Northamptonshire women wait too long for cervical screening results

Northamptonshire women wait too long for cervical screening results NHS guidelines say women should get their cervical screening results within 14 days, but 25,872 women screened in Northamptonshire waited for longer than two weeks.

According to data published by the NHS today, 37 per cent of women tested in Northamptonshire got their results after two weeks but within three weeks of their screening.

More than a fifth of women tested waited even longer for their results, with 22.6 per cent of women getting their letters after three weeks. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Number of women facing long waits for smear results is longest on record The Daily Telegraph

District nursing today: the view of district nurse team leaders in the UK

District nursing today: the view of district nurse team leaders in the UK This report warns that the UK’s district nurse workforce is under threat due to long-term underinvestment in training, education and skills, which could pose a threat to patient safety. It reveals an evolving healthcare workforce crisis, set against rising demand for district nursing services across all UK regions. Queen's Nursing Institute

A manifesto for a 21st century health service

A manifesto for a 21st century health service This manifesto calls on the next government to address the issues preventing the delivery of a 21st century national health service. It argues that focusing on staff wellbeing and integrated care is what’s needed to create a sustainable NHS, not a total restructure. Royal College of Anaesthetists

'I used to pull sickies every few months because of stress'

'I used to pull sickies every few months because of stress' Amy Brennan says she used to need to "pull sickies" once every couple of months because she couldn't face going into work.

"I'd have a few days prior arguing with myself to get up, and go in," she tells the BBC.

But recently she realised she was doing this because of her mental health issues, so now she calls in sick and says she needs to take "a mental health day". BBC News

Leeds woman reveals 'trauma' of mental health detention

Leeds woman reveals 'trauma' of mental health detention A mental health patient has told how she was rugby tackled by police officers while running along a motorway after escaping from hospital.

Megan Alikhanizadeh said the mental health system was failing people, with the police often forced to intervene.

Her story comes as figures show a 17% increase in the number of times police in England have detained someone under the Mental Health Act since 2016-17. BBC News

NHS overtakes Brexit as voters' top priority for election, poll finds

NHS overtakes Brexit as voters' top priority for election, poll finds Voters are now more likely to base their vote on the state of the NHS than they are about Brexit with less than a month to go before election day, a new poll has found.

The NHS is now solidly ahead of Brexit as a concern, with 60 per cent of voters citing the issue in the poll conducted 15-18 November, up 6 per cent compared to a similar poll conducted 8-11 November. The Independent

NHS delays ‘independent’ maternity report until after election

NHS delays ‘independent’ maternity report until after election An independent report into maternity safety in the NHS has been blocked from publication by NHS England until after the general election, The Independent has learnt.

Doctors and midwives have criticised the national body for preventing the report from being widely shared which they said could delay improvements and learning.

It comes as The Independent revealed a leaked report earlier this week exposing the largest maternity scandal in the NHS’s history at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust where dozens of babies and three mothers died.

See also:

• RCOG response to Ockenden review leak Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 
• Shrewsbury and Telford NHS maternity death review families unaware BBC News
• NHS chiefs said families seeking answers about baby deaths were acting with 'venom' The Daily Telegraph
• Doctors may face suspension over NHS 'worst maternity scandal' The Guardian
• Hundreds of families unaware they are involved in maternity scandal The Independent
• Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Medical watchdog asks NHS for information about doctors at trust The Independent
• Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Hundreds of families whose babies died or have been left with brain damage in hospital to be contacted by trust The Independent
• Shrewsbury hospital’s ‘overzealous’ pursuit of natural birth left patients at risk, critics say The Independent

Potentially deadly tick-borne parasite found in UK for first time

Potentially deadly tick-borne parasite found in UK for first time A potentially deadly tick-borne parasite has been found in the UK for the first time.

The organism, B venatorum, causes an animal disease recognised as an emerging infection in people called babesiosis, also known as "Texas fever"

Infected people may show symptoms such as flu and jaundice, but severe cases can lead to death, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned. The Independent

More than 80% of adolescents not active enough, warns WHO

More than 80% of adolescents not active enough, warns WHO More than 80% of adolescents worldwide are not active enough, putting their health at risk by sitting focused on a screen rather than running about, say World Health Organization (WHO) researchers.

The proportion of insufficiently active girls in 27 countries rose to more than 90% in 2016, the latest year for which figures are available. There was a significant gender gap, with girls lagging behind boys in physical activity, in all but four countries – Afghanistan, Samoa, Tonga and Zambia. The Guardian

See also:

• Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1·6 million participants (open access) Lancet Child and Adolescent Health
• New WHO-led study says majority of adolescents worldwide are not sufficiently physically active, putting their current and future health at risk World Health Organization
• Global epidemic' of childhood inactivity BBC News

Australian women win landmark case against Johnson & Johnson over vaginal mesh implant injuries

Australian women win landmark case against Johnson & Johnson over vaginal mesh implant injuries Three Australian women representing patients given vaginal mesh implants won a landmark class action today against international medical giants.

A Federal Court in Sydney found two Johnson & Johnson group manufacturers and its Australian supplier engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and hid the risks associated with the implants from patients. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Johnson & Johnson loses vaginal mesh class action BBC News

Norovirus warning as winter vomiting bug rates are 26% higher than average

Norovirus warning as winter vomiting bug rates are 26% higher than average Dozens of schools in England have been hit by outbreaks of an illness thought to be the winter vomiting bug, norovirus.

Around 60 schools in the North East have had pupils and staff off sick with a flu-like illness and some have even had to close to try and stop infection spreading.

Public Health England said it was likely adults and children were coming down with flu or norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Official Statistics: Norovirus and rotavirus: summary of surveillance 2019 to 2020 Public Health England