Four more deaths among patients who tested positive for Covid-19 at Northampton General Hospital

Four more deaths among patients who tested positive for Covid-19 at Northampton General Hospital NHS England confirmed four more patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have died within the last week at Northampton General Hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Maternity boss at Northampton General Hospital explains why birth partner restrictions at scans remain in place Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northampton to host one of 14 plasma donation centres to help coronavirus patients Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 'Work with us', pleads East Northants health boss as Covid cases rise Northamptonshire Telegraph

Chart of the week: The number of medicines that were hard to access grew during the first national lockdown

 Chart of the week: The number of medicines that were hard to access grew during the first national lockdown Each week we present analysis of data in chart form to illustrate some key issues and invite discussion. This week, Miranda Davies considers the difficult issue of the NHS's ability to get hold of basic drugs for patients who need them - and how the pandemic may be affecting this. Nuffield Trust

RCP survey uncovers years of discrimination against black, Asian and minority ethnic doctors

RCP survey uncovers years of discrimination against black, Asian and minority ethnic doctors Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) doctors are consistently disadvantaged when applying for jobs, according to the RCP’s latest survey of clinicians within a year of medical certificate completion of training (CCT) holders.

The RCP analysed data from 8 years’ worth of annual surveys reporting on the experiences of, and outcomes for, clinicians within a year of passing their CCT. The findings provide consistent evidence of trainees from BAME background being less successful at consultant interview. Royal College of Physicians

See also:

• Medical CCT class of 2018: 2019 survey results Royal College of Physicians
• Racial discrimination widespread in NHS job offers, says report The Guardian

The impacts of volunteering on the subjective wellbeing of volunteers: a rapid evidence assessment

The impacts of volunteering on the subjective wellbeing of volunteers: a rapid evidence assessment There is a growing body of research on the links between volunteering and wellbeing. This review and accompanying briefing  (co-published with Spirit of 2012, and in partnership with the Institute of Volunteer Research) brings together the most relevant studies. It focuses on the experience of adult formal volunteers, and looks at the key factors involved in improving wellbeing through volunteering. What Works Centre for Wellbeing

Patients not passports: learning from the international struggle for universal healthcare

Patients not passports: learning from the international struggle for universal healthcare This report focuses on the set of policies introduced as part of the government’s Hostile Environment immigration policies – which restrict access to public services and criminalise everyday activities – to expand border enforcement into the NHS and restrict access to healthcare. To understand what might happen if the government continues to restrict access to healthcare in this way, the report explores what can be learned from international practice, describing levels of migrant access to healthcare across Europe and the impact of different policies and practices. New Economics Foundation

Children and young people’s mental health review: findings from a questionnaire to health and wellbeing boards on local actions

Children and young people’s mental health review: findings from a questionnaire to health and wellbeing boards on local actions This report  contains an update on work carried out in 2018 looking at the quality of mental health services for children and young people, as well as the access to these services. It sets out the findings of a 2019 independent follow-up self-assessment questionnaire, to find out the extent to which health and wellbeing board areas in England had progressed with implementing the local recommendations made. Care Quality Commission

Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2020: Wave 1 follow up to the 2017 survey

Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2020: Wave 1 follow up to the 2017 survey This is the first in a series of follow up reports to the Mental Health and Young People Survey (MHCYP) 2017, exploring the mental health of children and young people in July 2020, during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and changes since 2017. Experiences of family life, education and services, and worries and anxieties during the COVID-19 pandemic are also examined. NHS Digital

See also:

• Response to NHS figures on children’s mental health Children's Commissioner
• Survey presents a worrying picture of children's and young people’s mental health The Health Foundation
• Lockdown made life worse for two in five children, NHS report says BBC News
• One in six children aged 5-16 in England 'likely to have a mental disorder' The Guardian
• 'Scarred for life': Sage experts warn of impact of Covid policies on the young The Guardian
• Figures lay bare toll of pandemic on UK children's mental health The Guardian 

Workforce flexibility in the NHS: utilising Covid-19 innovations

Workforce flexibility in the NHS: utilising Covid-19 innovations This briefing argues that speed at which workforce innovations and flexibilities have been implemented in the NHS since the outbreak of Covid-19 has been both impressive and encouraging. It explores and makes recommendations on six key areas of change: staff wellbeing; flexibility in staff deployment and roles; cross-organisational working and regulation; technology; making use of new roles; and funding. NHS Providers

Over 13,700 more nurses working in the NHS

Over 13,700 more nurses working in the NHS The number of nurses in the NHS in England increased by 13,718 compared with last year, and the number of doctors has risen by 7,810, figures to the end of July show. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• NHS workforce shortages still a big risk even as nursing numbers grow NHS Employers

Sewage signals early warning of coronavirus outbreaks

Sewage signals early warning of coronavirus outbreaks Government-led programme is providing an early warning of coronavirus outbreaks by monitoring sewage and sharing data with NHS Test & Trace. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Detailed guide: Full list of local COVID alert levels by area Department of Health and Social Care
• Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Public Health England

Covid: Why is coronavirus so deadly?

Covid: Why is coronavirus so deadly? A simple virus has brought life as we know it to a screeching halt.
 
We have faced viral threats before, including pandemics, yet the world does not shut down for every new infection or flu season.

So what is it about this coronavirus? What are the quirks of its biology that pose a unique threat to our bodies and our lives? BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Sewage sites to test for traces of virus BBC News
• Covid: US gives full approval for antiviral remdesivir drug BBC News
• Wales 'fire break' lockdown: what are the new rules? The Daily Telegraph
• Sweden loosens Covid lockdown rules for elderly and vulnerable due to mental health impact of lockdown The Daily Telegraph
• Study finds that plasma of recovered Covid-19 patients is of limited use as a treatment The Daily Telegraph
• 'It has been a trauma': nurses on 'shambolic' 111 Covid-19 clinical service The Guardian
• Nightingale to reopen as Liverpool sets new Covid patient record The Guardian
• England test and trace reaching fewer Covid contacts than ever The Guardian
• Room for improvement with test and trace, says Patrick Vallance – video The Guardian
• NHS leak reveals true impact of coronavirus second wave on hospitals The Independent
• Coronavirus: More than half of British public don’t ‘fully understand’ current rules The Independent

The experts who created a new form of PPE to restart surgery for deaf children

 The experts who created a new form of PPE to restart surgery for deaf children With so many operations put on hold when the pandemic started in March, surgeon Douglas Hartley and a team of medical veterans got to work pioneering new types of protective equipment. The Independent