Health

TWO hard-working and dedicated nurses at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood have been rewarded for their efforts.

Chemotherapy sisters Louise Hobday and Joanna Gohil have been named winners of the chief executive's award in the 2010 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust's annual staff awards.

THE two primary care trusts (PCT) in Hertfordshire are set to unite, it has been announced.

The merger was confirmed by Health Secretary Andy Burnham last week after a consultation with the NHS East of England, which oversees health care across the county.

HEALTH chiefs have virtually eliminated mix sex hospital wards in Hertfordshire - more than a month ahead of target.

NHS Hertfordshire, which looks after patients in Three Rivers, announced last week it has met a national government goal to ensure all wards are single-sex by the end of March.

FREE cinema tickets are being offered to young people in Hertfordshire to encourage them to get tested for the sexually transmitted infection, chlamydia.

NHS Hertfordshire will give tickets to anyone aged 15-24 who return a completed chlamydia test before the end of March.

A GRANDMOTHER from Ruislip Manor is the first chemotherapy patient to receive treatment at the new cancer centre at Mount Vernon Hospital.

Sheila Moore, 55, will also be one of the first to benefit from a new trial drug, Oxi4503, which works by precisely targeting a tumour's blood vessels, starving it of blood.

DIABETICS in Three Rivers are being urged to attend their appointment when they receive an invitation to have their eyes screened.

Anyone suffering from the condition who is aged 12 or above and registered with a doctor in west Hertfordshire is eligible for screening.

But many are not taking this simple test, which could reduce the likelihood of losing their
sight.

WOMEN across Northwood and Rickmansworth are being urged to protect themselves against cervical cancer by having a smear test.

Around 900 people die every year from the disease - which can be largely prevented thanks to screening and vaccination programmes. All women aged between 25 and 64 are eligible for free cervical screening every three to five years.

Sue Marsden, screening manager for East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said: "Following Jade Goody's sad struggle with cervical cancer last year we saw an increase in the number of women coming forward who had never had a test before, or who weren't tested regularly.

"Regular testing can help to detect any abnormalities early so they can be monitored or treated and can help to prevent cervical cancer developing in the future."

A TOUCH screen patient check-in and automated call system at Mount Vernon Hospital has been hailed a success, bringing benefits to both patients and staff.

Savience Assure was installed earlier this year at the hospital's outpatient department, which is now based at the newly built treatment centre and sees an average of 2,600 patients each month.

The system, which is currently being used in 15 hospitals and 750 doctors surgeries, has been praised for helping to significantly reduce queues at reception desks and giving nurses more free time to concentrate on care.

A MULTIPLE Sclerosis sufferer is calling for a change in UK euthanasia laws so he can die with dignity in his own home.

Chris Handley, 55, of Links Way, Croxley Green, has lived with the degenerative disease for the past 15 years.

He said: "Out of the blue one morning, I woke up blind. My eyesight slowly came back but I went to hospital for a scan which discovered I had a mild form of MS.

"Then about six years ago, I collapsed when I was walking the dog, and my condition has steadily worsened. Now, my hip muscles have gone and I'm in an electric wheelchair."

NURSES at a Northwood hospital held a Clean Team Day to raise awareness of the importance of hand washing as one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce infection.

Staff, consultants and visitors of BMI Bishops Wood Hospital, in Rickmansworth Road, were asked to take a hand-washing test using a special gel that mimics germs and a UV light box, known as a glo box.

After applying the gel and washing their hands with soap, participants used the glo box to see which areas were not thoroughly cleaned.