Radio Nene Valley: Northampton Hospital radio station turns 50

Radio Nene Valley: Northampton Hospital radio station turns 50 A radio station that aims to brighten patients' stays in hospital has turned 50 years old.

Radio Nene Valley (RNV), based at Northampton Hospital, celebrated the milestone on Sunday. BBC Northampton 

Healthiest and unhealthiest places to live in Northampton revealed

Healthiest and unhealthiest places to live in Northampton revealed New research has shown where the healthiest and unhealthiest places are located in Northampton.

The study, conducted by the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC), looks at many different aspects when working out where the most unhealthy places are to live in the town. Northants Live

Addressing complex needs in the community: a GP trainee’s perspective

Addressing complex needs in the community: a GP trainee’s perspective I work as a GP trainee in an inner-city London practice. I’d like to tell the story of one of my patients to give some insight into the kinds of issues that primary care teams are at the heart of every day. The King's Fund 

A healthier future: how to make general practice work better for everyone

A healthier future: how to make general practice work better for everyone This is a collection of essays about general practice in England and its future. The authors offer analysis and prescriptions based on expertise developed working in fields including medicine, NHS management, economics and the Civil Service. Social Market Foundation

See also: 

• Restricting where GPs can and can’t work won’t solve GP shortage, says College Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs should be banned from jobs in affluent areas, think tank report says The Daily Mail

UK health services make landmark pledge to achieve net zero

UK health services make landmark pledge to achieve net zero All four UK health services have united to commit to net zero carbon emissions, Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid has announced.

This ambitious move by all nations is happening alongside 47 countries – including the United States and Germany – who are pledging landmark commitments to develop climate resilient, sustainable low-carbon health systems. Department of Health and Social Care 

NHS chief urges people to take up ‘evergreen’ vaccine offer as people of all ages come forward for first jab

NHS chief urges people to take up ‘evergreen’ vaccine offer as people of all ages come forward for first jab The head of the NHS today urged anyone who has not had a COVID-19 jab to join the thousands flocking to take up the ‘evergreen’ offer every day as winter approaches.

More than a half a million adults have come forward for a first dose since the beginning of September, an average of around 9,000 a day over the past four and a half months. NHS England 

Covid-19: Vaccines to be compulsory for frontline NHS staff in England

Covid-19: Vaccines to be compulsory for frontline NHS staff in England Frontline NHS England staff will have to be fully vaccinated against Covid, the government is expected to announce later.

A deadline will be set for next spring to give unvaccinated staff time to get both doses, Whitehall sources told the BBC.

Between 80,000 and 100,000 NHS workers in England were unvaccinated, said Chris Hopson, head of NHS Providers. BBC News

See also: 

• Booster vaccines could be given out EVERY winter, SAGE adviser reveals  The Daily Mail
• Novavax plans to FINALLY submit data for 'protein based' COVID-19 vaccine to FDA The Daily Mail
• NHS boss Amanda Pritchard is accused of 'abusing' Covid statistics  The Daily Mail
• Dementia tests have plummeted by a THIRD during the Covid pandemic  The Daily Mail
• Patients forced to travel 20 miles for booster amid record surge in Covid vaccine bookings The Daily Telegraph
• NHS chief admits 'we've known from the beginning' that Covid infections in hospital are a 'problem' The Daily Telegraph
• Tory peer says Covid texts may have been deleted to save space The Guardian
• Boris Johnson condemned for ‘not bothering’ to wear mask while walking around hospital The Independent
• Boris Johnson criticised for not wearing face mask on hospital visit while avoiding Commons sleaze debate iNews
• COVID-19: People urged to book jabs as NHS warns hospitals coming under record pressure Sky News

‘It’s going to get worse’: view from inside the NHS as winter approaches

‘It’s going to get worse’: view from inside the NHS as winter approaches As experts warn of ‘unprecedented’ demand for hospital beds, six NHS workers describe how pressures are affecting them

Bed occupancy in England’s hospitals has already reached normal peak winter levels, NHS leaders have warned.

While modelling suggests that the rise in Covid infection levels appears to have stalled for now, the chief executive of NHS Providers has stressed that bed occupancy levels at acute hospitals are already at 94-96%, an “unprecedented” situation not normally seen until the middle of winter. The Guardian

See also: 

• NHS chief warns ‘stretched’ staff face most challenging winter ever The Independent
• 'NHS is running hot,' says head of NHS England ITV News

Sajid Javid announces independent inquiry into mortuary abuse

Sajid Javid announces independent inquiry into mortuary abuse An independent inquiry has been launched by the health secretary into how an NHS electrician was able to sexually abuse 100 corpses in hospital mortuaries.

Sajid Javid has announced the inquiry into David Fuller’s attacks on corpses while working for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust, in Kent, will publish an interim report in three months and a final report next year. The Independent

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Oral statement on David Fuller Department of Health and Social Care
• David Fuller: Independent inquiry announced into mortuary abuse BBC News

CAMHS workforce data reveals extent of nurse gaps as demand increases

CAMHS workforce data reveals extent of nurse gaps as demand increases The registered nurse workforce in children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) is growing at a slower pace than other professions and has the most vacancies, new data shows.

Health Education England has released its latest stocktake of the CAMHS workforce for 2021. Nursing Times

Lowest paid NHS staff on track for another pay cut as pension rates skyrocket

Lowest paid NHS staff on track for another pay cut as pension rates skyrocket The Government is planning to cut the real-terms pay of NHS workers once again as it proposes fundamental changes to the NHS pension scheme.

Nearly a million of the lowest-paid NHS workers could see their pension contributions rise next year if the proposals are accepted. Nursing Notes

Going to bed between 10 and 11pm every night cuts your risk of heart disease, study claims

Going to bed between 10 and 11pm every night cuts your risk of heart disease, study claims Going to bed during the ‘golden hour’ between 10pm and 11pm slashes the risk of developing heart disease, according to a major study.

Scientists found there is a link between bedtimes and heart attacks and stroke, particularly in women, with those who stay up late more at risk.

The study by the University of Exeter said going to bed after midnight may damage the heart as people are less likely to see morning light, disrupting the natural body clock. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Accelerometer-derived sleep onset timing and cardiovascular disease incidence: a UK Biobank cohort study (open access) European Heart Journal
• Regular 10pm bedtime linked to lower heart risk BBC News