File on 4 Investigates

The number of children taken into care before they reach their first birthday is at a worryingly and persistently high level, according to new figures. In many of those cases it is unsafe for parents to look after their children - but experts believe that a significant number of those babies might not have gone into care, if the right support was in place.
This programme investigates the support birth families receive and how much of a voice they are given once care proceedings begin. Figures suggest that most children who go on to be adopted are taken into care as babies. Ninety percent of adoptions happen without the written consent of birth parents. It’s led to some using the term ‘modern day forced adoption’ and to calls for a debate about the system.
File on 4 Investigates hears about one project in Salford which has been praised for the support it gives to birth families, cutting the number of children going into care and being adopted. In response to our findings Adoption England say that the process provides "children with a permanent, stable and loving family" adding that "Without adoption, the vast majority of these children will remain in care throughout their childhood and, as extensive research shows" they experience "significantly worse outcomes".
The government says it is putting £2.4bn into “transforming the children’s social care system” in England and say they want to increase support for children to stay with their family wherever possible.
Presenter: Judith Moritz
Senior Producers: Claire Kendall & Ashley Kennedy
Production Co-ordinators: Tim Fernley & Tom Dunster
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Tara McDermott
Details of organisations offering information and support on adoption and care can be found at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

"Tinderbox"conditions created by a long, hot, dry summer brought a record number of wildfires in 2026. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, huge areas of land burned, and one man died. But experts are warning there may be worse to come in future as climate change makes conditions for wildfires in the UK even more likely. The Government banned disposable barbecues in the summer, sent out a wildfire alert to people's mobile phones, and is now planning to hold a wildfire summit. File on 4 Investigates looks at whether the country is prepared for the growing threat, and if the emergency services have the resources to cope.
Presenter: Adrian Goldberg
Producer: Fergus Hewison
Production Co-ordinators: Tim Fernley & Tom Dunster
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Tara McDermott

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light moved into a former orphanage in Crewe in 2021. It’s American-born leader Abdullah Hashem has declared himself the Madhi or saviour. But earlier this year, 500 police officers raided the organisation's headquarters, leading to protests in the town throughout the summer. File on 4 Investigates follows the group’s journey from Egypt through Europe to discover what brought them to the UK.
Presented by Hayley Mortimer & Emir Nader.
Archive: The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light / AROPL Studios.

In October 2015 President Xi Jinping was welcomed to Britain on a state visit, the event was seen as the pinnacle of the so called 'Golden Era' of warm relations between the UK and China. Over a decade later, and despite a cooling of that relationship, File on 4 Investigates discovers Chinese state money and influence reaching far into UK companies and universities as China targets British chip and blockchain technology, and asks whether enough is being done to mitigate the threat to national security.
Presenter: Paul Kenyon
Producer: Anna Meisel
Research: Sze-Fung Lee, independent analyst
Additional research: BBC Verify
Junior Production Manager: Tom Dunster
Production Management Assistant: Tim Fernley
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Editor: Tara McDermott

One doctor dies by suicide every three weeks, according to figures from the British Medical Association.
In 2021, Dr Lalith Wijedoru left his role as consultant paediatrician in emergency medicine, to focus on supporting workforce health and wellbeing, including those working in healthcare.
Given rare access to a wellbeing and recovery retreat, we hear emotional testimonies from the four groups of doctors at greatest risk of suicide - General Practitioners, anaesthetists, surgeons and psychiatrists.
Their stories - of workplace bullying, isolation, fatigue and fear of patient complaints - suggest a system in which doctors are made to feel like machines, rather than human beings.
The concept of 'moral injury' is also a factor - where a doctor is unable to provide the care they wish to give to their patient, due to lack of resources or system breakdown.
Many doctors we hear from say they feel intense internalised pressure to do better - to work harder, and to never complain at worsening conditions. All have suffered from fear of failure, and the lack of the opportunity to decompress after traumatic events in the workplace.
These stories take us to the heart of issues being faced by many or most NHS professionals - and by the ‘system’ more generally.
For Lalith, this sharing of difficult stories is an important pathway to recovery, even a life-saving intervention.
Lalith is spurred on to talk to those who seek to help and support doctors, from charities like Doctors in Distress, founded by the brother of a doctor who died by suicide, as well as those who are studying the problem of why - and how many - doctors are dying by suicide.
Worryingly, there are gaps in available data, because statistics are drawn from coroners' Preventable Death reports. In England, these are a matter for each individual coroner to decide on, so death by suicide is not uniformly recorded.
Having laid many of these problems bare, what hope is there of realistic change and improvement?
Presenter: Dr Lalith Wijedoru
Producer: Amanda Hargreaves
Sound design: Joel Cox
Location recordings: Jon Calver
Executive producer: Dave Howard
A Bespoken Media Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
This programme contains reference to suicide. If you've been affected by issues raised in this programme, you can find out more about organisations that can help by going to www.bbc.co.uk/actionline.
There are also specific resources available to doctors and healthcare workers - some links to these below.
NHS Practitioner Health
https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/
British Medical Association (confidential helpline with counselling and peer support for doctors and medical students
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/your-wellbeing/wellbeing-support-services/counselling-and-peer-support-services
Department of Health and Social Care (text message service - support available for workers in NHS England)
https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/
Doctors In Distress
https://doctors-in-distress.org.uk/
You Okay Doc?
https://youokaydoc.org.uk/
NHS Employers (Suicide Prevention/Postvention Toolkit)
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/working-together-to-prevent-suicide-in-the-nhs