West Northamptonshire Council launches serious violence consultation

West Northamptonshire Council launches serious violence consultation A council has invited its residents to join a consultation that will shape how serious violence is tackled locally.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has asked anyone affected by serious violence in the past year to share their experiences in a survey.

Councillor David Smith said it would "improve the safety and wellbeing of people in our communities". BBC Northampton

See also:

• Tackling violence and improving lives through the Serious Violence Duty West Northamptonshire Council

How long are patients waiting for a GP appointment in England?

How long are patients waiting for a GP appointment in England? Many patients struggle to book a GP appointment in England. Once people have been successful in getting a booking to see their doctor, however, how long are they having to wait for their appointment? Charlotte Paddison looks at the latest data to reveal the answer – and argues that quick access to GP appointments is not the only factor to consider. Nuffield Trust

Health security from the ground up: 5 lessons for the future of the UKHSA

Health security from the ground up: 5 lessons for the future of the UKHSA This paper explores the shortcomings in the English response to Covid-19 and presents five policy ideas which would help strengthen the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and improve the UK’s resilience in the face of future health crises. Reform

NHS chaplaincy: meeting the religious and spiritual needs of patients and staff : guidance for managers and those involved in the provision of chaplaincy-spiritual care

NHS chaplaincy: meeting the religious and spiritual needs of patients and staff : guidance for managers and those involved in the provision of chaplaincy-spiritual care This document sets out for NHS managers of chaplaincy services in England guidance on how to run and manage a safe, effective and inclusive chaplaincy service, with some examples of how NHS bodies across the country are operating such services. NHS England

New NHS treatments helping extend survival for babies with rare muscle-wasting disease

New NHS treatments helping extend survival for babies with rare muscle-wasting disease Nearly three in four babies born with a rare muscle-wasting disease are now surviving for two years or more thanks to advances in NHS treatment, new data shows.

Around 70 children are born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) each year in the UK, a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness, progressive loss of movement and paralysis. NHS England

Senior doctors plan 48-hour strike for September in England

Senior doctors plan 48-hour strike for September in England Consultants who are part of the British Medical Association (BMA) in England will strike on 19 and 20 September.

The 48-hour walkout will affect routine services, but emergency care will be covered after the BMA promised to provide a Christmas Day level of cover.

The dates have been announced ahead of their next strike at the end of August.

The government has said there will be no more pay talks, after agreeing to the 6% pay increase the independent pay review body recommended. BBC News

See also:

• Consultants in England announce prospective September strike dates BMA
• Confirmed industrial action strike days NHS Employers
• BMA faces revolt within its own ranks after talk of 'indefinite walkouts' from junior doctors The Daily Mail
• Hospital consultants will strike for two days in September in pursuit of a 54 per cent pay rise as industrial action runs into its third month The Daily Mail
• Consultants in England to strike in September if government refuses talks The Guardian
• Consultants threaten further strikes in September The Independent
• Consultants to strike if government continues to 'refuse' talks and present credible offer, BMA says ITV News
• Senior doctors in England announce dates for new strikes if Government refuses deal on pay iNews
• NHS consultants threaten more strikes next month if pay talks don't reopen Metro

NHS flu jabs and Covid boosters scrapped for under 65s this winter

NHS flu jabs and Covid boosters scrapped for under 65s this winter NHS flu jabs and Covid boosters will be axed for adults under 65 this winter as the health service attempts to “go back to normal”, The Telegraph can reveal.

The Government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to set out plans on Tuesday which will mean 12 million people aged 50 to 64 are no longer eligible for free vaccines. The Daily Telegraph

Lack of nurses to replace police in mental health call-outs, warn leaders

Lack of nurses to replace police in mental health call-outs, warn leaders People experiencing a mental health crisis may have “nowhere to turn” under government plans to reduce the number of mental health call-outs dealt with by police officers, health and social care leaders have warned.

They said that new plans, which aim to give back the responsibility of mental health call-outs to health and care staff, have not taken into consideration the workforce crisis across mental health services. Nursing Times

Switching to vapes 'could save NHS more than half a billion a year study says

Switching to vapes 'could save NHS more than half a billion a year study says Half of England’s adult smokers making a switch to e-cigarettes could save the NHS more than £500 million per year, a study has claimed.

Researchers at Brunel University London used data from NHS Digital, the Royal College of Physicians and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to identify the prevalence of smoking in each region. The Independent

See also:

• Does switching from tobacco to reduced-risk products free up hospital resources? (abstract) British Journal of Healthcare Management
• NHS would save more than £500m a year if half of England's adult smokers vaped instead Brunel University London

One dead and six in hospital after mystery E.coli outbreak in UK

One dead and six in hospital after mystery E.coli outbreak in UK One person has died and six others hospitalised as health officials investigate the source of a mysterious E.coli outbreak in the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reportedly working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to identify what led to the Shiga-toxin producing E.coli (STEC) O183 outbreak, which is believed to have begun in May.

Onset dates for patients with available information span 23 May to 2 July. The Independent

See also: 

• Urgent warning to parents over mysterious E. coli outbreak that has killed one Brit and hospitalised six - as health chiefs say it is predominantly striking kids The Daily Mail
• Rare E. coli type behind deadly UK outbreak; 2 dozen sick Food Safety News

Crisis in NHS presents ‘business opportunities’, says boss of insurer Axa

Crisis in NHS presents ‘business opportunities’, says boss of insurer Axa The growing crisis facing the NHS presents “quite a few business opportunities” for AXA to expand its private healthcare business, the French insurance group’s chief executive has said.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Thomas Buberl highlighted the mounting pressures on the health service, including record waiting lists, rising inflation pushing up costs such as the price of drugs and a crisis with recruiting and retaining staff. The Guardian

Hope of a treatment for hundreds of thousands with vascular dementia as scientists discover what could stop 'devastating condition in its tracks'

Hope of a treatment for hundreds of thousands with vascular dementia as scientists discover what could stop 'devastating condition in its tracks' Experts are one step closer to a treatment for vascular dementia after discovering what triggers the condition.

Vascular dementia, which affects hundreds of thousands in the UK and US, is caused by high blood pressure which leads to a reduced blood supply to the brain.

The brain cells become starved of nutrients and eventually become damaged and die, causing symptoms including poor memory and lack of concentration. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Uncoupling of Ca2+ sparks from BK channels in cerebral arteries underlies hypoperfusion in hypertension-induced vascular dementia (open access) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Is AI poised to boost cancer survival rates? Study finds tech can pinpoint where tumors originate - allowing docs to choose best treatment

Is AI poised to boost cancer survival rates? Study finds tech can pinpoint where tumors originate - allowing docs to choose best treatment Artificial intelligence can help work out where a patient’s cancer came from, allowing doctors to choose better treatments, a study suggests.

For a small percentage of patients – especially those whose cancer has spread – doctors can struggle to pinpoint where the tumor originated from.

This makes it much more difficult to choose a treatment for those patients, because many cancer drugs are typically developed for specific cancer types. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Machine learning for genetics-based classification and treatment response prediction in cancer of unknown primary (abstract) Nature Medicine