Kent hospice garden transformation by Chelsea designer
He said: "A garden can offer peace, connection, and time to reflect - and that's what we've tried to create together."The project is being supported through government funding as part of a nationwide initiative to improve hospice facilities across the UK.This latest collaboration builds on a project in 2023, when the designer created a smaller therapeutic garden at the hospice.Work on the final phase of the scheme is due to begin after Mr Fenton has displayed at Chelsea later this month.
Bob Shepherd, maintenance supervisor at ellenor, said: "I'm really looking forward to working on the garden project. "I look forward to seeing the new garden finished and being enjoyed by patients and staff. "We're a small team and this project will help highlight some of the important work that often happens behind the scenes."
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The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Sir David Nabarro obituary
Many young people start out wanting to make a difference. Sir David Nabarro, who has died aged 75, was unusual in recognising early on the power of synergy. Aged 17, he was the subject of a 1967 BBC documentary on volunteering when he spent a year as organiser of Youth Action, leading a group of 400 volunteers in York, between leaving Oundle public school and going to Oxford University to study medicine. That experience – coordinating efforts for maximum impact – presaged a life in public service spent urging, cajoling and commanding others to work together. After stints as a medical officer in Iraq and Nepal, and as a health and population adviser in Kenya, he joined the World Health Organization, and subsequently the UN, leading the responses to the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the 2016 cholera outbreak in Haiti. But it was as the WHO's special envoy for Covid-19, one of six appointed by the director general, that Nabarro became best known in the UK. He described the pandemic as a 'health crisis unlike anything we have encountered in my professional experience'. He was early to advocate the use of masks and testing, tracing and isolating infected individuals, but courted controversy with his remarks on lockdowns – which he said were misquoted. He argued that lockdowns should be used as 'circuit breakers', as a reserve measure to temporarily slow the spread of the virus, buying time and allowing the NHS and similar institutions to reorganise, regroup and rebalance their resources and protect their workers. In an interview with BBC Radio 4 in 2020 he cautioned against a full national lockdown, describing it as a 'a very extreme restriction on economic and social life' that temporarily 'freezes the virus in place'. He added: 'You don't want to use those as your primary, and I stress primary, means of containment. Because in the end living with the virus as a constant threat means maintaining the capacity to find people with the disease and isolating them.' The primary measure, he thought, should be a robust test, trace and isolate system, with lockdown 'the reserve you use to take the heat out of the system when things are really bad'. As a lifelong champion of health equity, he was critical of the global response to the pandemic. He lamented the way that politics had begun shifting how governments responded to global health emergencies. In a 2021 interview with NPR, the US public radio network, he recalled how the global response to Ebola in 2014 had been 'amazing', but that by the time Covid-19 developed in 2020 things had changed. 'There has been a funny shift,' he said. 'I find world leaders are no longer apparently able to work together and deal with this through a global response.' Despite his disappointment he worked tirelessly to protect the UK and beyond from the pandemic, arguing forcefully for vaccine equity. 'The one thing we want [at the WHO] is every country in the world to be able to access a fair share of the vaccine,' he said. He was knighted in 2023. His kindness, humility and decency won loyalty from staff, though his work ethic could be challenging. He was the 'Gandalf of the UN', said Aurélia Nguyen of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. He was 'always working behind the scenes for a broader purpose in ways that were not visible or needing to take credit but quietly bringing people to the table who otherwise would not speak to each other. He worked all hours relentlessly – some of his staff may say mercilessly – but with such conviction and passion it was impossible not to follow him.' Born in London, David was one of the four children of Sir John Nabarro, a consultant endocrinologist, and Joan (nee Cockrell). David was educated at Oundle school, Northamptonshire, before studying medicine at Worcester College, Oxford, and University College hospital, London. He joined WHO in 1999, working first on malaria and later, alongside the director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland on the creation of the global fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, which has since saved millions of lives. In 2003 he survived the bombing of the Canal hotel in Baghdad while serving as WHO representative for health action in crises. He was appointed senior UN system coordinator for avian influenza (bird flu) in 2005, establishing him as a pioneer in pandemic preparedness. His most visible role on the international stage came in 2014 when he coordinated an unprecedented response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Facing a situation where 'the number of people getting sick was doubling every week', he helped bring the epidemic under control by engaging the community, building trust and addressing social and economic factors alongside delivering medical aid. Championing the synergy between social and medical interventions stands as the legacy of his lifetime of service. In 2019 he became co-director, with me, of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, a role to which he brought his vast operational experience, remarkable ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders, and readiness to mentor young researchers. His office was always open to students and colleagues seeking guidance, and his generous spirit enriched the academic community. Nabarro is survived by his second wife, Florence Lasbennes, whom he married in 2019, and by five children – two sons and a daughter from a relationship with Susanna Graham-Jones, and a daughter and son from his marriage to Gillian Holmes, which ended in divorce – and seven grandchildren. David Nunes Nabarro, global health strategist, born 26 August 1949; died 26 July 2025
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Major supermarket urgently recalls popular chicken product over potential deadly allergy concerns
The budget supermarket Lidl has urgently recalled a popular chicken over concerns they contain an allergen not labelled. The product Red Hen 4 Tempura Chicken Steaks was pulled from shelves because it may contain milk which is not correctly named on the ingredient label. If you have bought the product and have an allergy or intolerance to milk, do not eat it and return it to the nearest Lidl store where a full refund will be given. The products affected are the pack size 380g with the best before dates 11/12/2026, 16/12/2026, 22/12/2026, 30/12/2026 and 16/01/2027. In a written statement, allergy charity anaphylaxis UK said they have been informed by the supermarket of the urgent recall. 'We have been alerted by Lidl that it is recalling its Red Hen 4 Tempura Chicken Steaks from sale because they contain milk which is not correctly declared on the ingredient label,' it read. So, they went on to explain: 'The product is therefore unsuitable for and should be avoided by anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk.' When a supermarket is urgently recalling a product that contains an ingredient not named on a label, they often contact allergy charities. These charities can help inform the people with the relevant allergies of the product that may put them in danger. It comes just days after Waitrose recalled one of its ready-to-eat snack pots over fears it may be contaminated with salmonella. The dangerous bacteria is known to cause food poisoning, which in some cases can prove fatal. The item affected was the Waitrose and Partners Egg and Spinach Protein Pot, which comes in a 90g plastic tub and is sold in stores nationwide. Two batches were involved in the alert—those with use-by dates of July 31 and August 1, 2025. The supermarket has pulled the product from shelves and urged customers who have already bought it to not eat it. Instead, they should return it to a store for a full refund, with no receipt necessary. Point-of-sale notices have been displayed in affected stores warning shoppers of the risk. These explain the reason for the recall and what steps customers should take if they have purchased the item. The urgent recall issued was for the product Waitrose & Partners Egg & Spinach Protein Pot A spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which issued the alert, said: 'The presence of salmonella in this product poses a risk to human health... and can be particularly dangerous for the elderly, young children, and those with weakened immune systems.' Salmonella infection—known as salmonellosis—typically develops within six to 72 hours of consuming contaminated food. While many cases are mild and are resolved within a few days without treatment, more severe infections can lead to dehydration, hospitalisation, and in rare cases, death. Those with symptoms are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Nurses ‘essential' but we ‘won't miss' GPs: readers react to NHS strikes
Reaction to the threat of new strike action by nurses and GPs has sparked passionate debate among Independent readers, with many expressing sympathy for NHS workers but differing on whether walkouts are the right approach. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned its members feel 'deeply undervalued' and will ballot for industrial action after 91 per cent rejected the government's 3.6 per cent pay offer. GPs have also told minister Stephen Kinnock that the government must act on their demands to 'avoid a future dispute,' escalating tensions across the NHS. These fresh threats follow a five-day walkout by resident doctors over the government's refusal to grant a 29 per cent pay rise. Several commenters said nurses are 'doing the work of doctors' for far less pay, and pointed to years of below-inflation increases, rising living costs, and poor career progression as valid reasons for industrial action. Mental health professionals were singled out as particularly undervalued. Others criticised GPs for high salaries and part-time hours, arguing patient access has worsened even without strikes. Some readers said they 'won't miss' GPs if they walk out, though most agreed that nurses are essential. While a few readers questioned the effectiveness of striking, most called for urgent reform and investment to retain skilled staff and protect patient safety. Here's what you had to say: I won't miss them if they go on strike It's almost impossible to get an appointment with a GP, so I for one won't miss them if they go on strike. I accept I would miss nurses, as they are the medics I see if I ask for a GP appointment. My daughter is a mental health nurse — she has two degrees and is undervalued by the NHS and not valued by others in the medical profession. Pay is dreadful for nurses and even worse for mental health professionals. However, I don't believe striking will solve the problems of pay and conditions. The way to make the point is to vote with their feet and move abroad, into the private sector, or out of the medical profession. Some will say there are too many vacancies already — agreed — but even more will put on permanent pressure, whereas a strike causes only temporary disruption. HOSS Nurses doing the work of doctors Pay the nurses properly, as they now regularly carry out roles once in the purview of doctors. As has been said many times, it's difficult to see your GP face-to-face. Seeing a nurse practitioner is now the norm, and only if necessary are you referred to the GP. So why do GPs expect higher pay when nurses or trained practitioners are doing more? How many GPs work full-time, compared with part-timers? Chuckiethebrave We should all be out behind them I'm 100 per cent behind them. The money that's been taken out of the economy and given to shareholders — and not a word is said. We should all be out behind them. It wasn't long ago that people were banging pots and pans, supporting them — rightly so. The government is hell-bent on driving down wages and pensions. It's about time we stood up to this lot. LesMisrables The NHS is priceless It is very clear that most workers in the NHS feel undervalued and underpaid. For 14 years, a cynical Tory government has undermined their standard of living for ideological reasons — i.e. full privatisation. Our NHS is priceless. The electorate should kick out every government that doesn't fund it properly — because it's our lives at stake. Nomoneyinthebank All workers will strike eventually All workers will strike, eventually, if their salaries are reduced over a fifteen-year period and their standard of living is reduced. It is naïve to think otherwise. Cyclone8 If the NHS fails, get ready to pay I admit that it's difficult to get a doctor's appointment. We're having to wait longer for an ambulance and within A&E, together with there still being quite a hefty backlog on the waiting list — but it is coming down, albeit slowly. Despite the access issues, once you get NHS treatment, it remains exceptional. Since 2010, our doctors and nurses have effectively had a pay freeze, and, with inflation booming in recent years, our energy bills doubling, our groceries virtually doubling, and many nurses resorting to food banks, it's no wonder they're leaving for Australia in droves. I understand the current government were handed a skeletal economy, fractured public services, the highest taxes since WW2 and almost tripled national debt — but like any business, if you don't invest in your workers, they will leave. For those attacking unions, they are simply workers fighting for the equality, fair pay, working conditions and T&Cs that they deserve. Our NHS is a healthcare system to be proud of. It deserves proper investment — and that includes its workers. For the Brits who are against investing in our NHS workers — I hope you're rich enough to afford private healthcare. If the NHS fails, you'll need to start saving now for the hundreds of pounds it'll cost you each month in insurance. Amy Nothing for GPs I fully understand the nurses — they deserve better. My GP has notified me that they can't tell me the results of a scan for four weeks. That is just a telephone call. They deserve nothing, as far as I'm concerned. They can't handle what they have now, let alone more. Martyn Is £150,000 not enough? My local health centre has four full-time GPs. They have an average salary of over £150,000. Is that not enough? And it is still almost impossible to get an appointment. PeterLoud1 Shame on you NHS workers Shame on you NHS workers. Just as Starmer and Streeting were starting to sort out the NHS — I can confirm this, as my doctors' surgery appointments have got much, much better — and I've just had two cataract operations with a minimum wait of one week for the first eye and four weeks for the second. You got a good increase last year, and now you're starting to destroy the NHS. Jol Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
