Latest news with #Wirral
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
More than half of special needs plans delayed
Children and young people with special educational needs are facing longer waits for support plans with fewer than half issued on time last year, according to new government data. Only 46% of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) were issued by local authorities within the 20 week deadline in 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) said on Thursday morning. It said local authorities are "overwhelmed" and it will set out "wide-ranging reform" in the new data comes as parents and disabled charities expressed concerns that the changes could involve replacing EHCPs altogether. Sue lives on the Wirral, in Merseyside, with her two daughters - Matilda, 11, and seven-year-old Isadora. The family has just secured an EHCP for Matilda after a process lasting 72 weeks - nearly a year longer than the 20 week deadline. Matilda is in her last year of primary school and has been getting extra support for suspected autism as well as ADHD. Sue says her daughter "really struggles with change" and is worried that the delay means she has missed the chance for a managed transition into secondary Council says it is processing more than twice the number of requests for EHCP needs assessments than before the Covid pandemic. It said it had recently invested an extra £2.8m per year into improving its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services and has doubled the number of Sue is worried that after a long fight to get a plan in place, the government might decide to scrap or change EHCPs in their reforms in the autumn. She says this would be "devastating" for parents like her."For Matilda, it would have to be a complete rethink of mainstream education works," Sue said. "She wouldn't cope with the class sizes. She's got a lot of sensory issues, she can't wear school uniform. "Behaviour policies in mainstream schools aren't flexible enough for students who display complex and challenging distress behaviours."Without an EHCP to tell people what to do there's no guarantee that child will get the support to help them progress." What is an EHC plan and how do I get one for my child?Assessing children 'continues to be a challenge'Five schools to get hubs to support SEND pupils The number of children and young people in England with an EHCP has increased to 638,745, the highest number since they were introduced a decade ago and a nearly 11% rise on last EHCP is a legal document outlining the support for special educational needs that a child or young person is entitled could outline the need for one-to-one assistance, specialist equipment or other tailored support, and it is issued by local authorities after an assessment of the child's education secretary Bridget Phillipson has previously said she would like to see more children supported in mainstream schools, and has put aside £740m to help schools adapt. At the moment, 43% of young people with EHCPs are already in mainstream schools. There are nearly 1.3 million pupils currently getting support for special educational needs in schools in England without an EHCP, but many parents value the legal rights to support that the plans set out and fight hard to get them put in place. Katie Gauche, of the Disabled Children's Partnership, said the idea of scrapping plans will "terrify families".The group, which represents charities, campaigners and parents, said the legal right to an individual plan must remain a key part of any reformed SEND system."The reality parents and children face now is that an EHCP is the only way they can get an education," Ms Gauche said. "Most requests for EHCPs come from schools who rely on them to support children's health and social care needs."Any conversation about replacing these plans should focus on how children's rights to an education will be strengthened, without the red tape and without the fight."The National Audit Office said last year that the SEND system as a whole "wasn't financially sustainable" and was not delivering better outcomes for children and young people, despite big increases in high-needs funding over the last 10 years. A deal holding £3bn of SEND deficits off local authorities books has just been extended to 2028, but local authorities are still under huge financial pressure because of rising SEND response to today's figure, Tim Oliver, chair of the County Councils Network, said "comprehensive reform" was needed and should include "clearly defined support" for families."Despite this record expenditure – which importantly is being artificially kept off local authority balance sheets – we recognise that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the system," he said. "Councils are facing a deluge of requests for support, so whilst the commitment to reform is important, government can ill-afford to get it wrong."In response to Thursday's figures, education secretary Bridget Phillipson, said "too many children are not having their needs identified at an early enough stage". She said this creates "a vicious cycle of overwhelmed local services and children's support needs escalating to crisis point"."Through our Plan for Change, we're improving things right now, and will break this vicious cycle with wide-ranging reform," she said. "We've already invested £740 million to create more places for children with SEND in mainstream schools, we're increasing early access to speech, language and neurodiversity support, and we'll set out our full plans to improve experiences for every child and family in the autumn."
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'Disrespectful culture' at school rated inadequate
A school in which the use of misogynistic language was found to be "commonplace" has been rated "inadequate".Ofsted inspectors who visited The Oldershaw School in Wallasey, Wirral, said the offensive, derogatory and misogynistic language that was often heard "typified the disrespectful culture" at the MP Dame Angela Eagle said she was deeply concerned about Ofsted's "alarming" findings at the co-educational academy, which was rated "good" following a previous inspection in Oldershaw School said it had a "no tolerance approach to any form of disrespectful language between students" and was determined to make improvements. Labelling the school as "inadequate" in four of five areas, Ofsted said "profanities, offensive and derogatory language linked to misogyny are regularly heard".Labour MP Eagle said: "Young people only get one chance at their education, and they deserve far better than what is currently being delivered."She said the offensive language comments revealed a "toxic culture" within the school. The Ofsted report said pupils' behaviour in school corridors was "often boisterous and chaotic" and that "many pupils struggle to conduct themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner".Inspectors said poor behaviour often went unchallenged by their behaviour was questioned, pupils were often described as "confrontational, defiant and, at times, rude".The report said many pupils were not happy at the students were said to be wandering around the school instead of attending school was criticised for having low expectations for pupils and poor academic outcomes. 'Persistent absences' The report said the academy trust and the school itself were "too accepting of the barriers that hinder school improvement" and have been "too slow to drive forward the change that is needed to ensure that pupils receive an acceptable standard of education".It said both absence and persistent absence rates remained "unacceptably high", particularly for disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).It said nearly half of the school's 836 pupils were persistently school was also criticised for its lack of focus on said "A very high proportion of pupils struggle to read and a significant minority are in the early stages of reading."The school's sixth-form provision is due to close this academic year, with it currently only having students in Year said she "condemned the failings of the school's leadership, academy trust, and governing body in the strongest possible terms".She said she hoped they would work constructively with the Department for Education to implement the necessary changes "to ensure that the children of Wallasey receive the high-quality education they are entitled to". 'Confronting attitudes' The Oldershaw School said more than 60% of its students qualified for free school meals and more than a third received SEND said improvements were being made following the inspection."Many of the issues highlighted in the report are long standing, particularly those around published outcomes," the school said in a statement."Over recent years the school has appointed a high number of well qualified, hard working and passionate staff who are focussed on improving the provision for all of our students."It should be mentioned that improvements in student personal development were noted in the report."This school, like all schools nationally, has to confront attitudes that exist in the wider community." 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.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Doctors dismissed my common cancer symptom as ‘hormones' for 2 years – now I'm riddled with incurable tumours
FOR years, doctors told Lea Hughes that her common cancer symptom was simply caused by hormones - now she has tumours in her liver, bones, brain and lungs. The 38-year-old first spotted a small lump on her right breast when she was 29, but was reassured her "lumpy boobs" were just due to hormones. 13 13 13 But two years later, she spotted the lump had become a "dimple". This time, doctors instantly referred her for an immediate mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. Lea was told she had stage four breast cancer and, in the years the cancer had been missed, it had spread to her liver and bones. Confronted with an "incurable" diagnosis, Lea tried tried a range of medications, therapies, and treatments to stabilise her cancer and prevent it spreading further. This seemed to work until August 2024, when a scan showed it had infected her brain. In March this year, she learned the cancer was in her lungs too. Lea, from the Wirral but living in Leytonstone, East London, has now exhausted NHS-funded options and is fundraising for private care. She's hoping to raise enough money to access a targeted cancer drug called Enhertu, which isn't available on the NHS for people with Lea's diagnosis. In clinical trials, the drug added months or even years to the lives of women with incurable breast cancer that had spread, but the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) last year decided not approve it for the NHS on value for money grounds. Lea, a former fashion and retail marketer, said: "When the doctor first told me I had lumpy boobs, I'd never heard of it before. Jessie J breaks down in tears in heartbreaking hospital video as she has surgery after breast cancer diagnosis "But years on, I saw the lump had grown when I was putting a bikini on and I spotted a shadow caused by the lump. "Within weeks, I was diagnosed with stage four incurable cancer aged 31. "Treatments contained it - until August 2024 - and now it's in my brain and lungs too. "I know the doctors and nurses so well now, after seven years at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. "It's longer than any relationship I've ever had." 13 Lea first noticed her small lump on the front of her right breast in 2015 and went to the doctor to get it checked out. But she says they told her she just had "lumpy boobs" and as she was only 29, with no family history, she didn't qualify for further testing. She tried to raise it several times afterwards but says it wasn't until a holiday in early 2018 that doctors were prompted to act. She said: "I was putting a bikini on and I saw a shadow and a dimple. "When I explained it on the phone, they referred me straight to the hospital. I have no choice just to get on with it and keep fighting Lea "I went for a mammogram and an ultrasound, then a biopsy. "When it came back as cancer, they did a breast MRI scan and noticed a shadow on my liver in the corner. "So they did full body scans - MRIs, PETs and bone scans - and learned it had spread to my liver and bones. "I was diagnosed with stage four incurable cancer in a matter of weeks in April 2018 on Friday 13th, of all days." 13 13 13 Lea was put on several treatments at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in a bid to stabilise and contain the cancer. In June 2022, she had a single mastectomy. Then one of the oral therapies made her so unwell that she ended up hospitalised in August 2023. She said: "I had hypercalcaemia - high calcium levels in the blood - and needed multiple blood transfusions. "It felt very real - I realised that this illness really could take me out." What are the signs of breast cancer? BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer. If it's treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body. Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous, but it's always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following: a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood) a lump or swelling in either of your armpits dimpling on the skin of your breasts a rash on or around your nipple a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast Source: NHS Instead, Lea went on IV chemo for 10 months, which got the cancer under control. But a routine scan in August 2024 showed her liver tumours had began to progress. Doctors did a full-body scan to see if she would be eligible to join a new trial, but it found that the cancer had spread to her brain too. Lea said: "It's one of those things, with stage four breast cancer, you know it can spread to the brain and you do worry. "But I didn't expect it then, because I had no symptoms at all." 'Not giving in' In September 2024 she started whole-brain radiotherapy, followed by another round of IV chemotherapy. Then she had radiotherapy on her spine - but her body was so weak that it started to "give up" in December 2024. She said: "I'm 5ft 10ins and I went down to 7st. "I was too weak to hold myself up - I was watching myself waste away. "I had to shave my head when I started losing my hair too. "I didn't recognise myself and seeing those changes was very confronting." Lea began having breathing issues in March this year. The cancer had spread to her lungs and she had 4.5 litres of fluid drained from them. Now Lea is on her sixth course of chemotherapy. She is fundraising to pay for Enhertu - which is available on the NHS for some breast cancers, but not Lea's. 13 This is because her cancer has spread extensively, including to her brain. But she believes it could potentially be effective for her brain cancer too, because Enhertu crosses the blood-brain barrier - which not many chemotherapies do. In a trial undertaken by its developers - AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo - six in 10 women with incurable cancer saw their tumours shrink after being given Enhertu. However, without NHS funding, it can cost over £10,000 per cycle. Lea said: "I always try to lean into the positive - accepting how sh***y this is, but also not giving in. "But it does feel very real when things don't work. "I can't believe everything I've been through - you don't realise until you sit back and reflect. "But I have no choice just to get on with it and keep fighting." You can contribute to Lea's fundraiser here. 13 13 13
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I was a 'one-boobed bride' on my wedding day but I still felt gorgeous walking down the aisle
A woman who had a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer has said she still felt 'beautiful' as a 'one-boobed bride' on her wedding day. Lynn Siffleet, 67 from the Wirral, was first diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer last June during a routine mammogram, despite having no visible symptoms or lumps. Just three months ahead of her wedding to 'lovely' husband, Roy, Lynn was completely blindsided by the diagnosis, and was left needing an emergency mastectomy. She explained that she hadn't felt anything wrong in the run up to her diagnosis and had no idea that she was unwell until the examination. 'My lumps were deep inside the breast, so it shows the importance of still getting your mammograms regularly on top of checking yourself,' she said. Lynn was referred to hospital and received a mastectomy in August 2024, just two months after receiving the life changing diagnosis. With the big day just around the corner, she was given a breast reconstruction to help her fill out her wedding gown - only for disaster to strike when she developed a complication. 'I was a 34E, I had my wedding coming up, so I thought "oh yeah I want to look normal, put in the implant"', she said. Despite feeling hopeful after her reconstruction, soon after Lynn was rushed to hospital after catching necrosis. She was taken to theatre immediately where she had to have the implant removed and the mastectomy scar reclosed. 'It was a really intense time and with the wedding coming up I was worried how I would feel and look but Roy was there with me through the whole thing, and he still couldn't wait to marry me.' After two previous marriages, Lynn wasn't convinced she would ever find love again, and was over the moon when she met Roy. After connecting on the pair met up and hit it off instantly, forging a love they hope will last a lifetime. 'I never thought I'd be able to trust someone with my heart again, but then I met Roy who was just this beautiful, old-school romantic man and I fell in love,' she said. After a year of dating, Lynn popped the question to Roy on New Years Eve. 'It was a leap year and I thought "Girl power, I'm going to do it and I did!'", she recalled. The couple tied the knot in September 2024, just three months after Lynn's original diagnosis. 'I felt amazing on my wedding day, truly gorgeous and having been through my recent journey with breast cancer, I felt even more grateful to be marrying this man with all my wonderful friends and family, including my 93-year-old mum Elizabeth watching.' The new bride said she was immensely grateful for the efforts of those who helped care for her in what was one of the most difficult periods of her life. 'I'd also like to thank the amazing team in the breast cancer unit at the Clatterbridge hospital on the Wirral for their great care and support during this time,' she said. Lynn is hosting an afternoon tea this August raising funds for Breast Cancer Now, the research and support charity, to give back after her experience. 'I'm getting all the gals together for nice cake and sandwiches, there will be bingo, pass the parcel and name that tune not to mention I'll be doing the garden out with bunting and whatnot!' Every 10 minutes, someone in the UK is told the news 'you have breast cancer'. Reflecting on her cancer journey, Lynn said: 'It's one year since my diagnosis this June, and thanks to charities like Breast Cancer Now that fund research and awareness, I'm able to be here continuing to live my life. 'I want women to know it's important they know they can still book mammograms over 70. 'The main thing is I have my health, Roy and I have my twin sister Jayne, my family, and despite my experience, I'm so glad I was diagnosed and was able to be treated for this disease.' Georgie Gibbons, Afternoon Tea manager at Breast Cancer Now, said: 'I want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to Lynn for hosting an Afternoon Tea and we hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy the chance to get together with friends and family whilst knowing you are raising money to drive forward Breast Cancer Now's life-saving research and provide vital support. 'Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with over 55,000 people diagnosed each year. 'This is why we're calling on people across the UK to host an Afternoon Tea this August to help fund our life-saving breast cancer research and vital support services. 'It's not too late to host your own Afternoon Tea, and it doesn't have to be big or fancy. Whether you bake or buy, just give it a try – because every single Afternoon Tea will help to give support for today and hope for the future to people affected by breast cancer.' Join Lynn in supporting life-saving breast cancer research and life-changing support by taking part in this year's Breast Cancer Now Afternoon Tea. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated? What is breast cancer? It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts. When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule. Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare. Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body. The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated. What causes breast cancer? A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics. What are the symptoms of breast cancer? The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign. The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours. Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer. If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray. How is breast cancer treated? Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour. Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery. Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer. How successful is treatment? The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Thriving' high street in Merseyside town facing 'inevitable decline' MP says
People feel a Merseyside town's high street is going downhill because too many shops have closed, according to a local MP. Heswall, a town in west Wirral, currently has a population of around 29,000 and is one of the more affluent areas in Merseyside. Average house prices in the area are around £430,000 and in March, it had the highest prices for a terraced house in the whole of Wirral. However Matthew Patrick, the MP for Wirral West, recently raised concerns about the town's high street following a number of businesses closing and the loss of Halifax, NatWest, Skipton, Barclays, and HSBC. This was after the issue was brought up by a number of people living in the area and Heswall councillor Kathy Hodson. In the House of Commons on June 9, Mr Patrick said Heswall was 'a brilliant place to live,' but added: 'They deserve a thriving high street but unfortunately for too many years, beloved shops have closed and decline has felt inevitable.' READ MORE: 'I've got 400 animals in here and I'm scared they'll all die' READ MORE: Doggy daycare cancels all bookings as owner says 'we simply can't justify it' He told the ECHO the decline of high streets across the country was previously treated as inevitable, adding: 'That attitude is clear to see in Heswall, a great area which deserves a thriving high street, but instead has seen some beloved shops and bank branches closed.' The Labour MP said the government was now taking action, adding: 'I will do all I can to support the revival of Heswall high street, and continue to work with local councillors to ensure the community can be put in control of its future.' On June 9, Mr Patrick asked what the government was doing to take back control of the high street 'so it can thrive once again". Parliamentary Under-Secretary Alex Norris MP said the government understood challenges faced by communities like Heswall, in particular those on the coast. He said 'We are driving power and funding out of Westminster to ensure no community is left behind.' Mr Norris also pointed to a recent announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves of £1.6bn in transport funding for the Liverpool City Region as well as £100m for the local bus network. He added: 'I would encourage Wirral Council as with all local authorities to take advantage of the new powers the government has introduced to reoccupy empty shops which is such a blight on the high street.' For the latest news and breaking news visit Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
