No more pingdemic from TODAY for 450,000 double-jabbed Northamptonshire adults

No more pingdemic from TODAY for 450,000 double-jabbed Northamptonshire adults The latest step on the roadmap out of lockdown means anybody who has had two Covid-19 jabs will not be legally required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive.

Latest NHS England figures showed more than 4,000 people county-wide were 'pinged' by NHS Test and Trace in the week up to August 4. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Self-isolation rules change from today: this is what you need to know Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• More than 150 fewer people "pinged" by Covid app in Northampton  Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Rise in visits to A&E at Northampton General Hospital

Rise in visits to A&E at Northampton General Hospital More patients visited A&E at Northampton General Hospital last month, with demand rising above the levels seen over the same period last year.

NHS England figures show 11,935 patients visited A&E at Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust in July. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Northampton care leaver helps tackle period poverty with new project

Northampton care leaver helps tackle period poverty with new project A care leaver who has "first-hand" experience of period poverty has helped launch a project handing out free sanitary products.

Louise, from Northampton, was inspired to set up the Jeevan Project that gives away products to young women leaving care in the town. BBC Northampton 

Chart of the week: How has the risk of acquiring Covid-19 in hospital changed in the last year?

Chart of the week: How has the risk of acquiring Covid-19 in hospital changed in the last year? Each week we present analysis of data in chart form to illustrate some key issues and invite discussion. Back in November, Sarah Scobie revealed the rise in the proportion of patients in hospital who had acquired Covid-19 after being admitted. This week she revisits the topic to see if things have changed since, and debates the possible reasons why. Nuffield Trust 

NHS chief urges people to come forward for life saving cancer checks ahead of new campaign

NHS chief urges people to come forward for life saving cancer checks ahead of new campaign The new head of the NHS in England has today encouraged people with potential cancer symptoms to come forward for lifesaving checks.

Ahead of a new campaign launching next week, NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard said that the NHS is open and ready to treat people, and urged anyone with potential cancer symptoms to come forward.

Research shows that three in five people (60%) are concerned about burdening the NHS, with half (49%) saying they would delay seeking medical advice compared to before the pandemic. NHS England 

Model of oral healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees: how to support access to NHS dentists

Model of oral healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees: how to support access to NHS dentists Asylum seekers and refugees can face barriers when accessing NHS dentists. This model of care details the processes, rights and entitlements to care and includes supporting information and links to forms and guidance. It is designed for local authorities, support services and health professionals who work with asylum seekers and refugees. Public Health England 

All young people aged 16 and 17 in England to be offered vaccine by next week

All young people aged 16 and 17 in England to be offered vaccine by next week All young people aged 16 to 17 in England are to be offered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday 23 August to give them protection before returning to school. Department of Health and Social Care 

Covid: Self-isolation ends for double-jabbed and under-18s

Covid: Self-isolation ends for double-jabbed and under-18s People in England and Northern Ireland who have had two Covid vaccine doses will no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Instead of having to quarantine for 10 days, they are now advised to take a PCR test - but this is not compulsory.

They are also advised to wear a face covering in enclosed spaces and to limit contact with others, especially the clinically vulnerable. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: 16 and 17-year-olds in England to be offered jab by 23 August BBC News
• Covid: Carrie Johnson urges pregnant women to get vaccinated BBC News
• Covid vaccine: Parents upset at jabs wait for high-risk children BBC News
• Covid: Record your cough to help improve detection, says government BBC News
• New Covid variants ‘will set us back a year’, experts warn UK government The Guardian
• Is long Covid real? And if so, could it be a bigger public-health problem than excess deaths from Covid-19 The Independent
• Covid: People pinged by NHS app 'four times more likely' to have coronavirus, study finds ITV News

Crumbling NHS hospital assessed corporate manslaughter risk

Crumbling NHS hospital assessed corporate manslaughter risk An NHS hospital commissioned a report into the risk of corporate manslaughter charges should a fatal roof collapse occur, leaked documents reveal.

West Suffolk Hospital is spending tens of millions of pounds making dangerous reinforced concrete planks in its main building safe.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital, which is of similar design, has set a weight limit on patients at two of its theatres. BBC News

NHS summer crisis: Hospital suspends all inpatient surgery for three weeks over bed shortages

NHS summer crisis: Hospital suspends all inpatient surgery for three weeks over bed shortages All routine inpatient surgery at a hospital in Yorkshire is to be suspended from Monday to help the hospital trust cope with overcrowding in A&E caused by a lack of beds.

Bosses at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust told staff in an email, shared with The Independent, that they had been forced to make the decision because of the lack of beds for waiting patients.

‘I can’t work’: the mothers left to fight alone for their children’s mental health care

‘I can’t work’: the mothers left to fight alone for their children’s mental health care Three parents forced to give up their lives and careers to get help for their severely ill children tell their stories. The Guardian

Councils seek funds to fight rise in children’s type 2 diabetes in England and Wales

Councils seek funds to fight rise in children’s type 2 diabetes in England and Wales Councils are calling for more support to meet the government’s target of halving childhood obesity after recording an “extremely worrying” 60% increase in young people with type 2 diabetes in paediatric units over five years in England and Wales.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is urging ministers to step up investment in councils’ public health budgets in the upcoming spending review to fund efforts to reduce childhood obesity, which is understood to be the main cause of the increase in type 2 diabetes. The Guardian

See also: 

• Obesity crisis: Treatment for Type 2 diabetes in children up by nearly 60 per cent in five years Local Government Association

Nearly one million people in England became addicted to alcohol during the pandemic

Nearly one million people in England became addicted to alcohol during the pandemic Nearly one million people in England became addicted to alcohol as a result of Covid lockdowns, official data suggests.

Government polling before the pandemic estimated 1.5million adults drank at least 50 units every week — the equivalent of three pints or nearly a bottle of wine every night.

But this jumped to just shy of 2.5million this summer, which experts have blamed on the endless cycle of virus-controlling restrictions. The Daily Mail