Transport for Wales (TfW) has announced a £1 million investment to install new Help Points at 48 railway stations across Wales, including: Llantwit Major and Rhoose.

Teleri Evans, customer information manager at TfW, said: “We want customers to feel safe, confident and connected when out on our network.

“While there are a number of ways to find out what’s going on including our website, customer information channels and the information screens we operate at every station, we know we need to do more.

“There’s nothing worse than being at a station and not knowing what’s going on during disruption.

“So, we’re committing to installing these Help Points, starting with those stations with limited phone signal and ones that previously had BT payphones.”

Help Points will connect users directly to Customer Information Controllers based in Wales.

Most controllers are Welsh speakers.

The rollout will prioritise unstaffed stations, those with less frequent services, and areas with poor mobile signal.

The project will also see existing Help Points replaced at five stations in north Wales.

TfW manages 248 stations across Wales and the Borders, but fewer than half currently have Help Points installed.

Adam Zak, project manager, said: “Installing new help points is a large undertaking and we are working hard with our partners in Network Rail to ensure the project can go ahead smoothly.

“We expect to get some dates confirmed in the next few months and to begin the work this financial year.”

Help Points will be installed on station platforms or concourses and can be used for a variety of purposes, including requesting assistance, checking train times, or reporting issues.

Some people will not be getting the money this year ahead of key dates – list

Qualifying week for this year’s winter fuel payment of between £1-300 is looming – but the DWP has confirmed some people will not be getting the money. The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual, tax-free lump sum of between £100 and £300 given by the UK government to help older people pay their heating bills during the winter.

The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 21 to 27 September 2026. This is called the ‘qualifying week’. People will get a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get, if they’re eligible.

The Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week is a specific 7-day period used by the government to decide if you meet the age, residency, and personal circumstance rules to get the winter heating grant. For the winter 2026 to 2027 payment, the qualifying week runs from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026.

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

But Department for Work and Pensions officials have confirmed there are four groups of people who will not get the winter fuel payment in 2026 even if they were born in time. If taxable income is over £35,000, the payment is recovered through the tax system.

However there are actually four groups of people who will not be eligible if they were born here and meet the cash and age criteria.

Not be eligible for WFP if the person:

• usually lives outside England, Wales or Northern Ireland
• was in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September 2026 and the year before that
• need permission to enter the UK and their granted leave says that they cannot claim public funds
• was in prison for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September 2026

If you live in a care home

• You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home. You will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
• you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• you lived in a care home for the whole time from 29 June 2026 or earlier

It’s going to be especially important this year. Experts have warned that households could be facing further pain on energy bills as oil prices surge above 100 dollars a barrel and UK gas prices reach a near four-year high.

Traders in the financial markets were reacting to attacks on Iranian oil tankers and concerns about further disruptions to supply amid ongoing fighting in the Middle East. US officials said on Tuesday night that multiple tankers had been struck in retaliation to more attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship.

The news sent the price of Brent crude oil up by nearly 3% to around 100.50 dollars a barrel on Wednesday afternoon. The last time prices went above the 100 dollars a barrel mark was in late July.

Furthermore, UK natural gas prices were up by about 3% to around 195p per therm, which is a unit of heat energy – hitting the highest level since December 2022.

The latest strikes in the Middle East show fighting between the US and Iran continues to escalate after more than six months of war, weighing on hopes among investors that a peace deal can be reached this year.

Rising oil costs and disruption to supplies are also influencing fuel prices, which have gone up further in recent days. The latest data from the RAC showed the average price of petrol has increased by 5p a litre in the last week to reach 167.17p, and diesel has risen by the same amount to 188.63p.

The last time unleaded petrol prices were that high was four years ago, according to the motoring group.

Furthermore, experts warned that the latest surge in wholesale prices could feed through into consumer energy bills in the winter.

Ofgem’s energy price cap will rise by 4% in October, and analysts are predicting a bigger hike to the price cap in the new year.

Andrew Goodwin, chief UK economist for Oxford Economics, said: “The increase in wholesale gas prices has more than offset the saving from the Government removing VAT from electricity bills between October and March.

“We think the price cap could rise by another 13% in January – wholesale prices are currently well above the level of the previous observation window, and our commodities team expect them to remain high in the near term.”

Simon Francis, who coordinates the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The wholesale cost of gas has hit a high not seen since December 2022, while heating oil prices have also surged upwards again.

“The Ofgem price cap for January is being calculated on prices like these, which means it could be brutal for households already struggling.

“Those who use heating oil or are on some heat networks and are not on the price cap may see increases even sooner.”

He called on the Government to provide targeted support for struggling households and those in energy debt and “back the long-term energy efficiency measures that can protect the public from future market volatility”.

Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said gas prices had not fully recovered from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while the Iran war meant households and businesses were facing another winter of rising bills.

“Only by getting off gas and oil can we protect ourselves from volatile international fossil fuel markets,” he said.

Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said: “Far from showing signs of resolution, the conflict in the Middle East appears to be becoming more entrenched, creating chronic supply concerns around crude and gas, while intensifying trade battles threaten to push up the cost of goods just as central banks are trying to get inflation under control.

“Given the sustained impact of higher energy prices, the worry is that firms will have little choice, other than to raise prices, which risks creating another inflationary spiral.”

High street salads have come a long way from a bog-standard tuna niçoise.

Many offerings these days have barely a leaf in sight, packed with multiple grains, seeds and a plethora of roasted vegetables, along with any dressing your appetite desires. 

You don’t have to make a special trip to a trendy health food spot either – salads are available at virtually every eatery, from McDonald’s to Greggs. 

In fact, the popular bakery chain has credited its salad range for record-high sales this year. 

But, with endless choice, how do you pick an option that’s best for both your tastebuds and your health?

Nutritionist Rob Hobson warns that many make the common mistake of assuming a salad is healthier than a sandwich. 

This isn’t necessarily the case, as some ingredients in salads hike up the calories and fat to rival that of a McDonald’s burger, he says.

Here, experts reveal the best bowls on Britain’s high streets – and the ones that are nutritionally akin to junk food. 

M&S Chicken Caesar Salad

Per 261g salad: 551 calories, 8.4g saturated fat, 3.1g sugar, 34.9g protein, 1.6g fibre, 2.6g salt 

With more saturated fat than a McDonald’s cheeseburger (thanks to the oil-heavy dressing), this seemingly healthy lunch might not be such a good option. 

In the UK, the NHS recommends that women eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day, whereas the limit for men is 30g. Consistently eating too much saturated fat can lead to a build up of bad cholesterol in your arteries, which then raises your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Hobson adds that for 550 calories, this lunch is unlikely to keep you satisfied for long due to the serious lack of fibre, which helps food move more slowly through the gut, triggering feelings of fullness.

There’s also nearly a third of your daily salt limit here, which is bad news for those with high blood pressure. 

‘The salad does have a very decent 35g of protein, largely from the chicken and egg. That’s good for muscle building, but overall a caesar salad doesn’t provide nutritional bang for your buck,’ Hobson concludes.

Verdict: 1/5 

Asda Cheese Pasta Salad

Per 365g pot: 596 calories, 14g saturated fat, 7.3g sugar, 21.2g protein, 4.4g fibre, 1.6g salt 

Not all pasta salads are to be avoided, but many – like this Asda cheese option – contain very few vegetables, and dressings that are packed with fat and sugar.

There’s almost two teaspoons of sweet stuff here, most of which comes from sugar syrup that’s used for extra flavouring. 

The ‘healthy’ lunch packs in 70 percent of your recommended daily maximum of saturated fat, largely from the generous amount of cheese, which is more than you’ll find in a Big Mac. 

Hobson says, in general, avoid salads whereby the vegetable element is classic salad ingredients, like lettuce, carrot, cucumber or sweetcorn. These veggies aren’t as high in fibre as others and are unlikely to satisfy hunger.  

‘For a lunch approaching 600 calories, I would want to see much more vegetable variety and fibre, and a lower saturated fat content,’ he adds.

Verdict: 0/5 

Itsu Tuna Tartare Poké

Per bowl: 684 calories, 2.9g saturated fat, 22.2g sugar, 25.8g protein, 9.5g fibre, 5.2g salt

Itsu is renowned for its sushi-based salads but they do often come with a huge calorie hit. In this case, it’s around 100 more calories than Pret’s Chicken Caesar Bacon Baguette.

But will it keep you fuller for longer? Probably not. While there’s more than twice the filling fibre here compared to the aforementioned baguette, there’s less protein and seven times more sugar. 

Eating large quantities of sugar in the middle of the day has been associated with dramatic peaks and dips in blood sugar which can raise the risk of severe hunger pangs between meals. 

Also, there’s a massive 86 per cent of your daily recommended salt allowance here, thanks to the soy-based dressing.

However, Hobson says there are pluses. For instance, tuna which is a low-fat source of protein that’s easily absorbed by the body, and, if you ditch the dressing, you’ll save yourself most of the sugar and salt.

Verdict: 2/5 

M&S Nutrient Dense 35 Plants Salad

Per pot: 300 calories, 3.1g saturated fat, 12.9g sugar, 10.9g protein, 7.6g fibre, 1.3g salt

American researchers recently found that eating 30 different plants a week can dramatically boost diversity of the trillions of microbes in our gut. This can have benefits for the immune system, digestion and mental health, studies show. 

This colourful M&S salad contains a huge 35 different plants, making it a great choice, according to Hobson.

‘The wide mix of vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, seeds and herbs all count as plants and provide 7.6g of fibre per pack, which is about as much as two-and-a-half slices of wholemeal bread.

‘Including a mixture of plants means you’re getting a wider range of nutrients and different types of fibre.

‘You’ll get soluble fibre, which dissolves in water and can help improve cholesterol and digestion, as well as insoluble fibre, which bulks up stools to keep food moving through the digestive system.

Don’t worry too much about the relatively high sugar count, as most of this is from sweet vegetables like squash and sweet potato, and not the kind we need to limit to 30g a day. 

But, with a pretty moderate amount of protein, you may not feel satisfied for long, particularly if you have a larger appetite.

Verdict: 4/5 

LEON Golden Beetroot Superfood Salad

Per box: 461 calories, 13g saturated fat, 15g sugar, 13g protein, 10g fibre, 6g salt

If it wasn’t for the huge quantity of salt here, this salad would be an ideal healthy lunch, with a third of your daily fibre needs and enough plant protein to keep you full.

‘But most people wouldn’t realise that this choice contains more than the recommended maximum of salt for an entire day,’ says Ro Huntriss, consultant dietitian and founder of Fertility Dietitian UK.

‘There is also quite a bit of added sugar from ingredients including agave syrup, sugar and dextrose.’ As much sugar as you’ll find in roughly five Hobnobs, in fact.   

There’s also more than half of a woman’s daily recommended saturated fat intake due to coconut oil in the plant-based ‘stracciatella’. 

‘This salad demonstrates why foods marketed as plant-based or healthy can contain surprising amounts of saturated fat,’ says Huntriss.

Verdict: 2/5     

LEON Chicken & Avocado Superfood Salad

Per box: 565 calories, 7g saturated fat, 11g sugar, 27g protein, 8.1g fibre, 1.3g salt 

Despite high calories, this generously portioned salad is actually brimming with goodness.

‘I wouldn’t be put off by the 565 calories because a lot of it is coming from foods like avocado and seeds, which provide healthy, unsaturated fats,’ says Hobson.

‘These fats can help lower levels of LDL aka ‘bad’ cholesterol when they replace saturated fats in your diet, helping to protect your heart health.’

The chicken, quinoa, peas and plenty of other vegetables also provide the majority of a woman’s daily intake of protein, and nearly a third of a day’s fibre.

‘Higher-fibre diets are also associated with a lower risk of conditions including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer,’ says Hobson.

One major downside is the sugar, much of which comes from the pickled onion and, oddly, the chicken (likely due to a sweet marinade). Some of it is found naturally in the beetroot and Greek yogurt dressing, however.

Verdict: 3/5 

Tesco Finest Middle Eastern Style British Chicken & Tabbouleh Salad

Per pot: 341 calories, 1.3g saturated fat, 9.7g sugar, 17.3g protein, 7.4g fibre, 1.4g salt

Bulgur wheat, cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley, spiced chicken breast, pomegranate chutney, pickled vegetable slaw mix, hummus, a spicy yogurt dressing pot, rocket and beetroot leaves, makes this one of the most colourful salads in the chiller.

If you’re controlling your calories, this could be a good choice with just 341, says Hobson.

But, despite the low energy count, there is still plenty of substance to this salad.

‘Chicken, bulgur wheat, chickpeas and hummus make this a filling option as you get a nice variety of vegetables, herbs and pulses.’

The one downside is the two teaspoons of sugar, which is added to the dressing and the chickpeas. But experts say it’s less than a third of your daily recommended intake, so as long as you cut down on sweet treats, it’s a perfectly healthy option.

Verdict: 4/5 

The NHS faced the “busiest summer in its history” as the UK experienced a series of heatwaves, health officials have said, while the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has risen to its highest level for nine months.

The health secretary said “extreme demand” on the service was “no longer confined to winter” and NHS leaders warned that the service had “never gone into winter on the back of such a heavy summer”.

Figures show A&E attendances in June, July and August reached nearly 7.3m, the highest ever over a summer period, according to NHS England. This is almost 1m higher than the equivalent period in 2022 when 6.4m attendances were recorded over the summer months.

Ambulances also dealt with a record number of callouts – about 2.4m – between June and August, NHS England said.

An estimated 7.33m treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of July, relating to 6.21 million patients, according to NHS figures – up from 7.27m treatments and 6.15 million patients at the end of June.

The numbers are the highest since October 2025, when the list stood at 7.40m treatments and 6.24 million patients.

Long waits for NHS hospital treatment in England have also increased. An estimated 111,379 people had been waiting more than a year to start routine treatment at the end of July, up from 105,711 at the end of June.

An estimated 65.4% of patients in July began hospital treatment within 18 weeks of referral, down from 65.8% in June but above the target of 65% that the government and NHS England set for March of this year.

Labour previously pledged that by July 2029, 92% of patients would be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment such as hip and knee replacements. But leading surgeons have said it is unlikely the target will be met.

Prof Frank Smith, the senior vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “Our analysis shows that, if the pace of improvement seen over the last two years continues, no region in England will restore the 18-week standard by 2029.”

The NHS England figures show that an average of 2,973 patients in England received corridor care each day in August, with 2,296 in A&E departments and 677 in other hospital areas.

Commenting on the summer pressures facing the health service, Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of the King’s Fund thinktank, said: “The NHS is now facing a twin crisis with summer joining winter as a major pressure on services and leaving little room for staff and the system to recover between peak periods. Extreme heat is now an NHS pressure point, not just a weather story.

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“If ministers want to protect patients, staff and performance, they need to treat climate resilience and delivering a radical shift to prevention as core health policy.’

Dr Vicky Price, the president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Behind the national figures are teams describing relentless pressure, a lack of meaningful solutions and morale at a low ebb. Staff continue to work tirelessly, but goodwill cannot compensate indefinitely for structural problems that remain unresolved.”

The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “This has been the most demanding summer on record for our A&E and ambulance staff, with heavy pressure on our NHS and winter still to come. I want to pay tribute to the incredible dedication of NHS staff.

“Despite unprecedented demand, they managed to see a record number of patients within four hours in A&E over the summer. With the support of this government, the NHS has worked hard to strengthen its ability to respond to these challenges, but the reality is that extreme demand is no longer confined to winter.

“That’s why we’re backing the NHS with record investment and rolling out plans to support services through both summer and winter pressure.”

A number of birthing services delivered by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board were suspended in August

A Welsh health board has reopened its birthing centre after a number of services were temporarily suspended due to “significant staffing challenges”. Their home birth service does however remain suspended, with bosses saying that restoring it remains a “key priority”.

At the start of August, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board announced they were suspending home birth services and a midwifery-led birthing centre at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital for six weeks as a result of staffing issues.

Expectant mothers were told they couldn’t give birth at the Tirion birth centre, which opened in 2019, but the centre reopened on Wednesday, September 9.

The health board, which covers Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil, said the issues had been resolved, with its usual services now restored. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here.

Despite the birthing centre reopening, the home birth service is still currently suspended. The heath board reassured mothers that they were reassessing the situation daily to make sure they could reinstate it as quickly as possible.

A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB said: “We have been able to reopen Tirion Birth Centre this week, enabling women and families to access a freestanding birth centre and supporting greater choice in how and where they give birth.

“The restoration of our home birth service remains a key priority and we are reviewing the situation daily to ensure the service is reinstated as soon as possible.

“Our priority is always to provide safe, high-quality maternity care while supporting women to make informed choices about their birth experience.”

The Tirion centre provides a birthing service, as well as antenatal and postnatal care, including clinics, support and classes. It’s one of three midwifery-led options across the health board, alongside Tair Afon Birth Centre at Prince Charles Hospital and the Daffodil Suite at Princess of Wales Hospital.

The midwifery-led birth centre opened seven years ago when the health board rearranged how it delivered maternity care across the region. It is an option for women following a midwife-led care pathway, with the rooms being staffed and managed by midwives.

Previously, the Royal Glamorgan Hospital had consultant doctors working there, but these services were relocated and centralised to be delivered at Bridgend’s Princess of Wales Hospital and Merthyr Tydfil’s Prince Charles Hospital.

Kerry Fordham, 70, was fit and healthy before she began to feel unwell in February.

She started to suffer from fatigue but “did everything right” and went straight to her doctor, where she had a blood test that showed “nothing.”

Further symptoms, like indigestion and back pain, began to rear their heads and a return visit to the doctor came – with further tests that showed no abnormalities.

The next month, her symptoms were declared to be the cause of high cholesterol, but they only continued.

Kerry “did everything right” and went straight to her doctor when she became unwell (Image: Supplied)

By May, Kerry had lost weight and, after more emergency tests, she began to be sick every time she ate and found tasks like walking increasingly difficult.

On June 8, Kerry and her daughter Braidey Lewis, 44, found out that she had a mass on her pancreas.

A taxing six-week hospital stay followed for Kerry.

In this time, she developed severe jaundice and had stents fitted – all while not being well enough to eat. By this point, they had also found lesions in her stomach and abdominal lining.

Just weeks after her diagnosis, on August 15, Kerry passed away.

Following her passing, her daughter Braidey has taken it upon herself to raise awareness of this disease that is often overlooked.

She said: “Mum was fit and healthy – she was a pensioner, but she still worked and was great and fit and healthy. People used to think she was in her 50s.

“It’s just sickening because my mum could have been saved.

“Because she was older, she was dismissed. She wasn’t listened to.”

According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 28 pancreatic cancer deaths in the UK every day – a statistic that Braidey is looking to improve.

Kerry’s family now aim to raise awareness of the disease (Image: Supplied)

“Things need to change,” she said. “We just need to stop this happening to families in the future.

“My mum was my best friend. We had a holiday to Spain booked this week. Instead, now we have her funeral.”

Braidey and her family are organising a series of fundraisers for Pancreatic Cancer UK, aiming to raise as much money and awareness as possible to help those with this disease that has the lowest survival of all common cancers (according to Pancreatic Cancer UK).

Fundraising events begin with a walk by Braidey throughout September, in which she will be walking 84km through the month in honour of the 84 people who die from the disease every three days.

This will be followed by a vintage market, complete with cakes and coffee, on November 7 to commemorate Kerry’s love of all things vintage and stylish.