Latest news with #BassetlawDistrictCouncil
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nottinghamshire splash parks deep cleaned over bacteria risks
Splash parks in part of Nottinghamshire are being cleaned after tests found levels of a potentially harmful bacterium. Bassetlaw District Council confirmed on 10 July it had shut three parks in Retford, Worksop and Langold, after water tests found a bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa. The authority said it was advised by the UK Health Security Agency that prolonged exposure to the bacteria could lead to "mild infections".A spokesperson for the council said retesting would take place after a deep clean was completed and the parks would only reopen when the results were clear. 'Rigorous deep cleaning' According to the council, the recent test results came after "enhanced testing", which was recommended following an inspection of all its parks earlier this year. Although the authority was not legally required to carry out that level of testing, it said it chose to do so to "provide the best facilities possible".The bacteria found in the water could lead to symptoms including skin irritations and mild infections, such as ear infections, which could take five days to present, the council said. It added the decision to close the parks was also taken as a precaution to protect people with a low immune system or existing health conditions.A spokesperson said: "The safety of people using our splash parks is extremely important to us, and since receiving these results, we are now in the process of rigorously deep cleaning our splash parks, which includes disinfecting the splash park surfaces, jets, drainage, pipework and plant rooms."Following guidance from experts in water management, we will also be increasing our daily and weekly water treatment routines and monitoring so that we have the best chance possible of preventing instances like this from happening again."Results from retesting are expected to take seven to 10 days to be reported to the council.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'It's a social responsibility to provide suncream'
Businesses and a local authority have been praised for offering members of the public free suncream as Britain basks in a heatwave. A Sheffield city centre pub is offering beer garden drinkers suncream with their pints, while Bassetlaw District Council has introduced dispensers in public places. Research by the charity Melanoma Focus found 54% of Sheffield residents suffered from sunburn at least once a year, while 39% rarely or never applied sunscreen when in the UK during the summer months. Charlotte Killeya, who has stage four skin cancer, is backing initiatives offering free suncream, saying it should be available "like hand sanitiser". The Head of Steam pub in Sheffield's Tudor Square started offering free suncream and drinks of water during the coronavirus pandemic when it was limited to table service. General manager James Shaw told the BBC: "You're outside in this beer garden, you get a lot of sun a lot of the time and so [as a business] you need to have that more awareness and social responsibility." He said business was "all about customer retention nowadays and dwell time, how long can that customer stay in your venue". The free suncream has been popular with drinkers. Customer Graeme Hunt, 31, said: "It's brilliant, the fact that I was able to sit out here in the sun and not escape into the shade. "It is something that I never remember, it's never in my bag." Charlotte Killeya, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2020 and has campaigned to ensure children are aware of the risks of sun damage. She has also called on the government to remove VAT on suncream and believes it should be available in public spaces. Ms Killeya wants people to enjoy the summer weather but said: "Please be careful, please put your suncream on, your sunglasses, your hats. "Please, please don't end up like me, who sometimes forgot to put suncream on, didn't put suncream on, missed a bit." Bassetlaw District Council has introduced free suncream stations at four public places including Langold Country Park between Worksop and Rotherham. Councillor Lynne Schuller said the suncream dispensers were constantly having to be refilled. She said: "We do have positive feedback from parents that say, 'thank God that there was a suncream dispenser on site as I'd forgotten my sunblock'." Skin cancer rates are even higher in the Netherlands than in the UK and there has been a big push to introduce free suncream dispensers at hospitals, beaches and schools in the country. Dermatologist Dr Karen van Poppelen, from VieCuri Medisch Centrum, led a programme to introduce suncream dispensers and education for children in the Limburg region. Dr van Poppelen said it was all about behavioural change,. She said: "By making it (suncream) available for the kids, they can take it whenever they need it plus the education, we hope it will be normal to use sunscreen and normal to protect your skin. "Hopefully in a few years we can see that the skin cancer amounts are going to be decreasing." The Department of Health and Social Care said suncream was available on the NHS for people with certain conditions, such as photodermatoses, a group of skin conditions associated with an abnormal reaction to UV radiation. A spokesperson said: "High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is already provided VAT-free when dispensed by a pharmacist to these patients. "Too many cancer patients, including those with skin cancer, are waiting too long for treatment, and we are determined to change that as we shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention. "Through our National Cancer Plan, we will look to improve all aspects of cancer care, reducing the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Melanoma Focus Suncream should be everywhere - cancer sufferer
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Public offered free suncream during hot weather
Businesses and a local authority have been praised for offering members of the public free suncream as Britain basks in a heatwave.A Sheffield city centre pub is offering beer garden drinkers suncream with their pints, while Bassetlaw District Council has introduced dispensers in public by the charity Melanoma Focus found 54% of Sheffield residents suffered from sunburn at least once a year, while 39% rarely or never applied sunscreen when in the UK during the summer Killeya, who has stage four skin cancer, is backing initiatives offering free suncream, saying it should be available "like hand sanitiser". The Head of Steam pub in Sheffield's Tudor Square started offering free suncream and drinks of water during the coronavirus pandemic when it was limited to table manager James Shaw told the BBC: "You're outside in this beer garden, you get a lot of sun a lot of the time and so [as a business] you need to have that more awareness and social responsibility."He said business was "all about customer retention nowadays and dwell time, how long can that customer stay in your venue". The free suncream has been popular with Graeme Hunt, 31, said: "It's brilliant, the fact that I was able to sit out here in the sun and not escape into the shade."It is something that I never remember, it's never in my bag." Charlotte Killeya, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2020 and has campaigned to ensure children are aware of the risks of sun has also called on the government to remove VAT on suncream and believes it should be available in public Killeya wants people to enjoy the summer weather but said: "Please be careful, please put your suncream on, your sunglasses, your hats."Please, please don't end up like me, who sometimes forgot to put suncream on, didn't put suncream on, missed a bit." Bassetlaw District Council has introduced free suncream stations at four public places including Langold Country Park between Worksop and Lynne Schuller said the suncream dispensers were constantly having to be said: "We do have positive feedback from parents that say, 'thank God that there was a suncream dispenser on site as I'd forgotten my sunblock'." Skin cancer rates are even higher in the Netherlands than in the UK and there has been a big push to introduce free suncream dispensers at hospitals, beaches and schools in the Dr Karen van Poppelen, from VieCuri Medisch Centrum, led a programme to introduce suncream dispensers and education for children in the Limburg van Poppelen said it was all about behavioural change,.She said: "By making it (suncream) available for the kids, they can take it whenever they need it plus the education, we hope it will be normal to use sunscreen and normal to protect your skin."Hopefully in a few years we can see that the skin cancer amounts are going to be decreasing."The Department of Health and Social Care said suncream was available on the NHS for people with certain conditions, such as photodermatoses, a group of skin conditions associated with an abnormal reaction to UV radiation.A spokesperson said: "High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is already provided VAT-free when dispensed by a pharmacist to these patients."Too many cancer patients, including those with skin cancer, are waiting too long for treatment, and we are determined to change that as we shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention."Through our National Cancer Plan, we will look to improve all aspects of cancer care, reducing the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
01-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Quick' results for West Nile virus mosquito tests
An expert has said there will be a "quick-turnaround" in finding out whether mosquitoes in Nottinghamshire have West Nile UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously said fragments of the virus - which can sometimes make people seriously ill - had been found in wetland in Retford, summer, Gamston near Retford will be among a number of locations to undergo mosquito surveillance as part of a national project to understand mosquito activity across UKHSA said to date there had been no cases of people catching West Nile virus in the UK. The UKHSA is working with Bassetlaw District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to increase surveillance on land along the River Idle, where nuisance biting from mosquitoes has taken place in previous agency added the risk to the public is "low". 'Detect the virus' Jolyon Medlock, head of medical entomology at UKHSA, told the BBC that the agency had set up traps for the Medlock said "As the number of mosquitoes start to pick up, we start to detect them in our traps, we'll then identify them."We'll separate out the ones that we are more concerned about and then they will go to the animal and plant health agency for testing."So within a quite quick turnaround, we'll have some results on whether we can detect the virus or not." Work has been undertaken in Gamston since 2018 to reshape the wetland and reduce the flood has minimised habitats for the mosquitoes and has curbed the issue of biting, said Nottinghamshire County Robbins, the county's director of public health and communities, said: "This type of mosquito is native to the UK."Mosquitoes in the UK are also commonly found in wet woodland areas, ponds, ditches, marshes, and even garden water butts."To avoid being bitten by a mosquito, wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers to cover your arms and legs, use insect repellent on your arms and legs, or use blinds or screens to help keep mosquitoes out of homes."
BBC News
13-05-2025
- BBC News
Playground torched in spate of fires across Worksop
A playground was torched as a series of fires were started in open areas across a town in just over two hours on Monday evening, fire crews said they tackled five separate final incident was in Prospect Park, where newly-installed play equipment was damaged by a fire started on rubber fires have been reported to Nottinghamshire Police to investigate by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. The fire brigade said it tackled five incidents in the town between 18:15 and 20:30 fire in Prospect Park was reported at 20:30, with crews from Worksop, Harworth and Edwinstowe working to stop the fire from the burning rubber spreading to nearby District Council said climbing blocks installed in the spring at a cost of about £6,200 were damaged. Limited funds for equipment Councillor Darrell Pulk said the authority was "extremely shocked and disappointed" at the suspected said a clean-up operation to "significant damage" at the park was under way on added: "We have very limited funds to buy and install play equipment in the district, and it is heart-breaking when a mindless incident like this happens and robs a community of something that would bring fun and enjoyment to lots of young people."
