Tens of thousands of Northamptonshire women are missing 'vital' breast cancer screenings

Tens of thousands of Northamptonshire women are missing 'vital' breast cancer screenings Tens of thousands of Northamptonshire women were not up to date with potentially life-saving breast cancer checks last year, figures show.

Charities say an "alarming" drop in screenings across England is a reminder of the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on cancer care and diagnosis. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Damning report rates Corby Urgent Care Centre as INADEQUATE

Damning report rates Corby Urgent Care Centre as INADEQUATE Long waiting times, inadequate staffing levels, an ineffective triage system and worries over the care of children.

That's the scathing verdict of inspectors from the Government's health regulator who have rated Corby Urgent Care Centre (UCC) as inadequate in the their latest inspection report. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Corby Urgent Care Centre Care Quality Commission
• Locals bite back over 'godsend' Corby urgent care centre's inadequate inspection report Northamptonshire Telegraph

People cutting NHS staff some slack during Covid leads to drop in complaints at Northampton General Hospital

People cutting NHS staff some slack during Covid leads to drop in complaints at Northampton General Hospital NHS chiefs believe patients recognising pressure on NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic is behind a drop in complaints to Northampton General Hospital last year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• People cutting NHS staff some slack during Covid leads to drop in complaints at Kettering General Hospital Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals invest in £1.7 million surgical robot to help patients recover quicker

Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals invest in £1.7 million surgical robot to help patients recover quicker A new £1.7 million surgical robot is being used for the first time across Northamptonshire this week.

The University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group – which runs Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals – has invested in the £1.7m surgical robot as part of its clinical strategy.

The robot is said to aid surgeons performing operations, by creating smaller wounds that heal faster. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Surgical robot with tentacle arms helping save lives in Northants Northants Live

The cap on care costs: what does the government proposal mean?

The cap on care costs: what does the government proposal mean? Later this month, peers and MPs will vote on a key change to the proposed social care cap. It’s a technical change, but one with a really profound impact on people. This blog attempts to set out as simply as possible what the change is, and why it matters. Put simply, it means that some people will still face what are, to them, catastrophic care costs and could need to sell their home to pay for care: people with lower levels of wealth, which disproportionately affects people in some geographies in the North and Midlands, and working-age adults with long-term disabilities. The King's Fund

A Racial Equity Framework for Assessing Health Policy

A Racial Equity Framework for Assessing Health Policy Public policy is a powerful determinant of racial inequity in health, but we lack tools for examining how the entire policymaking process impacts racial inequities.

The Racial Equity and Policy (REAP) framework provides a conceptually sound, empirically grounded basis for systematically assessing racial equity in health policy. The Commonwealth Fund

Government over halfway to delivering 50,000 more nurses by 2024

Government over halfway to delivering 50,000 more nurses by 2024 The government is on track to meet its manifesto commitment to deliver 50,000 more nurses in the NHS by 2024, with over 27,000 more nurses now working across the NHS.

A progress report published today shows that overall total nurse numbers now stand at 327,907, as of December 2021, compared to 300,904 in September 2019. Department of Health and Social Care

Guidance: The R value and growth rate

Guidance: The R value and growth rate The latest reproduction number (R) and growth rate of coronavirus (COVID-19).

These estimates represent the transmission of COVID-19 2 to 3 weeks ago due to the time delay between someone being infected, developing symptoms, and needing healthcare.

There is increased uncertainty in both national and regional estimates at present, due to changes in testing policy, which make trends in data streams less clear. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Independent report: REACT-1 study of coronavirus transmission: December 2021, final results UK Health Security Agency

UK Covid deaths plunge after all restrictions abandoned – but infections are creeping back up

UK Covid deaths plunge after all restrictions abandoned – but infections are creeping back up Coronavirus deaths in the UK have fallen since restrictions were lifted, but cases have started to creep back up.

Daily cases on Wednesday saw a week-on-week rise for the first time in a month. The Independent

See also:

• Covid in Scotland: Fourth jab rolled out for most vulnerable BBC News
• SAGE to stop meeting regularly in recognition that worst of Covid is over The Daily Mail
• UK's Covid cases soar 40% in first week after No10's 'Freedom Day' The Daily Mail
• Just 41% of people are now 'very worried' about Covid - lowest proportion since pandemic began The Daily Mail
• Why have some people never caught Covid? The answers could help protect us all The Guardian
• COVID-19 expert claims he was told to 'correct his views' after criticising 'implausible graph' shown during official briefing Sky News

NHS accused of racism as black nurses report being put in Covid areas

NHS accused of racism as black nurses report being put in Covid areas The NHS has been accused of “shocking and systemic” racism during the pandemic as black healthcare workers say they were given poor PPE and pushed into the Covid frontline first.

Hundreds of black and brown healthcare staff across the UK have spoken to academics at Sheffield Hallam University about their experiences of racism during the pandemic. The Independent

Revealed: scandal of NHS charges putting pregnant migrant women at risk

Revealed: scandal of NHS charges putting pregnant migrant women at risk The health of pregnant migrant women and their unborn babies is being put at risk due to fears around NHS charging, with some trusts demanding upfront fees for maternity care or wrongly charging those who are exempt, it has been claimed. The Guardian

See also: 

• Health and maternity care in a hostile environment Maternity Action

‘It’s a real-life Hunger Games’: a lifesaving drug costs $2m, but not every child can get it

‘It’s a real-life Hunger Games’: a lifesaving drug costs $2m, but not every child can get it Zolgensma is a revolutionary gene therapy that can stop a deadly childhood condition called SMA in its tracks. It’s also one of the most expensive drugs in the world. The Guardian

Alzheimer's deaths increased by more than a quarter in the first year of Covid pandemic

Alzheimer's deaths increased by more than a quarter in the first year of Covid pandemic Alzheimer's patient deaths increased by more than a quarter in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, a major study has found, as researchers suggest remote appointments were to blame. The Daily Telegraph

See also: 

• Trends in Mortality Rates Among Medicare Enrollees With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias Before and During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic (open access) JAMA Neurology