Don’t drag my autistic children into the Tories’ war on ‘woke’ | Letters

I felt compelled to respond to the latest Conservative punch-down: Kemi Badenoch’s endorsement of dangerously false claims on the administrative load of neurodivergence (What kind of person would drag autistic children into the culture wars? The Kemi Badenoch kind, 14 October). As a parent of two autistic boys without a formal diagnosis – the eldest already two years into the waiting list, with the youngster’s referral somewhere in the ether – I’m absolutely livid. To see your loved ones struggle without the support they need to keep them safe and well is hard enough, before they’re dragged into Tory point-scoring against “woke” society.On a professional level, I’m even more affronted by these accusations of workplace meddling and entitlement by people with neurodevelopmental differences. I’m part of a research group exploring autistic health inequalities, and I can assure readers that there is ample evidence that every factor that equates to poor health outcomes is more prevalent in the autistic community

Ethical alarms should be ringing over weight-loss jabs for the jobless | Letters

The proposal by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, that weight-loss drugs could be provided to unemployed people deemed to be obese, as a way to help them get back to work and ease the demands on the NHS caused by obesity, should raise ethical alarms (Employers should be fined for unhealthy workplaces, says thinktank, 16 October).Would taking the drug be voluntary, or would it become a condition for entitlement to benefits? Recalling Labour’s previous support for conditionality and sanctions, one can guess which way it would go.Would giving drugs for obesity be a precedent for drugs for other medical conditions deemed to affect the probability of obtaining jobs? Many who become unemployed become depressed. Will the Department for Work and Pensions insist on their taking antidepressants, or lose benefits? Many unemployed people become angry. Will they be given anger‑suppressing drugs?Another set of ethical issues relates to the implied selectivity

Mental health professionals must work together | Letters

Psychiatrists have a fundamental role to play in resolving the ongoing mental health crisis and it is disappointing to see that outdated and erroneous tropes about our work are still widely believed, even by other mental health professionals (Letters, 10 October).People who have a mental illness usually require a range of therapeutic approaches, including psychotherapy, social and occupational interventions, family work and medication. As doctors, psychiatrists take a holistic approach that recognises the complex interaction between psychological, social, cultural, environmental and biological factors, and the impact that these can have on mental health. This ensures that patients receive personalised care and treatment options as well as support from a variety of other services.Psychiatry has been at the forefront of developing the biopsychosocial model, which is routinely used in modern psychiatric practice to help people recover from all types of mental illness

UK housing: how has unsafe cladding affected you and your home?

We would like to find out more about people who live in homes with unsafe cladding and what their experience has been like over the years. Have remedial works been completed, are in progress, or are yet to start? Have you experienced any problems moving home, selling or remortgaging? What effect, if any, has it had on your mental and physical health?You can tell us how living in a residential building with unsafe cladding has affected you, by filling in the form below.Please be specific and include as much detail as possible. Please be specific and include as much detail as possible. Please be specific and include as much detail as possible

Tell us: do you know someone who died in pregnancy or during childbirth?

We’d like to find out more about maternal deaths in the UK as recent figures show a rise in numbers. We’re interested in hearing from anyone whose friend, relative or loved one died in pregnancy, during childbirth, or within a year of pregnancy between 2020 and 2024.What was their experience like and what kind of treatment or care did they receive? We’re also interested in hearing from healthcare professionals and their experiences.You can share your experience by filling in the form below. Please leave blank if you wish to be anonymousPlease be specific and include as much detail as possible

Archbishop of Canterbury to meet MP behind assisted dying bill

The archbishop of Canterbury is to meet the architect of a parliamentary bill to legalise assisted dying after he described a change in the law as dangerous.Kim Leadbeater, MP for Spen Valley, wrote to Justin Welby after he intervened in the debate over assisted dying. The archbishop said the MP’s private member’s bill would lead to a “slippery slope”, including a broadening of criteria and pressure on people to die prematurely.She proposed a meeting to discuss the issues. Lambeth Palace said it was trying to find a mutually convenient date