MS patients in England to benefit from major roll out of take-at-home pill

Thousands of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England are to become the first in Europe to benefit from a major roll out of an immunotherapy pill.Current treatments involve regular trips to hospital, drug infusions, frequent injections and extensive monitoring, which add to the burden on patients and healthcare systems.The new tablet, cladribine, can be swallowed at home, and needs to be taken only 20 times in the first two years of a four-year cycle. The regime consists of a maximum of 10 days of treatment in the first year and 10 days in the second; no additional treatment is needed in the next two years.Patients thinking about having children can also safely conceive in the third and fourth years of the treatment cycle

Mental health charities struggling to cope with GP-referral influx

Mental health charities in England are struggling to cope with the number of sick patients referred to them by GPs, with under-qualified professionals increasingly tasked with treating the seriously ill.Experts told the Guardian that some desperate GPs were “signposting” patients to services not always equipped to deal with them.These are provided by unregulated charities, which employ practitioners who are not always transparent about their qualifications or level of competence.Some charities reported struggling to cope with demand, with their staff, who do not need the specific qualifications required by the NHS, finding themselves tasked with helping the sickest patients.“The issue is that people are desperate,” said Jaime Craig, who will be appointed chair of the Association of Clinical Psychologists in May

ADHD prescriptions in England have risen by 18% each year since pandemic

The number of prescriptions being issued in England for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication has risen by 18% year on year since the pandemic, with the biggest rise being seen in London, according to research.Experts said increased public awareness via social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok could be a factor behind the substantial rise in prescription rates, encouraging “more people to seek assessment, diagnosis and treatment”.They warned it is crucial to approach the information with caution, as the accuracy and reliability of the content can vary significantly.ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms including impulsiveness, disorganisation and difficulty focusing.The study by academics at the University of Huddersfield and Aston University and published in the journal BMJ Mental Health found that the number of ADHD prescriptions in England increased from around 25 per 1,000 people in 2019/20, to 41

Ten died of cancer after NHS blunder in England meant they were not invited for screening

Ten people have died from cancer and up to 10 more have been diagnosed with the disease after a blunder meant they were not invited to NHS screening programmes.Health officials failed to invite more than 5,000 patients in total for routine checks after an IT error affected bowel, breast and cervical cancer screening programmes, as well as abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.In a written ministerial statement on Tuesday, health minister Ashley Dalton said that NHS England had written to those affected this week.The letters were sent to patients who are still eligible for a screening programme, or who were previously eligible for a programme but now exceed its upper age limit. NHS England has also set up a helpline

‘You are a monster’: victims’ loved ones share their pain as Kyle Clifford given whole-life order

The sentencing of Kyle Clifford for the murders of Carol Hunt and her daughters Louise and Hannah has heard emotionally charged victim statements, paying tribute to the women and describing the ex-soldier as “a monster”.Clifford was given a whole-life order at Cambridge crown court for the murder and rape of his ex-partner, Louise Hunt, and the killings of her mother and sister.Before the sentencing, which Clifford refused to attend, the court was addressed by the BBC broadcaster John Hunt, Carol’s husband and father to the two young women. He was followed by Alex Klein, Hannah’s partner, and Amy Hunt, Louise and Hannah’s sister.“Do I really need to detail the impact of having three-quarters of my family murdered?” asked Hunt, addressing Clifford directly

Tim Miller obituary

My friend Tim Miller, who has died aged 87, was one of the behind-the-scenes architects of 20th-century London cultural life. In the 1960s he worked with Peter Cook at the start of Private Eye, the satirical magazine, and supported the foundation of Centrepoint, Britain’s largest homelessness charity. Film was his main calling, but he shied away from the red carpet. Instead he used his incisive intelligence and deep understanding of the world to guide other people – friends, students, artists, priests and ex-cons – towards their creative potential.Born into an aristocratic family near Woodbridge, Suffolk, Tim was the younger son of Maj William Pitt Miller and his wife, Juliet (nee St Aubyn)