WIRRAL MAN NOMINATED FOR WHITBREAD AWARD

TIM JANVIER has joined a long list of 40 young people for a national awards scheme sponsored by Whitbread, it was announced today.

The Whitbread Young Achiever awards now in their second year, aim to celebrate exceptional, and often unsung, achievements by young volunteers, aged between 16 and 25. 

Tim, from Heswall in the Wirral, was nominated in the Sport category of the awards, has been coaching for five years as head coach of both the Bromborough Bulldogs and the Chester Wheelchair Jets, a wheelchair basketball club in the British national league. 

As well as coaching, he sits on a number of committees overseeing the development of the sport, fundraising, organising tournaments and running open sessions for newcomers. 

In addition, he runs open sessions on outdoor courts in less advantaged areas of the Wirral to show people the opportunities that are available.

Tim will have to wait until August 15 to find out whether he has made it onto the final shortlist. Judges in each category, including Olympic winner Duncan Goodhew, broadcasters Floella Benjamin and Michaela Strachan and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, will be meeting over the next two weeks to whittle the longlist down to three finalists in each category. 

The winner in each category will be announced at a special awards lunch in London on September 28 2004, where they will receive £1000 for personal and project development. Two runners-up each receive £150 cash and £150 worth of Leisure Vouchers. 

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:- The NHS is killing us!

"Dear Sir,  The NHS is killing us!

Doctors refuse hypothyroid patients a choice between synthetic and natural thyroid hormone. Natural desiccated porcine thyroid extract has been prescribed successfully over 120 years, until a new medicine - Levothyroxine (T4) was developed. 

Patients, who cannot tolerate it, are denied this as doctors believe that its quality control is inadequate, and that it is an 'unlicensed' medicine.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency state that thyroid extract produced in the USA, authorised by the Food and Drugs Administration as a medicine, standardised to the specification of the United States Pharmacopoeia, and appropriately imported and supplied, can be prescribed within the NHS, and funding authorised by Primary Care Trusts.

The right to prescribe suitable 'unlicensed' medicine, conforming to MHRA stipulations is recognised under UK/ European law and is permitted here.

Armour Thyroid was, like several thyroid medications, 'grandfathered' in when the American Congress passed the Kefauver-Harris Drug Efficacy Amendments in 1962, requiring manufacturers to prove safety and effectiveness of drugs prior to marketing. 

The requirement was applied retroactively to 1938, when the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act was passed. Pre-1938 drugs were allowed as being safe and effective, provided no evidence to the contrary developed. Much evidence to the contrary developed concerning synthetic T4. 

The FDA decided none were recognised as safe and effective. They lost their 'grandfathered' privilege and had to go through the New Drug Application Process. 

Insulin dependant diabetics were in a similar position. They campaigned for the choice of natural vs. synthetic Insulin within the NHS. Now, once again, patients already ill, thanks to inappropriate treatment, have to campaign for what is their right."

Sheila Turner (Patient Advocate)
Yorkshire.  Full name and address supplied.