Is Manchester greater?: a new analysis of NHS integration

Is Manchester greater?: a new analysis of NHS integration The government is embarking on the most significant NHS reforms for a decade, with the aim of improving collaboration and integration across health and social care. However this analysis of existing pilot schemes finds no compelling evidence of overall improvement. This report finds that in Greater Manchester, where integration is most advanced, results have been generally poor. Centre for Policy Studies

NHS appoints national director of learning disability and autism

NHS appoints national director of learning disability and autism NHS England has announced the appointment of Tom Cahill as the national director for learning disability and autism.

Tom, who has been chief executive of Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust since 2009, will join NHS England to build on progress already made in providing people with a learning disability or autism with care in the community, rather than in inpatient settings. 

Consultation on mandatory vaccination for frontline health and care staff

Consultation on mandatory vaccination for frontline health and care staff The government is seeking views on plans for staff in health and care settings in England to be required to have COVID-19 and flu vaccines to protect vulnerable people. 

The consultation, running for a period of 6 weeks, looks at whether requirements should apply for health and wider social care workers: those in contact with patients and people receiving care. It would mean only those who are fully vaccinated, unless medically exempt, could be deployed to deliver health and care services. The consultation will also seek views on whether flu vaccines should be a requirement for health and care workers. Department of Health and Social Care

Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published National influenza and COVID-19 report, monitoring coronavirus (COVID-19) activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. Public Health England

See also: 

• Research: COVID-19 vaccine surveillance reports Public Health England

Covid: Boosters not needed for all, says Oxford jab creator

Covid: Boosters not needed for all, says Oxford jab creator Giving booster jabs to everyone is unnecessary, says the scientist behind the Oxford vaccine, as she calls for doses to be sent to countries in need.

Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert told the Daily Telegraph some vulnerable groups would need boosters but immunity was "lasting well" in the majority of cases.

"We need to get vaccines to countries where few of the population have been vaccinated so far," she added. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca approved as booster vaccines BBC News
• Covid England: PHE data highlights how vast majority of people being hospitalised are unvaccinated The Daily Mail
• Covid cases in England rose 9% last week as schools went back The Daily Mail
• Covid cases in Israel fall sharply amid mass booster vaccine rollout The Daily Mail
• More than 8,000 people in hospital with Covid in UK The Guardian
• Ministers hoping vaccines watchdog will back mass rollout of booster jabs The Guardian
• NHS 'faces breaking point by November' without masks and social distancing as Covid cases rise iNews

Record 5.6m people in England waiting for hospital treatment

Record 5.6m people in England waiting for hospital treatment The number of people in England waiting for hospital treatment has reached a new record high.

A total of 5.6 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of July, according to figures from NHS England. This is the highest number since records began in August 2007 and includes those waiting for hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS performance summary: July-August 2021 Nuffield Trust
• Long waits for ambulances continue in England BBC News
• One in 10 people in England now on NHS waiting list, figures show The Daily Mail
• Spire reports £4.7m profits on back of long NHS waiting lists The Guardian
• Johnson’s hopes of banishing NHS backlog likely to remain wishful thinking The Guardian
• NHS waiting list hits record high, new figures show The Independent

Johnson’s hopes of banishing NHS backlog likely to remain wishful thinking

Johnson’s hopes of banishing NHS backlog likely to remain wishful thinking Analysis: Persistent understaffing and ageing estate means drive to slash waiting lists will be very hard to achieve

Every day brings reminders of how permanently under-resourced the NHS is: a ward closing here because there are too few nurses, a queue of ambulances – each with a patient in the back – stuck outside an overstretched A&E there. The Guardian

See also: 

• Raising the levy: will the new health and social care tax work? The King's Fund
• Additional funding alone not enough for momentous recovery task ahead for health and care services Nuffield Trust
• Minister defends social care bill reform wait BBC News
• Don't kid yourself tax rises will fund a better NHS The Daily Telegraph
• Left in its current state, the NHS will squander every penny of Boris' windfall The Daily Telegraph
• Nearly half of all NHS staff have no medical qualifications The Daily Telegraph
• I don't want NHS managers to be paid 'unacceptable' salaries with health tax funds, says care minister The Daily Telegraph
• NHS will run out of extra cash promised by government in two years, IFS analysis shows The Independent

Remote GP calls may have contributed to five deaths, says coroner

Remote GP calls may have contributed to five deaths, says coroner Remote GP appointments may have been a contributing factor in the deaths of five people who did not see their doctor face to face, a coroner has concluded.

Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Greater Manchester South, said important information missed in telephone appointments may have been acted on if they were seen in person. The Daily Telegraph

NHS trust AI pilot prompts 80% drop in admissions of vulnerable patients

NHS trust AI pilot prompts 80% drop in admissions of vulnerable patients A pilot at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust has shown that predictive artificial intelligence improved care for vulnerable people and reduced hospital appointments by 80%.

Data from the MySense pilot between May 2020 and April 2021 showed that it also significantly reduced unnecessary burden on GPs and other healthcare workers. Public Technology

Vaccine centre's first drop-in sessions for 16-year-olds as Northamptonshire's jabs total passes ONE MILLION

Vaccine centre's first drop-in sessions for 16-year-olds as Northamptonshire's jabs total passes ONE MILLION Northamptonshire’s 16-year-olds can now 'grab a jab' at the county's Covid-19 Vaccination Centre as the number of doses delivered in the county passed ONE MILLION.

The centre at Moulton Park is running its first drop-in sessions for those aged 16 and 17 from 5.30pm on Thursday (September 9). Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also: 

• Consultation on mandatory Covid vaccination for health and care staff begins Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Sword swallower who reached Britain's Got Talent final has a new job with Northamptonshire's Covid jab army Northamptonshire Telegraph

Revealed: The best and worst trusts to be a junior doctor

Revealed: The best and worst trusts to be a junior doctor HSJ analysis of data from the latest General Medical Council national training survey has revealed the top and bottom trusts for overall experience for junior doctors.

Northamptonshire Healthcare features in the top five best trusts to be a junior doctor. Health Service Journal 

The NHS Long Term Plan and COVID-19: Assessing progress and the pandemic’s impact

The NHS Long Term Plan and COVID-19: Assessing progress and the pandemic’s impact This analysis looks at progress on the main pledges in the NHS Long Term Plan and the impact of COVID-19 on their delivery. 

The NHS Long Term Plan remains the blueprint for the NHS’s evolution, but the pandemic has dealt a huge blow to both the NHS and social care. In this report, we provide a narrative of what was achieved before the pandemic, assemble the evidence of how the pandemic has affected progress against the plan’s major commitments, and identify implications for the future as the NHS and government plans its recovery from the pandemic. The Health Foundation

Cancer nursing on the line: why we need urgent investment across the UK

Cancer nursing on the line: why we need urgent investment across the UK UK cancer services are slowly recovering from the devastating blow caused by Covid-19. The pandemic has both laid bare and exacerbated the terrible strain the cancer workforce has been under for many years. 

When the pandemic hit, some services were forced to pause, whilst others had to quickly adapt and many have still not ‘returned to normal’. Some cancer nurses were also deployed to care around the clock for the half a million people admitted to hospital with coronavirus. The practical and emotional impact of this disruption on people living with cancer has been profound. McMillan Cancer Support

See also:

• Nurse shortage ‘delaying treatment for 21% of UK cancer patients’ The Guardian
• NHS staff shortages led to failings in my cancer treatment, says patient calling for more specialist nurses iNews
• COVID-19: Cancer and heart patients say they felt 'abandoned' and 'anxious' after NHS treatments repeatedly cancelled and disrupted by pandemic Sky News

An ever-growing NHS budget could swallow up all of this week’s tax rise, leaving little for social care

An ever-growing NHS budget could swallow up all of this week’s tax rise, leaving little for social care This week saw major announcements on health and social care funding. Outside of the usual Budget or Spending Review process, the government announced around £12 billion of additional spending for the Department of Health and Social Care for each year between 2022−23 and 2024−25, alongside a corresponding tax rise. Institute for Fiscal Studies

See also: 

• 'If NHS needs money, there's less for social care' BBC News
• NHS could ‘swallow up’ all the money raised by new tax rise, says IFS The Guardian

Innovation and new technology to help reduce NHS waiting lists

Innovation and new technology to help reduce NHS waiting lists Local surgical hubs, new technology to speed up diagnosis, and innovative ways of working will help the NHS to tackle growing waiting lists and treat around 30% more patients who need elective care by 2023/24.

Backed by a new £36 billion investment in health and social care over the next 3 years, ‘doing things differently’ and embracing innovation will be the driving force to get the NHS back on track. Department of Health and Social Care 

4 in 5 people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses

4 in 5 people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses Four in 5 people aged 16 and over in the UK have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures show.

A total of 43,535,098 people have received 2 doses (80.1%) and 48,292,811 people have received one dose (88.8%).

More than half of all teenagers aged 16 to 17 in England have already received their first jab, just over 4 weeks after the green light was given for this age group to be offered the vaccine. Department of Health and Social Care 

Covid: Consultation on mandatory jabs for frontline health staff

Covid: Consultation on mandatory jabs for frontline health staff Compulsory Covid and flu jabs for frontline NHS and care workers in England are being considered in a government consultation.

Plans are already in place to make it mandatory for care home workers in England to be fully vaccinated.

But some unions and care organisations have warned that making the jabs mandatory will lead to staff shortages. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Boris Johnson concerned over unvaccinated hospital patients BBC News
• Covid England and Wales: Weekly deaths rise 17% to 668 as virus now behind one in 15 fatalities The Daily Mail
• Covid vaccines do NOT increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women, two new studies find The Daily Mail
• 'Frustrated' doctors reveal Covid patients STILL not being given Regeneron's antibody cocktail The Daily Mail
• PHE says it has spotted 53 cases of 'Mu' variant in UK which is feared to be resistant to vaccines The Daily Mail
• People refusing Covid jabs should not work in social care, minister suggests The Guardian
• WHO asks rich countries to delay Covid booster jabs for rest of year The Independent
• Covid-19 booster vaccines will start being given to older groups in the next fortnight under NHS plans iNews
• Doctors and nurses say NHS needs 'firebreak' as staff struggle with demand of Covid cases iNews
• Unvaccinated frontline NHS staff to be redeployed Nursing Notes

Will Boris Johnson’s plan for the NHS work?

Will Boris Johnson’s plan for the NHS work? Boris Johnson chose to visit a hospital he knows only too well to highlight the new funding package for the NHS in England.

He spent anxious days in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in central London in April 2020, seriously ill with Covid.

The pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over the NHS and that's because of uncertainty over how case numbers and hospital admissions will develop next year. BBC News

See also: 

• Health Secretary opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph Department of Health and Social Care
• Boris Johnson on need to address NHS wait times BBC News
• Social care tax rise: Boris Johnson wins Commons vote  BBC News
• Social care: Will people still have to sell their homes? BBC News
• Now NHS wants to hire £270k bosses: Recruitment drive fuels fears over where extra cash raised by social care reforms will be going The Daily Mail
• ‘Misleading’ social care cap does not cover care home food and accommodation costs The Daily Telegraph
• UK care homes say funding shake-up threatens their viability The Guardian
• Social care backlash grows after MPs vote through tax plan The Guardian
• Social care funding in England: your questions answered The Guardian
• UK lawmakers back tax hike to pay for health, long-term care The Independent
• MPs back National Insurance hike to tackle NHS backlog and fund PM's care changes Sky News

Transport noise linked to increased risk of dementia, study finds

Transport noise linked to increased risk of dementia, study finds Exposure to noise from road traffic and railways is associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to the largest study of its kind.

Research has consistently linked transport noise to health conditions including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, but studies on transport noise and dementia were scarce and small, and findings inconsistent. The Guardian

See also: 

• Residential exposure to transportation noise in Denmark and incidence of dementia: national cohort study (open access) The BMJ

GP surgeries in England told to provide face-to-face appointments

GP surgeries in England told to provide face-to-face appointments Sajid Javid has told nearly 1,000 GP surgeries to provide more face-to-face appointments — after they were found to be failing to meet basic patient needs.

The Health Secretary said that while online and phone consults can be convenient for some, they 'are not right for everyone'.  The Daily Mail 

Two in five 16 to 17-year-olds in Northampton receive first Covid jab

Two in five 16 to 17-year-olds in Northampton receive first Covid jab Two in five 16 to 17-year-olds in Northampton have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, figures reveal.

It comes as pupils across England return to school after the summer holidays, amid a warning over a potential rise in cases. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid-19: Low jab rate 'a factor' in Corby's high case rate BBC Northampton 
• Northampton Covid-19 testing centre staff not paid for three weeks continue working due to 'human spirit' Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Kettering drugs overdoses linked to hazardous substance

Kettering drugs overdoses linked to hazardous substance Police have warned that a "potentially dangerous batch of crack cocaine and heroin" has led to four overdoses in a town in a few days.

Northamptonshire Police said "lifesaving interventions" have been needed in a number of incidents in Kettering.

It believed "a very hazardous substance - possible isotonitazene or fentanyl - has been used as a cutting agent". BBC News

See also: 

• Police issue warning over dangerous batch of Class A drugs Northamptonshire Police

Record £36 billion investment to reform NHS and Social Care

Record £36 billion investment to reform NHS and Social Care The Prime Minister today set out responsible, fair, and necessary plans to tackle the Covid backlogs, reform adult social care, and bring the health and social care system closer together on a long term, sustainable footing.

£36 billion will be invested in the health and care system over the next three years, to ensure it has the long term resource it needs. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Social care cap a bold step forward but funding won't ‘fix’ social care or tackle the NHS backlog The Health Foundation
• The King's Fund responds to the announcement of a health and social care levy The King's Fund
• Care providers, care users and workers will feel short-changed by proposed health and social care levy and reform Nuffield Trust
• Why the cap on care costs is not all it seems BBC News
• MPs to vote on health and social care tax rise BBC News
• Boris Johnson outlines health and social care tax to pay for reforms BBC News
• Nursing sector bosses hail plan to fund social care reforms but fear NHS will hoover up billions The Daily Mail
• Levy will ensure our NHS can cope with this unprecedented challenge The Daily Telegraph
• Funding social care is 'permanent new role for Government', says Rishi Sunak The Daily Telegraph
• Boris Johnson raises taxes by £12bn a year to fund NHS and social care – video The Guardian
• More money for the NHS is overdue, but there's not nearly enough to fix social care | Andy Cowper The Guardian

Four in five people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses

Four in five people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses Four in five people aged 16 and over in the UK have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures show.

A total of 43,535,098 people have received two doses (80.1%) and 48,292,811 people have received one dose (88.8%). Department of Health and Social Care 

Covid: No plans for October lockdown, says government

Covid: No plans for October lockdown, says government The government has denied newspaper reports that it is planning an October lockdown in England.

The i newspaper said plans had been drawn up to extend the school half-term holiday, if the number of hospitalisations continue at the current level.

The i said a full lockdown was unlikely - but the government could introduce some rules as part of a "firebreak". BBC News

See also:

• Cases of the Mu variant begin to rise, experts fear the variant could be more contagious than Delta The Daily Mail
• COVID-19: AstraZeneca boss says booster jabs may not be needed for everyone and widespread rollout could put extra pressure on NHS Sky News

Sexually transmitted infections fall during pandemic

Sexually transmitted infections fall during pandemic Cases of newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are down by a third in England, data reveals.

Experts say the drop is partly due to people changing their behaviour during the pandemic but also because fewer tests have been done.

With few Covid restrictions remaining, people are now being warned not to swap social distancing for an STI - and to get checked if they have risky sex. BBC News

See also: 

• STI rates remain a concern despite fall in 2020 Public Health England
• Official Statistics: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): annual data tables Public Health England
• STI rates plunged by a third last year as Covid lockdowns forced 'changes in behaviour' The Daily Mail

Thousands of cancer patients could qualify for 'effective and valuable' treatment

Thousands of cancer patients could qualify for 'effective and valuable' treatment Some 8,000 people in England with hormone-sensitive or hormone-relapsed prostate cancer will be eligible for apalutamide treatment after it was recommended by a health watchdog. The Daily Mail 

Long-term air pollution linked to greater risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation

Long-term air pollution linked to greater risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation A new report finds a link between long-term exposure to air pollution and the severity with which a person will experience the effects of COVID-19.

Air pollution has harmful effects on the lungs. When COVID-19, a disease which infects the airways of the lungs, became a global pandemic it raised the question - does air pollution increase the chance of catching COVID-19 or worsen health outcomes if you do contract it? Imperial College London Environmental Research Group

Dismissed for too long: recommendations to improve migraine care in the UK

Dismissed for too long: recommendations to improve migraine care in the UK This report found a wide range of issues with migraine healthcare including slow or no diagnosis and lack of access to specialist care. It sets out the action needed from government, healthcare systems and other organisations to give everyone living with migraine in the UK the support they need. Migraine Trust 

Additional £5.4 billion for NHS COVID-19 response over next six months

Additional £5.4 billion for NHS COVID-19 response over next six months The NHS will receive an extra £5.4 billion over the next six months to support its response to COVID-19 and help tackle waiting lists, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid have announced.

The funding will immediately go towards supporting the NHS to manage the immediate pressures of the pandemic. This includes an extra £1 billion to help tackle the COVID-19 backlog, £2.8 billion to cover related costs such as enhanced infection control measures to keep staff and patients safe from the virus and £478 million to continue the hospital discharge programme, freeing up beds. Department of Health and Social Care

Social care: PM to unveil overhaul of sector in England

Social care: PM to unveil overhaul of sector in England Boris Johnson will vow to end "catastrophic costs" for social care users in England when he sets out long-awaited reform proposals later.

The prime minister will announce the plans to MPs, alongside money to help the NHS respond to the Covid pandemic.

He is expected to breach election promises and raise National Insurance (NI) by about 1.25%.

And the plan has prompted a backlash from some of his own Tory MPs. BBC News

See also: 

• Fixing social care is not all about a cap on costs The King's Fund
• There is an alternative to the Government's social care reform plans The Daily Telegraph
• What has gone wrong with social care in England? The Guardian
• Boris Johnson faces growing red wall rebellion over social care tax rises The Guardian
• Boris Johnson to defy Tory anger with social care plan set to hit workers with higher national insurance bills The Independent
• UK National Insurance rise: How social care reform plans could impact income – and why there’s a backlash iNews
• Why is Boris Johnson's plan for social care reform being widely criticised? ITV News

Government plans October firebreak lockdown if Covid hospital admissions remain high

Government plans October firebreak lockdown if Covid hospital admissions remain high The Government has drawn up plans for an October “firebreak” Covid lockdown should hospitalisations continue at their current level and threaten to overload the NHS, a senior Government scientist has told i.

The member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the UK is about to enter “an extended peak” of infections and hospitalisations, which are in danger of pushing the NHS beyond breaking point and could force the Government to re-introduce restrictions over the school half term period at the end of next month. iNews

See also: 

• United States eclipses more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths per day - the highest in six months The Daily Mail
• Weekly Covid tests for pupils could be scrapped this month, Gavin Williamson says The Daily Telegraph
• No 10 intent on keeping Covid powers amid expected rise in cases The Guardian
• NHS 'ready to go' with Covid jab booster programme, says vaccines minister The Independent
• Covid antibodies ‘tumbling’ among elderly, fuelling calls for booster jab rollout The Independent

Mental health patients in shared wards despite calls for NHS to end practice

Mental health patients in shared wards despite calls for NHS to end practice Concerns raised after minister says there are more than 1,100 beds still in dormitory settings in England.

People with serious mental health problems are being forced to share wards with distressed fellow patients, 20 years after the NHS was told to give them all their own rooms.

There are still more than 1,100 beds in dormitory wards in mental health units in England, despite sustained criticism of their potentially damaging effects on patients, the government has said. The Guardian 

GP staff facing abuse from patients over cancelled blood tests

GP staff facing abuse from patients over cancelled blood tests GP surgery staff are facing abuse from patients who are “angry and upset” that their blood test has been cancelled because of the NHS-wide chronic shortage of sample bottles.

“Patients are angry when we ring them up and say, ‘Sorry we can’t do your blood test after all’. A lot of people are quite angry and concerned about their own health,” Dr David Wrigley, the deputy chair of council at the British Medical Association, said. The Guardian 

Corby's Covid rate now highest in England again

Corby's Covid rate now highest in England again Corby holds the unenviable position of having England's highest Covid-19 case rate once more after a surge in people testing positive for the virus.

The town's high rates topped the chart for the majority of the first three months of 2021 before cases rapidly dropped. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Car sharing could be adding to Covid increase in Northamptonshire warn NHS officials Northants Live 

Corby medical practice warns patients of flu vaccine delays

Corby medical practice warns patients of flu vaccine delays Corby's biggest GP practice has warned patients to not turn up for flu jab appointments because the shipment of life-saving vaccines has been delayed. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Almost £17bn needed to clear backlog and treat expected rise in patients needing NHS hospital care

Almost £17bn needed to clear backlog and treat expected rise in patients needing NHS hospital care Further support and investment in staff and infrastructure also essential to address ‘huge challenge’ facing the NHS, warns The Health Foundation

New analysis from the Health Foundation’s REAL Centre sets out the scale of the challenge facing government if it wants to clear the backlog in NHS care over the course of this parliament and return hospital waiting times to 18 weeks. 

We need to move from person-centred to community-centred services

We need to move from person-centred to community-centred services For many years, health and social care organisations have aimed to create 'person-centred' services built around the individual. But if we want to make a meaningful difference to people's health and wellbeing, I believe there is a need to shift from person-centred to community-centred ways of working. My argument in this blog is that to do so we need to reframe what success would look like; promote more 'mutual' approaches; give community building the same billing (and resource) as public service reform and be open and honest about what gets in the way. The King's Fund 

Clinical and care professional leadership in integrated care systems

Clinical and care professional leadership in integrated care systems This report was commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement, to inform its guidance to support embedding system-wide clinical and professional leadership in all integrated care systems. NHS Confederation 

Prospective parents given more choice over when to start a family

Prospective parents given more choice over when to start a family People across the UK will have more choice over when to start a family as the government sets out plans to increase the storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos.

Following a public consultation last year, proposals will be introduced to increase the statutory storage limits for everyone from the current 10 years, to a 10 year renewable storage period up to a maximum of 55 years. Department of Health and Social Care 

New body to tackle health disparities will launch 1 October, co-headed by new DCMO

New body to tackle health disparities will launch 1 October, co-headed by new DCMO The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will officially launch on 1 October with the aim of tackling health inequalities across the country. It will be co-led by newly appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy.

The OHID will be a vital part of the Department of Health and Social Care and will drive the prevention agenda across government to reduce health disparities, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and improve the public’s health.

People seeking NHS weight loss help heavier than those before COVID new study finds

People seeking NHS weight loss help heavier than those before COVID new study finds People seeking NHS help to lose weight during the pandemic are on average five pounds heavier than those starting the programme during the previous three years, new NHS research has revealed. Extra weight, gained as people lived through the COVID pandemic, means people are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. NHS England 

Covid: Shaken to the core, can the NHS cope this winter?

Covid: Shaken to the core, can the NHS cope this winter? With autumn arriving, the NHS is bracing itself for a tough few months.

Covid, plus the return of normal winter illnesses and a growing backlog, could stretch the NHS to its limit.

How well equipped is the NHS for what is coming? BBC News

See also: 

• Millions of pupils return to school amid Covid spike concern BBC News
• Covid: What Israel tells us about the way out of the pandemic BBC News
• Covid-19: Vaccine passports to start in England this month BBC News
• Covid: Decision to jab children 'entirely up to parents' BBC News
• Nadhim Zahawi hints full vaccination will be required of NHS staff The Daily Mail
• NHS staffing crisis fears as Sajid Javid pushes ahead with compulsory Covid vaccines The Daily Telegraph
• Give pupils Covid jab to prevent virus running through UK, expert says The Guardian
• COVID-19: Forcing all NHS staff to have coronavirus jab 'not necessary', says leading health group Sky News

Flu jab delay: Doctors call for MPs to take action

Flu jab delay: Doctors call for MPs to take action Doctors have queried why the government did not plan for a delay to flu vaccine deliveries in England and Wales.

Seqirus, one of the UK's largest suppliers of seasonal flu vaccines, has said the delay of up to two weeks is due to a shortage of HGV drivers.

British Medical Association vice-chairman David Wrigley urged MPs to "to take some action and say why are there were no contingency plans in place". BBC News 

See also: 

• Winter flu vaccine programme ‘cannot fail’ says College in response to delivery delays Royal College of General Practitioners
• GP surgeries in England cancel flu jabs amid vaccine shortage The Guardian
• Winter flu jabs in England face disruption from vaccine shortage The Independent

NHS to receive extra £5.5bn to help Covid recovery, says government source

NHS to receive extra £5.5bn to help Covid recovery, says government source Boris Johnson will unveil his long-term plans for social care and the NHS as early as Tuesday, amid rows over how to pay for multi-billion pound funding.

The PM said he had a plan to reform social care when he took power in 2019, but has yet to announce the detail.

Now, reports of an increase in National Insurance to cover the cost - which would break his commitment not to raise taxes - has led to anger from Tory MPs. BBC News

See also:

• Social care: Plans for reform in England likely this week - sources BBC News
• Chancellor is 'playing hardball' over PM's proposed £10billion tax to ease Covid pressures on NHS The Daily Mail
• Increase taxes not national insurance to fund social care, says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• Boris Johnson faces open warfare with his own party over national insurance hike The Independent
• Politicians' obsession with NHS funding has left social care fat cats to milk the system dry iNews

Reports of sex abuse between children double in two years

Reports of sex abuse between children double in two years Reports of children sexually abusing other children doubled in the two years to 2019, according to police figures obtained by BBC Panorama.

The programme has followed up on research from 2017, when police recorded almost 8,000 reports of abuse among under-18s in England and Wales.

Yearly reports have risen to between 15,000 and 16,000, but cases fell in 2020-21 during the pandemic. BBC News 

Cuts to NHS mental health beds mean more than £100m spent on private providers

Cuts to NHS mental health beds mean more than £100m spent on private providers Plummeting numbers of mental health beds in the NHS have led to a steep rise in spending on private hospitals in England as patients are increasingly sent miles from home to be treated, according to Labour research. The Independent

Coroners warned of mental health care failings in dozens of inquests

Coroners warned of mental health care failings in dozens of inquests Shortfalls in mental health services and staffing have been flagged as concerns in dozens of inquests since 2015, the Observer can reveal, with coroners issuing repeated warnings over patients facing long waiting lists or falling through gaps in service provision.

The Observer has identified 56 mental health-related deaths in England and Wales from the start of 2015 to the end of 2020 where coroners identified a lack of staffing or service provision as a “matter of concern”, meaning they believed “there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken”.

NHS gender identity clinic whistleblower wins damages

NHS gender identity clinic whistleblower wins damages A child safeguarding expert who faced vilification after raising concerns about the safety of children undergoing treatment at a London NHS gender identity clinic has won an employment tribunal case against the hospital trust.

Sonia Appleby, 62, was awarded £20,000 after an employment tribunal ruled the NHS’s Tavistock and Portman trust’s treatment of her damaged her professional reputation and “prevented her from proper work on safeguarding”. The Guardian

See also: 

•  NHS child gender identity clinic whistleblower wins tribunal BBC News

Pilot scheme to link up NHS and social care is increasing delays

Pilot scheme to link up NHS and social care is increasing delays Patients waited longer for treatment under a flagship pilot scheme to integrate health and social care, figures reveal, as experts warn the programme may exacerbate the backlog. The Daily Telegraph

Lucy Wightman's LAST column: Everyone needs to help to ensure we can live safely in Northamptonshire with Covid among us

Lucy Wightman's LAST column: Everyone needs to help to ensure we can live safely in Northamptonshire with Covid among us 'We all need to continue to play our vital part in preventing further cases across Northamptonshire' says county's public health director. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Northamptonshire 16 and 17-year-olds urged to take up coronavirus vaccine offer to protect themselves and loved ones Northampton Chronicle and Echo

GP patient survey 2021: The 10 worst-rated doctors’ surgeries in Northamptonshire as voted by you

GP patient survey 2021: The 10 worst-rated doctors’ surgeries in Northamptonshire as voted by you Patients’ satisfaction with their local surgeries has remained high despite all of the chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Gynaecological cancer awareness month: Specialist nurse from Northampton busts common myths

Gynaecological cancer awareness month: Specialist nurse from Northampton busts common myths A specialist nurse from Northampton has busted a number of common myths about gynaecological cancer as part of an awareness month.

Claire Campbell, Macmillan’s Gynae-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Northampton General Hospital, has put the facts straight on gynaecological cancers and is correcting some of the most common myths. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Osteoporosis: Woman had nine spinal fractures in 10 months

Osteoporosis: Woman had nine spinal fractures in 10 months A woman with osteoporosis said she had nine spinal fractures in 10 months and was left unable to walk.

Karen Faulkner, 61, from Northampton, said prior to being diagnosed with osteoporosis she was a regular gym-goer with a full-time job.

But she said has been now unable to work for more than a year. BBC Northampton

Fixing social care is not all about a cap on costs

Fixing social care is not all about a cap on costs Einstein said that everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. He would surely turn in his grave at the state of the debate about social care reform in England which, increasingly, has been reduced to whether the government will introduce a 'cap' on social care costs and, if so, how it will pay for it. The King's Fund

Deaths from suicide that occurred in England and Wales: April to July 2020

Deaths from suicide that occurred in England and Wales: April to July 2020 This is the first assessment of suicides in England and Wales, based on official death registrations, that occurred during the early months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, until now not feasible because of death registration delays. Office for National Statistics

See also:

• England's first Covid lockdown DIDN'T trigger a spike in suicides, official data shows The Daily Mail
• Suicide rate fell during first Covid lockdown The Daily Telegraph
• Suicide rate did not rise during first Covid lockdown, reports ONS Evening Standard

New hospitals join pioneering study to improve prostate cancer diagnosis using AI

New hospitals join pioneering study to improve prostate cancer diagnosis using AI Six new NHS trusts across England will receive funding for ground-breaking trial of Artificial Intelligence to diagnose prostate cancer quicker. Department of Health and Social Care 

UK and Australia agree to share vaccines to tackle global pandemic

UK and Australia agree to share vaccines to tackle global pandemic The UK and Australia will share COVID-19 vaccine doses to benefit each other’s life-saving vaccine rollout programmes, the government has announced today.

The UK will send 4 million Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to Australia to rapidly enhance their vaccination programme, with the first batch of 292,000 doses due to be shipped shortly. Australia will return the same overall volume of doses before the end of the year. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Half of all 16 and 17-year-olds receive life-saving COVID vaccine NHS England
• COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report published Public Health England
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2021 to 2022 season Public Health England

Covid: Schools aren't infection hubs, says public health boss

Covid: Schools aren't infection hubs, says public health boss Schools are not "drivers" or "hubs" of Covid infection, Public Health England's medical director has said.

Dr Yvonne Doyle said she understood parents' nervousness about schools returning after the summer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

She stressed that lots of measures to cut Covid spread remained in place.

But Prof Calum Semple, a government scientific adviser, said with most adults vaccinated, schools were likely to be a "greater part of the problem". BBC News

See also: 

• Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country BBC News
• Covid: Australia to get Pfizer doses from UK in vaccine swap BBC News
• HALF of all 16 and 17 year olds in England have already had their Covid vaccine The Daily Mail
• No urgency on Covid booster shots for healthy adults, says UK scientist The Guardian
• Covid: NHS 'ready' to vaccinate over-12s in schools in 'very near future', Gavin Williamson says ITV News

Jeremy Hunt: Taxpayers must pay more to fund social care

Jeremy Hunt: Taxpayers must pay more to fund social care The government must find a way for social care to be adequately funded, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said, amid reports ministers plan to raise national insurance.

Downing Street did not deny reports of an increase of at least 1% to improve social care and tackle the NHS backlog. BBC News

See also: 

• Why the time has come for a new health and care premium The Daily Telegraph
• Tax rise for 25 million to pay for social care The Daily Telegraph
• Increase taxes not national insurance to fund social care, says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• Rise in national insurance could fund post-Covid boost for NHS The Guardian

Sexual abuse of children happening in broad range of religious settings, report finds

Sexual abuse of children happening in broad range of religious settings, report finds Most major religions are guilty of "blatant hypocrisy" for covering up sex abuse while preaching "right from wrong", a government-ordered inquiry has concluded. 

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) examined child protection in 38 religious organisations and settings in England and Wales. The Daily Telegraph

See also: 

• Religious groups in UK failing children over sex abuse, report says BBC News
• Child sexual abuse victims let down by ‘blatant hypocrisy and moral failing of religions’, inquiry finds The Independent
• A 'moral failing': Report finds child sexual abuse prevalent in institutions across major UK religions Sky News

Around 78 million people may have dementia by 2030 - a 45% increase - WHO predicts

Around 78 million people may have dementia by 2030 - a 45% increase - WHO predicts About 78 million people may have dementia by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates in a new report. 

It would be a 42 percent increase from current figures - the number was 55 million in 2019.

By 2050, the number of people with dementia could be 139 million, the WHO says - a whopping 153 percent increase from 2019. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• World failing to address dementia challenge World Health Organization
• Global status report on the public health response to dementia World Health Organization

GP patient survey 2021: the 10 best-rated doctors’ surgeries in Northamptonshire as voted by you

GP patient survey 2021: the 10 best-rated doctors’ surgeries in Northamptonshire as voted by you In a year when GP appointments were more likely to be a phone call than a face-to-face meeting, it seems patients’ satisfaction with their local surgeries has remained high. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

What will it cost to get the NHS and social care on the road to recovery?

What will it cost to get the NHS and social care on the road to recovery? Next week parliament will return, with the government facing a number of important and pressing decisions. Looming large is the future funding of the NHS and social care.

The Chancellor has now set 27 October as the date for the Autumn Statement and it’s likely that will include the outcome of a Spending Review. To support planning in the NHS and social care, a multi-year spending review would be the preferred approach, but it might follow the pattern of previous years and only cover one year. Either way there is speculation that funding for the NHS and social care will be decided and announced in a matter of weeks. The Health Foundation 

A reckoning: the continuing cost of COVID-19

A reckoning: the continuing cost of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has inceased the cost of running frontline NHS services by £4-5bn a year.

These costs are in addition to other key financial factors, such as the need to fund capital investment and recover care backlogs, and they will be with us for the duration of the three-year period that is expected to be covered by the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).

This joint briefing by NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation, based on survey data from 54% of the provider sector, explains the long-term impact of the pandemic on the NHS’s day-to-day running costs, and calls on the government to ensure these costs are met in full. 

See also: 

• Patients in peril as NHS future funding finalised NHS Providers
• Warning over cuts to NHS services without £10bn extra funding BBC News
• NHS ‘needs £10bn annual boost’ to tackle backlog and Covid cost The Guardian

Scrapping free prescriptions for over-60s “a kick in the teeth both for poorly older people and the NHS”

Scrapping free prescriptions for over-60s “a kick in the teeth both for poorly older people and the NHS” Charity launches new campaign to save free prescriptions for 60-65s, warning it will put older people’s health at risk and pile pressure on the NHS if government plans go ahead. Age UK 

See also: 

• Scrapping free prescriptions for over-60s ‘could have devastating impact’ The Guardian

Health Secretary and DCMO statements on JCVI advice on third jabs

Health Secretary and DCMO statements on JCVI advice on third jabs The government accepts JCVI's advice to offer a third COVID-19 vaccine to people with severely weakened immune systems. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Independent report: Third primary COVID-19 vaccine dose for people who are immunosuppressed: JCVI advice Department of Health and Social Care
• JCVI issues advice on third dose vaccination for severely immunosuppressed Public Health England

Coronavirus vaccines cut risk of long Covid, study finds

Coronavirus vaccines cut risk of long Covid, study finds Being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 not only cuts the risk of catching it, but also of an infection turning into long Covid, research led by King's College London suggests.

It shows that in the minority of people who get Covid despite two jabs, the odds of developing symptoms lasting longer than four weeks are cut by 50%. BBC News

See also: 

• Risk factors and disease profile of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection in UK users of the COVID Symptom Study app: a prospective, community-based, nested, case-control study (open access) The Lancet Infectious Diseases
• Third Covid jab advised for most vulnerable 1% BBC News
• Long Covid in children - time to be reassured BBC News
• Ivermectin developer begins trial of pill it hopes could prevent people from contracting Covid The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: Daily cases flatten at 35,693 positive tests amid fears schools' return will cause surge The Daily Mail
• WHO warns of potentially vaccine resistant 'Mu' variant that originated in Colombia The Daily Mail
• Just one in 20 pupils identified as contacts of children with Covid-19 went on to test positive The Daily Telegraph
• Who will be eligible for a third Covid jab in the UK? The Guardian
• UK sees 207 Covid deaths in 24 hours — highest daily number for six months The Independent

Mental Health: The ambulance workers feeding callers

Mental Health: The ambulance workers feeding callers The British Dietetic Association say they are concerned about a rise in mental health patients across the UK going without food during the Covid-19 crisis.

With specialist dieticians seeing an increase in patients arriving at hospital malnourished, there are calls for mental health assessments to include questions about people's access to food.

The BBC followed a mental health ambulance team in Merseyside who have been providing food parcels for patients. BBC News 

‘We’ve got to catch up’: inside an NHS hospital battling a long waiting list

‘We’ve got to catch up’: inside an NHS hospital battling a long waiting list University College hospital allows access to its new facility and staff to show how the health service is trying to tackle backlogs. The Guardian 

Children are facing a postcode lottery over NHS treatment

Children are facing a postcode lottery over NHS treatment Doctors warn that the pandemic has had a 'very detrimental effect' on youngsters after paediatric staff were redeployed to treat adults with Covid. It means young patients had operations cancelled. The Daily Mail 

Vial shortage leads to KGH and GPs cancelling routine blood tests

Vial shortage leads to KGH and GPs cancelling routine blood tests Kettering General Hospital has cancelled some routine blood tests and has warned it may need to postpone more because of a national shortage of test tubes. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

What good looks like framework and funding digital programmes

What good looks like framework and funding digital programmes The NHSX What good looks like framework outlines digital best practice for trusts and integrated care systems. This briefing summarises the proposed framework and associated funding information, followed by a discussion of the implications for trust leaders. NHS Providers 

Guidance for LPCs and pharmacy PCN Leads on the role of a lead and the support that should be offered

Guidance for LPCs and pharmacy PCN Leads on the role of a lead and the support that should be offered This briefing describes how an appointed pharmacy primary care network (PCN) lead should carry out this role. It outlines the principles leads should follow in the discharge of their role, as well as providing guidance for Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) and Pharmacy PCN Leads on additional aspects of the role, including support that should be provided, appointment terms, funding for the role and providing clarity on the role’s remit. Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee 

NHS to diagnose thousands of people with rare diabetes

NHS to diagnose thousands of people with rare diabetes Genetic testing on the NHS will spot a rare form of diabetes in thousands of people unaware they are living with the disease, alongside a new training scheme for staff.

The test being rolled out across England can also spot whether people have passed the affected gene on to their children, while the health service is training hundreds of staff across the country to be experts in the rare condition.

Known as monogenic diabetes, around 12,000 people in England are thought to have the condition, which if left undetected can mean patients struggle to manage glucose levels. NHS England 

‘Operation Warm Welcome’ underway to support Afghan arrivals in the UK

‘Operation Warm Welcome’ underway to support Afghan arrivals in the UK Arrivals under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy will be given immediate indefinite leave to remain, alongside funding for school places and healthcare. Department of Health and Social Care et al

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 31 August 2021

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 31 August 2021 With just under 4.4 million new cases reported this week (23-29 August), the number of new cases reported globally remains similar to the previous week after increasing for nearly two months (since mid-June).

In this edition, a special focus update is provided on SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta which includes updates on the geographic distribution of these VOCs as well as a description of a newly classified Variant of Interest (VOI), Mu. World Health Organization

See also:

• WHO monitoring new coronavirus variant named Mu The Guardian
• A new Covid variant is being monitored by the World Health Organisation Northamptonshire Telegraph

Covid: What do under-30s need to know about the vaccine?

Covid: What do under-30s need to know about the vaccine? Being double vaccinated still offers the best protection against the Delta variant, first identified in India and now dominant in the UK, according to a new study.

But people who have had both doses can still catch and transmit the disease, so researchers say it is essential that as many people are possible get the jab.

Everyone aged 16 and over in the UK can now receive the Covid vaccine. BBC News

See also:

• Covid UK: Daily hospital admissions breach 1,000 for first time since February as cases jump 4.4% The Daily Mail
• Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine creates TWICE as many antibodies as Pfizer's, study finds The Daily Mail
• Trials for Johnson & Johnson HIV vaccine FAIL as shots were determined to be only 25% effective The Daily Mail
• No 10 to press on with plans for Covid vaccine passports in England The Guardian
• ‘Covid-19 isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon’: Hospital boss issues frank warning to staff The Independent

NHS blood tube shortage: Supplier ramps up imports

NHS blood tube shortage: Supplier ramps up imports Becton Dickinson (BD) - which makes blood test vials for the NHS - is ramping up imports to try to alleviate serious shortages of test tubes.

The firm told the BBC it has received "exceptional use authorisation" from UK authorities to import blood tubes that are already approved for use in other countries, such as the US. BBC News

Huge discrepancy in NHS England waiting times for common procedures

Huge discrepancy in NHS England waiting times for common procedures NHS patients enter a postcode lottery when it comes to common hospital treatments such as eye, hip and knee surgery in England – with some areas facing huge backlogs while others have almost none, new research reveals.

The “stark and huge” regional disparities show how thousands of patients have been left in discomfort and pain for months while waiting for procedures that would be readily available only 100 miles away. The Guardian 

Black surgeons ‘promoted far less than white colleagues in England’

Black surgeons ‘promoted far less than white colleagues in England’ Black surgeons are far less likely to be promoted than their white colleagues, according to analysis of NHS medics’ careers in England.

Black men who were junior surgeons in 2010 were 27% less likely to be promoted to consultant than white men between 2016 and 2020, while black women were 42% less likely. The Guardian

See also: 

• The British Academy of Management's research into diversity and seniority in surgery: our comment Royal College of Surgeons

‘Gamechanging’ heart disease drug approved for use in England

‘Gamechanging’ heart disease drug approved for use in England Patients in England are to start receiving a “gamechanger” drug that doctors say will prevent tens of thousands of lives by cutting the number of people who have a heart attack or stroke.

The treatment, inclisiran, works by boosting the liver’s ability to reduce the body’s level of “bad” cholesterol, even in those who have already tried using statins. The Guardian

See also: 

• NICE approves ground-breaking cholesterol-lowering drug inclisiran NICE
• Life-saving cholesterol jab recommended on NHS BBC News
• 'Life-saving' twice-yearly injections can replace daily statin tablets for thousands The Daily Mail

More than 600 mental health crisis referrals to Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust in just a month

More than 600 mental health crisis referrals to Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust in just a month People in crisis were referred for urgent or emergency mental health support at Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust more than 600 times in just a month, figures show. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Warning as Covid variant found in South Africa is ‘most mutated’ strain so far

Warning as Covid variant found in South Africa is ‘most mutated’ strain so far A Covid variant first identified in South Africa “could be more infectious” than all other mutations identified so far, scientists warn.

The C.1.2 strain was detected by scientists in South Africa in May this year and is thought to have the potential to evade coronavirus vaccines. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid vaccine uptake: The Northampton areas with the greatest number of teenagers vaccinated Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Campaign launched for Northamptonshire public to 'be kind and bear others in mind' as normality returns Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Covid rule-breakers from Burton Latimer, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough sentenced at court Northamptonshire Telegraph

The good childhood report 2021

The good childhood report 2021 This report shows the latest trends in children's well-being. The research seeks to understand how young people feel about different aspects of their lives. This year school, friendships and appearance continue to cause the greatest dissatisfaction in adolescence. Children's Society 

Responding to the needs of a diverse workforce and community during Covid-19

Responding to the needs of a diverse workforce and community during Covid-19 Solent NHS Trust is a community and mental health trust that covers Portsmouth, Southampton and parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. At the outbreak of Covid-19, a comprehensive organisational diversity and inclusion response was developed, focussing on five workstreams. This case study describes in detail the five workstreams, accomplishments and lessons learnt for the future. NHS Employers 

NHS COVID ‘grab-a-jab’ initiative boosts ethnic minority vaccinations

NHS COVID ‘grab-a-jab’ initiative boosts ethnic minority vaccinations The NHS COIVD vaccination programme has protected more than 700,000 people from ethnic minority backgrounds since rolling out the grab-a-jab campaign.

An analysis of one grab-a-jab weekend in July found that 2 in 5 of the 80,000 walk-in doses administered were to people from ethnic minority groups, significantly more than the proportion in the wider community.

People have been able to turn up and ‘grab a jab’ at festivals, mosques, town halls, football grounds and other convenient sites since the campaign began earlier this summer. NHS England

See also: 

• Health Secretary article in The Times Department of Health and Social Care

Covid: Delta twice as likely to need hospital care

Covid: Delta twice as likely to need hospital care People are twice as likely to need hospital care if they are sick with the Delta Covid variant, rather than the Alpha variant that was once prevalent in the UK, data from England suggests.

Experts say the big study, published in The Lancet, reinforces why it is important that people get fully jabbed. BBC News

See also:

• Hospital admission and emergency care attendance risk for SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) compared with alpha (B.1.1.7) variants of concern: a cohort study (open access) The Lancet
• Covid: Teen in hospital with virus urges others to get vaccinated BBC News
• New Zealand woman dies after receiving Pfizer vaccine BBC News
• Covid in Scotland: Record number of cases as NHS faces 'perfect storm' BBC News
• Covid origin: US spy agencies publish 'inconclusive' report BBC News
• England will suffer a WORSE Covid outbreak than Scotland following children returning to schools The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: Cases rise 2% in a week to 38,046 as hospitalisations creep up by 10% The Daily Mail
• England's R rate is now definitely ABOVE one for first time in a month and outbreak grew by 9% The Daily Mail
• Unvaccinated care home staff moving to NHS, creating tricky dilemma for Government The Daily Telegraph
• Who is now receiving critical care for Covid? The Guardian
• Up to 600,000 Britons feared to have missed second AstraZeneca dose The Independent
• Why are US anti-vaxxers touting a horse dewormer as a cure for Covid? The Independent