UK bans single-use vapes to stem use by children and reduce harmful litter
The ban makes it illegal for any retailer — online or in-store — to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes .
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Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A third of GP appointments in June were over the phone or online, data shows
A third of GP appointments in June were over the phone or online, data shows A third (33.3%) of GP appointments in England in June were carried out either over the phone or online, the highest proportion since the pandemic. The figure is up from 30.9% a year earlier in June 2024, and 28.3% in June 2023, according to new analysis of NHS England data by the PA news agency. Family doctors said remote consultations 'offer convenience and flexibility that many patients value', and the majority of appointments are still delivered face to face. As many as four in 10 appointments were carried out by phone or online during the pandemic, but the proportion fell once the impact of Covid-19 eased and had dropped to 27.7% in January 2023. In the past two years the figure has risen slowly but steadily, driven by a sharp increase in consultations taking place online. These accounted for only 1.5% of all GP appointments in June 2023 but had jumped to 4.9% by June 2024 and 8.0% in June this year. This has helped push up the combined figure for phone and online appointments to its current post-pandemic high of 33.3%. The figure just for telephone appointments has remained broadly unchanged over this period, at about 25%. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said: 'Remote consultations, whether delivered over the phone or via video, can offer convenience and flexibility that many patients value, and evidence has shown that in the vast majority of cases, remote care is safe. 'Often a GP might initially consult with a patient remotely and then ask them to come into the practice if it's necessary to see them in person. 'However, we also know that many patients prefer to access their care in-person, and this is how the majority of appointments are still delivered. 'Over the last 12 months, GPs and their teams have delivered a record-breaking number of appointments, and nearly 250 million were carried out in person.' Some 63.3% of GP appointments in June in England were in person, data shows, down from 65.3% a year earlier and 68.4% in June 2023. Online appointments include those carried out using live chat tools or non-video apps, as well as video-based calls. The proportion of appointments taking place by phone or online varies across the regions, with the figures for June ranging from 38.2% in London to 28.4% in North East and Yorkshire. Prof Hawthorne said the college 'supports a mixed-method approach to delivering care' in general practice and decisions on how appointments are carried out are between clinicians and patients. 'What's key is that when GPs are consulting with their patients remotely, they have access to the robust and up-to-date IT systems that allows them to do so safely and effectively,' she added. Prof Hawthorne said the Government 'has put forward some encouraging proposals to improve the GP practice digital infrastructure and IT systems' but 'significant investment' is needed to make this a reality. She added: 'The college has called for additional funding of at least £2 billion to ensure our physical and digital infrastructure is fit for purpose so we can offer patients the appointment that's right for them.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We've made real progress fixing the front door of the NHS, recruiting more than 2,000 GPs in the last year and delivering an additional 7 million GP appointments to improve access for patients. 'Through our 10 Year Health Plan we are delivering Neighbourhood Health Services that deliver more personalised, proactive care in local areas where it is more convenient for patients. 'This Government is also clear that patients should have access to health and care when they need it and people who prefer a face-to-face appointment should have one, so we are transforming the NHS app to make managing your healthcare online easy and flexible.' An NHS England spokesperson said: 'Every GP practice must offer face-to-face appointments where patients want or need them, and many patients choose remote appointments where it is clinically appropriate and more convenient for them. 'GP teams are working hard to offer better access for patients, with a record number of appointments being carried out in the last year and recent findings showing the number of patients who are satisfied with their practice has improved.'
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The impact strike action by hospital doctors had on Bolton patients
Dozens of appointments and procedures had to be cancelled in Bolton after resident doctors went on strike in Bolton last week. Bolton NHS Foundation Trust detailed the number at its board meeting, which was held just after the strike action. The latest strike began last week amid an ongoing row over pay. Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, went on strike demanding a 29 per cent pay rise and have since been locked in industrial action with the government, which has refused to negotiate on pay. Hospital leaders have since called on the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Government to end the strikes after five days of disruption across the NHS in England. The Royal Bolton Hospital was among those affected by the industrial action. Figures have revealed the NHS maintained care for an estimated 10,000 more patients during the latest doctors' strike compared with last year's industrial action. READ MORE: NHS maintained 93% of planned care during resident doctors' strikes Bolton patient calls on hospital to rethink decision over cutting sandwiches Bolton patients given advice what to do during doctors' strike Nationally, data shows that 93 per cent of planned operations, tests and procedures went ahead during the five-day walkout across England. Chief Operating Officer Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, Rae Wheatcroft said: 'As a result of the strike action, Royal Bolton NHS Foundation Trust have had to cancel 58 outpatient appointments and 32 procedures over the course of the five days. 'The action has had an impact and will continue to have an impact on our longer waiting patients unfortunately. 'The longer waiting patients are lower risk patients, and therefore they are the ones that have been cancelled in some instances. 'It will depend on whether there is further action as to how this transpires. 'The financial impact of the strikes will depend on the decisions we take as early warning indicators. If we see the waiting list change direction, which has been reducing for the past 12 months. 'If this changes direction, that will be an early indicator, and we will know to take action.' Nationally, in previous walkouts, the majority of non-urgent care was postponed. Fewer than a third of resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, chose to join the strike, which ended on Wednesday morning. The number was down by 7.5 per cent (1,243) on the previous round of industrial action in July last year, according to the early analysis of management information collected by NHS England. The BMA said it recognised the efforts that senior doctors and healthcare workers made during the strike to provide care to patients, but it disputed the figure set out by the NHS. It said: 'NHS England's claim that the majority of England's 77,000 resident doctors chose to 'join the NHS-wide effort to keep the services open' requires a huge stretch of the imagination, given it is almost impossible to know the exact number of residents working on any given day because of complex work patterns, on-call schedules and the strike spread across a weekend. "Added to that, in July many doctors are using up their remaining annual leave before their new posts start and would therefore not show up as striking. 'We look forward to seeing hard and fast data on NHS England's claim. "The strike could have been averted, as could any future ones, if Mr Streeting had come, and will come, to the table with a credible offer that resident doctors in England can accept.'
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Renewable energy is a big opportunity for our region–we must seize it
East Anglia is at the centre of the UK's renewable energy sector. Take offshore wind alone – we are home to 44% of the UK's existing offshore wind farms. With 3.6 GW already operational and a further 10 GW of projects in the pipeline, we have a crucial role to play. Data from CBI Economics (2025) show that almost one million full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs are currently supported by the clean energy and net zero economy — that includes 83,400 in the East of England. The Labour Government is serious about seizing the opportunity of renewable energy for our country and our region, delivering clean energy jobs for the UK, boosting energy security and economic growth. Recently, I visited Scroby Sands, a wind farm, which lies off the coast of Great Yarmouth with the company RWE. Commissioned in 2004, Scroby Sands powers the electricity needs for approximately 48,000 homes – the equivalent of all the homes in King's Lynn and already provides many jobs. We have even greater potential in East Anglia. The proposed Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone is made up of Vanguard West, Vanguard East, and Boreas. Once up and running, it would be one of the biggest wind clusters in the world with a combined generating capacity of 4.2 GW (1 GW more than Sizewell), producing enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 4 million UK households. This project would bring billions of pounds of investment and employment to Norfolk. Many jobs would be created during the construction phases as well as long-term jobs during the operations phases. There are also many more opportunities in the broader supply chain. Those jobs are much needed in Norfolk and would create opportunities for our young people now and in the future. To progress these projects, it is vital that the upcoming Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 (AR7) auction is a success. The CfD scheme guarantees a fixed price to energy companies for their electricity, helping to encourage investment in clean energy projects. Yet, recently Reform's Deputy Leader Richard Tice wrote to the heads of eight energy companies, including RWE, putting them 'on notice' and warning that any companies entering this auction round would do so at their 'own risk'. In May, he also said that Reform would use "every lever" to block renewable energy developments in the councils they now control. This would be bad for jobs, bad for consumers, bad for energy security and bad for our country. In 2024, the clean energy economy nationally grew by more than 10% and generates £83.1 billion in Gross Added Value for Britain. It would also have a retrograde impact on Norfolk and the East of England more broadly, putting the thousands of jobs that could be created through clean energy at risk. Failing to back renewable energy is not only failing to back British jobs but also failing to back the action needed to get energy bills down and to tackle climate change. We have seen what happens when we are too dependent on foreign gas – bills soar and we have little control. That's one of the reasons why investing in British renewables is vital. So, is Reform happy for us to remain reliant on expensive foreign fossil fuels rather than cheap, homegrown, clean energy? I know that my constituents in Norwich North want lower energy bills and investing in renewables is part of the answer. So, why would a political party oppose such vital projects and the opportunities they would bring to regions like ours? It seems to me that they are willing to put ideology before our national interest. This is in stark contrast to the Labour Government's clean energy mission. Since July 2024, over £40 billion of private investment has been announced into the UK's clean energy industries - helping to kick-start the economy to put more money in people's pockets. The economic scale of the opportunity and prize on offer to Norfolk and the wider region is huge. Backing investment in clean energy is backing Britain. *Alice MacDonald is the MP for Norwich North.
