Free thinking. Straight talking. Explore more opinion from the nation’s leading comment writers. |  | Laura Donnelly Health Editor | It’s a sobering reflection of an NHS in crisis.
New figures show a record 523,000 people left the UK last year to seek healthcare abroad – a 50 per cent rise in just two years. Hip replacements, cataract surgery, dentistry and cosmetic work are among the procedures driving the surge, with Turkey, Poland and Portugal among the most popular destinations. For some, this means dipping into life savings to escape pain or uncertainty; for others, it’s a gamble – taking a long-haul flight for an operation, and hoping it all goes well once they’re home. As one campaigner put it, it’s “a tragic situation driven by desperation”.
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, calls it “appalling” that hundreds of thousands are forced overseas for care that should be free on the NHS. He says Labour is “overhauling the system” to end what he calls a “two-tier” divide, with the expansion of millions more appointments and a clampdown on risky medical tourism.
My investigation examines the numbers behind the exodus – and what they reveal about the widening cracks in Britain’s healthcare system. It’s a story about waiting lists, but also about trust – and whether patience is running out.
Read the full story here ➤ |  | Isabelle Fraser Deputy Money Editor | The scramble to live near the best state schools has intensified following Labour’s VAT raid on private school fees.
The exodus of pupils from independent schools and the soaring cost of going private mean more families are competing for places at the top state schools – pushing up house prices in many of the most popular catchment areas, even as the wider property market turns sluggish. The deadline for applying to secondary schools looms at the end of this week, bringing these tensions to the fore.
Clusters of top-performing state schools tend to be in the most expensive parts of the country, but there are exceptions to the rule. We have found the best places to live across Britain with both affordable homes and great schools.
To do this, we asked researchers at Savills estate agency to crunch the numbers. They used academic data from SATs and GCSEs to find the areas with the most standout schools. They also analysed where parents have a better chance of getting their children into one of these institutions, rather than being placed in a low-performing school.
They then cross-referenced that with locations where average house prices are below the regional average, offering pockets of value. The neighbourhoods we’ve highlighted are also near employment hubs, have lots of open space and offer plenty to do for all the family. We’ve looked across Britain, at overlooked locations and hidden gems, to find some new family favourites in every region of the country. Will one of these places be your next move?
See the full list here ➤ | | Kamal Ahmed The soft Left always finds being righteous easier than being right
Kamal will be in the comments at 10am Continue reading ➤ James Frayne Nigel Farage is Reform’s greatest strength – and biggest liability Continue reading ➤ Rowan Pelling We have all lost our minds over Paddington Continue reading ➤ | Get the full experience. Unlock our award-winning website, app and newsletters. | | Katie Lam MP is the former comprehensive school head girl that some in the Conservative Party are tipping to be the future head girl of the country. Mick Brown spends a day with the 34-year-old as she drives around her Weald of Kent constituency and fields questions from residents. She is as informed and impressive talking about local traffic problems as she is on immigration and grooming gangs in Parliament. She also drives very fast. But where she is heading – and how quickly she gets there – remains to be seen. Continue reading ➤ | | | Most people, even my own family, view cholesterol as just a number that needs to be managed if it is “red” on their blood test results, writes Prof Riyaz Patel, a consultant cardiologist. But there’s plenty you can and should understand before it gets to that point. Continue reading ➤ | | | A trip that delights the whole brood is tricky to find: fun kids’ clubs, menus for fussy eaters, activities to keep older children engaged, somewhere for parents to unwind. Luckily, the UK is home to some of the world’s greatest family hotels that get the formula just right. Continue reading ➤ | | | Steve McGuiness, 60, a Royal Mail employee of three decades, withdrew his workplace pension last October over fears the Labour Government would slash the tax-free pension lump sum. This year, he plans to do the same as he reinvests another of his pensions in Premium Bonds. Here, Telegraph Money speaks to fiscal doomsday preppers to see how they are preparing for the autumn Budget. Continue reading ➤ | | | Born in 1943 and evacuated from London as a toddler, the 82-year-old War Horse author reflects on a youth spent in the aftermath of the Second World War – and the lessons of optimism, curiosity and storytelling by which he still lives. Continue reading ➤ | | |
In Lily Allen’s new album, West End Girl, the singer paints an unflattering picture of an open relationship gone horribly wrong. Who is her ex-husband and target of her acrimonious lyrics? | | Dark mornings, cold nights and wet weather will plunge almost one in 33 of us into the “winter blues”. However, nutritious meals can play a huge role in supporting our mental health as the season changes. From dark chocolate to salmon, one dietitian shares her favourite foods to boost your mood. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more articles I hope you will find helpful today: - The clocks have changed, so can a £229 alarm clock help you up on winter mornings? Telegraph Recommended tested the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750 DAB to see if it was worth the money.
- Fed up with stiff, scratchy towels? Here is how to wash yours for hotel-quality softness.
|  | Matt Pritchett | Hello,
This week, we have a lone drinker to caption. I’m excited to hear your thoughts.
We also have our winner from last week below.
What is more British than Paddington Bear complaining about the upcoming autumn Budget? Hats off to John Wood for this winning submission.
As always, I’ll be answering your questions on the Your Say page, so please enter some for me!
PS, for an inside look at what inspires my weekly cartoons, you can sign up for my personal subscriber-exclusive newsletter here. | A match made in hell Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
As part of my job I am duty-bound to provide a fair hearing for opinions with which I disagree – opinions, in some cases, that disturb me so deeply I shudder at the mere thought of them.
I have written before about my aversion to mixing sweet and savoury foods (with an honourable exemption for Stilton and apple) and the practice is once more being advocated on the Letters page. Discussing how to make the perfect bacon butty, David Reynolds recommended adding “a thin layer of orange marmalade, which goes beautifully with unsmoked streaky.”
Well, I was doubly offended by this – because I don’t much like marmalade either (possibly a sackable offence for a Telegraph Letters Editor). It’s not that I haven’t tried; I really have. But after enough grimacing to permanently alter some of the muscles in my face, I was forced to admit defeat.
Still, readers must be heard. “I wonder if anything can’t be improved with a little orange marmalade,” wondered Tim Bochenski. “Hot cross buns, perhaps?”
No, replied Bruce Denness, “marmalade can indeed improve even the most delicious hot cross bun if it is first halved, toasted and spread with butter.”
Peter Barnett added: “I bake beetroot with orange marmalade. Very tasty.” And Mark Smith brought the conversation full circle: “Having endured boarding school food for 10 years, I find that a good dollop of marmalade added to bland sausages, sliced lengthways, is a treat.” It’s safe to say that I won’t be trying any of these at home. Or… do I need to grow up? If you have a sweet/savoury recipe that could make a convert of me, I want to hear it. Send your suggestions here, and the most persuasive will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here. | Plan your day with the telegraph | Set your alarm to catch up with journalists on the Your Say page and listen to their analysis on our latest podcasts.
| | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
The solution to yesterday’s clue was NESTS. Come back tomorrow for the answer to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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