Tuesday 15 September 2020

Gov website tells Northamptonshire residents 'there are no Covid tests available in your area'

Gov website tells Northamptonshire residents 'there are no Covid tests available in your area' Northamptonshire residents are still being told there are no Covid-19 tests available for them in following a warning about lack of testing capacity last week. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Council makes new Weston Favell health and wellbeing hub ‘a leading priority’ as public consultation begins

Council makes new Weston Favell health and wellbeing hub ‘a leading priority’ as public consultation begins A new project to turn old public sector buildings into a multi-million pound health and wellbeing hub has reached the public consultation stage. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS coronavirus app to launch in England and Wales on 24 September

NHS coronavirus app to launch in England and Wales on 24 September The UK government’s Covid contact-tracing app will finally launch in England and Wales on 24 September, the government has announced, more than four months later than initially promised. The Guardian

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Funding boost for community mental health initiatives

Funding boost for community mental health initiatives Community initiatives including mental health first aid training for barbers, and counselling for bereaved relatives, are set to benefit from a £10 million funding boost.

A dedicated support package has been provided to local NHS, public health teams and voluntary organisations across England to strengthen suicide prevention plans and provide practical and emotional support to friends and family who have lost a loved one to suicide. NHS England

Reintroducing visitor access to maternity services

Reintroducing visitor access to maternity services New guidance will help NHS trusts to reintroduce access to maternity services for partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women.
Developed in partnership with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives, and the Society and College of Radiographers, the framework reflects on the experiences of pregnant women and their families and applies to outpatient and inpatient services. NHS Networks

NHS reminder about face-to-face appointments angers GPs

NHS reminder about face-to-face appointments angers GPs NHS bosses have sent a letter to GPs to remind them to offer face-to-face appointments where necessary, sparking an angry response from professional bodies who say such comments risk insulting hard-working doctors.
In March, GPs were urged to move to remote consultations where possible in a bid to reduce the spread of Covid-19. The result was a surge in the number of appointments conducted at a distance: in May alone, 48% of GP appointments were carried out over the phone. The Guardian

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Coronavirus: Care homes in England warned of rise in infections

Coronavirus: Care homes in England warned of rise in infections The government has written to care home providers in England to warn them of a rise in new coronavirus infections within the sector.
A letter from the Department of Health urged care bosses to take "necessary action to prevent and limit outbreaks".
Cases were mainly among staff but risked spreading to residents, it said. BBC News

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The 'rule of six': what are the new UK coronavirus restrictions?

The 'rule of six': what are the new UK coronavirus restrictions? The phrase “rule of six” was used by Boris Johnson in his press conference last week, where he announced a ban on meetings of groups of more than six people in England, applying indoors and outdoors from Monday.

The law replaces existing guidance on no more than two households meeting indoors, meaning that the six individuals can be from up to six households. The Guardian

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Coronavirus: 86% of doctors in England expect second wave in next six months

Coronavirus: 86% of doctors in England expect second wave in next six months Almost 86% of doctors in England say they expect a second peak of coronavirus in the next six months, according to a new survey, as concern continues to grow over a recent rise in cases.

On Friday, new results from a population-based study suggested the R number for England is now at 1.7, with infections doubling every 7.7 days. While the prevalence of the disease remains lower than it was in the spring, an R value above 1 means cases could grow exponentially. The Guardian

'Soaring alcohol misuse' could overwhelm service

'Soaring alcohol misuse' could overwhelm service

Addiction services in England could struggle to cope with "soaring" numbers of people misusing alcohol, the Royal College of Psychiatrists is warning.

Many adults are drinking more since the coronavirus pandemic began, data shows.

The college estimates that in June, more than 8.4m people in England were drinking at higher-risk levels, up from 4.8m in February. BBC News

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