EXCLUSIVE: NHS Lanarkshire’s performance on GP numbers and accident and emergency waiting times have been blasted by Labour MP Imogen Walker.

SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray has been accused of “shameful” NHS failures in his own backyard.

NHS Lanarkshire is either bottom of the league or under-performing on GP numbers and accident and emergency waits.

Labour MP Imogen Walker said: “Neil Gray is the Cabinet Secretary responsible and this is happening in the very communities he represents. He must know what is happening, so why won’t he act?”

The SNP Government is under mounting pressure over patients languishing on waiting lists and the 8am rush for a GP appointment.

First Minister John Swinney has ploughed extra cash into cutting waiting lists while announcing new GP walk in centres.

But an analysis of official figures shows that NHS Lanarkshire, which serves Gray’s Airdrie and Shotts constituency, is one of the biggest stragglers.

READ MORE: MSP behind assisted dying Bill is proposing to reduce jail sentences for coercionREAD MORE: Old Firm violence at weekend match “utterly unacceptable” says First Minister John Swinney

As of March last year, the health board had the lowest number of full-time GPs in Scotland for every 10,000 patients.

The Lanarkshire figure stood at 4.4, lower than the thirteen other NHS boards and below the average of 5.9.

A survey on patient satisfaction for GP services, covering 2023/24, also revealed NHS Lanarkshire with the worst record.

When patients were asked how easy it is to contact their general practice in the way they wanted, only 59% of respondents in NHS Lanarkshire reacted positively.

This was the lowest of fourteen NHS boards, with every other organisation recording over 70% or more.

Fewer than one third – 32% – said their GP surgery allows them to make a doctor’s appointment three or more working days in advance, the worst positive figure for a board.

NHS Lanarkshire was also bottom when asked about GP opening hours, the quality of information provided by receptionists and the arrangements for speaking to a doctor or nurse.

In response, the board pointed to separate figures showing the GP consultation rate slightly above the national average over the last 12 months.

On accident and emergency services, NHS Scotland aims to have 95% of patients seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred within four hours.

Papers show NHS Lanarkshire reported a 51% performance in December – significantly below the national average.

Imogen Walker, MP for Hamilton and Clyde Valley, said of the record in Gray’s own patch: “After 19 years with the SNP in power, their record on health care speaks for itself. Hospitals are at breaking point, we do not have enough GPs, and my constituents are paying the price for years of failure.

“Many are living with painful conditions, unable to see a doctor, or feeling they have no choice but to pay privately. Some of the cases I deal with are heartbreaking, and the SNP Government will not admit the depth of the problem, let alone find a solution.

“The Scottish Government receives 20% more funding per person than the rest of the UK and has had billions more for healthcare. While waiting lists in England under the UK Labour government continue to fall, the SNP is failing Scots on every measure.

“While dedicated NHS staff work tirelessly, the Scottish Government continues to defend a shameful record. I will not stop working to get my constituents the health care they deserve.”

Dr Lucy Munro, NHS Lanarkshire Divisional Medical Director, said: “NHS Lanarkshire recognises the significant pressures facing health and care services, including workforce challenges in general practice, high demand in emergency departments and long waits for some services.

“Despite the workforce position, our clinical teams in general practice continue to strive to meet patient access needs, with a GP consultation rate slightly above the national average over the last 12 months.

“We are taking action to increase capacity through multidisciplinary primary care teams, improve patient flow in hospitals, and redesign pathways to reduce waiting times, including for neurodevelopmental assessments. Our staff continue to work tirelessly in extremely challenging circumstances and we remain committed to improving access, experience and outcomes for patients across Lanarkshire.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Long waits have come down for over the last eight months, including in NHS Lanarkshire. We are working closely with NHS Lanarkshire as they take forward the action needed to improve A&E performance, including strengthening patient assessment on arrival to A&E and ensuring the right support is in place after discharge.

“Our half a billion pounds deal with GPs will improve access and ensure more investment goes into primary care – our new network of walk-in clinics, including one in Clydesdale, will boost capacity and reduce pressure.”

It’s been a quiet few months for Coronation Street’s legal power couple, Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) and Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson).

I mean, they were present at the epic disaster that was the Driscoll family Christmas dinner that involved exposed abortions and a vicious beating that left a man unconscious.

Alya also had to say goodbye to her bestie, Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) when she decided to trade in drizzly Weatherfield for a new opportunity in Dubai, while Adam has found himself embroiled in a feud with the insidious Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown), who’s certainly proven that she’s not one to cross, over Jodie’s refusal to pick up after David the dog.

But since the solidifying their fledgling relationship, things have been relatively un-dramatic for Alya and Adam, which is incredibly rare for anybody that lives in the vicinity of Coronation Street.

…until Rich Pemberton (Jamie Cho) re-emerged.

‘Rich is back on the cobbles and wants something from Alya. The last time he was here it led to her leaving her life behind and moving abroad for work so whatever he’s got planned might not be good news for Alya and boyfriend Adam,’ a Corrie source previously disclosed and, it seems, his reappearance certainly isn’t good news for the duo.

Alya found herself summoned to see Rich while Adam dealt with Adam continued to beef with Jodie and, in no uncertain terms, told him to stay away from her. Although Alya makes it clear she has no interest in speaking to him, he remains undeterred, and calls her the next day.

Relenting, Alya meets Rich later in the week and is hit with a brutal ultimatum.

Next week sees Adam revel in the joy of poaching a client from Rich’s firm, Fabian Croft. Though she paints on a smile, the weight of Rich’s words is clearly laying heavily on her.

Later in the week, Rich visits Barlow Legal Services and while the meeting goes well, Adam is horrified to find that their internal email service has been breached: they’ve been hacked.

When Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) arrives, utterly furious at the leak of an email regarding Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and Rich informs them that their business reputation is effectively destroyed, Alya and Adam reel at what has befallen their business.

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Is there any way for the legal lovers to salvage their practice? Or has the death sentence already been passed?

MORE: Coronation Street confirms unexpected Alya mystery in ITVX release as stranger makes contact

Instagram was facing widespread technical issues on Wednesday, with users worldwide reporting that they were unable to send messages on the Meta-owned platform.

More to follow

“Threshold freezes have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers. The student finance system protects lower-earning graduates, with repayments determined by incomes and outstanding loans and interest being cancelled at the end of repayment terms.”

‘I’d disown my son if he came out as gay,’ TikTok influencer Harrison Sullivan AKA HSTikkyTokky proudly declares.

It’s just one of many nauseating remarks made during Louis Theroux’s 90-minute deep dive into the world of the ultra-misogynistic manosphere, an ecosystem of online communities that spreads harmful opposition to feminism.

Louis, who has departed his usual home on the BBC for his glossy Netflix debut, was inspired to shine a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the group after discovering the so-called King of Toxic Masculinity, Andrew Tate, through his three sons.

‘I had no idea who he was,’ Theroux, 55, admits.

He suspects Tate wanted to take part in the film, but was ultimately nervous.

‘As a parent I’m obviously concerned. It would be easy to say ”oh well, they don’t take it too seriously”, but at a certain point, a joke is no longer a joke – especially when it’s unchallenged and repeated.’

Challenge is exactly what Theroux does with the controversial subjects of his film, but they won’t change their ways for anyone – not even their own mothers.

I met Theroux in 2018 and found it hard to imagine such a gentle giant possesses such a dark back catalogue of documentaries exploring seedy subcultures, as well as the lives of neo-Nazis, notorious killers, and Jimmy Savile, but he always remains self-deprecating even in the face of the very worst of humanity. It’s true that his awkwardness is off the charts.

While Theroux is considered one of the world’s greatest documentarians, his trademark of being a remarkable listener and gentle provocateur doesn’t rattle these antifeminist influencers, who will undoubtedly leave your blood boiling.

Admittedly, I had only heard of HSTikkyTokky and his wide-eyed counterpart Ed Matthews, who have taken over algorithms in the UK with promises to coach young men on how to be ‘proper boys’ through dodgy trading tips and Telegram subscriptions offering explicit content.

The American subjects, Myron Gaines, Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy (known online as Sneako), and Justin Waller, are equally as problematic for all of the same reasons and then some.

They all come across as so disturbingly convincing at their craft that it’s easy to understand why young boys are infatuated with these hypermasculine men. And parents, like Theroux, are right to be terrified.

In one scene, boys who look as young as 10 are seen chanting ‘f**k women!’ and ‘all gays should die’ alongside their ‘king’ Sneako, 27, a political commentator and social media personality who was once banned from YouTube for promoting violent, misogynistic content.

Gaines and Waller are both supported by the women in their lives who egg on their behaviour in return for a ‘relaxed’ life. This is all despite several of the men thinking women shouldn’t be allowed to vote and sex workers, some of whom they profit from online, are ‘repulsive’.

Gaines, a suave sportscar-driving ‘success coach’ who mingles with Donald Trump, gives Theroux an exclusive look inside his personal life, which, without knowing anything about him, looks perfect. A pristine mansion, adorable kids, and a beautiful wife.

But he quickly explains that he’s in a ‘one-sided monogamous relationship’, where he can sleep with as many women as he wants, but the mother of his children can’t speak to other men.

‘I like to tell people we have lanes,’ Kristen admits. ‘My lane is changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning, and his lane is working and providing. It works for us.’

A startling reality given a recent study found 31% of Gen Z men agree that a wife should always obey her husband, compared to 29% of Millennial men, 21% of Gen X men, and 13% of Boomer men.

While the participants in the film all share the same deep mistrust of Theroux and the mainstream media, they refuse to be labelled as misogynistic because they actually ‘love’ women. ‘And since I understand them, I know what is best for them,’ Gaines boasts.

Theroux attributes association with the manosphere with broken childhoods (Sullivan’s single mum worked six-day weeks to put him through private school, while Gaines was nearly put into foster care). You’d have to dig pretty deep to find even an ounce of sympathy.

It’s not just the anti-woman rhetoric and resentment which is folded into the film. The racism is so casual within the manosphere that it’ll make you see red.

I’ve never seen Theroux confronted in such a vicious way within his own territory — and while the cameras are rolling. Amid all the discussions of misogyny, homophobia, and pornography, the most uncomfortable part is seeing him subjected to vile antisemitic comments. They aren’t thinly veiled remarks – they’re blatant and they sting even the viewer.

It’s like seeing a group of teenagers gang up on your dad.

The empath in every viewer will hope that the behaviour of the manosphere is smoke and mirrors for a bigger issue at play – the copious amounts of money the men are earning online simply by misbehaving.

These days rage bait is lucrative. Social media platforms reward strong emotional responses, encouraging creators to produce content that incites rage – and Sullivan knows exactly that all too well.

‘Call me a misogynist, call my homophobic, call me a scammer – I’m all those things,’ he brags.

In spite of Theroux’s best efforts to understand and confront the warped views of the manosphere, it almost seems redundant to even bother trying.

These men are lining their pockets by selling vulnerable boys a dream, and they certainly won’t back down in the face of any criticism.

Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere premieres globally on Netflix on March 11.

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MORE: Ruby Wax says hearing Louis Theroux’s name made her want to ‘throw up’

Rory McIlroy may be one of the most popular athletes in the world, but the five-time major winner has been compared to Sir Keir Starmer by his former agent

Rory McIlroy’s former agent has compared the five-time major winner to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Andrew “Chubby” Chandler managed McIlroy from his professional debut in 2007 until they parted ways in October 2011.

McIlroy left Chandler’s International Sports Management (ISM) agency as he felt he was being steered in the wrong direction. The Holywood golfer moved on to join fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell at Horizon Sports Management, but that partnership only lasted two years.

Chandler is confident McIlroy can reach double digits in terms of majors, but believes he needs to retreat from the limelight occasionally. The Northern Irishman has often used any media platform granted to him to air his views about certain subjects, particularly when LIV Golf started changing the golf landscape.

READ MORE: Tommy Fleetwood provides update on stranded family and baulks at question – ‘No excuses’READ MORE: Fresh Rory McIlroy update issued before Players Championship – ‘He might withdraw’

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, Chandler believes McIlroy, who will defend his Masters title next month, needs to do less public speaking and keep many of his thoughts to himself. Chandler said: “Rory talks too much, but he’s an absolute gift for the media.

“If he gets a microphone in his hands, he’s a liability in terms of saying anything. He’s more of a liability than the Prime Minister.

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“For a while, he was unbelievable. Everything he said, he had to go back and apologise for a month later, including his marriage. Rory just needs to calm down a bit – he thought he was saving the game at one stage but he just talked too much.

“He started to pause and reconsidered what he was saying but I don’t know what his motivation was originally. But I suppose when you’re Rory McIlroy and you constantly have a microphone in front of you. It’s very difficult to refuse it. So I understand. You’re just telling him to calm down a bit.”

Following his Masters triumph to complete the grand slam last year, McIlroy confessed he found it difficult to stay motivated in the subsequent months. He rediscovered his form with a brilliant victory at the Irish Open before enjoying team success at the Ryder Cup in New York at the year’s end.

McIlroy has displayed flashes of brilliance in 2026, but a concerning back problem has cast doubt over his appearance at The Players Championship this week. Chandler believes the current world number two will add to his haul of five majors – and potentially double that figure.

“Rory should play a bit more freely. It shouldn’t be life and death. My guess is that he’ll win another five majors. I don’t think he’ll get to 15 majors, but I think he’ll get to 10,” the Englishman said.

“At the end of the day, one of the things you’ve got to factor in is how many majors Scottie Scheffler is going to get. Rory is 36 so if he’s got six really good years left in him, that’s 24 chances to win more majors.

“You would think Scottie is going to win at least six of them. So, the analogy is that players like Ernie Els and, for that matter, Lee Westwood, struggled to win majors when Tiger Woods was in his prime because he won so many of them.

“It’s a similar situation now; it’s easy to say Rory might win a certain number of majors, but if he’s consistently going head-to-head with Scottie Scheffler, he won’t win as many.”

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Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

The tax department may write to you if you owed a tax refund

HMRC has provided an update regarding tax refunds for pensioners. The department clarified its rules in response to a query from a taxpayer.

The person said they planned to retire at the end of April, becoming a “non taxpayer”. They queried whether it would be more beneficial to adjust their salary for the upcoming 2026/2027 tax year now to “claim back the tax”.

In response, the department first asked them to specify if they would have a “continuing UK source of income” post-retirement. The person confirmed that their income would solely come from pensions and that their total income would fall “below the personal allowance”.

According to the personal allowance, you can earn up to £12,570 each tax year without being liable for income tax on this amount. HMRC offered this advice to the taxpayer: “So once you retire and you’ve got your P45, you can contact the helpline and we can take the details over the phone.

“We’ll use the P45 info and instruct your pension provider to refund any overpaid tax through your pension payments.” Another aspect to consider when planning for retirement is your state pension.

Changes to the state pension

You become eligible for the state pension upon reaching 66 years of age. Nevertheless, this is set to change imminently, with the qualifying age rising from April 2026.

It will gradually increase to reach 67 by April 2028. The full new state pension presently stands at £230.25 weekly, equivalent to £11,973 annually.

The triple lock policy will boost payments by 4.8 per cent from April, lifting the full new rate to £241.30 per week, or £12,547.60 annually, marginally beneath the personal allowance threshold You can check how much state pension you’re projected to receive using an online tool on the Government website.

Should you have been taxed incorrectly by the end of the tax year, which ends on April 5, HMRC will typically get in touch regarding the discrepancy.

The revenue service will dispatch either a tax calculation letter, commonly referred to as a P800, or a simple assessment letter. You will only receive one of these letters if you’re in employment or drawing a pension.

The letters are dispatched between June and March of the next tax year. If you’re registered for self assessment, HMRC will automatically amend your bill and no letter will be issued.

If you think you are owed an amount but you don’t get a letter, there is an online tool available on the Government website to determine whether you’re entitled to claim a refund.

“Air purifiers are definitely beneficial, particularly for airborne allergies,” says Dr Costa, who formerly ran paediatric allergy services for a major NHS hospital. “The air purifier will collect and remove small particles from the air, reducing your exposure to things that could potentially be harmful.”

But he is clear that not all air purifiers perform to the same standard. “The effectiveness of using an air purifier depends on the quality of the device,” he says. “Not all of them are the same and not all filter out the smallest particles that can cause particular problems, such as cat dander. It is also important you use them alongside any medical treatment recommended by your doctor.”

While most air purifiers will filter out the most problematic small particles (called PM 2.5 and PM 10), some also clear even tinier particles (PM 1), as well as smoke and chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air.

Some of the best air purifiers also have extra features like cooling fans, warming heaters, dehumidifier functions and Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning you can control the device from an app on your smartphone.

“Unfortunately, further work is required to ensure the high level station is safe for trains to operate. Our priority is to make sure that we can reopen Glasgow Central as soon as it is safe to do so and we will continue to work with emergency services, the local council and our train operators to restore services.

When the sirens sounded around the city of Beit Shemesh on the second day of the war, Rabbi Yitzhak Biton suggested to his son they find a safe space at home rather than go to the nearest shelter.

But Yaakov felt worried and preferred to go.

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He and his two younger sisters, Avigail and Sarah, headed out for the shelter beneath the local synagogue. Their parents stayed in the house.

Three minutes later, the missile hit.

“There was a tremendous explosion and an enormous blast wave,” Biton remembers. “The ceiling fell in, the windows flew out, everything collapsed. It was a miracle we survived.”

The synagogue was destroyed and in flames.

Biton waited as rescue workers slowly began to bring out bodies. Eventually the police asked him to leave.

“We waited at home until they came to take a DNA sample. Then I understood where this was going.”

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Missile strike devastates Israeli town

School and synagogue razed

Nine people were killed at the missile strike on Beit Shemesh, including Yitzhak Biton’s three teenage children.

A school and a synagogue were razed to the ground. It was the deadliest strike on Israel since the war began.

We meet Biton and his wife, Tamar, sitting shiva, the Jewish seven-day mourning ceremony, in a Jerusalem hotel.

A steady stream of visitors come to sit with the family and offer their condolences. Their one remaining child, four-year-old Rachel, chases around the lobby on a scooter.

“The girl understands and knows, she sees the change,” Biton says, “but she is coping with it bravely. She knows they have gone to a higher place.”

Faith has helped the couple cope. Tamar does not wish to be interviewed but smiles beatifically for a photograph.

Read more from Sky News:
The impact of war on your finances
Why it took so long to deploy UK warship

Rabbi prefers to talk about children

Her husband is happy to talk to us about his children but as a religious man, he will not be drawn on politics or the decision his government made to attack Iran which has come at such terrible cost to his family.

“I do not interfere in such matters,” he says.

“They were very very special. But I understand that everything is according to the will of the Creator. It is known that in war, in the end, everyone comes out losing. There is no war in which a person comes out a real winner.

“Sometimes the victor is the defeated one.”