New regulator powers could stifle advocacy, UK’s largest civil society bodies warn

Several leading civil society organisations have urged the government to consult the sector before introducing new powers for the Charity Commission, which they caution risks “suppressing legitimate advocacy” at a time when civic space is under increased pressure.Signatories, including leaders from some of the UK’s largest civil society bodies, alongside faith-based and community organisations, wrote to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, saying the proposed social cohesion measures could lead to the “suppression of lawful advocacy, campaigning and community engagement”.The letter, which was signed by leaders from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, the Muslim Charities Forum, Quakers in Britain and Oxfam, among others, cautions against a government proposal to introduce broader grounds on which organisations could be reported for extremism.“In the absence of clear safeguards and well-defined thresholds, the proposed expansion of the Charity Commission’s powers to remove trustees and close organisations, could be applied in ways that mischaracterise legitimate civil society activity,” the letter said.“This, in turn, may contribute to the suppression of lawful advocacy, campaigning, and community engagement, particularly for organisations working on sensitive or contested issues, including those led by or representing diverse communities

Future of the NHS, saviour of the high street? High hopes for health hub in a Barnsley shopping centre

It is a revolution that might just save the NHS – and the high street. Imagine being able to have your eyes tested, mole examined or get an appointment with a consultant without going to your local hospital – and maybe fit in some shopping or a cinema visit afterwards.That, increasingly, is what people in Barnsley are doing after an unprecedented relocation of medical services from the district general hospital into a purpose-built outpatients centre in the Alhambra shopping centre, which is getting a new lease of life thanks to the experiment.Those involved say the initiative – the first of its kind in the NHS – is trailblazing and revolutionary. After a recent visit, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, described it as “really inspiring”

Effect of ‘gamechanger’ Alzheimer’s drugs ‘trivial’, review concludes

Drugs that have been hailed as a gamechanger for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease make no noticeable difference to patients, according to an extensive review.The analysis of clinical trials in people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia found that the effects of anti-amyloid drugs on cognition and dementia severity over 18 months were “trivial”, with improvements in functional ability “small at best”.The verdict is a blow to the new wave of drugs that are designed to slow Alzheimer’s by clearing clumps of amyloid protein that build up in the brain. Amyloid plaques are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, along with another protein called tau which forms toxic tangles in neurons.The Cochrane review drew on gold standard methods to assess data from published clinical trials, but was criticised by some researchers and charities for combining results from older, failed drugs with those from newer, more effective medicines

People in north of England twice as likely to be killed in accidents as Londoners, report finds

People in the north of England are twice as likely to be killed in accidents than Londoners, with accidental deaths clearly linked to deprivation, a report has found.The research, from safety charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), highlights vast regional differences in accidental deaths, which have also seen an overall increase.The north-east is the most dangerous region for accidents in England, with a death rate of 44 per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 32 across the country, with the north-west in second place with a death rate of 38 per 100,000 people.Scotland was the most dangerous of the devolved UK nations, with an even higher accidental death rate of 51 per 100,000, while Wales equalled the north-east of England, and Northern Ireland’s rate of 39 per 100,000 was also above the England average.Meanwhile, London was the safest place to live in the UK, with an average of 19

Sexual harassment is rife on comedy circuit and women lack protections, MPs told

Sexual harassment and abuse on the comedy circuit is persistent and under-reported, with protections available to women often limited or absent, a comedian has told MPs.Performers and campaigners said many female comedians are left to rely on informal warning systems to try to keep themselves safe but added that these systems can expose women to further risks.“Female comedians rely on so-called ‘whisper networks’, a shadow safeguarding system where warnings and experiences are shared on private WhatsApp threads,” Nina Gilligan, a comedian and the co-founder of the industry body Get Off Live Comedy, which provides HR support to those working in the industry, told the cross-party women and equalities committee on Wednesday.Chaired by the Labour MP Sarah Owen, the committee explored the experiences of women in live comedy, the representation of women across the sector and the barriers they face in building a career.The committee has been examining how employment protections apply in freelance and gig-economy sectors, where traditional safeguards are harder to enforce

Strike is harming the NHS and dividing doctors | Letters

Polly Toynbee is right that it is time to stop the doctors’ strikes (Both doctors and the government are handling this strike badly – that’s why there is no end in sight, 10 April). She suggests that doctors are not feeling the pain of industrial action, but this is far from true. We are anxious about our patients and their cancelled appointments and procedures; we are exhausted covering work that we are not familiar with; and those being paid overtime for shifts they don’t want to do are uncomfortable about the financial impact on the NHS.Many of us reluctantly supported industrial action at the beginning, with a government that wasn’t listening – wanting to support junior colleagues whose pay had fallen far behind contemporaries. Now we see how divided and conflicted resident doctors are too, and we long for a resolution