That this House notes serious concerns raised over how the Medical Board examines applicants for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance; urges for changes to be made to mandate the Medical Board to take oral as well as written evidence from the claimant's general practitioner and relevant specialist; believes that experience leads to the conclusion that more time should be allocated for in-depth consideration of the claimant's evidence and that the examination should also include home visits when appropriate; further believes that decisions should be made on medical evidence and not motivated by the need to reduce the number of claimants or by age discrimination; further believes the claimant process should ensure that the stress, worry and anxiety experienced by the claimant is minimised and no financial burden is imposed as a result of the process; further believes it is important to aim to achieve the right decision first time and to reduce the need for excessive numbers of appeals, thus saving public money; and therefore calls on the Government to review the process of Medical Board examinations for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance.

That this House notes serious concerns raised over how the Medical Board examines applicants for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance; urges for changes to be made to mandate the Medical Board to take oral as well as written evidence from the claimant's general practitioner and relevant specialist; believes...

That this House is aware that the younger the child, the more vulnerable their health to the effects of poor quality food and nutrition; is alarmed that more than one in every five children starts school already overweight or obese and that this makes them more likely to suffer from serious health problems later in life; notes that existing regulation for food served in early years daycare is inadequate and does not prohibit the serving of foods high in salt, fat, sugar and artificial additives that are prohibited or restricted in primary and secondary schools; is concerned that nursery catering staff are not required to undertake training in nutrition; and calls on the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to follow the Soil Association's Better Nursery Food Now campaign recommendations to implement mandatory standards for the quality of food served in all nurseries.

That this House is aware that the younger the child, the more vulnerable their health to the effects of poor quality food and nutrition; is alarmed that more than one in every five children starts school already overweight or obese and that this makes them more likely to suffer from...

That this House welcomes a study by the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Essex which showed that children who are driven to school have the lowest levels of physical fitness, being less fit than walkers, cyclists and children who took the bus; notes in particular that in the age group 10 to 16 years, research showed that boys who walked to school were 20 per cent. more likely to be fit compared with those using motorised transport and that for girls the figure was 30 per cent.; further notes that boys who cycled to school were found to be 30 per cent. fitter, while female cyclists were seven times more likely to reach the minimum fitness standard than girls who were driven to school; congratulates Dr Gavin Sandercock and Christine Voss for the research involving 6,000 pupils in the East of England; and calls on the Government to encourage schools to promote cycling and walking as a means of raising fitness levels amongst pupils, with particular emphasis on providing safe cycling routes.

That this House welcomes a study by the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Essex which showed that children who are driven to school have the lowest levels of physical fitness, being less fit than walkers, cyclists and children who took the bus; notes in particular that in...

That this House commends research undertaken by Cardiff University into the dangers of letting blood glucose levels drop too low in type 2 diabetes sufferers; notes the health problems associated with letting blood glucose go too high or too low; further notes that it is essential that even levels of blood glucose are maintained in type 2 diabetes sufferers; supports the call for diabetes sufferers to undertake regular check-ups to ensure the most appropriate treatment is provided, alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise; is concerned that more than 145,000 new cases of diabetes, mostly type 2, were diagnosed in the past year; urges the Government to investigate further the overall effect of intensification of glucose control with insulin therapy and its link to a heightened risk of death; and encourages the Government to provide guidelines on regular check-ups and advice on managing diabetes to sufferers and their practitioners.

That this House commends research undertaken by Cardiff University into the dangers of letting blood glucose levels drop too low in type 2 diabetes sufferers; notes the health problems associated with letting blood glucose go too high or too low; further notes that it is essential that even levels of...

That this House welcomes the development of public health programmes that take advantage of sports stadiums' and sports clubs' position in communities to reach men with health information and services; notes the programmes run by NHS Oldham and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation; further notes the research and co-ordination provided by the Men's Health Forum and the Federation of Stadium Communities; and calls on the Government to support the further development of such programmes by health providers and sports organisations.

That this House welcomes the development of public health programmes that take advantage of sports stadiums' and sports clubs' position in communities to reach men with health information and services; notes the programmes run by NHS Oldham and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation; further notes the research and co-ordination provided by...

That this House believes that exaggerated claims of the dangers of pandemics may undermine the public's faith in warnings of future serious health emergencies; recalls the claims that severe acute respiratory syndrome would infect up to one in four of the population, avian influenza up to 750,000, bovine spongiform encephalopathy/Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease up to 136,000, and that swine influenza could result in 65,000 British deaths; notes that a maximum of 350 deaths have occurred, many of which involved patients with other health problems; concludes that the World Health Organisation (WHO) forecast and fear-mongering by the media greatly overstated the risk; and welcomes the investigation by the Council of Europe to ascertain whether the WHO's declaration was determined on objective epidemiological evidence or on pressure from the pharmaceutical lobby.

That this House believes that exaggerated claims of the dangers of pandemics may undermine the public's faith in warnings of future serious health emergencies; recalls the claims that severe acute respiratory syndrome would infect up to one in four of the population, avian influenza up to 750,000, bovine spongiform encephalopathy/Creutzfeldt-Jakob...

That this House notes the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) produced by combustion products like coal, wood, oil and gas not burning correctly; further notes that CO has no taste, colour or odour and often causes permanent injury or death within a few breaths, making elderly people, those with heart or lung problems, pregnant mothers, unborn babies and young children all particularly vulnerable to its dangers; recognises the work of CO-Awareness, a registered UK charity, established in 2005 to provide information on the dangers of CO poisoning and to support victims and their families who have been killed or are suffering long-term health effects from CO poisoning; and urges the Government to improve education, advice and equipment for children, health professionals and installers to reduce the impact of CO poisoning.

That this House notes the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) produced by combustion products like coal, wood, oil and gas not burning correctly; further notes that CO has no taste, colour or odour and often causes permanent injury or death within a few breaths, making elderly people, those with heart...

That this House calls on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board to highlight the importance of pneumonia at the Executive Board meeting in Geneva, 18 to 23 January 2010, by placing pneumonia on the agenda; further calls on members of the Executive Board to raise the issue of pneumonia and the devastating burden it has on the developing world; congratulates the work of the WHO and the UN for the work undertaken to date to fight the scourge of pneumonia which kills more than four million people every year, half of whom are children under the age of five; notes that one child dies every 15 seconds from pneumonia which kills more children under the age of five than measles, malaria, and AIDS combined, accounting for 20 per cent. of all deaths of children under the age of five worldwide; highlights the effective and available methods of preventing and treating pneumonia; further notes the need to increase access to these simple interventions; further notes the link between pneumonia and H1N1 deaths; and further calls on the global community to join the call for members of the WHO Executive Board to add pneumonia to the agenda for its meeting.

That this House calls on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board to highlight the importance of pneumonia at the Executive Board meeting in Geneva, 18 to 23 January 2010, by placing pneumonia on the agenda; further calls on members of the Executive Board to raise the issue of pneumonia...

That this House congratulates the Arrhythmia Alliance on the Know Your Pulse initiative to raise awareness amongst the public and the NHS of this basic health check to detect potentially fatal heart rhythm disorders; notes that in 2007 the Department of Health estimated that there were over 600,000 patients in England living with the most common arrhythmia atrial fibrillation which is also a leading cause of stroke; recalls that 150,000 strokes occur every year in the UK, a rate of 410 per day and 17 per hour, and that 15 per cent. of strokes are associated with atrial fibrillation alone; recognises that people with an arrhythmia have a dramatically reduced quality of life and face serious long-term health complications including stroke or sudden death; supports efforts to increase the rate of early identification of heart rhythm disorders in order to reduce premature deaths from heartbeat disorders and other co-morbidities, such as heart failure and hypertension; believes that the most effective way to achieve this is to place pulse checks on a procedural par with weight and blood pressure tests in GP surgeries; and calls on the Government to facilitate an improvement in the timely and effective diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias.

That this House congratulates the Arrhythmia Alliance on the Know Your Pulse initiative to raise awareness amongst the public and the NHS of this basic health check to detect potentially fatal heart rhythm disorders; notes that in 2007 the Department of Health estimated that there were over 600,000 patients in...

That this House congratulates Prostate UK on its campaign to raise awareness of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which affects more than a third of men aged over 50 years, equating to around 3.2 million men in the UK; notes that while there are three common prostate disorders for men a recent survey found that only one in seven men is aware of the location and function of the prostate and fewer still have any knowledge of the diseases to which it is prone; and calls on the Department of Health to provide appropriate training and resources for GPs to effectively manage prevalent prostate conditions.

That this House congratulates Prostate UK on its campaign to raise awareness of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which affects more than a third of men aged over 50 years, equating to around 3.2 million men in the UK; notes that while there are three common prostate disorders for men a...

That this House supports the Circulation Foundation's efforts to raise awareness of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and the growing lower limb amputation rate in the UK; notes that over 100,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year and that PAD is often a precursor for heart failure or stroke; recognises that vascular specialists often see patients when little can be done to save their leg; further recognises that the UK has one of the lowest revascularisation rates in legs across Europe; and urges the Department of Health to encourage local vascular networks to agree network-wide protocols for the identification, referral, investigation and treatment of people with peripheral arterial disease.

That this House supports the Circulation Foundation's efforts to raise awareness of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and the growing lower limb amputation rate in the UK; notes that over 100,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year and that PAD is often a precursor for heart failure or stroke;...

That this House supports Occupational Therapy Week which runs from 2 to 8 November 2009, organised by the College of Occupational Therapists; congratulates occupational therapists in both the health service and in social care for their dedicated and vital work to aid the effective recovery of patients and allow them to recover ordinary lives; recognises that occupational therapists work in many spheres including those of children, young people and families, HIV/AIDS, oncology and palliative care, housing, mental health, neurological practice, older people, people with learning disabilities, rheumatology and trauma and orthopaedics; urges the Government to continue to recognise that occupational therapists are a significant section of the NHS clinical and social care workforce; and recommends that all hon. Members visit an occupational therapy service in their local area to see the important work that is being done.

That this House supports Occupational Therapy Week which runs from 2 to 8 November 2009, organised by the College of Occupational Therapists; congratulates occupational therapists in both the health service and in social care for their dedicated and vital work to aid the effective recovery of patients and allow them...

That this House notes with concern that an estimated seven million people in the UK have pre-diabetes, a condition that leaves people with high blood glucose levels 15 times more likely to develop diabetes; further notes that a total of 2.6 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes; states that in the past year alone 145,000 new cases of diabetes have been recorded; congratulates Diabetes UK for its work in raising awareness of diabetes; and calls on the Government to increase its efforts to raise public awareness of diabetes and the ways in which it can be prevented.

That this House notes with concern that an estimated seven million people in the UK have pre-diabetes, a condition that leaves people with high blood glucose levels 15 times more likely to develop diabetes; further notes that a total of 2.6 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with...

That this House supports the first International World Pneumonia Day, on 2 November 2009; notes that the inaugural World Pneumonia Day is being marked by an event at the House of Commons in London on 28 October 2009; congratulates the organisers of events in New York, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Australia and other countries to highlight the scourge of pneumonia which kills more than four million people every year, half of whom are children under the age of five years; supports the Global Coalition Against Pneumonia, which includes the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations Alliance, PneumoADIP, Save the Children, Hedge Funds against Malaria and Pneumonia and other partners who have organised and helped promote World Pneumonia Day; hopes that World Pneumonia Day will encourage further support in the fight against pneumonia in the developing and developed world; further congratulates the Government for its role to date in supporting the Advanced Market Commitment for pneumococcal disease, the leading cause of pneumonia deaths; and calls on the Government to give continuing support to combat this terrible disease which claims the life of a child every 15 seconds.

That this House supports the first International World Pneumonia Day, on 2 November 2009; notes that the inaugural World Pneumonia Day is being marked by an event at the House of Commons in London on 28 October 2009; congratulates the organisers of events in New York, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda,...

That this House congratulates Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) CRY/Philips on its first national screening tour, which has screened free of charge 2,462 fit and healthy young people in 12 locations in the UK over 10 weeks, diagnosing 14 as having potentially dangerous but treatable conditions; notes that the launch of the first initiative in the UK to screen every 14 year-old in the South East will help lay the foundation for the development of a national screening programme; further notes that the world's first specialist, multi-disciplinary centre dedicated to research into sudden cardiac death amongst those aged 35 and under is to be based at a leading London hospital; further notes that CRY is extending the development of its support network to young people diagnosed in locations in the Midlands and North as well as in the South of England; and further notes that following CRY's launch in the South East on 4 October 2009 Northern Ireland, the Midlands, the North East and the North West have launched the 12 young sudden deaths a week awareness programme, with research published in the European Society of Cardiology Journal substantiating this statistic.

That this House congratulates Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) CRY/Philips on its first national screening tour, which has screened free of charge 2,462 fit and healthy young people in 12 locations in the UK over 10 weeks, diagnosing 14 as having potentially dangerous but treatable conditions; notes that the...

That this House acknowledges that one in seven people across the United Kingdom are affected by lung disease; congratulates the many thousands of volunteers and professionals involved in raising awareness of the condition and treating it; notes that Breathe Easy Week takes place between 15 and 21 June 2009; and in particular recognises those involved at Breathe Easy Causeway Group where a national award for outstanding achievement was won against 200 other similar groups across the nation.

That this House acknowledges that one in seven people across the United Kingdom are affected by lung disease; congratulates the many thousands of volunteers and professionals involved in raising awareness of the condition and treating it; notes that Breathe Easy Week takes place between 15 and 21 June 2009; and...

That this House congratulates Arrhythmia Alliance, the Heart Rhythm Charity, a coalition of healthcare professionals, patients and carers to promote better understanding, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of individuals with cardiac arrhythmias, or heart rhythm disorders, for organising Arrhythmia Awareness Week from 8 to 14 June 2009; welcomes the Know Your Pulse initiative which aims to encourage people to have their pulse checked; notes that more than one per cent. of the population is affected by atrial flutter (AF), the most common type of heart rhythm disturbance; recognises that people with AF have a dramatically reduced quality of life and face long-term serious complications including a high risk of having a stroke; further notes that 100,000 sudden cardiac deaths occur each year due to cardiac arrhythmias, and that 120,000 unexplained incidences of loss of consciousness occur due to cardiac arrhythmia; believes that the early identification of heart rhythm disorders is crucial in reducing the number of premature deaths from heartbeat disorders; and calls on the Government to make heart rhythm disorders a priority by ensuring pulse checks are taken during a routine visit to a GP surgery, to promote timely diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.

That this House congratulates Arrhythmia Alliance, the Heart Rhythm Charity, a coalition of healthcare professionals, patients and carers to promote better understanding, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of individuals with cardiac arrhythmias, or heart rhythm disorders, for organising Arrhythmia Awareness Week from 8 to 14 June 2009; welcomes the...

That this House supports the British Lung Foundation's Love Your Lungs campaign for Breathe Easy Week 2009; praises the work of the Breathe Easy patient support network in providing help and information for people living with a lung condition and their carers; notes that less than a quarter of the estimated 3.7 million people in the UK with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been diagnosed with the disease; calls on the Government to assess the benefits of incorporating spirometry testing into the new screening programme in order to ensure more people with a lung condition get an early diagnosis; recognises the importance of pulmonary rehabilitation for people with COPD, but observes that in many areas of the UK there is insufficient access to these courses and that they are not adequately funded; believes that more needs to be done to ensure that pulmonary rehabilitation is available to everyone who could benefit from it; eagerly awaits the publication of the clinical strategy for COPD; and urges the full implementation of the strategy in order to ensure an improved quality of life for all people with the disease.

That this House supports the British Lung Foundation's Love Your Lungs campaign for Breathe Easy Week 2009; praises the work of the Breathe Easy patient support network in providing help and information for people living with a lung condition and their carers; notes that less than a quarter of the...

That this House welcomes the launch of the South Central Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned that a new report published by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign illustrates serious problems affecting the 4,000 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the South Central Specialised Commissioning Group to meet with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the leading clinicians in the area; and further calls on the Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward a review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the NHS South Central region.

That this House welcomes the launch of the South Central Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned that a new report...

That this House notes that there are nine million deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the UK; and welcomes the opportunity to promote deaf awareness across all parts of society through Deaf Awareness Week, running from 4 to 10 May, involving over 100 deaf charities and organisations.

That this House notes that there are nine million deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the UK; and welcomes the opportunity to promote deaf awareness across all parts of society through Deaf Awareness Week, running from 4 to 10 May, involving over 100 deaf charities and organisations.