How Covid vaccine is saving lives and keeping people out of Northamptonshire hospitals

How Covid vaccine is saving lives and keeping people out of Northamptonshire hospitals Experts believe Northamptonshire hopsitals are dealing with up to 75 per cent fewer Covid-19 patients thanks to more than one million vaccinations.

The number of Covid patients sadly dying in Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital has dropped by nearly 70 per cent compared to the second wave in January. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid: Five drop-in clinics open in Northamptonshire BBC Northampton
• Whole year group learning from home as staff absences bite at Northampton secondary school Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 'Unreal': One in 16 Kettering children test positive for Covid in a week as school cases rise Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Covid cases quadruple among Northamptonshire students but health chief says virus is NOT spreading inside schools Northamptonshire Telegraph

Councillors set to give new Kettering private hospital green light

Councillors set to give new Kettering private hospital green light A bid to build a new private hospital on the edge of Kettering looks set to be approved. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Investigation launched after fourth 'never event' this year at Northamptonshire hospital

Investigation launched after fourth 'never event' this year at Northamptonshire hospital Northamptonshire hospital chiefs have apologised to a patient after mixing up their medication and administering it the wrong way.

A patient at Kettering General Hospital needed medication which should have been taken orally.

But hospital staff wrongly gave them the dose through a peripherally inserted central catheter. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton health expert highlights impact inequalities can have on mental health

Northampton health expert highlights impact inequalities can have on mental health Exposure to inequalities in society can have a dramatic impact on peoples’ mental health, a top researcher from Northampton has found.

Speaking at the start of National Inclusion Week, a team led by Dr Kieran Breen, Head of Research and Innovation at St Andrew’s Healthcare, has reported that inequalities experienced by people in their daily lives can have a huge impact on their mental health. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health and social care funding projections 2021

Health and social care funding projections 2021 This report presents the REAL Centre’s projections of future health and social care funding requirements, both for the next 3 years and longer term funding to 2030/31.

The report sets out what it may cost the government to fund the NHS and social care system in England along with workforce requirements over the next 10 years. The projections are based on underlying funding pressures – such as population size and age structure – and additional funding pressures, such as policy choices,  The Health Foundation

See also:

• Over a million more health and care staff needed in the next decade to meet growing demand for care The Health Foundation
• How much does the NHS and social care workforce need to grow by over the next decade to meet demand? The Health Foundation
• England’s NHS and care services need 1.1m extra staff by 2031, finds study The Guardian

The long shadow of Covid-19 - addressing the wider impacts of the pandemic

The long shadow of Covid-19 - addressing the wider impacts of the pandemic When we talked with directors of public health for our research into their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic, one topic we wanted to hear about was its indirect impacts. From their position in local authorities, directors have a broad view across not just the roll out of health protection measures, but also the wider implications of the pandemic and the response to these for the populations they serve. They raised a breadth of issues with us. The King's Fund

Mental health in prisons

Mental health in prisons This report finds that a disjointed and incoherent approach to care has left many prisoners suffering from mental health issues undiagnosed and unable to access care. It calls on the NHS, Ministry of Justice and the Prison and Probation Service to implement a system of integrated care, that improves identification of mental health issues, provides seamless care while in prison and supports transition to care in community settings on release. House of Commons Justice Committee

RCM warns of midwife exodus as maternity staffing crisis grows

RCM warns of midwife exodus as maternity staffing crisis grows Midwives are being driven out of the NHS by understaffing and fears they can’t deliver safe care to women in the current system, according to a new survey of its members by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The College is warning of a ‘midwife exodus’ as it publishes the results of its annual member experiences of work survey. Over half of midwives surveyed said they were considering leaving their job as a midwife with 57% saying they would leave the NHS in the next year.

See also:

• UK facing midwife exodus as more than half want to quit The Daily Mail
• Poor staffing and safety fears is driving midwives out of the NHS The Independent

Government launches landmark review of health and social care leadership

Government launches landmark review of health and social care leadership The government has launched a review of leadership in health and social care. The review will be led by former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Gordon Messenger, and will report back to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid, in early 2022. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to the Government’s review of leadership in health and social care The King's Fund
• Tories order biggest shake-up of NHS leadership in England for 40 years The Guardian
• Ex-military chief to oversee shake-up of NHS leadership The Independent

40 community diagnostic centres launching across England

40 community diagnostic centres launching across England Millions of patients will benefit from earlier diagnostic tests closer to home thanks to 40 new community diagnostic centres set to open across England in a range of settings from local shopping centres to football stadiums. Department of Health and Social Care

Covid: Delay of third jabs for most vulnerable criticised

Covid: Delay of third jabs for most vulnerable criticised The rollout of third doses of Covid vaccines for vulnerable people with weak immune systems has gone "badly wrong", say charities.

Vaccine experts recommended on 1 September that immunosuppressed patients should be given the extra dose to give them fuller protection.

But Kidney Care UK and Blood Cancer UK say many are still waiting. BBC News

See also: 

• Covid antiviral pill can halve risk of hospitalisation BBC News
• Covid: Care home staff should get the jab or another job - Javid BBC News
• Covid: One in 20 secondary-age children infected in England BBC News
• Covid-19 vaccinations: More than 50 nations have missed a target set by the WHO BBC News
• What can you do to recover your sense of smell after contracting Covid-19? The Daily Mail
• Vaccine uptake has stalled at 55% in 16 to 18-year-olds, official data shows The Daily Mail
• Flu and Covid jabs safe to be given at same time, study finds The Guardian
• NHS trust apologises to families of patients who died after catching Covid at hospital The Independent

Bowel cancer patients fear cost of break in treatment

Bowel cancer patients fear cost of break in treatment Bowel cancer patients are scared to take a break from their treatment because they might end up having to pay for it, campaigners say.

Patients are only eligible for two specialist drugs on the NHS if they do not have a break of six weeks or more. BBC News

Doctors, receptionists and practice teams quit after wave of hostility over GP appointments

Doctors, receptionists and practice teams quit after wave of hostility over GP appointments Senior doctors have warned that practice staff and GPs are quitting after an unprecedented and escalating wave of abuse from patients that has followed weeks of public pressure over face-to-face appointments.

Practice managers, receptionists and doctors have spoken of daily confrontations with patients over issues including appointments, vaccinations and blood tests. The Guardian

Nearly a quarter of callers to NHS helpline give up after being left on hold

Nearly a quarter of callers to NHS helpline give up after being left on hold Nearly one in four callers to the NHS’s advice line for urgent health needs are giving up while trying to get through, with people kept on hold for nearly 25 minutes in north-east England, the Observer can reveal.

Depression rates are dropping... but they're still nearly twice as high as they were pre-Covid

Depression rates are dropping... but they're still nearly twice as high as they were pre-Covid Rates of depression in Britain are starting to fall after shooting up during the Covid pandemic, official data shows.

The Office for National Statistics estimated that 10 per cent of adults in the UK were depressed before the virus first struck.

This more than doubled to a record 21 per cent last winter after two brutal waves of the epidemic and three lockdowns, with women and young people worst affected. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Coronavirus and depression in adults in Great Britain Office for National Statistics

Getting flu jab for six years in a row cuts risk of developing dementia by 14%

Getting flu jab for six years in a row cuts risk of developing dementia by 14% Having the flu vaccine every winter could significantly reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests.

The jab lowered the chances of developing the incurable condition by 14 per cent.

But it seems to work only when patients have had it for at least six years in a row. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Dementia risk following influenza vaccination in a large veteran cohort (abstract) Vaccine