The Health Secretary is calling on the nation to help shape the Government’s plans to overhaul the NHS in the future.
Described as being “the biggest national conversation” about the future of the NHS since its birth all the way back in July 1948, and in a bid to form the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, the entire country has today (21 October) been called upon to share their experiences of the nation’s health service – with members of the public, as well as NHS staff and experts, invited to have their say.
Everyone is being urged to give their views and ideas for “fixing the NHS” via an online platform that’ll be live until the start of next year, as well as through the NHS App.
In order for the Government to formulate its 10 Year Health Plan – which is set to be published in spring 2025 – the so-called public engagement exercise will be underlined by three ‘big shifts’ in healthcare.
These are hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
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📢 We want to hear your experiences of the NHS and your ideas to help us change it.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) October 21, 2024
But what do each of these ‘big shifts’ mean? Well, first up, the Government says it wants to deliver plans for new neighbourhood health centres that are closer to homes and communities, so that patients can see GPs, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, mental health specialists, and more all under the same roof.
The transforming of the NHS from analogue to digital shift will put patients in control of their own medical history by bringing together a single patient record that summarises patient health information, test results, and letters, all in one place through the NHS App.
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Finally, by moving from sickness to prevention, the Government says it wants to shorten the amount of time people spend in-ill health, as well as prevent illnesses before they happen.
The Government is urging the UK public to ‘help fix the NHS’ / Credit: rawpixel
“My mum worked for the NHS, my sister worked for the NHS, and my wife still works for the NHS, so I know first-hand how difficult it has been for staff, and for patients battling against a broken system for over a decade,” explained Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as the public exercise formally launches today.
“We have a huge opportunity to put the NHS back on its feet, so let’s be the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, and made it fit for the future.”
You can find out more and have your say on the future of the NHS here.
Featured Image – NHS Digital
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Bolton woman who falsely accused 10 men of raping her has been jailed
Emily Sergeant
A woman from Bolton who falsely accused 10 different men of raping her over a six-year period has now been jailed.
Stacey Sharples, 31 from Farnworth in Bolton, pleaded guilty of 10 counts of perverting the course of justice in relation to reports against 10 separate men at Bolton Crown Court earlier last month (2 February 2026), before appearing in court again this week to be sentenced.
The investigation into Sharples was launched after the arrests and questioning of almost all these men, and following the pursuing of all relevant lines of enquiry, which consistently revealed evidence contrary to what had been disclosed by Sharples.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says investigations of this nature are ‘extremely rare’ and the decision to pursue Sharples as a suspect was ‘not one taken lightly’.
“However, it is our duty to act in the public interest and on the evidence and information we uncover and receive, which in this case demonstrated a continuous, wilful making of false allegations, knowing full well the consequences for each of the men involved,” GMP said in a statement following Sharples’ sentencing.
Of the allegations Sharples pleaded guilty to – of which were made over a six-year period between 2013 and 2019 – most of the men were arrested and spent time in custody, with some also undertaking intimate examinations, and almost all spending periods of time on police bail or released under investigation.
Statements from the men accused by Stacey Sharples / Credit: GMP
GMP says there’s ‘no doubt’ the reports and arrests have had an impact on these men, their sense of self and relationships, their wider networks, and how they move forward with their lives.
False accounts also undermine those who have genuinely experienced sexual violence.
Police say it also affects the confidence in the criminal justice system, and that the time spent investigating Sharples’ reports could have been put towards investigating ‘genuine reports of sexual offences’ instead.
Sharples has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison this week after pleading guilty to making false rape allegations.
Speaking following Sharples’ sentencing this week, Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, who investigated this case, said: “We took the allegations made by Stacey Sharples seriously, explored all lines of enquiry and swiftly made arrests or interviewed of all the men she accused.
“We gave her multiple opportunities to provide further explanation or information to us, after interviews with the men and subsequent evidence uncovered didn’t align with her first recollection, as we understand that trauma can impact how victims and survivors recount their experiences.
“Ultimately, as the evidence continued to demonstrate that the reports were untrue, coupled with the desire for justice from some of the men who had been falsely accused, it was right that we followed the evidence and pursued the individual who had actually committed a criminal offence.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Major pop star CMAT pops up for surprise performance in Gay Village bar
Daisy Jackson
CMAT, one of the world’s hottest artists right now, popped up and did a surprise set inside a legendary Gay Village bar last night.
The Irish singer (who is a bit of an adopted Manc at this point) is about to play two massive sold-out shows in Manchester.
She’s set to play at the O2 Victoria Warehouse tonight and tomorrow, performing hits from her chart-topping third studio album Euro-Country.
But before that, it was a night out on Canal Street for CMAT, who stunned punters inside Via by hopping up on stage.
CMAT jumped on stage along with drag queen Ginger Hunter, resident queen Amy Laqueefa, and Dahliah Rivers and belted out a rendition of her smash hit single, Take A Sexy Picture Of Me.
The group – and the delighted audience – all joined her in nailing the choreography to the song too.
Sharing a couple of videos, Via wrote: “What a Night! Ireland’s Pop Princess @cmatbaby paid us a visit and gave us a very special rendition of Take a Sexy Picture! We love Cmat.”
She’d also been spotted earlier in the evening at Lily Allen’s West End Girl show at Aviva Studios.
Dahliah Rivers commented: “A fever dream!!! What a gorgeous evening”
Amy LaQueefa wrote: “Obsessed that CMAT wanted to come and get up with us tonight”
Fast-rising alt-pop favourite CMAT relocated to Manchester as a 17-year-old back in 2013 to pursue her career in music, and it’s fair to say the move turned out to be a positive one.
She’s supported the likes of Sam Fender, and played massive festival slots like Glastonbury last summer.
And now CMAT will head straight from the stage at Via to a much bigger platform, with two sold-out gigs at the O2 Victoria Warehouse on 11 and 12 March.
Emily Sergeant -
21st October 2024 
