Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say

Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say NSPCC and others urge government to fund rebuilding of struggling support service

A generation of babies born during the Covid-19 pandemic may be at risk because they and their parents are not being fully supported by health visitors in the weeks and months after birth, a coalition of children’s charities has said.

The NSPCC and nine other early-years charities say restrictions to the service and redeployment of health visitors could mean thousands of families do not receive checks they are entitled to. The Guardian

See also:

• Government is at risk of failing babies and parents during the coronavirus pandemic NSPCC

'I needed to fix myself for my kids': breaking the cycle of domestic abuse

'I needed to fix myself for my kids': breaking the cycle of domestic abuse Families with complicated lives are being helped by a project that supports both parents during their child’s first two years

When Jess was 11 weeks pregnant, she got into an argument with her boyfriend, Robbie, who lashed out and hit her. Jess had suffered a previous miscarriage and was terrified of losing another baby. The Guardian

Ninth Covid-19 patient dies at Northampton General Hospital during 'second wave' of pandemic

Ninth Covid-19 patient dies at Northampton General Hospital during 'second wave' of pandemic NHS England confirmed another patient who had tested positive for Covid-19 has died at Northampton General Hospital.

Figures revealed in a daily bulletin showed the fatality at the Cliftonville site on Friday (October 23). That takes the total to nine at NGH since a 'second wave' of the pandemic began to hit the the county and cases started rising sharply last month. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northamptonshire councils given below-average £14.48 per person in new emergency coronavirus government grants Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Which areas of Northamptonshire saw biggest rises in Covid-19 cases in the last week Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Tier 4 Covid restrictions could be brought in if infection rates don’t drop - the rules explained Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton student wins Nurse of the Year award in the learning disabilities category

 Northampton student wins Nurse of the Year award in the learning disabilities category Northampton University student, Lauretta Ofulue, was one of this year’s Student Nursing Times Award winners who were revealed today (October 27) during an online virtual awards ceremony. Northamptonshire Telegraph

590 people’s stories of hospital during Covid-19

590 people’s stories of hospital during Covid-19 In partnership with British Red Cross, this report reviews the experiences of 590 people after being discharged from hospital. The research shows significant numbers of people are not receiving follow-up support under new policy to switch to a ‘discharge to assess’ model in March 2020 (introduced to cope with demand at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic), leading to unmet needs. It calls on the NHS to address these issues coming into the busy winter period amidst growing pressures of a second Covid-19 wave. Healthwatch

Is there a doctor in the house? Averting a post-pandemic staffing crisis in the NHS

Is there a doctor in the house? Averting a post-pandemic staffing crisis in the NHS The UK ranks 27th out of 36 OECD countries for number of physicians, and around 30 per cent of doctors on GP and specialist registers are over 55 years old. The UK relies more heavily on foreign-trained physicians than comparable countries – but within a decade it could become increasingly difficult to meet demand this way. While population growth and ageing have increased demand for doctors, such demographic factors could mean a staffing crisis is on the horizon. This briefing suggests a range of cost-effective solutions to plug doctor shortages once the Covid-19 crisis has passed. Institute of Economic Affairs

An avoidable crisis: the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

An avoidable crisis: the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities The Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, appointed Baroness Doreen Lawrence to lead this review into how those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds were being impacted by Covid-19. The report makes both immediate and long-term recommendations to protect those most at risk and tackle structural inequalities in several key areas including the machinery of government, health, employment and in the education system. Labour Party

Largest COVID-19 antibody testing programme publishes findings on antibody response over time

Largest COVID-19 antibody testing programme publishes findings on antibody response over time Findings from Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI show the number of people with antibodies fell by 26.5% over 3 months. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Declining prevalence of antibody positivity to SARS-CoV-2: a community study of 365,000 adults (open access preprint) Imperial College London
• Official Statistics: REACT-2: real-time assessment of community transmission – antibody waning Department of Health and Social Care
• Coronavirus antibody prevalence falling in England, REACT study shows Imperial College London
• Covid: Antibodies 'fall rapidly after infection' BBC News
• Just 4% of England has antibodies now, government study finds The Daily Mail

Covid: How busy are hospitals as the second wave rolls in?

Covid: How busy are hospitals as the second wave rolls in? The second wave is placing an ever greater toll on UK hospitals. There are more than 1,000 Covid admissions a day - 10 times the rate at the end of summer.

Hospitals have started cancelling routine treatments, as happened during the first peak, with hospitals in Leeds this week following others in announcing some treatments will have to stop.

But just how busy is the NHS? And how much Covid can it take? BBC News

See also:

• Covid has thrived on racial discrimination, says Baroness Doreen Lawrence BBC News
• Coronavirus: Europe's daily deaths rise by nearly 40% compared with last week - WHO BBC News
• Syria: Inside a refugee camp where Covid is spreading BBC News
• Coronavirus UK: 367 deaths and 21,331 new cases in daily toll The Daily Mail
• Britain's Covid-19 deaths rise by 55% in a week with 761 victims recorded in latest seven-day spell The Daily Mail
• Eli Lilly ends antibody drug trial early after it failed to help patients recover The Daily Mail
• Self-isolation row as No10 confirms it IS looking at halving it to SEVEN days The Daily Mail
• 10,000 people a day could receive false positives in Operation Moonshot, researchers say The Daily Telegraph
• Seven months of Covid: reflections from healthcare workers in England The Guardian
• Dashboard designed to chart England's Covid-19 response finds major gaps in data The Guardian
• NHS hospital forced to postpone cancer operations as Covid spreads on wards The Independent
• First coronavirus vaccines 'may not prevent infection', UK task force head warns The Independent
• Coronavirus: Government throwing ‘lit match into a haystack’ by discharging Covid patients to care homes The Independent

Don't hold home firework displays, urge doctors

Don't hold home firework displays, urge doctors Plastic surgeons fear there will be a big increase in injuries from DIY firework displays this November.

Public events have been cancelled due to Covid, meaning many people may decide to host their own Diwali and bonfire night displays at home. BBC News

See also:

• BAPRAS urges caution regarding firework displays at home British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons

Therapy patients blackmailed for cash after clinic data breach

Therapy patients blackmailed for cash after clinic data breach Many patients of a large psychotherapy clinic in Finland have been contacted individually by a blackmailer, after their data was stolen.

The data appears to have included personal identification records and notes about what was discussed in therapy sessions. BBC News

After scandals like Winterbourne View, why is basic decency still remarkable?

After scandals like Winterbourne View, why is basic decency still remarkable? Children with learning disabilities and their families need support that is kind, compassionate and thoughtful

In late July 2019, I tweeted asking families with autistic or learning disabled children to share their experience of “sparkling” actions by health and social care professionals. I was writing a book about how professionals could make a difference in the lives of children and their families, and the manuscript was woefully negative. The Guardian

High court condemns lack of provisions in UK for suicidal teenager

High court condemns lack of provisions in UK for suicidal teenager Judge forced to send 16-year-old girl to unregulated placement due to lack of available NHS psychiatric intensive care beds

Not a single secure bed was available anywhere in the UK last week for a suicidal teenager, according to a high court ruling that highlights the chronic shortage of accommodation to support the country’s most vulnerable children. The Guardian

We are still at a "tipping point" over rise in Covid-19 cases, warns Northamptonshire health boss

We are still at a "tipping point" over rise in Covid-19 cases, warns Northamptonshire health boss Official figures will show 785 Northamptonshire residents tested positive with Covid-19 in a single week when the county council and Public Health officials hold their weekly press briefing on Friday.

Data from October 12 to October 18 October shows the latest spike in cases, up from 701 the week before. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• NHS tells hospitals not to cancel operations this winter unless 'absolutely unavoidable' The Daily Mail
• Government could put Northampton into tier two within 24 hours despite reluctance, warns council leader Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Police issue six fines in three days after bus users found without masks in Northampton Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northampton Labour group raises concerns over shared homes as coronavirus cases rise Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Public Health chief prompts Northampton school children and parents to meet in parks and not friend's houses during half term Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Public health chief reminds Northamptonshire parents "if we don’t mix, we don’t spread" Covid-19 Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Eighteen Covid-19 in-patients at KGH as hospital boss says numbers are 'well below' first wave peak Northamptonshire Telegraph
• There's 63 Northants people who knew they had Covid-19 but won't tell test and tracers who they might have passed it on to Northamptonshire Telegraph

Health service use in the last two years of life

Health service use in the last two years of life This series of reports describe the health services that patients use in the last two years of their lives. Reports are available for the Midlands region as a whole and for each of the 11 Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships or Integrated Care Systems in the region. The reports contain important insights into: how the patterns of service use change as patients approach death; differences in experience by ethnicity, deprivation and cause of death; the costs of hospital treatment at the end of life and how this varies by STP; levels of non-beneficial treatments; and the additional hospital capacity that may be required to accommodate the projected increase in deaths over the next decade. The Strategy Unit

RCEM outlines actions needed to tackle ‘dangerous’ crowding as it returns to A&Es

RCEM outlines actions needed to tackle ‘dangerous’ crowding as it returns to A&Es The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has called for action after a survey found that over half of A&Es across the UK are caring for patients in corridors due to a lack of beds.

See also:

• RCEM CARES during the coronavirus pandemic The Royal College of Emergency Medicine
• What to do if your ED is becoming crowded again after the initial COVID period The Royal College of Emergency Medicine
• Three-quarters of A&Es unable to maintain social distancing due to overcrowding The Guardian

Almost half of UK women do not check their breasts regularly for signs of breast cancer

Almost half of UK women do not check their breasts regularly for signs of breast cancer Almost half (47%) of women in the UK do not check their breasts regularly for potential signs of breast cancer.

According to a YouGov survey commissioned by Breast Cancer Now, one in 10 women have ‘never checked their breasts for new or unusual changes’. Meanwhile, a fifth (19%) of women check their breasts ‘once every six months or less’, while 13% do this ‘once a year or less’.

Asked what stops or prevents them from checking their breasts more regularly, almost half (46%) of women said they ‘forget’. This is concerning when most cases of the disease are detected because women have spotted new or unusual changes to their breasts.

See also:

• Almost half of British women do not self-examine for breast cancer The Guardian

Emergency contraception, coronavirus, and confidentiality: a mystery shop of pharmacy access during the pandemic

Emergency contraception, coronavirus, and confidentiality: a mystery shop of pharmacy access during the pandemic This briefing finds that one third of pharmacies are unable to provide emergency contraception in a confidential and Covid-secure way due to current licensing restrictions. It calls for emergency contraception to be reclassified by the Secretary of State for Health as a general sales list medication which would enable women to purchase this safe and effective medication directly from the shelf, without placing their health or confidentiality at risk during the pandemic. British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Independent report: Independent review of NHS hospital food

Independent report: Independent review of NHS hospital food Findings and recommendations of the independent review of NHS hospital food. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

Press release: New blueprint for better hospital food Department of Health and Social Care

Prue Leith: NHS can serve 'delicious' food on a budget BBC News

NHS staff 'ashamed' they can't serve good food to patients The Daily Telegraph 

Quarterly report on progress to address Covid-19 health inequalities

Quarterly report on progress to address Covid-19 health inequalities This report summarises the work undertaken by the Minister for Equalities and government departments on Covid-19 disparities. The current evidence shows that a range of socioeconomic and geographical factors such as occupational exposure, population density, household composition and pre-existing health conditions contribute to the higher infection and mortality rates for ethnic minority groups, but a part of the excess risk remains unexplained for some groups. Race Disparity Unit