Information about health matters

Melrose Surgery
73 London Road
Reading
RG1 5BS
Tel: 0118 9595200

News:

Emergencies
In case of an emergency please telephone the surgery on 0118 9595200

During surgery hours please give the details clearly to the receptionist emphasising that it is an emergency. Out of hours please listen carefully to the recorded message which will inform you of the WESTCALL, on call emergency co-operative, telephone number with whom we work.

Appointments
Appointments can be made to see a Doctor on the same day you request an appointment and can be made in person or on the telephone

Cancelling your Appointment
If you are unable to attend an appointment with one of the doctors or nurses, please telephone or use the link at the bottom of this page to cancel your appointment.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

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

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
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.

BBC Health

Vitamin B 'puts off Alzheimer's'

High doses of B vitamins may slow the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, a study says.

NHS IT costs to be cut by £700m

The government has announced £700m of savings in the national IT programme for the NHS in England, cutting the overall cost to £11.4bn.

Second death linked to outbreak

Health officials are investigating a second death which is being linked to a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in south Wales.

Vitamin 'may stop' spina bifida

Scientists begin a study to determine if an everyday vitamin supplement could help prevent a common birth defect.

Payout after brain tumour mistake

A former clergyman receives undisclosed substantial damages after a Nottingham hospital fails to diagnose a brain tumour.

Outbreak probe at industry sites

There are now 12 cases linked to a Legionnaires' outbreak, as health officials focus on south Wales industrial sites in the search for the cause.

More obesity ops 'will save cash'

Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

Inquiry to hear from HIV victims

The injury into contaminated NHS blood products in the 1980s will hear from the victims who contracted HIV and Hepatitis.

Statins 'may cut arthritis risk'

Taking statins may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests.

Call for morning sickness action

More needs to be done to establish which are safe and effective ways to relieve morning sickness, experts say.

Yahoo Health

Study: Flamboyant male dancing attracts women best (AP)

AP - John Travolta was onto something. Women are most attracted to male dancers who have big, flamboyant moves similar to the actor's trademark style, British scientists say in a new study.

Doctors see eye hazard in powerful laser pointers (AP)

AP - A 15-year-old boy damaged his eyes while playing with a laser pointer he'd bought over the Internet, say doctors who warn that dangerously high-powered versions are easily available online.

Group backs mandatory flu shots for health workers (AP)

AP - Flu vaccination should be required for all doctors, nurses and other health workers, the nation's largest pediatricians' group says, calling it a long overdue step to protect patients.

CVS Caremark to give away up to $5M in flu shots (AP)

AP - CVS Caremark Corp. said Wednesday it will give away up to $5 million in seasonal flu vaccinations to people without health insurance.

AP Exclusive: Back to work after salmonella case (AP)

** ADDS COMPLETION OF THE SECOND SENTENCE - FILE - In this March 12, 2009 file photo, Peanut Corporation of America's president Stewart Parnell, arrives a federal court in Lynchburg, Va. The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were implicated in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business, as the federal government's criminal investigation against him has languished for more than 18 months, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Don Petersen, File)

AP - The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business.

J&J giving $200 million for health of women, kids (AP)

AP - Health giant Johnson & Johnson is donating about $200 million in cash and medicine to a sweeping United Nations program created to improve the health and lives of people in poor countries.

Report says obesity surgery can save health costs (Reuters)

Reuters - Providing surgical treatment for people who are morbidly obese could save British taxpayer-funded health services and the wider economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year, leading surgeons said on Wednesday.

Doctors alarmed by HIV risk for European gays (AFP)

Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus

AFP - Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus "seems to be out of control" among men who have sex with men, said a paper published on Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 8, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Smoking Could Harm Sperm, Study Finds (HealthDay)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies provide evidence that smoking can harm sperm - both in smoking men who may become fathers, and in sons born to women who smoked during pregnancy.

MedPage Today

MDS Remission Often Isn't (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Patients who had a "complete" remission of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) after treatment with lenalidomide (Revlimid) still had circulating drug-resistant malignant stem cells -- and the disease resumed its progression in most patients despite continued treatment, a small study found.

Drug May Improve Abstinence in Alcoholics (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Alcoholic patients can modestly improve their chances of staying abstinent after detox with acamprosate (Campral), according to a Cochrane review.

Bosentan Helps Prevent Hand Ulcers (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A multinational clinical trial found that treatment with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan (Tracleer) showed some benefit in preventing new digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Chest Compression Okay for Arrests in the Field (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Chest compressions prior to defibrillation are just as good as immediate treatment with an electrical defibrillator for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, researchers say.

Healthcare Reform Covers More and Costs More

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The healthcare reform law will not slow the growth of healthcare spending in the next decade -- in fact, it will accelerate healthcare spending slightly -- but it will also significantly expand healthcare coverage, a new government report found.

New HIV Cases High Among French MSM (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- HIV appears to be out of control among French men who have sex with men (MSM), researchers reported.

Ovarian Cancer Subtype Linked to Gene Mutations (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Many cases of deadly clear-cell ovarian cancers and endometrioid carcinomas appear to arise from disruption of a previously-discovered tumor-suppressor gene, according to new RNA sequencing studies of cancer cells.

Sickle Cell Screening May Cause Harm (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A decision by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to require screening for sickle cell carrier status among Division I athletes ultimately may do more harm than good, researchers predict.

ER First Choice for Many Seeking Care

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Of the 354 million acute care visits patients made to healthcare providers over a three-year period, more than one-quarter took place in emergency rooms, representing a shift from the old days when general practitioners were the main providers of acute care.

Flu Vaccine a Must for All Healthcare Workers, AAP Says (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- All healthcare personnel should be required to get vaccinated against influenza, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Where do I go for clinical or disease information?

Best Treatments

Information is researched from the British Medical Journal and displayed in an easy to understand format.

Patient UK

Net Doctor

Attempts to break the language barrier between Doctors and patients regarding illness and disease.

QRisk

QRISK is a new calculator which works out your risk of getting heart disease. It has been developed by doctors and academics working in the UK National Health Service.

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Information on Healthier Living

BBC - Healthy Living

Simple, accurate advice from the BBC.

Male Health

Fast, free independent information from the Men's Health Forum.

Women's Health Concern

Women's Health Concern is a charitable organisation which aims to help, educate and support women with their healthcare by providing unbiased, accurate information.

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NHS Sites

NHS Choices

Aiming to personalise healthcare and provide information that will allow patients to make choices about when and where to receive their treatment.

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Charity Websites

Cancerhelp

Free information service provided by Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Backup

Europe's leading cancer information charity, with over 4,500 pages of up to date information and practical advice.

Diabetes UK

Largest charity in the UK devoted to the care and treatment of people with diabetes.

Asthma UK

Important information about asthma and how to control it.

Alzheimer's Society

Comprehensive information for people with all forms of dementia.

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Practice Information

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