Northampton 'could go into local lockdown' if guidelines are not followed

Northampton 'could go into local lockdown' if guidelines are not followed A county town was "odds-on" for a local lockdown within six months if people did not follow coronavirus guidelines, a police chief said.

Covid-19 cases in Northampton rose by 13 in the week ending 2 August, with 65 positive tests, putting it in the top 20 areas in England for infections. BBC Northampton

Government responds to inquest of Northampton pensioner who died after nine-hour-wait in A&E

Government responds to inquest of Northampton pensioner who died after nine-hour-wait in A&E The under-secretary for patient safety says the NHS "must do all it can" to learn from the death of a Northampton pensioner who died following a nine-hour-wait in A&E.

Mohan Acharya died in the early hours of March 8, 2018, nine hours after arriving at the emergency department with "chest pains and shortness of breath". He was 85. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Demand at Northamptonshire GPs closer to pre-pandemic levels

Demand at Northamptonshire GPs closer to pre-pandemic levels Demand at GP surgeries in Northamptonshire jumped in June, figures show, with activity closer to pre-coronavirus levels.

The Patients Association welcomed the rising numbers of people accessing their local doctor across England but warned continuing use of remote sessions must not become "the new normal” without assessing the benefits to patients. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Reflections on organisational development during Covid-19

Reflections on organisational development during Covid-19 The King’s Fund’s Advanced Organisational Development (OD) programme brings together experienced OD, leadership and HR professionals to develop OD capability in the health and care system. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we hosted bi-weekly meetings with alumni participants of the programme, offering the group space to make sense of their experience.

Some of the reflections we heard are shared in this blog – the unexpected outcomes of the pandemic, which, amid the disruption, served to remind the group that change really can happen; the crucial future focus for OD; and the determination for OD to create a future based on social justice.

Our place: local authorities and the public’s mental health

Our place: local authorities and the public’s mental health This report, written with the Local Government Association, argues that people’s mental wellbeing will play a crucial role in every aspect of recovery planning, including schools reopening, workers returning from furlough, people who have been shielding, and in dealing with the economic and housing consequences of coronavirus, as well as planning for possible further spikes in infections. It concludes that a national focus is needed on helping everyone stay mentally well, backed-up by funding for councils. Centre for Mental Health

How might Covid-19 affect the number of GPs available to see patients in England?

How might Covid-19 affect the number of GPs available to see patients in England? This research briefing reveals that one in three GPs who singlehandedly manage a GP practice are at high risk of death from Covid-19. It estimates that this could potentially leave 710,043 patients without face-to-face appointments with their GPs if those at high risk take the difficult decision to limit direct patient contact. It argues that CCGs must ensure that they are aware of gaps in face-to-face provision of core general practice services, and must work with practices and primary care networks to find solutions. The Health Foundation

Antimicrobial stewardship programmes in primary care: 2020 progress report

Antimicrobial stewardship programmes in primary care: 2020 progress report This report sets out to explore how antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are working to tackle antimicrobial resistance by asking clinical commissioning groups about their practice and experience of local stewardship. The purpose of AMS is to ensure ‘the right antibiotic for the right patient, at the right time, with the right dose, and the right route, causing the least harm to the patient and future patients’. It is a follow-up to the Patients Association’s 2016 report on the same subject, and highlights some progress and scope for improvement in key areas. Patients Association

New funding to double nursing apprentices and help deliver 50,000 more nurses

New funding to double nursing apprentices and help deliver 50,000 more nurses A new government package worth £172 million will help to train thousands more nursing degree apprentices. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Our response to the government announcement of funding for nurse apprenticeships The King's Fund
• NHS Employers welcomes nursing degree apprenticeship announcement NHS Employers
• Ministers plan thousands more nurse apprenticeships to help fill staffing gaps on hospital wards The Independent
• How a lack of proper planning led to an NHS staffing crisis iNews

Prime Minister confirms funding to prepare the NHS for winter

Prime Minister confirms funding to prepare the NHS for winter NHS trusts across the country have today been allocated a share of £300 million to upgrade their facilities ahead of winter, the Prime Minister will confirm.

The PM will also urge the public to feel confident to visit A&E for the treatment they need, reassuring those who remain concerned that strict social distancing and hygiene measures are in place to protect patients. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS Test and Trace service to strengthen regional contact tracing

NHS Test and Trace service to strengthen regional contact tracing NHS Test and Trace and Public Health England will extend its partnership with local authorities to reach more people testing positive and their contacts. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Largest testing programme for coronavirus shows virus continued to decline in June Department of Health and Social Care
• Research study into long-term health impacts of COVID-19 launched in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Update on Randox test kits Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Test and trace system 'successful', says health minister

Coronavirus: Test and trace system 'successful', says health minister The government has defended its test and trace programme in England amid plans to cut 6,000 contact tracers.

Health minister Edward Argar insisted it was a "successful system" and would be strengthened by giving more powers to local public health teams.

The plans mean people who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases may get a knock on their door if tracers cannot reach them on the phone. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Contact tracers to be reduced by 6,000 in England BBC News
• Coronavirus: Little evidence of Covid transmission in schools, says Williamson BBC News
• Coronavirus: Is the world winning the pandemic fight? BBC News
• Coronavirus: Randox recalls up to 750,000 test kits over safety concerns BBC News
• Coronavirus: NHS England scales back private sector deal BBC News
• Is it ethical to infect volunteers with Covid-19 to test a vaccine? The Daily Mail
• UK's coronavirus death toll could have topped 100,000 if we didn't stay at home, study suggests The Daily Mail
• Dominic Cummings' 260 mile trip to County Durham eroded public trust, study shows The Daily Mail
• Russia approves world's first Covid-19 vaccine The Daily Telegraph
• Anti-mask activists storm London supermarket demanding shoppers resist 'new world order' The Daily Telegraph
• Shutdown of NHS in second wave risks thousands of deaths, doctors warn The Daily Telegraph
• Rise in UK Covid cases above 1,000 a day breached government target The Guardian
• The Covid long haul: why are some patients not getting better? The Guardian
• Fifty million face masks bought by government cannot be used by NHS The Guardian
• Coronavirus: just 10 enforcement orders issued for breach of UK quarantine rules The Guardian

Social care at breaking point in England after 'lost decade' – report

Social care at breaking point in England after 'lost decade' – report Exclusive: government urged to quickly rectify years of policy failures and underfunding.

Policymakers’ failure to tackle chronically underfunded social care has resulted in a “lost decade” and a system now at breaking point, according to a report.

A team led by Jon Glasby, a professor of health and social care at the University of Birmingham, says that without swift government intervention including urgent funding changes England’s adult social care system could quickly become unsustainable. The Guardian

See also:

• A lost decade? A renewed case for adult social care reform in England (open access) Journal of Social Policy
• Birmingham researchers warn of impact of 'lost decade' in adult social care University of Birmingham

NHS hospitals ordered to remove drug after mistakes led to two baby deaths

NHS hospitals ordered to remove drug after mistakes led to two baby deaths All NHS hospitals in England have been told to destroy a powerful medicine mistakenly used by staff because its packaging looks the same as another drug.

A national safety alert was issued following several incidents, including two deaths of babies, in which patients were inadvertently given a dose of sodium nitrite – which is used as an antidote to cyanide poisoning – rather than sodium bicarbonate. The Independent

See also:

• Risk of death from unintended administration of sodium nitrite NHS England