Latest news with #healthboard
Sky News
8 hours ago
- Health
- Sky News
Sunburn isn't just red skin - here's what's happening underneath the burn
The government is warning that the NHS will be under even more pressure this weekend as temperatures soar, so looking after yourself in the sunshine is crucial. But how much do you know about the science behind sunburn… and how to prevent it? What is sunburn? While we all know what sunburned skin looks like - red and sore - it might not be so clear what is happening underneath the skin. "Essentially, it's inflammation," said Dr Rachel Abbott, a consultant dermatologist who specialises in skin cancer for the Cardiff and Vale University health board. Ultraviolet radiation is carcinogenic and when it is allowed to penetrate the skin, it triggers an inflammatory reaction, said Dr Abbott. Histamines - chemicals produced by the body's immune system - and prostaglandins - compounds that help the body deal with injuries and illness - are released as your body begins reacting to the damage. 0:54 Although the inflamed, red, itchy skin will fade, those carcinogens will do permanent damage to your DNA, according to Dr Abbott. "The redness and pain can be managed symptomatically, but that DNA damage is permanent," she said. "We've all got DNA repair mechanisms in our bodies. But this is why we're seeing such a massive increase in skin cancer, because [as we get older], the battle between the DNA damage and the skin cells becomes more than the immune system can cope with." Since the early 1990s, the number of skin cancer cases in Britain has more than doubled and last year, the number of cases was predicted to hit an all-time high of 20,800, according to Cancer Research UK. The cancer charity partially attributed the rise in cases to older groups of people knowing "less about the dangers of tanning in their youth", who "may have taken advantage of the cheap package holiday boom from the 1960s". This would lead to increased sun exposure and more damaged DNA, increasing the risk of skin cancer further down the line. The 'most effective' protection (and it isn't suncream) There is currently no conclusive treatment to deal with the DNA damage caused by sunburn - although Dr Abbott said there is "exciting" work being done in that area. Instead, the way to stop yourself from sustaining long-term damage is to protect yourself from UV rays. "A lot of people associate temperature with the heat of the sun, whereas actually it's the UV index that's the critical thing. And that usually peaks around midday," said Dr Abbott. 1:19 Contrary to what some may think (or hope), suncream should be a last resort. Shade "is the most effective thing", she said, but if you have to be out in the sunshine, "obviously we recommend hats, clothing and then sunscreen". "It is a last resort for those areas that you can't cover up with clothing and hats, and sunglasses." The cancer care charity Macmillan recommends a suncream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50, or at least 30, and to reapply it regularly. "There is no such thing as a safe suntan," advises the charity. It also recommends using around six to eight teaspoons of suncream for an adult - one teaspoon for each limb, one for your chest, one for your back and one for your head and neck.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Nelson Hospital ditches coal now heating fully powered by landfill gas
Nelson Hospital. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Nelson Hospital is not burning coal this winter for the first time since the late 1800s, with its hot water and heating now fully powered by landfill gas. The chimney tower of the hospital's coal boiler, which was deemed earthquake-prone almost 10 years ago, is being dismantled after further investment in the York Valley Landfill meant enough methane was being captured to meet the hospital's needs. The hospital has been using a mix of coal and landfill gas for heating since 2002. It comes after community groups and individuals petitioned the Nelson City Council and former Nelson Marlborough District Health Board for years to end industrial coal use in the region. In 2019, Nelson GP Dr Ngaire Warner called on the health board to stop burning coal, given the environmental and health concerns it posed. She said it was "long overdue" but she was delighted that Nelson Hospital was no longer burning fossil fuels. "It's ironic and really quite disheartening that a health facility continued to burn a fuel well known to have a negative impact on the health of individuals and our wider community for such a long time," Dr Warner said. "There is extensive research showing that coal burning contributes to lung disease and respiratory illnesses, so every small change that corporations can implement to the reduce the burden of disease in our community is a win for everyone." In 2003, open fires were banned in Nelson and tough regulations on woodburner use were introduced from 2010 to improve the city's air quality as it struggled to comply with national air quality standards. Nelson's mayor Nick Smith said end of coal use at the hospital would make a big difference to the city's greenhouse gas emissions and reduce particulate pollution to a negligible level. "Nelson South was one of the most polluted areas anywhere in New Zealand 20 years ago and council's made a big effort in reducing the number of log burners. So, it's improved hugely, but the coal burnt at the hospital remained the largest source of particulate pollution." Nelson mayor Nick Smith. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR He said the chimney also posed a seismic risk and in a large earthquake, was at risk of collapsing onto Waimea Road, disrupting access on one of the main arterial routes to the city and access to the hospital. It had been issued with an earthquake-prone building notice in 2019 which required it to have seismic work completed by 2028. In 2023, Te Whatu Ora Health NZ applied for consent from the Nelson City Council to burn up to 4000 tonnes of coal a year, for another seven years, to heat and power its buildings. This was despite the government aiming to phase out the boilers in hospitals by the end of 2025. Health NZ later withdrew the application, and Smith said it had agreed to work with the council to increase the use of landfill gas to meet its heating and electricity needs. The Nelson Hospital chimney tower is being deconstructed, after the hospital switched to using landfill gas to meet its hot water and heating demands. Photo: Supplied / Te Whatu Ora Health NZ Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council, through the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit (NTRLBU), jointly invested $2.4 million in the landfill in recent years. An additional 69 gas wells had been installed that had tripled the amount of methane collected at the landfill, along with a new compressor and chiller system and upgrades to the pipes to the furnace at the hospital. Of that investment, Smith said $800,000 had been spent on buying the rights to capture the landfill gas from Pioneer Energy along with the pipeline, the boilers and pumps. NTRLBU now sells landfill gas to Health NZ and Smith said it expected that 2 million cubic metres of landfill gas would be used by the hospital each year, amounting to about 40 percent of the gas recovered from the landfill. Smith said Nelson's total greenhouse gas emissions were 260,000 tonne CO2 equivalent per year and the end of coal use at the hospital meant that had been reduced by around a third (80,000 tonne CO2e a year). The contract between the council and Health NZ to use landfill gas expires next April, and Smith said the two organisations were in the process of negotiating a new contract. "The preferred outcome would be to continue to use the landfill gas, but that will need to be worked through with Health New Zealand," Smith said. Health Minister Simeon Brown said in May a new energy centre would be built to house critical hospital infrastructure as part of the hospital's $500 million redevelopment, but Health NZ said it was "too soon" to comment on whether it would use landfill gas or what it would look like. Te Whatu Ora Te Waipounamu regional head of infrastructure Dr Rob Ojala said coal had been burnt at Nelson Hospital since the late 1800s, and the current boiler house and chimney were built in 1959 to replace a previous boiler house. As part of its transition to cleaner energy, the deconstruction of the Nelson Hospital chimney began five weeks ago and was estimated to take around two months, with about five meters of concrete crushed each day. The work was expected to cost around $300,000 and was funded through EECA's State Sector Decarbonisation Fund. Ojala said the boilers would now burn landfill gas, with diesel as a backup fuel if needed. Consent to use landfill gas sat with NTRLBU, who own the main boiler, and Ojala said the plan was for ownership to change to Health NZ at a later date. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Nelson Hospital's heating fully powered by landfill gas
Nelson Hospital. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Nelson Hospital is not burning coal this winter for the first time since the late 1800s, with its hot water and heating now fully powered by landfill gas. The chimney tower of the hospital's coal boiler, which was deemed earthquake-prone almost 10 years ago, is being dismantled after further investment in the York Valley Landfill meant enough methane was being captured to meet the hospital's needs. The hospital has been using a mix of coal and landfill gas for heating since 2002. It comes after community groups and individuals petitioned the Nelson City Council and former Nelson Marlborough District Health Board for years to end industrial coal use in the region. In 2019, Nelson GP Dr Ngaire Warner called on the health board to stop burning coal, given the environmental and health concerns it posed. She said it was "long overdue" but she was delighted that Nelson Hospital was no longer burning fossil fuels. "It's ironic and really quite disheartening that a health facility continued to burn a fuel well known to have a negative impact on the health of individuals and our wider community for such a long time," Dr Warner said. "There is extensive research showing that coal burning contributes to lung disease and respiratory illnesses, so every small change that corporations can implement to the reduce the burden of disease in our community is a win for everyone." In 2003, open fires were banned in Nelson and tough regulations on woodburner use were introduced from 2010 to improve the city's air quality as it struggled to comply with national air quality standards. Nelson's mayor Nick Smith said end of coal use at the hospital would make a big difference to the city's greenhouse gas emissions and reduce particulate pollution to a negligible level. "Nelson South was one of the most polluted areas anywhere in New Zealand 20 years ago and council's made a big effort in reducing the number of log burners. So, it's improved hugely, but the coal burnt at the hospital remained the largest source of particulate pollution." Nelson mayor Nick Smith. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR He said the chimney also posed a seismic risk and in a large earthquake, was at risk of collapsing onto Waimea Road, disrupting access on one of the main arterial routes to the city and access to the hospital. It had been issued with an earthquake-prone building notice in 2019 which required it to have seismic work completed by 2028. In 2023, Te Whatu Ora Health NZ applied for consent from the Nelson City Council to burn up to 4000 tonnes of coal a year, for another seven years, to heat and power its buildings. This was despite the government aiming to phase out the boilers in hospitals by the end of 2025. Health NZ later withdrew the application, and Smith said it had agreed to work with the council to increase the use of landfill gas to meet its heating and electricity needs. Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council, through the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit (NTRLBU), jointly invested $2.4 million in the landfill in recent years. An additional 69 gas wells had been installed that had tripled the amount of methane collected at the landfill, along with a new compressor and chiller system and upgrades to the pipes to the furnace at the hospital. Of that investment, Smith said $800,000 had been spent on buying the rights to capture the landfill gas from Pioneer Energy along with the pipeline, the boilers and pumps. NTRLBU now sells landfill gas to Health NZ and Smith said it expected that 2 million cubic metres of landfill gas would be used by the hospital each year, amounting to about 40 percent of the gas recovered from the landfill. Smith said Nelson's total greenhouse gas emissions were 260,000 tonne CO2 equivalent per year and the end of coal use at the hospital meant that had been reduced by around a third (80,000 tonne CO2e a year). The contract between the council and Health NZ to use landfill gas expires next April, and Smith said the two organisations were in the process of negotiating a new contract. "The preferred outcome would be to continue to use the landfill gas, but that will need to be worked through with Health New Zealand," Smith said. Health Minister Simeon Brown said in May a new energy centre would be built to house critical hospital infrastructure as part of the hospital's $500 million redevelopment, but Health NZ said it was "too soon" to comment on whether it would use landfill gas or what it would look like. Te Whatu Ora Te Waipounamu regional head of infrastructure Dr Rob Ojala said coal had been burnt at Nelson Hospital since the late 1800s, and the current boiler house and chimney were built in 1959 to replace a previous boiler house. As part of its transition to cleaner energy, the deconstruction of the Nelson Hospital chimney began five weeks ago and was estimated to take around two months, with about five meters of concrete crushed each day. The work was expected to cost around $300,000 and was funded through EECA's State Sector Decarbonisation Fund. Ojala said the boilers would now burn landfill gas, with diesel as a backup fuel if needed. Consent to use landfill gas sat with NTRLBU, who own the main boiler, and Ojala said the plan was for ownership to change to Health NZ at a later date. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NHS Grampian outlines savings steps to cut deficit
NHS Grampian has outlined how it intends to save money in a bid to ease its financial recovery plan, submitted to the Scottish government, details how the health board will deliver a £23m reduction in its forecast some services over public holidays, stopping the provision of nappies in hospital settings and reducing spiritual care are among the savings moves come after the announcement last month that the health board had been escalated to stage four of NHS Scotland's National Performance Framework over concerns about its finances and governance. In the year ahead, NHS Grampian has the highest forecast financial overspend in value terms throughout NHS Scottish government said the maximum level of overspend permitted by the board was £ requested a financial recovery plan be developed, detailing how it intended to cover the financial of that plan, submitted to the Scottish government on 30 May, are being presented to the NHS Grampian board on identifies a reduction in return outpatient waiting lists of 30%This would see outpatients, where appropriate, receive results by phone or letter to reduce clinic appointments. A number of services will be stopped or reduced on public holidays to reduce unsociable hours payments to include cancer day services, paediatric elective surgeries and non-critical radiology nappies for well babies born in hospitals and maternity units will be proposal would not affect babies which need special-sized nappies that are admitted to the neo-natal will also be a reduction in the delivery of spiritual care provision through reduced recovery plan warns that failure to achieve savings may result in a further escalation on the Scottish government's performance framework and an inability to financially support current levels of service Thursday, members of the NHS Grampian board will be asked to endorse the recovery plan.A three-year financial recovery plan is to be developed and reported to the board in October.
CBC
09-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Nunavik's 14 mayors call for public health emergency over tuberculosis cases
Social Sharing The mayors of 14 Inuit communities in northern Quebec are demanding the provincial government declare a public health emergency as tuberculosis cases in Nunavik reach the highest reported level in recent history. In a letter Monday to Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé, the mayors wrote that two issues precipitated the demand: an "unprecedented surge" in tuberculosis cases, and what they say is a plan by the province to cut back on infectious disease resources for Nunavik. CBC News wasn't immediately able to verify the cuts in question. Last year, the region's health board reported 95 cases of tuberculosis. To date in 2025, the mayors wrote, 40 cases have been reported. "These statistics are a direct reflection of colonial systemic racism that continues to dictate health policy and resource allocation in Quebec," the mayors wrote. "Inuit in Nunavik are not treated as equal citizens under Quebec's health system." Nunavik faces record surge in tuberculosis cases 1 month ago Duration 2:55 In March, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services said in a news release that six out of the 14 communities were experiencing active outbreaks. Aside from being the highest case count, it was also the highest number of simultaneous outbreaks they had recorded. The situation is "out of control," said Adamie Kalingo, the mayor of Ivujivik, a Nunavik village with about 400 residents. "Now we have a very high rate of tuberculosis cases, which we think could have been avoided if the health system could have worked with us more rapidly," Kalingo said. The mayors listed nine calls to action for the Quebec government, including sending emergency medical resources to the region. They are also calling for urgent investment in water, housing and utility infrastructure, as tuberculosis can spread more easily among overcrowded households. "It's difficult to gauge who has it or who hasn't. It's a very difficult situation, and it is all that much more dangerous for children, for elders that get a lot of [visits] from friends and relatives," Kalingo said. "So there is the matter of spreading it freely among friends and relatives. It's very hard to try to stop it." The mayors collectively described the state of Nunavik's health services as "abhorrent," alleging there aren't enough qualified staff, there are high levels of burnout and turnover, and basic health resources for tuberculosis, like testing kits and lab services, aren't readily available — if they're available at all. "Medical resources currently in place are insufficient to maintain regular large-scale screening needed to slow the spread," the mayors wrote. They pointed to the quick response of the health-care system when dealing with recent outbreaks in Montreal as an example of what Nunavik needs. "Inuit from Nunavik have died of TB in very recent years, and according to physicians working in the region, we will see more severe cases and more deaths unless the crisis is addressed with the resources needed," they wrote.
