Other UK News In Brief

Appeal Launched After Man Stabbed On Door Step

Officers from Westminster are appealing for information after a 49-year-old man was chased and attacked on his front door step in the early hours of Sunday morning. At approximately 2.13am the victim was walking down Kilburn Lane when he spotted a group of three men. He heard one of them shout and then all three ran towards him along Kilburn Lane. The victim ran towards his home, but the three men caught up with him as he opened his front door. They went on to attack him, stabbing him five times (in the back, right arm, twice in the left arm and lip), as he tried to enter the house. Police and London Ambulance Service attended and the victim was taken to a central London Hospital where he was treated for a broken rib and minor stab wounds. He has since been discharged. Investigating officer, Det Con Kirsty Roberts, said: "This was a nasty attack on a gentleman who was heading home at a quiet time of the morning, however, there may have been other residents heading home at that time or someone may have been woken by a noise and looked out of their window. I am keen to hear from anyone who may be able to provide us with some more detailed information about what took place." A 16-year old man and a 20-year old man were arrested on suspicion of GBH the same day. Both men have since been bailed pending further enquiries. Anyone with information should call the investigation team.

Re-Dispense Prescription Medicines To Save Money, Say Doctors



A new way of saving money when it comes to prescription medicines was today proposed by Northern Ireland Consultant Dr Sara Hedderwick. 

Speaking at the annual conference of the British Medical Association (BMA), Dr Hedderwick said: “Front line clinicians are often best placed to know where to save money. It has been estimated that £300 million pounds of dispensed medicines are wasted per year across the UK – that’s £1 for every £25 spent on drugs.

 In many cases, unused drugs are literally flushed down the toilet.

 Currently, unused medicines cannot be re-dispensed to other patients, even if they are returned in pristine condition, and this is something that should be looked at.

” Dr Hedderwick, who has developed an innovative home intravenous antibiotic service for patients, went on to give an example related to her own work. She said: 

“I regularly prescribe intravenous antibiotics to patients in the community that cost up to £300 per day. For various clinical reasons, I can have hundreds of pounds worth of drugs returned unopened which I cannot reuse.

 Patients are appalled at this waste of money.

 Re-dispensing such high cost drugs, with appropriate quality and safety checks, would be cost effective.” 

Dr Hedderwick concluded: “Small cost-saving steps like this are essential to the health service, given the financially restrictive environment in which we must work.”

Climate Change Takes Centre Stage

Today UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne gave the first of a series of speeches stating the three central compelling arguments for national and global action on climate change: the economic case, the geopolitical case and the scientific case. Speaking to the Prince of Wales's UK Corporate Leaders' Group in London, Mr Huhne said that the UK urgently needs to kick its addiction to fossil fuels and kickstart investment in new nuclear, renewables and clean coal or risk falling behind as countries around the world, including the US and China, race to develop clean energy. Mr Huhne said: "Some countries already have a head start. Electricity prices in France are set to rise by just 3% this year. Compare and contrast with Britain, where prices are rising by three times as much. It is no surprise that France is the European country with the least reliance on fossil fuels, and enjoys some of the lowest prices – 9.4 per cent below ours. We have a long way to go. But every long journey begins with a first step."

(BMcN/GK)