PM's lockdown announcement came as a shock to Northamptonshire health chiefs

PM's lockdown announcement came as a shock to Northamptonshire health chiefs Boris Johnson's lockdown announcement came as a shock to health chiefs in Northamptonshire.

The county's Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman, confessed she did not think the Prime Minister was about to make such a dramatic move. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust records first Covid-19 death in weeks Buckingham Advertiser
• Wellingborough MP puts PM on the spot over ditching local Covid-19 plans in favour of national lockdown Northamptonshire Telegraph

Co-ordination and divergence: devolution and coronavirus

Co-ordination and divergence: devolution and coronavirus This report warns that poor communication and a failure to share information have led the four governments of the United Kingdom to make decisions without considering the impact of their actions on other parts of the UK. Politicians must be sure that they do not forgo the potential benefits of co-ordinating their divergence – in terms of lives saved – because they are unwilling to reach consensus on the best way forward for the whole of the UK. Institute for Government

Performance tracker 2020: how public services have coped with coronavirus

Performance tracker 2020: how public services have coped with coronavirus This report analyses the disruptions in hospitals, general practice, adult social care, schools and criminal courts, and the changes made in response. It finds that coronavirus has resulted in backlogs across public services and calls for reviews of the impact of remote general practice and hospital appointments. Institute for Government

Liverpool to be regularly tested for coronavirus in first whole city testing pilot

Press release: Liverpool to be regularly tested for coronavirus in first whole city testing pilot Everyone living or working in Liverpool will be offered COVID-19 testing, whether they have symptoms or not. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• 500,000 daily testing capacity reached in ongoing drive to boost test and trace Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: Accessing government-secured flu vaccines: guidance for NHS providers Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: PM warns UK faces 'medical and moral disaster' without action

Coronavirus: PM warns UK faces 'medical and moral disaster' without action The UK faces a "medical and moral disaster" unless tough action is taken now to stop the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Deaths 10% higher than normal as virus deaths rise BBC News
• Covid: 'We are hanging by a thread' - hospital doctor BBC News
• Coronavirus: Liverpool to pilot city-wide Covid-19 testing BBC News
• Mask exemptions must be clearer, rape campaigner says BBC News
• Covid: Target 'hit' for 500,000 tests a day in the UK BBC News
• Government scientific adviser warns keeping secondary schools open means lockdown could be LONGER The Daily Mail
• Number 10 could have saved 'thousands of lives' if it followed SAGE advice, scientific adviser says The Daily Mail
• The lesson of lockdown 2: never again run down England's public health defences | Polly Toynbee The Guardian
• Fault in NHS Covid app meant thousands at risk did not quarantine The Guardian
• How the link between racism and Covid is being ignored | Ciaran Thapar The Guardian
• Coronavirus: UK vaccine programmes face ongoing threat of cyber attacks by hostile states The Independent
• Coronavirus: New rapid tests to be trialled in Liverpool are 99.9% accurate, says government scientist The Independent

Basildon maternity unit handed 'urgent' safety deadline

Basildon maternity unit handed 'urgent' safety deadline An NHS hospital where a woman bled to death in childbirth has been given an "urgent" deadline to keep patients at its maternity unit safe.

A letter seen by the BBC reveals the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found unsafe staffing levels at the unit at Basildon Hospital throughout August.

The CQC said the trust that runs it had until next Monday to implement appropriate measures. BBC News

IVF treatment: 'Grieving for the child you can't have'

IVF treatment: 'Grieving for the child you can't have' A campaigner for NHS-funded IVF has said she "reached crisis point" after discovering she was infertile.

Amber Izzo, 26, and husband Marco, from Peterborough, have been trying for a baby for about six years and have had two unsuccessful cycles of IVF.

She has shared her journey on Instagram and YouTube, gaining more than 5,000 followers and subscribers. BBC News

£45m deal for NHS masks collapses amid fraud claims

£45m deal for NHS masks collapses amid fraud claims Exclusive: millions of respirators missing as medical company sues its supplier in US

Millions of medical masks purchased by the British government for £45m are missing after a major PPE deal collapsed amid accusations of fraud, the Guardian can reveal.

The Department of Health and Social Care paid its supplier Purple Surgical upfront for 5m FFP3 respirator masks, which were supposed to have been flown into Birmingham international airport by June. The Guardian