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Episode details

Radio 4,20 Nov 2019,39 mins

Greener white goods; Mental-health referrals; Musical stocking-fillers

You and Yours

Available for over a year

People with anxiety or depression who go to see the GP are often given a leaflet with numbers for psychological services and advised to give them a call. This system of "self-referral" for common mental health problems has been in place for more than 10 years. In sheer numbers terms, it appears to have been a great success. But a new study has identified a problem. Self referral doesn't work at all for some people, particularly those on low incomes. Every year the UK disposes of an estimated three million old fridges and as we approach Black Friday, it's a peak time for sales of new white goods. We go inside one recycling plant in Telford in Shropshire which handles 700,000 fridges a year. We help solve the mystery of a bank customer who discovered her contactless debit card was being used, when she wasn't there. A problem made worse when the bank refused to believe her.... And the UK music industry continues to be big business. New figures out today from UK Music will confirm the scale of that contribution both at here and abroad. But as physical sales of music such as CDs continue to fall and streaming increases massively, we ask whether the days of music being an easy Christmas stocking filler are over... PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON PRODUCER: CRAIG HENDERSON

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