Fewer cancelled operations at Northampton General Hospital than last year, figures reveal

Fewer cancelled operations at Northampton General Hospital than last year, figures reveal Northampton General Hospital cancelled fewer elective operations at the last minute in the three months to December 2022 than across the same time period the year before, new NHS figures show. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Public perceptions of the NHS: a winter of discontent

Public perceptions of the NHS: a winter of discontent The NHS is under extreme strain and debate about the future of the health system is growing louder. As political parties look ahead to the next general election, understanding what the public thinks should help inform thinking on NHS funding and reform.

This long read examines public perceptions and expectations of the NHS. We present findings from the third wave of our programme of polling research with Ipsos that tracks the public’s views on health and social care in the UK every 6 months. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Public support for government’s handling of the NHS reaches new low, polling finds The Health Foundation
• Public support for Government’s handling of the NHS in England falls to new low Evening Standard
• Just 10% of Britons think ministers have right policies on NHS, study shows The Guardian

New figures show NHS workforce most diverse it has ever been

New figures show NHS workforce most diverse it has ever been The NHS workforce is more diverse than at any other point in its history, according to an annual report into race equality across the health service.

Published today, the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard shows Black and minority ethnic (BME) staff make up almost a quarter of the workforce overall (24.2% or 383,706 staff) – an increase of 27,500 people since 2021 (22.4% of staff).

The analysis shows more than two fifths (42%) of doctors, dentists, and consultants, and almost a third (29.2%) of our nurses, midwives, and health visitors are from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. NHS England

See also:

• NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) 2022 data analysis report for NHS trusts NHS England
• NHS Confederation responds to WRES 2022 report NHS Confederation
• On the day briefing: Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) NHS Providers
• Record NHS diversity levels, new report finds National Health Executive
• WRES report warns of ‘disadvantage’ facing Black nurses Nursing Times

Ethnic minority Covid death gap closes – ONS

Ethnic minority Covid death gap closes – ONS People from ethnic minority backgrounds are no longer significantly more likely to die of Covid-19, new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows.

Analysts looked at mortality rates for different ethnic communities between January and November 2022, when Omicron was the dominant Covid variant.

Early in the pandemic, deaths involving coronavirus were higher among black and Asian people than white people. BBC News

See also:

• Updating ethnic and religious contrasts in deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19), England: 24 January 2020 to 23 November 2022 Office for National Statistics
• The King's Fund responds to the updated ONS data on changes in Covid-19 mortality The King's Fund

Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas users risk spine damage, say doctors

Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas users risk spine damage, say doctors Doctors at an east London hospital say they are seeing so many risky cases of laughing gas misuse that they have drawn up treatment guidelines for colleagues in the UK.

Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is one of the most commonly used drugs by 16 to 24-year-olds.

Heavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal cord.

The Royal London Hospital team say medics need to be on alert. BBC News

See also:

• Nitrous oxide-induced subacute combined degeneration of the cord: diagnosis and treatment (open access) Practical Neurology

Derby maternity deaths may have been prevented - report

Derby maternity deaths may have been prevented - report Three women who died under the care of a hospital's maternity unit may have survived if earlier recommendations had been implemented, a report has said.

The cases occurred at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) NHS Foundation Trust over 16 months.

A review by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) also found a culture of intimidation and bullying and made safety recommendations. BBC News

Hospital patients with learning disabilities developed diabetes after being fed treats and lack of exercise

Hospital patients with learning disabilities developed diabetes after being fed treats and lack of exercise Vulnerable patients who have been detained in hospitals for years developed diabetes due to a lack of exercise and an over-reliance on treats, a national NHS review has warned.

NHS England looked into the care of almost 2,000 patients with learning disabilities and autism and found that the physical health of many had significantly declined during their stays because of poor care. The Independent

Up to 32,000 Unison NHS staff in England to strike on 8 March

Up to 32,000 Unison NHS staff in England to strike on 8 March The health union Unison has announced new strike action and warned there could be no “pick and mix solution” to the NHS dispute, after it was excluded from talks between the health secretary, Steve Barclay, and the Royal College of Nursing.

Unison said up to 32,000 of its members across the NHS in England, including ambulance staff, paramedics and some nurses, would strike on 8 March, in what it called a “serious escalation” of the dispute. The Guardian

See also:

• Fresh strike by NHS workers across England next month Evening Standard
• Ministers could offer one-off payments as way to end public sector strikes The Guardian
• Fresh strike by NHS workers across England next month as pay dispute escalates ITV News
• Urgent NHS pay talks potentially limited to just nursing staff Nursing Notes

GPs are outnumbered by RECEPTIONISTS at practices

GPs are outnumbered by RECEPTIONISTS at practices Receptionists now outnumber GPs at practices in England, MailOnline can reveal today amid the never-ending appointment crisis. 

Only a quarter of all 143,000-plus staff working at surgeries across the nation are family doctors, according to our analysis. 

Nurses, healthcare assistants and admin staff, including receptionists, secretaries and call handlers, make up the rest of the workforce. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Stop using receptionists as 'untrained medical triage services', campaigners say The Daily Mail

Why it's NEVER too late to start exercising

Why it's NEVER too late to start exercising Exercising just once a month at any age can help stave off dementia in later life, a study found.

Keeping active throughout adulthood is the best bet for good brain health in retirement but even taking up exercise in your 60s is beneficial, research suggests.

In the first study to look specifically at age, exercise and brain health in retirement, researchers from University College London wanted to see whether timing of active lifestyles had an impact. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Timing of physical activity across adulthood on later-life cognition: 30 years follow-up in the 1946 British birth cohort (open access) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
• Staying fit and active throughout life ‘best way to stave off dementia’ The Independent
• Could exercise be a potent weapon against neurodegenerative conditions? Medical News Today