Covid cases multiply in Northampton neighbourhoods with lowest vaccine uptake

Covid cases multiply in Northampton neighbourhoods with lowest vaccine uptake Covid cases in an area of Northampton with the lowest vaccine uptake have multiplied by more than TEN TIMES in less than six weeks.

The town centre and Semilong neighbourhood, which also includes part of St James, saw just four positive tests in the week to June 30 at a rate of 40.5 per 100,000 people. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Rise in the number of patients at Northampton General Hospital Trust waiting for treatment

Rise in the number of patients at Northampton General Hospital Trust waiting for treatment More patients were waiting for routine treatment at Northampton General Hospital Trust in June, figures show.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned that waiting lists across England will keep rising, despite the number of patients waiting for treatment reaching a new national record. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Coroner urges action after KGH patient dies of rare PEG allergy

Coroner urges action after KGH patient dies of rare PEG allergy A coroner has asked the authorities to take action to prevent more deaths after a patient admitted to Kettering General Hospital following a heart attack died of a rare allergic reaction to equipment used in a procedure designed to save his life. Northamptonshire Telegraph

HSIB’s maternity programme: a year in review

HSIB’s maternity programme: a year in review Our latest report charts the progress of our maternity investigation programme over the last year and the influence of our work at a local and national level.

The review covers everything from operational performance to planned developments in the coming year (2021/22.) There are key sections on family and NHS staff engagement – focusing on their experiences of working with us including how we gather their feedback and sharing direct quotes. The review also sets out how HSIB fits into the wider maternity picture, explaining the way we work with other organisations and the contributions we have made to high-profile initiatives, projects, inquiries and reports. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

See also: 

• Hundreds of maternity incidents in one year prompt 1500 safety instructions to hospitals The Independent

Resident-to-resident harm in care homes and other residential settings: a scoping review

Resident-to-resident harm in care homes and other residential settings: a scoping review This review explores resident-to-resident harm in care homes, also referred to as resident-to-resident abuse. The review considers: definitions and types of resident-to-resident abuse; prevalence of resident-to-resident abuse; risk factors for resident-to-resident abuse; prevention of and interventions for resident-to-resident abuse; research gaps; and potential case studies. Free registration is required to access this document. Social Care Institute for Excellence

The role of the ambulance sector in transforming services and coping with the long-term impact of Covid-19

The role of the ambulance sector in transforming services and coping with the long-term impact of Covid-19 This report, produced together with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), says ambulance services should play a pivotal role in helping the NHS pull through the pandemic, bear down on the care backlog and transform services for patients. NHS Providers 

Covid public inquiry will be pushed back beyond spring 2022, families fear

Covid public inquiry will be pushed back beyond spring 2022, families fear Campaigners who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus fear the start of the public inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid crisis will be pushed beyond the promised date of spring 2020.

Lawyers representing Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group recently met with the Cabinet Office last month to discuss the inquiry’s potential scope – but were told work has not yet begun on the basic terms of reference. The Independent

See also: 

• Britain's daily Covid cases jump by 13% in a week to 28,438 The Daily Mail
• Blood test can determine whether a patient will suffer from 'long Covid' The Daily Mail
• Covid app pinged close contacts in prior five days not two, says source The Guardian
• Anti-vaxxers offered fake NHS Covid-19 passes and vaccine cards on Telegram iNews

UK blood supplies to be used to make life-saving drug

UK blood supplies to be used to make life-saving drug Plasma from blood donations in England will be used to make a vital medicine, following a rule change to reduce reliance on imported stocks.

Each year about 17,000 people need immunoglobulin treatment and, until recently, there was a ban on using plasma from UK  donors to safeguard against vCJD or "mad cow disease".

Officials say this precaution is no longer necessary. BBC News 

Warning over potential roof collapses at NHS England hospitals

Warning over potential roof collapses at NHS England hospitals NHS England hospitals have sounded the alarm over materials used in roofs that reached the end of their lifespan more than a decade ago, with one hospital forced to restrict the use of some operating theatres to patients under 120kg (19st).

Several hospitals are warning of the potential for roof collapses due to structural weaknesses in the reinforced concrete planks used in their construction between the 1960s and 1980s, which have a 30-year lifespan. The Guardian

See also: 

• NHS bosses have a 'mass casualty plan' in case crumbling hospitals COLLAPSE The Daily Mail

NHS doctors know too well how waiting times damage all aspects of patient care

NHS doctors know too well how waiting times damage all aspects of patient care | Peter Endicott As a junior doctor, I’ve seen the serious knock-on effects of the backlog of 5.5 million people waiting for care in England.

It’s embarrassing to tell a patient being discharged from hospital that they can’t be seen for months. To assure them you will check with the clinic booking team, when you know there is no capacity. It’s demoralising to work long hours in A&E only to have more people waiting for treatment than when you started your shift. To know so much of your work in the emergency room would be unnecessary if outpatient services were not stretched beyond their limits. The Guardian 

The hi-tech hospitals transforming patient care

The hi-tech hospitals transforming patient care Forty new hospitals, greater use of cutting-edge technology and a digital revolution that will benefit NHS staff and patients.

That’s what is being promised under the Government’s Health Infrastructure Plan, a £3.7 billion project unveiled at the end of 2020 to drag Britain’s crumbling hospital network into the 21st century. The Daily Mail