Tech firms suggested placing trackers under offenders’ skin at meeting with justice secretary

Tracking devices inserted under offenders’ skin, robots assigned to contain prisoners and driverless vehicles used to transport them were among the measures proposed by technology companies to ministers who are gathering ideas to tackle the crisis in the UK justice system.The proposals were made at a meeting of more than two dozen tech companies in London last month, chaired by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, minutes seen by the Guardian show. Amid an acute shortage of prison places and probation officers under severe strain, ministers told the companies they wanted ideas for using wearable technologies, behaviour monitoring and geolocation to create a “prison outside of prison”.Those present included representatives of Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Palantir, which works closely with the US military and has contracts with the NHS. IBM and the private prison operator Serco also attended alongside tagging and biometric companies, according to a response to a freedom of information request

NHS repeatedly failing in care of stroke patients, watchdog says

The NHS has repeatedly failed in its diagnosis and care of stroke patients, England’s health ombudsman has said.According to the World Stroke Association, more than 12 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year and 6.5 million will die as a result. Strokes are one of the UK’s biggest killers, causing about 34,000 deaths a year, and the single biggest cause of severe disability.The NHS Fast campaign aims to raise awareness of the most common symptoms of stroke – facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech – and the need for prompt treatment, including transfer to a specialist stroke unit within four hours

Most women in England and Wales have seen abusive male behaviour in past year, says poll

A majority of women have direct experience of violence or harassment, or know someone who has suffered it, in the last year, a poll has found.The poll finds little faith in the police or government to stem the tide of male violence, and most believe the problem has got worse.The survey was presented to a private meeting attended by police chiefs and police and crime commissioners just under three weeks ago.It was conducted by Zencity and based on almost 1,800 female respondents aged over 16 across England and Wales.The large scale and high frequency of violence against and harassment of women is something law enforcement and the government are trying to get a grip on

Health inequality is linked to gross disparities in wealth | Letters

Your article on health inequality (Britain’s ‘medieval’ health inequality is devastating NHS, experts say, 29 June) describes the laudable efforts of NHS agencies to tackle some of the acute health problems in poorer areas. However, the real problem is that the reason we have such disparities in health is that they are directly related to the gross disparities in wealth and income in this country.As Prof Michael Marmot and many others have demonstrated, some of the most important factors in determining health are social and economic. It is all very well for the NHS to make efforts to actively address the effects of social and economic deprivation in poor areas, but this is managing symptoms rather than the cause.It is no coincidence that the UK has some of the worst health outcomes of developed countries and also among the worst levels of inequality

The Vivienne died from cardio-respiratory arrest due to ketamine use, inquest finds

The drag artist known as The Vivienne died from misadventure after suffering cardio-respiratory arrest after taking ketamine, a coroner has ruled.James Lee Williams, 32, was found in the bath by a neighbour at home in Chorlton-by-Backford, Cheshire, on Sunday 5 January. The last time anyone had contact with Williams was two days earlier, a court was told, when a friend said it was evident the entertainer had taken ketamine.Five drug snap bags were found in The Vivienne’s property, including in a bedroom drawer and a bin in the bathroom, an inquest at Warrington coroner’s court heard on Monday.Although the performer had struggled with drugs in the past, Williams’s family told the hearing they should not be remembered for their use of ketamine and that drugs did not define the person they were

People having IVF should get time off work for appointments, say UK campaigners

People undergoing fertility treatment should have the legal right to take time off for their appointments, according to research that finds over a third have considered leaving their job due to the physical and emotional strain.The campaign group Fertility Matters At Work is calling for IVF to be recategorised as a medical procedure, rather than an elective treatment equivalent to cosmetic surgery, in guidance for employers under the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) code of practice.This would mean employers are no longer able to refuse time off for appointments, and would help tackle the stigma and lack of support that exists in many workplaces, the group says.Fertility Matters at Work has published a report based on a survey of more than 1,000 UK-based employees who have undergone fertility treatment. It found that nearly all (99%) had experienced it as a major life event that affected their mental wellbeing, while 87% reported anxiety or depression directly related to it, and 38% had left or considered leaving their job