New Covid-19 patients admitted every six hours at Northampton General Hospital

New Covid-19 patients admitted every six hours at Northampton General Hospital Under-pressure Northampton General Hospital staff are seeing the number of Covid-19 patients in NHS beds increase every six hours.

NHS England yesterday (Thursday) confirmed a third coronavirus patient died at NGH in the space of four days. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also: 

• Full list of 16 'critical' industries on Covid self isolation exemption list Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northamptonshire's 'pingdemic' grows as 5,000-a-week are forced to self-isolate Northamptonshire Telegraph

The Women's Health Strategy: ensuring no women are left behind

The Women's Health Strategy: ensuring no women are left behind A call for evidence and an accompanying press statement for the first ever Women’s Health Strategy were released on International Women’s Day earlier this year. The strategy is a promising sign that the government is committed to finally addressing the difficulties women experience in accessing adequate health care and support in the UK. The King's Fund

Chart of the week: Are hospitals returning to pre-Covid activity levels?

Chart of the week: Are hospitals returning to pre-Covid activity levels? The latest guidance states that hospitals should aim to deliver at least 95% of the services they delivered before the pandemic, measured against the value of services delivered in the same month in 2019/20. But with rising numbers of Covid patients in hospital, Jenny Davies looks at how realistic this target is. Nuffield Trust 

Attitudes towards and experiences of the NHS during Covid-19: views from patients, professionals and the public

Attitudes towards and experiences of the NHS during Covid-19: views from patients, professionals and the public This report is the third and final report from a collaboration with Britain Thinks to understand how the experiences and perceptions of patients, professionals and the public have shifted during the pandemic and what this might mean for the future of the NHS in England. It looks at the NHS across three areas: primary care; secondary care; and community care. It also examines four patient types: mental health; long term health conditions; cancer patients; and surgery patients. Additionally, it looks into what patients and the public understand about the term 'health inequalities'. The Richmond Group of Charities

Improving communication between health care professionals and patients in the NHS in England

Improving communication between health care professionals and patients in the NHS in England This systematic review was undertaken by SQW. It aims to identify interventions that have previously demonstrated a positive difference to patient experience and clinical outcomes, while also reducing financial demands on the health system. The options identified needed to be interventions that policy makers, commissioners and service managers across the NHS could replicate accurately, with a reasonable return on their investment and at a manageable level of implementation risk. NHS England

Promotions of unhealthy foods restricted from October 2022

Promotions of unhealthy foods restricted from October 2022 Promotions on food and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in retailers will be restricted from October 2022, the government has confirmed. Department of Health and Social Care 

Public urged to continue protecting family and friends

Public urged to continue protecting family and friends New government campaign launches across England to remind public of importance of continuing healthy behaviours to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Statement to Parliament: Minister Zahawi update to the House on step 4 and NHS COVID Pass Department of Health and Social Care
• Independent report: REACT-2 study of coronavirus antibodies: June 2020 results Department of Health and Social Care
• Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Public Health England

Covid vaccine: Eight-week gap seen as sweet spot for Pfizer jab antibodies

Covid vaccine: Eight-week gap seen as sweet spot for Pfizer jab antibodies A longer gap between first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine makes the body's immune system produce more infection-fighting antibodies, UK researchers have found.

Experts say the findings support the UK's decision on extending dosing intervals from the initial recommendation of three weeks.

An eight-week gap seems to be the sweet spot for tackling the Delta variant. BBC News

See also: 

• Sustained T cell immunity, protection and boosting using extended dosing intervals of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (open access preprint) The Pitch Study
• Daily contact testing in schools cuts absences, study finds BBC News
• Covid cases at record levels for 20 to 29-year-olds  BBC News
• Covid: China rejects WHO plan for second phase of virus origin probe  BBC News
• Rapid COVID-19 tests could be as effective as PCR lab tests if enough people get tested The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: NHS symptom-tracking app's data U-turns and estimates 60,000 people are still falling ill The Daily Mail
• Covid pass could be compulsory for entry to large events in England – video The Guardian

Nottingham maternity scandal: 'The pain never goes away'

Nottingham maternity scandal: 'The pain never goes away' More than 20 families have told BBC News they want a completely independent inquiry into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust. We met some of those still shell-shocked by the trust's failings.

Parents urged to look out for RSV and other infections in children

Parents urged to look out for RSV and other infections in children Parents are being urged to look out for signs of severe respiratory infection in their children over the summer amid a rise in cases.

Hospitals are treating a growing number of children with illnesses usually only seen in winter after the levels of such cases fell during the pandemic, health officials in England have said. The Guardian

See also: 

• Health chiefs issue warning as childhood respiratory infections rise ahead of winter Public Health England
• Child winter respiratory illness on rise in summer BBC News
• Summer cold season is worse than ever after a year of masking and social distancing The Daily Mail

NHS trust fined over lack of honesty with family after mother’s death

NHS trust fined over lack of honesty with family after mother’s death An NHS trust has been fined twice by the care watchdog over a lack of honesty with a family following the death of a woman in childbirth.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust was issued with the fixed penalty fines by the Care Quality Commission after the trust failed to comply with the law around the NHS duty of candour. The Independent

NHS workers lose up to £9,000 per year during decade of real-terms pay cuts

NHS workers lose up to £9,000 per year during decade of real-terms pay cuts NHS workers in England have lost up to £9,000 a year during a decade of Conservative led real terms pay cuts, GMB analysis shows. 

Long-serving cleaners have had more than £1,000 pinched from their pay packet every year, 999 call handlers £3,500, nurses more than £6,000, midwives more than £7,500, the union’s calculations found. GMB Union

 

See also:

• NHS pay review announcement - key questions and guidance Department of Health and Social Care
• Pay is important, but it is not the only factor contributing to high staff turnover The King's Fund
• How can we suddenly afford a 3pc rise for the NHS? The Daily Telegraph
• 'Shameful and divisive' 3% pay rise threatens death-knell for GP partnerships GPonline
• Ministers force NHS England to cover part of 3% staff pay rise The Guardian
• NHS staff have lost thousands in real pay since 2011, studies find The Guardian
• Business secretary says 3% pay rise for NHS staff in England and Wales is fair – video The Guardian
• NHS told to find £1.5bn of savings to fund staff pay rise, despite fears of service cuts The Independent