Workers' experience of Long Covid

Workers' experience of Long Covid Our research found shockingly high levels of poor treatment by employers. One in seven respondents (14 per cent) had lost their job because of reasons connected to Long Covid. Given the high numbers of people experiencing Long Covid, this finding is extremely concerning and many people losing their jobs could be in key sector roles. TUC and Long Covid Support

See also:

• Long Covid: Three years and no magic bullet BBC News
• Have we found the 'animal origin' of Covid? BBC News
• Covid cases jump by 13% in a week as officials warn up to one in SEVENTEEN people might be infected The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 24 March 2023 Office for National Statistics
• Fury over healing clinics charging up to £280 to help Long Covid sufferers The Daily Mail
• Two-thirds of UK workers with long Covid have faced unfair treatment, says report The Guardian
• Clinically vulnerable ‘absolutely outraged’ as Covid guidance for high risk patients removed from NHS website iNews
• 'My world came crashing down' - Teen describes her Long Covid battle ITV News
• COVID-19 infections in England at highest level since start of year, final estimates reveal Sky News

Independent review of the NHS Business Services Authority: final report and recommendations

Independent review of the NHS Business Services Authority: final report and recommendations In June 2022, as part of the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Review Programme, the Department of Health and Social Care began its review of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The review’s aim was to ensure that this public body is efficient and works effectively for citizens. The report of the NHSBSA review covers the following areas: public body assessment; accountability; governance; efficiency; efficacy; and capabilities. The report makes 18 recommendations. Department of Health and Social Care

Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS

Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS Companies providing freelance staff to the NHS to cover for big shortages of doctors and nurses have seen their income rise by tens of millions of pounds since 2019.

Two companies, amongst the largest providing workers to the NHS, saw their turnover rise by 80% and 77.5%.

BBC News looked at the financial records of about 20 agency businesses providing services in the UK.

Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence

Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence Possessing laughing gas is to be made a criminal offence for the first time, the government has announced.

There will also be tighter controls on retailers to prevent the supply of nitrous oxide for misuse.

It goes against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which recently advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide. BBC News

Patients with rare genetic conditions to receive 'pioneering' new NHS service

Patients with rare genetic conditions to receive 'pioneering' new NHS service Hundreds of people with rare genetic conditions primarily affecting the central nervous system will be fast-tracked to diagnosis and specialist care through a “pioneering” new NHS service.

Patients with inherited white matter disorders (IWMDs), also known as leukodystrophies, are set to benefit from faster access to expert teams, increased virtual support and improved local care from clinics providing testing and symptom management. The Independent

NHS staff shortages in England could exceed 570,000 by 2036, leaked document warns

NHS staff shortages in England could exceed 570,000 by 2036, leaked document warns Exclusive: workplace plan sent to ministers says deficit will rise rapidly from current 154,000 if current trends continue

The NHS in England needs a massive injection of homegrown doctors, nurses, GPs and dentists to avert a recruitment crisis that could leave it short of 571,000 staff, according to an internal document seen by the Guardian.

See also:

• Will Jeremy Hunt foot the bill for NHS staffing? The signs aren’t promising The Guardian

‘Children put at risk’ as NHS autism assessments are cut back

‘Children put at risk’ as NHS autism assessments are cut back NHS managers in south-west England have imposed new rules that could deny autism assessments to thousands of children in a move that parents say “puts children at genuine risk”.

At the start of this month, NHS commissioners in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire announced new referral criteria for children’s autism assessments, effective immediately with no notice or consultation. The Guardian

High risk of stroke is linked to mental health

High risk of stroke is linked to mental health Depression and other mental health problems may put sufferers at increased risk of a stroke, two studies have found.

In the first, people who reported the worst depressive symptoms – admitting they’d ‘given up on life improvements’ – were found to have the greatest risk of a stroke.

A second study examined the records of people with genes known to be linked to depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder, and found those with the highest genetic risk were more likely to suffer a stroke.  The Daily Mail

See also:

• Depressive Symptoms and Risk of Acute Stroke: INTERSTROKE Case-Control Study (abstract) Neurology

High street pharmacies are on red alert as chemists run low on stocks of painkillers like Calpol

High street pharmacies are on red alert as chemists run low on stocks of painkillers like Calpol High street pharmacies are struggling to get hold of children's painkillers as a new wave of drugs shortages affects patients.

Warehouses are virtually empty of several types of liquid painkiller, including of best-known brand Calpol, leaving chemists scrambling for supplies.

Other everyday medicines including Lemsip and Gaviscon are also now hard to get hold of, said Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association for Independent Multiple Pharmacies. The Daily Mail

Chart of the week: When being 64 for the most deprived feels like 90 for the better off

Chart of the week: When being 64 for the most deprived feels like 90 for the better off The 2021 Census asked everyone in the UK to report their general health from very bad to very good. As Sophie Julian and Sally Gainsbury show, there were some very revealing findings, with people from the most deprived areas of the country experiencing significantly poorer health than those in better off areas. Nuffield Trust

Educator workforce strategy

Educator workforce strategy This strategy aims to ensure that the NHS has a sustainable supply of educators to support the development of the health care workforce. It sets out seven priorities that will lead to sufficient capacity and quality of educators to allow the growth in healthcare workforce that is needed to deliver care, now and in the future. It describes concerns in the health care education sector and from service providers about the capacity of educators to meet the current and future demands for education and training. Health Education England

Guidance: Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel

Guidance: Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel Sets out the principles and best practice benchmarks health and social care employers and recruitment agencies must follow to ensure effective, ethical international recruitment. Department of Health and Social Care

Four-day junior doctor strike set for April

Four-day junior doctor strike set for April Junior doctors are to stage a four-day walkout in April in their fight to get a 35% pay rise in England.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will take strike action from 11 April to 15 April.

It comes after BMA leaders met Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Wednesday. BBC News

See also:

• BMA announces dates for new 96-hour walkout by junior doctors in England after Government failure to make any credible offer in talks BMA
• ‘This is not true’: BMA responds to Government claim over 35% precondition on junior doctor pay talks BMA
• Junior Doctors dispute: Key information Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association
• NHS Confederation responds to BMA's new strike dates NHS Confederation
• NHS Providers responds to 96-hour junior doctors’ strike announcement NHS Providers
• Time is running out to resolve the NHS workforce crisis The BMJ
• Junior doctors will strike for FOUR consecutive days in April The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors’ union announces 96-hour walkout after pay talks break down The Daily Telegraph
• BMA 'extremely sorry' to patients disrupted by junior doctors Evening Standard
• Junior doctors in England to strike for four days in April The Guardian
• Junior doctors to strike for four days as health secretary ‘won’t negotiate’ on 35% pay demand The Independent
• Junior doctors will strike for 96 hours from 11 April as NHS pay dispute continues iNews
• Warning a quarter of a million hospital appointments could be postponed after junior doctors announce four-day strike Sky News

Long Covid: University of East Anglia study finds women more likely affected

Long Covid: University of East Anglia study finds women more likely affected Women are more likely to suffer from long Covid but being vaccinated almost halves the risk of developing the condition, a University of East Anglia study has found. But what does long Covid mean for those living with the illness? BBC News

See also:

• Risk Factors Associated With Post−COVID-19 Condition: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (open access) JAMA Network
• Covid-like virus is found lurking in UK bats The Daily Mail
• More than a million Covid patients treated in England, says NHS chief Evening Standard
• Three years on: are we any closer to understanding long Covid? (podcast) The Guardian
• Covid struck and Britain locked down. Here’s what we learned from that – and what we must do next time The Guardian
• Covid: Worst area for UK revealed as one in 40 Britons infected The Independent
• Covid: 10 most common symptoms to watch out for as UK cases rise The Independent
• Covid-19 vaccines do not affect women’s periods, study finds The Independent
• A retrospective case-control study on menstrual cycle changes following COVID-19 vaccination and disease (open access) iScience

Police investigating ‘sexual assault’ at scandal-hit children’s hospital as watchdog threatens closure

Police investigating ‘sexual assault’ at scandal-hit children’s hospital as watchdog threatens closure Police are investigating fresh allegations of sexual assault against a child patient by a care worker at a scandal-hit private mental health hospital group.

It is the second time reports have been made about a former Huntercombe Group hospital after two care workers were quizzed over the alleged rape of a child at its Taplow Manor Hospital in Maidenhead last year. The Independent

Ringfence 10% of UK health spending for preventive measures, report urges

Ringfence 10% of UK health spending for preventive measures, report urges Governments should set aside 10% of health spending for preventive and public measures such as cycle lanes and anti-obesity strategies, a thinktank has said, warning that “political short-termism” over health is making the UK increasingly ill and unequal.

The report by the Tony Blair Institute argues that a centralised NHS model “almost entirely focused on treating sickness” rather than on wider objectives is not only harming people’s health but hampering the economy, with more than 2.5 million people out of the labour market because of long-term ailments. The Guardian

See also:

• Fit for the Future: How a Healthy Population Will Unlock a Stronger Britain Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

‘There is a level of complacency’: trial exposes UK’s vulnerability to organ harvesting

‘There is a level of complacency’: trial exposes UK’s vulnerability to organ harvesting The UK is supposed to have one of the best systems in the world for preventing vulnerable people being exploited for their organs. How then did one of its biggest hospitals become embroiled in the macabre trade of kidney harvesting?

The UK’s first trial organ trafficking trial has exposed alarming vulnerabilities to a illegal trade that makes up 10% of transplants worldwide. The case has highlighted how poverty can tempt some people to sell their body parts to those willing to exploit an acute global shortage of organs for donation. The Guardian

See also:

• Organ-trafficking plot politician Ike Ekweremadu and wife guilty BBC News
• Nigerian politician, wife, and a doctor guilty of organ trafficking Channel 4 News

Map lays bare England's child dental crisis and shows areas where tooth decay more likely

Map lays bare England's child dental crisis and shows areas where tooth decay more likely Almost two thirds of children have rotten teeth in parts of the country, official data revealed today.

Statistics laying bare England's dental crisis showed three in 10 children aged five across the country have enamel or tooth decay. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Oral health survey of 5 year old children 2022 Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
• Oral health Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
• Three-year wait for Essex girl, 8, to have tooth removed BBC News

Good AND bad news for coffee lovers as study shows they walk more but sleep less

Good AND bad news for coffee lovers as study shows they walk more but sleep less Coffee boosts the number of calories people burn during the day but it robs them of vital sleep at night, according to a new study.

Results suggested people who drink coffee regularly walk 1,000 more steps than non-drinkers each day but lose out on around 30 minutes of sleep at night. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Acute Effects of Coffee Consumption on Health among Ambulatory Adults (abstract) New England Journal of Medicine

22 photos from glitzy Excellence Awards ceremony celebrating hard work at Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals

22 photos from glitzy Excellence Awards ceremony celebrating hard work at Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals Awards were held to celebrate the achievements of some of the staff, volunteers, and fundraisers, at Kettering and Northampton general hospitals.

The Excellence Awards 2023 received more than 450 nominations across 15 categories and were organised by the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Virtual wards: the lessons so far and future priorities

Virtual wards: the lessons so far and future priorities The expansion of virtual wards – which help patients to manage their health and care at home – is considered an important component of NHS planning for next winter. Following discussions with members of BT’s clinical advisory board and drawing on wider evidence and the latest policy developments, Rachel Hutchings and Nigel Edwards discuss the priority areas where further development and action could help improve virtual wards’ effectiveness. Nuffield Trust

Care delivery within community mental health teams

Care delivery within community mental health teams The purpose of this investigation was to support improvements in the work of community mental health teams (CMHTs).

Specifically, the investigation looked at the following four areas:

• assessing a patient’s risk of self-harm or suicide
• considering menopause as a risk factor for mental health conditions
• engaging with families
• caring for people with a first episode of psychosis.

The report uses, as an example, a real patient safety incident in which a woman died by suicide while under the care of a CMHT; this is referred to as ‘the reference event’ and was used to examine national issues. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

See also:

• NHS mental health services failing to consider impact of the the menopause on women, says watchdog The Daily Telegraph
• Watchdog calls for review of menopause link to poor mental health after woman’s suicide The Independent
• Mental health services failing to consider impact of menopause, putting women at risk of suicide Sky News

Falling employment and worsening health in the UK: connected or distinct trends?

Falling employment and worsening health in the UK: connected or distinct trends? Two concerning economic and social trends in the UK emerging from the covid-19 pandemic are the fall in employment of people aged 50 and over and the increase in sickness levels in the population. The drop in employment has not been caused by rising unemployment (when people are generally searching for work), but rather by rising “economic inactivity” (when they generally are not). Institute for Fiscal Studies

Public health annual report 2023: supporting communities in difficult times

Public health annual report 2023: supporting communities in difficult times This report reflects on the last year and focusses on how councils have responded to the rising cost of living. It also discusses a year of uncertainty about the direction of public health policy and how the approach to tackling health inequalities has blunted optimism. Despite these pressures, this report demonstrates that councils, the NHS and the voluntary and community sector have responded positively to the challenges and that, building on the experience of the pandemic, public health is at the forefront of each local response. Local Government Association

Research: Shooting Up: infections among people who inject drugs in the UK

Research: Shooting Up: infections among people who inject drugs in the UK This report describes the extent of infections and injecting-related harms among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United Kingdom. UK Health Security Agency

Policy paper: Cyber security strategy for health and social care: 2023 to 2030

Policy paper: Cyber security strategy for health and social care: 2023 to 2030 How the government will work with health and adult social care organisations and the supply chain to achieve cyber resilience across the sector no later than 2030. Department of Health and Social Care

Self-harm hospital admissions up 22% for children aged eight to 17

Self-harm hospital admissions up 22% for children aged eight to 17 Self-harm hospital admissions for children aged eight to 17 in the UK jumped 22% in one year.

The age group is now the largest for self-harm admissions, with all others seeing a drop, according to NHS data.

Charities say early access to support is vital, but high thresholds and long waiting lists mean more young people are ending up in hospital.

The government said it was investing £2.3bn a year in NHS mental health services. BBC News

Man died of sepsis after being sent home from Milton Keynes Hospital A&E

Man died of sepsis after being sent home from Milton Keynes Hospital A&E A father-of-two died of sepsis three days after being sent home from A&E with antibiotics, an inquest heard.

Alex Blewitt, 48, died in July 2022 after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by a perforated bowel and sepsis.

An inquest heard he was sent home from Milton Keynes University Hospital with antibiotics for a suspected urinary tract infection. BBC News

‘Fifth of UK hospitals cancelled operations’ during three days of 2022 heatwave

‘Fifth of UK hospitals cancelled operations’ during three days of 2022 heatwave A fifth of UK hospitals were forced to cancel operations during the three days in July last year when temperatures soared, research suggests.

The findings, published in a letter to the British Journal of Surgery, are based on surveys from surgeons, anaesthetists and critical care doctors working during the heatwave from July 16-19 2022 – when temperatures reached as high as 40C in some parts of the country. The Independent

See also:

• Elective surgical services need to start planning for summer pressures (open access) British Journal of Surgery
• Peak of 2022 heatwave forced fifth of UK hospitals to cancel operations – research The Guardian

‘I worry my young patients will die’: UK’s eating disorder services not fit, say GPs

‘I worry my young patients will die’: UK’s eating disorder services not fit, say GPs Young people with eating disorders are coming to harm and ending up in A&E because they are being denied care and forced to endure long waits for treatment, GPs have revealed.

NHS eating disorders services are so overwhelmed by a post-Covid surge in problems such as anorexia that they are telling under-19s to rely on charities, their parents or self-help instead. The Guardian

Novartis scraps cholesterol drug trial in blow to UK life sciences ambitions

Novartis scraps cholesterol drug trial in blow to UK life sciences ambitions The Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis has ditched plans for a large clinical trial in the UK, in a further blow to the government’s efforts to make Britain an attractive place for research and investment after Brexit.

The company decided to scrap the Orion-17 trial of its cholesterol-lowering drug Leqvio, involving 40,000 patients in partnership with NHS England. The Guardian

Junior doctor pay talks collapse in just an hour as militant medics refuse to negotiate

Junior doctor pay talks collapse in just an hour as militant medics refuse to negotiate Pay talks between junior doctors and the government collapsed after less than an hour yesterday after militant medics refused to negotiate. 

Representatives from the British Medical Association told health secretary Steve Barclay they would be unwilling to accept anything less than a 35 per cent pay rise. The Daily Mail

Covid makes a comeback: Experts warn cases are surging again with one in 40 Brits infected

Covid makes a comeback: Experts warn cases are surging again with one in 40 Brits infected Covid is making another resurgence across Britain, prompting scientists to repeat their calls for the return of face masks.

Hospital admissions for the virus are approaching a three-month high. 

And leading experts fear the outbreak – which surveillance data suggested has left one in 40 in England infected – will continue to pick up pace in the coming weeks. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 16 March 2023 Office for National Statistics
• Coronaphobic Britain: 41% are still taking Covid tests at least once a month and wearing masks The Daily Mail

The hospital food served up in Northamptonshire that's among the best in UK

The hospital food served up in Northamptonshire that's among the best in UK This is the hospital food served up in Northamptonshire that is among the best in the UK. In 2022, Kerrey Healey and Natasha Day from Cafe Vie, Isebrook Hospital, in Wellingborough, were named among the best chefs in England.

They were crowned regional winners of NHS Chef of the Year 2022 after wowing the judges with their Vegan Rainbow spring rolls, stuffed chicken Ballotine served with mashed potato and roasted cherry tomatoes. Northants Live

NHS mental health services: what's changed?

NHS mental health services: what's changed? A deterioration in mental health in England during 2020 and 2021 drew attention to how mental health in the country has worsened over time. So how has that affected the NHS? 

In this QualityWatch blog, Stuti Bagri looks at how referrals to mental health services have changed, whether psychological treatment is meeting people’s needs, and the changes there have been in the use of medication. The Nuffield Trust

Stressed and overworked: What the Commonwealth Fund’s 2022 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians in 10 Countries means for the UK

Stressed and overworked: What the Commonwealth Fund’s 2022 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians in 10 Countries means for the UK GPs in the UK are under extreme strain and public satisfaction with general practice has plummeted. Pressures on general practice are not unique to the UK and GPs around the world are contending with the impact of the pandemic on their patients and working lives.

The 2022 Commonwealth Fund survey compares perspectives from GPs across 10 high‑income countries. The survey asked GPs’ views about their working lives and wellbeing, quality of care and how services are delivered. We analysed the survey data to understand the experiences of GPs in the UK and how they compare to other countries. The Health Foundation 

See also:

• UK GPs suffering unsustainable workplace pressures The Health Foundation
• Health Foundation report reveals ‘sorry state of affairs’ facing UK general practice Royal College of General Practitioners
• UK GPs are more stressed than international peers, analysis shows The BMJ
• Extreme pressure leaves UK GPs among most stressed and least satisfied GPonline
• UK GPs have the highest stress levels, finds survey of 10 countries’ doctors The Guardian
• UK GPs among the ‘most stressed’ and ‘least satisfied’, finds international study Pulse

Six-week postnatal checks are failing many new mothers

Six-week postnatal checks are failing many new mothers Deep-dive analysis of experiences of 2,693 new mothers and birthing parents shows that six-week postnatal checks – required of GPs in England - are failing many new mothers. 

The analysis suggests that not all GP practices comply with the requirement to provide six to eight-week postnatal checks. And where those checks take place, it is not clear that GP practices are aware of NICE guidance which tells them in detail how to spot mental health problems and provide help. Healthwatch

See also:

• GPs 'are treating key check-ups for new mothers as a box ticking exercise', study suggests The Daily Mail
• Key appointment for new mothers treated as ‘tick box exercise’, group warns The Independent
• Postnatal checks are 'failing' new mothers, says patient group Metro

Exploring adult social care funding and delayed discharge

Exploring adult social care funding and delayed discharge This briefing sets out detail and commentary on the funding announced for adult social care in the 2022 Autumn Statement. It does so in the important context of delayed discharge, offering joint Local Government Association and NHS Confederation illustrative thinking on the kind of actions that could be taken to help address immediate pressures in hospitals. NHS Confederation

See also:

• Demand for adult social care hits record high while support from local authorities drops The King's Fund

Government sets out strategy to protect NHS from cyber attacks

Government sets out strategy to protect NHS from cyber attacks Patients will benefit from bolstered protection to the nation’s health and adult social care services as a new cyber security strategy for England is published today.

The Cyber Security Strategy for Health and Adult Social Care sets out a plan to promote cyber resilience across the sector by 2030, protecting services and the patients they support. Department of Health and Social Care

Progestogen-only pill breast cancer risk revealed

Progestogen-only pill breast cancer risk revealed Taking a progestogen-only 'mini pill' carries a small risk of breast cancer - similar to combined oral contraceptive pills, say researchers.

The study, in PLoS Medicine journal, is one of the first big ones able to assess the odds for users of this type of birth control.

It shows a tiny risk, skewed towards older users, which goes away within a few years of stopping the medication.

On the flip side the pills protect against some other female cancers. BBC News

See also:

• Combined and progestagen-only hormonal contraceptives and breast cancer risk: A UK nested case–control study and meta-analysis (open access) PLoS Medicine
• Progestogen-only pill carries SAME 20% heightened risk of breast cancer as traditional version The Daily Mail
• Hormonal contraceptives linked to increased breast cancer risk, study finds The Independent

A CDC warning and a fungus spreading: Everything we know about the deadly candida auris

A CDC warning and a fungus spreading: Everything we know about the deadly candida auris A drug-resistant form of fungus is currently spreading through US healthcare facilities and causing alarm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned.

Candida auris or C. auris is a type of yeast that can pose a potentially deadly threat to people with weakened immune systems if it enters the bloodstream and spreads through the body, according to the CDC, with between 30 per cent and 60 per cent of people who get sick in this way dying of their infections. The Independent

See also:

• Candida auris Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Candida auris fungal infections spreading in US at 'alarming' rate, says CDC BBC News
• Interactive map reveals America's Candida auris hotspots The Daily Mail
• Candida auris: Potentially deadly fungus spreading through US at ‘dramatic’ rate Evening Standard
• Candida auris: deadly fungal infections spreading across US at ‘worrisome’ rate The Guardian
• 'Worrisome' deadly fungus spreading through US at alarming rate Sky News
• Rise of deadly fungus spotlights hospital infection-control challenges Washington Post

Cuts to cycling and walking budget in England ‘will cost £2bn in long term’

Cuts to cycling and walking budget in England ‘will cost £2bn in long term’ The government’s decision this month to slash the budget for cycling and walking in England by more than 50% could cost more than £2bn in the long term through its impact on public health and the wider economy, a Labour analysis has estimated.

The £380m cut to the active travel budget in the current spending review, which has two more years to run, has already been condemned by campaign groups as short-sighted and damaging. The Guardian

Length of doctors' training should be slashed from seven years to fix staffing crisis, says NHS boss

Length of doctors' training should be slashed from seven years to fix staffing crisis, says NHS boss The time it takes to qualify as a doctor should be slashed to plug staffing gaps, the chairman of NHS England has said.

Richard Meddings suggested new medics were over-qualified after seven years of training because 'most' did not get to use their full skills on the job.

The former banker, who took up his role a year ago, said the NHS has fewer doctors and nurses than other developed countries. The Daily Mail

Full report linking Covid's origins to raccoon dogs in wet market is revealed

Full report linking Covid's origins to raccoon dogs in wet market is revealed Scientists have released the full report that made headlines last week linking Covid's origins to raccoon dogs sold at an infamous wet market in Wuhan.

The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed and was published online Monday, suggests the fox-like mammals sold at the slaughter market were carrying Covid at the end of 2019. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Genetic evidence of susceptible wildlife in SARS-CoV-2 positive samples at the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, Wuhan: Analysis and interpretation of data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control (open access preprint) Zenodo
• New study reveals the Covid origins data that China suppressed The Daily Telegraph
• COVID-origins study links raccoon dogs to Wuhan market: what scientists think Nature
• Chinese COVID data from animal market gives clues on origins of virus, scientists say Sky News

Children with eczema 'should not be offered bath emollients on the NHS

Children with eczema 'should not be offered bath emollients on the NHS Children with eczema should not be offered bath emollients on the NHS, according to new guidance.

Watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said it had reviewed the evidence and concluded that bath emollients are not clinically or cost effective. Evening Standard

See also:

• Atopic eczema in under 12s: diagnosis and management (update) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
• NICE advises against bath emollients for children with eczema GPonline

Google makes bid to throw out High Court claim over NHS medical record transfer

Google makes bid to throw out High Court claim over NHS medical record transfer Google has made a bid to throw out a High Court claim brought on behalf of around 1.6 million people about the transfer of their medical records by an NHS trust.

The software giant and its artificial intelligence arm DeepMind are facing legal action over the transfer of patient data by the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust in October 2015. Evening Standard

See also:

• Google makes bid to throw out High Court claim over NHS medical record transfer The Independent
• Google asks London court to throw out lawsuit over medical records Reuters

Patient experience winter survey: March 2023

Patient experience winter survey: March 2023 The latest Patients Association survey of patients’ experiences of healthcare shows that when patients are with a healthcare professional their experiences were generally positive. But  the report also shows many respondents struggled to access the healthcare they needed in the previous six months.

Training the future GP: enhancing delivery of GP specialty training

Training the future GP: enhancing delivery of GP specialty training This report outlines ways to reform the delivery of education to GP trainees, better preparing them for future practice in different models of care - addressing health inequalities, improving technology and enhancing areas of clinical care such as mental health. The report details opportunities to move to a more flexible model of training that meets the needs, skills and experiences of the trainee, as well as the demands and nuances of local populations. It is based on extensive engagement with key national stakeholders, patients, doctors in training and educators, along with the results of a number of regional pilot programmes. Health Education England

NHS rolls out specialist medical care centres for women during pregnancy

NHS rolls out specialist medical care centres for women during pregnancy Pregnant women with serious medical problems will now have access to specialist treatment centres across the country.

The 17 new centres of excellence will help women with pre-existing medical conditions, or conditions that arise during pregnancy to quickly get the extra care they might need.

As part of the NHS commitment to halve the maternal mortality rate by 2025, a wide ranging team will be on hand to provide specialist medical advice before during and after pregnancy, bringing together expert physicians, obstetricians, midwives, nurses and other clinicians in one place. NHS England

See also:

• Perinatal mental health services – supporting pregnant women and new mothers NHS England

West Lane Hospital: Mental health care 'chaotic and unsafe'

West Lane Hospital: Mental health care 'chaotic and unsafe' A mental health unit criticised over the deaths of three teenagers was "chaotic and unsafe", a report found.

An independent inquiry found "excessive and inappropriate" restraint was used at Middlesbrough's West Lane Hospital.

The environment "facilitated self-harm", said patients, and staff were told not to intervene unless it was likely to be fatal. BBC News

See also:

• A system-wide independent investigation into concerns and issues raised relating to the safety and quality of CAMHS provision at West Lane Hospital, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
• 'Failures' exposed at West Lane Hospital before deaths of three girls The Northern Echo
• Inside 'chaotic and unsafe' West Lane Hospital where teens took own lives as health chiefs missed 'red flags' Teeside Live

Lung disease: 'For asthma to take her life was just unbelievable'

Lung disease: 'For asthma to take her life was just unbelievable' The number of people needing emergency hospital treatment for asthma, emphysema and other lung conditions is three times higher in some parts of the UK than in the richest areas of the country, new research has shown.

A detailed picture of lung health found much higher illness and death rates in the north-west of England, the central belt of Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, according to a lung disease charity. BBC News

See also:

• Fighting to end the lung health lottery Asthma + Lung UK
• Respiratory index visualisations: Emergency respiratory admissions rate Asthma + Lung UK

Warnings against 'reckless' weight loss surgery abroad

Warnings against 'reckless' weight loss surgery abroad Seven British patients who travelled to Turkey for weight loss surgery died after operations there, a BBC investigation into the trend has found.

Others have returned home with serious health issues after having had gastric sleeve operations, during which more than 70% of the stomach is removed.

The operations, used to treat morbid obesity, are carried out in the UK.

But, because it can take years to get one through the NHS, some people are looking abroad for treatment. BBC News

Vaccine makers preparing human bird flu shot ‘just in case’ of pandemic

Vaccine makers preparing human bird flu shot ‘just in case’ of pandemic World-leading vaccine makers have said they could prepare a new human bird flu shot within months.

H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b – one current outbreak of bird flu or “avian flu” – has killed unprecedented numbers of wild birds and infected mammals globally.

Executives at GSK Plc, Moderna Inc and CSL Seqirus disclosed to Reuters they are already developing or are on the cusp of testing human vaccines matching this current strain as a precautionary measure. Likewise, Sanofi stands “ready” to begin production if needed. The Independent

See also:

• Vaccine makers like Moderna say they're 'standing ready' for human bird flu pandemic The Daily Mail
• Britain not prepared for bird flu pandemic, warns top professor Evening Standard
• Vaccine makers prep bird flu shot for humans 'just in case'; rich nations lock in supplies Reuters

NHS doctors offered up to £5,000 to recruit colleagues for private hospitals

NHS doctors offered up to £5,000 to recruit colleagues for private hospitals NHS doctors are being offered cash bonuses of up to £5,000 to recruit colleagues for jobs at private hospitals, as commercial healthcare providers compete for staff with an overstretched public health service.

US-owned HCA Healthcare, which runs more than 30 facilities in London and Manchester, and claims to be the largest private provider in the world, is spending tens of thousands of pounds recruiting NHS-trained doctors, the Guardian can reveal.

Hundreds left with lost or damaged eyesight after NHS delays – research

Hundreds left with lost or damaged eyesight after NHS delays – research Hundreds of patients have lost their eyesight or had it irreparably damaged because of NHS backlogs, new research suggests.

NHS England clinicians have filed 551 reports of patients who lost their sight as a result of delayed appointments since 2019, with 219 resulting in “moderate or severe harm”, according to an FoI request by the Association of Optometrists, which believes that hundreds more cases are unreported. The Guardian

See also:

• Tackling the hospital outpatient backlog in eye care Association of Optometrists
• Sight won't wait Association of Optometrists
• More than 500 patients 'have lost their sight because of huge NHS backlogs' The Daily Mail
• Eye patients going blind because of NHS backlog delays The Daily Telegraph
• Hundreds of patients go blind waiting for eye appointments as NHS backlog grows The Independent
• Hundreds of people have lost sight due to NHS treatment delays Sky News

Why IS it so hard to get an appointment with an NHS dentist? As patients forced into DIY repairs

Why IS it so hard to get an appointment with an NHS dentist? As patients forced into DIY repairs Cash strapped pensioners are being forced to spend savings on costly private dental treatment as they cannot get NHS care, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

And those unable to afford private care are resorting to over-the-counter repair kits to shore up crumbling teeth.

Some are so worried about lack of access to NHS treatment that they have taken to eating only mushy foods in an effort to avoid being left in pain.

See also:

• Dentists: 'Some children in Norfolk have never seen a toothbrush' BBC News
• Crisis in NHS dentistry leaving thousands of elderly care home residents unable to get appointments The Daily Mail

Scotland's minimum alcohol price policy may have led to a 13% drop in booze-related deaths

Scotland's minimum alcohol price policy may have led to a 13% drop in booze-related deaths Scotland's controversial minimum unit pricing policy has been linked to a 13 per cent drop in alcohol deaths.

New research suggests 156 deaths per year on average in Scotland may have been prevented due to the price change.

The study looked at deaths specifically caused by alcohol. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing on deaths and hospitalisations in Scotland: a controlled interrupted time series study (open access) The Lancet
• Minimum pricing averts alcohol deaths, study claims BBC News

New number one trust CEO revealed

New number one trust CEO revealed The overarching theme of HSJ’s 2023 ranking of the NHS’s leading provider trust chief executives is one of change. Twenty-four of the names in the top 50 are new when compared to the 2022 list, although some have appeared in the rankings during previous years.

We also have a new number one chief executive – Angela Hillery, the leader of Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and Leicestershire Partnership Trust. Health Service Journal

Wellingborough NHS chefs hoping to dish up a win at world famous competition

Wellingborough NHS chefs hoping to dish up a win at world famous competition Two local NHS chefs are set to cook up a storm in a high-profile competition alongside culinary challengers from across Britain.

Kerrey and Natasha – who work for Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) – have been invited to take part in this year’s NHS 4 Nations Chef Challenge, part of the International Salon Culinaire, which is due to take place on 20 March 2023 at ExCeL, London. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Health care funding: Three key questions

Health care funding: Three key questions This analysis from the REAL Centre explores the latest health care funding figures, including how much funding has been committed, how it compares to historical levels and how it stacks up against what is needed to meet current pressures facing health services. The Health Foundation

Number of autistic people in mental health hospitals: latest data

 Number of autistic people in mental health hospitals: latest data This is the most up-to-date record of how many autistic people and people with learning disabilities, both adults and children, are currently in inpatient units in England. It also shows how long they have been in these units for, when their care and treatment is checked and what kind of unit they are in. National Autistic Society

Sector leaders to drive progress on national Dame Barbara Windsor Mission to beat dementia

Sector leaders to drive progress on national Dame Barbara Windsor Mission to beat dementia The UK Government has named two leaders in dementia research to spearhead the ambitious national Mission to tackle dementia, which was launched in memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor.

Hilary Evans is the Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, the largest charitable funder of dementia research in Europe. Nadeem Sarwar is currently a senior leader at Eisai, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Together, they will convene industry, the NHS, academia and families living with dementia, to tackle this devastating illness. Department of Health and Social Care

Temporary border measures to enhance Covid surveillance from China removed

Temporary border measures to enhance Covid surveillance from China removed Precautionary and temporary measures introduced in January to improve the UK’s ability to detect potential new variants of Covid from China are being removed. Department of Health and Social Care

Inside the secret talks to end nurse and ambulance strikes

Inside the secret talks to end nurse and ambulance strikes It was one of the most bitter disputes in the history of the NHS, with the Royal College of Nursing staging its most extensive strike action ever. But as a deal with ministers was reached in England this week, the BBC can now reveal details of the secret and unprecedented talks. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctor strike had unprecedented NHS impact BBC News
• NHS union members step up campaign to reject ‘paltry’ pay deal The Guardian
• Junior doctors in England agree to pay talks after three-day strike The Guardian
• NHS pay rise may have to come from existing budget, says minister The Guardian
• More than 175,000 appointments cancelled over three day junior doctors’ walk out The Independent
• NHS strikes: Junior doctors and government to enter talks after 72-hour walkout Sky News
• NHS pay rises will cost £4bn and will be funded from 'areas of underspending', govt says Sky News

Weight-loss: Are injections the answer to tackling obesity?

Weight-loss: Are injections the answer to tackling obesity? You cannot escape the hype around weight-loss injections.

Social media is full of before-and-after pictures. They are the source of wild gossip about Hollywood stars, and now the UK's National Health Service is going to pay for them.

You can understand the appeal. Excess weight affects our health and leads to stigma - and the mantra of "diet and exercise" has simply failed for most people.

But should we be calling semaglutide, the drug in question, a "miracle" or "skinny jab" when some doctors think it is as controversial as treatments get? Does the hype match the reality? Or are we failing to tackle the causes of obesity and just consigning people to a lifetime of medication? BBC News

See also:

• Maker of 'miracle' weight loss jab Wegovy gets kicked out of trade body after 'bribing pharmacists with sponsored weight-loss courses promoting its own medicines' The Daily Mail
• ‘Skinny jab’ drug firm facing fresh inquiries after ‘serious breaches’ of industry code The Guardian
• Government food tsar quits blaming 'insane' inaction to tackle obesity Sky News

Watchdog fears healthcare tech merger could push up NHS costs

Watchdog fears healthcare tech merger could push up NHS costs The competition watchdog has warned that a proposed merger between two healthcare technology specialists would lead to higher costs and “worse outcomes for the NHS and ultimately patients and UK taxpayers”.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found the £1.2bn deal for the US firm UnitedHealth to buy British rival EMIS could reduce competition to develop and supply digital and data analytics products to the health service. The Guardian

See also:

• Healthcare deal could lead to higher costs for NHS Competition and Markets Authority
• Billion-pound business deal could push up prices for NHS – competition watchdog Evening Standard

Four in 10 NHS hospitals in England found to use outdated equipment in Lib Dem study

Four in 10 NHS hospitals in England found to use outdated equipment in Lib Dem study Four in 10 NHS hospitals in England are using outdated medical equipment including 37-year-old X-ray machines, according to research from the Lib Dems, who are calling for extra funding to replace outdated devices.

NHS hospitals are using hundreds of old X-ray machines, CT scanners and radiotherapy machines, with some dating back to the 1980s, according to research based on freedom of information requests to 69 hospital trusts. Of these, 41 said they had at least one X-ray machine that was more than 20 years old. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS Confederation responds to the Liberal Democrats findings on hospitals using outdated medical equipment NHS Confederation
• Hospitals spending millions maintaining decades-old X-ray and MRI scanners which are 'obsolete' and regularly break down The Daily Mail

Doubts grow over number of NHS doctors helped by pension giveaway

Doubts grow over number of NHS doctors helped by pension giveaway The number of hospital doctors that could be helped by Jeremy Hunt’s pensions giveaway has been cast into doubt, after new figures revealed that only 100 of them left the NHS last year due to voluntary early retirement.

Criticism has mounted about the measure announced in the budget, which would scrap the up to 55% tax levied on lifetime pension pots worth just over £1m and raise the annual allowance threshold from £40,000 to £60,000. The Guardian

NHS to offer 'world's most expensive' £1.8m-a-dose drug to cure baby spinal disease

NHS to offer 'world's most expensive' £1.8m-a-dose drug to cure baby spinal disease Babies born with a genetic disease that can lead to a life expectancy of just two years without intervention will now be cured on the NHS with a new £1.8million drug.

Around 56 infants are born with severe spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in England every year, which causes muscle weakness and can lead to paralysis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the NHS watchdog, has approved the use of onasemnogene abeparvovec, branded as Zolgensma, for babies born with the condition. The Daily Mail

Northampton General Hospital nurse shortlisted for national 'Nurse of the Year' for her commitment to end-of-life care

Northampton General Hospital nurse shortlisted for national 'Nurse of the Year' for her commitment to end-of-life care A nurse at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has been shortlisted for a national ‘Nurse of the Year Award’ for the way she has helped enhance end-of-life care for patients and their families.

Kerry Messam, deputy lead nurse for specialist palliative and end of life care at the Cliftonville hospital, is in the finals of the British Journal of Nursing (BJN) Awards 2023. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

When is a death an excess death? Getting behind the numbers

When is a death an excess death? Getting behind the numbers The number of excess (ie, more than expected) deaths is a measure that’s probably now familiar to many since the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020. It's widely used nationally and internationally to measure the mortality impact of Covid-19, including indirect impacts such as deaths resulting from unmet or delayed care. Rising numbers of excess deaths reported for the UK in the latter part of 2022 have received much attention, raising concerns about what's driving them. The King's Fund

The Leading Integration Peer Support Programme: using peer review to strengthen clinical and care professional leadership arrangements within Gloucestershire

The Leading Integration Peer Support Programme: using peer review to strengthen clinical and care professional leadership arrangements within Gloucestershire When developing its local framework for clinical and care professional leadership, Gloucestershire Integrated Care System (One Gloucestershire ICS) wanted to take an approach that explored opportunities to strengthen leadership in an inclusive way. An external peer review, facilitated by the Leading Integration Peer Support (LIPS) Programme, created an opportunity for everyone’s voice to be heard. NHS Confederation

UKHSA urges those with new or multiple sexual partners to get tested after gonorrhoea cases resurge

UKHSA urges those with new or multiple sexual partners to get tested after gonorrhoea cases resurge Provisional data indicates that gonorrhoea diagnoses from January to September 2022 were 21% higher than those reported over the same period in 2019. Data also indicates that during the first 9 months of 2022, gonorrhoea cases were higher than those reported over the same period in each of the last 3 years.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people to wear a condom and get tested regularly if having sex with new or casual partners. Testing is free and discreet and you should get tested even if you are not showing any symptoms.

See also:

• Gonorrhoea cases rising quickly in England BBC News
• Warning over record gonorrhoea spike with cases post-Covid a FIFTH higher than ever before The Daily Mail

Norovirus cases up 50% as NHS pressure significant

Norovirus cases up 50% as NHS pressure significant Commenting on the NHS weekly winter operational update for the week ending 12 March 2023, NHS National Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “Last week was a clear reminder that, even as we head into Spring, pressure on NHS staff remains significant with almost 5,000 more patients in hospital beds every day last week compared to this time last year, 10% more 111 calls answered than the week before, and we’ve seen a surge in norovirus with cases in hospital increasing by 50% over the past week. NHS England

See also: 

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

MHRA trialling pioneering stem cell robot that could transform the availability of life-saving cell therapies

MHRA trialling pioneering stem cell robot that could transform the availability of life-saving cell therapies An innovative new robot that grows stem cells, the CellQualiaTM Intelligent Cell Processing System, is being trialled by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This robotic system has the potential to bring safer and more cost-effective treatments to people with a wide range of diseases. It is currently the only one in the world outside of Japan, where it was developed. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS 5% pay offer may end bitter dispute in England

NHS 5% pay offer may end bitter dispute in England A 5% pay rise from April has been offered to NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance workers.

In addition, staff have been offered a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up the past year's pay award.

You can see the complete offer in principle here Secretary of State offer in principle for the Agenda for Change (AfC) workforce (download).

Unions are recommending members back the deal, after nearly two weeks of talks with ministers, raising hopes the bitter dispute may be coming to an end.

The offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract. BBC News

See also:

• New NHS pay offer to be put to members in England Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Government and Health Unions agree pay deal paving way for an end to strike action Department of Health and Social Care
• Health Foundation comments on Agenda for Change pay award for NHS workers The Health Foundation
• NHS Confederation responds to revised pay offer to health unions from government NHS Confederation
• Pay deal a hugely positive development NHS Providers
• UK government announces new NHS pay offer for Agenda for Change staff in England Royal College of Nursing
• UNISON to recommend acceptance of NHS pay offer UNISON
• Unite response to NHS pay offer Unite
• The NHS pay dispute could soon be over but we are not there yet BBC News
• Calls for talks to end junior doctors' strikes BBC News
• The main thing I feel is relief’, says NHS Confederation CEO after pay rise offered Channel 4 News
• End of ambulance and nursing strikes in sight as ministers finally 'agree' £2.5billion pay deal The Daily Mail
• Government confirms new pay offer for NHS staff in England The Guardian
• The NHS pay offer is a significant victory for striking workers The Guardian
• A pay rise for NHS staff was inevitable. The government's delay has caused irreparable damage | Polly Toynbee The Guardian
• Revealed: Junior doctors’ strikes could cost NHS £92 million, leaked figures show The Independent
• NHS strikes: Major step as government and unions agree pay offer The Independent
• End to the wave of NHS strikes in sight after government and unions agree pay offer ITV News
• NHS unions reach pay deal after government offers 5% rise Sky News

Plans to end free prescriptions for 60-65 year-olds ‘scrapped’ after backlash

Plans to end free prescriptions for 60-65 year-olds ‘scrapped’ after backlash Plans to end free NHS prescriptions for 60-65 year-olds in England have reportedly been scrapped by the Government following backlash.

The plan was first proposed in 2021 by Boris Johnson’s government to lift the qualifying age for free prescriptions from 60 to 66 to bring it into line with the state pension age. The Independent

Gene mutation which increases risk of breast and ovarian cancer linked to Orkney islands

Gene mutation which increases risk of breast and ovarian cancer linked to Orkney islands A gene mutation which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer has been linked to people with Orkney heritage.

Scientists from the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh have found that one in 100 people with grandparents from the islands off the north-eastern coast of Scotland, have a mutation of the gene BRCA1. Sky News

See also:

• Breast cancer gene linked to Orkney islands BBC News
  
• Gene mutation which increases cancer risk linked to Orkney islands The Independent

8 in 10 NHS hospitals are treating FEWER patients now than before Covid

8 in 10 NHS hospitals are treating FEWER patients now than before Covid The majority of NHS hospitals in England are still clearing fewer patients off their waiting lists than they were before Covid, MailOnline analysis shows.

Roughly 287,000 elective procedures, such as hip and knee ops, were carried out during January.

Yet 300,000-plus were performed during the same month in 2020 — two months before the pandemic hit Britain and caused NHS waiting lists to spiral to a record high. The Daily Mail

Northampton General Hospital fire believed to have been started 'accidentally' as one ward remains closed to patients

Northampton General Hospital fire believed to have been started 'accidentally' as one ward remains closed to patients A fire at Northampton General Hospital is believed to have been started accidentally, according to the fire service.

Firefighters were called to the Cliftonville hospital shortly before 2pm on Monday (March 13) following reports of a blaze on the ground floor. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Spring Budget 2023: what you need to know - NHS Confederation

Spring Budget 2023: what you need to know Analysis of what the Spring Budget means for health and care.

Compared to the Autumn Statement, this Budget had little focus on health and leaves more questions than it answers when it comes to the NHS. In particular, we emerge from today with uncertainty on the pay award for 2023/24 and without publication of the much-anticipated long-term workforce plan. NHS Confederation

See also:

• Spring Budget 2023 HM Government
• Spring Budget 2023: Academy President’s response The Academy of Medical Sciences
• ‘NHS workforce plan cannot come soon enough’ BMA
• Chancellor listens to BMA with pension taxation reform to help keep senior doctors in the NHS BMA
• Our response to the Spring Budget 2023 The Health Foundation
• Spring Budget 2023: A summary House of Commons Library
• Spring Budget 2023 response Institute for Fiscal Studies
• NHS Confederation responds to the Chancellor's 2023 Spring Budget NHS Confederation
• Spring Budget 2023 NHS Employers
• Pensions reform welcome, but there must be no further delay for the workforce plan NHS Providers
• NHS faces unrealistic budget and uncertainty over significant workforce challenges in the year ahead Nuffield Trust
• RCN responds to the Budget Statement Royal College of Nursing
• Challenges facing health and social care workforce dismissed as a key priority for spending in 2023 Spring Budget Royal College of Occupational Therapists
• Childcare and pensions interventions welcome, but NHS long-term workforce plan yet to be seen Royal College of Physicians

Medical, dental, and healthcare students: UK numbers and student support arrangements

Medical, dental, and healthcare students: UK numbers and student support arrangements This briefing provides an overview of applicant and entrant numbers for medical, dental, and healthcare students across the UK. It also sets out the student support arrangements in place in each part of the UK, and covers the NHS bursary reforms in England. House of Commons Library

Public health ring-fenced grant 2023 to 2024: local authority circular

Public health ring-fenced grant 2023 to 2024: local authority circular Local authorities (upper tier and unitary) are responsible for improving the health of their local population and reducing health inequalities. In 2023 to 2024 the total public health grant to local authorities will be £3.529 billion. The grant will be ring-fenced for use on public health functions. This local authority circular sets out the allocations and conditions for using the grant. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Delay to Public Health Grant will cause ‘avoidable and unacceptable’ harm Faculty of Public Health
• Health Foundation responds to the announcement of the public health grant allocation in England The Health Foundation

Unions close to pay deal with government to avert more NHS strikes

Unions close to pay deal with government to avert more NHS strikes Unions representing hundreds of thousands of health staff are thought to be close to agreeing a pay deal that would avert more NHS strikes.

The offer would cover ambulance workers, nurses, midwives and physiotherapists in England, although not doctors.

It is believed an agreement could be announced as soon as Thursday afternoon. BBC News

See also:

• NHS Confederation responds to the third day of junior doctors strikes NHS Confederation
• Doctors' strike fallout could take weeks to resolve, NHS bosses say BBC News
• Stay away from A&E, health bosses urge as pressure from 3-day junior doctors' strike builds The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors strikes ‘must not happen again’ – health leaders Evening Standard
• 'Industrial action is the only option': GPs urge BMA to move fast GPonline
• Breakthrough imminent on NHS nurses and ambulance staff pay, insiders say The Guardian
• Ambulance strikes suspended as NHS unions receive new pay offer The Independent
• Strikes continue but hopes of a breakthrough on pay for NHS workers ITV News
• Junior doctors like me aren’t just striking over pay – it’s for your safety too Metro
• NHS unions receive new pay offer - announcement expected this afternoon Sky News

Steve Barclay accused of breaking pledge over NHS staff abuse data

Steve Barclay accused of breaking pledge over NHS staff abuse data NHS staff have accused Steve Barclay of breaking a pledge to publish details of how many of them are abused and assaulted in the course of their work.

In 2018, when Barclay was a junior minister in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), he promised he would resume publication of those statistics in the following year.

However, five years later, Barclay has not fulfilled his pledge, despite being in his second stint as health secretary. The Guardian