Jul/090
Pandemic flu figures direct gov to take action
A 26 year old pregnant British woman is critically ill with swine flu has been transferred to Sweden for specialist treatment after suffering an extreme reaction to the potentially fatal Swine Flu virus.
The woman was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, Scotland with H1N1 last week, but after complications, the hospital recommended a procedure in which her blood would be circulated out of her body and oxygenated.
The Leicester unit that carries out this procedure was so full that she has been sent to Sweden.
The procedure is known as extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and involves a machine taking over the functions of the individuals heart and lungs.
The UK has a national ECMO unit in Leicester, however with only 5 beds all of which are taken.
A similar bed was found in Stockholm, where the woman has now arrived .
“Doctors are pleased with how she has coped with the journey, which is obviously good news, but the patient is critically ill, which is why she had to be transferred for this highly specialised procedure.
Jul/090
Will Governments Mortgage Help Plan help or hinder?
The Government have launched a new £285million scheme to help those who are struggling to pay their mortgages in the current economic climate. The scheme allows housing associations to buy the house and then rent it back to the original owners for a fair price.
Since launching the scheme four months ago, only two homeowners have received help. And of the 1000+ people who applied for the scheme, only 452 are eligible.
To be eligible you have to have dependent children, be elderly, or be disabled, all with the risk of repossession.
Some are arguing that the scheme is just not working because the criterion is allowing some families who aren’t eligible for the scheme to lose their homes as a result. But housing ministers are arguing back that during the early months they are seeing a vast improvement and that the scheme is helping a lot of people who would have lost their homes.
Jun/090
Government has over 65% Share of Lloyds
Lloyds have signed the new Government Protection Scheme, but they are not happy about it.
Lloyds have signed the agreement after losing £10.8bn when they bought HBOS. The move to take over HBOS was supported by the government but it later suffered a loss of £10.8bn that Lloyds had to take on themselves. This has forced Lloyds to sign up to the Asset Protection Scheme to protect them from ‘toxic loans’, but in turn this gives the Government over 65% share in the company.
The asset protection scheme has been designed to help the banking sector and give consumers more confidence within the market.
Jun/090
Government Asset Protection Scheme
The new Government Protection Scheme will insure banks against asset losses and they will therefore be able to commit more to lending.
RBS had currently signed and now Lloyds have signed up to the scheme which will see them lending around £28 billion.
However, the Government has said that although taxpayers will eventually get something back, they “do not plan on nationalising the banking sector”.
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