Visiting restrictions easing at Northamptonshire community hospitals, hospices and mental health inpatient wards

Visiting restrictions easing at Northamptonshire community hospitals, hospices and mental health inpatient wards Visiting restrictions at Northamptonshire’s community hospitals, hospices and mental health inpatient wards will be easing from this week.

Services ran by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) will be able to manage their own visiting procedures in line with restrictions lifting at Kettering and Northampton hospitals. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• When Boris Johnson will announce 17 May changes for lockdown in England today Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 'Long way to go' before face masks and social distancing will be scrapped, says vaccine chief Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Hugs with family and friends and indoor pints to return in England next week Northamptonshire Telegraph

RCN launches ground-breaking standards for delivery of safe and effective care

RCN launches ground-breaking standards for delivery of safe and effective care The RCN’s Nursing Workforce Standards have been created to explicitly set out what must happen within workplaces to ensure the delivery of safe and effective patient care.

The 14 standards – the first of their kind – have been designed for use by those who fund, plan, commission, design, review and provide services which require a nursing workforce.

They can also be used to help nursing staff understand what they should expect to be in place to enable them to do their jobs safely and effectively. Royal College of Nursing

BMA and Royal College of Nursing raise concerns about NHS staff still being made to work overtime often unpaid

BMA and Royal College of Nursing raise concerns about NHS staff still being made to work overtime often unpaid Thousands of doctors and nursing staff say they feel under pressure from employers to work extra shifts, often unpaid.

Some doctors say they are already exhausted and fear that they will be pressured to do extra shifts without adequate rest to help reduce the huge backlog of patients needing treatment in NHS hospitals. BMA

See also:

• Thousands of doctors and nurses being pressured to work extra hours unpaid The Independent

Talking Toolkit aims to reduce work stress

Talking Toolkit aims to reduce work stress A Talking Toolkit specifically for NHS service providers has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive with the aim of reducing work-related stress. NHS Employers

Two-thirds of UK adults receive first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine

Two-thirds of UK adults receive first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine Two-thirds of UK adults have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Health services across the UK have now administered a total of 51.8 million vaccines between 8 December and 7 May, including 35 million people with their first dose (66.6%) and 16.7 million with their second (31.8%). Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statement on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine following JCVI update Department of Health and Social Care
• Independent report: Vivaldi 2: coronavirus (COVID-19) new variant (B.1.1.7) in care homes study report Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: Demonstrating your COVID-19 vaccination status when travelling abroad Department of Health and Social Care
• Second dose milestone as one third of adults in England receive both jabs NHS England
• Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers Public Health England

Coronavirus: Expert urges caution over hugs as lockdown eases

Coronavirus: Expert urges caution over hugs as lockdown eases People should take precautions when hugging others, says an expert, amid expectations of a further easing of England's Covid restrictions this week.

Prof Cath Noakes said hugs should be selective, short, and avoid face-to-face contact.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said No 10 wants to see "friendly contact" between people restored. BBC News

See also:

• Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine BBC News
• India's Covid crisis: Rural hospitals unable to cope as virus spreads BBC News
• Finally, the proof Covid vaccines ARE safe when you're pregnant The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus: Large events have 'a small impact' on Covid spread, SAGE report claims The Daily Mail
• 'Levelling up' cash to go to help NHS recover from Covid, Boris Johnson says The Independent

Refugee nurses are being fast-tracked into the NHS

Refugee nurses are being fast-tracked into the NHS Refugee nurses are being fast-tracked into the NHS as part of a pioneering scheme in Liverpool. Those involved explain why the pandemic means it's vital the UK uses their medical experience. BBC News

The NHS can be the envy of the world again – if we give it the funding it needs

The NHS can be the envy of the world again – if we give it the funding it needs The NHS has been the envy of the world and it remains one of the most comprehensive and fair healthcare systems internationally. 

One of its great strengths is the role it plays in tackling inequality – redistributing resources from the healthy to the sick, from the rich to the poor. It does this by allocating its resources in a way that takes account of the needs of different regions of the country, irrespective of their wealth, combined with access to care being based on a patient’s clinical need rather than their ability to pay. The Independent

Nurses receive activist training to mobilise for strike action

Nurses receive activist training to mobilise for strike action Exclusive: Royal College of Nursing says ‘army’ of 25,000 members will take fight to government over ‘pitiful’ 1% pay rise

Up to 25,000 nurses are training to become activists to help Britain’s nursing union force Boris Johnson to improve his “pitiful” 1% NHS pay offer.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) hopes the move will help it achieve a turnout of 50% in the strike ballot it has pledged to call if ministers continue to resist calls for a bigger increase. The Guardian

Fake NHS Covid apps among scams driving huge increase in fraud takedowns

Fake NHS Covid apps among scams driving huge increase in fraud takedowns Fake NHS apps are among the covid-themed cyber crimes that have driven the number of scams taken down by the UK’s security agency up 15-fold.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, said it had removed more scams from the internet last year than in the previous three years combined. The Daily Telegraph

See also: 

• Fifteen times more online scams stamped out as cyber experts moved to protect UK during pandemic National Cyber Security Centre
• Active Cyber Defence (ACD) - the fourth year National Cyber Security Centre