Autistic children in Northamptonshire 'struggling' due to delays in diagnosis and help, watchdog report says

Autistic children in Northamptonshire 'struggling' due to delays in diagnosis and help, watchdog report says Both the education and the emotional health of autistic Northamptonshire children is suffering due to delays in assesment.


That is the conclusion of a report by the county's health watchdog, Healthwatch Northamptonshire which spoke in depth to 12 families who have a child with autism or ADHD.

It found that the route to any help from the NHS and Northamptonshire County Council is so maze-like parents are sometimes unsure if they are even on the official pathway. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time'

Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time' Life expectancy in the UK has stopped improving for the first time since 1982, when figures began.

Women's life expectancy from birth remains 82.9 years and for men it is 79.2, the figures from the Office for National Statistics, for 2015-17, show.

In some parts of the UK, life expectancy has even decreased. BBC News

Loneliness among over-50s 'is looming public health concern'

Loneliness among over-50s 'is looming public health concern' Greater numbers will feel impact of widowhood, poor finance and ill-health, says Age UK

Soaring numbers of over-50s in England will suffer from loneliness in the coming years as a result of widowhood, ill-health and money problems, according to a new analysis.

More than two million people of that age will be lonely by 2025-26, a 49% increase on the 1.36m who were socially isolated in 2015-16, according to projections by Age UK. Continue reading... The Guardian

Tainted blood scandal: another 25,000 victims could be infected

Tainted blood scandal: another 25,000 victims could be infected The tainted blood scandal could have infected at least 25,000 people and is continuing to kill victims, the chairman of an independent inquiry has warned.

Sir Brian Langstaff also suggested criminal trials could follow the independent Infected Blood Inquiry, as he promised to investigate allegations of a cover-up and hold those responsible to account.

His comments at the Inquiry’s opening on Monday came as it was confirmed former health secretaries, top civil servants and senior doctors would be compelled to answer questions in public about their involvement in the scandal for the first time. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Contaminated blood victims: How lives have been torn apart - their own words The Daily Telegraph
• Infected NHS blood inquiry opens with tribute to victims The Guardian

First cancer patient in the UK is treated with 'groundbreaking' radiotherapy

First cancer patient in the UK is treated with 'groundbreaking' radiotherapy Barry Dolling, 65, from Selsdon in Surrey, has become the first person in the UK to receive radiotherapy treatment from the MR Linac machine at the Royal Marsden in London. The Daily Mail

Almost one in three knee operations and one in five hip replacements are done privately

Almost one in three knee operations and one in five hip replacements are done privately The Royal College of Surgeons warned the growing number of operations being carried out outside of NHS hospitals means young surgeons are not getting the experience they need. The Daily Mail