World Suicide Prevention Day: Where events, help and training is available in Northamptonshire

World Suicide Prevention Day: Where events, help and training is available in Northamptonshire This World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10), Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) is partnering with the Samaritans, Northampton Filmhouse, the Grosvenor shopping centre and Northampton Town Football Club to raise awareness and tackle the stigma around the subject. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• World Suicide Prevention Day Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Eleven ways to protect your mental health Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS simply doesn't have enough staff to deliver everything being asked of it

NHS simply doesn't have enough staff to deliver everything being asked of it Today's vacancy figures are staggering and further proof that the NHS simply doesn't have enough staff to deliver everything being asked of it.

With nearly one in 10 posts in trusts in England now vacant and tens of thousands more right across the health and care system, many staff face unsustainable workloads and 'burnout' as they strive to bring down waiting lists and treat patients as quickly as possible in the face of ever-growing demand. NHS Providers

See also:

• NHS Vacancy Statistics England April 2015 – June 2022 NHS Digital
• Government still lacks proposals to retain NHS staff BMA
• NHS staff vacancy numbers paint a bleak picture NHS Confederation
• 'Enough is enough' says RCN General Secretary as NHS nursing vacancies in England at record high Royal College of Nursing
• Boosting funding and pay are the best ways to fix NHS staffing UNISON
• Record one in 10 NHS posts in England vacant, new data shows Evening Standard
• NHS vacancies in England at 'staggering' new high as almost 10% of posts empty The Guardian
• NHS staff vacancies at highest level since records began The Independent
• Government ‘asleep at the wheel’ as NHS job vacancies hit ‘staggering’ high The Independent
• The NHS needs immigration – don't cut non-British staff out of the narrative The Independent
• Number of unfilled nurse jobs jumps by over 8,000 in just a year Nursing Notes
• Student nurse numbers headed ‘in the wrong direction’ Nursing Notes

Folic acid added to flour to prevent brain and spinal conditions in foetuses

Folic acid added to flour to prevent brain and spinal conditions in foetuses The number of pregnancies affected by life-threatening issues such as spina bifida could fall by more than a fifth as the government moves one step closer to actively adding folic acid to non-wholemeal flour.

Following a consultation with industry and stakeholders on whether to add folic acid to non-wholemeal flour, a public health policy which has already been successful in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, today the government is consulting on its proposal to add 250 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of flour. Department of Health and Social Care

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published The main points from this week’s national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report are:

Surveillance indicators suggest that, at a national level, COVID-19 activity has decreased in most indicators in week 34 of 2022.

The number of acute respiratory infection incidents (suspected outbreaks) decreased in England in week 34 to 111 compared to 124 in the previous week. Department of Health and Social Care

430,000 Britons have long Covid two years after infection, says ONS

430,000 Britons have long Covid two years after infection, says ONS An estimated 430,000 Britons were still suffering from long Covid two years after first contracting the virus, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics.

One in every 32 people in the UK was estimated to have some form of long Covid at the end of July, equivalent to 2 million people. Of those, around 1.5 million said their symptoms were adversely affecting their daily activities, while 384,000 said their ability to undertake daily activities had been “limited a lot”. The Guardian

See also:

• Prevalence of ongoing symptoms following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the UK: 1 September 2022 Office for National Statistics 
• Long Covid: 11-year-old on Leeds long Covid clinic help BBC News
• Boris defends Covid lockdowns YET AGAIN: PM insists orders DID NOT plunge the NHS into chaos The Daily Mail
• Chengdu locks down 21 million people in fresh Covid outbreak The Guardian
• ‘Record-high’ 892,000 people living with long Covid for a year, figures show The Independent
• People with health conditions invited to come forward for Covid booster vaccine ITV News

Prostate cancer symptoms and treatment: What to check for

Prostate cancer symptoms and treatment: What to check for Bill Turnbull's campaigning saved lives and encouraged "thousands and thousands" of men to come forward for prostate cancer testing, experts say.

The broadcaster died from the disease, at the age of 66, on Wednesday.

When Turnbull revealed his diagnosis, in 2018, referrals to the NHS increased by about 20%, according to charity Prostate Cancer UK, and calls to its helpline saw a large increase. BBC News

See also:

• Prostate cancer NHS UK
• Prostate cancer symptoms Prostate Cancer UK

Next PM must overhaul social care as level of unmet need astonishing, say charities

Next PM must overhaul social care as level of unmet need astonishing, say charities The new prime minister must “turn the page” on social care to transform it amid an “astonishing” level of unmet need, charities have warned.

The Care and Support Alliance (CSA), which represents more than 60 charities, is calling on the next Conservative Party leader to act fast, with research suggesting one in eight older people is going without the social care they need. The Independent

Major breakthrough as new treatments for most severe form of skin cancer could be developed

Major breakthrough as new treatments for most severe form of skin cancer could be developed Scientists have developed a novel way to stop the growth of melanoma – a major breakthrough that offers hope of one day effectively treating the cancer.

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with around 16,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The Independent

Why your blood type could predict your stroke risk: Type As are 16% more likely to suffer one

Why your blood type could predict your stroke risk: Type As are 16% more likely to suffer one A person's blood type may be linked to their risk of having an early stroke, research suggests.

US researchers reviewed dozens of studies into genetics and ischaemic strokes, the most common type.

They found people with blood type A are 16 per cent more likely to suffer one before the age of 60, compared to everyone else. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Contribution of Common Genetic Variants to Risk of Early Onset Ischemic Stroke (abstract) Neurology

Women are at greater risk of missing a potentially deadly heart disease diagnosis

Women are at greater risk of missing a potentially deadly heart disease diagnosis Key signs that a woman is suffering from heart disease or will soon suffer a potentially deadly cardiovascular issue are often missed because they are more subtle than they are in men, leading cardiologists warn. The Daily Mail

See also:

• State of the Science: The Relevance of Symptoms in Cardiovascular Disease and Research: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (open access) Circulation