Training Blog

We’ve all heard about the growing rates of obesity in Britain and the USA. With the increasing number of bizarre diets and diet pills it was only a matter of time before somebody invented a pill that could apparently cure obesity. The company that invented the drug called Lorcaserin saw a 20% decline in shares after it announced that the 2 year trial period on 3,000 patients at over 100 sites throughout the US had fallen short of the benchmark sought by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The results of the trial were:

• 47.5% of Lorcaserin patients lost 5% or more of their body weight, compared to 20.3% in the placebo group in 12 month.
• In the first 12 months the Lorcaserin group lost on average 5.8% of body weight (12.7 pounds), compared to 2.2% (4.7 pounds) in the placebo group.
• In total 22.6% of Lorcaserin patients lost 10% or more of their body weight compared to 7.7 % in the placebo group.

It seems that there are also reports the results are more than good enough to meet the FDA requirement for approval, the Arena claims that the drug has met all its primary endpoints, and shows significantly greater weight loss compared to placebo.

It is already accepted that obesity is a widespread disease, so having an effective therapy that can be used by the majority of patients who need to reduce their weight that could also be beneficial for conditions, such as diabetes, lipid disorders, and cardiovascular disease, Lorcaserin is the first in a new class of selective serotonin 2C receptor agonists; the serotonin 2C receptor is in the hypothalamus and other parts of the brain and helps to control of appetite and metabolism. This could potentially save the NHS millions of pounds as instead of paying for patients to have procedures such as stomach stapling and liposuction, a simple course of tablets can be just as effective.

One idea that seems to be frequently cropping up especially with the current economic climate is that dentists should have a limit on the amount of private work they can do. This is due to the privatisation of alot of dental clinics; it is argued that the limit on the amount of private work they can do was justified as it cost the NHS £175,000 to train a dentist.

However there was opposition from dental leaders who said that they were against the idea of quotas, pointing out that there were dentists who wanted to do more NHS work but could not. Since the privatisation of many dental practices patients continue to struggle to find NHS practices with capacity to take them. The figures show that there are one million fewer patients actually using NHS services now, compared with when the arrangement started. The opposition pointed out that the majority of dentists’ income is evenly split between private and public patients, but there are signs that younger dentists are more likely to turn their backs on the health service.

Some people argue that it is the credit crunch that is to blame for dentists going private as on average private patients pay more for treatments whereas the NHS allocate a fixed amount of money to each practice which you would of thought would be better for dentists as it is a guaranteed amount, also the NHS pays for their training but it would seem that there must be a reason that they choose to stay private.

According to Action for Blind People more people could end up going blind as they avoid getting their eyes tested. This is because the majority of people have to pay to get their eyes tested so when money becomes tight people are reluctant to pay for things like that instead they focus on ensuring that they keep up with the payment of bills and mortgages instead. Other things that have seen a decline is people taking time off work to have treatments such as those to remove cataracts; it is assumed that the reason for this is that during times when businesses are making cut backs of staff people are becoming scared to take time off for whatever reason as they feel that when deciding who to “get rid of” any time off will count against them.

Dental care has also seen a decline in the number of people getting regular check ups and then the subsequent treatment that may follow. It would seem that treatments that are not deemed to be essential are being ignored by people as they worry about the cost and the issues previously mentioned about having time off.

The number of people purchasing condoms has declined as people are trying to save money which is ultimately resulting in more people putting themselves at risk. One particular clinic noted an increase on the number of patients presenting at the clinic with severe cases of various STIs as people aren’t taking precautions and then ignore the problem until it becomes a severe problem.
It may be worth reminding people that condoms are free from family planning clinics and your GP. Also if you end up pregnant as a result of not using a condom it will ultimately cost you more and may go against you when employers are making staff cut backs.

In summary whilst I can appreciate that money is tight at the moment the cost of the basic check ups and contraceptives it is worth it because it detects problems earlier on therefore means less time off work and treatment may be cheaper and to some extent cheaper.

The credit crunch has hit private healthcare organisations, pretty hard as it has forced alot of people to return to the NHS for treatment; as they can’t afford to pay to receive the treatment privately. It is estimated that the 25% of the population who paid for private healthcare has declined to approximately 16% and experts estimate that this will continue to decline in the current economic crisis. The number of cosmetic procedures carried out has fallen as the banks are refusing loans, so people are unable to raise substantial funds to cover the cost of the procedures. To give you some idea of the scale of the problem in 2008, 215,000 ‘self-pay’ customers spent £515million on private treatments, of which £170million went on cosmetic surgery. A fifth of bank loans are taken out to fund cosmetic surgery and experts said that they were now much harder to get.

Private healthcare professionals blame not only the credit crunch but also the reduction in NHS waiting times for a decline in their business. According to Spire Healthcare, one of the UK’s biggest private providers, those who would normally pay for procedures were delaying treatment. Another private organisation BMI Healthcare, noted demand had fallen, particularly for operations such as hip and knee replacements.

So after an increase in the privatisation of healthcare it seems that the situation is being reversed as a result of the credit crunch, however it is possible that after the credit crunch has been resolved that the situation may revert back to private healthcare becoming more popular again.

As most parents know juggling your professional and personal life isn’t easy but here are a few things that may life a little easier.
All working parents have the right to work flexible hours in order to ensure that their children are properly looked after. Many working parents in the United Kingdom have to work long hours and indeed in some instances two jobs to be able to provide a stable financial back drop against which to bring up their children. So with this in mind the government have introduced legislation that enables both parents to work a set number of hours (agreeable with their employer) in a slightly less formal structure. This could allow a parent to work part-time hours during the course of a week starting at 9am and finishing at 3pm; alternatively flexible working arrangements may allow for a parent to come into work later on a morning to allow transporting their children to school or a child minder.

Maternity Leave also known as Statutory Maternity Pay can be paid for up to thirty nine weeks after the birth of the baby. As a working parent a mother is entitled to maternity leave and statutory maternity pay if she has been in constant employment with the same company or organisation for twenty six weeks prior to the fifteenth week of her pregnancy.

In the last few years the legislation controlling the rights of fathers has changed to ensure that fathers can have paid leave to spend with their children after they are born. This is referred to as paternity leave and is paid at the same rates as maternity pay although only for one to two weeks. A father can spend one to two weeks at home with his newborn child if he is the child’s biological father or married to the child’s mother.

Although adoptive leave is right of any parent it is not always paid for and will only be paid for if there are already arrangements and agreements in place with your employer. As with maternity and paternity leave you must be employed by your current employer for twenty six weeks prior to becoming the child’s adoptive parent. An adoptive parent is entitled to up to thirty nine weeks leave which is paid at a flat rate known as Statutory Adoptive Pay. In order to qualify for adoptive leave you must notify your employer well in advance that you are being matched to a child for adoption. This allows them to make the necessary arrangements but also if their terms and conditions state you are entitled to Statutory Adoptive Pay.

In addition to these laws if you are entitled to Working Tax Credits you can claim up to 80% of the childcare costs providing that your childcare provider is registered (most nurseries, playgroups and after school clubs are registered) if you are unsure if your daycare provider is registered just ask them.
All of the aforementioned rights are afforded to working parents in the United Kingdom and if you are an expectant mother or proud father-to-be then you should investigate the terms and conditions of your employment and enquire as to whether or not these working rights are supported by your employer.

If however you are not sure then you should contact your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau who will be able to help you find out what you are entitled to and will also be able to help with understanding the terms and conditions of your contract of employment.

Your local office of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will also be able to assist you with advice on benefits and additional monies for low income families.