Thousands were harmed by vaginal mesh. Now could breast cancer patients be at risk too?
'When I was out jumping around with the kids, I was a bit incontinent,' she recalls. 'Surgeons at my local hospital said I might have a prolapse and they had a gold-standard surgical treatment.
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Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Long NHS waiting lists bolster profits at BUPA as it cashes in on 'growing demand' for private care
Bupa is on course to make bumper profits this year as it cashes in on 'growing demand' for private care because of lengthy NHS waiting lists. The health insurer reported a pre-tax profit of £501million for the first six months of 2025, 19 per cent higher than last year. The results, which also saw an 11 per cent jump in revenue to £8.8billion for the first half of 2025, included Bupa's operations in Europe, Latin America, India, the Middle East and Asia. The company said its performance had been bolstered by surging demand for private healthcare and income from its care homes. Inaki Ereno, group chief executive, said: 'In the first six months of the year, we have served more customers than ever before.' The half-year report also revealed that the number of people taking out Bupa's health insurance globally rose 23 per cent to 40.9m, while the occupancy rate of its care homes for older people rose 1 per cent to 94 per cent. Its UK and India division recorded turnover of £2.8billion, while profits soared 89 per cent to £126million. UK insurance accounted for 48 per cent of the division's sales, while 9 per cent came from dental practices. The company has opened 61 sites around the world, including buying New Victoria Hospital, London, its first UK hospital purchase since 2008. The growth comes as people turn to private healthcare to avoid joining the 6.2m patients languishing on NHS waiting lists. The figures, revealed last week, also showed that nearly 3m patients awaiting care had not received a first appointment with a specialist or a diagnostic test since their referral. The Patients Association described the 'invisible waiting list crisis' as 'staggering', as millions are left in limbo while their health deteriorates. Other companies which have benefited from the boom in demand from those wanting to go private include Spire, Nuffield and Circle. David Rowland, director of think-tank Centre for Health and the Public Interest, told The Guardian: 'You've now got more and more people who are having to pay out of their own pockets for things like dental care or operations that aren't available on the NHS. 'Nobody's being honest about the extent to which this is happening. No politician has stood up and advocated for it. It's a trend which has been happening increasingly over the past 30 years with Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem parties in charge.' The General Medical Council recently revealed that 19 per cent of doctors are considering a move abroad – believing the profession is 'treated better' in other countries and better-paid.
The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Eating chips three times a week raises type 2 diabetes risk by 20%, study finds
Love potatoes? Well, there's good news and there's bad news. Eating chips frequently has been linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with baking, boiling or mashing the tuber. Consuming french fries three times a week increases the chances of someone getting the disease by 20% – and doing so five times a week by 27% – according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Globally, potatoes are the third most commonly consumed food crop, after rice and wheat. Nine out of 10 of the estimated 5.8 million people in the UK with diabetes have the type 2 version of the disease, which is closely associated with lifestyle, especially diet. The findings confirm potatoes do not of themselves pose a danger to health, but frying them to turn them into chips, and eating them regularly, does make a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes more likely. An international team of researchers, led by Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, a public health expert at Harvard University, investigated the relationship between potato intake and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They based their findings on food questionnaires filled out by 205,000 health professionals in the US every four years between 1984 and 2021. Someone who eats chips three times a week was found to raise their risk of diabetes by 20%, but those who ate potatoes with the same regularity after baking, boiling or mashing them did so by only 5%. 'The high starch content of potatoes, leading to a high glycemic index and load, combined with possible loss of nutrients and possible health risks resulting from various cooking methods, could contribute to adverse health outcomes,' the study explains. Replacing potatoes with whole grains lowers the risk of diabetes by 8%, and if grains are eaten instead of chips specifically, that cuts the risk by 19%. Dr Kawther Hashem, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London, said: 'Potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, but it's how we prepare them that makes the difference. Boiled, baked or mashed potatoes are naturally low in fat and a source of fibre, vitamin C and potassium. 'But when we deep fry them into chips or french fries, especially in large portions and with added salt, they become less healthy with their high-fat, salt and calorie content that's much more likely to contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.' However, replacing any form of potatoes with white rice is a bad idea as it leads to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the paper found. Dr Hashem added: 'This research reinforces the simple message, which is to enjoy potatoes – just don't rely on chips as your go-to option. And, where possible, try swapping them out for whole grains like brown rice, bulgur wheat, wholemeal pasta or even sweet potato with skin on, which are healthier and protective for long-term health.' The researchers stressed their findings were observational and did not prove a cause and effect relationship between eating chips and type 2 diabetes risk. The Food Standards Agency and Department of Health and Social Care both declined to comment.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Health experts urge ban on school materials backed by food, drink and gambling firms
Health experts have urged Bridget Phillipson to stop schools using educational materials funded by the food, drink and gambling industries, in order to protect children from 'harmful' influences. Dozens of doctors, health charities and public health specialists have written to the education secretary warning her that such firms are sponsoring resources used in lessons with pupils, despite them misrepresenting the evidence about diets, alcohol and betting. Some of the materials teach young people how to pour glasses of wine, distort the evidence about alcohol's role in causing cancer, and promote 'responsible gambling' to them, the letter says. The Obesity Health Alliance, British Medical Association, and directors of public health and World Cancer Research Fund are among those who have signed the letter. They are alarmed by companies gaining 'corporate reach' in schools by supplying teacher resource packs and student information sheets that they claim constitute 'misleading and harmful classroom materials'. 'We wouldn't let big tobacco teach children about smoking. So why are we allowing the alcohol, gambling and junk food industries into classrooms?' said Chris van Tulleken, a professor of infectious disease and global health at University College London. 'Allowing these industries into schools distorts learning and helps industry establish the next generation of customers.' The coalition of 58 health experts, groups and academics wants Phillipson to adopt the same tough approach as the Republic of Ireland. In 2022 its government told schools not to use materials in the classroom that had been funded by the alcohol industry or other 'parties with conflicts of interest'. Academic studies have found that 'self-claimed prevention education programmes … serve the interests of their commercial funders. The materials help to normalise harmful behaviours, omit or misrepresent important risks, and shift responsibility for harm on to individuals, including children and young people, and away from the industries and their practices.' Dr May van Schalkwyk, a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh and expert in corporate tactics, said: 'The evidence is clear. Industries whose products are undermining the health and wellbeing of children and young people fund harmful youth education programmes as part of their corporate strategies. Urgent action is needed to prevent this form of influence and conflicts of interest'. The letter highlights examples of how the alcohol, gambling and junk food industries have been gaining influence in schools by supplying sponsored resources. It claims that Smashed, a play about underage drinking sponsored by drinks firm Diageo used in PSHE lessons, contains 'cancer misinformation, for instance omitting the most common forms of alcohol-related cancer or suggesting alcohol-related cancers are only associated with heavy drinking'. The letter also alleges that Gamble Aware, an industry-funded charity, has produced 'educational materials that promote the industry-favoured idea of 'responsible gambling'. These introduce young people to gambling products and may facilitate gambling initiations, for example by teaching students how to use a betting slip.' In addition, 'in some sixth-form colleges, brands like Costa Coffee and Starbucks have set up entire outlets that sell items packed with sugar', the letter adds. Zoe Osmond, Gamble Aware's chief executive, said it commissions 'a broad range of independently designed and delivered education programmes, which are evaluated using transparent criteria by independent researchers. 'We only ever commission activity aimed to raise awareness of the risks of gambling and direct people to appropriate support and treatment. It is inaccurate and irresponsible to suggest otherwise.' Drinkaware said it no longer sponsors materials for schools. 'The education programme referenced in the letter [about how to pour drinks] was wound down in 2019, six years ago and three years before the academic paper cited was published', a spokesperson said. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Diageo rebutted the letter's description of Smashed, which it said 'has successfully educated hundreds of thousands of young people on the risks of underage drinking. It is disappointing this letter attempts to undermine a proven initiative. 'Ninety-nine per cent of participating teachers surveyed last year said it was important programmes like this are funded to visit schools, and 87% said they now feel more confident talking with young people about the dangers of underage drinking. 'The programme makes clear unambiguous references to several risks associated with alcohol including various cancers, and it is misleading to suggest otherwise.' Starbucks said that it has opened outlets 'in a small number of schools and further education facilities', but in schools they are only available to sixth-formers. The Department for Education was approached for comment.
