Bethan Finighan

Thousands of pupils across Greater Manchester celebrated their GCSE results, with Trafford recording the region’s strongest performance: 39.7% of grades were at least a 7, while Rochdale recorded 13.2%. Several schools reported record results, including Wright Robinson College, Dean Trust Rose Bridge, Co-op Academy Belle Vue and Co-op Academy Failsworth. Individual successes included Luna Fachfach’s straight 9s and strong results for pupils planning to continue to college and pursue medicine. Nationally, 22% of GCSE entries received grades 7 or above, while the overall pass rate remained at 97.9%, matching 2025 but below the 2019 level.

More than 350 Northern Care Alliance staff, including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers, are due to strike at Salford Royal, Royal Oldham, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield Hospital on August 24, 26 and 28 over disputed overtime payments managed through NHS Professionals. Unison says staff are being paid less than the contractual time-and-a-half rate and are losing more than £80 per shift in some cases. The trust says it is preparing to minimise disruption and maintain urgent and emergency care. The strikes come amid wider concerns over patient safety, with trust records linking treatment delays to 28 deaths, 56 cases of severe harm and 12,000 delayed-treatment cases, while the trust cites persistently high sickness absence and says it is making organisational changes to improve safety.

Queen Camilla has described how difficult it was to keep King Charles III's cancer diagnosis private during a January 31, 2024 visit to Maggie's at London's Royal Free Hospital. She said she almost disclosed the news while speaking with cancer patients and families but felt the moment was inappropriate. The palace announced Charles's diagnosis five days later. Camilla and Maggie's chief executive Laura Lee highlighted the importance of support for relatives as well as patients, while Maggie's marked 30 years of cancer support and outlined plans to expand to 60 UK centres.

Paramedic Rachel Claire Lemonofides was struck off the Health and Care Professions Council register after a tribunal found that she belittled, threatened and racially discriminated against a seriously ill patient during a 999 call in January 2024. The patient, whom Lemonofides accused of lying and being dramatic, was later diagnosed with a brain bleed and abdominal aortic aneurysm and required emergency surgery. The tribunal found that Lemonofides failed to recognise the severity of the condition, subjected the patient to degrading treatment and displayed racially motivated hostility, concluding that the misconduct was serious and posed a high risk of repetition. North West Ambulance Service had restricted her duties before dismissing her and said there was no place in the organisation for staff who failed to treat patients with dignity and respect.

NHS Greater Manchester is urging eligible residents to arrange their flu and COVID-19 vaccinations before winter, when colder weather and increased indoor contact typically drive up infections and pressure on hospitals and GP services. The winter vaccination programme begins on September 1, 2026, with some flu vaccinations available from August 31. Eligibility includes children, pregnant women, older adults, people with underlying health conditions, care-home residents, carers and eligible health and social care workers; COVID-19 vaccination is focused on care-home residents, people aged 75 and over, and those with weakened immune systems. Eligible people will be contacted to book, and may also use the National Booking Service or participating walk-in clinics.

Andy Shaw, a previously healthy 61-year-old former soldier and police officer, suffered a severe stroke on Christmas Day 2022 after collapsing at home. Emergency surgery at Salford Royal Hospital was followed by four months of treatment and rehabilitation at Stepping Hill Hospital's stroke ward, where he gradually regained speech, mobility and independence. Three years later, Shaw is preparing to walk 3km to raise money for Stockport NHS Charity, with his fundraiser already exceeding its original target.

Health professionals and researchers identify consistent, practical habits as more important for longevity than quick-fix hacks. Regular walking, taking the stairs, drinking six to eight glasses of fluid daily, maintaining a suitable sleep routine, getting daylight and exercising are presented as ways to support healthspan. Experts stress that sleep needs vary, perfectionism and excessive tracking can worsen sleep anxiety, and long-term consistency matters more than achieving ideal habits every day.

Lancashire father Jason Walker, 57, is the first participant in the TOPICAL clinical trial at The Christie in Manchester after his multiple myeloma returned following years of remission. The trial is testing POLB 001, an anti-inflammatory treatment intended to reduce cytokine release syndrome, a potentially dangerous reaction to cancer immunotherapy. Walker hopes treatment will allow him to walk his daughter Abbey down the aisle in Montenegro next May. Led by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and involving five other NHS hospitals, the study is expected to include about 30 patients and could help make immunotherapy available closer to patients’ homes while reducing the burden on families and the NHS.

Extreme heatwaves have driven a summer surge in UK emergency-department demand, prompting medics to warn that the NHS no longer has a quiet season. England recorded a monthly-high 2.5 million A&E attendances in July, while an average of 3,028 patients a day received corridor or other unsuitable hospital care. Although 75.4% of A&E patients were seen within four hours and 12-hour admission waits fell from June, 47,438 patients still waited more than 12 hours after a decision to admit. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said summer pressures must be planned for like winter pressures, including preparation of staffing, beds and emergency services.

Former Greater Manchester Police officer Jonathan Pickerill was caught driving in Cheshire with 81 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit. He pleaded guilty, was fined £627 in total, disqualified from driving for 18 months and later found guilty of gross misconduct at an accelerated hearing. Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the offence endangered other road users, damaged public trust and brought policing into disrepute. Pickerill had resigned, so he was not formally dismissed, but he was placed on the College of Policing’s Barred List and cannot work for the police.

Health officials in North West England have warned that an amber heat-health alert will be in effect from midnight on August 11 until the morning of August 14, with temperatures expected to reach 32C in Greater Manchester and up to 37C elsewhere in the UK. The NHS advises people to stay hydrated, avoid direct sun during the hottest hours, keep indoor spaces cool and take extra care with older people, children and those with medical conditions. Health services, including A&E departments and NHS 111, may face increased pressure, so people with non-emergency concerns are advised to use NHS 111 online.

Stockport’s annual Krazy Races soapbox derby returned for its fourth year, drawing thousands to a 350-metre course through the town centre. Teams from local organizations competed in decorated homemade karts, with Devils Haircut Racing winning overall. The event, held in partnership with Totally Stockport BID and Stockport Council, also featured a flypast by a Douglas C-47 Dakota from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

The Met Office has forecast another extremely hot spell across the UK, with temperatures potentially reaching 36°C in East Anglia and the South East and 32°C in Greater Manchester. The heatwave is expected to spread north from Monday, following a summer marked by record-breaking heat, excess deaths, drought and wildfires. The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts across several regions, while health officials warn that medicines including ibuprofen, naproxen and proton pump inhibitors can pose additional risks during hot, sunny weather.

A Manchester Evening News roundup details a week of serious criminal cases resulting in prison sentences across Greater Manchester. Convictions and sentences include life imprisonment for Anthony Junior Murray and Ashley Crowder for separate murders; lengthy terms for attempted murder, rape, drug trafficking, vehicle theft, fraud and causing death by dangerous driving; and shorter sentences for corrupt prison officers, grievous bodily harm and possession of stun guns. Police and prosecutors also highlighted increased cannabis smuggling through Manchester Airport and the disruption of a cocaine and money-laundering network led by fugitive Warren Barnes.

Temperatures in Greater Manchester are forecast to rise from 27C on Saturday to as high as 32C on Wednesday, with Trafford expected to be the hottest borough. The developing heatwave is part of a wider period of extreme heat across the UK, where some areas could reach 36C and the record for days above 30C may be broken. Recent heatwaves have contributed to excess deaths, drought and wildfires, while fire conditions are expected to become exceptionally severe in parts of eastern and southeastern England.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK on August 12, with more than 90% of the Sun obscured in most areas. Devon, Cornwall and western Pembrokeshire are expected to experience the greatest coverage, reaching 94% to 96%, while eastern locations such as Norfolk, Yorkshire and the Northern Isles will see less. The Met Office has provided location-specific forecasts, and astronomer Imo Bell advises viewers to use certified eclipse glasses, a solar telescope or projection methods rather than looking directly at the Sun. The Perseid meteor shower will peak later that night, offering up to 150 meteors per hour between midnight and 5:30am.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK on August 12, with 90–96% of the Sun obscured and maximum coverage expected between 7:05 and 7:13 p.m. BST. Met Office maps indicate the clearest skies are most likely across southern England and much of Wales, while cloud is more likely in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, although the forecast may change. Viewers are advised never to look directly at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses or suitable solar filters, with indirect methods such as pinhole projectors also recommended.

Cyclospora infections have been reported across 45 US states, with nearly 7,000 cases and two deaths in Michigan. The UK Health Security Agency has also identified a sharp rise among travellers returning from Mexico, recording 67 cases in England, Wales and Scotland between April 30 and July 15, 2026. Experts say the parasite is mainly acquired through contaminated food or water rather than person-to-person contact, and there is no current reason to avoid travel to the US or Mexico. Travellers are advised to drink bottled water, eat thoroughly cooked food and avoid uncooked berries, herbs, unpeeled fruit and salad items.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system to assist with prostate and bowel cancer operations. Surgeons operate the robot from a console, using its instruments and high-definition 3D cameras to perform more precise procedures that are expected to reduce blood loss, complications and hospital stays. Prostate cancer operations are projected to rise from roughly 450–500 to around 1,000 annually, while robotic surgery will also support bowel cancer treatment. The trust expects increased capacity, shorter waiting times and faster patient recovery.

A nine-year-old girl from West Yorkshire died after being found with serious injuries at Elliot Industrial Estate in Arbroath. Police Scotland is treating the death as suspicious and has arrested a 35-year-old man known to the girl; no one else is being sought. Her family, who were camping nearby, are receiving specialist support. The area remains cordoned off while detectives investigate, and floral tributes have been left at the scene.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK on August 12, 2026, with up to about 90% of the Sun obscured from Manchester between roughly 6:13pm and 8:04pm. The Perseid meteor shower will peak overnight, benefiting from dark skies created by the eclipse’s coincidence with a new Moon. Viewers are advised to use certified solar glasses, choose locations with unobstructed skies away from artificial light, and watch for meteors after midnight and before dawn.