Latest news with #NicolaSmith
Metro
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
In bloom: Floral furnishings to inspire your next home refresh
While the perfect floral isn't always easy to find, a room in bloom offers an undeniably romantic feel that will brighten your space. Whether they're climbing up the wallpaper or embroidered delicately into soft furnishings, this year's Home Awards prove that floral touches are a foolproof formula for great decor. This annual prize celebrates outstanding talent across 20 categories, covering interiors, gardens, furniture innovation and home accessories. And in partnership with Metro, the 2025 Home Awards finalists have now been announced, showcasing a shortlist of jaw-dropping renovations and effortlessly stylish spaces transformed on a budget. From punchy minimalism to more traditional, cottagecore curations, we've rounded up our favourite botanical bedrooms and flower-patterned fixtures from the contenders. Take a look for some inspiration — and don't forget to check back to see the winners announcements in October. You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK's leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won't charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. When Camille De Caesar began renovating her home in 2022, she had no rules other than a desire for each room to have its own story. And as you can see, she's managed to curate a space that subtly whimsical with effortless charm. Through various antique and vintage items, Camille has scattered floral patterns and items into her space and acquired heritage beauty feel. Ornate tiling on the fireplace contrasts with the checkboard flooring, with a dried arrangement tonally tying it all together. Providing some variation and vibrancy, the yellow, floral Camel-back sofa gives a fun pop of colour to the timelessly elegant interior. Finalist for 'Best Dining Room' Nicola Smith has mastered the perfect balance of fun and functional. Preserving the property's original House of Hackney wallpaper and centering the design around its pink floral pattern. Thanks to the leafy green paper on the opposing wall and a few more touches of pink, the room balances muted with bright, while white furry chair covers introduce even more liveliness into the space. Undoubtedly inviting, Nicola's dining room provides the perfect backdrop for entertaining guests. Nicola Smith certainly knows how to brighten up a space, with her garden room also making the shortlist! As before, she's combined an eclectic array of colours and textures, adding natural imagery galore to harmonise with the view outside. Bright purple and acid green hues ensure there's nothing stuffy about theseflorals, merging the traditional with the truly fantastical. Anouska Lancaster approached decorating Penally House with the dream of creating a celebration of colour and pattern. The result? An eloquent collection of statement florals that compliment the pops of colour and modern vintage feel. The ornamental bedframe and matching pillow cases are the focal point, but not to be ignored is the green striped ceiling or the blue patterned rug, which bring an extra flair to the room. Anouska's eye for patterns and textures can also be seen across the rest of the property. The space that's nabbed her a finalist spot in the 'Best Living Room' category is a restoration of classic period elegance. Stained glass windows, cornices and wall panelling create the antique feel, as colour and pattern provide a modern twist. The pink and green palette allows the floral and striped patterns to dominate the space, with contemporary artwork reflecting the room's 'classic with a twist' tone. Finalist for 'Best use of Colour', Emma Parkes' bedroom is a vibrant and joyful space. More Trending The wallpaper features stylistically oversized peonies that bring a feminine and whimsical energy to the room, providing a backdrop for the rainbow linens and woven details. This colour explosion highlights Jodie Kemp's bright and bold style from the onset. Featuring a combination of floral patterned wallpaper, chequered floors, green ceilings and a standout pink radiator, it proves that sometimes the best approach is to be brave and let maximalism take control. View More » Finalist for 'Best Hallway', Jodie ensures that her entryway is no afterthought, but a bright and energetic greeting into her home that won't be easily forgotten. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: The decorating gods at Lick launch new 'scrub resistant' paint range MORE: 7 unique kitchen renovations that will have you picking up your paint brush MORE: Gran has had full skip on her driveway for three months – and can't do a thing about it
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Brits with 'horrific wounds' from surgery abroad bringing 'superbugs back to UK'
Hospitals in the UK have seen a 30% spike in cases of dangerous superbugs resistant to antibiotics which has been triggered by Brits needing treatment after cheap operations abroad British patients who have cheap surgery abroad left with 'horrific wounds' are bringing dangerous superbugs back to the UK, nurses have warned. Some NHS hospitals have seen a 30% spike in cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria – which can be fatal if it enters the bloodstream – triggered by patients returning from operations overseas. NHS nurses said they had seen a surge in cases of sepsis infections and patients dying over the past two years from complications after having overseas surgery - and suggested foreign clinics should pay the NHS compensation when things go wrong. Some UK patients are enticed abroad by social media marketing which promotes major surgery - like gastric bypass operations or cosmetic procedures - as part of 'luxury package holidays', the Royal College of Nursing annual conference heard this week. District nurse Nicola Smith, from Slough, said she had been 'really shocked' by some of the 'horrendous wounds' and infections she had seen in people who had come back from surgery abroad. In one case, she treated a young woman who had surgery abroad for skin removal after weight loss. Two weeks later the patient's large thigh wound was only loosely held together with stitches, the tissue was dying and she had developed sepsis. She said: "It's really sad as this procedure was sold to her like a holiday package – all she told me about was how fantastic the hotel was after she'd had her surgery and that they took her back to a posh car. "A hotel is lovely but it's no place to be when you're in pain, when there's an infection, when you've got serious complications. There was no blood pressure testing, no aftercare for this woman at all. In fact, I'm surprised she made it back on the flight. It's really scary.' Growing numbers of British patients who face lengthy NHS waiting lists and high costs for private surgery in the UK are travelling abroad for cheap surgery, most often to Turkey and Eastern European nations. Infection control measures in countries outside the EU can be significantly less rigorous than those in the UK. Here, strict rules ensure operating theatres have regular inspections, are well-ventilated and surgeons use new or sterilised equipment for each patient. Around 5,000 patients had weight-loss procedures abroad in 2024 – more than the 4,500 people who had the procedure on the NHS in 2021-22, according to a BMJ report. Waiting times for weight-loss surgery on the NHS can be up to four years. Nykoma Hamilton, an infection control nurse from Fife, in Scotland, said patients returning from treatment abroad were increasingly infected with bacteria resistant to the strongest antibiotics used to treat the most severe infections - a group of drugs called carbapenems. She told the nurses and other delegates at the conference in Liverpool: 'Our concerns relate to the fact that a lot of people are colonised with a lot of extensively drug-resistant organisms.' NHS hospitals and clinics in her area had recorded a 'near 30%' increase in detection of carbapenem-resistant bacteria, she said, describing the superbug as the 'absolute granddaddy of resistance'. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has issued a warning about the infection risk of surgery abroad, saying: 'Some people are returning with multi-resistant bacteria that are hard to treat and may infect other people'. The number of antibiotic-resistant infections across the UK has grown by 7% before the pandemic, up from around 62,000 in 2019 to nearly 67,000 in 2023, figures from the UK Health Security Agency show. Nurses told the RCN debate patients should be free to choose where to have treatment but needed better information about how to check clinics were safe and what aftercare would be provided. And they suggested the NHS should not have to shoulder the burden for mistakes made abroad. Ms Hamilton said foreign clinics should have to cover patients with an insurance policy, so that the NHS could claim compensation if it had to treat complications later. An investigation published by the BBC last year found NHS hospitals were spending more treating complications from people having cheap surgery abroad than they were on providing the treatment to NHS patients. Complications included infections, sepsis, excessive bleeding and severe malnutrition. Speaking after the debate, RCN head of nursing Carli Whittaker said: 'The trend of patients travelling to other countries for treatment can pose difficulties, including adequate aftercare once home and the risk of infection post-operation. 'Very high waiting lists are a prominent factor, with some deciding to pursue treatment overseas rather than be forced to wait months, sometimes years, in the UK. Nursing staff will always provide the best care for those suffering from the complications of surgery abroad, but the issue must be tackled at its root."
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Companies that provide surgery abroad should foot NHS bill, nurses say
Nurses have warned that surgical procedures abroad are too easily being sold as 'holiday packages', as they called for companies providing the operations to foot the NHS bill when things go wrong. So-called surgical tourism could also be driving a deadly resistance to antibiotics. The trend of people travelling overseas for the likes of weight loss surgery, dental care and cosmetic procedures is 'likely to grow', nurses said, despite some patients dying from complications. Speaking to delegates at the Royal College of Nursing's annual congress in Liverpool, Nicola Smith, who works in district nursing, said she has been 'really shocked' by some cases. 'Over the last two years, I've seen some horrendous, horrendous wounds coming back from people that have had surgery abroad,' she said. She spoke of one woman whose wound from skin removal surgery – which is usually performed after weight loss – turned necrotic. Ms Smith added: 'I think she thought she would come home, have a quick recovery and go back to work. I ended up sending her in with sepsis. 'It's really sad – this procedure was sold to her as like a holiday package. 'A lot of young people are very exposed to social media. You know, 'you can have a holiday, six grand'. 'All she told me about was how fantastic the hotel was after she had her surgery. There was no blood pressure tested. There was no aftercare for this woman at all. 'In fact, to be fair, I'm surprised she made it back on the flight. It's really scary. 'We need to educate our young people … we need to educate people on the dangers of having surgery abroad.' Infection control nurse Nykoma Hamilton, of the RCN Fife branch, suggested companies that provide packages which include hotels, surgery and transfers to appointments should pay insurance for the NHS to seek financial compensation when complications arise. 'We're all getting told to tighten our budget,' Ms Hamilton told delegates. 'So if people have decided that the wait list is too long, they're in too much pain, for whatever reason, they've decided to have that option of surgery abroad, that company that they went with, they should pay an insurance, so if you do have to be cared for by the NHS for – and we've seen some horrid complications – the NHS should then be able to seek financial compensation from that company.' She also issued a warning over the 'granddaddy' of antibiotic resistance. 'Our concerns relate to the fact that a lot of people are colonised with a lot of extensively drug resistant organisms,' Ms Hamilton said. 'Now, that is a global health problem that affects us here in the UK, as well as abroad, but the infection control teams are getting slightly worried. 'So we've had a near 30% increase in the detection of carbapenemase resistance – now that's your absolute granddaddy of resistance ones.' Carbapenems are among the most powerful antibiotics, while carbapenemases are chemicals made by some strains of bacteria. These chemicals allow the bacteria to destroy carbapenems and become resistant to the antibiotic. Ms Hamilton said patients can be colonised with this bacteria and live with it for a while without harm, unless it gets into the bloodstream when they will be resistant to most of the antibiotics available. Elsewhere, Samantha Spence, who tabled the debate at the RCN congress, claimed about 5,000 people from the UK travelled abroad for weight loss surgery alone last year. 'That was almost equal to the number treated within the NHS in 2021/22,' she added. 'Now within the UK, private care is costly. NHS waiting lists long. This trend looks likely to grow. 'While some return with positive life-changing outcomes, others come back with complications requiring urgent care, adding strains to NHS resources. 'With variations in infection control, differing medical standards, lack of follow up, coordination, tragically, some patients have died from such complications.'
Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
We formed human shield to save Scots special building – developers would be out of their minds to cross us
Their goal is to get hold of the greenery and develop it not into a housing scheme PLANNING ROW We formed human shield to save Scots special building – developers would be out of their minds to cross us Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PICTURES show people forming a massive ring to 'hug' a local bowling club - to protect the 'only green space' in the area from developers. More than 120 residents 'hugged' the club in Glasgow on Saturday (3 May) to show their outrage at a proposal to build flats on the site. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Mount Florida residents form a 'hug' ring around local bowling club on Carmunnock Road Credit: SWNS Noah Management and Developments is bidding to transform what they claim is a brownfield by building 32 flats. However, locals insist that the grass pitch is the only greenery accessible to them and they would like to use it. Nicola Smith is the chair of the directors at Mount Florida Community Trust, which was set up to fight this proposal. She said: 'It's right in the heart of our community, right in front of our eyes. 'It's just very, very sad that it's not available to the community. 'Are you out of your mind to build on that space? It's our only green area. 'There are other places that could be built on, even within the boundaries of Mount Florida. 'We want access to this. 'The argument that we didn't have access to it before because it was privately owned, frankly, does not hold water, as it doesn't mean that we can't be entitled to having access to it now.' After the bowling club closed due to insufficient numbers, the battle for the site started in 2020, when the first plan was lodged for 40 homes on the Southside area. I'm stuck in planning row after ONE neighbour complained about my shed - I've hired a CRANE to prove I've broken no laws This was rejected by planning officials, along with an appeal. But now, the developer submitted a set of new documents, which are due to go before the committee and are recommended for approval. The application, which received 125 letters of support, includes a publicly accessible community space, spanning over half the existing site, as well as a 'community facility'. Glasgow City Council also received 249 objections to this bid as members to the group say half of the field is 'not enough'. Nicola explained: 'If it's lost, it's lost forever. 'Nobody pulls down buildings to reinstate a park, so we are desperately trying to keep this space green. 'When word started to get out that the club was really in difficulties, we asked if we could negotiate with them to look into ways to purchase the site. 'But all of those applications were denied. 'The developer went ahead and bought the site. They knew that there was a strong community wish to keep that space. 'But they pressed ahead and bought it anyway. It was essentially a hostile act against the community because we had demonstrated our need and enthusiasm to keep this space.' Their goal is to get hold of the greenery and develop it not into a housing scheme but something that residents can use, especially since the site is near a school. The Mount Florida local explained that the lengthy planning dispute is draining but they will not give up. She said the process feels like the odds are stacked against them but added: 'We are clinging on to this green space, desperately trying. 'It's recognised that Mount Florida is short of green space, and it's not as though there is anywhere else in the area that we could go. 'This is a whole conversation that should not have gotten this far because after the last planning application was rejected, the community had resoundingly demonstrated the need for this space. 'We live here, this is going to influence the whole feel of our environment forever. 'So, we have motivation, we have to keep finding the energy to fight.' Noah Management and Developments has been contacted for comment.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
More than 100 residents form human chain to 'hug' bowling green in bid to protect the 'only green space' from developers
More than a hundred campaigners gathered at a bowling club to form a human chain and 'hug' around the site in protest over plans for it to be bulldozed. Furious locals held hands to create a ring around the site in Carmunnock Road, Glasgow, to show their outrage at blueprints to rid them of their 'only green space'. Noah Management and Developments want to bulldoze the building and replace it with 32 flats. Planning officers have recommended the proposals are given the go ahead when they are put before the local council's planning committee. But residents have blasted the developers and asked: 'Are you out of your mind to build on that space? It's our only green area.' More than 120 locals gathered on Saturday to carry out the protest. Nicola Smith is the chair of the directors at Mount Florida Community Trust, which was set up to fight the proposal. She said: 'It's right in the heart of our community, right in front of our eyes. It's just very, very sad that it's not available to the community. 'Are you out of your mind to build on that space? It's our only green area. There are other places that could be built on, even within the boundaries of Mount Florida. 'We want access to this. 'The argument that we didn't have access to it before because it was privately owned, frankly, does not hold water, as it doesn't mean that we can't be entitled to having access to it now.' The battle for the site started in 2020, after the bowling club closed due to insufficient numbers, when the first plan was lodged for 40 homes on the Southside area. This was rejected by planning officials, along with an appeal. But now, the developer has submitted a set of new documents, which are due to go before the committee and are recommended for approval. The application, which received 125 letters of support, includes a publicly accessible community space, spanning over half the existing site, as well as a 'community facility'. Glasgow City Council also received 249 objections to this bid as members to the group say half of the field is 'not enough'. Nicola explained: 'If it's lost, it's lost forever. Nobody pulls down buildings to reinstate a park, so we are desperately trying to keep this space green. 'When word started to get out that the club was really in difficulties, we asked if we could negotiate with them to look into ways to purchase the site. 'But all of those applications were denied. 'The developer went ahead and bought the site. They knew that there was a strong community wish to keep that space. 'But they pressed ahead and bought it anyway. It was essentially a hostile act against the community because we had demonstrated our need and enthusiasm to keep this space.' Their goal is to get hold of the greenery and develop it not into a housing scheme but something that residents can use, especially since the site is near a school. The Mount Florida local explained that the lengthy planning dispute is draining but they will not give up. She said the process feels like the odds are stacked against them but added: 'We are clinging on to this green space, desperately trying. 'It's recognised that Mount Florida is short of green space, and it's not as though there is anywhere else in the area that we could go. 'This is a whole conversation that should not have gotten this far because after the last planning application was rejected, the community had resoundingly demonstrated the need for this space. 'We live here, this is going to influence the whole feel of our environment forever. 'So, we have motivation, we have to keep finding the energy to fight.'
