mediscope
Manchester Medical School
have all moved on in the last 10 years. We want to ensure that our graduates feel well prepared for clinical practice and are familiar with the approaches to education that they will encounter in the Foundation programme. The detailed plans for the major revisions to Year 5 are coming together, with ‘exempting’ assessments in January so that those students who need further support are identified early and can pass their Finals on time in July and other students can focus on clinical practice. All students will be given experience with work-based assessments as well as continuing to build their portfolio. There is a new ‘taster’ block in which students can choose experiences in different specialities for a short time. I know that the management team have plans for keeping people informed and I suggest that it would be good to take any opportunity to hear about the new Year 5. A few things that I have held over to next time are the thinking that has started about a major Year 4 revision, partly due to the large changes that are planned for women’s and children’s health services around Greater Manchester. I might also talk about assessment, including the Progress test and some specific areas such as statistics and critical appraisal…..? It would be good to have a few more suggestions to write about! Professor Paul O’Neill is Head of Manchester Medical School and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medical & Human Sciences
GPeeved
info
National News junior doctors often get no more than a 60 minute presentation on the subject and unlike nurses and pharmacists, doctors are not obliged to pass a test. Adult doses are standardised, however child doses are worked out individually according to weight, age and if they are premature. One study in the US stated that prescription errors were three times more common in children. Guardian 16/01/08
NHS is spending around £200m a year more than it should on medicines, says a report from the public accounts committee. New drugs are protected for up to 20 years before generic manufacturers can make cheap copies, enabling pharmaceutical companies to meet development costs. However companies frequently add small changes to the drug, giving them further protection. Edward Leigh, committee chairman says £850m is spent marketing these products to GPs every year, and is calling for all GPs to declare gifts they receive. Better dementia care is needed, says a Guardian 17/01/08 report by the House of Commons. Despite being on the increase, dementia is Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called not a priority for the NHS. Recognising for GPs to be more accessible in evenings the disease at an early stage greatly and weekends. GPs have been told they improves disease progression. The report must sign up to new working hour highlights a need for early diagnosis, and proposals or face salary cuts. The British improved training for care home workers. Medical Association has advised that this extra demand should be implemented with an increase in doctor numbers. www.bbc.co.uk Alcohol-related deaths could be reduced by up to 29% says the British Medical Association, if tax was increased by 10%. This comes as Tesco admits that the low price of alcohol encourages the British culture of binge drinking. The Doctors need more training in prescribing Government is now undertaking appropriate child doses says a recent legislation to regulate low prices; at the questionnaire. The London University moment some supermarkets are selling school of pharmacy and the Royal College strong larger for just 28p. of Paediatrics and Child Health found that
Don't forget about the old
Nation of boozers
Errors in child drug doses
International News China
Brazil
Beijing olympics: not looking too healthy International olympic committee warned that pollution levels in the city of Beijing may carry health risks for athletes competing in events that last longer than an hour. As one of the most polluted cities in the world, the committee has advised that some events could be rescheduled if, on the day, pullution levels are found to be especially high. This is a blow to organisers, especially on the last day of events, where they must now consider what to do if air quality is poor for the mens marathon. uk.reuters.com
Dengue fever epidemic could have been prevented So far 60 have died from dengue fever in one of Rio de Janeiro's poorest shanty towns since January, and 60 more deaths are being investigated. Thousands are in need of medical help, but government organised aid tents are a rare sight. The army has now set up a few field hospitals and one judge has ordered authorities to use private hospitals if necessary. Many health professionals say this is a crisis that could have been avoided by better planning and provision of resources. www.bbc.co.uk
Sudan The medical organisation, Medecins Sans Frontières is struggling to keep up with the demand for care in Southern Sudan. The civil war, and tentative peace agreement have encouraged many other aid organisations out of the area, and MSF is now the only organisation providing medical help in many regions. MSF is designed to provide short term service, but with an increase in long term patients, their ability to react to epidemics such as cholera is being sacrificed. At present there is one doctor for every 400,000 people. As a country that rarely receives media attention, this situation is predicted to get worse still. www.msf.org
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