NHS staff: have you seen or been affected by violence in hospital?

According to the Royal College of Nursing, incidents of violence against A&E nurses have almost doubled over the last six years, often due to people being frustrated at waiting so long for care. Incidents include nurses being punched, spat at and pinned up against a wall.We would like to hear from NHS staff about their experiences of seeing or being the victim of violence in hospitals. What happened and was the incident reported? If the police were involved, what was the outcome?You can tell us about your experiences of violence in the NHS by filling in the form below, or messaging us.Please include as much detail as possible

Walking just 4,000 daily steps once a week cuts risk of early death in older people, study suggests

Older people who only walk 4,000 daily steps once a week still reduce their risk of dying early by a quarter, a study suggests.Staying active is known to bring a wide range of health benefits. But many people in their 60s, 70s and beyond may struggle for a variety of reasons to maintain the step count they used to reach. Until now it has been unclear how much people need to do as they age to reap the rewards.Research led by Harvard University has some answers

UK grooming gang inquiry faces further disruption as candidate for leader withdraws

A national grooming gang inquiry ordered by Keir Starmer is facing further disruption after one of two candidates who had been shortlisted to lead it withdrew from the process.Annie Hudson, a former director of children’s services for Lambeth, told survivors on Tuesday that she no longer wanted to be considered after intense media coverage.Her decision comes after three abuse survivors resigned from their roles on the victims and survivors liaison panel, accusing the Home Office and ministers of sidelining them and manipulating the agenda.“Elizabeth”, which is not her real name, stepped down on Tuesday, joining Fiona Goddard and Ellie Reynolds, who quit the panel on Monday in protest.Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, has denied claims of a cover-up and insisted her government was “committed to exposing the failures” to tackle “these appalling crimes”

The ultimate meaning of ‘six-sevvuhnn!’ and everything | Brief letters

I trust that the young people saying “six-seven” (Pass notes, 20 October) realise that the product of those two numbers is 42, which, according to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is “the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. It’s what we old people say.Toby WoodPeterborough My 13-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, confirms that randomly yelling “Six-sevvuhnn!” is trending at her school. This sort of thing is nothing new: when her mother was at school, the fashionable standard greeting between teenage boys was “Whassup?”.Mark NewburyFarndale, Yorkshire “Prince” Andrew still reflects unearned privilege (Prince Andrew gives up royal titles including Duke of York after ‘discussion with king’, 17 October)

Serial rapist who ran Plymouth teeth-whitening salon jailed for 26 years

A man who ran a teeth-whitening and tanning salon in Plymouth has been jailed for 26 years for a series of rapes and sexual assaults against women, including customers of his business whom he lured with offers of free treatment.Ricky Stubberfield, 31, attacked seven victims over a period of 11 years, between 2013 and 2024, with some of the assaults taking place at the Essex Smiles salon on Mutley Plain when he was the co-owner and manager.Stubberfield contacted a number of women on Instagram and offered free treatment in exchange for promoting his business but when they attended their appointments he made sexual advances and then assaulted them. Other offences were carried out by Stubberfield in a variety of locations around Plymouth.Stubberfield, from Plympton in Devon, was sentenced at Plymouth crown court on Tuesday to 26 years in prison and a further six on extended licence after being found guilty of 23 offences including rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration, making indecent images of a child, and exposure

A day in the life of caring for an overdose survivor

A couple of years ago, I began investigating non-fatal overdoses.Coverage of the US’s opioid crisis has largely focused on lives lost. But through my cousin Mason, I saw another toll of the epidemic: the people who survive overdoses but are left with devastating disabilities.Watching his and his parents’ struggles – and knowing he was not the only young overdose survivor in a nursing home – I wondered: how many people like Mason were out there? What happens to them, and how do their families cope?I quickly learned that no one is tracking these cases. There is no official count of people living with overdose-related brain injuries