News

In brief

The NHS is failing to provide adequate health care for homeless mentally ill people, says the government’s NHS Health Advisory Service. Its recent report A place in mind criticises health service managers and professionals for failing to plan appropriate and responsive services for homeless people.

A ‘greenprint’ which calls for ‘positive steps to create peace and ensure protection of health on a global scale’ has been published by MEDACT, Medical Action for Global Security. The Greenprint for 2020 looks forward to a nuclear-free world, new international agreements on chemical and biological weapons, shifting resources from military to civil research, and the winding down of the arms trade.

Only a tiny proportion of the savings made by GP fundholders has been reinvested in providing extra health services, according to an interim report from the Audit Commission.

The commission has found that, over the first three years of the scheme, fundholders has accumulated £111m of savings. Only £19m of this had been spent, of which 60 per cent went on practice premises, furnishings and equipment, and only 25 per cent on extra hospital and community services.

A new group has been formed to campaign for a mother’s legal right to breastfeed in public places. The Campaign for Rights in Breastfeeding (CRIB) is dismayed by continuing reports of women being asked to leave shops, museums and restaurants for breastfeeding. It wants to see new UK legislation, similar to that which exists in some US states, which protects a mother’s right to breastfeed without harrassment.

The number of people with private health insurance rose last year, for the first time since 1990, bringing the total to almost 6.6 million people.

However, this figure is still lower than the record high of 1990. Forecasts for the future of the health insurance market are confused and contradictory, with some pundits predicting increasing intense competition from NHS trusts.

Southern Derbyshire health promotion unit has introduced health services notice boards into all secondary schools in the district. Entitled Take a look, the boards are regularly updated with information on topical health issues, including information on local sources of sexual health advice. The initial reaction of schools has been very positive.