Covid patients DOUBLE in Northamptonshire hospitals as government prepares to scrap free home testing

Covid patients DOUBLE in Northamptonshire hospitals as government prepares to scrap free home testing Free Covid testing ends on March 31st for the majority of people in Northamptonshire as NHS figures show the number of coronavirus patients in county hospitals has nearly doubled in less than a month. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton General Hospital halts home births as staff shortages lead to safety concerns

Northampton General Hospital halts home births as staff shortages lead to safety concerns Clinicians say staff shortages are behind a decision to temporarily suspend the home birth service at Northampton General Hospital from Friday (April 1). Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Improving hospital discharge in England: the case for continued focus and support

Improving hospital discharge in England: the case for continued focus and support Most people admitted to hospital want to get better and get home, as soon as possible. But delayed discharges – where people remain in hospital when they no longer need hospital care – are an ongoing problem for the NHS. The Health Foundation

Spring Statement 2022: What does rising inflation mean for health and social care?

Spring Statement 2022: What does rising inflation mean for health and social care? As anticipated, Spring Statement 2022 provided no extra funding for the health and social care sector. But given consumer price inflation is now expected to reach 8% in 2022/23 – 5 percentage points higher than was expected last autumn – this will have an impact on the health and care budget, alongside a cost-of-living crisis that has real implications for those working in the sector and those waiting for care. The Health Foundation

Education and training tariff guidance and prices for the 2022 to 2023 financial year

Education and training tariff guidance and prices for the 2022 to 2023 financial year This guidance sets out the national tariffs for health care education and training clinical placements in the financial year 2022 to 2023. It also describes how the tariffs will be implemented and in what circumstances the national tariffs may be varied and how to do this. Department of Health and Social Care

Policy paper: NHS mandate 2022 to 2023

Policy paper: NHS mandate 2022 to 2023 The government’s mandate to NHS England confirms their objectives and budgets for the year ahead.

The financial directions published alongside provide further details on how NHS England’s budget is broken down. Department of Health and Social Care

Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers

Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers Genomically confirmed case numbers for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Prescription charge waiver for COVID-19 antivirals and therapeutic clinical trials Department of Health and Social Care
• National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19 vaccine weekly surveillance reports (weeks 39 to 13, 2021 to 2022) UK Health Security Agency
• Guidance: Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19 UK Health Security Agency

Covid: Nurses' boss wants life assurance scheme extended for NHS staff

Covid: Nurses' boss wants life assurance scheme extended for NHS staff The government has been called "disrespectful" for ending a UK-wide scheme that provided financial support to families of deceased health and social care workers in the pandemic.

Families of staff who contract Covid at work and then die are no longer entitled to the £60,000 compensation.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says it is not the right time to stop. BBC News

See also:

• Ministers must extend life assurance scheme for nursing staff contracting COVID-19 at work Royal College of Nursing
• Covid: Infections are sky high so why stop testing? BBC News
• Immensa: Why were Covid test errors at Wolverhampton lab not stopped sooner? BBC News
• Britons should KEEP wearing face masks because Covid infections are so high, top health chief says The Daily Mail
• More than 300,000 sign petition to keep free lateral flows after Friday The Daily Mail
• Failure to consider long Covid impact will hit UK economy, says expert The Guardian
• Examining the false narratives of Covid, two years on The Guardian
• LMCs raise alarm as rising COVID-19 cases drive up pressure on GPs GPonline
• Private firm running NHS Covid test sites axing more than 5000 jobs - letting all but 21 go without a penny The Independent
• Covid infections reach record high as free testing ends The Independent
• Covid-19 variant that ‘escapes immunity’ could take world by surprise – Vallance The Independent
• ‘Anti-science extremist’: Tory MP shut down for claiming Covid jabs ‘disaster in the making’ The Independent

Artificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes care in England

Artificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes care in England Nearly 900 patients with type 1 diabetes in England are testing a potentially life-changing artificial pancreas.

It can eliminate the need for finger prick tests and prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks, where blood sugar levels fall too low.

The technology uses a sensor under the skin. BBC News

See also:

• NHS runs world-first test into ‘sci-fi like’ artificial pancreases NHS England
• Hundreds fitted with artificial pancreas in NHS type 1 diabetes trial The Guardian
• Type 1 diabetes: All patients in England to be offered 'transformational' wearable tech Sky News

Less than half of staff at maternity scandal trust feel able to speak out

Less than half of staff at maternity scandal trust feel able to speak out Less than half of staff at scandal-hit Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust feel they can speak up about concerns, according to a staff survey, as a damning report warned serious problems persist in maternity care. The Independent

See also:

• Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Police probe 600 cases of care BBC News
• Sajid Javid vows to ‘go after’ those responsible for NHS maternity scandal The Guardian
• The horrific birth stories from Shrewsbury NHS trust are haunting. Sadly, they’re not unique | Gaby Hinsliff The Guardian

Boris Johnson forced to rapidly backtrack on U-turn over gay conversion therapy ban after furious backlash

Boris Johnson forced to rapidly backtrack on U-turn over gay conversion therapy ban after furious backlash Boris Johnson has reversed a plan to keep so-called gay conversion therapy legal after fierce backlash from campaigners and MPs, according to reports.

The U-turn comes just hours after it emerged the prime minister had decided against making it a crime to seek to change someone's sexual orientation. The Independent

See also:

• Conversion therapy: Ban to go-ahead but not cover trans people BBC News
• Boris Johnson backtracks over LGBT conversion practices ban after backlash The Guardian
• Gay conversion therapy will be scrapped in government U-turn ITV News
• Government backtracks on U-turn over conversion therapy ban Sky News

One in seven women die of ovarian cancer within two months of diagnosis, audit reveals

One in seven women die of ovarian cancer within two months of diagnosis, audit reveals The most deprived women in England are 50 per cent more likely to die of ovarian cancer within two months of being diagnosed than the richest, NHS data revealed today.

Overall, one in seven women lose their lives to the disease just two months after they are found to have it. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Ovarian Cancer Audit Feasibility Pilot: Outputs National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service

Citizens do want their health data to be harnessed for innovation

Citizens do want their health data to be harnessed for innovation While there is a lack of trust in the government, Dr Layla McCay, NHS Confederation’s director of policy, argues that citizens are not opposed to having their data used for the purposes of innovation. Digital Health