Getting IT right: the case for urgent investment in safe, modern technology and data sharing in the UK’s health services

Getting IT right: the case for urgent investment in safe, modern technology and data sharing in the UK’s health services This report sets out they key areas where more needs to be done to ensure the recovery and resilience of UK health services and the safe delivery of care: infrastructure – hardware, software and connectivity; interoperability – standards and security; involvement – digital leadership, user involvement and skills development; inclusion - digital access and literacy for patients; and investment - prioritise existing funding, protect against budget cuts, increase funding. British Medical Association

Brick by brick: the case for urgent investment in safe, modern, and sustainable healthcare estates

Brick by brick: the case for urgent investment in safe, modern, and sustainable healthcare estates This report examines the condition of the NHS estate across the UK and its impact on both the wellbeing of doctors and patient care, with a focus on: the maintenance and modernisation of healthcare estates; the need to design healthcare environments with capacity, safety and wellbeing in mind; the impact healthcare estates have on climate and the environment; and the need for steeper increases in capital funding. British Medical Association

Nurses' strikes: Union warns of more action unless pay talks open

Nurses' strikes: Union warns of more action unless pay talks open The Royal College of Nursing could announce a fresh wave of strikes if Health Secretary Steve Barclay does not agree to reopen pay negotiations.

Speaking on the BBC's Question Time, the union's leader Pat Cullen said if the government continued to refuse to "get in a room and talk" then the dispute could escalate in the new year.

The UK government says the union's demands are unaffordable.

Nurses are already planning to strike on Tuesday. BBC News

See also:

• End-of-day statement Royal College of Nursing
• Chief nurse calls for strike resolution after day of action BBC News
• Would it cost the government £700m to raise nurses' pay? BBC News
• Is the NHS pay review body independent? BBC News
• 'Nurses are using food banks now' BBC News
• Industrial action causes 'real harms', says NHS Confederation chief Channel 4 News
• What is the truth about the nursing crisis? Fascinating graphs show how pay has barely risen The Daily Mail
• Who is Pat Cullen? The 'taskmaster' organising NHS's biggest ever walk-out The Daily Mail
• Fury as Health Secretary lets deputy do prime-time interviews on day of biggest ever NHS strike The Daily Mail
• 'Four in five Britons concerned about patient safety during NHS strikes' Evening Standard
• Will striking nurses affect my care as an NHS patient? That’s a price I’m willing to pay | Melanie Duddridge The Guardian
• Nurses will step up strikes unless pay offer improved, NHS official warns The Guardian
• Striking nurses need the public behind them to keep pressure on ministers The Guardian
• Hot drinks and public sympathy for nurses on the picket lines The Guardian
• Former Tory ministers join calls for Sunak to negotiate with nurses The Guardian
• NHS nurses on strike: 'Morale has hit the floor' The Guardian
• Government cannot ‘sit back’ on strikes amid warning pay rows will worsen, NHS leaders say The Independent
• Major ambulance workers' union pulls out of NHS pay process ITV News

No timetable for infected blood victims' compensation

No timetable for infected blood victims' compensation There is a "moral case" for compensation to be paid to people affected by the contaminated blood scandal, the government has said.

But Paymaster General Jeremy Quin told MPs he could not commit to a timetable.

In August, the government announced that 4,000 UK victims would receive interim payments of £100,000.

Tens of thousands of people contracted HIV or hepatitis C in the 1970s and 80s after being given infected blood. More than 1,800 have died as a result. BBC News

Ambulance hospital handover delays hit new high in England as one in six patients wait more than hour

Ambulance hospital handover delays hit new high in England as one in six patients wait more than hour One in six patients in England waited more than an hour to be passed to A&E teams last week as ambulance handover delays hit a new high.

A total of 25,182 handover delays of half an hour or longer were recorded across all hospital trusts last week, according to NHS England.

This was 34% of all arrivals by ambulance, up from 31% the previous week. Sky News

How a FIFTH of Britain is waiting on the NHS: Poll lays bare dire state of health service

How a FIFTH of Britain is waiting on the NHS: Poll lays bare dire state of health service A fifth of Britons are waiting for NHS care, official data suggests ahead of what is expected to be the health service's worst ever winter.

Thousands of people were quizzed about their difficulties accessing healthcare.

Twenty per cent revealed that they were waiting on a hospital appointment, test or medical treatment. The Daily Mail

See also:

• The impact of winter pressures on adults in Great Britain: December 2022 Office for National Statistics
• One in eight UK adults using private medical care due to NHS delays The Guardian

Northampton General Hospital infection control team win national environmental award for reducing waste

Northampton General Hospital infection control team win national environmental award for reducing waste The Infection Prevention and Control Team at Northampton General Hospital have won a national environmental award. The nine-strong team – which helps hospital staff to prevent infections and fight bugs such as Covid-19 and norovirus – have won the Best Waste Reduction Project in the national Investors in the Environment Awards 2022. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton General Hospital reveals when 'urgently needed' heated cabin will be installed outside of its busy A&E department

Northampton General Hospital reveals when 'urgently needed' heated cabin will be installed outside of its busy A&E department Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has revealed when an ‘urgently needed’ heated cabin will be installed outside of its busy accident and emergency department.

The hospital has been using a white tent for months now as a waiting area for patients when the A&E department is over capacity - it was initially brought in to to protect patients from the sun during summer. This set up has led to patients, young and old, waiting outside in poor weather conditions for months now. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Rushden 999 rescuer given 14-hour wait time for ambulance as 80-year-old lay on icy pavement

 Rushden 999 rescuer given 14-hour wait time for ambulance as 80-year-old lay on icy pavement Rescuers coming to the aid of an 80-year-old man lying injured after slipping on an icy pavement say they were told there would be a 14-hour wait after their 999 call. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Cost of living: The healthcare ecosystem

Cost of living: The healthcare ecosystem This article explores how the rising cost of living has affected the UK healthcare ecosystem. Rising energy prices and food insecurity can lead to an increasingly ill population, while staff shortages and high hospital bills add pressure to the health system. In November 2022, the UK government announced an £8bn spending increase for health and adult social care, but some organisations have said it is not enough. House of Lords Library

See also:

• Nine in 10 GPs say cost-of-living crisis has destabilised practice finances GPonline

Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review: update report on government implementation

Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review: update report on government implementation This implementation report provides an update on the government’s progress to implement the 2021 government response to the 2020 Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review and improve patient safety. It sets out the steps the government is taking to implement the accepted strategic recommendations and actions for improvement and provides more detail on the government’s work on sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Department of Health and Social Care

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Largest nursing strike in NHS history set to start

Largest nursing strike in NHS history set to start Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have started a nationwide strike in the largest action of its kind in NHS history.

Staff will continue to provide "life-preserving" and some urgent care but routine surgery and other planned treatment is likely to be disrupted.

The Royal College of Nursing said staff had been given no choice after ministers refused to reopen pay talks.

The UK government said the RCN's 19% pay rise demand was unaffordable. BBC News

See also:

• ‘We strike for the future of the NHS’: RCN strike action begins Royal College of Nursing
• How to support and show solidarity with your nursing colleagues BMA
• NHS tells patients to continue to access emergency care during industrial action NHS England
• NHS will keep patients safe despite nurses strike says NHS England Strategy Officer Channel 4 News
• STEVE BARCLAY: My priority is to keep people safe this winter  The Daily Mail
• Everything you need to know about today's NHS nurses strikes The Daily Mail
• Cancer care at risk as nurses strike: Health leaders warn of 'real concerns' for patients The Daily Mail
• NHS strikes: Rishi Sunak says millions will have healthcare disrupted by winter strikes The Daily Mail
• Nurses’ strikes could get worse, warn hospital bosses amid fears for end-of-life care The Daily Telegraph
• GMB withdraws from NHS pay process 'due to lack of independence from Government' Evening Standard
• BMA warns GPs against covering for NHS staff taking strike action GPonline
• Tens of thousands of nurses prepare to strike in ‘tragic first’ for NHS The Guardian
• Tens of thousands of UK nurses go on strike in first such industrial action in NHS history – live The Guardian
• We can’t cope anymore’: Desperate and without any other option, these are the NHS nurses driven to strike The Independent
• ‘Strong possibility’ of further nurses’ strikes in January, warns union leader The Independent
• Government to blame for ‘tragic’ NHS strike, says union boss as nurses start walkout The Independent
• Nurses strikes: What are the demands and what is the government offering? The Independent
• NHS nurses across the UK prepare to walk out on strike ITV News
• What are the salaries of workers going on strike in the UK? The New Statesman

Antibiotic supply gone from bad to worse, say pharmacists

Antibiotic supply gone from bad to worse, say pharmacists Pharmacists say supplies of key antibiotics to treat strep A have "gone from bad to worse" in the past week.

The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMP) said the situation was "unacceptable" and it was time for the government to get a plan in place.

Four antibiotics, which treat different conditions, have been added to a list of products that the UK cannot export. BBC News

33 hours on the frontline of the NHS – podcast

33 hours on the frontline of the NHS – podcast From GP surgeries to pharmacies to hospitals, there is no part of the NHS that is not feeling under enormous strain this winter. Thirty-three months after Covid was declared a pandemic, Andrew Gregory, the Guardian’s health editor, and his colleagues spent hours on the frontline of the NHS to find out how doctors, nurses, paramedics – and the patients they treat – were coping. The Guardian

See also:

• An open letter to the government from a concerned doctor The Independent

Cancer crisis reaches 'watershed moment', experts warn

Cancer crisis reaches 'watershed moment', experts warn Cancer care is at a 'watershed moment' as experts warn the upward trend in deaths is 'likely to continue'.

Leading oncologists and doctors have set out the desperate and urgent need for action to tackle the crisis engulfing UK cancer services. The Daily Mail

See also:

• UK cancer care: a watershed moment and the need for urgent intervention (abstract, but available through trust OpenAthens) The Lancet Oncology
• Treatment delays leave UK facing cancer emergency, doctors warn The Guardian

Northamptonshire hospitals under 'considerable pressure' with rising fears from parents around scarlet fever and Strep A infections

Northamptonshire hospitals under 'considerable pressure' with rising fears from parents around scarlet fever and Strep A infections Northamptonshire NHS Group has said both county hospitals are under “considerable pressure”, with rising fears about scarlet fever and Strep A infections among children.

It is understood that parents and guardians are struggling to get appointments with their GP for their child, and are turning to 111 and A&E to get assessed and the antibiotics needed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

As nurses prepare to strike, one Kettering General Hospital sister tells why she's taking action

As nurses prepare to strike, one Kettering General Hospital sister tells why she's taking action 

As members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) prepare to strike on Thursday (December 15), one nurse has explained why she is taking action.

Rebecca Prendergast, a deputy sister at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) says her colleagues are at ‘breaking point’. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS funding, resources and treatment volumes

NHS funding, resources and treatment volumes This report examines how NHS funding, resources and treatment volumes compare with pre-pandemic levels.

In this report, the second part of the three-part series, we dig deeper into the resources available to the NHS and how they are being used, looking beyond just the waiting list. We first examine how the funding, staffing and hospital beds available to the NHS have changed since 2019. We then show how the number of patients treated by the NHS in eight different areas compares with 2019 levels. For most areas of care, the NHS is still struggling to treat more people than it was pre-pandemic, despite having – on the face of it – additional staff and funding. We therefore go on to consider a range of different factors that could explain this seeming fall in performance and output. Institute for Fiscal Studies

See also:

• How Covid has dealt the NHS a lasting blow BBC News
• Fears pandemic has dealt 'lasting blow' to NHS as fewer patients treated now The Daily Telegraph

The NHS at 75: an opportunity to renew a vision the public holds dear

The NHS at 75: an opportunity to renew a vision the public holds dear The public is not falling out of love with the NHS in principle, despite experiencing the strains on the service in practice, as Dan Wellings has explored in his reflections on how public attitudes to health and care services are changing. The King's Fund

A clean bill of health for the economy: engaging business to address ill health in our shrinking workforce

A clean bill of health for the economy: engaging business to address ill health in our shrinking workforce The costs of ill health hit everyone’s pockets in a multitude of ways. The direct consequences for individuals are most obvious when it comes to income and health. People in the bottom 40% of the income distribution are almost twice as likely to report poor health than those in the top 20%. Lower income can be bad for your health: it can move good quality employment even further out of reach. Being in poor health can also make good quality work inaccessible and so restrict your income. The Health Foundation

GIRFT diagnostics delivery guide: a guide for systems in delivering effective diagnostic services to support elective recovery

GIRFT diagnostics delivery guide: a guide for systems in delivering effective diagnostic services to support elective recovery Aimed at NHS leaders and managers at regional, system and trust level, and clinicians, healthcare professionals and managers working in diagnostic services and clinical specialties, this delivery guide offers practical advice on steps for delivering a more effective service, as well as ways for primary care and acute services to free up diagnostic capacity by reducing unnecessary referrals. Getting It Right First Time

Global antimicrobial resistance and use surveillance system (‎GLASS)‎ report: 2022

Global antimicrobial resistance and use surveillance system (‎GLASS)‎ report: 2022 A new World Health Organization (WHO) report reveals high levels of resistance in bacteria, causing life-threatening bloodstream infections, as well as increasing resistance to treatment in several bacteria causing common infections in the community based on data reported by 87 countries in 2020. 

For the first time, the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report provides analyses for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rates in the context of national testing coverage, AMR trends since 2017, and data on antimicrobial consumption in humans in 27 countries. Within six years, GLASS achieved participation from 127 countries with 72% of the world’s population. The report includes an innovative interactive digital format to facilitate data extraction and graphics.

Guidance: Health and Social Care Act 2008: code of practice on the prevention and control of infections

Guidance: Health and Social Care Act 2008: code of practice on the prevention and control of infections This refreshed version of the code of practice replaces the edition published in 2015. It applies to NHS bodies and providers of independent healthcare and adult social care in England, including primary dental care, independent sector ambulance providers and primary medical care providers. Department of Health and Social Care

Cancer mRNA vaccine completes pivotal trial

Cancer mRNA vaccine completes pivotal trial Researchers say they have successfully completed a trial of a personalised cancer vaccine that uses the same messenger-RNA technology as Covid jabs.

The experimental vaccine, made by Moderna and MSD, is designed to prime the immune system to seek and destroy cancerous cells.

Doctors hope work such as this could lead to revolutionary new ways to fight skin, bowel and other types of cancer.

Moderna and MSD called it "a new paradigm" moment. BBC News

See also:

• Moderna and Merck announce mrna-4157/v940, an investigational personalized mrna cancer vaccine, in combination with keytruda(r) (pembrolizumab), met primary efficacy endpoint in phase 2b keynote-942 trial Moderna
• 'New paradigm' moment as mRNA cancer vaccine slashes risk of tumor relapse or death The Daily Mail
• Positive Moderna, Merck cancer vaccine data advances mRNA promise Reuters

NHS leaders warn patient lives will be put at risk by strikes as cancer services “hit hard”

NHS leaders warn patient lives will be put at risk by strikes as cancer services “hit hard” NHS leaders fear patients will come to harm as cancer services are “hit hard” by upcoming nurses’ strikes.

The NHS’s four chief nurses wrote to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen warning patients’ lives are at risk due to life-saving services not being protected when nurses walk out on Thursday. The Independent

See also:

• Physiotherapy staff in England and Wales vote Yes to strike action Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Managing industrial action - A guide for managers NHS Employers
• Nursing strike: fact check Royal College of Nursing
• Gulf between private and public sector pay 'compelling evidence' why government needs to negotiate Royal College of Nursing
• Welsh midwives vote to strike, but not in England BBC News
• NHS strikes: Nursing union putting patients at risk, UK's top nurses warn The Daily Mail
• Nurse union organising NHS strikes makes guide that tells members how to lobby patients for support The Daily Mail
• Now the PHYSIOS say they'll strike! The Daily Mail
• Midwives in Wales vote to strike - but not in England The Daily Telegraph
• Nursing community conflicted on eve of NHS strikes Evening Standard
• Military has just 40 paramedics qualified to work in NHS Evening Standard
• NHS bosses ask GPs to cover for striking ambulance workers GPonline
• Physiotherapists in England and Wales vote to strike in latest row over pay ITV News

‘Like a horrific board game’: 33 hours inside an NHS in crisis

‘Like a horrific board game’: 33 hours inside an NHS in crisis Crammed wards, burnt-out GPs, patients waiting hours for ambulances – the health service is at breaking point

Inside the dimly lit command centre at King’s College hospital, staff arriving for the first beds meeting of the day are greeted with a warning: the hospital is already under strain. “So, we are under pressure this morning,” the head of nursing, Naomi Hosking, informs colleagues stood around her in a semi-circle. No one registers surprise. “We’ve got a lot of patients in ED [emergency department] with little space to see new patients, so we need to get some early movement.” The Guardian

Delays to mental health treatment in England ‘putting more children in care’

Delays to mental health treatment in England ‘putting more children in care’ Increasing numbers of emotionally troubled children have been taken into care while waiting long periods for NHS treatment because their condition deteriorated to the point where their parents could no longer cope with their behaviour, child protection bosses have revealed.

Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) president Steve Crocker said that since the pandemic, youngsters with complex emotional needs had become a significant factor in rising child protection referrals. The Guardian

See also:

• Mind the gap Association of Directors of Children’s Services
• Special thematic report on children's mental health Association of Directors of Children’s Services

Now Europe gets hit by Strep A: WHO officials warn of spike in wake of Covid-era restrictions

Now Europe gets hit by Strep A: WHO officials warn of spike in wake of Covid-era restrictions Strep A cases are surging across Europe, health officials have confirmed in the first sign that it's not just the UK being hit by unusually high levels of the bug.

A spike in cases 'several fold-higher than pre-pandemic levels' have been logged in France and the UK. Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden have also reported upticks, according to the World Health Organization.

The bacterial infection, which is usually mild, has so far killed at least 16 children in the UK. Although low, the toll is higher than expected for this time of year. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Strep A symptoms: What you need to know, in a minute BBC News
• Strep A explained: Can adults get it? Will it cause an antibiotics shortage? BBC Science Focus
• Strep A: Parents say son misdiagnosed before strep A death BBC News
• Export of drugs to treat Strep A infections is BANNED by Government amid shortage fears The Daily Mail
• UK pharmacists report sharp rise in prices for strep A antibiotics The Guardian
• Pharmacists warn of price gouging over Strep A antibiotic shortage as prices soar The Independent

Care patients in Britain will see at home visits replaced by a call from an AI VOICE ASSISTANT

Care patients in Britain will see at home visits replaced by a call from an AI VOICE ASSISTANT Care patients could see at home visits replaced by a call from an AI-powered voice assistant in a new British trial.

Dubbed 'Siri for care', a human-like virtual assistant will ring patients once a week to ask a list of automated questions.

An algorithm will then analyse the answers and alert carers if there are any deteriorations in health so they can arrange a doctor's visit. The Daily Mail

Free courses to help patients in Northamptonshire with recovery journeys

Free courses to help patients in Northamptonshire with recovery journeys A range of free learning opportunities are available to help patients learn more about their health conditions and take positive steps forward.

Exciting new learning opportunities are on offer to help patients with health conditions take positive steps forward on their recovery journey.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Recovery College has launched its new prospectus for Spring term in 2023, for NHFT patients, or former patients of the Trust who live in the county. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Strategies to reduce waiting times for elective care

Strategies to reduce waiting times for elective care In the face of record high waiting times for elective care, we undertook research to understand the strategies that have been used to reduce waiting times in England and elsewhere in the past 20 years.

We found that successful strategies are typically associated with a concert of activities that simultaneously ensure sufficient supply of health care, manage demand and optimise the conditions within the health care system itself. The King's Fund

See also:

• Decade of neglect means NHS unable to tackle care backlog, report says The Guardian
• ‘Decade of neglect’ has left NHS unable to tackle care backlog, report finds The Independent

NHS waiting times: a symptom of the health of the health service

NHS waiting times: a symptom of the health of the health service All kinds of numbers – percentages, pound signs, performance, productivity and, of course, waiting times – are used to describe the state of the NHS. But what do these numbers really tell us about people – both those waiting for and those delivering care – and their experiences? The King's Fund

Sudden and unexpected deaths in infancy and childhood

Sudden and unexpected deaths in infancy and childhood This is an audit report of all infant and child deaths occurring between April 2019 and March 2021 in England. It is the first national report to have investigated all unexpected deaths of infants and children – not just those that remained unexplained. It is also the first national review of the “multi-agency investigation process” into unexpected deaths. National Child Mortality Database

Integrating care: policy, principles and practice for places

Integrating care: policy, principles and practice for places This report provides an overview of the changes since the Health and Care Act 2022 was introduced and discusses what integration is seeking to achieve. It considers the wider health and care landscape in the current climate and addresses the remaining challenges at place level. The recommendations and case studies it contains are intended to influence the development of further policy and guidance by central government, and to provide support for practitioners at local level. The purpose of the report is to help health and local government partners to find effective solutions to the challenges of health and care integration. Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Over £175 million for cutting-edge genomics research

Over £175 million for cutting-edge genomics research Patients with cancer and children born with treatable rare genetic diseases are set to benefit from earlier diagnosis and faster access to treatment, following a £175 million boost to cutting-edge genomics research announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary.

The funding will enable research which could deliver world-leading genomic healthcare to patients, which involves the study of people’s DNA. The boost is part of a new three-year plan to develop, evaluate and roll out new technologies across the health and care system and life sciences sector, bolstering the UK’s position as a life sciences superpower. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• 100,000 babies to have genetic code mapped BBC News
• Babies will get blood tests to see if they have rare childhood cancers The Daily Mail

Nurses' strike: Union accuses minister of belligerence after talks fail

Nurses' strike: Union accuses minister of belligerence after talks fail Talks to avert strike action by nurses have failed, with the union accusing the health secretary of "belligerence".

The head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Pat Cullen, said strikes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would now go ahead on Thursday, after Steve Barclay refused to discuss pay.

The government said it would continue to engage on non-pay related issues. BBC News

See also:

• RCN responds to meeting with the Health Secretary Royal  College of Nursing
• NHS strikes: You could be taken to A&E in a taxi, health minister admits The Daily Mail
• NHS strikes: Steve Barclay will meet nursing union chief for negotiations to avoid winter action The Daily Mail
• 'Hypocrisy' claim as Royal College of Nursing offers staff 4.5% pay rise The Daily Mail
• Even Keir Starmer says nurse pay demands are unaffordable The Daily Mail
• Transport Secretary Mark Harper: We won't blink first in stand-off with rail, NHS and other unions Evening Standard
• 'What are they playing at?': Wes Streeting says ministers let NHS strikes go ahead – video The Guardian
• UK strikes: 600 military personnel to start training to drive ambulances The Guardian
• Health unions call off strike action in Scotland after new pay offer The Guardian
• Steve Barclay accused of ‘belligerence’ after refusing to discuss nurses’ pay at strike talks The Independent
• Thousands of NHS appointments cancelled as talks fail to avert nursing strike The Independent
• 'All they want is fair pay': Patients supporting striking NHS nurses despite disruption to care iNews
• Nursing strikes to go ahead after health secretary 'refuses to negotiate on pay' Sky News

Ketamine for alcoholics trial goes to next stage

Ketamine for alcoholics trial goes to next stage A programme of therapy involving the drug ketamine will be made available to alcoholics in a research project.

The University of Exeter-led trial, with funding of £2.4m, will go ahead at seven NHS sites across the UK.

The trial will look into whether a combination of ketamine and therapy could help alcoholics stay sober for longer. BBC News

Mental health patients left in dilapidated wards amid £677m repairs backlog

Mental health patients left in dilapidated wards amid £677m repairs backlog Dilapidated mental health facilities across the country are in need of £677m worth of repairs to fix sewerage issues, collapsing roofs and wards that deprive patients of their dignity, The Independent has been told.

An NHS analysis of the government’s flagship programme to build 40 hospitals, seen by The Independent, shows ministers have failed in their promise of “parity” for mental health services as issues are not addressed.

NHS ‘highly dependent’ on substandard private beds for children’s mental health care

NHS ‘highly dependent’ on substandard private beds for children’s mental health care A ‘high’ dependency on private sector mental health hospitals is placing children at greater risk of substandard care, the NHS has admitted.

In a briefing from August, NHS leaders admitted that for children’s mental health services there is a “high dependency” on the private sector where hospitals are at greater risk of being closed due to poor quality and workforce problems.

According to the figures, 60 per cent of children’s psychiatric intensive care beds, beds for the most acutely ill children, are provided by the private sector. The Independent

English hospitals make emergency plans amid winter power loss fears

English hospitals make emergency plans amid winter power loss fears English hospitals have increased emergency fuel supplies and put staff on standby to postpone operations and switch off X-ray scanners amid heightened concerns over energy provision this winter.

NHS hospital trusts across England have put their power plans under the microscope as they look to protect patients from potential outages for lifesaving equipment. The Guardian

Lack of NHS staff meant hospitals had to cancel 30,000 operations last year, Labour analysis claims

Lack of NHS staff meant hospitals had to cancel 30,000 operations last year, Labour analysis claims Hospitals cancelled 30,000 operations last year because there were not enough staff available to deliver them, damning figures suggest.

In total, 158,000 procedures were postponed for non-clinical reasons - almost double the 79,000 affected in 2018/19.

Staff shortages were the most common excuse cited by NHS trusts in 2021/22, accounting for almost one in five of those affected. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS operations cancelled in England due to staff shortages double in three years The Guardian

'Debunking the vaccine myths to help keep Northamptonshire safe this winter'

'Debunking the vaccine myths to help keep Northamptonshire safe this winter' Kieran Breen is Head of Research and Innovation at St Andrew's Healthcare.

The number of cases of flu have climbed quickly in England with some children under the age of five ending up in hospital. In the last couple of years, UK influenza rates have ben fairy low due to the Covid lockdown, but the hospital admission rates for flu are slowly creeping up. As winter sets in, the risk of Covid 19 rates spiking is also a concern, which is why health officials are urging. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Nearly half of A&E patients waited longer than four hours to be seen at Northampton General Hospital in November

Nearly half of A&E patients waited longer than four hours to be seen at Northampton General Hospital in November Nearly half of patients attending major A&E at Northampton General Hospital waited longer than four hours to be dealt with last month, according to NHS England figures.

NHS targets state that 95 percent of patients attending accident and emergency should be admitted to hospital, transferred elsewhere or discharged within four hours. But NGH fell well short of that in November, when just 55 percent of the 9,172 type one A&E attendances were dealt with within four hours. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Regions in the NHS: what are they good for?

Regions in the NHS: what are they good for? Toby Lewis argues that we need to shift the debate about regions in health care from a vertical discussion within the NHS to a horizontal conversation about embedding the NHS in the wider world. If reducing health inequalities is to be the common purpose it ought to be, these new regions can play a crucial role. The King's Fund

Overlooked, but not overcome: smaller hospitals and the staff response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Overlooked, but not overcome: smaller hospitals and the staff response to the Covid-19 pandemic How have smaller hospitals fared over the pandemic, and how did it feel from the perspective of those responding during the first years of the biggest health care emergency of our times? We interviewed staff in smaller hospitals around the country during 2021 to understand their key concerns from the perspective of institutions that are sometimes overlooked when system planning gets done. We also make a set of recommendations for future crisis planning and response. Nuffield Trust

Staff shortages in the NHS and social care sectors

Staff shortages in the NHS and social care sectors Recent data has revealed that the number of vacancies in the NHS and social care sectors has increased since September 2020. Health bodies and organisations have warned that such shortages have affected, and will continue to affect, patients. In recent years, successive governments have introduced measures to tackle staff shortages, including commissioning the NHS to publish a long-term workforce strategy and publishing a white paper on reforming adult social care. House of Lords Library

The assessment of venous thromboembolism risks associated with pregnancy and the postnatal period

The assessment of venous thromboembolism risks associated with pregnancy and the postnatal period This report finds that pregnant people could suffer a potentially fatal blood vessel blockage if their risk is not properly assessed during pregnancy and the first six weeks after birth. It aims to identify factors that limit the effectiveness of venous thromboembolism risk assessment policies and identify opportunities to improve patient safety. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

Unlocking the NHS’s social and economic potential: a maturity framework

Unlocking the NHS’s social and economic potential: a maturity framework This toolkit aims to help systems gauge and track their progress on unlocking social and economic development. The guidance explores what social and economic development is, why it matters to the NHS and how integrated care systems might deliver this to benefit its services. NHS Confederation

Guidance: The R value and growth rate

Guidance: The R value and growth rate The latest reproduction number (R) and growth rate of coronavirus (COVID-19). UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Research: Consensus statements and medium-term projections on COVID-19 UK Health Security Agency
• Covid cases rise by another 8% in a week as virus continues its winter resurgence The Daily Mail
• COVID infections in England rise for second week in row as postal strikes 'possibly' impact estimates Sky News

Government delivers on pledge for £50 million MND research funding

Government delivers on pledge for £50 million MND research funding The government will cut red tape in order to speed up research into Motor Neurone Disease (MND) across the UK, with immediate investment so NHS patients can benefit from cutting edge treatment and medicines, the Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, and Business Secretary, Grant Shapps, have announced. Department of Health and Social Care

Base editing: Revolutionary therapy clears girl's incurable cancer

Base editing: Revolutionary therapy clears girl's incurable cancer A teenage girl's incurable cancer has been cleared from her body in the first use of a revolutionary new type of medicine.

All other treatments for Alyssa's leukaemia had failed.

So doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital used "base editing" to perform a feat of biological engineering to build her a new living drug.

Six months later the cancer is undetectable, but Alyssa is still being monitored in case it comes back. BBC News

Hospitals in England pay £5,200 for one agency doctor's shift

Hospitals in England pay £5,200 for one agency doctor's shift Hospitals in England have paid out as much as £5,200 for a shift by a doctor through an agency, according to figures obtained by Labour through Freedom of Information requests.

That is the latest in an intensifying debate over workforce shortages in the NHS in England. BBC News

Revealed: NHS planning to draft thousands of volunteers as it faces winter crisis

Revealed: NHS planning to draft thousands of volunteers as it faces winter crisis Health officials are drawing up plans to draft in thousands of extra volunteers to help the NHS cope with ambulance delays and hospital pressures this winter, according to a leaked document that lays bare the scale of the crisis in Britain’s healthcare system.

NHS performance is “highly likely to deteriorate further” under increased winter demand and industrial action, reveals the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) briefing seen by The Observer.

See also:

• 'The most challenging weekend of the year so far': The view from one NHS hospital ITV News
• Wait for eating disorder treatment averages five months, with an 18-month backlog at one trust Sky News

Ministers refuse to negotiate with nurses on pay to prevent NHS strikes

Ministers refuse to negotiate with nurses on pay to prevent NHS strikes Ministers have rebuffed an offer by nursing unions to suspend planned strikes in return for negotiations on pay, arguing that it was not possible for the government to amend awards decided by the independent pay body for NHS staff.

The foreign secretary, James Cleverly, told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show that the health secretary would happily talk to the unions, but only about improving NHS performance and working conditions, and not about pay. The Guardian

See also:

• Ministers to hold emergency Cobra meeting amid wave of strikes BBC News
• NHS pay talks 'between union and employer' BBC News
• NHS pay body has power to increase nurses' wages, says MP Steve Brine Channel 4 News
• NHS strike: Ministers refuse to negotiate nurses' pay Channel 4 News
• Ministers REFUSE to meet nursing union leaders who have offered to 'pause' strike due to cripple the NHS next week The Daily Mail
• Attempts to cut long NHS waiting lists could be 'knocked off course by strikes' The Daily Telegraph
• Government wants to ensure people are 'safe' during NHS strikes – Cleverly Government wants to ensure people are 'safe' during NHS strikes – Cleverly Evening Standard
• Health unions offer to pause NHS strikes if government join pay talks The Guardian
• Nurses’ union leader accuses Steve Barclay of ‘bullyboy’ tactics The Guardian
• Nurses’ union leader Pat Cullen: ‘I follow through on what I believe in’ The Guardian
• Starmer accuses ministers of ‘profound lack of leadership’ on nursing strike while calling RCN pay demand unaffordable The Guardian
• Ministers 'dangerous and irresponsible' for not talking to striking nurses - as union warns people will die Sky News
• Troops training to drive ambulances as ministers hold emergency strike meetings Sky News
• Government not so much averting strikes as mitigating their impact Sky News

Wes Streeting interview: Failures in the NHS mean I still don't know if I'm clear of cancer

Wes Streeting interview: Failures in the NHS mean I still don't know if I'm clear of cancer Wes Streeting is waiting. The 39-year old was due to have a scan in August, to check whether he is clear of the kidney cancer for which he received treatment last year. But the shadow health secretary is among millions of people stuck in limbo, as NHS waiting lists swell to a record high. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• BMA responds to Shadow Health Secretary's comments about patient standards in the NHS BMA
• Wes Streeting claims BMA ‘hostile’ towards Labour’s NHS plans The Guardian

Junk food ads ban is delayed to give companies time to adjust to new rules

Junk food ads ban is delayed to give companies time to adjust to new rules A ban on advertising junk food online and on TV before the 9pm watershed is to be delayed by over two years — just weeks before it was set to take effect. 

New rules restricting the promotion of products high in fat, salt and sugar were due to come into force next month in a bid to combat the nation's bulging waistlines. 

But the government has agreed to push the curbs back to October 2025 to give firms more time to reformulate their products and adjust their marketing strategies. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Open consultation: Introducing further advertising restrictions on TV and online for products high in fat, salt or sugar: secondary legislation Department of Health and Social Care

New blood cancer therapy treats seven in 10 patients

New blood cancer therapy treats seven in 10 patients An experimental therapy could offer blood cancer patients a 'new lease on life', scientists say.

The immunotherapy treatment — called talquetamab — successfully treated 73 percent of patients with multiple myeloma in a global trial.

It helped people who had relapsed in their disease more than once after other treatments failed to bring them into remission for an extended period of time.  The Daily Mail

See also:

• GPRC5D-Targeted CAR T Cells for Myeloma (abstract) New England Journal of Medicine

REVEALED: GP practices in Northamptonshire where patients look likely to face longest waits for appointments

REVEALED: GP practices in Northamptonshire where patients look likely to face longest waits for appointments GP practices where patients in Northamptonshire are most likely to wait longer than two weeks for an appointment have been revealed in new figures.

The Government said the data published by NHS Digital – which gives detailed information on appointments and waiting times for individual GP practices across England – will help patients “make a more informed choice about the practice they choose to visit”. But the move has not been welcomed by everyone, with the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) criticising the lack of context around how different practices operate. Northamptonshire Telegraph

'Mum is 100 and waited four hours for an ambulance'

'Mum is 100 and waited four hours for an ambulance' Last month 100-year-old Nancy McClean fell out of bed at her home in Finedon, Northamptonshire.

Her daughter, Denise Selfe, was alerted to a problem via her mother's emergency button in Burton Latimer.

She arrived at about 23:15 BST after a three-mile (4.8km) journey from her home. BBC Northampton

NHS performance summary November - December 2022

NHS performance summary November - December 2022 The week beginning 21 November saw approximately 24,000 ambulance handovers delayed over 30 minutes—almost a third of patients who arrived at A&E by ambulance.

A&E departments continue to see record-breaking proportions of patients waiting more than four hours to be admitted, transferred, or discharged.

The elective care backlog has exceeded 7.2 million people in October, with close to 400,000 waiting over a year to start treatment.

In October, 40% of people who received an urgent GP cancer referral had to wait over two months to start treatment, making it the second-poorest month on record. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports 2022-23 NHS England
• Combined Performance Summary NHS England
• Latest set of NHS performance data is ‘unacceptable’ BMA
• Gridlocked health and care system risks the safety and quality of patient care The Health Foundation
• The King's Fund responds the latest NHS performance data The King's Fund
• NHS Confederation responds to the latest performance statistics & winter situation report NHS Confederation
• NHS makes progress on long waits despite winter pressures surge NHS England
• 'Busiest November on record' for ambulance and emergency care services NHS Providers
• Nurses bitten and screens smashed - life in A&E BBC News
• Our job is to keep people out of A&E BBC News
• NHS waiting list grows... AGAIN! 7.2m patients now in queue for routine ops The Daily Mail
• Flu and other viruses pile pressure on NHS as waiting lists hit new high The Guardian
• I’ve just been in A&E. What I saw horrified me The Independent
• Record delays in A&E as NHS warned over Strep A pressures The Independent
• NHS at 'breaking point' with waiting list in England hitting new high of 7.2 million people ITV News
• NHS waiting list hits record high of 7.2 million people - as almost third of patients wait four hours in A&E Sky News

Mapping existing policy interventions to tackle ethnic heath inequalities in maternal and neonatal health in England: a systematic scoping review with stakeholder engagement

Mapping existing policy interventions to tackle ethnic heath inequalities in maternal and neonatal health in England: a systematic scoping review with stakeholder engagement This report outlines a lack of a national, central focus, diversity of research and national commitment for dealing with health inequalities. It calls for the development of a central data repository to map improvements around reducing poor outcomes in maternal and neonatal healthcare for Black, Asian and ethnic minority women. NHS Race & Health Observatory

Unfair treatment of nurses deterring students from entering profession

Unfair treatment of nurses deterring students from entering profession The RCN says people are being put off nursing by the poor and unfair treatment the profession gets, often at the hands of politicians.
We’ve made the comments in response to figures from UCAS published 8th December that show a 10% fall in the number of students accepted onto nursing courses in the UK.

This year there were 29,440 accepted applicants onto nursing courses compared to 32,705 in 2021. The number of people applying to study nursing also decreased from 59,860 in 2021 to 56,155 in 2022. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• Student nurse numbers fall dramatically while unfilled jobs rise Nursing Notes

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive Group A strep

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive Group A strep There were 851 cases reported in week 46, compared to an average of 186 for the preceding years.

Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel. On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a sandpapery feel. Contact NHS 111 or your GP if you suspect your child has scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia or a bloodstream infection. If your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• College issues advice on Strep A in joint statement with RCPCH and RCEM Royal College of General Practitioners
• Strep A deaths rise to 15 in children across UK BBC News
• GPs say parents need clearer strep A advice BBC News
• Britain should roll out Covid-style LATERAL FLOW tests for Strep A, experts say The Daily Mail
• Strep A child deaths rise to 15 as government again denies antibiotic shortage GPonline
• Experts issue advice on off-label antibiotics as strep A adds to NHS pressure GPonline
• Strep A child death toll in UK rises to 15 The Guardian
• How many Strep A deaths are there each year in the UK? The Independent
• Are vaccines available for Strep A and scarlet fever? The Independent
• Strep A outbreak: Everything we know as 15 children die of bacterial infection The Independent

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Swab positivity for flu* has increased further and is now at 14.3%; it remains highest in 15 to 44-year-olds at 24.3%.

Hospital admission rates and intensive care admission rates have increased further in the last week, admissions are now at medium activity levels and intensive care activity has increased within the medium band.

The highest rates of admission are being seen in children under the age of 5 (6.57 per 100,000) and adults aged 75 to 84 years old (9.3 per 100,000). UK Health Security Agency

UKHSA publishes strategy outlining plans to eliminate mpox transmission

UKHSA publishes strategy outlining plans to eliminate mpox transmission The plan sets out steps that will help eventually eliminate mpox transmission in the UK.

Mpox transmission has already fallen significantly thanks to high vaccination rates across those groups most affected and fast case finding. This has been thanks to collaboration across the NHS, third sector organisations and public health authorities across the UK. UK Health Security Agency

Record alcohol deaths from pandemic drinking

Record alcohol deaths from pandemic drinking A record number of people died from alcohol last year, which is likely to be the result of increased drinking during the pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics.

There were 9,641 deaths in the UK in 2021, compared to 7,565 in 2019 - a 27% increase.

The ONS says people who were already big drinkers before the pandemic drank more during the Covid years. BBC News

See also:

• Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered in 2021 Office for National Statistics
• Covid's hangover: Record number of Brits died of alcohol-specific causes last year The Daily Mail

How the NHS is using 'virtual wards' and smartphones to clear beds at hospitals operating at near capacity

How the NHS is using 'virtual wards' and smartphones to clear beds at hospitals operating at near capacity  Recovering patients are being sent home with smartphones to allow them to record their oxygen and blood pressure readings and temperature in a bid to clear wards. Sky News

NHS diverts £1bn from cancer and maternity care to fund deficits across health service, insiders claim

NHS diverts £1bn from cancer and maternity care to fund deficits across health service, insiders claim NHS England (NHSE) is raiding £1bn of a budget that had been earmarked for improvements in cancer, maternity care and other priority services to pay for deficits elsewhere in the health service, iNews understands.

The fund has been required to underspend by about £1bn as costs incurred in other parts of the NHS remained to be covered.

Trade unions vow to oppose anti-strike laws for NHS and ‘critical infrastructure’

Trade unions vow to oppose anti-strike laws for NHS and ‘critical infrastructure’ Trade unions have vowed to oppose any new anti-strike laws tabled by the government, as the home secretary, Suella Braverman, urged the public to reconsider their Christmas travel plans amid “serious disruption” expected to be caused by planned industrial action by Border Force staff.

The government is engaged in a bitter PR battle with the unions over who is to blame for the looming wave of public sector strikes. With nurses and ambulance workers due to walk out before Christmas, the cabinet minister Gillian Keegan suggested the government could legislate to prevent workers in health and “critical infrastructure” from taking industrial action. The Guardian

I don’t want working class people in pain: so I’d use private hospitals to bolster the NHS | Wes Streeting

I don’t want working class people in pain: so I’d use private hospitals to bolster the NHS | Wes Streeting The NHS is heading into this winter facing the biggest crisis in its history. People are finding it impossible to see a GP when they need to and 24 hours in A&E is no longer just a TV programme, but the grim reality for patients. When patients call 999 in an emergency, they can no longer be sure an ambulance will reach them in time. The Guardian

ONE MINUTE bursts of activity - like running for the bus - can help you live longer

ONE MINUTE bursts of activity - like running for the bus - can help you live longer Just one-minute bursts of daily activity like running to catch a bus could help prolong life, according to a new study.

In good news for those who don't like sport or going to the gym, researchers have discovered just three to four short spells of huffing and puffing during daily tasks is associated with large reductions in the risk of dying early. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality (open access) Nature Medicine
• Why one-minute bursts of activity might be enough to keep you fit and healthy The Daily Telegraph
• Short bursts of activity in daily tasks can reduce risk of early death – study The Independent

Six confirmed cases of highly contagious scarlet fever in Northampton, making it 54th highest local authority for the infection

Six confirmed cases of highly contagious scarlet fever in Northampton, making it 54th highest local authority for the infection Northampton currently has six cases of the highly contagious scarlet fever, making it the 54th highest region for the infection across England and Wales.

It is caused by the Strep A bacteria, and symptoms include a sandpapery skin rash and a white coating on the tongue. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

It's two years since the first Covid jab was injected at Northampton General Hospital...vaccine programme marks anniversary

It's two years since the first Covid jab was injected at Northampton General Hospital...vaccine programme marks anniversary Thursday December 8 marks the second anniversary of the very first COVID-19 vaccine being administered in Northamptonshire, which took place at Northampton General Hospital. The service in Northamptonshire was one of the first to commence both in the NHS and globally. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Chart of the week: The increased use of agency staff in older adult care homes

Chart of the week: The increased use of agency staff in older adult care homes The numbers of staff working in older adult care homes have bounced back this year, after a notable drop in 2021. As Laura Schlepper shows, however, much of this recovery seems down to an increase in the use of agency staff. Nuffield Trust

We can and should go further to reduce air pollution says Chief Medical Officer

We can and should go further to reduce air pollution says Chief Medical Officer We can and should go further to reduce air pollution – and it is technically possible to do so, says England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Chris Whitty, in his annual report published Thursday 8 December 2022.

Outdoor air pollution in England has reduced significantly since the 1980s - but it still poses significant health threats including increasing heart disease, stroke, lung disease, cancer and asthma exacerbation. It also leads to increased mortality and is associated with impacts on lung development in children. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Government must take air pollution more seriously, says England’s chief medical officer in annual report The BMJ
• Sir Chris Whitty demands more action to crack down on 'everyone's problem' of air pollution The Daily Mail
• Air pollution linked to multiple long-term health conditions Nursing in Practice

NHS expands mental health crisis services this winter

NHS expands mental health crisis services this winter The NHS is set to boost mental health support for people in crisis to ease demand and pressure on emergency services, as part of extensive winter plans already underway.

Dozens of mental health professionals will work within ambulance control centres and accompany paramedics on emergency call outs to treat people of all ages who are having a mental health crisis at the scene. NHS England

'A&E is absolute chaos - I spent 15 hours on a trolley'

'A&E is absolute chaos - I spent 15 hours on a trolley' Lying on a trolley in a hospital corridor in pain from a broken hip, Anne Whitfield-Ray could not believe she was in the care of the NHS.

"It was absolute chaos - like something out of a third world country," said the 77-year-old from Worcestershire.

"The staff were rushed off their feet, paint was peeling off the walls and patients were being squeezed in everywhere they could - in makeshift bays, in corridors and side rooms. It was horrific."

Anne spent 15 hours in that position until a bed could be found for her. BBC News

See also:

• A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions NHS England
• Staff in tears and frustrated patients - inside A&E BBC News
• Rise in deaths after West Mids ambulance delay BBC News
• ‘So many people need help, but we can’t give them the care they deserve’: the diary of a nurse The Guardian
• Record delays in A&E as NHS warned over Strep A pressures The Independent
• NHS boss warns of ‘tough winter’ ahead as flu cases rise The Independent
• Government under pressure over hospital backlogs ahead of latest NHS figures ITV News

UK weather: People urged to heat main rooms as cold snap begins

UK weather: People urged to heat main rooms as cold snap begins People are being advised to heat living rooms during the day and bedrooms before going to sleep as a cold spell hits the UK.

Health officials issued the advice to people who cannot heat every room or are struggling with heating costs. BBC News