Inflated marks could lead to record applications for further education, regulator warns 

Grade hikes ‘may swamp universities’: Inflated marks for scrapped A levels could lead to record applications for further education, regulator warns Office for Students has urged university admission officers not to ‘over-recruit’ Fears universities could be swamped by too many students given top grades The Office warned universities faced punishments if courses are too packed … Read more

EU’s drug regulator says severe allergies should be added to list of side effects

Severe allergies should be added to the list of possible side effects of AstraZeneca‘s Covid-19 vaccination, the EU’s drug regulator said. The development comes after 41 reports of possible anaphylaxis were detected in the UK, with likely links to the vaccination.    Severe allergic reaction is listed as ‘not known’ under possible side effects of the AstraZeneca jab … Read more

Matt Hancock defends £30m Covid contracts for his neighbour after medical regulator launches probe

Matt Hancock has defended a decision to hand Covid test orders worth £30million to a former neighbour now under investigation by the medical watchdog, saying it would be ‘ridiculous’ to block friends of ministers from public contracts. Alex Bourne, who crossed paths with the Health Secretary while running the Cock Inn in Thurlow, West Suffolk, … Read more

Matt Hancock’s pub landlord neighbour faces probe by UK’s medical regulator

Matt Hancock’s former neighbour and pub landlord is under investigation by the UK’s medical regulator, it has been revealed. Alex Bourne, who crossed paths with the Health Secretary while running the Cock Inn in Thurlow, West Suffolk, began producing millions of NHS Covid test vials during the pandemic after exchanging a personal WhatsApp messages with Mr … Read more

University regulator faces ‘conflict of interest’ questions over appointment of Lord Wharton

University regulator head Lord Wharton in ‘conflict of interest’ row as it’s revealed he is paid adviser for company planning to build on Portsmouth campus Lord Wharton has been appoint as the chair for the Office for Students (OfS) But he is also a paid adviser for Aquind which plans to build cables through uni … Read more

Coronavirus: UK vaccine regulator report rules ‘benefits far outweigh risks’ of Covid jabs

Covid vaccines being used in the UK are safe and the high levels of protection they give against the virus ‘far outweigh’ any side effects they cause, regulators say. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today published a summary of its safety reports from the jabs between December 9 and January 24. It … Read more

Novavax will submit results to UK regulator ‘within two weeks’, clinical trial chief says

The Novavax coronavirus vaccine could submit its results to the UK regulator within two weeks, says the clinical trial chief, with supplies set to be available this summer. Early results show the jab is 89.3 effective against the virus including the Kent strain in a glimmer of hope the UK could add a fourth jab … Read more

Advertising regulator bans ‘misleading’ debt adverts from impersonators

The UK’s advertising watchdog has banned the adverts of two unregulated lead generators after they were found to have mimicked legitimate debt charities and claimed to be endorsed by the Government. The websites ‘writeoffmydebt’ and ‘stepdebtsupport’ were criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority after a series of complaints by the Government-funded Money and Pensions Service, … Read more

MAGGIE PAGANO: Britain needs a world-leading medical regulator

Describing any British industry as world-class these days is sure to get you a poke in the eye from critics who are contemptuous of so-called Anglo-Saxon ‘exceptionalism’. Yet I am going to risk a black eye and say there are a couple of exceptions, one of them being the UK’s thriving pharmaceuticals and life sciences … Read more

Plans to post millions of rapid testing kits to homes are BLOCKED by regulator over accuracy fears

Plans to post millions of rapid testing kits to homes are BLOCKED by regulator amid fears they are not accurate enough when people test themselves Tests only pick up 49 per cent of infections when used by ordinary people Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency blocked mass rollout Boris Johnson has said lateral flow tests … Read more