Support and advice on a range of issues offered in Wolverhampton

Support and guidance on a range of money, health and safety matters will be given out at an event next month.Help at the Hub will be held at The Bob Jones Community Hub in Blakenhall on 10 April.It has been organised by City of Wolverhampton Council's Public Protection team, who will be handing out free scams awareness and prevention packs.Bhupinder Gakhal, the councillor responsible for resident services, said: "We know that things have not been easy for residents over recent years and people may have a lot on their minds."
Among those present will be advisors from Admiral Nurses, Alzheimer's Society, Aquarius, Camp Hill Village Trust, Carers Support, Cost of Living, Customer Services, Healthwatch, NHS Talking Therapies, Public Protection, Revenue & Benefits, Sanctuary, SEND Local Offer, Severn Trent, SUIT, The Haven, Wolverhampton Credit Union, Wolverhampton Homes and Wolves Foundation.People do not have to book an appointment, but the council said the event could be busy, so there may be a wait to be seen.
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Western Telegraph

2 days ago

• Western Telegraph

Alzheimer's drugs rejected for NHS because benefits ‘too small' to justify cost

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is standing by its earlier decision to turn down donanemab and lecanemab after considering new information submitted by manufacturers. Charities described the decision as 'disappointing' and a 'painful setback' for patients, while the firms Lilly, which makes donanemab, and Eisai, which makes lecanemab, said they would appeal. Donanemab and lecanemab are targeted antibody drugs that slow down the early stages of Alzheimer's. They represent a huge step forward in research because they target a known cause of the disease, rather than just treating symptoms. There is no doubt that today's decision is a setback for people with Alzheimer's disease Professor Fiona Carragher, Alzheimer's Society Both drugs bind to amyloid, a protein which builds up in the brains of people living with Alzheimer's disease. By binding to amyloid, the drugs are designed to help clear the build-up and slow down cognitive decline. Publishing its final draft guidance, Nice said the treatments have been shown to delay progression from mild to moderate Alzheimer's by four to six months. But it said the medicines cannot be provided on the NHS because they are not good value for money and 'only provide modest benefits at best'. Last year, NHS England published a briefing paper suggesting the cost of bringing the drugs to the health service could be £500 million to £1 billion per year. Professor Fiona Carragher, Alzheimer's Society's chief policy and research Officer, said the decision was 'disappointing'. The fact is, even if donanemab and lecanemab were made available on the NHS tomorrow, too many patients wouldn't be able to access them because the health system isn't ready to deliver them Professor Fiona Carragher, Alzheimer's Society She said: 'There is no doubt that today's decision is a setback for people with Alzheimer's disease. 'It is highly disappointing that we are in a situation where treatments that slow the progression of the condition are not available on the NHS. 'The reality we're faced with is that these treatments remain out of reach of both the NHS and most eligible people with Alzheimer's disease. 'In other diseases like cancer, treatments have become more effective, safer and cheaper over time. It's essential we see similar progress in dementia. 'The fact is, even if donanemab and lecanemab were made available on the NHS tomorrow, too many patients wouldn't be able to access them because the health system isn't ready to deliver them. 'The science is flying but the system is failing.' While we recognise the hope these treatments offer, the evidence shows they only provide modest benefits at best and substantial resources would be needed to provide them Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice She said the Government must now commit to 'the long-term investment needed to fundamentally change dementia diagnosis so that we are ready for new treatments', including bringing in earlier diagnosis and access to specialist diagnostic tests. She added: 'We are heading towards a future where disease-slowing treatments reduce the devastating impact of dementia, and we cannot afford to delay preparing the NHS for them.' Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'This rejection is a painful setback for people affected by Alzheimer's – but sadly not a surprising one. 'The drugs' modest benefits, combined with the significant costs of delivering them in the NHS, meant they faced insurmountable challenges. 'People with early Alzheimer's in England and Wales now face a long wait for innovative new treatments as they won't be able to access lecanemab or donanemab unless they can afford to pay privately. 'This decision sends a troubling signal to the life sciences sector – undermining confidence in the UK as a home for research, innovation and clinical trials. That risks lasting damage to both patients and the economy. People with early Alzheimer's in England and Wales now face a long wait for innovative new treatments as they won't be able to access lecanemab or donanemab unless they can afford to pay privately Hilary Evans-Newton, Alzheimer's Research UK 'Nice's decision should ring alarm bells for a Government that, only a year ago, pledged to make the UK a global leader in dementia treatments. 'With over 30 Alzheimer's drugs now in late-stage trials globally, momentum is building – and more will enter regulatory systems in the years ahead. 'Without intervention from Government, people with Alzheimer's will continue to miss out — not because science is failing, but because the system is.' Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: 'While we recognise the hope these treatments offer, the evidence shows they only provide modest benefits at best and substantial resources would be needed to provide them. 'The committee accepted that any slowing of the disease getting worse would be meaningful for people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease and their carers because it could mean more time socialising, driving and being independent, so needing less help day-to-day from family members. 'But the committee concluded the small benefits to patients shown in the clinical trials and the lack of long-term evidence of effectiveness balanced with the substantial resources the NHS would need to commit to the treatments would be too great and could displace other essential treatments and services that deliver substantial benefits to patients. 'We have done everything we possibly can to try and achieve a positive outcome in our assessments of these treatments, including providing an additional opportunity for evidence to be submitted. 'We realise today's news will be disappointing for many, but we now need to focus on the encouraging pipeline of new Alzheimer's drugs in development, a number of which are already earmarked for Nice evaluation.' 56% Lecanemab has been reported to slow down decline in quality of life by up to 56% Drug firms and registered patient groups now have until July 8 to appeal against the decision. In clinical trials, donanemab, which is given via a drip, has been shown to slow the rate at which memory and thinking get worse by more than 20%. Results also suggest the drug leads to a 40% slowing in the decline of everyday activities such as driving, enjoying hobbies and managing money. Lecanemab – also administered via drip – has been shown to successfully remove protein build-up from the brains of people living with early Alzheimer's disease. For people taking lecanemab, this meant the decline in their thinking and memory skills was slowed down by 27%. It also slowed down the decline in quality of life by up to 56%. However, side-effects of the drugs can be serious, including brain bleeds and risk of death. A reformulation of lecanemab is being developed so it can be administered subcutaneously under the skin. Nice could then review the drug in this form. There are several other Alzheimer's treatments in development, and the NHS stands ready to offer patients access to new treatments as soon as they are deemed by regulators to be clinically and cost effective Dr Jeremy Isaacs, NHS England Lilly said it would appeal the Nice decision on the grounds it was unreasonable based on the evidence submitted. Chris Stokes, president and general manager of UK and Northern Europe at Lilly, said: 'If the system can't deliver scientific firsts to NHS patients, it is broken. 'If the Government is to deliver on its goals to reduce lives lost to the biggest killers and put Britain at the forefront of transforming treatment for dementia, it must keep pace with licensed medical breakthroughs.' Dr Jeremy Isaacs, national clinical director for dementia at NHS England, said: 'NHS England has a dedicated team preparing for the rollout of new Alzheimer's treatments. 'There are several other Alzheimer's treatments in development, and the NHS stands ready to offer patients access to new treatments as soon as they are deemed by regulators to be clinically and cost effective.'

Daily Record

5 days ago

• Daily Record

Nationwide East Kilbride fundraiser coins in cash for dementia specialist nurses

Colleagues and customers came together over a cup of tea and a slice of cake to help fund more dementia specialist Admiral Nurses More than £200 was raised to help fund Admiral Nurses at an event in Nationwide Building Society's East Kilbride branch. Vital funds were raised for Dementia UK's annual Time for a Cuppa event on May 28 with £212 raised for the dementia specialist nursing charity. ‌ Colleagues and customers came together over a cup of tea and a slice of cake to help fund more dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. ‌ Download the Lanarkshire Live app today The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7. The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you. Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Dementia UK's specialist Admiral Nurses provide life-changing advice and support to anyone affected by dementia, whenever it's needed. But with rising numbers of families impacted by the condition, thousands aren't getting the support they need. Kirsty Anderson, Customer Relationship Manager at Nationwide East Kilbride, said: "We are so thrilled to have raised £212 through our Time for a Cuppa event to help more families access vital support through Dementia UK's Admiral Nurses service. "A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the event and supported us in being able to reach our fundraising goal. It also allowed us to draw attention to the amazing service Nationwide has put in place by having the dementia clinics based within our branches. This will provide an invaluable support for the local community." Statistics show that by the time you've boiled your kettle, another person will have developed dementia - it's a huge and growing health crisis. ‌ One in two of us will be affected by the condition in our lifetime. Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and CEO of Dementia UK, says: 'At Dementia UK, we believe every family affected by dementia should have the support of a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse – but right now, we can't reach everyone who needs us. 'We are grateful to Nationwide Building Society for taking part in Time for a Cuppa this year to help us to recruit more Admiral Nurses who are a lifeline to families.' ‌ This year, Time for a Cuppa is proudly sponsored by Nationwide Building Society. The sponsorship forms part of Nationwide's new social impact programme, Fairer Futures, which seeks to address three of the UK's biggest social issues through charity partnerships – dementia (Dementia UK), youth homelessness (Centrepoint) and family poverty (Action for Children). If you need advice or support on living with dementia, contact Dementia UK's Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@ ‌ You can also book a free video or phone appointment to get expert dementia support from an Admiral Nurse. Find out more at Or pop into your local Nationwide branch. And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook?

Daily Mirror

13-06-2025

• Daily Mirror

Anyone who uses headphones told to check setting or risk dementia

There is a risk that not keeping this setting under control may have long-term consequences for your brain A doctor has warned that people may be increasing their risk of dementia if they regularly use headphones in a certain way. But, adjusting one common setting could help to cut this risk down. Dr Baibing Chen, who goes by @ online, shared some advice with his 136,000 TikTok followers about something millions of people may be doing daily that is gradually ruining their health. The neuologist admitted: 'I used to be guilty of this, but I don't do it anymore." ‌ He added: "I don't blast music in my ears. Loud music isn't just bad for your ears - it's actually bad for your brain. ‌ "Even mild hearing loss doubles your risk of dementia, while severe hearing loss increases it by fivefold. This is because, when the brain struggles to process sound, it reallocates resources away from thinking and memory, increasing cognitive decline." According to the Alzheimer's Society, people who develop hearing problems may have an increased risk of developing dementia. It may also be one of the early symptoms which could detect dementia. They add that it's important to get your hearing tested, especially if you notice signs of hearing loss. There is some evidence that using hearing aids may reduce the risk of some aspects of cognitive decline. The neurologist added: "Sounds above 85 decibels (dB), similar to city traffic, can cause damage over time. Exposure to 100+ dB, like loud concerts or many earbuds at max volume, can cause permanent hearing loss in as little as 15 minutes." One study has shown that the parts of our brain that process sounds are particularly vulnerable to damage. Reducing the volume of headphones and taking breaks from your earbuds when listening can help protect your hearing. ‌ Some modern devices may trigger headphone warnings when audio is played at a volume that could potentially damage hearing over time. The thresholds for these warnings vary, but they often fall around 85dB, especially when listening for extended periods. iPhone users can check out a detailed breakdown of their headphone usage, as well as the decibels they were exposed to. Headphone Notifications let you know if your audio exposure has been loud enough for a long enough period to affect your hearing – for example, over 80 decibels (dB) for a total of 40 hours within the last seven days. Experts at Harvard Health claim that: "Sound less than 70 dB is unlikely to cause any significant damage to the ears." And, this is backed up by the World Health Organisation who state it is best to "keep the volume below 60% of maximum on your device" and use "well-fitted and noise-cancelling headphones" to reduce the need to raise volume, especially when you are in an already noisy setting. People can test their hearing online quickly and for free using the RNID's online hearing test. It is shared on the NHS website alongside what to do if you experience hearing loss.