Category Archives: Society

English councils moving homeless families out of areas at almost three times official rate

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Exclusive: Data shows more than 34,000 households placed out of area last year, with some moved more than 200 miles away

Councils are moving homeless families out of their neighbourhoods at almost three times the rate that has been officially recognised, and some have been uprooted hundreds of miles from their support networks, according to research.

Data released under freedom of information (FoI) revealed that 34,418 households were placed out of area last year, based on responses from 80% of English councils. This incomplete figure suggests a total 172% above what was officially recorded for the previous year.

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Mental health triggers among police being missed, says Scottish officers’ body

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Exclusive: ‘Startling’ rise in number of absences due to psychological disorders revealed

Triggers for mental health breakdown and self-harm in over-stretched police officers are being routinely missed, according to their representative body in Scotland.

The warning comes as the Guardian reveals a “startling” increase in the number of absences due to psychological disorders.

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Labour blames postcode lottery in cancer care in England for delays

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Analysis also reveals patients in more deprived areas are more likely to have their cancer diagnosed late

A postcode lottery in cancer care means more than one-fifth of patients with cancerous tumours wait longer than two months to have them removed in some parts of England, Labour has claimed.

Analysis of NHS data exposes regional inequalities in cancer treatments, with one in five patients receiving care following a cancer diagnosis in the West Midlands waiting longer than two months to have their tumours removed.

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Ultra-processed food raises risk of heart attack and stroke, two studies show

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Research presented to annual meeting of European Society of Cardiology prompts calls for action

Ultra-processed food significantly raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes, according to two studies that one expert says should serve as a wake-up call for governments worldwide.

Global consumption of heavily processed items such as cereals, protein bars, fizzy drinks, ready meals and fast food has soared in recent years. In the UK and US, well over half the average diet now consists of ultra-processed food (UPF). For some, especially people who are younger, poorer or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPF is typical.

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Sexual harassment allegations cost local authorities at least £2.5m

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Exclusive: Data from past five years in England and Wales includes wage costs and victim payments for claims such as upskirting, indecent exposure and inappropriate videos

Local authorities in England and Wales have spent at least £2.5m in the past five years on costs relating to allegations of sexual harassment, an investigation by the Observer can reveal today.

Data obtained through freedom of information (FoI) laws shows that since 2018, 62 councils spent more than £1,728,900 to cover wage costs of staff who were suspended after allegations of sexual harassment, with accusations ranging from indecent exposure, upskirting, inappropriate comments and sexual assault to stalking and abuse of power.

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Homeowners left out of pocket after two-year delays at UK Land Registry

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Administrative hold-ups leave buyers missing best mortgage deals and some owners unable to sell

Long delays in registering properties with the Land Registry across Great Britain are causing frustration among homeowners and buyers with some being left out of pocket as a result.

Latest figures from His Majesty’s Land Registry show that it is taking almost two years for some applications to make changes to the register to be completed.

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Children reaching UK in small boats sent to jail for adult sex offenders

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Human rights group finds growing number of cases of minors held among prisoners

Vulnerable children who arrive in Britain by small boat are being placed in an adult prison that holds significant numbers of sex offenders.

A growing number of cases have been identified where unaccompanied children, many of whom appear to be trafficked, have been sent to HMP Elmley, Kent, and placed among foreign adult prisoners.

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Salt-free diet ‘can reduce risk of heart problems by almost 20%’

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Large new study using UK Biobank data shows even a small reduction in salt intake can be beneficial

Cutting out salt from meals can slash your risk of heart problems and strokes by almost a fifth, the largest study of its kind suggests.

Research has documented how adding salt to food increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and premature death. Now experts have established just how big a difference you could make to your heart health – simply by reducing the number of meals to which you add salt or by ditching it altogether.

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Seven-year-old boy praised for calling 999 after mum collapsed

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Ronnie-Lee Gray, from Essex, calmly phoned emergency services and explained the situation

A seven-year-old boy has been praised for his quick thinking after he dialled 999 when his mother collapsed at home.

Ronnie-Lee Gray, from Tilbury in Essex, called emergency services after his mother, Becky, fell unconscious at their home earlier this month. His mature actions meant an ambulance arrived quickly.

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Overweight adults with high blood pressure a third more likely to die early, study finds

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Up to 31% of global population estimated to have metabolic syndrome due to three or more unhealthy traits

Millions of middle-aged adults who are overweight with even slightly raised blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose levels are about a third more likely to die early, research suggests.

They also face a 35% higher risk of heart attacks or strokes and will experience them two years earlier than their peers. The stark findings are being presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, the world’s largest heart conference. They represent more evidence of the immediate dangers posed by the global obesity crisis.

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Nice calls for routine use of at-home faeces tests for bowel cancer screening

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Hopes guidance could help diagnose colorectal cancer faster and cut NHS waiting times for colonoscopies

At-home faeces tests could spare tens of thousands of people in England and Wales from having to undergo invasive procedures to rule out bowel cancer.

It is hoped the move could help diagnose colorectal cancer faster and cut NHS waiting times by reducing the need to refer people for a colonoscopy.

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Probation service pays undisclosed sum to ex-contractor after racial harassment

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Lloyd Odain was subjected to discrimination, including monkey chants, in 2019 while working for the service

HM Prison and Probation Service has paid an undisclosed settlement to a former contractor who endured racial discrimination and harassment, including monkey chants.

Lloyd Odain, who worked for the probation service, was subject to incidents of racial discrimination by another contractor in 2019.

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Charities watchdog criticises Care4Calais for administrative misconduct

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Inquiry finds, however, that charity acted lawfully in challenging government’s asylum policy through courts

Care4Calais, a refugee charity providing humanitarian aid to thousands of migrants living in appalling conditions in northern France, has been criticised by the charities watchdog over what it called administrative misconduct.

The three-year Charity Commission inquiry criticised the former chief executive and board of the charity and highlighted examples of lax internal financial controls, governance failings, poor record keeping and complaints handling.

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Nurses ‘rocked to core’ by Lucy Letby murders fear impact on public trust

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Profession faces long task to reassure families and patients that crimes and apparent failings will not be repeated

At hospitals around the UK nurses continue to pull on fresh scrubs and prepare for another day caring for patients. But many have been “rocked to the core” by the Lucy Letby case and some fear the foundation of public trust has been shaken.

That was the message from senior nurses on Tuesday as the horror of the child killer’s sentencing sank in and the profession braced for a long task to reassure families and patients that Letby’s crimes, and the institutional failings that appeared to have allowed them to continue, were truly an anomaly.

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Hospital detentions for new mothers challenged in Ugandan court

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Two cases to be heard this month could serve as legal precedent to outlaw the holding of patients against their will for unpaid bills

Two women who were prevented from leaving hospital over unpaid medical bills are to have their case against Ugandan authorities heard this month in a case that lawyers hope will end the practice.

Akello Esther Susan, 23, and NS (known by her initials) are jointly suing the government, two district councils and church dioceses over their treatment after giving birth in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

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US approves first RSV vaccine for use during pregnancy to protect babies

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CDC must now weigh in on vaccine to fight respiratory infection in vulnerable newborns

US regulators on Monday approved the first RSV vaccine for pregnant women so their babies will be born with protection against the scary respiratory infection.

RSV is notorious for filling hospitals with wheezing babies every fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer’s maternal vaccination to guard against a severe case of RSV when babies are most vulnerable – from birth through six months of age.

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Children referred to social care twice as likely to fail GCSE maths and English

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Research found 53% of teenagers in England who had been referred to services did not achieve a pass in both subjects

Children in England who are referred to social services at any point in their childhood are twice as likely to fail GCSE maths and English, according to new research published ahead of results day on Thursday.

Analysts looked at 1.6m pupils’ exam results over a three-year period and found that 53% of teenagers who had been referred to social care – as detailed in the Children in Need census – did not achieve a grade 4 pass in both English and maths GCSE.

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Doctors must show zero tolerance of sexual harassment, says UK medical council

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Updated guidance covers verbal and written comments, displaying or sharing images and physical contact

Doctors will be expected to demonstrate “zero tolerance” of sexual harassment, the General Medical Council has announced.

For the first time, new professional standards, published on Tuesday, introduce explicit rules on sexual harassment towards colleagues.

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Third of working tenants in England ‘lack savings to pay rent if they lose job’

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Half have maximum of a month’s worth of rent put by as costs rise, Shelter survey finds

A third of working tenants in England do not have enough savings to pay rent if they lose their job, putting them at risk of losing their home, according to research by the housing charity Shelter.

Record rents and the rising cost of other household bills are putting tenants’ finances under pressure and mean many are unable to set money aside for emergencies.

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Customer data used for unwanted romantic contact, UK poll shows

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Almost one in three people aged 18-34 have been messaged by staff after giving personal details to a business

Almost one in three people aged 18-34 have received unwanted romantic contact after giving their personal information to a business, a UK poll has shown.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has called for recipients of such texts to come forward to help the regulator gather evidence of the impact of this phenomenon.

The ICO has an online form for people who want to report an experience of unwanted contact.

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