Domestic abuse specialists to be embedded in 999 control rooms

Domestic abuse specialists will be embedded in 999 control rooms from early next year in the first step towards the government’s goal of halving violence against women and girls in a decade, the home secretary has said.The advisers will make risk assessments on cases involving rape, domestic and sexual abuse claims to ensure that victims are referred to support services as quickly as possible, as part of an initiative to be announced by Yvette Cooper on Friday.The move, which will begin as an initiative in targeted police forces, is meant to form part of “Raneem’s law”, in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in 2018.There were 13 reports made to the police about concerns for Raneem’s safety, with no arrests made. On the night she was killed, she had rung 999 four times

‘Hundreds’ of prisoners freed early in England and Wales not fitted with tags

Prisoners freed early to ease overcrowding in jails have not been fitted with electronic tags despite it being a condition of their release, prompting criticism from a parliamentary watchdog.Officials have declined to say how many of the 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales who were allowed out after serving 40% of their sentences last week were not given tracking devices. It is understood to be “hundreds” rather than “dozens”, a source said.Whitehall insiders have blamed the security contractor Serco – which was given the contract in October 2023 – for the delays. Serco said it was working to reduce the numbers waiting for tags

Trans people in England missing out on vital cancer screening, experts warn

Thousands of transgender patients in England are missing out on vital cancer screening because of the way their GP records are drawn up, experts have warned.Everyone registered as female with their GP is automatically invited to breast screening from the age of 50 to 70, and to regular cervical screenings from 25 to 64.But warnings from experts at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva this week, underscored by official NHS guidance, show that many trans patients are not invited to undergo the tests.In England, trans men who were registered female at birth and have changed the gender on their patient record to male are not offered breast or cervical screening, regardless of whether they have had chest reconstruction or a hysterectomy.Trans women who are still registered male with their GP are also not offered routine breast screening, even if they have been on longterm hormone therapy, which puts them at added risk of breast cancer

‘All sorts happens here’: the battle to save a beloved Manchester social club

In a sprawling white building in the south Manchester suburb of Whalley Range, dozens of people – some barely out of their teens, others well into retirement – are gathered around tables, heads together, scribbling answers on to quiz sheets.In another room, an art class is under way, while elsewhere in the building, which stands on a residential street, a group are slouched across battered leather sofas, watching Manchester City take on Inter Milan in the Champions League.This is the Carlton Club, a community space that has existed in this spot for more than a century – first as a private members’ club, but now operated as a community interest company (CIC).“Before I came here, I knew about six neighbours by name,” Joy Wales, 70, said. “I now know 250

Call for greater protection for girls as FGM cases rise by 15% in England

Hospital and GP attendances about female genital mutilation in England have risen by 15%, according to NHS figures, prompting a call for greater protection for girls.There were 14,355 attendances about FGM in the 2023-24 financial year, according to NHS Digital statistics, compared with 12,475 the previous year.There was also a rise in the number of individual women and girls who visited NHS services in regards to FGM, from 5,870 in 2022-23 to 6,655 in 2023-24. Attendances are a different measurement as an individual can have several attendances in a year.The head of Barnardo’s National FGM Centre said FGM was a form of child abuse

Gambling study says £2.7bn bet annually on hidden-market websites

Gamblers in Great Britain are betting £2.7bn a year through hidden-market websites, according to a lobby group that claims stricter regulation of the licensed sector would further fuel illegal gambling.The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) published a study estimating that 1.5 million British people placed bets with an illicit industry that was easy to find and already commonly used.The estimate, from a report commissioned by the BGC and written by Frontier Economics, represents about 2% of the £128bn wagered last year with licensed online gambling firms