If you’ve had an appointment with a GP since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s probably taken place over the phone or via a video call. Now that restrictions have lifted the government wants GPs in England to see more patients face-to-face and it's unveiling a £250m winter rescue package to make that happen. In the full month since restrictions eased only 58% of patients were seen in person, compared with 54% in January during lockdown - and it’s nowhere near the pre-pandemic levels of 80%. To change this, the funding allows surgeries to recruit extra locum staff as well as physios and podiatrists. And to help more same-day appointments take place, as well as face-to-face ones, there are plans afoot to relax social distancing rules so more people can be seen at practice sites.
This package, which is part of a wider plan for GP services, has left the British Medical Association "hugely dismayed". "It offers very little and shows a government out of touch with the scale of the crisis on the ground," says Dr Richard Vautrey. In-person appointments, he says, are still key, but the pandemic proved phone or video consultations were "entirely appropriate and appreciated". GP numbers have fallen and the government’s trying to increase them, and with some people struggling to get hold of doctors it's creating pressure on A&E departments. So this package the Health Secretary Sajid Javid says, will allow doctors to "spend more time with patients and increase the number of face-to-face appointments". "I am determined to ensure patients can see their GP in the way they want, no matter where they live," he adds.

Following warnings from several retailers about possible shortages in the run-up to Christmas, Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s reassuring shoppers there will be enough presents to buy this year. He says ministers are doing "absolutely everything we can" to fix supply chain issues in the UK, following a logjam of containers at the UK's largest commercial port, Felixstowe. The situation has improved but there are added concerns over the shortage of lorry drivers to transport goods. Mr Sunak, speaking at the end of G7 meetings in Washington, says: "I'm confident there'll be a good amount of Christmas presents available for everyone to buy."

Five people have died and two others have been injured in a bow and arrow attack in Norway. The attack is said to have started inside a Coop Extra supermarket in the town of Kongsberg, south-west of the capital Oslo, on Wednesday. A man was detained 34 minutes after the attack began. Police will investigate whether it was an act of terrorism and they believe the attacker was acting alone. A 37-year-old Danish man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack. "I understand that many people are afraid, but it's important to emphasise that the police are now in control," Prime Minister Erna Solberg says.

Fears of toy shortages in the run up to Christmas, the European Union’s plan around the Northern Ireland Protocol and GP appointments are some of the stories leading this morning’s front pages. The Mirror says there's a "rush to save Xmas" as toys and gifts are stuck in containers at ports due to a shortage of lorry drivers. Some stores are launching Christmas sales a month earlier, according to the Daily Express, which urges shoppers to "get your skates on" to buy presents. Meanwhile, the Financial Times is one of the papers reporting on the EU’s proposals to scrap most Northern Ireland checks to "resolve (the) Brexit standoff". The Daily Mail claims a campaign victory as Health Secretary Sajid Javid unveils a plan to boost GP appointments. Read the newspaper review in full here.

Growing your own fruit and veg is a familiar concept but how about growing your own clothes? That’s what Homegrown Homespun, a fashion collaborative, has been up to. Flax and woad seeds were planted, harvested and turned into linen and dye. Find out more about the project which is hoping to sow seeds for the UK to grow its own garments once again.
There’s more creativity with the next one. Fourteen-year-old Makenzy Beard from Wales took up painting as a hobby during lockdown. A portrait of her neighbour soon went viral and three pieces displayed in a gallery sold, with one buyer offering £10,000. Now art enthusiasts in the Middle East and the US are interested in her work. Take a look at her paintings.
And finally, Hollywood actor William Shatner most likely saw the US and other parts of the world when he blasted off into space. And following the trip, an emotional Shatner, known for playing Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek, said "everybody in the world needs to do this", when he landed safely back on Earth. Watch his reaction here.

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