With the Christmas Period over, you might be opting for a month of alcohol free activities. The ubiquitous ‘Dry January’ established in 2013 caught momentum and for the last 8 years has seen an influx of campaigners joining the ranks. Dr Sarah Clark, Consultant Gastroenterologist at New Victoria Hospital, explains exactly how alcohol affects your liver when consumed in large amounts along with the benefits of easing off of alcohol this month.

The Hospital will be operating as usual until 3pm on the 24th December. We will then be closed until 6.30am on the 4th January 2022. Some services will be available between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

With the new Omicron variant on the rise, many are pushing for another “work from home if you can” approach. Although many workers are now back to the office, the “hybrid” business model seems to be prevalent in many industries. Tom Stukins, Deputy Physiotherapy Manager at New Victoria Hospital, talks about the increased Musculoskeletal risks when working from home and what you can do to prevent them.

Although flu almost disappeared throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with the lifting of restrictions and return to normal life, it has started to circulate again, together with all other viruses responsible for colds and other respiratory ailments. This year, the Influenza virus is expected to be more severe than usual for a number of reasons. Dr Lowri Bailey, General Practitioner at New Victoria Hospital, tells a few flu facts you should really pay attention to before flu season strikes this year.

Long Covid has been recently defined by WHO as a syndrome affecting individuals who experience Covid-19 symptoms that last at least two months. It is estimated that 1 in 40 people who have had Covid-19 in the UK presents at least one symptom after 3 months. Vicky Robinson, Respiratory Physiotherapist at New Victoria Hospital, explains how specialist physiotherapy treatments can help to relieve breathlessness and many other symptoms that can persist after a Coronavirus infection.

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, and Mr Hamid Abboudi, Consultant Urologist at New Victoria Hospital, talks about haematuria and why you should always seek medical advice if you see blood in the urine. It can occur in both men and women of all ages, but it is often a more alarming symptom for men as it can be the first sign of prostate cancer. The most common causes are not serious but it  is an important symptom that you should never ignore – even if it happens just once.

1 million people in the UK use HRT as a menopause treatment. Recent studies on breast cancer risk associated with Hormone Replacement Therapy have led to different findings that might have concerned many women. This article clarifies the role of HRT to treat menopause symptoms and when it’s considered a risk factor for developing breast cancer.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be shocking and overwhelming. Most women who go to the clinic are completely healthy and don’t have any other symptoms other than a breast lump that is often tiny or not even palpable. On top of the stress of understanding your diagnosis and treatment options, you might have another question in mind, “Will I lose my breast?”. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Miss Chloe Constantinou, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at New Victoria Hospital, explains which breast surgery procedure between Mastectomy and Breast Conservation is safer.

New Victoria Hospital is delighted to launch a series of dedicated patient webinars on Zoom where specialist Consultants will answer questions and give personalised medical advice on symptoms and treatments during the online event. The first five sessions will focus on joint pain management, including hip, knee, shoulder, foot & ankle and hand & wrist conditions and ailments. Patients can submit their anonymous questions alongside their registration to the event.

It has long been believed that urine was sterile. However, new techniques of urine culture and DNA sequencing have revealed a thriving community of bacteria and probable viruses, fungi and yeasts in the human bladder, known as the urobiome. Cutting-edge research is endeavouring to elucidate the role of these communities within the bladder and how they are responsible for your bladder’s health. If you’ve ever suffered from UTIs or are interested in preventing them, Miss Rhiannon Bray, Consultant Gynaecologist at New Victoria Hospital, tells you about the latest research on bladder infections and why bladder bacteria matter.