Latest news with #GP
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Mum with money problems ‘took her own life while children were at school after GP found she wasn't suicidal'
A MUM with money problems took her own life while her children were at school after a GP ruled she wasn't suicidal, an inquest heard. Amy Manning, 32, was discovered dead in her Somerset home by her police officer partner, who had come round to check on her. 3 Taunton Coroner's Court heard the mum-of-two was in financial difficulty at the time of her death in January last year. But Amy had been working with the Citizen's Advice Bureau to get to grips with her money problems. The inquest also heard she was diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and had been using alcohol and cocaine before her death. Her family said the hairdresser's mental health had started to deteriorate during the Covid lockdown. They told the court she fell pregnant but "did not feel able to raise the child' while under emotional and financial stress and sought an abortion. Her GP said Amy had 'chronic suicidal thoughts' but was not considered 'actively suicidal' because her desire to remain alive for her children was considered a 'protective factor.' Susan Hawker, a psychiatric nurse with the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said the mum was facing significant financial problems, had failed to pay her rent and had never paid a water bill. But she also confirmed she did not believe Amy was suicidal and said she was "shocked" when she discovered she was dead. Giving his own evidence, Amy's partner Sam Plumley said their on-off relationship was "difficult" before her death as she had begun drinking more and was struggling with her mental health. He told how the pair had been texting the night before the tragedy and had no concerns for her welfare. The following morning, he went to Amy's home when she failed to respond to his messages and discovered the mum dead in her bedroom. He said he laid Amy on the bed and "hugged her" while he waited for paramedics to arrive. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Amy's death. They also found nothing "sufficiently alarming that leads us to believe any criminal offence or anything undue was done by Sam". How to get help EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123 Assistant Coroner Stephen Cavell recorded a verdict of suicide. He said Amy had a good relationship with her family, was a committed mother and had a good work ethic but noted her EUPD diagnosis. The coroner said the disorder was associated with compulsive behaviour, which may have been exacerbated by her use of alcohol and cocaine. He concluded that under the influence of alcohol and drugs and facing financial and emotional stress, Amy made the 'impulsive' decision to take her own life. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. 3 3
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
I thought funny mark on my nail was damage from my acrylics – it was an early sign of killer cancer
WHEN Lucy Thompson noticed a "funny" mark under her acrylics she wasn't immediately concerned. But the mum is now urging beauty lovers to regularly remove their fake nails after it turned out to be the first sign of cancer. 6 6 After popping off her orange, ombre acrylic nails in April 2023, Lucy noticed a black, vertical line on her left thumb. The 35-year-old wasn't worried about the mark until a friend advised her to visit the doctors weeks later. The GP referred Lucy to hospital for further tests over concerns the line could be a symptom of subungual melanoma - a rare type of skin cancer that develops under the nail. It was then the mum-of-three was told doctors had found pre-cancerous cells that needed to be removed from her nailbed. The teacher believes the cells may have developed into cancer and spread throughout her body if she hadn't spotted the mark hidden underneath her acrylics. Lucy, from Hull, East Yorkshire, said: "I'd had my nails done and I ended up picking them off. "I noticed a funny line on my nail and thought I'd damaged it by taking off my nails or I might've banged it or trapped it in a door. "A straight, thin line just appeared and I remember thinking 'that looks a bit odd'. "I'd had them on for about two weeks just to see friends. "I was aware of it and thought 'I'll just keep an eye on it' but wasn't worried." Horrifying time-lapse video shows how 'tiny mark' on your nail can morph into killer stage 4 cancer When Lucy went to the doctors, before she even sat down, she was told the mark could be cancer and that they'd "need to send if off". Lucy said: "I went to the doctors and before she even sat down, she said that it could be cancer and 'we'll need to send it off'. "I thought I was just going to get told it's nothing. "I got referred to a specialist cancer hospital straight away and they said they wanted to remove it as soon as possible. "They took a biopsy and I was ringing up constantly to get the results. I really was scared. I could see every day it was growing and growing. "It was really tough. My first thought was 'who's going to look after my kids like I can?'. That's what I was scared of. I didn't want to leave my kids." 'People leave it too long' After the first set of tests proved inconclusive, Lucy underwent another biopsy of her nails that confirmed the presence of pre-cancerous cells. Lucy said: "If left untreated, there was a really high possibility that it would've become skin cancer. "It would've turned into subungual melanoma. "When people see it, they just think it's a weird line and people leave it too long, which is why I think it doesn't have a high survival rate. Luckily, I haven't had anything since. "I regularly have a check of all my nails now. I only rarely get my nails done now and if I do I only have them on for a week or so." Luckily, Lucy didn't need any further treatment and is now urging others to check their nail beds for any abnormal changes. 6 6 6 6 Lucy said: "If you see a mark on your nail, any changes, just get yourself checked at the doctors. "The chances are it'll be nothing, but if it is something, the sooner you get seen, the sooner you can get it treated. "The more you put it off, the more dangerous it can be. "I have a lot of friends that get their nails done all the time and just get infills and I've always said 'tell [the manicurist] to take the lot off' so they can check their nailbeds. "I always make sure everybody is aware."
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
NHS change allows expectant mothers to access maternity care sooner
Expectant mothers in England can now directly book midwife appointments online via bypassing the need for an initial GP visit. This change aims to free up tens of thousands of GP appointments, with estimates suggesting 180,000 fewer calls and 30,000 fewer general practice appointments annually. Historically, women would first consult their family doctor for maternity care, though local online self-referral options were available but underutilised. The streamlined process is expected to provide faster first appointments for mothers-to-be, addressing the issue where only 62 per cent of initial midwife appointments occurred within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2023/24. While the new system simplifies access, women can still see a GP for concerns or existing health conditions, and some local health bodies are yet to fully integrate with the national service. NHS announces big change to how expectant mothers access maternity care
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Pregnant women can book to see a midwife without telling their GP
Pregnant women can now book to see a midwife without telling their GP. A new online platform will let expectant mothers book their first appointment without seeing their family doctor and choose the NHS hospital trust they want to attend. Traditionally, mothers-to-be made an appointment with their family doctor to tell them they were pregnant before being booked in with their midwife. In recent years, local health bodies have been rolling out online self-referrals but just half of pregnant women have used them. A new portal would allow all women to self-refer 'at the touch of a button' via which would give them faster first appointments, NHS England said. Health leaders said women could still see a GP if they wanted to, adding that some with long-term health conditions would need to discuss changes to their care or treatment plans with a doctor. A number of scandals in maternity units across England involving the deaths and harm of babies and mothers led Wes Streeting to launch a 'rapid national investigation' in June, which is due to report back shortly. And the move could also free up 30,000 GP appointments each year, according to NHS officials. The NHS said first midwife appointments are 'vital', but only 62 per cent of these happened within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2023-24. There are around 600,000 babies born each year in England and Wales. NHS England said that it is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each year. But around a quarter of local health bodies are yet to 'connect' to the national service, it added, with pregnant women in these areas able to self-refer via local trust sites. Kate Brintworth, the NHS' chief midwife, said it was 'so important that newly pregnant women get the support they need as soon as possible, so this new tool makes it easier than ever to book that all-important first maternity care appointment'. 'Making this process simpler at the touch of a button is a vital step in empowering women to take control of their pregnancy journey right from the very start and improving access to timely, personalised care.' Mr Streeting, the Health Secretary, said: 'Early pregnancy should be about joy and excitement – not wrestling with NHS bureaucracy to book a midwife appointment. 'That's why we've overhauled the online referral system. No more endless phone calls or form-filling. Just a simple online service that lets you book those crucial first appointments with a few clicks.' Dr Claire Fuller, the national medical director at NHS England, said that family doctors were 'available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss'. 'But in many cases, GP teams don't need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they're pregnant,' she said.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
NHS announces big change to how expectant mothers access maternity care
Expectant mothers across England will now be able to directly book appointments with midwives, bypassing the need for an initial GP visit, in a move designed to alleviate pressure on family doctors. NHS officials said the change aims to free up tens of thousands of GP appointments. Historically, women would first consult their family doctor before being referred for maternity care. While online self-referral options have been introduced by local health bodies in recent years, only half of expectant mothers have used these services directly. This has led many to still attend what NHS leaders described as "unnecessary" GP appointments to access maternity care. The new system allows women to self-refer to local maternity services "at the touch of a button" via The streamlined process is expected to provide faster first appointments for mothers-to-be, alongside the significant benefit of freeing up GP time. Officials stressed that women can still see a GP if they would like to, adding that some with long-term health conditions will need to discuss changes to their care or treatment plans with a doctor. Health officials said that first midwife appointments are 'vital', but only 62 per cent of these happened within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2023/24. There are around 600,000 babies born each year in England and Wales. NHS England said that it is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each year. But around a quarter of local health bodies are yet to 'connect' to the national service, it added, with pregnant women in these areas able to self-refer via local trust sites. 'It's so important that newly pregnant women get the support they need as soon as possible, so this new tool makes it easier than ever to book that all-important first maternity care appointment,' said Kate Brintworth, NHS chief midwife. 'Making this process simpler at the touch of a button is a vital step in empowering women to take control of their pregnancy journey right from the very start and improving access to timely, personalised care.' Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England 's national medical director, said: 'GPs are available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss, or other health conditions that need monitoring, but in many cases, GP teams don't need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they're pregnant. 'This quick and easy tool can help ease pressure on practice teams, who won't need to make the referral themselves, and by freeing up that time there will hopefully be a benefit for other patients who are looking to make an appointment with their GP.' Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Early pregnancy should be about joy and excitement – not wrestling with NHS bureaucracy to book a midwife appointment. 'That's why we've overhauled the online referral system. No more endless phone calls or form-filling. Just a simple online service that lets you book those crucial first appointments with a few clicks.' Abbie Aplin, director of maternity improvement and partnerships at the Royal College of Midwives, said: 'Giving women more control and more agency over their care during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period can only be a good thing. 'Midwives are best placed to support women to make informed choices about their care, so the earlier the better in terms of access. 'We do have to be mindful, though, of those who don't have easy access to smartphones and technology. 'We already see significant inequalities of outcome for women living with social deprivation so the NHS needs to ensure that those gaps aren't widened yet further.'
