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Flu Pandemic Likely To Strike UK In The Autumn Says Expert
A leading expert has warned that the UK can expect to be hit by a swine flu pandemic in the autumn when students go back to school and

Access To IVF Increases As New Guidance Makes System Fairer
The NHS is taking a step closer to ending regional variation in the provision of IVF to couples who are unable to conceive naturally, Public Health Minister Gillian Merron announced today.
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Chocolate Milk's 'Natural' Muscle Recovery Benefits Match Or May Even Surpass A Specially Designed Carbohydrate Sports Drink
Soccer players and exercise enthusiasts now have another reason to reach for lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout, suggests a new study from James Madison University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting. Post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk was found to provide equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories.
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New Guidance To Help Primary Care Trusts Develop Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments, UK

NHS Employers has today released an England-wide guide to help primary care trusts (PCTs) produce "pharmaceutical needs assessments" (PNAs). NHS Employers supports the Department of Health in its drive for more PCTs to develop and update their PNAs, which aim to help enhance the commissioning of quality pharmaceutical services, and this new guide will help make the complex process of producing PNAs more manageable. Felicity Cox, chair of the NHS Employers pharmacy negotiating team, says: "Our guide, Developing pharmaceutical needs assessments: A practical guide, was released today to enable primary care trusts to develop high quality PNAs. We know PCTs want to commission high quality services to meet the needs of local people, the guide is aimed at making it easier for PCTs to do this. Whilst it is not intended to be prescriptive, it provides a good framework and will help PCTs to start thinking about the kind of things that the new legislation will require them to do. PCTs can use the guidance to go step by step through the PNA process, or use the accompanying guides to help with specific aspects of preparing a PNA." In 2004/05 all primary care trusts in England were advised to develop a PNA in preparation for the new community pharmacy contractual framework and reform of control of entry regulations. However, considerable variation in the scope and quality of PNAs developed by PCT"s has been identified and in some cases they have not been updated or renewed to take account of changing circumstances. The Health Bill 2009 contains proposals to govern the content of PNAs. Subject to parliamentary approval, regulations with detailed content will then be prepared. However, in line with the Pharmacy White paper, PCTs will need to improve the quality of PNAs during 2009/10 as part of the next commissioning cycle and to inform existing and future commissioning plans. This NHS Employers guidance was developed with key pharmacy stakeholders including, primary care commissioners, the Department of Health and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. NHS Employers


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