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90 trauma cases and 700 planned surgical procedures that happened during the time Ms Stohr was employed by the Trust have been examined

An investigation into a suspended Addenbrooke’s surgeon has been extended. Kuldeep Stohr, an orthopaedic surgeon, was suspended by Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust (CUH) after a review identified the “outcomes of treatment provided to a small number of patients were below the standard” the Trust said it would expect.

The independent review of surgical operations carried out on children by Ms Stohr was commissioned last year and has been extended to cover additional emergency procedures. This follows after the review team was asked to examine an initial 90 trauma cases to assess the standard of treatment, alongside 700 planned surgical procedures during the time Ms Stohr had been employed by the Trust.

In letters to patients, signed by Chief Medical Officer Sue Broster, the Trust says the decision to extend the review was taken “following careful consideration by the independent clinical experts.”

It reassures parents that cases are being selected for review “to understand whether the treatment provided met the outcomes we could expect”. According to Hudgell Solicitors, the letter says that each case will be considered individually, and that some patients may need to undergo a clinical review.

A number of families affected by the ongoing investigations are being represented including some who have reportedly now had confirmation from the Trust that their child was harmed.

Solicitors Elizabeth Maliakal said: “This is a significant development, given it comes 14 months after the initial review was commissioned by the Trust into the surgeries Ms Stohr had conducted in her time there.”

The focus will now be on the final independent report findings, which the Trust has said will be shared publicly on conclusion in the Autumn.

In a report last year, CUH Trust was found to have failed to act appropriately after an initial investigation into Ms Stohr’s practice in 2015. That investigation found “a series of shortcomings” in her surgeries and proposed remedial steps to address them.

However, an external review of the Trust’s response last year said it had done “nothing substantial” to address concerns over her practice, meaning “any deficiencies in Ms Stohr’s practice were allowed to persist for the next seven to eight years”, missing 32 opportunities to act.

Mrs Stohr went on a period of leave in March 2024 which led to colleagues raising concerns about patient outcomes and aspects of her decision-making. This resulted in an initial review of 55 cases which found nine where treatment provided was below the standard expected and Ms Stohr’s was consequently suspended.

The pre-school was previously rated as requires improvement in 2025

A pre-school where children have a “sense of belonging” has improved its Ofsted rating. In March 2025, Cracker Jacks Pre-School in Kester Way, St Neots, was rated as requiring improvement across all areas by Ofsted.

Inspectors said the quality of education across the nursery was “not consistent” and organisation of nursery activities and routines required improvement. Following its latest inspection in February, the pre-school has improved its rating to expected standard.

It has been rated as an expected standard in all areas, including: achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children’s welfare and wellbeing; curriculum and teaching; inclusion; and leadership and governance.

The report said children who attend “achieve well” from the start, and gaps in children’s learning were “closing consistently”. Babies were said to “smile with delight” at the nursery.

Kim Seaman, nursery director said: “We are absolutely delighted that our nursery has now been recognised as achieving an expected standard, a result that reflects the passion, dedication and hard work of our entire team.

“After an unexpectedly early inspection in 2025, shortly after opening our new setting, we felt we had not yet been given the time many new provisions need to fully settle, embed routines and showcase everything we knew we could offer. Rather than allowing that to define us, our team remained committed to creating the warm, nurturing and inspiring environment our children deserve.”

Inspectors said staff have “high expectations” of the children’s behaviour, and they set clear and age appropriate boundaries for this. Staff were also said to create a “warm and nurturing environment”. Inspectors praised leaders for demonstrating an “understanding of curriculum quality and teaching” in its latest inspection.

The report added: “They make informed decisions to drive improvement as they regularly review and refine the curriculum in response to children’s needs.” It was also said that children show a “sense of belonging” when attending the nursery.

To improve its rating, Ofsted recommended a number of next steps. These were:

• Leaders should support staff to consistently allow younger children to demonstrate and practise their independence, giving them more opportunities to complete tasks on their own before providing support;
• Leaders should continue to build on staff practice to support older children to develop their critical thinking skills;
• Leaders should have a more focused approach to increasing children’s awareness of a healthy lifestyle.

Ms Seaman added: “This achievement is a wonderful recognition of how far we have come and the determination of everyone involved. It celebrates not only our staff, but also the incredible support of our families and local community who have believed in us every step of the way.

“Most importantly, this result reflects what we see every day – happy children, thriving in a safe, caring and stimulating environment. We are immensely proud of this milestone and excited for the future as our nursery continues to grow from strength to strength.”

Officers also discovered the man had exposed himself to other women on Christmas Day

A predator who sexually assaulted a woman in her own home has been jailed. Christopher Boulton, 78, assaulted the woman at her home in South Cambridgeshire on December 29, 2025.

Boulton entered the woman’s house, forced her into her bedroom, and touched her in a sexual way. He also threatened to kill her if she called the police and exposed himself while attacking her.

The victim, who is in her 70s, managed to fight him off and escape. Cambridgeshire Police found Boulton later that night at his home in Wilford Furlong, Willingham, where he assaulted the arresting officer.

During the police investigation, officers discovered Boulton had been exposing himself to passers-by, including on Christmas Day when he twice stepped outside his home naked and stared at women.

Boulton pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, three counts of exposure, and assaulting an emergency worker. He was sentenced to six years in prison after appearing at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, April 24. He was also handed an indefinite restraining order and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC William Kerslake said: “The victim was in the one place she should feel absolutely safe, her own home. I am pleased Boulton was identified quickly because he is a danger to women.

“It’s another example of where ‘lower level’ sexual offending, such as exposure, can quickly escalate. I would urge people to continue to report all offences to us and help bring offenders to justice.”

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A minister has outlined upcoming reforms to address the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit ‘cliff edge’ for claimants in supported housing and temporary accommodation, due in autumn 2026

The DWP has issued an update regarding forthcoming changes that will affect housing benefit and Universal Credit claimants who face a so-called ‘cliff edge’. Ministers are finalising amendments to legislation that could have far-reaching implications for the financial circumstances of claimants.

The underlying cause appears complex but carries significant weight. At present, claimants experience what is described as a ‘cliff edge’ if they reside in supported housing or temporary accommodation.

This leads to them losing benefits when they start to earn income. The point at which this occurs is now set to be revised, with modifications anticipated before the year concludes.

The regulation centres on what is referred to as ‘earned income disregards’. The Department for Work and Pensions is looking to raise the amount people can earn that is disregarded when calculating housing benefit.

The matter was brought to public attention following a parliamentary question tabled in recent days. Lola McEvoy, a Labour MP for Darlington, asked the DWP what the ‘planned timetable is for the implementation of the earned income disregards; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of these changes.”, reports the Mirror.

Changes were announced during Rachel Reeves’ Budget last year. However, specifics regarding the implementation date remain to be confirmed. The Budget papers stated at the time: “The government is introducing new earned income disregards in Housing Benefit for claimants in supported housing and temporary accommodation. This will reduce the financial cliff edge when moving into, or progressing in, work, ensuring that work pays.”

A minister has now provided further details in response to the Labour MP’s enquiry. Stephen Timms – Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions), said: “As announced at Autumn Budget, the department will be introducing new earned income disregards for those in receipt of Housing Benefit and live in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation. These disregards will help smooth the transition between the Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for individuals in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation as they move into work or increase their earnings, ensuring work always pays.”

“The new disregards will be in place from autumn 2026. This will require legislative changes and be accompanied by IT changes made to local authority IT systems. In preparation for this, we have already begun engagement with stakeholders to ensure that the implementation meets the needs of those affected. This is accompanied by clear communications to support local authorities, housing providers and third sector organisations to ensure that eligible customers are aware of and able to utilise this change.” Industry specialists argue the present system is deterring numerous individuals from pursuing work. In a briefing note to the DWP, homelessness charity St Mungo’s explained: “Supported housing exists to help people to live as independently as possible, helping improve their quality of life, their well-being, their health, and their employment prospects.”

“Yet people in supported housing face a specific barrier and disincentive to work due to the way the welfare system is configured. Whereas people in receipt of benefits in the Private Rented Sector become steadily better off the more they work, people in supported housing see their benefits taken away more quickly and can actually become worse off when they work more hours.

“This is because of an anomaly in the benefit system where people in supported housing are still receiving Housing Benefit for their rent but are on Universal Credit for their living costs. The way these two benefits interact, and the high Housing Benefit taper rate (set at 65%), means that people hit a ‘cliff edge’ after which they become worse off as they increase their hours. This puts residents at risk of accruing arrears as the rent becomes unaffordable.”

The charity stated that “because of this cliff edge and the fear of people not being able to afford their rent, we often see residents’ securing jobs that they need to turn down because they are ‘too many hours’.” It cautioned that those already in full-time employment frequently request reduced hours or abandon work altogether when part-time options are unavailable.

It noted: “Residents can also understandably be anxious about entering employment whilst in supported housing, due to the complexity and risk associated with the current benefit rules. When St Mungo’s clients were asked in its 2023 survey – ‘What barriers put you off from going into work, if any?’ 27% of its residents stated ‘I’m concerned that working whilst living in homelessness accommodation will cause problems with my benefits’.”