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Following the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan the government and GPs agreed a new contract, which involves a number of substantial changes. One of the mainstays – designed to allow the plan to be realised – is the introduction of an army of medical professionals other than doctors to work within practices and act as first point of contact for patients needing their particular skills.

That includes thousands of physiotherapists who will deal with patients presenting with musculoskeletal problems, which currently account for around one fifth of GP appointments. The idea is it will free up GPs to deal with problems requiring their generalist skills. It is also expected to substantially reduce the number of secondary referrals to physiotherapists by GPs.

The Law Society is one of many august organisations throwing up their hands in horror at some of the implications of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill, which recently passed through its second reading in the Commons.

A rash of new measures throw a wide net around a large group of people without seeming to ask the question of whether they have actually done anything wrong. And having apprehended those people, the Bill seems to set no limits on the sanctions that can be imposed on them.

The Bill has been described as ‘Orwellian’ by some and bordering on ‘thought crime’ by the UN.

June saw the beginning of a series of hearings at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry involving expert witness presentations. The list of expert witnesses appointed by Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s inquiry is long and features academics and practising engineers in a number of engineering disciplines, architectural experts, fire officers and, chillingly, an expert in human identification, among others.

Grenfell has already led to the conclusion of one inquiry: the Review of Building Regulations by Dame Judith Hackitt. The conclusions of that review were quickly endorsed by LABC, the body representing local authority building controllers.

The press – and indeed the public – have been occupied recently with a sudden and huge increase in the number of so-called acid attacks, where a corrosive substance is thrown or squirted onto the victim, in particular the face. From being isolated cases, often where the victim is known to the perpetrator – who deliberately aims to disfigure – they now appear to be the weapon of choice of mugging gangs who are more and more likely to be caught if they carry other weapons.

A quick response is essential on the part of bystanders, as is the correct response. The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons has launched a campaign to educate the public, around the slogan Report, Remove, Rinse.

In addition to the burns and disfigurement, such attacks can leave lasting scars. Living with those scars can have profound and debilitating psychological consequences in addition to the physical legacy. Indeed, scarring from any source, whether inflicted deliberately or the consequence of negligence or carelessness, can carry long-term psychological consequences.