Latest news with #Knowsley
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Measles outbreak in Knowsley as vaccine rates drop
A borough on Merseyside is dealing with an outbreak of measles amid concerns over falling vaccination rates. Knowsley has recorded 13 probable cases of the virus including 11 children, although that number is expected to rise as some are still awaiting test of measles have become a concern across the country, a problem many believe is associated with falling uptake of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, usually administered in two doses. Dr Sarah McNulty, director of public health at Knowsley Council, said about a third of people between the ages of two and 30 in the borough had not had either dose of the MMR jab. She said about a fifth of children and young people in Knowsley, including 14% of two to five-years-olds, had not had a dose. Merseyside measles outbreak fear over low vaccine uptake Dr McNulty told BBC Radio Merseyside: "Because we haven't seen measles for a while, I think people forget that measles can be a serious illness. "It's not pleasant to have and it can have some quite severe complications, it can cause things like pneumonia"People who get measles sometimes end up in hospital. It's not an illness that you would want to have if there is, as there is, a pretty good preventative intervention that you can take." Measles infections usually start with cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose and coughing and sneezing, according to the NHS. This is followed within days by a distinctive blotchy rash, which usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Dr McNulty said further outbreaks were likely across the country unless "we get really good population coverage of the MMR vaccine". She said the reason for falling vaccination rates was a "mixed picture"."I think some of it is that people tend to forget that it's a serious illness and so don't necessarily prioritize the vaccination for their children," she said. Deliberate "anti-vaccination sentiment" was another reason, she said, adding: "I think that there is misinformation that people are maybe grabbing hold of and not, you know, using other sources of trusted information to try and debate that."Dr McNulty said the MMR vaccine "has a lot of evidence around its safety" and urged anyone with concerns to speak to their GP or healthcare providers. Children are usually given an initial dose of the MMR jab just before their first birthday, with the second administered after they turn three. However, Dr McNulty said that was in the process of changing, and children born within the last year would be eligible to get a second dose at about 18 months who has not already received the vaccine can also request it from their GP at any age. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Majority of children will be overweight or obese in nine areas of England by 2035, study shows
The majority of children will be overweight or obese in nine areas of England by 2035, according to 'deeply concerning' projections showing child obesity rates are set to worsen across 90% of the country. More than a third of primary school children (36%) are already overweight or obese, figures from the government's national child measurement programme show. Modelling by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), seen by the Guardian, predicts the proportion of year 6 pupils affected will increase to four in 10 (41%) by 2034-35. In total, rates of overweight or obese children will rise in 136 of 151 local authority areas (90%) in the next decade, the analysis suggests. And for the first time since records began, rates are projected to top 50% in nine council areas, which means there will be more overweight or obese 10- and 11-year-olds in those areas than not. They are Blackpool (54%), Knowsley (52%), Sandwell (52%), Barking and Dagenham (52%), Wolverhampton (51%), Walsall (51%), Newham (51%), Luton (50%) and Nottingham (50%). In an interview with the Guardian, William Roberts, the chief executive of the RSPH, said the causes of the crisis were 'wide-ranging' but junk food and low levels of activity were 'major factors'. 'Obesity in childhood leads to several complex health problems that can last a lifetime,' he said. 'These include diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer and poor mental health. Making it easier for children to move around and eat healthily is a key part of preventing this.' Roberts, who previously held senior roles in the NHS, said: 'As a nation we're failing the test on childhood obesity. Our projections show that we are heading in the wrong direction on obesity, with children in some of the most deprived areas set to be worst affected.' The latest data from the government's national child measurement programme, which covers mainstream state-maintained schools, shows the percentage of children leaving primary school in England overweight or obese was 36% in 2023-24. A report by the RSPH, due to be published this week and seen by the Guardian, analysed data from the programme going back to 2009-10, when the figure was 33%. The RSPH projects the rate will increase to 39% by 2029-30 and climb to 41% by 2034-35. The 18-page report, Playground Rules, calls on the government to encourage greater levels of physical activity in schools, which it argues is key to curbing child obesity. However, Katharine Jenner, the director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said ministers must also bring in reforms 'to fix the commercial food system that is causing soaring rates of childhood ill-health'. She added: 'This is a national issue, but the impact is felt locally – by families, schools and already stretched health services. With over a third of our children, in some areas up to a half, projected to be overweight or living with obesity in the coming years, we're facing longer NHS waiting lists and a generation of children too unwell to run, play or thrive.' Blackpool is not only projected to have the highest proportion of overweight or obese children in England by 2034-35, but is also predicted to have the largest rise in rates over the next decade, according to the analysis. Chris Webb, the Labour MP for Blackpool South, said: 'These projections from the RSPH are deeply concerning – but they don't have to be our future. With the right action and investment, we can turn the tide on child obesity and build a healthier Blackpool.' Webb said the country's 'broken food system' was to blame. Local initiatives like Grow Blackpool, a food growing project in the town's largest housing estate, Grange Park, could help, he said. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The project enables people to access healthy, cheap food with a local, sustainable food system that tackles both obesity and poverty, Webb said. 'The link between poverty and poor health is undeniable, so this government's work to address deep-rooted deprivation is vital,' he added. However, Cathy Cliff, the campaigns coordinator of the Soil Association, said child obesity rates were increasing because successive governments had failed to regulate ultra-processed food (UPF) companies. In May, a Guardian investigation revealed how Rishi Sunak's government dropped legal guidance urging retailers to offer deals on healthy food after a secret lobbying campaign by UPF firms. Five days later, the Guardian reported how Keir Starmer's government was delaying the launch of a ban on junk food adverts targeting children until 2026, sparking outrage among health campaigners. 'The UK government must use the upcoming food strategy to regulate and tax the unhealthiest foods and make it genuinely easy for everyone to enjoy a minimally processed diet,' said Cliff. David Fothergill, the chair of the community wellbeing board of the Local Government Association, which represents local authorities, said the RSPH projections were 'stark' and highlighted a 'ticking health timebomb'. 'To effectively tackle obesity, councils need funding to provide targeted support to those who need it the most,' he said. 'Money raised from the soft drinks industry levy should also be reinvested in other council-run programmes, including healthy eating programmes and active play and physical exercise schemes.' The government said it was determined to give every child the best start in life. 'That is why we are acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the school food standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance,' a spokesperson added. 'We are also considering how best to build physical activity into the lives of children and adults as part of our mission to boost the nation's health.'
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Labour government committed to Hillsborough Law
The government "remains fully committed" to introducing a Hillsborough Law and is working "at pace" to get it right, the Deputy Prime Minister has said. Angela Rayner said it would be brought forward as soon the government was confident it would "deliver the justice victims deserve", she said in reply to Labour MP for Knowsley Anneliese Midgley at Prime Minister's said the "state had failed victims... too many times in the past". Campaigners said earlier this year that they were disappointed that the law had not been made in time for the 36th anniversary of the 15 April, 1989 disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives. Speaking in the Commons, Midgley said: "Last Saturday marked eight years since Grenfell, eight years fighting for justice. The Hillsborough families, including Margaret Aspinall, from Huyton, have campaigned for 36 years for the Hillsborough law - decades."She asked will the government, "honour promises made to victims of state cover-ups and will it finally deliver justice for the 97?"Ms Raynor responded: "The state has failed victims and their families too many times in the past and that is precisely why our focus is on getting the legislation right. "I can assure her measures will be brought forward as soon as we're confident they will deliver the justice victims deserve and we want to do this at pace." Campaigners' disappointment The legislation was not made in time for April's anniversary, despite being trailed at the Labour conference last autumn by Prime Minister Keir week, MPs demanded that the government did not weaken the proposed Hillsborough Law. A draft bill has been criticised by campaigners, including the Hillsborough Law Now group, for not containing pledges previously made, including a "duty of candour".It would obligate public officials to co-operate truthfully with March it was reported that a meeting between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and campaigners was cancelled, with claims officials attempted to water down the bill. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
MP proposes ban on low letterbox law to protect postal workers
An MP has called for a ban on low letterboxes to protect postal workers from the risk of injury. Labour's Anneliese Midgley raised the issue in Parliament after workers told her about the risks around delivering mail to "low-level letterboxes" when she visited a delivery office in her said Royal Mail had recorded more than 18,000 back injuries in a year and more than 1,000 workers had fingers "partly or fully bitten off" by dogs in the past five a bill, the Knowsley MP said she wanted the current advice on letterboxes being at least 27in (70cm) from the ground in all new-build residential and commercial properties to become a mandatory requirement. She told the Commons that the government has committed to "raise standards and focus on delivery". "I have got a perfect bill for them - it's the Letterbox Positioning Bill," she said she had visited postal workers in Huyton and was urged to "sort out those low-level letterboxes"."They're worried that one of these days, one of them could get a life-changing injury," she said."I watched our posties working flat out, and it really hit home how hard they work, whatever the weather, whatever the conditions, and I asked 'what could I do to help?'" Speaking as she proposed the bill under the 10-minute rule, which allows backbenchers to make a short speech to propose new legislation, Midgley said one worker in Lancaster had lost the tip of a finger when it was bitten off by a dog. She told MPs and a number of postal workers who were in the chamber to hear her speech that political campaigners had also suffered injuries while said her "heart sank" when she was faced with a low letterbox while campaigning."The only thing lower than the letterbox is the mood of anyone who has to use one," she Speaker Nusrat Ghani said that as a "frequent leafleteer in Sussex Weald, I am particularly invested in this piece of legislation". At present, there are no planning regulations around the placing of letterboxes in doors and British Standards Agency previously agreed they should not be installed close to the ground, but that has never been written into building standards bill would make the standard height mandatory for all new residential and commercial said several other countries had already adopted such Ireland, the law was changed in 2000 to require all letterboxes to be at least 30in (76cm) above ground level, while Portugal and Belgium have similar height added that she wanted MPs to "give this bill the stamp of approval and get it signed, sealed and delivered".Her bill will be added to private members' bills that could be debated on 11 July. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘Nearly everyone I know has one': The borough where one in three people has a sick note
When David was 49, he spent six weeks off work recovering from what he calls a health 'nightmare'. Complications following surgery for diverticulitis, a bowel complaint, kept him away from his role as a healthcare assistant in a local hospital. On his return, his employer minimised his duties. Now in his 60s and retired, David (who doesn't want to give his full name) is making his way across a rainy, low-rise shopping precinct in Knowsley on his mobility scooter. He is one of a disproportionately large number of residents in the Merseyside borough who has taken an extended period of time off work for sickness at some point. Despite, or perhaps because of his own health struggles, he takes a dim view of some of those in the area who obtain sick notes (known as 'fit notes') for physical or mental illness. 'I know of people who have them,' he says. 'Some find it no problem [to get one]. I've heard them say [it was easy].' Research carried out by The Telegraph has found that Knowsley has the highest proportion of working age people receiving statements of fitness for work – documents providing advice to the claimant and their employer about the impact of a health condition on their ability to do a job. It is used as evidence that someone can't work, can't carry out certain tasks at work, or requires certain adaptations to remain in work. In Knowsley, an area to the east of Liverpool that covers several towns, 3.1 sick notes were issued last year for every 10 registered NHS patients, according to the most recent data (which goes up to December 2024), making it the 'sick note capital' of England. Almost a fifth of the sick notes issued were for mental health complaints, making mental ill health the most common stated reason for obtaining one. Fifty-six per cent are listed as unknown reasons, or 'reasons not provided' – a gap in the data that is replicated across the country. David, from Kirkby in the north of the borough, is not the only one to suspect some may be getting themselves signed off work for questionable reasons. 'A lot of them do it because their mothers do it and their fathers do it and so they do it,' says Lele, 48, a nurse in Huyton, a town to the south, where Liverpool F.C. and Everton merchandise hangs side by side in a market stall in the main pedestrianised zone. 'They fall into the pattern. Nearly everyone I know [has a sick note].' When it comes to understanding the story behind the figures, intergenerational worklessness is part of the picture in certain areas that long ago lost their industry and with it, often, their sense of purpose and identity. ' People talk about 'sick note Britain', but there are definitely post-industrial areas like [Knowsley] where you have long-term entrenched worklessness,' says Ed Davies, director of research at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). 'You've got Knowsley on one side of the Mersey and Birkenhead on the other, and Birkenhead also has some of the highest levels of incapacity benefit, but what these places have in common is the loss of the shipping industry and they've never quite recovered.' For young people who are fourth or fifth generation unemployed, 'it's not so much that they're shirking, it's that they haven't got a framework, they've literally never seen what it looks like to set an alarm clock and get a job,' says Davies. Life expectancy is lower in poorer areas This doesn't mean that all of the sickness is not genuine. Knowsley is ranked as having the second-highest levels of deprivation nationally, and the link between poverty and ill health is well established, if complex. Life expectancy is generally lower in poorer areas, and residents in deprived communities live a higher proportion of their lives with health problems, a report by The King's Fund noted last year. Reasons for this range from the difficulty of accessing NHS services and a healthy diet, to poor housing and stress caused by financial struggles. 'What I see [locally] is very high levels of ill health because of all those [social determinants],' says Dr Sarah McNulty, director of public health for Knowsley Council. 'The environment, their jobs… the housing they're in, life stresses, financial stresses.' Standing by the cab rank in Kirkby, taxi driver James Catterall, 71, points towards some high-rise apartments in the distance. 'See that block of flats?' he says. '[The residents] have got three weeks to move out.' He's talking about Beech Rise and Willow Rise, which the fire service recently condemned due to problems including broken lifts, badly fitted doors and malfunctioning fire alarms. Many people in those blocks work, say the local cabbies, but they're now on the verge of losing their homes. The knock-on effects of this may well be seen down the line in health outcomes. Residents mention other local issues too, including concerns about the health risks of certain industrial sites. Kirkby developed as an urban centre in the mid-20th century, providing more housing for the overspill of people from Liverpool. Tony Carr, another local cabbie and former local councillor, talks of its decline in the 1980s and 1990s and its recent, tentative steps towards improvement. On the edge of its tired town centre, it now has a retail park with a Taco Bell and a Morrisons. An Amazon warehouse provides employment nearby. But Carr is conscious that such things don't turn around an area overnight. 'It's the generational deprivation in the area,' he says. 'The hopelessness.' The locals, he says, are 'real salt of the earth people [who] look after their own', but many suffer from the mental impact of the stresses and strains they have absorbed over the years. 'They've been through Covid, some have lost their jobs, they're trying to keep their homes and the prospects are not fantastic in this area. The type of jobs people are taking are as minimum wage care workers.' It is against this backdrop that an estimated three in 10 are obtaining sick notes, although the true figure may be slightly lower as one person can receive more than one sick note. Unlike elsewhere, less than three-quarters of these documents are given out by doctors in Knowsley. Some 23.4 per cent are administered by nurses, and another 3.7 per cent by pharmacists. While this is in keeping with government guidelines about which professionals can issue sick notes, it differs from the national picture, in which 90 per cent of all sick notes are provided by doctors. While fit notes don't automatically entitle the recipient to benefits, they can be used to support a claim to receive welfare support. In Knowsley, unemployment rose to 4.3 per cent between 2022 and 2023, compared to 3.7 per cent across Britain in the same period, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. Economic inactivity – people who are neither employed nor seeking work – rose to more than a quarter (26.1 per cent), compared with just over a fifth nationally. However, Knowsley is not an outlier. Fit notes, introduced in 2010, have been following an upward trajectory during the past decade. In 2015, there were 5.2 million issued in England. By last year, that number had shot up to 10.9 million. In 2023, for those economically inactive because of long-term sickness, nearly 40 per cent reported having five or more health conditions, ONS figures show. 'A GP will have seven minutes to assess fitness for work' Politicians have been alive to the problem for a while. In the dying days of the Conservative government, then prime minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to tackle the UK's so-called 'sick note culture', claiming that benefits had become a 'lifestyle choice' for some. He suggested stripping GPs of their ability to sign people off work, handing the responsibility to 'work and health professionals' instead. In April Liz Kendall, Labour's Work and Pensions Secretary, said the sick note system was being re-examined as part of planned reforms to stop people dropping out of work due to ill health. One of the problems with the current system, says Davies, is that doctors have so little time to reach a conclusion about a patient's fitness for work. 'A GP will have seven minutes to assess what's going on in someone's life,' he says. 'Potentially a welder comes in and says 'I have a bad back and can't do my job', and the GP knows nothing about welding. The complexity [they have to deal with] in those seven minutes is huge. Often GPs will follow the path of least resistance.' In places like Knowsley, there is high demand for primary care services. 'And,' says McNulty, 'there will be patients presenting with multiple problems, not only physical but mental health [-related].' GPs, then, have a lot to get to grips with during an appointment. Mental health and behavioural disorders were the most common reasons given nationally for the issuing of sick notes in the past year, according to the data. Again, these tend not to be problems that GPs can get to the bottom of in the course of one brief consultation. The result is cases where patients are parked on medication or signed off work when these aren't necessarily the best solutions for them, evidence suggests. Recent polling by the CSJ found 83 per cent of GPs were concerned that antidepressants were prescribed when non-pharmaceutical interventions would be more suitable. Some 84 per cent of GPs agreed that society's approach to mental health had led to the normal ups and downs of life being seen as medical problems. What's clear is that the numbers seeking support for mental ill health have spiralled dramatically. England has seen a 70 per cent rise in the number of those in contact with mental health services over the last eight years, according to a CSJ report published in January. One reason it suggested for the soaring numbers was the 'over-medicalisation' of mental health. Some of the surge in mental health conditions, however, was 'undoubtedly a rise in prevalence and caused by the gradual erosion of the protective factors that enable good mental health. We have seen a hollowing out of strong families, cohesive communities, economic opportunity and good work'. Jobs might be available in places like Knowsley, but the type of work matters. 'Its not just about work, it's about good work,' says McNulty. In 2024, almost 12 per cent of those in work locally were in roles classed as 'elementary occupations', mainly consisting of simple and routine tasks. This compared to almost nine per cent across Britain. In other words, a greater proportion of workers in Knowsley are employed as, say, cleaners, waste collectors, street vendors or telephone salespeople than elsewhere. David talks of how his first role in a hospital was as a cleaner, but 'you get yourself in the door and work yourself up'. The reality today is different. Cleaners are likely to be working for a cleaning company to which the organisation has subcontracted the work, Davies points out. Opportunities for meaningful progress are far more limited. 'That purpose and identity is often not there any more,' says Davies. Others suggest there has been a cultural shift in our attitudes towards work – perhaps not unrelated to the quality of jobs available, and the accompanying fraying of the social fabric in post-industrial Britain. 'If Rachel Reeves wants to unlock growth we have to look at our culture around work, and why Asian and North American countries that incentivise hard work are growing so much faster,' says former Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt. Economic impact of long-term sickness crisis What can be done about all of this? Overhauling the structure of the modern labour landscape is beyond the ability of any one government. But certain reforms could help, says Davies. Relieving GPs of the burden of assessing people's fitness to work would be widely welcomed, including by GPs themselves, he suggests. Other solutions could include easing people into work via 'microjobs', in which those who lack experience of employment do just a few hours a week at first to get them accustomed to it. Taking the time to find out what's really wrong with someone and how they can be supported to work will also be essential. 'Social prescribing', which involves connecting patients to local groups, activities and services rather than just handing them a script for, say, antidepressants, is another potentially fruitful avenue being explored. The economy, as well as people's ability to lead purposeful, fulfilling lives, depends on getting it right. Britain's long-term sickness crisis means the country's economy is 10 per cent smaller than it otherwise would be, according to a report produced for the NHS this week by Frontier Economics. Back in Kirkby, Mollie, who owns a town centre cafe called Mollies Munch, says the main shopping street was once busy and thriving. Now, there are pawnbrokers, bookmakers and cheap clothing stores. A subdued atmosphere hangs over the concrete plaza. 'Nothing much to bring people in,' says Mollie's colleague Rosie. 'No wonder people are depressed,' adds Mollie. There's less talk now of levelling up towns like this than there was a few years back. But the need very much remains. Improving the economy, and people's lives, will depend in part on doing so. It will also require a better understanding of why so many aren't working.
