Drugs for dementia 'killing thousands'
Drugs prescribed to make dementia sufferers more manageable in care homes
could be killing more than 23,000 people prematurely each year, a report
claims today.
Anti-psychotic drugs prescribed to treat agitation, sleep disturbance and
aggression are being given to 100,000 elderly people each year to keep them
“quiet and manageable”, according to the report by the Liberal Democrat MP
Paul Burstow.
Mr Burstow bases his figures on the findings of a study by King’s College
London, which compared survival rates between a group of patients given the
drugs and a group given a placebo. After 24 months those taking a placebo
had a 78 per cent survival rate, compared with 55 per cent for those on
drugs; after 42 months the survival rates were 60 per cent on the placebo
and 28 per cent for those prescribed the drugs.
His report will be debated in Parliament today.
Marines killed days before tour ends
Two Royal Marine commandos who were within days of leaving Afghanistan for
home after a gruelling six-month tour have been killed by a roadside bomb in
Helmand province (Michael Evans writes).
The two Marines of 40 Commando were hit by an explosion as they took part in a
patrol in the area of Kajaki, where a vital hydroelectric power plant
provides electricity for the region. The Royal Marines’ 40 Commando has been
serving with 52 Brigade since October. “It’s tragic to lose anyone but it’s
even more so with these guys and their families because they had come to the
end of their tour,” one defence source said.
Their deaths on Sunday, confirmed by the Ministry of Defence yesterday,
brought the total fatal casualties in the campaign in Afghanistan to 91, all
but five occurring in the past two years.
The two commandos are to be named by the MoD today. Next of kin have been
informed.
Research fears
Britain’s world-leading position in stem-cell research could be jeopardised if
MPs do not pass the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill next month,
scientists have cautioned.
Lord Patel, chairman of the UK National Stem Cell Network, said that the
legislation would improve regulation of research that could help diabetics
and those with Parkinson’s. He backed the creation of human admixed embryos,
containing both human and animal material, and urged the Government to back
amendments that would allow stem cells to be licensed for use in therapy.
‘Propaganda’ row
Labour has denied that it had used public money to fund political propaganda
for the forthcoming local elections. The Conservatives complained after the
Home Office spent more than £148,000 on newspaper advertisements hailing “a
new era” in neighbourhood policing teams, which were published on the same
day as the Prime Minister gave a speech praising the initiative. David
Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, said that the publicity material was a
“thinly disguised piece of political marketing at the taxpayer’s expense”.
The Home Office insisted the adverts were key to promoting the teams.
Health checks at 40
Every person in the country will get regular free health checks once they
reach the age of 40, Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, will announce
today.
The “health MoT” will include screening for a range of heart problems,
diabetes, kidney disease and the risk of stroke.
These conditions cause 200,000 deaths a year and are responsible for a fifth
of all hospital admissions. Some experts say that as many as 90 per cent of
heart attacks and 80 per cent of strokes could be prevented if patients were
on medication. Those considered at risk will also be given dietary and
exercise advice.
Sex offenders freed
Two sex offenders have been released from jail early under an emergency
government measure to ease prison overcrowding.
The two were serving terms of less than six months for “minor sexual offences”
and were eligible for the end-of-custody licence scheme, the Ministry of
Justice said. They were freed up to 18 days early in February.
Last week Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, amended the scheme, introduced in
June, after convicted terrorists were freed early. The figures show that, by
the end of February, 21,041 prisoners were freed under the scheme, of whom
745 have been recalled, with 133 still on the run.
‘Not enough judges’ as terror trials loom
The court system is suffering from a shortage of judges that will be made
worse by a “considerable number of major terrorist trials”, the Lord Chief
Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, has said. It was also struggling
with IT problems and a £200 million backlog in repairs to court buildings.
One reason for the shortage of judges was a series of delays in appointing new
ones after an independent judicial appointments system was set up.
The High Court Queen’s Bench Division had tried to cope with the various
demands on it, but there were “real concerns” about the pressures on the
administrative court, which deals with immigration and other judicial review
cases, he added.
In the four years since 2004, the numbers of cases lodged in the court had
risen from 7,000 to 11,320 – a rise of 61.7 per cent.
Gulf veteran suicides
Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War are committing suicide at a higher rate than
personnel who did not take part. Ministry of Defence statistics disclose 162
deaths from self-harm or with open verdicts at inquest among those who
served and 144 among a similar-sized group of personnel who were not sent to
the Gulf.
Doctor suspended
A doctor who wrongly gave the all-clear to 20 breast cancer patients has been
suspended for 12 months by the General Medical Council. One woman died after
a misdiagnosis by Amjad Husien, a consultant radiologist at Trafford General
Hospital, Manchester. A total of 176 women had to be retested.
Inquest jury ruled out
A jury will not be needed at the inquests of ten servicemen killed when their
Hercules aircraft was shot down over Iraq in 2005. David Masters, the
Wiltshire Coroner, said that he had received assurances that safety measures
had now been introduced on similar aircraft. The inquests continue.
Fatal stabbing
A man was fatally stabbed in the street in Edmonton, North London, last night.
Police said that three men were seen running along the road shortly after
the incident. The victim is believed to be in his early to mid-20s. Four
teenagers from the area have been killed since the beginning of January.
Hoax caller jailed
A hoax caller who bombarded the emergency services with false reports of
people in danger was jailed for four years by Bolton Crown Court. David
Mason, 57, of Tonge Moor, Bolton, pretended that children and elderly people
were in need of desperate attention. Police said: “Mason has been a menace.”
Boost for ‘Tarka’ river
The River Torridge in North Devon, the setting for Henry Williamson’s wildlife
classic Tarka the Otter, is to be boosted with the release of 50,000
young salmon into its headwaters in an attempt by the Environment Agency to
restore local fish stocks. The fry are the offspring of 14 locally caught
adult salmon.
