Covid vaccine chief's plea to Northamptonshire's missing 67,000 to get boosted

Covid vaccine chief's plea to Northamptonshire's missing 67,000 to get boosted Around 67,000 people across Northamptonshire are still to get a Covid-19 booster jab after a slump in demand since Christmas.

The county's vaccination programme director fears public messages about the Omicron variant 'not being that serious' may be hindering the rollout. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Hundreds more people died in Northamptonshire during Covid-19 pandemic than in normal years, according to Public Health England Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Covid pandemic reaching ‘endgame’ - but shouldn’t be treated like flu Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire dementia patients missing out on 'vital' care reviews, figures reveal

Northamptonshire dementia patients missing out on 'vital' care reviews, figures reveal People living with dementia in Northamptonshire missed out on potentially vital care reviews they were entitled to last year, figures suggest. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

For whose benefit? NHS England’s contract with the private hospital sector in the first year of the pandemic

For whose benefit? NHS England’s contract with the private hospital sector in the first year of the pandemic This report analyses the government’s use of the private hospital sector to alleviate the burden on the NHS during the first year of the COVID pandemic. Under this strategy, NHS England purchased access to practically the entire private hospital sector at the outset of the pandemic, in a series of contracts that would run between March 2020 and March 2021.

However, this research shows that none of the goals outlined for the deal were achieved to a significant extent. Centre for Health and Public Interest 

Richard Meddings CBE confirmed as new Chair of NHS England

Richard Meddings CBE confirmed as new Chair of NHS England The government has confirmed today that Richard Meddings will be the new Chair of NHS England, following a fair and open competition.

Mr Meddings previously served on HM Treasury’s Board and as Chair of TSB Bank, and is a non-executive director at Credit Suisse. Department of Health and Social Care 

New weight loss support on the high street

New weight loss support on the high street People struggling to lose weight will now be offered help from their local high street pharmacy as part of the NHS’s radical action to tackle rising obesity levels and type 2 diabetes.

Community pharmacy teams can now refer adults living with obesity, and other conditions, to the twelve-week online NHS weight management programme. NHS England 

COVID-19 variants identified in the UK

COVID-19 variants identified in the UK Omicron sub-lineage BA.2 designated as a variant under investigation (VUI)

The Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 has been designated a variant under investigation ( VUI-22JAN-01) by the UK Health Security Agency

See also: 

• Guidance: The R value and growth rate UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19 therapeutic agents: technical briefings UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19 vaccine weekly surveillance reports (weeks 39 to 3, 2021 to 2022) UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers UK Health Security Agency

Call to delay compulsory Covid vaccines for NHS staff

Call to delay compulsory Covid vaccines for NHS staff The deadline for health workers to have a Covid vaccination should be delayed to prevent staff shortages in England, the Royal College of GPs has said.

NHS staff must have a first jab by 3 February and be fully vaccinated by 1 April to continue in frontline roles. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Wales could recruit non-jabbed English NHS staff BBC News
• Covid-19: 'We'll be second-class citizens if self-isolation rules go' BBC News
• Covid cases are already rising again among primary school children, official data shows The Daily Mail
• UK health chiefs are now officially keeping tabs on 'stealth' version of Omicron The Daily Mail
• Anti-vax bomb hoaxer jailed after sparking school evacuation and NHS major incident The Daily Mail
• 'Several thousand' NHS staff still set to lose jobs even if vaccine mandate delayed, warns health service chief The Daily Telegraph
• Forcing NHS refuseniks to have the jab will make matters worse The Daily Telegraph
• Mandatory Covid jabs policy divides NHS leaders in England as deadline nears The Guardian
• Long Covid: nearly 2m days lost in NHS staff absences in England The Guardian
• ‘It’s not an exact science’: In defence of the Covid-19 modellers The Independent
• Attacks against Covid modellers undermine future pandemic response, say Sage scientists The Independent

Severe shortage of nurses in UK children’s intensive care units

Severe shortage of nurses in UK children’s intensive care units Britain’s sickest children are being treated in intensive care units that are struggling with severe shortages of the specialist nurses needed to look after them, a report says.

The shortages in the UK’s 30 paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are so severe that healthcare assistants are covering the work of nurses in an attempt to ensure that staffing levels are maintained. The Guardian

See also:

• Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network Annual Report 2021 The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership

Calories on menus ‘may not be helpful’ in drive against obesity

Calories on menus ‘may not be helpful’ in drive against obesity Campaigners say compulsory menu labelling could put too much emphasis on calorie counting

A Big Mac has 508. Wagamama’s hot chicken katsu curry has 1,089. And a large mixed grill with chips at Wetherspoon’s has 2,052. But will knowing how many calories are in a restaurant meal help make a difference to the UK’s obesity epidemic? The Guardian