Gary McKinnon extradition branded ‘disgusting’; GPs told to step up the swine flu vaccination; Second hospital exposed for failing patients

Gary McKinnon’s mother brands extradition of her son ‘disgusting’

The US wants to try 43-year-old Gary McKinnon, from Wood Green, north London, for what it calls the biggest military computer hack of all time. The mother of computer hacker Gary McKinnon has criticised the home secretary’s decision to extradite her son to the US as “disgusting”.

McKinnon, who has Asperger’s syndrome, is said to be at serious risk of suicide after Alan Johnson rejected a last-ditch attempt to prevent his extradition.

In a letter today the home secretary ordered McKinnon’s removal to the US on charges of breaching US military and Nasa computers, despite claims by his lawyers that extradition would make the 43-year-old’s death “virtually certain”.

Failing hospital: NHS rating system should be scrapped, says inspection chief

The system of rating the NHS should be scrapped in the wake of revelations about hundreds of avoidable deaths at one hospital, the head of the healthcare watchdog has said.

Baroness Young said that the current inspection regime which rates hospitals from “excellent” to “poor” was simplistic and should be replaced by a “much more sophisticated” process.

She also said that some informaton published by her own organisation was up to 18 months out of date and acknowledged that cleanliness ratings could not always be relied upon.

Young teacher, 26, hanged herself after being accused of helping pupils cheat in GCSEs

A young teacher hanged herself days after being suspended amid claims she helped pupils cheat in French GCSE exams, an inquest heard.

Vanessa Rann, 26, was also under investigation for inviting 16-year-old pupils to a party at her home to celebrate the end of term.
She also feared the head of the French Department at Grange School in Warmley, Bristol, Francesca Alcock, was trying to ‘force her out’ of her job.

GPs told to step up the swine flu vaccination

Family doctors have been told to step up the national swine flu vaccination campaign after the largest weekly increase in deaths linked to the virus.

About a million people in England who are in “at-risk” groups were immunised in the first month of the programme.

This is still only about one in ten of those most at risk, and although David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, described it as “very good”, he said that he wished it were better.

Second hospital exposed for failing patients

A major hospital trust was today condemned for its poor patient care and had its chairman removed from his post – a day after another trust was exposed for its high death rates.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust was found to be failing on waiting times, patient safety and leadership, health regulators said.

It comes after “systematic failings” in patient care were linked to the deaths of between 70 and 400 patients at Essex, Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust.

Read more on this story in The Times