Almost 500,000 Northants residents eligible for flu vaccine to help combat Covid risks

 Almost 500,000 Northants residents eligible for flu vaccine to help combat Covid risks More than half of the Northants population is eligible for the flu vaccine this winter amid evidence that contracting both the virus and Covid-19 at the same time more than doubles the risk of death. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Specialised commissioning: lessons from history and looking to the future

Specialised commissioning: lessons from history and looking to the future Despite perhaps not receiving much attention, specialised commissioning is one of the fastest growing parts of the NHS budget, and from this month provider collaboratives will be responsible for commissioning specialised services for mental health. Nigel Edwards looks back at the historical problems of specialised commissioning, why finding solutions has often been difficult, and how policy-makers can this time avoid the mistakes of the past. Nuffield Trust

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Development & Implementation; Scenarios, Options, Key Decisions

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Development & Implementation; Scenarios, Options, Key Decisions  This report discusses the key issues involved in developing, evaluating, manufacturing and distributing a vaccine for COVID-19, the impact of those challenges and future strategies to mitigate their effects. The Royal Society

See also:

• Covid: Vaccine will 'not return life to normal in spring' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Vaccination of UK population could take more than a year, experts warn The Independent

Inquiry into the support available for young people who self-harm

Inquiry into the support available for young people who self-harm This inquiry explored the experiences of young people who self-harm in accessing support services. In particular, it examined: support services currently available in both clinical and the wider community settings (including schools); plans for improving and expanding this support; and the changes needed to ensure that support is made more effective and widely available. The report concludes that young people who self-harm are often made to wait until they reach crisis point before receiving support. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention

NHS to introduce ‘one stop shops’ in the community for life saving checks

NHS to introduce ‘one stop shops’ in the community for life saving checks The NHS is set to radically overhaul the way MRI, CT and other diagnostic services are delivered for patients, a major report to NHS England recommends today. Community diagnostic hubs or ‘one stop shops’ should be created across the country, away from hospitals, so that patients can receive life-saving checks close to their homes. NHS England

NHS becomes the world’s first national health system to commit to become ‘carbon net zero’, backed by clear deliverables and milestones

NHS becomes the world’s first national health system to commit to become ‘carbon net zero’, backed by clear deliverables and milestones World Health Organisation Director General backs NHS’s leadership as the world’s largest single health system. The NHS has today adopted a multiyear plan to become the world’s first carbon net zero national health system. The commitment comes amid growing evidence of the health impacts of climate change and air pollution. NHS England

See also:

• Home visits, digital appointments and electric ambulances in NHS plans to be carbon neutral by 2045 The Daily Telegraph
• NHS becomes world's first health system to commit to net zero Business Green

Health and care staff can claim immigration health surcharge reimbursement

Health and care staff can claim immigration health surcharge reimbursement Overseas NHS and care workers can claim their reimbursement from the surcharge from today. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Health and care staff can claim immigration health surcharge reimbursement NHS England

Further restrictions confirmed in parts of the North East and North West in response to rising infection rates

Further restrictions confirmed in parts of the North East and North West in response to rising infection rates Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock spoke about the measures introduced in the North East being extended to cover the Liverpool City region, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Official Statistics: REACT-1 study of coronavirus transmission: September 2020 results Department of Health and Social Care
• Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: advice from the JCVI, 25 September 2020 Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Restrictions for England to be standardised into three tiers

Coronavirus: Restrictions for England to be standardised into three tiers The government is to push ahead with a new "three-tier" approach to coronavirus restrictions in local areas of England, the BBC understands.

The Department of Health confirmed last month the system was being considered - but it has now been signed off by government officials and politicians.

An announcement is expected next week, with the roll-out of the new tiers expected in mid-October. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Doctors told to plan for vaccination scheme BBC News
• Coronavirus: Loss of smell may be clearer sign than cough BBC News
• Coronavirus: Donald Trump and Melania test positive BBC News
• Coronavirus antibodies from blood plasma donations start to fade three months after symptoms start The Daily Mail
• NHS Covid disruption could cause tens of thousands of deaths, MPs warn The Guardian
• 'On a knife-edge': NHS frontline prepares for a Covid second wave The Guardian
• Nurses barred from handling NHS 111 Covid calls after 60% found to be unsafe The Guardian
• Covid cases doubled under most local lockdowns in England The Guardian
• Coronavirus: Test and Trace failing to reach almost 30% of close contacts, latest data shows The Independent
• Covid-positive MP paid tribute to NHS staff before taking train home Metro

Children's gender identity clinic concerns go back 15 years

Children's gender identity clinic concerns go back 15 years Doctors at a child gender clinic raised concerns about the use of puberty blockers 15 years ago - an issue that was also discussed by staff last year.

An internal review conducted in 2005, obtained by BBC Newsnight, says some clinicians felt pressured to refer patients for the treatment too quickly.

Staff at the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) raised serious safeguarding issues last year. BBC News

'I brought skills with me from a war zone': the long history of migrants in the NHS

'I brought skills with me from a war zone': the long history of migrants in the NHS From street artist paramedics to doctors finding love in the hospital lifts, a new digital exhibition celebrates the unknown stories of those who transformed our nation’s health. The Guardian

See also:

• Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS (opens 5th October) Migration Museum