Researchers have discovered what we already knew – we don’t like Mondays. Not surprisingly, those interviewed on Friday appeared considerably happier than those asked at the beginning of the week.Dr Mark Taylor, who ran the study for the annual British Household Panel Survey, said: “Mondays are a bit of a drag … Fridays are associated with higher job satisfaction among both men and women, while Sundays are associated with lower job satisfaction.”Dr Taylor said workers might benefit from more flexible working hours.”The main determinant in being unhappy is working more hours than you want to. Increased flexibility and taking days off in the week may help,” he said.. The number of people on NHS waiting lists in England rose by 12,800 to 1.048 million over the past year, official statistics revealed yesterday. But the number fell by 8,600 since April this year.The number waiting more than 26 weeks for an initial outpatient appointment fell by 429 between July 2002 and September to 716.

This is 92,100 less than the same time last year.Since August the number of people waiting more than 12 months for inpatient treatment dropped by 1,500 to 16,700 and is 27,400 less than last year.John Hutton, a Health minister, said the figures showed the NHS was on course to meet its target that no patients should wait more than 12 months for inpatient treatment by March next year.. Ministers were accused last night of putting lives at risk by failing to organise clinical trials of the smallpox vaccine. He said trials were not compulsory for unlicensed vaccines.Instead, the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control was checking the potency and quality of the new vaccine, the minister said.Mr Hutton was attacked by Labour MPs on the Commons science and technology, and defence select committees, both of which are looking at the contract with Powderject. The MPs said a different strain of smallpox vaccine being used by the American government had been forced to go through clinical trials costing £88m.Dr Ian Gibson, a microbiologist who chairs the science committee, said doctors, nurses and ambulance workers due to be inoculated first could refuse the vaccine if it had not been tested properly “Every drug needs clinical trials.

For the Government to claim that the vaccine cannot be tested because it does not exist in the population is complete rubbish. The Americans have tested their vaccine successfully under the same conditions,” he said. “People who are given doses of an untested vaccine could suffer serious reactions or even die. But it seems the Government is determined not to budge on this matter.”Dr Gibson added: “We know that the Prime Minister is concerned about bioterrorism, but this does smack of panic. The testing of new drugs and vaccines is essential and to ignore this vital stage in the process could prove to be a fatal mistake.”Kevan Jones, the Labour MP for Durham North and a member of the defence committee, added: “I find it remarkable that while the Ame- ricans spend millions making sure their vaccine is safe, our Government doesn’t think it’s necessary.