Latest Stories from Flo
New investigation suggests NHS doctors are operating under culture of fear
The findings state mothers and babies are at increased risk of harm due to a toxic ‘cover-up culture’ within the National Health Service. ‘Something must have gone badly wrong’ in the NHS, said Charles Massey this week. The chief executive of the General Medical Council (GMC) was speaking at a conference when he referred to new evidence that trainee obstetrics and gynaecology doctors were too afraid to raise concerns in...
The new Gatwick runway is an ecological nightmare
The transport secretary has given plans for a new £2.2bn runway the green light, despite pushback from climate organisations. The UK government has just given formal approval to Gatwick Airport’s £2.2 billion expansion plan – one that converts its emergency/standby northern runway into a full, regularly-used runway by shifting it just 12 metres north. In theory this sounds like a nifty tweak. But for many, it’s a dramatic retreat from climate...
Is the Trump administration planning to ban contraception?
Presidential plans to destroy $10m worth of hormonal contraception have left the fate of birth control in America unclear. Earlier in the summer, the Trump administration reportedly planned to destroy (specifically burn) almost $10m worth of birth control pills, IUDs and hormonal implants. All of the medication had been purchased by U.S.A.I.D and was intended for use by women in low-income countries. The move came as part of the president’s...
How an all-woman unit is tackling elephant poaching in Zimbabwe
The Akashinga rangers are Africa’s first all-women, entirely plant-based anti-poaching unit. And they’re operating with astounding success. According to their website, the Akashinga Rangers are a community-led organisation that serves to protect wildlife conservation across Africa. The group, whose name means ‘the Brave Ones’ in Shona language, is made up entirely of women and is also completely plant-based. Given this niche identity has generated a wildly successful anti-poaching campaign, it’s...
Gen Z like their love with a small price tag
According to a new survey, young people are spending very little on dating – if anything at all. If you thought the pandemic was the only thing forcing us to stay at home, think again. These days there’s plenty to keep Gen Z off the dating scene – but the main culprit for their waning engagement with romance is money. According to Bank of America, young people aren’t just cutting back on...
What’s changed with National Living Wage in 2025?
If you’re working part-time alongside university or just starting out in full-time employment, you’ve probably come across the term National Living Wage. It’s often confused with the minimum wage, but there are key differences that can affect your paycheque. So, what’s changed in 2025, and why are some big employers getting caught out for not paying it? National Living Wage vs Minimum Wage The National Minimum Wage is the lowest legal hourly rate for workers...
The #BLM and #MeToo conversations are far from ‘done’
Ayo Edibiri’s interjection to terrible journalism is commendable and disheartening in equal measure – for the simple fact it was needed at all. Questions surrounding pertinent issues like #MeToo and BLM are – rightly – regular talking points on the annual film festival press cycle. But they usually crop up in layered conversations between filmmakers, actors, and journalists seeking to highlight the many ways Hollywood shapes, and is shaped by, the socio-political landscape. They...
Housing priorities are depriving UK children of green space
With urban planners racing to meet housing demands, a generation of UK children – particularly in deprived areas – faces growing up without safe, accessible spaces to play. In towns and cities across the UK, children are increasingly missing out on safe outdoor spaces. New research published by Cities and Health has found that urban planners are prioritising housing developments over playgrounds and parks, with serious consequences for childhood development...
TikTok wants you to fact-check your For You Page
With its new ‘footnotes’ feature, the platform is betting on crowdsourced context to clean up the chaos of viral video culture. TikTok’s endless scroll has always been a cocktail of brilliance, absurdity, and the occasional conspiracy theory. For every dance challenge or cooking hack, there’s a dubious wellness tip promising to fix your gut in three days or a breaking news claim with no evidence beyond a shaky iPhone video. The...
Is social media demonising female contraception?
The wellness narrative on apps like TikTok is driving a distrust of the contraceptive pill. Is this a regression of modern feminism, or a valid stance against medical intervention into women' s bodies? Speaking about her role as a school sex educator, Maya Walsh-Little told Polyester readers that the most frequent question she hears from students is ‘I heard on TikTok it will completely mess up your hormones if...
