What You Need To Know

Are frontlines workers in the NHS worried about the lifting of Covid restrictions, when the health service still faces the challenge of winter pressures? When it comes to patients, are they getting the care where and when they need it? In this episode Faye Barker speaks to ITV News Health Editor Emily Morgan to find out what you need to know.

Is it now finally the time that we just learn to live with Covid? With moves to ease off on restrictions and talk of an “endemic”- is this really the beginning of the end of the pandemic? If so, can we ever live our lives the same again, or has our behaviour changed forever? In this episode ITV News Presenter Faye Barker speaks to psychologist Dr Nilufar Ahmed, a Lecturer in Social Sciences at Bri...

Can we keep our schools open in January or does the surge of Omicron signal more disruption for children and their families? In this episode, ITV News Presenter and Reporter Faye Barker talks to Dr David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, to find out if we can send our children back to school with confidence. He tells us what we need to know, discusses h...

The booster programme in the UK is being accelerated, but how much protection do the vaccines give? In this episode, regular podcast guest Dr Sarah Jarvis and Interim Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Dr Thomas Waite join ITV News Presenter Nina Hossain to answer your questions about the latest changes. Among the questions this episode: Will schoolchildren be given booster jabs? Is the vac...

UK Editor Paul Brand and Political Editor Robert Peston discuss with Mary Nightingale how ITV News broke the story of No10 staff laughing about a Covid-rule-breaking party in Downing Street last Christmas. Paul, who obtained the leaked video, reveals the process of breaking the story, while Robert discusses the backlash. Remember to like, subscribe, and rate us five stars.

Are we facing a nightmare before Christmas? Is Covid going to crush our plans once again, thanks to the new Omicron variant of the virus? Or can we find ways to enjoy the festive season safely with our friends and family?
 In this episode ITV News presenter and reporter Faye Barker speaks to psychotherapist Noel McDermott to help us navigate some of the anxieties around this festive season, as we...

Why are Coronavirus restrictions being ramped up in parts of Europe and how concerned should we be here in the UK about the rise in cases elsewhere? Is there a chance that measures like mandatory vaccines for everyone and even further lockdowns could be considered in the UK, or is all of that behind us? In this episode ITV News’s Faye Barker talks to Prof Martin McKee, Professor of European Public...

Covid-19 vaccines will be mandatory for frontline NHS workers in England from Spring - but could the decision cause staff to leave? The vast majority of NHS workers in England have been double-jabbed but around 100,000 remain unvaccinated.
 In this episode, ITV News Presenter and reporter Faye Barker speaks to Health Editor Emily Morgan about the government’s stricter measures and if compulsory va...

Why are cases of coronavirus in the UK so high right now, and how worried should we be? Why do so many other countries have lower case numbers, and would the government’s 'Plan B' of restrictions in England - including a return to wearing facemasks and working from home - make a significant difference alongside vaccines? In this episode, ITV News Presenter and reporter Faye Barker speaks to Ravi G...

Will no jab no job really become the reality? Could the UK follow America’s biggest firms in demanding fully vaccinated staff? And what can and can’t bosses do to employees who refuse to be jabbed? ITV News presenter and reporter Faye Barker speaks to HR expert Kate Palmer to find out what you need to know.

How have parents responded to vaccines being given to 12 to 15 year olds? What guidance is available for parents and children worried about the jabs? And what happens if a child wants to overrule their parents? ITV News presenter and reporter Faye Barker is joined by Kerry-Jane Packman from the charity Parentkind to answer all those key questions. Kerry-Jane explains why parents are clearly split...

Health and social care is set to get a funding boost of £12 billion a year. So what does it mean for taxpayers? Is it enough to solve the NHS's pandemic backlog? And why are many carers so unhappy about it? ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini is joined by UK Editor Paul Brand to answer all those key questions and simplify the many complicated issues surrounding care funding. We also hear from a...

How much is the summer festival season to blame for the current rise in cases? What can be done to make crowded events safer? And are young people getting together en masse really aware of the risks of Covid and long covid? Faye Barker puts those questions to Dr David Strain, an acute physician and lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, who has been playing a leading role in the Brit...

Could children defy their parents if vaccines are rolled out to under-16s? Can the UK cope with the current rise in Covid cases? And are booster jabs now inevitable heading into winter? ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini finds out what you need to know from our outgoing Science Editor Tom Clarke. In his final podcast appearance, Tom explains the government's current stance on jabs for 12 to 15...

Does the idea of a needle injection make your skin crawl? And what impact does the common phobia have on people not getting the jab? ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini gets answers from Professor Daniel Freeman, who led a major pandemic study into needle phobia, and Dave Smithson from Anxiety UK, who offers ways to overcome the fear experienced by one in four adults. The pair share the shudderi...

Claims that vaccines are causing miscarriages are shocking people online - so what’s the truth? Are pregnant women or unborn children at any risk when it comes to the jabs? And how can you search for answers without googling yourself down a worry-filled rabbit hole? ITV News presenter and reporter Faye Barker welcomes back Dr Raj Mathur, the chair of the British Fertility Society, to set these mat...

The summer holidays are here, and the travel rules have changed again. Seven countries have been bumped onto the green list, India is set to come off the red list and travel between France and England will become quarantine-free once more for those who are double jabbed. In this episode, Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland joins ITV News Presenter Lucrezia Millarini to discuss what you need to know b...

England’s so-called 'Freedom Day’ is fast approaching with almost all Covid restrictions set to be lifted. While some are happy about being able to party in-person, many of the 3.8 million people who are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable are feeling anxious. In this episode, ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini is joined by Health Editor Emily Morgan to discuss what the new changes are a...

Why do vaccine fertility myths persist? How can you tell fact from fiction? And what is the advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women when it comes to getting the vaccine? Dr Raj Mathur, the head of the British Fertility Society and a working fertility consultant, tells ITV News presenter Faye Barker what you need to know in this episode. He busts the main myths doing the rounds on social media...

How widespread is the Delta variant and what is the threat of the new reported Delta Plus virus? ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke tells presenter Lucrezia Millarini what you need to know, before explaining why wastewater from our toilets and other sewage could provide an invaluable and cost effective alert system for new variants. You can view more of Tom's report here: https://www.itv.com/news/...

How big a problem is Long Covid among children? What are the signs and symptoms to look out for? And are young sufferers getting the help they need? ITV News presenter Faye Barker finds out what you need to know from Health Editor Emily Morgan as they're joined by Sammie Mcfarland, who helped found a Long Covid Kids support group while she and her daughter continued to battle the sustained dire af...

Millions of people across the UK are returning or preparing to return to very different working environments - so what are your rights to protect yourself from the virus? Do you have a legally-protected right to change your working hours or days and are you entitled to relocate where you do your work? And can you demand to not work next to a colleague who has not been vaccinated? Plus, if you’re a...

The prime minister has confirmed Freedom Day will be pushed back until July 19. In this episode, recorded a few days before the PM's announcement, Science Editor Tom Clarke explained to Faye Barker why scientists advising the government were desperate for a delay. Central to the case for a delay is the rise of the Delta (formerly Indian) variant, and Tom gives his expertise on whether the race for...

We asked our audience on social media to let us know their biggest concerns at this stage of the pandemic and the response was overwhelming. So in this episode Lucrezia Millarini finds out what you need to know by running them past Professor Anthony Harnden, who serves both as a key adviser to the government on the vaccine rollout and on the frontline as a GP. He responds to concerns about the Jun...

Does the idea of getting an unprompted hug from a friend in public make you feel uneasy? Will we ever shake hands with strangers again? And will mask wearing outlast the pandemic? ITV News presenter Faye Barker shares her personal experience of awkwardness in public and gets helpful advice from Dr Nilufar Ahmed, a behavioural psychologist from the University of Bristol. The pair also discuss ways...