Newspaper headlines: 'Medics angry over meals' and nurses' mental toll

By BBC News
Staff

Published: 3 hours ago

image captionMore than 2,000 children's doctors have condemned the government over its free school meals stance, the Observer says. It comes as a growing number of councils and businesses offer to provide free meals during half term. In a letter, coordinated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, medics called on the UK government to match the pledges of the Welsh and Scottish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive to provide meals at least until the Easter school holiday.

image captionThe over-80s were denied intensive care treatment at the height of the pandemic, according to an investigation in the Sunday Times. The paper says that documents drawn up at the request of England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, outlined guidelines - called a "triage tool". These were used to prevent many elderly Covid patients from receiving ventilation in intensive care, the paper adds. Hospitals in Manchester, Liverpool, London, the midlands and the south east reportedly used the criteria set out in the documents. The Department of Health and Social Care said the guidance was never formally published.

image captionThe Sunday Telegraph says the two-week isolation period for people who come into contact with someone infected with Covid-19 could be halved to between seven and 10 days over fears that people are not complying with the test and trace system. Writing in the paper, Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons liaison committee, says there is a "vacuum of leadership in test and trace, which is destroying cooperation and compliance".

image captionNHS staff should get the coronavirus vaccine within weeks, the Mail on Sunday reports. The paper says it has seen an email sent by an NHS Trust chief to his staff, revealing that the health service is preparing for a national vaccination programme before Christmas.

image caption"Stop failing our NHS heroes" is the headline on the front page of the Sunday Mirror. The paper reports that the NHS is battling a mental health crisis, citing new figures obtained in a Mirror investigation, with 300,000 workers "near breaking point". The paper adds that two million days have been taken off for mental illness.

image captionMeanwhile, ministers are worried that families might ignore coronavirus restrictions over Christmas, the Sunday Express says. Citing senior sources, the government believes it has "reached the limit" with lockdown and will need to ease measures over the festive period, the Express adds.

image captionElsewhere, the Sunday People reports that children are addicted to online gambling from the age of 13, with some accumulating debts of £100,000. "The figures are quite horrifying," the paper quotes the director of Britain's first NHS clinic set up to help them as saying.

image captionAnd although several of the front pages carry images from Saturday's live Strictly Come Dancing show, the Daily Star Sunday instead looks to the programme's former host, Sir Bruce Forsyth, whose ghost is allegedly haunting the London Palladium - the theatre where his ashes were scattered. The paper quotes actors preparing for panto, who described the "friendly" presence.

The Observer leads with the call by paediatricians for the government to reconsider its decision not to extend the provision of free meals to disadvantaged children in England during the school holidays.

The president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Russell Viner, tells the paper he has "rarely seen such anger among our members".

He describes it as "heartbreaking" that child hunger has become such a normal part of their jobs; and criticises ministers for talking about "levelling up the country while refusing to offer temporary relief to children and families".

Hot on the heels of the free school meals campaign - spearheaded by the footballer, Marcus Rashford - another Premier League star tells the Sunday Times of his plans to help disadvantaged children.

Rashford's England team mate, Raheem Sterling, is creating a foundation to improve social mobility by providing financial support, university scholarships and work placements.

He says he wants to give "a push" to youngsters from a similar background to his own - single-parent families "who lack the opportunity" to succeed in life.

image copyrightReuters

image captionManchester City's Raheem Sterling is creating a foundation to help disadvantaged children

The hotelier, Sir Rocco Forte, writing in the Mail on Sunday, calls for Boris Johnson to fire the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, for presiding over what he says is the "shambolic handling" of the pandemic.

Mr Forte complains that "little or no thought has been given to the devastation all around us: the businesses that are failing, the jobs being destroyed and the suffering this will cause".

The paper also reports that the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has asked Treasury staff to find ways to illustrate the economic costs of lockdown.

The paper says the data could be released alongside the daily figures for coronavirus deaths and cases.

A source close to Mr Sunak explains that he is keen to demonstrate the "balancing act and the trade-offs that the Cabinet, the prime minister and the chancellor are having to make every day".

image copyrightPA Media

With the headline "Stop Failing Our NHS Heroes", the Sunday Mirror reveals the "mental health crisis" it says is taking its toll on healthcare staff on the frontline of the fight against Covid-19.

It says 300,000 workers are "near breaking point" - and those struggling with stress and mental health concerns took a total of two million sick days during the first wave of the virus.

The Independent digital newspaper carries the same story, adding that mental health conditions are accounting for up to 20% of staff absences.

The British Medical Association says calls to its helpline have risen by 80% since September last year, and it fears an exodus of NHS doctors and nurses.

In an interview with the Observer, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, accuses the government of "structural discrimination" against mental health services, by failing to invest in facilities and ignoring the psychological impact of the pandemic.

The Department of Health and Social Care insists it is "absolutely committed to supporting everyone's mental health".

And the Sunday People predicts a battle of the dames for the top of the Christmas album charts.

Dame Shirley Bassey, Dame Helen Mirren and Dame Vera Lynn are all due to release records in the coming fortnight.

A music insider describes it as "quite a moment for our national treasures".