Caity Duggan, from Lincoln, has not been able to see an NHS dentist for six years.
After months of calling for an appointment at her practice in Brigg, the 27-year-old was told her dentist had left and she hadn’t been reallocated another.
“They weren’t willing to see me unless I paid to go private,” she said. Unable to afford the cost, Duggan lives with constant pain from her wisdom teeth.
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GAMING NEWS
Rockstar releases GTA VI preview
Caption: GTA VI website dislplayed on a screen and PlayStation DualSense controller are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Gaming fans have been given a fresh look at the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI, with 26 minutes of new footage released by the franchise’s producer, Rockstar Games.
‘Extended look’ now live
The “extended look” debuted on Netflix on Thursday evening.
Six hours later, it was released by Rockstar Games on YouTube.
It comes more than 18 months after the last official teaser trailer.
Dual protagonists
New footage featured sprawling cityscapes, gun battles and high-speed pursuits while offering a glimpse of the game’s new graphics and world-building.
Caption: This handout courtesy of Rockstar Games taken on December 4, 2023 shows a video grab of the trailer of “Grand Theft Auto 6” video game. The first trailer for “Grand Theft Auto VI” was officially released ahead of schedule December 4, 2023 due to a leak, touting a 2025 release for the next chapter of the massively successful video game franchise. (Photo by Rockstar Games / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / Rockstar Games” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by -/Rockstar Games/AFP via Getty Images)
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Caption: CANADA – 2026/08/25: In this photo illustration, the Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Grand Theft Auto VI follows protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Camino, who become increasingly embroiled in a criminal conspiracy in the fictional state of Leonida.
What else to expect
The preview showed the couple fighting their way out of a drug pick-up after a police raid.
Vice City, which featured in previous editions of the series, also reappears in GTA VI.
Meanwhile, players’ actions can reportedly control how the characters’ story unfolds.
4 min read
No word yet on GTA Online
The footage illustrated GTA VI’s new and improved graphics, worthy of a game with a budget reportedly among the most expensive in video game history.
Rockstar, however, has yet to release details about GTA Online, having previously confirmed the game would launch initially as a “single-player experience”.
Caption: EDINBURGH,SCOTLAND – AUGUST 27: A general view of The Rockstar North building in Edinburgh, the company behind the Grand Theft Auto video games, on August 27, 2026 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Photographer: Jeff J Mitchell
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The Man I Am
5 min read
Improved graphics in GTA VI
Not long to wait now…
Pre-orders for the long-awaited game, which will be the popular franchise’s first instalment since 2013, began on 25 June.
GTA VI is set to be available on Xbox and PlayStation consoles with a planned release date of 19 November, having been delayed on a number of occasions.
3 min read
3 min read
Four things to know as death toll from Nepal flash flood rises
Hundreds of people have died following flash flooding in Nepal and Tibet, while search and rescue operations for the many who remain missing are proving difficult.
Caption: A drone view of firefighters conducting search and rescue operations at a damaged road leading to Gyirong Port after a mudslide, in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China August 28, 2026. cnsphoto via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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What caused the flooding?
A collapsed glacier near the border between Nepal and China’s autonomous region of Tibet on Wednesday resulted in a huge flood wave that surged through the region, bursting rivers banks, covering populated areas in thick mud, destroying houses and roads and blocking a key border crossing.
4 min read
Big Read
5 min read
Hundreds of casualties
Nepal Police confirmed on Friday that at least 475 people have died.
Hundreds have been rescued but hundreds more are unaccounted for across Nepal and Tibet.
Among the missing are 33 British nationals, including children.
Nepal’s government has released a list of over 537 foreign nationals who have been out of contact since the floods hit.
Second flood risks
Caption: This aerial image released on the Chinese social media platform Weibo account of the Lhasa Mobile Fire and Rescue Service on August 27, 2026, shows a barrier lake which formed after a landslide near where Nepal’s Chhochen Khola River flows into the Purepu Tsangpo River, in Gyirong county, in China’s Tibet region. A lake created after a mudslide hit the China-Nepal border faces a “high risk of breaching and sending floodwaters downstream”, Chinese state media reported on August 28, citing water authorities. The lake formed after a wall of mud and debris hit the border hub of Gyirong in Tibet on August 26, with hundreds reported missing. (Photo by Lhasa Mobile Fire and Rescue Detachment / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / Lhasa Mobile Fire and Rescue Detachment” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
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Rescue operations have been hindered by fears of a second flood.
A new barrier lake at the flood site began to overflow on Friday temporarily halting efforts.
5 min read
UK offers support
The UK has offered £5m to help the Nepalese government.
Andy Burnham also offered for emergency responders to head to the affected region.
The Prime Minister described the situation as “very distressing and devastating”.
3 min read
Devastating floods
Caption: NUWAKOT, NEPAL- AUGUST 27: Earthmovers clear debris from Trishuli Bazaar in Nuwakot district, Nepal, on August 27, 2026, following devastating flash floods near the Nepal??”Tibet border. The sudden surge of water, mud and debris swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, destroying homes, vehicles, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Rescue and recovery operations are underway as authorities continue searching for survivors and people reported missing in the disaster. (Photo by Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Caption: A vehicle is seen in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
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Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: People work to clear the debris around their houses following flash floods and a mudslide in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal, August 28, 2026. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
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Caption: EMBARGOED TO 1000 THURSDAY JULY 30
File photo dated 06/11/10 of a general view of an NHS logo. Health officials should set up a new system so NHS staff can anonymously blow the whistle on medics accused of sexual misconduct, leading doctors have said. The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) said that many workers “remain reluctant” to report sexual misconduct due to fear of repercussions. Issue date: Thursday July 30, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
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Source: PA
How NHS spending on ADHD and autism has risen tenfold
Cuts to meet demand
A report by the NHS Alliance, which represents health trusts and hospitals, examined increased spending on ADHD and autism services across 42 regional NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) in England.
It found the uptick in funding required to meet soaring demand for ADHD diagnoses was forcing some NHS boards to cut crucial care in other areas to balance budgets.
5 min read
Explained
2 min read
Some of the numbers
One region saw a tenfold spending increase from 2024-25 to 2025-26, from £1.75m to £18m.
In another region, spend on adult ADHD services went from £11m in 2023-24 to £38m in 2024-25.
For the 2026-27 financial year, this is projected to rise to £51m.
What’s behind increased spending?
Under the Right to Choose initiative, the 800,000 people on NHS waiting lists for an ADHD assessment in England, have a legal right to NHS-funded private assessments.
Caption: File photo dated 03/10/14 of a hospital ward. NHS staff have been called “monkeys” and patients have refused to be treated by non-white staff amid a reported rise in racism across the health service, experts have said. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said staff have reported a “noticeable” rise in racism from patients over the last 18 months, including patients calling staff “dirty foreigners” and talking about “people coming over here, taking our jobs”. Issue date: Tuesday August 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
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Caption: Hands holding brain with ADHD, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental disorder concept
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The NHS paid for 100,000 private ADHD assessments via the initiative last year, contributing to the steep rise in spending.
‘Huge’ fee variation
There are also “huge variations in the prices paid for services”.
The NHS Alliance report found assessment fees ranging from £300 to £3,000.
This possibility for profit has in turn caused a dramatic increase in private ADHD providers.
5 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
Opinion | “Fundamentally, ADHD assessments rely heavily on observable childhood behaviour,” writes Poppy Jay. “But there was no way on God’s green Earth that I, Poppy Jay, could afford to be disruptive. I would have come home to a cane, a slap or whatever object happened to be nearest. Usually a trainer, expertly lobbed at my face.” Read Poppy Jay’s full piece on @theipaper website. adhd #neurodivergent
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Norway’s King Harald dies aged 89
Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89 after he was taken to hospital for a rare blood condition last week.
Caption: ***File Photo*** SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 24: King Harald V of Norway arrives to view the ‘Kathleen Gillett Ketch’ at the Australian National Maritime Museum on February 24, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. The royal couple are in Australia for six days and will attend events in Canberra, Sydney and Perth. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
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Europe’s oldest reigning monarch
The monarch passed away “peacefully” at Oslo University Hospital, the country’s royal family said. Harald was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and had been admitted to hospital with haemolytic anaemia, which is caused by the rapid destruction of red blood cells.
Caption: File photo dated 06/06/14 of Queen Elizabeth II with King Harald of Norway during an International Ceremony with Heads of State at Sword Beach in Normandy to mark the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. King Harald V of Norway has died aged 89 in Oslo and his 53-year-old son has become King Haakon VIII. Issue date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Chris Jackson/PA Wire
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Caption: FILE – King Harald of Norway waves after a wreath-laying ceremony, in Villons les Buissons, western France, June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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A popular king
Harald reigned for 35 years and had been the first king born in Norway since the 14th century. King Charles paid tribute to his “dear cousin” praising him for his “warmth and humility”.
Caption: ***File Photo*** WHISTLER, BC – FEBRUARY 28: King Harald V (L) and Queen Sonja of Norway attend the Men’s 50 km Mass Start Classic cross-country skiing on day 17 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Cross-Country Stadium on February 28, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Caption: FILE PHOTO: Norway’s King Harald V looks on during his visit to a military base in Warsaw, Poland May 10, 2012. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
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Harald, described as the ‘People’s King’, married a commoner and stood as a unifying figure for the country, especially during the 2011 bomb and gun attacks in Oslo.
Fleeing Nazi Germany
Following the Nazi invasion of Norway, Harald, then three, fled the country with his mother.
At first, they crossed into Sweden before then travelling to the US following invitation of Franklin D Roosevelt.
He became crown prince in 1957, and studied social science, history and economics at Balliol College in Oxford from 1960-62.
He met Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a businessman, and married her in Oslo Cathedral on 29 August 1968.
Harald ascended to the throne in 1991 following the death of his father, Olav.
A life in pictures
Caption: FILE – Norway’s Crown Prince Harald, with his wife Crown Princess Sonja, present their new son Prince Haakon Magnus, in the National Hospital, Oslo, July. 26, 1973, Prince Haakon was born on July. 20. (AP Photo, File)
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Caption: ***File Photo*** LONDON – OCTOBER 25: Norway’s King Harald V (R) and Queen Sonja sit in a carriage as they ride down The Mall on their way to Buckingham Palace on October 25, 2005 in London. They are visiting London to mark 100 years of Norway’s independence from Sweden (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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Caption: FILE – Norwegian Crown Prince Harald, left, Princess Sonja with their son Haakon, and King Olav pose for the photographers after the christening of Haakon in the Royal Palace Chapel in Oslo, Norway, Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo/Pool, File)
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health
Teenage girl has dissolvable heart implant fitted to chase rugby dream
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 FRIDAY AUGUST 28
Undated family handout photo issued by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital of Lillie Yale, 14, who has become the first UK patient to have a dissolvable heart implant fitted to treat atrial septal defect (ASD). The device, known as Memosorb, acts as a scaffold for the heart to heal the hole itself before disappearing completely. Lillie’s mother Becci Nichols said doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital went “above and beyond” for her daughter, as a traditional metal implant would mean Lillie giving up rugby, which she hopes to play professionally one day. Issue date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Becci Nichols/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Becci Nichols
Provider: Becci Nichols/PA Wire
Source: PA
A teenage girl has become the first person in the UK to have a dissolvable implant fitted to close a hole in her heart that is around the size of a 10p coin.
Lillie Yale, from Warrington, faced having a permanent metal device, which would have hindered her dream of becoming a professional rugby player.
How the implant works
The implant will act as a scaffold for Lillie’s heart to heal over the coming years, before dissolving and leaving behind no trace.
The procedure was performed on the 14-year-old at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool in June.
It is the first time the device, known as MemoSorb, has been used on a patient with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a hole in the wall that divides the two upper chambers of the heart, in the UK.
Lillie is ‘healing perfectly’
Lillie’s mother Becci Nichols, 38, said her daughter is “healing perfectly” and has since ran a 5k and has returned to playing rugby.
“I’m really happy it’s all done now, and it’s amazing to know I was the first person in the UK to have this new type of implant,” Lillie said.
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 FRIDAY AUGUST 28
Undated family handout photo issued by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital of their Interventional cardiology team Lillie Yale, 14, has become the first UK patient to have a dissolvable heart implant fitted to treat atrial septal defect (ASD). The device, known as Memosorb, acts as a scaffold for the heart to heal the hole itself before disappearing completely. Lillie’s mother Becci Nichols said doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital went “above and beyond” for her daughter, as a traditional metal implant would mean Lillie giving up rugby, which she hopes to play professionally one day. Issue date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
Provider: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital/PA Wire
Source: PA
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 FRIDAY AUGUST 28
Undated family handout photo issued by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital of Lillie Yale, 14, who has become the first UK patient to have a dissolvable heart implant fitted to treat atrial septal defect (ASD). The device, known as Memosorb, acts as a scaffold for the heart to heal the hole itself before disappearing completely. Lillie’s mother Becci Nichols said doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital went “above and beyond” for her daughter, as a traditional metal implant would mean Lillie giving up rugby, which she hopes to play professionally one day. Issue date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Becci Nichols/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Becci Nichols
Provider: Becci Nichols/PA Wire
Source: PA
Caption: A VIAS staff member gives a demonstration of an alcolock alcohol lock in cars, at the presentation of a study by VIAS institute on the efficiency of the alcolock alcohol lock in cars, in Brussels on January 11, 2023. (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / BELGA / AFP) / Belgium OUT (Photo by ERIC LALMAND/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: ERIC LALMAND
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Source: AFP
drink driving
Could alcolocks become mandatory for repeat drink-drivers?
International evidence shows alcolocks can reduce reoffending by up to 70%.
Police chiefs and road safety campaigners have written to the Prime Minister urging him to introduce alcolocks for repeat drink-driving offenders.
What are alcolocks?
Alcohol interlocks, known as alcolocks, are devices which prevent a vehicle from being started or driven unless the motorist passes a breath test.
Caption: Illustration picture shows a alcolock alcohol lock set during the presentation of a study by VIAS institute on the efficiency of the alcolock alcohol lock in cars, in Brussels, Wednesday 11 January 2023. BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by ERIC LALMAND/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: ERIC LALMAND
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Source: AFP
Campaigners including the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the RAC urged the Government to introduce a mandatory alcolock programme for “high-risk and repeat drink-driving offenders”.
What campaigners said
An effective programme should make the use of an alcolock a mandatory condition of an offender returning to driving, backed by monitoring and appropriate rehabilitation. “It would prevent a vehicle being driven after drinking, rather than relying solely on a ban or penalty after the event.
Caption: File photo dated 26/11/14 of a pint of beer and a set of car keys on a bar in a pub in central London. More than a fifth (21%) of motorists have drunk alcohol after 10pm when needing to drive before 9am the following morning, a new survey suggests. Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, which commissioned the poll, warned that drinking alcohol the night before getting behind the wheel can pose a “serious threat” because a “groggy head” means slower reaction times. Issue date: Friday July 18, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Philip Toscano/PA Wire
Photographer: Philip Toscano
Provider: Philip Toscano/PA Wire
Source: PA
A closer look at the figures
How serious a problem is repeat drink-driving?
27,837
The number of British motorists who were convicted of drink-driving multiple times in the 11 years to 20 July, 2024.
Transport Department figures suggest an estimated 260 people were killed in crashes on Britain’s roads involving at least one driver over the legal alcohol limit in 2023.
Approximately 1,600 people were seriously injured.
What happens abroad?
Several countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada and the US mandate the use of interlocks during sentencing of some drink-drivers.
This does not happen in the UK, where people lose their licence for at least 12 months, although offenders may be offered a reduced ban if they complete a rehabilitation course.
Explained
5 min read
2 min read
health
The surprise bonus benefits of four common vaccines
People who have had the shingles vaccine have a lower rate of some completely unexpected conditions, including heart attacks and strokes, a study found this week.
What did the study find?
Rates of heart disease and strokes were 9 per cent lower over seven years in Americans who got the new shingles vaccine.
This was compared with those who were vaccinated using a previous version, a study by the University of Oxford found.
This cuts heart disease by about the same amount as when people take a daily tablet to lower their blood pressure.
This is according to researcher Dr Maxime Taquet, associate professor at the University of Oxford.
The other vaccines with added benefits
The MMR jab not only protects against measles, but over the years cuts the rate at which children fall prey to ear infections, diarrhoea and pneumonia.
The vaccine against tuberculosis has been turned into a treatment for bladder cancer.
The HPV vaccine prevents not just cervical cancer but also throat cancer and some cancers of the penis and anus.
3 min read
More on health from The i Paper
High-protein snacks and drinks, including yoghurt, porridge pots, cereal bars and milkshakes, are more popular than ever. But their “health halo” could be obscuring the fact that some of these foods are not really that good for us, an analysis has found. In fact, some of the snacks could be seen as examples of so-called “protein washing” – when foods are marketed as healthy because of their high protein, when they actually should be eaten in moderation. You can read Clare’s full article on The i Paper’s website. #protein #proteinsnack
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“They’re catching on my gums. They are pushing through, on the inside of my mouth… and it is really sore. I’ve got constant jaw ache.”
She is having to avoid certain foods such as salt and vinegar crisps and is regularly taking pain medication to manage.
Dental deserts are popping up across England as hundreds of practices abandon NHS contracts, which critics say are underfunded, in favour of carrying out more lucrative private care. It has left patients with little choice but to pay for private dentistry, suffer without care or even resort to dangerous DIY measures in extreme cases.
Earlier this year, the British Dental Association (BDA) warned that access is getting “worse” across large swathes of the country, with dentists leaving the NHS in their droves.
At least 600 dental practices in England have stopped providing NHS care since 2017, according to analysis by the Nuffield Trust.
Lincolnshire, where Duggan lives, is one of the worst affected areas with just seven practices offering general NHS dentistry per 100,000 people – below the average of 10 per 100,000 across England, analysis by the health and social care think-tank shows.
New patients also struggle to get appointments, with just 28 per cent able to, compared to the England average of 38 per cent.
Northamptonshire, Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, Cambridge and Peterborough were also identified as areas with just seven NHS practices per 100,000 people.
‘No one is taking on new patients’
Duggan, an employee relations adviser, is worried that her dental bill could exceed hundreds because of the extended period she has gone without an appointment – and the ongoing problems with her wisdom teeth.
She has already been quoted hundreds of pounds for a private appointment excluding treatment.
“No one’s taking on new patients because no one has the dentist with any spare spaces,” she said.
“I’m worried when I do get an appointment, they’re going to be a massive list of things that I need doing. I’m going to have to pay for through no fault of my own because I just haven’t been seen.”
Duggan also wonders if “the pain is just going to continue to the point where I get an infection”.
The NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board has identified Lincoln, Boston and Skegness as locations where there is unmet need and oral health is the poorest.
In a bid to help meet the needs of patients in the rural county, the University of Lincoln has launched a campaign to bring the first dental school to the region.
It is hoped that if more students are trained locally, the number of dentists who stay and work in the county will rise.
The campaign has the support of Martin Vickers, MP for Brigg and Immingham, who said it would be “critical” for improving access to NHS dental care in Lincolnshire.
Dr Shiv Pabary, chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, said he has seen how dental schools can improve access for locals.
“We’ve got a dental school in Newcastle, so when the students graduate, they tend to stay [in the area],” he said.
However, he added that the Government needs to act with “real urgency” to fix an NHS dental contract that is “not fit for purpose” so newly qualified dentists remain in the NHS.
Dr David Trawford, a dentist at a private practice in Boston, left the NHS 23 years ago because changes to the contract made it “difficult” to provide the desired treatment within its financial framework.
He believes his colleagues are withdrawing from the NHS contract because of funding pressures.
“I do know of a practice in Spalding that used to provide NHS treatment,” he said. “They have now gone private, and it will be in all cases for the same reason.”
Mark Jones, founder of Toothless in England, a grassroots campaign, said the country was in a “dental crisis”, with people pulling out their own teeth and children being admitted into hospital to have extractions.
The i Paper contacted NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board for comment.