Latest news with #Sheffield
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Gluten-free prescriptions could be withdrawn for adult coeliac patients
Adult patients with coeliac disease in South Yorkshire could have their gluten-free food prescriptions withdrawn as the NHS tries to save patients diagnosed with the disease can get prescriptions for gluten-free (GF) bread and flour, but proposals mean only those under 18 would be Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which plans to withdraw the prescriptions, said GF food was readily available in most supermarkets and the change would save the NHS locally around £372, doctors and patients raised concerns the "poorest and most vulnerable" patients would struggle with the cost and the move could cause long-term health problems. The lifelong autoimmune disease is caused by a reaction to gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, and 7,856 patients across South Yorkshire have a diagnosis, according to the ICB examined the price of bread in several supermarkets and found at the highest end, Lidl's GF 480g white loaf was £2.99 compared to an 800g normal loaf for 49p.A prescription allows patients between eight and 10 loaves a month on the NHS. Helen Armstrong from Sheffield was diagnosed in 2014 and writes the food blog Steeliac, offering GF recipes and restaurant said: "I think the public sometimes has a misconception that prescriptions enable people to get cakes and biscuits on the NHS."I'm thankfully able to afford to buy the basics but people with lower incomes will be severely impacted and it's the budget supermarkets where we are seeing the biggest price difference between GF and normal bread."It will have a huge impact on people who are shopping on limited budgets." The coeliac specialty service in Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital sees 400-500 patients per year and says prescriptions help patients stick to a GF dietitian Dr Nick Trott said: "This disease is a severe autoimmune condition, it's not an intolerance, and there is no other medical treatment apart from a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet."If these prescriptions are withdrawn the people it will affect are the poorer, more socially and economically deprived members of society, the people who are most likely to struggle to adhere to the only treatment."It's targeting, potentially, a group of people who are most vulnerable."I think potentially this could be seen as a short-term cost saving that will have knock-on effects down the line that would result in more healthcare costs in the long term."The change would follow national guidelines and align with neighbouring health ICB said: "If patients can't access prescribed GF products, this may increase the likelihood that they consume gluten, leading to medical complications and higher cost to the NHS."It should be noted however that manufactured GF bread often contains ultra-processed ingredients."By prescribing manufactured GF products, the NHS could be seen to be encouraging the consumption of ultra-processed foods." An NHS South Yorkshire spokesperson said: "We are currently reviewing gluten-free prescribing guidance to understand if it still provides the best value for the people of South Yorkshire."We have listened to local people and taken into consideration national context to ensure best value for money as well as meeting the needs of our population."We are seeking the views of councillors to assess what we have heard and consider any further engagement activity".Sheffield City Council will discuss the proposal at a meeting later. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Teenager accused of murdering Harvey Willgoose tells jury he thought of how long he had been 'bullied' as he dealt fatal blow
A teenager who stabbed another pupil in school has told a jury he thought about 'how I had been bullied for so long' as he dealt the fatal blow. The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed he cannot remember the moment he stabbed Harvey Willgoose, also 15, at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3. Giving evidence about the attack today, he said he had pulled out a knife because 'I was out of control in myself' - and feared Harvey was about to stab him. The teenager said Harvey told him 'I will do you in and I will do you in proper this time' seconds earlier, which left him feeling more scared than he had ever been in his life. He has previously pleaded guilty to Harvey's manslaughter by reason of loss of control following a 'long period of bullying', but is facing trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of murder. Jurors have heard the two boys fell out on social media over the weekend before the attack and, in his evidence, the boy has claimed Harvey threatened to stab him when they saw each other that morning in school. They subsequently squared up to each other in a science lesson around an hour before the stabbing over the school lunch break. CCTV played to the court showed Harvey approaching the defendant from behind as he walked out into the courtyard. He then appeared to push the defendant before the boy pulled out a knife and lunged at him, twice. He collapsed fatally injured 49 seconds later. Asked about the moment Harvey approached him, the boy said: 'He looked angry, as if he was going to do something. He had one hand out and one hand a bit in his trousers around his waistline. 'I thought he had a knife on him.' The 15-year-old accused of Harvey's murder has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, arguing that his actions that day were the end result of 'a long period of bullying' The boy claimed he tried to defuse the situation by saying 'my bad, just shake my hand', but he said Harvey replied 'no, f*** off' in an angry tone as if he was 'trying to get me scared'. After pushing the defendant, he said Harvey told him 'I will do you in and I will do you in proper this time'. Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, defending, asked him: 'What did you believe 'do you' meant?' 'Like, stab you,' the defendant replied. 'I thought I would get stabbed by Harvey.' Mr Hussain asked: 'What did you do?' 'Pulled out a knife,' the boy replied. Mr Hussain asked: 'Why did you pull out a knife?' 'I was out of control in myself…I was out of control in my emotions and what I was doing,' the boy said. He claimed in the seconds before the stabbing he had thought about Harvey's alleged threats, as well as a lockdown in the school a week earlier, when he told teachers he saw another pupil with a knife. Mr Hussain asked: 'What other things were you thinking about just before you stabbed him?' 'How I had been bullied for so long,' he replied. Mr Hussain 'How did that make you feel?' 'Upset,' the defendant said. All the latest developments from the courtroom can be followed as they happen on the Mail's award-winning The Trial podcast The defendant previously told the jury he was so badly bullied he developed anger issues 'I can't control'. He claimed that he was bullied over a medical issue at both primary school and secondary school, as well as suffering racist abuse. Giving evidence today, he told the jury that he did not remember stabbing Harvey and only realised how badly he had hurt him when police came to arrest him at the school. Asked how he felt now, knowing that Harvey died because of his actions, he replied: 'Like I feel bad…and regret.' But under cross-examination by Richard Thyne KC, the defendant then said he did not stab Harvey on purpose - and claimed it was an accident. The prosecutor asked: 'How is that an accident?' 'I lost control of myself. I didn't mean to stab…I didn't want to stab,' the boy replied. The jury previously heard that Harvey and the accused became embroiled in a social media dispute on the weekend before the attack, relating to a row between pupils including the defendant on January 29. On that occasion, he insisted he saw another boy in possession of a knife and the school was put into lockdown. The police were called but no blade was found. The defendant was said to be 'scared of going to school' because of the lockdown. Harvey was not in school that day, but had expressed support on social media for a pupil with whom the defendant had a disagreement. The defendant has admitted manslaughter and possession of a knife on school premises, but he denies murder. Mr Hussain previously indicated to the jury that the defendant suffered a loss of control due to his history of being bullied, saying: '[The defendant] accepts what he did that day. 'That is why he's pleaded guilty to manslaughter. [He] did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone. 'The defence say [his] actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence – things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen.' The trial continues.
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Preston sign former Sheff Wed striker Smith
Preston North End have signed Michael Smith on a two-year deal following his exit from Sheffield 33, and Josh Windass left the Owls last week after their contracts were ended "by mutual consent".Windass is set to join Wrexham and Smith has now joined North End after scoring eight times in the Championship last season."Smudge is a player we know all about from his vast experience in the EFL," manager Paul Heckingbottom told the club website, external."He's a really intelligent footballer and a brilliant finisher who adds something different to our team with the way he plays."He'll give us a real focal point at the top end of the pitch and he's a striker who has a proven knack of being in the right place at the right time."Smith added: "It's a big club that I want to be a part of. As a striker you pride yourself on goals."I've managed to score a few over the years and hopefully I can still keep getting better and keep developing under this manager and score a few more."Preston begin their Championship season away to QPR on Saturday, 9 August.
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
BrewDog to close 10 bars amid ‘extremely difficult' time for hospitality industry
BrewDog will close 10 bars, including its flagship location in Aberdeen, amid an 'extremely difficult' environment for pubs and restaurants. James Taylor, the chief executive of the brewer, told staff in an email that it was no longer viable to keep the bars open. They are in Aberdeen, Brighton, Camden, Dundee, Leeds North Street, Oxford, Sheffield, Shepherd's Bush, Shoreditch and York. Taylor, who took over as chief executive less than five months ago, said that 'despite our best efforts', it was not able to make the bars viable 'due to their size, location and other limiting factors'. He wrote: 'Following much consideration, we have sadly concluded that there is no realistic prospect of making these venues commercially viable,.' The bars are due to close on Saturday. 'Keeping them open would put pressure on the wider business, making it harder to invest where we know we can grow. This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market, but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division's focus.' BrewDog, which is based in Aberdeenshire, said it employed more than 3,000 people worldwide in 2023 after a period of significant expansion. The business was founded as a 'punk' challenger brand by the entrepreneurs James Watt and Martin Dickie in 2006 in Dickie's mum's garage in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, and has expanded to supply beer to supermarkets, open bars and open hotels. The company declined to comment on how many staff could be affected by the closures but said it was going through a 'meaningful and appropriate consultation process' with everyone affected. This process will last at least two weeks, it said, with one-to-one meetings for every person at risk of losing their job. A spokesperson for BrewDog said: 'We are working hard to minimise the impact on our people, and we expect to redeploy many affected team members across the BrewDog network.' News of the closures comes as the hospitality sector faces growing cost pressures, with higher national insurance contributions and increases to the living wage. The hotel and pub chain Oakman Inns recently went into administration, according to reports. The Hertfordshire-based chain has closed six sites, resulting in 159 job losses, its administrator, PwC, told the BBC. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Taylor is the second chief executive at BrewDog within the space of a year after the former boss James Arrow left the business for 'personal reasons' in March. Taylor had been the chief financial officer at the company since 2023. Watt stepped down as its boss last year. The latest accounts for BrewDog showed revenue had grown from £321m to £355m in the year ending in 2023. However, higher costs and write-downs on underperforming bars meant that pre-tax losses widened from £30m to £59.2m. The squeeze on the hospitality industry has hit pubs hard. More than 400 pubs in England and Wales closed last year, with the overall number falling below 39,000 for the first time.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- BBC News
Harvey Willgoose murder accused 'thought he would be stabbed'
A 15-year-old schoolboy who stabbed a fellow pupil to death has told a jury he lost control after believing he was going to be knifed boy, who is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court charged with the murder of Harvey Willgoose, said he had not wanted any trouble with his classmate and did not want to fight also 15, died after being stabbed during his lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on 3 defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a knife on school premises, but denies murder. Giving evidence for a fourth day, the boy told the court Harvey had looked "angry, as if he was going to do something" when he walked up to the told Gul Hawaz Hussain KC, defending, that Harvey had one hand out and "one hand a bit in his trousers" which made him think he had a knife. The youth, who had brought a knife into school that day, told the jury Harvey looked angry when he brought up a previous dispute they had had, and explained how Harvey had touched him on the defendant said this made him feel "10/10" on a scale of being scared and he told the court that he said to Harvey: "My bad, just shake my hand." He said: "If I said sorry and he shook my hand, I don't think anything would have happened."But the defendant said Harvey angrily replied "no" and swore at him. Mr Hussain asked: "When Harvey grabbed your shoulder, did he say anything?"The boy said Harvey told him: "I will do you in and do you in proper this time."He told the court: "I thought I would have got stabbed by Harvey."The boy said he then pulled out his knife, telling the jury: "I was out of control in myself."Asked how he felt when he realised he had stabbed the other boy, the defendant said: "It made me feel upset, scared and shocked."Asked how he felt now, knowing Harvey had died because of what he did, the teenager said: "I feel bad and regret" and that he was "sorry" about how it had affected Harvey's family. Richard Thyne KC, prosecuting, asked the boy what he had meant to do when he stabbed replied: "I was not thinking, I was not in control of myself so I didn't really think of anything."The trial continues. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
