Despite reports of skyrocketing ADHD diagnoses and medication shortages, only 10% of adults in England actually take an NHS prescription for the condition. Why are medication rates still so low? 6g4t3b

Over the past decade, reports of ADHD diagnosis rates soaring, prescription medication shortages, and years-long assessment waiting lists have been constant.

Yet behind the headlines is a stark reality: only 10% of people with ADHD in the UK actually take a prescription for the condition.

People said they didn’t want to ‘rely on chemicals’ to live their lives, and revealed being scared that a prescription for ADHD would make them ‘lose their spark’.

What is ADHD and how can it be medicated? 2t3l26

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behaviours that can interfere with daily life and development.

NHS England prescribes central nervous system stimulants and drugs to some patients diagnosed with ADHD to combat their symptoms.

These include methylphenidate hydrochloride (commonly branded as Ritalin or Methylin), lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (commonly branded as Vyvanse and Elvanse), dexamfetamine sulfate, atomoxetine hydrochloride, and guanfacine.

The latest NHS report on drugs used for ADHD from October-December 2024, published in March this year, revealed a clear increase in prescriptions for ADHD patients over the last ten years.

The number of patients taking an ADHD prescription at the end of 2024 was 248,012 – nearly triple the 2015 figure of 84,375.

But compared to the 2.6 million estimated by the ONS to have the condition in the UK, this figure remains small, with nine out of 10 people with ADHD therefore not taking a prescription.

Women, older people, and those living in low deprivation areas in England had the lowest rates of NHS ADHD prescriptions last year, whilst young boys and those in high deprivation areas were the most prescribed demographic.

Boys aged 10-14 made up nearly 20% of the overall total taking an NHS prescription for ADHD, whilst men on the whole made up almost two thirds.

Why are people hesitant? 4o1h1h

People with ADHD in England explained why they were hesitant to take a prescription. They listed a fear of losing their ‘spark’, restrictive lifestyle changes accompanying some drugs, hesitancy about the potential side effects, and years-long waiting lists to get an NHS prescription.

Molly was diagnosed with ADHD aged 27 privately after waiting two years on an NHS waiting list, and has taken Lisdexamfetamine for over a month.

While the medication has helped her organise her daily life, she felt that others might be reluctant to take a prescription because of the side effects and lifestyle changes required when taking certain CNS stimulant chemicals.

She said: “I think one reason why people are scared of taking medication is because of all of the stuff you can’t do, or have.

“With lisdexamfetamine for example you can’t have any Vitamin C in the morning, you have to eat before you have it, you can’t do strenuous exercise for two hours after taking it, it can make you feel quite sick if you have it on an empty stomach, and you’re not supposed to drink with it.

“I can imagine these are things that people diagnosed as adults wouldn’t want to do.”

Molly also explained the side effects from her prescription, which included higher blood pressure, queasiness, and insomnia if taken too late in the day.

She added that the concentration the prescription enables can also be a double-edged sword.

“It can go either way, because you can be focused on the wrong thing,” she said.

“One day, I spent the whole day packing and tidying my room, but this was on a day when I was supposed to be working!”

Others felt they were not fully informed by their doctors before taking the prescription.

Kirsty Holden, 38, is an ADHD coach and was diagnosed with ADHD in April 2024 by the NHS.

She began taking a prescription of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Elvanse) in January this year, and now combines it with dexamfetamine sulfate (Amfexa).

She said: “The biggest thing for me is the lack of or direction around the medications – if I had been told that there will be things I will likely need to change slightly, that there are difficulties this will help with but that you also need to be open to switching strategies up, then I’d have gone into it a little less blind.

“It’s like I was effectively starting from scratch and re-learning things about me that I’d already processed or dealt with and found strategies for.”

Holden added that while the prescription has helped her with focusing, emotional regulation and binge eating, it is not a ‘magic pill’ and her partner had initial concerns about her taking it.

She said: “I could tell that my husband was scared about me losing my spark. I wasn’t worried though; I needed help!

“But I do feel it does affect it a little bit – the higher the dosage I went on the more boring and just ‘not bothered’ I became, which is not like me.

“It wasn’t and isn’t a magic pill.’”

Gender breakdown r5r33

Men made up nearly two thirds of the total identified NHS patients taking ADHD prescriptions on the NHS last year, with a total of 150,599 on a prescription compared to 97,188 women.

Whilst it is widely believed that ADHD in women and girls is under-diagnosed in England, there is not enough data or research currently to know for certain why.

The NHS states: “ADHD is thought to be recognised less often in girls than boys, perhaps because girls with ADHD more commonly have inattentive symptoms and these can be harder to recognise.”

Molly felt that women may be more hesitant to take the prescription because they often have other medications and health concerns to deal with.

She said: “I think a big thing among people not taking ADHD medication is the worry that it’s going to have other mental health side effects, especially for women as I wonder if the medication that you get is different from men.

“I know lots of my friends are trying to come off the contraceptive pill and stuff. Women have had lots of chemicals in our bodies for a long time, so they’re more reluctant.’”

Molly also felt that her gender contributed to her late diagnosis. Her ADHD symptoms exhibited differently to her brother’s, who was diagnosed with ADHD much earlier, at age 12.

She said: “My doctor thought it wasn’t noticed in me for so long because I was compared to my brother who had the classic male symptoms such as always moving, not sitting still and bouncing off the walls.

“Whereas mine manifested in more talkative behaviours, just being disorganised, and jumping around the creativity that feeds into me now as an adult.’”

Age analysis q274u

The latest NHS data showed that younger people had far higher rates of ADHD prescription than older people, with 56,035 10-14yr olds taking a prescription for ADHD last year compared to just 7,730 50-54yr olds.

Among those prescribed a CNS stimulant for ADHD by the NHS last year were also 18 infants aged 0-4 and 31 patients aged 90 and above.

But the demographic, by age and gender combined, with the highest rates were adolescent males, with 43,253 10-14yr old boys taking a prescription for ADHD in England last year, making up 17.4% of the patient total.

Those who had been diagnosed with ADHD later in life frequently said that since they had learnt to cope with the condition without a prescription thus far, they saw little need to start taking one as an adult.

Tess Eagle Swan, 61, was diagnosed with ADHD in April 2010 through the NHS.

She said: “I have never taken meds for it and never would.

“I have coped for many years now and have special tools to manage it.

“I do not want to be dependent on chemicals to manage life. Learning to accept who I am and how I am has been empowering. I have many strengths with ADHD.’”

But other adults have said that a prescription has been life-changing.

By deprivation index 481i5p

The data also uncovered a higher prescription rate for NHS patients with ADHD living in areas with the greatest deprivation levels (according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation [IMD]).

The highest deprivation areas had 51,885 patients taking an NHS prescription for ADHD, compared to 49,073 patients living in areas with the least deprivation.

The most prescribed drugs 1m250

The drug prescribed to the most patients was methylphenidate hydrochloride (commonly branded as Ritalin or Methylin), which was prescribed to 145,509 NHS patients last year. This was followed by lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (branded as Vyvanse or Elvanse) taken by 72,867 patients, and dexamfetamine sulfate, which was prescribed to 17,444 patients.

Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

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The planned takeover of Telegraph Media Group & The Spectator by UAE backed Redbird IMI has caused a stir in the British media in recent months.

The notion of a major media outlet being purchased in-part by the UAE, who have a poor record on press freedom, has raised questions over Emirati influence, impartiality and editorial independence.

Redbird IMI, a consortium of Redbird Capital, an American investment management firm, and International Media Investments (IMI) of Abu Dhabi, outflanked rival bidders by agreeing to repay the debts of the original owners (the Barclay family) in a £1.2bn ‘debt for equity’ deal.

IMI, headed by UAE vice-president and Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is funding approximately 75% of the £600m purchase, with Redbird staking 25%.

The takeover was halted in November when the Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer, issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) to Redbird IMI, triggering investigations by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom.

Redbird IMI tried to restructure their acquisition, using RB Investico ltd, a company wholly owned by Redbird IMI, for the takeover.

A further PIIN was issued to RB Investico ltd in January.

Frazer cited concerns over foreign state influence and censorship, given the UAE’s domestic interdict on criticism of the government/royal families, and imprisonment of their critics.

It’s important to note that IMI is an extension of the UAE state.

A source who was a journalist in Abu Dhabi described to me the censorship reporters work under.

Any criticism of the government, their work, and their perspective is banned. Criticism of foreign states friendly with the UAE, including China, Russia and India is banned too.

The source said: “Everything in Abu Dhabi, everything in the United Arab Emirates, is at least in part state owned.

“The state, with all its power, influence, and oversight, is enmeshed in every aspect of its citizens’ – and its visitors’ – life.”

This is evident in the blackout of reporting on migrant worker conditions in the region.

There are few stories about governmental failure or embarrassment.

Public interest is different when viewed through the prism of a tribal autocracy that values social cohesion and national reputation above pretty much everything else.

Freedom of speech isn’t enshrined in law and there are no democratically elected officials with a debt of ability to their electorate.

The ruler of Dubai, and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, inflicted “exorbitant” domestic abuse upon his ex-wife, Princess Haya, according to Sir Andrew McFarlane, England’s most senior family court judge.

Details of their divorce, custody battle and the Sheikh’s treatment of his wives[sic], go unreported in the UAE.

The source continued: “There is no freedom of speech, no freedom to remain within the country, no freedom of movement.

“I was told ‘just drop it’ when trying to cover a story that reflected poorly on a UAE ally…stories were dropped for political reasons.

“We were told that issues like domestic violence, sexual assault and drug abuse ‘didn’t exist’ in the UAE…you couldn’t report on them.”

They continued: “After I left, the [title they worked for] was taken over by IMI.

“I heard from friends and former colleagues that things got worse.

“Where before you could report on tough subjects, as long as it reflected well on the UAE, now they are dismissed out of hand.”

This shows that IMI is not a more lenient, westernised organisation.

It’s as censorious as any predecessor.

Western journalists in the UAE are afforded some protection from their ports.

Should they overstep the mark, they are deported.

UAE nationals are not so fortunate; there are countless examples of bloggers and tweeters being sentenced to years in jail for criticising the powers that be. Others are simply detained incommunicado.

The laws allowing this are guised as protecting national unity and social cohesion.

They are exercised ruthlessly and often, meaning journalists who know what’s best for them choose to self-censor.

Is a state that uses these tactics to instil fear and obedience really fit to own The Telegraph?   

Ownership of the British press is dominated by a small number of wealthy individuals, including Lord Rothermere and Rupert Murdoch.

They can exert editorial influence and push political agendas.

But crucially, they understand press freedom; they grew up with it, profited from it, and advocate for it.

Rival outlets can disagree with their perspective; they understand that a democratic system is strengthened by journalists working without fear or favour.

The Emirati rulers have never had press freedom. It’s as alien to them as gender equality or gay rights. Theirs is a government incapable of being held to .

The chief executive of IMI, Rani Raad, claims that UAE ownership would lead to unrivalled investment, in a sector that is more accustomed to job losses and spending cuts.

He cited 8,000 redundancies in journalism throughout the UK, Canada and the US last year, and claims that the UAE can reverse the tide.

Fellow proponents of the IMI takeover argue that Britain has already sold much to the Middle East, so what difference will a few papers make?

Saudi Arabia own Newcastle United and Sheffield United football clubs.

The Ritz is owned by Qatar, the Savoy by Saudi Arabia.

The UAE own Manchester City FC, and swathes of property in Mayfair, Kensington and Knightsbridge, postcodes outwith the reach of most Londoners, pushed further by the influx of Middle Eastern cash.

This isn’t a defence for allowing the British media to be purchased too.

Pervasive foreign ownership of national institutions shouldn’t excuse the sale of more institutions.

It should make us question the status quo; London has consumed Dirhams and Riyals like smarties, to the detriment of its inhabitants.

Homes lie empty, now owned by wealthy foreign speculators, predominately from Russia, China and the Gulf.

These foreign investors soon graduated to buying Hotels and Premier League football clubs.

The UAE have been a considerable part of this corporate raiding.

It would be wrong to condemn foreign investment, and its large contribution to the UK economy.

But the step into media is more questionable.

The UAE is making the step.

They’ve purchased All3Media, the UK’s largest independent TV production group, for £1.15bn.

Now they’re trying to expand into historic papers and magazines like The Telegraph and The Spectator.

Are they really investing in media?

Does a prudent ‘investment’ involve outbidding your competitors as prodigiously as they have?

It’s obvious that All3Media and Telegraph Media Group are worth considerably more to the Emiratis than anyone else.

It’s worth more because it buys them influence. Influence that can only harm a free press and a liberal democracy.

International Media Investments were approached for comment but did not respond. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not respond for comment.

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The British Retail Consortium said growing shop prices reflect the impact of energy costs, the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 lockdown in China. 

With a growth of 2.7% increase on prices, the highest since September 2011 and up from 2.1% in March. We have families in this country (the sixth-largest economy in the world) choosing between eating or paying rent on their houses.

“People are seeing their wages fall, fuel and food costs rise, and families are worried about how to make ends meet.” said Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden.

It doesn’t make it easier when someone like George Eustice, the environment secretary, says: “Generally speaking, what people find is by going for some of the value brands rather than own-branded products – they can actually contain and manage their household budget.”

If only it was that simple, going for a value brand to save money, the economic crisis is fixed! Seriously, being told by the environment secretary to just shop in Aldi and you will be saved is ridiculous, out of touch and quite frankly offensive.

Food prices grew by 3.5% in the year to April, up from 3.3% in March. The Bank of England has warned that inflation – which reached 7% in March – could exceed more than 8% this year.

Boris Johnson was asked on good morning britain what 77-year-old viewer Elsie should do, as she has cut down to one meal a day, and keeping warm by sitting on buses all day.

These kind of stories break my heart and I find it hard to fathom that this is happening up and down this country. Almost a quarter (23%) of adults reported that it was ‘very difficult’ or ‘difficult’ to pay their regular household bills in March compared to a year ago.

Why is there a crisis?

There has been talk that the current crisis is a direct result of the war in Ukraine. But while this is an important factor, there are many other causes that have contributed, according to forbes advisor, these are the following reasons,

• Covid-19
• Weather
• Economic resurgence
• Regulation
• Environmental concerns
• Power stations 
• Supply chains
• Agriculture
• Commodity prices

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The war in Ukraine has dominated news headlines with haunting images of a broken nation since Russia’s invasion on February 24th. 

Over the past month President Zelensky has addressed governments and organisations across the globe, even international events such as the Grammys, in order to spread awareness of the political atrocities taking place in his homeland. 

Yet the success of the Ukrainian resistance is ultimately credited to the resilience of its people. 

Western sanctions implemented against Russia and its citizens have failed to weaken the Kremlin’s offensive forces. Yes, isolating Putin’s economy and his ability to engage with the Western world wields undoubted advantages. However the real attention needs to be diverted to how we can remove Russian forces from Ukrainian soil.

Zelensky even addressed the United Nations Security Council to what seemed to be the one hundredth plea for tougher imposed Russian sanctions. He demanded a ban on the purchase of Russian oil, in addition to the complete isolation of the Russian banking system. 

This speech was delivered after the US, UK and EU presented their latest round of sanctions, which included a ban on new investment in Russia, freezing of assets in big Russian banks, and further measures against powerful individuals.

The repetition of the leader turned fighter’s request was one which we’ve seemed to hear like an audio groundhog day. This isn’t to criticise the work of Zelensky –  in fact it’s quite the opposite. 

Historically, Ukraine has been a geographical crossfire in a proxy war between the West and Russia. To use a lighter example it’s similar to a pair of divorced parents fighting over the custody of their child. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 was a Westernised nightmare, and now this war is forcing the West’s hand: how far will they go to protect Ukraine from falling to Russian control?

Daniel Treisman wrote an article in 2016 contradicting the notion that Crimea was executed out of spite regarding Ukrainian-NATO relations. He wrote that ‘the biggest problem with the theory that Putin seized Crimea to stop Ukraine from ing NATO is that Ukraine was not heading toward hip when Putin struck’. So what does this say about the West’s ‘dedication’ to protect Ukraine? Are we seeing a repeat of the same political song and dance?

The post COMMENT: How understanding the relationship between Ukraine and the West is more important than ever appeared first on South West Londoner.

I’ve lost track of how many weeks it’s been since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. 

I’ve lost track of how many Ukrainian and Russian people have been killed. I’ve lost track of how many Ukrainian’s have fled their country. It seems that the numbers just seem to keep on rising and they never stop. 

I’m reminded of another man who was intent on world domination and absolute control when I see Vladimir Putin. The two men have some things in common.

The only differences between these two men are their nationalities and that one proudly wore a Nazi symbol whilst the other took the Nazi symbol and used it as a form of propaganda. Let’s make no mistake, they are one and the same.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t surprising, in fact it was always going to happen, it was obvious. 

We must not blame the Russian people. In Russia, propaganda is rife with no truth being spoken. The Russian people are being conditioned to believe that their dictator is on a mission to free the Ukrainian people from Nazis. 

Those who know the truth and speak up are being silenced. The country lives in a bubble, with its people still believing they are connected to the rest of the world when they aren’t. The Russians I have met have the kindest hearts. Most Russian people who are aware of this war and what is driving it will agree with this. 

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Is courage the first thing you think of when you hear the word Tourettes? It might be after watching Born Different.

The episode I’m Accused of Faking my Tourette’s focuses on teenager Nicole and her family, whilst they deal with her new diagnosis of Tourettes and Functional neurological disorder. 

Nicole  explains her Tourettes began when she was 14 and that subsequently her life is now very different, for example she now can’t try certain things but she tries not to think about it. 

She its there are moments when she’s scared because she doesn’t know what her tics will do nor when they will strike and she describes it as someone is taking over her body and she can’t control what she says or does. 

Nicole also states it feels like someone shaking a can of soda until it pops and fizzes over and started to develop tics 16 months prior.

Her mum said it literally happened overnight and she was worried because she didn’t know what it was. They point out that most people assume Tourette’s is shouting expletives but it’s more complex than that, with physical movements such as Nicole yanking her own hair, punching her chest and scratching her hands. 

The tics involving movement are so severe Nicole tries to find ways of stopping herself getting hurt. Her tics involving her speech include her saying she’s Madeleine McCann, whistling and saying “haha”. Her tics have even caused her to be rude to her friends.

Furthermore, Nicole’s Tourette’s has caused her to have FND, Functional Neurological Disorder, where her hands and feet lock. In Nicole’s case the FND comes into play during her Tourette’s, as if it’s trying to restart her brain.

Nicole discusses her decision to her Tourette’s to TikTok, stating when she began ing she received a lot of but she is also unfortunately trolled by those who believe she’s faking her condition for attention. 

The impact of Nicole’s videos have meant she has received messages from fans stating she made them feel more comfortable with their own diagnosis of Tourette’s.

Overall, Nicole is a courageous young woman and I highly recommend watching this episode.

The post COMMENT: Born Different breaks down stereotypes of Tourette’s  appeared first on South West Londoner.

Just as in the 1990s, when the Government told everyone to buy diesel cars to save the planet, now people are being told to buy electric.

But, with diesel cars proving to be more harmful than petrol cars, releasing 13% more CO2 emissions per litre of fuel, is history repeating itself?  

With one-third of the UK’s carbon emissions coming from transport, of which the largest contributor is the private car sector, the Government landed on a solution: electric cars.

In November, it was announced that combustion engine cars would be banned from 2030, with the cited aim to achieve a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

And last year alone, 100,000 zero-emission electric vehicles were ed, totalling 150,000 purely battery-powered and 185,000 plug-in hybrid EVs in the UK.

Electric vehicles are favoured for one significant reason: they do not pollute the air with CO2 emissions, unlike combustion-based engines that exist in cars powered by diesel and petrol.

And unlike hydrogen-fuelled cars, which have an explosive possibility, EV batteries, contrary to popular belief, are less likely to catch on fire than gasoline.

But, whilst EV don’t release any exhaust fumes, they do produce emissions from brake, tyre and road surface wear called Particulate Matter.

These particles, known as PM10 or PM2.5 are connected with extreme health conditions such as asthma, lung cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s, and can also affect the lives of unborn children if inhaled by pregnant women.

As well as being bad for human health, tyre wear is also the largest source of microplastics that go on to pollute rivers and seas.

With EV an average of 24% heavier than conventional car counterparts, its non-exhaust emissions are actually already greater than those of petrol or diesel cars.

And, because electric cars are so cheap to run, another concern is more people will drive, resulting in a further increase of congestion and non-exhaust emissions.

In fact, the Department of Transport models that when we have 100% EV ownership, there would be a 51% increase of people driving over taking public transport, without including the 17% traffic increase predicted by 2050.

Moreover, even though the 17 Rare Earth Elements (REE) needed to build EV batteries are no longer rare, with all of them over 200 times more abundant than gold, their mining process still releases toxic compounds that are hazardous to health.

Compounding this, cobalt, a key part of batteries, is largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo, from mines that are known to exploit child labour and violate human rights.

And after a decade or two of use, most batteries are thrown away with only 20% of materials being recycled at fewer than a dozen facilities globally.

Whilst the impact of battery production is offset within two years of driving, based on an EU average, the manufacturing process is still less than green.

Worse still, electricity itself, a clean fuel, is often generated in coal fire power stations, so even before the car has been turned on it has already generated carbon emissions.

One estimate even found that the carbon emissions produced in building each average-sized electric car equates to driving it for 150,000km, with the US Union for Concerned Scientists stating these are emissions are 15% higher than for an equivalent gasoline vehicle due to the need for light, high-performing metals.

Of course, EV are still better than the combustion-fuelled petrol and diesel cars that dominate roads in the long-term, but according to Transport for Quality of Life analysis if the Government goes ahead with plans to spend £27bn building new roads for EV, 80% of carbon savings will be cancelled.

And with their pledging of £1.3bn to accelerate roll-out of charging points and £500m to aid development of mass-scale battery production, it seems they aren’t tackling private car dependency at all but facilitating its modernisation.

And because every 1% shift in car ownership to electric reduces tax revenue by £300m, in an effort to recapture this lost revenue, dynamic road pricing will likely be introduced.

So, when communities are battling over chargers, people are punished for driving less than 10 miles or driving on main roads at rush hour, EVs are disallowed to drive in Ultra Low Emission Zones for free and non-exhaust emissions are at their highest level ever, it will be very unclear suddenly how EV could ever be viewed as anything but a temporary solution. 

And, if private cars remain as dominant without an outstretch of public transport, then the inactivity crisis and social isolation that compounds society today will only continue.

As Environmental engineer Alexandre Milovanoff wrote in The Conversation, the real promise of EV is that they provide an opportunity to re-think our transportation infrastructure.

He wrote: “Simply put there are three ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from enger transport: avoid the need to travel, shift the transportation modes or improve the technologies.

“EVs only tackle one side of the problem, the technological one.”

The only way to lower our carbon footprint and reduce health and climate concerns is to reimagine car culture and improve public transport.   

You can read more about electric cars, and how Kensington & Chelsea is the borough leading the race to go electric, here.

Featured image credit: Dept of Energy Solar Decathlon

The post Why electric cars are not the answer to London’s carbon crisis appeared first on South West Londoner.

By Mary Nagle
August 25 2020, 21.25
Follow @SW_Londoner

Prisoners and of staff are calling for the relaxation of COVID restrictions in prisons in the latest report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

For many prisoners, restrictions mean being confined to a cell for 23 hours a day.

A report by the Chief Inspector published in April found: “The vast majority [of prisoners] were locked up for nearly the whole day with usually no more than half an hour out of their cells.”

The measures were initially undertaken to keep prisoners and staff safe from the virus in the highly contagious prison environment.

Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers Association (POA), said that according to Public Health England models, business as usual could have resulted in 2,700 prisoner deaths but that as of Friday 21 August, there had been 26. The service has lost nine prison staff.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons’ report notes: “Our visits identified increasing levels of stress and frustration among many prisoners and evidence that prisoner well-being was being increasingly affected by the continuation of restrictions.”

The report also questions whether the continuation of lockdown regime is necessary in all prisons.

It quotes a member of prison staff saying: “COVID-19 has had a far weaker presence than predicted. The restricted regime was designed to respond to the prediction.

“Isolation is widely recognised as damaging to mental health. The current restricted regime is unnecessary and damaging to those in our care.”

The report also discussed the toll that lockdown regime is having on prisoners’ mental health. It states: “There is now a real risk of psychological decline among prisoners, which needs to be addressed urgently.”

The report warned that restrictions have at times amounted to solitary confinement.

Kelly Flynn, the partner of a prisoner at HMP Wandsworth said her partner’s mental health has deteriorated since he was committed six months ago: “He sounds half-drunk, like he’s all spaced out. There’s nothing to do.”

Her partner is kept in a shared cell. The Prison Reform Trust stated: “Sharing a cell designed for one with another person for 23 hours a day, where you must eat your meals as well as go to the toilet, is not the mark of a humane and decent response.”

While prisoners and many staff call for restrictions in prisons to be relaxed, the Prison Officers Association s extending elements of the lockdown regime post-pandemic, especially with regard to how many prisoners are unlocked at one time.

Mr Fairhurst said that prior to lockdown, three or four staff were expected to guard an entire wing of 100 unlocked prisoners, putting staff and prisoners at risk and making it difficult to quell incidents.

He proposed that inmates should be unlocked in smaller groups of 25/30 with three or four staff supervising, as during lockdown. He said this would encourage improved prisoner-staff relations.

The POA’s approach also attempts to solve a problem which predates the pandemic.

Lockdown came at a time when assaults on prison staff and among prisoners were at an all-time high. Stress was the primary cause of sick leave and the service had trouble retaining staff.

One of the last early-day motions tabled before Westminster locked down in March was about the health and safety of prison staff.

A quote from a public sector prison officer read at the debate stated: “I have been in the service for over 20 years and I have never felt scared to come to work – but now I fear for myself and my colleagues.” 

Lockdown measures have changed this picture. Mr Fairhurst said: “The POA’s initial analysis has highlighted that assaults on staff and assaults prisoner-on-prisoner have reduced by over 50%.”

“We’re getting reports from every branch in the country that prisoners feel a lot safer.”

A reduction in violence is perhaps inevitable when prisoners are forced to spend 23 hours locked in a room alone or with one other prisoner. However recent HM Chief Prison Inspectors’ reports have not mentioned such a trend. MOJ statistics for the last quarter will not be available until October.

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By SWL Reporter
February 17 2020, 17.20
Follow @SW_Londoner

For those lucky enough to own a London home, the thought of selling and bridging a big financial gap to trade up can be, to say the least, daunting. London has already seen prices increasing fast this year so those trading up will see the gap between prices widening by the week.

But new research shows that for a small investment, the selling price of property can be boosted significantly – even small percentages can reap big rewards thanks to sky high London prices.

Jonathan Rolande, is a professional property buyer (yes, there is such a thing). His firm, House Buy Fast purchase and then re-sell hundreds of properties a year so he knows all about maximising price when it comes to selling.

We asked him about the research.

“Many improvements have a beneficial impact on prices” he explains, “but many are very disruptive, expensive and can even make a loss – if buyers don’t like your choice of new kitchen, they won’t pay any more for it. However, there are some really easy steps to take that have great results. More than a dated kitchen or worn carpets, issues like mould can deter buyers – in fact recent research shows 49% are put off by it and who can blame them? But fixing it can be a simple as using a weak bleach solution, repainting and ventilating properly. Hey presto, you’ve got 49% more buyers.”

But is it really so easy?

Jonathan says “Often yes. A lot of mould and dampness is self-inflicted, caused by cooking and showers and a lack of ventilation. However, if worried owners should get it checked out by a reputable surveyor or a firm like Cavitech-UK who’ll find out what the problem is and sort it. It could be anything from a blocked gutter to damp insulation in the cavity wall. Whatever the cause it can normally be rectified for anything from £20 to no more than £2000, quite a small outlay to attract potentially hundreds more buyers.”

And what else can sellers do to help boost their sale price?

“It’s been proved that buyers are increasingly checking EPC ratings and are turned off badly performing properties. This is especially the case if your home appeals to a buy to let purchaser who even won’t be allowed to rent it if falls below an ‘E’. Those properties in the top bands, A and B, get on average 8.6% more than homes in the D category – that’s a staggering £57,000! In London where the average house costs nearly £700,000.”

And according to the research, the energy saving price boost isn’t just confined to the sales market. Landlords could also see the value of their rental A or B category property increase by over 30% compared to lower grades.

So what Top Tips does Jonathan give to help close the price gap?

“Use common sense and a good estate agent. Different things work in different price brackets so your agent will be a great person to lean on for advice. But some things work come what may. Eliminate dampness, eco fittings where you can before you have your EPC carried out and whatever you do, don’t be tempted to use your old report – yes they last ten years but chances are it will be out of date. Change bulbs to LEDs and insulate – you’ll even save some cash whilst you’re waiting to sell plus you’ll be doing your bit to cut carbon.”

The post Why upsizers could be missing out on £1000’s appeared first on South West Londoner.

By Scarlett O’Malley
January 29 2020, 11.45
Follow @SW_Londoner

Since the vinyl boom of 2016, when for the first time ever vinyl record sales overtook those of digital s, it seems the music world has gone wax mad. 

I spoke to three reissue record labels to find out why more and more records are being reissued in their original form. 

A reissue record is a repressed vinyl, put out through different label than it was originally produced for, often re-released due to the rare and expensive status of the original.

Lewis from Deptford Northern Soul Club Records (DNSCR) said: “Initially it [the music] was made to be on a record so it seems right to have it as a record, rather than a .wav or CD.”

Lewis Henderson is one half of DJing duo, and label co-founder of Deptford Northern Soul Records, with Will Foot.

They started their label in 2019 and released their first single (A, Lester Tipton – ‘This Won’t Change’/ B, Edward Hamilton & The Arabians – ‘Baby Don’t You Weep’) in November and they have just released Candi Staton’s ‘Now You’ve Got The Upper Hand’.

When asked why they felt it was necessary to start a reissues label Lewis said: “I think because music is becoming very hard to find and the quality of the stuff when you can find it is very poor. It was also part of the evolution of our club night, it was just a thing we thought we had to do.”

It is very much the same for Dom Williams who is the founder of Miles Away Records.

Dom said: “As well as wanting to do it for a while I guess I felt like there was still a market for a new reissue label.

“Obviously there’s a lot of brilliant reissue labels around but I felt that I would frequently come across certain tracks that I’d love to have in my bag but couldn’t afford them or were out of print. So it felt right.”

Dom released ‘Patience’ by Rokk on February 4 2019, which sold all 500 copies within a matter of weeks and was featured on Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio 6 Music show. 

Dom said: “I think perhaps one of the reasons was that vinyl developed as a reaction to other methods of consuming music like streaming.

“I also think there’s something to having a record. The look, the feel, the sound quality is something tangible that could never be created through something online. 

“For younger people, often we can’t own a house, we can’t own a flat, perhaps there’s something in that. The only thing you have are your belongings really.”

Discs of Fun and Love was started by selectors Miche and Frederika who released their first single ‘This Is My Year’ by Rochelle Rabouin in October of 2019.

For the Discs of Fun and Love label duo, they had a similar reason to DNSCR and Miles Away Records for wanting to reissue vinyl records.

Miche said: “We launched the label with a desire to release exactly what we wanted to hear.

“Most of these songs seemed like they would be impossible to own, so we decided to relicense, remaster and repackage these tracks, learn the history and create a product that looks as good as it sounds.”

He added: “Labels are thriving in the modern era because of the amount of choice and quality. I don’t think I’d be playing these days if it weren’t for the music Athens of the North and Mr Bongo put in front of me!”

Athens of the North and Mr Bongo are two veteran reissue labels who in recent years have released rare records spanning sweet soul, Brazilian funk and jazz.

However, reissue labels haven’t flourished without controversies surrounding them.

A Twitter poll showed that while 62% of people would rather buy a cheaper reissue, 38% would still save to buy an original copy of a record that they wanted.

This came after an explosive Facebook status erupted into a very divided debate about whether reissue records were ‘allowed’ to be played out during DJ sets.

Matthew Bolton, a patron of the rare soul scene, said: “Don’t DJ on reissues for the sake of playing a record you can’t afford. There are millions you can afford and many of them can be the big tunes of tomorrow.”

He added: “From an older perspective I do feel that it’s a music that draws from the artifact of the original 45. I understand the younger perspective (I DJ to 100s of 18-21 year old every week) but really it’s a lazy way to go about things.

“The way I’ve always seen it, if we all go digital or play reissues then by the same token we should all be the best DJs in the world. Sadly life just isn’t like that.

“That’s why certain events exist. So that we can all go and hear those records in unison and appreciate them. Like going to church.”

This sentiment was backed by DJ John Dunne who commented: “Reissues can actually result in lazy DJs who depend on tunes broken by others rather than having the ion to go find cheap, accessible but no less brilliant unknowns.”

However, other DJs and music fans hit back with their rebuttals.

Reggae DJ Taylor Charlie Jack said: “Reissues are an excellent way of being able to enjoy and play out your favourite tune at an affordable expense.

“However also giving you an incentive to find the original to purchase to then sell the reissue. 

“Then when playing the original out, you get much more let’s say ‘job satisfaction’ and it keeps the snobs happy.”

Jazz FM presenter and DJ Anne Frankenstein said: “I can understand why they piss people off if they’re hoping to retire on some OG rarities in their collection but I think they’re brilliant.

“There’s so much amazing music in the world that’s inaccessible because it’s tied up in archives or only had a tiny limited release.

“Also great for artists who deserve credit to finally get it…and royalties too.”

When asked if they had received any backlash since starting their reissues label, Will of DNSCR said: “We’ve had no issues for our reissues label and we’ve been on soul source [an online soul music forum].”

Lewis and Will described their sound as remastered Black American music from the ’60s and ’70s that is hard, fast and loud. 

Records from these eras and genres are often the rarest and very expensive to buy if sourced.

Will agrees with Anne Frankenstein that reissue labels are essential in bringing music out from the archives.

He said: “I think it is necessary because records are being lost constantly.”

Dom Williams of Miles Away Records also believes that as long as reissues are done well with care and are just as good if not better than the original.

He said: “I can’t understand why anyone would be begrudging of this. I think that they’ll [reissue labels] continue to grow as there’s so much music out there which deserves to be heard by more people. Ultimately that’s what it’s about, isn’t it?”

The post Reissue labels: Why DJs and music lovers can’t get enough appeared first on South West Londoner.