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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed on Thursday (15 June) that everyone aged 60 and over will continue to receive free prescriptions. In response to a consultation launched by the DHSC in 2021 looking at whether the age free prescriptions become available should be aligned with the State Pension age, which is currently 66, the government decided to freeze the age at 60. Minister for Health Neil O'Brien said: "This government recognises the pressures with the cost of living caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That's why we are providing cost of living help worth £3,300 on average per household over last year and this, among the most generous help anywhere in Europe. "It's also why we have decided to maintain the prescription exemption age where it is. Nine out of 10 prescriptions are already free at the point of use and on top of that we also provide financial help to others on low incomes who don't automatically get prescriptions for free. "Prescription charge exemptions will also remain in place for those aged under 16 or aged 17 and 18 but in full time education, while those in receipt of certain benefits can also receive free prescriptions," said DHSC. For those who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prepayment certificates (PPC) are available to help with frequent prescriptions should they be required. The annual PPC can be paid for through 10 instalments. This means people can have as many prescription items as needed for just over £2 per week.

Members of the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) who have benefits in the Boots Pension Scheme have sought support from their union following the recent communications from the trustees about the removal of the option to retire at 60 without a reduced pension. The company claimed that retirement between 60-65 years old without a reduced pension was a discretionary benefit, and it has ended with the buy-in deal with Legal and General. However, PDA members believe there is insufficient evidence to fully support this claim, and therefore they are questioning whether this option should have been secured as part of the buy in and not ended with immediate effect. PDA Union national officer, Paul Moloney said: "Instead, we believe benefit statements issued to members, at the very least are contradictory, and clearly state that a full pension will be payable from a member's 60th birthday, with no reference to this benefit being discretionary and therefore subject to a regular review by the trustees. Instead, the benefit statements give the impression that an unreduced pension from 60 is a right with no indication that retirement plans should not be based on the benefit statements."

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Backed by a £22.5 million of government funding, community vaccine champions will tap into their local networks and encourage people in their communities to get vaccinated against the Covid-19. The funding, allocated today (January 13) to 60 councils, will help deliver bespoke projects in these regions, including: In Derby and Newham roving vaccinators and a vaccine bus will visit workplaces, places of worship and local highstreets.Videos shared on social media featuring local sporting stars, TV actors, local community and faith leaders and local NHS staff in Southampton.Developing a community transport to support access to vaccination sites/pop-ups and considering 'Grab a Jab' taxis scheme.As per NHS statistics, over 4.6 million people aged 18 and above remained unvaccinated in the 60 councils, selected to be a part of the Community Vaccine Champions programme. Vaccines minister Maggie Throup said: "Thanks to the pace and scale of our Covid-19 vaccination programme, we are in a much better position than this time last year."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is probing major concerns arising from Boots' communications to pharmacists regarding the company's recently announced pension arrangements. In November, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), the parent company of Boots, transferred the Boots employees' pension scheme to the financial service provider Legal and General (L&G) in a £4.8 billion deal. Boots notified staff that terms allowing an unreduced pension from age 60 have ceased immediately, following its agreement with L&G. The PDA highlighted member concerns regarding Boots management's announcement that an unreduced pension from the age of 60 is a discretionary benefit and not guaranteed under the Boots Pension Scheme (BPS), contrary to some members' assumptions.

Just over 60 per cent candidates have passed the first four-country common registration assessment for pharmacists, held jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Out of a total of 959 candidates who sat the assessment in four countries on 16 November, 584 candidates have passed - recording an overall pass rate of 60.9 per cent. The registration assessment is one of the ways trainee pharmacists can demonstrate that they understand how to apply knowledge appropriately and in a timely way, to make professional judgements in pharmacy practice. Passing the registration assessment is a vital element of being eligible to apply to become a registered pharmacist. In the November assessment, 43 per cent candidates sat for the first time, 45 per cent for the second time and 12 per cent for the third time.

In the next 10 years, the incidence of first-time stroke cases in the UK is projected to increase by 60 per cent, costing the government £75bn in healthcare and lost productivity, a charity has suggested. A new manifesto published by the Stroke Association has urged the next UK government to make stroke "the priority", stressing that the next decade is crucial for stroke prevention, treatment and recovery. Currently, stroke is the UK's fourth biggest killer and a leading cause of disability. On a daily basis, 281 individuals experience a stroke. Next year, the cost of stroke in the UK will be £43 billion. The charity predicted that by 2035, there will be 151,000 hospital admissions due to stroke every year, averaging 414 admissions per day, with 42,000 people estimated to die every year. In 2035, the UK is projected to have 2.1 million stroke survivors, imposing a financial burden of £75 billion on the public purse, nearly half the current NHS budget.

A groundbreaking research project has revealed that the public is urging the government to prioritise primary and community care over hospitals. The study also found a strong public willingness to pay higher taxes to enhance NHS services. The Health Foundation and Ipsos UK conducted the research, combining nationwide polling with in-depth public deliberative workshops. These workshops, held in King's Lynn, Leeds, and London, constitute one of the most comprehensive public consultations about the future of the NHS in England. The study published on 16 May underscores the public's desire for a redistribution of NHS resources. If the NHS budget remains unchanged, 60 per cent of those polled believe the government should focus on improving access to community-based services like general practice and dentistry.

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Did you know that an Indian passport allows you to travel to 63 countries and territories without the hassles of applying for a travel visa in advance? These 63 countries and territories permit Indian passport holders to enter without visa or obtain visa-on-arrival (VOA), thus simplifying the whole experience of traveling abroad whether for work or for leisure.

A new study has revealed that public trust in services provided by local pharmacies ranks highest in the UK, although confidence in the NHS has nosedived following the pandemic. The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer report published on Wednesday (April 21) found that around 78 per cent of respondents trust their local pharmacies, the highest for any provider cited in the survey. Besides, 72 per cent said pharmacists are among the most trusted to tell the truth about health matters and protect public health, almost similar to 'my doctor' (75%) and health experts (74%). Just under half of them said the pandemic has decreased their confidence that the NHS is well-equipped in handling major health crisis. The survey also revealed that 60 per cent think they lack access to high-quality healthcare.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday (January 19) that restrictions re-imposed in England last month would be lifted by from next Thursday (January 27). In the latest development, the government has decided to end the guidance on working from home, asking employers to make adequate arrangements to return safely to work. From the start of next Thursday, mandatory certification based on vaccines and tests will end, however, organisations can still choose to use the NHS Covid Pass voluntarily. Besides, the legal mandate to wear face masks will go away from next week. Making a statement to the House of Commons on Covid-19, he said that infection levels are falling in England mainly because of the country's "extraordinary booster campaign". He noted more than 36 million Covid-19 booster jabs had been delivered, with over 90 percent of over-60s now given a third dose. "Our scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally," Johnson added, while cautioning "the pandemic is not over". "I encourage everyone across the country to continue with all the cautious behaviours that we know help to keep each everybody safe."

Tough times for community pharmacies in England are far from over as the industry continues to grapple with major gaps in the workforce. Even though the latest figures released by the Health Education England (HEE) Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2021 showed doubling of pharmacist vacancy rate in England to 8 per cent between 2017 and 2021, it flagged the contractors' difficulty level in filling up these positions. The survey report showcased changes in the size and make-up of the community pharmacy workforce since the last survey conducted in 2017. It revealed that 56 per cent of pharmacy contractors reported high difficulty level in recruiting pharmacists, up from 21 per cent in the earlier survey. Moreover, a greater proportion - 60 per cent of contractors found filling up the pharmacy technician role 'fairly' or 'very' difficult. Other roles in the sector considered difficult to fill included accuracy checkers and trained dispensing assistants, both at 58 per cent.

Leading pharmaceutical wholesaler Lexon UK has completed a £60 million refinancing deal with HSBC UK to help meet its growth targets in 2022 and beyond. The asset based lending facility will support Lexon's business strategy, including capital expenditure in areas such as new technology and business development. Founded in 1995, the Redditch-based supplier has distribution centres in Leeds, Durham and Dublin, supporting thousands of independent pharmacies. Nimesh Sodha, director at Lexon, said: "We are delighted to have completed this deal - it will help Lexon grow and continue to support independent pharmacies across the UK, as we have done for many years, in fresh and exciting ways.

The prevalence of Covid-19 infections in England rose to around one in 60 people in the week ending November 27, the Office for National Statistics said today (December 03), led higher by the dominant Delta variant rather than the newly identified Omicron. The prevalence was up from one in 65 reported the previous week, the ONS said, adding that 99 per cent of all coronavirus infections which were sequenced were genetically compatible with the Delta variant. "To date, we have not identified any infections compatible with the new Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) among our survey participants," the ONS said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has introduced travel restrictions and some mask mandates, with a view to slowing the spread of Omicron while work is undertaken to understand it better. There have been 42 confirmed cases of the variant in Britain, which has mutations consistent with reduced vaccine efficacy.

The High Court has dismissed the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA)'s claim on being excluded from ongoing negotiations between the government and industry to agree a new Voluntary Scheme for medicine pricing and access (VPAS). The association had sought a judicial review of the Department of Health and Social Care's (DHSC) decision to negotiate a new Voluntary Scheme for branded medicines with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in April. Commenting on the result of the case, Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI said: "For over 60 years the ABPI has acted as the representative industry body for negotiations on the Voluntary Scheme for branded medicines - a responsibility we take extremely seriously - and one which has been reaffirmed by today's judgment. "While we were disappointed that the BGMA decided to take this action - we recognise their decision was driven by the extreme challenge placed on all parts of the industry from the surge in the branded medicine payment rates. "The solution to these problems must be a completely new and sustainable approach to medicines provision in the UK which rapidly brings industry revenue payments in line with comparator countries to unlock investment and growth."

The widely-held concept that levels of "good" cholesterol in the blood can indicate heart disease risk is not equally true for Blacks and whites, and the measure itself may be of less value than previously thought, according to a U.S. study published on Monday (November 21). Various types of cholesterol are thought to have either healthy or unhealthy effects. Low levels of so-called "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were linked with higher odds for developing cardiac problems in the long-term study - but only in white participants, the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found. In contradiction to what has generally been assumed, low HDL levels did not confer any higher risk of heart disease in Black people, researchers said. Among white people, however, those with HDL levels below 40 milligrams per deciliter had a 22% higher risk for coronary heart disease compared with those whose HDL levels were higher. High HDL levels (above 60 mg/dL), which are thought to be protective, were not linked with lower coronary heart disease risks in either race, researchers found.

Your body is made up of about 60% water. Without water, it would be impossible to maintain a stable body temperature, get rid of the waste in your body, and lubricate your joints. When you don't get adequate water, you risk becoming dehydrated, which brings many issues for your body. Therefore, water is necessary to live; most people can barely last a week without water and not experience an assortment of health issues. Despite this obvious importance, many people don't put much thought into the kind of water they drink. Maybe you open your faucet into a glass or buy yourself bottled water without scrutinizing where this is coming from. However, do you know how safe the water you get from your tap or bottles is? Why should you drink purified water? Drinking contaminated water can cause many health issues for your body which is why purifying water is vital. There are many ways to purify your water, ranging from simple solutions to solutions using advanced technology such as water filters. It is not uncommon to find related searches online because people are increasingly interested in choosing the most effective water-purifying solutions. Before exploring different purification techniques, read about the benefits of keeping hydrated as you play poker on Uptown Pokies.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May has formally opened new offices of LEO Pharma UK and Ireland during a launch event in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The company said on Friday (June 16) that the new building, based at Foundation Park, will function as its UK and Ireland operational headquarters. LEO Pharma has been manufacturing dermatology products in the UK and Ireland for over 60 years and continues its commitment to the Maidenhead area, where it been based for 10 years. The grounds offer state-of-the-art facilities and a greener and more sustainable workplace, the company said and hoped that that strong transport connections at Foundation Park will allow for seamless international collaboration, while a range of health and wellness initiatives will contribute to employee wellbeing. This new space will enable a collaborative and flexible work environment for LEO Pharma staff, ensuring they can continue to work to improve the lives of people living with skin conditions, their families and society.

Erection problems are common conditions that can affect adult men of any age. General awareness about erection problems has grown in recent years, and men's partners and society at-large generally view it as a common condition. Indeed, 75% of men and their partners agree that they are a normal part of life for a man. But despite progress to normalise the condition, the research points to the fact that men still feel responsible for erection problems. The survey's key findings underscore the multi-faceted social pressure men feel to perform socially, professionally, emotionally, and sexually. 90% of men feel expected to provide financial support, 80%+ feel they should be in control of their feelings, and 92% think it is expected of them to perform in bed. Despite erection problems being commonplace, expectations about sexual performance complicate the situation and make a major impact on the lives of those it affects. When men are confronted with erection problems, 60% expressed feeling disappointed. This disappointment, combined with the difficulty that 1 in 3 men have spoken about it, has a strong impact on well-being. 36% of men feel their mental health has been impacted by erection problems and leads to a feeling of guilt, and 74% of men feel responsible for difficulties in achieving or maintaining an erection.