Northamptonshire hospitals 'struggling for capacity' as coronavirus patient numbers surpass first wave peak

Northamptonshire hospitals 'struggling for capacity' as coronavirus patient numbers surpass first wave peak The number of coronavirus patients being treated at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) is higher than levels seen in the first wave of the pandemic, with bosses predicting the peak is yet to come.

Both NGH and Kettering General Hospital (KGH) have urged the public to only attend A&E if absolutely necessary, with capacity on wards stretched to the limit. ITV News

See also:

• Covid-19: Northampton party organisers and DJ fined £10,000 BBC Northampton
• Five key factors which will decide if Northamptonshire faces stricter Covid restrictions in Tier Three Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Stark warning over not sticking to Christmas coronavirus rules after pre-lockdown spike in Northamptonshire Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Wedding planner's £10k fine after Police crash bash breaching Covid rules at Northampton hotel
• 'Emotional' Northampton care home manager 'honoured' to be part of Covid-19 vaccine roll-out Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 'We're in for a tough couple of weeks': Northamptonshire hospitals struggling for beds after busiest week of the year so far Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Four more coronavirus deaths as Northamptonshire hospitals gear up for "busiest" weeks Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Self-isolation now lasts 10 days instead of 14 - the new rules explained Northamptonshire Telegraph
• You can help with Covid research while you sleep by downloading this app Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton General Hospital given £16m of funding to build new critical care unit

Northampton General Hospital given £16m of funding to build new critical care unit Northampton General will receive £15.9 million to build a new on-site critical care facility thanks to capital funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to upgrade and improve NHS buildings. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

How are total triage and remote consultation affecting prescribing patterns?

How are total triage and remote consultation affecting prescribing patterns? The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the rapid and widescale adoption of online and digital tools such as total triage and remote consultations. However, there are concerns that the prescribing behaviour of clinicians may be negatively affected during a remote consultation by a lack of visual cues and the inability to physically examine a patient ‘in person’. The Health Foundation

GPs begin offering covid vaccine as part of biggest NHS immunisation programme

GPs begin offering covid vaccine as part of biggest NHS immunisation programme Hundreds of local vaccination services run by family doctors and their teams will open across England this week, as the roll out of the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history gains further momentum.

Practices in more than 100 parts of the country are taking delivery of the vaccine today, with some kicking off their clinics this afternoon and the majority starting on Tuesday. NHS England

See also:

• UK Chief Medical Officers' statement on the self-isolation period: 11 December 2020 Department of Health and Social Care
• Business as usual for NHS Test and Trace over Christmas Department of Health and Social Care
• First wave of targeted Tier 3 community testing initiatives announced Department of Health and Social Care
• COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings NHS England
• Governance, handling, and preparation of vaccines by GP led Local Vaccination Centres (PCN designated sites) NHS England
• More hospitals set to deliver COVID-19 vaccine NHS England
• Guidance: Preventing and controlling outbreaks of COVID-19 in prisons and places of detention Public Health England

Covid vaccine: How will the UK jab millions of people?

Covid vaccine: How will the UK jab millions of people? The UK has begun the mass rollout of a vaccine against Covid-19, aiming to inoculate tens of millions of people within months.

With the military called on to help and sports stadiums and conference centres being converted to temporary vaccination centres, what does it take to deliver the biggest vaccination programme the country has ever seen? BBC News

See also:

• Covid: UK isolation period shortened to 10 days BBC News
• Covid: How close is the light at the end of the tunnel? BBC News
• Covid vaccine: GPs in England to begin offering Pfizer jab BBC News
• Covid vaccine: How does a vaccine get approved? BBC News
• Covid: Relaxing restrictions 'could trigger third wave', NHS bosses warn BBC News
• Contact tracer: 'People threaten us and block our calls' BBC News
• Covid PPE: Hospital gowns that cost £122m never been used BBC News
• Covid: Genes hold clues to why some people get severely ill BBC News
• Doctors felt ‘abandoned’ by the Government BMA
• NHS chiefs warn against mixing at Christmas, how careful do the UK public plan to be? Channel 4 News
• How do you solve a problem like Maria - the 68-year-old VACCINE SCEPTIC? The Daily Mail
• Why pregnant women CAN'T have the coronavirus vaccine The Daily Mail
• How long will it take for life to return to normal after the Covid vaccine rollout? The Daily Telegraph
• England’s Covid test and trace relying on inexperienced and poorly trained staff The Guardian
• Coronavirus: minister threatens headteacher over pre-Christmas online lessons The Guardian
• Government ignored warnings over PPE suppliers accused of slavery The Independent
• Coronavirus: UK scientists identify drugs that may help severe cases The Independent

Tavistock puberty blocker study published after nine years

Tavistock puberty blocker study published after nine years All but one child treated for gender dysphoria with puberty-blocking drugs at a leading NHS clinic also received cross-sex hormones, a study has shown.

The Tavistock and Portman Trust has argued the treatments are not linked.

The High Court ruled last week that under-16s are unlikely to be able to give informed consent to be treated with puberty-blocking drugs. BBC News

See also:

• Short-term outcomes of pubertal suppression in a selected cohort of 12 to 15 year old young people with persistent gender dysphoria in the UK (open access) MedRxiv

‘We don't have enough nurses to keep all our patients safe,’ says RCN leader

‘We don't have enough nurses to keep all our patients safe,’ says RCN leader Vacancies hit 36,000 as burnt-out staff leave for jobs including supermarket work.

There are not enough nurses to safely care for patients in the UK, according to the body that oversees the profession, and many of those who are working are suffering from anxiety and burnout after a gruelling nine months treating Covid patients. The Guardian

Blood donor rules to be relaxed for gay and bisexual men in England

Blood donor rules to be relaxed for gay and bisexual men in England Gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood more easily from next summer following a landmark policy change, the NHS blood service has announced. The move has been welcomed by campaigners who have fought to overturn rules that “perpetuate inequality”.

Men in a long-term relationship with another man will be able to donate blood from next summer, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said. The rules currently require all men who have had sex with men to abstain from sex for three months to give blood. The Guardian

See also:

• Landmark change to blood donation criteria Department of Health and Social Care

Father who 'begged' GP for an MRI scan dies from cancer after Covid backlog

Father who 'begged' GP for an MRI scan dies from cancer after Covid backlog A father-of-two who had to "beg" to get an MRI scan because of the coronavirus crisis has died of cancer, his family have revealed.

Sherwin Hall, 27, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, went to hospital on March 23 suffering from leg pain but despite repeated visits he was only given a course of antibiotics for a misdiagnosis of prostatitis. The Daily Telegraph