United Utilities is among several water firms said to be facing legal action over claims it “underreported” incidents of sewage pollution.
The firm – which provides water and wastewater services right across the North West of England – joins five other water companies, Severn Trent Water, Thames Water, Anglian Water, Yorkshire Water, and Northumbrian Water, in potentially being taken to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
As well as the claims of “underreporting” of sewage pollution incidents, the six water firms have also been accused of overcharging customers.
The water companies – which are the six biggest in England – could end up paying over £800 million in compensation to more than 20 million customers nationwide, if the cases are successful.
The claims are being brought by Professor Carolyn Roberts, an environmental and water consultant represented by Leigh Day Solicitors, who is alleging that water companies have broken competition laws by misleading both the Environment Agency, and the regulator Ofwat – adding that the “underreporting” of the number of sewage discharges has resulting in customers being “unfairly overcharged” for wastewater services.
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Professor Roberts is also claiming that, had sewage discharge reporting been “accurate”, it would have lowered customers’ bills.
United Utilities facing legal action over claims it ‘underreported’ sewage pollution / Credit: Cristi Ursea | Silvan Schuppisser (via Unsplash)
Today’s claims against United Utilities and the five other major water companies follows claims from campaigners that the River Severn is the most polluted in the UK, who also estimated that waste was pumped into the waterway on 2,600 separate occasions in 2021, Sky News reports.
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The claims also follow growing public anger over sewage being pumped into Britain’s rivers and seas.
The public’s backlash to this is what prompted industry body, Water UK, to issue an unprecedented public apology earlier this year for not acting quickly enough on spills, and also lead the organisation’s chair Ruth Kelly to admitting that campaigners were “right to be upset” about the current quality of rivers and beaches.
This time around though, however, Water UK has described Professor Roberts’s legal action as “highly speculative” and “entirely without merit”.
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BREAKING: first environmental competition class action case launched on behalf of millions of UK customers overcharged by water companies. Read the full story here: https://t.co/fcynt6nnW7https://t.co/A6rNayWLEk
A spokesperson for the organisation said: “This highly speculative claim is entirely without merit. The regulator has confirmed that over 99% of sewage works comply with their legal requirements [and] if companies fail to deliver on their commitments, then customer bills are already adjusted accordingly.”
Zoe Mernick-Levene, who is a partner at Leigh Day Solicitors, argued on the contrary that these claims are “hugely significant”.
She continued: ‘Not only is compensation being sought for millions of customers who have and continue to pay higher water bills, but we hope that it will also send a message to water companies that they cannot unlawfully pollute waterways and mislead their regulators without consequence.
“Customers put their trust in water companies, believing that they are correctly reporting these spillages and appropriately treating the sewage so it can safely be returned to the environment.
“Instead, our client believes they are misleading their regulators and customers are overpaying while England’s waterways are suffering as a result.”
The claims are being brought on an opt-out basis, meaning all water bill payers are automatically a part of the case unless they actively choose not to be – but first, the Competition Appeal Tribunal will need to decide whether the claims can go ahead.
NHS releases list of first conditions set to be eligible for new ‘online hospital’
Emily Sergeant
The first conditions that are set to be eligible for video appointments via the new NHS online hospital have been revealed.
In case you hadn’t heard, back in September of last year, the Government has announced that the NHS would be setting up an ‘online hospital’ known simply as NHS Online – which will not have a physical site and instead digitally connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere across the country.
Ultimately, this means patients can be seen faster than normal, as teams triage them quickly through the NHS App and let them book in scans at times that suit them at centres closer to their home.
NHS Online – which will begin to see its first patients in 2027 – is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years, according to the NHS, which is four times more than an average NHS trust.
And now, the NHS has selected nine ‘common’ conditions which will be the first to be treated by the NHS Online service.
📲 Introducing NHS Online 📲
A new digital hospital will transform healthcare.
From 2027, you'll be able to get specialist care:
✅ straight to your home via the NHS App ✅ faster than a traditional hospital appointment ✅ wherever you live in England
Women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that can be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available for online referrals, as will prostate problems like prostate enlargement and a raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, along with eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
NHS Online will also provide support for other painful and distressing conditions, such as iron deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
So, how will NHS Online work then? Well, when a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for their specialist care instead, and then from there, they’ll be able to book directly through the NHS App.
Once referred to the online hospital, patients will have the ability to see specialists from around the country without leaving their home or having to wait longer for a face-to-face appointment.
The NHS has released a list of the first conditions set to be eligible for the new ‘online hospital’ / Credit: Nordwood Themes (via Unsplash) | rawpixel
If they need a scan, test, or procedure, then they’ll be able to book this in at a time that suits them at Community Diagnostic Centres closer to home.
Patients will also be able to track their prescriptions and get advice on managing their condition at home too.
“We’ve selected nine common conditions which the NHS Online service will initially provide support for when it launches next year, including some women’s health issues as well as prostate problems,” commented Professor Stella Vig, who is the National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England.
“We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK to ‘protect’ kids’ health
Emily Sergeant
Junk food advertisements are now banned on television before 9pm in the UK in a bid to help protect children’s health.
In what is being considered a ‘landmark’ move by the Government, as of today, adverts for less-healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm and online at all times, as part of world-leading action that is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, and reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.
It’s also expected that this ‘decisive’ action will deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.
According to the Government, evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat – shaping their preferences from a young age, and ultimately increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are overweight or living with obesity, and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK / Credit: Alan Hardman | Kobby Mendez (via Unsplash)
This change is part of a range of measures that the Government is taking to ‘lift children out of poverty’ and help give them the ‘best start’ in life – with other measures being the introduction of the Healthy Food Standard, and giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops opening outside schools.
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life,” explained Health Minister Ashley Dalton, as the junk food advert ban comes into force.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
Featured Image – Karolina Kołodziejczak (via Unsplash)
Emily Sergeant -
9th August 2023 
