Robot community day at Northampton General Hospital raises awareness of life-saving new surgical technology

Robot community day at Northampton General Hospital raises awareness of life-saving new surgical technology A life-saving state-of-the-art surgical robot was showcased at an awareness day at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) this week.

The £1.7m robot has now been used to perform more than 280 potentially life-saving cancer operations and - by using tiny key-hole techniques - helped patients to rapidly get back to normal life. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Government orders independent inquiry following Lucy Letby verdict

Government orders independent inquiry following Lucy Letby verdict The government has ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind the horrific murders and attempted murders of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, following the guilty verdict in the trial of former neonatal nurse, Lucy Letby.

Launched to ensure vital lessons are learned and to provide answers to the parents and families impacted, the inquiry will investigate the wider circumstances around what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital, including the handling of concerns and governance. It will also look at what actions were taken by regulators and the wider NHS. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• BMA responds to Lucy Letby trial verdict BMA
• Lucy Letby found guilty of baby murders Crown Prosecution Service
• NHS Confederation responds to the government's announcement of an independent inquiry following the Lucy Letby verdict NHS Confederation
• Commenting on the verdict in the Lucy Letby trial NHS England
• NMC responds to verdict in Lucy Letby trial Nursing and Midwifery Council
• RCPCH responds to verdict in Lucy Letby trial Royal College of Paediatrics and Health
• Nurse Lucy Letby guilty of murdering seven babies on neonatal unit BBC News
• Nurse Lucy Letby to be sentenced for murdering seven babies BBC News
• Lucy Letby: Government orders independent inquiry BBC News
• Victims' parents: 'Letby is a hateful human being who took everything from us' BBC News
• ‘We have to get better at spotting these events’, says NHS investigation Chair Channel 4 News
• Wider inquiry into ‘culture of cover up’ in NHS needed, says patient rights campaigner Channel 4 News
• Senior NHS manager who 'ignored warnings about Lucy Letby while she was director of nursing at baby killer's hospital' is suspended after allegations made during murder trial The Daily Mail
• Sir Robert Francis: ‘This is not just about Lucy Letby – the NHS system doesn’t value safety’ The Daily Telegraph
• Consultants told to apologise to Lucy Letby for raising concerns, court told Evening Standard
• Faced with evil like Lucy Letby’s, we yearn for a rational explanation. Sometimes there is none | Polly Toynbee The Guardian
• Lucy Letby whistleblower: ‘Babies would have survived if hospital had acted sooner’ The Guardian
• Could Lucy Letby have been stopped sooner? Look at the timeline – and NHS history The Guardian
• Doctors were forced to apologise for raising alarm over Lucy Letby and baby deaths The Guardian
• Lessons the NHS needs to learn after Lucy Letby case The Guardian
• I’m a midwife – what happened with Lucy Letby can never be allowed to happen again The Independent
• Who is Lucy Letby? The 'average' nurse who became Britain's most notorious child killer Sky News

COVID-19 variants identified in the UK – latest updates

COVID-19 variants identified in the UK – latest updates The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published an initial risk assessment of the SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86. This variant was detected in the UK on Friday 18 August, and has also been identified in Israel, Denmark and the US. It has been designated as V-23AUG-01 for the purpose of UKHSA monitoring.

The newly identified variant has a high number of mutations and is genomically distant from both its likely ancestor, BA.2, and from currently circulating XBB-derived variants. There is currently one confirmed case in the UK in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK. Identifying the extent of this transmission will require further investigation. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• 'Real deal' Covid variant is now in Britain: Patient is hospitalised in London with heavily-mutated BA.X strain - and experts think they caught it IN the UK The Daily Mail
• How rife is Covid in YOUR area? Timelapse map shows how cases have DOUBLED in a fortnight as health chiefs confirm 'real deal' variant is now in UK - and may have been spreading silently for weeks The Daily Mail
• New Covid variant causing concern among scientists detected in London The Guardian
• Updated Covid vaccines are nearly ready as alarm grows over new variant’s rapid spread The Independent
• New Covid variant with 'high number of mutations' identified in UK ITV News
• Eris, BA.2.86: Do I need to worry about COVID again? Reuters
• New COVID variant with 'high number of mutations' detected in UK Sky News

New test could speed up child illness diagnosis

New test could speed up child illness diagnosis A new approach to diagnosing illnesses in children could help doctors choose the right treatment in double-quick time, say the researchers behind it.

Working out what is causing a fever - a virus, bacterial infection or something else - is often difficult and tests can take days or weeks to come back.

The Imperial College London team says looking at gene patterns in someone's blood could speed up diagnosis.

Development of the test is still at an early stage. BBC News

See also:

• Diagnosis of childhood febrile illness using a multi-class blood RNA molecular signature (open access) Cell Press Med

Morrisons' bras and pants carry NHS cancer check label

Morrisons' bras and pants carry NHS cancer check label The NHS has teamed up with Morrisons supermarket to put extra labels in underwear reminding people to see their GP if they spot potential symptoms of breast or testicular cancer.

People should look out for lumps and bumps or "anything unusual".

The Nutmeg-branded boxer shorts and crop-top bras will be in 240 stores in England in the coming months. BBC News

FGM is leading cause of death in some nations, study finds

FGM is leading cause of death in some nations, study finds Female Genital Mutilation is a leading cause of death in the nations where it is carried out, according to a damning new study.

Researchers found a 50 per cent surge in the number of girls undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) causes over an estimated 44,000 excess deaths of women and young girls each year in countries where the practice occurs. The Independent

See also:

• Estimating excess mortality due to female genital mutilation (open access) Nature Scientific Reports
• FGM identified as a leading cause of death in African countries University of Birmingham

‘Inhumane’ NHS fees left more than 900 migrants without treatment

‘Inhumane’ NHS fees left more than 900 migrants without treatment Hundreds of migrants have declined NHS treatment after being presented with upfront charges over the past two years, amid complaints the government’s “hostile environment” on immigration remains firmly in place.

Data compiled by the Observer under the Freedom of Information Act shows that, since January 2021, 3,545 patients across 68 hospital trusts in England have been told they must pay upfront charges totalling £7.1m. Of those, 905 patients across 58 trusts did not proceed with treatment.

Britain's first menopause education programme launched by experts in bid to help women understand the changes to their bodies as research suggests 90% were never taught about it at school

Britain's first menopause education programme launched by experts in bid to help women understand the changes to their bodies as research suggests 90% were never taught about it at school Experts are launching the UK's first menopause education programme to help women understand changes their bodies go through.

Research suggests that more than 90 per cent of women were never taught about the menopause at school, while nearly two-thirds only started looking for information when they began to experience symptoms. The Daily Mail

Nearly four in ten GP surgeries set limits on the number of patients they will deal with each day, survey finds - as the BMA calls for doctors to only see 25 people a day and 'redirect' those who miss out to other services such as 111

Nearly four in ten GP surgeries set limits on the number of patients they will deal with each day, survey finds - as the BMA calls for doctors to only see 25 people a day and 'redirect' those who miss out to other services such as 111 Almost four in ten GP surgeries set a limit on the number of patients they will deal with each day.

The British Medical Association recommends GPs see up to 25 patients per day – a cap which was recently described as 'arbitrary' by NHS officials.

But a survey has found that 40 per cent of GP partners have a daily limit to the number of patients they will see – before redirecting them to other services. The Daily Mail

See also:

• 40% of GP practices set limit on number of patients seen per day Pulse
• Safe working in general practice BMA

Meet the NHS doctor and social media sensation who is on a one-man mission to debunk rogue health myths peddled online (and you'll definitely enjoy one of his recommendations!)

Meet the NHS doctor and social media sensation who is on a one-man mission to debunk rogue health myths peddled online (and you'll definitely enjoy one of his recommendations!) You've probably seen his face, debunking quackery like taping your mouth shut will help you sleep.

But TikTok icon Dr Karan Raj, who has amassed millions of fans for his witty, punchy explainers, is one of the few reliable social media experts.

The Hampshire-based NHS surgeon, whose full name is Dr Karan Rangarajan, has shared thousands of videos online, tackling the endless stream of rogue health myths circulating on the web. The Daily Mail