Strain on hospitals ‘now equal to peak of Covid’

Latest updates and essential advice from The Independent [View in browser]( [Alternate text] Daily briefing July 27, 2021 Today’s essential news from the source you trust This morning’s headlines Ministers have been warned that the health service is [under similar levels of pressure as at the height of the pandemic in January](, as rising Covid-19 admissions take their toll. NHS leaders say a combination of pressures in the NHS have resulted in hospitals being short of thousands of beds, with record demand in A&E departments, and the number of Covid patients in hospitals rising to more than 5,000 in England for the first time since March. NHS Providers, which represents hospital and ambulance trusts, say the health service is also facing unprecedented uncertainty over funding, with its budget still not finalised for the second half of the year and concerns growing that the government may start to restrict spending on health as the Covid crisis recedes. The fall in coronavirus infections nationally has sparked optimism that the pandemic’s summer wave has peaked, but the numbers in hospitals across the UK are still rising, piling pressure on hospitals as they try to cover a backlog of cancelled surgery. Follow the latest on the pandemic [in our liveblog](. “Ineffective” and racially disproportionate [blanket stop and search powers are to be expanded]( by the government under a new plan to “beat crime”. Measures unveiled on Tuesday include changes to controversial police powers to search people without suspicion in areas where serious violence could break out. The government said it would be “permanently relaxing voluntary conditions” for using section 60 powers as part of its Beating Crime Plan. A press release said the change would “empower police to take more knives off the streets” but an evaluation of a pilot running since 2019 has never been published. The government initially allowed seven police forces to relax the grounds needed to impose section 60 searches, have them authorised by a lower-ranking officer and keep them in place for longer. A man killed his 17-year-old step-daughter [to “prevent her pursuing her allegations of sexual abuse against him”](, prosecutors have told Cambridge Crown Court. Scott Walker killed Bernadette Walker, known as Bea, after she told her mother he had been abusing her. Diary entries reveal the teenager had not been believed. Instead, her mother conspired with Walker to cover up the killing, the court heard. In an undated entry, Bea wrote: “Told my mum about my dad and the abuse. She called me a liar and threatened to kill me if I told the police.” Bea’s body has never been found despite multiple searches and it is thought Walker, 51, disposed of her body in the countryside near Peterborough. . We need your support The Independent employs over 100 journalists around the world to bring you news you can trust. Please consider showing your support with a contribution. [Contribute]( . Top stories [Team GB dominate men’s swimming freestyle with historic one-two in Tokyo]( [Revealed: The 900-year-old stained glass windows hiding in plain sight]( [2021 Booker Prize longlist unveiled]( . . Stories chosen for you - [France ‘set to be removed from amber plus list’ as traffic light update looms – follow live]( - [Opinion: Brexit wasn’t meant to boost wages – are we now being proved wrong?]( - [Tobacco firm Philip Morris calls for ban on cigarettes within decade]( - [Travel to Europe: the post-Brexit passport rules]( - [Dawn Butler right to say Boris Johnson lies, says Keir Starmer]( . News you can trust The Independent has a 100% NewsGuard trust rating [NewsGuard] [Find out more]( . If you can spare two minutes we’d love to hear your [feedback]( on our newsletters [Alternate text] Join the conversation or follow us [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's News email. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent News Daily Briefing email, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.