Prostate cancer is currently on the rise in the UK, but according to Cancer Research UK, despite a rise in the number of cases each year in the UK, fatalities as a result of the cancer are going down. However, prostate cancer still claims 10,000 victims every year in the UK; that’s 24 men in every 100,000. Oestrogen has been used in the treatment of prostate cancer for some time, but Imperial College London hopes that the new delivery system will be a safer alternative to the current injections.

Safe and effective?

They tested patches on 254 patients and found that the patches were ‘safe’ and reduced the appearance of menopausal-type side effects. By increasing the amount of oestrogen and reducing the testosterone in the body, the growth of prostate cancer cells can be slowed. But taking oestrogen orally put an increased strain on the liver, and could cause blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

Similarly, injected oestrogen delivery methods in the form of a drug known as LHRHa led to reduced bone density and diabetes – both symptoms of the menopause usually seen in women.

Whilst the patches are still in their early testing period, it is hoped that they will prove to be effective at slowing the progress of prostate cancer cells and will be a workable solution to the problem of safe but effective oestrogen delivery methods. The second testing phase is now in progress, and tests are now being carried out on 600 patients. The tests are being part-funded by Cancer Research UK, and the results are being eagerly awaited.

HPV vaccine – prevention better than cure

After last year’s concerted effort to vaccinate girls aged 12 with the HPV vaccine to combat the future possibility of cervical cancer, a cancer charity has now called for all 12-year-old boys to receive the same vaccination too. In boys, the HPV vaccine can protect recipients against developing throat cancer in later life, as well as a range of other cancers too. At the moment only Australia routinely offers universal HPV vaccination to both boys and girls.

HPV stands for human papillomavirus, which is a very common infection that is mainly transmitted sexually. It has been linked in particular to the development of cervical cancer in young women, as well as genital warts and herpes in both males and females. It does, however, have a slightly more tenuous link to throat cancer, although this link isn’t as strong as its connection with cervical cancer.

However The Throat Cancer Foundation say that providing young boys with the vaccination could immunise them against developing what can be a very difficult form of cancer to treat in later life.

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Dean and Vice-President of the University’s Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences and Director of MAHSC, Professor Ian Jacobs, has expressed his delight at having such a renowned expert in the field of cardiology heading up the new institute, and sees it as a major step forward for the advancement of cardiac studies not just in Manchester, but in the UK. “This is a key step in our plans to continue building a world-leading centre of excellence for research in cardiovascular sciences and to work with our NHS partners through MAHSC to deliver outstanding clinical care for our region” he explained. “Our initiative and partnership in cardiovascular research means that we will be well positioned to compete for a prestigious NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in due course.”

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According to a senior figure at the NHS commissioning board, the NHS may shift entirely from paper-based communications to digital systems as early as 2015. Nursing Times reports that Tim Kelsey, Director of Patient and Public Engagement, Insight and Informatics, said he was: “…pushing for the end of 2015 to be the moment that we eradicate paper from the NHS.” He went on to say that the switch to digital methods of communications would mean the end of lost records and referral letters.

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The Coalition government handed NHS bosses a less than welcome early Christmas present this month when they sent them letters asking for their resignations.

The unprecedented move was revealed by Labour, who claim on their official website that: “Hundreds of senior NHS figures, many with years of experience and public service, have in recent days received letters demanding their immediate resignation.”

Those sent the letters, which include pre-written resignation letters, are chairpersons and directors of primary care trusts. These resignations are thought to pave the way for the controversial reforms that are planned for the NHS, including the transference of the decision making, budget managing and service provision processes from managerial staff to consortiums of GPs. However, these revelations about resignation letters come months before the reform proposals are rubber-stamped through parliament.

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The big news recently has of course been the strikes across the public sector, with an estimated two million people taking part in the one day strike on 30^th November, including more than 100,000 nurses (according to the Nursing Times).

The strike, which was organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and supported by 29 different trade unions including Unite, Unison and the GMB, is in protest against significant upcoming changes to pensions for workers in the public sector. These changes include rising contributions, matching retirement age to state pension age, and the scrapping of final salary schemes.

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As news of rising unemployment and job shortages in the UK continues, Glouchestershire is apparently facing the opposite problem: not enough skilled engineers to fill hi-tech vacancies.

According to a BBC report many engineering firms in the county are struggling to find enough qualified engineers to fill their vacancies.

Steve Darnell, the regional manager of Moog (a company that manufactures valves for F1 cars, aircraft and more) told the broadcaster: “We have a shortage of all types of engineers. Production engineers, manufacturing engineers, we’re looking for all types of people and we’re short of all of them.”

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According to a recent report in Nursing Times, the number of community nurses who have now left the NHS to join social enterprise schemes exceeds 10,000.

The basis for social enterprises stems from the Right to Request, introduced in 2008. This basically makes it possible for any frontline NHS staff to apply to their Primary Care Trust to deliver community nursing services, such as drop-in centres, mental health care and drug addiction programmes, through a not-for-profit social enterprise.

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