Northamptonshire NHS scheme shortlisted for national award

Northamptonshire NHS scheme shortlisted for national award The yellow bracelet scheme has been selected as a finalist in the Improving Care for Older People category at this year’s Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health officials admit Covid-19 cases ARE on the rise again in Northampton and Kettering

Health officials admit Covid-19 cases ARE on the rise again in Northampton and Kettering Health officials admit the number of reported Covid-19 cases is on the rise again in parts of Northamptonshire.

Reports leaked over the weekend listed Northampton and Kettering among the top 20 “areas of concern” based on data up to July 4. Daventry Express

Obesity: time for action

Obesity: time for action Speculation is building that we are about to see another obesity strategy, ‘chapter’ or plan from government. There have been repeated attempts at tackling the challenge of obesity, or rather childhood obesity, since 2010. The most recent attempts are known, oddly but tellingly, as ‘chapter 1’, ‘chapter 2’ (and ‘chapter 3’ tucked away in the consultation on prevention) and reveal the government’s ambiguity about how far to go on obesity: to settle for minor changes over time, or to go big? Chapter 2 published in June last year added some welcome changes, particularly around marketing, but pulled back from more major change. The King's Fund

Time to be radical? : the view from system leaders on the future of ‘system by default’

Time to be radical? : the view from system leaders on the future of ‘system by default’ The NHS Confederation’s ICS Network conducted a poll to assess the direction of travel systems themselves would like to see, beyond the emergency response to Covid-19 and towards a possible future vision. The results of the poll are outlined in this report. NHS Confederation

Reimagining the future of health and social care: how to learn the lessons from the Covid-19 crisis for a next generation health and care system

Reimagining the future of health and social care: how to learn the lessons from the Covid-19 crisis for a next generation health and care system The Covid-19 pandemic has acted as a real-time experiment of the capacity of the health and care system to meet population needs over the coming years. This report looks at what has been learnt about the UK’s health and social care system through the Covid-19 crisis, and how this might translate to profound change within the system. Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)

The hidden impact of Covid-19 on patient care in the NHS in England

The hidden impact of Covid-19 on patient care in the NHS in England The Covid-19 pandemic led to an extensive shift in the package of care provided by the NHS as hospitals had to prepare for a large surge in patients requiring intensive care. Whilst these changes meant that intensive care did not have to be rationed to Covid-19 patients, data indicates that the shutdown of most non-Covid services, combined with drastic changes in patient behaviour, mean the NHS is now facing a large backlog of non-Covid-19 care, storing up greater problems for the future. This report investigates the extent to which non-Covid care has been disrupted over April, May and June 2020, and the likely impact this will have in the longer term. British Medical Association

UK among highest COVID-19 health worker deaths in the world

UK among highest COVID-19 health worker deaths in the world More than 540 health and social worker deaths in England and Wales, from 3,000 global fatalities

Health workers in Pakistan, Mexico and the Philippines attacked - others detained or dismissed for speaking out

‘It is tragic that we’ve seen so many of our dedicated healthcare workers in England and Wales die from COVID-19’ - Kate Allen

The UK has recorded the among the highest number of COVID-19 health worker deaths in the world, according to a new report by Amnesty International.

Press release: Largest testing programme for coronavirus publishes its initial findings

Press release: Largest testing programme for coronavirus publishes its initial findings Over 120,000 volunteers tested across England between 1 May and 1 June as part of the country’s largest study into coronavirus. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Face coverings to be mandatory in shops and supermarkets from 24 July Department of Health and Social Care
• Official Statistics: REACT-1 study of coronavirus transmission: May 2020 results Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: R number 'lower than thought' before lockdown eased in England

Coronavirus: R number 'lower than thought' before lockdown eased in England The rate of coronavirus infections in England was significantly reduced before lockdown eased in May, according to a government-commissioned study.

Imperial College research showed there were on average 13 positive cases for every 10,000 people and the reproduction number - or R - was 0.57.

The R number was estimated to be between 0.7 and 1 at the time. BBC News

See also:

• Fewer heart attacks seen by NHS amid coronavirus BBC News
• Coronavirus: Smokers quit in highest numbers in a decade BBC News
• Medics demand government releases plans for how the NHS should get ready for second Covid wave The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus England: 85 people A DAY may die until end of July The Daily Mail
• Google dropped from NHS Covid-19 'Data Store' The Daily Telegraph
• 11-day delay for mandatory face coverings will endanger lives, doctors warn GPonline
• New points-based tool could gauge Covid-19 risk for health workers The Guardian
• Can mental health services cope with the devastating effects of Covid-19? The Guardian
• Coronavirus: nurses not wearing masks led to A&E closure, inquiry finds The Guardian
• Coronavirus: Contact tracers in England 'locked out of accounts' Sky News

English hospitals in urgent need of more scanners and staff to deal with backlog

English hospitals in urgent need of more scanners and staff to deal with backlog Exclusive: more than half of NHS patients referred for imaging diagnostics are waiting six weeks or more.

Hospital trusts across England urgently need more equipment, staff and space to deal with a huge backlog of scans for cancer and other conditions, as more than 600,000 people await CT, MRI and other scans amid the coronavirus crisis. The Guardian

Portsmouth hospital A&E appointments trial used by 200 patients

Portsmouth hospital A&E appointments trial used by 200 patients A trial of prebooked A&E appointments has seen more than 200 patients use the system in its first week.

The pilot at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth sees NHS 111 call handlers book time slots for patients who have been advised to go to A&E but are not in a medical emergency.

The trial is aimed at cutting both wait times and the risk of coronavirus spreading in hospital waiting rooms. BBC News

Fertility rate: 'Jaw-dropping' global crash in children being born

Fertility rate: 'Jaw-dropping' global crash in children being born The world is ill-prepared for the global crash in children being born which is set to have a "jaw-dropping" impact on societies, say researchers.

Falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century.

And 23 nations - including Spain and Japan - are expected to see their populations halve by 2100. BBC News

See also:

• Fertility, mortality, migration, and population scenarios for 195 countries and territories from 2017 to 2100: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study (open access) The Lancet