Opening up GP surgery hours

Health ministers have ordered doctors to make themselves more accessible, at times that suit the patient rather than the doctor, so expect that grumpy receptionist to become a little less unyielding.

And as part of the campaign to increase access to your GP, doctors will be encouraged to allow patients to e-mail their symptoms, to be dealt with in a virtual surgery.

More effective disease diagnosis

You will start to hear diseases spoken about in a different way, for example asthmas rather than asthma.

What's going on? It's a long overdue recognition that diseases are not usually one uniform condition but may comprise several distinct varieties, each of which respond to treatments in a different way. Recognising a disease phenotype (its physical characteristics) more accurately is likely to lead to more effective treatment.

Access to patient records

Expect a big showdown over access to patient records. Researchers want access to the 50 million records held by the NHS so that they can identify patients with particular conditions and seek their participation in clinical trials. The row isn't about whether someone should or shouldn't be included in a trial, just whether they can be approached by researchers, so-called consent to consent.

Critics says this would be a breach of trust and that privacy should be the overriding consideration. Researchers say that using patient information in this way will benefit the health of individuals and society

Over-the-counter drugs

The prescription pad is dead, almost. More and more traditionally prescription-only medications will become available over the counter next year. These may include antibiotics for cystitis and fat-busting obesity treatments, such as Orlistat.

No brand names, please

From next year the NHS will prepare to dispense only generic non-branded products, even if the doctor issues a prescription using a brand name. For example, when a prescription is handed in for Calpol or a Ventolin inhaler, the patient will receive an unbranded paracetamol children's suspension or an “own-label” salbutamol inhaler.

Cosmetic surgery for teens

More teens are approaching plastic surgeons to treat embarrassing conditions such as male breast growth and enlarged female genitalia, and doctors expect numbers to continue to grow. Awareness of these conditions has increased in the past year, mainly through the TV and internet, and more teens are realising that these ailments, which start in puberty, are treatable with surgery.

Let's talk about feelings

Mental health charities expect the financial gloom to trigger depression and other mental health issues, and are encouraging people to address these as early as possible. The charity Mind is launching a campaign targeted at men, encouraging them to be more open about their mental health. Men are four times more likely than women to experience depression after redundancy.

Organ swaps

There will be a growth in organ swaps next year. Run by the Human Tissue Authority, “pooled” donations are for patients who cannot find a match within their friends or family. The patient signs up to the pool with a friend or family member, who agrees to donate their organ to someone else in the pool if a match is found for their loved one.

BEAUTY

Stem cells and hair

Every hair on our head grows from a follicle and every follicle originates from a stem cell in our scalp. Scientists will next year unveil a new product that protects these stem cells against damage and degradation, acting as an insurance policy against future hair loss. Unfortunately, it won't treat existing hair loss.

Bodylifts

Surgeons predict that body-sculpting - whole body liposuction that radically alters body shape - will be big news. The eight-hour operation slims legs, flattens tummies and removes love handles, and only requires three days recovery. However, new bodies don't come cheap; the procedure costs about £10,000.

Beautynomics

Gone are the days of three types of skin: normal, combination and dry. From next year, scientists will tailor face creams exactly to your skin, by examining your genetics. By taking skins cells from the top layer of skin, via a sticky Sellotape-like strip, scientists hope to delve into the genetics of a person's skin cells and tailor face creams to their individual biology.

Neon make-up

Every recession seems to encourage women to look jollier. Cue fluorescent make-up, Mintel, the market research group, predicts that it will be one of the top playful distractions next year.

Virtual reality hair

Hair products that have been developed using virtual hair will reach the market.

By analysing the hair of 3,000 people in 80 countries, scientists have formulated a computer model of a full head of hair, taking into account its mechanical and physical properties. By simulating different atmospheric conditions, such as wind and rain, researchers will use this system to develop hair styling products that will effectively de-frizz, smooth or volumise.

NUTRITION

Childhood obesity

Next year will by the year of slim children. Researchers have realised that most overweight children are already obese by the age of 5, and so the diet and lifestyles of pre-schoolers will be under the spotlight. Expect more ranges of pure, natural and health-boosting toddler foods to hit the shelves. Plus researchers will be investigating how a pregnant woman's diet affects the health and weight of her child in later life.

Enhancing taste

Food will taste better. Scientists will develop eating strategies that enhance flavour, in an effort to help people to consume less. One team recently revealed that eating ice cream from a cone tastes better that eating it from a spoon, as the mixture forms a thin layer across the whole of the tongue. Expect more techniques next year. Plus, chefs are predicting spices to make a comeback, as people will be buying cheaper cuts of meat.

Chocolate

Experts believe that chocolate sales will thrive as people seek respite from the financial doom and gloom. And yet scientists are warning that our favourite sweet may be in peril, with the cacao tree blighted by disease and drought. Researchers will get busy investigating how to save the tree, and decoding its DNA.

Animal welfare

Expect a big push for an improvement in animal health and welfare. As food production becomes increasingly industrialised,

the food chain is feeling the pressure. Experts believe this is leading to bugs, such as E.coli, and other contamination slipping into food production. The best way to prevent this from happening, they say, is to go back to the source of the food - the livestock - and ensure that animals are reared in healthy living conditions and are vaccinated against disease.

SCIENCE

Research by supercomputer

Scientists will be using supercomputers to find new drugs for diseases. The Grid is a network of 11 computing centres in ten countries, which together create the greatest data processing capacity ever seen. It was designed to process data from the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, the facility investigating the origins of the Universe, but scientists are hoping to use it in the coming years to crunch reams of data from biological experiments, and create a shortlist of the drugs that are most likely to offer the potential for disease cures.

Stem cells

The US President-elect, Barack Obama, looks likely to lift the ban on providing public funding for human embryonic stem-cell research. This will allow American universities to perform research on the controversial cells, paving the way for new treatments for a range of conditions, from spinal cord injury to Parkinson's. Further, after years of anticipation, it is widely believed that the first human trial of human embryonic stem cells will begin next year. The American company Geron is hoping to get federal approval to conduct a trial of stem cell treatments in spinal cord patients.

Artificial carers for the elderly

In an effort to cope with the ageing population, scientists will next year investigate how to harness the power of technology to allow people to remain in their homes for longer.

One avenue of research is computer carers. A team of Canadian researchers recently developed an artificial intelligence system that prompts people with moderate dementia to wash their hands.

Sniffing out cancer

The enose - an array of sensors on a chip that react to the molecules in the air, pictured below - is soon to be used in health: the enose will “sniff” exhaled breath to monitor lung infection. Coming soon is a test for lung cancer, depending on the presence of certain chemicals in the breath.

Unlocking addiction

Scientists are hoping finally to get to grips with the neuroscience of addiction, to find out why some people are more prone to addiction to others, whether it be drink, drugs, nicotine or gambling. And considering that these vices become more common in an economic downturn, this research is urgently required.

Liquid bones

Scientists have developed a form of liquid bone that can be used as a bone graft in surgery. The toothpaste-like substance, developed by the Nottingham company Regentec, is injected into the body and hardens within 15 minutes The material degrades and allows new bone to replace it gradually. The mixture may enter clinical trials next year.

开放全科医师的门诊时间

历任卫生大臣都已经命令医生们配合患者而不是医生自己的时间而使得接触更加方便，因此希望粗暴的接待人员少一点生硬。

加强接触您的全科医师的运动的内容之一就是要鼓励医生们允许患者把其症状用电子邮件传达过来进行一个虚拟门诊。

提高疾病诊断效率

你要开始用另外的方式聆听病情阐述，比如说气喘类疾病而不是气喘。

怎么回事? 有一个老生常谈的共识，疾病通常并非一种单一的病况而可能包括几种显性类型，每一类型又对应着不同的治疗手段。更准确地鉴别一种疾病表型(其物理特性)容易产生更有效的疗法。

接触病历

接触病历估计有一番大比拼。研究者们想要接触国民医疗保健体系控制的五千万份病历，以便鉴别病况特殊的患者，并寻求他们对临床试验的参与。问题不在于哪个应该或不应该参加试验，只是他们能否被研究者们接触到，所谓的你情我愿。

批评家们说这会违反信用而隐私应优先于考虑。研究者们说这样使用患者信息将有益于个人和社会的健康。

非处方药

处方笺几乎绝迹。越来越多传统处方药到明年都可以通过柜台购买。其中可能包括膀胱炎和减肥药所用抗生素，比如Orlistat （奥利司他）。

请不要用品牌

从明年起，国民医疗保健体制将筹划只发放非品牌通用药品，即使医生开出使用品牌的处方。例如， 当交来一个处方需要Calpol 或一支喘乐宁气雾剂，患者将得到一支无品牌的儿童用扑热息痛悬浮液或是一支 “自有标签” 沙丁安醇气雾剂。

青少年的美容手术

越来越多青少年找到整形外科医生来治疗羞于启齿的病况，如男子隆胸和女性生殖器扩大，医生们预期人数将继续上升。去年主要通过电视和网络人们已经提高了对这些病况的关注，越来越多的青少年正在认识到，青春期发生的这些症状可以通过手术治好。

让我们谈谈感觉

各个精神健康慈善机构预期金融低迷会引发抑郁症及其它精神健康问题，都在鼓励人们尽早说出症状。Mind慈善会正在发起一个针对男性的运动，鼓励他们更加公开其精神健康状况。裁员后男人患抑郁的机会是女人的四倍。

器官交换

明年器官交换会增多。人体组织监管局组织的“混合” 捐献是为了未能从朋友或家人找到配型的患者。患者同其一位朋友或家人签约混合捐献库，而其朋友或家人同意若为其亲爱的人找到配型就捐献器官给器官库中的其他人。

美容

干细胞和头发

我们头上的每根头发都是从每个毛囊开始生长的，而每个毛囊均来源于我们头皮里的每个干细胞。明年，科学家将揭开一种新产品的面纱，保护这些干细胞免受损害和分解，作为防止未来脱发的一个保全之策。不幸的是，它不能治疗当前的脱发。

瘦身

外科医生预测塑身- 能彻底改变体形的全身抽脂术 – 将会是大新闻。八小时的手术使腿变得修长、肚皮变得平坦、腰间赘肉消失，而且只需三天的恢复期。然而，新造的身体可不便宜；手术过程要花费大约一万英镑。

美容经济学

三类皮肤：中性、混合型和干性的日子一去不复返了。从明年开始，科学家们将通过检查您的遗传学因素而为您的皮肤恰到好处地调配面霜。利用一条粘腻的类似Sellotape的胶带把皮肤细胞从皮肤表层吸出，科学家们希望探究一个人的皮肤的遗传特性，按其各自的生物特性而调配面霜。

夜上浓妆

每次经济萧条似乎都促使女性看起来更加快活。Mintel市场咨询公司预测，荧光化妆将是明年最好玩的娱乐之一。

虚拟现实头发

用虚拟头发开发出的头发产品将会面市。

通过分析80个国家的3000人的头发，考虑头发的力学和物理特性，科学家们已经设计了一个有满头黑发的计算机模特。通过模拟风雨等各种天气状况，研究者们将利用此系统开发有效去卷、平滑或蓬松的美发产品。

营养

儿童肥胖症

明年将是瘦孩子的一年。研究者们已经认识到，大多数超重孩子5岁时就已发胖，所以学龄前儿童的饮食和生活习惯将会曝光。预计会有更多种纯净天然保健的儿童食品摆上货架。此外，研究者们还要 调查孕妇的饮食怎样影响其孩子日后的健康和体重。

增味

食物将会更好吃。科学家们将研究出增味饮食策略以帮助人们少吃。 有一个研究小组最近发现，从蛋筒中比从调羹中吃冰淇淋更好味，因为冰淇淋混合物在整个舌头上形成薄薄的一层。预计明年将有更多技术。此外，大厨们预测调味料会回归，因为人们将要买便宜点的肉片。

巧克力

专家们相信，巧克力会畅销，因为人们将从金融厄运和低迷中寻求喘息之机。但科学家们警告说， 由于可可树因疫情和干旱而枯萎，我们最喜爱的甜食可能面临危险。研究者们将忙于调查如何抢救可可树并破解其DNA密码。

动物福利

动物健康福利方面预计将大为改善。由于食品生产越来越工业化，食物链正在感受压力。专家们相信这正在让大肠杆菌等细菌及其它污染物混入食品生产中。他们说，防止它发生的最好方法就是回归食物的源头- 家畜- 并保证动物在卫生的生活条件下饲养和免疫。

科学

利用巨型计算机的研究

科学家们将利用巨型计算机来寻找新的抗病药物。Grid是一个分布于十个国家的11个计算中心组成的网络，形成有史以来最大的数据处理能力。它原是为瑞士的大型强子对撞机处理数据而设计的，该机构是研究宇宙起源的，但科学家们希望在未来几年利用它来分析浩繁的生物实验数据，筛选出最可能治愈疾病的一系列药物。

干细胞

美国当选总统巴拉克·奥巴马看来要取消为人类胚胎干细胞研究提供公共基金的禁令。这将允许美国各大学开展对这种颇有争议的细胞的研究，为开发从脊髓损伤到帕金森症等一系列疾病的新疗法扫清道路。而且，经过多年企盼，人们广为相信，第一次人类胚胎干细胞的人体试验会于明年开始。美国Geron 公司希望获得联邦政府的批准，开展一次脊髓患者的干细胞治疗试验。

老人的人工护理员

为应对老龄化人口，科学家们将在明年研究如何控制科技实力让人们居家时间更长。

一个研究方向是电脑护理员。最近一个加拿大研究小组开发了一种人工智能系统，提示中度痴呆的患者洗手。

嗅出癌症

电子鼻- 植于芯片上的一组传感器，对空气分子产生反应，如下图所示- 即将用于保健：电子鼻会 “嗅” 呼出的空气以监控肺部感染。很快就有一个肺癌试验，根据气息中的一些化学物质存在与否而进行。

解除上瘾

科学家们希望最终掌握成瘾的神经科学，找出为什么有人比他人更易于成瘾的原因，不管是饮酒、毒品、尼古丁还是赌博。鉴于这些恶习在经济低迷中更为常见，该研究是当务之急。

液态骨

科学家们已经开发出一种液态骨，可用作手术中的骨移植片。把英国诺丁汉Regentec公司开发的这种牙膏似的物质注入体内，15分钟内硬化，然后物质降解，被新骨逐渐代替。明年该复配物可进入临床试验。