OPINION: We are fortunate to have medical teams admired across country

To be the only acute trust in Cheshire and Merseyside to be awarded the status is some going (see story here).

The NHS isn’t perfect, mistakes happen and here at the Star we rightly shine the spotlight on such failings.

But, having witnessed the work of nurses and doctors at Whiston wards first hand, it is evident the hospitals’ teams are performing remarkably under incredible pressures.

We are very fortunate to have hospitals and medical teams in our communities which are admired across the country.

Bus drivers at St Helens’ Arriva depot were left betrayed by the actions of Debra Hill, who stole £76,000 from the Christmas savings club (See here).

Their hard earned cash was ploughed into the fund and for Hill, who was entrusted with administrating the account, to be taking money over a four year period was appalling.

Her dishonesty and greed caused anger, panic and anxiety to drivers.

It comes as no surprise that many of them welcomed the prison sentence imposed by the judge at Liverpool Crown Court.

The funding challenges facing schools in St Helens is underlined in bleak terms in a special report here.

The research by Local Democracy Reporter Kenny Lomas shows the severe strain budgets are under.

To read primary school leaders making comments such as the “money is not enough to carry on” and schools may not have enough funds to pay staff is deeply concerning.

We are approaching a decade of austerity and many children are simply not being given the start to their education that they deserve because budgets have been cut to the bone.