NHS plan for all babies to undergo genome sequencing after birth

Labour plans to invest £650 million into DNA technology to proactively treat serious illnesses.
Health secretary Wes Streeting stated this initiative aims to "leapfrog" diseases by predicting and preventing them.
Reports suggest that within a decade, all babies could undergo whole genome sequencing as part of this drive.
The investment supports the government's 10-year NHS plan, which prioritizes technology, prevention, community care, and digital services.
This strategy seeks to provide personalized healthcare, reduce pressure on NHS services, and follows a recent £29 billion annual increase in NHS funding.

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I've been ordered by my doctor to stop doomscrolling for medical reasons

At a particularly dark time for world affairs, I often find myself compulsively doomscrolling at on my phone, sometimes disappearing into the bathroom to do it. It often feels like a brief escape from the kids. But I had no idea that it can cause serious health problems. Earlier this week, Dr Pumam Krisham, the resident doctor on BBC Morning Live, claimed that sitting on the loo and scrolling on your phone has been known to cause haemorrhoids – or worse. It can also give you a weakened pelvic floor, which can trigger bladder issues such as incontinence, or even result in prolapse. If the perils of being exposed to too much bluescreen weren't giving you sleepless nights, that surely will. But doomscrolling on the loo is a habit that 57 per cent of Britons admit to doing, according to a YouGov poll – myself included. It's so easy for a three-minute trip to the loo to turn into 15 to 20 minutes of scrolling, posting and texting. And it's the reason I ended up in hospital last week. I've had insomnia, which has weakened my immune system. It turns out that waking at 3am and checking your phone, thinking 'Has the US bombed Iran yet…?', interferes with your sleep patterns, suppressing melatonin production and making it harder to drift off and stay asleep. A recent study showed how an extra hour of screen time each day was linked to a 33 per cent increase in insomnia risk. And, earlier this month, another study – of teenagers' habits – revealed that spending more than two hours a day scrolling on phones or tablets doubles their risk of anxiety disorders and increases their chances of depression fourfold. I hit rock bottom in my bathroom last week. Having lost all sense of time, I eventually realised I'd been scrolling through stories about the Air India crash for 45 minutes, which itself is pretty unhealthy. But 'toilet-scrolling', as it's known, is a double-whammy health hazard. The combination of the pressure on your lower quarters from prolonged sitting and the negative impact on mental health of doomscrolling finally took its toll on me: I had to go to hospital. In hindsight, I had been needing to use the bathroom more frequently, which had meant scrolling even more than usual while locked in there… and eventually I started to feel quite unwell. But I had no idea that, on a Sunday at an urgent walk-in centre, I would be diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. I was given emergency antibiotics – but it didn't get any better. When I developed a mild fever and a rash on my leg, I was directed to A&E as there was a chance the infection could be sepsis. When I did the 'blanching test', the rash didn't fade when pressed with a clear glass. Typically, before I was called to give a urine sample, do blood tests and have an ultrasound to check my kidneys, I spent my time in the hospital waiting room doomscrolling. I was put on new, mega-strong antibiotics and ordered to rest in bed, which I'm not good at. I was also told that I needed to look at the stress levels in my life and make changes. Doomscrolling on the loo has got to go. To avoid further bladder issues, I have now weaned myself off toilet-scrolling – a filthy habit that triggers a dopamine release but is just not worth it. So, goodbye, doomscrolling. Catching up on all the bad news from around the world on your phone is one thing – but doing it on the loo is a recipe for disaster.

Sky News

2 hours ago

• Sky News

Every baby in the UK to receive DNA testing

Every baby in the UK will have their DNA tested under a new 10-year plan for the NHS. The whole-genome sequencing will screen for hundreds of diseases and allow people to "leapfrog" killer illnesses, according to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting. Speaking to the Telegraph, he revealed plans to move the NHS towards a model of sickness prevention rather than treatment. Personalised medicine, made possible through things like DNA testing, will form a big part of that plan, with £650m pledged to genomics research by the government. "The revolution in medical science means that we can transform the NHS over the coming decade, from a service which diagnoses and treats ill health to one that predicts and prevents it," said Mr Streeting in a statement. "Genomics presents us with the opportunity to leapfrog disease, so we're in front of it rather than reacting to it." Newborns are currently offered a blood test when they are around five days old to check for nine rare but serious conditions. In those blood spot tests, the baby's heel is pricked to collect a few drops of blood on a card, but with whole genome sequencing, blood samples are typically taken from the umbilical cord shortly after birth. In the past, Mr Streeting has spoken about his desire to make the NHS more preventative, in order to reduce rates of serious illness and save money. Technologies like artificial intelligence will be used by the health service to predict illness and allow treatment or medication to be offered much earlier. "With the power of this new technology, patients will be able to receive personalised healthcare to prevent ill health before symptoms begin, reducing the pressure on NHS services and helping people live longer, healthier lives," said Mr Streeting. Along with a greater focus on prevention, the Government's 10-year plan is expected to include Mr Streeting's two other "shifts" in the NHS: moving care away from hospitals to communities, and from analogue to digital services. It follows Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement that the Government would increase NHS funding by £29 billion per year in real terms over the next three years as it tries to cut waiting lists in line with its election promises.

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

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Brit fights for life on Greek holiday - as air conditioning or hot tub to blame

Donna Jobling was on a surprise trip to Crete in Greece with her husband and two friends when she became seriously ill, with the 57-year-old rushed to hospital and put in an induced coma A Brit is fighting for her life in a Greek hospital after falling seriously ill on an all-inclusive holiday. Donna Jobling, of west Hull, is in intensive care at Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion, Crete with doctors initially telling family it was "touch and go whether she would survive". The 57-year-old had been enjoying the Greek sunshine with husband Sidney and friends Paula and Nicolas Mason when she began to feel unwell on June 5. ‌ Donna suffered from a chest infection and two days later became seriously ill and she was rushed to hospital, where doctors put her in an induced coma. ‌ Tests confirmed she had Legionnaires' disease brought on by Legionella pneumophila, Donna's niece, Claire, told Hull Live. According to the NHS, Legionnaires' disease is a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like contaminated air conditioning systems or hot tubs. Donna's infection triggered acute respiratory failure and pneumonia, her family said, and they are now praying for her recovery. Claire, 42, said: "We are all devastated and beside ourselves." She added: "We were told it was touch and go whether she would survive. We are all praying for her. She is stable but under constant watch. We flew out there but had to come back because of work and family commitments. I'm still waiting for documents but will go back with them as soon as I have them." Husband Sidney, a former police officer, remains by Donna's bedside with Claire describing her auntie as "like a mother to us all". "It is quite strict in the intensive care unit," Claire admitted. "You only get 30 minutes to visit. But she is well looked after." Paula and Nicholas, who also went on the £1,500-per-couple holiday, returned to Hull on June 12 and said the illness came out of nowhere. "It was lovely at the start of the holiday. We all walked everywhere," Paula, 52, said. ‌ "Then it came out from nowhere. She has a lot of health problems anyway. But she became seriously ill and the doctor said she had to be taken to hospital and they have put her in an induced coma in the intensive care unit." The source of the Legionnaires' Disease has not yet been identified. Easyjet Holidays, with whom the couples travelled, are aware of the issue and have provided alternative hotel options to current and future guests. A spokesperson said: "We're so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we're continuing to support her and her family in every way we can. As soon as we were made aware of reports of illness, we immediately took action and contacted customers who were already staying in the hotel, or due to travel in the next four weeks, to provide alternative hotel options. "We've also been in touch with customers who recently returned home from this hotel, to inform them of necessary guidance. Our customers' safety and wellbeing is our top priority, and we'll continue to do all we can to support them.'