11 minutes agoShareSaveAndrew Rogers & James GallagherBBC NewsShareSaveBBCEngland will be the first country in the world to start vaccinating people against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea.It will not be available for everyone. The focus will mainly be on gay and bisexual men with a history of multiple sexual partners or an STI.The vaccine is 30-40% effective, but NHS England hopes it will reverse soaring numbers of infections.There were more than 85,000 cases in 2023 – the highest since records began in 1918.Gonorrhoea does not always have symptoms, but they can include pain, unusual discharge, inflammation of the genitals and infertility.How many people will chose to be immunised is uncertain.But projections by Imperial College London show that if the jab proves popular then it could prevent 100,000 cases and save the NHS nearly £8m over the next decade.Max, a sexual health campaigner, told BBC Newsbeat he would “100%” take the vaccine after being diagnosed with gonorrhoea twice within a year.”I think this is great that it’s been announced”, he says, adding: “It’s going to take the pressure off the clinics, it’s just a big win all round.”Vaccination will start in August and will be offered through sexual health services.Public Health Scotland said it was also working on plans to launch its own programme for high-risk individuals.BBC Newsbeat has asked health bodies in Wales and Northern Ireland whether they intend to do the same.Is it effective enough?This vaccine wasn’t designed for gonorrhoea. It’s the meningitis B vaccine currently given to babies.But the bacteria that cause the two diseases are so closely related that the MenB jab appears to cut gonorrhoea cases by around a third.That will require a delicate conversation in sexual health clinics as the vaccine will not eliminate the risk of catching gonorrhoea. It is normally caught while having sex without a condom.But Prof Andrew Pollard, the chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which recommended the vaccine, said despite it only being 30% effective, it was “worth having” and could have “a huge impact” overall.The decision is not just about the record numbers of cases. Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly difficult to treat.Most cases are treated with a single dose of antibiotics, but there is an 80-year history of the bacterium which causes gonorrhoea repeatedly evolving resistance to our antibiotics.It’s happening to the current treatments too and is why some doctors are concerned gonorrhoea could one-day become untreatable.The best way to deal with a drug-resistant infection is to never catch it in the first place.Dr Amanda Doyle, from NHS England, said: “The launch of a world-first routine vaccination for gonorrhoea is a huge step forward for sexual health and will be crucial in protecting individuals, helping to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria.”The people most affected by gonorrhoea in the UK are those aged 16-to-25, gay and bisexual men, and those of black and Caribbean ancestry.The vaccine – which costs around £8 per dose – is value for money when primarily offered to gay and bisexual men, rather than all teenagers.However, clinicians do have the freedom to use their own judgement and offer the vaccine to people using sexual health services they think are of equally high risk.People will be offered mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), HPV and hepatitis vaccines at the same time.Prof Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: “This is excellent news and a landmark moment for sexual health in England.”Gonorrhoea diagnoses are at their highest since records began and this has the potential to help us to turn that around.”It is not known how long the protection provided by the vaccine will last or how often booster jabs might be required.The decision comes almost a year and a half after a vaccination programme was recommended by the UK’s JCVI.Sexual health campaigners had criticised that long wait, but have welcomed this decision.Katie Clark, head of policy and advocacy at the Terrance Higgins Trust, called it a “huge win”.Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.

Early on a Saturday morning in Minnesota, a group of teenagers gathered at the edge of six acres of wooded, hilly land. Most were quiet, some blinking against the sun. They were robotics enthusiasts, aspiring marine scientists, artists, athletes and Scouts.What they shared was a desire for hands-on conservation work, a meaningful response for many of them to their worries about climate change.“Cool,” said Sophia Peterson, the group’s 18-year-old leader, who faced the crowd with a grin. “Let’s get started.”50 States, 50 Fixes is a series about local solutions to environmental problems. More to come this year.The students were organized by the Green Crew, an environmental group founded by a teenager in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro area. The organization seeks to help a generation that has grown up under the threat of climate change channel their fears into concrete action.Tell Us About Solutions Where You Live

Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s office pushed back on speculation that there had been a coverup around the illness.Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer before last week, his spokesman said on Tuesday, pushing back against speculation that there had been some sort of coverup around the illness.The spokesman, Chris Meagher, also said Mr. Biden’s last-known prostate-specific antigen test, the most common way to screen for prostate cancer, was in 2014. Mr. Biden would have been 71 or 72 years old at the time.The new details help provide some clarity about Mr. Biden’s health records, but they still do not directly give an answer on why Mr. Biden was not regularly screened for prostate cancer throughout his presidency.Mr. Meagher did not respond to that question, and Kevin O’Connor, Mr. Biden’s doctor in the White House, did not respond to inquiries. But allies of Mr. Biden, 82, and medical experts point to guidelines that advise against P.S.A. screening for men over the age of 70. The guidelines vary slightly across different medical organizations, but doctors generally agree that men of an advanced age should not automatically be screened for prostate cancer.But Mr. Biden was not just the average American man, and his diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer has raised the question: Should the oldest president in American history have gone beyond those guidelines? Mr. Biden, until July, was also running for a second term in office, and had he won, he would have been 86 at the end of his second term.Some men over 70 do choose to have the test despite the guidelines. President Trump, 78, has been regularly screened for prostate cancer, according to his medical records from the last decade. Mr. Trump’s medical report from his physical last month showed his P.S.A. level was normal.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

1 hour agoShareSaveShareSaveHayley JarvisBBC Scotland NewsJohnpaul began using nicotine pouches to help him get off vapes – but says it just led to another addiction.At one stage he was using 15 pouches a day, although the 16-year-old has now cut back to five.Health experts say the pouches – small sachets that fit between the top lip and the gum, nicknamed “snus” by some teenagers – are addictive and may have other harmful side effects.They are largely unregulated in the UK and there is currently no law to stop children buying them.Some campaigners fear that the ban on disposable vapes which comes into effect on 1 June could see more young people turning to the stronger nicotine pouches.Johnpaul started using the pouches as a coping mechanism, and to help him get off vapes.”It just led to another addiction,” he said. “It’s just an instant hit. It makes me forget my surroundings.”I’m not going to say I don’t enjoy that, I do, but there are still a lot more negatives to it than there are positives.”Johnpaul is working with other young people to raise awareness about nicotine pouches as part of a project with the charity Fast Forward and the Skills Training Programme at West Lothian Council.While packs contain age restriction warnings, Johnpaul says he has no problem buying them.”At the moment, I really don’t want to stop, but I definitely want to cut down and cut down the amount of milligrams I’m taking.”Just keep it as low as I can, so it’ll be a lot easier to quit when I feel that I’m ready to.”Lee, 16, says he and most of his friends use nicotine pouches – although he wishes he had never started.”Most times people wouldn’t know because it’s tucked away in your gum and sometimes you can push it up so people really can’t see it,” he said.”I’ve tried to stop before, but it’s something you can get highly addicted to, which is quite a bad thing.”If I could go back and not start, I would.”Aleksandra, 16, has tried nicotine pouches, but says they’re not for her.”It was fine for the first five minutes and after you swallow your spit it doesn’t taste good.”It burns and it makes you feel sick. It wasn’t great.”She says the products are marketed towards young people on social media and given away at railway stations, where they can easily be given to teenagers who look older.Getty ImagesLeigh Ronald from Fast Forward, which offers health and wellbeing support, says young people are increasingly talking about pouches and looking to find out more information.She says it is likely that they will look for alternatives, like nicotine pouches, when the ban on disposable vapes comes into effect across the UK on 1 June.Most pouches contain six to 20 milligrams (mg) of nicotine, while some contain 50mg – about five times stronger than an average cigarette.The pouches are often referred to as snus, although that is a different product which contains tobacco and has been banned in the UK and EU since 1992.The general use of nicotine pouches remains low in Great Britain.Research suggests that about 5% of adults and 3% of under-18s have tried them – but use appears to be increasing and is higher in some groups, particularly young men.One popular brand reported a 121% increase in sales in 2023.Retailers approached by BBC Scotland said they did not sell nicotine pouches to under-18s.Alan McLevy is head of manufacturing at VPZ, which sells vapes, pouches and other nicotine products.He says his firm operates a Challenge 25 policy and that its aim is to help people quit smoking.He said: “If you’ve not smoked before, if you’ve not vaped before, there’s absolutely no need to buy a pouch. None whatsoever.”It’s a harm reduction technique and it’s for current smokers to find a way to stop using combustible cigarettes.”Dr Richard Holliday, senior lecturer at the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University, says nicotine pouches are less harmful than cigarettes – but not risk free.His team recently published an article on nicotine pouches in the British Dental Journal that was downloaded more than 250,000 times.It says more research is needed and that there may be an impact on oral health – such as gum recession.”The paper has obviously touched a nerve. I think a lot of people are looking for information on this topic,” he says.Dr Zoe Coyle, a lecturer at the Dental Institute in Edinburgh, also warned that repeated use of nicotine pouches can lead to gum recession and other issues with teeth and lips.”I would be concerned particularly about young people using nicotine pouches,” she says.Ash ScotlandSheila Duffy, chief executive of anti-smoking charity Ash Scotland, says teachers have raised concerns about the pouches, which retail at “pocket money prices”.”It’s very fast absorbed, it can easily be twice the level of nicotine in nicotine replacement therapy. So this is very highly addictive,” she said.”Addiction to nicotine in any form opens you up to the whole profile of products – industry knows this.”So a kid that starts using nicotine pouches, which are easily concealed, which may be highly flavoured and attractive because they’ve been pushed through social media, that child is much more at risk of ending up as a smoker.”UK-wide legislation is being proposed to ban the sale of nicotine products – including pouches – to under-18s.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also stop free distribution and give ministers the power to regulate the flavours, packaging and display of all vapes and other nicotine products.Ash Scotland say it is a step in the right direction, but fears that the introduction of new regulations will take too long.

Nearly 100 neurology experts collaborated on the creation of a new method of evaluating patients with traumatic brain injuries.Dr. Geoffrey Manley, a neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, wants the medical establishment to change the way it deals with brain injuries. His work is motivated in part by what happened to a police officer he treated in 2002, just after completing his medical training.The man arrived at the emergency room unconscious, in a coma. He had been in a terrible car crash while pursuing a criminal.Two days later, Dr. Manley’s mentor said it was time to tell the man’s family there was no hope. His life support should be withdrawn. He should be allowed to die.Dr. Manley resisted. The patient’s brain oxygen levels were encouraging. Seven days later the policeman was still in a coma. Dr. Manley’s mentor again pressed him to talk to the man’s family about withdrawing life support. Again, Dr. Manley resisted.Ten days after the accident, the policeman began to come out of his coma. Three years later he was back at work and was named San Francisco Police Officer of the Month. In 2010, he was Police Officer of the Year“That case, and another like it,” Dr. Manley said, “changed my practice.”But little has changed in the world of traumatic brain injuries since Dr. Manley’s patient woke up. Assessments of who will recover and how severely patients are injured are pretty much the same, which results in patients being told they “just” have a concussion, who then have trouble getting care for recurring symptoms like memory lapses or headaches. And it results in some patients in the position of that policemen, who have their life support withdrawn when they might have recovered.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Compensation for infected blood victims needs to be delivered faster, campaigners have said on the first anniversary of a public inquiry report into what has been described as the worst treatment disaster in NHS history.”We are dying at pace, the government needs to be working at pace, not just talking about it,” one campaigner said on Tuesday as a letter calling for action was handed in to the prime minister.Diana Johnson, a minister who for years as a Labour MP supported victims of the scandal, said it was “disappointing” to hear how slow process had been.But Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas Symonds said the government was “committed to delivering compensation as swiftly as possible”.More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV or hepatitis C or both after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Around 3,000 people have died.In his final report released one year ago, inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff said the scandal had been largely avoidable and involved systemic failings.Campaigners had expected rapid compensation, but so far only 100 people have received payouts. They gathered at Westminster on Tuesday to hand in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, stating their concern at the lack of progress. “Twelve months on from the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s devastating report, there remains deep concern from the contaminated blood community that politics is continuing to fail them,” the letter said.”As the Infected Blood Inquiry heard when it reconvened hearings on 7 May 2025, the community’s voice was absent when the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme was drawn up. The resulting scheme contains fundamental flaws, which could and would have been foreseen.”Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Diana Johnson MP, who is now a Home Office Minister, told BBC News that she appreciated the concerns of campaigners and sympathised with their argument.”It’s disappointing to hear just how slow the process is though, and I fully appreciate the concerns that so many people who are gathered today are making about wanting to get those payments out to people,” she said.”We know on average someone dies every couple of weeks, so this has to be paid. But the money is there.”When asked whether she could use her position as minister to make their case she said she was speaking to the BBC as a constituency MP.Jacqueline Wrixton, who was infected with hepatitis C as the result of a blood transfusion, said: “It’s been a year since the euphoria of the recommendations, and yet, as an infected person… the statistics that roughly two a week are dying, we’ve still not got payment.”We are dying at pace, the government needs to be working at pace, not just talking about it. We need to see the actions.”Cabinet Office minister Thomas–Symonds said: “The victims of this scandal have suffered unspeakably.”After decades of delay, it has fallen to this government to act. We are acting on the inquiry’s 12 recommendations, so that this never happens again, and to get justice for victims.”While no amount of compensation will make up for the suffering people have endured, we are committed to delivering compensation as swiftly as possible.”

Guidelines advise no screening after age 70, and doctors say that even men who test diligently may develop an aggressive cancer after none was found at a recent checkup.Some Americans say they don’t understand how former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. could have only recently learned that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones. How could the former commander in chief, a man with access to high-quality medical care, not have known earlier that he had such a serious condition?Mr. Biden, 82, has not disclosed details about when the cancer was discovered, or whether he had been regularly examined for prostate cancer. It may be that he had not been screened. Guidelines from professional organizations that advise doctors and public health officials recommend against screening for men over age 70.But many men, in consultation with their doctors, continue screening into their 70s, which is not unreasonable if the man is healthy and has a life expectancy of at least 10 years, said Dr. Scott Eggener, a prostate cancer specialist at the University of Chicago.Prostate cancer experts also say, though, that even if Mr. Biden had been screened regularly, it’s entirely possible the cancer was not detected till recently. They said that some men suddenly find out they have advanced prostate cancer even after being screened regularly year after year and told they have a clean bill of health.It is unusual, but it does happen.“I have an entire collection of what I call rocket PSAs,” said Dr. Ian Thompson, a prostate cancer specialist at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. These are men, he said, who are screened year after year with the PSA, a blood test that can pick up signs of prostate cancer. Year after year, their PSA is very low. Then, suddenly, it soars.He also sees men with advanced prostate cancer who have normal results on their PSA screening tests.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Agency leaders said they wanted to restore trust in the shots with further studies. But the proposed criteria may reduce access to the vaccines for many people who want them.The Food and Drug Administration may require data from additional clinical trials before approving updated Covid-19 vaccines for healthy Americans younger than 65, according to new rules detailed on Tuesday by agency officials.New doses of the vaccines offer “uncertain” benefit to those under 65 who have previously been vaccinated or have had Covid, the officials said in The New England Journal of Medicine.Citing low uptake of recent Covid shots, “the American people, along with many health care providers, remain unconvinced,” wrote Dr. Vinay Prasad, the F.D.A.’s vaccine division chief, and Dr. Martin Makary, the agency’s commissioner.During the pandemic, both officials sharply criticized vaccine mandates and other public health measures intended to turn back the coronavirus. “The F.D.A. will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk,” Dr. Prasad and Dr. Makary wrote. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, is a prominent vaccine skeptic who spent years campaigning against the Covid shots. Under his leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services has taken a more critical view of vaccines in general, raising questions about their safety and whether they should be so widely administered.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

6 hours agoShareSaveNikki FoxBBC health correspondent, East of EnglandShareSavePAEight months into its 25-month timeline, the Lampard Inquiry is beginning to expose deep-rooted issues in NHS mental health services in Essex. With more than 2,000 deaths in inpatient units between 2000 and the end of 2023, the inquiry is examining not only local failings but also whether these reflect wider national problems. Here is what has emerged so far.A system under scrutinyThe inquiry is named after its chairwoman, Baroness Kate Lampard.She is a former barrister who oversaw the NHS investigations into abuse by former television presenter Jimmy Savile.It is primarily focused on Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), formed in 2017 from the merger of North and South Essex Partnership Trusts. It is also looking at the deaths of patients from Essex at inpatient units run by private providers and 215 facilities run by other NHS organisations, such as North East London NHS Foundation Trust.The former health ombudsman Sir Rob Behrens said on average, 5% of all mental health cases received by his team between 2011 and 2023 were related to Essex.He called the failures in care “the National Health Service at its worst”.During testimony from the relatives and friends of those who died, it emerged that they were individuals from a range of backgrounds, including a chef, bus driver, heating engineer, former head teacher, and parish councillor.LAMPARD INQUIRYLack of staffThe inquiry has heard evidence of a long-term reduction in registered mental health nurses, with increased reliance on healthcare support workers across England. This shift has been linked to reduced patient engagement and increased risk.Former chief nurse Maria Nelligan told the inquiry this was because healthcare support workers were “cheaper” and said the shift compromised therapeutic care.Dr Paul Davidson, a consultant psychiatrist, described how staff across England were “rushed off their feet,” contributing to a workplace culture where professionals feared being blamed “whatever decision they took”. Paul Scott, chief executive of EPUT, stated the trust had reduced its use of agency staff by 30%. Poor data STUART WOODWARD/BBCThe inquiry has also highlighted issues with data collection and transparency. Deborah Cole, from the charity Inquest, described how there was no “complete set of statistics in relation to those who die in mental health detention”. Dr Davidson added: “There is good information in relation to deaths by suicide, [but] this is not a helpful tool by which to assess how mental services are being provided overall.”Baroness Lampard has warned that the inquiry may never uncover the full scale of deaths linked to failings in Essex mental health services.She stated that while a figure would be published, it was likely to be approximate, due to incomplete or inconsistent data over the 24-year period under reviewRegulating trustsThe inquiry has examined the complexity of the regulatory system overseeing NHS trusts. Mr Scott described being “overwhelmed” by the number of regulatory bodies -19 in total – each issuing recommendations. This, he said, made it difficult to implement consistent change.Away from the inquiry, in October 2024, the health secretary stated that the government intended to reform the regulatory system.This was in response to a review of the way the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected trusts, called the Penny Dash Review, which said the framework was too complicated.The Lampard Inquiry will consider the CQC’s role in relation to events in Essex.AnalysisThree systemic issues raised by the inquiry – staff shortages, poor data, and regulatory complexity – have been longstanding concerns. The Royal College of Nursing, the CQC and a 2023 Public Accounts Committee report all flagged staffing shortages and burnout. A 2023 review found Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust had lost track of patient death data, while a 2025 Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) report called for a unified national dataset. Regulatory reform is also under way following multiple critical reviews. While Baroness Lampard is expected to reference these reports, the inquiry is also under pressure to uncover new evidence.Some families have expressed concern regarding its pace, and limited focus so far on cultural change.They have also noted that safeguarding issues, such as patients absconding from units, have received little attention – a relevant issue given a recent inquest into the death of an 18-year-old who died while on escorted leave from an EPUT unit.Transparency and whistleblowingOnly 11 out of 14,000 staff came forward during the earlier non-statutory phase of the inquiry. Baroness Lampard has said she will use statutory powers to compel evidence if necessary. Mr Scott acknowledged that “closed cultures” existed at EPUT but said the trust was encouraging openness. During a recent inquest into the death of a 16-year-old patient, a manager testified that staff were reluctant to raise safety concerns. Brian O’Donnell, clinical lead at the St Aubyn Centre in Colchester, said there was a “real concern about safety on the wards, and staff are too worried to say anything about it”.Families have also raised concerns about delays in evidence disclosure, including a postponed inquiry session on a Oxevision, an infrared monitoring system, due to late submission of information by EPUT.But Baroness Lampard said her decision to delay the hearing “should not be viewed in any way as enabling EPUT to avoid answering questions about its use of Oxevision”.ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTWhat comes next?PAIn July, the inquiry will focus on the two former trusts that merged to form EPUT. Mr Scott has said, when he arrived at the trust in 2000, the legacy of the merger was that “there was too much focus on governance and management and not enough on patient safety”.Families are calling for detailed scrutiny of individual deaths, but the inquiry is more likely to use selected cases to illustrate broader systemic issues such as governance, and culture.Mr Scott has apologised for deaths under the trust’s care and stated that he believes EPUT should remain the provider of mental health services in Essex. More on this storyRelated internet links

17 minutes agoShareSaveEleanor LawrieSocial affairs reporterShareSaveBBC