Northamptonshire to commemorate Covid-19 victims two years on

Northamptonshire to commemorate Covid-19 victims two years on Northamptonshire is set to mark two years since the start of the pandemic by holding a remembrance service for all who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

West and North Northamptonshire Councils are joining together in leading a service to mark the national Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection at Abington Park.

It will take place at 10.45am on Thursday, March 17. Northants Live

Nursing Narratives: Racism and the Pandemic

Nursing Narratives: Racism and the Pandemic Black, Brown and migrant health workers make a critical contribution to the NHS and social care. The current coronavirus outbreak has laid bare structural  inequalities and disproportionately affected racialised minorities, including health care workers.

The study collected stories of the working lives of Black and Brown staff and asked them to reflect on their experiences and advocate the changes they would like to see. It confirms previous studies that identify the entrenched nature of racism in health care systems, structures, processes and the writing of history. Nursing Narratives

See also:

• NHS nurse told her job 'beats being a slave' as health staff reveal racism from colleagues iNews
• Black and ethnic minority nurses ‘facing entrenched racism and worsening harassment’ in the NHS Metro

Together We Can Revolutionise The NHS, Through Individual Responsibility

Together We Can Revolutionise The NHS, Through Individual Responsibility Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the Health and Social Care Secretary sets out his plans for NHS reform. Department of Health and Social Care

Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on: Government response to the Committee’s first report

Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on: Government response to the Committee’s first report The original report, Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on, was published in October 2021, and followed the Committee’s inquiry and first report in 2020 into the impact of Covid-19 on new parents. In July 2021, a year on from the publication of its first report, the Committee took further evidence from campaigners and experts to assess progress against the recommendations made in the report. The Government’s response points to the £500 million investment announced in the 2021 Autumn Spending Review for family and early years services. This report concludes that this goes some way to addressing the ‘baby blind spot’ in Covid-19 recovery spending identified in the Committee’s report but the response contains no new commitments in response to the concerns raised and recommendations made in the report. House of Commons Petitions Committee

COVID-19 prevalence continues to decline across England but infection rates remain high

COVID-19 prevalence continues to decline across England but infection rates remain high Findings from the latest report of the government-backed REACT-1, one of the largest studies into coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in England. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Independent report: REACT-1 study of coronavirus transmission: February 2022, final results UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers UK Health Security Agency

Covid pandemic is not over, expert warns as hospital admissions rise

Covid pandemic is not over, expert warns as hospital admissions rise The Covid pandemic is not over, an expert has warned, after a rise in hospital admissions and infections in older age groups.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, sounded the alarm following the emergence of a more transmissible Omicron sub-variant. The Independent

See also:

• Covid UK: Cases rise 50 PER CENT in a week as hospitalisations and deaths creep up The Daily Mail
• Risk of another pandemic is HIGH, Chris Whitty warns The Daily Mail
• Plasma treatments used against COVID-19 early in the pandemic found to have done little The Daily Mail
• Pfizer begins Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for drug Paxlovid in children aged six to 17 years old The Daily Mail
• Covid Australia: Deadly mutant Omicron strain in Hong Kong hits Australia The Daily Mail
• UK Covid cases rising among those aged 55 and over The Guardian 
• Covid treatment sotrovimab can cause drug-resistant mutation, study finds The Guardian
• CDC warns of alarming surge in Covid Omicron sub-variant in New York City as mandates lifted The Independent
• Covid hospital admissions rising across the UK ‘likely due to waning immunity among older people’ iNews
• Deltacron Covid hybrid variant: Person-to-person transmission identified in UK, but cases remain low iNews
• World must roll out jab for next pandemic virus in just 100 days, scientist behind Oxford COVID vaccine says Sky News

I had an abortion – and my experience shows how broken the UK system truly is

I had an abortion – and my experience shows how broken the UK system truly is When she found out she was pregnant, Maya Oppenheim knew that, like thousands of women, she could face difficulties trying to have a termination. But what she discovered were problems at every stage of a process that experts warn is at breaking point. The Independent

Councils and NHS trusts battle to break off contracts with Gazprom Energy over Ukraine

Councils and NHS trusts battle to break off contracts with Gazprom Energy over Ukraine Local councils, NHS trusts and public bodies are battling to end energy supply deals with Russian state oil giant Gazprom’s arms-length UK subsidiary.

Gazprom Energy, which bills itself as “one of the UK’s leading business energy suppliers”, is owned by Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail Ltds, ultimately a subsidiary of state firm PAO Gazprom. iNews

Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

Man given genetically modified pig heart dies The first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig has died.

David Bennett, who had terminal heart disease, survived for two months following the surgery in the US. BBC News

Health Education England's NHS AI roadmap aims to prepare workforce

Health Education England's NHS AI roadmap aims to prepare workforce Health Education England (HEE) has published the first roadmap into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the NHS and its impact on the workforce, with the aim of preparing for the future.

The report, which expands on the Topol Review, looks into the use of AI and data-driven technologies that currently exist in the healthcare system, the uptake of these new technologies and the impact so far on the workforce. Digital Health

Families ‘frustrated’ at delay in publication of maternity scandal report

Families ‘frustrated’ at delay in publication of maternity scandal report Families have voiced “huge frustration” after publication of the final report into the biggest maternity scandal in the NHS was delayed for a second time.

The Ockenden review investigated 1,862 maternity cases at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust in which mothers and babies may have been harmed over almost 20 years, and was due to be published on 22 March, having been delayed from December. The Guardian