Study shows 110k people affected by domestic abuse on Merseyside
Demand for domestic abuse services on Merseyside has outstripped supply, with more than 117,000 people in the region affected, a report has found. The study, commissioned by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell, highlighted an "urgent" need for more stable, long-term funding in the region to support survivors.About 10,000 people have received support each year from more than 20 different organisations, many of which are "operating beyond safe capacity", the report found. Spurrell said these services were "being held together by the dedication of overstretched professionals", adding there was "no quick fix" to the problem.
The report produced by national charity Women's Aid and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) found 117,000 people, predominantly women and children , experienced domestic abuse in Merseyside each year.The study was "a sobering but vital insight into the pressures facing our domestic abuse services", Spurrell said.
'Key gaps'
The study found funding problems leading to high staff turnover at organisations which help victims, which resulted in many missing out on having a single caseworker with whom they could build trust.There were also long waiting lists, particularly for therapeutic services and gaps in provision for children and young people, and for marginalised groups and disabled people were also identified.Women's Aid's CEO, Farah Nazeer, said there was "an urgent need for a systematic, coordinated response that addresses key gaps in provision for children and young people as victim-survivors, Black and minoritised women and other marginalised groups".Senior Researcher for the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Violence Prevention Nadia Butler said the review was a "foundation for enhancing and sustaining adequate commissioning of domestic abuse services across Merseyside".Among the 20 recommendations were improved oversight and coordination of domestic abuse funding, strengthened multi-agency working, and better use of resources.Spurrell said: "While there are no quick fixes or easy solutions, this report gives us a strong foundation to work from."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Mother's delight as gene therapy offers hope to three-year-old
A child with a life-threatening disease has become the youngest in the UK to receive a groundbreaking gene therapy. Three-year-old Gunreet Kaur has a rare inherited condition that affects children's physical, mental and behavioural development. Children with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency find it difficult to control their head, blood pressure and heart rate. But after receiving the new gene therapy, called Upstaza, Gunreet has made progress that her mother thought would never be possible, such as new movements and vocalising. It is hoped that she will make further strides as she ages. Gunreet, from Hayes in west London, was nine months old when she was diagnosed with the condition. She received the treatment in February 2024 at the world-renowned Great Ormond Street children's hospital (GOSH), which is the only hospital in the UK offering the treatment to children. Sandeep Kaur said Gunreet has made 'great progress' since her treatment. 'When Gunreet was about seven months old I noticed she wasn't reaching her milestones at the same age that her older brother did,' she said. 'She couldn't hold her own head up or reach out for items. She cried a lot and always wanted to be held. 'Since having the gene therapy, Gunreet has made great progress. 'She cries less, smiles more, and can reach for objects. 'She can hold her head up and is trying to sit up, she's recently learned how to roll from her stomach to her back which is fantastic to see. 'It means a lot to me that Gunreet was able to have this gene therapy – her general health has improved, she has more co-ordination, she can bring her palms together and is able to move her hand to her mouth.' AADC deficiency is caused by a mutation in the gene that produces the AADC enzyme, this enzyme is needed to produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine which is important in controlling movement. People with AADC deficiency do not have a working version of the enzyme, which means that they have little or no dopamine in the brain. This means that they can suffer developmental delays, weak muscle tone and inability to control the movement of the limbs. It can also lead to painful episodes for affected children. The condition is rare and often deadly, with many children with AADC deficiency not reaching adulthood. The medicine, also known as eladocagene exuparvovec, consists of a virus that contains a working version of the AADC gene. The treatment is delivered by millimetre precision to an exact location in the brain of the patient by a team of medics assisted by a robotic surgery tool. When given to the patient, it is expected that the virus will carry the AADC gene into nerve cells, enabling them to produce the missing enzyme. This is expected to enable the cells to produce the dopamine they need to work properly, which will improve symptoms of the condition. It is the first NHS England commissioned gene therapy in the UK infused directly into the brain. Professor Manju Kurian, consultant paediatric neurologist at GOSH, said 'AADC deficiency is a rare condition but often a cruel one that has such a profound impact on children and their carers and families. 'We know children with the condition have painful episodes that can last for hours and, as their condition progresses, their life becomes more and more difficult. 'It's incredible to me that I can now prescribe novel gene therapies just as I would prescribe paracetamol and antibiotics. 'While the treatment is now available under the NHS at GOSH, we can only do this by working collaboratively across teams inside and outside the hospital, from physios and surgeons to dietitians and speech therapists, alongside partnerships with companies who supply these therapies. 'It's great to see how this treatment has been able to help babies and children across the country like Gunreet. 'The natural history of the condition is that most patients cannot fully hold their head or make any developmental progress after that milestone. 'Gunreet's progress over the last year has been really impressive in that context, as well as the virtual disappearance of the eye crises. 'We're hopeful that one day she will be able to talk or walk, as seen in some of the young patients treated in the clinical trial.' Professor James Palmer, NHS medical director for specialised commissioning, said: 'This is wonderful news for Gunreet and her family, and a powerful example of how these commitments are translating into real improvements in people's lives. 'By bringing cutting-edge medicines like eladocagene exuparvovec into the health service and setting up our expert clinical teams to successfully deliver them, the NHS is making clear its commitment to improving care through innovation.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Ovarian cancer: Widower warns of 'sneaky' symptoms
A widower has said his wife received a late and terminal diagnosis due to an ongoing lack of awareness about symptoms of ovarian cancer among health McCormick, whose wife Julie was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, said the disease shouldn't be ruled out as symptoms can be associated with other less serious 200 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Northern Ireland each year. The Department of Health and the Public Health Agency both said that due to constraints on the health budget there has been a "freeze" on almost all advertising spend across Health and Social Care. "I think doctors need to rule it in before they rule it out, particularly if symptoms persist when a woman is being investigated for gynaecological or stomach problems," the County Down man first complained of pelvic pain in 2021, however, it took a further two and a half years of investigations and tests before ovarian cancer was diagnosed. Julie died 12 months later, aged McCormick said his wife, an oncology nurse, was "fooled" by early tests being negative despite prolonged symptoms telling her something wasn't right.A CA125 blood test, which is used to measure a level of protein in the blood and is not a definitive test for ovarian cancer was initially clear and caused no according to Mr McCormick, despite his wife's constant visits to the GP and other specialists with stomach pain and gynae issues, ovarian cancer wasn't a line of inquiry. 'On a mission' Mr McCormick said he's "passionate" about raising awareness of ovarian cancer and is "on a mission" to get a public awareness campaign up and running across Northern mission began on 23 June 2024, the day Julie died. Posting on social media that day, Mr McCormick urged the public to be aware of the "sneaky symptoms" of ovarian cancer and to get checked if they persist. One year on, he said little has changed with no desire among politicians and health officials to put it on the Executive's agenda."I'd like a big billboard, radio and television campaign educating people about the symptoms and that if they persist you should continue seeking help and suggesting being tested for ovarian cancer," said Mr McCormick. "When you are diagnosed late, the outcomes are much poorer and therefore if women can get to see their GP sooner, they have a better chance of being diagnosed and a better chance of survival."He also said he isn't confident that the Department of Health will decide to go big on the cancer as he appreciates it has a long list of priorities. Research by Queen's University Belfast has found the most common route for women to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer was in an Emergency 2017 and 2021, 35% (70) of cases were diagnosed on average each year via an emergency presentation, and 27% (55) of cases were diagnosed by a red-flag referral Damien Bennett, director of the NI Cancer Registry, said the findings highlighted the need to drive home the message that if symptoms persist - including if they happen 12 times in a month - it is not something that should be ignored and should be immediately followed up with the woman's GP."These symptoms can overlap with other conditions that are benign and can potentially make it more difficult for the public to potentially approach health care professionals," he said. "Those symptoms also make it more difficult for health care professionals to come to a diagnosis - but the greater awareness about all of this the better."The research also found that 32% of cases were diagnosed at stage 1 (early stage), while 20% were diagnosed at an advanced average there were 122 deaths per year from ovarian cancer.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Autoimmune disease may almost double risk of mental ill health, study suggests
Living with an autoimmune disease may almost double the risk of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, a study suggests. The link may be explained by the chronic exposure to systemic inflammation that the autoimmune disease causes, researchers at the University of Edinburgh said. A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammation is linked to mental ill health, but many of the published studies have relied on small sample sizes, limiting their statistical power. To overcome this, researchers drew on data from 1.5 million people in the Our Future Health programme from across the UK. Participants completed a questionnaire that asked for personal, social, demographic, health and lifestyle information. Health information included lifetime diagnoses for disorders including autoimmune and psychiatric conditions. Six autoimmune conditions were included in the study: rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' syndrome (thyroid hormone disorder), inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. The mental health conditions the researchers were interested in were self-reported diagnoses of affective disorders, defined as depression, bipolar or anxiety disorder. In total, 37,808 people reported autoimmune conditions and 1,525,347 did not. The lifetime prevalence of any diagnosed affective disorder was significantly higher among those with an autoimmune disorder than it was among the general population: 29% against 18%. Similar associations emerged for depression and anxiety: 25.5% compared with just over 15% for depression, and just over 21% compared with 12.5% for anxiety. The prevalence of current depression and anxiety was also higher among people with autoimmune conditions. While the prevalence of bipolar disorder was much lower, it was still significantly higher among those with autoimmune disorders than among the general population: just under 1% compared with 0.5%. The prevalence of affective disorders was also significantly and consistently higher among women with autoimmune disorders than it was among men with the same physical health conditions: 32% compared with 21%. The reasons for this are unclear. But the researchers, whose findings were published in the BMJ Mental Health journal, said theories suggest that sex hormones, chromosomal factors, and differences in circulating antibodies may partly explain the differences. Overall, the risk for mental health conditions was nearly double in people with autoimmune conditions – between 87% and 97% higher. It remained high even after adjusting for potentially influential factors, including age, household income and parental psychiatric history. The study was limited by a lack of available information on the time or duration of illness, making it impossible to determine whether autoimmune conditions preceded, co-occurred with or followed affective disorders. No direct measurements of inflammation were made either, making it impossible to establish the presence, nature, timing or severity of inflammation. The researchers concluded: 'Although the observational design of this study does not allow for direct inference of causal mechanisms, this analysis of a large national dataset suggests that chronic exposure to systemic inflammation may be linked to a greater risk for affective disorder. 'Future studies should seek to determine whether putative biological, psychological, and social factors – for example, chronic pain, fatigue, sleep or circadian disruptions and social isolation – may represent potentially modifiable mechanisms linking autoimmune conditions and affective disorders.' They added that it could be worth regularly screening people diagnosed with autoimmune diseases for mental health conditions, especially women, to provide them with tailored support early on.
