New mental health crisis response service launched in Northamptonshire

New mental health crisis response service launched in Northamptonshire An innovative new response service has been launched in Northamptonshire aimed at helping those in a mental health crisis.

The new Crisis Response Unit (CRU), launched by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, (NHFT) is a 24-hour response vehicle staffed by trained professionals, providing a dedicated resource to attend to mental health emergencies. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NGH Skin Cancer Specialist Hayley wins hero award from University of Northampton

NGH Skin Cancer Specialist Hayley wins hero award from University of Northampton An inspirational nurse has won a Hero Award from the University of Northampton for her work-life journey at Northampton General Hospital.

Hayley Masters, aged 50 from Northampton, joined Northampton General Hospital for the first time 24 years ago to start in her new role as a hospital cleaner. Fast forward to 2023 and she’s now a skin cancer specialist who has just graduated, with honours, with a BSC in Enhancing Healthcare Practice at the University of Northampton. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

One-stop-shop for AI and digital regulations for health and social care launched

One-stop-shop for AI and digital regulations for health and social care launched A new online advice service to help the NHS and wider care system adopt and make use of new digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has launched today.

The AI and Digital Regulations Service provides guidance for NHS and social care adopters and digital health innovators. NICE

Patient empowerment: what is the role of technology in transforming care?

Patient empowerment: what is the role of technology in transforming care? This joint report with Google Health explores the role of technology in managing, improving and support health and wellbeing. Ipsos was commissioned to explore people’s behaviours, attitudes and beliefs about responsibility and control when it comes to their health, the role that health technologies play in this, along with their expectations about the future of healthcare. NHS Confederation

NHS equality, diversity, and inclusion improvement plan

NHS equality, diversity, and inclusion improvement plan This improvement plan sets out targeted actions to address the prejudice and discrimination – direct and indirect – that exists through behaviour, policies, practices and cultures against certain groups and individuals across the NHS workforce. It has been co-produced through engagement with staff networks and senior leaders. NHS England

Patients to benefit from new ambulance hubs and discharge lounges

Patients to benefit from new ambulance hubs and discharge lounges Six new ambulance hubs and 42 new and upgraded discharge lounges are opening at hospitals across the country, which will help cut urgent and emergency care waiting times for tens of thousands of patients.

The new facilities are backed by the £50 million investment that was announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay in January to help free up hospital beds and cut down on waiting times for patients ahead of next winter. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS to open new specialist clinics for obese children and young people

NHS to open new specialist clinics for obese children and young people Thousands more children and young people who are severely obese will receive intensive support from the NHS, with 10 new specialist clinics set to open across England.

The new services will launch this year, bringing the total to 30 clinics that are able to provide expert help to children and their families which can prevent long term conditions including Type 2 diabetes.

Around 3,000 obese children and young people aged between two and 18, will receive help to lose weight, treatment for complications as well as tailored care packages developed with their family, which could include diet plans, mental health care and coaching. NHS England

See also: 

• Diet coaches to be rolled out for fat kids as young as TWO The Daily Mail
• NHS forced to open more obesity clinics for children as young as two as hospital admissions triple iNews

Government and NHS Staff Council to work together to implement non-pay elements of the NHS pay deal

Government and NHS Staff Council to work together to implement non-pay elements of the NHS pay deal The NHS Staff Council has issued a statement welcoming the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announcement that the government and NHS Staff Council will work together to implement non-pay elements of the NHS pay deal.

Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Health, outlined today in an open letter to NHS staff how the government will work with the NHS Staff Council to oversee the implementation of each of the commitments made in the deal. NHS Employers

See also:

• Government and unions collaborate to implement NHS pay deal Department of Health and Social Care

Hot weather adds to NHS pressure as doctors strike

Hot weather adds to NHS pressure as doctors strike Health bosses are warning of major disruption and pressure on the NHS in England, as the hot weather combines with the latest junior doctor strike.

British Medical Association members will walk out for 72 hours from 07:00 on Wednesday.

It is the third strike in the pay dispute and is expected to lead to the cancellation of much routine care.

And with the heat placing extra demands on A&E units, bosses urged people to use services sensibly. BBC News

See also: 

• Two-thirds of junior doctors fear NHS won’t survive the next ten years, as BMA urges PM to intervene to resolve dispute BMA
• NHS Confederation urges junior doctors and government to get back to the negotiating table NHS Confederation
• Junior doctors in Scotland to strike after rejecting pay offer BBC News
• Thousands of NHS appointments cancelled as junior doctors strike Evening Standard
• Junior doctor strikes begin as most fear NHS won't last a decade GPonline
• BMA chair urges Sunak to broker settlement with junior doctors The Guardian
• Three-day strike by doctors in England expected to have ‘enormous impact’ The Guardian
• Upcoming industrial action 'will have a serious impact on local NHS services' Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Junior doctors in England on strike today - here's how it will affect NHS care Sky News

Covid inquiry: Failure to consider 'potentially massive impact' of lockdown

Covid inquiry: Failure to consider 'potentially massive impact' of lockdown The "potentially massive impact" of lockdowns on society was not thought through before the pandemic, the lead lawyer for the Covid inquiry has said.

As the probe into the government's handling of the pandemic began hearing evidence, Hugo Keith KC said the UK may not have been well prepared "at all".

It was "extraordinary" that lockdowns had received little thought, he added.

Government figures show 227,321 people have died in the UK with Covid mentioned on their death certificate. BBC News

See also:

• Covid inquiry: What is it investigating and how will it work? BBC News
• Sunak 'not worried' about Covid inquiry seeing messages BBC News
• Covid Inquiry: 'United in our grief' says relative who lost dad and sister BBC News
• Covid Inquiry: Bereaved families take centre stage as official hearings begin Channel 4 News
• Catastrophic collateral consequences of lockdowns were barely considered, Covid inquiry hears The Daily Mail
• Lockdown ‘given very little thought’ prior to pandemic, inquiry hears Evening Standard
• No-deal Brexit planning ‘crowded out’ efforts to prepare for pandemic The Guardian
• ‘A bowl of spaghetti’ : Covid inquiry opens with flowchart on UK’s pandemic planning The Guardian
• UK Covid inquiry: government accused of giving ‘very little’ advance thought to lockdown and being too focused on flu – as it happened The Guardian
• Minister refuses to back Hancock Covid claim of ‘protective ring’ for care homes The Guardian
• Heartbreak of the bereaved families who could be 'sidelined' from Covid Inquiry The Independent
• 'Carousel of chaos': UK's preparation for pandemic criticised in inquiry ITV News
• UK 'prepared for the wrong pandemic', COVID inquiry told as it opened for first time Sky News

Most early-stage breast cancer patients will become long-term survivors – study

Most early-stage breast cancer patients will become long-term survivors – study Most women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer can expect to become “long-term survivors”, according to a new study.

For some women the risk of death within five years is as low as 0.2%, according to the large-scale research.

The proportion of women who survive the disease has improved substantially since the 1990s, experts found. The Independent

See also:

• Breast cancer mortality in 500 000 women with early invasive breast cancer in England, 1993-2015: population based observational cohort study (open access) The BMJ
• Most women beat early breast cancer, study finds BBC News
• Breast cancer survival breakthrough: Death rates for women diagnosed with disease today are just a THIRD of levels logged 20 years ago The Daily Mail
• How we're winning the war against cancer: Survival rates for deadliest forms of disease have DOUBLED since the 1970s - as doctors say it is no longer always a 'death sentence' The Daily Mail

Lords to investigate private health firms used to deliver NHS drugs

Lords to investigate private health firms used to deliver NHS drugs Peers are launching an inquiry into private health companies paid millions of pounds to courier NHS medicines in England, after the Guardian exposed how sick children and adults were being harmed by botched, delayed or missed deliveries.

The House of Lords public services committee will examine “the extent of the problems in homecare medicine services”, and the impact on patients, clinicians and the wider health service. More than 500,000 patients and their families rely on private companies contracted by the NHS to deliver essential medical supplies and care to their homes. The Guardian

Vaccine to treat deadliest brain cancer found to nearly DOUBLE survival rate

Vaccine to treat deadliest brain cancer found to nearly DOUBLE survival rate A vaccine to slow the progression of the deadliest form of brain cancer has shown promise in early clinical trials by extending the average survival rate from 15 to 26 months.

The shot, called SurVaxM, targets a protein found in tumors called survivin. It is thought that if the protein is destroyed, the cancer cells will die.

Scientists are hopeful the vaccine could save those suffering from glioblastoma, one of the most fatal and treatment-resistant cancers, which can result in death in six months or less if left untreated. The Daily Mail

See also:

• SurVaxM Mimiva
• Experimental vaccine shows promise in delaying the return of aggressive brain tumor NBC News