How 52-hour work weeks could be altering your brain structure
Working 52 or more hours per week may alter brain structure, particularly in areas related to problem-solving, memory, and emotional regulation.
A study of healthcare workers found that those working long hours had noticeable changes in brain regions associated with cognitive functions and emotional processing.
Researchers observed a 19 per cent increase in left caudal middle frontal gyrus volume in overworked individuals, a brain region crucial for attention, working memory, and language processing.
The study highlights the need for further research into the long-term cognitive and emotional effects of overwork and emphasises the importance of workplace policies to mitigate excessive working hours.
A UK survey revealed that nearly a quarter of workers regularly exceed the legal maximum working hours, and 44 per cent consider working beyond contracted hours as part of their company culture.
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BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
New providers announced for East Midlands prison health contract
New healthcare providers have been announced for prisons in the East Midlands after Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) said it would withdraw from a contract to provide has been criticised for making a series of errors over the care of paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June In a letter to staff, seen by the BBC, the trust said it had taken the "difficult" decision so it could focus on making improvements in other areas after a damning Care Quality Commission (CQC) Practice Plus Group and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will take over the care. Ifti Majid, chief executive at NHFT said the trust is making "clear progress" in areas such as risk assessment and discharge procedures following previous reports. Under the current contract, the trust cares for inmates at HMP Nottingham, HMP Ranby and HMP Lowdham Grange in contract also covers HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire, HMP Morton Hall, Swinderby Immigration Centre, HMP Lincoln and HMP North Sea Camp in 1 July, the provider Practice Plus Group, will take over the healthcare of inmates at HMP Fosse Way, in Glen Parva, NHS England body confirmed the new healthcare provider for Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire prisons will be Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation are in place to transition healthcare services starting with HMP Lowdham Grange in mid-July 2025, according to NHS England. Last year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a review, known as a Section 48, criticising the trust, which had been responsible for the care of paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June CQC ordered the trust to make improvements after identifying "a series of errors, omissions and misjudgements" by mental health services over Calocane's its letter to staff, the trust said: "The board felt that we were unable to maintain the quality improvements we have made, in part due to our need to focus capacity and resources on the Trust's improvement journey following the Section 48, CQC and homicide report recommendations."It added: "We have also had difficulty recruiting into these services on a sustainable basis, and the consensus was that a specialist provider might have more success with this." 'Working closely' According to a report published by NHFT, in May, the CQC gave the trust a 'notice of proposal' in relation to concerns at HMP Lowdham Grange. A 'notice of proposal' from the CQC means the watchdog was considering a change to a registered provider's registration, such as adding conditions, suspending, or cancelling response to the 'notice of proposal' the trust implemented a range of actions at HMP Lowdham Grange related to staffing, governance and waiting lists . The trust's chief operating officer Becky Sutton previously said NHFT would be "working closely" with affected colleagues, NHS England and prison services to support a "smooth transition" of trust said the decision did not affect Rampton Hospital, in Nottinghamshire, where it is responsible for the care of prisoners at the secure mental health unit. Mr Majid said: "We are already making clear progress in relation to the recommendations of previous reports, in areas such as risk assessment and discharge processes."We are improving the way we listen to and engage with patients, families, our colleagues, and local partners - to make sure concerns are acted on as quickly as possible."
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Mum to run Derby half-marathon while pushing daughter
A mother is set to run a half-marathon while pushing her 24-year old-daughter who has a rare and life-limiting Lee, from Alfreton, Derbyshire, was born with a CASK gene mutation, a condition that cannot be treated or cured and causes her to have epilepsy, severe visual impairment and no ability to eat or Lee hopes to complete the 13.1-mile (21km) Derby Ramathon on Sunday, with Alice in a running wheelchair, to raise money for a charity dedicated to finding a cure for her daughter's condition."We know there's no fix for Alice but halting or slowing the loss of skills could make all the difference," the 51-year-old said. CASK is the name of a gene that is essential for healthy development of the brain, said the CASK Research Foundation, and mutations can cause a range of disorders affecting brain function. Alice was 12 when her condition was diagnosed and Joanne said she had decided to stop working so she could focus on looking after her full-time."Since she was little, she has lost skills such as walking and we don't know how long her life would be, so I decided I wanted to finish work," she move has enabled Joanne to run with Alice four times a week while pushing her in a special running wheelchair costing £4,500. 'Place she belongs' Joanne said her daughter was the reason she started running and they both loved their new hobby."I needed to stay fit to be able to lift her and give her the life she deserves, but I also wanted something we could do together that fit around full-time work," she said."We started running when Alice was 16 and I never imagined how much she would love it, or how incredibly welcoming the running world would be."In a world where inclusion for adults with complex needs is pretty rubbish, running has given Alice a place where she belongs and is now a part of a community that sees her, welcomes her, and cheers her on every step of the way."Loking forward to the race on Sunday, Joanne said: "I'll be pushing Alice every mile of the way, for her, and for a future where others like her don't have to face this alone."We need to find something before it's too late."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Calls to clean up England's ‘toxic air' as GP visits for asthma attacks rise 45%
The number of patients being treated by GPs for asthma attacks has increased by 45% in a year, prompting calls for urgent action to tackle toxic levels of air pollution. There were 45,458 presentations to family doctors in England between January and June this year, according to data from the Royal College of General Practitioners research and surveillance centre. Across the same period in 2024, there were 31,376 cases. The figures come a week after a damning report by the Royal College of Physicians revealed that 99% of the UK population was now breathing in 'toxic air'. Air pollution was killing 500 people a week and costing £27bn a year in ill health, NHS care and productivity losses, the research showed. New data from the RCGP research and surveillance centre shows the rate of asthma attacks in 2025 has consistently been above the five-year average. Exacerbations of asthma – attacks which cause breathlessness and chest tightness – were, alongside other environmental and lifestyle factors, closely linked to air pollution as patients' airways could be irritated by exposure to harmful matter, the RCGP said. The college is calling on ministers and the mayors of major cities to expand existing clean air zones to combat the health consequences of air pollution. In an interview with the Guardian, Prof Kamila Hawthorne, the chair of the RCGP, said: 'GPs have long been sounding the alarm on the detrimental effects of air pollution on patients' health and these latest figures on asthma exacerbations are extremely concerning. 'Air pollution is a major public health crisis which is often overlooked, but we know it can be responsible for a range of serious physical and mental conditions and will often exacerbate existing conditions in patients. 'We have been very encouraged by the efforts of the mayors in major cities such as Birmingham and London to reduce air pollution exposure through schemes such as the Ulez initiative, which are reporting very positive results. 'But these latest statistics show that we need to go further, expanding the focus on reducing air pollution in the worst affected communities.' The Department of Health and Social Care has said its 10-year health plan, due to be published next Thursday, will shift the NHS from treatment to prevention. Tackling air pollution must be a key part of the plan, Hawthorne said. 'If we don't take measures to address this, it is patients who will suffer the consequences – particularly those in more economically deprived areas with already limited access to healthcare services. 'As well as the devastating human cost, this will ultimately also result in a greater burden on an already overstretched NHS.' Sarah Sleet, the chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said the 'huge increase' in asthma attacks was 'extremely worrying'. 'While there may be multiple factors at play, we know that air pollution can be deadly for the millions of people in the UK living with lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,' she said. 'It can trigger life-threatening attacks and exacerbate symptoms, leaving people fighting for breath. It stunts the growth of children's lungs, and being exposed to high levels of air pollution over a long period of time can also cause lung conditions. 'Yet still the government has shown no political will to tackle toxic levels of air pollution, which across the UK are much higher than the recommended safe levels set by the World Health Organization.' Prof Steve Turner, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said he was 'alarmed' by the rise in asthma attacks and urged ministers to 'act quickly'. About one in 10 children in the UK have asthma. Previous studies show steep rises in visits to doctors by children with asthma after a week of raised air pollution levels. 'These attacks are distressing, serious and life threatening, but they are also preventable,' Turner said. 'Exposure to high concentrations of air pollution increases the risk of both developing asthma and triggering attacks.' Dr Harry Apperley, a clinical fellow at the RCPCH, said the impact of toxic air on children's health was 'particularly profound' because their lungs were smaller and they breathed faster than adults, so inhaled a larger volume of air in a shorter period. 'In hospital, I'm increasingly seeing children and families living in or near environments that harm their health … Politicians and policymakers need to act. It shouldn't take a clinician's letter, or even a child's death, to make change happen,' he said. A government spokesperson said: 'Air pollution is a serious public health issue, and we are committed to tackling this issue across the country. 'We have already provided £575m to support local authorities to improve air quality and are developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone's exposure to air pollution is reduced.'
