Welcome to your early-morning news briefing from The Telegraph – a round-up of the top stories we are covering on Sunday. To receive twice-daily briefings by email, sign up to our Front Page newsletter for free.
1. Shopping vouchers and pizza discounts to boost vaccinations among the young
Young people will be offered free taxi rides, pizzas and trips to the cinema if they agree to have a coronavirus vaccine as the Government tries to boost uptake.
Ministers are in talks with dozens of companies, including coffee and cinema chains, about a voucher scheme to be launched later this month, in time for the new academic year. Read the full story.
2. England’s Covid care home deaths could be thousands higher than official figures, say providers
England’s Covid care home death toll is likely to be thousands higher than official figures show, amid claims the watchdog excluded key dates when patients were discharged from hospitals without tests.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) declared there were 39,017 Covid-related deaths across care homes in England when it published official figures for the first time in July. Read the full story.
3. Olympics broadcaster lines up bid for Channel 4
Discovery, the American broadcaster leading coverage of the Olympics, is exploring a bid for Channel 4 that would challenge the BBC and ITV’s dominance of British screens.
Media sources said Discovery, which already owns a string of pay-TV channels in the UK, is holding informal discussions about a potential takeover of Channel 4 if ministers press ahead with a privatisation in autumn. Read the full story.
4. Secret NHS pandemic plan could have meant premature babies were denied care
Secret plans drawn up by the NHS said doctors may need to consider denying premature babies lifesaving care in a severe pandemic, the Telegraph can disclose.
The confidential report created by NHS England and sent to government advisers three years before the outbreak of Covid 19 set out “patient triage scenarios” during an influenza pandemic where some people would be denied treatment when resources were limited. Read the full story.
5. Bank braces for biggest inflation surge since financial crisis
The Bank of England is set to unveil the biggest price shock for more than a decade this week as grim forecasts underline the inflation threat facing Britain.
Analysts are braced for the Bank’s latest monetary policy report to show inflation of almost 4pc in the final quarter of 2021 – a massive increase on its May estimates of just 2.5pc. Read the full story.
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