National Clinical Audit of Psychosis – national report for the Early Intervention in Psychosis Audit 2020/2021

National Clinical Audit of Psychosis – national report for the Early Intervention in Psychosis Audit 2020/2021 The National Clinical Audit of Psychosis aims to improve the quality of care that NHS mental health trusts provide to people with psychosis. This report provides national and organisation-level findings on the treatment of people by Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) teams in England, as well as the impact of Covid-19 on the services provided. Royal College of Psychiatrists 

The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities

The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities This report on the treatment and care of autistic people and those with learning disabilities has found that a lack of adequate community provision has led to many experiencing unnecessary admissions to and intolerable treatment in inpatient facilities. MPs describe the situation as a scandal, given it is happening ten years since the notorious case of Winterbourne View. House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee 

NHS England proposes new mental health access standards

NHS England proposes new mental health access standards The NHS is set to take another major step towards improving patient access to mental health services with the introduction of five new waiting time guarantees, under plans set out today.

The proposals could ensure that patients requiring urgent care will be seen by community mental health crisis teams within 24 hours of referral, with the most urgent getting help within four hours. Mental health liaison services for those who end up in A&E departments would also be rolled out to remaining sites across the country. NHS England

See also: 

• Emergency mental health patients to get help within hour under NHS England plan The Guardian

Coronavirus: Worst affected care homes revealed by watchdog

Coronavirus: Worst affected care homes revealed by watchdog A breakdown of the numbers of people who died with Covid-19 for each care home in England has been published for the first time.

Overall, more than 39,000 care home residents died with the virus between 10 April 2020 and 31 March 2021. BBC News

See also: 

• CQC publishes data showing death notifications involving COVID-19 received from individual care homes Care Quality Commission
• How England is starting to IGNORE Test and Trace amid 'pingdemic' chaos The Daily Mail
• More than 1.8million Britons say they are suffering from 'long Covid', survey finds The Daily Mail
• Freedom Day could be watered down in weeks: SAGE tells Boris to prepare to roll back mask-wearing The Daily Mail
• England may have to reimpose Covid rules in August, scientists warn The Guardian

Eating disorders: Number of under-20s in hospital up 50%

Eating disorders: Number of under-20s in hospital up 50% The number of young people with eating disorders in England ending up in hospital has risen during the pandemic, a BBC investigation has found.

Data from NHS Digital showed the number of under-20s admitted over the past year topped 3,200 - nearly 50% higher than in 2019-20.

Hospitals are warning they are running out of beds to care for these patients. BBC News

See also: 

• 'She just wouldn't eat' BBC News

Watchdog warns 'exceptional' NHS pressure is affecting patient care

Watchdog warns 'exceptional' NHS pressure is affecting patient care The care watchdog has warned that “exceptional” pressures on the NHS is affecting the care of patients across England with healthcare workers pushed to the brink.

 

Professor Ted Baker, the Care Quality Commission’s chief inspector of hospitals has spoken out as ambulance services report record levels of 999 calls with patients waiting hours in the backs of ambulances outside hospitals. The Independent

Matt Hancock warned against power-grab as backlash builds against NHS shake-up plans

Matt Hancock warned against power-grab as backlash builds against NHS shake-up plans Matt Hancock is facing growing warnings against accumulating too much personal power in a planned shake-up of hospitals which is running into opposition from within the health service and from some Tory MPs. iNews

NHS confirms Covid death at Northamptonshire hospital as daily cases hit seven-month high

NHS confirms Covid death at Northamptonshire hospital as daily cases hit seven-month high NHS England has confirmed another Covid-related death among patients in Northamptonshire's hospitals. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Ten areas of Northamptonshire seeing rise in Covid-19 rates of up to 840 percent Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• The key workers who can avoid self-isolation when pinged by NHS Track and Trace Northamptonshire Telegraph

Is the data strategy a missed opportunity to build trust in how data is used?

Is the data strategy a missed opportunity to build trust in how data is used? After months of anticipation, in late June 2021, the government published the draft of its national data strategy. The document outlines how the government intends to use the vast range of data in the NHS and social care to improve health and care for patients and staffs. This could mean changes so that patients no longer need to repeat their histories to different staff and staff having all relevant information to hand, saving time and improving safety. The King's Fund

Fit for purpose? Addressing inequities in mental health research exacerbated by Covid-19

Fit for purpose? Addressing inequities in mental health research exacerbated by Covid-19 This report was produced on behalf of the Mental Health Research Group, an independent group of leaders in mental health in England. It highlights the inequities in mental health research funding and production, what gets investigated and who gets to contribute, as well as who and what is left out of the conversation. It shares examples of work taking place to address mental health inequalities and to challenge inequities of power and influence within mental health research. The report calls for systemic change in the ways mental health research is planned, funded and delivered in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Centre for Mental Health 

Medical staffing in England: a defining moment for doctors and patients

Medical staffing in England: a defining moment for doctors and patients This report shows how severe medical shortages in England have become, current workforce data trends analysis and how the government can combat the widening gap between medical staff supply and increasing patient need. This study of the number of doctors per 1,000 people revealed that England averaged 2.8 doctors across primary and secondary care, while the average ratio in comparable EU countries is 3.7. The BMA predicts almost 50,000 more doctors are required to make up for the shortfall and that it could take until 2046 for health services in England to catch up to the average of comparable European nations. British Medical Association

NHS workforce more diverse than any point in its history, as health service commits to more action on representation

NHS workforce more diverse than any point in its history, as health service commits to more action on representation A first of its kind report looking into race equality among England’s doctors has found that the number from black and ethnic minority backgrounds working for the NHS is the highest on record.

New data published as part of the inaugural Medical Workforce Race Equality Standard (MWRES) commissioned by NHS Chief Executive, Simon Stevens shows that last year more than 53,000 doctors working in the NHS were from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background, up by more than 9,000, a rise of around one-fifth, since 2017. NHS England 

Policy paper: National strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026

Policy paper: National strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026 The government’s national strategy for improving the lives of autistic people and their families and carers in England, and implementation plan for 2021 to 2022. Department of Health and Social Care 

Covid: What happens when people no longer have to wear masks?

Covid: What happens when people no longer have to wear masks? Masks and face coverings are no longer compulsory in most public places in England but the government is still recommending them in crowded places.

So what does the evidence show about the effect of masks and what happens when they're no longer compulsory? BBC News

 

See also: 

• Covid-19: Crucial for pinged people to self-isolate - No 10 BBC News
• Covid UK: Daily death toll hits 96 in highest daily figure since MARCH as hospitalisations rise The Daily Mail
• More than 1.5 MILLION children around the world lost a caregiver due to COVID-19, study finds The Daily Mail
• Nadine Dorries: Pregnant women not prioritised for vaccines because of male-dominated JCVI The Daily Telegraph
• No 10 rebuked for failure to list ‘critical workers’ exempt from quarantine The Guardian
• More than 1m pupils in England absent last week due to Covid The Guardian
• Just over a fifth of people have the NHS Covid app and are using it properly, poll finds The Independent

Non-surgical beauty treatment industry like Wild West - MPs

Non-surgical beauty treatment industry like Wild West - MPs The "complete absence" of regulation of non-surgical beauty treatments, such as botox-style injections and fillers, is dangerous and must urgently change, say MPs.

After a year-long review, they claim the government has left the industry to regulate itself, despite concerns regularly raised by many within the sector. BBC News

See also: 

• Inquiry into aesthetic non-surgical cosmetic treatments All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing

New NHS drug fund will fast track access to breakthrough treatments

New NHS drug fund will fast track access to breakthrough treatments A new drugs fund worth £340 million will be used by the NHS to fast track patients with rare diseases so they can get new medicine and treatments yet to be approved. The Independent

English coastal towns have some of country’s worst health, report says

English coastal towns have some of country’s worst health, report says Striking beaches and fresh sea air may make coastal towns some of England’s most desirable places – but their attractiveness hides some of the country’s poorest health outcomes, which leave many residents “old before their time,” according to a report by the country’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty. The Guardian

Northamptonshire NHS "running hot" with more staff off, more Covid cases and more people through the door

Northamptonshire NHS "running hot" with more staff off, more Covid cases and more people through the door Hospital chiefs say pressure is piling back on Northamptonshire's NHS as more Covid-19 patients are being admitted and staff are forced to self-isolate. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid rules STILL apply at Northampton General Hospital as virus continues to spread, say healthcare bosses
• KGH say 'no change' on masks and Covid measures on 'Freedom Day' Northamptonshire Telegraph

Data reveals impact of deadly asbestos-related cancer in Northampton as inquiry is launched

Data reveals impact of deadly asbestos-related cancer in Northampton as inquiry is launched Asbestos-related cancer has claimed the lives of more than 150 people in Northampton over almost four decades, new figures reveal.

MPs have launched an inquiry into how the material is being managed across the UK after serious safety concerns were raised. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

GP in charge of Earls Barton and Northampton surgeries removed over catalogue of failings

GP in charge of Earls Barton and Northampton surgeries removed over catalogue of failings Two Northamptonshire GP surgeries with 9,500 patients and a senior partner have been de-registered after inspectors found a "whole catalogue of issues" putting patients at risk. Northampton Chronicle and Echo