Daily roundup 22 February: NHS helpline, ‘Trojan Horse' teachers, and youth work

The NHS 111 helpline may not be safe or effective for diagnosing illness in young children, England's most senior paediatrician has warned. The Guardian reports that Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, has questioned whether call handlers for the service – who are not medically trained – should be assessing young children's health.


Two teachers who worked at the Birmingham school at the centre of the Trojan Horse scandal have been banned from the classroom for life. The BBC reports that Inamulhaq Anwar and Akeel Ahmed can apply to set aside the bans after a minimum term of six and three years respectively.


Youth workers in Warrington face losing more than £1,000 a year from their salaries. The Warrington Guardian reports that the council plans to reduce youth service expenditure by £118,000 during 2016/17.


One in five girls suffer a sexual ordeal at school, research by a charity has found. The Mirror reports that 22 per cent of schoolgirls have experienced sexual touching, groping, assault or rape when "in or around" their school. Charity Plan UK is calling for more help for teachers to support those who have experienced unwanted sexual contact.


About 26,000 children are at risk of leaving Welsh primary schools unable to read. The BBC reports that the "Read On. Get On." coalition claims that 10,000 of these children will be from poor backgrounds. The Welsh government said literacy will be central to a new curriculum and a £6.3m programme to provide qualifications for the early years workforce has been approved.


Pressure is mounting on the government to give all children under 11 the meningitis B vaccine after a petition on the issue approaches 700,000 signatures. ITV News reports that the campaign has gained huge support after several high-profile cases of the impact of the virus on children appeared in the media. Currently, parents with children must pay privately for the vaccine if their child is aged one or older.