Two new wellbeing cafes to open in Northamptonshire for mental health support

Two new wellbeing cafes to open in Northamptonshire for mental health support Two similar drop-in cafes are opening in Northamptonshire this week to further support people battling mental health.

The first cafe, Crisis Cafe For Young People, has been launched by The Lowdown, for those aged 12 to 18 years old, which has been set up in partnership with St Andrews Healthcare and funded by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The four-hour NHS waiting time target saves lives - government should think carefully about changes

The four-hour NHS waiting time target saves lives - government should think carefully about changes The national Accident and Emergency (A&E) four-hour waiting time target is once again in the news headlines. Performance against this recently fell to the lowest since records began, with only 79.8% of patients in December 2019 admitted, discharged or transferred to another hospital within 4 hours as opposed to the 95% standard.

Recent comments from the Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggest that the existing target is likely to be scrapped, echoing the interim recommendations of an ongoing review into NHS clinical targets that would replace the target with new goals that focus on reducing initial treatment times for severe cases and introducing an average waiting time target for all patients.

But what does the target – and any potential changes to it – actually mean for patients? Institute for Fiscal Studies

See also:

• A&E target that could be scrapped by Tories has has helped save 15,000 lives a year, says IFS The Independent

Research and analysis: Global Burden of Disease for England: international comparisons

Research and analysis: Global Burden of Disease for England: international comparisons Report that compares data from the 2016 Global Burden of Disease study for England with 22 countries. Findings informed the NHS England 10-year strategy. Public Health England

Paramedic students will get £5,000 support payment each year

Paramedic students will get £5,000 support payment each year Students studying to become paramedics, radiographers and physiotherapists will be among those receiving the new financial support from September. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS statistics on people with learning disabilities having shorter life expectancy make 'grim reading'

NHS statistics on people with learning disabilities having shorter life expectancy make 'grim reading' The NHS has released its latest set of statistics showing people with learning disabilities still have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, despite some of the causes of death being premature and preventable. Homecare.co.uk

See also:

• Health and Care of People with Learning Disabilities, Experimental Statistics: 2018 to 2019 NHS Digital

Racial disparities in dementia prescribing

Racial disparities in dementia prescribing Disparities in drug prescribing suggest that black and Asian people with dementia are not receiving the same quality of care as their white peers.

This is the findings according to a new University College London (UCL)-led study. OnMedica

See also:

• Differences in Psychotropic Drug Prescribing Between Ethnic Groups of People with Dementia in the United Kingdom (open access) Clinical Epidemiology

China coronavirus: Number of cases jumps as virus spreads to new cities

China coronavirus: Number of cases jumps as virus spreads to new cities China has reported 139 new cases of a mysterious virus in two days, with the outbreak spreading from Wuhan to other major Chinese cities.

Beijing, the capital, reported two cases, while the southern tech hub of Shenzhen reported one case.

The total number of confirmed cases now exceeds 200, and three have died from the respiratory illness.

The sharp uptick in those infected comes as millions of Chinese prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holidays. BBC News

See also:

• Wuhan novel coronavirus and avian flu: advice for travel to China Public Health England
• Scientists fear up to 4,500 Chinese patients may have caught the new coronavirus The Daily Mail
• China says mysterious SARS-like virus is 'controllable' as 17 new cases emerge ahead of Lunar New Year The Daily Telegraph
• Mysterious SARS-like virus spreading across China amid sharp rise in new cases and a third death The Daily Telegraph
• No screening for new Sars-like virus at UK airports – yet The Guardian
• China virus: 17 new infections discovered in Wuhan The Independent

Health secretary suffers blow after court rules suspending doctors’ pensions is illegal

Health secretary suffers blow after court rules suspending doctors’ pensions is illegal Matt Hancock has suffered an embarrassing court defeat after his controversial policy on suspending doctors’ pensions was deemed illegal.

The health secretary was granted more power last year to suspend pension benefits to NHS staff charged with a crime, which the High Court has ruled breaches human rights.

The court said the measure was “wrong in principle and inherently unfair”. The Independent

See also:

• Government stripped of power to suspend pensions for doctors facing unproven charges GPonline

Cervical cancer could be eliminated in England, experts say

Cervical cancer could be eliminated in England, experts say Vaccination and HPV screening could potentially end the disease, NHS England says.

Experts say cervical cancer could be eliminated in England through a combination of the vaccine and NHS screening, which will now test every woman for HPV, the virus that causes most cases of the disease.

NHS England’s experts say there is potential to end the disease, which kills 850 women a year in the UK. The vaccine given to girls from the age of 12 is known to be very effective against HPV infection. From the beginning of December, routine screening has been reoriented to test primarily for the virus. Only women who have HPV will have their smear sample checked for abnormal cells that are the precursor of cervical cancer. The Guardian

See also:

• HPV puts 'strain' on millennial sex and dating BBC News
• Cervical cancer could be on its way to extinction thanks to improved testing and vaccination The Daily Mail
• Cervical cancer 'could be eliminated' by vaccine and improved screening The Independent

‘All that is good in human nature is here’: life and death in an NHS hospice

‘All that is good in human nature is here’: life and death in an NHS hospice Is there a good way to approach the end of life? Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor, believes there is – and that we can all learn from her patients. The Guardian

Doctors are replacing the roles that used to be done by priests and barmaids, says the NHS's head of social prescribing

Doctors are replacing the roles that used to be done by priests and barmaids, says the NHS's head of social prescribing Time was, we used to turn to the local priest - or barmaid - when we wanted to pour out our woes. But these days, those seeking solace are more likely to turn to their local doctor, the former head of Britain’s GPs has warned.

Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said people were becoming increasingly isolated, amid the breakdown of local communities. The Daily Telegraph

NHS crisis 'will leave six million people on operation waiting lists', private health firms warn

NHS crisis 'will leave six million people on operation waiting lists', private health firms warn Six million people will be left waiting for crucial operations such as hip replacements and cataract surgery by 2024 because NHS hospitals cannot cope with rising demand, it was claimed last night.

The number of people on waiting lists for planned treatment in England will jump by 30 per cent from the current 4.6 million, according to a new forecast from a collection of private health firms. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Long NHS waits help drive more patients to pay for private surgery The Independent

Young men are abusing steroids to get the 'Love Island look', report warns

Young men are abusing steroids to get the 'Love Island look', report warns Young men taking steroids to get a 'Love Island look' will cause a surge in hospital appointments in 20 years' time, experts warn.

The ripped six packs, toned arms and broad shoulders of reality TV hunks are the envy of many and some will go to extreme lengths to try and get them.

Anabolic steroids are prescription-only drugs which are illegal to sell. They work by supercharging the body's natural muscle-building ability.

But taking them regularly can have devastating side effects including infertility, liver or kidney problems, high blood pressure and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs: UKAD's status report on IPEDs in the UK UK Anti Doping
• UKAD warns against IPED use among Gen Z males looking to get a better body in 2020 UK Anti Doping