Charity and Voluntary Sector

DUKDiabetes UK has revamped its eye health web content to provide even more information at the click of a mouse.  Two new sections, 'Eyes (Retinopathy)' and 'Monitoring your eyes', cover all aspects of eye health from explaining retinal screening, what retinopathy is, the causes and treatment of the condition, and a page answering frequently asked questions. 
Press release
 
BHF: Researchers have proposed a new 2-hour protocol to more quickly identify people with chest pain (but at low risk of having a heart attack) so they can be discharged from hospital sooner. 

The protocol includes carrying out an established probability score based on existing health conditions & family history, as well as an electrocardiograph (ECG) and a triple bedside blood test to check biomarkers within 2 hours. The study suggests this new method would reduce the amount of time people at low heart attack risk spent waiting in hospital, reducing costs and freeing up space in the process.
Press release
 
CRUKBowel cancer rates in 60 to 69 year olds went up by more than 12% in England from 2006 to 2008, according to the latest figures from Cancer Research UK. The increase in cases comes shortly after the introduction of bowel screening in England began to be rolled out nationally in 2006 for men & women aged 60 to 69.  Screening is now offered to men and women from ages 60 to 74 in England.
Press release
 
BHF: New research, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation, has found that using a more sensitive test to measure a protein that leaks out of damaged heart cells into the blood stream could help in the diagnosis of heart attacks. The test could also help identify heart attack patients who are at a high risk of dying from a second attack.
Press release
 
Newswire – PA: The Patients Association’s first report of patient experiences in Wales, The Lottery of Dignified Care, commissioned by the Dignity in Care Co-ordinating Group of the Welsh Assembly Government was highlighted on Tuesday 15th February in Week In Week Out on BBC Wales.  This was the third publication of patient experiences and looked particularly at the lack of dignity that patients had reported to PA.
 
Chief Executive Katherine Murphy commented: "These are patients who, at the end of their lives, deserved the highest standards of dignity.  What they got was a lottery.  The memories for their families can never be erased, but the Welsh Assembly Government and Health Boards can act so that such cases never happen again”.
Press release ~ The Lottery of Dignified Care 
 
VSOGlobal Xchange - a partnership programme managed by the British Council and VSO - has launched a new overseas volunteering opportunity for residents aged 18-22 to get involved in fighting poverty. Global Xchange Youth Action gives young people the chance to spend 3 life-changing months in Africa or Asia, as part of the UK Government’s International Citizen Service scheme. First places start in July 2011.
Press release
 
BIG: The Big Lottery Fund has launched ‘People Powered Change’, a platform to build, accelerate and extend new & different approaches to develop great community-led action already underway across England.  Through ‘People Powered Change’ BIG will provide support, information & tools to release the talents of individuals & community groups, to improve and strengthen their neighbourhoods.  
Press release
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