Covid: Northamptonshire children, 12-15, urged to get jabs

Covid: Northamptonshire children, 12-15, urged to get jabs Parents have been urged to allow their 12 to 15-year-olds to get a Covid jab in a county with some of the highest case rates in England.

In the week to 29 September, Kettering in Northamptonshire had the highest rate and Daventry the fifth highest.

Corby, Northampton and Wellingborough were also in the top 20 by district. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Giving kids second jab could prevent thousands of long Covid cases Northamptonshire Telegraph

KGH's plans to make sure it doesn't run out of beds this winter

KGH's plans to make sure it doesn't run out of beds this winter Kettering General Hospital bosses have outlined plans to make sure they have enough beds for sick patients as they prepare for a tough winter. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Cuts to public health run counter to levelling up, say leading health organisations

Cuts to public health run counter to levelling up, say leading health organisations The Health Foundation and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) are today calling on the government to increase funding for public health following years of underinvestment.

New analysis published today by the Health Foundation reveals that the public health grant has been cut by 24% in real terms per capita since 2015/16 (equivalent to a reduction of £1bn).

See also: 

• Health funding cut said to threaten levelling up BBC News

The recipe for success at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities: tackling the wider determinants of health

The recipe for success at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities: tackling the wider determinants of health How can the new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities maximise its chances of success? Sally Warren thinks the answer is building its influence across Whitehall, and across regions and local areas to tackle the wider determinants of health. The King's Fund 

What every board member needs to know about improvement and quality assurance

What every board member needs to know about improvement and quality assurance This report, produced together with Perfect Ward, is intended to guide and support boards in developing and maintaining robust quality assurance and improvement processes within their organisations. It contains a maturity matrix, a practical tool to support boards in assessing levels of maturity within their organisations against key identified criteria and identifying the steps they need to take to progress the maturity of their organisations. The report also provides best practice examples and key questions to help boards translate theory into practice. Good Governance Institute 

Solving the puzzle: delivering on the promise of integration in health and care

Solving the puzzle: delivering on the promise of integration in health and care This report reviews the Health and Care Bill and suggests the proposed reforms could be a ‘turning point’ in the drive towards a more integrated health care system. However, it warns that improved outcomes will only be delivered if combined with changes to the way health care is organised and how services work together. Institute for Public Policy Research 

New Every Mind Matters campaign to improve people's mental health

New Every Mind Matters campaign to improve people's mental health A new campaign has been launched to help people with their mental wellbeing.

The general public is urged to find “what works for me” to support their mental wellbeing as the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) launches the latest  Better Health – Every Mind Matters (EMM) campaign. Department of Health and Social Care 

Brain implant may lift most severe depression

Brain implant may lift most severe depression An electrical implant that sits in the skull and is wired to the brain can detect and treat severe depression, US scientists believe after promising results with a first patient.

Sarah, who is 36, had the device fitted more than a year ago and says it has turned her life around.

The matchbox-sized pack in her head is always "on" but only delivers an impulse when it senses she may need it. BBC News

See also: 

• Closed-loop neuromodulation in an individual with treatment-resistant depression (open access) Nature Medicine

'Concerning' research finds number of 11 to 16-year-olds with problems eating has almost doubled

'Concerning' research finds number of 11 to 16-year-olds with problems eating has almost doubled The proportion of older children who experience problems with eating has almost doubled in four years, new research has shown.

A survey by NHS Digital found that 13% of 11 to 16-year-olds raised concerns about eating compared with just 7% in 2017. Sky News 

Number of women not being screened for breast cancer ‘rises by half’

Number of women not being screened for breast cancer ‘rises by half’ The number of women in the UK who have not been screened for breast cancer rose by 50 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a charity.

Before March 2020, there were about one million women eligible for NHS screening who were not being checked for signs of the disease, Breast Cancer Now said. The Independent

See also: 

• Breast screening and coronavirus: up to 1.5 million fewer women seen by screening services since they restarted Breast Cancer Now

Eight-week-old baby died after hospital’s ‘catalogue of failings’, NHS inquiry finds

Eight-week-old baby died after hospital’s ‘catalogue of failings’, NHS inquiry finds Bristol Children’s hospital tried to ‘deceive’ Ben Condon’s parents about his death, NHS ombudsman says

An eight-week-old baby died after “a catalogue of failings” in his treatment at a children’s hospital, which then tried to “deceive” his parents about his death, an official inquiry has found. The Guardian

See also: 

• ‘A deliberate attempt to deceive’: Hospital criticised over baby death The Independent

NHS England to offer breakthrough treatment for sickle cell disease

NHS England to offer breakthrough treatment for sickle cell disease Thousands of patients in England are to benefit from the first treatment for sickle cell disease in two decades, the NHS has announced.

Crizanlizumab, a “revolutionary” life-changing drug treatment, is delivered by a transfusion drip and works by binding to a protein in the blood cells to prevent the restriction of blood and oxygen supply. The Guardian

See also:

• First new treatment for sickle cell in 20 years BBC News
• New hope for sickle cell disease as first drug in 20 years is approved The Independent

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective against hospitalization for first six months

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective against hospitalization for first six months Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine remains effective at preventing hospitalizations for at least six months, a new study suggests..

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) gathered data from the company's health care network to discover how often fully vaccinated people were either testing positive for the virus or being hospitalized because of it. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine up to 6 months in a large integrated health system in the USA: a retrospective cohort study (open access) The Lancet