Friday, 29 April 2022

How many bereaved families whose loved ones caught Covid-19 in Northamptonshire county care homes could sue government after High Court ruling?

How many bereaved families whose loved ones caught Covid-19 in Northamptonshire county care homes could sue government after High Court ruling? Families of more than 140 people who died after catching Covid-19 in Northamptonshire care homes could sue the government after a landmark High Court case. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Chart of the week: How serious is the fall in job satisfaction among midwives?

Chart of the week: How serious is the fall in job satisfaction among midwives? The recent NHS staff survey showed worrying results across all staff groups, but it was midwives who reported the sharpest decline in how satisfied they are in their work. Lucina Rolewicz takes a closer look at their responses to the survey, and emphasises the importance of improving the situation. Nuffield Trust

Health and care for older adults during the pandemic: What The Commonwealth Fund’s 2021 international survey reveals about the UK

Health and care for older adults during the pandemic: What The Commonwealth Fund’s 2021 international survey reveals about the UK The Commonwealth Fund’s 2021 International Health Policy survey asked 18,989 older adults across 11 countries about their health and health care between March and June 2021. This included 1,876 people in the UK. The Health Foundation reports on the findings from a UK perspective.

Consultation draft of revised good medical practice

Consultation draft of revised good medical practice The regulator has today launched a 12-week consultation on the content of Good medical practice. The guidance, last updated in 2013, outlines the professional values, knowledge and behaviours expected of doctors working in the UK. Included for the first time is a duty for doctors to act, or support others to act, if they become aware of workplace bullying, harassment or discrimination, as well as zero tolerance of sexual harassment. The draft guidance also responds to calls from doctors for greater clarity on their use of social media. A new duty makes clear that they must not use digital communications channels to mislead, and they should ‘make reasonable checks’ to avoid doing so. The consultation runs until 20 July 2022. General Medical Council

    Health and Care Bill granted Royal Assent in milestone for healthcare recovery and reform

    Health and Care Bill granted Royal Assent in milestone for healthcare recovery and reform The Health and Care Bill has received Royal Assent by Her Majesty The Queen, enacting the most significant health legislation in a decade into law.

    The Act introduces measures to tackle the Covid backlogs and rebuild health and social care services from the pandemic, backed by £36 billion over the next three years through the Health and Care Levy. It will also contain measures to tackle health disparities and create safer, more joined-up services that will put the health and care system on a more sustainable footing. Department of Health and Social Care

    Vaccine Taskforce Director General will harness lessons from pandemic to address HRT supply chain issues

    Vaccine Taskforce Director General will harness lessons from pandemic to address HRT supply chain issues Vaccine Taskforce Director General Madelaine McTernan has been appointed to spearhead a new HRT Supply Taskforce to identify ways to support the HRT supply chain and address shortages some women face on a limited number of products. Department of Health and Social Care

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    Exercise is good for joints with wear-and-tear arthritis

    Exercise is good for joints with wear-and-tear arthritis Exercise is good for people with wear-and-tear joint arthritis and should be a "core treatment", new draft guidelines for the NHS advise.

    It may hurt to begin with, but can then ease pain and help individuals with osteoarthritis stay supple, healthy and slim, says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

    Scans aren't needed to diagnose it and strong painkillers are not recommended. BBC News

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    E-scooter ambulance callouts double in a year

    E-scooter ambulance callouts double in a year The number of ambulances called to deal with e-scooter accidents nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021.

    The emergency services attended 713 accidents in 2021, compared with 392 in 2020, although it is not known how many more scooters were on the road.

    NHS Ambulance Trust data also showed a 40% rise in e-scooter riders being taken to A&E in the same period. BBC News

    NHS boss's husband drove her to A&E with suspected stroke amid concern over ambulance delays

    NHS boss's husband drove her to A&E with suspected stroke amid concern over ambulance delays An NHS boss's husband drove her to A&E with a suspected stroke after he'd heard her "lamenting ambulance delays".

    In a series of tweets, Deborah Lee, chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust, said she had recovered but warned the government that urgent action is needed. Sky News

    External blood oxygenation saved hundreds of Covid-19 sufferers – study

    External blood oxygenation saved hundreds of Covid-19 sufferers – study Scores of severely ill Covid-19 sufferers survived because they were given the NHS’s highest form of intensive care in which an artificial lung breathes for them, a study has found.

    Patients in the UK who underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were more likely to survive than those who did not have the treatment, according to the research. The Guardian

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    GPs ‘pushed to breaking point’ as hundreds of doctors leave NHS and appointments soar

    GPs ‘pushed to breaking point’ as hundreds of doctors leave NHS and appointments soar Hundreds of doctors and nurses are leaving GP surgeries with union leaders warning staff are being pushed to “breaking point.”

    A total of 369 fully qualified GPs and 140 fully time practice nurses have left the profession since March 2021 as the government continues to fail against its target to recruit 6,000 more doctors by 2025. The Independent

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    Nottingham maternity scandal: Families slam NHS over 'silence' following no confidence vote

    Nottingham maternity scandal: Families slam NHS over 'silence' following no confidence vote Families impacted by the Nottingham maternity scandal say they have been left in “limbo” following silence from NHS England in response to their concerns over a major review, as 50 more come forward. The Independent

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    Climate change could spark the next pandemic, study warns

    Climate change could spark the next pandemic, study warns While the UK and US are only just out of the 'pandemic phase' for Covid-19, scientists are already looking ahead to the next global health crisis – and say it could be sparked by climate change.

    Researchers from Georgetown University claim that rising temperatures are forcing animals to relocate to more populated areas of the globe, increasing the risk of a viral jump to humans. The Daily Mail

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