Monthly Archives: March 2018

Former UUP MLA Jo-Anne Dobson and her son Mark are both recovering well after she gave him the gift of new life in the form of one of her kidneys. A surgeon removed Joanne’s kidney at 8.30am on Tuesday and by 12.30pm he was inserting it into her son. “We are hearing everything is going well,” a family friend said. “It is good to hear there are no complications.” Mark’s kidney problems began when the 24-year-old was just five weeks old. He was given a kidney from a deceased donor in 2009. But last January doctors discovered that it was failing and it had to be removed. Since August 2017 he has been on dialysis at Daisy Hill Hospital three days per week – taking four hours at a time. However, his mother on Tuesday put her life on the line to give her son a chance at a more … Continue reading →

More than 5,000 children had almost 23,000 teeth taken out in Northern Ireland hospitals last year, figures show. The statistic emerged as the British Dental Association Northern Ireland called for more to be done to tackle the region’s oral health – which they say is the worst in the UK. And the body, that represents local dentists, says preventable tooth decay is costing taxpayers millions of pounds per year. The BDA has thrown its weight behind calls for “root and branch reform of oral health strategy”. They say “new analysis shows extractions of multiple teeth among under-18s could be costing the health service over £9million a year”. A spokesman added: “Tooth decay is the number one reason for child hospital admissions in NI. 5,122 children were admitted to hospital last year for removal of 22,699 teeth. Based on official data the BDA estimate the procedures – which took place under … Continue reading →

Former UUP MLA Jo-Anne Dobson and her son Mark are both recovering well after she gave him the gift of new life in the form of one of her kidneys. A surgeon removed Joanne’s kidney at 8.30am on Tuesday and by 12.30pm he was inserting it into her son. “We are hearing everything is going well,” a family friend said. “It is good to hear there are no complications.” Mark’s kidney problems began when the 24-year-old was just five weeks old. He was given a kidney from a deceased donor in 2009. But last January doctors discovered that it was failing and it had to be removed. Since August 2017 he has been on dialysis at Daisy Hill Hospital three days per week – taking four hours at a time. However, his mother on Tuesday put her life on the line to give her son a chance at a more … Continue reading →

The fact that the vast majority of teeth removed were the so-called baby teeth is all the more shocking Editor’s Viewpoint March 20 2018 The level of dental disease in children in Northern Ireland – many of them very young – is shocking. More than 5,000 young people under the age of 18 were admitted to hospital to have teeth extracted in just one year. The fact that the vast majority of teeth removed were the so-called baby teeth is all the more shocking. That means that parents are allowing the teeth of very young children to decay to a state which requires surgery in hospital. The causes of tooth decay are obvious and mostly due to over-indulgence in drinks or food with a high sugar content, coupled with a lack of dental hygiene. The result for the children involved is traumatic. As our story today shows, many will have … Continue reading →