Thinking Allowed The Irish in the UK
Producer: Jayne Egerton

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Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Hancock: Discharging patients into care homes was ‘least-worst' Covid decision
Matt Hancock has insisted that discharging patients from hospitals to care homes in the early stages of the pandemic was 'the least-worst decision' at the time. The former health secretary admitted that forming a protective ring around care homes was 'impossible' as he doubled down on the policy, which was among the most controversial decisions of the pandemic. The Covid Inquiry previously heard there were more than 43,000 deaths involving the virus in care homes across the UK between March 2020 and July 2022. Alasdair Donaldson, a senior civil servant, was quoted earlier this week describing the toll as a ' generational slaughter within care homes '. On Wednesday, Mr Hancock acknowledged the discharge policy was an ' incredibly contentious issue ' but told the inquiry that 'nobody has yet provided me with an alternative that was available at the time that would have saved more lives'. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, hospital patients were rapidly discharged into care homes in a bid to free up beds and prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed. However, there was no policy in place requiring patients to be tested beforehand, or for asymptomatic patients to isolate, until mid-April. This was despite growing awareness of the risks of people without Covid symptoms being able to spread the virus. NHS 'insisted' on policy Mr Hancock, who resigned from the government in 2021 after admitting to breaking social distancing guidance while having an affair with a colleague, has now appeared at the inquiry seven times. Returning for a full-day session to face questions specifically about the care sector, Mr Hancock said the hospital discharge policy had been 'driven' by the then NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens, now Lord Stevens. Mr Hancock said: 'It was formally a government decision. It was signed off by the prime minister. It was really driven by Simon Stevens, the chief executive of the NHS, but it was widely discussed.'


ITV News
33 minutes ago
- ITV News
Princess of Wales opens up on cancer 'rollercoaster' on visit to Essex hospital
Experiencing cancer is 'life-changing' for both patients and their loved ones, the Princess of Wales said during a visit to a hospital in Essex. Kate said the recovery journey from cancer was a 'rollercoaster' as she discussed treatment and the importance of holistic cancer care with patients, volunteers and staff at Colchester Hospital's Wellbeing Centre on Wednesday. The princess, who revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer in March last year, praised the centre's 'holistic' approach to the support it offers patients, relatives and carers which includes counselling and dietary advice. While chatting to a group of the centre's users, volunteers and staff, the princess said: 'It's life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is life-changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well. "Actually it sometimes goes unrecognised. You don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time, you don't appreciate how much impact it is going to have. 'You have to find your new normal and that takes time. 'Someone described the sort of healing, recovery journey to me as being like a sort of zig-zag. 'It's a rollercoaster, it's not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be, but the reality is it's not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this, to have the support network, whether it's through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be, is so valuable and it's great that this community has it. 'It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.' She added: 'There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody [thinks], 'Right you've finished your time, go, you're better', and that's not the case at all.' After visiting the centre, the princess braved the drizzly weather to plant several coral-pink Catherine's Rose plants in the hospital's Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Wellbeing Garden. The RHS named the flower after Kate to raise awareness of the role that spending time outdoors plays in supporting people's mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Foregoing gardening gloves which were offered to her, she knelt down to plant the roses using her bare hands and a trowel to pat down the soil alongside Adam Frost, the award-winning garden designer who led the design of the space. Opened in July last year, the wellbeing garden at the hospital offers a relaxing and restorative space for NHS staff, patients and visitors.


The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Kate Middleton reveals ‘life-changing' cancer journey has been a ‘rollercoaster'
The Princess of Wales openly discussed her 'life changing' cancer journey and 'rollercoaster' recovery on a visit to an Essex hospital. Speaking at Colchester Hospital, Kate Middleton revealed the toll cancer takes on family and friends. 'It is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well and actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time, you don't appreciate how much impact it is going to have,' the princess told a group of users, volunteers and staff at the Cancer Wellbeing Centre. The princess was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer in March last year, in the same year as the King was also diagnosed with cancer. On her visit to the hospital, she praised the centre's 'holistic' approach to the support it offers patients, relatives and carers, which includes counselling and dietary advice. 'There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody expects you, right you've finished your time, go, you're better, and that's not the case at all,' she added. 'You have to find your new normal and that takes time.' After visiting the centre, the princess planted several coral-pink Catherine's Rose plants in the hospital's Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) wellbeing garden, which offers a restorative space for staff, patients and visitors.