One child in 25 at secondary school in England has taken cocaine, heroin or another class A drug, according to a report commissioned by the Department of Health. The figures would mean 128,000 pupils aged 11 to 15 have been involved with the drugs.

Britain’s senior judge gave warning last night that the Ministry of Justice announced yesterday risks “recurrent crisis”, with the judiciary under pressure to tailor sentences to the number of prison spaces.

The number of detentions under the Act rose to 47,400 for the 12 months to March 2006, from 46,700 the previous year. Formal admissions rose to 27,400 in 2005/06 from 26,800 in 2004/05, surpassing the previous peak of 26,900 in 1998/99.

The number of prisoners in England and Wales has reached a new all-time high, just two months after Home Secretary John Reid asked judges to send only the most serious offenders to jail.

A class of drugs widely prescribed for people suffering from dementia is leading to the premature deaths of thousands of patients every year, according to research published today.

People from some black and minority ethnic groups were three times more likely than average to be admitted to mental health hospitals, results of a national census have shown.

{mosimage}It is the second year that the national ‘Count Me In’ census has shown significantly higher rates of admission and detention among some black and minority ethnic groups. The census has prompted calls for the introduction of mandatory reporting of ethnicity for all patients using mental health and learning disability services, not just those admitted to hospital.

The Count Me In Census 2006 was a joint initiative by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the National Institute for Mental Health in England.

The census aimed to provide accurate figures on the numbers of inpatients in mental health and learning disability services in England and Wales on one day and to encourage service providers to collect and monitor data on the ethnic groups of patients.

The census is one of the three key building blocks of the government’s five-year action plan, “Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care”.

Lord Falconer has welcomed the Prime Minister’s vision for the criminal justice system saying: “We cannot stand still because criminals don’t stand still.” 

The number of teenagers drinking alcohol and taking drugs in England is falling, a national survey has found. The annual poll of 8,200 11 to 15-year-olds found 21% had an alcoholic drink in the previous week, down from 26% in 2001.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton has announced a comprehensive review of the health of the working age population, assessing current health levels and providing a benchmark against which to measure future workplace health improvements.

A hospital which was condemned for ignoring safety guidance which led to a man dying from Legionnaires’ disease has been find £80,000. Daryl Eyles, 37, had just been given the all-clear from doctors treating him for leukaemia when he took a shower at Bath’s Royal United Hospital (RUH).