Latest news with #SarahHughes
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Couple who are both battling cancer are given heartbreaking news that one of them is terminally ill
A couple who are both battling cancer are now trying to make memories together while they can after one of them was told they are terminally ill. Sarah Hughes, 43, and her partner of 13 years Paul Crook, 47, were diagnosed with the disease within weeks of each other earlier this year. The mother-of-two from Runcorn, Cheshire, first went to the GP after suffering from what doctors initially thought was a viral infection. However, a later scan revealed that Sarah had secondary breast cancer that had spread to her bones and was now incurable. The 43-year-old was previously diagnosed with the disease in March 2020 but after a mastectomy and various rounds of treatment she was given the all-clear a year later. To add to the family's nightmare, Sarah's partner Paul was also told he had tonsil cancer at the start of 2025. The father-of-five found a lump in his neck just after Christmas and was given antibiotics from the GP, who also thought he had an infection. However, he was subsequently diagnosed with a tumour on his tonsils after the mass did not go down with the prescribed treatment. Paul, who is expected to make a full recovery, is due to have an operation in June to remove the cancer and then undergo radiotherapy. Kristy Boyce, 46, who has known Sarah since they were at school, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the couple to make memories together while they can. She told The Liverpool Echo: 'It's so heartbreaking for them both having to go through this. 'It's been a really bad strap for them, trying just trying to get through it as best as they can, they're both strong people and are keeping as positive as they can for each other.' Breaking into tears about Sarah's diagnosis, Kristy added: 'It has been devastating to find out she has been diagnosed with cancer again. We have loads of memories over the years, we've done so much together.' Kristy said she hoped to raise enough money for Sarah and Paul to go on a trip to New York. She wrote on the GoFundMe page: 'Sarah has been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer after being cancer free for five years. 'It has spread to her bones and cannot be cured, the only thing they can do is to start treatment to help prolong her life. 'Very sadly Paul is also fighting his own cancer battle as he has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer and needs an operation to remove it and then further treatment. 'Sarah has started to compile a bucket list and would love to go to New York before she becomes to ill. 'Obviously they are both going to be off work so this is where we come in!!! We would love to be able to raise enough money to get them to New York and any other little trips they want to do to make some precious memories!'
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
South Tees NHS staff 'penalised' by holiday pay cut plan
Nursing staff are being "pushed financially to the edge" by an NHS trust which has proposed cutting holiday pay after increasing staff parking costs, a union has said. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has criticised South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's plans to cut holiday pay enhancement from 16% to just over 12.0%, saying it "directly penalises nursing staff who already prop up the NHS with overtime and extra shifts". In a "double blow" for staff, the RCN said the trust had also recently introduced an 8.5% increase in staff parking charges. The trust said due to financial pressures it could "no longer justify" having higher holiday pay than other trusts. Senior RCN officer Sarah Hughes said the proposed pay cuts could be a breach of the 2019 Flowers legal ruling which found holiday pay must reflect "normal pay", including regular overtime, weekend work and enhancements. She added: "The trust has a clear legal and moral obligation to pay their staff correctly and in accordance with the agreed rate of pay."Cutting holiday pay will hit front-line nursing and support staff, many of whom already struggle making ends meet whilst the cost of living continues to skyrocket."It is fundamentally wrong." 'Incredibly demoralised' The trust was also about to change its car parking contract which could "make onsite parking for staff more difficult" and result in "prohibitive fines", the RCN said. The trust previously said car parking changes would improve safety and reduce delays when exiting. Roaqah Shaher, RCN representative and a nurse at the trust, said: "These are the same staff who worked tirelessly throughout the Covid pandemic and went on to tackle the enormous care backlog afterwards. "Unsurprisingly nursing staff feel angry, let down and incredibly demoralised."The RCN and joint trades union have called on the trust to halt the proposed pay cuts, reverse the new car parking charges and parking contract change, and conduct a "full and transparent consultation" with union representatives. It also called for a review of financial pressure on staff, saying many were already using food banks or taking on second trust said it was cutting its holiday pay rate "in line with other trusts across the region". A spokesperson said: "Current financial pressures mean we have to make some difficult decisions and we can no longer justify having higher holiday enhancements for overtime than our neighbouring trusts."We are sympathetic to the financial challenges our staff face, which is why we are introducing a pay-related parking tariff to our colleagues with reduced rates for band 2 and band 3 staff. "We are happy to engage with staff side colleagues to look at solutions for car parking and have asked them to work with their members and advise us of what assurances they would like us to consider." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Red Cross shelter in Rolla stays open for tornado victims
ROLLA, Mo. — Missouri residents are reeling from the aftermath of powerful tornadoes that tore through the state, causing widespread damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure and prompting the Red Cross to keep some local shelters open and operational. The hardest-hit areas include the eastern central, northeastern, and southern parts of the state. In the town of Rolla, located in Phelps County, severe damage has left many families without homes and essential services. One of the main shelters still welcoming displaced residents is located at the First Baptist Church, 801 N Cedar St, Rolla, MO 65401. Emergency teams are providing shelter, food, and water to the affected community. With power outages widespread and homes destroyed, the church has become a lifeline for many residents seeking refuge and support. More than 500 people remain without power in Phelps County as of Tuesday night. 'The damage here in Rolla has been devastating,' said Red Cross spokesperson Sarah Hughes. 'We're focused on meeting the immediate needs of the survivors. Our volunteers are working tirelessly to distribute emergency supplies such as food, water, hygiene kits, and blankets, while also offering emotional support.' The tornadoes caused extensive damage in Phelps County, where many homes and trees were uprooted. Emergency response teams are on the ground conducting damage assessments across Rolla and other affected areas, including Poplar Bluff in Butler County and several southern Missouri counties. As assessments continue, the Red Cross is working closely with local officials to determine how best to address the community's ongoing needs. In addition to Rolla, shelters in other parts of Missouri are also serving those in need. A shelter at the Moose Lodge in Union, Franklin County and another at the North County Rec Plex in St. Louis County are also providing refuge for survivors of the storm. The Red Cross is urging those affected by the storm to call 1-800-RED-CROSS for assistance and to download the Red Cross Emergency App for updates on weather conditions and shelter locations. 'We will continue to support the community as they begin the difficult process of recovery,' Hughes added. 'The damage is extensive, but we're committed to helping Missourians through this crisis, one step at a time.' As Missouri recovers from the storm's devastating impact, the Red Cross is expected to maintain a strong presence in the hardest-hit areas, ensuring that residents receive the help they need. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
13-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Adult mental health crisis referrals in England double in a year
Urgent adult referrals to mental health crisis teams in England more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, according to a healthcare watchdog, which said people were becoming more unwell while waiting for help from overstretched services. The report, from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), found there were not enough beds or staff, and ward managers felt pressed to discharge the 'least unwell' patients. Adult referrals to crisis teams increased to 3,063 in March 2024, from 1,400 the previous April. The report, published on Thursday, also raised concerns about the over-representation of black people detained under the Mental Health Act, finding they were 3.5 times more likely to be held than white people. Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind, said the statistics were 'a source of national shame'. 'Black people, particularly black men, have been consistently overrepresented in mental health crisis care data for years,' she said. 'They are also seven times more likely to be placed on a community treatment order, which are intrusive and don't serve their intended purpose of stopping people repeatedly going back to hospital.' She added that the CQC report showed England's mental health system was 'light years away from delivering not just effective, but compassionate care'. The report, which draws on visits to 870 wards and interviews with more than 4,500 mental health patients, also found people from the most deprived areas of England attended A&E for their mental health 3.5 times more than did those from the least deprived areas. Many services told the CQC that on admission, detained patients seemed to be more unwell than in the past – but that the increased demand for inpatient beds meant they were being discharged too soon. In nearly half of cases where a child or young person was detained under the act, they had to be re-admitted within a year. Jenny Wilkes, interim director of mental health at the CQC, said the report showed a 'damaging cycle' of ineffective treatment. 'Without timely access to necessary mental health support, people may find themselves being bounced from service to service without ever receiving the level of care that they need,' she said. She said that, while the forthcoming mental health bill aimed to reduce detentions and improve mental health care, 'this can't be addressed by legislation alone as there simply aren't the resources to fix these issues'. The new laws, if passed, would give patients more power over their care, ensure relatives were included in discussions and introduce shorter limits to the length of time people with learning difficulties or autism could be detained. The CQC report also found inappropriate out-of-area placements, where patients were admitted to services far from home for treatment, increased by 25% on the previous year, up to 5,500. The report found the ward environment was often poor quality, with not enough beds available. In some cases, bed shortages meant patients were placed in seclusion rooms – sparse rooms with limited furnishings not designed for long-term use. In another service, 16 patients were allocated to a 12-bed ward, meaning that four – who were either being treated voluntarily or were on overnight leave – did not have a bed to return to. Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said sectioned people were 'still being shunted around the country like unwanted parcels'. 'Callers to our helpline, SANEline, report they are told there are no beds available locally and crisis and intervention teams are full to capacity,' she said. Hughes said: 'Fundamental problems with the very basics of safe care, like adequate staffing levels, bed capacity and run-down hospitals, are severely impacting people's ability to properly recover. 'Isolating people and holding them in crumbling, outdated facilities is the very opposite of dignified, humane care. In some cases, people with mental health problems can't even get outside to a monitored courtyard for fresh air due to such low staffing levels.' Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said the report provided 'yet more evidence that our mental health system is at breaking point'. 'Given today's news that the NHS will now come under direct political control, we're calling for a clear plan on how it will ensure mental health services have the funding and staff to deliver timely support,' he said.
