Tell us: how are you being affected by the rise in UK flu cases?

Flu cases rose 55% in one week in England this month, as the NHS braces for a “worst-case scenario” in the next fortnight as hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulances services come under intense strain.It comes as the British Medical Association has lined up strike action for resident doctors in England next week over concerns on pay.We want to hear from you.How are you affected by the rise in flu? Are you a patient who has become unwell, or have you changed your behaviour to try and avoid infection? Are you a healthcare worker dealing with the impact? What are your thoughts on the potential strike action?You can tell us about how the rise of flu cases is affecting you here.Please include as much detail as possible

‘He was struggling with his breath. I sat beside him and sang’: the choir who sing to people on their deathbeds

It’s a brisk November afternoon in the village of South Brent in Devon and, in a daffodil yellow cottage, two women are singing me lullabies. But these aren’t the sort of lullabies that parents sing to their children. They are songs written and sung for terminally ill people, to ease them towards what will hopefully be a peaceful and painless death.We are at the home of Nickie Aven, singer and leader of a Threshold Choir. Aven and her friend are giving me a glimpse of what happens when they sing for people receiving end-of-life care

‘Cruel’ amendments being used to thwart assisted dying bill, says lead MP

Members of the House of Lords have proposed “totally unnecessary” and “very cruel” amendments to the assisted dying bill in an attempt to scupper it, the MP leading the campaign has said.Kim Leadbeater said on Friday she believed that peers opposed to the bill were trying to block it by proposing hundreds of changes, including one that would require terminally ill people to be filmed as they undergo an assisted death.The Lords will vote on some of those on Friday during a fourth day of debate on the bill, with six more sessions scheduled for the new year. Supporters now fear there will not be enough time to debate more than 1,000 amendments before the parliamentary session ends, putting the bill at risk of collapsing.Leadbeater told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What we’re seeing with this bill, sadly, is well over 1,000 amendments have been tabled, many of which are totally unnecessary and some of which are actually just very cruel when we think about the cohort of people that the bill is designed to help

Strikes could collapse flu-hit NHS amid worst crisis since Covid, says Streeting

Wes Streeting has told resident doctors that strikes and a sharp rise in the number of flu cases over the Christmas period could be “the Jenga piece” that forces the NHS to collapse.The health secretary said the NHS faced a “challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic” and urged resident doctors to accept the government’s offer and end their action.He said: “The whole NHS team is working around the clock to keep the show on the road. But it’s an incredibly precarious situation. Christmas strikes could be the Jenga piece that collapses the tower

Guardian charity appeal donations top £200,000 before annual telethon

The first week of the Guardian’s Hope appeal has raised more than £200,000 for grassroots charities doing inspiring work to bring divided communities together, promoting tolerance and positive change, and opposing racism and hate.The milestone was reached before the annual fundraising telethon on Saturday. Journalists preparing to take donations over the phone include Polly Toynbee, John Crace, Jonathan Liew, Patrick Wintour and Simon Hattenstone.The 2025 appeal is raising funds for five charities: Citizens UK, The Linking Network, Locality, Hope Unlimited and Who Is Your Neighbour?Their vital work helps bring communities together through practical projects that build resilience, relationships, hope and pride. They help people find common ground on issues that matter to them, from affordable housing to youth clubs, arts schemes, community centres and refugee welcome projects

Inquiry to be held into north-east England NHS trust after patient deaths

A public inquiry will be held into the failures of a north-east NHS foundation after the deaths of several patients, Wes Streeting has confirmed.The health secretary made the announcement in Darlington, speaking to the families of patients who died while receiving treatment from hospitals run by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust, which is headquartered in the County Durham town.The inquiry will look into the number of the trust’s patients who took their own lives in the past decade, which the Department of Health and Social Care called “concerning”.Three of the people known to have died while under the trust’s care were the 17-year-olds Nadia Sharif and Christie Harnett, who killed themselves at West Lane hospital in Middlesbrough in June and August 2019 respectively, and 18-year-old Emily Moore, who died in February 2020 after a week at Lanchester Road hospital in County Durham.Speaking in Darlington, Streeting called the deaths unacceptable and said that families’ “courageous and tireless campaigning” had been “nothing short of inspirational”