Covid: Northamptonshire declares major incident amid critical staff shortages

Covid: Northamptonshire declares major incident amid critical staff shortages Northamptonshire has declared a major Covid-19 incident with hospitals, care homes and other services facing critical staff shortages.

Public Health Northamptonshire figures show there were 1,406.3 Covid cases per 100,000 people in the week up to 2 January.

The decision was made by the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), made up of front-line services across the county. BBC Northamptonshire

See also:

• Covid-19: Can you get long Covid from Omicron? BBC News
• Northamptonshire declares major county wide incident services due to Covid surge The Daily Mirror
• Health and emergency services declare 'major incident' over surge in Northamptonshire Covid Omicron cases Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Declaration of ‘major incident’ in Northamptonshire is ‘proactive’ measure ahead of ‘expected surge’ of Omicron cases Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Two pints of lager and a Covid jab, please ... Northampton village pub is latest walk-in vaccination venue Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Experts dismiss claims of new ‘Deltacron’ Covid strain found in Cyprus Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Northamptonshire Covid cases double in the space of a week as emergency declared Northants Live
• Northamptonshire declares major incident over Covid staff shortages Northants Live

Briefing on the Health and Care Bill: House of Lords Committee stage

Briefing on the Health and Care Bill: House of Lords Committee stage The Health and Care Bill (House of Lords Bill 2021–22) introduces new measures to promote and enable collaboration in health and care, building on earlier recommendations made by NHS England and NHS Improvement in 2019. The Bill also contains new powers for the Secretary of State to intervene in the health and care system, and targeted changes to public health, social care, and the oversight of quality and safety. The King's Fund 

Healthcare regulation: deciding when statutory regulation is appropriate

Healthcare regulation: deciding when statutory regulation is appropriate This consultation is seeking views on the criteria used to make decisions on which health and social care professions should be regulated. It considers how the powers to introduce and remove professions from regulation might be used in the future. The consultation closes on 31 March 2022. Department of Health and Social Care 

New campaign launched to help parents improve children's diet

New campaign launched to help parents improve children's diet The government's New Better Health campaign, including a new NHS Food Scanner App, launches today to help parents improve their children's diet. Department of Health and Social Care 

Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults

Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults Latest data from UKHSA shows booster doses are continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from the Omicron variant among older adults. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Independent report: JCVI statement on the adult COVID-19 booster vaccination programme and the Omicron variant Department of Health  and Social Care
• New campaign launched urging pregnant women to Get Boosted Now Department of Health  and Social Care
• Top GP urges families to protect children with NHS Covid jab NHS England
• Guidance: The R value and growth rate UK Health Security Agency
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2021 to 2022 season UK Health Security Agency
• Virus Watch Study: Non-household activities COVID risk, 20 December 2021 Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 7 January 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 7 January 2022 n England, the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 continued to increase in the week ending 31 December 2021; we estimate that 3,270,800 people in England had COVID-19 (95% credible interval: 3,163,500 to 3,377,500), equating to around 1 in 15 people. Office for National Statistics

Covid: UK records more than 150,000 deaths

Covid: UK records more than 150,000 deaths More than 150,000 people in the UK have now died within 28 days of a positive Covid test since the pandemic began.

A further 313 deaths were reported in the government's daily figures on Saturday, taking the total to 150,057.

The UK is the seventh country to pass 150,000 reported deaths, after the US, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru. BBC News

 

See also:

• Covid: Visualising 150,000 UK coronavirus deaths BBC News
• Covid vaccine: Pregnant women urged not to delay getting jab BBC News
• Covid: Hospital boss admits they may lose staff over compulsory vaccines BBC News
• Covid isolation period still under review - Zahawi BBC News
• Look familiar? How rapid tests changed the pandemic BBC News
• Britons DON'T need a fourth jab... yet: Health chiefs say booster doses are working against Omicron The Daily Mail
• None of England's 25 boroughs worst hit by Omicron are now in London The Daily Mail
• How the surge of the omicron variant caught the NHS off guard The Daily Telegraph
• NHS in England hit by highest Covid absences since vaccine rollout The Guardian
• NHS England strikes private hospitals deal to fight Omicron surge The Guardian
• NHS frontline 'stretched perilously thin' by Omicron, warns trusts chief The Independent
• NHS leaders accused of 'bullying' hospitals into silence over scale of Covid crisis The Independent
• Covid variants: How many strains are in circulation and causing concern around the world? The Independent

Calls to male sexual abuse helpline double in 2021

Calls to male sexual abuse helpline double in 2021 More than 7,000 calls, texts and emails were received by Safeline's male helpline in 2021 - more than double the number of 2020.

It's one of several services the charity runs for survivors of sexual abuse, and has seen a huge rise in people reaching out for help. BBC News 

Pledge to bolster GP surgery staff set to be broken, say health leaders

Pledge to bolster GP surgery staff set to be broken, say health leaders A manifesto pledge to hire 26,000 extra health professionals to work in GP surgeries is set to be broken by the government, health leaders have warned, leaving family doctors straining under a heavier workload. The Guardian

Millions could be forced to pay for prescriptions with NHS rule change

Millions could be forced to pay for prescriptions with NHS rule change Elderly people could soon be forced to pay for prescriptions as the Government considers changing who gets their medicine for free. Metro