Our round-up of the health headlines on Wednesday 27 June.
Everyone has tried to get out of detention at school before but one girl decided the only way out was to have a heart attack. 17-year-old Tabatha McElligott was so shocked at getting detention for the first time an undiagnosed heart condition kicked in. She is now back on her feet after open heart surgery and trying to stay out of trouble.
The Mail reports today, four in five GPs prescribe drugs to addicted patients, research has shown. The survey by the Family Doctors Association said half of doctors were worried about addiction. The survey of 197 GPs reveals that a staggering 80% of doctors are worried about prescribing to people who may be addicted.
Parents are ignoring their child's obesity problems, and tactics used by GPs to help them lose weight are failing, according to the Mail. Dr David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum said doctors can spot an overweight child straight away, but the problem is motivating them to lose weight. His comments came after research revealed two in three kids could be obese by 2050.
In the wake of Amy Winehouse's tragic death, MPs are reviewing waiting times for drug addicts to get into rehab. Mitch Winehouse claimed at his daughter's funeral yesterday addicts face a two-year wait on the NHS for treatment in rehab. The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee said they would investigate waiting times for addicts.
A man's chance of getting bowel cancer has doubled since the 1970s the Telegraph reports. Cancer Research UK says the chance of a man getting bowel cancer was one in 29 in the mid 70s but this has gone up to one in 15 in 2011. A woman's chance of getting it has also risen from one in 29 to one in 19.
Thalidomide, the drug which caused birth defects in over 10,000 babies in the 1960s is being prescribed on the NHS to fight multiple myeloma. The drug was banned in 1961 after it was discovered to cause birth defects after being prescribed to pregnant women to stop morning sickness. The drug is used to fight brain and kidney cancer in the UK.
The Independent reports one in 14 people on disability benefits are unable to work. Charities have attacked ministers and accused them of suggesting disabled people are ‘scroungers'. The figures from the Department of Work and Pensions reveal that 39% of those applying for the benefit were able to work.
