NHS confirms two more Covid-19 victims at Kettering General Hospital

NHS confirms two more Covid-19 victims at Kettering General Hospital NHS England today confirmed two more Covid-19 patients have died at Kettering General Hospital in recent days.

Figures revealed in a daily bulletin showed the fatalities at the Rothwell Road site on Sunday and Monday this week. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Increased number of fixed penalty notices issued by Northamptonshire police for breaching covid-19 legislation Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• New peak for coronavirus cases in North Northants tonight Northamptonshire Telegraph

Two treasured Northampton General Hospital nurses to retire after 40 years of service each

Two treasured Northampton General Hospital nurses to retire after 40 years of service each Two nurses who have dedicated more than 40 years of their lives to caring for others are due to retire next month.

Both Linda Pratt and Denise Eglis will leave Northampton General Hospital in mid-November to retire, after long careers in the nursing field. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The Spending Review and public health: the need for certainty in the shorter term and social value in the longer

The Spending Review and public health: the need for certainty in the shorter term and social value in the longer The Spending Review this autumn comes at a critical point in the pandemic, and in the economic cycle that has been rent asunder by it. This means the Spending Review has to do two things if it is to support public health: in the short term it must provide much greater certainty for critical budgets, and in the long term it must expect more from departments on social value creation and do all it can to protect against poverty and long-term unemployment. The King's Fund

Access to new medicines in the English NHS

Access to new medicines in the English NHS Have you ever wondered how new medicines are developed, approved and priced? This explainer outlines the long journey from the discovery of a new drug to when it becomes available on the NHS. The King's Fund

Coronavirus infections rising rapidly in England, REACT study shows

Coronavirus infections rising rapidly in England, REACT study shows Swab tests on more than 85,000 people across England have shown an increase in R and that coronavirus infections are growing nation-wide. 

An interim report led by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI, which includes tests taken between 16th and 25th October, shows that the prevalence of infection has more than doubled since the last round of testing, with 1.28% infected. Imperial College London

See also:

• High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 swab positivity and increasing R number in England during October 2020: REACT-1 round 6 interim report (open access preprint) Imperial College London
• Covid-19: Nearly 100,000 catching virus every day BBC News
• Nearly 100,000 people in England catching Covid-19 every day, 'worrying' Government-led study finds The Daily Mail

Working together for a healthier post-Covid future

Working together for a healthier post-Covid future This report, commissioned by the Healthier Futures Academy in the Black Country and West Birmingham, illustrates the effects that a COVID-driven recession could have on population health. It frames a discussion about how the NHS, with other local organisations, can more effectively address the causes as well as the effects of ill health. The Strategy Unit

Detailed guide: Full list of local COVID alert levels by area

Detailed guide: Full list of local COVID alert levels by area The areas in England listed as local COVID alert level high and local COVID alert level very high. Department of Health and Social Care

Covid-19: 'Too early to say' what Christmas rules will be says minister

Covid-19: 'Too early to say' what Christmas rules will be says minister "It's too early to say" what Covid rules will be in place by Christmas, the environment secretary has said.

George Eustice warned people "may not be able to get together in the larger groups that they normally would".

Opposition parties have called for coronavirus rules to be the same across all four UK nations this Christmas. BBC News

See also:

• Becoming a new mum during the pandemic BBC News
• British contact-tracing apps to share data BBC News
• One in six working-age adults hospitalised with coronavirus work for the NHS, finds study The Daily Mail
• Around 1.4% of Covid-19 patients will suffer a stroke, scientists warn The Daily Mail
• No10's publicly-available coronavirus statistics are 'disparate', top scientists warn The Daily Mail
• Hospitals 'could be treating 25,000 Covid patients by the end of November' The Daily Telegraph
• Hundreds of GPs a month seek mental health support as COVID-19 pressure bites GPonline
• 'Like 7/7 but for a month': NHS teams during Covid – in pictures The Guardian
• 10% of England's population could be tested for Covid-19 every week The Guardian
• How teenagers ended up operating crucial parts of England’s test and trace system | George Monbiot The Guardian
• Covid hospital cases in UK ‘could pass spring peak in November’ The Guardian
• Without a trace: do virus tracking apps really work? The Independent
• NHS to target risk of Covid outbreaks on wards after watchdog investigation The Independent
• NHS worker punched and thrown from Tube train after confronting passengers for not wearing masks The Independent

Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say

Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say NSPCC and others urge government to fund rebuilding of struggling support service

A generation of babies born during the Covid-19 pandemic may be at risk because they and their parents are not being fully supported by health visitors in the weeks and months after birth, a coalition of children’s charities has said.

The NSPCC and nine other early-years charities say restrictions to the service and redeployment of health visitors could mean thousands of families do not receive checks they are entitled to. The Guardian

See also:

• Government is at risk of failing babies and parents during the coronavirus pandemic NSPCC

'I needed to fix myself for my kids': breaking the cycle of domestic abuse

'I needed to fix myself for my kids': breaking the cycle of domestic abuse Families with complicated lives are being helped by a project that supports both parents during their child’s first two years

When Jess was 11 weeks pregnant, she got into an argument with her boyfriend, Robbie, who lashed out and hit her. Jess had suffered a previous miscarriage and was terrified of losing another baby. The Guardian