TEENAGE PREGNANCY
The government’s campaign to halve the rate of under-18 conceptions over ten years is set to fail, according to data published in The Lancet which show a fall of only 3.2 per cent between 1998 and 2003. The campaign was launched in 1999. Read more
Prescription charges could be scrapped for patients with chronic illness in Scotland, following an investigation funded by the Scottish Executive. Communities minister Malcolm Chisholm has welcomed the report, which called for the exemption of conditions such as cancer, leukaemia, hepatitis C, asthma, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis. Read more
NICE GUIDANCE ON CJD TRANSMISSION
NICE has issued guidance to reduce the risk of transmitting CJD during surgery on the brain or eye, focusing on tracking the use of instruments to prevent cross-contamination between different sets, and greater utilisation of single-use instruments. Read more
