Take care in the open air! Health chiefs plea to Northamptonshire folk as lockdown is eased TODAY

Take care in the open air! Health chiefs plea to Northamptonshire folk as lockdown is eased TODAY Public health chiefs are pleading with Northamptonshire folk to "take care in the open air" as lockdown restrictions are finally eased today (Monday).

Stay at home orders have been lifted for the first time since January 5 and people are allowed to leave home without good reason — albeit with some limitations. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Northamptonshire parents urged to take responsibility of their children over Easter Holidays to stop increase in Covid cases Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Two households or up to six people can now meet outdoors - what you can and can't do Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Boris Johnson banking on vaccine rollout to cool Northamptonshire's Covid hotspots Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Lockdown outcome lies with Corby residents and everyone needs to take responsibility Northamptonshire Telegraph
• 'No evidence' to show Corby's HMOs are responsible for high Covid infection rates Northamptonshire Telegraph

Reduced waits for some KGH patients thanks to new biopsy method

Reduced waits for some KGH patients thanks to new biopsy method Many KGH patients with suspected prostate cancer will have less of an anxious wait thanks to a new biopsy method.

The hospital has launched a new way of carrying out prostate biopsies to improve care and reduce waiting and treatment times. Northamptonshire Telegraph

How do GP trainees see their future in general practice?

How do GP trainees see their future in general practice? Since 2016 The King’s Fund has surveyed doctors who are in training to become GPs and at the end of 2020 we repeated this survey and 810 GP trainees across England responded. The 2020 survey findings were consistent with trends from previous years and it is striking just how consistently the findings reveal that increasing number of GPs want to have a ‘portfolio career’.

Thousands of young people missing out on drug and alcohol treatment as budgets cut by over a third

Thousands of young people missing out on drug and alcohol treatment as budgets cut by over a third Drastic cuts to youth addiction services mean thousands of young people with drug or alcohol problems are missing out on specialist help, potentially sentencing them to a life of addiction, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

New analysis by the Royal College of Psychiatrists shows £26m (37%) in real terms has been cut from youth addiction services in England between 2013/14 and 2019/20.

See also:

• Doctors warn against cuts to youth drug and alcohol treatment BBC News

Coronavirus and vaccination rates in people aged 70 years and over by socio-demographic characteristic, England: 8 December 2020 to 11 March 2021

Coronavirus and vaccination rates in people aged 70 years and over by socio-demographic characteristic, England: 8 December 2020 to 11 March 2021 irst dose COVID-19 vaccination rates among people aged 70 years and older who live in England, both in private households and communal establishments. Includes estimates for the population as a whole by age and sex, and for ethnic minorities, religious groups, those identified as disabled and by area deprivation. Office for National Statistics

See also:

• Covid: Ethnic jab gap 'not due to area or education' BBC News
• Fewer than 60% of black Britons over the age of 70 have had their Covid vaccine The Daily Mail

Mental health recovery plan backed by £500 million

Mental health recovery plan backed by £500 million People with mental health difficulties, ranging from severe mental illnesses such as bipolar and schizophrenia, to those with more common mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, will benefit from expanded mental health services backed by £500 million as part of the government’s Mental Health Recovery Action Plan. Department of Health and Social Care

Public reminded they must stay outside when meeting others to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Public reminded they must stay outside when meeting others to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) The public are being reminded they must stay outside when meeting others as part of the next step of easing Covid restrictions in a new film released today narrated by GP Dr Hilary Jones MBE. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• New study finds strong immune response following COVID-19 vaccination Department of Health and Social Care
• Speak up and help beat coronavirus (COVID-19) Department of Health and Social Care
• 30 million people in UK receive first dose of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine Department of Health and Social Care
• Second dose milestone as 2.5 million get top-up jab NHS England

Covid-19: More than 30m people in UK receive first jab

Covid-19: More than 30m people in UK receive first jab More than 30m people in the UK have had a first dose of a Covid vaccine, it has been announced, as the government says it is "confident" everyone will receive their second jab within 12 weeks.

Asked about the concerns over supply, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said "we always knew there would be ups and downs" but the timetable was on track. BBC News

See also:

• Covid jab: One dose in care homes gives 'substantial' protection BBC News
• Covid: Outdoor meetings and sport to resume in England BBC News
• Covid: Past infection increases vaccine effectiveness six-fold BBC News
• Over-70s could get booster Covid jab from September - vaccines minister BBC News
• 'Covid shame' is stopping people reporting symptoms or even properly social distancing The Daily Mail
• South African Covid variant makes current crop of vaccines 30% less effective, SAGE warns The Daily Mail
• Covid England: 14% of infected patients are NOT following self-isolation rules The Daily Mail
• Screen Covid patients and NHS staff for post-traumatic stress, expert urges The Guardian
• The UK's randomised coronavirus trials are a global success story The Guardian
• High court to rule on legality of Covid contracts for PM's 'chums' The Guardian
• Covid still has capacity to wreak more havoc and ill health, NHS England chief warns iNews
• Coronavirus ‘very likely’ to have passed to humans from bats via unknown animal, WHO report says The Independent
• COVID-19: Second doses are 'protected' for when UK's vaccine supply falls in April, NHS England says Sky News

Mental health support for NHS staff accessed 800,000 times

Mental health support for NHS staff accessed 800,000 times Mental health support services for NHS staff set up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has been accessed nearly 800,000 times.

In a sign of the psychological impact of the crisis on frontline staff more than 1,000 workers have also been referred for specific mental health assessments. The Independent 

Office for Health Promotion to be set up to tackle obesity and poor mental health

Office for Health Promotion to be set up to tackle obesity and poor mental health A new Office for Health Promotion will be formed to tackle obesity and poor mental health, as lockdown restrictions are eased and the nation recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday it will be “crucial in tackling the causes, not just the symptoms” of ill-health, with the office’s launch expected by the autumn. The Independent

See also:

• New Office for Health Promotion to drive improvement of nation’s health Department of Health and Social Care
• Number 10 unveils new fat-fighting quango - the Office for Health Promotion The Daily Mail