W P P G N E W S L E T T E R JULY 2013

ADMINISTRATION A big ‘thank you’ to all those members who renewed their WPPG membership for the year commencing 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014. It is particularly encouraging that 50% of members now pay by standing order which certainly reduces our administration work. It you know of anyone who would be interested in becoming a member, please encourage them to complete an application form (in the plastic pouch on the WPPG noticeboard next to the Nurse’s room) and ‘post’ it in the red box to the right of the noticeboard. The annual fee is £5 per household and the advantage of becoming a member is that it enables you to come free of charge to the very informative Health Talks we hold several times a year. We have had approximately 15 Talks by eminent Consultants on a variety of health conditions over the past five years and if there is a topic which has not been covered please let us know. (Place all suggestions in the red box.) PILATES The affordable non-profit-making £5 per session continues to attract villagers and those from surrounding areas. You don’t have to bring your own equipment – all is provided! There are three sessions on Tuesday afternoons in the Memorial Hall (2-3, 3-4, 4-5pm). For further information and if you have a condition you would like to discuss with our highly qualified instructor, please telephone 01582 832305. WPPG ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING On the 10 June we held our AGM which was well attended. Our speaker, David Upjohn, private Chiropractor at the Village Surgeries in Wheathampstead and Harpenden, gave a very interesting talk. We would like to thank Al Patel’s father who provided extremely unusual and very tasty ‘nibbles’, which was such a generous gesture. Heidi Ashton, our latest WPPG committee member, is taking over the position of Events Secretary from Jenny Golesworthy who has undertaken this very important role over the past 5 years. With Jenny as her mentor I feel sure Heidi will be ‘up and running’ in no time! The committee would like to take this opportunity to thank Jenny for her dedication and professionalism in arranging the regular Health Talks over the past five years. AUTUMN TALK On Friday, 11 October, Dr Richard Dent will be conducting an interactive session about Respiratory Allergies. The last interactive sessions we have held have been extremely successful and informal. As numbers will be restricted if you would like to attend please telephone 01582 832305 to reserve your seat asap. There will be no entry fee for members (non-members £2.50). COELIAC DISEASE By Dr Deborah Gilham Coeliac disease is common (1 in 100 people) but diagnosis is often delayed as it can present with rather vague symptoms. It is a disease in which the body makes antibodies against gluten which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. This leads to inflammation in the small bowel, reducing its ability to absorb nutrients such as vitamins and iron. It is associated with other types of auto immune disease such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid disease. It can present at any age. Symptoms may be abdominal pain, bloating, excess wind, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, tiredness or an itchy rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. Children may have failure to grow and put on weight. 2 Diagnosis is made with a blood test and confirmed with biopsy of the small bowel by endoscopy. Treatment is to avoid gluten in the diet completely as even small amounts can be harmful, not only causing the symptoms to return but also increasing the risk of developing complications such as osteoporosis, anaemia, and rarely a malignancy of the bowel called a lymphoma. After diagnosis therefore, sufferers are referred to a dietician for expert advice, see below. The spleen of people with coeliac disease may work less efficiently in protecting against some infectious diseases so the following vaccinations are recommended; Hib, annual flu and 5 yearly pneumococcal. Annual check-ups are carried out in general practice to ensure a gluten free diet is being followed. Weight is checked and blood tests arranged to check for iron and vitamin deficiencies. A Dexa-scan may be arranged to check for osteoporosis. The close families of those diagnosed with coeliac disease should be tested as well as they have a one in ten chance of having the disease. DIET AND COELIAC DISEASE By Patricia Walker, Dietitian Once the diagnosis and tests have been confirmed as positive, all patients need to be on a lifelong gluten free diet to avoid complications and remain as healthy as possible. Avoiding all foods that contain gluten can do this. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and wheat products. Similar proteins are found in barley, rye and oats. However, some patients can tolerate a small amount of oats. The patient needs to be referred to a dietitian who will give an in-depth understanding of the diet and can be seen regularly if any problems arise. The main aims of the gluten free diet are: To have a well-balanced diet containing ‘Free Foods’. These Free Foods (gluten free) include basic foods such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables. Avoid free foods that have been modified in some way, such as Scotch egg (breadcrumbs in the sausage meat and the coating) and yoghurt – if muesli has been added. Other Free Foods which are suitable include foods that are bought in the supermarket and labelled gluten free. Look for the crossed grain symbol of gluten free products. This is a circle with a line through a single stem of wheat. This means the product is gluten free. NB Not all gluten free products are labelled in this way. Prescribable products – that are available from the Pharmacy, such as gluten free bread biscuits and pasta. There are many Free Foods. The Coeliac Society has an up-to-date comprehensive booklet that lists a wide range of Free Foods, and use supermarket information helplines. There is information on: going abroad, medication and gluten free recipes. Website: www.coeliac.co.uk or 01494437278 Foods to be avoided – foods that contain gluten – wheat or wheat flour, rye, barley and oats. These are to be excluded from the diet. These also include any wheat-containing product – bulgar wheat, wheat starch, modified starch, bread – all types, chapattis, naan, pastry, pies, semolina, pizza, pies, wheat-based breakfast cereals, foods with batter or breadcrumbs, biscuits, sausages, fish cakes, trifles. These are only some of the foods but it does take time to check them. The Coeliac Society booklet is a valuable aid and it is all worth the effort. Hidden Foods – less obvious sources of gluten Foods that DO contain gluten: beer, larger, stout, drinking chocolate from vending machines, soy sauce, ice cream cones, and communion wafers. These are just a few of the hidden foods to be avoided. Some medications have gluten in them – ask the pharmacist. To sum up Avoid all foods containing gluten. Have a well-balanced diet containing sufficient calcium containing foods. Have an adequate intake of Vitamin D. Have 5 fruit and vegetable portions in the day. Have an annual review by a registered Dietician if possible. 3 A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT By Pam Brown, Governor of L & D University Hospital The last year has certainly been a year of significant achievement at the L & D – largely due, of course, to the hard work and commitment of our clinicians and staff. We may have mentioned on our visit to Wheathampstead that the L & D became a University Hospital at the beginning of 2012, which now enables us to attract the highest caliber of quality staff. The high standard of medical knowledge and training our students receive at the L & D has been deservedly recognized by University College London. This is a great milestone in the history of the Luton & Dunstable Hospital. Then, in June 2012 we opened our new Cardiac Centre. We are hugely proud of this wonderful facility, and patient feedback indicates that our patients are happy too. Doors opened to our first patients on 11 June, but the unit was officially opened by HRH Prince Philip in February of this year. Before the opening of the Cardiac Centre, some of our patients had to be transferred to other hospitals for their procedures, but a specialist centre on site now enables patients to be treated quicker and closer to home, and we are already in the process of applying to further the services we offer. We are also very fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers at the L & D. Around 400 volunteers regularly contribute to the care of our patients. They provide a diverse service that really makes a difference, not only to patients but to the staff as well. If you, or anyone you know has a few hours spare each week, do contact us – you will be most welcome. It is essential that we continue to grow our membership, to reflect the wide group of patients that we can support at the L & D, and improve communications about the services we offer – and receive feedback on the quality of them. We have brought in a call centre (located in the main entrance area) where this feedback is collated, and have recently been given an award for this initiative. This is a challenging time for the NHS, but given the dedication and support of all staff and volunteers here at the L & D, I am confident that the Foundation Trust will emerge from this even stronger. PARTNERSHIP IN YOUR MEDICINES – YOU AND MANOR PHARMACY By Michael Hirsh (BPharm, MRPharmS) The treatment of most long-term conditions depends on effective use of medicines, but how much do you really know about the medicines your doctor prescribes for you? Are you all uncertain what they are for, how they work, whether they are effective? Do you have any concerns about side effects? We have established a new NHS service called Medicines Use Review. This service is completely free to you. It is an ideal opportunity for you to raise any concerns or queries you may have about your treatment, or seek reassurance. Just call in or ring us to book an appointment with one of our qualified and specially trained Pharmacists. They will talk to you in complete privacy and help you to get the best from your medicines, the reasons behind your treatment, and offer solutions to any problems you may have. With your permission only this information can be shared with your GP so that any recommendations we make can be considered and action taken. SENDING SMOKE SIGNALS The British Heart Foundation Why is smoking so harmful? We now know that smoking causes arteries to clog up more quickly than if you don’t smoke. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry around your body. Smoking makes your heart beat faster. Smoking raises your blood pressure. Smoking makes your blood more likely to clot. 4 FAT OF THE LAND – MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH – UNDERSTANDING HOW THE EFFECTS OF CHOLESTEROL HAS HELPED CHANGE ATTITUDES TOWARDS HEART HEALTH The British Heart Foundation It was known that cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, but researchers discovered that the rate of production is governed by a specific enzyme. If the enzyme is blocked, the liver produces less cholesterol and more LDL cholesterol is removed from the bloodstream. A new class of drugs called Statins was developed to recreate this beneficial effect. Statins started to be used widely by the NHS in the 1990s. An important trial was the Heart Protection Study, part funded by the BHF, which began in 1994. The results which came out in 2002 suggested that Statins led to a lower risk of heart attacks, fewer strokes, fewer admissions to hospital with angina and a reduction in the need for heart surgery. The BHF is here to make sure that when it comes to anything heart-related you have all the support and guidance you need. Just pick up the ‘phone – 0300 330 3311 – to speak to a cardiac nurse or heart health advisor. REPEAT PRESCRIPTION SLIPS Dr Debbie Gilham Please respond to the slips we attach to your repeat prescriptions. Most importantly this ensures we can provide you with the best medical attention, but we also have to achieve targets to receive funding to pay for the running of the Practice and pay for the staff, so your help is much appreciated. CHANGES TO THE VACCINATION PROGRAM Rotavirus Vaccination: From the 1 July 2013 children under 4 months will be routinely vaccinated against rotavirus, a highly infectious illness, which is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in infants and young children. In children younger than five years in the UK, this infection is responsible for around 140,000 GP visits and 14,000 hospital admissions every year. The vaccine will be administered as a droplet into babies’ mouths during their 2- and 3-month vaccination appointments. Flu Vaccination: From September 2013 pilot programs will start, where children aged 2 years will be offered a nasal flu vaccine with a view to rolling out this program in full to all pre-school and primary school children in 2014. Shingles Vaccination: A shingles vaccination program will be introduced this September to be given at the same time as the flu jab to people aged 70. There will also be a catch-up program for those aged up to, and including 79, but the details of this are not yet clear and will depend on vaccine availability. Shingles is the reactivation of herpes zoster/chicken pox virus which has lain dormant in a nerve root, causing pain and a rash along a band of skin which the nerve supplies. It can affect the eye. As people get older, their immunity to the virus wains, making them more susceptible to shingles. Meningitis C Vaccination changes: A new teenage booster jab given at around 14 years will replace the vaccine dose that is currently given at 4 months of age. Children will still receive the vaccine at 3 months and 12 months. The teenage booster jab will be offered in the 2013/14 academic year. From mid-August 2014, there will also be a catch-up program of limited duration to offer the vaccine to first time university entrants under the age of 25 years who will have missed out on the booster vaccination when they were 14.

Please send you suggestions for topics for future Health Events. Suggestions received are INSOMNIA/CHIROPODY/MIGRAINE/NHS POLICY UPDATE/UNDER 5s HEALTH ISSUES/ TEENAGER PROBLEMS Newsletter Editor: Andy Capy, Telephone 01582 832305, Email: [email protected] Website: www.wheathampsteadppg.org.uk