Thousands of Northampton patients missed from shielding list at start of lockdown

Thousands of Northampton patients missed from shielding list at start of lockdown Thousands of vulnerable patients in Northampton were not told to shield until months after lockdown began last year, figures reveal.

A group of MPs said the Government's lack of planning created a postcode lottery with areas across England reporting unacceptable variations in the number of people shielding. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Health chiefs investigate Covid outbreaks at two businesses in Northampton and Daventry Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Children more likely to be obese in Northamptonshire from a decade ago

Children more likely to be obese in Northamptonshire from a decade ago Children are more likely to be obese when they leave Northamptonshire's primary schools as they were a decade ago, figures show.

A new report from Public Health England looking back over the last 10 years has concluded there is a strong link between obesity and the poorest areas in the country. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Realising the promise of place-based partnerships

Realising the promise of place-based partnerships Understanding and supporting the development of local place-based partnerships has been a priority for the King's Fund for many years (see, for example, our 2015 report on place-based systems of care) and this has stepped up a gear in recent months as ‘place’ has become increasingly central to discussions about how ICSs will work once they move onto a statutory footing.

Track and trace: identifying corruption risks in UK public procurement for the Covid-19 pandemic

Track and trace: identifying corruption risks in UK public procurement for the Covid-19 pandemic This report on procurement during the pandemic involved a painstaking review of nearly 1,000 contracts worth a total of £18 billion. It concludes that the way the UK government handled bids for supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) and other Covid-19 response contracts appears partisan and systemically biased in favour of those with political access. Transparency International UK

NHS to invite people aged 44 for life saving COVID-19 jab

NHS to invite people aged 44 for life saving COVID-19 jab People aged 44 will be invited to book their COVID-19 jab from Monday as the NHS vaccine programme, the biggest and fastest in its history, continues at pace.

England’s top doctor is urging people to come forward for their jab when they are invited do to so. NHS England

Inside a long Covid clinic: 'I want to play with my kids again'

Inside a long Covid clinic: 'I want to play with my kids again' Zaz Hassan survived Covid but, one year on, is still living with the after-effects of the virus.

"You live with the hope that you will get better," Zaz tells me, as he takes a break from his physio class at Croydon University Hospital's long Covid centre.

"For me, the end point would be to get back to work and just play with my kids. It may take time but people are recovering, so there is still the hope that I can come out of this." BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: EU sues AstraZeneca over vaccine delivery delays BBC News
• AstraZeneca: US to share up to 60m vaccine doses BBC News
• Covid-19 in India: Visual guide to the crisis BBC News
• At least 1,500 people complain that they developed ringing in the ears after their vaccine The Daily Mail
• Britain's daily Covid cases drop 30% in a week with 2,064 positive tests and six more deaths The Daily Mail
• Scientific advisers hit back at open letter demanding end to Covid restrictions The Independent

Miscarriage rates 'over 40% higher' in black people

Miscarriage rates 'over 40% higher' in black people Black women face a significantly higher risk of having a miscarriage than white, research suggests.

The Lancet analysis of data on 4.6 million pregnancies in seven countries suggests being black increases miscarriage risk by 43%.

It calls for people in the UK to be given support after their first pregnancy loss. BBC News

See also:

• Recurrent miscarriage: evidence to accelerate action (open access) The Lancet
• Miscarriage costs UK at least £471m each year with both parents ‘experiencing profound psychological repercussions’ The Independent

Lockdowns hurt child speech and language skills - report

Lockdowns hurt child speech and language skills - report There is growing evidence that the past year of lockdowns has had an impact on young children's language skills, according to research.

Data from 50,000 pupils and a survey of schools across England have shown an increased number of four- and five-year-olds needing help with language.

Evidence shows poor speech development can have long-term effects on learning. BBC News

AI breakthrough could speed up lung cancer diagnosis – and save the NHS millions

AI breakthrough could speed up lung cancer diagnosis – and save the NHS millions More than 60,000 people a year could be spared the prolonged stress of unnecessary tests for lung cancer after a breakthrough in diagnosis using artificial intelligence.

The development also has the potential to eliminate about 3,300 unnecessary biopsies a year and to speed up diagnosis in a further 3,400 patients that do have the disease, potentially saving the NHS millions of pounds a year, researchers say. iNews

See also:

• External validation of a convolutional neural network artificial intelligence tool to predict malignancy in pulmonary nodules (open access) BMJ Thorax

Health minister refuses meeting with NHS workers over 1% pay offer

Health minister refuses meeting with NHS workers over 1% pay offer Health Minister Helen Whatley has declined to meet NHS workers and discuss how they feel about the Government’s 1% pay recommendation.

GMB invited the Conservative MP and Health Minister to meet frontline NHS workers so they could explain how they feel about the Government’s 1% pay recommendation. NursingNotes