Travellers warned as typhoid infections reach new high
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning about a record number of travel-linked typhoid and paratyphoid cases.
Provisional figures show 702 cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2024, an 8 per cent increase from the previous year, and is the highest number ever recorded.
Typhoid fever, a bacterial infection spread through contaminated food and water, can be fatal without prompt treatment; a free vaccine is available for some patients.
Imported malaria cases remain at concerning levels in the UK, with 1,812 cases diagnosed in 2024, while dengue cases appear to have decreased.
Dr. Philip Veal of UKHSA advises travellers to plan ahead, check the Travel Health Pro website for health information, and consult healthcare professionals about necessary precautions and vaccinations.
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The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reeves announces £6 billion to provide millions of NHS tests and procedures
Rachel Reeves has announced a £6 billion investment to speed up tests and treatment within the NHS, after setting out huge year-on-year rises in the health service's budget. New scanners, ambulances and urgent treatment centres are among the things which the additional cash will pay for, with the aim of providing up to four million more tests and procedures over the next five years. The announcement comes after the Chancellor put NHS funding at the heart of her spending review on Wednesday, raising its budget in a move worth £29 billion a year. This comes, however, at the expense of other areas of public spending. The new £6 billion funding will help to meet the Government's target of reducing NHS waiting lists in England, the Chancellor claimed. 'Over a decade of underinvestment from the previous government put the NHS on its knees, with people across the country unable to get the care they need. We are investing in Britain's renewal, and we will turn that around,' Ms Reeves said. She added: 'Part of our record investment will deliver four million tests, scans and procedures, so hard-working people can get the healthcare they and their families need. 'There is no strong economy without a strong NHS, and we'll deliver on our Plan for Change to end the hospital backlog, improve living standards and get more money in people's pockets.' The latest spending commitment will help patients get access to diagnostic scans and treatment in places such as shopping centres and high streets, speeding up their diagnoses. The Government hopes this will help to cut NHS waiting lists, meeting Labour's goal of ensuring the health service carries out 92% of routine operations within 18 weeks. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Since taking office we have been relentless in our drive to cut waiting times for patients, delivering over 3.6 million extra elective care appointments and reducing the overall waiting list by over 200,000. 'The £6 billion investment we are announcing today will generate millions more vital diagnostic tests, scans and procedures for patients across the country.' On Wednesday evening, Ms Reeves said the Government was 'confident' it could meet its pledge to reduce waiting lists after giving the NHS a 3% annual increase in funding at the spending review. Some health leaders are, however, sceptical that the Government will meet its target, despite the funding boost provided at the spending review. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents all health organisations, warned 'difficult decisions will still need to be made as this additional £29 billion won't be enough to cover the increasing cost of new treatments, with staff pay likely to account for a large proportion of it'. He added: 'So, on its own, this won't guarantee that waiting time targets are met.' Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund charity, said: 'The Chancellor said she wants the public to have an NHS there when they need it. 'It is hard to see how all the things she mentions: faster ambulance times, more GP appointments, and adequate mental health services and more can be met on this settlement alone. 'Particularly when large parts of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, such as the higher cost of medicines, which are currently being negotiated, and covering staff pay deals.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'The Heads of the Valleys road swallowed part of my garden'
John Watkeys used to love an evening cup of tea watching bats fly around his oak tree, but that part of his garden is now gone under one of the UK's most expensive and longest-running road the Heads of the Valleys road officially opens on Thursday, there are no roadworks on it for the first time in 23 years after its £2bn upgrade to almost motorway standard. But for people like John, who has neighboured the A465 for 65 years, he says the stress of fighting to keep his home intact has taken its Minister Eluned Morgan has called the upgrade Wales' biggest project since devolution in 1999, giving valleys communities "the same opportunities" as other areas. The 28-mile (45km) improvement is designed to bring prosperity to one of the UK's most deprived areas and cut journey times between west Wales and the called it the "road from hell" during the roadworks, which started back in 2002, and subsequent congestion, but now all cones have gone and traffic flows while those living closest to the Heads of the Valleys road have welcomed its impact on traffic, they claim they are still fighting with the Welsh government about the new road's impact on their homes. "Nobody is going to be happy with losing part of your garden," said keen gardener John, whose home borders the A465 in Merthyr Tydfil. "I had a beautiful old oak tree, that's gone. I've a soft spot for bats and used to love watch them flying around the oak tree in the evening, they've gone."The road crosses the south Wales coalfields, a national park and twists mightily close to people's homes, especially in Merthyr where the final section of roadworks were grows his own fruit and vegetables but after three years of construction work next to his house he said he has had to "restart the garden from scratch" due to the dirt and dust."I'm left picking up the pieces," said the former microbiologist. "It has been extremely stressful for a lot of years." He said the stress started when after years of reassurances that the new road would not take any of his land, those behind the project changed their mind and wanted to knock down part of his house."Workers said we want to knock down your garage and we need your drive for a working area," claimed John."You can imagine my response, I said you can't knock my garage down as it's an integral part of my house and it includes my utility room which houses my heating and hot water. So they found another way."The Welsh government offered to compulsory purchase the house, in the Cefn Coed area of Merthyr, but John said he declined because of sentimental reasons. "I grew up here, both my parents passed away here and my wife passed away here," John said."This house has a lot of memories and at my age, the thought of packing of everything up and moving was too much."It is not the first time the Heads of the Valley road has impacted John as his family were forced to leave his first home, which was a few metres away, in the early 1960s when the original Swansea to Herefordshire road was who has received interim compensation from the Welsh government for the loss of his garden but is awaiting a full settlement, is adamant "it's not over"."The peace and quiet is nice now and just being able to get on with my life is lovely but I've a few more fights with Welsh government to come," he is not the only one. Just over the road, Daryl Wilkins is also writing to the Welsh government and politicians claiming the vibrations from piling behind his house has led to cracks throughout his home. "I've lived here for almost 45 years and never had any problems until construction started on the Heads of the Valleys," said the 79-year-old former fish and chip van owner."I had a survey on the house before work started and there were no cracks. Now my house has cracks on outside and inside walls and that's because of vibrations from piling going on outside my house."Daryl said contractors replaced nine window panes as a "goodwill gesture" after they were damaged, but claims he had pay more than £1000 on window frames."The piling lasted for at least six months," said Daryl. "The house used to shake, it was terrible."My great-granddaughter loved going on our trampoline but she wouldn't come here because of the noise from the piling."Now I've got damage throughout the house, it will take a thousands of pounds to repair. I don't want compensation, I just want my house repaired."Compensation payments are currently subject to ongoing discussions between the Welsh government, Future Valleys consortium behind the final £1bn stretch of the road, and individuals affected by the scheme. Almost 70 structures - including more than 40 new bridges and a dozen new junctions - have been built across the upgraded route between Abergavenny in Monmouthshire and Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon planted 285,000 trees to mitigate its significant environmental impact and creatures including bats, dormice and great crested newts have also been moved."They've rightly considered the effects on the environment and local wildlife and spent money putting that right but not done the same with affected people," said Daryl's daughter Julie."They've spent billions on a road which was much-needed, but not put right the damage they've caused this house - and you're talking thousands of pounds."Mum and dad aren't in great health and this stress doesn't help. I just wonder what those dignitaries opening this road would feel if this happened to their parents." Merthyr councillor Lisa Mytton's ward was split in two when a road bridge over the Heads of the Valleys was knocked down for the road below to be said her phone had been "red hot morning, noon and night" for best part of five years."It has been headache the last few years supporting residents with their concerns," said Mytton."Residents found the disruption really heavy at some points when they were drilling into the rock face and some felt movement in their house so they felt weary and scared."It's a huge relief and boost that it's all done but authorities now need to work together to capitalise on this new road." John and Daryl said they accepted the Heads of the Valleys was to be upgraded and both admit the road will have a positive impact on the south Wales valleys, but want those in power to hear their stories."What I'd say to them is what we have to do is to make sure that valleys communities have the same opportunities as other areas to get quality and skilled jobs locally," said First Minister Eluned Morgan."That's what this road does for us. This is the biggest project in the history of devolution and it's going to open up the valleys communities to new jobs."Now Welsh government will help to develop a vision for valleys communities built around economic development and this road is central to that."Transport secretary Ken Skates said he thanked residents "for their patience during the construction period" and that the Welsh government continued to "work with them to resolve any issues".
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Spending review could mean cuts in Wales
Some public services are likely to face cuts if the NHS swallows extra funding announced for Wales in Chancellor Rachel Reeves's spending review, experts have is a warning that "tough choices loom", even though the budget is expected to grow over the next three said it was investing in public services by boosting the Welsh government's Plaid Cymru accused Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan of "asking for very little and getting exactly that". The Welsh government can raise taxes, but most of what it spends comes in a grant from the funding will be £22.4bn a year on average over the next three years as a result of the spending review. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think tank, said funding for the day-to-day running of public services would grow about 1.2% above inflation."While an increase overall, that will likely require tough choices and indeed real terms cuts for some services," the IFS's David Phillips said."Increases in funding for the Welsh NHS could easily absorb most, if not all, of this increase."He said Welsh Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford will "have to decide carefully which areas to prioritise and which to cut back".About half the Welsh government's budget is already spent on times for hospital treatment have risen to record highs in recent Wednesday, the chancellor announced a real-terms increase of 3% to day-to-day funding for the NHS in will result in extra funding for Welsh ministers to spend as they Guto Ifan from the Wales Governance Centre warned: "If the Welsh government decided to transfer that money to the health service in Wales, which would still be below the historical growth in health spending, it would mean difficult settlements for everything else in the budget."I would imagine that the Welsh government would have to make cuts to services outside health under this settlement." Reeves' spending review reveals how much funding will be available after next May's Senedd also announced £445m for new rail projects in Wales, following years of complaints that Wales has not had a fair share of backed plans for five new stations in Cardiff, Newport and Monmouthshire, and rail upgrades in north Minister Eluned Morgan said: "Wales will see significant extra investment in rail infrastructure, coal tips safety and Welsh communities will see real benefits that improve lives and create opportunities."Treasury minister Torsten Bell said there would be "record levels of spending happening in the Welsh government" and said previous Conservative governments "consistently let down Wales" on capital spending which pays for said the cash fell short of what Wales needed and criticised a ten-year timeline for the scheme - Labour sources said most of the cash would be spent much Cymru finance spokesperson, Heledd Fychan, said: "Public services, already teetering on the brink in Wales under Labour face further cuts as a consequence of Labour's First Minister asking for very little and getting exactly that."Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar said the amount of rail funding was "shameful"."Today's rail spending announcement is an insult to the people of Wales," he added.
