Our daily health news service is taking an extended break

Due to changes in staffing we are having to pause our daily health news for the moment as there isn't capacity in the library team at present to continue with such a time-intensive service.

Our news service may return later in the year, but we can't guarantee that at present.

We will still be active on X (Twitter) so you can always follow us there for news updates.

We will still be posting things on the Library Blog, if you want to keep up with what is happening in the service.

We really hope you have found this service useful.

More free courses to help with recovery journeys

More free courses to help with recovery journeys There’s a chance join free courses this autumn offering help for those with health conditions to take positive steps on their recovery journey.

More than 30 educational courses are available with the launch of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Recovery College’s new prospectus for the 2023 autumn term. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Flu and COVID-19 surveillance report published

Flu and COVID-19 surveillance report published This fortnightly flu and COVID-19 report brings together the latest surveillance data along with the latest public health advice.

COVID-19 case rates continued to increase this week compared to our previous report. A total 9.7% of 4,288 respiratory specimens reported through the Respiratory DataMart System were identified as COVID-19. This is compared to 7.1% of 4,303 from the previous report.

The overall COVID-19 hospital admission rate for week 34 was 3.37 per 100,000 population, an increase from 3.00 per 100,000 in the previous report.

Intensive care units (ICU) admission rates have increased to 0.11 per 100,000 compared to 0.08 per 100,000 in the previous report.

Hospital admission rates have increased in most age groups. UK Health Security Agency

See also: 

• Research and analysis: COVID-19 therapeutic agents: technical briefings UK Health Security Agency
• Covid: New BA.2.86 variant found in Scotland BBC News
• Boots 'runs out of Covid tests' as 'concerned' health bosses plan to bring back community testing and pull forward booster rollout amid fears Pirola variant - which causes dry cough, a runny nose and fatigue - will 'overwhelm NHS' The Daily Mail
• Biggest surge in Covid deaths this year: Number dying due to virus jumps 57% in a week - with experts already calling call for return of masks The Daily Mail
• Covid-19 hospital admissions in England at three-month high The Independent
• Covid Eris symptoms: All we know about new variant driving surge in cases The Independent
• COVID-19 hospital admissions in England reach three-month high Sky News

Inequalities in mortality involving common physical health conditions, England: 21 March 2021 to 31 January 2023

Inequalities in mortality involving common physical health conditions, England: 21 March 2021 to 31 January 2023 Rates of mortality involving cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, dementia, diabetes, and respiratory diseases, by Census 2021 variables.

ASMRs for all-cause mortality and most individual conditions were generally highest in the most deprived areas and among people who were long-term unemployed or had never worked; the largest differences by deprivation were observed for mortality involving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, followed by lung cancer and asthma. Office for National Statistics

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to the latest ONS data on ethnic and socio-demographic inequalities in mortality rates for common physical health conditions The King's Fund

Reform law and expand treatment options to tackle cost of drugs on society

Reform law and expand treatment options to tackle cost of drugs on society Drug laws are outdated and in need of reform, the Home Affairs Committee has found. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Misuse of Drugs regulations need to be updated to support greater use of public health based drug interventions, while also ensuring an appropriate criminal justice response to illicit drugs including national standards for diversion schemes for low level offending. 

In a report published today, the Committee calls for a new legislative and funding framework that enables practical, risk-reducing interventions such as establishing a pilot drug consumption facility and drug testing at festivals.

See also:

• Allow drug testing at festivals to cut deaths, MPs urge ministers The Guardian

Junior doctors and consultants to strike together in England

Junior doctors and consultants to strike together in England Junior doctors and consultants in England are to coincide strikes during the autumn in an escalation of the pay row with the government.

It will be the first time in this dispute they have walked out together and comes after junior doctors voted in favour of continuing with strikes.

In the British Medical Association (BMA) ballot, 98% voted in favour which gave the union a new six-month mandate.

Ministers called the co-ordination of strikes "callous and calculated". BBC News

See also:

• Doctors in England announce four days of joint strikes this autumn as juniors vote for six more months of industrial action BMA
• Joint junior doctor and consultant strikes the nightmare scenario NHS leaders have long feared NHS Confederation
• Joint industrial action announced by the BMA NHS Employers
• Almost 3,000 London NHS workers set to strike BBC News
• Junior doctors and consultants in England to strike together for first time in NHS history Channel 4 News
• More NHS strike misery on the way: Both junior doctors and consultants will hold four days of united industrial action from September The Daily Mail
• Junior and senior doctors in England to strike together for first time in NHS history The Guardian
• Junior doctors and consultants to strike together for first time in NHS history The Independent
• Junior doctors and consultants to go on first ever joint-strike ITV News
• Junior doctors and consultants to go on joint strike for first time in NHS history Sky News

Brain fog after Covid linked to blood clots - study

Brain fog after Covid linked to blood clots - study Blood clots in the brain or the lungs might explain some common symptoms of "long Covid", including brain fog and fatigue, a UK study suggests.

In the study, of 1,837 people admitted to hospital because of Covid, researchers say two blood proteins point to clots being one cause.

It is thought 16% of such patients have trouble thinking, concentrating or remembering for at least six months.

Long Covid can also develop after milder infections. BBC News

See also:

• Acute blood biomarker profiles predict cognitive deficits 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 hospitalization (open access) Nature Medicine
• The Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study PHOSP-COVID
• Scientists reveal why Covid-19 causes ‘brain fog’ and memory problems Evening Standard
• UK scientists find link between proteins related to blood clots and long Covid The Guardian

Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas ban could harm users, experts warn

Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas ban could harm users, experts warn The proposed ban of nitrous oxide could stop users seeking medical help in hospitals, health experts have warned.

In a letter to the government, seen by BBC Newsnight, 15 neurologists and related health experts say possession of the drug should not be criminalised.

Despite rising numbers of hospital patients suffering the effects of so-called laughing gas, they warn the ban could worsen the stigma around users.

The government has responded, saying it plans to go ahead with the ban. BBC News

Mental health patients waited last year in A&E for ‘over 5.4m hours’

Mental health patients waited last year in A&E for ‘over 5.4m hours’ Patients across England waited for a total of more than 5.4 million hours in A&E while experiencing a mental health crisis last year, Labour has said.

According to the party, figures obtained through freedom of information requests show that last year one patient at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust waited in A&E for 860 hours, the equivalent of 36 days, while suffering a mental health crisis. The Independent

NHS managers who let surgeon work after serious complaints called to resign

NHS managers who let surgeon work after serious complaints called to resign Health board management who let a neurosurgeon continue operating on patients despite knowing of serious complaints against him are facing calls to resign.

A damning internal report published on Thursday found that NHS Tayside failed to put in place adequate monitoring of Prof Sam Eljamel, despite a rising number of complaints. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS failed to act on brain surgeon who harmed patients BBC News

Thousands of people may have unknowingly contracted hepatitis C abroad, health experts warn

Thousands of people may have unknowingly contracted hepatitis C abroad, health experts warn People are being urged to take a free hepatitis C test amid fears thousands may have unknowingly contracted the disease abroad.

While NHS bosses hope it will be wiped out in England by 2025, some 70,000 adults may still have the disease without realising, according to healthcare company Preventx.

The blood-borne virus can be picked up through dental, cosmetic, or health procedures, or via tattoos and piercings, it added. Sky News

More than 1 million lives saved in the UK over past four decades due to advances in cancer care

More than 1 million lives saved in the UK over past four decades due to advances in cancer care More than a million lives have been saved over the past four decades thanks to cancer advances, analysis shows.

UK cancer death rates have fallen by about a quarter since the mid 1980s, in a ‘golden era’ of improved diagnosis and treatment.

The rise in screening programmes and a drastic fall in smoking have combined to stop a further 1.2 million lives being lost, according to Cancer Research UK. The Daily Mail

See also:

• One million lives saved: How our research milestones mean more moments for people with cancer Cancer Research UK

Fifth of people have gene that protects against Alzheimer's and could one day lead to vaccine, study says

Fifth of people have gene that protects against Alzheimer's and could one day lead to vaccine, study says One in five people carry a genetic variant that appears to protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, a study suggests.

Analysis of medical and genetic data from hundreds of thousands of people found that having this variant, called DR4, reduced people’s chances of developing either condition by more than 10 per cent on average.

Experts say the discovery may one day lead to a vaccine that could slow or stall the progression of these two common conditions. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Multiancestry analysis of the HLA locus in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases uncovers a shared adaptive immune response mediated by HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes (open access) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

New Kettering private hospital facility welcomes its first patients

New Kettering private hospital facility welcomes its first patients A state-of-the-art private hospital facility on the edge of Kettering has welcomed its first patients.

Glendon Wood Hospital, just off the A43 near the ‘hamburger’ roundabout, opened earlier this month with new diagnostic services and two operating theatres. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Harm caused by delays in transferring patients to the right place of care

Harm caused by delays in transferring patients to the right place of care This national investigation seeks to examine the systems that are in place to manage the flow of patients through and out of hospitals and considers the interactions between health and social care systems. It finds that issues relating to patient flow affect ambulance crews’ ability to hand over patient care to emergency department (ED) staff. It also finds that EDs are routinely at, or exceeding, their maximum capacity and this has an impact on their ability to provide safe care. This report brings together the findings from the investigation’s three interim reports and provides an update since they were published. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

NHS flu and covid vaccine programmes brought forward due to risk of new covid variant

NHS flu and covid vaccine programmes brought forward due to risk of new covid variant Millions of eligible people will now be offered a covid vaccine from 11 September, in line with the latest expert guidance on the new covid variant.

This change follows an announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on the risks presented by the new BA.2.86 variant and pre-emptive measures the NHS has been asked to take.

The adult covid and flu vaccination programmes had been due to start in October to maximise protection over the winter months, but now those most at risk including adult care home residents will be vaccinated from 11 September. NHS England

See also:

• Flu and COVID autumn vaccine programmes brought forward Department of Health and Social Care
• Independent report: COVID-19 autumn 2023 vaccination programme: JCVI update Department of Health and Social Care
• Research and analysis: SARS-CoV-2: genome sequence prevalence and growth rate UK Health Security Agency

Coventry NHS boss to keep job despite complaints being upheld

Coventry NHS boss to keep job despite complaints being upheld The chair of an NHS body in charge of health and care in Coventry and Warwickshire is to keep her job, despite criticism from an independent inquiry.

Danielle Oum was found not to have always acted with honesty and integrity in a previous NHS role.

But after a review of the issues, she was allowed to remain as chair of the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).

NHS England said it continued to offer Ms Oum "its full support". BBC News

Boys who smoke and vape ‘risk passing on damaged genes to their children’

Boys who smoke and vape ‘risk passing on damaged genes to their children’ Boys in their early teens who smoke risk passing on damaged genes to their children, increasing the chances of them developing health problems like asthma, obesity and lung conditions, according to a new study.

Scientists at Southampton and Bergen universities warn that vaping could also cause similar health conditions. The Independent

See also:

• Fathers’ preconception smoking and offspring DNA methylation (open access) Clinical Epigenetics

Lucy Letby inquiry will have power to force witnesses to give evidence

Lucy Letby inquiry will have power to force witnesses to give evidence The inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder seven babies will now be able to force witnesses to give evidence.

Ministers agreed to give the inquiry full statutory powers after families said the current investigation would not go far enough in uncovering the truth. The Guardian

See also:

• Legal powers given to Lucy Letby inquiry Department of Health and Social Care
• Lucy Letby: Inquiry given powers to compel witnesses to give evidence BBC News
• Why wasn’t Lucy Letby stopped sooner? – podcast The Guardian
• Lucy Letby inquiry given powers to compel NHS bosses to give evidence ITV News
• Lucy Letby: Inquiry to be made statutory after calls from bereaved families Sky News

‘National tragedy’: figures show large rise in people dying while on NHS waiting list

‘National tragedy’: figures show large rise in people dying while on NHS waiting list More than 120,000 people in England died last year while on the NHS waiting list for hospital treatment, figures obtained by Labour appear to show.

That would be a record high number of such deaths, and is double the 60,000 patients who died in 2017/18.

For example, the Royal Free hospital in London said it had had 3,615 such deaths, while there were 2,888 at the Morecambe Bay trust in Cumbria and 2,039 at Leeds teaching hospitals trust. The Guardian

See also:

• Patient deaths while on NHS waiting lists 'terrible indictment of this Government's mismanagement' BMA
• Over 120,000 patients died last year on NHS waiting lists as backlog soared: Official data The Daily Mail
• Hospital waiting list deaths double in five years The Daily Telegraph
• More than 121,000 people died waiting for NHS treatment in 2022, Labour says The Independent

Record number of men checked for prostate cancer - as charities credit 'Bill Turnbull' effect

Record number of men checked for prostate cancer - as charities credit 'Bill Turnbull' effect Prostate cancer referrals have reached a record high in the last year thanks to the ‘Bill Turnbull’ effect, a charity has revealed.

New data shows the number of referrals – when a person is sent for extra tests or to a hospital doctor – has risen 17 per cent in the last 12 months.

More than a quarter of a million men were referred for suspected urological cancer in England between March 2022 and February 2023. The Daily Mail

NGH shortlisted for national award for way it supports cancer patients

NGH shortlisted for national award for way it supports cancer patients Northampton General Hospital is in the running for a national award for the innovative ways it supports cancer patients.

The Trust’s Macmillan Information & Support Team is vying with eight other UK Trusts in the Cancer Experience of Care Award category of the Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA). Northampton Chronical and Echo

CAMHS staff benefit from AI mental health support to improve wellbeing

CAMHS staff benefit from AI mental health support to improve wellbeing Staff in CAMHS services at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) and St Andrew’s Healthcare (STAH) have been using Wysa’s AI mental health app to support their wellbeing and mental health.  

The project, in collaboration with NHSEI Midlands, NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, saw Wysa provided to 350 staff members at the hospitals. Digital Health

Building community health and care capacity: Reflections from other countries

Building community health and care capacity: Reflections from other countries Changing our services so that more care is provided in community settings and people can leave hospital when they are fit for discharge has been an explicit policy aim for decades. Other, similar countries have been on the same mission and have had more success. Why might this be? This new analysis looks internationally at how our performance compares and how other countries have succeeded in building up community health and care services to understand what England might learn. Nuffield Trust

Implications of the NHS workforce plan

Implications of the NHS workforce plan In June, NHS England published its much-awaited long-term workforce plan, which was welcomed across the political spectrum. The plan aims to increase the number of staff employed by the English NHS from around 1.5 million in 2021–22 to between 2.3 and 2.4 million in 2036–37. This would be equivalent to average growth in the size of the NHS workforce of between 3.1% and 3.4% per year. For context, we estimate that NHS staffing numbers grew by around 1.1% per year between 2009–10 and 2019–20. 

Here, we do not seek to evaluate the merits of the plan, its modelling assumptions or its achievability. Instead, we start from the assumption that the plan will be implemented in full and the report considers the potential implications for the size of the NHS workforce and NHS budget in England. Institute for Fiscal Studies

See also:

• NHS workforce plan implies 1 in 11 of all workers will be employed in health by 2036 The Daily Mail
• NHS’s £50bn recruitment plan to prompt higher taxes or spending cuts, IFS warns The Daily Telegraph
• One in 11 workers in England could be NHS staff by 2036-37, study shows The Guardian

NHS world first rollout of cancer jab that cuts treatment time by up to 75%

NHS world first rollout of cancer jab that cuts treatment time by up to 75% Drug treatment times for some NHS cancer patients will be slashed by up to three quarters, thanks to an anti-cancer injection that takes as little as seven minutes to administer.

Following the green light from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the NHS in England will be the first health system in the world to roll out the seven-minute injection to hundreds of patients each year. NHS England

£5 million fund to tackle fatal drug deaths across the UK

£5 million fund to tackle fatal drug deaths across the UK People at risk of drug deaths could be saved by overdose detecting artificial intelligence or antidote dispensing drones after the government awarded a share of £5 million to projects aimed at tackling fatal overdoses.

As part of the Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge which aims to reduce drug related deaths across the UK, Office for Life Sciences is investing in 12 promising projects to develop technologies aimed at improving detection, response, or intervention in potential drug related deaths. Department of Health and Social Care

Ministers join forces to encourage veterans to self declare to GPs

Ministers join forces to encourage veterans to self declare to GPs Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer and Health Secretary Steve Barclay are urging veterans and service leavers to access specialist healthcare pathways run by NHS England and service charities. Department of Health and Social Care

Close to 1m NHS appointments lost to strikes

Close to 1m NHS appointments lost to strikes The number of appointments and treatments postponed by strike action in the NHS in England is nearing one million.

The 48-hour walkout by consultants in England last week saw more than 45,000 appointments being cancelled.

It brings the total number of postponed hospital appointments since industrial action began in the NHS in December to 885,000.

Once mental health and community bookings are included, it tops 944,000. BBC News

See also:

• Consultant strike caused tens of thousands of patients to have their appointments cancelled ITV News

Lucy Letby: NHS England 'persuaded' trust boss to take new job

Lucy Letby: NHS England 'persuaded' trust boss to take new job The man who was chief executive of the NHS trust where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies said he was asked to take a top job in London after the serial killer had been arrested.

Tony Chambers went on to get three senior NHS jobs following the nurse's arrest for murdering babies.

And in a now-deleted blog, he wrote about being "persuaded" to take the job in London by a senior NHS England boss.

NHS England said its London region had been unaware of the murder probe. BBC News

Homelessness charities report huge spike in mental health need as NHS waiting lists spiral

Homelessness charities report huge spike in mental health need as NHS waiting lists spiral Homelessness services are reporting a surge in the number of people they support in need of mental health treatment post-Covid, as thousands of people are trapped waiting months for care on the NHS.

NHS waiting times for elective mental health treatment have surged since the Covid-19 pandemic, with latest data from June 2023 showing that people still on waiting lists had been waiting an average of 12 weeks.

This is compared to an average of 9.1 weeks in June 2022 and 6.1 weeks in June 2021. iNews

See also:

• Key findings of the 2022 Annual Review of Single Homelessness: More demand. Less supply. More complex needs Homeless Link

Migrants to get Home Office reference number on NHS England records

Migrants to get Home Office reference number on NHS England records NHS records of migrants are to have a Home Office reference number attached to them, prompting concerns about potential tracking, privacy rights and the expansion of the “hostile environment”.

A previous scheme using NHS data to track down patients believed to be breaching immigration rules was abandoned after a legal challenge from health and civil liberties organisations warning of a breach of patient confidentiality, discrimination against non-British patients and a risk of deterring people from seeking medical help. The Guardian

Postnatal depression sufferers who take medication have boosted mental health, relationships and better behaved children, study shows

Postnatal depression sufferers who take medication have boosted mental health, relationships and better behaved children, study shows Giving mothers with postnatal depression antidepressants could improve the behaviour of their children at the age of five, a study suggests.

Up to 15 per cent of women experience postnatal depression, with symptoms including a persistent feeling of sadness and low mood, lack of enjoyment and interest in the wider world and withdrawing from contact with other people.

It can have negative effects on both the mothers and their children, but only three per cent of women with the condition in the UK get antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). The Daily Mail

See also:

• Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes Following Postnatal SSRI Treatment (open access) JAMA Network Open
• Postnatal depression drug ‘shows benefits five years on’ The Independent

UK should be preparing for bird flu pandemic, scientist warns amid concern over virus mutations that could see it take off in humans

UK should be preparing for bird flu pandemic, scientist warns amid concern over virus mutations that could see it take off in humans The UK should be preparing for a bird flu pandemic amid concerns the virus could jump to humans, a leading public health expert has warned. 

Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at Edinburgh University, said it is too early to say what will cause the next outbreak.

But there are 'signals' that there is a pattern emerging in avian flu's mutations, which means it could take off among humans at 'some point', according to the researcher, who advised the Scottish Government during the Covid crisis. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Expert calls for future pandemic planning amid ‘signals’ from bird flu The Independent

New sensory garden created at Northampton crisis house

New sensory garden created at Northampton crisis house A sensory garden to provide support to autistic people has been paid for with a £240,000 government grant.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) created at the space at one of its crisis houses, The Warren, in Northampton. BBC Northampton

Legacy of Alfred Staden lives on at Northampton General Hospital

Legacy of Alfred Staden lives on at Northampton General Hospital The widow of a man who gave £560,000 in donations to the urology department at Northampton General Hospital returned to the hospital this month to meet some of the team he supported. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Corby gran's Covid death is part of landmark legal action

Corby gran's Covid death is part of landmark legal action Legal action being taken by 30 families against government, care homes and several hospitals includes the son of a Corby woman who died in the early days of the Covid pandemic.

The group will be claiming damages from the institutions in England over the deaths of their relatives. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS blood pressure checks at the barbers to prevent killer conditions

NHS blood pressure checks at the barbers to prevent killer conditions The NHS is expanding blood pressure checks available in local communities including barbershops, mosques and at a dominoes club, as part of a major drive to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Thanks to the learning from the NHS covid vaccination programme, local teams are reaching out into their neighbourhoods to find potential health problems before they become more serious for patients at locations that are most convenient. NHS England

NHS rolls out world-first programme to transform diabetes care for under 40s

NHS rolls out world-first programme to transform diabetes care for under 40s Tens of thousands of people in England living with early onset type 2 diabetes will benefit from more intensive and targeted care, thanks to a world-first initiative being rolled out by the NHS.

Around 140,000 people aged 18 to 39 years old will receive additional tailored health checks from healthcare staff, and support with diabetes management, such as blood sugar level control, weight management and cardiovascular risk minimisation. NHS England

Call for more equal access to public defibrillators

Call for more equal access to public defibrillators People living in more deprived areas of England and Scotland live further away from an accessible defibrillator than those in wealthier areas, a study in Heart journal suggests.

Heart experts are calling for equal and quick access to the life-saving machines at all times of day and night.

They are used - alongside resuscitation or CPR - to give the best chance of survival after a cardiac arrest.

But in the poorest areas, the nearest machine is a round trip of 1.8km away. BBC News

See also:

• Automated external defibrillator location and socioeconomic deprivation in Great Britain (open access) Heart
• Nearest 24/7 defibrillators over a mile round trip in most deprived areas British Heart Foundation
• Defibrillators are too far away to save lives with the lifesaving devices an average of 19 minutes walking distance to reach, charity warns The Daily Mail
• Lack of defibrillators in Britain putting lives at risk, say researchers The Guardian

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS trust deaths report 'watered down to spare bosses'

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS trust deaths report 'watered down to spare bosses' A critical report into how a mental health trust mismanaged its mortality figures was edited to remove criticism of its leadership, the BBC has found.

In June, auditors Grant Thornton revealed how the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) had lost track of patient deaths.

But earlier drafts included language around governance failures that were missing in the final version.

NSFT and Grant Thornton said the changes were due to fact-checking. BBC News 

Chilling NHS warning that scandals will be covered up as staff say whistleblowers are ignored

Chilling NHS warning that scandals will be covered up as staff say whistleblowers are ignored More than half of NHS staff believe bosses would ignore whistleblowers amid fresh concerns hospitals could be covering up potential scandals following the Lucy Letby case.

New national figures seen by this publication reveal that in the majority of hospitals, most doctors and nurses do not believe their concerns would be acted upon if they were raised with senior managers. The Independent

See also:

• University Hospitals Birmingham: Whistleblowers fear no change at 'toxic' NHS trust BBC News
• How the rise of NHS managers silenced doctors The Daily Telegraph
• Lucy Letby case ‘only too familiar’, says father bereaved in Morecambe Bay maternity scandal The Guardian
• Lucy Letby case: more babies face harm unless NHS ends ‘defensive leadership’ The Guardian
• Lucy Letby: 'Defensive culture' in NHS meant concerns about killer nurse were not acted upon, says ombudsman Sky News

Ultra-processed food may cause ‘tidal wave of harm’ including stroke and heart attack risk

Ultra-processed food may cause ‘tidal wave of harm’ including stroke and heart attack risk Two new studies have found conclusive links between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with increased cardiac disease risk, including heart attacks and strokes.

The research, presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam, found highly processed food sold in stores across the world, such as fizzy drinks, cereals and ready-to-eat meals, may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. The Independent

See also:

• Should we be worried about ultra-processed foods? BBC 
• Ultra-processed food raises risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke British Heart Foundation
• The UK faces a 'tidal wave of harm' as ultra-processed food including sliced bread, cereal and ready meals put millions at risk of heart attacks and strokes The Daily Mail
• Low-fat foods could cause 'tidal wave of harm', new evidence shows The Daily Telegraph
• Ultra-processed foods: what are they and what are the risks to health? The Guardian
• Ultra-processed foods increase risk of cardiovascular diseases, studies find ITV News
• As experts warn ultra-processed foods increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, what are they and how can you avoid them? Sky News

Labour plan to bring back the family doctor impractical, says BMA

Labour plan to bring back the family doctor impractical, says BMA A Labour proposal for patients to be able to request a particular GP is “an impossible ask” given the shortage of doctors, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said, heralding another possible clash with Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary.

Streeting said on Monday that a Labour government would offer incentives for GP practices in England where patients were regularly able to see the same or a named doctor, and impose penalties on those less able to achieve this. The Guardian

See also:

• Labour to incentivise GPs to ‘bring back the family doctor’ The Guardian

Number accepted on to nursing courses in England falls 13%, data shows

Number accepted on to nursing courses in England falls 13%, data shows The number of students accepted on to nursing courses in has declined by more than 13% compared with the year before, the second successive steep fall, figures that Labour said were “incredibly concerning” for the future of the NHS.

As of 23 August, 15,420 students had received places on nursing courses in England, 13.1% fewer than the 17,750 who gained a place in 2022, analysis of UCAS data by the House of Commons Library showed. The 2022 total was itself 9.1% lower than the 19,520 in 2021. The Guardian

See also:

• Latest UCAS figures: acceptances onto UK nursing courses down 13% Royal College of Nursing

Community pharmacies closing at a rapid rate with deprived areas worst affected

Community pharmacies closing at a rapid rate with deprived areas worst affected As the government asks pharmacies to do more to ease pressure on GPs, Sky News analysis has revealed those in England are closing at a rapid rate – with nearly 1,000 lost since 2017, a third of them in the last year alone.

Between July 2017 and July 2023, the number of operating pharmacies in England fell by 914 from 11,723 to 10,809.

Deprived communities, where the need is greatest, have seen the biggest decline. More than one in ten pharmacies have been lost in the poorest 20% of areas in the last six years.

Probe into why NHS staff still aren't getting Covid jabs - as data shows only one in 10 got latest booster in parts of the country

Probe into why NHS staff still aren't getting Covid jabs - as data shows only one in 10 got latest booster in parts of the country A probe is underway to work out why thousands of NHS staff didn't bother getting Covid and flu vaccines.

The health service has paid 'behavioural insight' consultants £50,000 to explore medics' attitudes to vaccination in the North West, West Midlands and London.

Just four in 10 frontline NHS workers in England got the latest Covid booster jab and the figure falls to just one per cent at some trusts in those parts of the country. Meanwhile, fewer than half had the flu vaccine. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Covid jabs can protect patients by giving them antibodies against 21 other viruses - including potentially fatal SARS and MERS The Daily Mail

One in five patients are waiting more than two months to have cancerous tumours removed in parts of England - so how does YOUR area fare?

One in five patients are waiting more than two months to have cancerous tumours removed in parts of England - so how does YOUR area fare? One in five cancer patients are waiting longer than two months to have tumours removed in some parts of England, official figures show.

Waits are worst in North West and South West London, where 20.2 per cent of patients did not undergo surgery within eight weeks of a cancer diagnosis, according to Labour party analysis of NHS England data. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Labour blames postcode lottery in cancer care in England for delays The Guardian
• NHS cancer patients ‘facing post code lottery’ in waits for treatment The Independent

The legal loophole that means doctors don't have to declare if 'independent' research is actually funded by a drugs giant

The legal loophole that means doctors don't have to declare if 'independent' research is actually funded by a drugs giant When you take a powerful medicine, or have a medical device implanted in your body, you want to be sure its safety and effectiveness credentials are backed up by independent studies.

That is, free from medical companies' efforts to oversell the benefits or, worse, cover up the fact that their products may be useless or even potentially harmful.

Yet numerous studies show commercial money significantly influences researchers to sway clinical trial results in favour of the drug or device they are testing. The Daily Mail

Travelling sofa highlighting suicide prevention

Travelling sofa highlighting suicide prevention A sofa will be travelling around Northamptonshire giving people the opportunity to sit and chat about their mental health.

Following World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September 2023, the 'Take a Break' campaign will be encouraging passers-by to stop, sit and talk, to help to raise awareness of suicide prevention and the services that can provide support, as well as reducing stigma around suicide and self-harm.

The campaign is being run by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) with support from West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire Public Health teams. West Northamptonshire Council

NHS Vacancy Statistics England, April 2015 - June 2023

NHS Vacancy Statistics England, April 2015 - June 2023 Data from NHS England show a vacancy rate of 10.6% as at 30 June 2023 within the Registered Nursing staff group (43,339 vacancies). This is a slight decrease from the same period the previous year when the vacancy rate was 11.7% (46,241 vacancies). NHS Digital

See also: 

• NHS Confederation responds to the latest NHS vacancy and workforce statistics NHS Confederation
• RCN responds to the latest NHS England vacancy statistics and urgent and emergency care daily situation report Royal College of Nursing
• NHS nurse vacancies remain above 40,000 in England Nursing in Practice
• Staffing ratio warning as nurse vacancies remain above 40000 Nursing Times

Families sue government for failing to protect care homes from Covid

Families sue government for failing to protect care homes from Covid Thirty families are starting legal action against the government, care homes and several hospitals in England over the deaths of their relatives in the early days of the Covid pandemic.

The families argue not enough was done to protect their loved ones from the virus.

They are claiming damages for loss of life and the distress caused.

The government says it specifically sought to safeguard care home residents using the best evidence available. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: Scientists sound alarm over new BA.2.86 “Pirola” variant The BMJ
• Families sue UK government over relatives’ deaths during Covid crisis The Guardian
• Covid cases double in a month as scientists warn about spread of new variants The Independent

Gut problems may be early sign of Parkinson's disease

Gut problems may be early sign of Parkinson's disease Gut problems including constipation, difficulty swallowing and an irritable bowel may be an early warning sign of Parkinson's disease in some people, a new study suggests.

The findings in the journal Gut add more evidence to the idea that brain and bowel health are intimately linked.

Understanding why gut issues happen might allow earlier treatment of Parkinson's, say the researchers.

Parkinson's is progressive, meaning the brain disorder gets worse over time. BBC News

See also:

• Gastrointestinal syndromes preceding a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease: testing Braak’s hypothesis using a nationwide database for comparison with Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular diseases (free access) Gut

New model could offer personalised breast cancer screening approach, say experts

New model could offer personalised breast cancer screening approach, say experts Researchers have developed a new model that predicts a woman’s likelihood of developing and then dying of breast cancer within a decade.

Current breast cancer screening is vital, but can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments, posing challenges to the NHS, researchers say.

They suggest the new model could aid a personalised screening approach, targeting women at the highest risk.

This could potentially reduce breast cancer deaths, and cut unnecessary screenings for those at lower risk. The Independent

See also:

• Predicting 10-year breast cancer mortality risk in the general female population in England: a model development and validation study (open access) The Lancet Digital Health

Watchdog backs Lucy Letby public inquiry and warns of need to root out NHS ‘culture of fear’

Watchdog backs Lucy Letby public inquiry and warns of need to root out NHS ‘culture of fear’ The health watchdog has joined calls for a full public inquiry into failings surrounding the Lucy Letby baby murders, warning that the NHS has a “culture of fear” in which leaders dismiss staff concerns.

The parliamentary health service ombudsman, Rob Behrens, has written to the health secretary warning that the culture of fear in NHS trusts is “not isolated” to the serial killer nurse’s hospital. The Independent

See also:

• Ombudsman writes to Health Secretary calling for statutory inquiry and action on patient safety in wake of Letby trial Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Only four in 10 adults in England have seen their dentist in the last two years, official figures show

Only four in 10 adults in England have seen their dentist in the last two years, official figures show NHS dentistry has failed to bounce back from Covid with less than half of adults in England having seen a dentist within the past two years, official figures show. 

Only 43 per cent of over-18s were seen by a dentist in the 24 months to June this year, compared to more than half in the same period before the pandemic struck.

It means 3.8million fewer adults have had their teeth checked by the health service compared to pre-Covid levels, according to the NHS England figures. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS Dental Statistics for England, 2022-23, Annual Report NHS Digital
• NHS dentistry: No return to ‘business as usual’ for struggling service British Dental Association
• Annual NHS Dental Statistics for England - our response Healthwatch

Putting on weight in middle age can increase your chances of dying early by almost a third, research finds

Putting on weight in middle age can increase your chances of dying early by almost a third, research finds Gaining a few extra pounds in your 40s and 50s can increase your chances of dying early by almost a third compared to those who stay slim in middle age, research shows.

People with marginally elevated blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugars who are carrying a little excess weight are up to 30 per cent more likely to die younger.

Experts said these 'slightly unhealthy traits' put people at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke over the next 30 years. The Daily Mail

NGH's Maria could become national Overseas Nurse of the Year

NGH's Maria could become national Overseas Nurse of the Year A nurse from Northampton General Hospital has been shortlisted for a prestigious national nursing award.

Maria Sagucio is the hospital’s International Nurse Pastoral Support Facilitator and has looked after about 90 overseas nurses since she started in her post in March 2022. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Dedicated NGH healthcare support workers receive national awards

Dedicated NGH healthcare support workers receive national awards Five healthcare support workers (HCSCs) from Northampton General Hospital have received national awards for the way they demonstrate NHS values.

Amy Taylor, Sarah Woolley, Iain Bonner, Mat Wright, and Lorna Walsh have all received Chief Nursing Officer for England Healthcare Support Excellence Awards for the ways in which they work to support patients and their colleagues. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Exploring the earnings of NHS doctors in England

Exploring the earnings of NHS doctors in England In this explainer, we look at how doctors’ pay in England has changed over time, how it compares to other salaries in the wider economy, and how it compares with what doctors in other countries are paid. The Nuffield Trust

See also:

• NHS consultant strike: How pay compares globally BBC News

Creating better health value: understanding the economic impact of NHS spending by care setting

Creating better health value: understanding the economic impact of NHS spending by care setting This research report (commissioned by the NHS Confederation and conducted by Carnall Farrar) examines where the greatest returns on investment from spending in the NHS can come from to impact the wider domestic economy. It shows that when high levels of funding are ploughed into primary and community care the economic gains are significant. In the five years between 2015 and 2019 those localities in England that most increased NHS spend in primary and community care experienced far higher gross value added (GVA) growth in their areas than those that spent the least on these services. There is also an Associated briefing.

Social needs among people living with mental health difficulties

Social needs among people living with mental health difficulties The NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit (MHPRU) at University College London (UCL) and King’s College London (KCL) reviewed research about how mental health services can best support the social needs of people living with mental health difficulties. This briefing paper summarises their findings and explores the policy implications. Centre for Mental Health

COVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions

COVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), when applied in packages that combine a number of measures with complementary effects, were unequivocally effective in reducing the spread of infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, a major Royal Society report has found. NPIs are measures that are not drugs or vaccines aimed at reducing transmission of an infectious disease.

The report, COVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions, reviewed the scientific evidence gathered during the pandemic for six groups of NPIs and their effectiveness in reducing transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: masks and face coverings; social distancing and ‘lockdowns; test, trace and isolate; travel restrictions and controls across international borders; environmental controls; and communications.

Around 1 in 8 new students unprotected against meningitis

Around 1 in 8 new students unprotected against meningitis The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and leading meningitis charities are urging students to make sure they have been vaccinated against meningitis and other diseases before the start of the academic year.

The NHS MenACWY immunisation programme for schools is offered to all pupils in year 9 and 10. UKHSA vaccine coverage data shows around 1 in 8 new students going to college and university this year remain unprotected against these 4 strains of meningococcal bacteria, each of which can cause long term disability, serious health complications and can be life threatening.

NHS to be 'hit hard' as consultants in England walk out for 48 hours - with further strikes announced

NHS to be 'hit hard' as consultants in England walk out for 48 hours - with further strikes announced Routine hospital care is expected to come to a standstill as consultants in England strike for 48 hours in the bitter row over pay between medics and the government.

As the latest strike began today, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced plans for a three-day walkout later in the year.

Medics will strike on 2, 3 and 4 October and are also planning to walk out on 19 and 20 September. Sky News

See also:

• Consultants in England begin two days of strikes – and announce further dates in October BMA
• Consultant strikes set to cause major disruption to NHS routine care NHS England
• NHS set to hit grim milestone of 1million cancelled operations because of strikes - as £134,000-a-year consultants begin 48-hour walkout The Daily Mail
• Striking consultants are in top 2 per cent of earners, says Health Secretary The Daily Telegraph
• Warning over major disruption to NHS services as consultants to strike Evening Standard
• We're ready for war of attrition if PM wants it, says BMA as senior doctors walk out Evening Standard
• NHS consultants in England to strike for further three days in October The Guardian
• Consultants announce more strike action as second walkout begins The Independent
• Further strike action announced by consultants as second walkout begins ITV News

Brain advance gives voice hope to paralysed

Brain advance gives voice hope to paralysed Scientists have developed a device that can translate paralysed people's brain signals into words at faster speeds than before, it has been reported in two papers in the journal Nature.

Pat Bennett, 68, who has motor-neurone disease (MND), tested the technology and said it could help her stay connected to the world.

Implants in her brain decode the words she wants to say.

The US researchers now want to improve their technology further. BBC News

See also:

• Brain-reading devices allow paralysed people to talk using their thoughts Nature

DIY bowel cancer checks could spare 100,000 Brits from colonoscopies every year, health watchdog says

DIY bowel cancer checks could spare 100,000 Brits from colonoscopies every year, health watchdog says DIY test kits could spare 100,000 people undergoing colonoscopies for suspected bowel cancer each year after changes to guidelines.

New draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence say patients should first be offered faecal immunochemical tests (FIT).

It is hoped the move could help diagnose bowel cancer faster – particularly among younger sufferers - and cut NHS waiting times by reducing referrals. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Quantitative faecal immunochemical testing to guide colorectal cancer pathway referral in primary care National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
• Nice calls for routine use of at-home faeces tests for bowel cancer screening The Guardian

UK Covid cases nearly DOUBLE in a month amid rise of two mutant variants, official figures suggest as BA.2.86 continues to sweep the globe

UK Covid cases nearly DOUBLE in a month amid rise of two mutant variants, official figures suggest as BA.2.86 continues to sweep the globe Covid cases in England have almost doubled in a month, MailOnline can reveal, amid fears a new heavily-mutated Covid variant dubbed the 'real deal' is rapidly spreading worldwide undetected.

Some 875 cases were logged in the country on August 11, according to the most recent Government statistics available, up from just 449 one month earlier. 

Hospital admissions are also rising sharply — up by a fifth in a week — sparking concerns that the UK is on the brink of another wave just as the country heads into the autumn when the NHS gets busier. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Fact Check: What is the new Omicron Covid variant and how many cases are there in the UK? Channel 4 News
• CDC warns BA.2.86 Covid variant IS potentially most infectious yet - but it's still unclear if it's more deadly The Daily Mail

E-mail shows NHSE backtracking on dedicated digital workforce plan

E-mail shows NHSE backtracking on dedicated digital workforce plan NHS England executives removed a series of commitments to future plans and policies from its long-term workforce plan, including a previous promise to draw up a dedicated digital workforce plan, HSJ has reported, citing leaked internal emails.

An internal email thread of discussion among NHSE and Health Education England directors, seen by HSJ, referred a decision “taken by a senior panel as part of a move to strip out commitments to future plans, policies” from the document. Digital Health

Nurses dubbed ‘healthcare heroes’ scoop top awards

Nurses dubbed ‘healthcare heroes’ scoop top awards Two Nurses have been presented with top nursing awards for their commitment to patients and colleagues at St Andrew’s Healthcare.

Daryl Birch and Jodie Johnson who both manage wards within the mental health charity have been presented with a prestigious Cavell Star each. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Exploring and understanding the VCSE sector in provider collaboratives

Exploring and understanding the VCSE sector in provider collaboratives The NHS Confederation wanted to better understand the way voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations are working with provider collaboratives. The aim of the project, commissioned by NHS England, was to gather insight, elicit learning and share examples of collaboration in action. This was explored at an online learning event hosted by Lord Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation, in partnership with NHS England and independent consultant Jessie Cunnett, and forms the basis of this report.

Call for participants to new asymptomatic mpox transmission study

Call for participants to new asymptomatic mpox transmission study The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has today launched a new study to determine whether mpox (monkeypox) can be transmitted asymptomatically, by people without any obvious symptoms.

The £1 million PResymptomatIc MonkEypox (PRIME) study, funded by the Medical Research Council, is asking anyone in England aged 18 years or over who knows they have been in close sexual contact with an mpox case to come forward to participate.

Proposed review of the 2023 scheme to control the cost of branded health service medicines

Proposed review of the 2023 scheme to control the cost of branded health service medicines The DHSC proposes to amend the statutory scheme controlling the cost of branded health service medicines. The consultation sets out proposed amendments in three main areas: increasing the allowed growth rate which will have the effect of changing the payment percentages; revising which sales of branded medicines are exempt from scheme payments; and a new approach to control spending on older branded medicines (the ‘lifecycle adjustment’). This consultation document seeks views on the proposals, particularly from the pharmaceutical industry and NHS patients. The consultation closes at 11am on 10 October 2023. Department of Health and Social Care

Woman 'joyous' after sister donates womb in UK first

Woman 'joyous' after sister donates womb in UK first Surgeons in Oxford have carried out the first womb transplant in the UK.

The recipient was a 34-year-old woman, and the donor her 40-year-old sister, both of whom wish to remain anonymous.

Doctors say both recovered well from surgery and the younger sister plans to have IVF this autumn using embryos that she and her husband have in storage.

A team of around 20 carried out the procedures, lasting around 17 hours, in adjoining operating theatres at the Churchill hospital in February. BBC News

See also:

• First womb transplant performed in the UK Oxford University Hospitals
• Step-by-step, how pioneering medics performed Britain's first ever womb transplant in painstaking SEVENTEEN-hour op involving two sisters The Daily Mail
• How are womb transplants carried out? Is the pioneering op available on the NHS? And how many women may benefit? Everything you need to know after landmark UK-first surgery The Daily Mail
• First womb transplant takes place in UK after sister donates uterus The Independent
• UK’s first womb transplant paves way for dozens more The Independent
• UK's first womb transplant recipient 'looking forward' to having a baby ITV News
• UK's first-ever womb transplant hailed by doctors as 'dawn of new era' in fertility treatment Sky News

Ipswich Hospital: 'Our daughter's childbirth death was preventable'

Ipswich Hospital: 'Our daughter's childbirth death was preventable' The parents of a woman who died after giving birth say they believe she would still be alive if it were not for errors made by a hospital.

Jessica Mai Walden, 28, from Bramford, Suffolk, died on 9 May 2021 after her second daughter was born at Ipswich Hospital.

A report commissioned by her parents found there were a series of human and system failings that led to her death.

The hospital trust apologised and said lessons had been learned. BBC News

Autistic man should not be forced to have dialysis, judge rules

Autistic man should not be forced to have dialysis, judge rules An autistic man with "chronic" kidney disease should not be forced to undergo dialysis, despite the "potentially fatal consequence of not having it", a judge has ruled.

The 26-year-old man, who is being treated in Nottingham, did not "accept" he had the disease, nor see the need for dialysis, the judge said.

Mr Justice Hayden was asked to decide what moves were in his best interests.

But he said: "All I could do was tell him that the decision was his." BBC News

Osteoarthritis may affect nearly one billion people by 2050, study projects

Osteoarthritis may affect nearly one billion people by 2050, study projects The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, affects 15% of the global population over the age of 30 – and it is estimated that by 2050 nearly one billion people will have the condition, researchers say.

Obesity is a major contributor to osteoarthritis, and in 2020 was responsible for approximately 20% of the disability of osteoarthritis – which causes joints to become painful and stiff, the study suggests. The Independent

See also:

• Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (open access) The Lancet Rheumatology

Home Office considered using overseas workers in case of disease on Bibby Stockholm

Home Office considered using overseas workers in case of disease on Bibby Stockholm The Home Office considered drafting in foreign workers using a visa waiver scheme in the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease on the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge to accommodate asylum seekers, according to documents seen by the Guardian.

The barge is moored in Portland, Dorset. It was opened to asylum seekers on 7 August as a key part of the government’s “small boats week” to signal that it was implementing its undertakings to move asylum seekers out of hotels. However, in a blow to this policy the barge was evacuated just four days later after legionella bacteria was found in the barge’s water pipes. The Guardian

ChatGPT performs as well as a resident doctor at diagnosing patients and prescribing the right medication in primary care and emergency departments, study finds

ChatGPT performs as well as a resident doctor at diagnosing patients and prescribing the right medication in primary care and emergency departments, study finds ChatGPT is as good as resident doctors at correctly diagnosing patients and making clinical decisions, a study suggests.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham in Boston, Massachusetts, studied the AI chatbot's ability to correctly diagnose patients and manage care in primary care and emergency settings. 

ChatGPT made the correct decisions regarding diagnosis, what medications to prescribe, and other treatments 72 percent of the time. Meanwhile, experts estimate doctors are about 95 percent accurate. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Assessing the Utility of ChatGPT Throughout the Entire Clinical Workflow: Development and Usability Study (open access) Journal of Medical Internet Research
• Q&A: ChatGPT shows potential to support clinical decision-making Healio

Care home nurse who claimed Covid pandemic was a hoax while protesting against lockdowns in her uniform gets struck off

Care home nurse who claimed Covid pandemic was a hoax while protesting against lockdowns in her uniform gets struck off A care home nurse who attended a Covid-conspiracy rally in London in her nursing uniform and claimed the virus was a hoax has been struck off.

Carley Louise Stewart, of Preston, attended the mass protest in August 2020 holding a placard which read 'Nurse on call. Where's the pandemic?'.

The mother-of-two, who was fired from her care home job after the incident, was ruled unfit to remain a nurse by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for both her protest attendance and multiple comments sowing distrust in official guidance. The Daily Mail

See also:

• America's antivaxx crisis laid bare: A QUARTER believe MMR shot causes autism and a THIRD think the Covid vaccines killed thousands, poll finds The Daily Mail

Northampton General Hospital gets a national award for the way it supports the armed forces’ community

Northampton General Hospital gets a national award for the way it supports the armed forces’ community Northampton General Hospital has achieved a national recognition award for the way it supports service and ex-service personnel.

It has achieved the Silver Award from the Government’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme – for the way it supports the armed forces community. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Sexual harassment in healthcare must stop – new GMC standards for doctors make clear

Sexual harassment in healthcare must stop – new GMC standards for doctors make clear Zero tolerance of sexual harassment, including clear definitions of what constitutes it and an expectation that doctors who see such behaviour will act, will be included for the first time in new professional standards issued by the General Medical Council.

The regulator has today published an update of Good medical practice, which details the principles, values and standards expected of doctors working in the UK. It is the first major update to the guidance in ten years.

See also:

• Good medical practice 2024 General Medical Council
• Workplace sexual-harassment clampdown for doctors BBC News
• Doctors face ban for sexual remarks to colleagues under GMC's new conduct code The Daily Telegraph
• New guidance for NHS staff to tackle toxic workplace cultures Evening Standard
• Doctors must show zero tolerance of sexual harassment, says UK medical council The Guardian
• New NHS guidelines include sexual harassment and whistleblowing standards The Independent
• GMC to require ‘kindness’ as part of significant guidance update Pulse
• Doctors will be 'supported to speak out' under new medical guidelines Sky News

REACH-OUT: Caring for the healthcare workforce post Covid-19: a longitudinal mixed-methods study of post-Covid-19 outcomes in healthcare workers from diverse ethnicities: 2nd report August 2023

REACH-OUT: Caring for the healthcare workforce post Covid-19: a longitudinal mixed-methods study of post-Covid-19 outcomes in healthcare workers from diverse ethnicities: 2nd report August 2023 REACH-OUT is a long-term study that examines the lasting impacts of Covid-19 on healthcare workers (HCWS) from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the UK. By interviewing the same cohort of people over several years, the study aims to estimate the prevalence of long COVID on healthcare workers, and understand its impact on their health, their work, and their life more generally. Every six months, an update report will be released to highlight progress and identify any emerging learning for the healthcare system. This latest report – the 2nd update – includes an exploration of global research about long COVID and outlines some implications for health and care policy. NHS Race & Health Observatory

Ambulance services and integrated care systems: lessons for effective collaboration

Ambulance services and integrated care systems: lessons for effective collaboration This report aims to examine the key themes and principles that should underpin effective and practical collaboration between ambulance services and integrated care boards. It sets out the findings of research involving a range of NHS leaders from both integrated care boards (ICBs) and ambulance services, and makes recommendations to the array of partners, national and local, that can affect change. NHS Confederation

All GP surgeries in England to have digital phone lines by March 2024

All GP surgeries in England to have digital phone lines by March 2024 Patients at all general practices across England will soon benefit from new digital phone lines designed to make booking GP appointments easier.

Backed by a £240 million investment, more than 1,000 practices have signed up to make the switch from analogue systems - which can leave patients on hold and struggling to book an appointment - to modern, easy-to-use digital telephones designed to make sure people can receive the care they need when they need it. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Digital phonelines are a positive step but we’re in dire need of more GPs, says College Chair Royal College of General Practitioners