Our roundup of the health news headlines on Wednesday 4 January.
The PIP breast implant saga continues, with health secretary Andrew Lansley desperately trying to reassure women with implants that there is no evidence to suggest they should have them removed.
Anyone seeing his obvious discomfort in explaining why they don't have the data yet from private surgeons on the BBC this morning may feel a bit sorry for him, but as RCGP chair (and True Champion of General Practice for 2011) Dr Clare Gerada points out on Twitter:
‘Difficult interview for Mr Lansley a) not statistician b) not a clinician c) not NHS issue (although NHS will be left to pick up pieces).'
In other surprising news, the Guardian reports that an NHS trust says it has found the answer to providing efficient NHS care after closing a hospital.
North Bristol NHS Trust recently published a document detailing its planned alternative to closing a hospital at Frenchay. The new 'health and social care campus' will have a community hospital and nursing home owned by the private sector, a new GP surgery, 'extra care' housing, and outpatient services for people with long-term conditions.
Lastly, in the most surprising health ad campaign hook-up of the year so far, the Metro reports that the famously ball-grabbing hardman Vinnie Jones is fronting a new campaign for the British Heart Foundation providing advice on how to perform 'hands-only' CPR.
The new advert sees the footballer-turned-actor resuscitating an unconscious man to the sound of the Bee Gees hit Stayin' Alive. And he restrains from grabbing his goolies (in case you wondered).
