Latest news with #Midlands


BBC News
4 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Your photos from across West Midlands: Cows and close-ups
We love to feature your photographs showing the beauty of the West Midlands and here are some of the best from the past your images via BBC Weather Watchers or email us at midlandstoday@ inspiration, view some top tips from three of England's Big Picture photographers. When emailing pictures, please make sure you include the following information:The full name of the person who took the pictures (as this person owns the copyright)Confirmation that the copyright holder gives permission for the BBC to use their pictures across all its outputsThe location, date and time the pictures were takenYour telephone number so we can get back to you if we have any further other details about the pictures that may be useful for us to knowPlease note that while we welcome all your pictures, we are more likely to use those which have been taken in the past week. Follow for more pictures on Instagram from BBC Birmingham, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Shropshire, BBC Stoke & Staffordshire and BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country


Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Three stocks that could net healthy profits from the battle to slash NHS waiting lists
The NHS was once the envy of the world. No longer. Health Secretary Wes Streeting openly admits it is in crisis, with more than six million people on waiting lists and chaos predicted if hospital doctors walk out this week. However, plans are afoot to deliver change, with more choice for patients, better use of technology and investment in tip-top GP surgeries to offer everything from biopsies to help with depression. As the Government works on the small print, canny firms are already stepping in to offer solutions – and creating opportunities for investors to reap long-term rewards. Here are three that are giving the NHS a boost – and could do the same for your portfolio. One Health Group One Health Group was founded in 2004 by Derek Bickerstaff, an orthopaedic consultant who reckoned there must be a way to tackle waiting lists while continuing to provide patients with the free service offered by the NHS. His hunch was correct, and today One Health treats more than 17,000 people a year, providing consultations, operations and post-operative care for conditions ranging from dodgy hips to hernias. The company operates 40 community clinics across the Midlands and the North, and works with 130 NHS surgeons and anaesthetists. Patients wait two to four weeks for an initial consultation and undergo surgery, if needed, a few weeks later. Satisfaction levels are extremely high, and One Health is registered as a qualified alternative provider of care so the treatment is entirely free, just like the NHS. Bickerstaff's strategy is simple. He rents space in GP surgeries for his community clinics and space from private hospitals with spare capacity for operations. Agreements are also set up with surgeons and anaesthetists outside of their NHS obligations. Contracts are long-term and benefits are wide-ranging. GPs, hospitals and doctors receive extra income, patients are seen faster and NHS trusts can breathe easier. The business steers clear of affluent areas, where independent hospitals and NHS doctors can earn huge sums. Instead, it focuses on poorer parts of the country. Processes are smoother and more efficient because One Health does not deal with emergencies, is not involved in cancer or other complex conditions and has spent years developing its technology to the benefit of patients, doctors and suppliers. One Health joined the AQSE growth market in 2022 and moved up to Aim in March, raising cash along the way to fund its first surgical hub – a standalone site in Scunthorpe with an operating theatre and 12 beds. This should give a significant uplift to One Health profits. Today, the group gives about 70 per cent of gross revenues to hospitals in return for their space, facilities and nursing staff. The surgical hub will generate far higher profits at no cost to patients, and discussions are already under way for a second hub. NHS patients have a statutory right to choose their treatment provider, and increasing numbers are choosing One Health, which saw a 28 per cent increase in patients last year, generating a 23 per cent rise in revenues to £28.4 million with profits of £1.9 million and a dividend of 6.2p. One Health shares have had a strong run since joining Aim, and are now trading at £2.88. But brokers are optimistic about the business, suggesting shares could hit £3 or more over the next year or two. Buy and hold. Traded on: Aim Ticker: OHGR Contact: Optima Health The UK loses about £220 billion every year because people are taking days off sick or believe that they are too ill to work at all. Poor health is an epidemic, and the consequences spread far and wide. Hospitals are overstretched, depression is rife and economic growth is anaemic. Optima Health is the largest occupational health business in the country, working with some 2,000 employers, from NHS trusts, the police and HM Prisons to Bentley Motors, Ikea, investment banks and train operators. These organisations collectively employ five million people, almost 15 per cent of the nation's workforce, and Optima's job is to ensure they are fit and healthy so they can be fully productive. Police undergo fitness tests to check they are physically and mentally capable for the job. Factory workers are routinely assessed if they operate in noisy conditions or use vibrating tools. Even lollipop men and women have regular ear and eye tests to ensure they are capable of helping children cross the road. Under chief executive Jonathan Thomas, Optima also works with staff who are either on sick leave or think they may need to take time off. Aches and pains, such as back ache or dodgy knees, and mental health issues, such as stress or depression, are the biggest source of ill health. Optima employs more than 800 clinicians, including doctors, physiotherapists and mental health advisers, who identify ailments and help employees feel better and return to work. Thomas is expanding into new fields too, winning a seven-year, £210 million contract from the Armed Forces to conduct medical assessments on potential recruits for the Navy, the Army and the Air Force. Applicants will undergo rigorous checks to ensure they are physically and mentally fit to defend their country – from testing whether they can crawl through small spaces to seeing how they respond in high-stress situations. Optima has also spent ten years perfecting an online triage tool for bodily aches and pains, taking users through an eight-minute questionnaire to diagnose the next stage of treatment. Already in use by businesses across the country, the tool has now been taken up by the Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust, which runs hospitals and clinics across the North West. Discussions are under way with other NHS Trusts and further contracts are expected, as the tool can be used night and day, delivers more accurate results than face-to-face triage and cuts waiting lists dramatically, while ensuring people secure the right treatment. Results for the year to March included profits of £2.6 million. They are expected to more than double this year. Occupational health is a fragmented industry with thousands of small players. This presents plenty of opportunities for Optima. The workforce is changing too, growing older, larger and less healthy, which should bode well for Optima, making the shares a long-term buy at £1.94. Traded on: Aim Ticker: OPT Contact: Assura/PHP Crunch time is approaching for shareholders in GP-surgeries-to- private-hospital owner Assura. The company has been at the centre of a bidding war between UK-listed healthcare specialist PHP and US private equity giant, KKR, bidding through a company called Sana Bidco. Assura's board has recommended the PHP offer. Now shareholders must decide whether to follow their advice. They should, as the PHP deal is likely to deliver far greater long-term benefits. PHP owns about 500 healthcare centres offering everyday GP appointments as well as services from physiotherapy and weight management to biopsies and post-cancer care. A tie-up with Assura would create a group with more than 1,000 sites, easing the pressure on hospitals. A trading update from PHP showed it is forging ahead – a larger group would almost certainly do even better. PHP has a 29-year record of dividend growth, too, and boss Mark Davies has said the merged business should bolster shareholder payouts. Assura investors should back this offer.


BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Crewe and Nantwich MP calls for West Coast Main Line improvements
An MP has called on the government to make improvements to the West Coast Main Line to "show people across the North West that this government care about their future".Connor Naismith, the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, spoke about issues on the line during a Westminster Hall debate and called for remodelling of Crewe also called for the government to "look carefully" at alternative proposals to HS2 put forward by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West minister Lillian Greenwood said the government was "continuing to review options for enhancing rail connectivity in the Midlands and North". She added that more detail would be provided in the coming months. Naismith told a debate that the West Coast Main Line faced "critical problems" and said the issues were experienced by many attending the debate and their from across the political spectrum also spoke about issues they and their constituents had using the line including Labour's Jo Platt, Conservative Aphra Brandreth and Liberal Democrat Tim also spoke about capacity and said improvements would mean less congestion on the area's motorways."I again press the government to look carefully at the proposals developed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, and Arup and other stakeholders, namely the Midlands-North West rail link," he also called for upgrades to Crewe Station, saying it had seen "little investment since the 1980s"."Failure to do anything is simply not an option, so I politely ask the minister, what will the government do to flesh out the options that they are considering?" he said."Let us improve the main line, let us rebuild Crewe station, and let us show people across the North West that this government care about their future." In response, Greenwood said the government knew there were "real and very understandable concerns" about capacity between Manchester and Birmingham following the cancellation of phase two of HS2."I also understand the frustration - and, frankly, the anger - that this decision created for leaders and communities across the Midlands and the North," she said she set out to the House of Commons in January that the government would not reverse that cancellation."I also noted that we were, and are, continuing to review options for enhancing rail connectivity in the Midlands and the North. That work continues and is now supported by the clarity that the spending review has provided," she said she was unable to provide more detail at this stage but said the government "hope to say more in the coming months, including on the future of Northern Powerhouse Rail", which is a planned link between Manchester and Liverpool. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How one water company has gone 30 years without a hosepipe ban
England is battling exceptionally dry weather. It has been the country's driest start to a year since 1976, with drought declared in the East and West Midlands this week, joining swathes of northern England also in drought status. It comes after rainfall in June was 20% less than the long-term average. It was also the hottest June on record, with two heatwaves over the month driving unusually high demand for water. All this has resulted in a number of water companies imposing hosepipe bans. Southern Water is the latest, saying restrictions on hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools and washing cars will come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday, following similar restrictions from Yorkshire Water, South East Water and Thames Water. But there is no sign of a ban - yet - from Severn Trent, the water company which serves 4.6 million households across the Midlands, as well as Bristol, north and mid-Wales and the outskirts of Sheffield. In fact, it has a 30-year record of not imposing hosepipe bans, and this week said it was doing everything in its power to not break that. Here, Yahoo News UK asks: how? How has Severn Trent kept its 30-year record? When approached by Yahoo News UK, Severn Trent said it has avoided a hosepipe ban for 30 years "because we know just how important it is for our customers". But Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said a big factor is the company's sourcing "resilience". "It has the advantage of sourcing water from multiple different places: upland and lowland rivers, ground water and reservoirs. "So it probably has a bit more resilience in terms of being able to source from other places, whereas companies like Yorkshire Water are heavily reliant on reservoirs, and if it doesn't rain it doesn't have the water because it doesn't have ground water supplies." However, Severn Trent did point to what it is doing to prevent future hosepipe bans, including fixing 60,000 leaks across its network last year, saving 87 million litres of water a day, and investing £400m in new pipes. Dr Neumann said of this: "That's what we want water companies to be doing... if they are going to throw money at investment and fixing leaks, I am all for it. "However, it doesn't take away from the fact the Midlands is in drought. It feels like it is riding out the uncertainty and hoping it's going to be wet before having to implement any restrictions." The company said this week "we can't escape how hot and dry it is and how little rainfall we've had this year". Are hosepipe bans effective? Yes, Dr Neumann said, because they can reduce consumption by between 2% and 7% daily, depending on the level of public compliance. She added: "The good thing about the bans is they also make people more mindful of the water they are using. It has a dual purpose: not just stopping people using hosepipes, but also bringing water conservation onto their daily agenda. So they might think about taking a shorter shower, or investing in a water butt for when it does rain." Will there be more hosepipe bans? Dr Neumann said they will continue because of climate change, but water companies can mitigate shortages with investment. "If water companies sort out technological investment and fix things like leaks - which cause a 20% loss a day - they can claw back a lot of their water resources and we might not need so many hosepipe bans. "But we are certainly going to continue to see heatwaves, droughts and extreme and chaotic weather. In the short to medium term, we can expect to see more hosepipe bans if we continue to see summers like this." Read more Can you water the garden during a hosepipe ban? (Yahoo News UK) Up to five more regions could face drought this year, Environment Agency says (PA Media) Watch: Southern Water becomes latest company to bring in hosepipe ban amid dry weather Click below to see the latest South West headlines
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ben Jacobs name Chelsea's 'dream target,' shares how likely a move could be
Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers is a 'dream' target for Chelsea this summer according to journalist Ben Jacobs. The Blues have already been busy in the window, and have made three attacking signings in Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro. More new faces are expected to follow, and Chelsea haven't ruled out another attacker arriving, whilst they are also said to be in the market for a left sided defender. Morgan Rogers a 'dream' target It's been reported Chelsea want as many as eight or nine attacking options to rotate between next season, meaning there is room for another attacker. Noni Madueke has left for Arsenal, whilst Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix are expected to depart, with their also questions surrounding Nicolas Jackson's future. Chelsea have been linked with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Hugo Ekitike, but the Ghana international joined Tottenham, whilst the Frenchman is closing in on a move to Liverpool. Rogers is high on Chelsea's list of transfer targets. (Photo by) Villa star Rogers is another name of interest, although a move for the England international is viewed as difficult given price and his importance to the Midlands club. It's been reported if Villa move for Jackson then Chelsea would respond with an offer for Rogers, and Jacobs has now provided an update. 'Morgan Rogers is a dream target for Chelsea but I am not aware of a way of Chelsea signing him at the moment, even perhaps with Nicolas Jackson being a target for Aston Villa,' he told Chelsea content creator Alex Goldberg as cited on More Stories / Latest News Ben Jacobs name Chelsea's 'dream target,' shares how likely a move could be 18th Jul 2025, 06:45am '£40m could be possible' – Ben Jacobs delivers latest news on Chelsea's attempts to sign defender 18th Jul 2025, 06:30am 'Pivot back' – Journalist says Chelsea could still make move to sign Benjamin Sesko 18th Jul 2025, 06:02am 'Villa have an 'untouchable' tag over Rogers.' Rogers scored 14 goals and registered 15 assists in 54 appearances last season, and would add another brilliant option to Chelsea's exciting attack. Christopher Nkunku could end up staying Chelsea have a number of attackers they could move on in order to create space for Rogers in the squad, although it's possible one could end up staying. Felix is almost certain to leave, whilst the expectation is Nkunku also follows him out of the Stamford Bridge exit door. However, given how he performed at the Club World Cup it's been reported the Frenchman could potentially end up staying, and the Blues aren't in a rush to force him out, although if he had to leave to make room for Rogers, it's likely to be a decision not many would disagree with.