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01 May - 01 Jul
Sex - Worth Talking About

Talking about sex doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think. Whether it’s knowing about your contraceptive choices, explaining STIs, coping with emotions or understanding your body, you'll find straightforward information and advice to make it easier to discuss everything to do with sexual health, right here

30 Apr - 01 Jul
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

29 Apr - 01 Jul
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

BBC Health

E. coli farm inquiry verdict due

An independent inquiry is due to report on a major E. coli outbreak at a children's farm.

Blood clot drug is 'life-saver'

A blood-clotting drug could save 100,000 lives if given to seriously injured trauma patients, a research report says.

White rice 'raises diabetes risk'

Replacing white rice with whole grain foods in the diet can cut the risk of diabetes by a third, say researchers.

Baby Peter doctor 'missed chance'

The GP who saw Baby P missed a "unique opportunity" to send him to hospital eight days before his death, a hearing is told.

Windscreen water infection risk

Water from windscreen wipers may be the cause of 20% of cases of Legionnaires' Disease, researchers say.

Cancer link to common heart drugs

A class of drugs commonly used to treat heart problems has been linked with an increased risk of cancer.

Organ patient got smoker's lungs

A woman who died after she was given a smoker's lungs would have been "horrified" if she had known, her father says.

Knighthood for alcohol campaigner

The head of the Royal College of Physicians os among those knighted in the Queen's Birthday list.

Farm parents launch legal action

Lawyers representing victims of last year's E. coli outbreak at a Surrey farm are preparing to launch a group legal action.

Pregnant women 'are risking their feet in the name of fashion'

Pregnant women are risking their feet in the name of fashion, experts warn.

Yahoo Health

Americans get most radiation from medical scans (AP)

In this photo taken June 3, 2010, Dr. Steven Birnbaum works a CT scanner with a patient at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

AP - We fret about airport scanners, power lines, cell phones and even microwaves. It's true that we get too much radiation. But it's not from those sources — it's from too many medical tests.

Report: Employers to see 2011 medical costs jump (AP)

AP - Companies that offer employee health insurance expect another steep jump in medical costs next year, and more will ask workers to share a bigger chunk of the expense, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

Blood pressure pills could raise cancer risk (AP)

AP - Some of the world's most popular blood pressure pills may slightly increase your risk of getting cancer, but doctors say it's too soon to ditch the drugs, according to new research.

Doctors' group wants more accuracy from insurers (AP)

AP - One in five medical claims is processed inaccurately by commercial health insurers, often leaving physicians shortchanged, according to the nation's largest doctor's group.

Study: Millions of cancer survivors put off care (AP)

AP - Millions of cancer survivors have put off getting medical care because they couldn't afford it, according to a new study.

Sebelius stumps for anti-childhood obesity plan (AP)

President Barack Obama listens as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks, during a town hall meeting on the Affordable Care Act, Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at the Holiday Park Multipurpose Senior Center in Wheaton, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP - The Obama administration is calling on mayors to help in the fight against childhood obesity because the effort won't work if communities don't engage in it, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told a conference Friday.

Moms' full-time work tied to childhood obesity (Reuters)

Reuters - The growing number of full-time working moms in the past few decades could be one of the factors contributing to the concurrent rise in childhood obesity, new research hints.

China syphilis infections up 30% each year: report (AFP)

An advertising board for glowing in the dark condoms is seen in Beijing. While advertisements for condoms are not rare, rampant prostitution which has accompanied China's rapid economic growth is fuelling a 30 percent increase in syphilis infections each year, according to state media.(AFP/File/Frederic J. Brown)

AFP - Rampant prostitution which has accompanied China's rapid economic growth is fuelling a 30 percent increase in syphilis infections each year, state media reported on Saturday.

Health Plan May Influence 5-Year Rectal Cancer Survival (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Uninsured and Medicaid-insured rectal cancer patients are more likely to die within five years than those with private health insurance, largely due to disparities in treatment and cancer stage at diagnosis, new research suggests.

Harmless Brain Abnormalities in Kids Pose Disclosure Dilemmas (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Unexpected but benign anomalies are often detected in children who undergo "routine" brain MRIs, and guidelines need to be developed to help pediatricians handle these findings, a new study suggests.

WHO Swine Flu

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 104

As of 6 June, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18156 deaths.

The international response to the influenza pandemic: WHO responds to the critics

On Friday 4 June 2010, the BMJ, formerly British Medical Journal, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) simultaneously released reports critical of the World Health Organization's handling of the H1N1 pandemic. WHO takes the issues and concerns that were raised seriously and wishes to set the record straight on several points.

WHO Director-General’s letter to BMJ editors

08 June, 2010 -- Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO sent the following letter to the editors of the BMJ, formerly British Medical Journal, in response to their article on conflicts of interest at the WHO.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 103

As of 30 May, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18138 deaths.

Director-General statement following the eighth meeting of the Emergency Committee

The Emergency Committee held its eighth meeting by teleconference on 1 June 2010.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 102

As of 23 May, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18114 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 101

As of 16 May, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18097 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 100

As of 9 May, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18036 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 99

As of 2nd May, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18001 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 98

As of 25th of April, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 17919 deaths.

Downham Family Medical Practice

We are a local well established family practice and has been in existence on the Downham estate since 1954. It moved to its current premises in September 2007. The Doctors are committed to provide a high standard of care under the NHS.

We hope to use this website as a way of presenting our patients with an up to date resource for all information relating to our practice. We will keep it current with any news, developments & details that are relevant to the practice & our patients.

As well as a source of information about our practice, the staff & the services we provide, we hope you use the website as a useful resource with links to other reliable websites for health related information. When there is topical health information we will also add this to the website.

Have a look around the site and please do send us some feedback. We can use your thoughts to improve our online services & further develop the website to make it a more useful, practical application for our patients.

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct

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