Northamptonshire public health boss: 'Today is First step on a long road to a more normal way of life'

Northamptonshire public health boss: 'Today is First step on a long road to a more normal way of life' Today marks the first step on a long road to normality but there is work still to do, Northamptonshire's public health boss has said. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Covid-19: Fans fined at Corby gathering after Rangers' title win BBC Northampton
• Covid one year on: How the director of health in Northamptonshire suddenly found herself at the centre of the pandemic Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Boris Johnson plays down calls for easing of restrictions Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Dismissed! Northamptonshire hospitals thank Army volunteers for help during height of pandemic Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Corby village school's EIGHT positive staff lateral flow tests cause delay to classroom returns Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Corby care home which suffered deadly Covid outbreak told it needs to improve Northamptonshire Telegraph

RCN independent review of guidelines for the prevention and control of Covid-19 in health care settings in the United Kingdom: evaluation and messages for future infection-related emergency planning

RCN independent review of guidelines for the prevention and control of Covid-19 in health care settings in the United Kingdom: evaluation and messages for future infection-related emergency planning This report of an independent review finds that the government’s Covid-19 infection control guidelines, which are used across the UK, are in need of updating. It calls for all NHS staff to be given a higher level of personal protective equipment as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of a review. Royal College of Nursing 

Opportunities to repurpose medicines in the NHS in England

Opportunities to repurpose medicines in the NHS in England The Repurposing Medicines Programme was established to identify and pursue opportunities to strengthen the evidence base, licencing, supply and cost effectiveness of un-licenced or off label medicines in current (or likely future) common use in the NHS. This report outlines the findings of the programme and the proposed future work programme. NHS England 

Healthcare for the Armed Forces community: a forward view

Healthcare for the Armed Forces community: a forward view This guidance is a companion document to the NHS Long Term Plan, outlining the commitments NHS England and NHS Improvement is making to improve the health and wellbeing of the Armed Forces community, serving personnel (regulars and reservists), veterans and their families. NHS England 

Guidance: Preconception advice for women with serious mental illness

Guidance: Preconception advice for women with serious mental illness Resources for health care professionals and women with a mental health condition who are planning a pregnancy or may become pregnant in the future. Public Health England 

Relaunch of the Act FAST campaign to improve stroke outcomes

Relaunch of the Act FAST campaign to improve stroke outcomes The Act FAST campaign urges everyone to take immediate action on seeing any stroke symptoms to save lives – the NHS is open.

Data from the lockdown period of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic last year show that admissions to hospital for stroke fell – a 12% drop between March and April 2020. Public Health England 

Coronavirus and vaccine hesitancy, Great Britain: 13 January to 7 February 2021

Coronavirus and vaccine hesitancy, Great Britain: 13 January to 7 February 2021 Hesitancy towards the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, based on the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey covering the period 13 January to 7 February 2021.

Positive vaccine sentiment has increased to 94% in the latest period (24 to 28 February), from 78% when the data were first collected (10 to 13 December 2020). Office for National Statistics

See also: 

• Young, poor and black Britons most hesitant about getting Covid vaccine, new statistics show The Independent

Covid-19: Nightingale hospitals to close from April

Covid-19: Nightingale hospitals to close from April The network of emergency Nightingale hospitals set up to cope with a surge of Covid-19 cases is to close from April, the NHS has said.

Established last spring amid fears that the NHS might be overwhelmed, the temporary hospitals in England were largely not needed.

Some were used as rehab centres and the sites in London and Sunderland will stay open for vaccinations. BBC News

See also: 

• New US guidance says fully vaccinated people can meet without masks BBC News
• Boris Johnson: 'Inevitable' Covid transmission risk with schools return BBC News
• Covid vaccines: How fast is progress around the world? BBC News
• Covid-19 Symptom Checker 'failed to pick up serious illness' The Daily Mail
• Return to schools could alter Covid roadmap, Boris Johnson warns The Guardian
• Lab test shows Pfizer Covid vaccine is effective against Brazil variant The Independent
• NHS to boost vaccine uptake with text message campaign The Independent
• Labour tells government to hold regular NHS 'war-games' to prepare for future pandemics The Independent
• Banksy painting sale hopes to raise millions for NHS - and celebrate heroes of the pandemic Sky News

Hospitals forced to repay millions after falsely claiming their maternity units were safe

Hospitals forced to repay millions after falsely claiming their maternity units were safe NHS hospitals have been forced to pay millions of pounds to regulators after wrongly claiming their maternity units were among the safest in the country.

Seven NHS trusts, including some now at the centre of major care scandals, will have to pay back a total of £8.5m after self-assessments of their maternity services were found to be false. The Independent 

Dr Jenny Harries is favourite to take over England's National Institute of Health Protection

Dr Jenny Harries is favourite to take over England's National Institute of Health Protection Dr Jenny Harries, who has worked in public health for well over a decade, would take over from Baroness Dido Harding as chief of NHS Test & Trace and oversee the replacement of Public Health England. The Daily Mail