Health chief hopeful Towcester school's Covid outbreak is contained

Health chief hopeful Towcester school's Covid outbreak is contained Northamptonshire's health chief is hopeful that a Covid-19 outbreak at a county school has been contained.

Six cases of a more transmissible Indian strain of the virus were identified last week, sparking a round of targeted testing at Nicholas Hawksmoor School in Towcester. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid cases rising in areas around Northamptonshire is a worry for Public Health chiefs Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• ‘Courageous and selfless’ nurse named 'Northamptonshire’s Covid-19 Champion' Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Government did not have ‘detailed contingency plans’ in place for pandemic Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire's Covid heroes appeal for public support on NHS pay

Northamptonshire's Covid heroes appeal for public support on NHS pay Health workers across Northamptonshire are appealing to the public to back their campaign so NHS staff can receive a proper pay rise before the summer. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire nurse who spilled content of child's stomach in botched school visit struck off

Northamptonshire nurse who spilled content of child's stomach in botched school visit struck off A Northamptonshire nurse who fumbled with the care of at least eight severely ill children across the county will not return to the job. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Fitness to Practise Committee Substantive Order Review Meeting Nursing and Midwifery Council 

Initial learning from the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Initial learning from the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic Over the last year, the National Audit Office has reported on the breadth of government’s response to COVID-19. Today’s report draws out the initial learning from this work to help government evaluate its performance, capitalise on new ways of working and better manage potential future emergencies.

See also:

• Covid: Government criticised over pre-pandemic planning BBC News
• Legacy data and IT issues ‘laid bare’ during Covid-19, says NAO Computer Weekly
• Covid crisis 'exacerbated inequality' and highlighted decades of underfunding watchdog says The Daily Mail
• Covid laid bare existing weaknesses in UK government, says NAO The Guardian
• COVID-19: Government not as prepared as it could have been for a pandemic, National Audit Office report finds Sky News

Dominic Cummings threatens to reveal ‘crucial’ Covid document to Commons committee

Dominic Cummings threatens to reveal ‘crucial’ Covid document to Commons committee Boris Johnson’s former senior adviser Dominic Cummings has threatened to reveal a “crucial” Covid document ahead of an appearance next week at a Commons committee investigating the government’s handling of the pandemic.

And he also took another public swipe at the government, accusing ministers of pursuing a “joke” borders policy as questions mount over the action taken to prevent the spread of a new strain first identified in India. The Independent

See also:

• Covid: Dominic Cummings accuses government of secrecy BBC News
• Cummings to release ‘crucial document from Covid decision-making’  The Guardian

Covid India variant: Where is it, how does it spread and is it more infectious?

Covid India variant: Where is it, how does it spread and is it more infectious? A variant of the Covid-19 virus first discovered in India is responsible for the majority of new cases in pockets of England.

One of three subtypes of the virus identified on the subcontinent, variant B.1.617.2 is thought to spread more easily - but what does that mean for you? BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Nurse who cared for PM resigns from NHS BBC News
• Covid-19: Too soon to decide on roadmap changes, PM says BBC News
• Coronavirus: Ministers to step up vaccine take-up calls amid variant fears BBC News
• Vaccinating children before poor morally wrong, Oxford scientist says BBC News
• There will be enough Pfizer jabs available to vaccinate children, Matt Hancock says The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus: Indian variant is already dominant in at least 23 parts of England The Daily Mail
• Tory MPs warn Boris Johnson not to delay unlocking country on June 21 over Covid vaccine refuseniks The Daily Mail
• Covid vaccine: 96% of Britons develop antibodies after one jab, study finds The Guardian
• ‘Morale is very low’: NHS staff fear ongoing Covid disruption The Guardian
• Ministers ‘lobbied’ officials over PPE contracts, court hears The Guardian
• Coronavirus: NHS was 'overwhelmed' in January surge, study finds The Independent

Unpublished hospital patient safety reports exposed

Unpublished hospital patient safety reports exposed Serious patient safety issues are being buried in confidential hospital reports, BBC Panorama has found.

Freedom of Information requests revealed 111 reports, written by medical royal colleges, which NHS trusts have a duty to share.

Eighty reports were given to the BBC but only 26 had been shared in full with regulators, and 16 published. BBC News

Over a million hospital admissions for obesity

Over a million hospital admissions for obesity There were more than a million hospital admissions for obesity-related treatment in England in the year leading into the global pandemic, figures reveal.

The record number provides the clearest indication yet of the scale of the obesity problem as coronavirus started to spread across the UK. BBC News 

Air pollution linked to ‘huge’ rise in child asthma GP visits

Air pollution linked to ‘huge’ rise in child asthma GP visits A “huge” increase in the number of visits to doctors by children with asthma problems occurs after a week of raised air pollution, according to a study. The number of inhaler prescriptions also increases significantly.

Dirty air is already known to increase hospital treatment for severe asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. But the new research is the first using clinical data to show increased illness among the much bigger number of people who seek treatment from their GP. The Guardian

See also:

• Spatio-temporal associations of air pollutant concentrations, GP respiratory consultations and respiratory inhaler prescriptions: a 5-year study of primary care in the borough of Lambeth, South London (open access) Environmental Health

Nearly 90m fewer face-to-face GP appointments carried out in 2020 compared to 2019

Nearly 90m fewer face-to-face GP appointments carried out in 2020 compared to 2019 NHS Digital statistics show 147.85million in-person consultations happened between April 2020 and this March - down from the 238.26million during the same 12-month spell the year before. The Daily Mail