Contraception warning over weight-loss drugs after dozens of pregnancies

Women using weight-loss drugs have been urged to use effective contraception after dozens have reported becoming pregnant while taking the medication.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued its first alert to the UK public regarding contraception and weight-loss medications after it received 40 reports relating to pregnancies while using drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.Ozempic and Wegovy, which both contain semaglutide, work by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1 that triggers an increase in the production of insulin, slows the rate at which food is digested in the stomach and reduces appetite.Mounjaro, which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, also acts on a second hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar control. Although these have been referred to as “weight-loss injections”, not all are authorised for weight loss

People with cancer face ‘ticking timebomb’ due to NHS staff shortages

People with cancer face a “ticking timebomb” of delays in getting diagnosed and treated because the NHS is too short-staffed to provide prompt care, senior doctors have warned.An NHS-wide shortage of radiologists and oncologists means patients are enduring long waits to have surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and have a consultant review their care.Hold-ups lead to some people’s cancer spreading, which can reduce the chances of their treatment working and increase the risk of death, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) said.NHS cancer services are struggling to keep up with rising demand for tests, such as scans and X-rays, and treatment, created by the growing number of people getting the disease.Evidence the RCR collected from the heads of NHS cancer centres across the UK and the clinical directors of radiology departments shows that delays to potentially “life-saving” care occur because of “chronic” workforce gaps

Women and ethnic minorities less likely to be treated after diagnosis of deadly heart disease in England, study finds

Women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those living in the most deprived areas of England are less likely to receive treatment after a diagnosis of a deadly heart disease, according to one of the largest studies of its kind.Researchers at the University of Leicester analysed data from almost 155,000 people diagnosed with aortic stenosis – a narrowing of the valve between the heart’s main pumping chamber and the main artery – between 2000 and 2022 across England, from a database of anonymised GP records.The study found that patients living in the most deprived areas were 7% less likely to be referred for secondary care after their diagnosis compared with patients in the least deprived areas, and 4% less likely to undergo a procedure to replace their aortic valve.The analysis, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, also found that women were 11% less likely to be referred to secondary care, such as a hospital specialist, after their diagnosis than men. Women were also 39% less likely to have a procedure to replace their aortic valve

Rape victims can challenge CPS if cases dropped under pilot scheme

Victims of rape and serious sexual assault who face their cases being dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service will be given the right to request a review under a government pilot.The six-month scheme, which will launch on Friday in the West Midlands, will give victims the right to ask for their case to be reviewed by a different prosecutor if the CPS indicates it intends to offer no evidence.The reform is backed by the attorney general and solicitor general and forms part of the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls.Campaigners have long called for the change. Criminal cases can be stopped at any point if a prosecutor decides there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction, but this reform strengthens the right of victims to challenge the decision

Free school meals extended but winter fuel changes could tax dead pensioners’ families

Bereaved families of tens of thousands of dead pensioners could be pursued by tax officials to recoup winter fuel payments under a new system being explored by the Treasury, the Guardian has learned.In a further attempt to win public support and quell Labour backbench concerns, ministers are announcing on Thursday that all pupils in England whose families claim universal credit will be eligible for free school meals under an expansion of the scheme.Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, confirmed on Wednesday that more pensioners will get winter fuel payments reinstated this year after weeks of uncertainty over the government’s decision to make a U-turn on scrapping the benefit.Ministers are looking at restoring the payments as a universal benefit and then recouping the money when high-income pensioners fill in their tax returns, as creating a new means test would be a highly complex option.However, government insiders are concerned about a time lag of at least six months between the payment of up to £300 being made and it then being clawed back

Police investigate heart surgery patient deaths at East Yorkshire hospital

Police have launched an investigation into the deaths of heart surgery patients at an East Yorkshire hospital.The investigation is focusing on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures carried out on elderly and frail patients at Castle Hill hospital, near Hull.There have been no arrests in connection with the investigation, which Humberside police said was in its “very early stages”.A BBC investigation found concerns had been raised about the deaths of 11 patients after the procedure to replace a damaged valve in the heart.It is a surgery used in people with heart disease who are not well enough for major heart surgery, as the heart does not need to be stopped, unlike in bypass surgery