Initiative launched to encourage Bangladeshi and other communities in Northampton to get Covid booster jabs

Initiative launched to encourage Bangladeshi and other communities in Northampton to get Covid booster jabs A community group is campaigning to encourage as many people as possible, specifically in the Bangladeshi community, to get their jabs this winter.

Centre for Policy, Promotion and Prevention (CPPP) - a community interest company (CIC) - is launching a new initiative to encourage Bangladeshi and other Diaspora communities to take the Covid booster jab and flu jab. Northamptonshire Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Highly mutated 'Nu' Covid strain found in South Africa - here's what you need to know Northamptonshire Telegraph

Age UK brands system 'grossly unfair' as figures show one-third of Northamptonshire adults denied free NHS care

Age UK brands system 'grossly unfair' as figures show one-third of Northamptonshire adults denied free NHS care One-third of Northamptonshire adults with ongoing health needs were denied free NHS care over the summer, according to official figures.

Adults requiring care and support outside hospital settings can apply for a free package of care known as NHS Continuing Healthcare. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Health organisations warn of mounting patient safety crisis in Urgent and Emergency Care

Health organisations warn of mounting patient safety crisis in Urgent and Emergency Care Nearly two thirds of A&Es across the UK had ambulances waiting to transfer patients every day in the past week, according to a new survey from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

See also: 

• Urgent and emergency pathway under significant pressure NHS Providers
• Ambulances forced to queue daily outside A&Es, study suggests BBC News

Patient experience of NHS and social care services

Patient experience of NHS and social care services In our latest update we look at trends in patients’ experiences of NHS and social care services. 

Patient experience is a key element of quality, along with safety and clinical effectiveness. The NHS Constitution pledges to encourage patients to give feedback on their experience and use this to improve services. One of the ways that people can feed back is through national patient surveys. Information from these surveys enables us to understand what service users think about their care and treatment, and to track the quality of care over time. Nuffield Trust 

£5 million launched to support suicide prevention services

£5 million launched to support suicide prevention services People experiencing suicidal thoughts or approaching a crisis will be supported by a £5 million boost to suicide prevention charities, following increased demand during the pandemic. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Guidance: Suicide Prevention Fund 2021 to 2022 Department of Health and Social Care

Six African countries added to red list to protect public health as UK designates new Variant under Investigation

Six African countries added to red list to protect public health as UK designates new Variant under Investigation The government is taking decisive precautionary action against a new COVID-19 variant by introducing travel restrictions on arrivals from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia from midday Friday 26 November.

It comes as Variant B.1.1.529 is declared a variant under investigation (VuI) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Coronavirus variant: UK put safety first over Africa travel - Shapps BBC News
• 'More infectious and vaccine resistant' Botswana Covid variant is driving South African surge The Daily Mail
• Public must prepare for change in restrictions in wake of new South African Covid variant, JCVI scientist warns The Daily Telegraph
• South Africa to be put on England’s travel red list over new Covid variant The Guardian
• Parachute in extra vaccine supplies to target new variant, say experts The Independent
• Everything we know about the new Covid variant The Independent
• Covid ‘super variant’ with 32 mutations found with cases in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong iNews
• Covid: What do we know about the new southern African variant and should we be worried? ITV News
• Heavily mutated coronavirus variant puts scientists on alert Nature
• What we know so far about AY.4.2 and other new coronavirus variants New Scientist

Covid vaccines safe in pregnancy, data shows

Covid vaccines safe in pregnancy, data shows The UK's Health Security Agency says its analysis of English data shows Covid vaccines are safe in pregnancy, reinforcing international evidence.

The agency found similar rates of stillbirths and preterm births for vaccinated and unvaccinated mothers.

Researchers say women should feel confident the jabs will help protect them and urge more to take them. BBC News

See also:

• Less than QUARTER of pregnant women in the UK have had a Covid vaccine, official data shows The Daily Mail
• Number of Brits falling ill with Covid every day jumped 18% last week to 76,728 The Daily Mail
• The forgotten Covid jab that might have NO side effects on kids The Daily Mail
• EU set to propose 'nine-month expiry date' on Covid vaccine passports for travel The Daily Telegraph
• Warning over gap in Covid vaccination levels for black pregnant women The Independent
• Warning of 50,000 cancer cases ‘missing’ due to pandemic The Independent

Shropshire baby deaths: Ockenden report delayed until March

Shropshire baby deaths: Ockenden report delayed until March A major review investigating hundreds of cases in which mothers and babies may have been harmed has been delayed until March 2022.

Senior midwife Donna Ockenden has been looking at services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTh) and her findings had been due in December.

The delay follows the recent emergence of "very substantial information", she told families. BBC News 

Surgeon's CQC whistleblower claims branded fanciful

Surgeon's CQC whistleblower claims branded fanciful A doctor's claim he was targeted by the healthcare regulator in England because he was a whistleblower has been described as "fanciful".

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Shyam Kumar alleges his role as a special adviser to the Care Quality Commission was ended unfairly.

The decision was tied to concerns he raised about the regulator's hospital-inspection regime, he says. BBC News 

Plan to scrap tens of millions of NHS appointments ‘could put patients at risk’

Plan to scrap tens of millions of NHS appointments ‘could put patients at risk’ Plans to scrap tens of millions of “unnecessary” hospital follow-up appointments could put patients at risk and add to the overload at GP surgeries, NHS leaders and doctors are warning.

Health service leaders in England are finalising a radical plan under which hospital consultants will undertake far fewer outpatient appointments and instead perform more surgery to help cut the NHS backlog and long waits for care that many patients experience. The Guardian

‘Broken and exhausted’: GPs in England vote in favour of industrial action

‘Broken and exhausted’: GPs in England vote in favour of industrial action BMA ballot follows government drive to force surgeries to increase face-to-face appointments

GPs in England have voted in favour of taking limited forms of industrial action to protest against the government’s drive to force them to see patients face to face.

The results led the profession’s new leader to warn ministers that “demoralised, broken and exhausted” family doctors may refuse to undertake some normal duties to show their anger. The Guardian

See also: 

• BMA extremely disappointed that pay uplift for doctors in England doesn’t adequately reward doctors and demands fair uplifts BMA
• Continued rise in appointments shows GPs are doing more and more to deliver care for patients BMA
• A GP’s perspective on the future of general practice The Health Foundation
• Are we seeing the decline of general practice, or its rebirth? (podcast) The Health Foundation
• General practice 'busier and busier' as winter approaches, figures show Royal College of General Practitioners
• Number of GP appointments with an actual doctor drops below 50% for first time this year The Daily Mail
• GPs back strike action over face-to-face appointments The Daily Telegraph
• 'Line in the sand': GPC chair offers olive branch to government but warns GPs ready to fight GPonline
• GPs saw nearly two thirds of patients face to face last month Pulse

NHS race body commits to avoiding blanket terms such as 'BAME'

NHS race body commits to avoiding blanket terms such as 'BAME' An independent body set up by the NHS to tackle health inequalities has formally committed to never use blanket acronyms such as “BAME” after feedback that they are not representative.

The NHS Race and Health Observatory launched a four-week consultation with the public in July on how best to collectively refer to people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. The Independent

See also: 

• Survey finds ‘BAME’, ‘BME’ and ‘Ethnic Minority’ not representative NHS Race and Health Observatory