logo
Plan to support 'hugely important' unpaid Peterborough carers

Plan to support 'hugely important' unpaid Peterborough carers

BBC News17-06-2025
A council has suggested awarding £1.7m to services that support "hugely important" unpaid carers in a city.Peterborough City councillors were being asked to authorise contracts for £1.14m to a service supporting adult carers and £566,000 to one aimed at helping young carers.A council report produced ahead of a meeting on Tuesday said there were 608 active carers in the city, of which 146 were young carers aged under the age of 18.It said support for carers was important to ensure "[They] are recognised, valued, and supported to maintain their caring role as long as possible".
It cited research suggesting that unpaid carers contributed £162bn to the economy in England and Wales each year.The report said: "It is widely acknowledged that unpaid carers provide a hugely important role in saving the economy money, and they should be suitably supported."
'Feeling overwhelmed'
The contracts would be awarded for up to five years to Making Space, an organisation supporting adult carers, and Centre 33, which supports children and young people.The report said many carers reported "feeling overwhelmed at the start of their caring journey" and wanted to be able to access information and advice more easily.It said young people making the transition to caring as an adult often found this challenging, while carers of all ages expressed the need to take a break from their role.The providers would give carers an introductory pack explaining the basics of how to navigate the system.The council also said the providers would identify carers at risk of domestic abuse and introduce an evening carers' group for those working during the day, "ensuring the groups reach a broader range of carers".The council's cabinet has been asked to authorise both contracts at its meeting on Tuesday.
Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shop-bought health testing kits 'inaccurate and unsuitable', study says
Shop-bought health testing kits 'inaccurate and unsuitable', study says

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

Shop-bought health testing kits 'inaccurate and unsuitable', study says

Home health tests bought by people seeking answers about their conditions could give inaccurate and misleading results and require much greater regulation to ensure they are safe, reliable, and effective, researchers have bowel cancer to the menopause, shop-bought health kits now test for a wide range of conditions and are readily available on high streets and in supermarkets across the two new studies, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), say many of the kits lack crucial information, such as who should use them, how to interpret the results, and what steps to take response, the regulator which oversees medical devices in the UK, MHRA, says it is "overhauling" safety standards. Researchers at the University of Birmingham collected and analysed 30 self-test kits, costing between £1.89 and £39.99, in 2023. These included tests for conditions such as bowel cancer, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues, HIV, and the researchers concluded that only 14 of the kits they looked at included any statement about accuracy, and fewer than a quarter gave clear guidance on next steps after receiving a also found that nearly half advised users to consult a healthcare professional regardless of the result, something experts warn could place additional pressure on NHS Jon Deeks, who led the research, said current regulations do not go far enough to protect consumers. "Self-tests have a clear potential to improve public health. However, for them to be beneficial and not harmful, they must be proven to be accurate, easy to use, and supported by clear instructions," he said. Self-testing has been around in the UK for more than 50 years in the form of pregnancy tests, first introduced in 1971. During the Covid lockdown, lateral flow tests for Covid became common. Neither was included in the University of Birmingham research, published by the BMJ. "When integrated appropriately into clinical pathways, self-tests have been shown to increase uptake of testing in underserved groups," say the the BMJ warns that offering self-testing based on the ability to pay, rather than clinical need, risks "widening inequalities and the exploitation of vulnerable population groups". Bernie Croal, President of the Royal College of Pathologists, told the BMJ poor-quality testing could lead to both "false reassurance" and "unnecessary consequences" for the UK self-test market is expected to grow significantly, with revenues forecast to reach £660m by 2030."Direct-to-consumer tests may be appealing to the public, as they can provide diagnostic results quickly, offering privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy over healthcare decisions," says the authors classified 60% of the tests they looked at as "high risk".While most kits carried claims of high accuracy, some above 98%, the researchers say supporting evidence was often not made publicly available. Although manufacturers are not currently required by law to publish clinical performance data, the BMJ calls for greater transparency. The Royal College of General Practitioners has also called for more openness in the Burt, Head of Diagnostics and General Medical Devices at MHRA, said it is examining the research, "We're exploring new transparency measures such as requiring published summaries of clinical evidence."In the meantime, we strongly encourage anyone using a self-test to check for a CE or UKCA mark, read the instructions carefully, and seek medical advice if they're unsure about their result".

Walking 7,000 steps a day is enough to boost health
Walking 7,000 steps a day is enough to boost health

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Walking 7,000 steps a day is enough to boost health

Walking 7,000 steps a day may be enough to protect against a number of diseases, a new study suggests. While many people have the goal to get 10,000 steps in their daily routine, some find this target difficult to achieve. But new research suggests 'sizeable' health benefits – including a reduced risk of dementia, heart disease and premature death – can still be seen from fewer daily steps. Even modest step counts of 4,000 steps a day can reap benefits over very low levels of activity, experts found. But experts noted that '10,000 steps per day will still be better than 7,000 steps' – with the higher step count leading to more health benefits. The new study, led by academics from the University of Sydney in Australia, saw researchers examine data from dozens of studies from around the world, including in the UK, on tens of thousands of adults. People who walked 7,000 steps each day appeared to have a protective effect against a number of diseases including: a 25% lower risk of heart disease; a 14% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes; a 38% lower risk of dementia and 22% reduced risk of depression. The researchers also found that when people walked 7,000 daily steps, compared to walking 2,000 steps, they were 47% less likely to die during the follow-up periods of the studies analysed. And while the number of steps walked did not sway whether or not a person got cancer, people who walked more steps were significantly less likely to die from cancer – with 37% lower odds of cancer death compared to people who walked fewer steps. 'Although 10 000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7,000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some,' the authors wrote in the journal Lancet Public Health. They added: 'Even modest daily step counts were associated with health benefits. '7,000 steps per day was associated with sizeable risk reductions across most outcomes, compared with the reference of 2,000 steps per day.' Commenting on the study, Dr Daniel Bailey, Reader – Sedentary Behaviour and Health, Brunel University of London, said: 'The finding that doing 5000-7000 steps per day is an important addition to the literature which helps to debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health. 'This study suggested that 5000-7000 steps per day can significantly reduce the risk of many health outcomes, but that does not mean you cannot get benefits if you don't meet this target. 'The study also found that health risks were reduced with each 1000 extra steps per day, up to a maximum of 12,000 steps per day. So just adding more steps from your starting point can have important benefits for health.' Dr Andrew Scott, senior Lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of Portsmouth, added: 'In most cases the 10,000 steps per day will still be better than 7,000 steps, just by decreasing margins of health benefit return. 'More important than the exact number of steps, it demonstrates that overall, more is always better and people should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited. 'The steps per day is useful when people's exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps per day model.'

New research suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day can support overall health
New research suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day can support overall health

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

New research suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day can support overall health

A new study suggests that walking 7,000 steps daily can significantly reduce the risk of various serious illnesses, presenting a more attainable goal than the widely publicized 10,000-step target. Led by academics from the University of Sydney, the research examined data from dozens of global studies, including those in the UK, involving tens of thousands of adults. Individuals consistently achieving 7,000 steps daily showed a 25% lower risk of heart disease, a 14% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, a 38% decrease in dementia, and a 22% reduction in depression. The study also found that walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a 47% lower likelihood of death during follow-up periods compared to 2,000 steps, and a 37% lower chance of cancer death. While 10,000 steps per day still offer greater health advantages, experts noted that even modest step counts provide benefits, with 7,000 steps being a realistic and clinically meaningful target for many.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store