Northampton General Hospital sees 1,000th coronavirus patient sadly die as another grim Covid-19 landmark is passed

Northampton General Hospital sees 1,000th coronavirus patient sadly die as another grim Covid-19 landmark is passed Northampton General Hospital bosses have warned Covid has not gone away after the grim total of deaths linked to the virus reached 1,000 since the pandemic began.

NHS England data showed the sad milestone was reached at the hospital on September 15. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Acting on the evidence: ensuring the NHS meets the needs of trans people

Acting on the evidence: ensuring the NHS meets the needs of trans people The public discussion of trans people’s rights in the UK is often bad-tempered, sometimes extremely so. The failure to improve rights for trans people in recent years has contributed to the UK falling to 14th in the European rankings on LGBTI rights (it was top as recently as 2015). For many in the NHS this wider societal discourse may seem like ‘somebody else’s business’, a thought possibly reinforced by the fear of getting caught up in such an aggressive space. However, as the Health and Care Act 2022 has again confirmed, the core purpose of the NHS is to provide good-quality health care to all and to reduce inequalities. If it wants to live up to that vision, the NHS cannot ignore the poor health outcomes and poor access to services that the available evidence suggests many trans people experience. The King's Fund

Reimagining health: a framing paper

Reimagining health: a framing paper In its early years, the National Health Service proved visionary. It provided high-quality care to meet the dominant needs of the population it served: timely, universal access to episodic, acute treatment. However, the structures and institutions designed to meet the challenges of the post-war world are not equipped to deal with current and future health challenges. Reform's new programme of work on 'Reimagining health' seeks to explore how to transform our approach to health. This framing paper sets out the case for change and identifies areas Reform wishes to explore in its research programme. Reform

Guidance: Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why

Guidance: Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why This guidance explains to patients how they can help protect themselves and their children against flu this winter. It includes information for children, eligible adults and pregnant women, and details why it’s very important that people at increased risk from flu, or who care for someone vulnerable, to have their free vaccination every year. UK Health Security Agency

NHS urges parents to book children in for essential MMR vaccination

NHS urges parents to book children in for essential MMR vaccination Parents and carers of children are being reminded of the importance of routine vaccinations, with hundreds of thousands of texts, emails and letters being sent from this week encouraging families to book their child in for an MMR vaccine.

The NHS is contacting parents and carers of around 740,000 children aged between one and six who have not yet had one or both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, encouraging them to make an appointment with their child’s GP practice. NHS England

Hundreds recalled over shoulder op concerns at Walsall hospital

Hundreds recalled over shoulder op concerns at Walsall hospital Up to 600 patients are to be recalled by a hospital after concerns were raised about shoulder operations.

Some patients have lost the use of their arm after surgery by Mian Munawar Shah at Walsall Manor Hospital. BBC News

Almost 6,000 people harmed by prescription errors in NHS last year

Almost 6,000 people harmed by prescription errors in NHS last year A pregnant woman who died after being given the wrong dosage of drugs was one of almost 6,000 people harmed and 29 killed following prescription errors in the NHS in England last year.

Figures from NHS England show that 98 hospital trusts experienced an increase in the number of prescription errors reported in 2021, including cases where patients were given the wrong drug, wrong dosage or were not given medicine when needed. Meanwhile, the number of errors fell at 105 trusts. The Guardian

Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day linked with longer lifespan, study finds

Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day linked with longer lifespan, study finds Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day could be linked to a longer lifespan, new research suggests.

When compared with avoiding coffee, it was also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, the study found.

The findings applied to ground, instant and decaffeinated varieties of the drink, and researchers say they suggest coffee consumption should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle. The independent

See also:

• The impact of coffee subtypes on incident cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias, and mortality: long-term outcomes from the UK Biobank (open access) European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

Statins 'could treat prostate cancer': Drugs starve stubborn tumours, trial finds

Statins 'could treat prostate cancer': Drugs starve stubborn tumours, trial finds Statins could help thousands of men battling stubborn prostate cancer, research suggested today.

The cholesterol-busting pills — taken by millions across the world — were shown to starve tumours in a 'first of its kind' trial. 

All but one of the 12 patients given the medication saw a clear benefit, the results revealed. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Phase II proof-of-concept study of atorvastatin in castration-resistant prostate cancer (open access) BJU International

Struggling GPs under pressure could refuse to see patients and send them to other surgeries

Struggling GPs under pressure could refuse to see patients and send them to other surgeries Struggling GPs will be allowed to refuse appointments and send patients to other surgeries under a radical 'red alert' warning system.

Family doctors will also be given the right to conduct 'most' consultations remotely and enforce telephone triage when they cannot cope with demand. The Daily Mail