Ten more coronavirus deaths recorded across Northamptonshire

Ten more coronavirus deaths recorded across Northamptonshire The number of coronavirus deaths in Northamptonshire rose by ten as pressure on the Government to rethink plans for a Christmas relaxation in restrictions grew. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

See also:

• Northamptonshire hospitals 'struggling for capacity' as coronavirus patient numbers surpass first wave peak ITV News
• Four areas of Northamptonshire where Covid cases are rising...and eight where they are dropping fast Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Boris needs to rethink plans to allow Christmas get-togethers, warns Northamptonshire health chief Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Doctors tell people to wait for COVID-19 vaccine as Northamptonshire’s first GP practices start vaccinating Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Hotel blames religious group for 'major breach' at Northampton 'wedding reception' which cost organiser £10,000 Covid fine Northamptonshire Telegraph

Reforming the finances of the NHS

Reforming the finances of the NHS A new financial architecture for the NHS requires coherence and balance, and a recognition that any national financial strategy will be heavily mediated by the quality of local relationships. Our new long read discusses how lessons from the recent history of NHS finances can help the system plan for the future. The King's Fund 

Newham Health Champions: a community-shaped response to Covid-19

Newham Health Champions: a community-shaped response to Covid-19  Newham’s Covid-19 Health Champions programme, which aims to have open and honest conversations with communities about the latest Covid-19 advice, the situation in Newham, what people are experiencing and what they need. The King's Fund 

A guide to promoting health care workforce well-being during and after the Covid-19 pandemic

A guide to promoting health care workforce well-being during and after the Covid-19 pandemic This guide provides ideas and lessons learned to improve the wellbeing of the health care workforce, including actions that individuals, leaders, and organisations can take to support the health care workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. It aims to support health care leaders at all levels with actionable tools for combatting health care workforce burnout, fatigue, and emotional distress. Institute for Healthcare Improvement 

Unlimited potential: report of the Commission of Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood

Unlimited potential: report of the Commission of Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood This report warns that harmful gender stereotypes are significantly limiting children’s potential, causing problems such as lower self-esteem in girls and poorer reading skills in boys. It finds that stereotypes contribute towards the mental health crisis among children and young people, are at the root of girls’ problems with body image and eating disorders, higher male suicide rates and violence against women and girls. Fawcett Society

Investigation into preparations for potential COVID-19 vaccines

Investigation into preparations for potential COVID-19 vaccines Today the National Audit Office (NAO) reports that government has worked quickly to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines, successfully signing deals for five vaccines providing up to 267 million doses at an expected cost of £2.9 billion.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) chose to purchase different types of vaccines from a range of pharmaceutical companies, to create a diverse set of options, recognising the uncertainty over which ones, if any, might prove to be safe and effective. It originally intended to purchase up to 12 vaccines, later reducing the number to up to nine as its understanding of requirements and costs developed.

NHS seeks views on next steps for assessing urgent care

NHS seeks views on next steps for assessing urgent care Patients, clinicians and the public are being invited to give their views on a comprehensive set of indicators for urgent care.

The updated standards aim to capture what matters clinically and to patients, end hidden waits and reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. NHS England

See also:

• NHS England reveals plans to replace A&E waiting time target The Independent

Government takes forward plans to cut gender pay gap in medicine

Government takes forward plans to cut gender pay gap in medicine The Health and Social Care Secretary has today committed to tackle the gender pay gap among doctors by making the NHS a more equal place to work, as an independent report finds structural barriers are the main reason for pay disparities. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Independent report: Independent review into gender pay gaps in medicine in England Department of Health and Social Care

Secondary schools and colleges to get weekly coronavirus testing

Secondary schools and colleges to get weekly coronavirus testing Lateral flow tests to be deployed to all secondary schools and colleges to help detect asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission from January. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Test to Release for International Travel goes live Department for Transport
• Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19) lateral flow testing of visitors in care homes Department of Health and Social Care

Covid: Relaxation of UK Christmas rules 'unlikely to change'

Covid: Relaxation of UK Christmas rules 'unlikely to change' Sterner warnings about the dangers of mixing over Christmas are to be issued by the four UK nations - but sources say the rules allowing three households to mix are "unlikely to change". 

The plans for 23-27 December will be discussed by officials later. BBC News

See also:

• What are the Christmas Covid rules? BBC News
• High death rate 'may be starting to fall' BBC News
• Covid: Clinical trials begin for Valneva vaccine BBC News
• 'Huge expansion' of secondary school Covid tests in January BBC News
• FDA finds Moderna vaccine safe and effective BBC News
• Government must stop household mixing this Christmas BMJ and HSJ
• Nearly one-quarter of the world's population may not have access to coronavirus vaccines until 2022 The Daily Mail
• Risk of dying from Covid-19 in British hospitals has HALVED since the peak of the crisis in spring The Daily Mail
• Half-dose of Oxford vaccine was NOT a 'mistake' and was known before people got jabs, scientists say The Daily Mail
• New coronavirus strain: how dangerous is it, and could it hamper a vaccine? The Daily Telegraph
• Christmas plans in the balance as UK leaders rethink Covid rules The Guardian
• Tensions mount over handling of UK Covid vaccine rollout The Guardian
• Coronavirus: Vaccinating UK population will cost £12bn The Independent
• ‘Very thin evidence’ on new variant of coronavirus, say scientists after Matt Hancock’s announcement The Independent
• Christmas household mixing must be stopped demand leading medical and NHS journals in rare joint intervention The Independent
• 'Madness', 'misjudged': Frontline NHS staff criticise Christmas bubble plans as UK leaders meet ITV News

More than quarter of young women have possible eating disorder, major study finds

More than quarter of young women have possible eating disorder, major study finds More than one in four young women have a potential eating disorder as experts warn the “shocking” new figures demonstrate specialist health services need to be substantially expanded.

The Health Survey for England, which polled 8,205 adults in 2019, discovered one in six adults in England has a possible eating disorder. The Independent

See also:

• Health Survey for England 2019 NHS Digital

Post-Brexit key worker shortage 'may hamper UK economic recovery'

Post-Brexit key worker shortage 'may hamper UK economic recovery' Government advisers say pandemic has highlighted vital economic contribution of migrant workers.

The economic recovery from the Covid-driven recession will be hampered by a post-Brexit shortage of key workers including nursing assistants, senior care workers and dental nurses, the UK government’s migration advisers have warned. The Guardian

See also:

• Migration Advisory Committee: annual report, 2020 Migration Advisory Committee 

Parents caught up in NHS maternity scandal 'feel huge guilt'

Parents caught up in NHS maternity scandal 'feel huge guilt' Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals did not listen to complaints of parents, Donna Ockenden tells MPs

Mothers and fathers caught up in the worst maternity scandal in the history of NHS have a “huge amount of guilt” because they were not able to get the hospitals involved to listen to their complaints, MPs have been told. The Guardian

See also:

• Maternity units need thousands more doctors and midwives to be safe The Independent
• Shrewsbury maternity scandal: MPs told of NHS trust's culture of 'normal birth at any cost' Sky News