One in five women in England say their concerns were ignored during childbirth, survey finds

Almost one in five women feel their concerns were not taken seriously by healthcare professionals during childbirth, according to the “concerning” results of a national survey of maternity experiences.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) survey of almost 17,000 women who gave birth across England in NHS settings this year found that 15% felt they had not been given relevant advice or support when they contacted a midwife at the start of their labour, while 18% said their concerns had not been taken seriously.One in 10 of the survey’s respondents reported they had been left alone during their maternity care at a time that worried them, 7% of which was “during the later stages of labour”.Valerie Amos, who is overseeing a national investigation into maternity care, said women were experiencing “unacceptable” maternity care, including poor communication, a lack of empathy, and in some cases discrimination against women from ethnic minority and working-class backgrounds.Clea Harmer, the chief executive of the baby loss charity Sands, said the report was “alarming and frustrating to read” and signalled the need for urgent action to follow recommendations made to improve maternity care in England

Scotland’s looser rules on assisted dying could lead to ‘death tourism’, say senior politicians

Senior Scottish politicians fear there could be a risk of “death tourism” from terminally ill people travelling from other parts of the UK to end their lives in Scotland.A cross-party group of MSPs, including the deputy first minister, Kate Forbes, said the looser controls on eligibility written into an assisted dying bill for Scotland could attract people who are unhappy with stricter rules planned for England and Wales.The Scottish bill, which is expected to have its final vote in February, has no time limit on who can apply for assisted dying, although they must have lived in Scotland for at least a year and have “an advanced and progressive disease, illness or condition from which they cannot recover”.The policies for England and Wales, which are being examined in the Lords, stipulate someone must be within six months of death. If Kim Leadbeater’s bill is passed it could take up to four years to be implemented, while Scotland’s measures may come into force several years earlier

Should people wear a mask in public if they feel unwell with flu?

An NHS leader has said people who are unwell with flu “must” wear a mask in public. A UK government official has said if you need to go out while sick, you should only “consider” wearing a mask.So what is the official advice, how serious is the threat posed by flu, and what should you do if have symptoms?Speaking to Times Radio, Daniel Elkeles, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said the UK was experiencing a “very nasty strain of flu” and people with flu or cold symptoms “must” wear a mask in public.“When you were talking about anything like Covid, I think we need to get back into the habit that if you are coughing and sneezing, but you’re not unwell enough not to go to work, then you must wear a mask when you’re in public spaces, including on public transport, to stop the chances of you giving your virus to somebody else.“And we were all very good about infection control during Covid

Half of people recently arrested by Met police may have undiagnosed ADHD, study finds

Half of people arrested recently in London were found to potentially have undiagnosed ADHD, according to a study calling for better neurodivergence screening for vulnerable individuals.Research by the University of Cambridge found that one in two individuals arrested and detained over an eight-week period in London in 2024 may have undiagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and one in 20 may have undiagnosed autism.The team worked with the Metropolitan police to explore the idea of offering informal screening for neurodivergence to people detained by the police, which they said could improve access to support and help them receive fairer treatment in the criminal justice system.Prof Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, the director of the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge, who was involved in the research, said: “Screening for possible neurodivergence will allow more informed legal decision-making, taking into account cognitive and communicative differences. It can also help ensure defendants get access to legal protection and appropriate counsel

‘Highlight of my week’: how community choirs have changed people’s lives

For many, singing is one of life’s great pleasures.The actor and writer James Corden has said he was so inspired by the joy he saw when his mum sang in her choir that he teamed up once again with writing partner Ruth Jones to write a new comedy drama called, appropriately, The Choir.When we asked people to share what their community choirs meant to them, we had a massive and often heartfelt response extolling the power of singing with others. Here are some of their stories.When Jemma Brown set up a community choir in Wiltshire in April 2021, she was worried no one would turn up

People in the UK: how do you feel about wearing a face covering to help prevent spreading a virus?

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said the country was facing a “very nasty strain of flu” that had occurred earlier in the year than normal, and face coverings should be worn on public transport, as during the Covid pandemic.He told Times Radio: “When you were talking about anything like Covid, I think we need to get back into the habit that if you are coughing and sneezing, but you’re not unwell enough to not go to work, then you must wear a mask when you’re in public spaces, including on public transport, to stop the chances of you giving your virus to somebody else.”The UK Health security agency guidance is that people should “consider” wearing a face mask if they’re unwell.Have you had flu or a cough and cold this year already this year? Would you wear a face covering on public transport to help prevent spreading a respiratory virus? Have you already done so? What, if any, reaction did you get? Are you confused in any way about the guidance?Let us know by using the form below. Please include as much detail as possible