Charity warns nearly 50,000 vulnerable people in Northamptonshire 'rolling the dice' every time they go out after Covid rules scrapped

Charity warns nearly 50,000 vulnerable people in Northamptonshire 'rolling the dice' every time they go out after Covid rules scrapped Charities are warning that scrapping Covid rules could impact nearly 50,000 vulnerable people in Northamptonshire.

Groups representing at risk families said a lack of guidance from Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a concern for those forced into shielding to avoid deadly infection during the peak of the pandemic. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Establishing proportionate accountability for integrated care systems

Establishing proportionate accountability for integrated care systems Partnership with local authorities and meaningful engagement with people and communities are the best way of ICSs earning a mandate to push back. NHS Confederation

Millions of people with rare diseases to benefit from faster diagnosis and better access to treatment

Millions of people with rare diseases to benefit from faster diagnosis and better access to treatment Millions of people with rare diseases will benefit from faster diagnosis and new treatments following the launch today of England’s first Rare Diseases Action Plan by Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid.

There are more than 7,000 rare diseases, affecting an estimated 3.5 million people in the UK. Their complex nature means it is difficult for healthcare professionals to receive training on every condition or for patients to access the relevant specialist. Department of Health and Social Care

Case study: Innovative model identifies high-risk people for priority COVID-19 vaccination

Case study: Innovative model identifies high-risk people for priority COVID-19 vaccination Funded by the NIHR, the research team, comprising experts from 12 institutions, collaborated to develop a new approach to identifying patients’ risk at a population level. 

Using its findings, the team developed a clinical risk prediction model, QCovid®. It then tested how well this model predicted hospital admissions or deaths from COVID-19 infection using the pre-existing health records of a separate set of people. National Institute for Health Research

Covid: Five things we still need to keep an eye on

Covid: Five things we still need to keep an eye on The legal restrictions that ruled our lives for two long years are gone in England and on their way out across the UK. We've moved from being "under the thumb" of Covid to "living with" the virus.

However, the pandemic is far from over - Covid is here for the long term and some scientists think we are relaxing too early.

So what do we need to keep an eye out for in the months and years ahead? BBC News

See also:

• Omicron: How do I know if I have it? BBC News
• Even more infectious sub-variant of Omicron is now DOMINANT in England The Daily Mail
• At least 5million children lost a parent in the first 20 months of the pandemic, study suggests The Daily Mail
• UK government has abandoned its own Covid health advice, leak reveals The Guardian
• NHS accused of 'lack of urgency' in addressing racial inequality of vaccine rollout The Independent

Pregnancy risk tool cuts baby loss in black and Asian women

Pregnancy risk tool cuts baby loss in black and Asian women A new pregnancy screening tool cuts the risk of baby loss among women from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds to the same level as white women, research suggests.

The app calculates a woman's individual risk of pregnancy problems. BBC News

See also:

• Reducing health inequality in Black, Asian and other minority ethnic pregnant women: impact of first trimester combined screening for placental dysfunction on perinatal mortality (open access) BJOG
• NHS pilots pregnancy screening that may cut racial disparities in baby deaths The Guardian

UK has highest lung disease rates in Western Europe - study

UK has highest lung disease rates in Western Europe - study More people die in the UK from serious lung disease than anywhere else in Western Europe, new analysis suggests.

New charity Asthma and Lung UK (ALUK) found that 500,000 people died from pneumonia, asthma and other respiratory conditions over a seven-year period. BBC News

Stressed NHS staff in England quit at record 400 a week, fuelling fears over care quality

Stressed NHS staff in England quit at record 400 a week, fuelling fears over care quality A record number of more than 400 workers in England have left the NHS every week to restore their work-life balance over the last year, according to a new analysis of the workforce crisis hitting the health service. The Guardian

Ambulance staff experiencing 'horrific' abuse and attacks, NHS warns

Ambulance staff experiencing 'horrific' abuse and attacks, NHS warns Ambulance staff are experiencing “horrific” abuse from the public as attacks on workers increased by 23 per cent in the wake of the pandemic.

Assaults against female ambulance staff have risen by 48 per cent in the last five years, according to a new report from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The Independent

See also:

• NHS ambulance staff who have suffered violence and aggression issue national plea to ‘Work Without Fear’ Association of Ambulance Chief Executives

Breakthrough triple treatment for prostate cancer offers patients years more healthy life

Breakthrough triple treatment for prostate cancer offers patients years more healthy life A breakthrough triple therapy for advanced prostate cancer can give patients years more healthy life and reduces the overall risk of death by a third. 

The regime involves two standard therapies alongside a powerful new hormone medication, darolutamide. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Darolutamide and Survival in Metastatic, Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (abstract) New England Journal of Medicine

NHS put on cyber attack alert following Russian invasion of Ukraine

NHS put on cyber attack alert following Russian invasion of Ukraine NHS organisations have been asked to strengthen their defences against cyber attacks, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

NHS England cautioned trusts to ensure their IT systems are “patched and protected, and that immutable backups are in place”. Further guidance will be issued to technical teams “this week”, according to the email to trusts leaders. Health Service Journal