Launch of mass vaccination centre in Northamptonshire is '80 per cent there'

Launch of mass vaccination centre in Northamptonshire is '80 per cent there' The venue is already picked out and is "good to go" - provided we can secure enough vaccines.

Northamptonshire is the final stages of launching its own "large vaccination centre" in the style of the one unveiled in London this week. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid-19: Horsey seal sightseeing couple fined for 130-mile trip BBC Norfolk
• Trust boss warns region faces 'absolute crisis' with trusts 'hanging on by their fingernails' Health Service Journal
• Health chiefs tell Northamptonshire 'non-Covid believers' that virus could soon affect ability to offer other emergency care Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Lockdown 3 press conference begins as 14 more deaths announced at NGH and KGH Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 1 in 5 people in England may have had Covid - millions more than first thought Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• A lack of social distancing in supermarkets is causing concern - how to stay safe Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• This is how the Pfizer, Oxford and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines differ Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northamptonshire couple fined after travelling over 120 miles to go seal-watching Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northamptonshire health chief's Test and Trace plea: 'We're not interested in fines, just keeping you and your loved ones well' Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Corby’s Covid rate now one of the highest in England after almost TRIPLING in a week Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Why Corby’s tight-knit family ties may have caused its soaring Covid rates Northamptonshire Telegraph
• NatWest issues urgent warning over fake Covid and delivery scams - what to look out for Northamptonshire Telegraph

Policy paper: UK Rare Diseases Framework

Policy paper: UK Rare Diseases Framework A framework setting out a coherent, national vision on how the UK will improve the lives of those living with rare diseases. Department of Health and Social Care

Statement from Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty on national alert levels

Statement from Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty on national alert levels We have faced several grave moments during our battle against coronavirus. But right now, the country is perhaps facing the most serious yet.

The new, more transmissible variant of this disease is spreading rapidly across the country and having tragic consequences. On Monday the 4 UK Chief Medical Officers and the NHS Medical Director recommended raising the national alert level to the maximum of level 5 for the first time. This means that without further action there is a material risk of our healthcare services being overwhelmed within 21 days. Since then the situation has deteriorated further. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statement from Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock on testing and vaccinations Department of Health and Social Care
• Asymptomatic testing to be rolled out across the country starting this week Department of Health and Social Care
• Policy paper: Community testing Department of Health and Social Care
• Statement from Chief Medical Adviser for NHS Test and Trace, Susan Hopkins on community testing Department of Health and Social Care
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine authorised by UK medicines regulator Department of Health and Social Care
• Statement from Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi on vaccine deployment Department of Health and Social Care
• New TV advert urges public to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives Department of Health and Social Care
• Hundreds of thousands invited to new NHS vaccination centres NHS England
• Guidance: National protocol for COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1-S [recombinant]) Public Health England
• Guidance: National protocol for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) Public Health England

Covid: 'Most dangerous time' of the pandemic, says Whitty

Covid: 'Most dangerous time' of the pandemic, says Whitty The UK will go through the "most dangerous time" of the pandemic in the weeks before vaccine rollout has an impact, England's chief medical officer has warned.

Prof Chris Whitty urged people to minimise all unnecessary contact.

The next few weeks will be "the worst" of the pandemic for the NHS, he said. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: UK reports more than 80,000 deaths BBC News
• Covid-19: Hancock warns flexing of rules 'could be fatal' BBC News
• Covid: The truth behind videos of 'empty' hospitals BBC News
• Covid: Mass vaccination centres to open in England BBC News
• Pfizer vaccine 'works' against key variant mutation, study suggests BBC News
• Why is the new UK Covid-19 strain more infectious? BBC News
• Are Covid patients getting younger? BBC News
• SAGE warns people must still wear masks AFTER getting Covid vaccine The Daily Mail
• Covid: UK approves Moderna vaccine but won't get any until MARCH The Daily Mail
• Switzerland's decision to close schools was one of most effective measures of reducing Covid spread, study says The Daily Telegraph
• Tighter restrictions on the cards as concerns grow over public compliance with coronavirus rules The Daily Telegraph
• Covid in the UK: why is it so bad now and when will cases decline? The Guardian
• 'We're bursting': a day inside a Covid intensive care unit The Guardian
• Calls to escalate English lockdown amid fears one in five may have had Covid The Guardian
• All UK adults will be offered Covid vaccine by autumn, says Matt Hancock – video The Guardian
• Covid patients occupying more than 30,000 hospital beds in England The Independent
• Covid: Unions urge public to back ‘decent’ pay rise for NHS workers The Independent
• COVID-19: NHS at breaking point and public 'not listening' to lockdown, warns top doctor Sky News

1000 cleaners cut from NHS over the past decade

1000 cleaners cut from NHS over the past decade New figures show £38 million has been taken out of NHS cleaning budgets in real terms.

The number of cleaners employed by the NHS in England has been cut by almost 1,000 in the past decade, a union is claiming.

GMB said its research showed the need for urgent investment in cleaning services, especially during the worsening coronavirus crisis. iNews

'We're on target to deliver 135000 Covid jabs in Northamptonshire by mid-February,' says NHS chief

'We're on target to deliver 135000 Covid jabs in Northamptonshire by mid-February,' says NHS chief NHS staff are winning a "race against time" to deliver 135,000 Covid-19 jabs in Northamptonshire in just 11 weeks. 

Hospital bosses say more than 20,000 vaccinations have already been delivered in less than four weeks since the roll-out started in Northamptonshire. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Moderna Covid vaccine granted approval for use in the UK - what you need to know Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Covid vaccinations may need to be administered 'every 6 months' - what Matt Hancock said Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Pfizer says vaccine protects against new Covid-19 mutant strains spreading across the UK Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Workplace outbreaks of Covid in Northamptonshire have increased this week following Christmas dip, health boss confirms Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Northamptonshire MP describes Chief Medical Officer's suggestion restrictions could be in place next winter as 'very unhelpful' Northamptonshire Telegraph
• The different Covid vaccines explained - and why you can't choose which one you receive Northamptonshire Telegraph
• These four key criteria must be met before lockdown can be lifted in England Northamptonshire Telegraph

How is COVID-19 impacting people working in adult social care?

How is COVID-19 impacting people working in adult social care? Much of what's happening right now feels dauntingly like last March – we’re back in lockdown and being told to ‘protect the NHS’. We’re seeing similar media coverage of the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the NHS and its hardworking staff but a great deal less attention on protecting adult social care services and staff. The Health Foundation

NHS patients to receive life-saving COVID-19 treatments that could cut hospital time by 10 days

NHS patients to receive life-saving COVID-19 treatments that could cut hospital time by 10 days Patients across the UK who are admitted to intensive care units due to COVID-19 are set to receive new life-saving treatments which can reduce the time spent in hospital by up to 10 days, the government has announced. Department of Health and Social Care 

See also:

• New Oxford vaccine rolled out to general practice services NHS England
• Operational Guidance: Vaccination of Frontline Health & Social Care Workers NHS England
• Flu vaccine uptake among over 65s highest on record Public Health England
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports Public Health England

Ambulance waiting times in parts of England 'off the scale

Ambulance waiting times in parts of England 'off the scale' The number of hours ambulances spent waiting to offload patients in parts of England is "off the scale", the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says. 

Data leaked to BBC News shows ambulance waiting times at hospitals in the South East rose by 36% in December compared to the same month in 2019.

People are also having to wait longer for ambulances to arrive when called. BBC News

See also:

• Third Covid vaccine approved in the UK BBC News
• Covid-19: What happens if hospitals are overwhelmed? BBC News
• Covid: Half of patients at some hospitals have virus BBC News
• Covid: How busy are hospitals in England? BBC News
• Hancock: 'We're working with Pfizer and AstraZeneca to increase Covid-19 vaccine supply' BBC News
• Two more life-saving Covid drugs discovered BBC News
• Fake NHS vaccine messages sent in banking fraud scam BBC News
• NHS may have to start using beds in CARE HOMES if pressure continues to worsen The Daily Mail
• Modern's coronavirus vaccine likely prevents infection for 'a couple of YEARS,' CEO says The Daily Mail
• Pfizer vaccine works against new Covid mutations, drugmaker says The Daily Telegraph
• Police hunt fraudster who injected woman, 92, with fake vaccine in London The Daily Telegraph
• 'The worst by a cataclysmic margin': the race to save the NHS from Covid The Guardian
• UK coronavirus live: 24% rise in people testing positive in England last week The Guardian
• Third Covid vaccine set for UK approval next week but arrival delayed by Brexit The Guardian
• Hancock hails Oxford Covid vaccine at surgery that had yet to receive doses The Guardian
• Cancelled and delayed supplies hamper rollout of Oxford Covid vaccine through GPs The Independent

Organ donor mum faces dilemma over which child gets her kidney

Organ donor mum faces dilemma over which child gets her kidney A mother with two children who need kidney transplants said she wishes she could help both of them, but can only donate one organ.

Sarah Bingham's son Noah, 20, and daughter Ariel, 16, have the same rare genetic condition.

Mrs Bingham, 48, is a donor match for her children and said her maternal instinct is to donate to both of them. BBC News

'Stay home, save lives' plea underlined following more Covid deaths in Northamptonshire

'Stay home, save lives' plea underlined following more Covid deaths in Northamptonshire County is in the "worst position in the East Mids" and situation is going "from bad to worse" warns health director.

Local health chiefs are ramping up pleas for Northamptonshire to stick to the lockdown and stay at home to save lives after more sobering Covid-19 news. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• England’s scheme to house all rough sleepers during lockdown won’t restart Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• University students asked to postpone return to Northampton until mid-February Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Hundreds of international flights are arriving in the UK each day - with no Covid-19 restrictions in place for arrivals Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Four left chewing over £800 Covid fines after 5am trip to McDonald's in Northampton Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Seven mass vaccination hubs will open across England next week - full list of locations Northamptonshire Telegraph
• This video shows how coronavirus spread across England throughout 2020 Northamptonshire Telegraph

Double or quits: a blueprint for expanding medical school places

Double or quits: a blueprint for expanding medical school places This report outlines a blueprint for the doubling of medical school places that will enable the NHS workforce to get back on a sustainable footing over the next decade. It calls on the government to lift the cap on medical school places in England this year to be maintained with a larger, ongoing increase in the numbers of places, acknowledging that workforce shortages have hampered the NHS’s ability to provide care during the pandemic and placed additional pressure on staff. Royal College of Physicians

Prioritising the first COVID-19 vaccine dose: JCVI statement

Prioritising the first COVID-19 vaccine dose: JCVI statement Statement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about increasing the short-term impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Independent report: Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: advice from the JCVI, 30 December 2020 Department of Health and Social Care
• Speech: Oral statement on new COVID-19 regulations Department of Health and Social Care
• Coronavirus cases by local authority: epidemiological data, 6 January 2021 Department of Health and Social Care

Covid-19: Oxford vaccine rolled out to hundreds of GP sites in England

Covid-19: Oxford vaccine rolled out to hundreds of GP sites in England The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine will be rolled out to hundreds of GP-run vaccination sites in local communities in England later.

As part of the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history, the aim is to offer jabs to most care home residents by the end of January.

By mid-February, the target is to vaccinate 13 million people in the top four priority groups. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: UK records more than a thousand virus deaths BBC News
• ICU hospital staff: 'Scared, sad, petrified, worried' BBC News
• Inside one GP surgery's Covid vaccine roll-out BBC News
• Covid-19: Police warning over vaccine scam messages BBC News
• Lockdown: Clap for Carers to return as Clap for Heroes BBC News
• Covid: WHO team investigating virus origins denied entry to China BBC News
• Vaccines tsar Nadhim Zahawi admits vaccine target is 'stretching' The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus: Why HASN'T UK approved Moderna's Covid vaccine?
• Coronavirus: Quarter of England and Wales deaths in Christmas week were linked to Covid
• Seven 'super vaccination centres' to open across country next week The Daily Telegraph
• NHS facing 'most dangerous four weeks' of pandemic, doctor says as he rubbishes empty hospitals rumours The Daily Telegraph
• UK vaccine minister vows 'massive uplift' in number of jabs this week The Guardian
• UK Covid death toll rises by 1,041 – a record rise for second wave The Guardian
• How the Covid surge has left the NHS on the brink – podcast The Guardian
• What's the scientific basis for delaying the Covid vaccine second dose? The Guardian
• Exclusive: London will be overwhelmed by covid in a fortnight says leaked NHS England briefing Health Service Journal
• Scientists create guide to building truth ‘sandwich’ to combat Covid misinformation The Independent
• Hospitals left short-staffed with half of all sickness absence linked to Covid The Independent
• NHS hospitals risk 'falling over' within weeks amid rising Covid cases, council leader warns iNews
• Young women are the unlikely new face of vaccine resistance iNews
• NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens issues warning as hospital admissions top first peak Sky News

Breakthrough treatment for liver disease could save thousands every year by 2024

Breakthrough treatment for liver disease could save thousands every year by 2024 A breakthrough treatment for cirrhosis of the liver could be available within five years, saving thousands of lives a year, after a major clinical trial showed promising results.

The treatment involves swallowing a sachet containing tiny carbon beads that mop up toxins produced by bacteria in the gut. iNews

Northamptonshire sees 1000 positive Covid tests in one day for the first time

Northamptonshire sees 1000 positive Covid tests in one day for the first time Northampton, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and South Northants all see huge rises.

Northamptonshire saw more than 1,000 positive Covid-19 tests in a single day for the first time.

Tuesday's Government bulletin revealed 1,034 confirmed swabs in the latest 24-hour reporting period — over 300 more than the previous record 713 set just a day earlier. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Health system under pressure: What's it like where you live? ITV News
• Christmas Day led to 'tipping point' that forced us into lockdown, says Northamptonshire health chief Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Lockdown No3: What you CAN do in Northamptonshire during the next six weeks Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Practical advice for coping with a January lockdown - according to a psychologist Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• St Andrew’s Hospital unveils memorial garden for staff and patients who lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic in Northampton Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Corby records England’s highest jump in positive Covid case rates Northamptonshire Telegraph
• England’s national lockdown may stay in place until March - what we know so far Northamptonshire Telegraph
• All arrivals to the UK could soon need a negative Covid test - what we know so far Northamptonshire Telegraph

Year of unparalleled pressure leaves staff exhausted and on the brink

Year of unparalleled pressure leaves staff exhausted and on the brink Thousands of doctors have revealed the impact that working during the pandemic has had on their mental health and wellbeing, in a major BMA survey that exposes how a year of unparalleled pressure has pushed an understaffed and exhausted workforce to the brink.

New figures from the latest BMA tracker survey of doctors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, show that almost 60 per cent (58%) of doctors are now suffering from some form of anxiety or depression, with 46 per cent saying their condition had worsened since the start of pandemic.

The IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities: a new year’s message

The IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities: a new year’s message This report examines the impact of the pandemic on educational, economic, social and health inequalities in the UK. It outlines data and evidence on the groups that have been most heavily impacted by widening inequalities and Covid-19. Institute for Fiscal Studies

Violence prevention standard

Violence prevention standard We have published the new national violence prevention and reduction standard, which complements existing health and safety legislation. Employers (including NHS employers) have a general duty of care to protect staff from threats and violence at work. NHS England

Guidance: Digital and data-driven health and care technology

Guidance: Digital and data-driven health and care technology The guide contains a set of principles that set out what we expect from suppliers and users of data-driven technologies.

The aim is to make it easier for our suppliers to understand what we need from them, and to help health and care providers choose safe, effective, secure technology to improve the services they provide. Department of Health and Social Care