Covid-19 tiers: Northamptonshire put in tier 2 post lockdown

Covid-19 tiers: Northamptonshire put in tier 2 post lockdown Northamptonshire will be in tier two when England's second lockdown ends on 2 December, it has been announced.

People in tier two cannot socialise with other households indoors and the rule of six will apply outdoors.

Prior to England's second shutdown, the county was subject to the lowest level tier one restrictions. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Northamptonshire in a 'precarious position' warns Public Health chief as NHS confirms five more coronavirus deaths Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Government confirms Northamptonshire in TIER TWO under new Covid plan Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northamptonshire health chief had to use online postcode checker to learn which tier we are in Northamptonshire Telegraph
• It is 'necessary' to put Northamptonshire into Tier Two under Covid Winter Plan, says Health Secretary Northamptonshire Telegraph
• This is everything you can and cannot do in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 - rules explained in full Northamptonshire Telegraph

Free mental health support available on Christmas Day in Northampton

Free mental health support available on Christmas Day in Northampton As the colder days and darker nights draw in, and the festive period is around the corner, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's 'Changing Minds' team is here to provide support throughout Christmas. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Improving flow along care pathways: learning from the Flow Coaching Academy programme

Improving flow along care pathways: learning from the Flow Coaching Academy programme The Flow Coaching Academy (FCA) programme is based on a co-coaching model combined with elements of improvement science. It aims to support establishing multiple FCAs across the UK, to scale up the approach and to build a community of practice to share learning. The training focuses on both the technical and relationship skills required to deliver continuous and sustainable improvement. This learning report is based on the formative FCA evaluation completed in 2019 by RAND Europe and interviews with FCA programme leads during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Foundation 

How are the lives of families with young children changing?: the changing face of early childhood in the UK

How are the lives of families with young children changing?: the changing face of early childhood in the UK This evidence review reveals the extent of changes to family life in the UK over the last 20 years and highlights how these changes are experienced unequally across the population. The report argues that, without understanding family life today, the policies and initiatives that seek to address other key areas of society — education, the economy, health and mental health — will falter. Nuffield Foundation 

Listening to the voices of staff with disabilities

Listening to the voices of staff with disabilities Read this case study to find out how University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust improved their equality practice and the experiences of staff living with a disability. NHS Employers 

Unseen and undervalued: the value of unpaid care provided to date during the Covid-19 pandemic

Unseen and undervalued: the value of unpaid care provided to date during the Covid-19 pandemic This report finds that with every day of the Covid-19 pandemic that passes, unpaid carers are saving the UK state £530 million in the care they provide. Carers UK is calling on the Government to provide additional support for carers over winter and ensure those caring for more than 50 hours a week get access to a funded break. Carers UK 

Reducing health inequalities associated with Covid-19

Reducing health inequalities associated with Covid-19 This briefing, produced in partnership with Public Health Network, sets out core principles for understanding and taking action on health inequalities that have developed or worsened as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. It is intended to support NHS trusts during delivery of surge plans, as well as in service restoration and recovery action. NHS Providers

Flu vaccine uptake among people aged 65+ on track to be highest on record

Flu vaccine uptake among people aged 65+ on track to be highest on record Three-quarters (75%) of those aged 65 and over in England received the free vaccine so far this year – up from 72.4% at the end of the last flu season. Public Health England

Detailed guide: Full list of local restriction tiers by area

Detailed guide: Full list of local restriction tiers by area This page sets out the full list of local restriction tiers by area from Wednesday 2 December 2020. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Returning to a regional tiered approach Department of Health and Social Care
• Speech: Renewing regional coronavirus restrictions in England Department of Health and Social Care
• Transparency data: Coronavirus cases in England: 26 November 2020 Department of Health and Social Care
• Transparency data: NHS Test and Trace (England) and coronavirus testing (UK) statistics: 12 November to 18 November Department of Health and Social Care
• Policy paper: Community testing - explainer Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS Test and Trace continues to  Department of Health and Social Care
• Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Public Health England

Oxford Covid vaccine: Regulator asked to asses jab

Oxford Covid vaccine: Regulator asked to asses jab The government has asked the regulator to assess the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, bringing the UK a step closer to a possible rollout. 

The referral to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) marked "a significant first step" in getting the vaccine "approved for deployment", the government said. BBC News 

See also:

• Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine 'dose error' explained BBC News
• Coronavirus: When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine? BBC News
• Coronavirus infections levelling during England lockdown BBC News
• Covid: Woman left blind after treatment delayed in pandemic BBC News
• Covid vaccine trials did not monitor whether participants wore masks, socially distanced The Daily Mail
• Is December 9 the day Britain starts its Covid vaccination drive? The Daily Mail
• Covid tiers: large parts of England in tier 3 restrictions after lockdown The Guardian
• Here's how to tackle the Covid-19 anti-vaxxers | Will Hanmer-Lloyd The Guardian
• Boris Johnson: 'If we ease off now, we risk losing control of this virus' – video The Guardian
• MPs’ fury as 55m people in England face months in top tiers The Guardian
• European regulator ‘very hopeful’ of delivering positive verdict on Covid vaccines before Christmas The Independent
• Coronavirus: Experts call for clarity and caution over Oxford vaccine trial results The Independent
• UK records 696 coronavirus-related deaths, highest daily total since start of May The Independent
• ‘How will we recover? What will we have left?’ The battle for survival inside Britain’s intensive care units The Independent
• Coronavirus: Government urged to ‘get a grip’ over reports of missing test results The Independent

Concern as FGM reports fall during pandemic

Concern as FGM reports fall during pandemic It is feared victims of female genital mutilation in England are not reporting cases because of delays and lockdown closures, charities have told the BBC.

It comes as new figures revealed 635 new cases were recorded from July-September - a fall of more than a third compared with the same period in 2019.

The Home Office and NHS England said clinics remained open - but victims have reported treatment delays. BBC News

Controversial 'virginity tests' sold by UK clinics

Controversial 'virginity tests' sold by UK clinics Women are being offered controversial "virginity tests" at British medical clinics, an investigation by BBC Newsbeat and 100 Women has found. 

The intrusive tests are considered a violation of human rights by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations, which want to see them banned.

Critics say they are unscientific, cannot prove whether someone is a virgin and can be a form of abuse. BBC News

NHS to trial blood test to detect more than 50 forms of cancer

NHS to trial blood test to detect more than 50 forms of cancer The NHS is to trial a simple blood test that may help identify more than 50 forms of cancer years before diagnosis, in what it hailed as a potential “gamechanger”. 

If successful the blood test, known as Galleri, could revolutionise early diagnosis of cancer and save many lives by identifying symptoms quickly enough for prompt treatment to make the difference between life and death. The Guardian

Head of NHS inquiry warns other families could be victims of cover-ups

Head of NHS inquiry warns other families could be victims of cover-ups The chairman of an inquiry that has confirmed a 20-year cover-up over the avoidable death of a baby has warned there are other families who may have suffered a similar ordeal. 

Publishing the findings of his investigation into the 2001 death of Elizabeth Dixon, Dr Bill Kirkup said he wanted to see action taken to prevent harmed families having to battle for years to get answers. The Independent

See also:

• Independent report: The life and death of Elizabeth Dixon: a catalyst for change Department of Health and Social Care
• Baby death ‘covered up’ for 20 years, damning inquiry finds The Independent
• The Dixon inquiry shames national NHS bodies for their inaction The Independent
• Elizabeth Dixon inquiry: ‘We have been failed by every agency possible,’ say parents The Independent
• NHS to get millions of pounds to help save babies’ lives The Independent
• Minister demands investigation into Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital ‘cover up’ The Independent

Generic drug price increases of up to 1700% have cost the NHS £76m

Generic drug price increases of up to 1700% have cost the NHS £76m An investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal estimates that drug tariff price increases have cost the NHS an additional £76m in the past two years. The Pharmaceutical Journal