Funding for Meningitis Vaccines
Great news - as of 1st March 2023, meningitis vaccines are now fully funded for some patient groups -
Coronavirus Update
We are receiving a few requests for information about how to manage the new virus that is making the news right now. Although the chances are good that this will be a non-issue, there is a lot of public concern so we thought to bring you some information you could use to navigate the muddy waters.
Changes to High User Card
October 2016 sees a change to the way two key funding streams for general practice will be administered. Funding currently allocated to the Care Plus stream and to High Use Health Cards will be pooled into 'ECAP' Extended Capitation funding to be used to benefit all patients in our practice. So, what does this mean for you?
Measles Update
We have been very busy behind the scenes formulating a sensible response to the single measles case in Sumner.
After discussion with the Medical Officer For Health, we feel that it is NOT necessary to make any changes at present, though this will change if there are further cases.
Although we are NOT recommending that parents immunise children early, the following options are available to you if you would like to discuss them:
Measles Case in Sumner
A confirmed case of measles at the Pebbles Pre-school has given impetus to our campaign to chase up those who may have missed out on immunisation.
Please be assured that the risk of catching measles is small at present but if your child has not been immunised, we recommend that you consider whether now might not be a good time to get this essential protection.
We have MMR vaccine in stock and are able to give it to all appropriate children.
If you have questions about immunisation, please make an appointment.
Glucosamine in Knee Arthritis
A new study has shown that glucosamine and chondroitin can be as effective as the prescription only painkiller Celecoxib in moderate to severe knee arthritis, so is there something in this old favourite supplement?
E-Cigarette Safety Update
A new study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine casts doubts over the safety of some uses of e-Cigarettes, including those that do not contain nicotine.
Is Milk Not so Good After All?
Milk is heavily promoted by the Dairy industry as a source of Calcium and being good for bones but a new paper published in the British Medical Journal has found that higher intake of milk in women is not associated with a reduced fracture risk and may also be linked to increased risk of early death. As with all medical studies though, caution is needed in making changes on the basis of this new information.
Are Antibiotics Associated with Childhood Obesity?
A study published in JAMA pediatrics on 29/09/2014 has found further evidence for an association between the use of antibiotics in infancy and early childhood obesity.
The study, conducted in North America showed that children who received broad-spectrum antibiotics (these kill a very wide range of bacteria) were 1.11 times more likely to be obese than those who had not been exposed to antibiotics.
Paracetamol in Pregnancy - Possible ADHD Link
A new study from Auckland has suggested a possible link between taking paracetamol in pregnancy and the later development of ADHD.
This is consistent with findings in an earlier study in Denmark and has triggered a review of the status of Paracetamol in pregnancy by Medsafe, the government agency that licences medication for use in New Zealand.
The study was published in the PLOS One journal and is available free for public perusal.
Though mildly worrying, neither the study published this week, nor the previous study have sufficient power to determine whether this is a real effect or simply co-incidence.
