The Open University

International project aims to cut cancer deaths in East Africa

24 July 2018

A cross-continent health project is now aiming to address an emerging health crisis in East Africa, by creating lower-cost care for cancer patients. Led by The Open University, it brings together researchers in India, the UK and Africa and has been awarded nearly £700,000 from the Economic and Social Research Council. Dr Mercy Njeru, from […]

E-therapy: a technological step too far?

24 July 2018

Talking therapies are psychological therapies where people talk to a professional about their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. They aim to give people a safe time and place to talk to someone who won’t judge them, help them make sense of what is happening, assist them to resolve complicated or unhelpful feelings, and to support them […]

Memories tell 70 year history of NHS in new BBC series

29 June 2018

Thursday 5 July marks the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), one of the nation’s best loved institutions. To celebrate this milestone and the vital role it plays in our lives, the OU and the BBC have co-produced three programmes that showcase the NHS’ achievements and debate its future. The NHS: A People’s History One of these […]

Will a pill be enough to end the HIV epidemic?

27 June 2018

The People vs the NHS: Who Gets the Drugs? on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesday 27 June, is an Open University and BBC co-production, following the incredible story of the battle for HIV drug pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, on the NHS. People at very high risk for HIV take PreP daily to lower their chances of getting infected […]

Abortion ban in Northern Ireland likely to worsen mental health crisis

21 June 2018

Northern Ireland is one of only two regions in Europe where abortion effectively remains illegal (Malta being the other). This is a confirmed breach of human rights – one that threatens to deepen the mental health crisis of women in Northern Ireland. Abortion is not allowed in Northern Ireland unless the life of the mother […]

Happy Birthday NHS! Three OU/BBC programmes mark 70th anniversary

20 June 2018

Thursday 5 July marks the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service, one of the nation’s best loved institutions. To celebrate this milestone and the vital role it plays in our lives, the OU and the BBC have co-produced three programmes that showcase the NHS’ achievements and debate its future. NHS at 70 – Live NHS […]

Dr Gemma Ryan is passionate about teaching and nursing – so she does both

21 May 2018

Dr Gemma Ryan, is an Open University (OU) lecturer and registered adult nurse. Her passion for both means she takes the unusual step of juggling the two roles together – making her quite a rare entity. Here she explains how and why she combines the two and the benefits it brings to her students. What’s […]

Girl with learning disability hugging child

Myths about learning disability – debunked!

16 May 2018

For most of her clinical career, Sheila Counihan, Lecturer in Nursing in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, has cared for and supported people with learning disabilities. Sheila is qualified in Adult and Mental Health nursing with a Masters degree in Learning Disability Mental Health. She’s currently leading on the development of a […]

OU study ‘the catalyst for everything I’ve achieved in raising awareness of dementia’

15 May 2018

OU graduate Gina Awad was described as average by her school teachers, something which has haunted her over the years. But her complete dedication to raising awareness of dementia within her home community of Exeter has seen her receive a string of commendations for ‘outstanding work’. She’s not so average now… Gina created the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance […]

Picture of someone holding another person's hand

What can I do about my mental health when I don’t have the support I need?

15 May 2018

What can you do if you’re not comfortable talking about mental health issues with your peers? Dr Jonathan Leach and Dr Mathijs Lucassen suggest six ways of getting the support you need. While good relationships with other people can support good mental health and be a source of help at times when our mental health is […]

OU News

Category: Health