Mental Health Awareness Week 2023: Northamptonshire Mind hosts array of events countywide Mental Health Awareness Week starts next week (May 15th-May 21st), and Northamptonshire Mind is excited to announce a comprehensive schedule of events taking place across the county. These events are designed to be inclusive and open to both newcomers and existing members of our services, without the need for a referral. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Wednesday 10 May 2023
Diabetes care: is it fair enough?
Diabetes care: is it fair enough? Missed checks, disrupted care and health inequalities have been revealed in our new report looking at the state of diabetes care in England.
We are calling for urgent action to address the routine diabetes care backlog and prevent avoidable deaths of people living with diabetes.
Our new report, ‘Diabetes Care: Is it fair enough?’ reveals that less than half (47%) of people living with diabetes in England received all eight of their required checks in 2021-22, meaning 1.9 million people did not receive the care they need. Diabetes UK
How have hospital admissions for Covid-19 and flu changed in recent years?
How have hospital admissions for Covid-19 and flu changed in recent years? The most recent winter was particularly tough for the NHS, as it dealt with continued high numbers of Covid-19 cases at the same time as much higher numbers of flu admissions. In this chart of the week, Sophie Julian takes a look at how hospital admissions for Covid-19 and flu have changed in recent years, and reveals how this past winter saw the number of hospital admissions for flu overtake those for Covid-19 for the first time during the pandemic. Nuffield Trust
Understanding Obesity as a Disease
Understanding Obesity as a Disease On this week’s episode of The Dose, host Joel Bervell talks with Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford about obesity: its history, including the racist origins of the body mass index (BMI), and the flawed science, misperceptions, and stigma that people with obesity encounter. Podcast from The Commonwealth Fund
RCN announces new strike ballot dates in England
RCN announces new strike ballot dates in England The Royal College of Nursing is today announcing dates of a new England-wide strike action ballot which will ask members employed by the NHS in England if they’re prepared to take further strike action in response to the UK government’s pay offer for 2022/23 and 2023/24.
The ballot – which will include all members in England on Agenda for Change contracts – will open on Tuesday 23 May and close on Friday 23 June.
'Shocking' lack of evidence on antidepressants for chronic pain
'Shocking' lack of evidence on antidepressants for chronic pain People with chronic pain are being given antidepressants with very little scientific proof the medication helps, a major review has found.
In studies, with nearly 30,000 patients, there was "moderate" evidence for only one drug, duloxetine, and just for short-term pain relief.
And there was a "shocking" lack of long-term data, even though the pills are usually prescribed for many months.
But patients are advised to stay on medication if it works for them. BBC News
See also:
- Antidepressants for pain management in adults with chronic pain: a network meta‐analysis Cochrane Library
- Millions of Brits are prescribed antidepressants for pain every year, study claims The Daily Mail
- ‘Little evidence’ whether or not most antidepressants work for chronic pain The Guardian
- Lack of evidence on antidepressants for chronic pain, say experts The Independent
- Millions being prescribed antidepressants for chronic pain without evidence they work, scientists warn iNews
- Thousands given antidepressants for chronic pain without full proof they work ITV News
- Thousands taking antidepressants for pain despite insufficient evidence they work, say experts Sky News
Are there 2,000 more GPs than before the pandemic?
Are there 2,000 more GPs than before the pandemic? Health Minister Neil O'Brien spoke on 9 May about the state of the NHS on BBC Breakfast, which had earlier heard from a GP who said there was an urgent need for more doctors.
Mr O'Brien said: "We've got 2,000 more doctors working in general practice than we did in 2019 before the pandemic."
Is he right? BBC News
Student doctors told: Skip university to plug NHS staff shortages
Student doctors told: Skip university to plug NHS staff shortages Tens of thousands of doctors and nurses are set to be trained via apprenticeships in a major expansion of plans to help fix the NHS workforce crisis.
Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, urged school-leavers to “earn while they learn” rather than undertake a traditional university degree, as part of a radical new plan set to be unveiled by the government in the coming days.
It is understood that around one in 10 doctors and a third of nurses could qualify using this route – a fivefold increase on the 200 medical apprenticeships originally planned under NHS schemes. The Independent
See also:
- School leavers can work as doctors without a degree under radical NHS shake-up The Daily Telegraph
- School-leavers could join NHS via apprenticeships in plan to fix staff shortages The Guardian
- Tens of thousands of doctors and nurses ‘to be trained as apprentices’ The Independent
- NHS nurses will be able to train on the job under new plans Metro
First UK baby with DNA from three people born after new IVF procedure
First UK baby with DNA from three people born after new IVF procedure The first UK baby created with DNA from three people has been born after doctors performed a ground-breaking IVF procedure that aims to prevent children from inheriting incurable diseases.
The technique, known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT), uses tissue from the eggs of healthy female donors to create IVF embryos that are free from harmful mutations their mothers carry and are likely to pass on to their children. The Guardian
The technique, known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT), uses tissue from the eggs of healthy female donors to create IVF embryos that are free from harmful mutations their mothers carry and are likely to pass on to their children. The Guardian
See also:
- Baby born from three people's DNA in UK first BBC News
- Britain's first three-parent baby is born: Procedure 'marks biggest leap forward' since IVF created The Daily Mail
- First UK baby ‘born with DNA of 3 parents’ using IVF procedure The Independent
- First baby with DNA from three people born in the UK, fertility regulator says ITV News
Pledge to reduce NHS backlog has been broken, Steve Barclay admits
Pledge to reduce NHS backlog has been broken, Steve Barclay admits NHS in England missed target that patients waiting 18 months for an operation would be treated by April
A key government pledge to reduce the size of the NHS’s record-breaking care backlog has been broken, the health secretary has admitted.
Steve Barclay slipped out the news in a Commons statement on Tuesday about a totally unrelated area of NHS policy – his new plan to improve access to GP care. The Guardian
Seriously ill children put at risk by firm’s failure to deliver NHS medication
Seriously ill children put at risk by firm’s failure to deliver NHS medication Children with serious health conditions are getting sicker as a result of persistent failings by Sciensus, a private company paid millions by the NHS to deliver essential medication, the Guardian can reveal.
Parents of sick children say they are repeatedly let down by botched, delayed or missed deliveries, while NHS paediatric clinicians warn some are suffering avoidable harm as a result.
Urgent recall of allergy pens over fears life-saving gadgets might not work
Urgent recall of allergy pens over fears life-saving gadgets might not work Two different types of life-saving allergy pens are being urgently recalled over fears they may not actually work.
Medical regulators have withdrawn the devices from the UK market as part of a 'precautionary recall', it emerged today.
Evidence was found that the Emerade 300 and 500 microgram pens may in 'rare' cases 'fail to activate' if they are dropped. The Daily Mail
See also:
- Patients asked to return Emerade 300 and 500 microgram adrenaline pens for replacement Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Emerade adrenaline pen users urged to swap brands BBC News
- Emerade adrenaline pens recalled 'after potential faults detected' Evening Standard
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