By Laura Passi
Our roundup of health news headlines on Monday 31 January.
A second debate on the health and social bill will happen today in the House of Commons as protesters prepare to demonstrate against it outside parliament. The Guardian reports a warning from David Cameron that if the changes are not implemented, the ‘NHS will become 'increasingly unaffordable''.
However, Andrew Lansley's proposals have ‘come under fierce criticism from the unions and clinicians in recent weeks.' The results of a YouGov survey of 2,000 members of the public released over the weekend 'showed that half were opposed to the move'.
The Independent reports findings from the Office for National Statistics which have been described as ‘scandalous'. ‘650 elderly residents have died of dehydration in the past five years' and 157 from malnutrition. Neil Duncan-Jordan of the National Pensioners Convention said ‘the fact that people are dying from these sorts of causes is absolutely shocking in the 21st Century.' And the Daily Digest is inclined to agree with him.
Despite the recession, cosmetic surgery has increased according to figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reports the Daily Mail. Most ‘buoyant' were breast augmentation and face lifts. Among males ‘moob jobs' (male breast reduction) had risen, second only to nose reshaping. ‘Women seeking cosmetic surgery still outstripped men eight to one, yet there was a 7% increase in men seeking surgery, compared with a 5% rise in women.'
It's time to talk about the facts of life… the birds, the bees and your poo! Actually not so much the birds and the bees (sorry!), as health minister Paul Burstow launches new cancer awareness program Be Clear on Cancer, where people are encouraged to talk to their GP if there are changes in their poo.
As The Daily Telegraph reports he admits ‘no one likes talking about their poo – it's embarrassing' but early diagnosis of bowel cancer can increase the chances of survival. ‘Among those diagnosed at a late stage, only 6.6% survive at least five years after diagnosis. However, among those diagnosed at an early stage, more than nine in 10 people survive to five years'
Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know, and we'll update the digest throughout the day...
Daily digest
