The reliable supply of drugs is fundamental to any healthcare system, yet shortages remain a persistent problem.

Disruptions arise from a range of causes: manufacturing failures, fluctuating demand, regulatory changes and wars. Around 60% of drug shortages are linked to manufacturing bottlenecks, while insufficient reserves of both finished products and raw ingredients continue to leave health systems like the NHS exposed.

The seriousness of the issue has prompted intervention at the highest levels. In the UK, a recent House of Lords report called for more strategic leadership on medicine supply, warning of inadequate oversight and a failure to treat shortages as a matter of national security, despite the clear risks to public health.

Existing government measures – including the National Supply Disruption Response protocol
– aim to mitigate the effect of these drug shortages. Pharmacists and GPs are allowed to dispense alternative medicines where appropriate, and doctors may avoid initiating new patients on drugs in short supply. These measures, however, manage scarcity rather than prevent it.

Compounding the problem is the reality that many patients remain on prescriptions they may no longer need. Under pressure, NHS services often lack the capacity to review and safely reduce medications. Such “de-prescribing” must be gradual to avoid withdrawal effects, meaning this potential reserve of medicines cannot be mobilised quickly enough to address shortages.

The UK’s reliance on overseas manufacturing, adds a further layer of vulnerability. A significant proportion of essential medicines are made abroad, often concentrated in a handful of countries such as India, Israel and Ireland. This lack of diversity leaves supply chains fragile, particularly in times of global disruption.

Recent shortages have affected a wide range of treatments, including Ritalin (methylphenidate), used to treat ADHD, propranolol used to treat angina, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure and anxiety, and medicines used in hormone replacement therapy, diabetes and epilepsy. There are about 120 drugs in short supply in the UK today.

Using equivalent drugs is not straightforward

GPs and pharmacists are empowered to use alternative medicines in a shortage. Some are structurally similar to the missing version. However, differences in how they are produced and how they are delivered in the body mean they aren’t necessarily equivalent.

For example, immediate-release versions of drugs produce sharper peaks and are cleared quickly by the body, leading to a rapid decrease in drug concentration levels in the blood. This creates gaps in symptom control, particularly overnight.

Extended-release versions, by contrast, provide more stable and consistent coverage. Although the total dose may be similar, differences in how the drug is absorbed can affect both how well the drug works and side-effects.

Patients are often on medicines for a long time – sometimes for life – and adapt to them specifically. Adding even a slightly different version is not necessarily tolerated and the patient may be faced with withdrawal or side-effects.

GPs and pharmacists need better information about which medicines can be used when supplies run short. They should discuss these options with patients so they understand what to expect.

Side-effects are easier to manage when patients know they are caused by the medicine, not by their condition getting worse or a new illness. Ideally, patients would receive an identical replacement, but this is not always possible.

Fixing drug shortages will take sustained investment in domestic manufacturing and genuine political will to treat the problem as a long-term priority. Where UK production isn’t viable, the NHS must urgently diversify their overseas suppliers.

In the meantime, frontline staff need the resources to navigate shortages confidently – and patients deserve clear, honest information about any changes to medication.

Located in the heart of Ancoats on Jersey Street Manchester, I was joined by six other participants on a Saturday afternoon, ready to get hands on and enhance my skillset.

(Image: Shutterstock)

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Gloria, a member of the COOK! team, who showed us to the kitchen area and offered us a complimentary drink.  I was immediately impressed with the bright, open space lined with individual workstations and well-stocked shelves lined with cookery books and crockery. 

Again, as someone who cooks a fair bit for myself and my wider family at home, I had never actually attempted Sri Lankan food before. I was intrigued – and admittedly slightly intimidated – by the recipes on the agenda for our three-hour session with tutor, Maz.

They included a rich pairing of Idiyappam (string hoppers) with Kiri Hodi (turmeric coconut gravy) and Pol Sambol, Kos Maluwa (jackfruit and cashew curry) and Vegetable Kottu Roti (a much‑loved Sri Lankan street-food favourite consisting of onions, carrots, cabbage, eggs, chopped roti, spices and aromatics).

Once we’d gone through the housekeeping rules and introductions, we pinned on our name badges, washed our hands, tied our aprons and took to our workspaces, which were well equipped with everything needed to whip up our dishes.

(Image: The Vegetarian Society)

Maz talked us through what to expect during the half-day session and the background of the recipes before we headed straight into mise en place, chopping and prepping our fresh vegetables, alongside other sundries which the team had already portioned out for us in advance.

The room began to fill with a heady mix of toasted spices as we eagerly began cooking.

Along with a tablet on our stations showcasing the full recipes and cooking instructions, Maz gave us regular demonstrations throughout as we cooked along in real time and her extensive knowledge really shone through.

We also learned a little more about the Vegetarian Society’s fascinating roots in the North West, how the team are helping to influence policy and how its mission has evolved from a Victorian campaigning group into a modern charity promoting sustainable, plant-based eating, giving the whole afternoon an added sense of place and purpose.

Making idiyappam – delicate rice flour string hoppers – was a particular highlight for me. After a few failed attempts before Maz kindly stepped in to help me, there was a quiet satisfaction in seeing neat coils of noodles appear in the steaming basket.

(Image: The Vegetarian Society)

It was fiddly but exactly the sort of thing I would never have attempted at home without someone there to show me how to balance the dough and use new equipment.

During the fast-paced class, I felt that Maz struck a good balance between demonstrating key techniques at the front and letting us get on with things at our own benches, providing a real sense of shared achievement.

Sitting down together to eat what we’d made was where the day really came together for me. Around the table, we compared notes on our favourite dishes and which recipes we’d make again.

As a vegetarian myself, the class felt like a rare chance to move beyond the usual rota of pasta bakes and bean chilli and really celebrate meat-free cooking in a different way.

I’m used to scanning menus when dining out and settling for the lone meat-free or vegan option, so standing in a kitchen where every pan, every recipe and every conversation started from a vegetarian or vegan perspective was genuinely refreshing.

It also reminded me why I chose this way of eating in the first place: not just for ethical or environmental reasons but because when it is done well, vegan and vegetarian food can be colourful, healthy and full of flavour – which is exactly what this class delivered.

(Image: The Vegetarian Society)

Knowing that the cookery school is part of the Vegetarian Society’s wider work – and that the fees help fund education and outreach to support people eating more plant-based food – made the experience feel just a little bit more meaningful than a standard cookery class.

It also reinforced the emphasis on accessibility throughout the day: alternatives were offered for people who were vegan (or those like me with minor health issues and wary of adding too much chilli) without making anyone feel awkward.

We were provided with recipes, along with leftovers, to take home and recreate the magic in our own kitchens, but I felt I’d gained more than just a few new dishes.

I’d learned how to handle ingredients that I’d never come across before, picked up practical tips I can use in everyday cooking – from toasting spice and flour to resisting the urge to constantly stir my curry rather than leaving it to slowly simmer – and had a enjoyable day out that would work just as well for a solo treat as it would for a birthday gift or date day.

They also offer an impressive range of other classes, from evening supper clubs and knife skills to street food offerings from around the word.

For anyone looking to broaden their cooking horizons – whether vegetarian, vegan or just veg-curious – this class offers an engaging, hands-on way to do it, with the bonus of supporting a long-standing local charity that has been championing plant-based food for generations.

COOK! with the Vegetarian Society, 15 Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6EZ

Tel: 0161 925 2000

Email: COOK!@vegsoc.org

Website: vegsoc.org/cook

The story of how this Jewish, Liverpudlian record-shop manager discovered and shaped the band that changed the world, and how they arguably abandoned him, is sketchily but over-literally reiterated by Wright. In the first scene, Brian explains to his fusty father that this new-fangled rock ‘n’ roll, epitomised by Elvis Presley, is “what’s happening, dad”. An angsty Teddy Boy arrives claiming Brian seduced him and demanding blackmail money. Right, yes, homosexuality is illegal. Got it.

Michael Carrick was appointed Manchester United interim head coach in January and has led the club to the brink of Champions League qualification

Former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is adamant Michael Carrick should be appointed permanent head coach at the end of this season. Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim on a temporary basis in January with the club struggling to keep pace in the race for the Champions League.

However, United have since gone on a brilliant run, winning eight of Carrick’s 12 matches in charge to put themselves close to qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Should they beat Brentford tonight, they will be 11 points clear of sixth place Brighton with only 12 points still to play for.

Lingard made 55 appearances for United alongside Carrick before the ex-midfielder became a coach for the Reds during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stint at the club. In an interview with BBC Sport, the current Corinthians midfielder insisted Carrick’s impact on the squad makes him the best candidate for the job.

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“I think they have come on leaps and bounds,” Lingard said. “Obviously it can be difficult with different managers coming in and having different ideas and different personnel. But I think now they are really on the right track with Michael. I know him from my Man United days, I know how he operates and the lads are doing really well under him.”

“I think so,” Lingard replied when asked if Carrick should get the job permanently. “He has the Man United DNA inside of him. He knows the ins and outs of the club. They are on the right track at the moment.

“The lads have taken to him really well. They are winning a lot of games, they will probably get Champions League this season which is amazing. So I think so, 100 per cent.”

Lingard was also asked whether Bruno Fernandes should be in the running for the Ballon d’Or this year. United’s captain has enjoyed a superb campaign producing 19 assists and eight goals as the Reds push for a place in the Champions League. The 33-year-old believes Fernandes, who he made 26 appearances alongside, deserves to be in the conversation for the coveted award.

“His performances for Man United this season have been extraordinary,” Lingard said. “He is three assists off [Kevin] De Bruyne’s record so for me he has to be up there, 100 per cent.”

Since moving to Brazil, Lingard has made eight appearances for Corinthians, including scoring the only goal in the 1-0 victory over Barra in the Copa do Brasil fifth round first leg last week.

Marseille head coach Habib Beye defended his decision to name Ethan Nwaneri on the bench for the side’s clash with Nice, claiming the forward needs to ‘give way more in his day-to-day commitment’.

Arsenal sent Nwaneri on loan to Marseille in January with a view to securing the 19-year-old regular first-team minutes after he had struggled to nail down game-time in the first half of the season.

The highly rated teenager – a product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy – enjoyed a dream debut across the Channel, doubling Marseille’s lead with a superb strike in the side’s 3-1 victory over Lens in Ligue 1.

But Nwaneri has failed to kick on in the intervening months, making just two further starts in the French top flight, with six of his nine league appearances coming off the bench.

The uncertainty and instability above Nwaneri at Marseille has done little to help the youngster’s situation either. Roberto De Zerbi left his role as manager just weeks after the attacker’s arrival, subsequently taking over the reins at Tottenham.

De Zerbi was replaced at Marseille by former Newcastle and Senegal defender Beye, who is still yet to hand Nwaneri a single start in any competition.

With Nwaneri starting on the substitutes bench for an 11th game in succession against Nice on Sunday, the newly appointed Marseille boss provided some insight into the reasons for his decision.

‘He’s a quality player, but he has to give us way more in his day-to-day commitment,’ Beye told L1+.

‘Other players gave way more.’

Nwaneri was left as an unused substitute in the contest, which ended 1-1 after Elye Wahi cancelled out Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s opener with a late penalty to silence Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.

The result ensured Marseille remained sixth in the Ligue 1 table, three points behind fifth-placed Rennes ahead of their trip to Nantes next weekend.

Nwaneri received a similarly strong warning from Beye at the start of the month after Marseille had suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Monaco.

‘Ethan has great qualities, he’s a great talent who needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1,’ Beye explained.

‘We saw that when he came on against Lille, he scored but when we analyse his performance overall there are still aspects of his game that need to be much stronger in terms of counter-pressing, his defensive efforts to win the ball back.

‘He seems like the ideal replacement in Mason [Greenwood]’s absence but we also have the opportunity to change our system and our playmaking, so we have several choices and choice with quality players.

‘Ethan is a young player who needs to understand, arriving at Marseille, he comes from the Premier League, from a big team in the Premier League but he also arrives in Ligue 1 at a very, very high level club and inevitably the adaptation takes a little time.

‘What’s very good is that he scored for the national team. Sometimes with the national team, you get playing time, and that’s very positive for us.’

Arsenal’s decision to loan Nwaneri out to Marseille has received some criticism amongst the fanbase, especially after Mikel Merino suffered a potentially season-ending foot injury.

‘When January came around, I had already stated players shouldn’t be going out on loan when we’re competing in all four competitions,’ ex-Arsenal and England full-back Nigel Winterburn told PariuriX.com when asked about Nwaneri’s departure on loan.

‘You keep them all unless a player is really asking to go out on loan. You don’t do anything. You never know what’s going to happen with the squad.

‘We let Nwaneri go out on loan and all of a sudden, Merino gets injured, so you need to be careful.’

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Plans to build up to 75 new homes on land off Back Road in Linton, Cambridgeshire, have sparked fierce debate

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Residents across Cambridgeshire have expressed firm opinions on proposals for new housing in Linton and surrounding villages, with the majority of remarks centring on congestion, parking availability, education facilities and GP surgeries. Some insist on reduced car dependency and improved public transport infrastructure prior to any construction. Others support new developments, even if it results in increased traffic on local routes.

Proposals to construct up to 75 new dwellings in Linton have prompted opposition from residents living close to the intended development location. Local people have expressed concerns about the “long-term harm” the new properties could cause to “road safety, local services, and the existing community”.

The dwellings are planned for land off Back Road in Linton. Of the 75 properties, 30 are intended to be designated as affordable housing, with 45 to be sold on the open market. Gladman Developments Ltd stated its proposals would deliver an “attractive, welcoming and walkable new residential development” with a “strong sense of place that is well integrated within its surrounding landscape”.

The design statement says: “At its heart, the scheme will promote health and well-being through the provision of accessible green public space, new play opportunities, and provision for community food growing; ensuring a vibrant and enduring new community.”

The outline planning application lodged with South Cambridgeshire District Council seeks to deliver a range of housing to address local requirements, while “respecting and enhancing” the site’s environmental features. The proposed development has provoked considerable local opposition, with numerous objections submitted to date. One objector warned that Back Road can “barely sustain the amount of traffic as it is”, cautioning that additional vehicles using the route could “cause chaos”.

One reader, Windypants, comments: “It would be better off being turned into a solar farm.”

Calumen Nomen writes: “Stephen Reed is the housing minister. So he needs a big number of houses to shout about. He thinks this may stop him from being booted out at the next election. He is wrong, but Linton – and a thousand other settlements round here – is to be sacrificed. Tell him all about schools, G.Ps, traffic, etc.”

Freddly quotes: ” ‘One objector said ‘Back Road can barely sustain the amount of traffic as it is’, so more cars using that road could ’cause chaos’.’ We’ve become a one-adult, one-car country. It works in countries with vast empty space, like the US, Aus or NZ. It doesn’t work in crowded countries like the UK. I say build the houses. I am happy to see the SUV people sitting in endless queues of cars and vans.”

Whynot2 replies: “Are you confused with SUVs and 4+4s? There’s a big difference! If developers want to build all over the place they should be obligated to fund an extra GP or nurse at the local surgery and the bigger the development an extra classroom plus teacher or two! This should be done before any development starts, so developers cannot weasel their way out of their obligations when the houses are built.”

Over on our Facebook page, Alan T comments: “75 new builds = 400 extra vehicle movements (trips in & out) per day onto the local roads, probably a few more if school runs are involved. New Build housing creates car-dependent households. Each dwelling has to accommodate parking for at least 2 vehicles.”

Darren Shaw says: “We are getting 80 houses just on the site of the RGE factory and carpark site in Godmanchester, imagine the impact of the extra traffic on the small local road right next to the medieval bridge that can barely deal with the traffic as it is.”

Do you agree with the proposed plans? Comment HERE or below to join in the debate.

The injury to Simons comes amid Spurs fighting for Premier league survival.

Tottenham are in the relegation zone in 18th place and two points from safety with four games left.

The 2026 World Cup, which is taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins on 11 June, with the Netherlands starting their campaign in Group F against Japan on 14 June.

“All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me … along with the World Cup,” added Simons.

“Representing my country this summer … just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best team-mate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.

“I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there.

“Be patient with me.”

Simons joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig for £52m last summer and has made 28 league appearances for the club this season, including 19 starts.

He has scored two goals in the top-flight and registered five assists but has struggled to make a major impact during a season in which the club have parted ways with managers Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, who was in interim charge, before appointing Roberto de Zerbi.

Simons also joins a lengthy Spurs injury list heading into their final four Premier League games against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton.

Striker Dominic Solanke also went off injured at Wolves, while Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Cristian Romero are all sidelined.

Manchester United have been linked with a summer transfer swoop for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes, who hit out at the weekend after the defeat to Arsenal

Manchester United will be on red alert after Bruno Guimaraes made his Newcastle United frustrations crystal clear following their defeat to Arsenal. The Reds have been repeatedly linked with the Brazilian midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.

With Casemiro leaving Old Trafford, his fellow Brazilian has been touted as a potential replacement, amid ongoing uncertainty around his future at St. James’ Park. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe denied any transfer talk earlier this season, but speculation has not gone away.

The Magpies are expected to sell some big-name players this summer if they miss out on European football and are currently seven points adrift of Bournemouth in the final European spot.

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Speaking to ESPN Brazil after the Magpies’ 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, Guimaraes fumed: “Without a doubt, this has been the worst season since I’ve been here. We’ve done great things for the club recently.

“In the last four years, since the club was bought, we saved the team from relegation, won a title after 70 years and went to the Champions League twice. I don’t know if some players got a little complacent; overall, we got a little complacent, but it’s not a good season.”

It’s been a disappointing campaign for Newcastle, with Eddie Howe’s side set to miss out on European football, and Guimaraes added: “I would say it’s a season to forget. We have four games left, we know that the difference to seventh or eighth place, who will qualify for Europe, is possible.

“We have four games to finish in the best way possible, but it’s not a good season on average, even though, individually, I’m having a good year, with more goals scored in the Premier League, it’s a strange mix of feelings.”

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The midfielder’s rant will no doubt have been taken in by United chiefs who may sense an opportunity ahead of their summer plans to revamp their midfield for next season.

Guimaraes’ current contract at St. James’ Park expires in the summer of 2028 and would not come cheaply, while Howe claimed transfer talk regarding a departure was nonsense.

“I don’t think I have to respond to that. It is a waste of my energy,” Howe said earlier this year, via Chronicle Live. “Bruno is our captain and he is fully committed at the moment. He is injured at the moment; his only focus is coming back to fitness.

“I am going to be impolite, for me it is a nonsense story. Is it a problem for us? I don’t necessarily think it is a problem for us.

“But it is unwanted news, I suppose, is the best way to put it. You don’t want the players distracted I don’t know how much they will absorb that.

“For me, it is not the time to think about it. In the summer, you can understand those stories a little bit more because the transfer window is open.

“To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else, he is totally committed here.”

Despite Guimaraes being recently linked, United are understood to have more interest in Elliot Anderson, Ederson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, with plans to sign at least two midfielders in the summer.

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