Monday 17 April 2023
One in six patients at Northampton General Hospital's A&E waited more than 12 hours to be seen
One in six patients at Northampton General Hospital's A&E waited more than 12 hours to be seen Almost one in six patients took longer than 12 hours to be seen in the A&E department at Northampton General Hospital in February, the latest NHS data shows. The statistic places the hospital in the top 20 for the highest percentage of patients waiting more than half a day. Northants Live
Standing back from The Hewitt Review: six key take-aways
Standing back from The Hewitt Review: six key take-aways The much-anticipated Hewitt Review into the oversight, governance and accountability of integrated care systems (ICSs) landed last week, to surprisingly little fanfare and a somewhat muted reception. To anyone that has followed the path of the review since its launch in November 2022, it will come as no surprise that it is both comprehensive in its breadth and that it draws on extensive engagement with the sector and key partners, for which the review team and its leadership should be given due credit. Reflecting this, the final document weighs in at a hefty 89 pages. So, standing back from the detail, what are the key take-aways? The King's Fund
Understanding unpaid carers and their access to support
Understanding unpaid carers and their access to support Unpaid carers play a substantial and vital role in meeting social care needs. The care they provide has enormous value, both for the people they care for and for wider society. Many carers experience great satisfaction from their role, and through the help and support they provide to friends and family members they may also reduce the costs of formal social care provision. The Health Foundation
The Retained EU Law Bill creates an uncertain future for health
The Retained EU Law Bill creates an uncertain future for health Some of the biggest Brexit-related challenges for the NHS come from poorly planned changes to domestic law, regulation or administrative practice. In this blog, Tammy Hervey and Mark Dayan argue that the number of problems the Retained EU Law Bill may create for health in the UK is difficult even to assess. Nuffield Trust
RCN nurses to strike on May bank holiday in England as pay offer rejected
RCN nurses to strike on May bank holiday in England as pay offer rejected Nurses in the Royal College of Nursing union have rejected the government's pay offer in England and will now go on strike over the first May bank holiday.
The 48-hour walkout from 20:00 BST on 30 April to 20:00 on 2 May will involve NHS nurses in emergency departments, intensive care, cancer and other wards.
This will be "hugely concerning" for patients, the government says. BBC News
See also:
- RCN announces further strike action as members in England vote to reject NHS pay offer Royal College of Nursing
- RCN members vote to reject NHS pay offer for nursing staff in England Royal College of Nursing
- Letter from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to the General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing: 16 April 2023 Department of Health and Social Care
- NHS Confederation responds to RCN and UNISON ballot outcomes NS Confederation
- RCN announces further industrial action dates NHS Employers
- Trusts urge government to find a way to avert fresh nurse strikes NHS Providers
- Decisive outcome as UNISON members vote to accept NHS pay offer in England UNISON
- NHS Unison members accept pay deal offer in England BBC News
- Can we avoid a summer of strikes? BBC News
- Fears of CHAOS if doctors and nurses strike together as nursing union rejects pay offer The Daily Mail
- Nursing union REJECTS 5% pay offer and announces new strike dates The Daily Mail
- NHS backlogs will be 'impossible' to bring down if there are any more strikes, health chief warns The Daily Mail
- More than half of patients have had appointments cancelled as a result of NHS strikes The Daily Telegraph
- NHS strikes: when are they, and what will happen? The Guardian
- Nurses will strike again in England after voting to reject government pay deal The Guardian
- Why NHS in England appears destined for months of further strikes The Guardian
- Further England nurses’ strikes present ‘severe challenge’ to NHS The Guardian
- Rishi Sunak appears ready to try to tough out further wave of NHS strikes The Guardian
- Nurses reject 5% pay deal and vote for all-out strike - with no exemptions for emergency care The Independent
- Nurses’ walk outs could last until Christmas as union plans ‘mega strike’ The Independent
- The Government says it has made its 'full and final' pay offer to nurses ITV News
- 'Full and final' pay offer made to nurses in England, as NHS leader warns escalation of action would 'endanger patient safety' Sky News
Million-year-old viruses help fight cancer, say scientists
Million-year-old viruses help fight cancer, say scientists Relics of ancient viruses - that have spent millions of years hiding inside human DNA - help the body fight cancer, say scientists.
The study by the Francis Crick Institute showed the dormant remnants of these old viruses are woken up when cancerous cells spiral out of control.
This unintentionally helps the immune system target and attack the tumour.
The team wants to harness the discovery to design vaccines that can boost cancer treatment, or even prevent it. BBC News
See also:
- Antibodies against endogenous retroviruses promote lung cancer immunotherapy (open access) Nature
Gel nails: Investigation launched into gel polish allergic reactions
Gel nails: Investigation launched into gel polish allergic reactions The government is investigating reports that growing numbers of people are developing life-changing allergies to some gel nail products.
Dermatologists say they are treating people for allergic reactions to acrylic and gel nails "most weeks".
Dr Deirdre Buckley of the British Association of Dermatologists urged people to cut down on gel nail use and stick to "old-fashioned" polishes.
She is now urging people to stop using DIY home kits to treat their nails. BBC News
See also:
- Dermatologists reiterate artificial nails warning and risk of at-home kits British Association of Dermatologists
Arcturus: What do we know about the new Covid variant?
Arcturus: What do we know about the new Covid variant? A new Covid strain behind a surge of infections in India has sparked fears it could also lead to a rise in cases in the UK.
Research indicates Arcturus could be one 1.2 times more infectious than the last major sub-variant.
Also known as Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, the strain was first identified in January and has been monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 22 March. The Independent
See also:
One in eight Britons pay for private health services, survey shows
One in eight Britons pay for private health services, survey shows One in eight Britons have paid for private health services in the last year, amid frustration with delays in getting NHS treatment and a growing willingness to buy care using salary or savings.
New research by YouGov found that another 27% of people had considered going private, for themselves or a loved one, but decided against it, often because they couldn’t afford it.
33% of those who had used private healthcare instead of the NHS had done so for the first time. The Guardian
‘Buckling’ NHS fails to treat 250,000 children with mental health problems
‘Buckling’ NHS fails to treat 250,000 children with mental health problems A quarter of a million children in the UK with mental health problems have been denied help by the NHS as it struggles to manage surging case loads against a backdrop of a crisis in child mental health.
Some NHS trusts are failing to offer treatment to 60% of those referred by GPs, the research based on freedom of information request responses has found. The Guardian
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The NHS is spending more than £1 million a week hiring private ambulances
The NHS is spending more than £1 million a week hiring private ambulances The NHS is spending more than £1million a week hiring private ambulances to attend emergency calls, according to research by a trade union.
Unison said its figures were based on responses from two thirds of ambulance trusts in England that pay commercial companies to provide cover for critically ill patients. The Daily Mail
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UK approves first new antibiotic in over 20 years that kills superbugs causing UTIs
UK approves first new antibiotic in over 20 years that kills superbugs causing UTIs The first new antibiotic in more than 20 years that is capable of treating agonising bladder infections is set to be approved in the UK after a groundbreaking study revealed it was highly effective.
The drug, called gepotidacin, outperformed one of the antibiotics currently used to treat NHS patients suffering from the infections, curing more than half the participants who took it. The Daily Mail
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