One in 10 pregnant women in Guernsey smoking at time of delivery
The bailiwick levels were also up by 2.7% from the year before.Health bosses said pregnant women who were identified as smoking at the time of booking a maternity appointment or subsequent antenatal appointments were referred to the Quitline service on an opt-out basis.Follow-up appointments are then offered weekly for at least 12 weeks."The Quitline nurses understand that stopping smoking can feel daunting. However, it is absolutely achievable... with the friendly professional support and, where appropriate, free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)," the service said.There is also the option to self-refer.Public Health warned: "Smoking during pregnancy is harmful to both the mother and baby, and remains a significant risk factor for serious health complications."The risks of smoking in pregnancy include a greater risk of miscarriage, pre-term delivery, a low birthweight baby, stillbirth or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
Warning over ‘life-threatening' fake Ozempic jabs sold by bogus online pharmacies
Warnings have been issued over fake weight loss jabs that could be 'life-threatening' after thousands of fraudulent online pharmacies were uncovered. Fake versions of Ozempic, a popular brand of weight loss jab, were being sold for as little as £13.70 per dose, along with counterfeit versions of other brands, including Rybelsus and Metformin pills, being offered from 24p. The UK's medicines regulator said taking bogus medications could not only make people ill, but in some cases could be fatal. Researchers from cybersecurity company Gen, who conducted the research, warned of the 'dangerous' threat of the global scam involving more than 5,000 fake pharmacy sites this year, which they say are being run by criminal networks. It comes amid the rapid rise of weight-loss medication in the UK - with around 1.5 million people, 4 per cent of households, currently using them. Gen also found fake Viagra, a medicine used to treat erection issues, and unregulated fertility pills being sold. The company said lab tests found no active ingredient in a third of the drugs tested. Andy Morling, deputy director of criminal enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), told The Independent: 'Buying medicines from illegal suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving products that are either falsified or not licensed for use in the UK. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA's strict quality and safety standards, and taking such medicines may put one's health at risk.' 'Fake prescription and over-the-counter medicines not only fail to work but can also make you sick. Even worse, in the most severe cases, they may contain dangerous ingredients, potentially leading to death,' the regulator added. The researchers warned that the 'alarmingly' polished websites, complete with bogus customer service information, detailed product pages, and looked similar to legitimate online pharmacies. But many were detected as fakes because they used AI to create reviews, health blogs, live chat support and manipulated search results. As well as the health implications, the researchers said UK customers risked their details and identity being stolen by the sites. Siggi Stefnission, cyber safety chief technology officer at Gen, warned: 'Purchasing pharmaceuticals from untrusted online retailers is a serious danger, both to individual health and to someone's digital safety. 'From a public health perspective, counterfeit or unregulated drugs can be ineffective or even life-threatening. It's critical that consumers only use licensed, reputable online pharmacies to protect themselves from cybercrime and potential physical harm.' The popularity of weight-loss jabs has soared in the past year, with the NHS 's top doctor, Sir Stephen Powis, saying they could soon become among the most commonly used drugs. Both Ozempic and Rybelsus, which have the active ingredient semaglutide, are not licensed as a weight loss treatment. Instead they are designed to treat people with type 2 diabetes but both are sometimes prescribed off-label to treat weight loss. However, popular weight loss jabs Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient, and Mounjaro, which uses the active ingredient tirzepatide, are both licensed in the UK for the treatment of weight loss. Gen explained that criminals are taking advantage of people looking for a fast and discreet way to get high-demand weight loss treatment, among other medications that are often sought quickly, privately, or at a lower cost. Alongside the vast network of more than 5,000 web domains selling the in-demand drugs fraudulently, Gen said, this year alone, it has already blocked 1 million attacks coming from these sites against unsuspecting online shoppers. Laura Wilson, director at Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said fake and illegal online pharmacies 'are a growing threat to patient safety'. She explained that fraudulent medicines may be out of date, substandard or contain 'dangerous' substances. Gen said its team is currently working on testing fake medications to work out what exactly they are made of. The company advised consumers to watch out for low-cost offers for prescription-only drugs, missing contact information, requests for cryptocurrency payments, unsecured checkout processes, and prompts for sensitive personal, medical, or financial data. Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic and Rybelsus, said it was aware that counterfeit Ozempic products are being sold in the UK and is working with health authorities, including the MHRA, to investigate the 'critical issue'. It advised people to examine packaging and pens closely before using them. Mr Morling said the MHRA is cracking down on the issue of fake medicines and pharmacies, with offenders potentially facing criminal investigation and prosecution.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Innovative device at Royal Surrey improves prostate cancer result
A hospital in Surrey says it is the first NHS trust in the UK to use a "revolutionary" new device that improves prostate cancer surgery and reduces the need for Histolog Scanner allows surgeons at Royal Surrey County Hospital to assess the prostate for cancerous tissue in real-time during surgery rather than wait for post-operation trust says the technology enables surgeons to remove additional tissue if required, potentially reducing the risk of leaving behind cancerous cells. Wissam Abou-Chedid, consultant urological surgeon, said: "This technology marks a real leap forward in prostate cancer surgery." He said: "For the first time, we can assess tissue in real time while the patient is still on the operating table – allowing us to make immediate, informed decisions that improve cancer control without putting quality of life at risk."It means fewer patients needing radiotherapy afterwards, and more men retaining their continence and sexual function."Royal Surrey's urology clinical director, Dimitrios Moschonas, said the scanner strengthens the hospital's reputation as a national leader in prostate cancer treatment and robotic surgery."As the highest-volume single-site centre for robotic prostatectomy in the UK, Royal Surrey continues to lead with pioneering initiatives," he said. In May 2023, Royal Surrey's urology team set a record, performing 12 robotic prostatectomies in a single day. In August, the team was shortlisted for an HSJ award for its catheter scheme to assist prostate cancer patients following robotic surgery. Patients are taught how to safely remove their own catheters at home, avoiding return trips to the hospital.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Now NHS Fife admits it DID break the law by giving trans doctor access to female changing rooms
A health board has admitted it broke the law after it failed to complete a legally required assessment before letting a trans doctor use the women's only changing room. NHS Fife said it had not completed an equality impact assessment before allowing male-born medic Dr Beth Upton to use the female-only facilities at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has now ordered the under-fire health board to 'carry one out immediately' in yet another extraordinary intervention. NHS Fife has been plunged into turmoil amid an employment tribunal veteran nurse Sandie Peggie brought against it, in which she has claimed being made to get changed next to the trans-woman was unlawful. The watchdog first wrote to NHS Fife bosses in February, following the first two weeks of the landmark tribunal, to 'remind' them of their obligations under the Equality Act and how they had a duty to 'assess how their policies and practices affect people with protected characteristics'. But this week the EHRC revealed the health board 'failed' to meet the requirement of having a equality impact assessment, which is a legal duty. Tess White, equalities spokesman at the Scottish Conservatives, said the latest revelation showed senior health board bosses must go. The MSP said: 'This damning directive from the EHRC confirms that, on top of being negligent, incompetent and biased, NHS Fife broke the law in relation to the Sandie Peggie case. 'It's just one failure, and one revelation, after another. It's abundantly clear that the positions of the Chief Executive and senior health board colleagues are completely untenable. 'The shameful admission from the health board confirms that Sandie Peggie was hung out to dry from the very beginning of this tawdry scandal simply for standing up for her rights as a woman. 'Fairness and accountability must prevail. Surely John Swinney and his SNP colleagues can no longer retain confidence in those in charge of this dysfunctional health board? 'The First Minister must clear out those at the top of NHS Fife and finally demand that it, and all other public bodies, upholds the clear and unequivocal Supreme Court ruling entitling women to single-sex spaces.' Mrs Peggie had encountered Dr Upton in the female-only changing room in 2023, but had waited outside until the trans-identifying medic left. But on Christmas Eve that year she challenged the junior doctor - the exact circumstances of which are disputed - and was suspended from work and her actions subject to an internal investigation. Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairman of the EHRC, said all Scottish health boards must comply with the 2010 Equality Act. She said: 'Earlier this year we asked NHS Fife to provide us with information on the provision of single-sex changing facilities for staff and the rights of different groups in the application of these policies. 'At that point NHS Fife confirmed that no equality impact assessment was available. 'Undertaking an equality impact assessment of relevant policies or practices, and publishing the results, are requirements of the PSED [Public Sector Equality Duty] Specific Duties in Scotland. 'We believe NHS Fife failed to meet these requirements and told them to carry one out immediately.' Maya Forstater, chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, said: 'This directive to NHS Fife is an unprecedented intervention from the EHRC and the kind of muscle that has been lacking from regulators across the board since gender ideology first took hold of public institutions. 'While long overdue, this is a clear instruction to NHS Fife - and in fact all employers - that it cannot get away with continuing to flout the Equality Act.' An NHS Fife spokesman said: 'We are committed to working constructively with the EHRC to provide assurance that we fully understand, and are meeting, our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. 'This includes considering the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC's interim guidance. 'A comprehensive review and audit of our facilities has been completed, and an Equality Impact Assessment is underway. This will be concluded and published by 30 September 2025. 'Our priority is to ensure that all NHS Fife policies and practices protect the rights of our staff and comply fully with equality legislation.'
