Northampton councillor shares his severe battle with Covid-19 in hospital

Northampton councillor shares his severe battle with Covid-19 in hospital A Northampton councillor has implored residents to follow Government guidelines after sharing his own battle against Covid-19 in hospital. 

Talavera ward councillor Dennis Meredith has revealed he is now recovering after fighting the virus for several weeks in and out of Northampton General. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northampton additional needs school closes for two weeks after whole senior leadership team tests positive for Covid Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• The UK has bought 5m doses of the new Moderna Covid vaccine - here’s everything you need to know about it Northamptonshire Telegraph

Council to run four Northamptonshire care homes nine years earlier than costly and controversial PFI contract planned

Council to run four Northamptonshire care homes nine years earlier than costly and controversial PFI contract planned The management of four care homes in Northamptonshire is being taken over by the council nine years earlier than a controversial PFI contract planned. Northamptonshire Telegraph

What does the future hold for digital health and care? Eight key technologies explained

What does the future hold for digital health and care? Eight key technologies explained The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many health and care services turn to digital technology to continue meeting patients’ needs. But beyond remote consultations, what are the key technologies to look out for in the future? We explain eight key innovations and their potential to transform health and care delivery. The King's Fund

Fears for maternity as staffing shortages hit safety and morale

Fears for maternity as staffing shortages hit safety and morale The safety of maternity services is under serious threat, according to a new survey by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). The survey found that eight out of 10 midwives (83%) do not believe their NHS Trust or Board has enough staff to operate a safe service. Services are already stretched almost to breaking point, with 42% reporting that half of shifts are understaffed, and a third saying there are very significant gaps in most shifts.

See also:

• More than 75% of NHS midwives think staffing levels unsafe, says RCM The Guardian

Restoring services: NHS activity tracker November 2020

Restoring services: NHS activity tracker November 2020 This briefing highlights detailed examples of the innovations trusts and their staff are developing to improve capacity, respond to unmet demand despite the constraints created by Covid-19, and the need to prepare for additional winter pressures. NHS Providers

Mental health for all?

Mental health for all? This final report of the Commission finds that mental health inequalities mirror wider economic and social inequalities. Wealth and power inequalities put at risk the mental health of people experiencing poverty, racial injustice and discrimination. This creates sharp social divisions, meaning that many groups of people face two or three times the risk of mental ill health. Yet the same groups of people find it harder to get help for their mental health, and in some cases also get poorer outcomes when they do. This report highlights, however, that effective action is possible. It sets out what a system designed for equality would look like, and how communities, local organisations, public services and national government can work together to generate change at scale. Commission for Equality in Mental Health

Government secures 5 million doses of Moderna vaccine

Government secures 5 million doses of Moderna vaccine The UK government has completed negotiations with biotech company Moderna to secure access to 5 million doses of its promising vaccine, enough for around 2.5 million people. Department of Health and Social Care 

See also:

• Health and Social Care Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 16 November 2020 Department of Health and Social Care
• Government response: UK government’s response to Moderna’s publication of efficacy data for its COVID-19 vaccine Department of Health and Social Care
• Pilot for family members to get regular testing for safer care home visits Department of Health and Social Care
• Research and analysis: COVID-19: comparison of geographic allocation of cases in England by lower tier local authority Public Health England

Moderna: Covid vaccine shows nearly 95% protection

Moderna: Covid vaccine shows nearly 95% protection A new vaccine that protects against Covid-19 is nearly 95% effective, early data from US company Moderna shows. 

The results come hot on the heels of similar results from Pfizer, and add to growing confidence that vaccines can help end the pandemic.

Both companies used a highly innovative and experimental approach to designing their vaccines. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Visitor tests in all care homes in England 'by Christmas' BBC News
• WHO worried young people won't want Covid vaccine BBC News
• Coronavirus: Dentists warn millions of treatments have been missed BBC News
• £100 billion Operation Moonshot will 'fail miserably because the tests are poor' The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus: UK scientist says risk of reinfection is 'low' but people should still be cautious The Daily Mail
• UK Covid-19 cases and deaths: how the UK is coping with a second wave The Daily Telegraph
• Covid vaccine: Volunteers with no medical experience will be trained to give out jab The Daily Telegraph
• Mothers needlessly separated from babies under UK hospital Covid rules The Guardian
• Care homes pour cold water on Hancock's visitor-testing promise The Guardian
• Operation Moonshot 'like building Channel tunnel without civil engineers' The Guardian
• Covid: England's tiers 'need strengthening to get through winter' The Guardian
• Coronavirus: NHS publishes guidance for COVID-19 app glitch on iPhones Sky News

'How I learned to love my stoma'

'How I learned to love my stoma' A woman who had an ileostomy bag fitted has been documenting her life on social media in a bid to inspire others. 

Sarah Smith, who has ulcerative colitis, was fitted with the bag following emergency surgery in 2019.

The 31-year-old, from Wigston in Leicestershire, said after living in pain for years she now felt happy and healthy and wanted to help people who have stomas feel better about their bodies. BBC News

'Diabetes burnout': The mental-health impact of diagnosis

'Diabetes burnout': The mental-health impact of diagnosis "It's a full-time job that you can't quit. It's a massive burden that you didn't ask for, didn't expect."

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 19, Naomi, now 33, says she reached a point where she simply could not handle "the physical or mental challenges of diabetes any more", a condition known as "diabetes burnout". BBC News

See also:

• Diabetes: My baby saved my life BBC News

The welfare system is failing those with mental health problems

 The welfare system is failing those with mental health problems Mental health is a growing concern, with up to one in two people now thought to experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. Many working-age adults experience problems like depression, anxiety, phobias or PTSD, which are worsened by unemployment. Yet there are striking discrepancies between UK welfare policy and the actual experience of benefit claimants with mental health problems. The Independent 

Hancock refuses to promise pay rise for NHS staff

Hancock refuses to promise pay rise for NHS staff Health secretary Matt Hancock has refused to guarantee a post-Covid pay rise for NHS staff.

Mr Hancock was speaking in response to a question from The Independent at a 10 Downing Street press conference on the coronavirus crisis.

Period poverty has surged in UK during Covid pandemic

Period poverty has surged in UK during Covid pandemic Charity supplying six times as many menstrual products compared with before crisis

Period poverty has increased sharply in the UK since the coronavirus crisis began, according to a charity that says it is supplying almost six times as many menstrual products compared with before the pandemic started.

Bloody Good Period (BGP) has been supplying food banks, community support groups, those fleeing domestic violence, asylum seekers and refugees, homeless shelters and even NHS frontline workers. The Guardian