Top performing children's hospital gets £4m bonus for A&E turn arounds

A children's hospital has been given a £4m bonus after being recognised as one of the top performing NHS trusts in England for seeing A&E patients within four hours.Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool came second in national rankings, with 89.3% of patients seen within the target, and it had the second lowest number of patients waiting more than 12 hours.Meanwhile, NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board have been handed £5m for having the best ambulance response times in 2024-25.The cash is handed out by NHS England from a £150m pot to the best performing and most improved hospital trusts in 2024-25.
The urgent and emergency care capital incentive scheme awards trusts who see and discharge most A&E patients within the NHS target of four hours.It also recognises those who have cut the number of 12-hour waits in emergency departments and improved ambulance response time.
'More to do'
Alder Hey in Liverpool was also in the top five trusts with the highest four-hour performance when comparing March 2024 to March 2025.NHS Greater Manchester had an ambulance response time of 23 minutes 57 seconds to category 2 callouts, which include patients suffering burns, epilepsy and strokes or chest pain.In NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria, that response time was 26 minutes 20 seconds.Elsewhere in the north west of England, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust all received £2m.The cash was for improving on their 12-hour wait times in March 2024 until March 2025. Five other NHS organisations in the region have all received £1m for improving A&E waiting times.They include trusts in Bolton, Tameside and Glossop, and Stockport, alongside the Countess of Chester Hospital, and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical director for NHS England, said staff had worked "incredibly hard to deliver high quality urgent and emergency services".He said that was reflected in the achievement of being named as some of England's best performing trusts."We recognise there is more to do and we are committed to working with NHS organisations in the North-West to continue this journey of improvement", he added.
Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.

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The best yoga mats and non-slip exercise mats tried and tested, from Lululemon to Yogi Bare

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Natural alternatives like rubber, cork, or jute are increasingly popular, offering good traction and a lighter environmental footprint. Cork, in particular, is antimicrobial, which is ideal for hot or sweaty practices. You also need a textured and grippy material for safety, especially during dynamic or heated classes. Portability is worth considering if you travel or commute to classes; lighter, foldable mats are easier to carry but may sacrifice some comfort. Ultimately, the best yoga mat is one that balances support, grip, sustainability and convenience to suit your personal practice and values. How we test yoga mats Every mat on this list was tested through completing a series of yoga sessions and HIIT (high intenstity interval training) workouts. For the yoga sessions, I used videos by YouTube sensation, Yoga with Adriene. I took note of how thick and comfortable each mat was, which meant considering how comfortable my knees felt on the ground and how my joints felt after a heavy session. I also thought about the weight of each mat while carrying them to and from gym sessions. I looked for a soft but supportive material that wasn't slipper and, of course, a decent price. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. From running shoes to exercise bikes, all reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. The best yoga mats of 2025 1. Best Buy Yoga Mat: Lululemon The Mat Top marks for this double-sided mat from Lululemon, which offers unparalleled grip, a stable surface and plenty of support. It's unnoticeable in the best way; I felt grounded and supported, and my hands and feet didn't budge. Lululemon offers several thicknesses of mat, but I would opt for the 5mm for joint support. This mat is reversible and comes in a wide range of colours and designs. One side is smooth and the other is slightly textured, but both are made from natural rubber. It's the perfect size – a touch longer and wider than most standard yoga mats, at 180cm x 66cm. This means it offers plenty of space to stretch out. Thanks to its slightly thicker construction, I found it also makes the perfect partner to HIIT and strength workouts. Despite being thicker than most others, it's not unduly heavy, at 2.4kg. That's the upper end of what I'd consider to be an easy weight to carry, but it means that this mat excels both at home and in class. The only downside is that it doesn't come with a carry strap or bag – but that really is nitpicking. Put simply, it's a brilliant all-rounder that is more than worth the investment. Key specifications 2. Best Value Yoga Mat: Manduka Prolite Yoga and Pilates Mat The Manduka Prolite is wonderfully durable. It's favoured by The Telegraph's Boudicca Fox-Leonard, a part-time yoga instructor. Fox-Leonard says: 'For the yogi looking to find a mat that will be able to follow them on their practice journey without flaking, Manduka mats are hard to beat on quality and simplicity. They also have ethical credentials: they're non-toxic and 100 per cent latex free, with an emissions-free manufacturing process. 'While Manduka's range is overwhelming, opt for the Manduka Prolite. You'll get a mat light enough to carry (it weighs 1.8kg) without compromising on cushioning. It might prove slippy for those first few practices, but then you and your mat will be stuck to each other for life.' Manduka promises its mats are made for life, and they come with lifetime guarantees. The most durable option you can find. Key specifications Material: PVC Measurements: 80cm x 61cm Thickness: 4.7mm Weight: 3.08kg 3. Best Non-slip Yoga Mat: Liforme Original Yoga Mat Yoga teacher Emma Henry's favoured mat is the Liforme original. There's no getting around the fact that it's expensive, but this is a mat that will last for years and years. It has a uniquely smooth surface whilst still offering unparalleled grip. It is also one of only a handful to be printed with a handy alignment guide. At 185 x 68cm and 4mm thick, it's slightly larger than average, so perfect for practicing at home – however, given it weighs 2.5kg, it's not the easiest to lug to a yoga class. If you're looking for a mat to use on the move, Henry also recommends the Liforme travel mat (£99.95, Amazon). Liforme also has impressive eco credentials; their mats are made from natural rubber and eco-friendly polyurethane and are biodegradable. Key specifications Material: Rubber Measurements: 185cm x 68cm Thickness: 4.2mm Weight: 2.5kg 4. Best Yoga Mat for Allergies: Gaiam Sol Studio Select Dry-Grip Yoga Mat If you have a latex or rubber allergy, this Gaiam Dry-Grip Yoga Mat is for you – it's made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic. PVC isn't as sustainable as the natural rubber used by other mats on this list but it has a low carbon footprint and is highly durable, so you won't need to replace your mat in a hurry. The 5mm thick mat had a good amount of cushioning and I found it soft on my joints both for yoga and HIIT workouts. The smooth top layer wicked away sweat from my palms and feet. More impressively the grippy underside stuck to the shiny fake hardwood floor in my flat which is usually slippery, without budging. At 2.1kg it's completely manageable to carry if you tend to take your yoga mat to the gym though you'll have to buy a separate bag or straps. I also love the design – the mandala in the middle of the mat is an excellent point of focus for trickier yoga positions. Key specifications 5. Best Ethical Yoga Mat: Yogi Bare Wild Forest Ever Grip Paws Yoga Mat I loved testing this mat – primarily because it's refreshingly lightweight and transportable when paired with Yogi Bare's Carry Bag (£20), and it's also easy to store as a result. Where it truly shines is its patented Ever Grip technology, which means the surface is extra grippy, durable and stain-free, while remaining as eco-conscious as ever. Having tested this mat over several weeks during both yoga and HIIT workouts, I can attest to the excellent grip and lack of marking – it still looks as good as it did out of the box. At 4mm thick, it's certainly on the thinner end of the spectrum, but I still find it supportive enough for my joints. That said, my wrists, where I have a particular weakness as a result of previous injury, would have preferred a little more cushioning. It measures 180cm x 66cm, so it's a touch narrower than the Liforme mat, but I found it to be more than spacious enough. For reference, I could easily still squat while facing sideways. Living in a small London flat, I actually appreciated the narrow form and it was plenty long enough for my 174cm height. Other small but appreciated features include the alignment and orientation guides to keep you on track during different movement types, and notes of affirmation which depend on the colour you choose – my 'desert sand' colourway told me 'you belong here', which was reassuring during a particularly gruelling ab workout. As for the sustainability credentials, Yogi Bare uses natural rubber, plant-based dyes and recycled packaging. The mats themselves are biodegradable and recyclable, with discounts on new mats offered if you recycle directly with Yogi Bare. Key specifications 6. Best Travel Yoga Mat: Yogamatters Sticky Yoga Mat This budget-friendly mat is available in all the colours of the rainbow, and you can't fault the grip – it's as sticky as its name suggests. I like the distinctive textured design and how light it is to carry (it weighs just 1.2kg). However, I found it slightly too sticky – it feels as if it leaves a slight residue on your hands. It also doesn't come with a strap, but given the texture, it's more than sticky enough to simply roll up and store. This would be an excellent mat for taking to a class or using on the move, but for home practices I would choose something with a smoother surface and a bigger footprint. Key specifications Yoga mat FAQs What to look for in a yoga mat You want a good grip, a thick base and high-quality material like natural rubber for support, and a light enough weight that it can be carried to and from a gym. Visual alignment markers, to help with the placing of hands and feet are also useful. There are other factors to consider, too: texture and size. 'I like a big, heavy mat for home practice, but when you're travelling you need it to be lighter,' says Emma Henry, yoga teacher at Triyoga, who uses a Liforme travel mat or Lululemon '(Un)mat' when she's on the move. She also considers the ethics of a company: 'what they're doing to support yoga teachers and what they're doing environmentally.' Consider too the style of yoga you practice – hot yoga, in which you're likely to sweat a lot, will require a mat that offers plenty of grip and is easy to clean, whereas a slower restorative or yin yoga class might require a mat that's thicker and more supportive. How to clean a yoga mat To stay on top of keeping your yoga mat clean, you should try to disinfect it before and after each session with equal parts water and white vinegar, and a dash of tea tree oil. For bigger cleans, every couple of weeks, or more or less depending on your usage, put your yoga mat in a bath or shower and give it a good scrub with water and dish soap, leave it to dry, then roll it up. Most yoga mats cannot be put in the washing machine, but check the individual instructions. How thick should a yoga mat be? As a general rule of thumb, stick to yoga mats between 4mm and 6mm. Bear in mind a thinner mat will be more portable, while a thicker mat will be easier on the joints. If you're doing more floorwork yoga, you might choose a thicker mat as well for the extra cushioning. That said, too much thickness can affect the flow of movement so it's all about finding the balance. How long does a yoga mat typically last? A yoga mat typically lasts between six months and two years, but it can depend on how often you use it and care for it. What is the best material for a yoga mat? Most standard yoga mats are made from polyvinyl chloride. Newer, more eco-friendly options include natural and recycled rubber, jute, and cotton. Can yoga mats be recycled? Polyvinyl chloride mats are the most difficult to recycle as they may contain plasticisers, UV retarders, dyes, and dirt. Rubber yoga mats and biodegradable mats are much easier to recycle. It is always worth checking with the manufacturer to be sure.