As part of the PMA course, the eleven of us had a blogging rota. Seeing our journey from beginning to end makes for pretty interesting reading.
My blog entries, in typical blogging order (latest at the top), are listed below.
Monday 2 March 2009
PMA blogs
Calls for better antimalarials follow-up
Nurses should be better informed of compliance rates among travellers prescribed with antimalarials, a specialist has said.Travel health nurses rarely learn whether patients complete their treatment, according to a survey conducted at a malaria study day.
One nurse surveyed said it would be beneficial to monitor how well patients fare, and learn from cases where treatment has been stopped.
Furthermore, two-thirds of nurses said they were unlikely to hear if a patient caught malaria on their travels.
Travel health specialist Jane Chiodini said: “More needs to be done to ensure that nurses have an accurate picture of compliance among travellers. It would help inform us to advise which antimalarial would best suit the individuals thus offering the greatest protection against this disease.”
The information could also help nurses provide more effective education on the importance of completing the course, she added.
The survey was conducted by GlaxoSmithKlein and organised by RCN and the British Travel Health Association.
Internship 2
Below are a handful more of my online news stories from work experience at Haymarket medical:
'Miserable' children more prone to depression in later life
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Medical student standards up for debate
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Health Care Assistants (HCA) demand regulation
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Anti-drug campaign targets young cannabis users
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Doctors to work outside normal practice in pandemic
GPs will be expected to treat patients with influenza should the UK face a pandemic, new guidelines have stated. The guidance, Pandemic Influenza: Good Medical Practice – Responsibilities of doctors in a national pandemic, provides the basis of GP’s work should a crisis occur.
GPs should work outside their normal field of practice during a severe pandemic, according to the guidelines produced by GMC today. Such a pandemic would lead to some routine healthcare services being suspended, and retired GPs potentially being asked to return to work
The new guidelines have removed several elements from Good Medical Practice in a bid to reflect the practical challenges a GP would face. They concern a GP’s responsibility during a UK Level Three pandemic, involving a new virus outbreak sustained by human-to-human transmission.
Jane O'Brian, head of standards and ethics are the GMC, said: 'We will continue to keep doctors well-informed about their role in the event of a pandemic, and welcome their comments on the guidance in the meantime.'
Sunday 1 March 2009
Record revenue predicted for 2009 canal festivals
The festivals market is enjoying an annual increase. Many UK towns are turning to their waterways to participate in this trend. Jamie Stuttard investigates.
Canalside festivals are an emerging money-making opportunity across the UK, with several British Waterways regional boards reporting increased applications to host the events. Many begin as small-scale local activities and expand to become widely popular events, which local trade relies on.
The two-day canal festival at Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, generated £380,000 last year. Since starting in 2000 it has become a regular addition to the Scottish canal calendar.
David Gear, manager of the festival, said: "It brings a lot of money into the local economy. It's also a great way of introducing people to the region. Soon after the event, tourism remains above average.
"In 2006, the festival attracted 9,000 people. We made a growth plan for the event and within two years it trebled in size. Last year, an estimated 27,000 people attended the event."
Kirkintilloch Canal Festival's popularity has led Edinburgh to consider hosting a similar event. British Waterways Scotland has provisionally set this June as the date for the first Edinburgh Canal Festival. It is looking at the example of the capitals arts celebrations, which can bring an extra 1.5 million visitors to the city.
The Banbury canalside Folk Festival, in Oxfordshire, also expects to generate increased tourism this year. Ann Sewell, events manager for Banbury Town Council, said: "We've had more interest this year than we have in the past. I think the recession has made people look inwards. Instead of traveling miles for a day out, they look closer to home.
"It is the biggest day of the year for trade. It's a good celebration for locals, and a way to attract new people to the area."
The Linslade Canal Festival in Bedfordshire enjoys similar success. The town, which has a population of 12,000 is expecting approximately 5,000 non-local visitors this summer.
Donna Hughes, the town council's leisure and promotions manager, said: "To many people in the surrounding area, the canal festival really puts Linslade on the map. Local shops can see their profits go through the roof. Many of our arts and crafts shops rely on the event."
The Crick Boat Show in Northamptonshire aims to attract families and industry insiders. Last year exhibitors made around £1m from show-generated sales, and a further £2m from sales leads.
Chris Stanley, communications manager at South East Waterways, said: "Much of the local accommodation is booked far in advance of the event, and shops, pubs and restaurants enjoy increased trade." The show has expanded in recent years to allow for more visitors and boat moorings.
The increase in canalside events runs parallel to the booming UK festivals market. In 2008, there were more than 50 new festivals, and over 500 in total. This year, the UK festival industry will be worth £900m.
Website eFestivals has added the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival, Cheshire, to its line-up, and this year has listed the canal festival in Kirkintilloch alongside events such as Glastonbury and Bestival.
As canal festivals become better known and more widespread, they will undoubtedly obtain a bigger presence.
Review: Lily Allen @ Koko
Lily Allen has been in a lot of trouble lately. First, she made some rather risqué comments regarding cocaine. Second, she recorded a cover of Womanizer, which spread through the blogosphere like wildfire.
It can be assumed that her record company liked the former, and disliked the latter. According to her Myspace, Lily got a strict telling-off for recording the Britney track. The cocaine though, had her on the front pages of newspapers and magazines, and lead to her discussion on numerous chat shows. With a sophomore album on the way, publicity is key.
Tonight is Lily’s first London gig in almost two years, and the audience feel like she has something to prove. Is she still relevant after the influx of similar artists? Is her new material, from It’s Not Me, It’s You, worth the wait? Most importantly though, does she still want to be a pop star?
With her first album Alright Still, Lily paved the way for young, feisty females to conquer the charts and keep a chic, indie cool. Since her breakthrough hit Smile, we know more about her love life than our best friends; we know more about her family and dog than we have ever wanted to. But now she has returned, and she’s on fire.
She arrives on stage and giggles. It won’t be the first fit of laughter of the night, as she seems to do so after almost every song. Perhaps it’s nervousness - she is, after all, only 23 and facing a worldwide spotlight.
The audience can’t help but fall for her chuckling. We gain an immediate closeness with here, as if sharing a joke with our neighbour.
She loosens up after the third song, Little Things from Alright Still, as the front row of photographers leave and she takes her shoes off. Lily finally looks comfortable centre stage and launches into several new tracks.
Immediate standouts include the Take That sampling early-romance tale of Who’d Have Known, which could be the most beautiful song of 2009, the George Bush hating Fuck You and Not Fair, which Lily describes as “stupid country music”. A couple more familiar songs wouldn’t have been unwelcome, but with new tracks sounding instantly like old favourites, we didn’t really need them.
Now this being Lily Allen, celebrity fodder, a couple of familiar faces are in the vicinity. Producer Mark Ronson gets a dedication, Lady Gaga welcomes a mention halfway through, and Jaime Winstone dances with Lily’s actor brother, Alfie.
It’s a shame really. Her recent number one single, The Fear, is a (perfectly formed) song about celebrity culture. “Life’s about film stars and less about mothers, it’s all about fast cars and cussing each other”, she sings ironically. Shouting out greetings to Kate Moss, with no mention of her parents, seems somewhat contradictory.
The encore is a revelation though, and it certifies what a brilliant pop star we have on our hands. Tonight confirms her as a brilliant songwriter and endearing performer. She giggles again as she launches into her final song, Britney’s Womanizer.
Internship
For the past week, I have been on work experience at the Haymarket publications GP and Independent Nurse, and the medical news website Health Care Republic.
Below are a selection of my articles.
Excuse me, what is this Canal Business?
Well, Canal Business is the magazine we've been working on.
It's the first weekly B2B magazine for the canal industry.
Saturday 28 February 2009
New guide celebrates rejuvenated canals
A guide that celebrates a “new era of waterways” has been released. The authors claim that canal interest has reached an all-time peak, and their book aims to tap into this.
The authors, Phillippa Greenwood and Martine O’Callaghan, spotted a gap in the market for a guide covering more creative holidays. O’Callaghan said: “Investment in the inland waterways over the past few years has rejuvenated the canals and they now appeal to a broader spectrum of people.”
Half of Britain’s population is estimated to live within five minutes of an inland waterway and Cool Canals: Slow getaways and different days aims to inspire a new generation to explore them.
The book has proved popular with consumers, and two further canal titles are planned for 2010.
Originally published in Canal Business
Visit online www.canalbusiness.co.uk
UK's first hotel on water
Plans for the UK’s first floating hotel have been unveiled.
Premier Inn has announced details of the ‘flotel’, to be built in Hartlepool Marina. The project will be the first budget hotel to be purpose-built above water.
The hotel is designed to move with the tide and will be connected to the quayside via a pedestrian ramp and an external lift.
The design was chosen so visitors can stay as close to the Marina as possible.
Premier Inn has also announced plans to build beside the Walsall Canal. The new 120-bed hotel is due to be built as part of the town’s regeneration plans.
Adrian Andrew, Walsall Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “I think the new hotel is wonderful news and it shows the confidence that the business community has in Walsall.”
Originally published in Canal Business
Visit online www.canalbusiness.co.uk
Ads 'ruin' Venice
Venetian authorities have attracted criticism from locals and tourists for allowing advertisements hung on canal-side buildings.
A legal loophole allows scaffolding on public buildings to carry ads, The only condition is that Renata Codello, Venice’s architectural and cultural heritage chief, must ensure the advert does not “detract from the appearance or decorum of the building.”
Plakitiv Media, the main group handling the Venice ads, is currently paying €3.5m to restore the Correr Museum in St Mark’s Square.
The scaffolding is then being leased at €50,000 a month for companies such as Rolex to advertise. During the Venice Carnival in February, advertisers were paying a reported €75,000 a month.
Tourist Harry Hahun said: “The adverts really detract from the sites we went to Venice to see. Having a huge Swatch poster beside the Grand Canal takes away some of the beauty.”
Original published in Canal Business
Visit the website www.canalbusiness.co.uk
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