See also:
- Mask wearing reintroduced in our hospitals Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
- Updated mask wearing guidance for NHFT Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Wednesday 13 July 2022
Northampton and Kettering hospitals bring back face masks rules to combat rise in Covid patients
Northampton and Kettering hospitals bring back face masks rules to combat rise in Covid patients Bosses at Northamptonshire’s two biggest NHS hospitals are telling staff, patients and visitors they need to wear masks again following a “significant increase in Covid-19 infections”. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
New analysis reveals future NHS beds shortage
New analysis reveals future NHS beds shortage New research carried out by the Health Foundation’s REAL Centre finds that the next decade will see increases in demand for services from rising levels of chronic disease and a rapidly ageing population – putting pressure on hospital services that are already stretched with bed occupancy rates of close to 90%.
The analysis finds that even if the NHS continues to reduce the length of time people stay in hospital, 23,000 to 39,000 extra beds could be needed in 2030/31 to maintain pre-pandemic standards of care – a 20–35% increase. The Health Foundation indicates that the build cost could be between £17bn and £29bn, but cautions that this depends on a range of factors, with recent rises in inflation significantly increasing construction costs.
Are ICSs getting off to the right start?
Are ICSs getting off to the right start? It’s official; integrated care systems (ICSs) have now taken up their place as statutory bodies.
Having worked closely with system leaders developing ICSs, we don’t doubt that the will and commitment exists to improve population health and reduce inequalities through cementing new ways of working based on partnership and collaboration. But we also don’t underestimate how challenging it will be to make a reality of those ambitions or the risks of them being derailed by wider system pressures and the gravitational pull towards entrenched ways of working.
So, what early indicators might signal whether ICSs are getting off to the right start? The King's Fund
Addressing backlogs and managing waiting lists during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic
Addressing backlogs and managing waiting lists during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic Postponement of non-emergency procedures to keep capacity available for Covid-19 patients, and to avoid infections, has led to backlogs of care in virtually all countries. As each delay in diagnosis and treatment may worsen health prospects, health systems have sought to understand and address the extent of the backlogs and their drivers. This briefing sets out the drivers that can increase the backlog and those that can decrease the backlog. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
First ever Patient Safety Commissioner appointed
First ever Patient Safety Commissioner appointed The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has today appointed Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE as the first ever Patient Safety Commissioner for England.
Adding to and enhancing existing work to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices, the appointment of a commissioner is in response to the recommendations from Baroness Cumberlege’s review into patient safety, published in 2020. Department of Health and Social Care
Covid: 3m adults still unvaccinated in England
Covid: 3m adults still unvaccinated in England Nearly three million adults in England have still not come forward for a Covid vaccine, data reveals.
Experts say the figure includes some people who could get extremely sick if they were to catch the virus.
Most elderly and vulnerable people have already had several protective shots. BBC News
See also:
- Redouble efforts on unvaccinated to reduce risks of Covid deaths, warn MPs Public Accounts Committee
- 3 MILLION Britons are still unvaccinated against Covid: Health chiefs must redouble their efforts to boost take-up ahead of winter, MPs say The Daily Mail
- Catching flu and Covid at the same time could reduce symptoms... but only if you catch flu first The Daily Mail
- Calls grow for No10 to bring back masks and £2bn-a-month free testing scheme The Daily Mail
- School absences hit six-month high in Covid ‘wake-up call’ The Guardian
- UK Covid infection levels reach new record high for pandemic, estimates show The Independent
- Covid cases could soar across Midlands due to highly 'infectious' new strain, warns health expert ITV News
- World Health Organization warns COVID-19 is 'running freely' and global deaths are unacceptably high Sky News
School mindfulness lessons don't work for teenagers
School mindfulness lessons don't work for teenagers Giving teenagers mindfulness lessons at school to boost wellbeing is largely a waste of time, a major UK study has found.
The technique, which encourages people to meditate and live in the moment, was no better than what schools were already doing for mental health.
Many pupils were not that interested in using the method, calling it "boring". BBC News
See also:
- School-based mindfulness training in early adolescence: what works, for whom and how in the MYRIAD trial? (open access) Evidence Based Mental Health
Protect children from illegal vapes, doctors say
Protect children from illegal vapes, doctors say Children are at risk from vaping, and more should be done to protect them from illegal and unregulated products containing high levels of nicotine, doctors are warning.
Trading standards in England and Wales say the market is being flooded by unsafe, disposable vapes aimed at children.
The colourful, sweet-flavoured devices are growing in popularity among teens. BBC News
See also:
Heatwave pushes NHS to 'tipping point' as hospitals and ambulance services declare black alert
Heatwave pushes NHS to 'tipping point' as hospitals and ambulance services declare black alert A spike in Covid absences and the extended heatwave have left NHS hospitals and ambulance services struggling to cope.
The hot weather is also driving more patients to A&E departments, and callers are being urged not to use 999 except in serious emergencies.
All 10 ambulance trusts in England are on black alert, the highest level, while health leaders warn that “ill-equipped” hospital buildings are are struggling to store medicines correctly amid the abnormally high temperatures. The Independent
See also:
Monkeypox could become 'endemic' if urgent action isn't taken, experts warn - Sky News
Monkeypox could become 'endemic' if urgent action isn't taken, experts warn The government's handling of monkeypox has been severely criticised by an alliance of the country's leading sexual health professionals, who warn the outbreak could last months and risk the virus becoming "endemic if urgent action is not taken". Sky News
NHS to miss out on recruiting thousands of nurses if BTecs are scrapped
NHS to miss out on recruiting thousands of nurses if BTecs are scrapped The NHS will miss out on recruiting thousands of nurses every year as a direct result of the government scrapping BTec courses in health and social care, hospital bosses have warned.
NHS Employers wrote in a letter to the education secretary, James Cleverly, that it had “serious concerns” about the plan, which it fears will exacerbate the health service’s acute staffing problems. The Guardian
NHS Employers wrote in a letter to the education secretary, James Cleverly, that it had “serious concerns” about the plan, which it fears will exacerbate the health service’s acute staffing problems. The Guardian
Ghost patients: More than 5million people who do not exist are registered at GP surgeries
Ghost patients: More than 5million people who do not exist are registered at GP surgeries More than 5.2million patients who do not exist are registered at GP surgeries in England, MailOnline can reveal as campaigners demand action to stamp out the scourge of 'ghosts'.
Crucial NHS statistics — used to determine how much money surgeries should be allocated from Government — show there are 61.7million patients across the country. But results from the 2021 census, which were released last month, states the nation's population actually stands in the region of 56.5million. The Daily Mail
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