Doctors urge public to 'be mindful' of Covid as Northampton General Hospital admits 22 extra virus patients in a single day

Doctors urge public to 'be mindful' of Covid as Northampton General Hospital admits 22 extra virus patients in a single day Northampton General Hospital saw Covid patients admitted at a rate of one every 65 minutes during a single 24-hour period this week as pressure on bed space grew. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Covid-19: Northamptonshire major incident at an end BBC Northampton
• Kettering nurse: 'Ebola experience helped me treat Covid patients' BBC Northampton
• One in ten Covid patients in Northampton General Hospital may have caught virus AFTER being admitted, according to NHS data Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Government set for U-turn over Covid-19 jabs for NHS staff as hundreds in Northamptonshire are still not vaccinated Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Mandatory Covid jabs for NHS workers ‘to be scrapped’ amid staff shortage fears Northamptonshire Telegraph
• 10,000 Covid cases a week in Northamptonshire could be 'tip of the iceberg,' warns health chief Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Nearly 100 Covid-19 patients at Kettering General Hospital may have caught virus AFTER being admitted Northamptonshire Telegraph

Health boss vows to 'tackle health inequality' across Northamptonshire by 'empowering communities' through new programme

Health boss vows to 'tackle health inequality' across Northamptonshire by 'empowering communities' through new programme Public Health Northamptonshire (PHN) has vowed to 'tackle health inequalities' across the county through a new programme that 'empowers communities'.

PHN said it welcomes the government’s commitment to set out its strategy to tackle the core drivers of health inequalities this year through a Health Disparities white paper. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Government launches landmark reviews to tackle health disparities Department of Health and Social Care

Northamptonshire: Finding an NHS dentist 'a needle in a haystack'

Northamptonshire: Finding an NHS dentist 'a needle in a haystack' A woman whose husband had to go to A&E with a blocked airway due to an abscess in a tooth said getting access to an NHS dentist was like trying to find a "needle in a haystack". BBC Northampton

Public perceptions of the NHS and social care: performance, policy and expectations

Public perceptions of the NHS and social care: performance, policy and expectations This long read examines public perceptions and expectations of health and social care. It highlights key findings from the first wave of our new programme of polling research, delivered in partnership with Ipsos, that will track public views on health and social care every 6 months. The Health Foundation

Looking ahead 2022: challenges and opportunities for the NHS and industry

Looking ahead 2022: challenges and opportunities for the NHS and industry This white paper examines the challenges and opportunities for the NHS and industry in 2022. It aims to help those working with and supplying the NHS to navigate through this period of change and reform – establishing what the main challenges are, how they can be addressed and what part industry can play. It looks at new rules of engagement, new value propositions, new account management structures, new methods of securing market access, and new skills and competencies. Please note that free registration is required to download this publication. Wilmington Healthcare

Developing and leading ICSs

Developing and leading ICSs This short briefing paper summarises the key discussion points that arose from a panel discussion hosted by GGI and Coventry University on 17 November 2021. The event focused on the leadership and workforce challenges associated with the development of integrated care systems, with three speakers framing the conversation for a live audience. The three speakers were Professor Andrew Corbett-Nolan, Chief Executive of GGI; Sir Ciaran Devane, Chair of the Irish Health Service Executive and the Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University; and Professor Jenna Ward, Academic Dean for the Faculty of Business and Law at Coventry University. Good Governance Institute

Patient experience before the omicron wave: the storm before the storm

Patient experience before the omicron wave: the storm before the storm This report, based on a survey of more than 1,000 UK patients conducted over a month just before Christmas 2021, finds the disruption to health and care services caused by the pandemic is profound and long-term. The survey found: two out of three patients lack confidence that the health and care system will be able to deliver high quality care and treatment consistently after the pandemic; more than half had not been kept informed about what was happening with their care; one in four did not feel they had been treated with respect and another one in four reported not being listened to; half had not been able to access the services they needed; and half had struggled to get GP appointments. Patients Association

Health and Social Care Secretary to launch new 10-year ‘national war on cancer’

Health and Social Care Secretary to launch new 10-year ‘national war on cancer’ In a speech at the Francis Crick Institute, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid will today (4 February) “declare a war on cancer” and launch a call for evidence to underpin an ambitious 10-Year Cancer Plan for England.

The Health and Social Care Secretary will set out his vision to make England a world-leader in cancer care as we learn to live COVID-19 – with renewed attention paid to innovative treatment and early diagnosis to radically improve outcomes for cancer patients. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Health and Social Care Secretary Savid Javid World Cancer Day speech Department of Health and Social Care

Consultation on removing vaccination as a condition of deployment for health and social care staff

Consultation on removing vaccination as a condition of deployment for health and social care staff Regulations making vaccines a condition of deployment for health and social care staff are set to be revoked, subject to public consultation and Parliamentary approval, the Health and Social Care Secretary has announced. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Oral statement on vaccines as a condition of deployment Department of Health and Social Care
• Self-isolation for those with COVID-19 can end after 5 full days following 2 negative LFD tests Department of Health and Social Care

Plan to tackle England's NHS backlog delayed

Plan to tackle England's NHS backlog delayed A last minute intervention in Whitehall has delayed plans to tackle the backlog of patients on hospital waiting lists in England.

Details of the NHS England scheme were expected to be published on Monday.

The health secretary denied reports the Treasury had blocked the announcement, blaming the Omicron wave for the delay. BBC News

See also:

• Tough new targets will tackle NHS backlog, Boris Johnson says BBC News
• Delays to a plan to tackle England's NHS backlog not down to money - Sajid Javid BBC News
• Improving cancer care a huge challenge post-pandemic BBC News
• NHS England waiting times for cancer referral and treatment at record high The Daily Mail
• 'Just another cancelled operation': Fury over delays to NHS Covid backlog plan The Daily Mail
• The NHS elective recovery plan: how it aims to clear the surgery backlog The Guardian
• Boris Johnson promises tough new targets to tackle NHS backlog – video The Guardian
• Boris Johnson promises ‘tough’ NHS targets amid row over care backlog The Independent
• NHS cancer treatment waiting times at record high - how bad are they and why? Sky News

Novavax Covid jab approved by UK drugs regulator

Novavax Covid jab approved by UK drugs regulator The UK has approved a fifth Covid-19 vaccine, developed by US company Novavax, which offers up to 89% protection against Covid illness.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has said it is safe as a first and second dose in adults.

Millions of doses are being manufactured at a plant on Teesside. BBC News

See also: 

• Long Covid: Brain fog causes work absence but swimming helps BBC News
• Deliberate infections give unique Covid insight BBC News
• Covid-19: Government writes off £8.7bn of pandemic PPE BBC News
• Covid survivors are more likely to suffer a cardiovascular condition The Daily Mail
• UK's Covid cases plunge by 38% in a week to 57,623 as deaths continue to fall The Daily Mail
• Britons who've had a booster jab are 93.4% less likely to die from Covid, study finds The Daily Mail
• UK is 'set to bin 3.5million Pfizer vaccine doses' despite their shelf life being extended The Daily Mail
• Politicians who criticised AstraZeneca vaccine 'probably killed hundreds of thousands', says Oxford scientist The Daily Telegraph
• Booster campaign stalls as ‘partygate’ undermines trust in official advice The Guardian
• Covid reinfections: why are they being included in UK case numbers? The Guardian
• Firms handed £1.3bn in Covid contracts claimed £1m in furlough grants The Guardian
• Pfizer set for record vaccine revenue as world’s dose-sharing initiative runs out of cash The Independent

NHS spending: How much money does it need?

NHS spending: How much money does it need? A new drug Kaftrio, now available on the NHS, has made a huge difference to patients like Luke Copsey who has cystic fibrosis.

Its list price is a mind-blowing £100,000 per year, although the health service has negotiated an undisclosed discount with the manufacturer.

For Luke, the tablets are priceless. BBC News

See also:

• Libmedly: World's 'most expensive' drug recommended for NHS use BBC News

New cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea identified in England

New cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea identified in England Three new cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea have been identified in England, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed today.

A woman in her 20s in London and a heterosexual couple in their 20s based in the Midlands have been diagnosed with Neisseria gonorrhoeae - the bacteria which causes the sexually transmitted infection (STI). The Independent

See also:

• More cases of antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea identified in England UK Health Security Agency

Social workers warn of rise in mental health problems among children

Social workers warn of rise in mental health problems among children Social workers are warning of a rise in the number of children with mental health problems since the start of the pandemic, with official figures recording a 25% increase as successive lockdowns and school closures take a toll.

Councils said they have “grave concerns” over the growing demand for help, with nearly 1,500 children a week presenting with mental health problems – an increase that could cost councils an extra £600m a year. The Guardian

More than half of NHS paramedics suffering from burnout, study finds

More than half of NHS paramedics suffering from burnout, study finds Over half of paramedics are suffering from burnout caused by “overwhelming” workloads, record numbers of 999 calls and the public misusing the ambulance service, a study has found. The Guardian

See also: 

• Burnout in frontline ambulance staff (full text available with a Trust OpenAthens account) Journal of Paramedic Practice

Popping a paracetamol each day could raise your risk of a deadly heart attack or stroke by a FIFTH

Popping a paracetamol each day could raise your risk of a deadly heart attack or stroke by a FIFTH Popping a paracetamol every day could raise your risk of a deadly heart attack or stroke by about a fifth, researchers have warned. 

For years, doctors have considered paracetamol to be a safer alternative to other painkillers like ibuprofen — which can raise blood pressure. 

But now University of Edinburgh scientists have turned this belief on its head after finding that  paracetamol has a similar negative effect. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Regular Acetaminophen Use and Blood Pressure in People With Hypertension: The PATH-BP Trial (abstract) Circulation
• Blood pressure warning over long-term paracetamol use BBC News