It’s all NHS this, NHS that today, with Prime Minister David Cameron having made his big speech about NHS reforms this morning. You just can’t get away from it. Coalition politicians are naturally bigging up the reforms, while health leaders are understandably nervous about what some have labelled the biggest shake-up in the NHS for 60 years. Apparently it’s going to cost about £2billion to implement the changes – that’s £2billion not being spent on patient care – but, if the politicians are to be believed (make your own minds up on that one), the outlay will reap big savings. But how long will it take for savings to start being funnelled into looking after sick people, I wonder?
That the NHS needs reforms is obvious. How those reforms should take shape is quite something else. I for one don’t know, so I’m glad I’m not in the position of having to make those kinds of decisions. But I do fear for our beloved NHS and what it might look like in years to come (that is, in the future when people of my age will likely need it the most).
Elsewhere in the news there’s more reason to feel those January blues. Apparently we shouldn’t be eating big breakfasts after all. So what about breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, you might ask? The well-worn platitude often cited by nutrition experts was ill advised all along, say experts of a new published study who claim if you eat a big breakfast, you may end up eating an even bigger lunch and dinner. So all you lovers of fry-ups (though I dare say not many riskfactorphobes will be among you, given the many health risks associated with all that saturated fat), please switch to muesli (low-fat, low-sugar of course) or a stick of celery for your breakfast. And mind you don’t snack mid-morning too.
But enough of all that doom and gloom. There’s good news for women who suffer PMS. Researchers have discovered a natural supplement containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E could slash your symptoms by a third. Thank goodness for that.