One in five NHS doctors wants to leave UK
The primary reasons cited for doctors considering leaving are being 'treated better' in other countries and the prospect of better pay.
This potential exodus threatens Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer 's pledge to reduce NHS waiting lists, specifically his target for 92 per cent of patients to be seen within 18 weeks by July 2029.
The GMC's report also highlighted concerns about career progression, with one in three doctors feeling unable to advance, contributing to burnout and a higher likelihood of seeking work overseas.
The warning comes amidst ongoing strike action by resident doctors over pay, with the British Medical Association (BMA) and Health Secretary Wes Streeting engaged in further negotiations.
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The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
I'm 15 and in love, but I have to walk on eggshells with my boyfriend
I'm 15, and in a six-month relationship with my boyfriend who has a very toxic home life. This has given him significant mental health issues. He gets upset by little things, and struggles to move on, catastrophising small disagreements, thinking I hate him and saying he'll self-harm. He has a really strong sense of self: he hates people being better than him at anything he cares about, and is obsessed with looks. The real issue for me is that I often feel I'm walking on eggshells: I can't tell him about achievements or he'll get upset; I soften any viewpoint I'm worried he won't like; I can't tell him he upset me without him getting extremely defensive. I do not want to lose him. He's really thoughtful, caring, beautiful and profound. He always checks for consent before doing anything sexual (nothing much as we're both underage); he cares for me if I'm upset, gives me advice, makes me feel confident in myself and happy. But I'm worried about the coming weeks, as I'm going on holiday and I know I'll have to reassure him I love him every two days, feeling guilty for just having a nice time. I feel so strongly in love, and don't want to break up with him. I'd really like some strategies to help him feel better, be less sensitive, and avoid triggers without it being exhausting. It's never too early or late in life to start asking the right questions and here, as my specialist this week, the UKCP-registered child and adolescent psychotherapist Sara Anton says, the questions you might want to ask are: 'What does a healthy relationship looks like? Is this a healthy relationship, and if not why not? If you are looking after your boyfriend's needs all the time, how can you take care of your needs? And how does it feel to do so much caretaking at this point in your life?' You sound incredibly mature, astute and sensitive, but the flipside is that you will attract people who look to you to fulfil things lacking in themselves. It's also never too early or late to learn about boundaries. I hear that you are really in love; as Anton points out: 'At 15 it's really usual – and developmentally appropriate [as we have to learn to separate from our parents] – to have these intense relationships.' But, and it is a significant but, this relationship raises concerns for us. No relationship should mean you are radically changing your behaviour – as you are – to appease someone else. I'm sorry for your boyfriend's home life, the details of which you asked me to withhold, but you are not responsible for his happiness or anyone else's. 'At this age,' says Anton, 'you are starting to find out who you are, what you like and don't like, how to be with others, what your boundaries are, and how to take care of your own emotions. From what you say, this relationship is more intense than is healthy and it's taking a toll on you. It will be hard to build a sense of who you are as a young person when you are so entwined.' Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Aspects of your relationship sound coercive. I'm sure you've covered this in PSHE lessons, but it can be hard to see when this is happening to us. Not being able to share or having to water down good news for fear of him not liking it, him threatening to self-harm, feeling like you're constantly treading on eggshells: these are not what a healthy relationship is based on. Your boyfriend doesn't sound like he has a strong sense of self, quite the opposite; it sounds like he's outsourcing his self-esteem to you. This is not something you can delegate. I would really urge you to talk to an adult you trust. You've taken a really big step towards this by writing to me. If you are constantly keeping the peace with your boyfriend, you will get no peace yourself. You can't fix him, or anyone else. That's not your job. Your job is to look after yourself first and foremost. That's not selfish but self-aware and self-protective, and that lesson can never be learned too young. Every week, Annalisa Barbieri addresses a personal problem sent in by a reader. If you would like advice from Annalisa, please send your problem to Annalisa regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions. The latest series of Annalisa's podcast is available here. Comments on this piece are pre-moderated to ensure the discussion remains on the topics raised by the article. Please be aware that there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hertfordshire girl who hands out chemo bags is in radio final
A teenage girl who has handed out more than 500 bags for chemotherapy patients in hospital is one of the people shortlisted for a local BBC radio Trim from Colney Heath in Hertfordshire started Lexie's Chemo Bags after her mother and aunt were diagnosed with breast cancer in bags, given to Lister Hospital in Stevenage, contain items including bed socks, boiled sweets, a soft toothbrush, alcohol-free mouthwash and hand is one of 32 finalists shortlisted across eight categories for the BBC Three Counties Radio Make A Difference Awards. The awards, which began in 2022 across local radio, celebrate those making a positive contribution to their communities.A fitness group which combines exercise with good deeds and a bikers' group which works to help people facing poverty are among those shortlisted in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Three Counties Radio breakfast presenter Andy Collins, who hosts the awards, said: "They're a wonderful way of saying thank you to those who are going above and beyond."I'm always humbled by the finalists, who all seem to underestimate the effect they have on those around them." Jade Cook from Spectrum Performing Arts has been nominated for creating a space for children and adults with often complex additional said: "It's wonderful to be recognised for something I believe is so important for society; for everyone to be included."Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen is also in the final. It has handed out 15,000 meals in the town centre since it started in November dog Ralph, who is deaf and partially sighted, visits hospital wards in owner Helen Lomax says patients are so keen to see him, that he is the incentive for getting people out of bed and dressed. Ralph is shortlisted for the Animal Award. COMMUNITY AWARDAylesbury Sew and So'sForget-Me-Not-Dementia Volunteer Service (Hertfordshire)Luton Sikh Soup KitchenKaotic Angel Foundation (Stevenage)FUNDRAISER AWARDGiles Cuthbert (Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire)Sandra Jeffs (High Wycombe)Ian Milne (Studham, Bedfordshire)Putnoe Scouts (Bedford)GREEN AWARDZoe Riley (Dunstable, Bedfordshire)Friends of People's Park (Luton)Richard Walker (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire)Community Trees MK (Milton Keynes)ACTIVE AWARDScott Walker (Hertfordshire)Ros Cramps (Herts Disability Sports Foundation)Jade Cook (Spectrum Performing Arts in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire)GoodGym (Luton)GREAT NEIGHBOUR AWARDJoan Sykes (Bourne End, Buckinghamshire)George Maxted (Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire)Kevin Poulton (Luton)Stef Muzz (Ridgmont, Bedfordshire)VOLUNTEER AWARDSaundra Glenn (Luton)Christine Blackett (Watford)Kenny Joe Witney (Biggleswade, Bedfordshire)Jan Hale (Milton Keynes)YOUNG HEROEvie-May StevensFrankie PickupOwain WilksLexie TrimANIMAL AWARDSamantha Wenn and Chester the horse (Bedfordshire)Ralph the therapy dogJenna Jones (Rehoming Animal Telephone Service, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire)Oaklands Small Mammal Rescue (St Albans)The story of each finalist will be broadcast on BBC Three Counties Radio over the summer, with the winners announced at a ceremony at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable on 18 September. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How walking to work can slash risk of many cancers
Walking to work saves you money and gets your step count up – but scientists say it also cuts the risk of certain cancers. Commuting on foot almost halves the risk of liver tumours and slashes the odds of getting kidney cancer by a third. By contrast, driving every day increases the likelihood of suffering from bladder cancer by almost 40 per cent. Scientists from Oxford University and the University of Auckland in New Zealand analysed how daily travel affected the risk of getting certain tumours, looking at the commuting habits of more than 250,000 Britons aged 40 to 69. They found that 14 per cent of volunteers walked to work, 8 per cent cycled, 15 per cent used public transport and 63 per cent drove. Previous research by the team had shown walking or cycling to work daily cuts the danger of breast and bowel cancer. The latest research, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, looked at commuting's links with 16 other cancers. Apart from liver and kidney tumours, the team found that travel habits had no obvious impact on the rest. They said: 'Active commuting, such as walking, integrates exercise into daily routines, while driving increases sedentary behaviour.' The scientifically proven way to stay cool The mercury is climbing again and Britain is basking in yet another heatwave. But if you're wondering how best to stay cool in the sweltering conditions, fear not – scientists have come up with the perfect formula. The trick is to use an electric fan to cool the body's exterior, while drinking the right amount of cold water for your weight – to ensure you don't overheat inside. Researchers from Heibei Vocational University of Technology and Engineering in Xingtai, China, found that the body cools best when someone sits near a fan and downs 6ml of cold water an hour for every kilogram they weigh. For someone weighing 90kg – or around 14st – this equates to 540ml of cold water, or just under a pint, every hour. A person weighing 60kg, or just under 10st, would need to drink around 360ml an hour – or two-thirds of a pint. This researchers found that this method was the best way to lower body temperature, minimise sweat loss and reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Drinking smaller quantities of water while using a fan – or just using a fan on its own – was much less effective, according to results published in the Journal of Thermal Biology. The Chinese researchers recruited 14 young men and subjected them to eight hours of extreme heat exposure – with temperatures averaging 36.5C (97.7F). At different times they either had no cooling aids at all, just used a fan, or had a fan and access to different quantities of cold water. Fans helped but without drinking water simultaneously they increased the risk of dehydration, the study found. And too little cold water failed to stem the negative effects of heat on the body. In a report the researchers said heatwaves will become a bigger threat to health – especially as many homes are not equipped with air conditioning. Laughter is the best medicine to beat pain of a tummy op Abdominal surgery may be no laughing matter – but watching just 25 minutes of comedy before going under the knife could reduce the pain felt afterwards, a study has found. Each year the NHS carries out about 1.3 million such operations in England, including appendix removal and hernia repair, which usually leave patients needing painkillers afterwards. Laughter is already known to promote the release of endorphins – the body's natural painkillers – and ease the tension in muscles which can contribute to pain. In a bid to test how far it worked in practice, researchers recruited 176 patients who were due to have abdominal surgery. Half of the group were asked to watch 25 minutes of clips from a popular TV comedy, while the rest were not given anything to watch. The results, published in the journal Nursing And Health Sciences, showed that those who had enjoyed a good belly laugh reported reduced levels of anxiety before the operation and lower levels of pain afterwards. On average, their anxiety and pain levels were found to be almost half of those in the group who did not watch the show. The Turkish scientists concluded that watching comedy could be a useful drug-free way to prepare for surgery. 'Whether it is minor or major surgery, pre-operative anxiety is seen in many patients,' they said. 'But humour and laughter can increase tolerance to pain and have positive effects on mood.'
