Six confirmed cases of highly contagious scarlet fever in Northampton, making it 54th highest local authority for the infection

Six confirmed cases of highly contagious scarlet fever in Northampton, making it 54th highest local authority for the infection Northampton currently has six cases of the highly contagious scarlet fever, making it the 54th highest region for the infection across England and Wales.

It is caused by the Strep A bacteria, and symptoms include a sandpapery skin rash and a white coating on the tongue. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

It's two years since the first Covid jab was injected at Northampton General Hospital...vaccine programme marks anniversary

It's two years since the first Covid jab was injected at Northampton General Hospital...vaccine programme marks anniversary Thursday December 8 marks the second anniversary of the very first COVID-19 vaccine being administered in Northamptonshire, which took place at Northampton General Hospital. The service in Northamptonshire was one of the first to commence both in the NHS and globally. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Chart of the week: The increased use of agency staff in older adult care homes

Chart of the week: The increased use of agency staff in older adult care homes The numbers of staff working in older adult care homes have bounced back this year, after a notable drop in 2021. As Laura Schlepper shows, however, much of this recovery seems down to an increase in the use of agency staff. Nuffield Trust

We can and should go further to reduce air pollution says Chief Medical Officer

We can and should go further to reduce air pollution says Chief Medical Officer We can and should go further to reduce air pollution – and it is technically possible to do so, says England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Chris Whitty, in his annual report published Thursday 8 December 2022.

Outdoor air pollution in England has reduced significantly since the 1980s - but it still poses significant health threats including increasing heart disease, stroke, lung disease, cancer and asthma exacerbation. It also leads to increased mortality and is associated with impacts on lung development in children. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Government must take air pollution more seriously, says England’s chief medical officer in annual report The BMJ
• Sir Chris Whitty demands more action to crack down on 'everyone's problem' of air pollution The Daily Mail
• Air pollution linked to multiple long-term health conditions Nursing in Practice

NHS expands mental health crisis services this winter

NHS expands mental health crisis services this winter The NHS is set to boost mental health support for people in crisis to ease demand and pressure on emergency services, as part of extensive winter plans already underway.

Dozens of mental health professionals will work within ambulance control centres and accompany paramedics on emergency call outs to treat people of all ages who are having a mental health crisis at the scene. NHS England

'A&E is absolute chaos - I spent 15 hours on a trolley'

'A&E is absolute chaos - I spent 15 hours on a trolley' Lying on a trolley in a hospital corridor in pain from a broken hip, Anne Whitfield-Ray could not believe she was in the care of the NHS.

"It was absolute chaos - like something out of a third world country," said the 77-year-old from Worcestershire.

"The staff were rushed off their feet, paint was peeling off the walls and patients were being squeezed in everywhere they could - in makeshift bays, in corridors and side rooms. It was horrific."

Anne spent 15 hours in that position until a bed could be found for her. BBC News

See also:

• A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions NHS England
• Staff in tears and frustrated patients - inside A&E BBC News
• Rise in deaths after West Mids ambulance delay BBC News
• ‘So many people need help, but we can’t give them the care they deserve’: the diary of a nurse The Guardian
• Record delays in A&E as NHS warned over Strep A pressures The Independent
• NHS boss warns of ‘tough winter’ ahead as flu cases rise The Independent
• Government under pressure over hospital backlogs ahead of latest NHS figures ITV News

UK weather: People urged to heat main rooms as cold snap begins

UK weather: People urged to heat main rooms as cold snap begins People are being advised to heat living rooms during the day and bedrooms before going to sleep as a cold spell hits the UK.

Health officials issued the advice to people who cannot heat every room or are struggling with heating costs. BBC News

Scarlet fever cases rise tenfold as parents struggle to find Strep A antibiotics

Scarlet fever cases rise tenfold as parents struggle to find Strep A antibiotics Scarlet fever cases have surged by tenfold in a year, official data shows, as pharmacists grapple with a shortage of antibiotics during a Strep A outbreak.

Strep A bacteria usually only causes mild illness, including scarlet fever and strep throat, which is treated with antibiotics. But in rare cases, it can progress into a potentially life-threatening disease if it gets into the bloodstream.

Infections are higher than normal for this time of year, and at least nine children have died after contracting the bacteria in recent weeks. The Independent

See also:

• Antibiotics for strep A in good supply, says health secretary Steve Barclay BBC News
• Don't send children with SORE THROATS to school, parents are told amid Strep A outbreak The Daily Mail
• Will FACE MASKS creep back into classrooms amid Strep A outbreak? The Daily Mail
• UK pharmacists report shortages of strep A antibiotics The Guardian
• Will preventive antibiotics stop deadly strep A among schoolchildren? The Guardian
• Strep A cases in your area as hundreds of infections reported across UK The Independent
• Strep A: Two children in hospital and 30 ill after scarlet fever outbreak at Carmarthenshire school ITV News

NHS workers could be banned from striking, No 10 suggests

NHS workers could be banned from striking, No 10 suggests Striking NHS workers could be targeted as part of Rishi Sunak’s promised “tough” new measures to curb a wave of industrial action, Downing Street has suggested.

No 10 said the government had not ruled out plans to stop industrial action by nurses and ambulance drivers – a significant escalation from previous threats to clamp down on striking rail workers. The Guardian

See also:

• Ambulance strikes 2022: When they are and what to do if you need emergency help The Daily Telegraph
• Ambulances may not get to all emergency calls during strikes, says Barclay The Guardian
• NHS staff could be banned from striking, says cabinet minister The Independent

I can’t get my HRT, again – this second UK shortage wasn’t supposed to happen

I can’t get my HRT, again – this second UK shortage wasn’t supposed to happen | Rose George The government claims that supply issues have been tackled, but menopausal women know this is far from the truth. The Guardian

Covid-19 UK: NHS begs over-50s to get coronavirus booster jabs ahead of Xmas amid surge in cases

Covid-19 UK: NHS begs over-50s to get coronavirus booster jabs ahead of Xmas amid surge in cases Over-50s are being urged to get their Covid booster vaccines ahead of Christmas, with cases on the rise once again.

Health chiefs have dished out 14.4million autumn boosters in England so far but 38 per cent of eligible adults are still yet to get their fifth dose, official data shows.

NHS England's chief executive Amanda Pritchard said 'the best thing' they can do to get protected against the virus and aid the struggling health service is get another jab. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS marks world first Covid-19 jab with booster plea ahead of Christmas NHS England
• Londoner gets first double lung transplant due to Covid complications BBC News
• Matt Hancock: I was warned 820,000 in UK could die from Covid BBC News
• Michelle Mone sent aggressive Covid contract email, Matt Hancock says BBC News
• As the Michelle Mone PPE scandal deepens, ministers can no longer feign ignorance | Linsey McGoey The Guardian

UK is worst in world for diabetes rise in the young study shows Type 2 cases have QUADRUPLED

UK is worst in world for diabetes rise in the young study shows Type 2 cases have QUADRUPLED Levels of type 2 diabetes among adolescents and young adults have risen faster in Britain than anywhere else in the world, a study suggests.

There has been a near four-fold increase in younger people being diagnosed with the condition since 1990, according to researchers who analysed data from more than 200 countries and regions. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Global burden of type 2 diabetes in adolescents and young adults, 1990-2019: systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (open access) The BMJ