The government has been charged with neglecting elderly people who suffer from mental health issues, in a new report.

A vaccine that slows the progress of multiple sclerosis has been developed. Preliminary research suggests the vaccine reduces the damage inflicted by MS sufferers’ immune cells on their nervous systems.

The mother of a 17-month-old boy and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the child died from horrific injuries.

Writing to Minister Kevin Brennan, John Hemming MP, chairman of Justice for Families, has called for the responsiblity for investigating allegations of Child Abuse to be removed from Childrens Social Services.

The RNIB has accused the government body charged with deciding what drugs are available on the NHS of “massive incompetence” that could lead to up to 10,000 people in the UK going blind unnecessarily.

Almost half of all hospital kitchens in England are failing to meet basic standards of cleanliness, with evidence of medical waste found on food handling equipment, staff with poor standards of hygiene and infestations of cockroaches and mice, according to inspection reports.

Victoria Climbie’s little body had 128 injuries. The social services department blamed for her death is now facing another scandal after the death of a toddler.

{mosimage}An inquiry has been launched into the conduct of social workers at Haringey Council in North London following the death of the 17-month- old boy, who had been subjected to appalling abuse.

Despite being monitored by social workers, the boy suffered a broken back and fractured ribs. He is also believed to have had a number of his fingernails removed by pliers.

The case – currently being treated as suspicious death – is expected to be officially turned into a murder inquiry this week.

Details have emerged about the missed opportunities to save the boy.

For months he had been watched by social workers from Haringey, the authority blamed for a series of catastrophic blunders which led to the death of African-born eight-year-old Victoria Climbie.

Britain’s elderly are in the grip of a mental health crisis with more than 3.5 million older people suffering depression or dementia, according to a report.

{mosimage}The startling figures show the scale of mental health problems in the over-65s is far greater than previously thought.

Suicide rates among those over 75 have risen alarmingly, especially among women.

Experts warn unless prompt Government action is taken the number of those suffering mental health problems will rise by a third in the next 15 years.

The disturbing analysis is released today by the UK Inquiry into Mental Health and Well-Being in Later Life, involving experts from the London School of Economics, the Royal College of Nursing and the charity Age Concern.

According to the study, up to 2.6 million older people – one in four of those over 65 and two in five of those over 85 – are suffering from depression or serious symptoms of depression. Meanwhile, one in five people over 80 suffers from dementia.

Campaigners are set to learn if they have won their High Court battle over the availability of Alzheimer’s drugs for people with early-stage disease. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) ruled donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine were not cost-effective in such cases.

{mosimage}But critics argue the decision process was flawed and did not take into account the benefits to carers. It is the first time a judicial review has been sought on a NICE decision.

Drugs company Eisai brought the case to the High Court with support from fellow drugs firm Pfizer and the Alzheimer’s Society. During the four-day hearing, which took place in June, lawyers representing Eisai said NICE and its appeal panel failed to assess properly the issues.

They argued that NICE did not properly evaluate the impact of the drugs on the quality of life of carers and that the figures on the cost of long-term care used in their analysis were too low. They also questioned the accuracy of the test used to determine the severity of a patient’s Alzheimer’s.

NICE guidance in 2001 recommended the drugs – which can make it easier to carry out everyday tasks – should be used as standard. But guidance published in November 2006, after months of appeals, stated that the drugs should only be prescribed to people with moderate-stage disease.

NICE said the drugs, which cost about £2.50 a day, did not make enough of a difference to recommend them for all patients and were not good value for money. Campaigners are angry that people suffering from Alzheimer’s have to get worse before they are eligible for treatment.

A 17-year-old has been arrested in Cambridge over the murder of youth worker Nathan Foster in south London. Mr Foster, 18, was found by police with bullet wounds on Friday night in Marcus Garvey Way near Brixton Tube station.