Briefing

A round-up of news from professional journals

Sickle cell screening

Antenatal screening by midwives for sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia is
to be introduced in high prevalence areas. Blood-spot testing for sickle cell
in newborns has already been introduced in London and across much of England,
and antenatal screening is soon to follow. The tests will establish whether
people have the recessive gene that causes sickle cell.

Nursing Standard, 16 February

Benefit of cod liver oil

Cod liver oil may reduce pain and cartilage damage in osteoarthritis and
reduce the need for joint replacement. In a study of 31 patients suffering from
osteoarthritis, researchers at Cardiff University showed that cod liver oil
reduced enzymes linked to pain and cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis.

Nursing Times, 13 February

Phone consultations

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GPs should be more willing to provide telephone consultations, a community
health academic has said. Writing in Quality and Safety in Healthcare,
Professor Aziz Sheikh, of the University of Edinburgh School of Clinical
Sciences and Community Health, said there was a growing demand for the service.
Telephone consultation accounts for one-quarter of general practice
consultations in the US and is expected to become increasingly popular in the
UK.

Nursing Times, 5 February