Health chiefs' plan with a van to deliver swabs on wheels as Covid-19 testing goes mobile in Northamptonshire

Health chiefs' plan with a van to deliver swabs on wheels as Covid-19 testing goes mobile in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire s first mobile lateral flow device testing service is ready to hit the road.

Health chiefs hope their plan with a van delivering swabs on wheels will make it even easier for those with no Covid-19 symptoms to access regular testing after restrictions were lifted on July 19. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Where cases of new Columbian Covid variant are in UK - and its effect on vaccines Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• University students ‘face lectures ban unless they are fully-vaccinated’ Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Social distancing and face masks set for return in August Northamptonshire Telegraph

Pandemic lessons “cannot wait for Government inquiry” with massive taxpayer exposure & “unacceptably high waste”

Pandemic lessons “cannot wait for Government inquiry” with massive taxpayer exposure & “unacceptably high waste” In two reports, the Public Accounts Committee says the UK Government’s response to the pandemic has exposed the taxpayer to “significant financial risks for decades to come”, with the estimated lifetime cost of the government’s measures reaching £372 billion in May 2021.

The total value of government-backed loans has increased greatly during the crisis, with the taxpayer already on the hook for an estimated £26 billion of credit and fraud losses in the SME bounce back loan scheme.

 

See also:

• Government wasted £2.1bn on PPE that was useless, says new report The Daily Telegraph
• Britain faces ‘decades of financial risk’ as £370bn pandemic bill mounts The Guardian

Daily contact testing rolled out to further critical sectors

Daily contact testing rolled out to further critical sectors Further targeted daily contact testing is being rolled out in England to frontline emergency services and some transport workers, following the government’s close engagement with these sectors in order to avoid any potential disruption to crucial services. Department of health and Social Care

See also: 

• Vaccine rallying cry to young people as England’s NHS hits 70 million COVID jabs NHS England
• Research: Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: variant risk assessments Public Health England
• Confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants identified in UK Public Health England

Coronavirus infections continue to fall in UK

Coronavirus infections continue to fall in UK The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 has continued to fall in the UK, the latest daily figures show.

The UK recorded 29,173 new cases on Sunday - down from 48,161 logged a week earlier on 18 July.

The number of new infections by date reported has fallen for five days in a row for the first time since February. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: Recent claims about cremations and vaccines fact-checked BBC News
• Covid vaccine: Speech comparing NHS medics to Nazis condemned BBC News
• Covid-19: Health trusts in appeal to off-duty staff BBC News
• Sajid Javid apologises for 'cower' Covid remark BBC News
• Covid-19's new victims: Doctors warn un-jabbed people make up the bulk of fatalities The Daily Mail
• Falling infections could be 'false peak' amid fears of post-lockdown surge, scientist warns The Daily Telegraph
• UK government opening floodgates to Covid variants, MPs warn The Guardian
• Sage adviser claims ministers trying to get as many as possible infected with Covid The Guardian

Senior doctors in England to be consulted on NHS pay offer

Senior doctors in England to be consulted on NHS pay offer Senior doctors in England will be asked whether they want to consider industrial action over the 3% pay rise offered by the government.

The British Medical Association union says tens of thousands hospital consultants will be contacted.

It previously said industrial action may be considered if senior doctors were not given at least a 5% rise.

The Royal College of Nursing has also said that it could consider striking and would consult members. BBC News 

AI breakthrough could spark medical revolution

AI breakthrough could spark medical revolution Artificial intelligence has been used to predict the structures of almost every protein made by the human body.

The development could help supercharge the discovery of new drugs to treat disease, alongside other applications.

Proteins are essential building blocks of living organisms; every cell we have in us is packed with them. BBC News 

Fears social care billions could be used to plug existing NHS gaps – without solving the problem

Fears social care billions could be used to plug existing NHS gaps – without solving the problem Social care experts have spoken of their concern whether any a potential tax rise aimed at raising extra funding for the sector will instead be diverted to help clear the growing backlog of non-urgent treatment in the NHS. iNews 

NHS England set to announce its new chief executive within days

NHS England set to announce its new chief executive within days Chief operating officer Amanda Pritchard seen as top contender above KPMG’s Mark Britnell

A senior NHS boss and former service high-flyer are among the leading contenders to succeed Simon Stevens in NHS England’s top job, with an announcement imminent.

Ministers and NHS England’s board have been assessing candidates for several weeks and are preparing to name the person who will become the service’s new chief in the next few days. The Guardian

Summer health drive in England as 40% say they gained weight in lockdown

Summer health drive in England as 40% say they gained weight in lockdown A drive to get people fit and healthy this summer has been launched by Public Health England (PHE), as research found more than 40 per cent of adults put on weight during lockdown.

The latest Better Health campaign, the third iteration, includes the updated NHS Weight Loss Plan, an app to help reduce alcohol consumption and measure BMI. The Guardian