UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive group A strep

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive group A strep Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to show an out of season increase in scarlet fever and group A streptococcus infections and a higher number of cases than seen in a typical year.

So far this season (from 19 September to 25 December) there have been 33,836 notifications of scarlet fever. This compares to a total of 4,672 at the same point in the year during the last comparably high season in 2017 to 2018 – although cases in that season started to rise at a different point. In 2017 to 2018 there were 30,768 scarlet fever notifications overall across the year.

See also:

• Strep A: At least 30 children have died in UK since mid-September BBC News
• Another four children die of Strep A as UK's death toll hits 30 The Daily Mail
• Strep A: 122 deaths recorded across all age groups in England in the past four months The Independent
• At least 30 children in UK have died from invasive Strep A Sky News

Covid: Why are some places testing Chinese arrivals?

Covid: Why are some places testing Chinese arrivals? When a country of 1.4 billion people suddenly ended its zero-Covid policy after nearly three years, there was little doubt what would happen.

Poor immunisation levels and little natural immunity meant an explosion of cases - just as China is about to lift restrictions on its citizens travelling abroad.

So now, some countries - wary of an influx of cases - are imposing Covid testing, and possible quarantine, on visitors from China. BBC News

See also:

• Covid in China: Checks on visitors under review - defence minister BBC News
• Could China's Covid outbreak push the fight against the virus back to square one? The Daily Mail
• UK ministers under pressure to screen China arrivals for Covid The Guardian
• China Covid: experts estimate 9,000 deaths a day as US says it may sample wastewater from planes The Guardian
• Covid: Government under pressure to introduce China testing policy The Independent
• Could the UK impose new Covid travel restrictions? The Independent
• UK COVID response to China travel 'under review' after some countries step up restrictions Sky News

Doncaster surgery sends cancer text instead of festive message

Doncaster surgery sends cancer text instead of festive message A GP surgery accidentally told patients they had aggressive lung cancer instead of wishing them a merry Christmas.

Askern Medical Practice sent the text message to people registered with the surgery in Doncaster on 23 December. BBC News

Revealed: Crisis in A&E departments drives 15,000 deaths

Revealed: Crisis in A&E departments drives 15,000 deaths The crisis in Britain’s A&E departments has been linked to more than 15,000 deaths in 18 months, with as many as 500 patients a week dying because of long waits for emergency care.

Expert analysis shows that the number of avoidable deaths has been three times as high as it would have been if hospital waits for emergency treatment had stayed at pre-pandemic levels. The Independent

Mental health issues are 'parallel pandemic' that NHS is not equipped to tackle, leaders warn

Mental health issues are 'parallel pandemic' that NHS is not equipped to tackle, leaders warn The NHS is not equipped to tackle the hidden “parallel pandemic” in mental ill health with many patients going without adequate treatment, leaders have warned.

The cost of living crisis and the after-effects of the Covid epidemic have led to a spike in the number of people suffering from mental health issues.

But the true extent of the problems could be even greater, health experts warn, because it is impossible to tell how many people have yet to come forward for care. The Independent

Man given a year to live now cancer-free after immunotherapy trial

Man given a year to live now cancer-free after immunotherapy trial Further studies under way as ‘remarkable’ results offer new hope in treating biliary tract cancer

A man given a year to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer is now disease-free thanks to a UK trial of a personalised drug regime.

Robert Glynn, 51, a welder from Worsley in Greater Manchester, said he “wouldn’t be here” if it were not for the remarkable results of the immunotherapy trial run by the Christie NHS foundation trust in Manchester. The Guardian

See also:

• Worsley man given year to live cancer-free after Christie's drug trial BBC News
• Man with terminal cancer cured after taking new drug The Independent

Flu jab uptake among NHS staff tumbles to lowest level in A DECADE despite warnings of a 'flu-nami'

Flu jab uptake among NHS staff tumbles to lowest level in A DECADE despite warnings of a 'flu-nami' Only four in ten frontline NHS staff has rolled up their sleeves for the flu vaccine – the lowest uptake in a decade – MailOnline can reveal.

Despite begging vulnerable Britons to get the jab amid predictions of a dire winter the NHS itself has failed to convince most of its staff to do the same.

Frontline medics such as doctors and nurses are offered the vaccine for free every year to help stop them inadvertently spreading the virus to any vulnerable people they encounter at work, like the elderly or cancer patients. The Daily Mail

NHS trials helper robot to deliver medicines around hospitals

NHS trials helper robot to deliver medicines around hospitals A robot that uses the same technology as self-driving vehicles is transporting medicines around hospitals as part of a new trial.

The 'helper bot' is being used to carry and deliver prescriptions and other items around Milton Keynes University Hospital, helping to relieve pressure on human staff. The Daily Mail

See also:

• MKUH trials Helper Robots to support staff Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Pharmacists to refer suspected cancer patients for checks

Pharmacists to refer suspected cancer patients for checks Pharmacists will be trained to spot signs of cancer in a bid to boost early detection and improve survival rates.

Customers who repeatedly come in for cough medicine or other drugs that could be a sign of more serious illness will be sent for cancer checks without having to see a GP first.

Those with symptoms including a persistent cough, difficulty swallowing or blood in their urine will be referred to hospital for further tests as part of a pilot scheme starting in Cornwall next month. The Daily Mail

Visiting suspended at Northampton and Kettering hospitals following "significant increase" in Covid and flu cases

Visiting suspended at Northampton and Kettering hospitals following "significant increase" in Covid and flu cases NHS bosses have suspended visiting on adult inpatient wards at hospitals in Northampton and Kettering due to a “significant increase” in cases of Covid, flu and other respiratory illnesses.

Only compassionate visiting is allowed at Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital from Thursday (December 29), although staff are offering increased virtual visiting to support patients to keep in touch with loved ones. Northamptonshire Telegraph

East Midlands Ambulance Service strikes across Northamptonshire moved to January as pay dispute continues

East Midlands Ambulance Service strikes across Northamptonshire moved to January as pay dispute continues A day of strike action scheduled for some East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff across Northamptonshire has been moved to January.

Paramedics and staff members striked on December 21 due to a national pay dispute with the Government. GMB Union members were also due to strike on December 28, however that has now been moved to January 11, 2023. Daventry Express

Four in ten junior doctors plan to leave the NHS as soon as they can find another job

Four in ten junior doctors plan to leave the NHS as soon as they can find another job Four in ten junior doctors (40%) are actively planning to leave the NHS as soon as they can find another job,1 a survey from the BMA has revealed.

In the survey, released as part of the BMA chair of council Professor Phil Banfield’s New Year’s message, poor pay and working conditions were among the top reasons for junior doctors wanting to leave.2

Many of those doctors wanting to quit the NHS plan to work as doctors abroad.

See also:

• Four in 10 junior doctors plan to quit the NHS as soon as possible The Daily Mail
• Four in ten junior doctors want to leave the NHS The Daily Telegraph
• ‘The NHS will not be able to cope’ – new poll reveals planned junior doctor exodus Evening Standard

England slips further off-track for smokefree 2030 target

England slips further off-track for smokefree 2030 target The UK government is almost a decade behind achieving its target for England to be smokefree by 2030, a new report published by Cancer Research UK reveals.

The report warns that, if recent trends continue, the target will now not be met until 2039. This is despite repeated warnings from the charity that data up to 2018 indicated the Government was already seven years off track.

The charity is now calling on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, to publish a plan for tobacco control. This must include more action to prevent young people from smoking, and more funding for the measures and services needed to help people quit.

See also:

• Government is almost a DECADE behind its target for England to become smoke-free by 2030 The Daily Mail
• Targets to make England 'smoke free' by 2030 will be missed by nearly a decade, charity warns Sky News

Hospitals in England taking care of record number of patients

Hospitals in England taking care of record number of patients More people could be spending the time between Christmas and new year in hospital in parts of England this year than at any time in the past decade, as NHS trusts struggle to find social care places for patients medically fit for discharge.

The latest figures for December to date show an average of 94,200 patients were in hospitals across England, more than 93,000 of them in acute settings, the highest in seven winters. The Guardian

Generation of children held back as hundreds of thousands wait for key NHS care

Generation of children held back as hundreds of thousands wait for key NHS care Hundreds of thousands of children have been left waiting by the NHS for the developmental therapies they need, with some waiting more than two years, The Independent can reveal.

The long waiting lists for services such as speech and language therapy will see a generation of children held back in their development and will “impact Britain for the long haul”, according to the head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). 

Scientific study identifies how men with prostate cancer can live longer

Scientific study identifies how men with prostate cancer can live longer Just one work-out can help suppress cancer, a new study suggests.

Scientists discovered a single bout of exercise can suppress tumour growth and actively fight cancerous cells - even in those with incurable, advanced cancer. The Independent

See also:

• Acute effect of high-intensity interval aerobic exercise on serum myokine levels and resulting tumour-suppressive effect in trained patients with advanced prostate cancer (abstract) Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases

No plans for mandatory COVID-19 testing of arrivals from China, UK government says

No plans for mandatory COVID-19 testing of arrivals from China, UK government says There are no plans to introduce mandatory COVID-19 tests for arrivals to the UK from China, after a series of other countries said they would impose controls.

The news comes after China announced it was abandoning its COVID-zero policy and was preparing to reopen its borders in January. Sky News

See also:

• Covid in China: US imposes Covid testing for visitors from China BBC News
• Hong Kong to scrap almost all its Covid rules BBC News
• UK government ‘has no plans’ to reintroduce Covid-19 testing for arrivals as China infections soar Evening Standard
• Mapped: Covid cases in your area as hospitalisations rise by third before Christmas The Independent

Charity dismisses MP claims that it is 'covering up' data that Covid vaccines harm the heart

Charity dismisses MP claims that it is 'covering up' data that Covid vaccines harm the heart A major British health charity has dismissed claims from a controversial Tory MP that it is 'covering up' data that the Covid mRNA vaccines harm the heart.

Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, made the comments in a parliamentary debate on the potential harms of vaccines earlier this month. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Andrew Bridgen's vaccine debate claims fact checked Full Fact
• British Heart Foundation dismisses Tory MP’s Covid ‘cover-up’ vaccine claim Evening Standard

Government urged to ban additives used in processed meat after more research highlights cancer risk

Government urged to ban additives used in processed meat after more research highlights cancer risk Chemicals routinely added to bacon, ham and deli meats should be banned after research suggests it raises the risk of cancer, one scientist has said.

A Queen's University Belfast study found that mice given processed pork containing nitrites developed 75 per cent more tumours than those that ate meat without the chemicals.

Professor Chris Elliott OBE, one of the study authors, said the results 'make the cancer risk associated with nitrite-cured meat even clearer'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Dietary inclusion of nitrite-containing frankfurter exacerbates colorectal cancer pathology and alters metabolism in APCmin mice (open access) Nature

Revealed: How GPs are STILL wasting thousands of pounds of NHS cash on bogus homeopathy 'remedies'

Revealed: How GPs are STILL wasting thousands of pounds of NHS cash on bogus homeopathy 'remedies' Family doctors are still spending tens of thousands of pounds every year on bogus homeopathic products, MailOnline can reveal. 

NHS spending on the quack medical treatment was effectively banned four years ago after it was ruled an ineffective use of taxpayer's money. 

But GPs in England have still prescribed nearly £150,000 of homeopathic items since 2018 - the first full year after the ruling, analysis shows.  The Daily Mail