I'd be daft to guess which Covid tier we will be in, admits Northamptonshire health chief

I'd be daft to guess which Covid tier we will be in, admits Northamptonshire health chief  Northamptonshire's health chief says it would "daft" to guess which tier of Covid-19 restrictions the county will be in on Thursday.

Boris Johnson will reveal more details of a tougher three-tier system to replace the national lockdown on Thursday. But he warned: "many more regions will fall — at least temporarily — into higher tiers than before." Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Three areas of Northamptonshire that are 'bending the trend' over Covid-19 cases Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• England’s new tier system at a glance - and which areas could be in Tier 1, 2 or 3 Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• A third Covid wave could hit Europe if governments aren’t careful - read the latest WHO warning Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Boris Johnson announces new three-tier lockdown system for England - all the changes explained in full
• Wellingborough campus of community day special school closed due to Covid Northamptonshire Telegraph

Spending Review 2020: Priorities for the NHS, social care and the nation’s health

Spending Review 2020: Priorities for the NHS, social care and the nation’s health On 21 October 2020, the government announced it was abandoning plans to conduct a multi-year Spending Review in favour of a 1-year review to set budgets for government departments for 2021/22 only. The rationale for this shift was the continuing uncertainty created by the pandemic. The Chancellor stated that the Spending Review will ‘focus entirely on fighting COVID-19 and supporting jobs’, with multi-year resource settlements ‘fully funded’ only for the NHS, schools, and ‘priority infrastructure projects’. The Health Foundation

Long term care centres: making space for ageing

Long term care centres: making space for ageing By 2030, there will be a 60 per cent increase in the number of individuals with caring responsibilities in the UK. This shift in the kind of work that we will be doing will require not just new funding arrangements but also robust infrastructure and working conditions. This report proposes a network of long term care centres that can form a key part of the new ‘caring economy’ that delivers for those that need care and those providing it. Autonomy

Voices from the frontline of critical care

Voices from the frontline of critical care In October, the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine surveyed their members about their experiences and feelings during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that a majority of intensive care staff have increased their working hours, had leave cancelled and have covered sickness absences for colleagues during the pandemic. The report argues that supporting and maintaining the wellbeing of critical care staff is vitally important not only for recruitment by attracting multi-disciplinary team members, but also for their retention in the specialty. Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine

Exiting the lockdown – a strategy for sustainably controlling the transmission of COVID-19 in England

 Exiting the lockdown – a strategy for sustainably controlling the transmission of COVID-19 in England A report by the BMA warns that lifting lockdown without new measures in place would risk deepening the crisis in our health service and will leave hospitals and GP practices overwhelmed – unable to provide even the most critical of patient care.

The report outlines major reforms for England, once lockdown is lifted, to keep infection rates low and pull back the NHS from collapse this winter. British Medical Association

Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health

Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health This report reviews the evidence for practical interventions to reduce harm from outdoor air pollution, stratified by their health and economic impact. The focus of the review was on those actions available to local authorities and, where appropriate, the national actions needed to support them. The paper is accompanied by a guide to help local authorities to use the evidence to choose or plan interventions to tackle air pollution. Public Health England

Policy paper: Staying mentally well: winter plan 2020 to 2021

Policy paper: Staying mentally well: winter plan 2020 to 2021 The government's plans to support people's wellbeing and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic this winter. Department of Health and Social Care 

Detailed guide: Local restriction tiers: what you need to know

Detailed guide: Local restriction tiers: what you need to know Sets out the local restriction tier system that will be in place from Wednesday 2 December, including what you can and cannot do in each tier. Department of Health and Social Care 

See also:

• Guidance: COVID-19 Winter Plan Department of Health and Social Care
• PM statement on COVID-19 Winter Plan: 23 November 2020 Department of Health and Social Care
• Test to Release: England introduces testing strategy for international arrivals Department of Health and Social Care
• Mitigation of risks of COVID-19 in occupational settings with a focus on ethnic minority groups Public Health England

Covid: How will I get a coronavirus vaccine?

Covid: How will I get a coronavirus vaccine? The UK government is confident that some of the most at-risk groups will be vaccinated before Christmas, and most over-50s before the spring.

More people may be offered a vaccine during 2021, if one is approved by UK regulator, the MHRA.

It will only authorise a vaccine if one meets strict safety, quality and effectiveness standards. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: What is the Oxford vaccine and how does it work? BBC News
• Prof Sarah Gilbert: The woman who designed the Oxford vaccine BBC News
• After lockdown: What is the new three tier system? BBC News
• Covid-19: Arrivals in England to be able to cut quarantine if they pay for test BBC News
• Grandparents in care homes could be allowed home for Christmas The Daily Mail
• Health volunteers who signed up in coronavirus crisis could be kept in 'NHS Reserve' The Daily Mail
• Covid-19 tests: What you need to know about the Government's mass testing plan The Daily Telegraph
• British Medical Association warns Boris Johnson's lockdown exit plan is 'full of risks' The Daily Telegraph
• The Covid vaccine results are great news, but it's not all over yet The Guardian
• Boris Johnson sets out new three-tier system of Covid restrictions for England The Guardian
• Work from home until April if possible, PM tells England's workers The Guardian
• Covid-19 vaccines: Everything you need to know The Independent
• Covid lockdown: What does the three-tier Christmas strategy mean? The Independent
• Government winter plan admits Christmas mixing will spread coronavirus The Independent
• COVID-19: PPE stockpile at Felixstowe 'costing taxpayers £1m a day' Sky News

Excess deaths in UK 'a fifth higher than normal'

Excess deaths in UK 'a fifth higher than normal' The total number of deaths occurring in the UK is nearly a fifth above normal levels, latest figures show.

Data from national statisticians show there were almost 14,000 deaths in the week ending 13 November.

Some 2,838 of the deaths involved Covid - 600 more than the preceding week, according to the analysis of death certificates. BBC News

'My OCD got worse in lockdown'

'My OCD got worse in lockdown' The number of people seeking help for obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, since the coronavirus pandemic started has risen sharply in the UK. 

OCD is a mental health condition where a person has uncontrolled distressing and intrusive thoughts which can drive them to carry out repetitive behaviours.

Exclusive figures given to BBC News by the charity OCD Action, show they’ve seen an unprecedented increase in people needing support – with more than 1500 reaching out to the charity over just three months. BBC News

Child protection referrals surge after first lockdown as councils report rise in mental health issues

Child protection referrals surge after first lockdown as councils report rise in mental health issues Child protection referrals have surged in the months following the UK’s first lockdown as local councils report an increase in demand for mental health and family services, The Independent can reveal.