Information about health matters

Mourneside Family Practice
1a Ballycolman Avenue
Strabane
Co Tyrone
BT82 9AF
Tel: 028 7138 3737

News:

Out of Hours
We are part of Western Urgent Care - a group of all local doctors providing out-of-hours service. Western Urgent Care operates from Strabane Health Centre, Upper Main Street, Strabane

It will deal with URGENT MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR EMERGENCIES outside normal surgery hours - i.e. from 6.00pm to 8.30am Monday to Friday and 24 hours Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Patients should phone 0870 606 2288 or the usual surgery number. There will be a recorded message giving information about medical care out of hours and the phone number of the new service.

Cancelling your Appointment
If you are unable to attend an appointment with one of the doctors or nurses, please telephone or use the link at the bottom of this page to cancel your appointment.

By giving us as much notice as you can you are helping us to make sure that someone else is given your slot.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

Stem cell medic misconduct ruling

A doctor who offered controversial stem cell treatments to multiple sclerosis patients faces being struck off by the General Medical Council.

Plea to save MS respite centres

Volunteers are calling on the MS Society not to abandon four respite care centres in York, Surrey, Warwickshire and East Lothian

Stress hormone heart death link

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol are closely linked to death from cardiovascular disease, a Dutch study has found.

'Sponge checks' for cancer risk

Swallowing a sponge on a piece of string could help prevent a deadly form of cancer, experts claim.

Firm handshake link to long life

The strength of your handshake could be a clue to how long you'll live, say UK scientists.

Speed of ageing is 'slowing down'

The cost burden of ageing populations in industrialised nations may not be as much as feared because of improved health, a study suggests.

Scan to 'track brain development'

Scientists say they can quickly and accurately map a child's brain development using an MRI machine and a maths programme.

Trust plans to stop IVF treatment

A primary care trust in Greater Manchester is planning to suspend funding for IVF treatment, to try to cut costs.

Legionnaires' source hunt narrows

Doctors say they are narrowing down the potential source for a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in south Wales after the deaths of two people.

Prostate tests call for 'at risk'

Screening men with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer can lead to early diagnosis of prostate cancer, says a study.

Yahoo Health

Cholera stalks West Africa as rains spread disease (AP)

In this Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 photo, a doctor treats a child suffering from cholera, at a village health clinic in Ganjuwa in Nigeria's rural Bauchi State. Health officials, some with surgical masks covering their faces, sprayed anti-bacterial solution on muddy paths in this village, and patients jammed into rudimentary clinics as the government struggled to contain a cholera epidemic that has killed nearly 800 people in two months. The worst epidemic in Nigeria in 19 years is spreading to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, where it has killed hundreds more people.(AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

AP - Patients jammed rudimentary clinics and health workers in surgical masks sprayed anti-bacterial solution on muddy paths as the government struggled to contain a cholera epidemic that has killed nearly 800 Nigerians in two months.

AIDS doctors, activists call for more health funds (AP)

Graca Machel, an International advocate for children and the poor, and wife of former South African Presdient Nelson Mandela, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg Friday, Sept 10, 2010. Machel said that the debate over food in her impoverished homeland did not end with the government's reversal on bread prices. (AP/Tawanda Mudimu)

AP - Doctors and AIDS activists on Friday urged African governments to fulfill a decade-old pledge to spend more of their own money on health if they want international help in fighting AIDS.

FDA warns of deadly side effect with imaging drugs (AP)

AP - Federal health regulators are warning doctors that a class of injectable drugs used in MRI medical imaging scans can cause a rare and sometimes fatal condition in patients with kidney disease.

CDC: Adults eating less fruit, not enough veggies (AP)

AP - An apple a day? Apparently not in the United States.

Study: Flamboyant male dancing attracts women best (AP)

FILE- This is a file photo of John Travolta and Karen Gorney dance in a nightclub scene to disco music in Paramount Pictures 1977 film 'Saturday Night Fever', which explores the restless generation growing up in the 70's. John Travolta was onto something. Women are most attracted to male dancers who have big, flamboyant moves similar to the actor's trademark style, British scientists say in a new study. (AP Photo/HO, File)

AP - John Travolta was onto something. Women are most attracted to male dancers who have big, flamboyant moves similar to the actor's trademark style, British scientists say in a new study.

Doctors see eye hazard in powerful laser pointers (AP)

AP - A 15-year-old boy damaged his eyes while playing with a laser pointer he'd bought over the Internet, say doctors who warn that dangerously high-powered versions are easily available online.

Risks of old, new diet drugs face U.S. scrutiny (Reuters)

Subway commuters walk through the turnstiles while leaving the U.S. Open in New York September 4, 2007. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/Files

Reuters - The risks of a potential new diet pill and a 13-year-old weight-loss medicine face U.S. scrutiny next week as medical experts consider if the drugs' benefits outweigh possible side effects.

Doctors alarmed by HIV risk for European gays (AFP)

Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus

AFP - Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus "seems to be out of control" among men who have sex with men, said a paper published on Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 10, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Clearing Kids for Sports Participation Sparks Conflicts (HealthDay)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Most teenagers think they're invincible, and that goes double for talented teenage athletes. They're young, immortal, at the top of their game, the envy of their friends.

MedPage Today

More Body Fat May Up Death Risk With Colon Cancer (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Among postmenopausal women who have colon cancer, those carrying extra weight before their diagnosis appear to have an increased risk of dying, researchers found.

Score Predicts Morbidity Risk in Preterm Infants (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Physiologic data from the first three hours after birth integrated into a computer model predicted premature infants' morbidity risk with greater than 90% accuracy, as demonstrated in a study of 138 preterm infants.

HHS Workers Owe a Bundle in Back Taxes

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) owed a total of $37.3 million in back taxes at the end of 2009, according to a report published online Thursday in the Washington Post.

FDA Adds Warning to Some Diagnostic Drugs

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA is requiring the makers of some gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) to add new warnings to the drug label to minimize the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in some patients with kidney dysfunction.

Palliative Care Training Program Ineffective (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A hospital-based training program designed to improve end-of-life care in the intensive care unit had no effect on quality of dying or quality of care, researchers found.

Hospital Trauma Transfers Not Common, but Costly (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Transferring trauma patients from one hospital to another, only to discharge them that day or the next, is a relatively infrequent occurrence but is still a costly burden on the medical system, researchers said.

Dose Increase Little Help with Anti-TNF Drugs (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Increasing the dose of an anti-tumor necrosis factor drug in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is unlikely to increase the therapeutic response, an observational study found.

Teen Weight Problems Predict Overweight Adults (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Dramatic shifts in the prevalence of overweight and obesity occur between adolescence and young adulthood, a prospective cohort study of Australian youths showed.

Carotid Stenting Too Risky for Older Patients (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Carotid stenting should be avoided in symptomatic patients ages 70 and older but may be as safe as its surgical counterpart in younger patients, researchers determined.

Money for ESC Research Flows Again, for Now

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- A federal appeals court has ruled that government funding of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research can resume while it mulls a federal district court judge's ruling blocking the funds.

Asthma

Heart Disease

Cancer

Mental Health

Diabetes

COPD

Osteoarthritis

Asthma

Asthma is a common condition that causes coughing, wheezing, tightness of the chest and breathlessness. Most people with asthma who take the appropriate treatment can live normal lives, but left untreated, asthma can cause permanent damage to the airways

NHS Choices - Child Asthma & Inhaler Techniques

There is further information and advice on the NHS Choices Video Site

Useful Links

Asthma UK
This website has been revamped to meet the needs of the thousands of people with asthma who visit the site each day, either to find important information about asthma and how to control it

Asthma in Adults
An excellent resource with useful video, audio, images and references relating to asthma in adults.

Asthma in Children
This factsheet is for parents of children who have asthma, or who would like information about it

NHS Choices - Asthma
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of Asthma.

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a preventable disease that kills more than 110,000 people in England every year. More than 1.4 million people suffer from angina and 275,000 people have a heart attack annually. CHD is the biggest killer in the country.

British Heart Foundation - What is a heart attack?

There are more videos available on all aspects of BHF and heart disease on the BHF video site

Audio MP3 Downloads

Now you can download and listen to podcasts free from the BHF - either on the move or in the comfort of your own home. Choose from the following list of podcasts, right-click on links of the titles you want, select 'Save Target As' and save to your computer.

A Mother's Story - The realities of life when your child has a heart condition

Controlling Cholesterol - The five best things you can do to lower cholesterol s

Giving Up Smoking - The five best things you can to do give up for good

Risking It - How do you know if you are at risk of heart disease?

Keeping Your Heart Healthy Top tips on how to exercise and eat for a healthy heart

"The British Heart Foundation is Britain’s leading charity fighting heart and circulatory disease – the UK’s biggest killer. The BHF funds research, education and life-saving equipment and helps heart patients return to a full and active way of life. The charity relies on donations to continue its vital work."

Useful Links

CHD - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

CHD
An excellent resource with useful video, audio, images and references relating to CHD.

NHS Choices
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of CHD.

British Heart Foundation
Our vision is of a world in which people do not die prematurely of heart disease. We will achieve this through our pioneering research, our vital prevention activity and by ensuring quality care and support for people living with heart disease.

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Cancer

One in three people will be affected by cancer at some stage in their life. There are many different types of cancer and this page doesn't cover them all, but the general information will help you to access further information and support.

Macmillan Cancer Support - The cancer line and how it can help

There are more videos available Macmillan and the support they offer on the Macmillan Video Site

Cancer Research UK - Behind every success story...

There is further information and education on the Cancer Research UK Video Site

Useful Links

Cancer - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

Cancer Overview
An excellent resource with useful video, audio, images and references relating to differing forms of Cancer, the causes & treatments.

Cancerhelp
Free information service provided by Cancer Research UK about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families. Information is formatted in such a way that makes understanding the website an easy process

Cancer Backup
Europe's leading cancer information charity, with over 4,500 pages of up-to-date cancer information, practical advice and support for cancer patients, their families and carers.

NHS Choices
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of Cancer

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Mental Health

Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. One in four people in the UK have a mental health problem at some point in their lives, which affects their daily life, relationships or physical health.

Mental health disorders take many different forms and affect people in different ways. Schizophrenia, depression and personality disorders are all types of mental health problem. Diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia generally develop in old age, whereas eating disorders are more common in young people.

Alzheimer's Society - Diagnosis interview with Terry Pratchett

The Alzheimer's Society is the leading care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers.

They provide further information and education, support for carers, and quality day and home care on the Alzheimer's Society Video Site

Mental Health Wellbeing Podcasts

The links below will take you to the relevant download page on the Mental Health Foundation Website.

Stress and Relaxation

Stress and the Mind

Well Being and Nutrition

Well Being and Positive Thinking

Well Being and Sleep

Wellbeing and Relaxation

The website of the Mental Health Foundation outlines the charity’s work in research, policy, service development and service user involvement. The site offers information and publications to download on research, good practice in services and on mental health problems and key issues.

Useful Links

Mental Health - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

Alzheimer's Disease
An information sheet helping to understand mroe about Alzheimer's Disease

Depression
An information sheet helping to understand mroe about the causes, treatment and understanding of Depression

Alzheimer’s Society
Comprehensive information for people with all forms of dementia. Alzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mental Health Foundation
Founded in 1949, the Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity that provides information, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as diabetes mellitus. In the UK, diabetes affects approximately 2.3 million people, and it's thought there are at least half a million more people who have the condition but are not aware of it. There are two types of diabetes - type 1 and type 2.

Teenage Diabetes: A Real Story

There is further information and advice on the NHS Choices Video Site

Diabetes UK - How to take a blood glucose test

There is further information and education on the Diabetes UK Video Site

Useful Links

Diabetes - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

Type 1 Diabetes
An excellent resource with useful information and references relating to Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes
A useful resource regarding Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetes UK
Largest charity in the UK devoted to the care and treatment of people with diabetes in order to improve the quality of life for people with the condition

NHS Choices
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of Diabetes

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease. The main symptom of COPD is an inability to breathe in and out properly. This is also referred to as airflow obstruction.

What is COPD?

COPD: A real Story

Useful Links

NHS Choices
Guide to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and risks of COPD from the NHS

COPD Factsheet
This factsheet is for people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or who would like information about it.

British Lung Foundation
Information and guidance on living with COPD

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting 8.5 million people in the UK. It develops gradually over time, causing joints to become stiff and painful. It can affect any joint but commonly affects the hands, knees, hips, feet and spine.

Osteoarthritis: a real story

Who develops osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis usually develops in people who are over 50 years of age, and it is more common in women than in men. It is commonly thought that osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of getting older, but this is not true. Younger people can also be affected by osteoarthritis, often as a result of an injury or another joint condition.

Useful Links

NHS Choices
Guide to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and risks of Ostearthritis from the NHS

Osteoarthritis Factsheet
This factsheet is for people who have osteoarthritis or who would like information about it.

Arthritis Care
Arthritis Care exists to support people with arthritis. They are the UK’s largest organisation working with and for all people who have arthritis.

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online contact NHS Direct