MP diagnosed with autoimmune condition after illness
An MP says she has been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition months after returning to work following a "life-threatening" illness.
Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson was in intensive care at Bath's Royal United Hospital (RUH) after a viral infection to her heart over Christmas last year.
In March she started a phased return to work in Westminster but has now said she needs to be back at the hospital for a "short period of monitored treatment".
She added her recovery has "proved slower than I anticipated".
More news stories for Wiltshire
Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire
In December, RUH staff told Ms Gibson they were unsure if she would recover after contracting pericarditis following the flu.
In a statement, she said: "Over the last 6 months, I have been closely monitored by the fantastic team at the RUH.
"They have watched my recovery with eagle eyes, and I continue to be amazed by their care and attention.
"I continue to remain fully committed to working on your behalf, albeit virtually, and my office will remain fully operational during my treatment."
Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
MP returns to work after 'life-threatening' illness
MP spent days in intensive care amid serious illness
Royal United Hospital

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Women on blockbuster weight loss drugs warned to use effective contraception
Pregnant women should not take weight loss drugs, the UK's medicines regulator warned amid concerns that people are using the so-called 'skinny jabs' in unsafe ways. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also said women should not take weight loss drugs if they are breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant, because there isn't enough safety data to know whether the medicine could affect their baby. 'Anyone who gets pregnant while using them should speak to their healthcare professional and stop the medicine as soon as possible,' the agency said. Meanwhile, all women taking the jabs should ensure they are using a form of contraception that works, the MHRA said. Related Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy could help serious liver condition that has no cure-all treatment One of the drugs, Mounjaro, may make birth control pills less effective, so the agency says women taking the jab should also use a non-oral form of contraception, like an implant or intrauterine device (IUD). 'Obesity reduces fertility in women. So, women with obesity taking GLP-1 drugs are more likely to get pregnant than before they lost weight,' Dr Channa Jayasena, a reproductive endocrinology researcher at Imperial College London, said in a statement. 'Women are advised to do all they can to prevent pregnancy while taking [these] drugs,' Jayasena added. Related France won't pay for weight loss drug Wegovy. What about other European countries? In the UK, women already receive these warnings when they get their prescriptions for the blockbuster jabs, which include Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, and Victoza as well as Mounjaro. The drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking hormones that help regulate appetites and make people feel full for longer. They have been approved to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. Related Why are 1 in 10 French women still smoking during pregnancy despite the health risks? But the MHRA issued the reminder Thursday due to concerns that the drugs' growing popularity means women are buying them illegally online or at beauty salons, without seeing a doctor. 'Skinny jabs are medicines licensed to treat specific medical conditions and should not be used as aesthetic or cosmetic treatments,' Dr Alison Cave, MHRA's chief safety officer, said in a statement. 'They are not a quick fix to lose weight and have not been assessed to be safe when used in this way,' she added.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Midwife struck off after claiming vaccines ‘attacked babies' on social media
A midwife has been struck off the register after posting claims on social media that vaccinations attacked babies while in their mother's womb during pregnancy. Seana Mary Kerr, of Newry, Northern Ireland, also told a pregnant woman in a shop that she should not be wearing a face mask during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) tribunal panel judgment. Ms Kerr, who had been a registered midwife since 2007, was found by a panel to have placed the woman at 'significant risk of harm' with her views, while she had 'risked seriously undermining the public confidence' in her profession at a crucial time with her posts. In the first of three social media posts in September 2020, Ms Kerr said that babies were being attacked in the womb through vaccination of mothers during pregnancy. Then, in March 2021, she claimed healthcare professionals were being 'complicit' in the national response to Covid-19, and that the health crisis was 'a Trojan horse intend[ed] to introduce a new era for humanity'. A further post in December that year made reference to how a group of people, described as 'they', had been 'planting the seeds' about Covid-19 over Christmas 2020 by referring to 'some bat in China'. Ms Kerr's advice and social media comments were given when she had identified herself as a midwife and was 'promoting her opinion on matters of clinical importance', the panel found. 'The panel considered that the actions of Ms Kerr took place during an exceptionally unusual time, where the entirety of the NHS was mobilised to protect the public from the international Covid-19 pandemic,' they said. 'Therefore, by expressing the view that other healthcare professionals, who Ms Kerr was working with in the Trust, were acting in ways which may cause harm, a view Ms Kerr held which was against the recognised guidance at the time, Ms Kerr risked seriously undermining the public confidence in the profession. 'It further noted that by making these accusations that Ms Kerr's colleagues may have suffered harm while working in an unprecedented and challenging situation.' The midwife approached the pregnant woman in the shop, which was her place of work, during the other allegation in question in August 2020. She identified herself as a midwife before advising the woman that she should not be wearing the face mask as it reduced the amount of oxygen her baby was receiving. Ms Kerr went on to tell the woman that she should not receive a flu vaccination as this would increase the risk of her baby being stillborn. The panel found the pregnant woman and her family were caused 'significant emotional harm' as a result of Ms Kerr's behaviour. 'The panel noted that it is a reasonable expectation of everyone working in a public environment, such as a shop, that they will not be approached and given personal, clinical advice and that such advice would normally only be given during a private clinical appointment or at an antenatal class,' they said. 'Therefore, by approaching Patient A in her place of work, outside a clinical relationship, unsolicited, Ms Kerr placed her at significant risk of harm.' The panel found Ms Kerr's fitness to practise was still impaired and that there was a risk of the individual repeating her behaviour. Ms Kerr did not show any remorse for her misconduct or demonstrate any insight into her previous actions, and had not engaged with the NMC since June 2022, the panel said. It made an order to strike Ms Kerr's name from the register, after a 12-month suspension order had previously been imposed last year.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Here's how you can check the air quality where you live
(KDVR) — Wildfires in Canada have caused poor air quality and smoky skies across several U.S. metros for days. On Wednesday, the air quality in New York City was ranked the worst in the world. 'I can taste the air': Canadian wildfire smoke spreads hazardous haze at home and in the US That's according to IQAir's Air Quality and Pollution City Ranking, which is updated hourly, the air pollution advocacy organization explains. It's important to note that while New York City is currently in the top spot for unhealthy air, it will likely drop back down once the aforementioned smoke disappears. A few weeks ago, Denver, Colorado, was ranked among the top 10 worst in the world due to wildfire smoke. As of Wednesday, the city ranked 96th on IQAir's list. IQAir's live Air Quality and Pollution City Ranking ranks cities based on AQI, or Air Quality Index points. Cities/areas are assigned a series of ranges for how healthy or unhealthy the air currently is. To find your city/area, you'll need to allow IQAir to access your location. Once the system locates you, it'll give you your area's AQI, in addition to which main pollutant is contributing to the pollution level. Ranges include: Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous. New York City's air on Wednesday is the only city on the entire list given a Hazardous air rating. Canada fires bring dystopian haze, air-quality alerts in US. Is it safe to go outside? Aside from New York City, the next highest U.S. city on the air quality ranking is Detroit, Michigan (23), which claimed 'moderate' air quality levels Wednesday evening. India dominated the top 5, with the cities of Delhi and Kolkata ranking third and fourth, respectively, and claiming Unhealthy air ratings. The second highest city on the list is Dubai, UAE, whose air was ranked unhealthy. Will the level of smoke be dangerous for your health? Here's what the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said people everywhere should know. 'If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood, you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill,' CDPHE said. 'Bob's Burgers' actor faces charges in Jan. 6 riot If visibility is less than 5 miles in your neighborhood, the smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy, and you should stay indoors. You can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on wildfire smoke hazards. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.