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Laura Hughes

@laurahughesft

Public Policy Correspondent, Financial Times. laura.hughes@ft.com

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30.04.2025
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Latest posts by Laura Hughes @laurahughesft

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Maternity care is broken. Who can fix it? [FREE TO READ] Giving birth is getting riskier, midwives are stretched to exhaustion and families must navigate a lottery of care

For women, giving birth In England is becoming riskier. Maternal deaths in the UK have increased since the pandemic and are now higher than they have been for more than a decade. as.ft.com/r/a4fc58ff-6...

19.02.2026 09:19 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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UCL students win Β£21mn over Covid disruption in watershed UK settlement [FREE TO READ] Move involving 6,500 claimants is set to put pressure on other universities to compensate graduates

SCOOP: University College London has agreed to pay Β£21mn to settle a lawsuit brought by students over Covid disruption, a watershed move that is set to put pressure on other institutions to compensate graduates. as.ft.com/r/50cd12f9-3...

19.02.2026 09:15 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This is v important piece on UK maternal care by @laurahughesft.bsky.social but makes for difficult reading

My wife encountered this with our second child, thankfully everything ended up OK but there were a series of very dangerous mistakes made

as.ft.com/r/24e63817-d...

18.02.2026 13:30 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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Maternity care is broken. Who can fix it? Giving birth is getting riskier, midwives are stretched to exhaustion and families must navigate a lottery of care

Maternity care is broken. Who can fix it? - by @laurahughesft.bsky.social giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

18.02.2026 09:05 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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We couldn’t have made Toxic Legacy without the generosity and courage of the families, academics and experts who spoke to us. Honoured to be shortlisted for News Podcast of the Year at the British Press Award.

🎧Full series here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/u...

12.02.2026 12:28 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Millions of women in England only have access to one round of IVF on NHS Health authorities continue to cut back the availability of fertility treatment despite official policy

Millions of women in England only have access to one round of IVF on NHS, writes @laurahughesft.bsky.social giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

09.02.2026 10:37 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
At the in-house laundry at Tickhill Road Hospital, staff are washing more than patient gowns and bed sheets.

Since last March, the hospital has been running a free service for people in Doncaster who lack access to washing facilities and are preparing for job interviews.

For those who do not have suitable clothes, the South Yorkshire hospital has also created a β€œcommunity wardrobe”, enabling local residents to borrow suits to help them present themselves more professionally.

β€œSome people might say this is ludicrous, that the NHS is subsidising interviews,” said Steve Forsyth, Tickhill Road Hospital’s chief nursing officer who helped create the initiatives. β€œBut we have a responsibility to the community. This is preventive work, as employment links to physical and mental health.”

At the in-house laundry at Tickhill Road Hospital, staff are washing more than patient gowns and bed sheets. Since last March, the hospital has been running a free service for people in Doncaster who lack access to washing facilities and are preparing for job interviews. For those who do not have suitable clothes, the South Yorkshire hospital has also created a β€œcommunity wardrobe”, enabling local residents to borrow suits to help them present themselves more professionally. β€œSome people might say this is ludicrous, that the NHS is subsidising interviews,” said Steve Forsyth, Tickhill Road Hospital’s chief nursing officer who helped create the initiatives. β€œBut we have a responsibility to the community. This is preventive work, as employment links to physical and mental health.”

The rise of the β€˜National Health State’ - fascinating stuff from @laurahughesft.bsky.social and @amyborrett.ft.com. Calls to mind teachers bringing in food, toiletries and clothes for pupils, albeit on a less institutionalised basis. (Source: www.ft.com/content/cb76...)

28.01.2026 07:42 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 0
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In response to the series, one water company in England, which would provide data to the FT only on the condition of anonymity, said it had recently rolled out a programme to identify and remove lead from drinking water in schools.

This is what they found 🀯

09.01.2026 10:24 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Homes on sale in England should be tested for lead, says water watchdog [FREE TO READ] Call by Drinking Water Inspectorate comes after FT revealed millions of people may be unknowingly exposed to toxic metal

The head of England’s drinking water watchdog has called for domestic fittings to be tested for lead as a mandatory part of homebuyers’ reports, after a @financialtimes.com investigation revealed millions of people may be unknowingly exposed to the toxic metal. as.ft.com/r/56e04bf8-f...

09.01.2026 10:11 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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UK to launch first lead poisoning screening study of children after FT investigation Leeds examination to target hidden exposure in the young and lay groundwork for national testing

This is potentially huge. The UK is launching its first screening study for lead poisoning, targeting hidden exposure in children and laying the groundwork for nationwide testing.
www.ft.com/content/f2bb...

17.11.2025 10:02 πŸ‘ 101 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1
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Untold: Toxic Legacy News Podcast Β· Weekly series Β· The Financial Times’ Laura Hughes has uncovered a lead poisoning epidemic across the UK. Lead is leaching into the environment and lurking in our homes - but most people...

The UK government is reconsidering whether to routinely test children for lead exposure following a two-year @financialtimes.com investigation that revealed millions may be unknowingly at risk from the toxic metal.

🎧Full series here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/u...

05.11.2025 13:42 πŸ‘ 23 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Untold: Toxic Legacy is a devastating investigation The three-part series by Laura Hughes is like a ghost story where lead haunts British land and homes. Plus: a chilling real-life story of a false confession

Over the moon to get this review. πŸ™ πŸŒ™
observer.co.uk/culture/audi...

27.10.2025 10:08 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Silent Danger Podcast Episode Β· Untold: Toxic Legacy Β· S3 E1 Β· 41m

Thirty years ago, horses died and a girl’s gums turned green in West Wales. The cause? Lead poisoning.

Now, it’s happening again.

Episode 1 of Untold: Toxic Legacy is out now.

🎧 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...

22.10.2025 12:06 πŸ‘ 37 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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You might be living with lead poisoning and not know it: the toxin is often invisible to the eye, but wreaks havoc on our bodies once we're exposed.

@laurahughesft.bsky.social uncovers a lead poisoning epidemic in Toxic Legacy, a new season of our Untold podcast: on.ft.com/3WU8YS8

22.10.2025 11:20 πŸ‘ 62 πŸ” 28 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 8
Spotify – Web Player

Lead is leaching into the environment and lurking in our homes. It's in soil, in water, in food, in our housing.

And it's poisoning people.

The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:

open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...

09.10.2025 09:44 πŸ‘ 31 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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This means the absolute world to me. Very grateful to sources and academics who are STILL helping me uncover the legacy of lead in our environment, as well as the impact it’s having on our health. Feel very lucky (as always) to work at the @financialtimes.com and with such brilliant editors. πŸ™

23.05.2025 11:03 πŸ‘ 51 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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New: The government wants a technological revolution in healthcare. But from paper notes to inconsistent data sharing and dozens of IT systems, digitising the NHS will not be easy.

W/ @laurahughesft.bsky.social @upyorkshire.ft.com @carolinenevitt.bsky.social @emmalewis.ft.com

πŸ‘‰ on.ft.com/4dqrVDG

20.05.2025 10:05 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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140: Mini-Series: The Paul Foot Award 2025 Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast Β· Episode

Thank you @privateeyenews.bsky.social for giving me such a great platform to discuss how lead from abandoned mines, old pipes and paint in our houses, could be poisoning hundreds of thousands of children a year here in the UK. open.spotify.com/episode/4nBh...

15.05.2025 18:00 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

🎧 Listen to the full interview with Laura on today’s episode of the Page 94 podcast. In feeds now. audioboom.com/posts/871891...

14.05.2025 16:53 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Toxic lead in the UK: Laura Hughes, Financial Times - Paul Foot Award Nominee 2025
Toxic lead in the UK: Laura Hughes, Financial Times - Paul Foot Award Nominee 2025 YouTube video by Private Eye Magazine

Well this was an eye opener, a big dose of morning doom but I cannot believe #leadpoisoning is not being talked about Great research and reporting from @laurahughesft.bsky.social

@privateeyenews.bsky.social youtube.com/watch?v=y-nh...

15.05.2025 05:36 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

What a ridiculous honour to just make this list, given both the origin of the award and the calibre of journalism it’s recognised over the years… πŸ™
@privateeyenews.bsky.social #PaulFootAward

02.05.2025 11:42 πŸ‘ 38 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
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From the carer’s allowance scandal to an investigation into British universities’ harsh measures against pro-Palestinian protests on campus... The shortlist for the 2025 Paul Foot Award for Investigative Journalism has been announced!

Shortlist: www.private-eye.co.uk/paul-foot-aw...

30.04.2025 11:21 πŸ‘ 148 πŸ” 29 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 5