Kings Medical Practice News www.kingmedicalpractice.co.uk

On the news this morning there was a report from the Health Protection Agency that a quarter of people wrong believe that antibiotics work on most coughs and colds. To read more about the story click here for a link to the BBC Health Website. I am not sure that is completely accurate for our patients though. The practice has always been a low prescriber of antibiotics for coughs and cold and I think that one of the 'cultural norms' of our patients is that they are not expecting a prescription for antibiotics, they just want to be checked that it is not our their chest. Anyway the Health Protection Authority has produced a list of helpful tips: Most coughs and colds get better on their own - antibiotics will not speed recovery Coughing up phlegm on its own is not a reason to need an antibiotic - even if it is yellow A sore throat plus runny nose with phlegm suggests the infection is less likely to respond to antibiotics A high temperature, red throat and feeling really ill

Mid Yorks Hospital Trust, which is the organisation that runs our local hospitals has recently announced that Pontefract Accident and Emergency Unit is to temporarily close overnight from 10 pm. To read the full story click here . But essentially it is because there are not enough junior doctors to work in all three Accident and Emergency Departments to maintain a safe level of service to patients. The Trust denies that it is accelerating the closure of Pontefract A&E. But a week later at the Trusts Public Board meeting it announced that it is considering proposals to change the way it provides services to patients in Dewsbury, Wakefield and Pontefract. To read the full briefing paper click here . In order to become a Foundation Trust, Mid Yorks needs to demonstrate that its services are financially and clinically viable. In a nutshell that means that it can live within its financial means (ie save £30 million a year) and make sure that its clinical services are safe and effective