We all have our daily habits, and some of them are considered to be beneficial to our health and wellbeing. However, things are not always as straight forward as advertising and media lets us believe.
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Diabetes affects millions of people across the world and is seen by some as the disease of the 21
st Century (1). Many people already know a few general things about diabetes, but there are also many facts and figures surrounding diabetes that a lot of people may not be aware of. This article will shed light on five facts regarding diabetes that some people may be unaware of.
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2016 has been a great year for Freedom, being shortlisted once again for both Best Customer Service by a Provider and Best Individual PMI Provider at the 2016 Health Insurance Awards. Whilst we didn’t win this year, it is a great honour to have been recognised again by brokers in two separate categories.
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The success of Freedom Health Insurance as a personal and friendly PMI business has always rested on our absolute focus on our customers.
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A report published in 2014 by Dementia UK showed that in 2013 there were 815,827 people living with dementia within the UK (approximately 1.3% of the total population), with 775,502 of these people being aged 65 years old or over. (1)
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In the work place, there are many different things that can be an influencer on our health and how we get ill. There are however several steps that can be taken, that can be beneficial to us and our wellbeing throughout the duration of the working week.
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NHS Choices state that sodium is needed in everyday diets, and that salt (sodium chloride) is the main source of sodium in the UK diet. It aids activity in your nerves and muscles (1). But large quantities of salt have been suggested to be linked with various health risks.
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At a glittering ceremony in London last evening, the health insurance industry discovered who had won each of the coveted Health Insurance Awards 2016.
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According to a recent study, it is estimated that people suffering from depression are up to 60% more likely to develop diabetes (1). The study was carried out by King’s College London and examined 160,000 pairs of twins. The use of twins is thought to help explain the possible genetic links between the two illnesses.
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Following our success at the 2015 Health Insurance Awards, we are absolutely delighted that we have been shortlisted again for 2016 in two categories.
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The concept of ‘superfood’ refers to some foods which are thought to have certain health benefits. There are many debatable opinions about what a superfood is and their effects on a person’s health, with claims that superfoods can boost intelligence and physical ability, lighten depression or slow the aging process (1).
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Sugars found in food and drinks are known as ‘free sugars’. They are often added to food or naturally occur in drinks such as fruit juice. Whilst they are high in energy, there are some concerns over the effect of having too much sugar in our daily diets. (1)
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There have been stories in the news about scientists’ ability to predict breast cancer years before the disease develops. How close are we to achieve this in practice and at a large scale?!
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The fact that regular exercise is good for you is no longer a surprise for most people, nevertheless there are still health benefits of regular physical activities out there which might not be that obvious to many. We’ve found the facts, proven by scientists, which explain some of the less known ways in which regular exercise can help to improve or maintain your health.
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A bad night’s sleep could make you feel a little grumpy in the morning, but how does it affect your body and long term health? We’ve collected together details from a number of respected medical sources so that you see what losing a few hours of shut-eye might do – and even when sleep deprivation might actually be beneficial.
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You may have seen the story in the news about the three-year-old girl in America who developed type 2 diabetes
(1). One of the doctors involved tentatively suggests that this may be the youngest case of type 2 diabetes in the world, but it is difficult to know for certain as not all cases of diabetes are recorded.
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Freedom Health Insurance has created a list of dos and don'ts for patients to help to reduce the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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2015 was a pivotal year for Freedom with our first win at the Health Insurance Awards. Over the last couple of years, our teams have worked tirelessly to enhance the service we provide to all our customers, and we are delighted that our hard work was recognised through the winning of the Best Customer Service by a Provider at the Health Insurance Awards 2015. more
You may have seen in the news that Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn recently created a new role in his shadow cabinet – a dedicated Minister for Mental Health. With that in mind, we want to offer some further information about how mental health issues affect people in the UK, and explain what some of the most common disorders are.
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In the past few years, vaping – the use of e-cigarettes – has become more popular. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) estimates that in the UK today, there are 2.6 million adults using electronic cigarettes (1), and the amount of current smokers who also use the devices has risen from 2.7% in 2010 to 17.6% in 2014 (1).
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At a glittering ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel last Thursday, Freedom Health Insurance was announced as the winner of one of the industry’s most coveted awards.
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Freedom is absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for not just one, but two Awards at the Health Insurance Awards 2015.
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According to Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Office of Health Economics, 32% of people born in the UK in 2015 will get dementia in their lifetime.
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You may have heard stories about how sugar can affect your health, but it can sometimes be difficult to separate the facts from fiction.
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The NHS has announced that it plans to create laboratory-produced blood which will be ready for human trials within two years
(1). The synthetic blood will be created using the stem cells from adult donors’ blood, or from the umbilical cord of newborn babies
(1) with the mothers’ consent.
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NHS England has recently launched plans which aim to improve survival rates for those with cancer and save 8,000 more lives every year .
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A recent study has found that regular exercise can help keep the brain healthy and active by delivering a steady flow of oxygenated blood to the brain.
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There is much evidence which shows that sitting down for too long is bad for your health. Living a sedentary lifestyle where we spend a long time sitting in front of a TV, working on a computer or commuting is a common theme of the modern world.
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Naturally occurring antioxidants found in cocoa beans, called flavanols, could help improve age-related memory decline, according to a recent US study published in Nature Neuroscience
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Women with a low risk of complications should be encouraged to give birth at midwife-led units or at home if that is their preference, rather than traditional labour wards, says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
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A new study, published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal, shows that working antisocial hours for long periods of time (10 or more years) can prematurely age the brain .
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New figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that Britain lost an estimated 28.2 million working days in 2013/14 due to work-related ill health or injury.
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According to the NHS Choices website, taking regular low-dose aspirin could be beneficial for some people by reducing the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. more
The number of children in hospital diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency has tripled in the last four years, according to a recent survey carried out by the public health awareness campaign Vitamin D Mission.
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A new World Green Building Council (WGBC) report has found that there is “overwhelming evidence” that office design can significantly impact on the health, wellbeing and productivity of employees.
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Researchers at Oxford University have found that dry roasted peanuts are more likely to spark an allergy to peanuts than raw peanuts.
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It has been widely reported by the Daily Mail (1) and the BBC (2) that regular exercise can keep the brain sharp, active, and robust, possibly slowing down or even preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is most common in men and women with prior family history of the disease (3); however, no-one is risk-free. Those suffering from the disease develop certain characteristics such as memory loss, poor cognitive functioning and physical and mental weakness. more
Freedom has improved its Elite Hospital List to give more clients access to additional top London facilities.
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Access to new cancer treatments are not the same between England and Wales
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More people are getting private health insurance
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People who eat meat or fish, less than once a week, have a lower risk of death
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New plans for GP inspections will be unvieled this week
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The new telephone 111 service may be channeling people into A&E
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Measles is a nasty and potentially very serious viral illness. It is highly infectious in air via water droplets we exhale and inhale. Complications are quite common and impact around 20% of victims. These include vomiting, diarrhoea, meningitis, pneumonia, blindness and even death. We are seeing around 10% of patents requiring treatment in hospital during the current epidemic.
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Patients should stay away from dangerous hospitals warn GPs in an extraordinary attack on dropping NHS standards in hospitals.
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The Care Quality Commission, has extended its inquiry into hospitals with high death rates to a total of 14 NHS hospitals and named the panel.
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The ‘Compassion in Practice’ document has also been recently published to support this change in the culture of the NHS
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Changes in ESA and disabilities benefits may force people to take jobs they do not want
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Antibiotic resistance may be a bigger problem than global warming, warned the Chief Medical Officer for England - Prof Dame Sally Davies.
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Boys born in 2015 will have almost three times the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer compared to those born in 1990.
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Nine out of ten sunbeds may break the UK safety rules.
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NHS hospitals do not have enough staff “to keep people safe and meet their health and welfare needs”
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Children who eat fast food more than three times are week may be more likely to develop allergic diseases such as asthma, eczema, and rhinitis
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It’s time for parents to find easy ways of creating healthy lifestyle habits.
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New Year, new food... Join Change4Life!
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New research suggests obesity, may be related not just to the types of food you eat, or how much exercise you take, but may in fact due to a bacterial infection.
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After one of the busiest weeks ever for the ambulance services in England, with up to 30% increase in calls, the situation is likely to continue over Christmas, warns Peter Bradley, the national director of ambulance services.
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See coverage Freedom Health at the HI awards 2012
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December is a time for Christmas, presents and Santa Claus. But this year, don’t the Lapland travellor be the only one sporting a beard with seasonal greetings.
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Dr Foster report NHS at breaking point with some hospitals 100% full. The Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2012 reports occupancy rates at many hospitals can reach 100%, with the average mid-week occupancy in the NHS is 88% yet for much of the year most NHS hospitals are experiencing occupancy rates over 90%, we discuss what this may mean for your care.
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Giving birth is a life changing experience and as popular television shows such as One Born Every Minute and its equally successful follow-on One Born Every Minute – What Happened Next suggest, new parents often have a difficult time adapting to their new role.
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An investigation into previously unreleased data around serious incidents in NHS Scotland will be aired this evening.
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The Capio Nightingale Hospital, has launched the UK’s first dedicated obesity service that will use a pioneering programme of psychological treatment to help people who are finding it difficult to loose weight.
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Being neighbourly this winter is even more important than ever.
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MRSA in hospitals is really bad news, but new research may point to a new way of reducing infection.
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Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency warn of reactions including cardiac arrest to Chlorhexidine
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The BBC’s Inside Out documentary highlighted the effect of the ‘post-code’ lottery for cancer treatment
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Annual cost of cancer in the UK is £15.8 billion.
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A new report shows that a significant ‘minority’ of NHS trusts could go bankrupt.
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Media scare stories about the Liverpool Care End of life PathwayV news about the Liverpool Care Pathway and the sums hospitals have been given to ‘end patients lives early’.
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Under new health reforms, private firms are able to bid and provide NHS services.
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The NHS needs to take a fresh look at rare diseases.
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More women dying from Heart Attacks than Breast Cancer according to report by BHF
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Out of the armchair and into the outdoors
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Stand Up to Cancer with the Stand of Fame
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NHS Struggles yet Ward Rounds are still key in the Private Sector…
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Bariatric Surgery: Too Lean a Service? (2012) finds concerns over outcomes and quality of pre and post surgery support
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For Global Handwashing Day we look at how washing your hands could save you from serious illness.
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NHS Carve Up – says shadow health secretary Andy Burnham.
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The department of health has released guidance for the NHS charges for overseas visitors. This means that patients who use the NHS service but are not ‘settled’ in the UK must pay for the use of NHS hospitals (GPs and other primary (community) based NHS services are not included).
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Health Tourists leave UK tax payer to pick up the bill, new BBC Panorama to investigate.
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An investigation by Corporate Watch suggests that privatisation of the pathology services at both King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust to the giant Serco may be responsible for clinical errors, financial losses and loss of staff morale.
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Quality of care in the NHS may suffer as a result of financial burdens
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Whooping cough is very serious in very young children and cases are at the worst seen for the past 20 years according to the department of health.
Vaccine to be offered to all pregnant women as of Monday 1st October 2012.
Information on whooping cough prevention, symptoms and treatment options.
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The Department of Health launches new campaign to increase awareness of dementia.
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Mixed sex accommodation breaches almost 200 a month.
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Complaints about doctors are at a record high according to a report by the General Medical Council (GMC) which is released today.
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Up to 70% of UK GPs are unable to refer a patient for further treatment on the NHS according to a report carried out by ComRes and commissioned by the private healthcare provider BMI Healthcare.
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The study investigated the average time for consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) during the month of July 2012 in England reported on both the length of waiting time and how many patients were seen within 18 weeks of referral.
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Rare and uncommon conditions will be nationally commissioned from April 2013.
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World class research takes place at Leicester’s Hospitals
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NHS hospitals are being encouraged by the Government to set up branches abroad in an effort to generate income for NHS service.
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A new report 'Older People and Emergency Bed Use - Exploring Variation' highlights a fourfold variation in the rate of hospital bed use by older people admitted as an emergency
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Research by ABTA (Consumer Trends) highlights that as many as
one in five British holidaymakers are travelling uninsured.
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Health living pharmacies may soon be on your high street
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Happiness may be dependent on where you live...
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The criteria for refering patients to cancer specialists may need changing...
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The Department of Health has announced that physiotherapists and podiatrists will be authorized to prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatories by 2014.
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A recent survey, shows that there are an increasing number of GPs asking patients about private healthcare.
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