Public health

• Council denies street lights cause cancer

  Gateshead Council has been forced to hit back at a conspiracy theory which claims it is carrying out secret Government trials using its street lights.

  

• Over 140 children a day are having teeth removed, health body finds

  A child in England has a tooth removed in hospital every 10 minutes due to preventable tooth decay, public health body says.

  

• Well-maintained footpaths can promote walking, health body says

  Local authorities should improve the quality of footpaths to encourage people to be more active, public health body says.

  

• Council leaders call for ‘traffic light’ food labelling to fight salt consumption

  Local authority chiefs have repeated their calls for the ‘traffic light’ food labelling system to become a legal requirement post-Brexit as health campaigners warn of the high salt content of ready meals.

  

• Government invests £300m to address ageing society challenge

  The Government is investing £300m from its industrial strategy challenge fund to help prepare for 'the challenge of an ageing society'.

  

• Getting physical

  Andy Howell explains how active healthier lifestyles are being driven by urban renewal in Slough.

  

• Diabetes cases in the UK double in 20 years

  The number of people living with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled over the last 20 years, new research has revealed today.

  

• £10m for Welsh councils to manage social care pressures

  Councils in Wales will be given £10m to manage social care winter pressures, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

  

• Third of dementia sufferers do not have care plan, charity warns

  One in three patients suffering from dementia do not get the NHS follow up support they’re supposed to because of a lack of care plan, older persons charity finds.

  

• Traffic light labelling on food should be ‘mandatory’, councils say

  Traffic light labelling on food and drink should become mandatory after Brexit in order to help fight obesity, council chiefs say.