In this issue

Scottish study uncovers further evidence of wide-spread antibiotic resistance in NHS

NHS negligence claims too expensive

Eye disease decision 'Alice in Wonderland economics'

Consultants secure 'golden handcuff' paydeal

Jammy Lammy?

Medical agencies to merge

In Brief

Competition

Vox pop

Viewpoint: Fight for our children's future
Founding member of The Parent Project, Janet Catlin, argues that with the right support from government a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is not an impossible dream
Janet Catlin

Diary

Book Review
Jolyon Kimble reviews: More, Now, Again, by Elizabeth Wurtzel, £10.99, Virago
Jolyon Kimble

Injection of reality
Paul Beaver investigates why Britain is spending money on vaccine for biological threats
Paul Beaver

Electronic Health Records: still on the waiting list?
With its built-in resistance to a top-down approach, ambitious plans to wire the NHS risk going belly-up, warns Richard Sarson
Richard Sarson

E-prescription for change
The pharmacy of the future will cut fraud, save time and deliver safety, writes Sally Dawson
Sally Dawson

Good medicine for bad practice
Sally Dawson talks to the President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, about the council's radical programme of reform
Sally Dawson

The last taboo
Despite its wide prevalence, qualifying for treatment for erectile dysfunction on the NHS is a lottery, writes Sandra Gidley MP
Sandra Gidley

Heart of the matter
Current rules for the treatment of erectile dysfunction are unfair, cruel and should not be a part of any political, medical or social philosophy, says Dr Graham Jackson
Dr Graham Jackson

A potent mix
Erectile dysfunction threatens masculine identity, and undermines self-esteem and relationships, writes Dr Cynthia McVey
Dr Cynthia McVey

Getting physical
Erectile dysfunction is an important indicator of serious underlying medical conditions, writes Dr Geoff Hackett
Dr Geoff Hackett MD MRCPI MRCGP

Dying of embarrassment
Prostate cancer is set to overtake lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in men, it is predicted. Jearelle Wolhuter investigates
Jearelle Wolhuter

The Contraception Contradiction
Are the UK's poorly integrated family planning services partly to blame for soaring rates of teenage pregnancy and abortion? Sarah Southerton investigates
Sarah Southerton

Dispersal of responsibility?
The complications of the UK's asylum system mean that some refugees are not receiving continuity of care, reports Sally Dawson
Sally Dawson

Humanity: science's final frontier?
Bruno Waterfield talks to Francis Fukuyama and Gregory Stock, two American thinkers with very different visions for genetic science
Bruno Waterfield

Body of evidence
Lack of access to human tissue after the Alder Hey organ retention scandal is jeopardising medical research and training, reports Jearelle Wolhuter
Jearelle Wolhuter

Out of circulation
One in two of us will die of vascular disease - but most of us are ignorant of the danger signals, reports Sally Dawson
Sally Dawson

Drugstore cowboys
Dubbed 'hill-billy heroin', recent experience in the USA shows how deadly prescription drug abuse can be, reports Joe Kimble
Joe Kimble

The drugs don't work
Manizha Ahmad investigates whether compulsory workplace drug testing is a fair solution or a quick fix
Manizha Ahmad

Held to account
Whilst the NHS continues to incur costs without generating income there will always be a marked disincentive to developing facilities, writes Dr Michael Crawford
Dr Michael Crawford

Community chest
Money is not the only answer to NHS problems as there is added value in involving people more closely in the design and delivery of local services, writes Sarah Burns
Sarah Burns leads the Time Banks team at the New Economics Foundation. Putting Life Back into our Health Services: Public Involvement and Health, is available from Central Books, Tel: 020 8986 4854.

A cultural revolution
Professor John Cox, who stood down as President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists after three years this June, outlines why mental health must remain a government priority
Professor John Cox

Strength in a maelstrom of change
Mental health nurses are the largest contributors to the mental health service workforce and should be valued as such, says the RCN's Cris Allen
Cris Allen

Label conscious
Whilst undertaking recent research, Sarah Bartlett was struck by the derogatory terms used to describe the mentally ill - even when describing themselves
Sarah Bartlett

Reform is on the way
Jayne Zito OBE looks forward to the makings of a world-class mental health service in the UK
Jayne Zito

A blunderbuss approach
It seems unwise to concentrate on giving powerful palliative drugs to patients without any idea how they work, argues Gwynneth Hemmings
Gwynneth Hemmings

Nothing in the frame
Despite being cited in the NSF as one of the 10 leading causes of disability in adults, the treatment of manic depression remains under-resourced says Michelle Rowett
Michelle Rowett