NEWS

Staff crisis is putting patients’lives at risk

VULNERABLE mental health patients are not receiving vital support, leaving many at risk of suicide.

Alarming figures show tens of thousands of follow-ups with patients leaving inpatient facilities are not made within a critical 72-hour window.

The risk of suicide is highest on the second and third days after leaving a mental health hospital – that’s why the target of following up with at least 80% of people within three days after discharge was introduced in 2019.

That target has never been achieved in England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for rapid action to recruit and train staff in community mental health services.

DrAdrian James, President of the Royal College, said: “We simply can’t afford to let people fall through the cracks. ” UK/China breakthrough

EXPERTS in the UK and China have developed a “new and exciting” system that could help combat future pandemics.

Their computer software speeds up the process of creating new diagnostic tests for infectious diseases – and can also be used to identify the early stages of noninfectious diseases like cancer.

Professor Jon Cooper, at the University of Glasgow, said: “It is an exciting discovery, and suggests many potential applications. ”

Triple amputee shows what can be achieved with the right attidude . . . and support We all have mountains to climb, says Kilimanjaro hero . . . TOP MAN, ANDY!

JUST days after his remarkable achievements by scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, triple amputeeAndy Reid was thinking about his next fundraising challenge.

“I’d like to do some humanitarian work, possible something to help people in Ukraine, ” said the founder of the St Helensbased Standing Tall Foundation.

“But first I need a long rest and plenty of time to catch up with my wonderful family. ”

Andy Reid lost both his legs and arm after stepping on a bomb while out on patrol in Afghanistan 13 years ago.

He said: “I just wanted to show people what can be achieved with the right attitude and support.

“We’ve all got mountains to climb. I wanted to show what is possible – and to raise funds for our Foundation, which provides vital support for people with physical and mental issues. ”

During his gruelling two-week challenge, Andy had to keep changing his prosthetic limbs, which were causing great discomfort.

“I took with me lots of legs and a few arms, ” he said. “I had more legs than a

spider!”

It was the second time that he had scaled Mount Kilimanjaro: he did it 13 years ago to the day when serving in the army in Northern Ireland.

“Thirteen years ago, I did it, and now I have climbed the world’s highest single free-standing mountain again with two prosthetic legs and a prosthetic arm. ” n Standing Tall Foundation:

Tel. 07938 470238. info@standingtallfoundation.org.uk