New map shows Northampton's Covid hotspots

New map shows Northampton's Covid hotspots Covid-19 cases spread so fast in Northampton between Christmas and New Year the government's interactive map needed a new colour to show spiralling infections. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northampton General Hospital restricts visitors BBC Northampton
• Follow-up PCR testing rules to be ‘relaxed’ to tackle staff shortages Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Fears over Covid-19 spread behind Northampton General Hospital suspending visiting for majority of patients Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• People warned not to share pictures of Covid lateral flow tests online Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Jabs army on target to give 380,000 people a Covid-19 booster in Northamptonshire by end of 2021 Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Northamptonshire hit with nine Covid black spots as cases soar Northants Live

East Midlands Ambulance Service receives record-breaking number of calls in first few hours of 2022

East Midlands Ambulance Service receives record-breaking number of calls in first few hours of 2022 The ambulance service that covers Northamptonshire received a record-breaking number of calls in the first few hours of 2022. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Another year, another variant, but what lies in store for the NHS and social care in 2022?

Another year, another variant, but what lies in store for the NHS and social care in 2022? As I wrote 2021’s New Year blog exactly a year ago, the Alpha variant of Covid-19 was laying waste to the green shoots of recovery we’d begun to see emerge across health and care after the first wave of the pandemic. Back then, the vaccination programme was in its infancy, but still offered the hope of an ultimate end to the Covid-19 crisis. Here I write at the end of 2021, where once again recovery – for the country, for the NHS and for social care – is on hold as a new and deadly race takes place between the Omicron variant and another wave of vaccination. This is not where we wanted to be. The King's Fund 

Time for action: investing in comprehensive mental health support for children and young people

Time for action: investing in comprehensive mental health support for children and young people This report, published together with the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, highlights the historic underinvestment in children and young people’s mental health, and the postcode lottery of support which has resulted. Public spending on children’s mental health lags behind investment in adult mental health services and there is wide variation in the amount spent per child in different areas. The report calls for a comprehensive mental health investment strategy for 0-25 year olds. Centre for Mental Health 

Telephone survey two: PCNs and Covid-19

Telephone survey two: PCNs and Covid-19 The purpose of the telephone survey was to try and understand the role primary care networks (PCNs) had played in response to the Covid-19 pandemic; focussing on whether the pandemic had influenced and shaped the development and operation of PCNs and whether PCNs had worked collectively or as individual practices in their Covid-19 response. This short report comprises data collected between August and December 2020. Data is from eighteen qualitative telephone interviews with clinical commissioning group staff from across England. Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System 

New campaign launch reveals 6 major health benefits to losing weight

New campaign launch reveals 6 major health benefits to losing weight A new Better Health marketing campaign has been launched today to help people prevent risks of developing serious illness and help reduce the risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19.

Better Health is working in partnership with 15 weight management and physical activity partners who are providing both free and discounted offers and the website will also signpost to local weight management support. Department of Health and Social Care 

One year anniversary of UK deploying Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

One year anniversary of UK deploying Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine One year ago, Tuesday 4 January 2021, the UK became the first country in the world to administer the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Testing measures to ensure young people return to classrooms Department of Health and Social Care
• More than two million jabs up for grabs over next week NHS England
• NHS Reports More Than A Quarter Of A Million Covid Boosters Over Jabby New Year NHS England
• Research: COVID-19: estimated administrative vaccine uptake for people aged 18 and over UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19: Omicron daily overview UK Health Security Agency

Is the end of Omicron in sight?

Is the end of Omicron in sight? Much as we'd all like the disruptions caused by Omicron to be reduced, it is still too early to know its trend, explains Matthew Taylor. NHS Confederation 

Covid: Boris Johnson plans to 'ride out' Omicron wave with no more curbs

Covid: Boris Johnson plans to 'ride out' Omicron wave with no more curbs Boris Johnson says he hopes England can "ride out" the current wave of Covid-19 without further restrictions.

But he acknowledged parts of the NHS would feel "temporarily overwhelmed" amid a surge of Omicron cases.

The prime minister said there was a "good chance" he would not impose fresh measures and would recommend continuing the government's "Plan B" strategy in England to ministers on Wednesday. BBC News

See also: 

• Covid: Six hospital trusts declare 'critical incident' over staff shortages BBC News
• Covid: Critical incidents declared over staff shortages BBC News
• Covid: Greater Manchester pauses non-urgent surgery BBC News
• Covid: Israel Omicron spike could bring herd immunity but with risks - health boss BBC News
• Covid 19: Lateral flow tests 'very accurate for positive cases' BBC News
• Covid: Vaccines for all every four to six months not needed, says expert BBC News
• Covid England: Up to 85% of Omicron hospitalisations have NOT had booster vaccine, data shows The Daily Mail
• WHO hails 'good news' that ultra-infectious variant is less likely to penetrate deep into lungs The Daily Mail
• UK's Covid cases rise by another 45% in a week to 157,758 The Daily Mail
• Private firms tasked with helping NHS during the Covid pandemic pocketed £72million in furlough The Daily Mail
• Fourth Covid jab: We can’t vaccinate the planet every six months, says JCVI chief The Daily Telegraph
• Can the UK cope with the Omicron surge? The Guardian
• Parts of NHS may be overwhelmed by Covid wave, admits Boris Johnson The Guardian
• NHS is in crisis but the roots go much further back than Omicron The Guardian
• UK Covid test distributor shut for Christmas after receiving 2.5m kits The Guardian
• Plan B is working, says minister despite NHS trusts declaring critical incidents The Independent
• IHU: How dangerous is new Covid variant and where has it spread? The Independent

Revealed: More than 300m expired PPE items in UK stockpile

Revealed: More than 300m expired PPE items in UK stockpile More than 300m items of PPE in the government's national stockpile cannot be used by frontline health workers because they have passed their expiry date, The Independent can reveal. 

Lockdown hobbies led to thousands of injuries in England, NHS data suggests

Lockdown hobbies led to thousands of injuries in England, NHS data suggests Popular lockdown pursuits such as cooking, DIY and buying pets led to thousands of people needing hospital care for injuries, figures suggest.

Analysis of hospital admissions in England by the PA Media news agency showed that thousands were treated for injuries sustained as a result of activities that surged in popularity as people were confined to their homes. The Guardian 

NHS unable to treat every child with eating disorder as cases soar

NHS unable to treat every child with eating disorder as cases soar The NHS can no longer treat every child with an eating disorder, a leading psychiatrist has warned, as “worrying” figures reveal hospital admissions have risen 41% in a year.

A dramatic surge in cases during the pandemic has left already struggling community services overstretched with many unable to care for everyone who requires help, experts said. The Guardian

See also: 

• Hospital admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of eating disorders NHS Digital

Life-extending prostate drug is ruled out for NHS use as officials deem it's not worth the money

Life-extending prostate drug is ruled out for NHS use as officials deem it's not worth the money A life-extending prostate cancer drug has been rejected for use on the NHS after officials ruled it is not worth the money.

The innovative drug is the first ‘precision treatment’ for the disease, which treats men based on the genetic make-up of their cancer.

It has already been approved for use in Scotland but will not be available to men in England and Wales. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Olaparib for previously treated, hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer with homologous recombination repair gene mutations [ID1640] NICE