The areas of England with the best and worst health have been revealed in government “health maps”.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has welcomed the positive emphasis on stability in the Care Matters White Paper.

A violent mental patient shot a teenage friend dead weeks after a leading psychiatrist let him out of hospital despite the concerns of colleagues, a tribunal has heard.

A policeman responsible for monitoring sex offenders “groomed” a 13-year-old girl by sending her 750 text messages.

The senior civil servant who drew up the rules on restraining teenagers in child jails has strongly criticised ministers for making changes which will allow private security staff to inflict pain on children who refuse to go to bed or be quiet.

Children in care could receive help from a “virtual head teacher” under plans to boost their opportunities. A White Paper published today is expected to say the heads could oversee

The Tories have pledged to hand day-to-day control of the NHS in England to an independent board, part of efforts to make it more autonomous. Members would be chosen by the health secretary and would be accountable to ministers, the party says.

Dementia sufferers across North Yorkshire are predicted to soar in numbers by 50 per cent over the next 14 years, according to new figures. Research by the Alzheimer’s Society has suggested that by 2021, there will be 12,699 people across the county with this kind of illness – a huge rise from the 8,456 in estimated sufferers today.

Community treatment orders (CTOs) do little to reduce arrests, hospital readmission rates or bed days in patients with mental illness, research has shown.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is calling for an urgent closing of a legal loophole which fails to offer adequate human rights protection to disabled or older people if their local authority places them in a privately owned care home.