NHS
There seems to be a backlash against people who are obese as evidenced by articles that have appeared nationally in the Express and Mail on the number of people who are taking stomach-shrinking surgery. Issued by the NHS Information Centre, new figures show the number of people having stomach shrinking surgery to help them lose weight soared from 480 in 2004 to 4,246 in 2009, costing the state an estimated £29 million.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service will be showing you how to avoid being a dummy next month - and cut down on your smoking into the bargain. Two special "test dummies" will be helping with a demonstration at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium on Saturday 7 August to highlight the dangers of smoking in cars. Both were part of a study done in the West Midlands to find out the damage done to people travelling in cars by fellow passengers or the driver.
I was talking to a friend about feelings to the new Government. I told him how impressed I was with the vigour in which a coalition Government had set about its task although having my ideological doubts about some aspects of the administration.
Why the changes to the NHS should worry us all
12 Jul 2010
The plans for yet another reorganisation of the NHS should worry people greatly especially those who live or care for people in the disadvantaged areas of North Staffordshire. The NHS resembles a pinball being catapulted around at the whim of whatever governing party is in power.
10% Reduction in LSP Funding For City Council
05 Jul 2010
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and its Local Strategic Partners have had 10% cut from their Area Based Grant due to savings handed down to them by the Government. The Area Based Grant, is an amount of money given to local authorities each year. It is used to fund joint projects with other public bodies such as Staffordshire Police and NHS Stoke-on-Trent. The reduction in funding, equating to around £3.4million from areas of work of the Local Strategic Partnership.
Stoke-on-Trent Central Member of Parliament Tristram Hunt gave his maiden Commons speech yesterday [Monday]. Tristram succeeded veteran MP Mark Fisher in the Labour Party stronghold of Stoke Central following a controversial selection procedure prior to the 2010 General Election. However, he has put all that behind him and is tipped as one of the Labour Party’s rising stars. His speech, in full, was as follows:
A series of teddy bears’ picnics will take place across the city’s libraries next month to help celebrate National Breastfeeding Week. The events, where families are encouraged to bring their favourite teddy bears, aim to promote breastfeeding making mums feel proud and comfortable with feeding their babies.
So as the first few days of cavorting as the great and good of Westminster convince us, the great unwashed to put a cross by their party name on the first Thursday in May come to an end, two things said by David Cameron, the gutter press Sun’s new best mate, have stuck out for me.
An independent inquiry into the shortcomings of Stafford Hospital has confirmed people's worst fears that bureaucracy and cost-cutting has come at the expense of patients' welfare, sometimes even leading to loss of life. The Sentinel reported yesterday that the report found patients were "routinely neglected" as managers were consumed with "targets" and "cost-cutting", losing sight of its responsibility of providing safe care.
Plans Unveiled To Halve Smokers By 2020.
01 Feb 2010
Government ministers have unveiled measures that are being considered to further lower the number of smokers in the UK. Numbers have fallen 35% to 21% in the years from 2000, and the target by 2020 is 10%. Some measures being considered are the selling of cigarettes in unbranded packaging and a total ban on cigarette vending machines, witch is to be enforced in Scotland in 2011.
