Record numbers of children in England jailed many miles from their families

Vulnerable children are being jailed many miles from their families at record levels, a Guardian investigation has found, prompting warnings that the government is breaking the law.The proportion of young people being detained in young offender institutions (YOIs) more than 100 miles from their home has doubled over the last decade to 15% – the highest ​since its peak at the height of the Covid pandemic.More than one in 10 of the young people in custody in England are being held at least 75 miles from their families, the highest since the Ministry of Justice began publishing the figures in April 2015.The closure of youth custody centres has resulted in fewer children being held close to their families. Charities and experts say having children in custody close to their families lessens their likelihood of reoffending

What is human metapneumovirus, are cases surging in China, and should we be worried?

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory disease that causes flu or cold-like symptoms, but can increase risks or lead to more serious complications like bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly among the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised people.The disease is in the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and has been around since at least 2001 when it was first identified in the Netherlands. Its outbreaks are concentrated during colder seasons.Cases have been surging in northern China, particularly among children, according to local authorities. The country’s centre for disease control (CDC) has warned people to take precautions with health and hygiene, but has also pushed back against online claims of overwhelmed hospitals and fears of another Covid-like pandemic

Give working parents help with childcare and commuting costs, UK thinktank says

Labour must offer extra support to working parents, including with childcare and commuting, if it is to fulfil its promise of cutting child poverty, the Resolution Foundation thinktank has argued.The government’s manifesto promised an “ambitious strategy” on child poverty, and ministers have said they will publish a 10-year plan in the spring.A report from the Resolution Foundation, titled Working Poverty Out, showed the last Labour government lifted 600,000 children out of poverty, helped by rising employment among single parents.But it argues that the challenge facing today’s government is different, because 70% of families in poverty now have at least one parent in work – up from 49% in 2000.Of those households in poverty where there is no working parent, many face significant barriers to a job

UK charity steps up campaign against child hygiene poverty

A charity founded by the former prime minister Gordon Brown is to increase its campaign efforts against child hygiene poverty this year.The Multibank, which was founded by the former Labour leader, is working with a number of sports clubs across Britain and the Hygiene Bank charity. Over the Christmas and new year period it collected thousands of hygiene products at sporting fixtures.The campaign received a boost on Monday with a drive launched by Amazon to give 250,000 hygiene products to the charity by the end of the month. The initiative was launched after a survey by the Hygiene Bank that found teachers were spending their own salary on supporting children who might be experiencing hygiene poverty within their schools

Plan to cut waiting lists to be unveiled amid warning NHS faces collapse like Woolworths

Patients in England will be offered 500,000 more appointments a year via seven-day health hubs under plans to tackle lengthy waiting times, as ministers warned the NHS could collapse like Woolworths without major reform.Millions of people will be able to access checks, tests and scans closer to home as the health service expands the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) opening 12 hours a day, seven days a week.Seventeen new and expanded surgical centres across the country will launch by June to get more patients treated faster as part of a series of proposals to be outlined on Monday by Keir Starmer.Hospitals and GP surgeries will also be directed to increase the use of technology such as remote monitoring and artificial intelligence tools to prevent unnecessary appointments and admissions. The NHS app will be overhauled to give patients more choice

Ambulance handover delays in England may harm 1,000 patients a day

More than 1,000 patients a day in England are suffering “potential harm” because of ambulance handover delays, the Guardian can reveal.In the last year, 414,137 patients are believed to have experienced some level of harm because they spent so long in the back of ambulances waiting to get into hospital. Of those, 44,409 – more than 850 a week – suffered “severe potential harm”, with delays causing permanent or long-term harm or death.In total, ambulances spent more than 1.5m hours – equivalent to 187 years – stuck outside A&Es waiting to offload patients in the year to November 2024, the Guardian investigation found