Martin Wright obituary

My father, Martin Wright, who has died aged 94, spent much of his working life advocating for changes to the UK’s prison system.As director of the Howard League for Penal Reform from 1971 to 1984 he put pressure on successive governments to improve prison conditions and find alternatives to incarceration. He was also a pioneer in the field of restorative justice, and wrote influential books on the subject, including Justice for Victims and Offenders (1996), as well as many articles for magazines and journals that brought the concept to countries where it was previously unheard of.Later he worked for the Victim Support charity as a policy officer until his retirement in 1994.Martin was born in Stoke Newington, north London, to Clifford, a town clerk, and Rosalie (nee Mackenzie), a librarian, and was educated at Repton school in Derbyshire, after which he went to Jesus College, Oxford University

Prostate cancer, race and the need for tests | Letters

Following the article published about Sir Steve McQueen and his journey with prostate cancer (‘My father’s death saved my life’: director Steve McQueen on grief, gratitude and getting cancer, 5 April, we were disappointed to read the response by Tanimola Martins (Letters, 11 April), which fails to acknowledge health inequalities faced by Black men and ethnic minorities in the UK.Acknowledging that PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels can be slightly higher in Black men, it still remains a useful screening test, especially if combined with MRI. What is not in doubt is that Black men are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men, and twice as likely to die from it. Add a family history of significant prostate cancer and the odds become even worse, bringing diagnosis to one in two and a risk likely greater than one in six with both risk factors, if untreated.These figures have not changed for more than 10 years in the UK

Brace yourselves, the Ice Bucket Challenge is back

A decade ago, when the Ice Bucket Challenge became a viral sensation, everybody from world leaders to sports stars and Hollywood royalty filled social media with videos of them having vats of cold water and ice cubes dumped over their heads.Their videos were often notable for the casual, conspicious luxury of the backgrounds: LeBron James’ sodden discomfort was offset by the superyacht on which he performed his icy ablutions; Donatella Versace let out her unscripted yowl in her glorious garden flanked by equally gorgeous and muscled male helpers. Donald Trump predictably chose the top of Trump Towers for his stunt.Raising funds and global awareness for motor neurone disease, or ALS as it’s known in America, the craze even caught on among those of us without a personal pool or glamorous garden – with schoolteachers and pupils, police officers and nurses taking part.The challenge involved pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over your head, posting the video on social media and nominating someone else to complete the challenge or donate to charity, or both

NHS in England failing to record ethnicity of those who sue over maternity care

The NHS is facing criticism for not recording the ethnicity of people who sue it over poor maternity care, despite black, Asian and minority ethnic women experiencing much greater harm during childbirth.Health experts, patient safety campaigners and lawyers claim racial disparities in maternity care are so stark that NHS bodies in England must start collating details of people who take legal action to help ensure services improve.The gap in NHS data emerged when Lime Solicitors, a London-based law firm, submitted freedom of information requests to NHS England, individual health trusts and NHS Resolution, the body that handles medical negligence claims against hospitals.It asked how many people had sued over a stillbirth – the death of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy – between 2012-13 and 2022-23, and how many had secured damages, and also the ethnicity and nationality of claimants.But all the NHS bodies told Lime Solicitors in their replies that they did not record the ethnicity or nationality of those who initiated a legal case alleging medical negligence

Supported housing in England on brink of financial crisis, charities warn

More than 150 organisations, including Age UK and Refuge, have warned the supported housing sector is on the precipice of a financial crisis that could plunge tens of thousands of vulnerable people into homelessness.In a letter to the government being delivered on Friday, public bodies, charities and housing associations called for urgent action to save the sector, which provides homes for 500,000 people across England with complex needs.They said funding cuts and rising costs had pushed providers to breaking point, and that organisations providing nearly one in five (18%) of all supported homes are on the verge of closing down services – which would lead to the loss of 70,000 homes.The National Housing Federation (NHF) found that a third of providers in England said they may have to stop providing supported housing altogether due to financial pressure, and 32% have closed homes down in the past 12 months.These included homes for young people leaving care, older people and veterans, people with learning disabilities, survivors of domestic abuse and people who had been homeless

Drug that cuts risk of breast cancer returning is approved for use in England

Thousands of women with early breast cancer could be offered a drug to stop the cancer returning, after the medicines watchdog approved its use in England.Up to 4,000 patients a year could be given ribociclib alongside hormone therapy, for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer, which despite initial treatment has a higher risk of returning.Globally, one in 20 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, with cases up 38% and deaths up 68% over the next 25 years, according to analysis by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).In the UK, breast cancer rates are expected to rise a fifth to 71,006 cases a year in 2050. The most common type of breast cancer – accounting for about 70% of cases – are hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative tumours