Latest news with #ICB
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Gluten-free prescriptions could be withdrawn for adult coeliac patients
Adult patients with coeliac disease in South Yorkshire could have their gluten-free food prescriptions withdrawn as the NHS tries to save patients diagnosed with the disease can get prescriptions for gluten-free (GF) bread and flour, but proposals mean only those under 18 would be Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which plans to withdraw the prescriptions, said GF food was readily available in most supermarkets and the change would save the NHS locally around £372, doctors and patients raised concerns the "poorest and most vulnerable" patients would struggle with the cost and the move could cause long-term health problems. The lifelong autoimmune disease is caused by a reaction to gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, and 7,856 patients across South Yorkshire have a diagnosis, according to the ICB examined the price of bread in several supermarkets and found at the highest end, Lidl's GF 480g white loaf was £2.99 compared to an 800g normal loaf for 49p.A prescription allows patients between eight and 10 loaves a month on the NHS. Helen Armstrong from Sheffield was diagnosed in 2014 and writes the food blog Steeliac, offering GF recipes and restaurant said: "I think the public sometimes has a misconception that prescriptions enable people to get cakes and biscuits on the NHS."I'm thankfully able to afford to buy the basics but people with lower incomes will be severely impacted and it's the budget supermarkets where we are seeing the biggest price difference between GF and normal bread."It will have a huge impact on people who are shopping on limited budgets." The coeliac specialty service in Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital sees 400-500 patients per year and says prescriptions help patients stick to a GF dietitian Dr Nick Trott said: "This disease is a severe autoimmune condition, it's not an intolerance, and there is no other medical treatment apart from a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet."If these prescriptions are withdrawn the people it will affect are the poorer, more socially and economically deprived members of society, the people who are most likely to struggle to adhere to the only treatment."It's targeting, potentially, a group of people who are most vulnerable."I think potentially this could be seen as a short-term cost saving that will have knock-on effects down the line that would result in more healthcare costs in the long term."The change would follow national guidelines and align with neighbouring health ICB said: "If patients can't access prescribed GF products, this may increase the likelihood that they consume gluten, leading to medical complications and higher cost to the NHS."It should be noted however that manufactured GF bread often contains ultra-processed ingredients."By prescribing manufactured GF products, the NHS could be seen to be encouraging the consumption of ultra-processed foods." An NHS South Yorkshire spokesperson said: "We are currently reviewing gluten-free prescribing guidance to understand if it still provides the best value for the people of South Yorkshire."We have listened to local people and taken into consideration national context to ensure best value for money as well as meeting the needs of our population."We are seeking the views of councillors to assess what we have heard and consider any further engagement activity".Sheffield City Council will discuss the proposal at a meeting later. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
India saved ₹60,681 crore forex by cutting coal imports in 2024-25: G. Kishan Reddy
India has reduced its annual coal imports by around 20.91 million tonnes, enabling the country to save foreign exchange to the tune of ₹60,681.67 crore during the FY 2024-2025 compared to FY 2023-24, Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy informed Parliament on Monday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that the total coal imported into the country during 2024-25 was 243.62 million tonnes (MT), whereas, in 2023-24, it was 264.53 MT. He said that most of the requirement of coal in the country is met through indigenous production. The Ministry of Coal has set an ambitious domestic coal production target of about 1.5 billion tonnes by FY 2029-30. The focus of the Government is on increasing the domestic production of coal and reducing non-essential coal imports. The Ministry of Coal also launched the Coal Logistic Plan and Policy in February 2024 to develop infrastructure for efficient coal evacuation in the country, considering increased coal production projection by FY 2029-30. For reducing dependence on imported coal and promoting domestic production, the Government has facilitated allocation of coal blocks, encouraging private sector participation and streamlining the process for obtaining necessary approvals for coal mining projects. Additionally, the thrust is on increasing coal production by government coal companies by introduction of modern technologies like First Mile connectivity (FMC) and digitalisation, the minister explained. He also said that in order to encourage consumption of domestic coal, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) was constituted for coal import substitution. IMC, through its various meetings, has identified Import Coal Based (ICB) plants where the supply of domestic coal may be examined. These plants have indicated their specific coal requirements and preferred CIL subsidiaries. Besides, the government has been focusing on improving coal evacuation infrastructure. In line with Government of India directives, Coal companies have undertaken improvement in coal transportation and supply chain efficiency through construction of new Railway lines and First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects in a phased manner. He further stated that under the Government's Revised Shakti Policy, 2025, the Imported Coal Based (ICB) Plants are allowed to secure coal under Window-II of the Policy, which has helped to increase the consumption of domestic coal.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Concerns over fall in MMR vaccine uptake in North East after Liverpool measles death
The fall in uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in children in the North East over the last ten years has been described as "concerning" - despite still being well above the national average. The death of a child from measles in Liverpool shows that the nation needs to 'redouble its efforts' to vaccinate more children, according to Wes Streeting. The most recently available figures show that vaccination rates of MMR1 at 24 months - the first dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine - and the second dose (MMR2) at five-years-old have both fallen across the region. The percentage of children who had the two vaccines in the North East in 2013/14 was 95.5 per cent (MMR1) and 92.9 per cent (MMR2). But the rates had fallen to 93.9 per cent (MMR1) and 89.7 per cent (MMR2) in 2023/24. Despite the fall, the North East continues to buck the trend as the vaccination rate ranks as one of the highest in the country and is still above the national average. The percentage of children receiving the MMR1 vaccine nationwide in 2023/24 was 88.9 per cent, and the figure for MMR2 was 83.9 per cent. The national target is 95%. Dr Catherine Monaghan, medical director, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) said: "Whilst uptake of the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine in our region continues to be higher than the national average, any fall in vaccination rates is concerning for us. "Measles is a highly infectious illness, and can cause life-changing complications including blindness, deafness and swelling of the brain. Very sadly measles can sometimes be fatal." County Durham is the best county in the North East for vaccine uptake, but rates there have fallen over the last ten years. Children in with both doses of MMR vaccine by their fifth birthday (Image: PA WIRE) In 2013/14, the vaccination rates of MMR1 at 24 months was 97.2 per cent, which fell to 95.7 per cent in 2023/24. The vaccination rates of MMR2 at five-years-old in 2013/14 was 94.6 per cent, which fell to 94.2 per cent in 2023/24. The rates also fell in Darlington, where the leader of the council noted the "downward trend" and encouraged residents to "protect your family". Councillor Stephen Harker said: "All the current evidence tells us that getting vaccinated is safer than not getting vaccinated and I would strongly encourage parents and carers to check that their child is up to date with their MMR vaccination. "This is usually administered at around one year and then again at three years and four months." Last year, there were 79 confirmed cases of measles in the North East, the lowest of anywhere in the country. The next highest was the North West (99), with London having the highest (1,305). So far in 2025, there have only been six recorded cases in the North East, the lowest in the country by some distance. The next lowest is the East Midlands (17), with London again being the highest (233). Dr Monaghan spoke further of the dangers of coming into contact with someone who has measles. She said: "Spending just 15 minutes or more in direct contact with someone infected is enough to catch measles, making it one of the most infectious diseases in the world. "Anyone who has not yet had their MMR vaccination (or is not otherwise immune because they have previously had measles), is at risk of catching this very serious but completely preventable disease, which is highly likely to spread rapidly if people remain unvaccinated. Recommended Reading: Steve Cram launches Durham City Run Festival with talk at Gala Theatre County Durham mum who lost son, 14, in river tragedy issues holiday water safety plea Partnership launched to give 'green skills' to people across North East "Anyone whose immunity is compromised, including pregnant women, are also at increased risk of severe disease from measles." Dr Monaghan stressed that NHS health teams across the region are working to increase uptake by identifying the areas with lower MMR rates and engaging with these communities around their vaccination needs. The full list of vaccine uptake in the last ten years across the North East can be found below. MMR1 at 24 months in 2013/14 County Durham - 97.2% Darlington - 93.4% Hartlepool - 91.7% Middlesbrough - 92.7% Redcar and Cleveland - 95.5% Stockton-on-Tees - 94.6% MMR1 at 24 months in 2023/24 County Durham - 95.7% Darlington - 91.9% Hartlepool - 93.5% Middlesbrough - 86.9% Redcar and Cleveland - 92.7% Stockton-on-Tees - 93.3% MMR2 at five-years-old in 2013/14 County Durham - 94.6% Darlington - 91.3% Hartlepool - 90.3% Middlesbrough - 90.3% Redcar and Cleveland - 93.4% Stockton-on-Tees - 90.6% MMR2 at five-years-old in 2023/24 County Durham - 94.2% Darlington - 87.9% Hartlepool - 89.2% Middlesbrough - 77.9% Redcar and Cleveland - 89.1% Stockton-on-Tees - 89.7%
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Protest against permanent closure of Lichfield birthing unit
Residents from Lichfield took part in a walking protest to oppose the permanent closure of a maternity unit in Staffordshire. Campaigners said that "mothers need a real choice" and closing the birthing unit at Samuel Johnson Community Hospital for good would take away options for local families. Families took part in a pram push on Saturday after a public consultation was launched by the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) last freestanding midwife-led birthing units (FMBUs) at Samuel Johnson and County Hospital in Stafford were temporarily stopped due to the pandemic - the body is gathering views on whether they should reopen. Pregnant mothers have still been able to attend the hospitals for antenatal and postnatal appointments but have been unable to give birth at the many have been waiting for the midwife-led services to resume, the ICB said the viability of the units was being questioned. Local residents, families who had used the maternity units in the past and pregnant mothers all gathered in the pouring rain in protest as they walked from Lichfield guildhall to Samuel Johnson. Hannah Weaver, who gave birth at the Lichfield unit before the pandemic, told the BBC her experience there was "empowering".She said: "I had an extremely positive and extremely empowering experience [at Samuel Johnson]."I think it's important women have a choice about where they want to give birth, and that choice is being taken away from the residents of Lichfield."The pram push is to show people we are against the proposal for closure and that we really make sure we keep safe births in Lichfield where there's choice. "That's the main thing - maternity choice."If services at the facility do not resume, the closest birthing unit for expectant mothers in Lichfield is at Queen's Hospital, in Burton. Speaking on the original decision to close the services, the ICB said it was made to ensure there was enough staff for the maternity departments at Royal Stoke University Hospital and Queen's Hospital in Johnstone, chief nursing and therapies officer, told the BBC if services were to resume, the midwives staffing the units would be taken away from the county's busiest hospitals. She said: "The units have been shut for five years, so the most recent data we have is from 2020."There were around 18 births a month, so 220 births a year. It requires a lot of midwifery staffing to safely staff that unit."It's taking those midwives away from facilities where they could be providing care to a broader range of people."The public consultation will run until 3 August and people have been urged to share their views on the ICB's website. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
St Peter's Hospital in Maldon to shut stroke and birthing units
NHS leaders have decided to move the majority of a 151-year-old hospital's services to elsewhere in Peter's Hospital in Maldon would no longer have a birthing unit or 16 stroke rehabilitation services and ambulatory care were due to remain at the site until 2030, when they would be replaced by a new health NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) claimed the building was "dilapidated", but campaigners said closing it would have been a "disgrace". Closure plans were paused in September due to widespread backlash from the community. But on Thursday, the ICB decided to press ahead with ending most care provided at the the new arrangement, it agreed to:Offer 25 stroke rehabilitation beds at Brentwood Community Hospital and 22 at the Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre in RochfordMake 25 intermediate care beds available in BrentwoodPermanently close the stroke rehabilitation unit at St Peter's HospitalRelocate the midwife-led birthing unit 16 miles (25km) away to Braintree Community HospitalKeep outpatient services and ambulatory care at St Peter's Hospital for five years while the new health hub was built It came as the ICB branded the hospital building "high-risk and unsuitable for long-term clinical care", citing flooding and unreliable Abell, the chief executive of NHS Mid and South Essex, said he "listened carefully" to all feedback."The decisions reached today reflect our ambition to improve health services for everyone who lives in mid and south Essex," he Abell vowed to work closely with staff and the community to achieve "the best possible outcomes for patients".When the BBC was allowed inside the hospital in 2024, cracks could be seen in the walls and water damage was the facility fit for purpose was estimated to cost £18.7m - a price the ICB said was "more money than is available".It said a future health hub or replacement for the hospital must be opened within five years. About 500 people a year in mid and south Essex need to stay in hospital for specialist stroke Peter's saw about 300 patients a day with more than 80,000 appointments a year, according to the tests, X-rays, dermatology, maternity and orthopaedics were among the services provided at the Beckett, who campaigned to keep the building open, said keeping some services was good news."I'm very, very pleased with the outcome," she said."Not everyone's going to be happy, but what we've got is certainly a lot more than we would've if we didn't take part in the campaign." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
