Scots drinkers face 'automatic' alcohol price increases under plan pushed by health experts
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The Guardian
43 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Measles surge shows why vaccinations are crucial
The increase in measles cases among young people in the UK, which has already led to one death in Liverpool, is worrying and tragic (Parents urged to get children vaccinated after measles death in Liverpool, 13 July). Vaccines alone don't save lives, vaccination does. And although we have safe and effective vaccines available in the UK, uptake is too low to unlock the large societal benefits that vaccination can bring. Immunisation uptake across adult, adolescent and childhood vaccines has decreased in the UK and internationally for almost every vaccine (UK worst in G7 for MMR jab rates, as 30m children worldwide not fully immunised, 15 July). This should raise major alarms for global health. There is misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, and we face a lack of knowledge regarding the importance of vaccines. We also need to deliver vaccines beyond standard healthcare settings. The UK's school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine programme for adolescents has been successful in increasing uptake, and similar programmes for childhood and adult vaccines in equivalent settings could be trialled. The government's 10‑year NHS plan proposes a new health visitor model to encourage vaccinations in communities. This is a commendable step towards increasing vaccination uptake. It could also help address broader issues around misinformation, hesitancy and inequalities in uptake. This, along with taking a long-term view to prevention, are critical components of revitalising uptake and protecting public BrasselSenior principal economist, Office of Health Economics It is heartbreaking that some children are seriously sick and a child has died from measles. Vaccines are the most successful and effective public health measures against infectious diseases. Measles is a highly contagious acute viral respiratory infection that is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality among infants and children under five, especially those with a compromised immune system or malnourished. Measles can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, dehydration, ear infections, diarrhoea and irreversible vision loss. More than 90% of susceptible individuals around an infected person can catch the virus. Vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 global health threats, on par with climate change, HIV/Aids and lethal pathogens. It's time to raise awareness about the importance of vaccinations in combating infectious diseases, saving lives and protecting children, families and Munjed Farid Al QutobWillesden Green, London Melanie Pilcher of the Early Years Alliance says of children in nurseries who are not vaccinated against measles: 'It wouldn't be right to turn children away because it is a parental choice at the end of the day, and we have to respect that' (Nurseries in England bring in Covid-style protocols as measles cases rise, 19 July). No, you do not have to respect that choice because it is a shortsighted, dangerous and potentially deadly choice. Dangerous to the parents' own child and to the children around that child. In response, public health authorities must step up neighbourhood vaccination clinics, bringing the vaccine to families rather than demanding that families come to clinics. Matthew K BelmonteSheffield Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
NHS managers who silence whistleblowers to be banned from senior roles
NHS managers who silence whistleblowers will be banned from taking up other senior health service roles, the Government has announced. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the proposals will ensure those who commit serious misconduct are no longer able to work in senior NHS management positions. Legislation is set to be put forward to Parliament next year to introduce professional standards and regulation of NHS managers. Tens of thousands of clinical and non-clinical managers work in the NHS but there is currently no regulatory framework specifically for managers, as there is for doctors and nurses. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said the reforms will 'slam the door in the face of unsuitable managers'. Mr Streeting added: 'I'm determined to create a culture of honesty and openness in the NHS where whistleblowers are protected, and that demands tough enforcement. 'If you silence whistleblowers, you will never work in the NHS again. 'We've got to create the conditions where staff are free to come forward and sound the alarm when things go wrong. Protecting the reputation of the NHS should never be put before protecting patient safety. 'Most NHS leaders are doing a fantastic job, but we need to stop the revolving door that allows managers sacked for misconduct or incompetence to be quietly moved to another well-paid role in another part of the NHS.' DHSC said a public consultation launched in November last year received more than 4,900 contributions on ways in which managers and leaders could be regulated. The statutory barring system will be for board-level directors and their direct reports within NHS bodies. Further legislation will set out new statutory powers for the Health and Care Professions Council to disbar NHS leaders in senior roles who have committed serious misconduct. DHSC said separate NHS England professional standards for managers will establish a 'consistent, national set of expectations about NHS management and leadership competency and conduct'. Positive move to weed out poor leadership Tom Kark KC, the author of the Kark Review into the effectiveness of the fit and proper person test within the NHS, said: 'I am pleased that the recommendation made in my report into the application of the NHS fit and proper person test to create a power to disqualify board directors found guilty of serious misconduct is being implemented. 'Along with the ongoing implementation of my other recommendations for improving board competence, this is a positive move to strengthen management in the NHS by weeding out poor leadership. 'This is good news for whistleblowers and those looking for accountability in senior management which has long been lacking.'
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Tragic Scots mum 'crushed' after losing baby at 20 weeks fights for law change
WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: Carol and her partner Greg went for regular scans, but were later hit with devastating news their baby had died. A grieving Scots mum has told of her heartbreak after being told she wasn't entitled to full maternity leave or even a birth or death certificate after losing her baby at 20 weeks Carol Cowen, from Livingston, had already suffered nine miscarriages and endured a failed round of IVF when she discovered she was pregnant again at the end of 2024. Understandably anxious, she and her partner Greg went for frequent scans to put their mind at ease. At 18 weeks, her baby was active and moving with a strong heartbeat, but just two weeks later they were given the devastating news that their daughter had passed away. Carol told Edinburgh Live:"We had a scan two weeks before and she was absolutely fine. She was moving and the heartbeat was strong, so we're not, we weren't sure what had happened at that point. "We were taken from the scan room upstairs to the maternity ward, and we were put in like a wee suite that they have called the Willow suite, and I was basically told then that we would be given some sort of medication to start labour and I would have to come back and give birth." Carole was in labour for around seven hours when she gave birth to baby Charlotte, she said she could tell she was a little girl and that she was fully formed, with fingernails. Following the birth, Carol was rushed to surgery due to complications, she lost around two litres of blood and almost died. She continued: "I was told shortly after that when I came round that Charlotte - obviously we knew she was a girl, you could quite clearly see she was a girl, she was completely formed at 20 weeks, you could see everything, her fingernails, the whole lot, everything was there - I was told that basically we wouldn't get a birth certificate or a death certificate or anything like that for her because she wasn't born at 24 weeks." When she explained the situation to her employers, she was told she was only entitled to one week's leave - two, if her manager approved it - because Charlotte was born before the 24-week legal threshold. She only qualified for sick leave due to her medical complications. "With that kind of response was just like being having your heart just absolutely crushed," she said. "That's the only way I can sort of describe it. It's just like it's complete disbelief. Yeah, it's disbelief and you just can't get your head around it, and then finding that out, you kind of feel like your baby doesn't actually matter." By July, she was forced to return to work. Her sick pay had been halved and with bills mounting, including the cost of IVF, she had "no option". Now the 43-year-old is campaigning to change the law. Carol is calling on the UK Government to give mums who give birth from 12 weeks onwards access to full maternity leave and pay. She's also demanding legal recognition for stillborn babies under 24 weeks and a national policy that gives IVF patients protected leave. The 43-year-old continued: "We lost Charlotte. She was born on the 23rd of March, We're now July and it's still just as raw. "I don't even know if there are words. It's like having your heart just completely shattered, your whole life just falls apart. You're just completely numb like nothing matters anymore. "But the thing is, I mean, I'm not alone. There's just so many other families that are going through the exact same thing and the exact same procedures and processes and it's just completely inhumane. It's just awful. "Obviously if the policies get changed, it's not gonna help obviously us now, but I want nobody else to have to go through this in the future, it's just, It's just terrible. I don't want anyone else to have to feel like this." Carol has now launched a petition to push for change – and is urging people to back her. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, is a traumatic event and our thoughts are with women and families who have been affected. 'The Scottish Government supports enhanced provision of family -related leave and pay and, along with many public bodies, already provides paid leave for parents who experience miscarriage or stillbirth at any stage of pregnancy. 'Scottish ministers continue to call on the UK Government to use its reserved powers over employment to improve provision for families as part of its wider Make Work Pay reforms to ensure that parental leave and pay provision fully supports working parents in Scotland.' While a UK Government spokesperson added: "We offer our sympathy to Carol and all those who have experienced miscarriage, as well as the challenges of neonatal care and fertility treatment. 'Everyone deserves dignity and respect in these circumstances, which is why our Employment Rights Bill extends protected bereavement leave to those who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, allowing the time to grieve without worrying about work.'
