Olivia Finch, from Bryn, was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma at just two years old. Her story inspired an outpouring of support, with communities rallying around her parents, Kelly and Nick, and fundraising efforts helping to pay for vital clinical trials.

Olivia first became seriously unwell in 2021, suffering from vomiting and difficulty walking for 40 days before her diagnosis.

In a heartbreaking tribute shared on Instagram, her family wrote:  

“Our beautiful, precious angel gained her wings Wednesday, peacefully at home, surrounded by love.”

They described Olivia as “pure sunshine”, adding:  

“In your six joyous years, you taught us more than most do in a lifetime… You fought the toughest battle but your courage, your spirit, and your fierce independence never wavered — even until the very end.”

The tribute ended with the words: “Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever six.”

Charity pays tribute

Morgan’s Army Charitable Foundation — set up by Natalie and Matthew Ridler after their son Morgan’s cancer diagnosis — also paid an emotional tribute. Morgan died in 2023, and the families had grown close while spending time on the same hospital ward.

The charity said the Gorseinon 10K race on Sunday, April 12 will be dedicated to Olivia’s memory.

In a statement, they said:  

“We are absolutely devastated to hear of Olivia gaining her wings this week… My heart aches for them all that they now must join our reality.”

They added that Olivia had always looked out for Morgan, saying they hoped the two children would now be reunited.

Olivia’s story has resonated deeply across Wales, with thousands following her journey and supporting her family through fundraising, messages and community events.

Her family say her strength, kindness and joy will never be forgotten.

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The issue was first reported around 5pm on Sunday, with many locals saying the smell was still lingering the following morning. Some described it as so overpowering they could “almost taste it”.

Fire crews search Asda petrol station as source hunt begins

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service were seen at Asda Caerphilly, checking the area around the petrol station for leaks. The investigation has now been handed over to Natural Resources Wales (NRW), who believe the source of the pollution is somewhere near:

- Howard Drive  

- Dyfed Drive  

- Davies Drive  

- Close to Churchill Park

Residents in these areas are being urged to check for leaking fuel tanks or anything that could be entering surface water drains.

Fuel-like substance spotted in local brook

Videos sent to Pulse Media show what appears to be a fuel-type sheen in Nant yr Aber, the brook running through Pont‑Y‑Pandy woods. Homes backing onto the woodland have reported the smell inside their properties.

One resident said the fumes were so strong she could “almost taste it”.

Environmental officers working to contain pollution

Jon Goldsworthy, duty incident manager for NRW, confirmed:

“We’re investigating a fuel pollution incident affecting a stream in the Pontygwindy area of Caerphilly.”

He said absorbent booms and pads had been placed in the water to help contain the contamination while officers continue searching for the source.

NRW is urging anyone with information to report it via their website or by calling 0300 065 3000.

Concerns for health and wildlife

Alongside worries about fumes entering homes, residents have raised fears about the impact on local wildlife, with the brook running through a well‑used woodland area.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they are aware of the strong smell and confirmed NRW is now leading the response.

Council leader monitoring situation

Caerphilly council leader Jamie Pritchard told Pulse Media he is aware of the incident and is making enquiries as investigations continue.

For more news visit Pulse Media.

M&M Chocolate Recall

A batch of M&M’s Pipoca (popcorn flavour) has been urgently recalled after it was found to contain peanuts and gluten, with the possibility of barley, rye and wheat — none of which are listed on the UK label.

The product was originally manufactured for the Brazilian market and sold in the UK with added stickers. All 35g packs, across all batch codes and best‑before dates, are affected.

The Food Standards Agency warned the chocolate poses a serious risk to anyone with peanut or gluten‑related allergies, or coeliac disease.

Consumers are advised:

- Do not eat the product  

- Return it to the store for a full refund, with or without a receipt  

Turkey Breast Pastrami Recall

Gilbert’s Turkey Breast Pastrami (142g) has been withdrawn after tests detected Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria symptoms can resemble flu — including fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhoea — but in rare cases can lead to serious complications such as meningitis.

Affected packs:

- Weight: 142g  

- Use‑by date: April 9, 2026  

- Product codes: CK016 or CK027

Consumers should not eat the product and should return it for a refund.

Smyths Toys Recall Over Asbestos Risk

Seven toys sold at Smyths Toys have been pulled from shelves after concerns that the sand‑like material inside may contain small quantities of asbestos.

The affected products include:

- Dino Dig Sensory Bin (248772)  

- Dig In Kit GOLD (231105)  

- Let’s Dig Out Dinosaur Eggs 10pc (166403)  

- Gem Dig Kit, 12 Gem Pack (187539)  

- Dig It Up Pirates 13 Treasure Chest (223521)  

- Gem Dig 8 Pack  

- Additional dig‑style kits in the same range  

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued strict disposal guidance:

If the sand is still sealed:

- Place it in a heavy‑duty plastic bag  

- Double‑tape it securely  

- Label clearly  

- Store out of reach of children  

If the sand has been used:

- Clean the area using wet cloths to avoid dust  

- Wear gloves and a mask  

- Double‑bag the sand, gloves, mask and cloths  

- Keep all materials away from children  

Refunds are available directly through Smyths Toys.

For more news visit Pulse Media.

A Senedd inquiry has warned that GP services across Wales are in decline, with surgeries underfunded, understaffed and struggling to cope with daily demand. Doctors told the committee they feel “beleaguered”, while patients described the system as increasingly unworkable.

The Senedd’s health and social care committee found that chronic underfunding has left practices unable to provide the level of care they want to deliver. The most widespread frustration — shared by both patients and GPs — is the now‑infamous “8am scramble” for appointments.

‘The most common cause of frustration’

The report states:

“The most common cause of frustration for patients is the struggle to get a GP appointment, often referred to as the ‘8am scramble’. Time and again we hear of people struggling to get through, only to find all appointments have gone.”

Despite Welsh Government assurances that this should not be happening, the committee said it remains widespread and must be urgently addressed.

GPs say demand is impossible to meet without funding

Cardiff GP Dr Rebecca Towner told the inquiry that surgeries simply cannot meet demand without more investment:

“How are we supposed to offer capacity for all of our patients when daily demand is so unpredictable and we are not funded to provide care for all of our patients?”

A patient from Brecon described being 49th in the queue after calling at 8am.

Primary care underfunded despite handling 90% of NHS contacts

The inquiry found that although primary care handles around 90% of all NHS interactions, it receives a disproportionately small share of funding. General medical services accounted for 5.7% of NHS Wales spending in 2024‑25, down from 7.1% in 2018‑19.

The committee warned that the imbalance between hospital funding and primary care is now “critically impacting” the sustainability of general practice.

A service in decline

Evidence submitted painted a bleak picture:

- Chronic underinvestment  

- Rising numbers of practice closures  

- Low morale among staff  

- Poor public perception  

- A workforce stretched beyond capacity  

Wales now has around 374 GP practices, down from 516 in 2002. Doctors say the situation is even worse than official figures suggest.

One GP told the inquiry their practice has 11,526 registered patients but is only funded to care for 8,281.

Recruitment crisis — and GPs leaving Wales

The inquiry heard that deprived areas face the biggest shortages, with more patients per GP. Meanwhile, some urban areas have the opposite problem — too many GPs and not enough funded jobs.

Dr Rowena Christmas, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Cymru Wales, said many GPs are leaving for better pay and work‑life balance abroad:

“They want to stay and work in Wales. They are just struggling to find the work.”

Minister rejects simple online booking fix

Outgoing health minister Jeremy Miles acknowledged issues with phone systems but said online booking alone would not solve the problem:

“Going to see a GP is not the same as ordering a pizza… there needs to be an element of clinical triage.”

The committee, however, said it remains unclear how access standards will be strengthened.

For more news visit Pulse Media.

Swansea University confirmed that 65 newly qualified paramedics have been informed by the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST) that no recruitment will take place this year, leaving many shocked and devastated.

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🎓 “We’re trained, motivated — and told to leave Wales”

Students say they were expecting to step straight into frontline roles after years of placements, exams and clinical training. Instead, they’ve been advised to:

- Apply for non‑registered ambulance roles, or  

- Look across the border for work in England  

One student said:  

> “We are a highly trained, motivated cohort, ready to enter the workforce and contribute immediately to patient care. Instead, we are being advised to leave Wales to seek employment elsewhere.”

---

💷 £50,000 per student, per year — now at risk of being wasted

Training for paramedics in Wales is part‑funded by the NHS through Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). Students estimate the cost at £50,000 per student per year, covering:

- Tuition fees  

- Travel and accommodation for placements  

- Uniform and clinical training  

- Up to 20 weeks of placements annually  

Across three years, that’s around £150,000 per student — or £9.75 million for this cohort alone.

Neither WAST nor Welsh Government disputed the figures when asked.

Students warn that without jobs, this investment is “effectively being written off”.

---

📉 WAST: “We can’t afford to hire them”

WAST says it is facing a “difficult financial and operational landscape” and cannot take on newly qualified paramedics this year.

The trust cites:

- Budget pressures  

- Reduced staff turnover  

- Skill‑mix changes  

- Current staffing levels  

Students were also told the service aims to reduce the number of paramedics in Wales by around 10%, despite:

- Long ambulance delays  

- Poor cardiac arrest outcomes  

- Hospital handover backlogs  

Graduates say the decision is “fundamentally misaligned with patient demand”.

---

🚨 Risk to patient care

Students warn that pushing them into non‑registered roles means:

- Advanced clinical skills they’ve trained for won’t be used  

- Patients may miss out on potentially life‑saving interventions  

- Wales risks losing an entire cohort of paramedics to England  

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🏥 Official responses

Welsh Ambulance Services Trust

- Confirms no recruitment of newly qualified paramedics this year  

- Encourages graduates to apply for EMT roles or seek work elsewhere  

- Says it is working with HEIW and universities on the impact  

Swansea University

- Supporting affected students  

- In discussions with WAST and HEIW  

Welsh Government

- Says it is “committed to ensuring investment in NHS training leads to meaningful employment”  

- Working with WAST and HEIW to address the issue  

The British Dental Association (BDA) says the reforms, described by the Welsh Government as the biggest shake‑up in 20 years, risk pushing more practices into private work and worsening the existing access crisis.

What’s changing?

The new system alters how often patients are seen and how they are charged.

1. Check‑ups less frequent

Healthy patients will no longer be encouraged to attend every six months. Instead, routine NHS check‑ups will now take place every 18 to 24 months, freeing up dentist time for patients with higher clinical needs.

2. New charging structure

The old Band 1, 2 and 3 system has been scrapped. Treatments will now fall under care packages, with clinical care and lab fees charged separately.

The BDA says this could mean higher costs for some patients, highlighting:

- A simple check‑up rising 22% to £24.50  

- A periodontal package increasing from £60 to £93.50

While the union acknowledged that Welsh patients may still pay less than those in England “in some cases”, it warned the increases come at a difficult time amid the cost‑of‑living crisis.

---

Dentists warn reforms are ‘untested’

The BDA says the new system has not been properly trialled and that communication with practices has been poor. Some dentists have already handed back their NHS contracts due to uncertainty about the future.

Some health boards have reportedly seen 10% or more of their NHS contract allocations returned, putting further pressure on remaining services.

A long‑promised patient information leaflet explaining the new system has also not yet been published.

BDA: ‘The service is on the brink’

Russell Gidney, chair of the BDA’s Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, said:

“Many patients across Wales will have to get used to more costly, less frequent dental care.  

The risk now is that untested reforms will push more practices out of the NHS, taking the access crisis from bad to worse.”

He warned that whoever forms the next Welsh Government will inherit a service “on the very brink” and will need a rescue package to secure its future.

---

Welsh Government defends the changes

A spokesperson said the reforms are designed to prioritise patients based on individual risk and need, ensuring capacity for new patients while maintaining continuity for existing ones.

They insisted the changes are not experimental:

“It is not a leap into the unknown, but a consolidation of what has already been shown to work.  

We are proud to have developed the new contract arrangements in partnership with the BDA, the NHS and the people of Wales.”

Judith Bryce, assistant director of operations, said crews need to remain available for the most serious and life‑threatening incidents.

She said:  

“We expect the Easter bank holiday to be a busy time, and we’re asking the public to help ensure our crews are available for those who need us most. Calling 999 for something that isn’t an emergency could take vital resources away from someone in urgent need.”

She also reminded the public that arriving by ambulance does not mean you will be seen sooner in A&E.

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Use 111 and other services for non‑emergencies

People are being encouraged to use:

- NHS 111 Wales website  

- Local pharmacies  

- Minor injury units

Last Easter saw a 44% rise in 111 calls compared with the previous week — something the service says helps keep ambulances free for critical cases.

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Advice for the long weekend

The Welsh Ambulance Service is urging the public to:

- Collect prescriptions early  

- Keep basic first aid supplies at home  

- Drink responsibly if socialising  

- Plan journeys home in advance  

- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs  

- Check in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours and relatives  

Demand is expected to remain high across the NHS throughout the holiday.

The message from the service is clear:  

Use 999 only for genuine emergencies, and help keep crews available for those who need them most.

It comes as Thousands of students in Kent are to be offered vaccines in the coming days as health chiefs deal with an “unprecedented” and “explosive” outbreak of meningitis.

Some 15 cases of meningitis have so far been reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), up from 13 reported previously, including two deaths.

The number of cases is expected to rise because the incubation period for the infection – to when symptoms appear – is two to 14 days.

The outbreak is being viewed by experts as unprecedented owing to the high number of cases appearing in such a short space of time.

UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said: “This looks like a super-spreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities.

“There will have been some parties particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing.

“I can’t yet say where the initial infection came from, how it’s got into this cohort, and why it’s created such an explosive amount of infections.

“I can say that in my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single weekend with this type of infection.

“It’s the explosive nature that is unprecedented here – the number of cases in such a short space of time.

“NHS were initially managing it as a major incident in the region but they have now increased that overlay to having a national-level oversight as well.”

England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite said: “This is by far the quickest-growing outbreak I’ve ever seen in my career, and I think probably any of us have seen, of meningitis for a very long time.

“Whilst it remains an outbreak that is having its consequences in Kent, it is obviously of national significance.”

About 5,000 students in university halls in Kent are to be offered the meningitis B vaccine in coming days. The aim is to prevent further disease in several weeks time if somebody has been harbouring the infection.

Four schools in total across Kent have now confirmed cases and hundreds of people are being offered antibiotics as an immediate treatment.

All reported cases so far have a link to Kent, according to the UKHSA. At least one person who fell ill and had links to Kent attended a London hospital.

Health officials stressed that people should not skip antibiotics if prescribed them, with a single tablet of Ciprofloxacin reducing the risk of meningitis in a household by about 80% to 90%.

Experts said many of those affected attended Club Chemistry in Canterbury over March 5-7.

The UKHSA said all 15 cases had required hospital admission, with four cases confirmed to have menB.

Laboratory scientists are urgently trying to work out if the spread is caused by a possible mutant strain of menB.

The genome of the menB strain identified in the outbreak is undergoing whole genome sequencing to see if there are any differences to known strains.

It will also be tested against available menB vaccines, though experts stressed people should get a jab if eligible.

Earlier on Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said most students would not already be vaccinated against menB, adding that the jabs will begin in the next few days.

He told MPs “This is an unprecedented outbreak. It is also a rapidly developing situation.”

He said the menB vaccine has been available on the NHS since 2015 as part of routine childhood immunisations, “but clearly most students would not be vaccinated”.

He added: “Given the severity of the situation, I can confirm to the House that we will begin a targeted vaccination programme for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent in Canterbury, which will begin in the coming days.”

The programme may also expand further if other groups are deemed to be at risk.

Mr Streeting said he had asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to “re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines” for a wider group of people after it ruled a menB catch-up campaign for older children was not cost-effective.

The Health Secretary also told MPs he was “confident” that the UKHSA acted as “quickly and comprehensively as possible” in its response to the outbreak of meningitis, after criticism that it was too slow to act and inform the public.

Mr Streeting also set out how the cases “link back” to the Club Chemistry nightclub over the dates of March 5-7.

He said that on Saturday, French authorities alerted the UKHSA to a confirmed case in France in a person who had attended the University of Kent.

Both two cases at this point lived in private accommodation, “and at that stage, there was no apparent link between the two”, Mr Streeting said.

There are four centres open in Canterbury offering antibiotics, with 11,000 doses available on site, Mr Streeting told MPs.

“The onset of illness is often sudden, and early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital,” he said, adding it could likely be spread from sharing drinks, vapes and close contact.

Earlier, the deputy director of the immunisation and vaccine preventable diseases division at the UKHSA, Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, said the outbreak of meningitis had been “unusual” but she did not believe there was a current risk to anyone outside the Kent region.

“We have no evidence of any wider spread,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“So it’s really important to reassure people across the country that there’s no evidence of wider spread at the current time but it’s important, in terms of vaccination, to make sure that your children are fully up to date with the vaccines that are available, and to be alert to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease.

“Although it can be rare, it can be severe and devastating, and so prompt recognition, early treatment is very important.”

But over a 72-hour period, her condition quickly worsened to vomiting and migraines - and she was admitted to Poole Hospital on April 1, 2024, where tests and a lumbar puncture confirmed viral meningitis. Over the weekend, it was announced that two people have died following an outbreak of meningitis at the University of Kent - with 11 more "seriously ill" in hospital.

Vicki said that she feels like history is repeating itself and is calling for mandatory education in schools and universities for meningitis awareness. Vicki, who works part-time, from Wimborne, Dorset, said: “I just feel sad that history's still repeating itself.

“My heart just goes out to all those families affected and it's just such a sad thing to happen to those people. Ideally, with meningitis, there should be a mandatory training element within schools, maybe even with PSHE lessons. I think that should be taught a lot earlier, before it gets to the point of university and to the age of college.

“It can be carried in so many different ways, and some are unavoidable, but if you know and recognise the symptoms, it can potentially be prevented. Even if it’s not the individual who ends up going through it, they could help a friend if they know that information.”

Vicki believed she contracted the deadly illness after taking her youngest, Freddie, to the hospital a week prior. But it wasn't until her mum, Julie, found out she was vomiting and slurring her words following a phone call three days later in March 2024 that she dialled 999.

Vicki was asked to touch her chin to her chest, but when she couldn't, she was blue-lighted to Poole Hospital. A lumbar puncture test confirmed she had viral meningitis.

Vicki, who originally shared her story with Talk To The Press, said: "I remember waking up with a headache and some pains and not thinking much of them.

"I honestly thought it was just the flu and the symptoms would subside. At the hospital, I was pumped with antibiotics as my body was somewhat shutting down. But when I heard meningitis, the words hit me like a train."

Vicki was discharged from the hospital after a week. But later returned on April 15 when she experienced the "same symptoms again" - known as recurrent meningitis - and, at this point, the illness had affected the neurological pathways of her brain so much she “lost most use" of her legs.

Further tests confirmed she had focal neurological deficits (FND) - a condition triggered by the meningitis where the brain has trouble sending and receiving signals properly - which can cause a wide range of issues, including loss of sensation and touch in the body.

Vicki was discharged from hospital a second time four days later and was told her mobility may return after a few weeks. But two years later, she is still unable to walk and heavily relies on a wheelchair and aid to get around.

"I essentially lost sensation from the waist down and my independence took a severe hit," Vicki said. "I was virtually housebound for a year. I relied on a wheelchair to get around and I missed out on being a mum and a wife.

"It was incredibly isolating. I couldn't go out without someone taking me out or enjoy the outdoors like I used to. And I didn't recover like doctors said I would."

Today, Vicki continues to try to recover by regularly attending physiotherapy and doing exercises to boost mobility. She is also preparing to attend school assemblies as a guest speaker to help raise awareness about the disease.

Vicki believes this could be an effective and empowering public health strategy because assemblies gather a “large audience” of students who “have to listen”.

Her message to university students and young people is to “empower yourselves with knowledge - knowledge is power”. Vicki said: “Not as a scaremongering thing, but empower yourself with the information of various things you might get at your age, so that if anything happens, you know what the signs and symptoms are.

“You really need to just go get yourself checked out if you've got any kind of severity of the symptoms. Contact the GP or 111, or refer to Meningitis Now for the symptoms.

“For me personally, it was a migraine like no other. I was physically being sick from the pain of it being so unbearable. You can't shake it off and no standard medication would touch it.”

Vicki’s goal for 2026 is to try and turn what’s happened to her into a positive by “helping others”. She has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the “proactive work” of Meningitis Now, the charity that helped provide Vicki with her wheelchair.

Vicki said that she hopes the families of those impacted in Kent will reach out to Meningitis Now’s bereavement support team as a resource.

“I just sent out my condolences to them all because it's just such a horrible thing for everyone affected to go through," Vicki said. "I've had a real rubbish past couple of years, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Even though I am trying my hardest to recover."

"I don't think I ever will, but I hope my story can help others to become more aware of the symptoms for meningitis and FND. My thoughts go out to them all.”

If you wish to donate to Vicki's GoFundMe, visit: https://gofund.me/d417e7a5b

Baby Cleo Gray was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck on February 21, at the John Radcliffe Hospital Women’s Centre. She was delivered by her dad Matt, a former ambulance technician, after a "panicked" midwife left the room.

Despite numerous trips to her GP over three months where she was tested for thrush and STIs, which all came back clear, she was left in agony. After being referred to a hospital gynaecology department, a biopsy revealed Laura had pre-cancerous VIN 3 (Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia).

The hospitality worker underwent surgery to have part of her labia removed in July 2025 and later that month received the devastating news it had developed into vulval cancer. Laura then underwent another surgery to remove the lymph nodes in her groin in December 2025.

Now healing at home after being declared cancer-free, Laura is bravely sharing her story to encourage women to regularly check themselves and get anything unusual looked at. Laura, from Bristol, said: "A lot of young girls don't touch their vaginas, they don't look at their vaginas, it's a taboo thing to do.

"You have to know what it feels like, you have to know what is down there for you to know if something's not right. I think it [vulval cancer symptoms] really needs to be talked about and be advertised everywhere."

Laura was first alerted there may be an issue with her vulva in March 2022, while recovering from groin abscess surgery. While cleaning the wound, Laura became concerned that part of her vagina 'didn't look right', due to a swelling in her left labia.

As it wasn't painful, and was simply a little more swollen than the right-hand side, Laura brushed it off as 'just her anatomy'. Laura said: "I didn't worry about it at all, I just thought it was my anatomy. No one vagina is the same as the other. None of my partners have ever mentioned it, to me it was just normal, I just put it off as nothing.

"At the beginning of last year I was getting increasingly even more sore, to the point where I couldn't wear underwear, I couldn't walk and I couldn't sleep. I was in proper agony."

She told how she had suffered with thrush her whole life and said the doctors kept putting it down to that. she added: "Everything they tested me for - thrush, STIs, you name it they were testing me for it down there - all results said I had a clean bill of health.

"It was unbearable pain and I couldn't get rid of it. They [doctors] gave me local anaesthetic gel to numb it, but even that wasn't helping."

After being referred to a hospital gynaecology department in April 2025 a biopsy revealed she had pre-cancerous VIN3, before surgery results revealed it had developed into vulval cancer. Laura said: "[When they told me I had vulval cancer] I was more concerned about how it would affect my family.

"It's a very rare cancer and it normally shows up in women over 70. I'm only 31, they're saying it's probably down to my immune system and that HPV could be a factor.

"I do think about it and it does get me down. I'm only 31, I shouldn't be having this happen to me. I like to work, I like to be busy and the fact I can't do anything is driving me insane. Going to the toilet is very painful, it burns, and they've said it will affect my sex life."

Laura, who was told she was cancer-free on December 24, is now sharing her experience to encourage people to regularly check themselves. She said: "I've posted it everywhere I could. I've been speaking to everybody, everyone down my local shop, any women I speak to [about it]

"Even men I'm like 'listen, check your missus out'. Even my little nieces I've said to them 'look I know this is something you don't really want to discuss but you need to'.

"I think they should be testing you for that when you go for your smear, just checking it looks ok and if it doesn't, getting a biopsy from the area."

What is vulval cancer?

According to the NHS vulval cancer is cancer that's found anywhere in the vulva. The vulva is the area around the opening of the vagina, including the inner and outer lips around the vagina (labia) and the clitoris. Vulval cancer may be caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), or by skin conditions that affect your vulva.

Symptoms of vulval cancer can affect any part of your vulva, but they're most common on the inner and outer lips (labia) around the opening of your vagina. Symptoms can include: a lump, a sore, bleeding from your vulva, or blood-stained vaginal discharge, that is not related to your periods, itching that does not get better, changes to your skin, such as red, white or dark patches, a mole that changes shape or colour, burning pain when you pee.

The Rogerstone local began using sunbeds at 16, typically spending eight to ten minutes per session. Emma admitted that she would often left the sunbed burnt, yet was still allowed to continue. In some salons, she was even offered tanning accelerators - creams with no sun protection - while the risks were rarely, if ever, discussed.

"It just felt normal," she said. "Everyone I knew seemed to use sunbeds. It made me feel better about myself."

Throughout her late teens, Emma would often use the sunbeds before holidays, chasing what she believed was a "base tan." Now - while she cannot say for certain that sunbeds caused her cancer - Emma believes they were "likely a factor in me getting melanoma."

Emma gave up sunbeds in her early twenties after learning more about the dangers of UV exposure. But not long after, while applying sun cream at a party, she noticed what she thought was a smudge of chocolate on her stomach - it was actually a changing mole. She was diagnosed shortly afterward with 1A melanoma.

According to the NHS, melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the cells responsible for producing pigment. It can spread to other parts of the body if not caught early. The main cause is ultraviolet light, from both the sun and tanning beds, with risk factors including pale skin, a high number of moles, family history of skin cancer and age. Stage 1 melanoma, like Emma's, means the cancer was detected early and confined to the skin, giving her a strong chance of successful treatment, which usually involves surgery.

Despite the early diagnosis, Emma says the emotional impact was heavy. "I'd assumed cancer was something that happened when you were older. I wasn’t emotionally equipped to deal with it," she said.

However, this wouldn't be Emma's last confrontation with the disease. Years later, things took a devastating turn during a routine check-up while she was pregnant with her second child. Doctors became concerned about another mole, which was confirmed as melanoma shortly after her baby was born.

"The thought that I'd had my baby growing while I had cancer was horrible," she said. "It felt different the second time because I had children relying on me to be alive. The thought that I've done that to myself made me feel so guilty."

Since her diagnoses, Emma has had 10 moles removed. Most have been non-cancerous, but she describes the wait for results as "horrific." 

Now, she avoids sunbeds completely and uses fake tanning products instead, calling them a much safer way to achieve the same confidence boost.

Reflecting on her experience, she adds: "It is really not worth it, that momentary feeling of 'oh yes, my skin looks lovely and tanned'. It doesn't last. It's literally a moment."

Skin cancer is easier to treat when found early so it's important to know what to look for. Think ABCDE. Take time to regularly check your skin and moles for these warning signs:

• Asymmetry - one half looks different to the other
• Border - Unusual or uneven borders
• Colour - Patches with more than one colour
• Diameter - Spots or moles larger than 6mm in diameter
• Evolution - Changes in shape or size over time

If something doesn't look right, get it checked by your GP. Recognising the signs of skin cancer could save your life.

Speaking on Lorraine today (Wednesday, February 11), Martin, who previously served as the editor of This Morning, discussed his wife's situation, emphasising that he doesn't want people to perceive her as a "basket case".

He shared: "She doesn't remember Christmas now, she doesn't remember New Year... I don't want to give the impression she's some sort of basket case. She's very much with us.

"She is still the world's most stubborn woman and still around the house. There's a nice picture of her eating some chocolate; she'll probably hate it because she thinks her hair colour should be a bit better... Day by day, we can see her slipping away."

Martin also spoke about the importance of taking time for himself. "I used to say it's not me that needs to be asked if I'm ok, it's not me that has the diagnosis. I've gone back to broadcasting, doing stuff ourselves and podcasting," he said, reports the Mirror.

"I can free myself up for eight days in April - I haven't been away from home for more than three days in two years. I feel guilty being here and not with her," he confessed, while revealing his plans to embark on a tour with his crime podcast.

Martin revealed that everyday activities like leaving the house have become increasingly challenging as Fiona's condition deteriorates. He previously explained: "There's no way I could drive or we could take public transport as Fiona now rarely understands where she is going or why, constantly asking what is happening, probably four or five times a minute on loop for the entire journey.

"Honestly, I got close to telling the taxi driver to turn around and take us home - Fiona's only safe place - as the stress was unbearable. But of course that self-pity pales into insignificance compared to what Fiona was going through."

Fiona was a familiar face on GMTV from 1993 to 2008, and throughout her distinguished career presented numerous documentaries and Panorama programmes. She also wrote a column for The Mirror.

The couple's experience with Fiona's diagnosis has been chronicled in a book, which has been updated as their journey unfolds. Martin had initially intended to write "a few paragraphs" but ultimately produced "24,000 words".

"I started off writing about what a great woman she is and just how horrible it is and dreadfully unlucky that she is the latest in the long line of her family to get it," he said.

"Then I just got very angry as to what little support there is. As a family, we just kind of get through it and at some point we will need more support, but there's just nothing really."

In the book, Fiona, with Martin's assistance, poignantly penned her recollections. She expressed: "Everywhere I look there are memories. I know they are there. Yet, so many of them feel out of reach now.

"It's like I reach out to touch them but then just as I am about to grasp it, the memory skips away from me. And I can't catch up with it. Like trying to chase a £5 note on a gusty day."

Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1 at 9.30am

More information about Alzheimer's can be found on the Alzheimer's Society website

Pharmacist Anum, who regularly shares expert guidance with her followers, has provided essential advice for those dealing with high blood pressure. Whilst it's critical to take any medication prescribed to you, there are also important guidelines to follow to ensure it's being used properly, as there are circumstances where your blood pressure could be at risk of dropping too low.

This isn't the only warning of its kind to emerge recently. Previously, experts released some particularly important guidance.

In a video, Pharmacist Anum explained: "Do you actually need to be taking your blood pressure tablets for life? I guess, for lots of people, the answer is kind of yes.

"You will be taking blood pressure tablets long-term, or for at least as long as you need them. What I mean by this is sometimes lifestyle changes can actually impact your blood pressure, and cause your blood pressure to drop.

"So this can include things like losing weight, lowering your salt intake, exercising more frequently, managing your stress. All of these things can help to lower your blood pressure naturally.

"Now, if you are [making] these lifestyle changes and taking blood pressure tablets, we may fall into the situation where actually your blood pressure starts dropping too low. In this case, only under medical supervision, it may be advised that you lower your blood pressure tablets or stop them.

"So, you may not necessarily need to be using them for life but, as I say, for most people it will have to be long-term. Never just stop your blood pressure tablets withing speaking to your GP or your pharmacist first.

"I guess this video highlights the importance of having those regular reviews. So, if there are any changes in your medical condition, then this can be picked up, and your medication can be changed appropriately."

It's extremely important advice to follow, as sometimes our bodies change and medication needs to be adjusted to accommodate this. Whilst it's essential to take medication you've been prescribed, implementing other lifestyle changes can affect how it works.

What to know about blood pressure medication

You may not be aware that there are instances where blood pressure medication can cause your blood pressure to drop too low, which is otherwise known as hypotension. This can occur if the dose is too high, the medication has changed, or if it's used in combination with dehydration or other substances.

Lifestyle modifications aimed at improving your health could also play a role, as Pharmacist Anum pointed out. Typical signs include dizziness, light-headedness and fainting, especially when getting up quickly.

If symptoms are serious, it's crucial to sit or lie down straight away to avoid falls. However, you must never discontinue the medication without speaking to a doctor, as the dosage may require adjustment.

Older people face a particularly heightened risk of blood pressure drops and falls. If you experience light-headedness, monitoring your blood pressure and informing your GP is important.

Additionally, you should contact them if you're concerned about any possible medication side effects. Always seek their advice regarding any health worries.

She says she was recommended weight loss jabs by her doctor as she looked to drop from a size 14 to a size 10. But after waiting “months” on the NHS, she turned to a friend who had also bought the so-called “skinny jabs” from the beautician.

Speaking on Channel 5’s Weight Loss Scams: Don't Get Caught Out, Jodie from Eryrys in Denbighshire, said: “After speaking to a friend who was on it at the time, she was doing amazing on it, she was doing really well.”

Jodi says her friend passed her the woman’s number, and after she reached out via WhatsApp, she was sent a “copy and paste leaflet” about what to expect. Jodi says the pre-loaded syringes arrived at her home in a “padded envelope”.

Nonetheless she took the first jab. “About six hours later I felt quite nauseated, just a bit sickly,” she explained.

“And then the next day I wasn’t really hungry all day, I thought it was brilliant at the time. I just felt so full, like my stomach felt like I’d just drunk a huge McDonald’s milkshake or something.”

Jodi says she lost half a stone in the first week. She took the second injection a week later and found herself “vomiting all night”.

She continued: “Twenty four hours later I wasn’t very well at all. I was in and out of consciousness, vomiting blood, it was just bile all the time because I wasn’t getting anything in me at all.”

Jodi says she was “dizzy” and “couldn’t stay awake” which led her to call her eldest daughter. She was subsequently rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

After 48 hours without food or water, Jodi was given an IV to “stave off disaster”. She said: “They said I was clinically dehydrated, quite severely.

“They said without those fluids, without the children looking after me and getting me to the hospital, I would have deteriorated quite badly.”

She believes it could have been bad enough to be a “risk to her life”. Doctors later confirmed they think Jodi took a fake weight loss jab instead of the semaglutide she believed she'd ordered.

She explained her mother contacted the beautician who was “very dismissive” and wouldn’t confirm which pharmacy they were originally bought from. Experts believe this is a common warning sign of a potential scam.

Jodi now wants others to avoid falling into the trap she did. She encourages people to speak to their GP about weight loss jabs.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain in 2024, she said: “Go to a GP and do it properly through a dietician. If it's something you're really interested in, do not do it through a beautician.

"After my experience, I couldn't even risk it. Why pay for it when you can go through the NHS if you need it that badly? There are some women out there using it who don't even look like they need it. Don't. It's just really not worth it."

Now, almost two years on, Jodi continues to recover. She is however still struggling with some health issues relating to the fake jabs.

The agency and partner bodies received 24 notifications in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in Northern Ireland, and one from the Crown Dependencies. All involved children who had consumed affected products.

On 5 January, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed that Nestlé had begun a precautionary recall of several batches of SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula in the UK. The action followed concerns about possible cereulide contamination. The recall was updated on January 9 to include additional expiry dates.

On January 24, Danone recalled one batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula after cereulide contamination was identified.

Details of the affected Nestlé batches can be found here, and the affected Danone batch here.

The FSA said the contamination in both cases originated from a shared, third-party ingredient supplier. Arachidonic acid oil, added to infant formula to support development, was identified as the affected ingredient. 

“We received 36 clinical notifications of children developing symptoms consistent with cereulide toxin, after consuming potentially affected batches,” said Gauri Godbole, deputy director for gastrointestinal infections, food safety, and one health at the UKHSA. “Given the widespread availability of the products, this is not unexpected.”

Cereulide Toxin Poisoning

Bacillus cereus is a spore-forming bacterium that can contaminate a range of foods. Some strains can produce cereulide toxin if allowed to grow, the UKHSA said.

Cereulide is a heat-stable emetic toxin that is unlikely to be destroyed by heat treatment.

Symptoms of B cereus food poisoning and cereulide toxin poisoning typically include vomiting and may also include stomach cramping and diarrhoea. Onset is usually rapid, from 15 minutes to 6 hours after ingestion, and symptoms usually resolve within 24 hours if exposure does not continue.

More serious illness is rare. However, the UKHSA said that a “few” cases have involved liver or kidney injury, muscle breakdown, and multi-organ failure.

Young children and people who are immunocompromised are considered at higher risk of complications.

Investigations Ongoing

Healthcare professionals have been advised to carry out clinical assessment and stool culture for toxigenic B cereus in patients with compatible symptoms. Testing for cereulide should also be considered where available. 

“Surveillance indicators do not show unusual increases in reports of vomiting in children under the age of 1 for this time of year,” Godbole said.

The FSA advised parents and carers with affected products to stop using them and switch to an alternative. Medical advice should be sought if a baby has already consumed the formula.

Where infant formula is prescribed, parents should speak to a pharmacist or doctor before changing products, the agency said.

The UKHSA said it will continue to investigate the incident with UK and international public health and food safety partners to limit any wider public health impact.

The group analysed 481 ready-to-eat soups sold across major UK retailers and found that 23% still exceed the Government’s voluntary maximum salt target of 0.59g per 100g, which should have been met by the end of 2024. The saltiest product was Soup Head Tom Yum Soup, containing 1.01g of salt per 100g or 3.03g in a 300g pack – more than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers.

A spokesman for Tom Yum Soup said the brand “always continue to look at ways to better our products for the consumer, and absolutely salt is very, very high on that list or priorities, especially with this flavour”. AoSS warned that suggested serving sizes on packs could understate the actual salt intake, with many brands listing a serving as 200g (half a tin), even though consumers were likely to eat more in a single meal.

Other high-salt examples included Daylesford Organic Minestrone Soup (1g per 100g) and Baxters Luxury Cullen Skink (0.95g per 100g). Under front-of-pack labelling guidelines, one in six soups (16%) would receive a red warning for high salt content, while just 11 products (2%) would achieve a green label.

Across the range, the average serving offered 1.43g of salt, while 51 products (11%) packed more than 2g in a single suggested serving – more than a third of an adult’s maximum limit for the day. Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at Action on Salt and Sugar, said: “Soup is often marketed as a healthy, everyday choice, but our findings show it can be a major source of hidden salt.

“Nearly one in four soups are still exceeding the maximum salt target, despite food businesses being expected to meet it more than a year ago. A full 12 months on, that level of non-compliance is disappointing and difficult to justify. The UK used to be a world leader on salt reduction, but progress has stalled. Government must get back on the front foot with stronger incentives to drive reformulation, and proper accountability, so the healthier option becomes the default, not the exception.”

Asda said: “We are really proud to have set a healthy sales target based on the nutrient profiling model – as observed in the data, all Asda branded soups surveyed in this report are healthy under this classification. Reformulation and new product development are a key part of us driving this target and salt content is a key consideration in our decision making when it comes to product formulation.”

Heinz said: “We’ve been reducing the amount of salt in our products since the mid-1980s and are proud to offer a wide variety of soups that cater to different dietary needs. This includes the introduction of our Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup which contains 25% less salt than our classic recipe.

“Reducing sodium without compromising on taste and quality is a complex process and there’s still work to be done. We continue to invest in technical solutions that prioritise nutrition, taste and quality.”

Daylesford said: “The salt content figure of 1g per 100g for Daylesford Minestrone soup cited in this report was based on a packaging misprint that has been independently verified as incorrect. Laboratory analysis confirms the actual salt content is 0.67g per 100g – 33% lower than reported. Corrected packaging is already in production. We regret this error and are committed to accurate nutritional labelling.”

British Retail Consortium assistant director of food Andrea Martinez Inchausti said: “The retail industry is fully committed to helping improve the health of their customers with the report showing that retailers are leading the way on product reformulation. It is, of course, important to strike a balance between diminishing salt levels while also retaining the quality and taste which consumers expect. The clear labelling packaging ensures that consumers are fully aware of the salt content in the products they buy.”

Having been rushed to hospital doctors fitted a temporary pacemaker but it dislodged and his heart stopped.

"The machine was accidentally disconnected and my heart stopped immediately. I honestly thought I’d died," said Rhys. 

The father-of-two from Penarth recalled a sense of peace washing over him despite the grave danger he was in.

"I fell unconscious and remember feeling a sense of warmth and euphoria.

"I was unbelievably happy, sitting with my son and talking to my dad who passed away years ago," he recalled.

"Then I woke up to doctors shaking me.

"That was the moment I realised how close I’d come.”

Later that day he was fitted with a temporary pacemaker, externally located but attached to his chest, reducing the chances of another accidental disconnection.

When he had boarded the plane to New York for the work trip life couldn’t have been better.

Just two weeks earlier he had married his wife Georgia in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family and friends.

“It was the happiest time of my life,” Rhys said.

“We had our little boy Archie there and we’d just found out Georgia was expecting our daughter Wynny. Everything felt perfect.”

But within days everything changed. Rhys began feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms.

“Georgia told me not to go but I thought I could push through,” he said.

By the time he landed in New York his condition had worsened.

“My body was sore, walking was hard, and then I noticed a strange rash across my chest. I thought it was just a nasty virus.”

After calling his boss Rhys headed to hospital. “I wasn’t worried – I thought they’d give me some meds and send me home.

"But when they scanned me my temperature was 39 degrees and things spiralled from there.”

Doctors discovered his heart was in distress and he was transferred to a cardiac critical care unit.

"“I remember watching my heart rate drop from the 60s to 35 beats per minute. That’s when it hit me – something was seriously wrong.”

At 5am Rhys underwent an emergency procedure to fit a temporary transvenous pacemaker, which is a line inserted down the right jugular vein directly into the heart.

The effect was immediate and he was stabilised at a rate of 80 beats per minute but became entirely dependent on this pacemaker which had to be replaced when it failed.

After he was stabilised and fitted with the permanent pacemaker further tests revealed the cause of his cardiac arrest – a rare strain of Coxsackie virus, which is linked to hand, foot and mouth disease.

“It was surreal. One day I was healthy, the next I was fighting for my life because of a virus I’d never heard of.”

After nearly two weeks in hospital Rhys was discharged but had to stay in a hotel still for a further week before flying back home to start the long and painful recovery process.

“The physical side was tough but the mental side was brutal," he said. "I had panic attacks, constant anxiety, and I didn’t even have the strength to pick up my son. That broke me.”

Nearly four years on since his brush with death in 2022 Rhys has had his pacemaker removed, is now monitored via an implantable loop recorder, and is slowly rebuilding his life.

“I’m not the same person I was before. I still get flutters and worry about pushing myself too hard. But I focus on gratitude – watching my kids play, enjoying the little things.”

Rhys, who works for a global aircraft leasing company, credits the British Heart Foundation for vital support.

“Their nurse helpline was a lifeline for me. And Georgia even ran Cardiff Half Marathon for them in 2024.

"I want people to know there is life after a heart scare, but recovery takes time. Don’t rush it. Seek help – especially for your mental health.”

Rhys added: “If you’re feeling unwell for too long see a doctor. Don’t assume it’s just a bug.

"If I hadn’t spoken to my boss that day I would have died on the plane home. If you’ve been through a health scare like this I’d say take it one day at a time and just be thankful you’re here.”

Rhys is one of dozens of people to share their story as part of a campaign by British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru. To mark 65 years of BHF funding lifesaving research the charity is unveiling 65 red benches across the UK in tribute to those living with cardiovascular disease. A red bench has been unveiled in Penarth's Alexandra Park to recognise Rhys' experience.

Doctors make their diagnosis

Mia and her husband Adam were shocked to be told Frankie had a 10cm tumour in her ribcage, which had spread to her liver, lungs and spine. The two-year-old girl was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour, a type of kidney cancer that most commonly affects young children. Yet hers was rare in that it was wrapped around her spine.

The mum explained her horror as her little girl's diagnosis 'went from constipation to cancer' in just 24 hours. While it is still early for a clear treatment plan, Mia said Frankie will need intense chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumours.

A GoFundMe had been set up to help with Frankie's treatment, raising more than £20,000 so far - but more money is needed. Mia, from Marlow, Buckinghamshire, said: "We had a completely normal Christmas, Frankie is a very active two-year-old, she is a bundle of joy.

"It wasn't until the 30th of December she started to be a bit irritable and grumpy. We just thought she is over-tired from Christmas. "She was touchy and not very happy. She's a really happy little girl, she's delightful.

"My mum and dad were helping us and my dad took her to the toy shop and even in the toy shop she was disinterested and appeared really tired and grumpy. "My mum and dad took her down to the doctor. They said she had oral mouth thrush, quite common in toddlers and she would have antibiotics.

"Frankie was completely restless, shouting, we thought she was just over tired. We tried to put her to bed and she was just not going to bed. She didn't really want any cuddles or to be picked up. She was restless, running between our bedroom and the living room. "She was just angry. I got up to work around 6am and Frankie hadn't slept at all. I tried to pick her up and she went 'no my tummy hurts.'

"I thought maybe she is constipated. She said 'my knee hurts.' Within an hour Frankie started screaming, she was like 'get out. I don't want you to hear, go away.' "I was really taken aback. She was really angry to the point when she was screaming. It was coming across like she was mentally unwell, she was screaming things that didn't make sense. "I tried to touch her and every time I went near her, she was going ballistic. I phoned 111 and they said go to our local A&E. The doctor felt something quite hard on her left side. They recommended we stay overnight and go for an MRI scan. "They said it can be a build-up of constipation. We thought they'll give her some laxatives and we can go home. She had the MRI scan. The doctor came to see us and she asked us to step into another room. "The doctor said 'we found a tumour around Frankie's left kidney that's about 10cm in size. It has spread into her liver, lungs and her spine.' At that point I personally still didn't think about the C word. I thought she would just need surgery. Adam asked if it was cancer and they said yes.

"We both broke down. I said 'is Frankie going to die?', and she said 'we don't know'." Mia and Adam were shocked by the diagnosis and now fear for their daughter's life.

'It was the worst night of our lives'

Mia said Frankie has now lost feeling in her legs due to the tumour being wrapped around her vertebrae. Mia said: "I was really confused on how it went from constipation to cancer. You see things like this on the news but you never think this will happen to you.

"We didn't have many questions. After we were told they don't know if she'll survive, we didn't want to know any more. That was the worst night in mine and Adam's lives. We didn't know if she had days, weeks, months and if it was treatable.

"By Sunday morning, Frankie wasn't moving her legs. The tumour is wrapped around one of her vertebrae which leads to her legs. Within 24 hours Frankie couldn't walk. They explained this is an extremely fast-growing tumour. It was a Wilms tumour.

"It's incredibly rare that it goes into the spine. I thought if Frankie is going to die, I need to make her last time on earth the best time ever and I'm going to spoil her rotten. We're absolutely terrified, we are so scared. We are suffering from trauma from when we were told.

"We are in constant fear, we're terrified. But we're just taking it one hour at a time." Looking further ahead, Mia said Frankie's treatment could lead to her going through menopause early in her life.

Mia said: "We have a rough treatment plan, six weeks of intensive chemo, a keyhole surgery through Frankie's bellybutton to remove one of her ovaries. She will potentially go through the menopause at an early age.

"They'll do repeat scans to see if there's any changes and do the big operation to remove the big tumour and remove her left kidney. They will consider doing a spinal surgery if the tumour doesn't go. We honestly thought this was just constipation or an over-tired two year old."

You can donate to Frankie's GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-turner-family-in-their-time-of-need

What is Wilms tumour?

Wilms tumour is a type of kidney cancer that mainly affects children and are also called nephroblastomas, according to Cancer Research. Kidney cancer in children is less common than adult cancer, but Wilms tumour is the most common type.

About 85 children between the ages of 0 and 14 years are diagnosed with Wilms tumour each year in the UK. Wilms tumours usually only affect one kidney (unilateral). But in fewer than 10 out of every 100 children (less than 10%), it can affect both kidneys (bilateral).

On the bitterly cold day, the trio decided to visit Marcos – a staple for any visit to the Island. Upon approach to the popular café, Mr Gardner began to feel unwell before collapsing into a chair and rolling onto the floor. His wife knew immediately that the emergency services needed to be alerted, due to his current heart condition.

Mr Gardner’s sister-in-law immediately jumped into action alongside a first aider, doctor and nurse who all happened to be visiting the café at the same time.

The first aider administers life saving CPR to Mr Gardiner while onlookers and customers at the café collected their own coats and scarves to help keep him as warm as they possibly could during a bitter day on the seafront.

In the chaos of the moment, the medical professionals who helped save a life on their day off remained remarkably calm, liaising with each other and the ambulance crews to deliver the best care they could with the provisions they had.

It wasn’t long before Mr Gardner was whisked away to hospital and given further attention, but the family want to find those who helped save his life.

In the moment, they didn’t have chance to learn the names of those administering the vital care needed to get Mr Gardner to hospital and on his way to recovery. Mrs Gardner also encourages people to not be afraid to help others in these situations – especially when a defibrillator is involved.

She told the Pulse Media: “What I learned was that nobody should be afraid to use a defib because they put it on him and pressed the button and it told them no action was required, so it wouldn’t shock him

“There’s nothing bad you can do. You can only save a life, never kill someone with one.”

A stint in hospital and scans revealed that Mr Gardiner had several broken ribs because of CPR, but his wife says that this is a small cost in comparison to losing someone entirely.

“We nearly both died that day,” Mrs Gardner said, “Him from cardiac arrest and shock for myself.”

Those who helped save Mr Gardner’s life are encouraged to come forward, so this family can express their gratitude

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board met with elected representatives and members of the Maesteg Hospital League of Friends last week to discuss the future of healthcare in the Llynfi Valley. The meeting followed growing concern over the hospital’s long-term role and the potential relocation of services.

Huw Irranca‑Davies MS, who requested the meeting, said it was “frank and honest and robust,” with all sides agreeing that the £30m funding available must be spent locally and not lost to the area.

“We made very clear in the meeting that the people of Maesteg and the Llynfi Valley are passionate about improving the healthcare of the area, and they must be part of the way forward,” he said.

The Health Board confirmed that Maesteg Hospital remains open and that no decision has been taken to close or sell the site. However, it warned that the building faces a multi-million pound maintenance backlog and cannot support the expanded services being proposed.

CTM UHB says it wants to deliver more services for more people, including urgent care, outpatient clinics, mental health support, GP provision and diagnostic imaging. These would be housed in a new Llynfi Valley Health and Wellbeing Centre, with a business case due by March 2027.

While the hospital currently offers limited services, the Health Board says its configuration and condition make it unsuitable for modern healthcare delivery. Feasibility studies suggest that upgrading the existing site would cost more than £40m — well above the available budget.

A new site at Ewenny Road is now being considered, with early assessments indicating it could deliver the proposed services within budget. If chosen, Maesteg Hospital would remain open until the new facility is ready.

The Health Board has ruled out building new hospital beds, citing international evidence that prolonged hospital stays can harm older patients. Instead, it plans to expand “hospital at home” services and secure intermediate care beds in local care homes.

CTM UHB said:

“We could not countenance missing out on the potential for £30m to be spent in a community with significant health challenges.”

Local representatives raised concerns about bed provision, transport access, and the need for clearer communication. CTM UHB acknowledged these concerns and committed to more proactive engagement, including in-person events supported by Llais, the independent patient voice body.

A like-for-like comparison of site options is expected by Easter 2026, with further public engagement to follow. The next meeting between the Health Board and elected representatives is scheduled for early March.

The Pilgrim Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner Set has been taken off sale on Amazon after a banned ingredient was discovered. It contains Zinc Pyrithione, which is not permitted in cosmetic products. The affected products carries the code: HS5130 Jul 2025 395.00 1.98.

Amazon's codes are B0D5DBM7G7 for the shampoo and B0D5D9BF3Q for the conditioner. Pilgrim's shampoo and conditioners sell for between £12 and £20.

The OPSS said: "The product presents a serious chemical risk as the ingredients list indicates it contains Zinc Pyrithione, which is prohibited for use in cosmetic products. It also includes the following undeclared allergens: hydroxycitronellal, hexyl cinnamal, and limonene. This could lead to consumers with sensitivities using these products and having an allergic reaction."

They added: "The product does not meet the requirements of the Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on Cosmetic Products."

Zinc pyrithione (ZPT) is a coordination complex of zinc. It possesses powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties. It is also used in paints to prevent algae and mildew growth, and in some skin treatments for acne or eczema.. For decades, it was considered a gold-standard ingredient. However, recent regulatory shifts - particularly in the European Union - have changed its status.

The primary reason for the "danger" label is that the EU classified ZPT as a substance presumed to be toxic to human reproduction. In animal studies, high doses of ZPT were linked to potential developmental issues. While the amount absorbed through shampoo is extremely low, the EU's "precautionary principle" led to a total ban on its use in cosmetics (effective March 2022).

Zinc pyrithione is incredibly effective at killing microorganisms. It is highly toxic to fish, algae, and other aquatic organisms. Because shampoo is washed down the drain, it eventually enters the water system, where it can disrupt local ecosystems. For those with sensitive skin, it can cause:

• Contact dermatitis
• Redness or burning sensations
• Eye irritation (if you get it in your eyes while rinsing).

In the United States, the FDA still considers zinc pyrithione safe for over-the-counter use in dandruff shampoos. The "danger" cited by the EU is based on high-exposure laboratory settings rather than typical daily use.

If you're looking to move away from ZPT, look for these ingredients in dandruff treatments:

• Ketoconazole: A potent antifungal.
• Selenium Sulfide: Effective, though it can be a bit "smelly."
• Salicylic Acid: Great for exfoliating flakes.
• Piroctone Olamine: The main replacement used in European shampoos.

Quetiapine oral suspension is supplied as an unlicensed ‘special’ medicine for the management of psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and as an add-on treatment for depression, where licensed options are not suitable for the patient.

The manufacturer has advised the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that it is has full traceability of healthcare customers they have supplied directly and has already initiated communications and recall action. A total of 166 bottles of the affected product were manufactured between 26 October 2025 and 26 January 2026.

Patients taking this medicine should check to see if they have any of the batches at home and if they haven’t yet been contacted, they’re advised to speak to a healthcare professional responsible for their care. The batch number and expiry date can be found on the bottle and/or dispensing label. Those unsure or unable to locate the batch number and expiry date, should contact their pharmacist for further advice.

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: “It is important that patients do not stop taking their medication until they have spoken to their doctor. Suddenly stopping antipsychotic medication carries risks of severe side effects, including acute withdrawal syndromes or rapid relapse.

“Patients should be aware of the symptoms of overdose, which include extreme drowsiness, vomiting, dizziness or confusion, and slow or shallow breathing. If you experience any of these symptoms, please seek immediate medical assistance or visit your nearest accident and emergency centre.

“Anyone who has questions about their medication should speak to their healthcare professional. We also encourage patients to report any suspected adverse reactions via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.”

Pharmacy and other healthcare professionals involved in dispensing these products are advised to identify and immediately contact all affected patients to confirm if they have any remaining medicine. GPs and specialist clinicians will need to review these patients as soon as possible and consider ongoing treatment options, including switching to alternatives. Patients who have taken the affected batches previously may also be contacted for a review.

Further information is available in the National Patient Safety Alert.

One person called 999 because they had accidentally swallowed mouthwash, while another called with a fishing hook in their finger. Of the 414,118 incidents last year, 15% (62,454) were not appropriate for the ambulance service, which is roughly one in every seven.

The trust has shared the examples to remind the public to only call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured. 

Andy Swinburn, executive director of paramedicine, said: “Our highly skilled staff are trained to deal with situations where immediate interventions are required because of the severity of a person’s condition.

“That’s things such as cardiac arrest, chest pain, breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, catastrophic bleeding and stroke. When people call 999 for things like a sore throat, it takes up the valuable time of our call handlers and clinicians, who could be helping patients with a genuine emergency who urgently us.

"Our message is simple – apply your common sense and help us protect our precious resources for those who need us most."

Lee Brooks, executive director of operations, added: “All of the calls highlighted today did not require an ambulance and could have been managed by a more appropriate service.

“In fact, people with these conditions will no longer be seen in-person by us at all under our new clinical model – instead, they’ll get advice over the phone, allowing us to prioritise and improve our response for patients having heart attacks and strokes. We understand that when people are worried about their health, emotions can run high and that can cloud your judgement.

“This is not about placing blame, but we do need people to take responsibility for how and when services are used. The ambulance service, like emergency departments, exists for urgent and life-threatening situations, and is not intended for routine illnesses or injuries.“Calling 999 does not automatically mean an ambulance will be sent, just as arriving at hospital by ambulance does not mean you’ll be seen more quickly. While we’re dealing with a non-urgent call, an elderly person may have fallen and broken their hip, a teenager could be in cardiac arrest or someone may be unconscious after a serious road traffic collision. These are our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues, so please remember that and use 999 appropriately.”

The trust is urges people to learn about the alternatives to 999. A spokeswoman explained: "The NHS 111 Wales website should be your first port of call for advice and information, or you can call 111.

"Pharmacists offer free advice and over-the-counter medicines for common ailments, like coughs and colds, while minor injury units can deal with minor burns, bites and stings, as well as minor eye injuries. It is also important to keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet for things which can be treated at home, like sore throats, and keep on top of prescription medication."

The following are real 999 calls made to the ambulance service in the past year:

Call oneOperator: Is the patient breathing?Caller: Yeah, I’m the patient. I was gargling with mouthwash to try to get rid of my flu, and a drop of the mouthwash went down my throat.Call twoOperator: Ambulance, what’s the address of the emergency?Caller: What I’ve got is a molar tooth which has come out its socket tonight. It’s hanging on by a thread.Call threeOperator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.Caller: He was sorting out his fishing equipment and a fishing hook has gone right through his finger, and there’s no way I can get it out.Call fourOperator: Ambulance service, what’s the full address of the emergency?Caller: She was cleaning her ear with a Q-tip and I think she pushed it a bit far.

Call fiveOperator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.Caller: He got a little cut but he feels dizzy and light-headed. It’s not a big cut, it’s a small cut, but he feels dizzy and he’s sweating a lot.

Call sixCaller: He was listening with his headphones on a phone, and the end’s come off and gone in his ear.Operator: Right, so there’s an earphone stuck in his ear, is that correct?Caller: Well, he claims, yeah.Call sevenOperator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.Caller: I’ve just applied ointment under my eye. Maybe the ointment ran inside my eye and now I’m unable to open my eye. My eyeball hurts.

Call eightOperator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.Caller: Basically, I’ve just woke up and I can’t swallow or nothing. It’s my throat, it’s killing me.

Call nineOperator: Is the patient breathing?Caller: Yeah, he’s breathing. What it is, he’s fired a nail gun, and the nail went into the tip of his finger.Operator: Is there any serious bleeding?Caller: Not yet.

Call 10Operator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.Caller: I’ve kicked a wall and I think I’ve broken a few of my toes. I’m in absolute agony at the minute.Call 11Caller: What I really need is a dentist.Operator: What’s happened to your tooth?Caller: My tooth is broken, it’s gone.Operator: When did that happen?Caller: It happened last week. I don’t want to waste your services. All I want is to be able to see a dentist in the morning.

The incident, which happened on August 16, saw the 56-year-old initially paralysed from the neck down for several weeks. Although he is still unable to walk Jason has regained some movement in his upper body, and feeling in his legs, as he continues to undergo intensive rehabilitation therapy at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff.

Describing what happened, the father-of-three told Pulse Media: "Going back to August it was my daughter's 21st birthday party. We had a garden party for her and basically I fell over a wall which had a maximum of a two or three feet drop on the other side of it. It really wasn't a big drop.

"On the way down I caught my neck on what I believe was a flower pot or some object. Instantly as I hit the floor I was paralysed from the neck down.

"The day before my mother passed away at hospital so we wanted the party to go on for [my daughter, Rio] and I was putting on a brave face."

Jason said he remembers being conscious on the floor as he waited around four hours for an ambulance to arrive. He recalled feeling "no pain" and advised people not to move him because he couldn't feel anything from his neck down. He said he was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff (UHW), where he stayed for around 10 weeks.

"[When I got there] they operated which went well," he said. "The day after then they had to do CPR on me and said they're 'not sure if he'll come [around]'. Brain dead was the word they used."

During his weeks in Cardiff Jason explained that he began physiotherapy and regained some feeling in his hands. His treatment has continued ever since in Llandough. He said: "I've been quite lucky really because I've got my arms and my hands working a bit.

"When I first got to Llandough I couldn't feed myself, but now I am able to feed myself. If I had a packet of crisps in front of me, there's no way I could open the packet, but if they were open I could get my fingers in somehow and be able to eat them. With my legs I can feel them by touch but nothing else."

Jason said one motivation that has helped him through is his dream to get back to work. He said: "I've been a PCSO for the last 20 years and they've been absolutely fantastic to me through this.

"The chief constable Jeremy Vaughan came to see me last week and I have their full support. They've said the job is there for me for the future but get yourself right first.

"That job is my life. One of my motivations when I was in UHW was that I need to get better because I need to get back to work."

Jason said initially medics anticipated that he would leave hospital by mid March, however he explained that he will likely stay longer in the hope that he can build on the progress he has already made.

Sadly Jason said an occupational therapy assessment revealed that his family home will not be suitable for his return, due to him needing a wheelchair and requiring support to carry out everyday tasks.

"The option then is that I put my name down on the housing register to see if they have something suitable," he said. "But my wife and I were talking and thought it would be lovely to extend out the side of our kitchen to get me home. I thought there would be financial support but there's no funding if you have your own home."

Jason's colleague and friend Ross Hadley kindly set up a fundraising page to try and help Jason stay at home once he is out of hospital.

Jason stressed that he did not ask for a fundraiser to be set up but is very grateful to his colleague for doing so. He said it will make a huge difference to his future. You can support the fundraiser here.

He said: "It's not so much about the money as I was a little bit embarrassed when they said they were going to do it, it's more about the thought from people. It means so much.

"It will make a massive difference to me. Realistically the alternative might be that I have to find accommodation on my own because it is so hard to find somewhere suitable."

After experiencing painful, difficult urination that she’d originally chalked up to a urinary tract infection (UTI), she became unable to go to the toilet at all and found herself in A&E most weeks, begging for answers. It wasn’t until November 2025 that she was formally diagnosed with Fowler’s Syndrome – a rare, chronic condition that predominantly affects women in their 20s and 30s, characterised by a failure of the urethral sphincter to relax.

The condition causes urinary retention, significant pain and infection, according to Fowler’s Syndrome UK. Despite attempts with catheterisation, Caris has had no real, lasting relief from her symptoms since they began two years ago.

Now, Caris and her mother Jill Lumsden, 53, are fundraising to help pay for costly private care after waiting years on an NHS list for treatment, with Jill vowing to run five kilometres every day in 2026 to raise awareness of the condition and money for Caris’s treatment.

“I was waking up in the morning and I couldn’t go to the toilet because I had, what felt to me like, a UTI,” Caris told PA Real Life of her early symptoms. “I’d end up waking up really early in the morning and having to sit in the bath and try and go to the toilet there, because I couldn’t do anything on the toilet myself.

“It got to the point where I was getting kidney pain, bladder pain, and I couldn’t go to the toilet, and I thought I had a really bad infection. I was in A&E pretty much every week from January to March 2024, before my GP referred me to urology.”

For months afterwards, Caris was “still in and out of A&E”, but couldn’t get the answers she needed. “They didn’t really know what else they could do other than give me antibiotics, just in case,” she said.

After months of waiting for an NHS urology consultation, Caris resorted to paying for a private consultation to shine some light on what could be causing her debilitating symptoms. She was told that due to the constant urine retention, her bladder had swollen to a capacity of 1.2 litres – a healthy bladder typically holds around 500ml of urine, according to the NHS – and whenever she went to the toilet, unable to fully empty her bladder, around 600ml of urine remained.

According to Fowler’s Syndrome UK, failure to completely empty the bladder puts Fowler’s patients at a greater risk of infection, which can cause back, kidney and suprapubic (lower abdominal) pain, as well as fever and blood in the urine. In severe cases, such infections can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening medical emergency.

To provide relief, Caris was taught to conduct self-catheterisation, where she would insert a thin tube into her bladder through her urethra to drain the urine. Soon she found it increasingly difficult to insert the catheter due to the tension of her urethral sphincter, so she couldn’t get it all the way in and it wasn’t draining properly. She also started to experience bleeding from her urethra.

At this stage, Caris called NHS 111 and it was arranged for her to have an indwelling catheter inserted, which is designed to stay in place and continuously drain urine into a bag. However, the indwelling catheter caused her unbearable pain and more infections and she needed it changed more frequently than normal.

In September 2024, nine months after first approaching doctors about her symptoms, she finally saw a specialist NHS urologist, who referred her for a urodynamics test, which determines how well the bladder, sphincters and urethra hold and release urine.

“The consultant I saw there was more specialist and at the first appointment I had, she mentioned Fowler’s Syndrome, but didn’t really say too much about it,” Caris recalled. “But things were getting worse and worse and worse and I couldn’t deal with the indwelling catheter anymore. I couldn’t do self-catheterisation because I couldn’t get it in, and it clamped.

“So she came to the decision to put in a suprapubic catheter, which goes straight through my tummy, which I had done in June 2025, and I’ve had that since then. To be honest, it hasn’t really done anything but give me more problems.”

Thanks to the continual infections, Caris has become resistant to several types of antibiotics. “My bladder still hurts, my kidneys still hurt, my urethra hurts,” she said.

“Recently, it’s been particularly bad. I was waking up at three o’clock in the morning and not being able to go back to sleep because I had a constant feeling of needing the toilet, but I couldn’t go, or I didn’t actually need the toilet. Some days I have to go to work with a (urine collection) bag on, which I absolutely hate doing, because I’m 21 – it’s no life to have a bag attached to you.”

Caris has the option to use a urine collection bag or a flip-flow release valve on her suprapubic catheter, and while the bag usually offers her some relief on the worst days, sometimes she gets no respite at all from the pain. “It really depends on the day. It’s really random,” she said.

“I can never wake up in the morning and think: ‘Yeah, I’ll be fine today’, because by midday, it might all go completely the wrong way, and I’ll be in pain. My kidneys will hurt, and my catheter might stop draining.”

Finally, in November 2025, Caris was formally diagnosed with Fowler’s Syndrome. She remains on a waiting list for NHS treatment, which she has been on since April 2025, but was told she was unlikely to be contacted for an initial consultation until April 2026.

Desperate and no longer able to deal with the debilitating pain – and the impact it is having on her mental wellbeing – she and her parents are pursuing private care and are facing prohibitive fees. “I don’t want to see her have to deal with her mental health as well as her physical health…” said her mum, Jill. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

Jill has set up a GoFundMe fundraising page, where the target is set at £7,000, though she explained that the treatment will cost more than this. After a first-stage consultation, a private urologist told Caris that she can try a sacral nerve stimulator (SNS) – a device that sends mild electrical impulses to nerves in the lower back which can help improve control over bladder function. There is, however, no guarantee that this would work.

“If it works, then that’s fantastic. We are obviously trying to generate positive manifestation that it is going to be successful,” Jill said.

“But if there’s a chance that it isn’t, then he was quite clear with what the other option would be… We just don’t want to think about what the other option is. We don’t want to say it out loud.”

If the SNS is not successful, it is likely that the only course of action is for Caris’s bladder to be removed and a permanent urostomy bag fitted, which will collect the urine that would otherwise have gone into the bladder. To fundraise for Caris’s treatment, and to raise awareness of this little-known condition, Jill is running five kilometres every day in 2026.

When asked why, she replied: “Bake sales are not my thing!” Jill has been running for 20 years, even taking Caris along in a pushchair when she was an infant, “but I’ve never run every single day in a year”.

The challenge is designed to shine a light on the physical and mental struggles Caris faces every single day, and she hopes that it will raise awareness of the silent, hidden battle Caris is fighting.

“Five kilometres is half an hour of my day. And compared to what she is going through in her day – she can sit in the bathroom for half an hour and be in pain,” Jill explained. “There’s a physical and a mental side to it, much like her position at the moment.”

The fundraising stood at almost £2,400 at the time of writing. To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page.

The tot was delivered in a "poor condition" via c-section at Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, Wales, after he was found to have a low heart rate. Hours earlier, midwifery staff left his 29-year-old mum Eve, 29, sleeping instead of waking her for observations and to listen to Sonny’s heart, an internal NHS investigation report found.

Eve - who had been admitted to hospital after her waters broke at 36 weeks pregnant - then awoke and complained of reduced movement. But instead of taking her straight to theatre for emergency surgery, medics wrongly transferred her to a labour ward, delaying delivery even though a registrar had confirmed Sonny's low heart rate.

There was then a 15-minute delay in Sonny’s birth and Eve described the events which unfolded as “frantic, chaotic and terrifying." Sonny was moved from a neo-natal intensive care unit to palliative care, with the permission of Eve and partner Thomas.

He died aged three days as a result of a brain injury after being starved of oxygen and sepsis. The heartbroken pair took legal action against the Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board and have now won an undisclosed settlement.

Speaking for the first time about her son's death, she said: “When we found out I was expecting we were overjoyed. My pregnancy seemed to be going fine.

"The care I received from my community midwife was excellent, however, that all changed when my waters broke. When I went into hospital I never could have imagined what was to follow.

"When I awoke Sonny wasn’t moving as much and I immediately knew something wasn’t right. What followed was frantic, chaotic, and terrifying. I went to sleep at my emergency C-section not knowing if I would wake up or whether my baby would make it.

“When I came round it was absolutely awful hearing how poorly Sonny was. The care Sonny received while in neo-natal intensive care was incredible. The doctors and nurses treated and cared for him like he was their own.

“However, by that point it felt like it was too late, and our little boy wasn’t going to make it. We’ll forever cherish those precious but too few moments we got to spend with Sonny, but it broke us having to say goodbye to him. Sadly, what happened to us wasn’t an isolated incident and you see and read too many stories about maternity care issues.

"No family wants to find themselves in the position we have but the least they deserve is for their voices to be heard so care improves for others.”

Thomas said: “The day Sonny was born should have been one of the happiest of our lives, but it turned to absolute despair. I don’t think we’ll ever get over leaving hospital and not taking Sonny with us to start a new chapter in our family together.

“It’s difficult that Sonny isn’t at home with us, growing up and causing mischief. Sonny will always be part of our family, and we’ll always love him. However, we’ll always believe he was badly let down when he needed help the most.”

Eve attended Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital on September 29, 2022, where Sonny's heart rate was monitored as normal. Later that afternoon, Eve was admitted to the maternity ward after signs of potential infection were identified.

At 6pm, Eve’s observations and Sonny’s heart rate and movements were classed as normal. But as Eve was asleep at 10pm, observations and monitoring were not carried out.

She awoke at 1.30am on September 30 concerned about Sonny’s reduced movement. A registrar was called and established Sonny had an abnormal heart rate.

Eve was wrongly transferred to the labour ward, arriving at 1.43am, and a call for an emergency caesarean made. Sonny was delivered at 2.03am but died just after 7pm on October 3, 2022.

Through NHS Wales, the board apologised for the “failings identified” within the investigation report. The investigation report found a midwife should have woken Eve and performed observations and listened to Sonny’s heart rate at 10pm.

Eve should also have been transferred directly to theatre from the maternity ward rather than being transferred to the labour ward. And testing of the umbilical cord showed Sonny “had been distressed for a significant amount of time.”

Investigators said it was unknown whether Sonny’s heart rate was normal or abnormal at 10pm on September 22, but if it was low then a decision for delivery would likely have been made earlier “which would likely have changed the outcome” for Sonny.

Sara Burns, the medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing Eve, said: “Sonny’s loved ones remain utterly devastated by his death and the extremely tragic circumstances surrounding it. Eve and Thomas understandably had serious concerns about the maternity care their family received.

"Sadly, investigations have confirmed those concerns, highlighting a number of troubling failures. While we’re pleased to have secured this settlement and appreciate the Health Board’s co-operation in resolving the case promptly, no amount of compensation can ever begin to make up for what the family has been through."

Carol Shillabeer, chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “We would like to offer our sincere sympathies to the family of baby Sonny who sadly died in 2022.

"We are deeply sorry for their loss and for the failures in care that occurred. We recognise the profound impact this has had on Sonny’s family, and we apologise unreservedly for the distress caused.

“We have accepted the findings of the review into this incident and acknowledge that the care provided did not meet the standards we expect for the families we serve.

"We are committed to learning from this tragedy and have made the necessary improvements to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future. All immediate actions identified following this incident have been completed.

"We know that no actions can undo what has happened, but we are determined to learn from this case and to continue improving the safety and quality of maternity care for all families across North Wales.”

Women, children and people with illnesses are most likely to be affected by it. Doctors issued the warning after a middle-aged man was taken to hospital for the condition after first visiting his family doctor. He had complained of recent vomiting, nausea, chest pain, leg cramps, ringing in his ears, a dry mouth, thirst, diarrhoea and weight loss.

His symptoms had been going on for three months and began after he started seeing a nutritional therapist who gave him vitamin supplements. He had health issues including tuberculosis, an inner ear tumour which had left him deaf in one ear, a build up of fluid in the brain, bacterial meningitis and chronic sinusitis.

He had been taking more than 20 over the counter supplements every day containing more than 80 times the recommended amount of the supplement. He had taken 50,000mg of the vitamin every day but the recommended dose is just 600mg. The cocktail of pills also contained too much vitamin B9 and omega 3 mixed in with other vitamin, mineral, nutrient and probiotic supplements.

He stopped taking the supplements after his symptoms developed but they still didn’t go away. Blood tests ordered by his doctor revealed he had seven times the amount of vitamin D in his body than what is needed to stay healthy. He also had very high levels of calcium and slightly raised levels of magnesium.

His kidneys were not working properly but scans found he did not have cancer. The man stayed in hospital for eight days and was given fluids to flush the cocktail of drugs out of his system. He was also given drugs which are normally used to strengthen bones and lower levels of calcium in his blood.

Two months after being discharged his calcium level had returned to normal but the amount of vitamin D in his system was still too high. Healthy levels of the vitamin can come from wild mushrooms and oily fish as well as sunlight. The NHS advises people to take the recommended level of vitamin D - especially through the autumn and winter when it is hard to get enough from sun exposure.

The NHS recommends that everyone over 1 year old considers taking a daily 10 microgram or 400 IU vitamin D supplement from October to March.

The researchers said: “Globally, there is a growing trend of hypervitaminosis D, a clinical condition characterised by elevated serum vitamin D3 levels. Symptoms can last for several weeks.

The team added that symptoms of hypervitaminosis D are varied. The long list of symptoms includes drowsiness, confusion, apathy, psychosis, depression, stupour, coma, anorexia, chest pain, vomiting, constipation, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm and kidney abnormalities,

Inflammatory eye disease, joint stiffness, and hearing loss and deafness have also been reported in patients. The team say that, while the condition is fairly rare, it is important people remember it is possible to overdose on the vitamin. The researchers added: “This case report further highlights the potential toxicity of supplements that are largely considered safe until taken in unsafe amounts or in unsafe combinations.”

The findings were published in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

A wife, mother-of-two, and grandmother-of-one, Janet is being cared for at home by nurses from Hospice of the Valleys who enable her to stay close to her family. She is speaking to Pulse Media at a time when many hospices across Wales are facing serious financial difficulties.

In the past year Shalom House Hospice in Pembrokeshire has closed and a four-bed inpatient unit at St David’s Hospice in Holyhead has been shut temporarily, due to the combination of increased running costs and funding difficulties. 

On average, 70% of the care costs of delivering hospice services are funded by charitable donations (about £30m), with the remaining 30% provided by Welsh Government and health boards.

Charity Hospice UK says this model is “unsustainable” and is urgently calling for Welsh Government and health leaders to protect vital end of life and palliative care services.

Janet, who is on 24/7 oxygen, told us that being without hospice support at this difficult time in her life didn’t bear thinking about. She said not only did it make her feel “safe”, but it gave her peace of mind knowing her family had specialist support.

“If services weren't there I think I’d miss the fact that there would be nobody there if I couldn't get in touch if I needed them,” she said. “It’s a big part of your life because you’ve always got that little reassurance.

“When I first became ill I was frightened to say the least, thinking this is it now? Is this the end? It’s not so much the dying bit but it’s what you leave behind. I have a lovely family: two sons and a fabulous grandson.

“I talk to the hospice about this and they are well aware of my feelings; they have been fabulous with my family. You know that you’ve got these people who work tirelessly and are at the other end of the phone if and when you want somebody - they say even if you just want a chat, ring us. It’s reassuring to know there are people outside your family who care.”

Worryingly, a survey conducted by charity Hospice UK, published in January, 2026, found that of all 14 voluntary hospices in Wales, nearly 30% were reducing their number of inpatient beds or wider services as a result of increasing costs and workforce pressures.

It found that more than 70% of those with in-patient units agreed that cost-of-living pressures were likely to result in one or more beds becoming temporarily or permanently unavailable.

Keesha Rees is a specialist community palliative care nurse who cares for Janet. She says she’s acutely aware of what impact a lack of funding could have on healthcare in Wales if the trajectory continues.

“I feel that dying is just as important as somebody giving birth,” she said. “It has to be done right, it’s got to be compassionate, it’s got to be holistic.

“When someone dies it’s very final and you can’t get that wrong because it’s going to be distressing for the patient and it sits with their families forever.”

Keesha has worked as a palliative care nurse for the last eight years, while before that she worked as a district nurse.

She said hospices supported the whole NHS system, and that without this layer of care patients across the board would be negatively impacted.

She explained: “What I’m most worried about is that demand in the primary services - such as GPs and district nurses - is huge. We are seeing the impact on our service because of it.

“Without hospice support I just don’t think the patients would have anywhere near the support or management. I think there would be more hospital admissions, people would be deteriorating and they would be ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“For example, a patient with a respiratory illness like Janet could instead ring up her GP. With her condition [which could cause chest pain and difficulty breathing] 90% of GPs would say that she has to ring an ambulance.

“However, in a palliative care context that is not the right answer every time.There would definitely be an increase in hospital admissions. There would be no service for end of life patients who want to be cared for at home.”

She said that hospice staff “fill a gap” within the healthcare system. “Statutory services are over worked anyway. If patients can’t get through to that service we fill a gap there because they will ring through to us.

“It might be a non-palliative care issue but they are accessing us because we are easier to access. Some are people saying they have been trying to get through to their GP for more than an hour and they need to speak to someone. We can spend half an hour plus of our time trying to coordinate care for a patient.”

She said that while hospice workload was higher than ever before, their resources were more stretched than ever before. “We have reduced staffing levels because of the funding, caseloads are growing because more people are wanting to be cared for at home rather than in hospital.

“And given the current crisis hospitals in Wales are in a critical condition so there’s no room for people to go in. They try to send more people home and we have limited access to certain equipment because we don’t have the funding for it

“Our role is supposed to be 80% patient facing and 20% for our own education and educating families and primary care professionals [such as non-specialist district nurses].

“We haven’t been able to do that as we’ve just been too busy; patient care has to be the priority. Then we also have burn out - not just our nurses but our community teams and hospitals too.”

Matthew Brindley, policy and advocacy manager Wales at Hospice UK, said that while the Welsh Government had promised a welcomed funding solution, action was urgently needed to safeguard the future of palliative care services in Wales.

He said: “Hospices are part of Welsh communities. The type of care and support they provide in hospice buildings and to people in their homes is absolutely essential.

“Right now, roughly 70% of hospice care costs are funded by charitable donations, but this reliance on the generosity of the public is unsustainable.

“The Welsh Government has committed to developing a funding solution which is welcome - but urgent action is needed by the current and next Welsh Government to realise this ambition and safeguard hospice and palliative care services for now and the future.

“If we don’t do this, we could be looking at more services closing, loss of specialist staff and - crucially - people with life-shortening conditions and their families having less access to the compassionate and high-quality care they need.

“We have an opportunity to make sure hospices and palliative care services are available to people who need them for a long time to come - but we have to act on it now.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We recognise the important contribution that hospices make to end of life care in Wales and are working with them to better understand the challenges they are facing.

“Investment in hospices has increased substantially over this Senedd term, including an additional £5.2m annually and more than £9.5m in one-off grants, helping the sector to meet rising costs and maintain vital services.

“Work on a new hospice commissioning approach is ongoing to ensure fair access, long-term sustainability, and high-quality care across Wales.”

Protesters were joined by the Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who said he was there in his capacity as local MS for Ogmore. Mr Irranca-Davies said his local surgery was based at the site and local people, staff and clinicians must be involved in decisions about local services.

Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberafan and Maesteg, has also sent a letter to Cwm Taf Health Board in support of local services along with Mr Irranca-Davies, Aberafan MS David Rees and local councillors. They also sent a message of support to those campaigning for the hospital.

Maesteg Community Hospital, opened in 1914 to care for injured soldiers returning from World War One, was built thanks to the local miners of the Llynfi Valley who donated a penny a week for its construction. 

Protesters said vital local services including a GP surgery, X-ray and mental health runs from the site, among other departments. 

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said in 2023 that it wanted to develop and expand services at the hospital with Welsh Government funding of around £25m.

But last year it was revealed that this sum would no longer be enough to cover the costs of redeveloping the existing site which was estimated to be worth as much as £48m.

The health board said said far more than first thought would be needed to update the building to provide modern, accessible, and safe healthcare services for the community.

Plans now focus on creating a new facility elsewhere in the valley with a possible location near to Ewenny Road – close to a railway station and a number of major housing developments.

Speaking in front of protesters holding banners and signs demanding the hospital stays open at its current site Mr Irranca-Daves said: "I am here today with hundreds of people in support of our valued healthcare services in Maesteg.

"I live over the hill, half a mile away. This is my local surgery, my local hospital.

"I am pleased to be here today with so many people showing support for healthcare in the valley.

"It is great that we have got £30m on the table but what the health board needs to do is engage with local people on how that money is spent best for the valley.

"It will help deal with health inequalities in these valleys and help improve people's health outcomes. But, there needs to be local people, clinicians and staff in the hospital that are part and parcel of the way forward."

He added: "There are some really positive proposals for enhancing the healthcare in the area put forward by the health board, but some significant concerns remain."

In a statement of support to those campaigning to save the hospital Mr Irranca-Davies as MS for Ogmore, David Rees MS for Aberafan, Stephen Kinnock MP for Aberafan and Maesteg, Caerau Cllr Paul Davies,Maesteg East Cllr Martin Hughes and Cllr Richard Collins for Maesteg West, said: "We stand firmly with the residents of Maesteg and the Llynfi and Afan valleys on the need for expanding and improving healthcare provision in the area. We want to see the £30m spent here. We do not want it lost from the valley.

"We stand firmly on the need to protect the future of the Maesteg Community Hospital building and site, which has provided many generations with healthcare. We are committed to protecting it.

"We recognise the health board has committed to expanding healthcare in important ways. There are some truly positive proposals but there remain outstanding concerns especially on beds and the future of the Maesteg Hospital itself.

"We will continue to engage robustly with the health board on these matters, supporting the views of the League of Friends of Maesteg Hospital and local residents. In direct response to the calls made by us and the League of Friends, the health board has confirmed they will meet urgently with the League of Friends and all elected representatives of the area to address concerns and explore the best way forward.

"The health board have also confirmed that no decisions have been taken, and – as we have directly called for – there will be more and wider public engagement before any decisions are taken.

"We believe that decisions must be based on clinical need and wider engagement – as stressed by the League of Friends of the hospital – and on engagement with patients and families, carers and those cared for, clinicians and community pharmacists, GPs and ancillary and support staff, the League of Friends and of course the wider public.

"We will work with anyone and everyone – most especially the people and communities of Maesteg and the Afan and Llynfi valleys – to get the best solution for the healthcare needs of this and future generations in the area. "

One protester, who asked not to be named, but who used to work at the hospital, claimed that staff had been told that if they attended the rally they could face disciplinary action.

She said both her children were born at the hospital and her GP surgery is there. It is near to her home and she was worried about lack of public transport for patients if the site is moved.

"It is worrying because it is important to have services in the community. They spent money refurbishing the hospital only a few years ago."

Dean Ronan, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Afan Ogwr Rhondda, said: "This Saturday, local residents stood together to say clearly: Maesteg Hospital matters. Our town matters. And we will not be ignored.

"The protest represents the real voice of the community and a growing frustration with a Welsh Labour Government that has become increasingly out of touch with towns like ours."

And when her two-year-old daughter ended up hospitalised with pneumonia, her fears for the health of all three of her children only intensified.

Leah Davies, 27, lives with her children in their two-bedroom flat in the Penlan area of Swansea.

When she first moved in seven years ago she began noticing damp problems in the home but said it was manageable.

However, in the last year she claimed the situation had rapidly deteriorated, despite constantly trying to tackle the problem. 

Swansea Council said it had recently carried out an inspection and was working with the tenant to carry out repairs at the property to help deal with the mould issues. Leah said that on three separate occasions the council had said it would come out to try and fix the problems, but never showed up.

Leah and her children, aged two, three and seven, are hoping to be moved due to the challenges with damp but also overcrowding in the property. Currently, her three children are sharing one room together.

Leah said: "I've always had problems but it hasn't been this bad especially in the kid's bedroom. I went in there one day, I could smell this horrible smell and when I pulled all the wallpaper off I realised the full wall is damp.

"I just changed two of their beds, which are three months old, and all the slats on the beds are full of mould. It's going onto their blankets and their mattresses."

She explained how nothing she did now seemed to keep the problem at bay: "Obviously I've always had damp in there but this has come out of somewhere. Before, it's been bearable, I would go in there once a week and wash it with soap and water and it would be fine.

"Now there's no way of tackling it, it's on every single wall, the ceiling, and all around the window sill. It's freezing cold in there, they're sleeping in three degrees sometimes at night."

She believed everyone in her block of flats had problems with damp and mould but didn't believe other people's homes were as cold as hers.

Now she is at a loss over where to turn next, with serious concerns for the long-term implications on her children's health.

She claimed: "The council tell me I should get heaters and heated blankets but the kids have got hot water bottles and I've got my heating on."

Leah said the flat was cold again within 15-20 minutes of turning the heating off and having it on so much was substantially increasing her energy bills. One evening she said it got as cold as 3°C in her children's room.

In September, Leah's youngest daughter had a high temperature of 41°C and her heart rate was 170bpm. She took her to hospital and a series of chest x-rays and ultrasound scans revealed she had shadows on her chest and was suffering with pneumonia.

She was admitted into hospital for a week and Leah is worried it will take something even more serious for the problem to be solved properly.

"As soon as all the kids go into that bedroom to bed they're coughing constantly, it's getting to their chest. It's terrible."

"It's depressing," she added, saying it made her not want to ring the council and to have to deal with it.

"Mould and damp is serious and it's affecting my children's health. I asked whether it's going to take my child to die for them to actually move me because that's what it feels like it's going to come to."

Her daughter has now recovered from pneumonia but Leah said she constantly had a bad chest and a cold which she blamed on living conditions in the room.

A spokesperson for Swansea Council said: "We have recently carried out an inspection and are working with the tenant to carry out repairs at the property to help deal with the mould issues.

"We will visit the property again this week. The council has also created a dedicated team to tackle damp and mould problems in council properties and they are working well with tenants to deal with problems as quickly as possible.

"We also provide detailed advice for tenants, which we also have on our online council homes advice pages, which provides tenants with lots of practical advice on dealing with condensation and mould in the home.

"We are in the process of undertaking significant renovation of council homes in the Penlan area and we'll continue to invest in our homes within the community."

He loves the park, being outside with his mum, and carries the kind of boundless energy that leaves adults breathless just watching him. He is, by every definition, a normal little boy - but a rare diagnosis has disrupted his family's life in ways no parent could expect.

It started with fevers back in November 2025. Not constant, but recurring enough to cause concern. Each time, Kyle and his partner Chloe took Elijah to the doctor, and each time they were sent home.

"He'd have these spikes in temperature," Kyle says. "But whenever we went to the doctors, we'd just end up coming back."

At first, there was no sense that anything serious was wrong. "I remember saying to Chloe, 'It's probably just a common virus,'" he says.

Then a rash appeared. It began on Elijah's cheek and spread gradually over the next five days all over his body.

As his symptoms worsened, uncertainty grew. Even in hospital, doctors were unable to identify the cause and began treating him for a range of possible conditions, including Kawasaki disease.

Instead of improving, Elijah's condition only deteriorated further. His abdomen became swollen as his liver and spleen enlarged, while his temperature continued to spike.

"It was getting bad," Kyle says. "His temperature went up to 40, 41. It was scary."

Then Elijah became unresponsive to any type of treatment. "It was at that point where the staff at Royal Glam didn't know what to do," he recalls. "They just said 'We need to get you down to specialists.'"

The young boy was transferred by blue light from the Royal Glamorgan Hospital to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital in Cardiff, where he underwent urgent and extensive investigations, including blood tests and a lumbar puncture.

For Kyle, the change in his son was stark. "Normally he's just on the go all the time - running around, playing," he says. "But when we were in hospital, he was just out of it. He was lying there the whole time, hooked up to all the machines. As a parent, it was difficult to see."

As part of specialists' investigations, Chloe and Kyle were also tested for any underlying genetic conditions. The results finally brought a diagnosis: Primary HLH, a rare and life-threatening disorder of the blood and immune system.

In children with Primary HLH, the immune system doesn't switch off properly and instead attacks the body's own organs and tissues.

Further testing revealed the underlying cause was XIAP immune deficiency, a rare inherited genetic condition (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein deficiency). XIAP plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system and controlling inflammation.

In children with XIAP deficiency, the immune system cannot regulate itself properly, leading to severe inflammation, recurrent infections, and conditions such as HLH.

"So it's a gene defect that's passed down through women and only affects boys," Kyle explains. "Apparently it's really rare, when we told nurses about it back home, they didn't even know what it was.

"When we Googled it, it said only about 100 kids had it since 2006. At the specialists here in Newcastle, they've treated it four or five times, but a few more cases have come up this year.

"They think it might have been triggered because Elijah had sepsis when he was around one, but looking back at his old blood results, it seems it could have been HLH even then. It's tricky because it can mask itself and sometimes looks like sepsis."

According to Histio UK, HLH can be thought of as an extreme form of inflammation that the body is unable to control. Uncontrolled white blood cells - lymphocytes and histiocytes - can destroy healthy blood cells and damage multiple organs.

The condition is extremely rare, affecting an estimated 1.2 children per million each year, though the true number may be higher because it can be misdiagnosed. Early symptoms often resemble a normal infection, making it difficult to detect.

"It was hard because no one had heard of it. Then with it being a genetic illness, Chloe and me have had to come to terms with the fact that future kids is going to be a probably a no-go. Her family also have to consider getting tested to see if they have the gene.

"But we are grateful in other ways - to know what the illness is and how we can help Elijah moving forward."

By December 2025, Elijah's condition required further treatment to stabilise him. He was put under general anaesthetic so doctors could insert a central line, which allows medication to be delivered safely and directly.

Elijah now faces a short course of chemotherapy, along with steroids and several other medications, to calm his overactive immune system and keep him stable while preparing for the next stage of treatment - his bone marrow transplant. This stage is particularly demanding and is considered one of the most intense parts of the process.

"Basically, the idea is that they use the chemo to dampen the immune system, so the HLH can't attack the body as much," he says. "They've got control of the HLH attack with the chemo and steroids. He's still on medication now - he has an injection in his leg every day - and he has a central line in his chest ready for medication."

Despite having to endure procedures no child should have to face, Kyle says Elijah has remained his upbeat, resilient self. 

"He's not dull at all," he says. "As soon as he sees the tray coming, he knows it's time for his injection. Now, when a nurse comes in, they might need to do an op, and he's already there - he's giving his arm, he's ready. He'll sit there for his blood pressure and temperature checks.

"When they give him his medication through the lines in his chest, he knows it doesn't hurt. He's fine with all of that. He definitely copes with it better than an adult would, that's for sure."

Beyond the procedures and hospital stays, Elijah and his family have also had to adapt to a dramatic change in their everyday lives.

Due to Elijah also taking immunosuppressants, both Kyle and Chloe have had to step away from work to reduce the risk of bringing infections home.

"Any virus could trigger it now - even something like EBV, which is the basic cold sore virus," Kyle explains. "It could all set it off again. I work in hospitality, Chloe in retail; it would be so easy for us to pick something up."

The restrictions have also meant Elijah can no longer attend nursery. "He was in a Flying Start pre-nursery but he had to leave," Kyle says. "He was due to start school, but again he couldn't. We've now been given a date for his bone marrow transplant next month so hopefully can start to move forward with things again."

While both of their employers have been supportive, Kyle admits the situation has placed an obvious strain on the family.

"Keeping him safe is our absolute priority," he says. "But being unable to work has had a significant impact on our household income, alongside the months we will need to spend away from home."

In an effort to ease the pressure and allow them to focus fully on Elijah's health, Chloe set up a GoFundMe. "It's not something we ever expected to do, and we never would have turned to it under normal circumstances," Kyle says. "But we still have bills to pay and rent to keep up with, even though we're travelling for his treatment."

The response, he says, has been overwhelming. "So far, everyone has been amazing," he adds. "The school Elijah was going to are doing fundraising, and loads of family, friends, and even people who just know about it have started getting involved. The GoFundMe has taken off more than I ever thought it would, and we are so unbelievably grateful."

The family has also had to adjust to life far from home, travelling six hours to Newcastle for Elijah's treatment.

"We're up here at the moment for his pre-assessment," Kyle explains. "Then we go back home, and we'll have to return in the middle of February for the transplant. My partner will be in hospital with him, and I'll need to stay in a hotel until they can arrange a halfway house for me. We'll have to swap shifts - we can’t really both be there at the same time, so it’s a bit of a juggle."

Despite the distance from home, Kyle says the family has been reassured they are in the right place. "They've told us this is one of the best centres for this type of procedure," he says. "So even though it means travelling and being away, it's worth it."

Elijah is scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant in February - a procedure his family hopes will offer him a chance at a future free from the condition.

"The crucial time is really the three to four weeks afterwards," Kyle explains. "That’s when they see whether the transplant has taken, whether there are any complications, or whether he gets sick. He’ll have no immune system at all, so everything has to be really strict."

If the transplant is successful, doctors have told Kyle it could be a complete cure. The faulty gene would no longer be present.

However, the treatment has already brought difficult consequences. Kyle and Chloe have been informed that the chemotherapy used is likely to leave Elijah infertile later in life.

"Because of that, he's had something called a testicular harvest," Kyle says. "It's an operation where they remove and freeze tissue, so in the future it could help him have children of his own. The team here have been amazing in helping us through that."

The decision to proceed with a transplant has not been an easy one. Without it, Kyle says doctors have warned that children with Primary HLH are unlikely to survive long-term.

"You're basically told that at some point, an illness will get him," he says. "Then you're speaking to specialists and they explain there's a 10 to 15 per cent fatality rate on the transplant itself. It's hard to put into words - but you have to take that risk to give him a chance to get better."

You can donate to Elijah's GoFundMe, here.

The 58-year-old spent four days in an induced coma, and her daughters flew out to be by her bedside after being told she might not pull through. Juliet had been staying at the Suite Princess in Playa Taurito when she became ill and was admitted to a nearby hospital after developing severe pneumonia.

Upon her admission on September 26, 2025, she tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease. According to NHS England, Legionnaires' disease is a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like air conditioning, hot tubs or baths and showers that are not used often.

Despite initial treatment, her condition deteriorated, and Juliet was placed in an induced coma for four days, with doctors warning her two daughters - Jenny Gower, 38, and Josie Leith, 34 – that she may not survive, prompting them to fly from the UK to be by her side.

Juliet, a retired primary school teacher, said: “I have very vague memories of being in hospital and I didn’t realise how serious things were until I woke up and was told I’d been in an induced coma for four days. That was a huge shock. I couldn’t believe how close I’d come to dying – later the doctors told me my chances of survival were only around 20% and the initial treatment hadn’t worked.”

The mum-of-two spent 12 days in the ICU before she had recovered enough to return home. On landing at Gatwick Airport, Juliet was immediately transferred to Maidstone Hospital for further assessment and treatment.

After receiving ongoing care, she has now been discharged and referred to a respiratory consultant. Juliet continues her recovery as an outpatient under specialist supervision. Juliet has now instructed serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how she fell ill with Legionnaires’ disease on her holiday, which cost her more than £2,000 and was booked through tour operator TUI UK Limited.

Juliet arrived at the resort with her sister, Maureen, on September 18, 2025. On September 22, she began to suffer flu-like symptoms and was admitted to the hospital four days later. “When I first started feeling unwell, I thought it was just flu or maybe Covid. Legionnaires’ disease never even crossed my mind,” Juliet added.

“You never imagine something like this happening to you, especially on holiday. “The hardest part was knowing my children had seen me like that. Even now, I’m still missing chunks of memory and trying to process what happened.

“I never imagined Legionnaires’ could be so serious, and I believe there needs to be more awareness of its symptoms and how dangerous it can be. Only after my diagnosis did I learn that simple steps like running showers and checking air conditioning units can help prevent Legionnaires’.

“I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Now, I just want answers and hope that by sharing my experience, we can stop others from finding themselves in the same situation.”

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ include shortness of breath, a high temperature and chest pain or discomfort, particularly when breathing or coughing. Jatinder Paul, the expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Juliet, said: “Juliet’s near-death experience must have been terrifying.

“Public buildings like hotels often have complex water systems, so strict precautions are essential to stop the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease from developing. Nothing can undo what Juliet and her family have endured, but we are committed to getting her answers and specialist support.”

A TUI spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Ms Leith’s circumstances as we want customers to have the best possible holiday experience. As this is a legal matter, we are unable to comment at this stage.”

Jessica Mason, 45, was told a smear test was clear, yet just six months later she was found to have a cervical tumour measuring 6.5cm, which amounts to roughly the size of a tennis ball. By then, years of missed opportunities to investigate her worsening symptoms had passed.

In the three years leading up to her diagnosis, Jessica had attended countless GP and hospital appointments, reporting heavy bleeding, abdominal pain and swelling. Despite her growing concerns that something was seriously wrong, she says she was repeatedly reassured and sent away with alternative explanations.

At various points, she was told she had irritable bowel syndrome, a prolapse or endometriosis, and was advised to do pelvic floor exercises. It was only after she insisted on an MRI scan that the true cause of her symptoms was finally uncovered.

The diagnosis in June 2022 was devastating. Jessica was forced to undergo months of gruelling chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy. She entered early menopause and ultimately had a radical hysterectomy, ending any chance of having more children with her husband, Dan, 43.

Now cancer-free but living with the lifelong consequences of her treatment, Jessica, from Penarth, has instructed lawyers to investigate whether her cancer should have been detected sooner.

She said: "For years I was back and forth to GP appointments or hospital complaining of bleeding and pain. While I knew my body and felt something was wrong, I felt like I had no choice to put my faith in the doctors.

"However, it felt like nothing was really being done to get to the bottom of my symptoms and I often felt like I was being fobbed off.

"It was only when I demanded an MRI that things started to happen." 

Jessica, who has a 17-year-old son, Teejay, and an 18-year-old stepdaughter, Brooke, said the diagnosis left her struggling to comprehend how her cancer had gone unnoticed for so long.

"Finding out I had cancer was devastating, but what was harder to understand was that I'd been attending medical appointments for years and had received a clear smear test six months earlier.

"Even now I'm still left wondering how long I'd had cervical cancer for and whether it should have been spotted earlier, especially as my tumour was 6.5 centimetres which is about the size of a tennis ball."

Despite trying to stay strong for her family, the emotional and physical toll was immense. "I tried to remain as positive as I could for Dan, Teejay, and Brooke, but it was an extremely emotional time," she said. "The treatment was particularly gruelling and took a physical and psychological toll on me.

"Me and Dan had always discussed having another child but for that to be taken away from us was hard to accept."

Jessica first sought medical help in March 2019 after experiencing severe bleeding and discomfort. An examination the following month reportedly found her cervix appeared healthy. She returned to her GP twice later that year, in September and October, when she was diagnosed with IBS.

In January 2022, an ultrasound revealed thickening of the uterus, yet she was again reassured after being told her smear test was normal. As her symptoms worsened, she pushed for further investigation, leading to the MRI scan that finally revealed her cancer.

Although she is now free from the disease, Jessica says she continues to live with lasting physical pain, mobility problems and the emotional impact of early menopause.

"When I was ill I rushed and planned my wedding and made a will in case I didn’t survive," she said. "In some ways I know I'm one of the lucky ones as I'm alive and cancer free, but it’s difficult not to think I wouldn’t have had to go through what I have had I been listened to.

"I still live with the mental and physical scars. I've got aches and pains and sometimes I can't walk properly.

"My family and friends have been so supportive and thoughtful, but I feel different to my friends and others my age because of going through the menopause early.

"While I'm cancer free it feels like the impact of cervical cancer on me won't go away.

"The least I deserve is answers and I just hope that by speaking out and sharing my story I can help other women."

Jessica has since become a supporter of Claire's Campaign, a Welsh initiative founded by Claire O'Shea, who died aged 42 last year after her own gynaecological cancer was diagnosed years after she raised concerns with her GP. The campaign highlights how women's symptoms are too often dismissed and calls for improvements to cancer care in Wales.

Roza Akram, the medical negligence solicitor at Irwin Mitchell representing Jessica, said: "The last few years and coming to terms with her diagnosis and its impact has been incredibly difficult for not only Jessica but her family.

"Understandably she has a number of concerns about her diagnosis and whether more could have been done to prevent her cancer developing, especially as Jessica attended a number of medical appointments in the years before her diagnosis.

"While nothing can makeup for what she's been through and continues to face, we're determined to at least provide Jessica with the answers she deserves."

The NHS lists symptoms of cervical cancer as unusual vaginal bleeding, heavier periods than usual, pain during sex, and discomfort in the lower back, between the hip bones (pelvis), or in the lower abdomen.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from 19 to 25 January.

A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: "We are sorry to hear about Jessica's experience while in our care and acknowledge the challenges surrounding her cancer diagnosis. As it would be inappropriate to comment on an individual patient case, and due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further."

She explained that, prior to the 2023 incident, she and her colleagues set up a "working party" to "understand where all the defibrillators were in Keynsham" as they wanted to help the community fill any gaps, encourage local businesses to apply for grants to get one inside or outside the premises.

For those who do not know, according to the British Heart Foundation, a defibrillator is a device which delivers an electrical shock to the heart. It helps get the heart beating again when someone is in cardiac arrest, and their organ has stopped.

Anyone can use a defibrillator and you do not need training. Once you turn it on, it will give clear step-by-step voice instructions. Many defibrillators also have visual prompts and images showing how to use them. The device checks the person’s heart rhythm and will only tell you to give them a shock if it’s needed. You cannot accidentally shock yourself or someone else.

They also warn that if someone is in cardiac arrest, call 999 and start CPR. If you're on your own, do not interrupt CPR to go and find a defibrillator. If it's possible, send someone else to find one. When you call 999, the operator can tell you if there's a public access defibrillator nearby.

While the council were encouraging people to apply for defibs, they also used some of their budget to fund training, free of charge, for anyone in the community. This also included CPR training, which is what Caitlin would later be very grateful she received.

Just a month later, she had to put this training into action when she was walking to an afterparty alone, just after midnight - and what she saw changed her life forever.

Caitlin explained: "I saw a guy who I thought looked like he was asleep on some grass on the side of the road. And I shouted over to him and was like, 'All right, mate?' And he didn't respond, and I shouted again, and I was like, 'All right, mate, you don't want to sleep there'. And again, he didn't respond, so I got closer and closer."

She just assumed he was drunk on the grass, and going to be really cold, but as she approached him, he was unresponsive. After checking his pockets and finding no medical information or ID, she quickly called an ambulance, and the 999 operator advised her to begin chest compressions, just like what learned in the training, as Caitlin reported the man sounded as though he was "snoring," which can be a sign of cardiac arrest, along with the other symptoms she noticed.

Despite her training, because Caitlin had been drinking prior, she said she was "terrified," and "broke down in tears" at the situation. However, the phone operator talked her through what to do, asking her if she knew where a defib was. And, of course, she did, as she'd been helping to plot them in her role as a councillor.

"So it started doing CPR on him. He was quite a big guy, too. So it was difficult, it just wasn't easy," Caitlin explained. But there was light at the end of the tunnel when she saw a couple walking past - or so she thought.

Caitlin explained how a couple were walking by, and the man approached her. In no uncertain terms, Caitlin said where the nearest defib was as she "screamed" at him to go and get it to provide assistance. Unfortunately, the man walked away with his partner and never came back to assist, which is something Caitlin struggles with.

She said: "Then, a few minutes later, there was a group of three men that came that were about to come past. And again, I was screaming at them for help. And I was like, you need to take over. I can't keep doing it. And literally just as this guy was about to take over, the ambulances turned up. So there were two ambulances and a police van."

The professionals then took over after Caitlin's bravery, and the police received a statement from her about what happened. She described herself as being "an absolute mess" after what she'd seen and done. "The ambulance driver came up to me when I was in the police van and looked at me and was like, 'You saved his life'. And that made me even more f****** hysterical," she said.

After the incident, Caitlin shared she "wasn't very well" and needed to take some time away from her job as a nail tech. She also shared she never found out what happened to the man, admitting she tried to ring around hospitals in the local area, but was never able to get any information.

However, in the future, when she had fundraised to get another defib fitted in the area to potentially help save others, she bumped into someone who was "there" on the night she performed CPR.

When Caitlin was waiting to fit a defib, she was standing on the street corner with a trolley, and someone curious approached her and asked her what she was up to. She explained, telling the man her story, and he responded: "Oh my God, I was there."

Caitlin said: "He was one of the paramedics who attended the scene, and he lives on the opposite side of the road to me. And I burst into tears and gave him a hug." She said it was "bizarre" to meet the paramedic, but told him she "never knew what happened to him [the man she saved]". The paramedic reassured her that when he left him at the hospital, "he was alive," which Caitlin said "is a good sign, apparently".

She did say it played on her mind as people chose to walk away from her that evening and didn't help, but said she hopes the incident has "changed them" and they'd behave differently in the future if they were confronted with something similar.

To people who haven't had any basic first aid training, Caitlin recommends you get some, as it can be really helpful. But said the ambulance service does a fantastic job of talking you through everything you need to do, and keeping you calm.

She also recommended you "try not to panic," saying it's the worst thing in a situation, but believed her relatively clear head helped her take control of the situation, which ultimately led to the man being alive when he arrived at the hospital.

Caitlin said: "Just ring 999 immediately, and get help and shout for help and hopefully, people will help you [...] There are good people and the majority of them, I'd like to think, would help you."

Despite the traumatic experience, Caitlin said she now thinks about things in a much more positive way. And while she may still wonder about the man, she's come to terms with the fact she did all she could in the terrible situation she found herself faced with.

You can find the nearest defibs to you on defibfinder.uk, but in an emergency, always dial 999 for assistance. Caitlin shared you can also find videos on YouTube about how to use them if you're unsure, and to check what your local council are doing regarding defibs. They may offer training, or you could apply for funding in your local area to have a defib put in a specific location.

Mum-of-one Suzanne Dyer, 50, plunged down a waterfall and into a gorge after slipping on a path.

The coastguard, paramedics, firefighters, police and an air ambulance team were called and together worked to rescue her. She was then airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Suzanne, a gardener from Hereford, was left with serious injuries to her arms, ribs, pelvis and legs, and required surgery to repair fractures to her pelvis, as well as spinal surgery. She also had a perforated lung.

However, she has avoided any paralysis and the fractures to her spine have been repaired to give her long-term stability.

Suzanne's ex-husband Lindsay Bruce, 48, said: "She was very lucky to still be alive." 

"She was hypothermic when she got to hospital so it’s a medical miracle," he added.

"If she landed head or feet first I think it would have been a different story. As she fell she hit a ledge, which I think has helped break her fall.

"She also landed pretty much in the recovery position. How she avoided any head trauma is beyond me. It was really nasty but it's amazing she survived it.

"Suzanne is an experienced hiker but that part of the walk is quite unsafe as the path narrows down. She may have got complacent and just lost her footing."

Suzanne had fallen into a gorge on one side of the river, and on the other side was an ex-Royal Marine who dashed over to help her. She was reassured by several members of the public as they waited for emergency services.

Mr Bruce said: "She shattered her elbow — the bone was sticking out — and broke her pelvis.

"The road to fully recovery will be a long process and may take a while but Suzie is in good spirits. I know that Suzie would love to give her sincere thanks to those on the scene who helped facilitate the rescue.

"Without question the emergency services and the magnitude of the operation were incredible and how they kept so calm."

Suzanne underwent reconstructive surgery to her arm on January 2 and two days later she had surgery to repair fractures to her pelvis, as well as spinal surgery.

She also suffered a perforated lung but was able to have her chest drain removed on January 5

The experiment, which featured in the British Medical Journal 1999 entry, concluded that "taking magnetic resonance images of the male and female genitals during coitus is feasible and contributes to understanding of anatomy" - but there was one element of the experiment that they weren't expecting.

The astonishing study said: "The images obtained showed that during intercourse in the 'missionary position' the penis has the shape of a boomerang and 1/3 of its length consists of the root of the penis. During female sexual arousal without intercourse the uterus was raised and the anterior vaginal wall lengthened. The size of the uterus did not increase during sexual arousal."

But while this was insightful, there was something else the experts couldn't work out. There were a total of eight couples, and three single women taking part in the experiment. The experts found that during all 13 instances of sex in an MRI machine, the woman's bladder would rapidly fill up.

The reason for this has stumped scientists, with expert Menko Victor 'Pek' van Andel suggesting it could be 'evolution's way to force women to urinate after sex' and potentially 'avoid urinary tract infections'. While this theory has not been confirmed, the expert said: "In every final scan we could see a big, full bladder, even though most of the women went to the toilet before they went inside the MRI."

Ida said that sex in the MRI scanner wasn't romantic but they didn't need Viagra to get them going. She has previously spoken out about why she did it, noting that she is a big campaigner of women's rights and was keen to broaden the understanding of the female body in science and medicine. Ida said the whole experience was an 'act of love and a performance'.

While the scientific experiment was a safe success, others haven't been so lucky. One woman was left with horrific injuries after a sex toy she left inside herself was dragged through her body during an MRI scan. The 22-year-old is said to have inserted a "butt plug" before the procedure - apparently mistakenly believing it was entirely made of silicon.

However, it contained metal at its core and, as a result, the item reacted dangerously with the machine, causing the toy to be dragged from her rectum and up into her body. An image was later circulated online and led to warnings about wearing metal objects during the scan.

A socia media user known as DreadPirateZero took to X, formerly Twitter, to share the picture along with the caption: "Never wear a butt plug to your MRI appointment. My God." Their post further claimed that the sex toy had been pulled through the patient's body and into their chest cavity, and that the woman managed to survive but with "major injuries".

Initially diagnosed with an ear infection, she was sent home with antihistamines. However, as her condition worsened, her parents sought further medical attention, leading to the discovery of a brain tumour on her optic nerve.

Chloe underwent open brain surgery and endured over three years of treatment, including proton beam therapy last year following two relapses. This advanced form of radiation therapy uses high-energy protons to precisely target tumours, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue and vital organs.

Now nine years old, Chloe has been honoured with a special award from Cancer Research UK in recognition of her bravery throughout her treatment journey. Her initial treatment took place at St George's Hospital in London and The Royal Marsden before she was transferred to Alder Hey in Liverpool. Chloe's mother, Nikki, 38, recounted how the family had been planning to relocate from Surrey to Merseyside when Chloe fell ill.

She said: "The house was already sold, and we were planning our new life by the beach when Chloe became ill. Then we ended up moving and having to isolate for months.

"She relapsed not long after we moved and had more chemotherapy, then she rang the bell in April last year, but unfortunately, she relapsed again in July. So, we were supposed to be going on holiday to Disneyland in Paris and instead we went to Manchester for six weeks for Chloe to have proton beam therapy."

Nikki, who is also mum to Jack, seven, Joshua, five and Sophie, three, said: "Her siblings didn't complain. All they've ever known is Chloe being poorly, so they just get on with it.

"They've made it easier being the way they are. Chloe was a hit on the shuttle bus to The Christie every day for treatment.

"She would sit next to someone different each day, often older people, and she was always singing. We made new friends in that time, it's like she's got adopted grandmas and grandads, they often message me to see how she is."

Nikki added: "She is partially sighted now and has no peripheral vision; one eye is particularly badly affected. The main aim now is to preserve what eyesight she has left.

"We're hopeful that the recent targeted treatment has got the cancer once and for all. She's on steroids at the moment and she's being monitored with three monthly scans.

"She's still in recovery and struggles with fatigue from the treatment, but we hope she'll have a bit more energy soon. She's our little ray of sunshine."

Nikki put Chloe forward for the Cancer Research UK Children & Young People Star Award because she "inspires" her every day.

Her mum said: "She has never once complained and is always smiling and happy. The trophy is in pride of place in her room."

Each year, approximately 400 children and young people in the North West are diagnosed with cancer. However, new discoveries and breakthroughs are leading to more effective and less harmful treatments.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool is among numerous centres across the UK participating in pioneering clinical trials, offering innovative new treatments. In 2018, the charity unveiled the Cancer Research UK Children's Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, supported by TK Maxx.

This virtual centre unites international experts in children's brain tumour research to revolutionise the way we develop treatments for these tumours. Every child nominated for a Star Award receives this honour, which is endorsed by celebrities such as JoJo Siwa and Pixie Lott.

Jemma Humphreys, a spokesperson for Cancer Research UK, said: "After everything Chloe's been through, it's been an absolute privilege to celebrate her incredible courage with a Star Award."

Ms Evans' mother was shocked her daughter had been sent home from hospital a month before her death and the day after she was told she was too unwell to be discharged. She added that they had no idea her quite how serious her condition was.

The serious infection which led to her death was so rare, her doctor had only seen it once before in his 21 year medical career.

Ms Evans was born in Aberdare in 1984. She grew up with her three siblings in an extremely tight-knit family. Her family described her as being sociable and someone who enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and holidays, days out and concerts. They said she was a "fantastic mum".

The mum-of-four, who lived in Bryntirion, Mountain Ash, worked as a care assistant for adults with disabilities and her family said her death had left "a massive hole in all our lives".

During her inquest, Pontypridd Coroners Court heard how in 2017, when Ms Evans was in her early thirties, she was preparing for an unrelated procedure and doctors picked up that she had aortic stenosis.

The serious condition meant one of her heart valves wasn't working properly and the only solution was to have major heart surgery which involved her having a mechanical valve fitted at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

The inquest heard from Dr Govardanm Navaratnam, Ms Evans' consultant cardiologist at Prince Charles Hospital, that the surgery always means there is a risk of endocarditis but this is most common in the immediate aftermath. Endocarditis is a rare infection of the inner lining of the heart which can prove fatal.

On May 5, 2024, she sent messages to a family member complaining she couldn't catch her breath and saying how she thought she might die.

After feeling increasingly unwell and struggling with breathlessness, Ms Evans was admitted into hospital on May 30, 2024 and treated for Covid-19 and told she had an infection. While she was there she had bloods and scans done and on June 2 a doctor told her her infection was "really bad", she was really unwell and he said he wanted her to stay in.

However, on June 3 a different doctor sent her home.

Following her release from hospital, Ms Evans continued to feel unwell and on July 17 she told family that she still didn't have any answers and that the doctors didn't know what was going on with her.

Six weeks after her hospital stay she was readmitted to hospital on July 21 with symptoms including abdominal pain, muscle pain, pelvic pain, blood in her urine, breathlessness and rapid loss of weight. She was placed on fluids and pain killers.

On July 24 she had been referred to the cardiology ward after other doctors ruled out several other causes of her infection, including different cancers and lymphomas. At around 5pm she started on antibiotics.

During the day she sent a message to her husband asking him to bring in some items from home. Him and one of their children arrived at Prince Charles Hospital to find her lying on her back, looking grey and struggling to catch her breath. Her child asked staff to come three times.

Unfortunately, Ms Evans' condition rapidly deteriorated and at around 7.30pm she went into cardiac arrest, doctors worked on her for 45 minutes but she sadly died the same evening.

The inquest heard how Ms Evans' mother felt her daughter had been wrongly discharged when she was in hospital in June because she couldn't understand why she'd been sent home the day after she was told she was very unwell and therefore couldn't go home. She also said her daughter had been asking for help for around 20 minutes when she went into cardiac arrest.

Her cause of death was given as aortic stenosis, which led to infected endocarditis which caused her to go into cardiac arrest.

The inquest heard evidence from Dr Govardanm Navaratnam, a consultant cardiologist at Prince Charles Hospital who first met Ms Evans in 2017. He said how at the time the care assistant had taken the news that she needed major heart surgery "very well", adding that it showed her strength of character.

He said that hadn't expected her sudden death and in retrospect agreed with her earlier doctors that her June discharge had been a safe move despite differing views between doctors and didn't believe it was related to her death.

He told the court that with valve conditions sudden deterioration is something they are concerned about but stressed how the operation had enabled her to live a healthy life for a number of years. He said that in Ms Evans' case she had a particular bug which worked quickly and caused destruction to a major organ that could not be turned around in time.

Dr Navaratnam continued: "I don't think there was anything in her herself that would have caused this. She would not have survived without the operation but she succumbed to a horrible condition that rapidly deteriorated."

Dr Chugtai, a consultant at Prince Charles Hospital who was involved in her care during her final hospital admission, also gave evidence. He explained how they had to rule out a number of reasons why she had an infection and that since he qualified as a doctor in 2003, this was only his second time ever seeing a case of endocarditis.

He added: "It was very very surprising, I wasn't expecting that to happen at all."

When concluding the inquest, Coroner Rachel Knight said she had heard evidence that endocarditis could be developed at any point after the surgery, although most common shortly after.

She said: "I've heard extensive evidence that it is challenging to diagnose this infection. She likely had unrelated symptoms in May 2024. It's more likely than not that in the four to six weeks between she was developing that endocarditis. Doctors had to rule out a lot of very serious causes in the first instance."

She said that once they ruled out other causes it was right that she was transferred to cardiology and the treatment for this condition would be antibiotics and identification of the relevant bug to treat it. Coroner Knight added that this was not a good diagnosis and would've meant a "prolonged hospital stay".

She concluded: "I can't find any evidence that any human act would have changed the tragic death."

Coroner Knight ruled Ms Evans had died by natural causes.

Jenna's mum Susanne Roberts spoke to WalesOnline following the conclusion of her daughter's inquest. She said: "We are absolutely heartbroken as a family, our lives will never be the same without her, we're grieving a family member; a mum dad, husband, sister, brother and daughter. We just feel like the warning signs were there, we didn't feel like it was fatal but from April it was ongoing her not feeling well.

"We feel let down by the GP all the way up that not enough was done. We keep wishing we'd gone private thinking that might have made a difference but we didn't know how serious it was and it sounds like no one realised how serious it was, not even the doctors.

"We feel like she had this bug for longer and the damage was done more slowly. We had no idea that it was life-threatening so it was a huge huge shock. Her children are still young and in school, it's heart-breaking. Even after this time it's still so painful."

The Royal College of Nursing has highlighted the "failure" of the Welsh Government as more than half of the people receiving NHS care or with a loved one being cared for say they experienced or witnessed care delivered in a corridor or inappropriate setting. A YouGov poll carried out UK-wide found that over 28% of people in Wales saw people being treated in corridors in the past six months.

In 2025, RCN Wales surveying members working in NHS Wales hospitals found that almost two thirds (61.8%) of staff said corridor care was a problem where they work, highlighting "a serious and ongoing threat to patient safety, dignity and outcomes."

A mental health nurse in Wales warned that there is a "regular occurrence" of staff being forced to treat patients in the corridor. The nurse said that providing care in unsafe environments can increase the risk of self-harm and suicide due to unsecured fittings and objects in corridors.

A second nurse, working on the frontline said: "Emergency departments are no longer able to function and we are causing harm to patients. Corridor care must stop."

The industry body said the practice has become normalised, leaving nursing staff distressed, demoralised and unable to deliver the standard of care patients deserve.

RCN Wales associate director of nursing Nicky Hughes said: "Corridor care is not an inevitable consequence of winter pressures or staff shortages – it’s a symptom of a system that has been allowed to drift into crisis. Our members told us clearly last year that corridor care had become widespread and entrenched in NHS Wales, and the latest UK-wide polling shows that nothing has improved.

"Nursing staff are doing everything they can, but they cannot deliver safe and dignified care in corridors, waiting rooms or storage spaces. Patients deserve better, and so do the professionals who care for them."

The Welsh Government said: "Care in undesignated or non-clinical environments is not acceptable. It compromises patient dignity, safety, and staff wellbeing. We share the determination to eliminate this practice through system-wide reform and have been clear with health boards of our expectations for improved and timely flow of patients through hospitals and back to their local communities.

"We have provided in excess of £200m additional funding this year to help people leave hospital when they are ready ensuring they receive the right care, in the right place and at the right time."

Her devastated family said nurses told them they had never known a patient so young to have a spinal stroke and mystery surrounded her condition when she was rushed to A&E. Beauty student Shakira had been at her boyfriend's house two days before Christmas when she started bleeding and believed it to be a heavy period at first.

But she was rushed to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital after she started struggling to breathe and lost the feeling in her arms and hands. Shakira, of Banbury, Oxfordshire, was put on a ventilator to breathe for her and she remains in intensive care more than two weeks later.

She cannot speak and communicates with her family through lip reading and using a word board. Her elder sister, mum-of-two Chelsea Coles, 29, said the family was deeply shocked that she had suffered such a rare medical condition at a young age.

The condition is reportedly so rare that it affects one in three million people. Shakira had also complained of back and shoulder pain beforehand and the family is urging people to be aware of the symptoms.

Chelsea said: "It's so rare. Shakira was at her boyfriend's house and she started bleeding very heavily - haemorrhaging.

"She thought it was a heavy period, but she quickly started losing her breath and the feeling in her arms and hands. She was rushed to the Horton (hospital) by ambulance. They did all the observations and couldn't work it out.

"But about four hours later she was blue-lighted to the JR (hospital). Later in the evening she was in great pain in her chest and body. They needed to do an MRI scan, so she was anaesthetised to keep her still.

"It took them another day to confirm that it was a spinal stroke. She had a blood clot in her spine. She was put on blood thinners, which she is still on.

"She doesn’t know the complexities and we want to protect her emotional and wellbeing at this time. She is awake and she can have a conversation; she's still herself, but she can't move apart from her fingers, slightly.

"She can't use a phone or the bedside bell. She's been there a long time and is perplexed, watching other patients come and go from intensive care."

Shakira’s parents, Lesley and Darren, are spending every visiting hour possible with their daughter, while others in the family are now working to raise money to help ease the financial burden.

Chelsea added: “Mum and my stepdad go along for visiting hours from 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 7.30pm and are trying to work in the mornings. My stepdad's had to reduce his hours at Halfords and Mum's got compassionate leave from Orchard Fields School, where she is a lunch supervisor.

“She has also has a full-time job, which she’s trying to cover as much as possible. We have three younger siblings at home and special arrangements have had to be made to enable them to go to school.

"We older siblings are making sure they are OK. We don't know what the future holds. At the moment we're taking each day as it comes.

"Each day is different and we are taking one step at a time. Shakira knows everyone is doing all they can to support her.

“My parents are feeling empty, devastated and they're still in shock - it's so unexpected. The fundraiser will help cover some of the lost income, their travel and if Shakira needs any support in the future.

“At the moment the hospital can't say what recovery is going to look like. She will be in the best hands at Stoke Mandeville. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”

Sister-in-law Chloe Coles, 30, a carer, said: "It all happened so quickly. The only symptom she had was a bit of shoulder and back pain, she thought it might be backache or her period starting.

"So she had a hot bath to try and help with it, but within an hour or two they were doing all sorts of tests on her in hospital. We can't believe it, she was always a fit and healthy 17-year-old. She is studying beauty at college and into her hair and make-up.

"The nurses were baffled, it was a mystery at first what had happened to her, because a spinal stroke is pretty much unheard of in people her age. They had never known anyone so young as it usually affects older people. Shakira is currently on the waiting list to be transferred to Stoke Mandeville hospital, where the spinal specialists are.

"The waiting time for a bed is not known. We are hoping the specialists will be able to give more answers and help Shakira get better, although it is not guaranteed that she will fully recover from this.

"Myself and my husband made the fundraiser to help ease the financial pressure on Shakira’s parents at this devastating time. As soon as visiting hours open both parents are at her bedside and do not leave the hospital until visiting hours are over.

"With three of four jobs in the household not being worked, household income has dropped. The fundraiser is to try to ease some of the pressure at his most difficult time, in the hope they would not have to worry about bills and travel costs - so that they could solely concentrate on being by their daughter’s side.”

To donate, visit the fundraising page on GoFundMe.

The Brain and Spine Foundation states: "A spinal stroke is a disruption in the blood supply to the spinal cord. The spinal cord depends on a supply of blood to function properly. A disruption in the blood supply can cause injury or damage to tissues and can block messages (nerve impulses) travelling along the spinal cord.

"The blood supply to the spinal cord involves a complex system of blood vessels. The main blood vessels are the anterior spinal artery (at the front of the spinal cord) and the posterior spinal artery (at the back). Spinal strokes are most common in the anterior spinal artery.

"Most spinal strokes are caused by blockages (usually blood clots) in the blood supply. These are called ischaemic spinal strokes. Some spinal strokes are caused by bleeds. These are called haemorrhagicspinal strokes.

"Spinal strokes are a rare condition. They are less common than strokes that affect the brain. They account for 1.25% of all strokes."

The mum-of-two was told she was likely suffering from an infection, but a colonoscopy revealed she had stage-four bowel cancer in September 2025. Doctors explained an eight-centimetre tumour had spread to the finance worker's abdominal wall, liver and lungs - leaving her with two years to live.

Cecilia, originally from Argentina but now living in Clapham, London, said: "I came back bloated from holiday, then had stomach cramps and went to get checked out. Then I went to a routine colonoscopy and they gave me a death sentence on the same day.

"I had a panic attack, which I’ve never had in my life. I woke up at 2am crying. I don’t wish this for anybody. On the weekends, I call my friends and family to tell them I’m dying and say goodbye."

In August last year, Cecilia had a week's getaway in Devon with her Scottish husband Mark, 45, and two boys Máximo, six and Rocco, four. Before the trip, the "always slim" Pilates loving mum "felt so healthy and never thought about having stomach checks".

Five days after returning home with bloating and stomach cramps, she clocked "a tiny bit of red" in her poo. Having gone to her GP to be checked "straight away", Cecilia was assured it was probably an infection, but booked in for a "routine" colonoscopy at Lister Hospital on September 26. On the day, she "knew it was bad news" when Mark was called in from the waiting room to listen to medics.

"They said we have something that looks like a tumour," she said. "It was a massive shock. I never had the typical symptoms.

"Never constipated or had diarrhoea. I go to the loo perfectly fine.

"The same day, the consultant called me and said it was incurable. He said you have it everywhere - all my abdominal wall, liver and lungs.

"I thought 'how can it be my lungs? I do bike class, I go dancing with my friends until two o’clock in the morning'."

Cecilia now has fortnightly chemotherapy sessions as well as receiving treatment at home. After four rounds of chemo, she feels "like a 90-year-old lady" with the "worst hangover of all time".

She said: "I’m not planning to die any time soon. The doctors told me I probably have two years.

"In five years with stage-four cancer, there is a 13 per cent survival rate. I’m going for it and more if I can.

"I’m planning on going back to work. I have to get on with my life. I’ve started going back to my Pilates class."

Bowel cancer is the UK's third most common cancer, affecting one in 20 women and one in 15 men. While Australia has rolled out universal bowel screenings for people aged 45 and up, patients in England, Scotland and Wales are only sent test kits from age 50.

Cecilia said: "I rushed when I had my first symptom and it was too late. If I had had the check at 45, I’d be in a much better situation."

Hywel Dda University Health Board has issued an appeal to patients and visitors on three occasions this week (since Sunday, January 4), saying that "emergency departments continue to be under significant pressure". In particular the health board referenced Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

A spokesperson for the health board said: "If you have a relative or loved one in hospital who is well enough to go home, but is waiting to be discharged with homecare and community health support, you may be able to help them to get home more quickly if you and your family are in a position to support them at home." 

The health board also asked people to use different points of care if they are suffering from minor injuries and ailments, although reiterated that members of the public should always call 999 in a "serious or life-threatening emergency".

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Swansea Bay University Health Board, which manages hospitals including Morriston and Singleton, declared a Business Continuity Incident (BCI) - the highest level of operational escalation in NHS Wales - as services face exceptional pressure due to a critical shortage of available beds.

A Business Continuity Incident is declared when a health board is under severe and sustained pressure and normal ways of working are no longer sufficient to maintain safe patient flow.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which operates hospitals in Newport, Cwmbran, Abergavenny and Ystrad Mynach, is currently operating on at a “level 4 escalation status” which is “impacting the flow of patients through our hospitals”.

It does, however, have a continuity plan in place should staff struggle to reach work due to the stormy weather.

A spokesperson for the health board said: "Our services are also facing the same extreme pressures that are being reported across Wales and the UK, with high numbers of winter viruses spreading throughout our communities and resulting in large volumes of patients presenting to our hospitals with respiratory illnesses, particularly flu.

"We are currently operating at a level 4 escalation status, with high demand prevalent across our entire system - unfortunately causing long waits for some of our services and impacting the flow of patients through our hospitals.

"In the event of any adverse weather, we have a number of business continuity plans in place to ensure we can continue to provide safe care and protect our patients and staff.

"We would also urge our residents to look after each other and to check in on their vulnerable relatives, neighbours and friends to ensure they have everything they need - checking they are well could keep them safe in adverse weather and help them avoid a hospital admission over winter."

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, which runs hospital sites in Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend among other sites in east Wales, is asking people to only attend its hospitals in an emergency.

A spokesperson for the hospital said: "We are currently experiencing significant and sustained pressure across our hospital sites, which is having an impact on all of our emergency departments.

"Adverse weather conditions is likely to add further pressure to the system and we are encouraging all patients to only attend the department in an emergency and to consider all healthcare options available to you.

"This includes the NHS 111 Wales website, calling 111 for advice and guidance and to access the Out of Hours service, contacting a member of your Primary Care team, or visiting a minor injuries unit.

"If you do need to attend the Emergency Department, there may be a long wait to be seen as we treat those who need us most urgently. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding and urge everyone to treat our colleagues with respect.2

In north Wales, the picture is much the same. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board operates three main hospitals - Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, and Wrexham Maelor Hospital - all of which are described as currently being "incredibly busy".

A spokesperson for the health board said: “The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow, ice, and cold conditions in North Wales. Some areas, especially higher ground, may see 5 to 20 cm of snow, icy roads, and travel disruption.

“Our hospitals remain incredibly busy at this time as we continue to manage the usual winter demand placed on our services. Alongside this, we have faced additional pressures from seasonal infections and respiratory viruses, as well as the impact of the adverse weather that hit the region last weekend.

“As a result of this, the health board is putting plans in place to ensure services are fully supported during this time to minimise any potential disruption. We are proactively treating this as an internal critical incident to ensure we can provide the necessary support to our services, staff and patients and keep any disruption to a minimum.

“Please ensure you plan ahead if you are attending appointments or hospitals. Anyone with an appointment should attend unless advised otherwise by the health board. Patients will be contacted directly if any appointments or clinics need to be rescheduled.

“We would also ask people to check our local health services information to ensure they access care and support at the most appropriate place if they need it. There are a range of services available to people, such as NHS 111 Wales, our minor injury units and pharmacies, that can be accessed quickly and without an appointment.

“If you’re out and about over the next few days ensure you wrap up warm and wear appropriate footwear as some pavements could be icy and increase the chances of slips and falls.

“We would also encourage people to check on older people or those living alone. The cold weather increases the risk of hypothermia, especially amongst the elderly, as well as increasing the risk of injury such as slipping or falling in icy conditions.”

As health is a devolved matter, the Welsh Government is ultimately responsible for hospitals and healthcare provision across Wales.

It is confident that all health boards are able to remain "resilient" in the face of growing winter pressures.

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: "Urgent and emergency care services across Wales continue to see high levels of demand this winter.

"Despite pressure being put on the health and social care system with winter illnesses and the impact of colder weather, services have remained resilient and people have continued to receive safe and quality care when they need it most.

"We are urging people to only call 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency and to carefully consider where to go for care. For urgent care needs, NHS 111 Wales can be accessed 24/7."

Swansea Bay University Health Board left the 65-person cohort facing "unemployment, uncertainty and fear" when the revelation came to light in October 2025. The M23 nursing cohort at Swansea University found out there would be no available posts for adult branch nurses within their cohort despite believing they were entering a profession which was understaffed and where there was "no need to worry about jobs".

Instead the health board said they were "urgently exploring all possible options" to find a solution to the problem. They added that there were some vacancies in their mental health and learning disability services but successful recruitment and retention of staff had meant none were available in adult nursing.

The news caused backlash with students who sent an open letter to the health board detailing how they'd worked long, unsociable hours, cleaned bodily fluids, and held people's hands as they've died with the knowledge they were entering a profession in high demand.

At the time the Royal College of Nursing slammed the health board, saying the lack of suitable posts had been "like a slap in the face" after students were assured their skills would be in demand. 

One student described the lack of vacancies as a "fraud". He continued: "We were sold this training as a 'no need to worry about jobs' training. It is an absolute nightmare. We have been used to plug NHS shortages, working hundreds of hours unpaid on our training, and now no jobs."

However, after the move sparked uproar the health board has now opened up "substantive posts and fixed term rotational posts" which should be sufficient for the students hoping to be employed in the region.

A spokesperson for Swansea Bay University Health Board said: "While as a health board we did not and do not have any substantive inpatient ward nursing vacancies, we do constantly juggle a mixed staffing model involving different bands of staff and a blend of permanent staff, agency staff, bank staff and overtime. By adjusting this mix and approach, we have been able to create additional opportunities."

Professor Sandy Harding, associate director of nursing at RCN Wales said: "RCN Wales is pleased to hear that Swansea Bay University Health Board has worked closely with HEIW to develop streaming pathways for nursing students to provide adequate jobs in the area, including substantive and rotational posts.

"Our student members came to us with concerns back in October last year of uncertainty around available job roles once they complete their studies. And RCN Wales worked closely with students, the health board and HEIW to achieve this outcome.

"We want to see students who have dedicated their studies in Wales to be able to build their expertise to nurture the workforce in Wales."

The special effects makeup artist, from Nottingham, said there had been no signs of the illness, except a pain in his leg, a slight temperature, and a chest infection he had had for five weeks. Franki, now 13, was rushed to the hospital with doctors revealing he had just one hour to live when the ambulance got to him.

He was placed in an induced coma, before being diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of meningitis with sepsis, with Martine preparing to say goodbye. Thankfully, Franki battled on, but 19 months later he is still unable to recall conversations seconds after they’ve happened and needs help getting washed and dressed.

Doctors said the condition was likely caused by a chest infection which spread to his brain. Martine said: “There were no immediate signs, he had complained of a pain in his leg the day before, and he was really tired.

“The next morning I went up to his room and he was sat on the edge of the bed and his fingers were all bent backwards, his eyes were half closed, and he was making this awful murmuring sound.

“I couldn’t rouse him; it was like he was on a different planet. I didn’t know this at the time, but he had already had two seizures, his right lung had collapsed, and he’d had a stroke.

“When the paramedics arrived, they tried to get him down to the ambulance, but in his confusion, he thought he was being kidnapped. In the hospital, doctors put him in an induced coma and said he had swelling on his brain.

"It was the most horrific sight you could imagine, he was hooked up to all of these wires and there were machines breathing for him. The doctors said it was really lucky that Franki was fighting, as it can be fatal.

“They said he only had an hour to live when the ambulance got to him. Me and his dad Luke stayed every night in hospital with him for a whole month, where he had to learn to walk, talk eat and swallow again. Now, 19 months on, he’s only just transitioning back to school, but it’s so hard for him, as he forgets conversations as soon as they have happened.”

Martine first noticed that something was wrong with her son one day in March 2024 when he began to complain about a pain in his leg. Franki also appeared very tried, and would not eat anything, and by the evening, he had a temperature.

At the time, Franki had had a chest infection for five weeks, so Martine did not think anything too much of the temperature. The next morning, Martine went in to Franki’s room, after feeling a “weird sensation”.

When she found her son, he was sat on the edge of the bed with his fingers “bent backwards”, making a murmuring sound. After unsuccessfully trying to rouse Franki, Martine immediately called the emergency services but when they tried to take him downstairs and put him in the ambulance, in his confusion Franki thought he was being kidnapped.

When they arrived at the hospital, Franki underwent a number of tests, and Martine was told he would have to be placed in an induced coma, to find out exactly what was wrong with him. Franki was then diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening form of bacterial meningococcal meningitis with sepsis called meningoencephalitis.

This happens when you have inflammation and or an infection of your brain and meninges - the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal chord - at the same time. It is usually caused by viral and bacterial infections - such as the chest infection Franki had - which spread to the brain, leading to inflammation, and symptoms include seizures, memory loss and trouble moving parts of the body.

Due to the severity of his condition, Martine revealed that she “prepared to say goodbye”, as she had no idea how long he had left. However, Franki stayed strong and spent a month in hospital during which time he had to learn how to walk, talk and even eat again.

And 19 months on, he still needs to use the wheelchair at times, and Martine has to help him with getting washed and dressed. Franki has no memory of the incident, and during his time in hospital had confabulation nightmares - nightmares he thought were real - where he had staples in his face.

“It was horrible watching him go from a lively boy to a shadow of himself," Martine said. Franki’s illness also caused him to lose patches of his hair and he still suffers from violent headaches.

He is only just transitioning back in to going to school, but struggles with learning, as he is unable to retain information. Martine said: “He has no memory recall, he forgot a lot of his classmate’s names when he went back to school."

While Franki was in hospital, Martine began writing a story, where she imagined that while Franki’s body was in a coma, his mind was in a mythical forest where he met talking animals that told him to be strong.

She decided to turn the story in to a book, to help people to understand brain injuries, and to provide comfort for others who have suffered from similar illnesses. Her book, The Forest of Remembering, is available to buy on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1918011605

Dylan Jones from Midlothian, Scotland, called 999 after becoming unwell in his job as a fibre engineer and reported "unbearable" pain in his side. The 28-year-old, who was known to have cirrhosis of the liver, then waited an agonising two hours for the ambulance to arrive, 

Yet after he was raced to hospital, his condition worsened, according to his mum and cousin, as he was left on a trolley in a corridor for 13 hours.

While waiting for an MRI scan, it has since been revealed Dylan's spleen had ruptured. When he was finally seen, medics realised he had been slowly internally bleeding.

The father-of-three was then rushed into theatre and stabilised by medics who worked to stop the bleeding before placing him on a breathing machine and carrying out several blood transfusions.

Dylan died 10 days later at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, just days before Christmas on December 20.

His relatives say his organs had become severely compromised while he was waiting for urgent treatment in A&E and are now speaking out, saying they believe a quicker response could have saved his life.

His cousin, Billielea Porter, 32, told the Daily Record: "By the time Dylan was eventually scanned and operated on, his body was so gone that he just wasn't going to be able to make a full recovery.

"From the offset, medics would have known about his liver condition. He should never have been left to lie on a trolley like that for all that time.

"He fought so hard, but if he had been seen sooner, he would still be alive today and his children would still have their dad."

Due to Dylan's liver condition, the high pressure on his portal vein had backed up into his spleen, which would have become enlarged. According to medical journals, cirrhosis of the liver significantly increases the risk of spleen complications, leading to severe abdominal pain, shock, rupture and high mortality if left untreated.

Dylan's cause of death was confirmed to be liver failure, spleen rupture and a genetic condition called Jeune Syndrome, which he had been diagnosed with at birth.

Billielea said: "When his spleen ruptured, it would have had a big impact on his liver and by the time they got his internal bleeding under control, his liver had already started to fail.

"Given that they would have known of the cirrhosis of his liver, why wasn't he seen for 13 hours? How did they fail to spot that his spleen had ruptured and that he was bleeding inside?

"He was left to lie on a trolley in a corridor for hours on end, when they could have used that time to save his life."

In a tribute, the young man has been remembered as a "great dad" who "lit up every room he walked in". Billielea added: "Dylan was always laughing and joking, you were never sad when he was around. He lit up every room he walked in.

"He was so full of life and was a great dad to his three young kids. We're all heartbroken without him."

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie described Dylan's untimely death as a "scandal" amid a healthcare crisis in Scotland.

The MSP said: “This heartbreaking case shows us the true cost of the crisis in our NHS and my thoughts are with Dylan’s family. It is a scandal that young parents are losing their lives while waiting for emergency healthcare on the SNP’s watch and its devastating for their family."

Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian also said in a statement: “We apologise for the length of wait Mr Jones experienced at A&E and extend our sincere condolences to his family.

“However, Mr Jones sadly died following ten days in intensive care and multiple interventions for a long standing and serious illness. “We encourage his family to contact us directly to discuss any concerns they have with his care.”

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the family of Dylan Jones at this unimaginably difficult time. I would also like to make clear that it is not acceptable that Mr Jones waited so long in A&E.

"Excessively long waits are not acceptable and I apologise to all patients who are waiting too long. We are determined to do more and we want everyone to receive the best possible care and treatment.

"We are working closely with NHS Boards to improve patient flow, reduce waiting times for emergency care and diagnostic tests and ensure they have the support needed to manage peaks in demand this winter.”

An online fundraiser has since been set up to cover the costs of Dylan's funeral and to support his three young children.

The 21-year-old was referred for an X-ray, with her GP suspecting a dislocated bone might be the issue. The surgery rang to arrange an appointment to discuss the results, but when Freya checked the NHS app on her mobile, she received a horrifying revelation: they had detected a tumour.

"I thought I had just been handed my death sentence," said the young woman from Uckfield, East Sussex. "I was so shocked – it didn't feel real."

Freya, who was holidaying in Norfolk with her family at the time, couldn't immediately attend the appointment and was assured of a phone call shortly after she received the initial message in April 2024. However, in the interim, she decided to check the app – and saw she could view the results herself, 

The notes read, 'tumour characteristic of a malignant bone tumour - osteosarcoma'. Freya stated: "As I'm sure a lot of people who have experienced this will agree, when you're told you have cancer you immediately think you're going to die.

"I began Googling all the medical jargon I didn't understand in the hopes that potentially it wasn't what it looked like. Not once since I felt the lump on my arm did I think it could be cancer.

"I was 21, healthy and had done nothing in my life to warrant this happening to me and yet there it was, in black and white, as they say. That nauseating feeling of panic slowly filled my body; when you suddenly feel very warm and your heart starts beating rapidly.

"The 10 minutes I waited for that phone call felt like an age and I was just consumed by severe anxiety and panic – the feeling is honestly very hard to put into words. When the GP called, I don't remember a thing they said, I just cried.

"After the call ended, I went to my mum to tell her what had happened and collapsed in tears. I wish the results hadn't been on the app before I'd had a chance to speak to a doctor.

"It was a horrible way to find out." Freya didn't inform the GP that she had already read her results, and was supported by her parents at the time.

She revealed: "My mum has since told me that she had an inkling that the lump in my arm might be something serious but hadn't wanted to worry me whilst we were waiting for the results. My grandmother had actually passed away from a soft-tissue sarcoma around 10 years before, so my family was very familiar with sarcomas and how brutal they can be.

"It was still a shock for her to see it in black and white." Looking back, Freya feels her results ought not to have been made available on the app before she received a telephone consultation, given their grave nature.

She explained: "The X-ray results I received had severe implications and required almost immediate action. For that sort of scenario, I believe they should not be put on the app until a formal conversation/meeting with the doctor or consultant.

"I think the transparency of having the results of tests available on the app is extremely helpful, but only after they have been discussed with the patient first. I would have liked it told to me by a medical professional in a conversation, where it could be explained to me in a safe environment.

"I completely acknowledge that my GP had planned on doing this after the results came through but because I was on holiday it was not possible." Freya was referred for an additional X-ray, plus an MRI and biopsy.

Regrettably, due to an error the biopsy had to be repeated, postponing her official diagnosis for two weeks. However, in June 2024, her deepest concerns were validated, and Freya was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Parosteal osteosarcoma.

The emotional toll of her diagnosis struck severely. She revealed: "For about two weeks after the phone call, I couldn't shower because the sight of my own body made me upset. I felt it had betrayed me."

Freya was studying journalism at Sheffield University at the time but decided to return home to Uckfield so that she could be treated closer to home at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit for young people at UCLH in London, which specialises in cancer treatment.

She also had to make some critical decisions about her treatment and, due to the rarity of her tumour, struggled to decide the best course of action. She explained: "My options were doing chemotherapy or not doing it.

"However, because of the lack of research into the tumour type, my oncologist couldn't recommend either one. This was an extremely hard period for me as I had nothing to go off of – there was a chance that chemo would benefit me, but it wasn't proven, and the drugs I would be on were very intense."

Freya says she investigated her options 'furiously' and her oncologist managed to secure the views of five other oncologists from around the world, which influenced her decision to undergo chemo. She went on to have six rounds, and lost her hair – something the young woman found challenging.

She said: "When I was told the drugs I was going to be on would definitely cause me to lose my hair, I cried. As superficial as it sounds, my hair was such a big part of my identity.

"I had long, blonde, curly hair – a trait that had followed me since I was a toddler – and losing it felt like losing myself. Despite my love for it, I decided to shave my head a few days before my first chemo.

"It was important to me to be in control of the situation and take my hair before the treatment did." Like many individuals battling cancer, Freya found the mental toll of the disease and its treatment particularly challenging.

She further explained: "During treatment, I developed quite severe anxiety and panic. I began having panic attacks daily, some of which made me go into the hospital as it was the only place I felt safe.

"I was given counselling and began attending sessions weekly, but eventually it got so bad that I was put on medication. The nurses helped calm me down and put me more at ease – my interactions with them got me through those long days."

Freya's treatment commenced on 11 December 2024, and she was extremely ill in the lead up to and during the last Christmas period. She recalled: "The unit was decorated and there was a Christmas tree.

"That helped a lot as it was still Christmas, and it was good to still celebrate the holiday in that way. I had chemo for three nights and four days in that cycle.

"I was able to go home for Christmas, but because it was the first round of chemo, I felt very rough, and my body was struggling to adjust. One of the chemo's I was on promotes severe nausea, and so I was still throwing up at Christmas time. It was not fun at all. I normally go out on New Year's Eve, but instead my two best friends and I ordered food and watched the countdown on TV.

"It's not the typical thing a 21 year old does, but my friends made it bearable. My family and friends tried to make that period as perfect as they could, but I had an overwhelming feeling of dread and couldn't get excited as I knew I had more chemo to come in the New Year."

Freya's treatment concluded in March and she was overjoyed to receive the all-clear in May. She's now eagerly anticipating a healthier, happier Christmas this year. Freya shared: "I am feeling more myself. Last year I didn't – it's a big thing to lose your hair and feel a loss of control over your body.

"I was surrounded by family and friends, but I didn't feel myself. For New Year's Eve I will be going out and seeing friends and be embracing being 22 and healthy again."

This year, Freya is supporting Teenage Cancer Trust's Christmas fundraising appeal, and added: "Teenage Cancer Trust was a blessing throughout my treatment. The support they gave my family and I carried us through the lowest moments of that period.

"Going through something devastating and so life-altering can be alienating, especially when you are constantly told you're 'too young' to be in that position. However, to be able to walk into a place that not only understands your unique medical needs but also embraces and celebrates your personal identity is invaluable for a young person going through cancer.

"It was the support and friendship that I received from both staff and other patients at the Teenage Cancer Trust that motivated me to successfully make it to the end of my treatment and be fortunate enough to be where I am today."

Shannon Collins, 46, is renowned for dispensing fitness guidance online, helping individuals sculpt their physiques and shed weight without imposing severe limitations. In a post addressing Christmas, she explained how people can begin implementing straightforward adjustments to support their bodies and wellbeing throughout the festive season.

The mum clarified that you can still have a wonderful time and savour some truly delectable food. The secret, according to Shannon, lies in balancing this with physical activity and adhering to a handful of straightforward principles.

In an Instagram post, Shannon wrote: "It doesn't need to be the norm to gain weight over the holidays and start the New Year up another 5lbs. Every day and every meal from now until January doesn't need to be a free for all.

"There is lots of time to be making progress and even lose fat. Wouldn't it be cool to be starting off in control?

"There is never going to be the perfect time. The key is making the most of your time and keeping the mindset that something is better than nothing."

Shannon, known for her impressive abs and fitness knowledge, offers advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the festive season. The mum emphasises that perfection isn't necessary, but consistency is key to avoid a "rebound spiral."

She advises daily movement and achieving step goals, all while enjoying the holiday period. She also recommends adding fibre and protein to every meal and staying hydrated to prevent unnecessary snacking when feeling dehydrated.

Shannon warns against the common Christmas mistake of "saving calories" for festive treats, urging people not to skip meals as it can have adverse effects. When it comes to indulging in treats, she suggests being selective and only choosing those you truly enjoy to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

The importance of sleep is another point Shannon stresses, noting that fatigue can lead to "poor appetite control." Regarding alcohol consumption, she advises it's "best" to abstain but, if one chooses to drink, it's wise to set some boundaries.

This could include limiting the number of drinks per week and perhaps foregoing dessert if planning to indulge in a few beverages.

Shannon emphasised there's no reason to feel "guilty" about having a good time, as it's always possible to resume healthier habits afterwards. That said, it's sensible to be conscious of excessive consumption if preventing weight gain is a priority.

What should people be eating to stay healthy?

According to the NHS website: "You need energy from calories for your body to work properly. Your body uses this energy to function properly.

"To stay at around the same weight, the calories your body uses should be the same as the amount of calories you eat and drink."

Typically, the NHS recommends an average man requires 2,500kcal daily, whilst an average woman requires 2,000kcal per day. Nevertheless, these figures may vary depending on factors including age, weight, height and physical activity levels.

Should you have any concerns regarding your weight, or require assistance managing it, consult your GP for additional guidance. It's essential to obtain professional advice before implementing any significant alterations to your eating habits.

With December 25 just a few weeks away, many are beginning their Christmas dinner food shopping. Common items purchased and consumed during this festive period include pigs in blankets, along with roast potatoes, soft cheese and various meats.

However, millions are being advised to refrain from eating these popular food items due to a substantial health concern - see full list below. According to recent statistics, one in 20 Brits (2.5 million) is reportedly using weight loss injections in 2025, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.

When using Mounjaro and Wegovy, it's advisable to avoid foods that can intensify side effects or hinder weight loss. This primarily includes highly processed foods, sugary snacks, refined carbs, and excessive unhealthy fats, as they can cause nausea, blood sugar spikes, and stomach issues.

It's also advisable to reduce your consumption of alcohol and caffeine. Instead, opt for lean proteins, fibre, fruits, and vegetables to enhance the effectiveness of the medications and achieve your objectives,

The pressures surrounding Christmas indulgences are anticipated to cause considerable stress and anxiety, with many uncertain about which foods they can consume and which they should steer clear of. Dr Crystal Wyllie, MBBS, who serves as an NHS GP and a doctor at online medical practice ZAVA, has compiled a list of festive foods that GLP-1 users should think twice about this Christmas. She has also outlined the scientific reasoning behind her recommendations.

Why Mounjaro and Wegovy users should exercise caution with certain foods

Dr Crystal Wyllie explains that individuals taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, often find that rich, high-fat, or extremely sugary foods trigger side effects. She notes this includes nausea, as the drugs naturally decelerate stomach emptying.

She explained: "Experiencing side effects is completely normal and very common on GLP-1 medications. They slow digestion and alter hunger signals, so mild digestive discomfort is expected for many people."

She further clarified that when the digestive system is already functioning more slowly, substantial festive foods can remain in the stomach for considerably longer than normal. "In turn, this can lead to the well-known and very common symptoms of bloating, reflux, wind, sulphur burps, nausea, diarrhoea, and occasionally vomiting."

The doctor continued: "Avoiding or reducing the amount of these trigger foods can help keep digestion comfortable over Christmas and reduce the likelihood of unpleasant side effects that may spoil the day."

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are both GLP-1 receptor agonists and are medicines that you can only get with a prescription. You can't buy them at a shop without a prescription.

You can obtain Mounjaro and Wegovy through the NHS or by securing a private prescription. However, there are certain criteria to meet, and you usually need to be referred to a specialist weight management service.

GLP-1 medications, which are also known as Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, are drugs that mimic a natural hormone in the gut. They help regulate blood sugar levels and can assist people in losing weight by slowing down digestion, making you feel less hungry, and enhancing insulin production.

These medications are primarily used for type 2 diabetes, but increasing numbers of people are using them for long-term weight management. They come in the form of injections or tablets and are recognised as being highly effective, although you should consider the cost and potential side effects.

Festive foods to avoid at Christmas as a GLP-1 user

Pigs in blankets

Brits on weight loss jabs may be dismayed to hear that, despite being a Christmas dinner staple, pigs in blankets should be avoided or consumed in small portions only, Dr Crystal Wyllie says. Pigs in blankets are high in fat and salt, which sit heavily in the stomach when digestion is slowed by GLP-1 medications. The double-fat combination of sausage and bacon often worsens nausea and reflux.

• Common side effects: Nausea, bloating, reflux, stomach pressure.
• Alternatives: Lean turkey sausages or a smaller portion paired with vegetables.

Roast potatoes (specifically when cooked in goose fat)

Despite some chefs claiming the key ingredient to making roast potatoes ‘better’ is goose fat, GLP-1 users may also be disheartened to learn that goose fat is extremely rich, and high-fat foods take longer to leave the stomach, something jab users are already prone to. This can lead to an uncomfortable 'food sitting' feeling and sudden queasiness after eating, Dr Crystal Wyllie says.

• Common side effects: Nausea, fullness, indigestion.
• Alternative: Roast potatoes in olive oil, or a mix of roast and steamed potatoes.

Meat in large portions

Dense protein requires significant digestive effort, and large servings can overwhelm the slowed gastric emptying caused by these medications. Dr Crystal Wyllie says this often leads to discomfort or nausea after a big meal, which can occasionally cause vomiting.

• Common side effects: Bloating, nausea, stomach cramps.
• Alternative: Smaller servings of lean turkey breast or slow-cooked meats.

Soft cheese

Soft cheeses, such as brie and camembert, contain high levels of fat and can be difficult to digest, especially after a heavy, hearty meal, according to Dr Crystal Wyllie. They commonly trigger nausea for GLP-1 users because the combination of richness and creaminess lingers in the stomach.

• Common side effects: Nausea, bloating, reflux.
• Alternative: Reduced-fat cheese, hard cheeses in small amounts, or fruit instead.

Brandy butter

Usually paired perfectly with a Christmas pudding, brandy butter is almost entirely made up of fat and sugar, the two biggest triggers for GLP-1-related digestive upset. "The richness can overwhelm the stomach quickly, even in small amounts, and often causes immediate queasiness," Dr Crystal Wyllie says.

• Common side effects: Nausea, indigestion, stomach heaviness.
• Alternative: A lighter custard or yoghurt-based topping.

Yule log

The iconic Christmas dessert, the yule log, is dense, chocolate-heavy, and often filled with rich cream, which makes it slow to digest and very sweet, two things GLP-1 users are typically sensitive to. The quick sugar spike, followed by the richness, even small slices, can cause discomfort after a meal, Dr Crystal Wyllie said.

• Common side effects: Nausea, bloating, reflux, sugar crash.
• Alternative: A small portion of dark chocolate or a sponge-based dessert without cream.

Dr Crystal Wyllie said: “GLP-1 users don’t have to give up their favourite Christmas treats entirely. Many people who are on weight loss medication like Mounjaro or Wegovy find that simply reducing portion sizes makes a noticeable difference.

Smaller servings are gentler on a slowed digestive system, helping to prevent the heaviness, nausea and reflux that larger portions can trigger. Eating slowly, stopping at the first sign of fullness and spacing richer foods throughout the day can also make festive meals far more comfortable while still allowing you to enjoy the things you love.”

• A doctor has issued an urgent 12-hour warning amid a spike in cases of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) across the UK. RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds but can lead to severe complications in some people.

• An update from the UK Health Security Agency (UKSA) revealed that cases of RSV increased in the most recent week recorded (November 24 to 30). Hospitalisations also increased in that period.

• On top of this, emergency department attendances for acute bronchiolitis have increased. Bronchiolitis is an inflammation of the bronchioles and is often caused by RSV.

• In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, NHS doctor Suraj Kukadia issued advice on RSV. He warned that it is most dangerous in young children and babies. He said: “It can happen anytime of the year. It can also happen in anyone at any age, but we usually see it at its most severe in children under the age of one or two years old.”

• Therefore, he stressed the importance of knowing what is ”normal” for your child. He said: “Film what your child looks like when they are breathing when they are not unwell so that when things start to change, if they start to work harder to breathe, then you have a reference point to say they're breathing a lot quicker, or now I can see the sucking in between the ribs, or the sucking in under the ribs, or I can see that the sucking in where the trachea is.”

• Dr Sooj also warned that a 12-hour symptom requires a trip to A&E. If your child does not urinate for this length of time they need emergency assistance. He said: “If they go 12 hours without peeing, that's a red flag. You have to go to the emergency department. If they are peeing less than 50 per cent of normal, that's also a problem. Need to go to the emergency department.”

• This issue is listed by the NHS as a serious symptom of RSV. It recommends calling 111 or getting an urgent GP appointment if “your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, or shows other signs of dehydration”.

• According to the NHS, symptoms of an RSV infection usually start within a few days of getting infected. Most people only get cold-like symptoms, such as a runny or blocked nose, a cough, sneezing, tiredness, and a high temperature.

• If RSV leads to a more serious infection (such as pneumonia or bronchiolitis) it may also cause a cough that gets worse, shortness of breath, faster breathing or long gaps between breaths, difficulty feeding (in babies) or loss of appetite, noisy breathing (wheezing), or confusion (in older adults).

• The NHS says you should call 999 or go to A&E if your child is having difficulty breathing. You may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs, there are pauses when your child breathes, your child's skin, tongue or lips are blue, or your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake.

More than 800,000 individuals in Wales have already been vaccinated, but with flu activity escalating over the past week and more cases anticipated in the lead up to Christmas, the call for vaccination is urgent, according to the Welsh Government. A new strain of flu is currently circulating, with a particularly high incidence of confirmed cases among children under five years old.

The flu vaccine for children and teenagers aged between two and 16 is administered via a nasal spray rather than an injection. This year’s vaccine has proven highly effective, reducing hospital visits among children. 

Wales’ Chief Medical Officer, Professor Isabel Oliver, said: “Vaccination saves lives, protects people and communities, and strengthens the resilience of the NHS.

“It is really important that everyone who is eligible, takes up their offer of a free flu vaccine this winter.

“We are seeing a new flu strain circulating and an earlier start to the flu season but there is still time to get the vaccine so please act now, to get your child protected in time for Christmas.”

Dr Chris Johnson, Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at Public Health Wales, said: “The flu nasal spray vaccine is safe, painless, and helps protect thousands of school-aged children in Wales every year.

"Flu can be very serious for children, but one quick spray helps keep them healthy this winter and reduces the risk of serious illness.

“Giving consent for your child to have the nasal spray vaccine is a normal part of keeping them well during the school year. It also helps protect the whole family by stopping the spread to siblings, grandparents and relatives who are more at risk.

“Nearly a million people in Wales get vaccinated against flu every year, so please make sure your child is protected too by giving consent for them to have the flu nasal spray vaccine.”

The flu vaccine is provided free of charge for all children from the age of two (born before September 2023) up to school year 11, as well as all children in a clinical risk group aged over six months old.

Details on how to secure a free vaccination for a child who was absent from school when the vaccine team visited or whose consent form wasn’t completed in time can be found on the Public Health Wales website. Typically, this will be arranged through your GP or health board.

Numerous adults also qualify for a free vaccine, including everyone aged 65 years and older, individuals with long-term health conditions, health and social care workers, pregnant women, and carers.

Which? bought 21 packs of latex balloons from seven online marketplaces and put them through British standard tests to find out about the levels of carcinogenic chemicals they contained. Eight out of the 21 balloons contained concentrations of potentially carcinogenic chemicals significantly above the UK’s permitted limit – meaning that they were being sold illegally.

Tests revealed that one balloon from AliExpress contained more than six times the legally permitted level of nitrosamines – chemicals that are probable carcinogens. An eBay balloon and one from The Range – also available at Wilko – were found to contain more than four times the safe level of nitrosamines.

Wilko said it independently tested these products in June 2025 and found them to be safe. “But, as customer safety remains our top priority, we have recalled the balloons from our stores and website as a precautionary measure while we undertake further testing.”

A balloon bought from Debenhams contained more than twice the legal amount of nitrosatable substances – chemicals that can turn into nitrosamines when they mix with saliva. Which? said testimonies from consumers suggest that its investigation could only be the “tip of the iceberg” for dangerous balloons sold on online marketplaces.

The watchdog said Trevor and Lucille Mathers bought balloons from Amazon Marketplace in March 2024 for their child’s birthday. A full year later, Amazon sent a notification warning to Trevor and Lucille that the balloons they bought could cause cancer, saying the product contained at least 25 times the legal limit of potentially carcinogenic chemicals, the consumer group said.

The alert stated that substances in the balloons may cause cancer through ingestion or dermal exposure and a child could be exposed when touching or putting them in their mouth. Mr Mathers told Which?: “It wasn’t easy to read when you know your kids have been doing exactly that, months after Amazon knew the balloons were loaded with carcinogens but didn’t tell us.”

Amazon said it removed the balloons from sale immediately when notified. Later, when it received a request to contact customers, this happened immediately. Natalie Hitchins, who works for Which?, said she bought two packs of balloons from Shein for her son’s birthday.

She said: “The strong chemical smell from a pack of superhero-themed balloons was really noticeable. As I blew them up my lips went numb, all I could taste were chemicals and I became dizzy. At that point my partner came into the room and was shocked by the chemical smell.”

Which? tested the same balloons that Ms Hitchens bought and found them to contain more than twice the legally permitted level of nitrosamines. One seller on the Shein store reported 99,000 sales for balloons which had more than twice the legal limit of nitrosamines, the consumer group said.

Another seller of carcinogenic balloons on eBay had 277 listings and claimed to have sold more than 300,000 – however, Which? confirmed it had not tested the remainder of the listings beyond those specified. Which? head of consumer protection policy Sue Davies said: “Allowing children to be exposed to high concentrations of carcinogens is outrageous – especially given the repeated official safety warnings for balloons over the last 10 years.

“Seemingly innocent items like party balloons can have serious health consequences if there aren’t proper checks to make sure they comply with safety laws. The government must urgently prioritise secondary regulations for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act to impose a clear legal duty on online marketplaces for ensuring the safety of products sold through their third party sellers, with tough enforcement for those that fall short.”

An AliExpress spokeswoman said: “We take product safety very seriously and we have strict rules and policies in place to ensure a safe online shopping environment. Third-party sellers who list items for sale on our marketplace must comply with the applicable law as well as our platform rules and policies.

“The listings of the products that failed the test have been removed from the site. Our platform will inform consumers who have purchased the products directly about the risks, unsuitability for use and support consumers’ refund request.”

A Debenhams spokeswoman said: “The product in question was listed by a third-party seller through our marketplace. As soon as we were made aware of a potential safety issue, we immediately removed this product and all similar listings under the same brand from our website. We have contacted the customer who purchased this product to inform them of the issue and provide support. While the product was sold by an independent third-party seller, we are liaising with them to understand how this occurred.”

An eBay spokeswoman said: “The two listings identified by Which? have been removed and the sellers have been informed. We’re reviewing the wider marketplace to remove any listings offering identical products and automatically notifying buyers of any safety issues.”

Shein said: “Upon learning of these claims, we immediately removed the items from our site as a precaution while we investigate.”

A Wilko spokesman said: “We independently tested these products in June 2025 and found them to be safe. But, as customer safety remains our top priority, we have recalled the balloons from our stores and website as a precautionary measure while we undertake further testing to verify the suitability of these items.

“Any customers who have purchased these balloons are able to obtain a full refund by returning the product to us.”

The Range has removed the balloons from its site.

After staff told Pulse Media the hospital had completely lost its water supply last Wednesday, we repeatedly pressed Cardiff and Vale University Health Board for a statement – but its first two responses failed to acknowledge there had been any issue at all that day.

It was only when we sent the health board clear evidence of the supply failure that it admitted what had happened. 

The issues had started on Monday morning, December 1, when a "faulty" pump led to a loss of hot water in the hospital's main tower blocks. "Warm water remained available but temperatures were lower than expected," said a health board spokeswoman.

Cold water supply was unaffected that day and hot water returned by 3.30pm. But two days later the supply of both hot and cold water stopped and there was a sewage leak in a patient waiting room.

It comes just weeks after almost 300 doctors wrote to the health board that morale was at an "all-time low" due to a wide range of problems at the hospital, many of them to do with its deteriorating condition.

The health board said the Wednesday incident involved a "cold water pump fault" in two tower blocks. This resulted in a loss of supply for around one hour from 4pm, while valve safeguards also prevented hot water flowing so there would be no scalding, said the spokeswoman.

But one staff member told us: "When hot water came back on, it was absolutely scalding. You couldn't touch it. Surgeons had to scrub with bottle water."

Sewage leaking into the 'TAL lounge', a patient waiting room, has been a recurring issue in recent years and happened again last Wednesday, December 3, our source added.

The health board responded: "The team continues to address historical drainage issues above the TAL lounge where sections of pipework have been replaced to improve flow and reduce blockages."

One employee said the loss of water had affected theatre staff's ability to clean their hands and equipment for operations. One anaesthetist summed up the team's feelings with the comment: "This place is beyond."

Last week also saw a ventilation failure in the theatres department. A source said: "Ventilation was broken in theatres first thing Monday morning.

"It goes off at least once every two weeks. Ventilation is very important for removing viruses such as Covid-19, flu and other airborne particles."

The health board responded that its estate teams deals with any ventilation problems immediately "to minimise downtime".

Our source said the hospital's frequent leaks have led to thousands of pounds' worth of equipment, including anaesthetic machines, getting "drenched".

Staff also criticised the health board for initially failing to acknowledge Wednesday's water failure. "It's absolutely ridiculous," said one. Another told us: "The place is literally crumbling."

'Shocking comments'

The University Hospital of Wales is home to many services used by people from a much wider area than Cardiff. However, it was built in the 1960s, has major structural issues, and long-mooted plans for a replacement have not progressed far.

Last week we reported on the stories of a 77-year-old emphysema patient who was left shivering after the hospital's heating failed, and an 80-year-old in his final hours wet from the dripping ceiling of a pigeon-infested tunnel.

Our reporting was raised in the Senedd by Andrew RT Davies, Tory MS for south Wales central, who called for health secretary Jeremy Miles to "get a grip" of the crisis.

Mr Davies read out a section of our report and described WalesOnline as "one of the few media sources to highlight the appalling state at Wales's largest hospital", adding: "You need to get a grip, cabinet secretary, and get into that health board and sort it out before more patients have to suffer what I just read out."

Mr Miles replied: "I read the comments that the member quoted in the press yesterday, and they are shocking comments. I absolutely acknowledge that, and that absolutely should not be any patient's experience."

He went on: "There is a clear acknowledgement that the condition of the estate at the University Hospital of Wales is not adequate.

"We have allocated funding as a government to support comprehensive survey work to inform that plan, and that will provide a clear understanding of the risks and what investment priorities need to come on the back of those to address them."

'The place is just full of pigeons'

One employee said: "The place is just full of pigeons nesting in what we call the catacombs, the underground tunnel. On the first floor there are buckets everywhere to catch the water coming through the roof. The whole hospital is an absolute nightmare."

They shared with us pictures of a walkway carpeted with pigeon droppings and a corridor where a "disgusting liquid" was dripping through a collapsed ceiling.

And a scathing report on the hospital's operating theatres recently found there had been "several occasions when pigeons were found in trauma theatre or on the theatre corridor".

In September we reported on the case of Gareth Idris Johnson, a much-loved 41-year-old dad-of-three who died after the hospital's maintenance problems led to him being moved to a different unit following an operation.

This prompted coroner Kerrie Burge to warn the health board there was a risk of more deaths if UHW's problems were not addressed.

There was another plea for urgent action in last month's letter from the health board's senior consultant body, It was sent after an extraordinary meeting of nearly 300 consultants who expressed "deep anxiety" about the state of patient care.

The consultants complained of "persistent" sewage leaks, water damage, and poor cleanliness despite repeated reports from senior clinical staff. They said it was "particularly alarming" to hear reports that plans for a replacement hospital have been shelved "without any communication to clinicians".

A spokeswoman for the health board said: "Our capital, estates and facilities colleagues carry out continuous maintenance and repair of the hospital’s infrastructure, prioritising the safety of patients and staff and working closely with Welsh Government estates and capital teams.

"We appreciate that hospitals aren't always the most comfortable environments for patients... We are aware that the modernisation and maintenance issues are indicative of an ageing estate.

"We strongly encourage any patients who have concerns during their care to speak directly with staff in the clinical area. Alternatively, concerns can be raised with our dedicated concerns team, who can provide a direct response to patients and their families."

Last month the Welsh Government told us the health board is still "developing a plan for the future of both the University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough sites. 

Concerns raised in the consultants' letter included a recruitment freeze and "the proliferation of middle management" and "frequent circular meetings without outcomes".

The Tories and Plaid Cymru have accused the Welsh Government of not doing enough to turn around the crisis-hit hospital.

In July the government did escalate the health board to a 'level four' targeted intervention due to "serious concerns relating to governance, culture, quality and safety and operational pressures" – falling short of level five, which would mean placing it in special measures. It remains at level four.

Among this year’s “trends” have been what the supermarket describes as the “great carb comeback” with sales soaring for everything from beans to bread as an “obsession” with gut health and plant-based eating led consumers back to the importance of fibre. Sales of large potatoes are up by a third at Waitrose on this time last year, while searches for “jacket potato” on Waitrose.com are up 178%.

Shoppers have also showed a renewed interest in pork – with a fillet costing around £20 a kilo compared with beef fillet now upwards of £80 – and some lesser-known types of fish such as ray wings, with sales up 21% on last year, as they sought out healthier forms of protein. Customers are also increasingly turning to snacks, which Waitrose said was likely to be driven by reduced appetites due to use of weight-loss jabs, with a survey of almost 4,400 customers suggesting that 57% sometimes replaced a meal with “snacky foods”.

But alongside this, sales of full-fat milk, flavoured butter – real blocks instead of easy-to-spread alternatives – and premium olive oil all soared as customers focused on taste and texture when cooking. Waitrose said sales of its No.1 Organic Ayrshire Unhomogenised Whole Milk were up 56% and sales of its Duchy Organic British Free Range Unhomogenised Whole Milk rose 25% on this time last year.

Premium salted butter had “never been more popular”, it said, with sales of its No.1 French Salted Butter up 13% on a year ago. Among the trends falling out of fashion are so-called “mock meat” in favour of high-quality cuts, with other products seeing sales fall, including Dubai chocolate and sliced bread.

Dr Joanne Lunn, head of health and nutrition at Waitrose, said: “The growing awareness of ultra-processed food is meaning customers are turning back to more natural full-fat foods. Beyond maximising taste and texture, these full-fat foods naturally avoid the excessive sugars, stabilisers and additives commonly used to replace fat in ‘diet’ or ‘0%’ alternatives.”

But, the admin assistant, didn’t realise the effects Mounjaro would have on her enjoyment of the festive period. She was left unable to eat much of her Christmas dinner - only having a few mouthfuls - and, out of all the picky bits her mum laid out, only fancied a can of Coke. Frankie stuck with the jabs and has since lost four stone and is now 16 stone and a size 16, but she is not looking forward to Christmas this year on the jab.

Frankie, from Bristol, said: “It 100% affected my experience, everything around Christmas is food-related. My mum would bring all this stuff out and I just wouldn’t fancy anything.

“It was really weird; all I could manage was a can of Coke. I would usually be really excited about Christmas dinner, but I couldn’t really eat it.

“It was just a bit rubbish, because Christmas is all about food, especially when you’re an adult. It definitely ruined Christmas."

Frankie suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which she said has made it difficult to lose weight naturally. Before going on the jabs she struggled to shed the pounds, which she said made her feel fed up and deflated.

Frankie had just started Mounjaro in December 2024 when Christmas rolled around. She loved seeing her weight drop from using the jab and had a generally positive experience with Mounjaro, but wasn't expecting how much it would impact the festive season.

On Christmas Day Frankie and her family went out for dinner and, while everyone else was gorging on tasty treats, she was left unable to finish her meal. After her experience, she decided to ditch the jabs for a week for a holiday to Turkey in September 2025 so she could enjoy the food. But she said this led to terrible side effects, including anxiety and lack of sleep.

Frankie said: "I went to Turkey and I took a week's break and I was up all night, l couldn't sleep, I was really anxious, my heart was racing. It was really weird, there were so many strange side effects for not taking it."

She decided to go back on the jabs a month later and has since lost four stone. She has decided to continue taking them this December as the side effects outweigh her lack of enjoyment.

Frankie said when she previously stopped the jabs for her holiday it took a month for her appetite to come back. So, anyone hoping to have their appetite back by Christmas would have had to stop jabbing at the end of November.

Despite her negative experience of the festive period, Frankie, who has just started her own cleaning business called Sparkle by F&P, revealed that she has tried to see the positives and doesn’t mind too much as she is losing weight.

“Before taking the jabs I was just fed up," she said. “I was at a low and I’d put on loads of weight due to my PCOS.

“I just thought something needs to help me. Mounjaro just blocks all those food noises out. It doesn’t make you struggle anymore, and I’ve lost four stone so far.”

Frankie said her experience of the jabs has been mainly positive, although, like many, she has seen a number of side effects.

She said: “It gives me headaches and dizziness and it’s triggered anxiety in me, which I've never had before. I had a panic attack once, which I had to go to hospital about. I think a lot of it is just in your head though, because you think, ‘oh my god, what am I putting into my body?’”

She shares her experiences on TikTok @francescastone2. Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, lists on its website possible side-effects from using the jabs. They say these can include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Decreased appetite
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Indigestion
• Stomach pain

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has produced a flu vaccine fact sheet for parents and carers in Wales as they report "high rates of flu among babies, children, and young people this winter".

"Every winter in the UK, thousands of children, even those without underlying health conditions, need hospital care because of flu," the RCPCH warned. 

RCPCH officer for Wales, Dr Malcolm Gajraj, said: "Flu is not something to take lightly. We are already seeing considerable cases of flu among children in Wales and we know from experience that flu can lead to serious illness and hospital stays.

"The vaccine is safe, effective, and the best way to protect your child. By getting your child vaccinated you’re helping to keep them well and reduce the spread of flu in our communities." 

Common flu symptoms to look out for include:

• A high temperature

• Aching muscles and joints

• Extreme tiredness

• Cold-like symptoms such as a cough and sore throat

In some cases flu can lead to more serious problems like pneumonia or needing hospitalisation.

Doctors say the best way to help protect children is to get them vaccinated against flu.

"The flu vaccine is safe, effective, and offered free by the NHS. It not only helps protect your child from becoming seriously unwell but also helps reduce the spread of flu to others who may be more vulnerable, such as grandparents, babies, and those with long-term health conditions."

The flu vaccine for children

NHS Wales offers a free children’s flu vaccine every autumn or early winter to:

• All children aged two and three years of age on August 31 of that year

• School-aged children from reception to year 11

• Children aged six months to 17 years with certain long- term health conditions

How the flu vaccine is given

Most children eligible for a flu vaccine can have a nasal spray which is quick, painless, and effective. Some children may be offered the injected flu vaccine instead especially if they’re under two years old, are pregnant, have allergies or a weakened immune systemn, have a wheezy chest on the day or in the previous three days, or have recent asthma symptoms.

They do not accept the use of porcine gelatine in medical products and families can discuss which which vaccine is suitable for their child.

This is where the vaccine is given

Details on local arrangements are available on health board websites but in general children aged two to three can get their vaccine from their GP and in some areas in their nursery.

Children at school usually get their flu vaccine in school. If they're not in mainstream education theyn can have their flu vaccine at their GP surgery.

Children aged under two, or 16 or 17 years of age, and at greater risk of complications from flu due to a health condition will be invited by their GP to have their vaccine.

Sufferers can have periods of good health, but will experience flare-ups when symptoms are more active. Brits have been told to consult a GP if they have diarrhoea which lasts for more than seven days, stomach pain or bloating that won’t go away or keeps coming back, blood or mucus in their poo, or experienced weight loss without trying.

A new tweet from the NHS reads: “Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are Inflammatory Bowel Diseases that can cause gut inflammation and painful ulcers. Symptoms can mimic other conditions, so don’t self-diagnose. See your GP if you're worried.”

Treatment for the conditions can include steroids to ease the symptoms, along with surgery to remove part of the below if the condition is severe enough. Less common symptoms include a high temperature, feeling sick and being sick, joint pain and swelling, inflammation and irritation of the eyes and mouth ulcers.

Earlier this year, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended a new drug for adults with moderately or severely active Crohn’s. It is the first of its kind to specifically target IL-23 - a major cytokine that drives inflammation in Crohn's disease.

NHS GP Dr Sami hailed its approval, saying on TikTok: "It can really impact on work and family life, so by blocking IL-23, Mirikizumab helps reduce inflammation allowing the bowel to heal.” As a consequence, he believes sufferers are likely to experience less pain and bloating, less bleeding and more consistent - and potentially fewer patients requiring bowel surgery and stomas.

Dr Sami went on: "Many showed visible bowel healing on endoscopy. Like all biologics, mirikizumab can increase the risk of infections and may cause mild side effects like headaches, cold symptoms, or raised liver tests - so it’s prescribed under specialist supervision."

Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week runs from Monday, December 1, to Sunday, December 7. Find out more at crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Whilst not everyone suffers from migraines, those who do often struggle to find effective ways to ease the discomfort. Painkillers can be tried, but many migraine sufferers end up spending hours lying in a darkened room. However, according to one woman on social media, there might be a simple solution that could help reduce your symptoms.

In a video posted on Instagram by Anne Caserta, she revealed a remedy her grandmother taught her for easing migraines that involves nothing more than rubbing a common cold treatment on the back of your neck.

She took a small quantity of Vicks VapoRub and massaged it onto the back of her neck, before placing a "warm, wet cloth" over the same spot.

Anne claimed: "This is going to reduce stress, take away pain, and help you relax."

She added in the caption: "The old remedies always work the best."

Vicks VapoRub combined with a warm compress hasn't been scientifically proven to alleviate migraines, and there's no guarantee it will work if you attempt it yourself. Nevertheless, numerous people in the comments have reported that the technique helps them.

One individual shared: "Even my doctor once suggested this therapy. It really works!".

Another person affirmed their use of a similar method, stating: "I keep a bottle of peppermint essential oil on hand for this reason. Temples and forehead get it, too."

A third commented: "I get sinus migraines, so this might actually help for me. Definitely buying a big bottle of Vicks right now."

How to help ease or reduce migraines at home

The NHS recommends trying the following tips to help manage your migraines:

• Try sleeping or lying down in a darkened room during a migraine
• Avoid things you know trigger your migraines, such as certain foods
• Stay well hydrated and limit how much caffeine and alcohol you drink
• Try to keep to a healthy weight
• Eat meals at regular times
• Get regular exercise
• Get plenty of sleep
• Try to manage your stress

When to see a GP for migraines

Migraines vary from person to person. Some people have them several times a week, while others don't have them very often. It's common to have migraines before your period if you're female, and these are known as menstrual migraines.

You should see a GP if:

• Your migraines are severe or getting worse, or lasting longer than usual
• You have migraines more than once a week
• You're finding it difficult to control your migraines
• You regularly get migraines before or during your period

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from 111 if you have a migraine and:

• It's lasted longer than 72 hours
• Aura symptoms last longer than an hour at a time
• You're pregnant or just had a baby

Call 999 if you or your child:

• Have a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful
• Have problems speaking or remembering things
• Lose your vision or have blurred or double vision
• Feel drowsy or confused
• Have a seizure or fit
• Have a very high temperature and symptoms of meningitis
• Cannot move or have weakness in the arms or legs on one side of your body, or one side of your face

Mr Chapman died eight months later. Now, an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has found that doctors at the Countess of Chester Hospital showed a “worrying lack of accountability” and failed to keep proper records, engage fully with Mr Chapman’s family or learn from mistakes.

Mr Chapman, 58, from Upton, Cheshire, was a grandfather of 16 and died in 2022. He was admitted to hospital in July 2021 with deteriorating shortness of breath and was diagnosed with Covid-19. He also had further tests.

A few months later in September, a junior doctor told him there was nothing to worry about and reassured him he would be OK, despite not having evidence that this would be true. In November, Mr Chapman was seen by a consultant who noted in a letter to his GP that he had pulmonary fibrosis.

This condition involves a thickening and scarring of lung tissue, and it worsens over time. This makes it harder for the lungs to function, leading to increasing shortness of breath and a dry cough.

There is no cure for the condition and treatments can only work to relieve symptoms and slow it down a little. In Mr Chapman’s case, the consultant did not send him a copy of the letter or tell him about the diagnosis as they should have.

Mr Chapman’s daughter Chantelle, 32, said: “We feel completely let down by the Trust. My dad thought he was going to get better, because that’s what they led him to believe. Because of that he carried on working, even though it was a struggle for him.

“If he had known the truth, he would have given up work and made the most of the time he had left with his family. By the time he was given the information to make that decision he was too poorly to work anyway, he was practically bed-bound. We all lost that time to spend together.

“It was such a rollercoaster. This has affected all of us and we’ve all lost our trust in the NHS. A relative offered to pay for my dad to have treatment privately, but he had such faith in the NHS that he turned it down.

“Medical staff have a duty of care to tell patients what is really happening. It was very traumatic for us all to lose him after being told that he would be fine.”

The PHSO ruled that if Mr Chapman, who served in the Royal Irish Rangers, had been told his prognosis, he would have been able to make informed decisions about his health. As it was, he was not prepared when later told the extent of his condition.

The PHSO also found hospital staff failed to listen to Mr Chapman’s family and there was poor or no record-keeping of some consultations. The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust took over a year to respond to the family’s complaint, did not adequately investigate what happened or acknowledge all its failings, it said.

The Trust also failed to properly acknowledge the impact its failings had on Mr Chapman and his family and to learn from what had happened. The PHSO found no failings in clinical care.

Rebecca Hilsenrath KC, chief executive officer at PHSO, said: “This disturbing case highlights the importance of effective communication and the consequences of getting it wrong. When you hear this kind of diagnosis in this kind in this way, you lose a sense of dignity and the opportunity to make your own decisions about how to live your life.

“The family’s trauma was compounded by their treatment during the hospital’s internal complaints handling.”

She said a previous PHSO report highlighted “too little accountability and too much defensiveness in the NHS”, adding there needs to be a “cultural shift starting from the top down to improve patient safety and avoid further harm”.

Of Mr Chapman’s case, she added: “We found some poor record keeping which can affect a Trust’s ability to understand the impact of what happened and to take appropriate steps to prevent it from reoccurring. Poor quality investigations and unacceptable delays in responding to complainants are issues we have highlighted before in the NHS.

“We routinely see Trusts fail to accept errors or acknowledge the impact, which causes complainants more distress at what is already a difficult time.”

The trust has complied with a recommendation to apologise, make service improvements, improve its record keeping, and pay Mr Chapman’s wife £1,200. A Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “We apologise unreservedly for the experiences of Mr Chapman and his family.

“We fully accept the findings and recommendations of the Ombudsman and will continue to embed the improvements.”

Ageing is a continuous process, yet it differs from person to person - some begin showing signs of ageing upon reaching 30, while others might not present or experience ageing symptoms until much later in life.

There's an extensive range of products available on the market aimed at trying to combat or prevent ageing, alongside more drastic alternatives such as Botox and other cosmetic treatments - but time eventually catches up with everyone.

The depletion of collagen is a significant factor in appearing older. Collagen levels naturally diminish as we grow older, resulting in skin that becomes less supple, as well as thinner and more lined. It can also leave the skin more susceptible to damage.

To help people in minimising the impact time has on our skin and bodies, Dr Eric Berg has shared his professional insight.

The qualified chiropractor and author has built up a following of more than 12 million on YouTube, eager to receive his guidance and insights. One supplement he consistently advocates for people to take, particularly those worried about appearing older than their years, is vitamin D.

In one popular video, he said: "By 40, we've lost around 25% of the collagen in our connective tissue. Certain antibiotics, ultraviolet radiation, high sugar consumption, and poor diet can contribute to collagen breakdown and speed up premature ageing. Vitamin D helps protect you against the loss of collagen and premature ageing."

He continued: "Vitamin D helps protect you against the loss of collagen. This is why I recommend everyone should be taking at least 10,000 IU of vitamin D for many different reasons. One being the protection against premature ageing."

The doctor also praised the benefits of exercise for encouraging the body to produce additional collagen. He summarised that simply "using the body more" rather than remaining sedentary will prompt it to "start to make more collagen".

Exercises like the plank can be a good place to start. As well as this, the expert provided an additional tip to help with reversing or slowing the ageing process.

He said: "Something else too I want to put on your radar... one of the most powerful anti-stress hormones is called oxytocin and there's a way to basically make your own cultivated dairy product, with a very specific microbe, to grow that in a milk culture that you consume; a half a cup of this every day.

"The cool effect that it has on your body is that that microbe releases something that travels up through a nerve called the vagus nerve right up into the brain, and it goes right into the hypothalamus and there's receptors waiting there to be triggered.

"So that particular microbe, in sufficient amounts, releases a lot of oxytocin, which greatly helps your sleep, and lowers your stress to the point where you can actually rejuvenate your skin, and your muscles."

People expressed their views in the comments section. One said: "Fantastic video! I am a physician practising for 30 years and yet, I've learned so much from this channel! I keep sharing it with my colleagues and patients."

Another viewer shared: "I have been watching for years. I have been inspired by your content. I am 53 and feel like I am in my 20's."

And another added: "You're basically my life coach at this point Dr Berg".

Before making any significant changes to your diet or lifestyle, it's advisable to consult with your GP.

The National Institutes of Health also stated "an adequate intake of vitamin D can delay the aberrant processes associated with ageing and age-related diseases". It further explains: "[Vitamin D] essentially restoring mitochondrial function and counteracting oxi-inflamm-ageing.

"In myocytes, vitamin D can limit or even neutralise oxidative stress and ROS generation, and the accumulation and expression of garbage molecules like AGE/AGE receptor (RAGE), and high-fat diet-induced I resistance and myosteatosis."

Pontypridd coroners' court heard Rebecca Louise Carey's body was discovered on December 16 last year at her address in Rhodfa Sant Luc, Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Coroner Rachel Knight said: "Rebecca had a history of poor mental health and illicit substance use.

"Toxicology and post-mortem examinations demonstrated that she had taken cocaine with other drugs before her death, and it is more likely than not that the cocaine gave rise to a fatal heart attack. There was no evidence that she intended to die."

Ms Knight recorded a conclusion of drug-related death. The medical cause of death was given as a heart attack in the setting of cocaine use.

Earlier this year Public Health Wales released figures showing cocaine was involved in 65 deaths in 2023 — accounting for more than a quarter of the 253 drug misuse deaths across Wales.

Opioids remained the leading cause, contributing to 167 of those deaths. But Public Health Wales warned: "There has been a large increase in the number of deaths involving cocaine over the last four years.

"This trend co-occurs with increases observed in reported cocaine-related hospitalisations and individuals presenting for treatment within substance misuse services."

The median age of people whose deaths involved cocaine was 41.

It was not possible to distinguish between deaths involving crack or powder cocaine because of reporting mechanisms, said Public Health Wales.

Prof Rick Lines, head of the substance misuse programme at Public Health Wales, said: "These evolving trends point to a need to expand our services to meet the needs of stimulant users generally, and particularly people who smoke crack cocaine who are often particularly vulnerable."

While chemists are packed with trusted and proven treatments, numerous people continue to look for additional remedies and more natural approaches to their health on social media. Fortunately, there's an abundance of doctors, healthcare professionals and other such specialists sharing their expertise and guidance online.

One such pro is Dr Ben Horning, who operates the Horning Chiropractic and Acupuncture Centre in Laguna Hills in California, USA. The doctor of chiropractic and applied kinesiologist posted a video on the popular social media platform TikTok, demonstrating how to successfully unblock a congested nose.

In the clip, upbeat narration explains: "Feeling stuffy? I'm a chiro, I'll show how to unblock it. Grab your nose and pull it, thumb goes inside the cheekbone, and push it." Dr Horning illustrates the method in sync with the commentary.

Fellow TikTok users expressed their opinions in the comments section. One said: "It actually works", while another asked: "Why did that just work", to which Dr Horning replied: "Chiro magic!"

A third observed: "Why did it just work, for real, I'm not lying", including a shocked face emoji. But several others commented saying it didn't work for them.

While there is no miracle cure for a cold, it's definitely worth giving the easy method a go. It is free to do, after all!

According to the NHS, numerous factors can lead to a blocked nose, ranging from a cold to sinusitis, which involves inflammation of the sinuses, typically triggered by an infection.

The NHS explains: "It's common and usually clears up on its own within 4 weeks. But medicines can help if it's taking a long time to go away. Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu."

The main symptoms of sinusitis are diverse and may encompass pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead; a blocked or runny nose; a reduced sense of smell; green or yellow mucus from your nose; and a high temperature.

Additional symptoms might include a headache; toothache; bad breath; a cough; a feeling of pressure in the ears; and you may also snore at night and sound nasal when you talk.

A pharmacist can offer advice on helpful medications, including decongestant nasal sprays or drops to unblock a stuffy nose, although it's important to note such products aren't suitable for children under six years old.

Saltwater nasal sprays or solutions can also serve as an alternative to rinse the inside of your nose and assist in resolving the problem. A pharmacist can provide further treatments if necessary, without requiring a GP appointment.

Should you have concerns about a blocked nose or flu symptoms, or if your problems don't appear to be improving, ensure you seek advice from a qualified medical professional.

Boots has issued a warning that hospital admissions for a prevalent health issue are set to spike in December, following past seasonal trends. With the weather turning colder, December typically records an average of 3,292 accident and emergency attendances per hospital for this condition—11% higher than the annual average—highlighting winter's significant impact on health.

This alert comes after temperatures plunged to as low as -3C on Wednesday, with the Met Office forecasting continued cold and changeable conditions throughout the rest of the week. For today, Thursday, December 4, forecasters predict: "Breezy for many and colder than yesterday".

Tinnitus—the persistent ringing or buzzing sensation in the ears that affects approximately 13% of the UK population (around 7.6 million people)—proves especially vulnerable to cold, blustery, or stormy weather. Variations in temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity levels can aggravate symptoms, with online searches for tinnitus remedies climbing 19% over the past three months.

Whilst the majority of cases can be managed at home, some sufferers experience sudden or acute episodes requiring emergency hospital care. To assist people in protecting their hearing and preventing cold weather from worsening existing conditions such as tinnitus, Kayleigh Waters, audiologist at Boots Hearingcare, offers advice for managing symptoms during the colder months.

According to the NHS, tinnitus is the name for hearing noises that do not come from an outside source. It's not usually a sign of anything serious and may improve on its own. It's not always clear what causes tinnitus, but it's often linked to some form of hearing loss, Ménière's disease, conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders or multiple sclerosis, anxiety or depression, or taking certain medicines.

Cold weather

Cold weather Kayleigh says cold temperatures can influence how intense tinnitus feels. A condition called exostosis, sometimes known as 'surfer's ear', involves bony growths forming in the ear canal and is more common amongst people exposed to cold or windy conditions, reports the Mirror.

"These growths can narrow the ear canal, affecting sound transmission and potentially worsening tinnitus," she said. "Additionally, cold weather can cause blood vessels to constrict, which may impact circulation to the auditory system and make tinnitus symptoms more noticeable."

Atmospheric pressure

Kayleigh explains that one of the most significant weather-related factors influencing tinnitus is fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, particularly low pressure, which often occurs before a storm. These changes can cause disturbances within the inner ear, and many people notice their symptoms becoming more pronounced during such periods.

She said: "When air pressure drops, the surrounding air becomes less dense. This can alter the balance of fluid in the inner ear, increasing pressure on the eardrum and even affecting blood flow to the auditory system."

Wind and allergies

Kayleigh says blustery weather can cause shifts in ear pressure, which in turn may heighten tinnitus symptoms. Those who also suffer from allergies, such as sensitivities to dust mites or pollen, might notice their tinnitus worsening during autumn and winter when time spent indoors increases and allergens can build up.

"Congestion and sinus pressure linked to allergies or colds can also affect the Eustachian tube," she said. "This is the passage that helps balance ear pressure, and this can contribute to tinnitus flare-ups."

How to manage tinnitus during weather changes

Even though the weather is beyond our control, there are strategies to manage tinnitus during harsher weather periods. Kayleigh shares her three tips.

1. Keep ears moisturised.

Kayleigh advises: "Cold air and wind can be really tough on our ears and dry out our skin, even in the ear canal. This has the potential to cause irritation and discomfort, in turn making tinnitus symptoms worse. Using ear drops is a simple but effective way to moisturise your ears and provide some relief."

2. Use background noise.

Kayleigh says: "Unpleasant ringing and buzzing is a common symptom of tinnitus, which can be exacerbated by poor weather. Listening to soothing music and sounds like white noise is an effective technique for those suffering from tinnitus. This is because doing so allows you to take your mind to an external sound, tuning out from the tinnitus and shifting your focus elsewhere- you can find white noise playlists on sites like YouTube or music streaming apps."

3. Protect your ears

Kayleigh advises: "Loud noises can be bothersome for those with tinnitus, especially if already experiencing discomfort due to a change in weather. Having earplugs at hand to protect yourself when in noisy places may be able to provide some relief.

"To prevent your ears from getting too cold, consider wearing earmuffs or a hat that is big enough to cover your ears. This is especially helpful if you're prone to sensitivity around cold winds.

"If you notice your tinnitus worsening with the weather, it's always worth speaking to an audiologist. They can help identify the underlying causes and recommend tailored management techniques or hearing solutions."

Tech has become the main coping mechanism to quash overthinking, with other solutions being listening to music or a podcast, distracting themselves with TV or going on their phone to block out the noise. In contrast, only 10% currently use grounding techniques.

Four in five Gen Z admit to doomscrolling to block out the noise. While it works in the moment, a third of the time it leaves them feeling like they’ve wasted hours, and a quarter report feeling disconnected from reality.

EXTRA has teamed up with Tasha Bailey (aka the Real Talk Therapist) who is an advocate for the power of grounding. Tasha said: “Grounding is the practice of stepping out of your mind and connecting back with your body. By tuning into our senses, we’re basically hitting a pause button that interrupts the cognitive loop of overthinking. It activates the calmer, parasympathetic side of our nervous system and helps our brain shift from spiralling to actually feeling what’s happening in the moment. Even just a few minutes can calm our amygdala, reduce overthinking and give our brain the reset we’re needing

"Grounding through our five senses is also one of the most accessible forms of self-care we have. And we can do it anywhere, anytime. Feeling the texture or warmth of something soft or in nature, focusing on the taste of gum in our mouth, or counting our chews to regulate our breath — these are all small, intentional sensory nudges pull us out of our thoughts before they take over. The more we practice this, the easier it gets to step out of our spirals and take back control of our mental space.”

Extra has launched the 'Grounded' rug to help. Tessa Northcott from EXTRA said: “When the cold, grey days make even stepping outside for a reset feel impossible, the ‘Grounded’ by EXTRA Rug has your back, bringing a slice of nature indoors so you can hit pause, feel grounded, shake off those overthinking spirals, and add a little fun to the darker months… all without ever leaving home.”

‘Grounded’ by EXTRA, is a limited-edition indoor rug designed to bring people a tiny moment of calm.

For those interested in getting their hands on ‘Grounded’ by EXTRA, head to extragum.co.uk/grounded

The 28-year-old says she went to A&E in January 2020 as the symptoms persisted but says doctors 'fobbed her off' with antibiotics on three occasions saying she had a chest infection. Sophie says the breathlessness became so severe that she struggled to walk up a flight of stairs without taking a break - despite being active and working out at the gym three days a week.

After her symptoms failed to improve, and Sophie had a coughing fit so bad that she turned blue, she went back to the doctors in June 2020. The marketing officer was sent for an x-ray scan that month that revealed there was a six-inch by four-inch tumour in her chest and that she had stage four Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The marketing officer says she was left feeling 'frustrated' that the blood cancer diagnosis had been missed by doctors for so long. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy she was given the all-clear for blood cancer in May 2021, but is now battling thyroid cancer.

'Frustrated' by the late diagnosis, Sophie is now urging other people who think there's something wrong with their body to 'persevere' and push for a second opinion. Sophie, from near Basildon, Essex, said: "I first started experiencing symptoms towards the late end of 2019. I was just feeling generally unwell. The shortness of breath was the main symptom, I was really struggling to breath.

"I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without needing to stop and take a minute, which for someone who was in the gym multiple times a week is quite unusual. I also had a continuous cough and general fatigue and tiredness.

"I went to my GP and I went to A&E twice as well, they gave me some antibiotics and told me that I had a chest infection."

After months of pushing for a diagnosis, Sophie was given the devastating diagnosis of stage four blood cancer in June 2020. Sophie said: "I was constantly fobbed off by the GP and by A&E, so it ended up taking around nine months to get my actual diagnosis.

"I ended up having a coughing fit to the point where I turned blue and my mum was like 'we need to get this sorted now'. I went to the GP and they sent me for a chest x-ray. The tumour was 15cm by 11cm in my chest, which is massive.

"It all just went from zero to one hundred after that. I got transferred from my local hospital straight to a specialist hospital in London, just because of my age and how large it [the tumour] was.

"I was frustrated that it had taken so long to get a diagnosis and as time went on a lot of anger did build up. I was shocked that it was something so serious and that it had taken so long to get to this point but I was also relieved as well because I had an answer."

Sophie underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and 20 sessions of radiotherapy between June 2020 and December 2020. In May 2021, she received the all-clear for blood cancer. But at the end of 2023 Sophie received more heartbreaking news when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Sophie said: "I had swollen lymph nodes in my neck for a while, which wouldn't go down. I thought maybe I was just run down or that I had a cold. They did a biopsy and told me there and then that it didn't look like lymphoma, but it looked like thyroid cancer.

"In February 2024 I had surgery to remove my thyroid and the surrounding lymph nodes in my neck where the cancer had spread to were removed as well. I'm at the point now where the lymph nodes are still cancerous because the treatment didn't remove it all.

"They aren't getting bigger so at the moment they're treating it as stable and the doctors are working out what the next steps are."

Sophie is now urging other people who have a 'gut feeling' that something is wrong with their body to seek a second opinion from doctors. Sophie said: "You've got to persevere with it. I'm so in tune with my body now that I know when any little thing is different or when something changes.

"If you're young and to the eye look kind of well and healthy but you've got that gut feeling that something could be wrong then you've got to seek that second opinion and persevere. Obviously the sooner you get diagnosed the better the outcome.

"I got diagnosed so late and now my quality of life isn't the greatest."

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body. The most common symptom of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually in the neck, armpit or groin. The main treatments are chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

He said the practice is dangerous because bowls of hot water can spill suddenly, causing serious injuries to areas including the face, chest, stomach and legs. The resulting injuries sometimes require long-term treatment or surgery, with children being particularly vulnerable.

“Every year, we at the Welsh Burns Centre unfortunately see too many children and adults with burns sustained from boiling water linked to inhaling steam,” he said. “Many of the injuries have required admission to hospital and some have gone on to require surgery and skin grafting.

“The injuries I see can often involve burns around the thighs, lower abdomen and genital areas, with children at a much higher risk due to their thinner skin and lack of awareness of the danger. Unfortunately, these injuries have the potential to be truly life-changing and can cause lifelong disfigurement and scarring.”

Mr Yarrow said using steam inhalation to cure ailments has not been proven to be effective and urged people to seek safer treatments. A Cochrane medical review into the practice also found no clear benefits for using steam inhalation for treating such illnesses.

Mr Yarrow said: “Although inhaling steam is sometimes thought to be useful as a remedy for common colds and chest infections, evidence of the effectiveness is weak and theories that the steam loosens mucus, opens nasal passages or slows the replication of viruses are just unproven.

“I urge the public to not use inhaling steam as a remedy for the treatment of illnesses such as the common cold and respiratory infections but instead use over-the-counter remedies or those prescribed to them.”

He said people should act quickly if they do get burned. “Should the worst happen and a burn injury occur, quick action can reduce the potential for long-term injury or scarring,” he said. “Remembering the ‘3Cs’ in such an event can make all the difference.

“They are: cool the burn with running cold tap water for 20 minutes and remove all clothing and jewellery (unless it is melted or firmly stuck to the wound), call for help – 999, 111 or your GP for advice, and cover loosely with clingfilm or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing.”

People are also being reminded to take care when using hot water bottles as they can also lead to burns and scalds. Janine Evans, an advanced practitioner occupational therapist at the Morriston centre, said: “Despite safety warnings over the last few years, we are continuing to see a rise in hot water bottle scald injuries every year.

“There are, however, a few simple steps that can prevent painful injuries. Always check the manufacturing date stamped on your hot water bottle – the year of manufacture will be in the centre of the date daisy found on the neck or collar.

“If it’s more than two years old, replace it – even if it looks fine. The rubber perishes over time. And never used freshly boiled water – always allow it to cool for at least five minutes before filling your hot water bottle.”

Based on insights from over 100,000 employee records, it found UK workers have taken 19 days of annual leave so far in 2025. December - driven largely by people booking time off around the holidays - saw the highest volume of leave taken, with workers typically securing those days months in advance.

Long weekends are still a firm favourite, with Fridays 20% more likely to be booked off, followed by Mondays. The Thursday before Good Friday was the most popular day outside the festive season.

A quarter didn’t use all their allocated leave in 2025 and 44% felt pressured to keep working during their time off. Between January and October, employees took seven sick days on average. 28% of UK workers admit they took at least one sick day when they weren’t physically unwell and 17% took more than one.

When asked why, burnout topped the list. Nearly half said they took a sick day because they felt mentally or emotionally exhausted, while 39% said they felt overwhelmed and needed a break.

Despite the strain, nearly 7 in 10 workers say they actually enjoyed their job this year. Kevin Fitzgerald, UK Managing Director at Employment Hero, said: “2025 has been one of the toughest years workers have faced in a long time. People are juggling higher costs, fewer opportunities and intense pressure to stay switched on - and our data shows the toll that’s taking. When nearly half the workforce feels the need to check emails on annual leave or use sick days as an excuse to actually switch off, it’s clear something needs to change.

"But this research also reveals something I think is uniquely British: even in a difficult year, most people still enjoyed their jobs. They showed up, worked hard and found pride in what they do. Employment Uncovered is about recognising that resilience - and helping businesses support their teams better in 2026.”

With radical prostatectomy, the entire prostate gland is removed in a bid to cure men of prostate cancer. The treatment is suitable for men whose cancer has not spread outside of the prostate gland or has spread to the area just outside the gland.

However, the operation carries a risk of serious side-effects, such as infection, erectile dysfunction and urinary problems. With Aquablation, experts hope to minimise these issues.

The therapy is currently used in some centres to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Aquablation involves a robotic-assisted, high-pressure waterjet. Surgeons can also map the entire prostate in real time with ultrasound.

Using the technique, medics find cancerous tissue to remove while avoiding surrounding nerves and muscles associated with erectile function and the bladder. The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London is the first hospital in Europe to recruit a patient to the trial, which is being run in seven countries.

Details on the trial for prostate cancer treatment

Overall, 280 patients will be recruited globally, all with early-stage, localised prostate cancer who have already decided to have surgery. Philip Charlesworth, consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Marsden, said: “For men with prostate cancer confined to the prostate, curative options are excellent, however we are becoming increasingly focused on the side-effects of the cancer treatment and how we can embrace new technology to maintain a man’s quality-of-life following their surgery.

“This trial is measuring Aquablation therapy, which uses a robotic approach to surgically remove the cancer, and to preserve a man’s ability to remain continent and maintain sexual activity. The potential for this trial is very exciting. It has an opportunity, depending on the results of the study, to add an alternative surgical treatment option for patients with localised prostate cancer across the globe.

“The ultimate aim, and my passion, is to improve prostate cancer treatments so that they cause less harm and are less invasive for the patient. I feel that this is an incredibly exciting prospect for the future of prostate cancer care.”

Other potential treatments for localised prostate cancer include active surveillance or monitoring of the cancer and radiation. The new trial is sponsored by US company Procept BioRobotics.

To date, there are more than 25 centres globally recruiting patients for the trial. The four UK centres are the Royal Marsden, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Wes Streeting and UKNSC decision

The trial comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting said earlier this week he was “surprised” by the decision from scientific advisers to limit prostate cancer screening. In a draft recommendation, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC), which advises the Government, said prostate cancer screening should not be made routinely available for the vast majority of men in the UK.

It said it would not recommend population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test because it “is likely to cause more harm than good”. Experts are expecting data within two years from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, could lead to a recommendation for population-wide screening.

For now, the committee will put forward only a recommendation to screen men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations – which puts them at far higher risk of prostate cancer – every two years, between the ages of 45 and 61. Speaking on Wednesday on BBC Breakfast, Mr Streeting said he was surprised by the decision.

He said: “I’m looking very carefully at why the national screening committee reached that decision. I’ve always said these things have got to be based on science and evidence, not on politics. But the recommendation did surprise me.

“This is contested. I’ve got people in the prostate cancer community and not just really prominent patients and celebrities and politicians who’ve used their experience and their voice in this debate, but among scientists and researchers.

“This is a draft recommendation. They consult on this for three months, and then we have to make a final decision.

“What I’m going to do is get some of those leading, best scientific voices and competing opinions around the table to thrash this out, to really interrogate the data and make sure that when I come on your programme having made a decision, it’s the right decision for the right reasons, the best evidence and the public can then understand why we’ve made the decision and the scientific community can understand why we’ve made the decision.

“But I am interrogating this data and recommendation because it did surprise me.” Many experts argue the PSA test is not very reliable because men with a high PSA level may not have cancer and some men with cancer have a normal PSA result.

A positive test result may lead to unnecessary treatment for slow-growing or harmless tumours, leaving men at risk of side-effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction. But others argue current evidence supports wider testing.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal star is currently appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, strutting her stuff on the BBC.

However, the tango didn't come easily to the 38-year-old as she admits to battling a secret health condition throughout her life. Carney's health condition causes curvature at the top of her spine and impacted how she played football during her career.

She said: "I suffered with it the whole of my football career but I never made it a thing – particularly with the dancing – because I always knew I could get on the pitch.

"Sometimes it was disheartening when I played and it did impact my career, but I just got on with it.

"It was just about being honest and working with what we can. I’m healthy and happy and that’s the most important thing."

The ex-midfielder spent a lot of time in the physiotherapy room being treated to allow her to play both domestically and for England. Despite this health battle, Carney won three Premier League titles as well as a slew of domestic cups.

Carney was also an integral part of the England women's squad, spending 14 years with her country and earning 144 caps during this period of time.

She also came third with England at the Women's World Cup and won the SheBelieves Cup in 2019. Most recently on Strictly, Carney achieved a perfect score and took the lead against her fellow competitors.

Speaking on her Strictly journey, the ex-England star said: "I just want to show that I might not be the perfect dancer. I will not have the perfect posture, but I’ll certainly give it my best.

"Dancing is always about joy, it’s how much fun you have and how much joy you can bring to the audience. I think if you can achieve that, that’s the whole point."

Following her retirement from football, Carney spends most of her time commentating on both men's and women's football across TNT Sports and ITV.

She also co-hosts the Long Story Short podcast with fellow Lioness alumni Jill Scott, and was made an OBE in 2024.