Kettering General Hospital gets go-ahead for £38m works to prepare for rebuild

Kettering General Hospital gets go-ahead for £38m works to prepare for rebuild Kettering General Hospital has received the go-ahead to start enabling works to prepare for its multi-million pound rebuild.

The hospital has received written confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England that it can begin to access £38m of capital from an initial funding allocation of £46m announced in October 2019. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Long-awaited hospital rebuild project due to begin BBC Northampton

East Midlands Ambulance Service faces unprecedented demand - director

East Midlands Ambulance Service faces unprecedented demand - director An ambulance service has experienced "unprecedented" demand this year, a director said.

East Midlands Ambulance Service has been preparing for winter by hiring additional call handlers and bringing in new ambulances.

Divisional director for Northamptonshire, Mick Jones, said he had "never seen such demand" in his 35 years at the service.

He said the past year had been "exceptionally busy". BBC Northampton

Waiting on the waiting list, but what for?

Waiting on the waiting list, but what for? The current waiting list in England makes for grim reading – in September 2022 it was more than 7 million , up by 1.2 million since September last year, and 2.6 million over the past three years (i.e., before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic). But what are these people waiting for? The King's Fund

Will it ever be possible to look out, not up? Learning from past reviews of local and national NHS relationships

Will it ever be possible to look out, not up? Learning from past reviews of local and national NHS relationships The upcoming review into integrated care systems will not in any way be the first time that the relationship between national organisations and local NHS trusts and commissioners has been assessed. Helen Buckingham considers the lessons that need to be learned from the past, and suggests some important questions that the review may want to think about. Nuffield Trust

Increase in number of people in contact with NHS mental health services in England

Increase in number of people in contact with NHS mental health services in England The number of people in contact with1 NHS mental health services in England (including those referred and those seen) has increased by 16.2% in the last year. NHS Digital

Research: Diphtheria: cases among asylum seekers in England, 2022

Research: Diphtheria: cases among asylum seekers in England, 2022 Diphtheria is a rare disease in the UK due to the highly successful routine vaccination programme, with 2 to 11 annual cases reported in England over the past decade.

There has been an increase in cases of toxigenic C. diphtheriae reported among asylum seekers in England during 2022, with similar increase in cases reported in Europe since June 2022. UK Health Security Agency

New measures to improve access to dental care

New measures to improve access to dental care A new package of measures to improve patient access to dental care has been introduced by the government.

From today, NHS dentists will receive fairer payments for delivering complex dental care to incentivise practices to take on high needs patients who require treatment the most. Department of Health and Social Care

Big UK trial to find best drugs to fight flu

Big UK trial to find best drugs to fight flu With flu cases rising, UK Covid scientists are turning their attention to finding the best life-saving drugs to fight the winter virus.

A trial will run across 150 hospitals this year and next, recruiting thousands of patients.

Flu vaccines help prevent infection but each year some people become very sick.

And antiviral tablets - given within a couple of days of symptoms developing - are designed to reduce the severity of these bad infections. BBC News

Monkeypox given new name by global health experts

Monkeypox given new name by global health experts Monkeypox will now be known as mpox, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced, after complaints over racist and stigmatising language linked to the virus's name.

The old term will be used alongside the new one for a year, before being phased out.

Mpox was decided on after lengthy discussions between experts, countries and the general public. BBC News

See also:

• WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease World Health Organization
• Monkeypox renamed ‘because of racism’ The Independent
• Monkeypox given new name by World Health Organisation - disease will now be called 'mpox' Sky News

Human rights of mental health patients violated amid crisis in care, regulator warns

Human rights of mental health patients violated amid crisis in care, regulator warns The human rights of vulnerable mental health patients are being violated because of the crisis in care, a regulator has warned.

Rob Behrens, the health service ombudsman for England, said urgent action was needed over repeated “tragedies” in NHS mental health services.

His warning comes as the latest NHS figures show there were 9,839 incidents of abuse against mental health patients from April 2021 to March this year – a higher figure than in any other sector. The Independent

National data guardian says suppliers must share NHS core values

National data guardian says suppliers must share NHS core values NHS national data guardian Dr Nicola Byrne has advised national policymakers that they should ensure key suppliers must share NHS core values.

The guidance, provided as part of a blog on advice she has been offering on the proposed new federated data platform, appears to provide a warning about the expected award of the contract to Palantir, due to the risk of undermining public confidence. Digital Health

See also:

• In pursuit of balance: unlocking the power of data whilst preserving public trust National Data Guardian

NHS creates £1.3bn pot for Covid compensation claims

NHS creates £1.3bn pot for Covid compensation claims The NHS has set aside £1.3 billion to cope with compensation claims arising from the pandemic this year with claims for treatment delays, cancellations and misdiagnosis expected.

An annual report from NHS Resolution, which deals with patient disputes, shows that the health service anticipates it will need to pay out more than a billion pounds this financial year to settle claims arising from poor service during Covid. The Daily Telegraph

Next big Covid variant WILL be more deadly, according to new study of immuno-compromised patient

Next big Covid variant WILL be more deadly, according to new study of immuno-compromised patient The world's next major Covid variant is poised to be more severe than the mild strains that are currently world-dominant, according to a new study. 

The ultra-infectious Omicron strain emerged almost exactly a year ago and its mutated spinoffs have risen to the top in virtually every country in the world. The Daily Mail

See also:

• SARS-CoV-2 evolves increased infection elicited cell death and fusion in an immunosuppressed individual (open access preprint) medRxiv
• Covid: Blood thinner ineffective for patients, trial finds BBC News
• Britain has world's SECOND biggest Covid outbreak currently... so where else is in the worst 20? The Daily Mail
• Could China's Covid chaos send world straight back to square one? The Daily Mail
• Zero-Covid policy: why is China still having severe lockdowns? The Guardian

GPs fail to identify osteoporosis sparking fears of a hidden epidemic of brittle bones

GPs fail to identify osteoporosis sparking fears of a hidden epidemic of brittle bones Tens of thousands of patients are suffering life-changing fractures every year because GPs 'routinely' fail to identify those with weak bones, a parliamentary inquiry has found. 

Family doctors are well-placed to diagnose and treat osteoporosis but too many people only learn they have it after suffering a fall, the cross-party group of MPs and Peers warn. The Daily Mail

Patients WON'T have surgery cancelled at last minute, NHS bosses say

Patients WON'T have surgery cancelled at last minute, NHS bosses say Patients won't have procedures cancelled at the last minute due to the nurses' strikes, but care will have to be postponed, the head of the NHS has warned.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, told MPs she could not confirm how far in advance patients would be notified about any changes to upcoming treatment.

Addressing the public accounts committee, she said efforts would be made to inform them 'sooner rather than later'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Urgent surgery ‘may be postponed’ by nurses’ strikes, say NHS bosses The Guardian