Author: BBC

PASome women have described waiting in “agony” for gynaecological treatmentWhen the BBC reported that waiting lists for gynaecology appointments across the UK had more than doubled since February 2020, many women shared their experiences of how they feel forced to turn to private care.Women waiting in agony for vital gynaecological treatment are turning to the private sector in the hope of being referred urgently to the top of the NHS waiting list.The experiences of many who spoke to the BBC tie in with what we are hearing from people working in the sector.The heads of 11 leading women’s health organisations…

Closer relations between the UK and the European Union (EU) will boost economic growth, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tell finance leaders on Monday.In the first address by a British chancellor to the Eurogroup since Brexit, Reeves will say resetting relations means “breaking down barriers to trade” as well as helping “businesses sell in each other’s markets”.While Labour has ruled out re-joining the trade bloc, it has repeatedly said it wants the UK to “deepen ties” with the EU. The Conservatives said the chancellor should instead be working out how to reverse the “devastating Budget measures that have crashed confidence”.”If [Reeves]…

Getty ImagesHaliey Welch, known mostly as the star of the viral “Hawk Tuah” meme, is facing criticism after her newly launched cryptocurrency nosedived in value.Her “Hawk” digital coin hit a $490m market cap shortly after it launched on Wednesday, before suddenly losing more than 95% of its value within hours.This has led some, including YouTube cryptocurrency investigator Coffeezilla, to accuse Ms Welch of scamming investors with a “pump and dump” – where the people behind a coin hype up its price before launch, then sell it for profit.She has denied allegations that her team sold any of the tokens they…

A pair of ruby red slippers worn by actress Judy Garland in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz have been sold for $28m (£22m) at a US-based auction on Saturday.One of four surviving pairs used in the film, the famed sequined pumps were once stolen from a Minnesota museum.Online bidding started a month ago, with the slippers expected to fetch as much as $3m (£2.35m) at auction, according to Heritage Auctions – an under-estimate by $25m (£20m).The auctioneers called the slippers the “Holy Grail of Hollywood memorabilia” and said their selling price made them the most valuable movie memorabilia…

BBCWendy Swain said the surgery left her feeling even more disabledPatients who had probes located in the wrong part of their brain due to failings at an NHS trust suffered unnecessarily for years, a damning report has found.The leaked report into deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, seen by the BBC, also shows a whistleblower was ignored, intimidated and disciplined.Wendy Swain, who had electrodes in the wrong place for 11 years, leading to difficulty walking and a facial twitch, said: “They’ve made my life hell.”The trust, already under fire following an inquiry that exposed…

Getty ImagesIt’s that quintessential British tradition that we have been enjoying for hundreds of years.The answer to every crisis, a bonding ritual when you welcome someone into your home and the first drink many people wake up to.“Fancy a cuppa?” or even simply “Tea?” is music to your ears, right?Well, maybe not for everyone.”I suppose there’s kind of an association with tea as an old person’s drink,” says Gillie Owen, aged 20.The student from London says he and his friends prefer water or diet soda drinks.Gillie thinks of tea as “an old person’s drink”Layba, meanwhile, doesn’t drink tea at all.”I…

TikTok’s bid to overturn a law which would see it banned or sold in the US from early 2025 has been rejected.The social media company had hoped a federal appeals court would agree with its argument that the law was unconstitutional because it represented a “staggering” impact on the free speech of its 170 million US users.But the court upheld the law, which it said “was the culmination of extensive, bipartisan action by the Congress and by successive presidents”.TikTok says it will now take its fight to the US Supreme Court, the country’s highest legal authority.The US wants TikTok sold…

ITV plcThe swimmer-turned-cyclist had hit the ice rink after winning Paralympic gold again in ParisDame Sarah Storey has said she is “absolutely gutted” to have to pull out of the upcoming series of Dancing on Ice after fracturing her ankle falling over in training. Britain’s most successful Paralympian posted on social media on Friday to say that an “awkward stumble and fall”, while her left foot was “stuck on the ice”, meant she was unable to take part in the ITV series from January next year.Dame Sarah thanked those involved with the show and medical staff for ensuring she is…

Adele DarlingtonA year on, Adele and her daughter Jasmine are looking forward to spending the Christmas holidays at homeIt was almost a year ago that Adele Darlington, who is 41 and from Warrington, was in a critical condition in hospital following massive bleeding while giving birth to her baby girl.She was losing so much blood that she needed the equivalent of around three people’s blood volume given back to her, says NHS Blood and Transplant. Doctors treating her used 65 units or bags of blood and blood products to save her life. An average woman has nearly five litres of…

Ros Atkins on… How the New York shooting unfoldedThe manhunt for a suspect who gunned down a healthcare chief executive in New York is now in its third day, with police chasing several different leads.UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the back on Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Police say Thompson was targeted in a pre-planned killing, for which they do not yet have a motive. Investigators are using surveillance photos, bullet casings with cryptic messages written on them, and the suspect’s movements to track him down. They are also working with the…