Wellingborough overtakes Corby as county's Covid hotspot

Wellingborough overtakes Corby as county's Covid hotspot Corby no longer has Northamptonshire's highest seven-day rate of Covid-19 cases after months as the county's hotspot.

In figures released on Friday the steel town dropped to a weekly rate of 65 cases per 100,000 people after just three positive cases were added today. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• More than a quarter of Northamptonshire's care home staff have NOT had Covid jabs Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Covid vaccines 'safety net' in place to ensure no risk of Northamptonshire folk missing out on second jabs Northamptonshire Telegraph
• 77 cases of a new Indian Covid variant found in the UK could be ‘cause for concern’ Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton General Hospital bosses have "robust plans" to tackle record waiting lists

Northampton General Hospital bosses have "robust plans" to tackle record waiting lists Northampton General Hospital bosses have "robust plans" in place to tackle record number of patients waiting more than a year for routine treatment.

Charities and health organisations are warning the Covid-19 pandemic is having a "catastrophic" impact on hospital services as numbers of patients across England waiting to start treatment hits new highs. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Postnatal depression: 'I thought my son would be better off without me'

Postnatal depression: 'I thought my son would be better off without me' A new mother who suffered from postnatal depression has urged other women in the same situation to seek help.

Rebecca, from Northamptonshire, experienced anxiety and extremely low mood after the birth of her son Harry.

She said: "I got to a point where I thought Harry would be better off without me and he deserves a better mum than I could ever be."

Northamptonshire is one of 10 areas to trial a mental health hub to care for those with acute conditions. BBC Northampton

Recovering the NHS backlog in some places could take up to five years: bold transformative approach needed

Recovering the NHS backlog in some places could take up to five years: bold transformative approach needed NHS Providers says trusts are getting a clearer picture of the scale of the backlog confronting the health service, and the situation is very concerning.

The organisation which represents every NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance service in England says while the overall impact of COVID-19 on NHS waiting times is still emerging, early planning in the worst affected areas shows that, on current trajectories, tackling the problem could take three to five years.

See also:

• Dire statistics on routine operations prove the NHS is not 'open for business' The Daily Telegraph
• Covid backlog in NHS 'could take five years to clear' Metro
• COVID-19: 'A very significant problem' - Fears that patient backlog in some hospitals may last for years Sky News

JCVI issues new advice on COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women

JCVI issues new advice on COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women The JCVI has advised that pregnant women should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as the rest of the population, based on their age and clinical risk group. Public Health England

Covid: Indian variant being investigated in UK

Covid: Indian variant being investigated in UK Health officials are investigating whether a Covid variant first found in India spreads more easily and evades vaccines.

There is not yet enough data to classify it as a "variant of concern", a leading scientist has said.

But Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England said cases had been found in the UK that were not linked to travel, with their origin being investigated. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19 deaths pass three million worldwide BBC News
• Covid vaccine advice for pregnant women firmed up BBC News
• Coronavirus: Public Health England reports 77 cases of new Indian Covid variant in UK The Daily Mail
• Covid-19 UK: Nearly half of over-50s refuse the coronavirus vaccine in parts of England The Daily Mail
• Fears frontline NHS staff are refusing to get Covid vaccine The Guardian
• Government-approved Covid test supplier criticised for ‘appalling’ service The Independent
• Volunteers to be reinfected with Covid-19 to help improve vaccines The Independent

The disabled doctors not believed by their colleagues

The disabled doctors not believed by their colleagues People often feel nervous when they visit a doctor with some fearing their symptoms may not be believed. But what if you are the doctor, and your colleagues dismiss your disabilities and mental health difficulties? BBC News

'Staff have been treated like cannon fodder': NHS bosses issue stark warning on future of health service

'Staff have been treated like cannon fodder': NHS bosses issue stark warning on future of health service Hundreds of senior NHS managers have voiced their fears for the future of the health service amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis without a significant pay rise to help retain staff on the front line.

A survey of more than 800 senior NHS managers has revealed the extreme pressure some have been working under, with many working 20 or more hours of unpaid extra hours each week. The Independent

NHS England chair faces demands to explain role in Greensill lobbying

NHS England chair faces demands to explain role in Greensill lobbying The Conservative peer who chairs NHS England is facing demands to explain why he helped arrange for Greensill Capital to lobby senior health service bosses, with Labour describing his role as “shocking”.

David Prior is facing questions over a meeting he organised between the now collapsed finance firm’s founder Lex Greensill and the overall boss of the NHS and its chief financial officer. The Guardian

See also:

• Matt Hancock owns shares in NHS-approved firm BBC News
• Greensill lobbying: how did David Cameron target the NHS? The Guardian

NHS targets middle-aged men with online diabetes risk quiz

NHS targets middle-aged men with online diabetes risk quiz Middle-aged men in England are to be encouraged to take a short online quiz to test their vulnerability to type 2 diabetes, as part of an NHS campaign partly intended to prevent more Covid deaths.

The “know your risk” quiz, developed by Diabetes UK, asks seven questions about weight, height and waist size to establish a body mass index or BMI. Users are also asked whether any of their relatives have had diabetes. Results are given four bands from low to high risk. The Guardian 

Wonder drug set to help millions of NHS patients

Wonder drug set to help millions of NHS patients Adalimumab, known by the brand name Humira, dampens the inflammation that causes the joint pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. The Daily Mail