Over 70% of children in Canada are in some kind of child care arrangement and this number is similar in other countries. Usually, children are placed in child care because both parents are working. However, sometimes, parents are advised by a professional to enroll their child in child care because this environment will promote their child’s development.

Parents have many questions about child care and we thought it would be helpful to identify some common assumptions about the effects of child care and report on what the research actually shows. The first few assumptions relate to typically-developing children, and the final three assumptions relate to children with special needs.

FALSE

A study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in the US looked at the influence of both child care and the home environment on over 1,000 typically-developing children [1]. They found that:

• "children who were cared for exclusively by their mothers did not develop differently than those who were also cared for by others" [1, p.1]

They also found that

• "parent and family characteristics were more strongly linked to child development than were child care features" [1, p.1].

This means that families have a greater impact on how a child develops than child care does.

Two family features that had a significant influence on children’s development were the quality of:

• mother-child interactions – children’s outcomes were better when mothers were responsive, sensitive, attentive, and provided good stimulation during interactions.
• the family environment – families which had organized routines, books and play materials, and engaged in stimulating experiences both in and out of the home (outings, library trips, etc.) had children with better social and cognitive outcomes.

The take home message...

Children who attend child care have the same outcomes as children who are cared for at home.

Children who attend child care have the same outcomes as children who are cared for at home. Whether a child attends daycare or not, it is the family that has a major impact on their child’s development, with the parents’ interactions with the child being a critically important factor.

TRUE and FALSE

The NICHD study [1] compared children who attended child care centres with children who attended home-based care (e.g. a home-based daycare, or care within the child’s home by someone other than the child’s parents). They found that centre-based child care was linked to:

• somewhat better cognitive and language development
• better pre-academic skills involving letters and numbers
• fewer behaviour problems at ages 2 and 3
• more behaviour problems at age 4 ½ (such as disobedience and aggression)

Therefore, there appear to be pros and cons to both centre-based and home-based child care settings.

Some of the principal treatments carried out by Mr Aji Raghu Ram at Spire include:

Ophthalmology

• Age-related macular degeneration treatmentSpire Cardiff Hospital
• Cataract removal surgerySpire Cardiff Hospital
• Eyelid cyst surgerySpire Cardiff Hospital
• Laser eye treatment (yag laser capsulotomy)Spire Cardiff Hospital

Other treatments

• Intravitreal injection for diabetic eye conditions
• Removal of cysts - minor eyelid surgery  

New Cross Hospital is a hospital in the Heath Town district of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is located to the east of the city centre in Wednesfield and is managed by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. 

The hospital has its origins in the local workhouse designed by Arthur Marshall; the foundation stone was laid by the chairman of the Board of Guardians in September 1900 and it opened in September 1903.[1] The design ensured that the workhouse had infirmary facilities in the north end of the site and the infirmary joined the National Health Service as the New Cross Hospital in 1948.[2]

The first phase of the modern hospital,[3] built by Alfred McAlpine, was completed in 1970.[4] It became the main acute general hospital for Wolverhampton when the Royal Hospitalclosed in June 1997.[5]

In October 2004 a Heart and Lung Centre costing £57 million was opened on the site, the United Kingdom's first purpose built specialist heart centre.[6] In November 2015 a new accident and emergency facility, built by Kier Group and costing £38 million,[7] opened at the hospital.[8]

• Bones and joints
• Cosmetic surgery
• Eye surgery and treatments
• Heart treatments
• Men's health
• Urology
• Weight loss
• Women's health

View all

• Back surgery
• Breast enlargement
• Cataract removal surgery
• Gastric bypass surgery
• Hip replacement surgery
• Knee replacement
• Prostate surgery

Prices

• Cardiac CT scan
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Ultrasound scan
• X-ray

• Spire GP
• London Doctors Clinic
• One-stop breast care clinics

• Cataracts
• Foot pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sciatica
• Spinal stenosis
• New Cross Hospital - secondary and tertiary services, maternity, Accident & Emergency, critical care and outpatients.  
  
  
• West Park Hospital - rehabilitation inpatient and day care services, therapy services and outpatients.  
  
  
• More than 20 Community sites - community services for children and adults, Walk in Centres and therapy and rehabilitation services.  
  
  
• Cannock Chase Hospital – general surgery, orthopaedics, breast surgery, urology, dermatology, and medical day case investigations and treatment (including endoscopy).

The Trust has a comprehensive clinical service portfolio across community, secondary and tertiary services.  

Our services are split into three divisions: 

• Division 1 (Surgical Division)
• Expand
• Division 2 (Emergency & Medical Services Division)
• Expand
• Division 3 (Community, Children’s & Support Services Division)
• Expand

News – 12 September 2023Our Future Health, the UK’s largest health research programme, will launch clinic appointments in 29 new locations in September 2023, bringing the total to 113 clinics across the UK. 

Four new mobile clinics will be based in supermarket car parks in Hounslow, Hyndburn, Waltham Forest and Watford. 

Blood donors will be able to join Our Future Health through their regular blood donation appointment at additional NHS Blood and Transplant locations in Ashford, Beckenham, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cornwall, Coventry, Exeter, Gloucester, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Northwich, Oxford, Plymouth, Reading, Slough, Solihull, Stoke, Surrey, Sutton Coldfield, Tunbridge Wells, Worcester, York. 

Our Future Health aims to transform the prevention, detection and treatment of conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With up to five million volunteers right across the UK, the goal is to create one of the most detailed pictures ever of people’s health.     

At their clinic appointment, as well as having a blood sample and some physical measurements taken, volunteers will be offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In the future, volunteers will also be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of some diseases and have the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge research studies.    

Working in collaboration with the NHS, the programme is sending invitations to people who live near the new clinics. Anyone over the age of 18 can join by signing up online at ourfuturehealth.org.uk, completing an online health questionnaire, and booking a short clinic appointment.   

Our Future Health clinic locations can be viewed on an interactive map here. 

Volunteer Gemma Gould, 34, from Coventry said:

“Getting my cholesterol and blood pressure checked during my Our Future Health appointment was reassuring. Taking part is quick, efficient and will help others in the future – a good reason for me to take a break from working and get out of the house!”  

Dr Raghib Ali OBE, Chief Medical Officer at Our Future Health, said: 

“In order to make discoveries about disease that benefit everyone, we need people from a range of different backgrounds to volunteer for Our Future Health. That’s why we want to make it easier than ever for people to take part, whether it’s at their high street pharmacy, in the car park of their local supermarket, or during their routine blood donation appointment.” 

Photos and videos of the mobile clinics can be downloaded here.    

Our Future Health is rolling out on a region-by-region basis to invite adults across the UK to join the programme. Volunteers who don’t live near a location where Our Future Health appointments are currently available can join now at ourfuturehealth.org.uk and be notified when new appointment locations become available.    

New locations will be announced on the Our Future Health website and social media channels.   

• One in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2021, a huge increase from one in nine in 2017. That’s five children in every classroom (i).
• The number of A&E attendances by young people aged 18 or under with a recorded diagnosis of a psychiatric condition more than tripled between 2010 and 2018-19 (ii).
• 83% of young people with mental health needs agreed that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health worse (iii).
• In 2018-19, 24% of 17-year-olds reported having self-harmed in the previous year, and seven per cent reported having self-harmed with suicidal intent at some point in their lives. 16% reported high levels of psychological distress (iv).
• Suicide was the leading cause of death for males and females aged between five to 34 in 2019 (v).
• Nearly half of 17-19 year-olds with a diagnosable mental health disorder has self-harmed or attempted suicide at some point, rising to 52.7% for young women (vi).

1 in 6children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2020.

• One-third of mental health problems in adulthood are directly connected to an adverse childhood experience (ACE) (vii).
• Adults who experienced four or more adversities in their childhood are four times more likely to have low levels of mental wellbeing and life satisfaction (viii).

1 in 3mental health problems in adulthood are directly connected to an adverse childhood experience (ACE).

• Just over one in three children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition get access to NHS care and treatment (ix).
• In a YoungMinds survey, three-quarters (76%) of parents said that their child's mental health had deteriorated while waiting for support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) (x).
• In a YoungMinds commissioned survey by Censuswide, two-thirds (67%) of young people said they would prefer to be able to access mental health support without going to see their GP but half (53%) said they didn't know how else to access this help (xi).

Just over 1 in 3children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition get access to NHS care and treatment.

(i) NHS Digital (2021): 'Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2021'.

(ii) NHS Digital / The Independent (January 2020) ‘Number of children admitted to A&E with mental health problems jumps 330 per cent over past decade’.

(iii) YoungMinds (summer 2020) Coronavirus: Impact on young people with mental health needs (survey two).

(iv) NCB and UCL research (November 2020), ‘One in six report severe mental health difficulties by age 17’.

(v) ONS: Deaths registered in England and Wales (2019) section six ‘Leading causes of death’.

(vi) NHS Digital (2018) ‘Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017’. Based on 46.8% of 17 to 19-year-olds that were identified as having a diagnosable mental health condition reporting that they had harmed themselves or tried to kill themselves at some point

(vii) Kessler, R. (2010) ‘Childhood adversities and adult psychopathology in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys’ British Journal of Psychiatry 197(5): 378–385.

(viii) Mehta, D. et al. (2013) ‘Childhood maltreatment is associated with distinct genomic and epigenetic profiles in posttraumatic stress disorder’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110(20): 8302–8307.

(ix) NHS Five Year Forward View for Mental Health dashboard.

(x) YoungMinds (2018) ‘A new era for young people’s mental health’.

(xi) YoungMinds (2020), First port of call: the role of GPs in early support for young people’s mental health.

By: GARWIN DAVIS, October 10, 2021

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office issued an update earlier today (Friday, October 8), removing COVID-19-related restrictions based on the current assessment of risks associated with the pandemic. ListenTourismShareFacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail

• TUI is the world’s leading tourism group. The broad portfolio gathered under the Group’s umbrella consists of strong tour operators, some 1,600 travel agencies, and leading online portals.
• “We, however,…and this is a word of caution…cannot sit on our laurels and allow ourselves to become complacent. We have come too far and have sacrificed too much to allow ourselves to become complacent. We need to continue to follow health and safety guidelines and to listen to the directives provided by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.”

Kailash Chand, general practitionerAuthor information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer

Recent government figures suggest that the UK drug treatment programmes have had limited success in rehabilitating drug users, leading to calls for decriminalisation from some parties. Kailash Chandbelieves that this is the best way to reduce the harm drugs cause, but Joseph Califano thinks not

There is a way that the UK government could more than halve the prison population, prevent burglaries and prostitution, rip the heart out of organised crime, and free up millions of hours of police time. Yet politicians, terrified of the rightwing press, would never dare to suggest the legalisation, regulation, and control of the drugs market, even though it could save lives and bring an end to the needless criminalisation of some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Even downgrading cannabis—a tiny step in the right direction—is now being reconsidered. 

Go to:

Prohibition as a policy has failed. Just look at the US, where hundreds of thousands of people have been jailed and, despite billions of pounds of funding for draconian policies, higher purity drugs continue to flood the market. 

Many of the violent criminal gangs owe their existence to the burgeoning, underground drug market. It is they—and not the governments—who control this trade and it is their turf wars that fuel gun crime. Transform—an influential drug policy foundation that has campaigned against prohibition—reports that the annual trade controlled by the gangs is more than £100bn.1 It also points to the fact that the policy drives crime among desperate low income addicts.

You only have to walk through the UK's many red light districts to see the effect of heroin addiction. Young women, putting themselves at grave danger, as they sell their bodies in return for enough cash to fund their next hit. Then there are the prisons overflowing.2

Go to:

Decriminalising drugs has paid off in the Netherlands. Decriminalisation of heroin and other hard drugs has allowed addicts to be treated as patients. As a result hardly any new heroin addicts are registered,3 while existing users are supported and have been helped to get jobs.

Drugs could easily be regulated in the same manner that alcohol and tobacco are regulated and, more importantly, heavily taxed. The price could still be substantially less than current prices on the illicit market,4 and the revenue generated from the regulation could then be funnelled into education and other rehabilitation programmes. Educating children at an early age is the best weapon we have to combat the drug problems we face today. It would give children the tools to make intelligent and healthy choices in the future. And instead of turning drug addicts back to the streets, investing in rehabilitation programmes would not only help the addicts, but help society. 

Many people may think that taking drugs is inherently wrong and so should be illegal. But there is a question of effectiveness—does making it illegal stop people doing it? The answer is clearly no. One could even argue that legalisation would eliminate part of the attraction of taking drugs—the allure of doing something illegal.

Go to

Adult children discuss the trials of caring for their aging parents: unreliable agencies, a lack of help and dwindling financial resources.

It’s been a nightmare. They are so desperate to hire workers that they will take anyone.”

I am 39 years old. I had to care for my father, who passed from cancer in 2019; my mother, who passed in November 2021 from cancer; and since her passing I have inherited the care of my grandmother. She is 97, diagnosed with moderate dementia and is considered high risk to be left home alone. We had been applying for Medicaid long-term care to receive a home health aide since early November 2021. She finally got a home health aide in January 2022, but it’s been a nightmare. They are so desperate to hire workers that they will take anyone. She was left without an aide on many random days with a late-notice telephone call or text message from the aide needing the day off and the agencies not able to find a replacement in time. I have changed agencies multiple times. My husband has been a great support the entire time. We rely on security cameras we installed in our apartment to see how she is doing while we are at work. How is it on a daily basis? It is emotionally and physically draining. The health care system for the elderly is neglected, broken and inadequate to meet any demands, even the basic needs.

Research suggests that daily added-sugar intake for 90 percent of Americans regularly exceeds the Dietary Guidelines’ recommendation of no more than 10 percent of the total calorie intake (The American Heart Association suggests we limit added sugar to 24gms/day for women and 36gms/day for men). When we consume high amounts of sugar, we become more prone to developing diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression and even some types of cancer.

Reducing or cutting out sugar can increase our quality of life no matter what our age or health status. This doesn’t mean we should cut out all forms of sugar. Natural sugars found in fruit, some dairy products, and vegetables, which also contain nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals, are not associated with the health risks mentioned above. In fact, they are considered very important parts of a healthy diet when consumed in the proper amounts.

Here are five things that can happen when you cut down on sugar:

1. You might lose a few pounds. Your total calorie intake decreases as you eat foods without added sugars. One research study suggests this could be a possible 14 percent decrease in total calories, which may mean you could consume 210 fewer calories when based on a 1,500-calorie a day intake. Just by cutting down on your added sugar intake you could lose one to two pounds per month.
2. You’ll decrease your diabetes risk. Cutting added sugars can help to keep your blood glucose levels within healthy parameters and makes it easier to control weight, both of which lower your diabetes risk. Added sugars contribute to excess calories, and excess calorie intake leads to weight gain. Weight gain, along with higher blood glucose levels from consuming added sugars, leads to insulin resistance. Cutting down on added sugars is key in stopping this cycle.
3. You’ll curb your sugar cravings. When you take in sweet treats like cake, cookies or candy, your brain tells your body you’re not full, and you then have the urge to eat more to feel satisfied. Increased intake of sugary foods or beverages fuels the increased frequency of cravings. When consumption of sugary foods and beverages decrease, the brain stops telling the body that it needs more sugar to feed the sugar craving cycle.
4. You can lower your risk for depression. Improved mental health is another advantage you might experience when you cut added sugar. This is because higher intakes of added sugar are associated with a significantly greater likelihood of experiencing episodes of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Researchers think this stems from inflammation in the brain that is triggered by added sugar’s higher glycemic index, and that this occurs through added sugar intake and not from natural sugars or carbohydrates.
5. You’ll have more energy. An increase in overall energy is one of the immediate perks you may notice when decreasing your added sugar intake. This is largely due to experiencing fewer highs and lows in your blood sugar.

Bonus tip! Want to know the quickest way to decrease added sugar intake? Look at the types of beverages you consume.

More than 50 percent of added sugar comes from sweetened beverages we consume – soda, energy/sports drinks, juices, and sweetened tea or coffees to name a few. Just by switching out sweetened beverages for their non-calorie counterparts, you may be able to cut your added sugar intake by more than half.

www.thewayyouthzone.org

Wolverhampton Youth Zone named ‘The Way’ opened in January 2016 and is a purpose-built facility for the city’s young people aged 8 – 19 (and 25 with disabilities).

The Youth Zone is located on Worcester Street in Wolverhampton and offers a multitude of activities for young people to partake in, such as sport, fitness, dance, arts, music, media, enterprise and well-being and self-improvement

The Youth Zone is crammed with incredible facilities that young people from Wolverhampton can access for a cost of £5 for an annual membership and 50p per visit.  The Way Youth Zone provides a safe environment where young people can come and enjoy themselves, enabling young people to raise their aspirations and confidence, to create a happier and healthier generation.

Recovery is a personal journey with the goals of hope, empowerment and autonomy. And for many people with mental health challenges, recovery is often possible.

Many factors contribute to recovery, including having a good support system of people that you like, respect and trust. They can be family members, friends, teachers, faith leaders, neighbors or peers — what’s important is that you have people you feel comfortable talking to about what you’re experiencing and support you may need.

Research has shown that having a social support system can have a positive impact on your overall mental health, especially for women, older adults, patients, workers and students. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 was “a great deal of stress” and one is “little or no stress,” a 2015 survey found that the average stress level for people with emotional support in place was 5 out of 10 compared to 6.3 out of 10 for people without emotional support.

Having a few people you trust and can turn to can help you manage everyday challenges, make difficult decisions, or even during a crisis situation.

It can also combat social isolation and loneliness, both of which can put you at higher risk for physical and mental health issues including high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression and more.

If you don’t have this right now, that’s okay. Use these tips from the American Psychological Association to help build and strengthen your support network:

1. Reach out to family and friends. Simply saying hello or offering to help with a task can spark conversation.
2. Use technology. Connect with people far away via email, text messaging or video calls.
3. Connect with people who share your interests. Join a club, volunteer at a local organization or take a class to help meet people who share your likes and interests.
4. Look for peer support groups. If you are facing a personal challenge, consider joining a peer support group to help take care of your mental health and connect with people who are facing something similar.
5. Ask for help. Reach out to your local library, place of worship, or community center to learn more about local events you may want to attend or groups you may want to join.

Remember that everyone’s support system will look different. They can be anywhere from one to 10 people and include diverse people from different areas of your life. And they take time to build.

It’s also important to take care of your own mental health and well-being in the process. Use self-care strategies and tips from the Mental Health First Aid curriculum to take care of yourself while also building a network around you.

Stan just found out that a friend has prostate cancer. Many men he knows have prostate problems. He’s worried that this might happen to him.

It’s true that prostate problems are common after age 50. The good news is there are many things you can do.

The prostate is a small gland in men that helps make semen. Located just below the bladder in front of the rectum, it wraps around the tube that cacarries urine and semen out of the body. It tends to grow larger as you get older. If your prostate gets too large, it can cause a number of health issues.

Here are some examples of non-cancer prostate problems:

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is very common in older men. It means your prostate is enlarged but not cancerous. Treatments for BPH include:

• Watchful waiting, also called active surveillance. If your symptoms are not too bad, your doctor may tell you to wait to see if they get worse before starting treatment. Your doctor will tell you how often to return for check-ups.
• Medications. Medicines can help shrink the prostate or relax muscles near your prostate to ease symptoms.
• Surgery. If nothing else has worked, your doctor may suggest surgery to help urine flow.
• Other treatments. Sometimes radio waves, microwaves, or lasers are used to treat urinary problems caused by BPH. These methods use different kinds of heat to reduce extra prostate tissue.

Acute bacterial prostatitis usually starts suddenly from a bacterial infection. See your doctor right away if you have fever, chills, or pain in addition to prostate symptoms. Most cases can be cured with antibiotics. You also may need medication to help with pain or discomfort.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is an infection that comes back again and again. This rare problem can be hard to treat. Sometimes, taking antibiotics for a long time may work. Talk with your doctor about other things you can do to help you feel better.

Chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome, is a common prostate problem. It can cause pain in the lower back, in the groin, or at the tip of the penis. Treatment may require a combination of medicines, surgery, and lifestyle changes.

Be sure to talk with your doctor about the possible side effects of treatment.

See your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• Frequent urge to urinate
• Need to get up many times during the night to urinate
• Blood in urine or semen
• Pain or burning urination
• Painful ejaculation
• Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips, pelvic or rectal area, or upper thighs
• Dribbling of urine

Prostate cancer is common among American men. Your chance of getting prostate cancer may be affected by your:

• Age. Men age 50 and older run a greater risk.
• Race. Prostate cancer is most common among African American men, followed by Hispanic and Native American men. Asian American men have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.
• Family history. If your father or brother had prostate cancer, you are more likely to develop it, too.
• Diet. The risk of prostate cancer may be higher for men who eat high-fat diets.

We’re passionate about helping you stay physically active and emotionally engaged in fitness, sport and wellbeing.  Our mission is to put our heart and soul into ‘creating active places and healthy people’ - it’s about creating a place for everyone.

Email us: enquirieswolverhampton@pfpleisure.org

Glen Staite-Loveridge, General Manager

01902 384 777

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This article is more than 6 years oldDavid Olusoga

David Olusoga at El Mina, a Portuguese-built fort in Ghana. ‘Many black British people, and their white and mixed-race family members, slipped into a siege mentality.’ Photograph: BBC

When I was a child, growing up on a council estate in the northeast of England, I imbibed enough of the background racial tensions of the late 1970s and 1980s to feel profoundly unwelcome in Britain.

My right, not just to regard myself as a British citizen, but even to be in Britain, seemed contested. Despite our mother’s careful protection, the tenor of our times seeped through the concrete walls into our home and into my mind and into my siblings’ minds. Secretly, I harboured fears that as part of the group identified by chanting neo-Nazis, hostile neighbours and even television comedians as “them” we might be sent “back”. This, in our case, presumably meant “back” to Nigeria, a country of which I had only infant memories and a land upon which my youngest siblings had never set foot.

To thousands of younger black and mixed-race Britons who, thankfully, cannot remember those decades, the racism of the 1970s and 1980s and the insecurities it bred in the minds of black people are difficult to imagine or relate to.

But they are powerful memories for my generation. I was eight years old when the BBC finally cancelled The Black and White Minstrel Show. I have memories of my mother rushing across our living room to change television channels (in the days before remote controls) to avoid her mixed-race children being confronted by grotesque caricatures of themselves on prime-time television. I was 17 when the last of the touring blackface minstrel shows finally disappeared, having clung on for a decade performing in fading ballrooms on the decaying piers of Britain’s seaside towns.

I grew up in a Britain in which there were pictures of golliwogs on jam jars and golliwog dolls alongside the teddy bears in the toy shop windows. One of the worst moments of my unhappy schooling was when, during the run-up to a 1970s Christmas, we were allowed to bring in our favourite toys. The girl who innocently brought her golliwog doll into our classroom plunged me into a day of humiliation and pain that I still find painful to recall, decades later.

When, in recent years, I have been assured that such dolls, and the words “golliwog” and “wog”, are in fact harmless and that opposition to them is a symptom of rampant political correctness, I recall another incident. It is difficult to regard a word as benign when it has been scrawled on to a note, wrapped around a brick and thrown through one’s living-room window in the dead of night, as happened to my family when I was 14. That scribbled note reiterated the demand that me and my siblings be sent “back”.

In the early 21st century, politicians in Whitehall and researchers in thinktanks fret about the failures of ethnic-minority communities to properly integrate into British society. In my childhood, the resistance seemed, to me at least, to come from the opposite direction. Many non-white people felt that while it was possible to be in Britain it was much harder to be of Britain. They felt marked out and unwanted whenever they left the confines of family or community.

Jamaican immigrants arriving at Tilbury Docks in Essex, 22 June 1948 on the Empire Windrush.Photograph: Daily Herald Archive/SSPL via Getty Images

It was a place and a time in which “black” meant “other” and “black” was unquestionably the opposite of “British”. The phrase “black British”, with which we are so familiar today, was little heard in those years. In the minds of some it spoke of an impossible duality. In the face of such hostility, many black British people, and their white and mixed-race family members, slipped into a siege mentality, a state of mind from which it has been difficult to entirely escape. What drove us deeper into that citadel of self-reliance and watchful mistrust was not just racial prejudice but a wave of racial violence.

Throughout those embattled years, my mother, somehow, managed to maintain within our family a regime of self-education and self-improvement. It was this internal, familial microculture that slowly drew me to read history. I stumbled upon the subject that was to become my vocation out of a simple love of story and because of a gung-ho fascination with the Second World War that was almost obligatory among boys of that period, whatever their racial background.

Britain in the 1980s was a nation still saturated in the culture and paraphernalia of that conflict. For the white working-class community.

The ObserverRace This article is more than 6 years old

Check this out  https://fb.watch/omSUDVUni_/

News

Most black people living in the UK have experienced prejudice from healthcare professionals because of their ethnicity, with younger people feeling especially discriminated against, a survey has revealed.1

Almost two thirds (65%) of black people who responded to a survey said that they had experienced prejudice from doctors and other staff in healthcare settings. This rose to three quarters (75%) among black people aged 18 to 34.

The report was commissioned by the Black Equity Organisation, a national civil rights organisation launched earlier this year to tackle systemic racism in the UK. The survey received 2051 responses from people of black or mixed black ethnicity, including 1014 people aged 18 to 34.

Vivian Hunt, the organisation’s chair of trustees, said, “The key to change is identifying and recognising the reality of black communities across the country. This research and our other report, Brick Wall after Brick Wall, provides a clear picture of what black communities experience daily and will help shape our work and campaigns moving forward.

“We will work in partnership with communities, businesses, grassroots organisations, and allies to deliver systemic change that will ensure that these experiences become a thing of the past.”

The report cited particular issues around the experience of black women in maternity care and the diagnosis of certain special educational needs. Survey participants felt as though they were not seen and that their concerns were not listened to or incorporated into their treatment decisions.

“Specific to Black women, participants felt that due to the misguided stereotype of ‘strong Black women,’ practitioners were dismissive of their pain,” the report said.

It noted that this finding had also been reported by the NHS Race Health Observatory,2 which found evidence of negative interactions, stereotyping, disrespect, discrimination, and cultural insensitivity across maternity services. This made many women from ethnic minority groups feel “unwelcome, and poorly cared for.” It also found that black patients in the UK were subject to more intrusive treatments, such as injectable antipsychotics, and were less likely to be offered talking therapy for severe mental illness.

Black African individuals were at least six percentage points more likely than those from other ethnic groups to believe that they were being discriminated against by NHS professionals because of their ethnicity.

Reflecting on its findings, the organisation called for an end to prejudicial decisions being made by healthcare professionals when treating and diagnosing illness in black patients.

1. ↵Swords B, Sheni R. Systemic change required. Black lived reality: why we need systemic change. 26 Sep 2022. https://blackequityorg.com/state-of-black-britain-report/
2. ↵Kapadia D, Zhang J, Salway S, et al; NHS Race & Health Observatory. Ethnic inequalities in healthcare: a rapid evidence review. Feb 2022. https://www.nhsrho.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/RHO-Rapid-Review-Final-Report_v.7.pdf

You may be on a repeat prescription for the contraceptive pill. In which case, you can arrange for your prescription medication to be delivered to your house, or you can collect it for free from your local store with the LloydsPharmacy prescription delivery service. You will still have to have a quick online consultation with one of our online doctors to check suitability.

The signs of STIs and STDs vary depending on:

• the infection that you have
• the severity of it
• whether you're a man or a woman.

Many symptoms of STIs and STDs are very similar, for example you could notice pain when you urinate, discharge from your vagina or penis as well as itching or irritation.

Also it's important to remember that some of these infections are asymptotic meaning that you symptoms may not appear at all, or if they do they might not develop for weeks or months after you are initially infected. That’s why it’s important to get regularly tested for STIs and STDs, as well as practise safe sex by using condoms.

STI symptoms in women can range from unusual vaginal discharge that might be white, clear or greenish in appearance. Men may also notice discharge from the tip of the penis, this too might be yellow in colour and accompanied by itching and irritation.

When you’re looking to get tested for an STI there are an array of options for you to choose from. Whether you would prefer to do the test yourself at home, visit your local sexual health clinic or book an appointment with your GP. LloydsPharmacy can offer a variety of STI testing kits for you to order and then complete at home or you can visit our Online Doctor for a confide

FIND A FOOD BANK.     ACCOMMODATION.   ADVICE.  CARE LEAVERS SUPPORT.  WELLBEING.

No one should go hungry – we’re here to help

Food banks in our network welcome and support everyone who is referred to them, always acting with respect and without judgment. Volunteers will give a minimum of three days’ emergency food and offer support to resolve some of the difficulties you might be facing.

In order to get help from a food bank you will need to be referred with a voucher, which can be issued by a number of local community organisations (for instance schools, GPs and advice agencies). Your local food bank can advise which agencies can help. Find your local food bank here. 

We know it's a challenging time for everyone at the moment as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds.

Food banks are grassroots, community organisations aimed at supporting people who cannot afford

the essentials in life.

You can contact your local food bank using the numbers below. For advice and support around your

financial crisis you can also call our free national helplines. 

please call Help through Hardship for free to talk confidentially to a trained Citizens Advice adviser on:

(Open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. Closed on public holidays.)

They can help address your crisis and provide support to maximise your income, help you navigate the benefits system, and identify any additional grants you could be entitled to. If needed, they’ll issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel from your local food bank.

please call for free to talk confidentially to a trained Advice NI adviser on:

(Open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. Closed on public holidays.)

They can help address your crisis and provide support to maximise your income, help you navigate the benefits system, and identify any additional grants you could be entitled to. The advisers can also provide specialist debt and budgeting advice to people calling the line. For more information, click here. If needed, they’ll issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel from your local food bank.

More information can be found on the Get Help page.https://www.trusselltrust.org/

Rheumatoid arthritis is less common than osteoarthritis.

It often starts when a person is between 30 and 50 years old. Women are more likely to be affected than men.

In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system targets affected joints, which leads to pain and swelling. 

The outer covering (synovium) of the joint is the first place affected.

This can then spread across the joint, leading to further swelling and a change in the joint's shape. This may cause the bone and cartilage to break down.

People with rheumatoid arthritis can also develop problems with other tissues and organs in their body.

• joint pain, tenderness and stiffness
• inflammation in and around the joints
• restricted movement of the joints
• warm red skin over the affected joint
• weakness and muscle wasting

Arthritis is often associated with older people, but it can also affect children.

Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

JIA causes pain and inflammation in 1 or more joints for at least 6 weeks.

Although the exact cause of JIA is unknown, the symptoms often improve as a child gets older, meaning they can lead a normal life.

cost of living payment 

You may be able to get a payment to help with the cost of living if you’re getting certain benefits or tax credits.

You do not need to apply. You’ll be paid automatically.

If you have had a message asking you to apply or contact someone about the payment, this might be a scam.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits. This includes if you’re found to be eligible for a Cost of Living Payment or a Disability Cost of Living Payment at a later date.

You could get up to 3 different types of payment depending on your circumstances on a particular date or during a particular period:

• a Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits
• a Disability Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying disability benefit
• a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, if you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023

These payments are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.

You may get a payment of £650 paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324 if you get payments of any of the following:

• Universal Credit
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

The payment will be made separately from your benefit.

You will not get a payment if you get New Style Employment and Support Allowance, contributory Employment and Support Allowance, or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, unless you get Universal Credit.

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one payment of £326 and one payment of £324 for your joint claim, if you’re entitled.

You were eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £326 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022.

You will be eligible for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022.

The payment will be made separately from your benefit.

1. Podcasts
2. Insights

1. Emma CaveProfessor of Healthcare Law, Durham University
2. Bobbie FarsidesProfessor of Clinical and Biomedical Ethics, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Emma Cave is affiliated with Infected Blood Inquiry. She was Co-Chair of the Medical Ethics group for the Infected Blood Inqui