
East Yorkshire council backs breastfeeding in public campaign
She said the Breastfeeding in Public Day provided the "opportunity to celebrate and normalise breastfeeding". "It is good for mums and babies, and we want to remove any barrier for parents, so that they can feed whenever they need to when they are out and about," she said.The authority has also adopted the Breastfeeding Friendly scheme, which encourages local businesses to display posters highlighting they are in favour of the action.Parents are invited to join any of the following events throughout the week:Anlaby Morrisons café - 24 February between 10:30 and 11:30 GMTSandhill Garden Centre in Preston - 25 February between 10:30 and 11:30 GMTWithernsea Library - 25 February between 10:00 and 11:00 GMTBeverley Library - 25 February between 13.30 and 15:00 GMTBridlington Library - 26 February between 10:00 and 11:00 GMTBuddhist Centre in Pocklington - 27 February between 10:00 and 11:00 GMTGoole Library - 27 February between 13:00 and 14:30 GMTCottingham Library - 28 February between 10:30 and 11:30 GMTListen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
More checks, tests and scans to be offered out of hours at local health centres
Patients in England can get checks, tests and scans done out of hours at 100 community-based diagnostic centres which are now open 12 hours a day seven days a week, it has been announced. Extending the opening hours for Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) is increasing access to health services and speeding up diagnosis for thousands of patients, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Some 7.2 million CDC tests and scans have been delivered since July 2024. Shopping centres, community hospitals and university campuses are among the venues closer to people's homes where the centres are based and open out of hours for health appointments. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the Government is 'determined to offer healthcare that fits around working people's lives and not the other way around'. He added: 'From early morning MRI scans to late evening blood tests, we're meeting patients where they need it most by extending the operating hours for community diagnostic centres and putting patients first.' The NHS delivered more than 1.6 million more tests and scans from July 2024 to June 2025 and there were 218,463 people who had cancer ruled out or diagnosed within 28 days, the DHSC said. Improved performance on the faster diagnosis standard means that nearly 97,000 more people had cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days between July 2024 and June 2025, compared to the same period last year. At Oldham CDC in Greater Manchester, extended opening hours have cut lung cancer diagnosis times from 42 days to just 18.8 days, while Queen Victoria Hospital CDC in East Grinstead, West Sussex, is recording five times more respiratory patient interactions per session, with 92% avoiding the need for hospital outpatient appointments. Patients can be referred to CDCs through their GP or hospital-based clinical teams. Mr Streeting said the Government's 10-year health plan is 'revolutionising how healthcare works' and the measures are helping to bring care closer to the community. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England national medical director, said: 'We know people are living incredibly busy lives and it's vital NHS care reflects that. 'The services provided by Community Diagnostics Centres enable people to receive the all-clear or a diagnosis at a time and location that suits them, whether before a school drop off or after a work shift, and extending their opening hours means more people are being seen more quickly.' CDCs can provide a range of tests including MRI and CT scans, echocardiography and phlebotomy services. Wayne Rowlands, who visited the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre for an emergency CT scan, described it as a 'pleasant experience' in a setting that was 'very bright and not at all like a hospital'. The Government's plan for change is backed by more than £6 billion of additional capital investment to improve capacity for elective, diagnostic, and urgent care services over five years, with more than £600 million capital funding committed for 2025/26 to transform diagnostic services. This includes funding up to five additional CDCs in 2025/26 and extending opening hours for all CDCs at evenings and at weekends. Laura Challinor from the Blood Cancer UK charity welcomed the move but said more must be done to tackle regional variation and speed up testing. She said: 'It's imperative that everyone affected by blood cancer can readily access the diagnostic tests and appointments they need. 'With blood cancer being the UK's third biggest cancer killer and survival lagging behind countries of similar wealth and health, doing all we can to turn that tide is critical.'


The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Patients in England given more access to crucial health checks out of hours
Patients in England now have greater access to important tests such as MRI scans and endoscopies in the evenings and weekends, the government has said, after increasing the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) offering out of hours services. There are 170 CDCs operating in England, which are often in shopping centres, football stadiums and on university campuses. Patients can access them through a referral from their GP or clinical teams at hospitals. The government has revealed that 100 CDCs are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week – an increase of 37 CDCs with such opening hours compared with July 2024 – with the hope that the service will allow patients greater and speedier access to diagnosis. The move to provide more convenient care is part of the government's plan for change which, it says, aims to transform healthcare and make the NHS fit for the future, with an expansion of community-based services a key part of the approach. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said: 'This government is determined to offer healthcare that fits around working people's lives and not the other way around. 'From early morning MRI scans to late evening blood tests, we're meeting patients where they need it most by extending the operating hours for community diagnostic centres and putting patients first.' The government has also committed to building up to five more CDCs in 2025-26 and is planning to extend opening hours for all CDCs at evenings and on weekends. It said latest data showed the NHS delivered more than 1.6 million more tests and scans from July 2024 to June 2025 compared with the same time the previous year. Sarah Sleet, the chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, welcomed the expansion of opening hours for CDCs. 'Making it easier for people to access tests close to home is crucial to improve diagnosis rates for lung conditions,' she said. 'Receiving an early and accurate diagnosis is essential for treating and managing someone's lung condition, it can lead to a reduction in hospital admissions and even lengthen their life. We hope this focus on neighbourhood diagnostics will lead to quicker diagnosis of lung conditions, the UK's third biggest killer, at a time when a historic lack of access to tests is leaving tens of thousands of people breathless and anxious.' Laura Challinor, the senior policy manager at Blood Cancer UK, also welcomed the expansion of out-of-hours appointments but said further action was needed given blood cancer was the UK's third biggest cancer killer and survival rates were lagging behind those of similar countries. 'For CDCs to be of most benefit to people with blood cancer, we also want to see a commitment to end regional variation in diagnostic testing practice, including full blood count (FBC) tests available for those presenting with non-specific symptoms, and timed diagnostic pathways developed for blood cancers,' she said. Charlotte Beardmore, the executive director of professional policy at the Society of Radiographers, said CDCs offered patients improved access to routine imaging investigations, while timely diagnostics through CDCs were essential to ensure patients could access treatments sooner. But while Beardmore said the location, and extended opening hours of CDCs, could make it easier for patients to attend, she stressed a growing demand for imaging meant the government must invest in the radiography workforce. 'This means investment in new NHS posts for radiographers to ensure all CDCs offer the capability, flexibility and the range of services for patients in their local community,' she said. 'Without radiographers CDCs cannot function.'


Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Thousands more NHS checks, test and scans now offered out-of-hours
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the services at Community Diagnostic Centres are allowing more patients to have MRI scans and blood tests early in the morning and evening Thousands more NHS scans, tests and checks are now available out-of-hours to fit around patient's busy lives. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the services are allowing more people to have early morning MRI scans and blood tests in the evening. The Department of Health and Social Care said 100 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) are now opening in the evenings and on weekends. They are separate from hospitals and often based on the high street, shopping centres, and university campuses across the country. Mr Streeting said: 'This government is determined to offer healthcare that fits around working people's lives and not the other way around. 'From early morning MRI scans to late evening blood tests, we're meeting patients where they need it most by extending the operating hours for community diagnostic centres and putting patients first." The Department of Health added that some 7.2 million CDC tests and scans have been delivered since July 2024 when Labour won power. They said reaching the milestone of 100 centres now opening in the evenings and weekends means tens of thousands of patients will benefit in England. At Oldham CDC in Greater Manchester, extended opening hours have cut lung cancer diagnosis times from 42 days to just 18.8 days, the government said. They added that some 7.2 million CDC tests and scans have been delivered since July 2024 when Labour won power. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England National Medical Director, added: 'We know people are living incredibly busy lives and its vital NHS care reflects that. "The services provided by Community Diagnostics Centres enable people to receive the all-clear or a diagnosis at a time and location that suits them – whether before a school drop off or after a work shift - and extending their opening hours means more people are being seen more quickly." Laura Challinor from the Blood Cancer UK charity welcomed the move but said more must be done to tackle regional variation and speed up testing. She said: "It's imperative that everyone affected by blood cancer can readily access the diagnostic tests and appointments they need. "With blood cancer being the UK's third biggest cancer killer and survival lagging behind countries of similar wealth and health, doing all we can to turn that tide is critical."