Wednesday 1 September 2021

Vial shortage leads to KGH and GPs cancelling routine blood tests

Vial shortage leads to KGH and GPs cancelling routine blood tests Kettering General Hospital has cancelled some routine blood tests and has warned it may need to postpone more because of a national shortage of test tubes. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

What good looks like framework and funding digital programmes

What good looks like framework and funding digital programmes The NHSX What good looks like framework outlines digital best practice for trusts and integrated care systems. This briefing summarises the proposed framework and associated funding information, followed by a discussion of the implications for trust leaders. NHS Providers 

Guidance for LPCs and pharmacy PCN Leads on the role of a lead and the support that should be offered

Guidance for LPCs and pharmacy PCN Leads on the role of a lead and the support that should be offered This briefing describes how an appointed pharmacy primary care network (PCN) lead should carry out this role. It outlines the principles leads should follow in the discharge of their role, as well as providing guidance for Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) and Pharmacy PCN Leads on additional aspects of the role, including support that should be provided, appointment terms, funding for the role and providing clarity on the role’s remit. Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee 

NHS to diagnose thousands of people with rare diabetes

NHS to diagnose thousands of people with rare diabetes Genetic testing on the NHS will spot a rare form of diabetes in thousands of people unaware they are living with the disease, alongside a new training scheme for staff.

The test being rolled out across England can also spot whether people have passed the affected gene on to their children, while the health service is training hundreds of staff across the country to be experts in the rare condition.

Known as monogenic diabetes, around 12,000 people in England are thought to have the condition, which if left undetected can mean patients struggle to manage glucose levels. NHS England 

‘Operation Warm Welcome’ underway to support Afghan arrivals in the UK

‘Operation Warm Welcome’ underway to support Afghan arrivals in the UK Arrivals under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy will be given immediate indefinite leave to remain, alongside funding for school places and healthcare. Department of Health and Social Care et al

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 31 August 2021

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 31 August 2021 With just under 4.4 million new cases reported this week (23-29 August), the number of new cases reported globally remains similar to the previous week after increasing for nearly two months (since mid-June).

In this edition, a special focus update is provided on SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta which includes updates on the geographic distribution of these VOCs as well as a description of a newly classified Variant of Interest (VOI), Mu. World Health Organization

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Covid: What do under-30s need to know about the vaccine?

Covid: What do under-30s need to know about the vaccine? Being double vaccinated still offers the best protection against the Delta variant, first identified in India and now dominant in the UK, according to a new study.

But people who have had both doses can still catch and transmit the disease, so researchers say it is essential that as many people are possible get the jab.

Everyone aged 16 and over in the UK can now receive the Covid vaccine. BBC News

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NHS blood tube shortage: Supplier ramps up imports

NHS blood tube shortage: Supplier ramps up imports Becton Dickinson (BD) - which makes blood test vials for the NHS - is ramping up imports to try to alleviate serious shortages of test tubes.

The firm told the BBC it has received "exceptional use authorisation" from UK authorities to import blood tubes that are already approved for use in other countries, such as the US. BBC News

Huge discrepancy in NHS England waiting times for common procedures

Huge discrepancy in NHS England waiting times for common procedures NHS patients enter a postcode lottery when it comes to common hospital treatments such as eye, hip and knee surgery in England – with some areas facing huge backlogs while others have almost none, new research reveals.

The “stark and huge” regional disparities show how thousands of patients have been left in discomfort and pain for months while waiting for procedures that would be readily available only 100 miles away. The Guardian 

Black surgeons ‘promoted far less than white colleagues in England’

Black surgeons ‘promoted far less than white colleagues in England’ Black surgeons are far less likely to be promoted than their white colleagues, according to analysis of NHS medics’ careers in England.

Black men who were junior surgeons in 2010 were 27% less likely to be promoted to consultant than white men between 2016 and 2020, while black women were 42% less likely. The Guardian

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‘Gamechanging’ heart disease drug approved for use in England

‘Gamechanging’ heart disease drug approved for use in England Patients in England are to start receiving a “gamechanger” drug that doctors say will prevent tens of thousands of lives by cutting the number of people who have a heart attack or stroke.

The treatment, inclisiran, works by boosting the liver’s ability to reduce the body’s level of “bad” cholesterol, even in those who have already tried using statins. The Guardian

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