present, women take two doses of tablets for an early medical abortion, both of which must be taken in a clinic or hospital under medical supervision,' the paper says. However, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service believes that women face anxiety about when the abortion will take place following the second pills and should therefore be able to take them at home.
According to the Daily Mail an NHS trial is to be held where ‘mothers-to-be will be taught to hypnotise themselves before giving birth'. 800 women who are pregnant for the first time will take part in the experiment where they will put themselves into a ‘trance-like state during labour in the hope that they will not need costly drug treatments such as epidurals, laughing gas or morphine'.
And finally, a mind map which the Sun calls ‘amazing' has been drawn up, plotting the mental health of the nation. According to the map, people in the Welsh valleys are ‘most likely to be in a trough of despair', compared to those in the East Midlands which ‘is the nation's mental health mecca - with eight in ten inhabitants insisting it is a "happy" place to live.'
Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll update the digest throughout the day...
Daily digest
