Coronavirus: Northampton council leader says 'keep carping' about tests

Coronavirus: Northampton council leader says 'keep carping' about tests A Conservative council leader has urged residents to "keep carping" about the availability of coronavirus tests.

Earlier this week senior minister Jacob Rees-Mogg was criticised after he described concern over testing shortages as "carping".

Bu Jonathan Nunn from Northampton Borough Council said if someone, or their family member, had symptoms it was "sensible to get a test". BBC Northampton

See also:

• 'Could only be matter of time before coronavirus hospital admissions increase sharply in Northamptonshire' Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Experts say the UK is ‘heading in the wrong direction’ with coronavirus battle Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• National lockdown looms just as new Covid-19 cases are falling in Northamptonshire Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• What's really going on inside our Covid testing centres? A north Northants testing site worker speaks out Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Corby remains on government Covid-19 watchlist for third week Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Leader's disappointment as Corby tops county's weekly Covid rate chart Northamptonshire Telegraph

'Think outside the box!': Northampton General Hospital charity urges fundraisers to go virtual as events cancelled

'Think outside the box!': Northampton General Hospital charity urges fundraisers to go virtual as events cancelled Northampton General Hospital's charity is facing the loss of future income this year as iconic races as big events like the London Marathon are being rescheduled. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

What influences improvement processes in healthcare? A rapid evidence review

What influences improvement processes in healthcare? A rapid evidence review Although many healthcare organisations are engaging in activities to improve the quality of healthcare, there are still considerable challenges in doing so. RAND Europe was commissioned by The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute at the University of Cambridge to conduct a rapid review of literature exploring the influences on improvement processes in healthcare. The study identified a number of themes and issues relevant to future research in this space, including the key influences affecting the implementation of improvement processes in healthcare. RAND Europe

Towards resilience: redesigning our systems for a better future

Towards resilience: redesigning our systems for a better future From both a public health and an economic perspective, Britain performed poorly during the Covid-19 crisis in comparison to similar countries. When put to the test, many of Britain's core systems were revealed to be incapable of withstanding extra stress and demand. In partnership with Local Trust, this paper intends to start a conversation about the country can move towards resilience for a more prepared and better future. It identifies five pillars that need to form the centre piece of any approach: economic resilience, public sector resilience, community resilience, environmental resilience and workforce resilience. New Local Government Network

Covid-19: assessing the risk to public protection posed by a doctor as a result of concerns about their practice during the pandemic

Covid-19: assessing the risk to public protection posed by a doctor as a result of concerns about their practice during the pandemic This guidance details how to take the context created by Covid-19 into account when considering complaints about doctors. It means that, in line with the General Medical Council's normal practice, concerns about doctors will be considered in the context of the pandemic and, in certain circumstances and where there are no risks to patients or to public confidence, some issues might not put into question a doctor’s fitness to practice. General Medical Council

Guidance: Visiting care homes during coronavirus

Guidance: Visiting care homes during coronavirus Guidance for making arrangements for limited visits for care homes with the support of their director of public health. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• New plan to help protect care homes from coronavirus over winter Department of Health and Social Care
• New Lighthouse Labs to boost NHS Test and Trace capacity Department of Health and Social Care
• Venues required to enforce rule of 6, NHS QR code posters and contact logs Department of Health and Social Care
• Corporate report: Social Care Sector COVID-19 Support Taskforce: report on first phase of COVID-19 pandemic Department of Health and Social Care
• Research and analysis: National COVID-19 surveillance reports Public Health England

Covid: UK at 'critical point' in pandemic, top scientists to warn

Covid: UK at 'critical point' in pandemic, top scientists to warn The UK is at a "critical point" in the coronavirus pandemic and "heading in the wrong direction", the government's chief medical officer will warn later.

Prof Chris Whitty believes the country is facing a "very challenging winter period" and will hold a televised briefing at 11:00 BST.

It comes after the prime minister spent the weekend considering whether to introduce further measures in England. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Can a 'circuit break' halt the second wave? BBC News
• Covid: £10,000 fines for self-isolation breaches BBC News
• Covid: PM considering new restrictions amid second coronavirus wave BBC News
• Coronavirus: Test demand 'significantly outstripping' capacity BBC News
• Coronavirus: Care home visitors to be supervised at all times BBC News
• Are corona passports really the magic bullet Ministers hope they'll be? The Daily Mail
• Matt Hancock warns Covid-19 hospital admissions are doubling every EIGHT days The Daily Mail
• Chaos in Britain's Covid labs: Scientist lifts lid on government facilities The Daily Mail
• UK Covid-19 cases and deaths: how the UK is coping with a second wave The Daily Telegraph
• BAME Britons still lack protection from Covid, says doctors' chief The Guardian
• Hospitals in England may have to pay for their Covid-19 tests The Guardian
• Troubled test-and-trace system drafts in management consultants The Guardian
• Coronavirus: Hospitals told not to test staff or patients for Covid-19 The Independent

Cancer taskforce aims to reduce patient backlog

Cancer taskforce aims to reduce patient backlog A new taskforce will meet next week to kick-start the recovery of cancer services across the NHS in England.

Charities believe the pandemic has led to a significant reduction in people being referred for urgent cancer treatment.

Cancer Research UK says three million people have missed cancer screenings since March. BBC News

Music boosts memories for ethnic minority dementia patients

Music boosts memories for ethnic minority dementia patients Charities are using tailored music to bring back memories for dementia patients from ethnic minorities.

To mark World Alzheimer's Day, the BBC has created a catalogue of world music to help people from all cultures living with the syndrome. BBC News

Medics missing mental illness diagnosis in more than one in four patients, data suggests

 Medics missing mental illness diagnosis in more than one in four patients, data suggests More than one in four patients with severe mental health conditions are missing diagnosis when they are admitted to hospital for other reasons, new research suggests.

According to data analysed by scientists at University College London, those who are missing these mental illness diagnoses are more likely to be from ethnic minority groups or have a previously diagnosed mental illnesses. The Independent 

See also:

• Severe mental illness diagnosis in English general hospitals 2006-2017: A registry linkage study (open access) PLOS Medicine

Smokers urged to join 'Stoptober' as quitting rate in England rises

Smokers urged to join 'Stoptober' as quitting rate in England rises The proportion of people who have successfully quit smoking this year is at its highest in more than a decade, new figures show.

Data from the UCL Smoking Toolkit Study shows that in England in 2020 there has been an increase of almost two-thirds in the quitting success rate, rising from 14% to 23%, the highest since at least 2007. There has also been a surge in smokers in England trying to quit, increasing by 22% from 2019, with experts saying attitudes have been changed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Guardian