Public health boss 'disappointed' by Covid case rates in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough

Public health boss 'disappointed' by Covid case rates in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough As latest figures show an increase in Covid cases in Northamptonshire, it is the cases in the north of the county that are driving the numbers up again. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Jo Whiley: Sister Frances to get first Covid vaccination BBC Northampton
• In pictures: Organiser pleased as 44 get coronavirus vaccination at Northampton mosque pop-up clinic Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Corby school forced to shut to all infants after Covid outbreak Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire hospital chief: "Less restricted visiting is coming in the next few weeks"

Northamptonshire hospital chief: "Less restricted visiting is coming in the next few weeks" The chief of Northamptonshire's hospitals has spoken about plans to relax visiting restrictions and restart more non-urgent care appointments. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Northampton care home residents at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, says CQC

Northampton care home residents at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, says CQC Residents at a Northampton care home were at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, according to the healthcare watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded St John's Home's rating from 'good' in 2019 to 'requires improvement' after a critical inspection. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• St John's Home inspection report Care Quality Commission

Developing clinical leaders through innovation

Developing clinical leaders through innovation In 2016, I read about the leadership development opportunities offered by shadow boards. Shadow boards offer staff members the opportunity to work with senior leaders on strategic projects and gain an understanding and knowledge of working at board level. I wanted to create something similar with trainee doctors and the trainee leadership board was born. It offered a small group of next-generation clinical leaders at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust an opportunity to learn about leadership in the NHS, take on one of the trust’s challenges and present their solutions to the board. The King's Fund

Global report on ageism

Global report on ageism This report outlines a framework for action to reduce ageism including specific recommendations for different actors (e.g. government, UN agencies, civil society organizations, private sector). It brings together evidence on the nature and magnitude of ageism, its determinants and its impact. It outlines what strategies work to prevent and counter ageism, identifies gaps and proposes future lines of research to improve understanding of ageism. It also includes a discussion on the impact of ageism on health. World Health Organization 

The UK nursing labour market review 2020

The UK nursing labour market review 2020 This report examines the shape, size and state of the nursing labour market, analysing trends in the employment and training of nursing staff across the UK economy. Royal College of Nursing 

Caring as a social determinant of health: findings from a rapid review of reviews and analysis of the GP Patient Survey

Caring as a social determinant of health: findings from a rapid review of reviews and analysis of the GP Patient Survey Public Health England commissioned Newcastle University to explore the consequences of being an unpaid carer of older people and identify evidence about how best to support this group of carers. This report found a lack of clear and robust evidence about how best to support people caring for older populations, and gaps in evidence on key outcomes. It concludes that unpaid caring should be considered a social determinant of health. 

Half of all adults in UK receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Half of all adults in UK receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine Half of all adults in the UK have received their first dose of the (coronavirus) COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures show.

The UK health services vaccinated a total of 26.8 million people between 8 December and 19 March with first doses, while 2.1 million people have had their second dose so far. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Groundbreaking new technology to detect known variants of concern Department of Health and Social Care
• Extra £47.6 million for Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre Department of Health and Social
• Trials to find preventative COVID-19 treatments for most vulnerable to launch in UK Department of Health and Social
• NHS Vaccination programme protects almost 2.8 Million in record week NHS England

Covid vaccine: US trial of AstraZeneca jab confirms safety

Covid vaccine: US trial of AstraZeneca jab confirms safety Results from the long-awaited US trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine are out and confirm that the shot is both safe and highly effective.

More than 32,000 volunteers took part, mostly in America, but also in Chile and Peru.

The vaccine was 79% effective at stopping symptomatic Covid disease and 100% effective at preventing people from falling seriously ill. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: Half of UK adults receive first vaccine dose BBC News
• Why are some towns struggling to shake off Covid-19? BBC News
• Coronavirus vaccines: PM to telephone EU leaders in bid to stop export ban being imposed BBC News
• Covid: Masks and social distancing 'could last years' BBC News
• Travel corridors with Europe let 'significant' number of Covid cases into UK The Daily Mail
• Covid Europe: UK had highest excess death toll after first wave, interactive ONS map shows The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus may cause deafness, tinnitus and vertigo, study says The Daily Telegraph
• Professor Neil Ferguson on the Covid year that shattered our way of life – podcast The Guardian
• EU export ban would delay UK Covid vaccine drive by two months The Guardian
• UK sees record 844,000 vaccine doses given on single day The Independent
• Covid case decline slows in England as Europe braces for third wave  The Independent

We doctors must learn from what went wrong with 'do not resuscitate' orders | Rachel Clarke

We doctors must learn from what went wrong with 'do not resuscitate' orders | Rachel Clarke Patients and their families were not consulted. The CQC inquiry shows that their trust should never be taken for granted

As patients, we literally surrender our bodies and minds into our doctors’ hands. We could not be more vulnerable. For a clinician to exploit this power in any way at all is monstrous, an affront to decency. The Guardian 

NHS steps up help for women suffering abuse or assault after Sarah Everard death

NHS steps up help for women suffering abuse or assault after Sarah Everard death Women suffering domestic abuse or sexual assault are being encouraged to contact the NHS for support, after numbers seeking help halved during the first lockdown.

Health chiefs issued the call to women who are suffering in the wake of Sarah Everard’s death, which prompted large numbers of women to reveal their experiences of assaults and harassment. The Independent

See also:

• NHS urges sex crime and abuse victims to seek help NHS England