Health chiefs step up call for over-50s to get a Covid booster jab as cases rise in Northamptonshire hospitals

Health chiefs step up call for over-50s to get a Covid booster jab as cases rise in Northamptonshire hospitals Health chiefs in Northamptonshire are warning the county's over-50s not to miss out on their Covid-19 booster jabs as latest research shows protection from two doses reduces significantly over time. Northamptonshire Telegraph

State of caring 2021: a snapshot of unpaid care in the UK

State of caring 2021: a snapshot of unpaid care in the UK This research report reveals that over one in five unpaid carers (21 per cent) are worried they may not cope financially over the next 12 months. This is in addition to concerns about practical support, where just 13 per cent of carers are confident they will get the practical support they need in the next year. The situation has worsened during the pandemic with a quarter of carers (25 per cent) spending more on equipment or products for the person they care for. The financial strain is also damaging carers’ mental health with over half (52 per cent) reporting they feel anxious or stressed about their finances. Carers UK

NHS offers home blood pressure checks to save thousands of lives

NHS offers home blood pressure checks to save thousands of lives Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to test their blood pressure at home, thanks to lifesaving monitors on the NHS.

The devices are being made available to 220,000 people who have been diagnosed with uncontrolled high blood pressure and who could benefit from regular checks.

The action to catch more killer conditions earlier and save lives as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, is estimated to prevent 2,200 heart attacks and almost 3,300 strokes over five years. NHS England

New freight service to rapidly deliver medical goods to UK

New freight service to rapidly deliver medical goods to UK Medicines and medical goods which are at risk of shortage will be transported to the UK within days through a new international transport system, the government has announced.

The International Express Freight Service (IEFS) has launched to deliver products to the UK rapidly when a supplier’s own logistical arrangements are disrupted, to ensure patients can continue to access the treatments they need. Department of Health and Social Care

Will complacency damage Covid booster rollout?

Will complacency damage Covid booster rollout? Booster vaccines are seen as the single most important way to control Covid as we head into the winter months. Critics though say the rollout of third jabs has been too slow, and a faster response could have saved hundreds of vulnerable lives already.

With life slowly returning to normal in the UK, and most restrictions lifted, here are some statistics that might seem surprising. BBC News

See also:

• US mothers divided on vaccines for young children BBC News
• Health bosses will unveil plans for compulsory Covid jabs in NHS 'within days' The Daily Mail
• Britain's Covid vaccine watchdog 'will approve second doses for 16 and 17-year-olds this week' The Daily Mail
• Shamed anti-vaxxer Kate Shemirani is back on YouTube: months after being banned from platform The Daily Mail
• Covid makes Christmas 'problematic', says Jonathan Van-Tam as he warns 'darkest months' are ahead of us The Daily Telegraph
• Covid jabs to be compulsory for NHS staff in England from April The Guardian
• Javid’s hard line on making NHS staff in England get jabbed may pay off The Guardian
• Jonathan Van-Tam voices concerns over rising UK Covid death rate The Guardian

HPV vaccine cutting cervical cancer by nearly 90%

HPV vaccine cutting cervical cancer by nearly 90% The human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine is cutting cases of cervical cancer by nearly 90%, the first real-world data shows.

Cancer Research UK described the findings as "historic", and said it showed the vaccine was saving lives.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by viruses, and the hope is vaccination could almost eliminate the disease. BBC News

See also:

• The effects of the national HPV vaccination programme in England, UK, on cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia incidence: a register-based observational study (abstract) The Lancet
• HPV vaccine cuts cervical cancer rates by almost 90%, study finds The Independent

Boris Johnson considering new minister to target NHS waiting list backlog

Boris Johnson considering new minister to target NHS waiting list backlog Alok Sharma, currently COP president, is being tipped inside Whitehall for the role, under plans to shift government response to Covid from pandemic to endemic problem. iNews 

Number of patients waiting in ambulances outside A&E units for an hour 'has QUADRUPLED in a year'

Number of patients waiting in ambulances outside A&E units for an hour 'has QUADRUPLED in a year' The number of patients left waiting in the back of ambulances outside A&E for an hour has quadrupled within a year, according to official data.

Britain has been in the midst of an ambulance crisis for months, with patients left stuck outside crowded casualty units for up to 12 hours. 

Leaked NHS statistics reveal around 28,900 ambulance handovers that lasted over an hour were recorded in October in England this year. The Daily Mail