Corby's Covid hotspot 'masked' by North Northamptonshire local government shake-up

Corby's Covid hotspot 'masked' by North Northamptonshire local government shake-up Corby's Covid hotspot will become largely invisible to the public from Thursday thanks to the shake-up in local government.

No, it's not an April Fool's gag!

The borough will disappear along with Wellingborough, Kettering and East Northants when the new North Northamptonshire unitary authority takes over on April 1. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Stick to the Rule of Six or face a fine! Police warning as Northamptonshire gets ready to soak up the sun Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Staff set out to raise 60K to refurbish children's garden at Northampton General Hospital

Staff set out to raise 60K to refurbish children's garden at Northampton General Hospital A number of Northampton General Hospital employees will take on a lengthy walk to kickstart a fundraising campaign to pay for a refurbishment of the site’s children’s garden. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The restructure of public health must not weaken our climate change response

The restructure of public health must not weaken our climate change response ‘The first responsibility of any government is the protection of its citizens. And threats to public health are among the most important of all.’

These were the Health and Social Care Secretary’s words when he announced in August 2020 that Public Health England (PHE) was to be disbanded and replaced with the National Institute for Health Protection – now the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Office for Health Promotion.

But when it comes to protecting citizens from climate change, which is one of the greatest threats to human health globally, very little has yet been said about the role of the UKHSA The Health Foundation

See also:

• Has government grasped the full enormity of the country’s public health challenges? The Health Foundation
• The King's Fund comments on the announcement of the new Office for Health Promotion The King's Fund

Policy paper: Suicide prevention in England: fifth progress report

Policy paper: Suicide prevention in England: fifth progress report This report details the steps taken to reduce deaths by suicide since 2019. It sets out the data and evidence on suicide and self-harm; the progress made against existing commitments designed to prevent suicides and self-harm; and further actions for government and its agencies, particularly in the context of Covid-19. Department of Health and Social Care

Sir Lenny Henry urges Black Britons to take COVID-19 vaccine

Sir Lenny Henry urges Black Britons to take COVID-19 vaccine Sir Lenny Henry has written an open letter to encourage Black Britons to take the COVID-19 vaccine, signed by some of the most high-profile names in the UK. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Government reintroduces confirmatory PCR testing for assisted testing Department of Health and Social Care
• New vaccine advice for adults living with adults who are immunosuppressed Public Health England

Evidence mounts Covid jab protects those around you

Evidence mounts Covid jab protects those around you The Covid-19 vaccine blocks pretty much all cases of serious illness - but the government has been much more cautious about saying whether it stops people carrying the virus and infecting others.

Until evidence had built up from lots of people being vaccinated, scientists could not say for sure if the jab would stop transmission - and there was concern those vaccinated might stop taking precautions, potentially leading to a rise in infections. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Secret filming exposes contamination risk at test results lab BBC News
• AstraZeneca vaccine - was it really worth it? BBC News
• Long Covid: 'It's like someone has piled sandbags on top of me' BBC News
• Households of adults with weak immune systems to be vaccinated BBC News
• Covid-19: CDC head warns of 'impending doom' in US BBC News
• UK's 'wall of vaccination' against Covid is 'leaky', Professor Chris Whitty says The Daily Mail
• Experimental drug cuts risk of hospitalized COVID-19 patients needing a ventilator by 54%, The Daily Mail
• UK to make up to 60m doses of Novavax Covid vaccine under GSK deal The Guardian
• Covid PPE 'fitters' wait up to a month on full pay before first NHS hospital visit iNews
• Hospitals and labs told to prioritise Covid testing for mental health patients The Independent
• Half of people in England now have antibodies against Covid, study says The Independent

World leaders call for global treaty to fight future pandemics

World leaders call for global treaty to fight future pandemics Leaders from across the world have backed a call for an international treaty to help fight future health pandemics.

The treaty - which would target preparedness and response to future health emergencies - would ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. The Independent

Witness at NHS inquiry intimidated by 'deeply disturbing' messages

Witness at NHS inquiry intimidated by 'deeply disturbing' messages A witness to an inquiry into deaths at England’s largest mental health trust has been intimidated by “cruel and calculated pressure”, with messages described by the man leading the investigation as “truly shocking”. The Independent

See also:

• Southern Health NHS trust probe 'witness intimidation indefensible' BBC News

Autism more common than previously thought, major Cambridge University study finds

Autism more common than previously thought, major Cambridge University study finds University of Cambridge research which looked at more than seven million young people has found that autism is more common than previously thought.

The study found that one in 57 children in England (1.76 per cent) is on the autistic spectrum. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Association of Race/Ethnicity and Social Disadvantage With Autism Prevalence in 7 Million School Children in England (open access) JAMA Pediatrics

BDA fury as dentists told to 'get back to 60% of pre-Covid patient numbers or face NHS funding cut'

BDA fury as dentists told to 'get back to 60% of pre-Covid patient numbers or face NHS funding cut' The British Dental Association has lashed out at the plans and called them 'perverse', warning forcing clinics to make more appointments will wreck social distancing guidelines. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Dentists: NHS Targets rise as 1 in 10 practices face ‘cliff edge’ British Dental Association