Green burials – the biodegradable alternative | Letter

For those who find the idea of burning their deceased friend’s body distasteful (‘The delivery man arrived with the ashes in a gift bag’ – why are so many people opting out of traditional funerals?, 23 July), an alternative to direct cremation is a green burial, which costs more but not excessively so. Here, the grave is not permanent, and everything that goes in it has to be biodegradable – this rules out embalming. Coffins must be made of cardboard or untreated wood – woven willow is becoming very popular. No permanent memorial is allowed, but usually a wooden plaque can be added, which will last for several years if oiled. Natural wildflowers can often be planted, but vases cannot be used

NHS nurse’s tribunal over trans doctor’s use of changing room adjourns

The employment tribunal brought by a NHS Fife nurse who objected to sharing a changing room with a transgender woman has adjourned ahead of closing submissions to be heard in September.Sandie Peggie, who has worked as a nurse for more than 30 years, is claiming she was subject to unlawful harassment under the Equality Act when she was expected to share a changing room with Dr Beth Upton.The tribunal heard a further two weeks of witness evidence concluding on Tuesday. It is being watched closely for how it may be influenced by April’s landmark judgment by the supreme court, which ruled the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 did not include transgender women who held gender recognition certificates. The ruling has been publicly welcomed by Peggie and her supporters

Migration fuels second largest population jump in England and Wales for more than 75 years

The population of England and Wales has grown by the second largest annual increase in more than 75 years, largely due to international migration.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the population grew by 700,000 in the year to June 2024, the second largest numerical jump since at least 1949, when comparable data began.The size of the increase is second only to the rise of 821,210 in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.The ONS found net international migration – the difference between people moving to the country and leaving – accounted for 690,147 of the estimated population increase of 706,881 people, or 98% of the total.It is estimated 1,142,303 people immigrated to England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024, while 452,156 were likely to have emigrated

Third of UK teenagers who vape will go on to start smoking, research shows

A third of UK teenagers who vape will go on to start smoking tobacco, research shows, meaning they are as likely to smoke as their peers were in the 1970s.A long-term intergenerational study found that the likelihood of starting to smoke among people aged 17 in 2018 was about 1.5% if they did not vape compared with 33% if they did.The findings suggest that e-cigarettes are increasingly acting as a “gateway” to nicotine cigarettes for children, undermining falling rates of teen smoking over the past 50 years.The study looked at teenagers in 2018 as it was the most recent year for which there was available comparable data

Lifestyle changes and vaccination ‘could prevent most liver cancer cases’

Three in five liver cancer cases globally could be prevented by reducing obesity and alcohol consumption and increasing uptake of the hepatitis vaccine, a study has found. The Lancet Commission on liver cancer found that most cases were preventable if alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease and levels of viral hepatitis B and C were reduced.The commission set out several recommendations for policymakers, which it estimated could reduce the incidence of liver cancer cases by 2% to 5% each year by 2050, preventing 9m to 17m new cases of liver cancer and saving 8 million to 15 million lives.Prof Jian Zhou at Fudan University in China, who led the research, said: “Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%

NHS chiefs and BMA in row over patient safety during doctors’ strike

NHS bosses and the British Medical Association are accusing each other of endangering patients during the ongoing resident doctors’ strike.Their war of words centres on “derogations”, local agreements under which doctors who have joined the strike can cross picket lines to provide clinical care in a hospital.Thousands of resident – formerly junior – doctors in England are nearing the end of a five-day stoppage, part of their campaign for a 29% pay rise, which ends at 7am on Wednesday.The escalation of the resident doctors’ pay dispute comes as it emerged that nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have voted to reject their 3.6% pay award for this year