Jo Waters

At the age of just 54, Geoff Pike was diagnosed with dementia, turning his family’s world upside down. ‘There were lots of tears, it was a nightmare for us,’ says his wife Helen, 59, a retired nurse and hospital manager.
The couple, from Gretton in Northamptonshire, were ‘at that stage of life where we had so many plans, including retiring early and travelling’, says Helen. ‘Suddenly everything changed.’
Geoff, now 61, a former national sales director for a private medical insurer, is one of ...

Institutions that don’t respond to sexual-assault allegations are failing to protect people who could be targeted in future, says Nicole Bedera.
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Lifting a hairdryer again after more than a year of breast cancer treatment, hairdresser Victoria Lock began to feel a heavy, dragging ache in her left arm.
She had been diagnosed with cancer in April 2022, after finding a lump in her left breast when she turned over in bed.
It was a stage two (early) tumour that had spread to the lymph nodes in her left armpit.
‘Chemotherapy, surgery to remove my left breast and the affected lymph nodes, breast reconstruction and then radiotherapy – all in t...

A super-fit swimmer and lifeguard, Becky Bessell had long looked after herself and had no health problems until her mid-40s, when she started experiencing a cluster of seemingly minor problems, including itchy skin on her back and fatigue.
The GP put these down to perimenopause, prescribing an emollient to moisturise her skin, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
‘The HRT helped with my energy levels for a while, but the itching didn’t go away,’ recalls Becky.
‘Then, over the next few years...

At just 45, Jules King says the painful, stiff muscles she experienced with her Parkinson's disease made her feel as if she were 'trapped in an 85-year-old's body'.
But she has now found some relief from an unusual source: saunas.
'I suffered from muscle spasms every single day and muscle rigidity, as well as slowness of movement,' says Jules, who has two grown-up children and lives in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. 'I'd previously been trying cold-water dipping and ice baths and got some shor...

The UK has an army of 5.8 million unpaid carers including one in three NHS employees. What’s being done to improve carers’ lives, and do the new moves go far enough? Journalist Jo Waters reports.
Unpaid carers contribute care to the value of £184.3 billion a year in the UK, according to latest figures from Carers UK and the Centre for Care (2024). Carers do so by looking after relatives or friends who are unable to look after themselves due to old age, ill health or because they’re disabled.
...

At just 45, Jules King says the painful, stiff muscles she experienced with her Parkinson's disease made her feel as if she were 'trapped in an 85-year-old's body'.
But she has now found some relief from an unusual source: saunas.
'I suffered from muscle spasms every single day and muscle rigidity, as well as slowness of movement,' says Jules, who has two grown-up children and lives in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. 'I'd previously been trying cold-water dipping and ice baths and got some shor...

Crimes involving violence against women and girls have increased by almost 40%, and this could just be the tip of the iceberg. With police chiefs calling it a national emergency and epidemic, journalist Jo Waters investigates what’s being done to address the crisis.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC, 2024) recently revealed that violence against women and girls (VAWG) in England and Wales increased by 37% from 2018 to 2023. More than one million violent crimes against women and girls ...

It's being blamed for a range of health problems - from itchy eyes and sensitive skin to breathing difficulties and gut problems such as bloating or diarrhoea. So are you, too, suffering from ‘mould toxicity’, as many influencers now claim?
These are just some of the ‘warnings’ popping up on social media that mould-containing foods – which includes sourdough bread, blue cheese and kimchi – can trigger food allergies, intolerances or ‘toxicity’ symptoms.
Influencers – ranging from holistic hea...

Staff Morale in the NHS

Trump sparks liberal meltdown as he taps Musk to 'dismantle' U.S. bureaucracy and nominates Fox News host as Defense Secretary - as Tesla boss reveals number of agencies he's targeting
The place in your face you should NEVER get fillers - it will 'make you look like an alien', cosmetic expert warns women
Copies going Spare! Prince Harry's new paperback version of his autobiography sits in 73rd place in book charts after selling just 3,000 in its second week
The truth behind Prince William usi...

'Healthy' habits that you should be avoiding
It's not just about having an attractive smile – though thanks to the effect of TV's Love Island and TikTok, private cosmetic dentistry is booming. But looking after your teeth is vitally important for your physical wellbeing, too.
That's because poor dental health is increasingly being linked to serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even dementia.
The good news is that improved dental techniques, including scans to detect ...

Caroline Mansi was on a woodland walk in springtime with her sister when she was suddenly overcome with dizziness and felt a huge rush of menstrual blood.
‘I had to lie down on the forest floor because I was so weak and faint,’ recalls Caroline, then 39, a primary school assistant headmistress in Enfield.
It was ten minutes before she felt strong enough to get to her feet. They took the quickest route back to the car park, where Caroline dashed into the public loo.
‘Looking down, I was soaked...

7 MIN READ TIME
HEALTH
Age is the biggest risk factor for breast cancer, yet routine mammograms stop after 70. Is there a case for screening older women? We investigate… by JO WATERS
When Angela Coombes passed her 70th birthday the invitations for routine mammograms stopped.
She’d first had breast cancer at 58, which led to a mastectomy. ‘I knew that breast cancer can return many years later, and two years ago I thought it was time for a check-up,’ says Angela, 75, a retired payroll manager, ...