Dying of Embarassment

Cancer survival rates would be much better if we were less embarrassed about going to see the doctor, or were afraid of wasting doctors time, according to a new report.  I can vouch for this; it's taken the repeated encouragement of my other half to get me to the doctor on a couple of occasions in recent years when, left to my own devices, I'd have tried to soldier on and hope things went away. Partly because I didn't want to bother the doctor, and partly because there were certain bits of my anatomy I didn't want exposed to the fresh air of a doctors waiting room.

"As a nation we are much more likely to say we are embarrassed about going to the doctor or we are worried that we will take up a doctor's time.

"We don't know why British people feel like that. It may be that we are more stoic and have a war-time mentality.

"We know that older people in particular can get a symptom and then wait for weeks or months before going to see their doctor."

I must admit, the fear of wasting doctors time is sometimes reinforced by booking in systems, which sometimes seem designed to keep people away from seeing the doctor unless it's absolutely necessary. I appreciate the need to make sure doctors time is well spent, but there is still quite an air of mystique and remoteness about UK doctors. My experience in hospital is often (not always) that the specialists whizz in and out on the basis of spending the absolute minimum of time with a patient, and it's quite hard work sometimes to get information out of people about your condition. I don't know how highly social and emotional skills are ranked in doctors recruitment, but wonder whether a more overtly approachable medical  culture would help.

Despite that, I'm sure a some of it is down to the peculiar British culture of being obsessed by sex, whilst at the same time very squeamish about our own bodies, especially our (insert embarassment-saving euphemism here). And lets face it, a prostate check at a GP surgery isn't a pleasant experience for either party.

More of the report findings here.

Quote of the day: Affluenza and education

"...education is used mercilessly to put the needs off employers and economic growth ahead of those of children and emotional well-being. Just as the needs of parents have become paramount in most modern childcare manuals, with the damaging regimes dressed up as being for the childs' good (anyone else tried 'the Contented Little Baby Book?'), so with education. The education systems of the English-speaking countries, which purport to be giving children opportunities to become richer than their parents, are actively hostile to the flourishing of creativity and emotional development."

Oliver James Affluenza

Churches: getting rid of your organs in a good cause

No, not that sort of organ.

A new campaign has been launched today to encourage Christians to donate blood and organs as part of their giving and worship:

"Donating blood, joining the Organ Donor Register, or consenting to organ donation from a deceased loved one is a unique gift and one that can truly save lives.”

The NHS needs 7,000 units of blood each day to meet the demand of hospitals. The need for organs also outstrips availability with more than a thousand people dying each year in the UK waiting for an organ transplant.

With millions of members across the UK, it is hoped churches can step in to fill the gap.

The campaign is the first time the NHS has worked alongside the churches on a national initiative of this kind.

Churches and individuals will have the opportunity to become blood and organ donation advocates, playing an active role in informing congregations, family, friends and their communities about how they can help save more lives.

More here, official CofE piece here, including this comment by the 'lead bishop on healthcare'

"I would encourage individual Christians and local churches to engage with the campaign as we help address an important social issue and generously serve the communities to which we belong. Being willing to give our time, money and gifts is a significant aspect of our stewardship of what we have received. But this applies just as much to the blood that flows in our veins; and the organs that are such an intrinsic part of our bodies."

The campaign website is called fleshandblood, with some fairly stark stats on the need for more blood and organ donation in the UK,  

and here are the upcoming blood donation sessions in the Yeovil area, via the very handy online session searcher.

Great campaign: to my shame I've not donated blood recently, so I've just booked in.

One bit of the economy where we'd welcome a recession

A huge increase in gambling addicts will make Britain's obsession with online betting a £2bn business. New evidence reveals that the number of people in danger of becoming problem gamblers has reached nearly a million, while hardcore addicts have doubled in six years to almost 500,000. 

The Independent is reporting on a staggering rise in problem gambling, despite the recession. It's bizarre that with a triple-dip recession in most parts of the economy, our boom areas are things like gambling and cosmetic surgery

Campaigners and support groups find it increasingly difficult to cope. Visitors to GamCare's website rose by more than 100,000 in 2012 compared with 2011. The charity predicts it will answer more than 44,000 calls this year – a 22 per cent rise on 2012. Of people needing GamCare's help last year, 34 per cent of all callers had problems with the internet, second only to betting shops (46 per cent). While 18 per cent used the internet as their primary location in 2011, this rose to 23 per cent last year. More than 20 per cent of the callers were under 18.

It's good to see at least one major media outlet putting this on the front page. I wonder if any of the others - many of them dependent on gambling for advertising revenues - will follow suit. The current government seems reluctant to change the law on gambling, but we've seen what happens to David Cameron if enough people make enough noise..... 

Church re-ordering in Middle Earth

sheer class at Anglican Memes. Back to Sermonator mode.

(a word of explanation, if you're wondering what on earth this post is about)

Marriage Proposal. The Government One.

Someone asked if I would be commenting on the Coalitions legislation on same-sex marriages. I'll leave that to the official CofE spokesman, as I agree with most of his statement and there's currently too much going on in the non-virtual world to get into writing lengthy pieces on here. Here's an edited version:

"...... As we have repeatedly made clear to officials, we regret that more time has not been made available before publication of the Bill to give every detail the attention it deserves. We will wish to comment further when we have had the opportunity to examine the provisions in the Bill more closely.

"The Church of England however continues to hold the view, set out in doctrine and Canon law, that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It is a social institution that predates both church and state and has been part of the glue that has bound countless successive societies together. I welcome the opportunity that civil partnerships have given to enable same sex couples to mark and celebrate their commitment to each other. Further, I recognise that there is a range of views amongst the membership of the Church of England. I do not however believe that holding to a traditional understanding of marriage is, or should be, regarded as a discriminatory position.

".... For the Church of England, in common with other denominations and faiths, one central test of this Bill is whether it will preserve and guarantee religious practice and religious conscience. We recognise that the Government has sought hard to do so in the drafting, but as the legislative process continues we shall wish to press serious questions about the implications for wider society, for the significance of procreation and upbringing of children as part of the purpose of marriage, the effect on teaching in schools, and the work of chaplains and others with religious convictions who are involved in public service delivery.

"We have also continued to raise questions about whether it is wise or appropriate to legislate at speed on a matter of such fundamental importance to society, when the proposal was not in any major party manifesto, the Coalition Agreement or the last Queen's Speech. The lack of a clear mandate and the absence of an overwhelming public consensus for change ought at least to give pause for thought."

Full text here. 

Europe: The Options, Simplified.

1.. In (Nick Clegg)

2. Out (Nigel Farage)

3. Shake It All About (David Cameron)

4. Yes/No/I Disagree With Dave/Not telling you for sure until 2015 (Ed Miliband)

5. So What? (the electorate)

Fresh Expressions - encouraging research on CofE church planting

Claire Dalpra, researcher at the Sheffield Centre, talking about research on Fresh Expressions recently done in 3 Anglican dioceses. Some of the key findings she mentions:

 - Out of every 5 members of a 'fresh expression', 1 was already a Christian, 2 are 'de-churched' (people who have been part of a church, dropped out, and now rejoined through the FX) and 2 had no church background at all. So they are clearly working in reaching folk not reached by traditional churches.

 - Fresh Expressions are being established in all sorts of different places, from rural to inner city urban, and over 1/3 are from 'central' or 'Anglo-Catholic' parent churches, which shows that anyone can do this, it's not an evangelical preserve.

 - In the 3 Dioceses surveyed, Fresh Expressions make up 20% of their worshipping congregations, and 10% of regular attenders. So a significant part of the CofE is worshipping in newly planted churches.

 - Over 80% have some form of discipleship development, e.g. small groups, mentoring etc.

 - Rates of church planting aren't slacking off - the fact that most were planted in recent years may reflect an attrition rate, that some of the earlier fresh expressions haven't survived.

It would be interesting to compare the closure rate we're prepared to contemplate for new churches compared with ones which have existed for centuries. I know of church plants with 20-30 members which were closed down because they were beyond the resources of the sending parish. But if you applied that logic to 'inherited' churches then over half the churches in my Deanery would be facing the axe.