Author: BBC

Getty ImagesCampaigners say a national registry could lead to faster diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patientsNearly 3,500 people have signed a petition calling for a national endometriosis registry in the hope of improving care, waiting times and awareness.The condition affects one in ten women, but Endometriosis UK say poor recording within the NHS meant there was a lack of data about the number of sufferers and the success rate of various types of treatments.Hayley Barlow-Ford, from Edlington, said she believed a national registry would allow patients and doctors to make “real decisions, rather than relying on trial and error”.A Department…

The Home Office has “squandered” billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on asylum accommodation, according to a report by a committee of MPs.The Home Affairs Committee said “flawed contracts” and “incompetent delivery” left the department unable to cope with a surge in demand and it relied on hotels as “go-to solutions” instead of temporary stop-gaps.The MPs said expected costs had tripled to more than £15bn and not enough had been done to recoup excess profits.A Home Office spokesperson said the government was “furious about the number of illegal migrants in this country and in hotels”, and reiterated its pledge to…

Tim ManselBusiness reporter, Malmö, SwedenBBCThe strike is about the right of the main union to negotiate pay and conditions for all its membersIn Sweden 70 car mechanics are continuing to take on one of the world’s richest companies – Tesla. The strike at the US carmaker’s 10 Swedish service centres has now reached its second anniversary, and there is little prospect of a resolution.Janis Kuzma has been on the Tesla picket line since October 2023.”It’s a tough time,” says the 39-year-old. And as Sweden’s cold winter weather sets in, it’s likely to become tougher.Janis spends each Monday with a colleague,…

Health leaders are warning that NHS services and jobs in England will have to be cut unless up to £3bn more in funding is allocated to cover unexpected costs. The NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, representing trusts and other health organisations, said in a joint statement that the cost of covering redundancies and strikes, along with paying more for medicines, was not included in the budget this year and will need extra cash from the Chancellor.Talks between the Department of Health and the Treasury are ongoing, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed. Responding to the statement, the Department of Health…

Jasmine Sandhar,BBC Newsbeat and Pete Allison,BBC NewsbeatGetty ImagesManchester Pride has been one of the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ eventsWhen Saki Yew stepped off stage at this year’s Manchester Pride, she felt “joyous”.The former Drag Race UK queen had spent weeks rehearsing and creating costumes for the performance at the city’s Sackville Gardens in August.It was effort she was happy to make for one of the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ events, and the reaction from the crowd made it worth it.But when she asked Pride’s organisers for her payment, she says there was silence.The charity behind Manchester Pride went bust this week, leaving…

Kate Whannelpolitical reporterGetty ImagesTech giants including Apple, Samsung and Google are not doing enough to stop mobile phone thefts, MPs on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee have said. In a letter to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, committee chair Chi Onwurah accused the companies of failing to put in place technical measures that would make stolen phones less valuable.The letter follows a stormy committee hearing, where MPs accused tech bosses of profiting from phone thefts. Responding to the letter, Google said it had “invested in advanced theft protection features” including the theft detection lock after “listening to victims and…

Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against flu over half-term as the NHS warned of rising cases of the disease.There is an early flu season, health officials say, and the latest data for England showed cases and hospitalisations were increasing.NHS England said many school children will have already received the vaccine at school but there are still options for those who have not, including pop-up clinics.GP surgeries can give flu vaccines to school-aged children with certain health conditions, as well as two to three year olds, while preschoolers can also be taken to pharmacies for the vaccine.Most…

Bethan LewisEducation & family correspondent, BBC Wales NewsRobin LloydRobin Lloyd said moving a few miles across the border meant she could now afford to have a second childFrom her Monmouthshire home, Robin Lloyd was able to see houses over the border in England knowing the families who lived there could access free childcare for their babies.Robin and her husband decided to leave Chepstow and Wales and moved a 30-minute drive away to Gloucestershire so they would be eligible for support for children from nine months old.In Wales, free childcare for two-year-olds is being expanded, prioritising disadvantaged areas but there is…

A US teenager was handcuffed by armed police after an artificial intelligence (AI) system mistakenly said he was carrying a gun – when really he was holding a packet of crisps. “Police showed up, like eight cop cars, and then they all came out with guns pointed at me talking about getting on the ground,” 16-year-old Baltimore pupil Taki Allen told local outlet WMAR-2 News. Baltimore County Police Department said their officers “responded appropriately and proportionally based on the information provided at the time”.It said the AI alert was sent to human reviewers who found no threat – but the…

Louise ParryBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and BuckinghamshireLucy North/PA MediaEmily Henders is taking part in a trial of T-cell therapy, which has proved successful in treating blood cancerA biology teacher and mother-of-two has become the first UK patient to receive a “gamechanger” therapy to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).Emily Henders, 37, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, was treated at University College London Hospital (UCLH) as part of a global clinical trial.Mrs Henders had experienced “really scary” relapse episodes since being diagnosed in December 2021 during which, she said: “My legs don’t work, I can’t walk.”Experts believe the targeted immunotherapy treatment could “transform” lives by slowing or…