A study has found that patients with even minimally heightened blood pressure could be exposed to a similarly heightened risk of stroke.

Following analysis of more than half a million adults from a dozen separate studies into blood pressure and the chance of having a stroke, a team from America found that those with prehypertension were 50% more likely to have a stroke than people without the condition.

The team from San Diego`s University of California said that this risk was 80% higher among people aged below 65 and added that clinicians working in GP jobs might want to consider advising at-risk patients to cut salt levels and lose weight.

Other risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, tobacco intake and age and gender were all taken into consideration by researchers who published their findings in Neurology.

Dr Sharlin Ahmed, from The Stroke Association, said: "High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke and it affects around 16 million people in the UK. However, 40% of all strokes could be prevented if people took steps to control their blood pressure."

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The proportion of children having the MMR jab continues to rise, figures show.

Data for England reveals the number having the combined measles, mumps and rubella jab is almost as high as it was in the mid-1990s.

The MMR vaccination programme suffered a heavy blow when Dr Andrew Wakefield suggested a link between the jab and bowel disease and autism in the late 1990s.

Children are invited to primary care services to have at least one dose of MMR by their second birthday, with the second dose completed by the age of five.

Today`s data shows that, in 2010/11, 89.1% of children in England had received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine by their second birthday, compared with 88.2% in 2009/10 and a low of 79.9% in 2003/04.

Other figures show a rise across the country in the number of children vaccinated against meningitis C, receiving the combined diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis and haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP/IPV/Hib) vaccine, and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

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The Department of Health has opened a consultation over plans to allow physiotherapists to hand out prescriptions.

Under the proposals, those working in physiotherapy jobs could be given the power to prescribe medication independently.

The law currently requires physios to obtain written permission from a doctor before prescribing any medication.

But the proposed move could see them trained to dispense prescriptions for a range of health problems including respiratory diseases and neurological conditions.

Supporters of the plans hope that allowing physios to prescribe drugs in the same way as nurses and pharmacists will provide patients with more direct access to treatment.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has backed the proposals.

Chairwoman Ann Green said the move would create "a major step forward towards the goal of improving patient care delivered by physiotherapists".

The Department of Health consultation will be open online until December 8.

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A London university has launched new courses in a bid to boost the knowledge and skills of healthcare support workers.

The move from Middlesex University comes in the wake of a Government call for an increase in the number of NHS support staff taking qualifications, something which is likely to affect the working life of those in nursing jobs.

The university has launched two courses aimed at boosting ethical and legal knowledge among healthcare support workers and assistant practitioners as well boosting their range of skills.

The new part-time courses have been developed with assistance from London NHS trusts in a bid to see more staff achieve higher qualifications.

Students will have the option of studying for one or two years, with those staying on for a second having the opportunity to upgrade their certificate in higher education to a diploma in higher education.

Middlesex Nursing lecturers Kate Brown and Carol Lincoln said: "Many healthcare workers want to progress their careers and have aspirations to become assistant practitioners and nurses, and this will help them on their way."

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