A hydrocephalus awareness charity is calling on all UK healthcare providers to help raise awareness of “lifesaving” baby head measurement.
Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust (Harry’s HAT) is an organisation that was set up to raise awareness of paediatric hydrocephalus – an incurable, and sadly life-threatening condition that affects one in every 770 babies.
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of excess fluid in the brain, which can put pressure on it to such an extent that it causes damage, and – if left untreated – can be fatal.
Harry’s HAT was set up in 2018 by founder and CEO, Caroline Coates, whose son Harry was first diagnosed with an arachnoid cyst when she was 36-weeks pregnant, that was later confirmed after he was born to have caused hydrocephalus.
Harry’s family were then told he would need a permanent shunt to drain the fluid from his brain at just eight weeks old if he was to survive.
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By the time Harry had reached his first birthday, the youngster had already endured four brain surgeries, and had spent lots of time in hospital, with frequent blue light trips into A&E – while his family found themselves isolated by their lack of knowledge on the condition, and often struggled to access the support and information they needed.
Harry was diagnosed with hydrocephalus shortly after he was born / Credit: Caroline Coates
Harry’s HAT is the only UK charity to focus solely on hydrocephalus and its impact, and the organisation works to make life better for children with hydrocephalus, as well as for those who love and care for them, all year round.
The organisation’s latest campaign, however, may be one of its most crucial yet.
The GET-A-HEAD Campaign is working to spread awareness and highlight the importance of the need for trained health care professionals to measure and record a baby’s head circumference in the first year of life, as this is one of the ways hydrocephalus can be diagnosed.
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Hoping to reach expectant and new parents across the UK, the campaign’s mission is to show why these measurements can be a crucial tool for spotting life-threatening conditions such as hydrocephalus, so that little ones showing signs of the condition will no longer be able to slip through the net.
The campaign was set up after a recent survey by pregnancy and parenting advice forum, Bounty, discovered that only 20% of new parents were aware that measuring a baby’s head can help identify hydrocephalus, and almost half (45%) didn’t know that their baby’s head should even be measured at birth.
Harry’s HAT says “this needs to change”, as research suggests that early diagnosis can help improve the outcome for a baby born with hydrocephalus.
“While there is no cure for the condition, there is treatment,” the charity urges.
The GET-A-HEAD Campaign is working to spread awareness of lifesaving baby head measurement / Credit: Harry’s HAT
Speaking on why the campaign means so much to her, and why it’s so crucial, Caroline Coates – founder and CEO of Harry’s HAT – said: “Harry is my fourth child and I have spent most of my working life working for social care charities, yet even I didn’t know why they measured a baby’s head. I just thought it was something health professionals did and I never considered that it could reveal a life-threatening condition.”
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“Far too many babies are still slipping through the net, and all too often we hear from parents who tell us that chances to spot their child’s hydrocephalus were missed.”
You can support the GET-A-HEAD Campaign and find out more about the work Harry’s HAT does on the charity’s website here.
Featured Image – Harry’s HAT
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Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Emily Sergeant -
10th March 2023 
