DVT linked to video gamer's death

30 July 2011 Last updated at 15:44 GMT Chris Staniforth would spend up to 12 hours playing on the console. A man whose son died after playing video games for long periods is campaigning for greater awareness of the risk posed by their excessive use.

Chris Staniforth, 20, who would play his console for up to 12 hours, died in May from deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

His father David believes the condition may have been triggered by long gaming sessions.

DVT can form during long periods of immobility and can kill if the clots travel to the lungs.

Computer records showed his son would sometimes play online on his Xbox for periods up to 12 hours.

The coroner said a clot formed in Chris' left calf before moving to his lungs.

Once there, it caused a fatal blockage, known as a pulmonary embolism.

Mr Staniforth said: "After my research I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight.

"Sitting still is literally the danger zone. Chris loved to play and would stay up all night.

"Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours, and there is a risk."

While Mr Staniforth has no problem with games consoles, he wants to highlight the heightened risk of DVT associated with being immobile, and is in the process of setting up a website.

In a statement, Microsoft, who manufacture the Xbox console, said: 'We have always encouraged responsible game play through our education campaigns such as Play Smart, Play Safe.

"We recommend that gamers take periodic breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits."

David Staniforth calls for greater awareness of DVT after the death of his son, Chris

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Wellcome at 75

25 July 2011 Last updated at 01:53 GMT

When Sir Henry Wellcome died on 25 July 1936, his will made provision for the establishment of a trust that would invest in biomedical research and into the history of medicine.

The resulting Wellcome Trust grew to become one of the UK's biggest charities, investing ?600m each year. Ross MacFarlane from the Wellcome Library looks at the humble beginnings of the young man from America's Wild West who inspired it all.

Continue reading the main story To see the enhanced content on this page, you need to have JavaScript enabled and Adobe Flash installed. All images subject to copyright. Click show captions for image information. Music by KPM Music.

Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 25 July 2011.

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Wellcome Trust at 75

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Pregnancy stroke surge in the US

29 July 2011 Last updated at 14:29 GMT Pregnancy carries a small risk of stroke The numbers of US women having a stroke during pregnancy has surged, according to doctors.

The incidents increased from 4,085 in 1994-5 to 6,293 in 2006-7, the journal Stroke suggests.

It is thought other risk factors such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes may be to blame.

The Stroke Association said it was concerned by the sharp increase. Pregnancy is a known - if small - risk factor for stroke.

This study compared data from more than 1,000 hospitals in 1994-5 with 2006-7.

More common

During pregnancy itself, the proportion of women having a stroke increased by 47%, going from 0.15 to 0.22 strokes per 1000 deliveries.

In the 12 weeks after birth there was an increase from 0.12 to 0.22 strokes per 1000 deliveries, an 83% increase.

Dr Elena Kuklina, lead researcher from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "I am surprised at the magnitude of the increase, which is substantial. Our results indicate an urgent need to take a closer look."

The researchers suggest that two conditions - high blood pressure and heart disease - "explained almost all of the increase" in stroke after birth.

Dr Kuklina said: "Now more and more women entering pregnancy already have some type of risk factor for stroke, such as obesity, chronic hypertension, diabetes or congenital heart disease.

"Since pregnancy by itself is a risk factor, if you have one of these other stroke risk factors, it doubles the risk."

Many of these conditions are also increasing in the UK.

Dr Sharlin Ahmed, research liaison officer for The Stroke Association, said: "We're concerned that this study has found such a sharp increase in pregnancy-related stroke over the past few years.

"It is so important for woman wanting to start a family to understand the risks associated with pregnancy and to take steps to make sure they are as healthy as possible before they become pregnant."

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Miliband nose op 'fails in most'

28 July 2011 Last updated at 12:59 GMT Ed Miliband has had nasal surgery Nasal surgery does not always relieve snoring and sleep problems, a survey has suggested.

Labour leader Ed Miliband underwent surgery to correct a deviated septum earlier this week - aimed at curing his sleep apnoea.

But a survey of 2,000 patients by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association found 80% said surgery had not worked for them.

A spokeswoman said their survey showed other treatments help more.

Mr Miliband is currently recovering at home after his operation before leaving for a summer holiday.

Loud snoring

Sources close to the Labour leader dismissed media speculation he he was hoping the operation would make his voice sound less nasal.

Sources who spoke to the Labour leader after the procedure had been carried said he sounded "exactly the same".

The "gold standard" treatment for sleep apnoea is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), where patients wear a mask at night to help them breath.

The BSSAA website survey in June this year found 10% reported their snoring worsened after the procedure.

And 14% said their snoring stopped initially - but for half of this group it started again within six months.

It is estimated that around four in 100 middle-aged men and two in 100 middle-aged women have OSA (obstructive sleep apnoea) in the UK.

It is a respiratory condition in which the throat repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, stopping air getting into the lungs and waking the person up.

Extremely loud heavy snoring, often interrupted by pauses and gasps, is one of the main symptoms.

The NHS Choices website states: "Surgery to treat OSA is usually not recommended because evidence shows that it is not as effective as CPAP in controlling the symptoms."

A spokeswoman for the BSSAA said: "For snoring and sleep apnoea, there are other treatments that are non-invasive. We advise trying everything else, including CPAP which is the gold treatment, before surgery.

"There is no guarantee that will work".

But she added: "As Ed Miliband has gone to one of the best hospitals to deal with this, there must have been reasons he had this procedure.

"We hope it works for him."

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Castlebeck care 'concerns' raised

28 July 2011 Last updated at 16:14 GMT Rose Villa home in Bristol was mentioned in the CQC report There are "serious concerns" about care at four Castlebeck-run services for people with learning difficulties, the Care Quality Commission has said.

It named Croxton Lodge, Leicestershire; Rose Villa, Bristol; Arden Vale, West Midlands; and Cedar Vale, Nottingham.

But the CQC said the problems it had found were not on the scale of those that led to the closure of Castlebeck's Winterbourne View home, near Bristol.

The company said it would "urgently address" the CQC concerns.

They included questions over training quality, levels of staff experience, inadequate governance reporting systems, a failure to include people in decisions about their care and a lack of interesting activities, Castlebeck said.

The care regulator launched an investigation following the closure of Winterbourne View after a BBC Panorama investigation had captured footage of some of its most vulnerable patients being repeatedly pinned down, slapped, taunted and teased.

Twelve people have been arrested and released on bail in connection with the alleged abuse, pending further inquiries.

'Demanded improvements'

In addition to the four locations providing serious concerns, a further seven hospitals or care homes run by Castlebeck do not fully comply with essential standards of quality and safety, said the CQC report.

Twelve Castlebeck-run services were found to be compliant.

The commission said it could not comment on the specific concerns it had raised.

Winterbourne View, near Bristol, was closed after secret filming by Panorama

CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said: "Our inspections have found a range of problems, many of which are found in a number of different services.

"This clearly suggests that there are problems that Castlebeck needs to address at a corporate level - the company needs to make root-and-branch improvements to its services and processes."

She said the commission had demanded improvements and where it had immediate concerns about people's safety it had taken action, such as closing Winterbourne View.

Prime Minister David Cameron called on the CQC to take a tough stance with home operators.

"If care home providers aren't up to shape then they should be properly criticised and have those homes taken away from them," he said.

'Zero tolerance'

The BBC learned in July that four members of staff had been suspended at Rose Villa, a nine-bed rehabilitation centre in the Brislington area of Bristol, following allegations of misconduct.

Continue reading the main story

These hospitals should only be used when they are really needed for assessment and treatment”

End Quote Mark Goldring Mencap Castlebeck chief executive Lee Reed acknowledged some of its services had "not met the high standards we would expect to achieve" and apologised to those affected.

"We are committed to addressing all of these shortcomings as a matter of urgency."

He said an internal review was being carried out and that action had already been taken.

"The safety and well-being of people in our care will always be of paramount importance to us and we will have a zero tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour directed against those who use our services."

The company remained "deeply sorry" for events at Winterbourne View, added Mr Reed.

The chief executive of charity Mencap, Mark Goldring, said: "These types of facilities... have been used by the authorities as a dumping ground for more vulnerable adults.

"These hospitals should only be used when they are really needed for assessment and treatment. For most people, smaller, local services, which are built around the needs of the individual, are more suitable."

Helga Pile from the public service workers union Unison said a review into elderly care in England by the Department of Health "must lead to a properly-resourced regulation and inspection system and tougher standards on workforce training and support".

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said the government was working to ensure such a situation did not emerge again.

He told the BBC it was working with the local councils and the local NHS who arrange placements "to make sure that they're now taking the necessary steps to assure us that they are safeguarding the welfare of people living in these institutions".

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Hospital student nurses withdrawn

29 July 2011 Last updated at 15:05 GMT The hospital has been recently criticised by the Care Quality Commission About 100 student nurses have been removed from Boston's Pilgrim Hospital after the Nursing and Midwifery Council expressed "serious concerns" about it.

The Universities of Nottingham and Lincoln, and the Open University, have confirmed their students are affected.

The Patients Association said the move was a "damning condemnation" of care at the hospital.

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust said patient safety was not affected as students only supported core staff.

'Support students'

Fifty-two of the affected nurses are from courses run by the University of Nottingham, with another seven from the University of Lincoln and the rest from The Open University.

In a statement, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said: "Following serious concerns that have formally been raised with the NMC, we have asked The University of Lincoln, The University of Nottingham and The Open University to withdraw around 100 nursing and midwifery students with immediate effect.

"We are working with the universities to review the suitability of the learning environment at Pilgrim Hospital and to support all students affected at this time."

Sylvia Knight, director of nursing and patient services at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, said: "Although students form a valuable part of the nursing teams, they work in addition to our core staff, therefore our ability to deliver safe services for patients is not reliant on the presence of student nurses and midwives.

"At the present time, we are seeking further clarification from the NMC regarding the reason for their actions."

'Lack of care'

NHS East Midlands said: "We are now working closely with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, NHS Lincolnshire and the hospital itself to understand the concerns of the NMC that have led to them removing student nurses and midwives from the Pilgrim Hospital site."

The chief executive of the Patients Association, Katherine Murphy, said: "How many times do we have to hear about the lack of essential care in this hospital before something is done?

"Patients deserve better - if this hospital is performing so badly that it is not thought suitable to train nurses then it is certainly not suitable to care for sick and vulnerable patients.

"What is the trust going to do about this?," she said.

Last month the hospital was criticised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which said it had not met required standards in 12 of 16 categories.

'Normal working relationship'

In a statement, the CQC said it had shared information about the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust with the NMC.

"This is part of our normal working relationship and the information had previously been shared with the trust.

"The CQC is carrying out a wider investigation into the trust and we will publish the findings of this in due course," a CQC spokesperson said.

Police have confirmed a separate inquiry into reports of mistreatment of patients by a member of staff is continuing.

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Fewer teenagers drinking alcohol

28 July 2011 Last updated at 08:49 GMT Fewer teenagers say they have tried alcohol There have been falls in the numbers of teenagers drinking, smoking and taking drugs in England, a survey suggests.

Between 2009 and 2010 the percentage of 11-15 year olds who had tried alcohol fell from 51% to 45%.

And 27% of pupils said they had smoked at least once, while 18% had tried drugs.

The NHS Information Centre figures also suggested "a shrinking number think that drinking and drunkenness is acceptable".

The report surveyed 7,296 pupils from 246 schools.

The proportion of those drinking alcohol in the week before the study fell from a peak of 26% in 2001 to 13% in 2010.

When they did drink, six in 10 pupils said they consumed more than four units.

Continue reading the main story

To see that fewer children are tolerant of their peers drinking is an early sign of a change in the nation's drinking culture”

End Quote Chris Sorek Drinkaware Smoking One in 20 pupils said they were a regular smoker and girls were more likely to smoke than boys.

Smokers were also more likely to have drunk alcohol or to have taken drugs.

In 2001, 29% of those surveyed said they had used other drugs. That figure has fallen to 18%.

The most commonly used drug was cannabis, taken by 8.2% of pupils.

The survey also suggested a shift in attitudes.

Between 2003 and 2010, the percentage of pupils saying it was "okay" for someone their own age to drink once a week went from 46% to 32%.

Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, said: "Our figures point to an increasingly intolerant attitude among young people in today's society when it comes to the use of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

"As well as a reduction in the percentage who say they partake in these behaviours; a shrinking number think that drinking and drunkenness is acceptable among their peers."

The chief executive of Drinkaware, Chris Sorek, said: "These statistics are not just encouraging because they show a drop in the number of children who have tried alcohol, but also because they show a positive shift in attitudes.

"To see that fewer children are tolerant of their peers drinking is an early sign of a change in the nation's drinking culture."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "There is no room for complacency. Dangerous drug use, alcohol misuse and smoking are still major problems that need to be tackled and we will continue to do so."

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