#nhs charities together

[richardarmitagefanpage]

According to Sleepy The Magical Bear, Richard and Ella Windsor have completed an interview on BBC Radio 5 about The Adventures Of Sleepy The Magical Bear: The Movie for NHS Charities Together. The interview will be released on 5 Live Drive on December 22, 2023.

[princesscatherineblog]

The NHS Big Tea

[downthetubes]

Sector 13 Comics launch Trio of Titles to Benefit “NHS Charities Together”

Belfast-based Sector 13 Comics will launch three new comics - Whapp!, Splank! and Yow! - at Enniskillen Comicsfest this coming weekend, 8th – 9th June, 2024

Inspired by the legendary Odhams “Power Comics” titles, Wham!, Smash! and Pow!, Belfast-based Sector 13 Comics will launch Whapp!, Splank! and Yow! at Enniskillen Comicsfest this coming weekend, 8th – 9th June, 2024. Sector 13 Comics’ Whapp!, Splank! and Yow! are inspired by the 1960s Odhams titles, Wham! Smash! and Pow, above Created to benefit NHS Charities Together, all proceeds after…

[aprincesadegales]

Catálogo de Looks da Princesa de Gales

Casaco: Massimo Dutti Blusa: Iris & Ink Saia: Iris & Ink Botas: Saint Laurent Brincos: Missoma Visita a funcionários do Serviço Nacional de Saúde do Clitheroe Community Hospital e à organização sem fins lucrativos Church on the Street | 20.01.2022 Fonte: Kate's Closet

[insidecroydon]

Coulsdon's Tiernan is running together to help NHS charities

Ha’way the lads and lasses: 60,000 are expected to start Sunday’s Great North Run, including many running for NHS charities Sunday’s Great North Run, Britain’s biggest road running event, will include 600 runners taking part to raise funds for NHS charities. One of them will be Coulsdon’s Antony Tiernan. Funds raised during the half-marathon will provide vital support to the NHS, whether that’s…

[invisibleicewands]

‘I’m bursting with ideas’: Michael Sheen launches new national theatre for Wales

Michael Sheen, a global star of screen and stage, is spearheading a new national theatre for Wales, promising to create big, bold plays that bring vital stories about his homeland to life.

Sheen said he was bursting with ideas and promised to appear in the newly forged Welsh National Theatre’s first production, a “foundation” story about Wales staged at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

The actor, who has been announced as artistic director of the theatre company, told the Guardian that Wales’s stories were “under-explored in the English language”.

Sheen said: “Could you tell me the name of the great play about Aberfan or the Merthyr Rising or the Rebecca riots? Where is our Welsh canon of great plays? We can’t do Under Milk Wood for the rest of eternity. I’m bursting with ideas people are bursting with work that they want to do with us and that’s what’s really exciting about it.”

Just before Christmas, National Theatre Wales, which was established in 2009, announced it had “ceased to exist” after its Arts Council of Wales funding was cut. It has evolved into Team (theatre, education, arts, music), focusing on grassroots work.

Sheen said his new company did not yet have funding. “But that suits my way of thinking. I like the idea of starting small, simple, lean and building it up, working with what you’ve got. Don’t pay for swanky offices if you don’t need them, build it slowly with care and with passion and with vision and with ambition.

“We aim to represent the Welsh people so I would hope that public bodies would be prepared to work with us. I think probably history tells us that relying too much on any one source of funding makes you a bit vulnerable so I first and foremost would hope that this company can stand on its own two feet but we are open to working with whoever wants to get involved.”

Sheen said he was thinking big.

He said: “My instinct has always been, rightly or wrongly, that when people around you are saying: ‘No, you can’t have that, you can’t do that,’ to go even bigger and bolder and go, no we’re not going to do that, we’re going to do 10 times that.”

Sheen said he was not in a position to reveal details of performances but said the plan was to do one production a year. “The plan to begin with is do big plays really well for big audiences. I’m starting to commission writers.”

Sheen said he was also speaking with organisations such as Welsh National Opera and the Welsh language company Theatr Cymru about working together.

He said: “I’m talking about big bold ambitious world stage productions of plays about who we are, where we’ve come from, how we got to where we are and where are we going.

“The first production will be on the Millennium Centre stage. It will be a new Welsh play, it will star Welsh actors including myself, and it will be one of the foundation stories of who we are as a nation.” Sheen said the first production should be staged next year.

He was working on Nye, the hugely successful play on the life of the Welsh politician and NHS architect Aneurin Bevan, at the National Theatre in London last year when it became clear that National Theatre Wales was in deep trouble.

The company was close to Sheen’s heart as he starred in and co-directed its most celebrated work, The Passion, a modern re-telling of the crucifixion featuring hundreds of local people. “That was a life-changing experience for me,” he said.

Sheen spoke to fellow Welsh actors about what should come next. “I realised I was probably the leading candidate for what could happen now. My feeling was very strongly that it should be a completely new company. It should be a fresh start, a new charity, a new board of governors. I didn’t want to take something over I wanted to start afresh.”

When Nye transferred to the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, the experience reinforced Sheen’s determination to launch a new national theatre for Wales.

Sheen said: “You know that phrase: ‘Build it and they will come.’ It was rammed every performance – they were bringing chairs from the bar to get more people in. The appetite for it was extraordinary and it was hugely moving to perform that to a Welsh audience. People were seeing a play about them and their lives and their history and their story. That was revelatory to me.”

[world-of-wales]

Marking Black History Month and recognising the incredible contributions of the black community, not just this month but every day of the year!

This year’s theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ encourages us to shine a spotlight on the untold stories, the unsung heroes, and the everyday individuals making a big difference.

To celebrate we asked a number of our patronages to highlight some brilliant people whose work is having a lasting impact 👇

Farah Saeed is the Lead Assessment and Resettlement Coordinator at @PassageCharity House. She helps recently homeless individuals transition off the streets into sustainable housing. Nearly 90% move into long-term accommodation with personalised care.

Dwayne Fields is an adventurer, TV presenter, and the UK’s Chief Scout. After seven years as a Scout Ambassador, he now encourages young people from all backgrounds to embrace the outdoors, helping them build self-belief and find role models. As a dedicated volunteer, he also inspires @scouts' 140,000 adult volunteers, motivating others to get involved.

Yasmin Liverpool is a former Great Britain 400m runner and previous beneficiary of @TeamSportsAid support. Since retiring, she has joined the charity’s National Awards Committee and also supports its work in creating more accessible and inclusive talent pathways.

Ama Agbeze MBE has been a trustee of @TeamSportsAid since 2020. The England netball legend, who captained her country to Commonwealth gold in 2018, mentors talented young athletes and supports the delivery of its mental health and wellbeing programme. She also helps guide SportsAid on enhancing its equity, diversity and inclusion work through her role on the Board.

Alero Omaghomi is a Sickle Cell Nurse who supports children with the disease through resources and equipment funded by @NHSCharities Together. She helps sick children stay engaged with their education when they have to spend long periods out of school.

Loveness Scott is the Positive Action Lead at North East Ambulance Service, engaging ethnic minorities to improve understanding of NHS services. She leads lifesaving workshops and supports the recruitment of community ambassadors. Her role is funded by @NHSCharities Together to address health inequalities and promote first aid.

Olivier Nsengimana is the Founder of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, which helps to protect the endangered Grey Crowned Crane in Rwanda. He trained as a vet and originally worked with gorillas, before founding the RWCA. Olivier was a @tusk_org Award for Conservation finalist in 2016.

Sandra Igwe is the founder and CEO of The Motherhood Group, a leading social enterprise focused on improving maternal health outcomes for Black women in the UK. Sandra also coordinates Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK and organises the annual Black Maternal Health Conference. @MMHAlliance

- The Prince and Princess of Wales

[theroyalweekly]

The Prince and Princess of Wales, Joint Patrons of NHS Charities Together (@NHSCharities), recently surprised NHS staff and patients with a Big Tea party held in the wellbeing garden of St Thomas’ Hospital in London to mark the NHS's 75th birthday 🧁 ☕️

📸 Tom Dymond/PA Wire -- Rebecca Russell

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

Princess of Wales - 2023 Statistics (FULL YEAR)

In 2023, the new Princess of Wales completed (by my count) 137 engagements. While this is around 30 engagements fewer than 2022, 2023 is still Catherine's second busiest year and - by far - her year with the most appearances not in the Court Circular. As well as this, she was sighted (or appeared) 17 times and appeared in a whopping 43 official (or unofficial and leaked!) photographs.

She gained three new military positions throughout the year and finished with 29 patronages. Of her 137 engagements, 76 were related to one of her patronages, averaging at one patronage visit every 2 engagements. Her most visited patronage was, of course, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, with 48 visits. This was followed by the Rugby Football Union and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (with 4 visits each). She performed no engagements on behalf of Action for Children, The Air Cadet Organisation (she visited the air cadets during her visit to RAF Fairford, but this was not recorded as an official engagement), EACH, Family Action, the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, the Natural History Museum, NHS Charities Together (although she met with NHS workers to celebrate the NHS's 75th birthday), Place2Be, RAF Coningsby, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal Photographic Society, or the 1851 Trust.

Of her engagements, 70 have been solo and 41 accompanied by her husband, the Prince of Wales. Three were also with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, five with a range of foreign royals, as well as 16 with either the whole or most of the working British Royal Family, and two with both foreign royals and members of the BRF.

118 of her engagements physically took place in England, with all bar 3 physically occuring in the United Kingdom (with none in the Republic of Ireland). Of the 118 engagements which took place in England, 37 occured in London and 51 in Windsor. Catherine’s engagements also took her to 31 other areas of the UK. Catherine also performed engagements in Wales and Scotland. Catherine also undertook two engagements in France (for the Rugby World Cup) and one in Jordan (Crown Prince Hussein's wedding).

During the year, she performed engagements on a variety of themes. 42 of those engagements were predominantly related to her Early Years initiative, while 12 were linked to the military and 11 linked to culture, sport and diplomacy apiece. 10 engagements were specifically linked to the Coronation, while she also completed 9 engagements linked to mental health, 7 linked to children and young people, 3 linked to the outdoors, and 2 linked to the Commonwealth. Catherine also completed 19 engagements which could not otherwise be categorised.

Clotheswise, her most worn designer has been Alexander McQueen, with 28 outfits, followed by 14 outfits from Holland Cooper, while 11 items of clothing were unidentified. Her most carried bag designer was Mulberry (11), followed by Emmy London with 6, and 1 which was unidentifed. Mulberry has been her most carried bag designer in every year apart from 2020. Her most worn shoe designer continued being Gianvito Rossi (with 39 wears), followed by 8 pairs from Emmy London, and 6 from both Veja and Aquazzura. Once again, Catherine predominantly wore pieces inherited from either Diana (10) or the Queen (16). Aside from them, she also wore Daniela Draper jewellery 12 times. When it comes to accessories, her most worn item was her Anderson's belt (6 times), and she continued to return to hats made by Philip Treacy (6 times). She also wore 9 unidentified pieces. According to my (100% wrong) calculations - created from my own criteria (where items are counted each time she wears them), she wore £65,669.41 worth of new clothes this year and £267,495.29 worth of clothes in total.

[richardarmitagefanpage]

The new interview with Richard and Ella Windsor for 5 Live Drive is now available on BBC Radio 5.

[scotianostra]

The Physician John Abercrombie was born in Aberdeen on any one of three days, 10th, 11th or 12th of October 1780, depending on what source you read.

In many ways Abercrombie was a genuine product of the Scottish Enlightenment in that he was a “Lad o’Pairts” equally at home discussing moral philosophy and medicine – he made a significant contribution to progress in the latter science and is known to many as the father of neuropathology, the study of diseases of the nervous system.

Indeed he has the ultimate medical accolade of having a disease named after him, namely Abercrombie’s Degeneration, which he was the first to describe.

The son of a clergyman in Aberdeen, the Rev George Abercrombie of East Church, John was educated at the local grammar school and then at Marischal College in the city’s university, before moving to Edinburgh University – which was then the foremost medical education institute in the world.

He was just 22 when he gained his doctorate in medicine in 1803, and after a brief spell completing his studies in London he began to practise his profession in the Scottish capital.

It is standard practice now but back then Abercrombie quickly gained a reputation for listening to his patients at length and taking his time with a diagnosis – he was nicknamed the man of silence because of this habit.

Abercrombie soon became recognised as possibly the finest doctor in the city, and his practice proved very popular with the wealthy and well-to-do, but don’t knock him for that, remember there was no NHS back then, John Abercrombie though, he spent a great deal of time working with the poor people of Edinburgh, becoming a senior medical officer at the Royal Public Dispensary, where he devised a system of having medical students assigned to different parts of the city so that they could gain first-hand knowledge of working with the sick while helping to treat them.

In 1808, Abercrombie married the wealthy daughter of a manufacturer and together they had seven daughters. His wives wealth gave him the chance to concentrate more on his practice rather than a part time teaching post. In 1815 the New Town Dispensary was opened in Thistle Street and Abercrombie was appointed senior surgeon.

Abercrombie went on to become the leading physician of his day in Edinburgh, establishing a name for himself and becoming the king’s physician in Scotland, he was medical advisor and close friend to Sir Walter Scott. The University of Oxford conferred on him the award of the honorary degree of MD.

In the last decade of his life the good doctor shifted his focus towards philosophical and religious topics rather than medical. Abercrombie wrote a number of essays which were compiled into a volume called Elements of Sacred Truth, which sold very well.

Abercrombie became known for the intellectual and moral nature of man. He gradually immersed himself into Bible study and in 1840 left the established church. Abercrombie donated widely to Edinburgh charities and societies. He was a regular member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and became vice-president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

He suffered from a stroke and died suddenly at his home on 14th November 1844. After his death his family presented his library of over 900 books to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, while his extensive papers were donated to the library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

[houseofbrat]

Hey HoB, firstly Merry Christmas and second, thanks for the posts on the Blake Lively dumpster fire as well! 🤩

I have two questions:

Do you think Willy and Cathy are back together now? So much cooing about them but to me she looked messy compared to her usual appearances and the tension still seems to be there.

Am I being overly cynical in thinking that the cancer charity workers she just so happened to interact with was a set up? I thought so the minute the “Kate is our inspiration” articles appeared and then the next morning, DM just so happened to have an EXCLUSIVE with them. Feels fishy as hell!! Thoughts?

Kate meeting a cancer charity worker, whose mom just happened to capture the moment for her instagram, which was then spread to multiple outlets.

The Princess of Wales and her children joined the King and Queen as they attended the Christmas Day service at Sandringham on Wednesday. She told royals fans she was 'hugely grateful' to the hundreds of people who had written to her offering their support after her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.  One of them was Rachel Anvil - an NHS worker who told the princess she was an 'inspiration' to all the cancer patients who worked on her ward at Royal Papworth Hospital.  'She [Kate] was wonderful,' Rachel told MailOnline. 'She was really respectful and grateful. She said people like me and other health care workers are the ones who are doing all the hard work. She was really lovely. 'It was real privilege. We are only down the road. To get close and personal was not an opportunity that comes up all the time. I shook her hand. I'm really lucky.'  The Princess of Wales replied to Rachel by saying: 'The amount of people who have written this year is extraordinary and I think cancer just really does resonate with so many families. 'People like you are doing all the hard work out there. I'm hugely grateful.'

Kate's response to Rachel Anvil is quite generic. Sounds like something Kate's comms team thought up.

Interesting how Rachel said "to get close and personal was not an opportunity that comes up all the time."

Because it's not the first time Rachel Anvil has spoken to Kate on Christmas Day.

When it comes to style, Kate Middleton is impeccable — but, in her own assessment, the Princess of Wales (then the Duchess of Cambridge) said she regretted her Christmas Day ensemble in 2019. For the occasion, Kate wore a gray Catherine Walker coat with a faux fur collar, forest green heels and coordinating hat and clutch. The former Duchess of Cambridge told a royal fan assembled for the royal family’s traditional walk to church that she regretted the look — not because of its style, but for practicality reasons. That year, Dec. 25 was unseasonably warm — around 46 degrees Fahrenheit — and Kate started to feel uncomfortable in her coat, according to The Sun. Rachel Anvil, who was among the many in the crowd waiting to greet the royals, spoke to Kate, who told Anvil, “I really shouldn’t have worn this.”

She looked stunning in a heavy grey Catherine Walker coat, paired with a green hat, bag, and heels. However, during a brief conversation with 19 year old fan Rachel Anvil, she confessed it was the wrong choice for the unusually warm weather. Rachel's mom shared with Metro: "Kate was talking to my daughter about clothes and how she was feeling too hot, she said 'I really shouldn't have worn this'. I'm there talking to Charlotte about dolls and my daughter's talking about fashion with Kate. It wasn't fake it was a genuine discussion, it was about a minute but it was tailored to my daughter, it was like speaking to a friend." reports the Mirror.

Seems like Rachel Anvil and her mom Karen Anvil are up at Sandringham interacting with the royals who have staff based at Kensington Palace quite a bit.

Karen even took a famous photo of the Kensington Palace royals one time.

What photo?

This photo.

Karen Anvil, 39, from Watlington in Norfolk captured a beaming Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Sandringham. The image, which was posted on Twitter, was liked almost 4,000 times and stoked mainstream media interest. Ms Anvil told the BBC reaction to the picture has been "bizarre and bonkers". Ms Anvil and her 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, have been to spot the Royals at their annual Christmas Day service a couple of times before.

What timing Karen Anvil had to have had to have most of KP's four principals looking her way seven Christmases ago for that photo.

And what luck Karen & Rachel had to have had to get Kate to talk to them this Christmas while everyone else had already walked away!

So will Rachel & Karen be interacting with Kate next year? Or do they have to wait another two or three years in between Christmases?

As for Will & Kate, perhaps they're staying in the same house for Christmas? William still looks like shit and doesn't look any better for being on vacation almost two weeks already.

[aprincesadegales]

Durante visita a funcionários do Serviço Nacional de Saúde do Clitheroe Community Hospital, Kate e William conhecem o cãozinho terapeuta Alfie, mantido através da organização de caridade ELHT&me, com fundos cedidos pela NHS Charities Together, patronagem do casal | 20.01.2022

[beardedmrbean]

Jewish doctors have been facing rising antisemitism from their NHS colleagues as incidents have increased threefold over the past year.

Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, Jewish doctors say they have experienced an increase in antisemitism from their colleagues, both in person and online.

Jewish senior consultant Elizabeth told The Sunday Times that before the Israel-Gaza war broke out she had rarely experienced antisemitism in the workplace, however there were some incidents.

In early 2023 Elizabeth started working at a new trust in London where she experienced ignorant comments about Orthodox Jews from a fellow colleague.

She said: “I was introducing myself to a colleague and I was talking about how sometimes it’s very hard to reach that community, because there’s a lot of fear about statutory services getting involved.

"She said, ‘Yes, there’s a lot of fear about it, but you know of course they [Jews] are everywhere, because they believe there is going to be another Holocaust and they continue to reproduce.’

The consultant was shocked at the encounter, and revealed that her colleague was mortified after finding out Elizabeth was Jewish.

She says incidents like these have only heightened since the Hamas attacks.

In the year following October 7, over 5,500 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Britain, a triple increase since the previous year.

According to the Community Security Trust, a charity protecting British Jews, 78 antisemitic incidents were reported in the health sector since the breakout of the war.

During this time, the Jewish Medical Association submitted 28 complaints to the general medical council, which regulates the conduct of doctors.

It had only submitted one in the year before October 7.

Elizabeth said after October 7, her London trust offered barely any support to Jewish employees.

She said that in December they received an email noting the recent rise in Islamophobia which provided resources for affected colleagues, however no such email was sent out regarding antisemitism.

When Elizabeth urged the trust to redraft the message to include antisemitism alongside Islamophobia, she had a senior figure remove the description of October 7 as a “massacre,” saying it was “too activating for people” and lacked “context.”

Hannah, another NHS staff member, said she experienced a similar ordeal.

When she and her Jewish colleagues explained to leaders how they needed support following October 7, a manager told her that wasn’t possible “because in the trust we need to be fair to both sides.”

Several weeks later she was told that a colleague had been posting shockingly antisemitic content on social media including imagery invoking the blood libel and the Holocaust.

One picture depicted “two trenches filled with bodies, one showing Jewish skeletons from the Holocaust” and the second body bags “that said [they] were from Gaza,” which she said drew parallels between the Nazis and Israel.

Hannah and her colleagues filed a complaint however a year on there has been no resolutions and no formal updates.

She said several of her Jewish co-workers had left the trust because of the tense environment and she was considering leaving the NHS all together.

Other Jewish doctors have also complained that there is a lack of consistency in acting on their complaints.

Meanwhile, the NHS has already been in hot water for allowing staff to wear pro-Palestine clothing and pins, making Jewish and Israeli patients feel unsafe.

Several incidents have been reported, prompting certain trusts to review their dres codes.

Regarding the experiences of Jewish staff and patients, Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated: “There is no place for antisemitism in the NHS and I will not stand anyone being subjected to abuse or intimidation.

We have a zero-tolerance policy and NHS organisations have a responsibility to protect staff and patients.”

“I expect employers and regulators like the General Medical Council, to take action against anyone working in the health service who promotes hatred against Jewish people.”

Jewish leaders are due to meet with Streeting this week to urge the government to act.

[crossstitchbossbitch-blog]

This is not good news. It has been soul crushing to admit that we aren't ready, not now, and my cocktail of psych meds increases the risks of bad things happening to me and / or the baby. Reducing my antidepressant SNRIs has been really difficult so far, and I'm scared to go lower.

I have an appointment at the clinic next week to get a medical abortion.

Thankfully I live in the UK where someone at 4-5 weeks can seek this treatment on the NHS with very few obstacles in their way. I would say the process wasn't as straightforward as I had hoped, because there are also charities that offer referrals, so making sure you're getting to the right NHS provider has been a bit confusing.

Emotionally and mentally it has been shit, trying to make this decision and organising stuff. It's an absolute nightmare: so many feelings of guilt, shame, confusion, sadness, self-doubt, and fear.

Add to that the physical issues that come with early pregnancy; I'm so fucking tired all the time, which has compounded a very reasonably depressive episode. Sleeping for 10-12 hours, falling asleep on the sofa at 8pm, or staying in bed until 11am... or both.

I have developed a keen sense of smell and find a lot of scents to be nauseating. I have vomited up lemon and ginger tea whilst crying hysterically. Weirdly, I get my worst nausea in the evening, but feel gross most of the day with the smell of hot food turning my stomach at any time. I always have a weird taste in my mouth, too, no matter how much I'm brushing my teeth and using mouthwash.

The story starts on Saturday - my period was late by a few days, it ranges from a 28 day cycle to 35 days, maybe every 6 months. I decided to use a test that was expired by 2 years, and it showed up positive. Cue googling the likelihood of false positives, the accuracy of expired tests, and general panic.

I told my boyfriend of 8 years straight away; we live together in the house we bought, so hiding it would be weird and stupid. I value honesty above all else in our relationship and try to practice my values with authenticity.

Plus, it wouldn't be anyone else's actions that led to me becoming pregnant!

We immediately freaked out, and after agreeing that a false positive was unlikely, resolved to obtain a better, in-date test the following day.

Over the next few days we talked a lot, cried a lot, and came to the conclusion that we weren't ready for this. A really big factor we kept coming back to was our own mental health and wellbeing, and how poorly we had been looking after ourselves, barely being able to come out of survival mode.

Since we moved in together into rented accommodation in 2018, we always had something to battle against. Our neurodivergent brains struggled to cope with things that were unfair, sudden changes or backslides.

For instance: The dodgy landlord who let rain pour through the ceiling when we paid SO MUCH in rent; terrible jobs and employers; the stress of moving house; the trauma of a house fire; the pandemic changing the whole world; the PTSD and temporary accommodation after the house fire; more house moves causing more stress; the deaths of loved ones; health issues of different loved ones; coping with the feelings of jealousy and inadequacy as our peers started families; saving up to buy a house; going through the mind numbing process of viewing houses for sale; dealing with estate agents; actually buying a house; renovating the house; hitting roadblocks whilst renovating the house; grieving; never knowing if we are doing the right thing; changes in medication; medication supply problems; increased pressure at work.... We slog along in this battle of endurance.

Being beseiged in a constant battle does not signal "safe environment to raise a family", and I know we are very privileged to both be employed, to have most of our health and to have an existing support network... but now is not the right time for us to start a family.

I envision a tiny newborn, and after finding out about the various complications that could be caused by my meds, my BMI being high, or anything else, even if it only increases the chances by 2% - I couldn't live with myself knowing it was my fault that tiny baby had a heart or lung defect, or stunted growth, or suffered trauma due to my high blood pressure or from my being overweight.

A smoker would stop smoking, a drinker would stop drinking with immediate cessation. I can't immediately stop my antidepressants, nor my adhd meds, and continue working to earn money to save up for future plans. I can't immediately and sustainably lose weight and get fit. I need to put my health first and give any hypothetical child the best chances possible.

Maybe this is a goal to work towards over the next year or two. More importantly it's a goal that I choose, with my partner supporting me, not a decision made out of pressure or obligation. If we're gonna do it, let's do it right.

[warningsine]

The NHS is to offer children with brain tumours in England a groundbreaking new targeted drug therapy to tackle the disease – a development charities are hailing as the biggest breakthrough in decades.

Gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer in children but experts say the standard treatment of chemotherapy can be brutal and gruelling, and also carries the risk of side-effects such as weight loss, seizures and headaches.

A kinder drug therapy has got the green light from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). Studies showed it caused fewer side-effects, improved children’s response rate to treatment and their survival time without the disease getting worse.

Dabrafenib with trametinib was found to halt the growth of tumours for more than three times as long as standard chemotherapy for children with low-grade gliomas that have a specific genetic mutation, while also helping spare many of the harsh side-effects of chemotherapy.

The treatment will initially be available on the NHS in England for people aged one to 17 with low- or high-grade gliomas that have a BRAF V600E mutation.

The combination treatment, which can be administered at home rather than in hospital, works by targeting the proteins made by the altered BRAF gene that are responsible for uncontrollable tumour growth.

Gliomas grow in the brain or spinal cord and can be low grade, where tumours grow slowly, or high grade, where they grow more rapidly and may be fatal. About 150 children are diagnosed with low-grade gliomas every year in the UK and about 30 are diagnosed with high-grade gliomas.

Clinical trials have shown that as well having fewer side-effects than chemotherapy, the treatment stalled growth of low-grade gliomas for about two years (24.9 months) on average – more than three times as long as standard chemotherapy (7.2 months), NHS England says.

In some cases, tumours disappeared, though longer-term follow-up of patients is needed.

Dabrafenib is given as dissolvable tablets that are taken twice a day, and trametinib is an oral solution taken once a day. The drugs work together by blocking the growth signal from the mutant BRAF protein and can slow or even stop the tumour from growing.

Dr Michele Afif, the chief executive of the Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We are delighted that Nice has approved the first new treatment for paediatric brain tumours in decades.

“Though this will only affect a small population, it is of huge significance to them and their loved ones and represents real progress. We hope that this will be the first of many new treatments that will ensure our community can live longer and better lives.”

Suki Sandhu, whose eight-year-old son Raj died from a high-grade glioma six years ago, welcomed the rollout of the new therapy on the NHS.

“I had to make the decision to stop chemotherapy treatment for my son as he was suffering with horrible side-effects after years of harsh treatment. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make … We need kinder drugs and new treatments for those with brain tumours, like this treatment, and I am hopeful other families will go on to get access to these drugs and, hopefully, remain disease-free for longer and live good quality lives.”

Prof Peter Johnson, the NHS England national clinical director for cancer, said: “It is a significant step forward in treatment that has been shown to be easier to take than chemotherapy and very effective in blocking the growth of the disease, helping children have a better quality of life for longer.

“It can also be taken at home, meaning children and teenagers can spend less time in hospital having treatment and more time with their loved ones and doing things they enjoy.”