NEW: Christmas Flu Cases Across England, an average of 2,676 flu patients were in hospital each day during the Christmas week – down 13% from the previous week It comes as the NHS is expecting the drop in temperature to increase pressures in the new year 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Loneliness Sport England's active lives survey suggests 7% of adults were often or always lonely in the two years to November 2024 @mind.org.uk said having people to "share the ups and downs of life with matters", with loneliness linked to poor health outcomes 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Low Emission Vehicles Ultra low emission vehicles were up by more than a third in a year in the UK, reaching nearly 2.5 million in June But @friends-earth.bsky.social said "more must be done" to ensure equal access to electric vehicles, especially for low-income households 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Stress and Anxiety Hospitalisations Hospital admissions resulting in a diagnosis of stress rose 22% in 2023-24, while admissions for anxiety increased 17% @nuffieldtrust.org.uk said the rise is a "continuation of a post-pandemic trend" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: NHS Deliveries Some 542,200 deliveries were recorded in NHS hospitals in the year to March, down 15% since 2015 Yet the proportion of births by caesarean increased from 27% to 45% over the past decade 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Superbug Cases Some 18,970 cases of C. difficile were reported in England in 2024-25, up 13% from 16,838 the previous year Meanwhile, new results from a survey of more than 1,000 staff across the UK found "worrying variations in awareness" of the infection within the NHS 🔗: app.radarai.com

This week's stories: • Food Hygiene Ratings • Road Closures, December 15 • Drug Treatment • Cost of Childcare • House Prices, October • Rent Prices, November • Flu Patients, December 14 • Weekly Petitions, December 19

NEW: Weekly Petitions, December 19 The top petitions this week include calls to scrap Digital ID cards; ban the sale of fireworks to the public; and to offer routine diabetes testing for babies and children 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Flu Patients, December 14 An average of 3,140 flu patients were in hospitals across England each day last week, up 18% from the previous week @nhsconfed.org said the NHS is in the early stages of a "long and difficult winter" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Rent Prices, November The average private rent in Great Britain was £1,377 per month in November. This was £57, or 4%, higher than 12 months ago @propertymark.bsky.social warned "there remains an unhealthy imbalance" between rental supply and demand 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: House Prices, October The average UK house price increased by 1.7% in the year to October Experts said "the only people likely to be celebrating are those moving up the property ladder and first-time buyers" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Cost of Childcare The hourly cost of childcare for a two-year old ranges dramatically across England - from £5.17 in Darlington, to £12.88 in Kensington and Chelsea @wearecoram.bsky.social said parents not in work miss out on much-needed Government support 🔗: app.radarai.com

We had a health-focused week as the NHS braces for a difficult winter @sonjatutty.bsky.social covered the first NHS situation report which showed an average of 1,717 flu patients were in hospital beds each day at the end of November – 56% higher than last year

NEW: Drug Treatment Some 8,900 people died while in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services across England between April 2022 and March 2025 @collective-voice.bsky.social said these people "are dying from causes other than directly substance use" 🔗: app.radarai.com

This week's stories: • Food Hygiene Ratings • Road Closures, December 8 • Alcohol Deaths • Flu Patients • Multiplication Tables • Homelessness at Christmas • A&E Performance, November • NHS Waiting Times, October • Active Children • Winter Pressure: Flu Patients • Weekly Petitions, December 12

NEW: Winter Pressure - Flu Patients The Health Secretary said a "tidal wave" of flu is tearing through the NHS as an average of 2,660 flu patients were in hospital each day last week It was a 55% increase from 1,717 flu cases the previous week 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Active Children The latest @sport-england-se.bsky.social Active Lives survey shows children are getting more exercise than ever before However, there were big differences across different ethnic and affluence groups 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Treatment Waiting Times, October Around 7.4 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of October, up slightly from September @nuffieldtrust.org.uk said progress on getting through the backlog has "stalled yet again", as the NHS comes under severe strain 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: A&E Performance, November Around 74% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, broadly in line with October Health experts have warned of growing pressures on hospitals across the country, who are dealing with very high numbers of flu cases 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Homelessness at Christmas New research by @sheltercharity.bsky.social estimates more than 382,000 people in England, including over 175,000 children, will spend this Christmas homeless The charity called for the end of the housing benefit freeze and more social homes 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Multiplication Tables Children with special educational needs are underperforming in the annual Year 4 multiplication test @naht.org.uk said the 'unnecessary' tests put some pupils at a disadvantage 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Flu Patients An average of 1,717 flu patients were in beds in England each day in the last week of November – up 56% from the same time last year @nhsconfed.org said it is "deeply worrying" the NHS will have to work around further strikes as pressure on services worsens 🔗: app.radarai.com

Our coverage last week was kicked off by @adamcare.bsky.social's analysis of bus journeys data, finding 80% of bus services in England last year ran on time.

NEW: Alcohol Deaths The number of deaths from alcohol-related and alcohol-specific conditions decreased slightly in England after record figures were reached in 2023 Alcohol Change UK, which works to reduce alcohol-related harm, warned the decline "is no cause for complacency" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Station Usage The busiest train stations in Britain have been revealed, as passenger journeys increased by 7%. @bettertransport.bsky.social said it was "cause for celebration" that more people are taking the train 🔗: app.radarai.com

📰 RADAR's stories this week: • Food Hygiene Ratings, daily • Road Closures, December 1 • Bus Journeys • Disability Employment • New and Closed Businesses • Fostering Households • Station Usage • Weekly Petitions, December 5 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Weekly Petitions, December 5 Parliament will consider debating a petition calling for a public inquiry into “Russian influence” in UK politics as it gains 111,200 signatures See what petitions are most popular in your area 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Fostering Households There were 33,435 mainstream fostering households in England at the end of March, a 10% fall since 2020-21 @fosteringcampaigns.bsky.social said the retention of foster carers "must be the Government’s priority" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: New and Closed Businesses Some 280,000 businesses shut their doors in the UK in 2024 It meant 9.8% of businesses closed, the lowest rate since 2016 While @britishchambers.bsky.social said the figures are "encouraging", it warned business confidence "remains low" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Disability Employment Just 55% of disabled people in the UK were in employment in the year to March, compared to 82% for non-disabled people @disrightsuk.bsky.social warned disabled people are still discriminated against across the economy and called for "real change" 🔗: app.radarai.com

📰 Our top stories from last week...

NEW: Bus Journeys The number of bus passenger journeys recorded in England has fallen significantly over the last decade – while buses have also got less punctual @bettertransport.bsky.social said "there is potential for buses to play a much bigger role" in the transport system 🔗: app.radarai.com

📣 A reminder of our stories on RADAR last week 👇 • Food Hygiene Ratings, daily • Road Closures, November 24 • Cyber-Flashing Crimes • Knife Crime Sentencing • Deaths in Poverty • Drug Offences • Weekly Petitions, November 28 • Asylum-Seeking Children 👉

📣 RADAR's stories this week: • Food Hygiene Ratings, daily • Road Closures, November 24 • Cyber-Flashing Crimes • Knife Crime Sentencing • Deaths in Poverty • Drug Offences • Weekly Petitions, November 28 • Asylum-Seeking Children 👉

NEW: Asylum-Seeking Children Across England, the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in council care fell by 12% to 6,540 this year. The Kent Refugee Action Network said young asylum-seekers "need to feel they belong" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Drug Offences Drug offences were up 18% across England and Wales last year While the new Crime and Policing Bill plans "tougher action on drugs", @transformdrugs.bsky.social warned evidence suggests "tough on drugs" approaches are ineffective 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Deaths in Poverty Research by @mariecurieuk.bsky.social found more than 100,000 people in the UK died in poverty last year The charity urged the Government to expand support so people do not spend their final months in "facing spiralling bills" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Knife Crime Sentencing Across england and Wales, the number of knife and offensive weapon offences formally dealt with by the courts has increased 24% over the last decade. The Ben Kinsella Trust said the figures "should concern us all" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Cyber-Flashing Crimes Nearly 4,000 cyber-flashing crimes have been recorded by police since it became an offence in January 2024 @evawuk.bsky.social said a greater focus is needed on holding tech platforms "that facilitate and profit from this abuse" accountable 🔗: app.radarai.com

Good morning, last week was another busy one for the RADAR team, with lots of new stories published to our wire 👋 Here's everything we've been working on 👇

📣 A reminder of our stories on RADAR last week 👇 • Food Hygiene Ratings, daily • Road Closures, November 17 • Upskirting • Transgender Hate Crime • House Prices, September • Rent Prices, October • A-level Results • Weekly Petitions, November 21 • Housing Wait List 👉

📣 RADAR's stories this week: • Food Hygiene Ratings, daily • Road Closures, November 17 • Upskirting • Transgender Hate Crime • House Prices, September • Rent Prices, October • A-level Results • Weekly Petitions, November 21 • Housing Wait List 👉

NEW: Housing Wait List Over 1.3 million households in England were on social housing wait lists as of March 31 – the highest number since 2014 @sheltercharity.bsky.social said successive governments have failed to build enough "genuinely affordable" social rent homes 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Weekly Petitions, November 21 A petition calling for digital ID plans to be scrapped remains the most popular parliamentary petition, with over 2.9 million signatures It gained nearly 7,000 more signatures in the past week and is set to be debated in Parliament in December 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: A-level Results The average A-level score increased slightly this year, although the average grade earned remained at B- @ascl-uk.bsky.social said the results come as "schools and colleges continue to battle against funding and staff shortages" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Rent Prices, October The average rent in Great Britain was £1,371 per month in October – up 5% on the year before @propertymark.bsky.social said persistent rental inflation "points to a system struggling to meet demand" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: House Prices, September The average UK house prices increased by 2.6% in the year to September, slowing from 3.1% growth in the year to August Experts said the figures "are unlikely to dampen hopes of a base rate cut in December" 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Transgender Hate Crime Police forces recorded 3,809 transgender hate crimes in the year to March – down 11% from the year prior But @notaphaseorg.bsky.social warned some hate crimes may still go unreported and called for more “respect, kindness, and patience” 🔗: app.radarai.com

NEW: Upskirting Some 473 upskirting crimes were recorded by police in the year to June, up 20% from 395 a year earlier @rapecrisis.bsky.social said the continued prevalence of upskirting is "deeply troubling" 🔗: app.radarai.com

Good morning, hope you all had a good weekend 👋 Here's a rundown of everything we published last week 👇