Why contemplating art is good for your mental health
The human mind might be thought of as a Bentley used only for going to the shops, a superb piece of biological engineering wasted on routine, prosaic thought processes. How much of one's inner life is wasted on to-do lists or responding to the endless chatter generated by a plethora of online social media platforms? A lot, is the answer in this increasingly cacophonous and invasive world.
Now a team at Cambridge University has come up with a way of banishing everyday head clutter and replacing it with more abstract thought. Their recommendation is to study a simple piece of art and ask: Why is it beautiful? This process, say the researchers, results in 'psychological distancing', a stepping back from the everyday to enjoy a
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BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
MSPs vote in favour of scaled-back social care reforms
MSPs have unanimously passed legislation which will allow people in care homes to receive visits from a named loved one even in restricted Care Reform (Scotland) Bill will also introduce changes to social care procurement and a new right to breaks for unpaid legislation was backed by 116 votes to to introduce a national care service, which were initially part of the bill, were dropped in January after unions withdrew support and a number of health boards and care organisations expressed concerns. What changes to social care are planned? One of the big changes planned under the new law is a legal right to breaks for unpaid mean councils will have a duty to decide whether a carer is able to take sufficient breaks from their caring they are not, then the local authority will provide support to enable this, such as providing funding for short respite policy, given Scotland has around 700,000 unpaid carers, will cost between £196m and £315m by 2035/36, according to the Bill's financial it remains a fraction of the £13.9bn that unpaid care is currently saving Scotland every to the way information is shared in health and social care - to make it less likely that people will have to repeat their information - as well changes to procurement rules in the sector are also up the powers that watchdogs can take against failing care providers is also part of the most high-profile part of the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill is Anne's Law, which allows people in care homes to receive visits from a named loved one even in restricted is named after Anne Duke, who died aged 63 in November 2021 after being cut off from her family while battling early-onset dementia during the Covid pandemic. Why was the National Care Service ditched? The original proposal for a National Care Service, inspired by the NHS, was to take social care provision and staff away from local authorities into a new national was then dropped in favour of creating a national care board to supervise service delivery and improve consistency - but this failed to win over a growing number of body Cosla and trade unions then withdrew their support for the project, while a number of health boards and care organisations also expressed plan, which was also subject to a series of delays, was eventually scrapped in January after £30m was spent on the Care Minister Maree Todd said at the time she was "still committed to the ambitions of the National Care Service" but added the SNP no longer had the support it needed in parliament to pass its original plans into law.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Poppy Lindop: Nurse 'didn't check' baby's medicine dose
A hospital nurse who accidently gave a critically ill new born baby a large overdose of medication has accepted there were two missed opportunities to check the dose, an inquest has Lindop, who was born 10 weeks premature, died within 24 hours of being born at Manchester's St Mary's Hospital in March was already gravely ill with a serious infection when nurses mistakenly 10 times the correct dose of a muscle relaxant, Manchester Coroners Court heard. Nurse Fahima Begum earlier told the inquest the nursing team on the neo-natal intensive care unit "should have gone back and checked it, but that wasn't done". Polly suffered a cardiac arrest six minutes after the overdose and died within a few a post-mortem examination found the primary cause of her death was sepsis and prematurity, and that she had suffered severe lung Begum and her colleague Nurse Akila Pandoor were responsible for preparing the drug, Atracuriam, to be given to Polly."When you're making up an infusion, you should be checking", Ms Begum said."I believe it should have been checked again."Ms Pandoor told the inquest she "didn't physically look at the pump once the infusion started", even though she accepted it was standard practice to check the nurses, who were not directly responsible for Polly's care, said they did not feel under pressure to get the drug ready quickly. A hospital consultant in charge of Polly's treatment told the court that due to the severity of Polly's condition, he believed she "would not have survived", even without the mistake by the nursing team."What happened with Polly has gone around in my head for the past two years," Dr Gareth Penman told the court. "Did it [the overdose] cause her cardiac arrest to happen earlier? I'm not sure. But what I do think is that Polly was not going to survive this infection."Dr Penman described how Polly's condition worsened overnight, despite numerous treatments."It was an intense situation, things were moving rapidly," he hearing was told there was no mention of the overdose when Dr Penman reported Polly's death to the coroner. Dr Penman said: "I recognise I should have put it in at that point. I didn't think it had contributed to her death."In the following days and fter speaking with hospital staff and Polly's family, Dr Penman informed the coroner of the mistake."I apologise to Polly's parents if they thought I was trying to cover this up….that was not my intention," he Polly's death, Greater Manchester Police started an investigation into possible gross negligence the force later said no criminal charges were being inquest continues. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
NHS updates cervical screening guidelines with millions of women affected
Women aged 25 to 49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) will be invited to cervical screening every five years instead of every three, under new NHS guidelines. The change, set to take effect next month in England, follows recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee. According to analysis from King's College London, extending the screening interval to five years for HPV-negative women is just as safe as the current three-year interval, with a similar rate of cancer detection. HPV is a sexually transmitted group of viruses, with around 13 high-risk types known to cause almost all cases of cervical cancer. Most people with HPV don't experience any symptoms. Women who test positive for HPV, or have a history of the virus, will continue to be invited for more frequent screenings to monitor the virus and check for any changes to cells in the cervix. In a written statement to Parliament, health minister Ashley Dalton said the new change 'increases the opportunities to test and recall women and people with a cervix who have HPV, while extending the cervical screening intervals from three to five years in England for individuals who have a negative HPV test. 'This will bring England's cervical screening intervals in line with those of Wales and Scotland.' She said the NHS screening programme in England provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 'with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect HPV infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage'. She added: 'The aim of the programme is to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and reduce the number who die from it.' Ms Dalton said testing negative for HPV means the chances of developing cancer within five years are very small, as it can take around 10 years or more from the time HPV is detected to developing cervical cancer. She added: 'Those who test positive for HPV are already being followed up with yearly testing. 'This is important to ensure that individuals are monitored for any early signs of cervical abnormalities and provided the necessary treatment.' Experts have been concerned about falling numbers of women under 50 attending cervical screening, with around a third in England not taking up their invitations. Dr Sue Mann, NHS national clinical director for women's health, said: 'Taking a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help ensure everyone eligible can make the most of these life-saving services, while sparing women appointments that they don't need. 'The NHS is following robust evidence on how often women need to be safely screened, and by putting invitations and reminders straight in women's pockets on their phones, we're making it easier than ever to take up screening appointments. 'Make sure you come forward for your screening when you're invited, even if it was weeks, months or years ago. If you think you are due but have not yet had an invitation, speak to your GP practice.' Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'We welcome this change to cervical screening in England, which is the result of years of vital research to make screening more effective and has shown it is safe to extend the time between tests. 'Screening, alongside the roll out of the HPV vaccine – which Cancer Research UK scientists helped develop – have seen cervical cancer rates drop by around a quarter since the early 1990s, and we look forward to even more progress. 'If you notice any unusual changes for you, do not wait for a screening invitation – speak to your doctor.' Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, said: 'We want every eligible person to feel empowered to attend a vaccination and cervical screening appointment when they are invited so we can achieve the brilliant ambition of eliminating cervical cancer.'
