3 IN 4 SUFFER FROM EMBARRASSING CONDITIONS

74% of the population have suffered from an embarrassing health condition in the past 12 months, according to new research from leading online pharmacy TheChemist.co.uk. These conditions, from fungal infections to body odour, have contributed to more than 12.5 million people feeling depressed, over one million relationship break-ups and over 1.7 million job losses in the past 12 months alone, according to those who have suffered from them.

Obesity is the most commonly suffered condition which people feel embarrassed about, with 23% of adults claiming to have had weight-gain problems in the past year, followed by a skin condition such as acne or eczema (22%). More than one in ten people (11%) claim to have had piles, and almost as many (9%) say they have suffered from the yeast infection thrush.  Worryingly, the figures reveal that nearly 1 in 20 adults have suffered from a sexually transmitted infection, equivalent to over 2.1 million people.

League table of most commonly suffered conditions which people feel embarrassed about:-

Far from being sources of amusement, these conditions have had very serious consequences on those who have suffered from them. 37% of people suffering an embarrassing condition said it made them depressed, 46% said it made them lose confidence, and 5% claim that their condition contributed to them losing their job.

Embarrassing conditions have also had a debilitating effect on people’s social lives and relationships in the past year. 10% of sufferers says their condition has caused arguments with their partner, and 3% say it caused the break-up of their relationship. 23% of victims 23% stopped going out as often as they had previously, 4% said their friends started ignoring them because of it, and 6% said they found it more difficult to make new friendships or relationships.  Mike Rudin, Managing Director, TheChemist.co.uk, commented:- “People are often very insensitive to those with embarrassing conditions, but they are no laughing matter, and can create very serious social issues for sufferers as well as creating health issues.  A major cause for concern is that people can be too embarrassed to venture out into public and talk face to face with a pharmacist or a GP about their condition, which in many cases leads to them not treating their condition at all. Victims of embarrassing conditions should no longer have to suffer in silence, as in recent years the regulatory authorities have made it easier for patients to access pharmacist and GP services online, which can provide an ideal source of help and advice without patients having to confront an embarrassing face to face situation.”

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Highways Agency Traffic Officers started using new safety powers 

IN the most significant development of their role since the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service took to the roads in the West Midlands in 2004, Traffic Officers have received new powers from the Government to order the quick and safe removal of abandoned, broken down and accident-damaged vehicles from the motorway network.

The new powers are designed to ensure that any incidents without a police interest, such as non-injury accidents, can be cleared up as safely and as quickly as possible - keeping drivers on the move.

Depending on the circumstances, Highways Agency Traffic Officers, working with the Highways Agency's National Vehicle Recovery Manager (NVRM) and their local vehicle recovery operators, will now be able to arrange removal from the motorway carriageway or hard shoulder - including cars, lorries, coaches and other vehicles causing a danger to other road users. Previously, Traffic Officers had to rely on arrangements with the police and their network of local police contracts with recovery operators.

The new powers were approved in Parliament last year, coming into effect on 1 October 2008, but are only being used as the service is rolled out region-by-region. Most drivers breaking down will be unaffected by the changes. As usual, they will be given reasonable time to make their own suitable private arrangements for recovery.

The North West Traffic Officer Service, which has its headquarters at the Regional Control Centre at Rob Lane, just off Junction 23 of the M6 at Newton-le-Willows, is the 5th of 7 regional Traffic Officer Service operations in the country to start using the new powers and contract.  Traffic Officers in the Eastern, South East, South West and West Midlands regions have already started using the new powers and contract.

Control room Traffic Officers based in the North West RCC at Newton-le-Willows and colleagues who provide round-the-clock motorway patrols from 6 outstations across the region have been working closely with the new National Vehicle Recovery Manager (NVRM) to get the new service off the ground.

Huddersfield-based FMG Support won the Highways Agency's contract to run the NVRM service in the autumn. FMG Support staff will provide a 'one-stop shop' for Traffic Officers needing to get broken down, abandoned or damaged vehicles removed from the motorway network.  Since winning the contract, FMG Support has been talking to vehicle recovery operators across the region to ensure the right local recovery contracts arrangements are in place.

Derek Turner, the Highways Agency's Director of Network Operations, said:- "Even before we launched the Traffic Officer Service in 2004 it was always envisaged that Traffic Officers would eventually get these extra powers to complement the work they've been doing to improve safety and reliability on our motorways. I am delighted that this enhanced role for Traffic Officers which will help them in their job of keeping drivers moving, is now starting in the North West."

John Catling, operations director, FMG Support, added:- "Our expertise and ability to provide roadside recovery for a wide variety of vehicles will ensure that any incidents requiring vehicle recovery are dealt with quickly and efficiently, through one point of contact.  We have been working closely with our supplier network and the Highways Agency Traffic Officers in this region to ensure as smooth a transition as possible, and we look forward to the successful implementation of our role across England over the months ahead."

Jamie Carr, Regional Operations Manager in charge of the North West Traffic Officer Service, said:- "It is almost four years since the Traffic Officer Service was launched in the North West in September 2005 and as our Traffic Officers have gained more confidence and experience they have been looking forward to getting these new powers and contract so they can clear up incidents even more speedily and effectively.  We are all looking forward to working with our NVRM, FMG Support, and to the benefits a faster, more direct link with vehicle recovery operators will bring for our customers."