Nurses strike: A&E and cancer staff could join further walkouts

Nurses strike: A&E and cancer staff could join further walkouts Nurses from A&E, intensive care and cancer wards could join fresh strikes in England, as a major nursing union considers escalating its pay dispute.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) wants higher wages, but ministers argue that pay is set by an independent body.

The union is considering a continuous 48-hour strike, which could begin in weeks.

However, under union law staff would need to meet minimum legal levels of care. BBC News

See also:

• NHS nurses' strike action in England set to intensify Evening Standard
• Nurses set to withdraw from A&E and intensive care units as strike intensifies The Guardian
• NHS A&E and cancer nurses set to join ‘most disruptive’ strikes yet The Independent
• NHS leaders urge Health Secretary to discuss pay to avoid 'alarming' escalation in nurses' strikes ITV News
• RCN set to announce all-out and 48-hour strike action Nursing Notes
• A&E, intensive care and cancer nurses could soon join colleagues on the picket line Sky News

Northumberland hospitals test drone flights for medical supplies

Northumberland hospitals test drone flights for medical supplies An NHS trust is to use drones as a way of transporting clinical supplies between hospitals at up to 70mph.

The drone will be used to carry blood samples, chemotherapy drugs, equipment and mail between Northumberland hospitals for the next four months.

Initially there will be six flights per day, increasing to about 15 in May. BBC News

Failure to root out abusers in ambulance service leaves vulnerable patients at risk, watchdog warns

Failure to root out abusers in ambulance service leaves vulnerable patients at risk, watchdog warns Emergency patients are being left open to abuse when they are at their most vulnerable because of a lack of vetting of ambulance workers, watchdog officials have warned.

One watchdog official warned that abusers would even seek out work as a paramedic because it provided an “attractive environment” for exploitation. The Independent

First UK patient fitted with heart failure sensor the size of a pen lid

First UK patient fitted with heart failure sensor the size of a pen lid The innovative technology, which is implanted during a simple 45-minute procedure, will enable more rapid interventions, helping keep people well for longer and avoiding hospital admissions that cost billions of pounds every year. Sky News

NHS consultants run private firms charging to cut waiting lists at their own hospitals

NHS consultants run private firms charging to cut waiting lists at their own hospitals Some of the country’s most senior NHS clinicians are earning a lucrative side-line running private firms that offer to cut waiting lists at their own hospitals, the Observer can reveal.

Top consultants in Manchester, Sheffield and London are among directors of “insourcing” agencies that charge the health service to treat patients at weekends and evenings and have won millions of pounds of work.

See also:

• NHS consultants charge hospitals they work at through their own private companies The Daily Mail 

How a new treatment for diabetes offers hope for millions | podcast

How a new treatment for diabetes offers hope for millions | podcast The development of an ‘artificial pancreas’ could revolutionise the daily lives of people living with type 1 diabetes. Now the technology could be made available to more than 100,000 people in the UK on the NHS. The Guardian

More than 84,000 babies missed health checks within two weeks of birth

More than 84,000 babies missed health checks within two weeks of birth More than 84,000 babies missed out on health visitor checks in the first two weeks of life last year, data shows.

Figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities reveal a drop in the proportion of newborns visited on time, from 88 per cent in 2020/21 to 83 per cent in 2021/22. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Health visitor service delivery metrics experimental statistics: quarterly data for 2022 to 2023 Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
• More than 84,000 newborn babies ‘missed out’ on health visitor checks The Independent

New figures show the number of areas with more than 2,000 patients per GP has almost DOUBLED

New figures show the number of areas with more than 2,000 patients per GP has almost DOUBLED The number of areas with more than 2,000 patients per GP has almost doubled over six years, analysis reveals.

Some 92 of 106 health districts in England now have more than 2,000 patients per fully qualified GP – up 80 per cent from 51 areas in 2016.

On average across England, there are now 2,273 patients per fully qualified GP – an increase from 1,981 in 2016. The rise means patients face longer waits for appointments, and experience a weaker bond with their doctor. The Daily Mail

Bird flu warning as top experts say world is 'nowhere near' ready for inevitable pandemic

Bird flu warning as top experts say world is 'nowhere near' ready for inevitable pandemic The world is 'nowhere near ready' for another pandemic, experts have warned amid mounting fears over an 'unprecedented' wave of bird flu sweeping the planet. 

Cases of the killer H5N1 strain have already jumped from birds to mammals.

It has sparked huge concern among top virologists that the deadly pathogen is now one step closer to spreading in humans — a hurdle which has so far stopped it from triggering a pandemic. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Bird flu (avian influenza): latest situation in England DEFRA and Animal and Plant Health Agency
• The influenza imperative: we must prepare now for seasonal and pandemic influenza (open access) The Lancet Microbe
• Be warned: the next deadly pandemic is not inevitable, but all the elements are in place The Guardian
• Bird flu: Expert calls for work to start on vaccine with risk to humans 'increasing' Sky News

Northamptonshire NHS Trusts team up with the University to highlight apprenticeship career routes

Northamptonshire NHS Trusts team up with the University to highlight apprenticeship career routes This National Apprenticeship Week (6th to 12th February) NHS Trusts in Northamptonshire, along with the University of Northampton, are showing their support by highlighting the apprenticeship opportunities within healthcare across the county. FE News

See also:

• Northampton hospital worker shares his apprenticeship story Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Join family event in Northamptonshire to celebrate autism pride

Join family event in Northamptonshire to celebrate autism pride People are invited to an event taking place in Northamptonshire celebrating Autism Pride.

Autism Pride Day takes place at Moulton Community Centre in the village of Moulton on Wednesday, March 29 from 10am to 2pm.

The event has been organised by Northamptonshire Autism Champion Network and the Autism Advisory Panel, with support from Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS performance summary: January - February 2023

NHS performance summary: January - February 2023 Ambulance response times saw an improvement in January, with Category 2 incidents (such as stroke or heart attack) responded to over an hour quicker than in December, but still 14 minutes slower than the 18 minute target.

A&E waiting times improved in January with 28% of people waiting over 4 hours to be admitted, transferred or discharged – a 7.4 percentage point improvement on December but still far from reaching March 2024’s objective of 24%.

The waiting list for planned hospital care grew slightly in December to 7.2 million, where it has fluctuated for the last three months. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Combined Performance Summary NHS England
• Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports 2022-23 NHS England
• NHS figures show a service under severe strain, despite some improvements The Health Foundation
• 'Not yet out of the woods' - The King's Fund responds to latest monthly NHS performance data The King's Fund
• NHS Confederation responds to the latest performance statistics and winter situation report NHS Confederation
• Ambulance response times improve in face of ongoing winter pressures NHS England
• New figures show persistently high demand as 18-month waits rise NHS Providers
• Improvement in urgent care performance but significant challenges remain to bring down waiting times Nuffield Trust
• RCP responds to the latest NHS performance stats Royal College of Physicians
• ‘Intolerable situation in NHS will not be overcome without a people recovery’ The Society for Acute Medicine
• Ambulance response times improve by one hour BBC News
• NHS A&E waiting times show signs of improvement but it's not all good news ITV News

Access to care: reducing health inequalities for people living with sickle cell

Access to care: reducing health inequalities for people living with sickle cell Imagine you have a disease that leaves you in severe pain, and frequently means you need emergency strong opioid pain relief. But your condition is rare, and A&E staff often have very limited knowledge of your condition. And on top of that you’re black, and staff assume you’re drug seeking, and this happens over and over again. This is just one of the ways people with sickle cell disorder face discrimination when trying to access health care. Is it any wonder you’d rather avoid the health and care service than have substandard care and/or face stigmatisation?  The King's Fund

Innovation is being squeezed out of the NHS

Innovation is being squeezed out of the NHS The crisis in health and social care, alongside political pressure on waiting times, has spawned a scramble for new ideas and innovations that can help ‘save the NHS’. Yet there’s no escaping the fact that turning things around will require a sustained period of investment, and action to address staff shortages.

But while there are no quick fixes, there are things that could be done right now to make a difference. And although innovation remains important, many of the steps that could make a difference in the short term are in fact well known – such as better use of existing technology, or process improvements to speed up hospital discharge and improve patient flow. The challenge is that with staff and services stretched to the limit, many organisations are struggling to put these kinds of changes in place and achieve the impact needed. The Health Foundation

Reducing did not attends (DNAs) in outpatient services

Reducing did not attends (DNAs) in outpatient services This national guidance covers how providers can effectively reduce their DNA rates to release capacity for elective recovery and improve patient experience. NHS England

Norovirus cases increase significantly in England

Norovirus cases increase significantly in England National surveillance data shows laboratory reports of the virus are 66% higher than the average at this time of year. The biggest increase in laboratory confirmed norovirus has been seen in the group of those aged 65 years and over. While high numbers of cases in this age group is expected at this time of year, these levels haven’t been seen in over a decade. UK Health Security Agency

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

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

Is Heatherwood Hospital a model for the future of the NHS?

Is Heatherwood Hospital a model for the future of the NHS? It is a specialist elective hub where patients can come in for routine but life-changing surgery at a super-charged pace with theatres working at full tilt, six days a week. Sky News

Mental health sick days for NHS staff surge – and cost more than £460m in a year

Mental health sick days for NHS staff surge – and cost more than £460m in a year Mental health sick days cost the NHS almost half a billion pounds as staff anxiety and stress levels haved skyrocketed.

Costs have almost doubled compared to before the pandemic from £279 million to £468 million. The Independent

Children in mental health crisis spent more than 900,000 hours in A&E in England

Children in mental health crisis spent more than 900,000 hours in A&E in England Children suffering mental health crises spent more than 900,000 hours in A&E in England last year seeking urgent and potentially life-saving help, NHS figures reveal.

Experts said the huge amount of time under-18s with mental health issues were spending in A&E was “simply astounding” and showed that NHS services for that vulnerable age group were inadequate. The Guardian

See also:

• ‘Waiting is damaging’: how NHS England fails young mental health patients The Guardian

Ministers accused of being ‘happy to let public suffer’ over NHS pay row

Ministers accused of being ‘happy to let public suffer’ over NHS pay row Unison has accused the government of being “happy to let the public suffer” by dragging out the NHS pay dispute before Friday’s action by as many as 15,000 ambulance workers.

As firefighters called off planned strikes after securing an improved pay offer from employers, Unison highlighted the contrast with the NHS, where ministers have declined to reopen the 2022 settlement. The Guardian

See also:

• Strikes Update: How Friday 10 February’s walkouts will affect you BBC News
• NHS crisis: do strikes threaten the improving hospital waits? Channel 4 News
• 140,000 cancelled operations and appointments: How badly have NHS strikes hit YOUR hospital? The Daily Mail
• Ministers accused of being ‘on strike’ as action by nurses in England continues The Guardian

The AI doctor will see you now: ChatGPT passes gold-standard US medical exam

The AI doctor will see you now: ChatGPT passes gold-standard US medical exam ChatGPT has passed the gold-standard exam required to practice medicine in the US - amid rising concerns AI could put white-collar workers out of jobs.

The artificial intelligence program scored between 52.4 and 75 percent across the three-part Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). Each year's passing threshold is around 60 percent.

Researchers from tech company AnsibleHealth who did the study said: 'Reaching the passing score for this notoriously difficult expert exam, and doing so without any human reinforcement, marks a notable milestone in clinical AI maturation.' The Daily Mail

See also:

• Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: Potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models (open access) PLOS Digital Health
• How may ChatGPT AI disrupt the NHS? Digital Health
• Expert reaction to study on ChatGPT almost passing the US Medical Licensing Exam Science Media Centre

England's biggest Covid wave confirmed by series of fascinating charts

England's biggest Covid wave confirmed by series of fascinating charts England's biggest Covid wave was not one that thrust the country into lockdown, fascinating data revealed today.

Analysts at the Office of National Statistics (ONS) assessed the spread of the virus across six distinct waves.

Experts also calculated which age group was the most likely to catch which Covid virus over the course of the pandemic. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights Office for National Statistics
• More than 86 million Covid vaccination appointments booked through NHS online system in first two years NHS England

Some Northamptonshire children who need specialist mental health help left waiting more than a year

Some Northamptonshire children who need specialist mental health help left waiting more than a year Some children in Northamptonshire who need specialist help after suffering trauma are having to wait for more than a year for treatment. A senior manager at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) conceded some waits are “too long”.

Children with “moderate to severe” mental health problems are sometimes having to wait “around eight to nine months” to see a specialist, Sharon Robson, NHFT’s assistant director for children’s services, said. Northants Live

Kettering: Knife crime charity's bid to save lives

Kettering: Knife crime charity's bid to save lives A charity trying to eradicate knife crime has held its first training session designed to help stop "critical bleeds" after stabbings.

Off the Streets was set up in August 2021 to tackle knife violence following the fatal stabbing of teenager Dylan Holliday in Wellingborough.

The community group has co-ordinated the installation of life-saving equipment and education sessions. BBC Northampton

Blue plaque on maternity home funded by shoe boss

Blue plaque on maternity home funded by shoe boss A blue plaque has been unveiled at a maternity home which a shoe manufacturer helped fund almost 90 years ago.

William Barratt gave £20,000 to build the Barratt Maternity Home in Northampton in 1936. BBC Northampton

Waiting list grew by 1 million in a year, despite elective care recovery plan

Waiting list grew by 1 million in a year, despite elective care recovery plan Commenting on the one year anniversary of the publication of NHS England’s elective care recovery plan, senior policy fellow Tim Gardner said:

'There were 7.2 million people waiting for routine hospital treatment at last count, up from 6 million a year ago. Behind these numbers are patients left in pain, and people enduring unnecessary suffering. The public and government must be under no illusion: there is still a significant mountain to climb before waiting lists are back to a more acceptable level.' The Health Foundation

Does it matter that people are opting out of the NHS into private treatment?

Does it matter that people are opting out of the NHS into private treatment? Debates about privatisation in the NHS have been around for decades – is it good or bad, is it happening now, will it happen in the future? Over time the content of the debate shifts and changes, even if the word privatisation stays the same.  The King's Fund

Progress in improving mental health services in England

Progress in improving mental health services in England This report focuses on the implementation of NHS commitments to improving mental health services.

Since 2016, the NHS has taken some important first steps towards closing the historical and acknowledged gap between mental and physical health services. DHSC and NHSE made a series of clear commitments and plans to expand and improve mental health services, but they have not defined what achieving full parity of esteem for mental health services would entail.

Consequently, it is unclear how far the current commitments take the NHS towards its end goal, and what else is needed to achieve it. While funding and the workforce for mental health services have increased and more people have been treated, many people still cannot access services or have lengthy waits for treatment. Staff shortages continue and data that would demonstrate the results of service developments are limited. National Audit Office

See also:

• Millions with mental health needs not seeking NHS help, watchdog says The Guardian

Patient Safety Commissioner: 100 days report

Patient Safety Commissioner: 100 days report Dr Henrietta Hughes, England’s Patient Safety Commissioner, has released a report of her first 100 days in the role. The report outlines how Dr Hughes has heard from patients, families, healthcare professionals and senior leaders on what needs to change to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices. In it, she calls for a cultural change throughout the health system and sets out her plans for the future. Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner

Nobody’s listening: what families say about prison healthcare

Nobody’s listening: what families say about prison healthcare According to this report, involving families more proactively in prisoners’ health care would reduce deaths in custody, relieve pressure on the NHS and the criminal justice system, and cut crime. It makes a series of recommendations to improve the way that health care providers and prisons can involve families more proactively. They include: diverting more appropriately risk-assessed people with mental health problems to community treatment and secure treatment settings; training for staff to ensure that they understand how to involve family members; and a single point of contact at every prison to champion the role of families in the health care process. Pact

Clinical academics in the NHS inquiry

Clinical academics in the NHS inquiry Clinical academics are qualified doctors who combine working as a specialist doctor with research and/or teaching responsibilities. The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee have concluded an inquiry into clinical academics in the NHS. This letter to Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, sets out their findings as well as their conclusions and recommendations. The overarching conclusion is that, rather than an additional pressure on the resources of the NHS, engagement with research can help to mitigate workforce challenges and improve patient outcomes. However, they also conclude that the clinical research environment in the NHS is on a precipice and without action these benefits could be lost. House of Lords Science and Technology Committee

Hundreds of thousands more patients to benefit from major NHS surgical capacity boost

Hundreds of thousands more patients to benefit from major NHS surgical capacity boost Hundreds of thousands more patients will benefit from NHS treatment by next year thanks to dozens of new surgical spaces, the NHS announced today.

As part of the biggest and most ambitious catch-up plan in NHS history, an estimated 780,000 additional surgeries and outpatient appointments will be provided at 37 new surgical hubs, 10 expanded existing hubs and 81 new theatres dedicated to elective care. NHS England

The best start for life: a progress report on delivering the vision

The best start for life: a progress report on delivering the vision This report sets out the progress that the government has made in implementing The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days since its publication in March 2021, following the Early Years Healthy Development Review. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS to use test that prevents babies going deaf

NHS to use test that prevents babies going deaf A rapid test that can help preserve the hearing of newborn babies is set to be used by NHS hospitals.

For some babies, commonly used antibiotics can become toxic. The drugs damage sensory cells inside the ear leading to permanent hearing loss.

The test - which analyses babies' DNA - can quickly spot those who are vulnerable.

It means they can be given a different type of antibiotic and avoid having a lifetime of damaged hearing. BBC News

 

See also:

• NICE recommends genetic test to prevent newborn babies going deaf National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
• Rapid Point-of-Care Genotyping to Avoid Aminoglycoside-Induced Ototoxicity in Neonatal Intensive Care (open access) JAMA Pediatrics

Mum traumatised by Nottingham maternity failings gives birth to girl

Mum traumatised by Nottingham maternity failings gives birth to girl A woman whose son died after failings in a crisis-hit maternity unit has given birth to a girl.

Kim Errington, 39, gave birth to her daughter Elfi almost two years after she lost her son Teddy, when he was a day old.

An inquest heard there were "undoubted failings" by the healthcare professionals involved in Teddy's care.

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust said it had "learned lessons and implemented changes" as a result. BBC News

Indoor air quality should be monitored in public places, says Chris Whitty

Indoor air quality should be monitored in public places, says Chris Whitty England’s chief medical officer and colleagues call for push to understand health impacts of indoor pollutants

Offices, schools, supermarkets and hospitals should be monitored for indoor air pollutants, according to England’s chief medical officer, amid concerns that dirty air in buildings may contribute to nearly as many deaths as outdoor air pollution.

Prof Chris Whitty said monitoring indoor air quality should become standard practice in public spaces and called for urgent investment to help establish records of pollutants that accumulate in homes, offices and public buildings. The Guardian

Revealed: only 10 of Boris Johnson’s promised 40 new hospital projects have planning permission

Revealed: only 10 of Boris Johnson’s promised 40 new hospital projects have planning permission Only a quarter of the 40 hospital construction projects that were at the heart of Boris Johnson’s 2019 general election manifesto have secured full planning permission, the Observer can reveal, amid angry claims from NHS figures that there is no chance the schemes will be delivered on time.

Ministers have repeatedly claimed that the hospitals will be delivered by 2030, despite concerns from health chiefs and economists that “woefully insufficient” funding and rising costs will scupper the plan and put NHS capacity at risk.

Department of Health spent a record £626 MILLION of taxpayer cash on management consultants

Department of Health spent a record £626 MILLION of taxpayer cash on management consultants The Department of Health spent a record £626million on external management consultants last year, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The department’s latest accounts show NHS bosses continuing to splash the cash on the advisers, despite academic evidence suggesting they make matters less efficient over time.

Including NHS England and NHS Providers, the department’s £626 million bill for management consultants in 2021/22 was up £123 million from the previous year. The Daily Mail

Calling kids 'overweight' is fat-shaming, experts say

Calling kids 'overweight' is fat-shaming, experts say Labelling children as 'overweight' is fat shaming and can do more harm than good, a study suggests.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) causes children anxiety and embarrassment at weigh-ins and often leads to teasing, researchers found.

Instead of helping children to lose weight, it has the potential cause eating disorders and unhealthy dieting behaviours that are 'far more dangerous than the weight itself'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Weighing up the future: a meta-ethnography of household perceptions of the National Child Measurement Programme in England (open access) Critical Public Health

A&E at Northampton General Hospital operating at double capacity 'almost every day' this winter, data shows

A&E at Northampton General Hospital operating at double capacity  'almost every day' this winter, data shows A hospital’s accident and emergency (A&E) department has routinely operated at twice its capacity over recent months, bosses were told.

Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has capacity for 60 patients in its A&E but has had to treat up to 120 people at peak times “almost every day” this winter, a consultant said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northamptonshire psychologist Sunil given national voice on health and justice

Northamptonshire psychologist Sunil given national voice on health and justice Having a voice at the highest level, and to champion healthcare for those in the justice system, is part of a new role taken on by a leading psychologist in Northamptonshire.

Dr Sunil Lad, a consultant counselling psychologist at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), has just taken on the role of national clinical director for health and justice. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Unborn baby of mother with HIV at centre of court case

Unborn baby of mother with HIV at centre of court case A baby boy whose mother has HIV was given specialist drugs within hours of birth following a High Court case.

The "rare" and "exceptional" ruling was made after Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust took the matter to court before the child was born.

Doctors feared the mother - unaware of the legal action - would not consent to her baby receiving the anti-retroviral medicine.

The High Court said treatment could go-ahead. BBC Northampton

An NHS in crisis: patients are now waiting longer for almost every type of emergency care

An NHS in crisis: patients are now waiting longer for almost every type of emergency care There’s no doubt that the NHS is deep in crisis. The NHS is facing spiralling waits for emergency and routine care; waves of national strikes; budgets squeezed by inflation; and endless declarations of critical incidents by trust trying to preserve capacity for their sickest patients.

But what does an ’NHS in crisis’ really mean for patients needing emergency care? The unfortunate reality is that patients are likely to face multiple delays on their journey to treatment. The King's Fund

One year on from the backlog recovery plan: what next for NHS waiting lists?

One year on from the backlog recovery plan: what next for NHS waiting lists? One year ago, NHS England published its plan to tackle the backlog of elective care, which had surged following the onset of the pandemic. Since then, as widely expected, waiting lists for NHS treatment in England have continued to grow, increasing by around 1 million between February and November 2022 to just shy of 7.2 million incomplete treatment pathways. In this report, we examine whether the NHS is on track to achieve the challenging ambitions laid out in its backlog recovery plan and present a number of different scenarios for waiting lists over the next two years. Institute for Financial Studies

See also:

• NHS waiting lists will not fall until the summer of 2024 The Daily Mail
• NHS waiting lists in England unlikely to fall in 2023, research suggests The Guardian

Latest NHS reforms will not succeed until Government fixes longstanding problems

Latest NHS reforms will not succeed until Government fixes longstanding problems Major new reform of the NHS will not work until Government addresses multiple chronic issues in the service, says PAC in a report released today. The case has not been made for what improvements Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) will bring to patients, and by when. 

ICSs are the latest attempt to bring NHS and local government services together to join up services and focus on prevention. But in a new report the Committee says the reforms will founder if the major systemic problems in the NHS are not addressed by Government at a national level House of Commons Public Accounts Committee

Major plan to recover urgent and emergency care services

Major plan to recover urgent and emergency care services The NHS and the government will publish a new blueprint today to help recover urgent and emergency care services, reduce waiting times, and improve patient experience.

Frontline capacity will be boosted further thanks to 800 new ambulances, including 100 specialist mental health vehicles, and 5,000 more sustainable hospital beds backed by a £1 billion dedicated fund.

The two-year delivery plan for recovery comes amid record demand for NHS services, with the latest data showing more A&E attendances than ever before, growing numbers of the most serious ambulance call outs, and millions of NHS 111 calls a month over winter. NHS England

Specialised services and system working

Specialised services and system working This briefing outlines NHS England’s changes to specialised commissioning, beginning April 2023, as well as NHS Providers analysis of the benefits and risks that come with greater system leadership.

New strategy to boost NHS access to innovative medical technology

New strategy to boost NHS access to innovative medical technology Patients across the UK are set to benefit from access to safe, effective and innovative equipment and medical devices as part of the first ever medical technology (medtech) strategy published today.

The blueprint for boosting NHS medtech will focus on accelerating access to innovative technologies, such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines that enable patients to manage their own health at home and in their day to day lives. Department of Health and Social Care

Early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme: a rapid mixed-methods study

Early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme: a rapid mixed-methods study The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme is funding the creation of new mental health support teams (MHSTs) to work in schools and further education colleges. MHSTs directly support children and young people with ‘mild to moderate’ mental health problems and work with school and college staff to promote wellbeing for all. A new workforce of education mental health practitioners (EMHPs) is being trained for the teams. This early evaluation of the Trailblazer programme examines the development, implementation and early progress of MHSTs in the programme’s first 25 ‘Trailblazer’ sites. National Institute for Health and Care Research

Retrospective pay talks are 'not right' - Barclay

Retrospective pay talks are 'not right' - Barclay The health secretary said "we should be looking forward" to the pay review body giving its next settlement as health staff in England strike over pay.

Steve Barclay said the government wanted to work "constructively" with unions and was "keen" to get evidence to the independent pay review body "which reflects the pressure the NHS is under and wider context of inflation".

Planned industrial action has suspended in Scotland and Wales following new pay offers, while some nurses and ambulance staff were on strike on Monday. BBC News

See also:

• NHS strike: Re-open pay talks, hospital bosses plead BBC News
• Nurses offer to call off strikes in England if Sunak makes fresh pay offer BBC News
• Why are NHS staff striking and what should patients do? BBC News
• NHS chief: Strikes making hospital bosses restless BBC News
• Steve Barclay warns never-ending NHS strikes are having a terrible impact on patients The Daily Mail
• NHS under fire for hiring branding agency to improve its image amid strikes and waiting list crisis The Daily Mail
• NHS salary: Are UK nurses paid more than those in Europe? The Daily Mail
• How NHS doctor's £110,000 salary is dwarfed by European counterparts The Daily Mail
• Deadlock over NHS pay putting patients in danger, chief nurses warn The Guardian
• Ministers accused of being ‘on strike’ as action by nurses in England continues The Guardian
• Union leader calls Rishi Sunak deluded as NHS pay row escalates The Guardian
• NHS faces worst day of disruption as nurses and ambulance staff in England strike The Guardian
• Ministers ‘punishing’ nurses in England, says union as NHS hit by biggest strike The Guardian
• NHS strikes: Patient safety fears could stop nurses joining further coordinated walkouts The Independent 

HIV testing: Free do-it-at home kit offered in England

HIV testing: Free do-it-at home kit offered in England Free HIV tests that can be done at home are being offered this week to people in England.

It is part of a government drive to improve diagnosis, which dropped off during the Covid pandemic.

The kit is small enough to fit through the letterbox and arrives in plain packaging through the post. BBC News

Stress led to more NHS staff absences than Covid, new figures show

Stress led to more NHS staff absences than Covid, new figures show “Burnout” and stress among doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health staff has cost the NHS in England more than 15m lost working days since March 2020, about 50% more than the days lost to Covid infections and self-isolation, analysis of official figures by the Observer reveals.

NHS sickness figures show that between March 2020, the month of the first Covid lockdown, and last September, 15.4m working days have been lost in the NHS because of stress-related absences, compared with 9.8m days lost from staff who were required to self-isolate or were ill with Covid.

Pfizer’s Susan Rienow: from Covid to fighting the ‘silent pandemic’

Pfizer’s Susan Rienow: from Covid to fighting the ‘silent pandemic’ The pharma giant’s UK chief is adding the company’s voice to scientists’ warnings of the dangers of antibacterial resistance

Pfizer’s president in the UK, Susan Rienow, is lobbying to switch the focus towards early-stage illness to prevent people being hospitalised. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity coming out of the pandemic to try to break the cycle of ill health that holds back the economy, the NHS and the health of the population. The key to that is prevention,” she says. “We don’t have enough hospital beds for all the patients who need them.” The Guardian

New blood test is 92% accurate at spotting signs of prostate cancer, study says

New blood test is 92% accurate at spotting signs of prostate cancer, study says A blood test can detect prostate cancer with more than 90 per cent accuracy, a study reveals.

Men who visit their GP with symptoms, such as straining while urinating, have a blood test called a PSA test.

But this is inaccurate, meaning thousands of men are wrongly told they may have prostate cancer and can be sent for a painful biopsy or MRI scan unnecessarily. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Circulating Chromosome Conformation Signatures Significantly Enhance PSA Positive Predicting Value and Overall Accuracy for Prostate Cancer Detection (open access) Cancers

A short intermission...

We will be taking a small break, but our news service will return on Wednesday the 8th of February.

In the meantime, you can always find us on Twitter @NHFTNHSLibrary

Evaluating a hospital-based youth violence intervention programme

Evaluating a hospital-based youth violence intervention programme Knife crime and other offences among young people are not just an issue for the criminal justice system, they can also affect the health of young people and the health services they use. As part of the RSET project, John Appleby describes the findings of an evaluation of a youth violence intervention programme run by the charity Redthread in collaboration with clinicians at University College London Hospital. Nuffield Trust

Latest winter situation report reveals that the NHS is under more pressure than it was last year

Latest winter situation report reveals that the NHS is under more pressure than it was last year The latest winter situation report shows the continued pressures that NHS leaders and their staff are under. As they get further into the new year, our members say they are continuing to work in difficult conditions as they contend with sustained industrial action which carries risks to patient safety. NHS Confederation

See also:

• Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports 2022-23 NHS England
• Rod Stewart calls Sky News offering to pay for NHS hospital scans The Guardian
• NHS figures show ambulance handovers and flu cases improving ITV News
• NHS crisis: 'Over my dead body' - Proposals to make some patients pay for care spark backlash Sky News
• NHS crisis: Patients share their negative and positive experiences Sky News 
• NHS figures: Ambulance delays slowly improving after record waits over Christmas Sky News

UK poverty 2023: the essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK

UK poverty 2023: the essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK This report sets out recent trends in poverty across the UK and how levels of poverty differ between groups of people and regions. It also describes the impact it has on people’s lives, including physical and mental health. Joseph Rowntree Foundation

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Swab positivity for flu has decreased to 2.8% in week 3, compared to 6.5% in week 2. The highest positivity is seen in those aged 5 to 14 years and in those aged 15 to 44 years at 4.5%.

Hospital admission rates decreased in the last week and are at low activity levels. Intensive care units (ICU) and high dependency units (HDU) hospital admission rates have also decreased, and approached the baseline range of activity levels. UK Health Security Agency

Shopping purchases may help spot ovarian cancer

Shopping purchases may help spot ovarian cancer Tracking what shoppers buy, via loyalty-card data, can help spot those with early signs of cancer, doctors who have been running a study say.

Frequent purchases of over-the-counter painkillers and indigestion tablets revealed a higher risk of ovarian cancer, they found.

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late.

There is no reliable screening test and the symptoms, such as bloating, can be vague and confused with other common, harmless conditions. BBC News

See also:

• Association Between Purchase of Over-the-Counter Medications and Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis in the Cancer Loyalty Card Study (CLOCS): Observational Case-Control Study (open access) JMIR Public Health and Surveillance 
• Loyalty cards could be used to spot cancer cases sooner, study suggests The Daily Mail

NHS pay dispute could cause serious long-term harm, says health boss

NHS pay dispute could cause serious long-term harm, says health boss he NHS faces “serious and significant” long-term damage unless the increasingly bitter pay battle between staff and ministers is resolved soon, a senior health service boss has said.

The growing wave of strikes will hamper the NHS’s efforts to tackle the growing chaos in A&E and the 7.2 million-strong backlog of people needing hospital treatment, Sir Julian Hartley said. The Guardian

Doctors issue warning over life-threatening disease as cases spike in children

Doctors issue warning over life-threatening disease as cases spike in children The number of children being treated for Kawasaki disease has risen dramatically by more than double over the last five years.

Experienced mostly in children aged five and below, the NHS has issued a plea for more plasma donations as cases rise.

Latest figures from NHS Blood and Transplant revealed a total of 706 children needing treatment for the disease between 2020-21. The Independent

Blood-based test could detect Alzheimer's disease early, study suggests

Blood-based test could detect Alzheimer's disease early, study suggests A test could detect Alzheimer’s disease three and a half years before it is diagnosed, a study suggests.

The research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London established a blood-based test that could predict the risk of the condition. The study supports the idea that components in blood can influence the formation of brain cells. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Predicting progression to Alzheimer’s disease with human hippocampal progenitors exposed to serum (open access) Brain
• New blood test could detect Alzheimer’s disease years before diagnosis The Independent

Another £6 BILLION of PPE and Covid tests down the drain: Critics slam £14.9bn of waste

Another £6 BILLION of PPE and Covid tests down the drain: Critics slam £14.9bn of waste Another £6billion of taxpayer cash was 'wasted' on Covid-era equipment last year, it was revealed today.

It means the Department of Health has now lost £14.9billion on over-priced, faulty or unused PPE, tests and drugs since the pandemic began. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Department of Health and Social Care annual report and accounts 2021-22 National Audit Office
• Department of Health wasted £15bn on unused Covid supplies, watchdog finds The Guardian

Norovirus warning in NHS: Health bosses fear rocketing cases of vomiting bug could cripple hospitals

Norovirus warning in NHS: Health bosses fear rocketing cases of vomiting bug could cripple hospitals A post-pandemic surge in norovirus cases could cripple hospitals, health chiefs fear.

Hospital cases of the winter vomiting bug have risen by nearly a tenth in a week — with rates over a third higher than before the pandemic struck.

An average of 371 beds were occupied by patients with tell-tale symptoms of the contagious bug across England last week. For comparison, this is twice as high as levels seen at the same time last year. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Official Statistics: National norovirus and rotavirus surveillance reports: 2022 to 2023 season UK Health Security Agency

Basis of negotiation: recommendations to improve the NHS pay review process

Basis of negotiation: recommendations to improve the NHS pay review process With the NHS pay review process recently coming in for criticism, Billy Palmer presents an 11-point plan to help make it more fit for purpose. He sets out practical recommendations – for the UK governments, pay review bodies and unions – that would improve the current arrangements. Nuffield Trust

Government Action on Major Conditions and Diseases

Government Action on Major Conditions and Diseases Tackling the major conditions that lead to people spending more years in ill health is a significant opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people. That is why today, I am announcing that, in consultation with NHS England and colleagues across government, my Department will develop and publish a Major Conditions Strategy.

The Strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care, building on measures that we have already taken forward through the NHS Long Term Plan. Interventions set out in the Strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system, as well as support the government’s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity. UK Parliament

See also: 

• BPS responds to government plans for a Major Conditions Strategy British Psychological Society
• NHS leaders will welcome government’s recommitment to narrowing the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy by 2030 NHS Confederation
• UK government fall massively short on cross-Government plan promise Mind
• National Voices’ response to the announcement of a Major Conditions Strategy National Voices
• NHS in England will have one strategy for all major conditions, including cancer The BMJ
• Government sets out plans for 'major conditions' health strategy GPonline
• Major Conditions Strategy Announcement Divides Opinion Medscape
• Health secretary announces new Major Conditions Strategy National Health Executive

JCVI advises an autumn COVID-19 vaccine booster

JCVI advises an autumn COVID-19 vaccine booster In its interim advice to government on the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme for 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that plans should be made for those at higher risk of severe COVID-19 to be offered a booster vaccination this autumn (2023).

The JCVI also advised that for a smaller group of people, such as those who are older and those who are immunosuppressed, an extra booster vaccine dose in the spring should also be planned for. Advice regarding the spring 2023 COVID-19 programme will be provided shortly. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Independent report: COVID-19 vaccination programme for 2023: JCVI interim advice, 8 November 2022 Department of health and Social Care
• NHS issues final call to come forward for COVID booster NHS England
• UK health chiefs crank up plans for spring AND autumn Covid vaccine roll-outs The Daily Mail
• JCVI recommends targeted COVID-19 vaccination programme in 2023 GPonline
• Warning of big change to Covid vaccines in UK The Independent

Mental health first aid law proposed in parliament

Mental health first aid law proposed in parliament A new law requiring businesses to offer mental health first aid training has been presented to parliament.

Tory MP Dean Russell told the Commons the move will lead to more people spotting the early signs of mental health issues in the workplace.

Many businesses already offer mental health training to first aiders, but it is not a legal requirement.

Mr Russell told MPs that requiring mental health first aid training in the workplace would save lives. BBC News

Physiotherapists, 'the quiet NHS miracle workers', walk out

Physiotherapists, 'the quiet NHS miracle workers', walk out Thousands of NHS physiotherapists in England have become the latest group to join the ongoing industrial action over pay in the health service.

Physios and their support staff at 30 NHS services - one in seven - are staging a 24-hour walkout on Thursday.

It is the first time members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) have gone on strike.

As with other striking health staff, physios will continue to provide care in the most urgent cases. BBC News

See also:

• First ever physiotherapy strike over pay takes place in England Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Advice for NHS patients affected by physiotherapy strikes Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Thousands of NHS physiotherapists go on strike time for first time Evening Standard
• Thousands of NHS physiotherapists to strike over pay The Independent

NHS chief executive says patients need to know hospitals 'are not safe places'

NHS chief executive says patients need to know hospitals 'are not safe places' Nick Hulme, who is in charge of two large NHS trusts, delivered a damning assessment of hospitals at a board meeting of health staff. ITV News

See also:

• In ambulances wait times in England caused record severe harm exposure The Guardian
• The A&E scandal in the NHS has the spotlight. The hidden disaster is the state of long-term care The Guardian
• How well do you understand what's going on in the NHS? Sky News
• NHS in crisis: A day in the life of a GP surgery Sky News

UK facing crisis point in abortion provision, experts say

UK facing crisis point in abortion provision, experts say The UK is facing a “crisis point” in abortion provision, experts say, with rising demand and restricted access to care in many areas putting unprecedented pressure on struggling NHS services.

Healthcare professionals described a “terrifying” state of affairs in which women are travelling hundreds of miles for appointments or waiting several weeks before they are seen. The Guardian

See also:

• Why are women in Britain having to travel hundreds of miles to get an abortion? podcast The Guardian

NHS trust failed in care of baby who died 23 minutes after birth

NHS trust failed in care of baby who died 23 minutes after birth The mother of a baby girl who died in hospital 23 minutes after being born has said she was “failed in the most cruel way” by an NHS Trust that has admitted failings in their care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) prosecuted the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust after it admitted that its maternity services had not provided safe care and treatment to mother, Sarah Andrews, and her baby, Wynter Andrews. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS Trust admits failings in care of mother and baby who died after 23 minutes ITV News

Hope for more than 150,000 migraine sufferers as NHS approves new wonder drug

Hope for more than 150,000 migraine sufferers as NHS approves new wonder drug A new drug is set to transform the lives of thousands of migraine sufferers after it was approved for use on the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommending eptinezumab for around 164,000 adults where at least three previous preventive treatments have failed.

The drug, given as an intravenous infusion every 12 weeks in hospital, has been found to reduce both frequency and severity of migraine attacks. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Eptinezumab for preventing migraine (guideline in development) NICE
• Nice approves new migraine drug for NHS use in England and Wales The Guardian
• New NHS drug will help thousands with migraines The Independent

Women should get ANNUAL breast cancer scans, claims Government's women's health tsar

Women should get ANNUAL breast cancer scans, claims Government's women's health tsar Offering women annual breast cancer checks could save 1,000 lives a year, the women's health tsar has said.

Dame Lesley Regan said the current system of screening women aged 50 to 70 once every three years was 'not based on scientific evidence'.

The UK's breast screening programme has the longest gap between screens in the world.

In the US it is every one or two years and in Europe every two years. The Daily Mail

Cransley Hospice Kettering timeline stone marks 25 years of care at heart of the community and launches celebration year

Cransley Hospice Kettering timeline stone marks 25 years of care at heart of the community and launches celebration year Cransley Hospice has been guaranteed its own place in the history of Kettering after a stone marking the charity’s foundation was unveiled in the town.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of Cransley Hospice based at St Mary’s Hospital, a carved stone has been added to the Kettering Timeline.

Rev Dr John Smith, Cransley Hospice founder, who launched the specialist facility 25 years ago, was special guest at the ceremony. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• PICTURE SPECIAL - Looking back at the first 25 years of Kettering's Cransley Hospice Northamptonshire Telegraph

Independent health care and the NHS

Independent health care and the NHS Discussion around the role of the independent sector in providing health care often focuses on the ‘privatisation’ of the NHS.

Private providers have always played a role in the NHS, and while there was a small increase in NHS expenditure on independent sector providers following the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, it has flatlined at a lower level since. The King's Fund

When will the government and national agencies act to ensure that ethnicity coding in health records is fit for purpose?

When will the government and national agencies act to ensure that ethnicity coding in health records is fit for purpose? All governments in recent decades have committed to reducing health inequalities, including among ethnic minority groups. The pandemic’s disproportionate impact on ethnic minority communities highlighted the critical importance of being able to measure health care need, use and outcomes among ethnic minority groups, in order to both mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and address ethnic disparities in health more generally.

The analyses and research that followed illustrated the power of data to inform health strategies designed to protect and improve health. However, the caveat of poor quality of ethnicity coding in health records has been a constant theme, pre-dating the pandemic, requiring analysts to adjust for coding flaws prior to analysis or making do with sub-standard data quality. The King's Fund

See also:

• Understanding consistency of ethnicity data recorded in health-related administrative datasets in England: 2011 to 2021 Office for National Statistics

Can mental health services afford the cost-of-living crisis?

Can mental health services afford the cost-of-living crisis? While the recent extra funding to mental health crisis services is welcomed to help mental health services address the immense pressures the cost-of-living crisis is having on the mental health of England's population, this is short-term thinking. The mental health sector need governmental support to move to preventative approaches. NHS Confederation

The future of pharmacy: manifesto report

The future of pharmacy: manifesto report This report calls for urgent action to deliver on the potential of pharmacy teams and relieve significant funding and workforce pressures. It highlights the need for a new “strategic vision” for pharmacy and highlights opportunities for the pharmacy network to be empowered to deliver even more for patients. However, the manifesto also underlines the very real risk that this opportunity may be lost if significant and ongoing pressures are not addressed. All-Party Pharmacy Group

Care and support reimagined: a national care covenant for England

Care and support reimagined: a national care covenant for England This report sets out three actions to realise a new vision for care and support: rethinking attitudes to care and support; rebalancing roles and responsibilities; and redesigning the social care system. The Commission, which was launched by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in April 2021, calls for a National Care Covenant, developed through national dialogue, which sets out the roles and responsibilities of government, communities, families and individuals. Key elements of the covenant proposed by the Commission are: investment in communities; a stronger role for the state; a new deal for unpaid carers; and a commitment to our responsibilities as actively engaged citizens. Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care

See also:

• Urgent need to reclaim momentum on social care reform Nuffield Trust

NHS urges women to book a cervical screening as a third don’t take up vital offer

NHS urges women to book a cervical screening as a third don’t take up vital offer The NHS has issued a call for anyone eligible for cervical screening to come forward for a potentially life-saving appointment, with nearly a third, around 4.6 million, not taking up their latest test.

The plea from senior NHS medics comes on the back of the health service sending a record number of invites for cervical screening in the last year, as part of its ambition to eradicate the cancer through a combination of vaccination and early identification.

More than five million invites were sent in the last full year (2021/22) – up by over a tenth (10.5%) on pre-pandemic levels. NHS England

See also:

• Smear tests: GP waiting times putting women off cervical screening BBC News
• 4.6m women in England have missed cervical screening test GPonline

Dreaded Covid-flu twindemic cost NHS this winter

Dreaded Covid-flu twindemic cost NHS this winter Simultaneous big waves of Covid and flu - the 'twindemic' experts warned of as people returned to 'normal' pre-pandemic mixing - cost the NHS this winter, say NHS bosses.

NHS England chief strategy officer Chris Hopson said hospital pressures in England peaked on 29 December.

The workload involved gave hospitals a "significant problem" at the turn of the year, he said.

It was at this point that record-long waits at A&E were seen.

Since then the pressures have begun to ease a little. BBC News

NHS racism shame: One in three Black and minority ethnic staff face discrimination or bullying

NHS racism shame: One in three Black and minority ethnic staff face discrimination or bullying A third of Black and ethnic minority health staff have suffered racism or bullying as the NHS fails to address “systemic” levels of discrimination, The Independent can reveal.

Levels of bullying and harassment of minority workers have not improved in the past five years with almost 30 per cent saying they have been targeted in the past year, compared to 20 per cent of white staff.

Despite being one-quarter of the workforce, minority ethnic staff make up just 10 per cent of the most senior positions, the NHS’s flagship report is set to reveal.

Women in low-income households are less likely to receive the health care they need

Women in low-income households are less likely to receive the health care they need A study of 10,650 females in the UK found those with a combined household income of up to £25,000 per annum are less health literate and are less likely to attend health screenings or vaccination invitations.

In fact, one in 10 have never had health issues such as blood pressure or cervical cancer checked, compared to just five per cent of those in a household earning more than £40,000 per annum. The Independent

Biggest strike day in NHS history will be 'difficult', chief warns

Biggest strike day in NHS history will be 'difficult', chief warns The biggest strike in the history of the NHS will be a “difficult” day, a senior health service leader has warned, as a top emergency doctor described ongoing chaos in A&E departments.

Chris Hopson, chief strategy officer for NHS England, said that combined action on February 6 is a “step change” in the dispute. Evening Standard

See also:

• Striking doctors ‘angry, burned out and demoralised’ - with ‘no light at end of tunnel' The Express
• A&Es ‘haemorrhaging’ nurses as strikes to hit services hard, health chiefs warn The Independent

NHS: What a 12-hour paramedic shift is really like

NHS: What a 12-hour paramedic shift is really like Ambulance response times are the worst on record and the NHS is struggling to cope with a surge in demand this winter.

Sky News joined West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic Danny Thompson and ambulance technician Dan Fiedler for a 12-hour shift.

Parents still waiting for food vouchers after NHS scheme beset by IT problems

Parents still waiting for food vouchers after NHS scheme beset by IT problems Struggling parents are having to wait more than a year for vouchers to buy healthy food for their children after the relaunch of an NHS scheme was plagued by IT problems.

The Healthy Start scheme, which helps low-income parents and pregnant women pay for fruit, vegetables, milk and formula, has been misfiring since it began the switch away from paper vouchers in October 2021. As it moved from a paper coupon format to a prepaid card system, parents who had been using the old scheme were rejected for the new one without explanation. The Guardian

Massive spike in excess deaths sparks calls for an 'urgent investigation'

Massive spike in excess deaths sparks calls for an 'urgent investigation' MPs have called for an urgent investigation into Britain's soaring death rates as thousands more people than usual are dying each week.

Some 17,381 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the seven days to January 13 – 2,837 above average for the time of year.

This is the highest number of excess deaths since 3,429 in the week to February 12, 2021, when the UK was experiencing its second wave of Covid-19 infections and vaccination had only just begun. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: week ending 13 January 2023 Office for National Statistics
• The King's Fund responds to the latest ONS mortality data The King's Fund
• Deaths nearly 20% higher than normal amid NHS crisis Evening Standard

Now the NHS eyes up robots to help clear Covid backlogs

Now the NHS eyes up robots to help clear Covid backlogs Robots will have the power to decide patient priority in the NHS after they are employed by the service to help clear the backlog of waiting lists.

Automated calls will be used by the health service to assess people waiting for operations and prioritise their urgency to speed up the handling of referrals.

The plan could see more than 100,000 NHS workers being trained in coding and boy creation to reduce the bureaucratic burden. The Daily Mail

Northampton: Prime minister praises NHS trust's mental health work

Northampton: Prime minister praises NHS trust's mental health work Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has praised an NHS trust's mental health crisis and community services as "trailblazing" on a visit to one of its hospitals.

Mr Sunak was at the Berrywood Hospital in Northampton to announce £150m of funding for UK mental health provision.

He met with representatives from the Northamptonshire Health NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) to discuss mental health facilities and support.

He said its mental health response hub had put it "ahead of the curve". BBC Northampton

See also:

• Prime Minister visits mental health service in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Prime Minister visits mental health services in Northampton to reveal £150m of funding for projects nationwide Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Rishi Sunak apologises for not wearing a seatbelt during visit to Northampton hospital Northants Live