Minor Illness Information

The Hackwood Partnership
Essex House
Essex Road
Basingstoke
RG21 8SU
Tel: 0844 477 3400

News:

Book your appointments online

Patients are now able to book appointments online. Please contact the surgery for more information.

Test Results

Please note that for reasons of confidentiality we no longer give out test results at the desk. Please call for your results on 0844 477 3400 (option 5) between 2.30 and 6.00 p.m. weekdays.

Swine Flu Immunisations

Swine flu immunisations have now started at this surgery. If you fall into any of the following risk groups please make an appointment for your vaccination:

Risk groups – patients with:

Heart disease
Asthma/COPD
Diabetes
Kidney, liver or neurological problems
Conditions that impair the immune system
Carers

The vaccine is also recommended for pregnant women and people who care for patients with immune problems. Please book your immunisation at the front desk.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

Diabetes drug advice 'not heeded'

A type two diabetes drug is still being prescribed in the UK two months after it was recommended for withdrawal, BBC Panorama learns.

Junior medics 'leaving training'

Nearly one in four junior doctors drop out of their NHS training after two years, figures show.

Gum and heart link 'breakthrough'

Scientists say they have established one reason why gum disease may increase the risk of heart disease.

Reading Arabic 'hard for brain'

Israeli scientists believe they have identified why Arabic is particularly hard to learn to read.

'No evidence' implants are toxic

Tests on a type of breast implant filled with an unapproved gel have shown no evidence they are unsafe, UK experts say.

Research into age-related illness

Edinburgh scientists are attempting to find the trigger which leads older people to develop dementia.

Clue to egg flaws in older women

British scientists say they are closer to knowing why older women trying to fall pregnant are more likely to produce abnormal eggs.

Bone drug linked to cancer risk

Long-term use of bone-strengthening drugs may boost the risk of oesophageal cancer, a study suggests.

'Big drop' in alcohol consumption

Alcohol consumption has fallen faster than ever, figures from the British Beer and Pub Association suggest.

Urine wanted to test odour device

Bristol researchers developing an odour detector to help incontinence sufferers offer volunteers vouchers in exchange for urine.

Yahoo Health

Picking right blood pressure medicine challenging (AP)

AP - It's hard to predict which pills will best lower which patient's high blood pressure, but researchers are hunting ways to better personalize therapy — perhaps even using a blood test.

Cholera outbreak in Cameroon 'worst in 20 years' (AP)

AP - UNICEF says more than 300 people have died in the West African nation of Cameroon from the country's worst cholera outbreak in 20 years.

WHO wants faster, more flu vaccine production (AP)

CVS employee Mambo Muntanga, left, receives a flu shot from nurse practitioner Susan Brown, Friday, Aug. 27, 2010, in Rockville, Md. It's flu-shot season again, and for the first time health authorities are urging nearly everyone to get vaccinated — and people 65 or older even can choose to try a new high-dose version. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AP - The vaccine used to contain the recent swine flu pandemic was effective, but health authorities will need to ramp up the speed and volume of production during the next global outbreak, a World Health Organization official said Monday.

Expert warns of complacency after swine flu fizzle (AP)

Robert Webster, chairman of the Department of Virology and Molecular Biology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., attends the Options for the Control of Influenza conference in Hong Kong Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010 in Hong Kong. Webster urged health authorities around the world to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadlier than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

AP - A leading virus expert urged health authorities around the world Sunday to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadly than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak.

Cholera kills 41 in Central African nation of Chad (AP)

AP - Health officials in Chad say an outbreak of cholera in the Central African nation has killed at least 41 people.

Can home cooking be hazardous to your health? (AP)

AP - Could your kitchen at home pass a restaurant inspection?

Study: Diet Drug Meridia May Boost Heart Risks (Time.com)

Time.com - A new study finds that some users of the weight-loss pill Meridia may have an increased risk of heart attack or stroke

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 3, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Keep Health in Mind When Planning School Day Menus (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- As parents prepare for their children's return to school, they need to remember that healthy meals and snacks are essential for learning.

MedPage Today

Investigation Reveals More Woes for Rosiglitazone

(MedPage Today) -- On July 15—a day after the FDA completed two days of hearings on rosiglitazone (Avandia)—a British advisory commission on drugs concluded that the product should be withdrawn from the market, according to an investigation conducted by BMJ.

Washington Week: Insurance, State Actions Top News

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Several studies highlighting insurance issues were released this week, including one on federal programs for kids and two others focused on employer-provided medical coverage.

FDA Approves New Eye Pressure Drop Formulation

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA approved a new formulation of the drug bimatoprost (Lumigan) in a 0.01% solution as a first-line treatment to reduce elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Kids on HAART Would Benefit from Revaccinations (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Children with HIV who received standard childhood immunizations before starting on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) could benefit from revaccination, a review suggests.

New Guidelines Out for Pneumococcal Vaccine (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Adults with asthma and those who smoke should receive the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease, according to new recommendations from the CDC.

OSHA Should Dictate Residents' Hours, Group Says

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The consumer group Public Citizen is urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to regulate the work hours of resident physicians.

Four Factors Increase Risk of Opioid Dependence (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A combination of four factors appears to significantly increase the risk of opioid dependence among patients taking prescription painkillers, researchers have found.

Low IgG Poses Infection Risk With Rituximab (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Certain subgroups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those who have low levels of IgG, are at risk for severe infections when treated with rituximab, French investigators found.

ESC: Stockholm Take Home Message -- Watch the 'Not' Warfarins

STOCKHOLM (MedPage Today) -- An investigational antiplatelet -- ticagrelor (Brilinta) -- emerged as a big winner from the five-day long European Society of Cardiology congress, but the buzz here focused instead on a trio of investigational oral anticoagulants -- dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban.

Admitting Clinical Errors Not Always Best Policy

(MedPage Today) -- Wide-scale disclosure of clinical errors seems intuitively to be the ethical choice for hospitals and physicians, but researchers from the University of Washington suggest that disclosure should be decided on a case-by-case basis rather than a one-size-fits-all solution

Cold and Flu

Back Pain

Diarrhoea

First Aid

Cold or Flu

Resources

Colds & Flu
A factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of colds & the flu

NHS Choices - is it the common cold or the flu?
Colds and flu can share some of the same symptoms (sneezing, coughing, sore throat) but are caused by different viruses, and flu can be much more serious. Find out more.

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Influenza – flu – is a highly infectious and potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses. Each year the make-up of the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses that the World Heal flujabs th Organization decide are most likely to be circulating in the coming winter.

Regular immunisation (vaccination) is given free of charge to the following at-risk people, to protect them from seasonal flu:

people aged 65 or over,
people with a serious medical condition
people living in a residential or nursing home
the main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer becomes ill
healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care, and
those who work in close contact with poultry, such as chickens.

Resources

For more information on flu immunisation, including background information on the vaccine and how you can get the jab, see Seasonal flu jab.

There is a full guide on the NHS immunisation website or you can download the pdf guide here

HPA - Season Flu Guide

RCGP - The battle against flus and colds

Seasonal Flu guide

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Back Pain

Resources

Back Pain
Factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of back pain.

NHS Choices
NHS information on back pain

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Diarrhoea

Acute diarrhoea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and affects almost everyone from time to time.

NHS Choices
Symptoms, causes, treatment and information

Patient UK
Acute Diarrhoea in Adults

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

First Aid - MP3 Downloads

To save them on your computer, right-click on any of the links below and then click 'Save Target As..." . Click on any of the links below to play the audio files:

Burns - Explains the immediate treatment for burns and scalds.

Fits - How to deal with fits (convulsions/seizures) in adults and young children.

Wounds - Immediate actions for wounds, bleeding, and bleeding associated with fractures.

Unconscious patient who is breathing - How to deal with an unrousable patient who IS breathing (includes recovery position)

CPR for adults - Adults who have collapsed, unrousable and NOT breathing.

CPR for babies - Babies who are unrousable and NOT breathing.

Collapsed patient in detail - Explains the complete scenario including checks for breathing, circulation, etc.

These files have been prepared by Sussex Ambulance Service and comply with European Resuscitation Council Guidelines.

British Red Cross - how to treat burns & scalds

Resources

Burns & Scalds
Factsheet on the type of burn, treatment & recovery

NHS Choices
NHS information on burns

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct

Announcements

BBC Health

Yahoo Health

MedPage Today

Cold or Flu

Resources

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Resources

Back Pain

Resources

Diarrhoea

First Aid - MP3 Downloads

British Red Cross - how to treat burns & scalds

Resources

Other Links

Practice Information