Coronavirus: UK daily death figure dips to lowest level since March

Coronavirus: UK daily death figure dips to lowest level since March The UK's daily figure for coronavirus deaths has dropped to 170 - the lowest since the day after lockdown began.

The announcement comes a week after the first easing of restrictions in England - and while numbers are typically lower on Sundays, the figure is almost 100 fewer than the 268 reported a week ago.

But the overall death toll remains the highest in Europe, and is now 34,636. BBC News

See also:

• Children 'seem less capable of spreading virus' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Imaging equipment ‘woefully underfunded’ BBC News
• Coronavirus: Half a million access suicide prevention course BBC News
• Psychiatrists fear 'tsunami' of mental illness after lockdown BBC News
• Coronavirus: '10,000 unaccounted for deaths in care sector' BBC News
• Coronavirus: When did care homes go into lockdown? BBC News
• Coronavirus and dementia: 'I'm scared to go out after lockdown' BBC News
• Britain's £130 million plan to manufacture a coronavirus vaccine The Daily Mail
• Almost a third of negative coronavirus tests could be WRONG The Daily Mail
• One in three patients who fall severely ill with coronavirus develop deadly blood clots The Daily Mail
• NHS coronavirus contact tracing app risks sidelining millions of people who don't have a mobile The Daily Mail
• What are the five levels of Covid-19 alert? The Daily Telegraph
• Trump Administration to restore partial funding to WHO The Daily Telegraph
• Over three-quarters of BAME doctors fear they will contract Covid-19
• UK contact-tracing applicants wrongly told hiring paused in latest 'misstep' The Guardian
• Up to 20% of hospital patients in England got coronavirus while in for another illness The Guardian
• UK bars and hair salons get more help than care homes, say providers The Guardian
• Antibody test 'unlikely to be widely available' in UK any time soon The Guardian
• Michael Gove tells councils to 'look to their responsibilities' and open schools The Guardian
• The week of 'staying alert' that left the government in a daze The Guardian
• Majority of doctors have 'little to no confidence' that NHS will cope in coming weeks, BMA survey finds The Independent
• Coronavirus: UK's testing strategy 'undermining confidence' of NHS staff, warn doctors The Independent

Covid-19 death toll hits 200 at Northampton General Hospital

Covid-19 death toll hits 200 at Northampton General Hospital NHS staff on the Covid-19 front line at Northampton General Hospital have now seen 200 victims of the bug die in just 57 days.

Confirmation that two more patients died at the Cliftonville site took the grim total to exactly 200 since the first victims died there on March 16 to the most recent on May 12. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northants NHS worker ill with Covid-19, says trust chairman Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Social care reform: fit for purpose or simply fit for a crisis?

Social care reform: fit for purpose or simply fit for a crisis? The Covid-19 (coronavirus) crisis has laid out in stark relief just how critical social care is to the people who rely on it to live the lives they want to, to communities and the economy, and yes, to the NHS too. Too often, politicians of all parties decided they couldn’t afford the political capital and the financial cost of social care reform. We can only hope that the current crisis is showing that they can’t afford not to. The King's Fund

Covid-19 and the nation’s mental health: forecasting needs and risks in the UK

Covid-19 and the nation’s mental health: forecasting needs and risks in the UK According to this report, the global Covid-19 pandemic is likely to increase the number of people in Britain experiencing a mental health problem in the next two years. It uses evidence from previous epidemics internationally and from the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis to estimate what effect Covid-19 will have on mental health at population level in the UK. Centre for Mental Health

Digital transformation in the NHS

Digital transformation in the NHS This report was prepared before the Coronavirus pandemic. We recognise that the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS have unprecedented operational priorities to deal with, and we have agreed with them to publish this report because it contains valuable information that will remain relevant and help with digital transformation in the NHS in the longer-term.

Progress in transforming digital services in the NHS has been slower than expected. Today’s report by the National Audit Office has found that recent investment in digital transformation has been inadequate, and it is uncertain whether current funding will be sufficient to meet the government’s ambitions because plans are based on very limited cost data. National Audit Office

70 million face masks for NHS and care workers through new industry deal

70 million face masks for NHS and care workers through new industry deal More than 70 million face masks will be manufactured in the UK and delivered to frontline health and care workers following an agreement with a global technology company. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS Roadmap To Safely Bring Back Routine Operations NHS England
• Statistical data set: COVID-19: number of outbreaks in care homes – management information Public Health England
• Research and analysis: National COVID-19 surveillance reports Public Health England
• Covid-19: resetting emergency department care Royal College of Emergency Medicine

Health unions publish blueprint for the safe opening up of the NHS

Health unions publish blueprint for the safe opening up of the NHS The nine-point plan, jointly released by the RCN and 15 other unions, details measures that must be in place to protect the NHS, patients and staff as outpatient clinics and operations resume.

These include fast, comprehensive and accessible testing and the ongoing, ample supply of personal protective equipment. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• NHS Trade Unions’ Blueprint for Return Royal College of Nursing

Coronavirus: Reopening NHS services must be safe, unions say

Coronavirus: Reopening NHS services must be safe, unions say Rapid testing and an adequate supply of protective equipment must be in place when the NHS reopens services cancelled during the peak of the coronavirus oubreak, health unions have said.
 
The unions have put forward a nine-point plan for the NHS to reopen safely as lockdown restrictions ease.

And staff working through the crisis should be paid overtime and a public sector pay freeze ruled out, they say. BBC News

See also:

• Doctors 'told not to discuss PPE shortages' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Mental health of NHS staff at long-term risk BBC News
• One in 400 people in England have coronavirus, tests suggest BBC News
• Coronavirus is FIVE TIMES deadlier than the seasonal flu, report finds The Daily Mail
• TALKING in confined spaces can spread coronavirus, study finds The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: Contract tracing may mean 770k self-isolate a day The Daily Mail
• Army called in after PPE distribution 'beset by chaos' The Daily Telegraph
• England's Covid-19 infection rate too high for further easing, experts say The Guardian
• MPs and peers call for legal requirement to delete UK contract-tracing data The Guardian
• NHS coronavirus advisory board split over ditching government app The Guardian
• Quarter of Covid-19 deaths in English hospitals were of diabetics The Guardian
• Drivers tell of chaos at UK's privately run PPE stockpile The Guardian
• 23,000 extra care home residents die in five months with 12,500 linked to coronavirus, new figures reveal The Independent

Kettering care home forced to close as at least eleven residents die from suspected Covid-19 - Northamptonshire Telegraph

Kettering care home forced to close as at least eleven residents die from suspected Covid-19 A Kettering care hit by a coronavirus outbreak that has killed as many as eleven residents, has been ordered to close its doors.

Residents from Temple Court in Albert Street, Kettering are being moved to other homes in the area after health and local authority bosses are understood to have stepped in after concerns about care levels. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Coronavirus: Residents moved from virus-hit care home BBC Northampton
• Coronavirus: 'Worst' Northamptonshire council axe could be delayed BBC Northampton
• Rise in coronavirus deaths in the Anglia region after weekend decline ITV News
• Ten more Covid-19 victims in Northamptonshire's two main hospitals Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Army's 'Desert Rats' march into Northamptonshire to boost Covid-19 testing for key workers Northamptonshire Telegraph

Restarting health and care services will take many months, leading charities warn

Restarting health and care services will take many months, leading charities warn Three independent health and care charities warn today that it will take many more months before NHS and social care organisations are able to fully restart services following the Covid-19 outbreak. The King's Fund

Detailed guide: Help the government increase coronavirus (COVID-19) testing capacity

Detailed guide: Help the government increase coronavirus (COVID-19) testing capacity The government wants help from businesses to increase testing capacity in the UK as part of its strategy to protect the NHS and save lives. Department of Health and Social Care 

See also:

• Sequencing human genomes in fight against coronavirus Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• A four-nation exit strategy: how the UK and devolved governments should approach coronavirus Institute for Government
• Artificial intelligence against Covid-19: an early review Institute of Labour Economics
• The new normal: balancing Covid-19 and other healthcare needs NHS Providers
• Examples of good practice General Pharmaceutical Council
• Detailed guide: Rapid evaluation of digital health products during the COVID-19 pandemic Public Health England

Coronavirus antibody test a 'positive development'

Coronavirus antibody test a 'positive development' A test to find out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past has been approved by health officials in England.

Public Health England said the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, was a "very positive development".

The blood test looks for antibodies to see if a person has already had the virus and might now have some immunity.

Until now, officials have said such tests are not reliable enough. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Care homes felt 'completely abandoned' BBC News
• FactCheck: coronavirus in care homes Fact Check 
• Government guidance withdrawn in March did say it was ‘very unlikely’ people in care homes would be infected with Covid-19 Full Fact
• Coronavirus: A&E visits in England down to record low BBC News
• Coronavirus: Re-starting NHS 'may take months' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Up to 100 children affected by rare inflammatory reaction BBC News
• 80% of children in Italian hospital with rare inflammatory disorder tested positive for coronavirus The Daily Mail
• Exclusive: Second more deadly wave of coronavirus 'to hit Europe this winter' The Daily Telegraph
• US immunologist warns of 'darkest winter in modern history' if the coronavirus rebounds The Daily Telegraph
• Health experts warn of Covid-19 mental health crisis The Daily Telegraph
• More than 95,000 people flew into UK during lockdown and nearly 5,000 may have been infected with coronavirus The Daily Telegraph
• A GP's verdict on the shielding list: 'It's been really complicated' The Guardian
• The coronavirus slayer! How Kerala's rock star health minister helped save it from Covid-19 The Guardian
• International NHS and social care staff 'should have right to permanently stay in UK' ITV News
• Coronavirus: NHS tracing app reveals issues in Isle of Wight trial Sky News
• Coronavirus: 'NHS cannot deliver all that is now being asked of it,' health leaders say Sky News

Another grim milestone passed as number of Northamptonshire's Covid-19 victims tops 400

Another grim milestone passed as number of Northamptonshire's Covid-19 victims tops 400 More than 400 Covid-19 victims have died in Northamptonshire according to latest grim figures released on Tuesday (May 12).

Eight more patients have been reported as dying in the county's two main hospitals, taking the toll to 324 among NHS patients. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Coronavirus: Northampton homeless 'will be housed' after crisis BBC Northampton
• Northampton Muslim community comes together to serve up 120 free meals for hospital staff Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Desborough lingerie firm's NHS donation is far from pants Northamptonshire Telegraph

Human Rights and the Government’s Response to Covid-19: Digital Contact Tracing

Human Rights and the Government’s Response to Covid-19: Digital Contact Tracing Report outlining the approaches to contact tracing and the key actions the Government must take to ensure that the app respects human rights including the right to privacy and non-discrimination at the same time as enabling individuals to move around more freely whilst helping to prevent the spread of the virus. Joint Committee on Human Rights

Government expands expert team to rapidly roll out coronavirus test and trace programme

Government expands expert team to rapidly roll out coronavirus test and trace programme The government has announced the expansion of the expert team leading on the rapid nationwide roll-out of the coronavirus (COVID-19) test and trace programme. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• New partnership to sequence human genomes in fight against coronavirus Department of Health and Social Care
• Latest COVID 19 guidance updates NHS Employers
• More nurses should be coronavirus legacy says NHS chief NHS England
• Procurement guidance during Covid-19 Primary Care Commissioning

Coronavirus: Johnson accused of misleading MPs over care home advice

Coronavirus: Johnson accused of misleading MPs over care home advice Boris Johnson is standing by a response at PMQs to the Labour leader, after he was accused of misleading MPs in a row over care homes.

The row centred on official advice at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Sir Keir said the government had been "too slow to protect people", and that up until 12 March, care homes were being told it was "very unlikely" anyone would become infected. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Does lockdown easing 'follow the science'? BBC News
• How do you recover after surviving a near fatal bout of coronavirus? BBC News
• Coronavirus started spreading among the British public BEFORE the first two people tested positive The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: Death toll hits 33,186 with 494 new fatalities The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus test results from thousands of people are 'disappearing into a black hole' The Daily Mail
• Real care home death toll in England and Wales could be as high as 22,000 The Daily Mail
• Britain's COVID-19 death toll could DOUBLE to 73,000 by next year if 10% of people catch the virus The Daily Mail
• Number of patients at London's NHS Nightingale never exceeded one ward The Daily Telegraph
• Millions with health conditions at risk from Covid-19 'if forced back to work' The Guardian
• Testing for coronavirus in UK care homes a ‘complete system failure’ The Guardian
• NHS England seeks advice amid 'shielded' patient concerns Health Service Journal

Northamptonshire care providers given money to help fund personal protective equipment

Northamptonshire care providers given money to help fund personal protective equipment Northamptonshire residential homes and care providers hit financially during the Covid-19 pandemic have been given hundreds of thousands of pounds to help them through the crisis. 

The county council has given the funds to the county’s care providers to help cover additional costs such personal protective equipment and increased operating costs. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Daily total of Covid-19 deaths in hospitals in the Anglia region lowest for seven weeks ITV News
• No new Covid-19 deaths at Northamptonshire hospitals as Boris outlines his way out of lockdown Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northants GPs face challenge of switching to phone and video appointments Northamptonshire Telegraph

Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy

Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy The Government’s roadmap for how and when the UK will adjust its response to the COVID-19 crisis. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Press release: Public advised to cover faces in enclosed spaces Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19): health and wellbeing of the adult social care workforce Department of Health and Social Care
• Press release: Government launches new portal for care homes to arrange coronavirus testing Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Member briefing: The UK government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy NHS Confederation
• Member briefing: ONS data on COVID-19-related deaths by ethnicity in England and Wales NHS Confederation
• 'There is a real crisis in social care': The King's Fund responds to ONS data on social care staff mortality The King's Fund
• Six million more to benefit as NHS locks in the benefits of stronger partnerships NHS England
• Guidance: How to wear and make a cloth face covering Public Health England
• COVID-19: guidance for young people on staying at home and away from others Public Health England

Coronavirus: How many people have died in the UK?

Coronavirus: How many people have died in the UK? The number of people who have died because of Covid-19 is nearly twice as high as the figure we hear announced every day.

By 1 May, the number of coronavirus deaths announced by the UK government was just over 28,000.

Looking back at death registrations filed then, the figure is higher: just under 36,000 death certificates mentioned Covid-19.

The measure preferred by statisticians, counting all deaths above what would be expected, was even higher: more than 50,000.
 
Each measure answers different questions. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Care home deaths 'starting to fall' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Low level of transplants sparks concern BBC News
• Coronavirus: Seacole hospital 'a tribute' to BAME NHS staff BBC News
• UK drug trial for over-50s recruiting BBC News
• So how many patients have died after catching coronavirus in hospital? The Daily Mail
• Nearly 40% of children with coronavirus need a breathing tube and ventilator, small study finds The Daily Mail 
• Coronavirus UK: Vaccine may not be found, warns Boris Johnson The Daily Mail
• Men working in the lowest-skilled jobs face the highest risk of dying from the coronavirus The Daily Mail
• WHO: Herd immunity for the coronavirus is a 'dangerous concept' The Daily Telegraph
• Wuhan to test entire population of 11m as uptick in cases prompts alarm at possible second wave The Daily Telegraph
• Narrow NHS inquiry into covid-19 will not meet needs of BAME staff Health Service Journal
• Pregnant women no more likely to become seriously ill with COVID-19, UK research finds GPonline
• Platitudes won't stop more BAME health workers and patients dying of Covid-19 | Zara Aziz The Guardian
• Track and trace: will the government's new app work? The Guardian
• Boris Johnson accused of misleading MPs over 'stay alert' slogan The Guardian
• UK takes a pasting from world's press over coronavirus crisis The Guardian
• Point by point: the UK government's plan to leave lockdown The Guardian
• NHS Confederation: 'Not the moment to throw away the gains made'  National Health Executive

Colleagues honour NHS nurse who died after contracting Covid-19

Colleagues honour NHS nurse who died after contracting Covid-19 Two-minute silence held for father-of-four Augustine Agyei-Mensah, a highly regarded learning disabilities nurse

Tributes have been paid to a learning disabilities nurse who died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Augustine Agyei-Mensah, known to his colleagues as Gus, was described as a “highly regarded team member” at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS foundation trust (NHFT). The Guardian

See also:

• Coronavirus testing centre set up in Corby - but government gives out wrong address ITV News
• Coronavirus deaths close to 1000 in hospitals in the Anglia region ITV News
• Key worker sent to wrong address for testing after NHS error Metro
• Northamptonshire nurse with four young children tragically dies from Covid-19 Northamptonshire Telegraph
• No new Covid-19 deaths at Northamptonshire hospitals as Boris outlines his way out of lockdown Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton General Hospital announces changes to eye casualty service

Northampton General Hospital announces changes to eye casualty service From today, Northampton General Hospital is changing the way it runs the eye casualty service.

The service, which is usually a walk-in service, will no longer operate in this way.

Instead patients will need to phone the hospital rather than attending. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

False economies: myths about public health spending

False economies: myths about public health spending This briefing paper challenges the belief that spending on public health saves money in the long term by reducing future health care costs. It looks at the response to the Covid-19 crisis in terms of the public health budget, the procurement of personal protection equipment and public health interventions. Institute for Economic Affairs

PM address to the nation on coronavirus: 10 May 2020

PM address to the nation on coronavirus: 10 May 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation on coronavirus. Prime Minister's Office

See also:

• New chair of coronavirus ‘test and trace’ programme appointed Department of Health and Social Care
• Millions more items of PPE for frontline staff from new business partnerships Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Public Called Up To Help The NHS ‘Shine A Light’ For Our Nurses NHS England
• Guidance: COVID-19: guidance for young people on staying at home and away from others Public Health England

Coronavirus: PM to reveal further details on lockdown roadmap

Coronavirus: PM to reveal further details on lockdown roadmap People in England can meet another person from outside their household as long as they are outside and stay 2m apart, the government has confirmed.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said people should "use some common sense" and cannot visit others at their home. 

The new rule is part of a 50-page guidance document to be published by the government later. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Face covering advice given to people in England BBC News
• Coronavirus: Minister defends 'stay alert' advice amid backlash BBC News
• Coronavirus: Care-worker death rate twice that of health workers BBC News
• Boris Johnson speech: PM unveils 'conditional plan' to reopen society BBC News
• Coronavirus: UK sent 50,000 Covid-19 samples to US for testing BBC News
• Coronavirus: Call for public inquiry into BAME death risk BBC News
• UK's crucial coronavirus R rate could be JUST below one, Boris Johnson admits The Daily Mail
• Boris Johnson claims the UK is testing 'literally hundreds of thousands of people every day'  The Daily Mail
• Warmer weather does NOT kill off coronavirus: Two separate studies dash hopes for summer  The Daily Mail 
• NHS will have 'answers' on whether experimental coronavirus drugs work by JUNE  The Daily Mail
• What are the new UK lockdown rules on social distancing? The Daily Telegraph
• NHS waiting lists could double by autumn, amid fears service will be overwhelmed The Daily Telegraph
• Risky plan to ease lockdown threatens second spike in coronavirus cases, warns BMA GPonline
• Coronavirus: doctors call for inquiry into PPE shortages for NHS staff The Guardian
• Drug manufacturing must be brought to UK, NHS bosses and charities tell MPs The Guardian
• More people dying at home during Covid-19 pandemic – UK analysis The Guardian
• Ministers' unfulfilled coronavirus promises eroding UK public trust The Guardian
• Doctors warn of second coronavirus wave as UK lockdown weakens The Guardian
• Public health directors in England are asked to take charge of Covid-19 testing The Guardian
• Tiger Eye protective goggles recalled from NHS hospitals after being found to leave staff at risk iNews
• Coronavirus UK death toll rises by 210 to 32,065 The Independent

More than 300 Covid-19 victims died in Northamptonshire during April

More than 300 Covid-19 victims died in Northamptonshire during April The tragic number of Northamptonshire's Covid-19 victims topped 300 in April.

Public Health England allow a five-day lag for reporting new deaths in NHS hospitals. So today is the first day they would not expect any more fatalities before May 1 to be added to the 302 already revealed. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Curries delivered to Northampton General Hospital after anonymous donation from virus survivor's husband Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Daughter pays thanks to NGH and ambulance service fighting to save dad's life Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Midwife who now works at Northampton General Hospital wins national award Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• John returns home to 'love of his life' in Kingsthorpe after beating Covid-19 aged 97 Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Guidance: Coronavirus Act 2020: status

Guidance: Coronavirus Act 2020: status A table setting out the status of each measure in the Coronavirus Act 2020. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Dedicated app for social care workers launched Department of Health and Social Care
• New COVID-19 guideline on acute kidney injury NICE
• Weekly COVID-19 surveillance report published Public Health England
• Statistical data set: COVID-19: number of outbreaks in care homes – management information Public Health England

Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by ethnic group, England and Wales: 2 March 2020 to 10 April 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by ethnic group, England and Wales: 2 March 2020 to 10 April 2020 Comparison of deaths where the coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate by broad age group, sex and ethnic group, using linked census and mortality records on deaths registered up to 17 April 2020. Includes death counts, cause-specific mortality ratios and odds ratios to identify differential risks of COVID-19-related deaths. Office for National Statistics

Coronavirus: Black Britons face 'twice the risk' of death, says ONS

Coronavirus: Black Britons face 'twice the risk' of death, says ONS Black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die with coronavirus as white people in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The analysis shows the inequality persists after taking into account age, where people live and some measures of deprivation and prior health.

People from Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities also had a significantly higher risk of dying.

The government has launched a review into the issue. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards BBC News
• Coronavirus: What is the risk during pregnancy? BBC News
• A 'difficult day' on the Covid frontline BBC News
• Being obese may DOUBLE the risk of needing hospital treatment for the life-threatening coronavirus The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: Death toll hits 30,076 with 649 new fatalities The Daily Mail
• Calls for coronavirus inquiry as UK becomes the sickest nation in Europe The Daily Mail
• Pandemic will trigger significant mental health impact on NHS staff, warns deputy CMO GPonline
• Revealed: the secret report that gave ministers warning of care home coronavirus crisis The Guardian
• UK contact-tracing app could fall foul of privacy law, government told The Guardian
• Government confirms 400,000 Turkish gowns are useless for NHS The Guardian
• Mental health patients in crisis because of coronavirus cutbacks The Guardian
• Have the government's five tests for easing lockdown been met? The Guardian
• NHS faces 'major problems' as charities contemplate withdrawing support Health Service Journal

Five more Covid-19 victims over a sombre weekend for Northampton's frontline NHS staff

Five more Covid-19 victims over a sombre weekend for Northampton's frontline NHS staff Five more Covid-19 victims were added to the total who have died at Northampton General Hospital over another sombre weekend.

Bosses at the Cliftonville site confirmed the five people who died between Friday (May 1) and yesterday (Sunday May 3) are included in the latest Government figures released today. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Hospitals in the Anglia region report 54 more patients dying with coronavirus ITV News
• Covid-19 death toll approaching 300 at Northamptonshire's two main hospitals Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Company donates 88 pairs of shoes to Northampton hospital's female frontline workers Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• More than 100 bottles of hand cream donated to staff at Northampton General Hospital Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• More residents test Covid-19 positive at Kettering care home Northamptonshire Telegraph
• KGH coronavirus death toll rises to 118 Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Kettering key worker’s false-negative Covid-19 test raises concerns Northamptonshire Telegraph

Checking the system’s blind spots

Checking the system’s blind spots It is well recognised that health and care services delivered in the community do not enjoy the same profile and attention as hospital services. Despite longstanding ambitions to rebalance the health care system to deliver more care closer to home, this rhetoric hasn’t translated into reality. There are many reasons for this, including a lack of robust data on activity and outcomes, the absence of prominent national targets, and the fact that care delivered in people’s homes and communities isn’t visible in the same way as the activity taking place in accident and emergency (A&E) departments or on hospital wards. The King's Fund

Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19): verification of death in times of emergency

Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19): verification of death in times of emergency Clarifying existing practice for verifying deaths outside of hospitals and providing a framework for safe verification of death during the coronavirus emergency. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: Technical Specifications for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Department of Health and Social Care
• Health Secretary welcomes reopening of fertility services Department of Health and Social Care
• Revealed: the NHS’ plan to protect BAME staff from covid-19 Health Service Journal
• Clinical characteristics and predictors of outcomes of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in a London NHS trust: a retrospective cohort study Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team
• ‘Video-Call The Midwife’: NHS Carries On Delivering As Wilfred Joins Over 150,000 Babies Born During Pandemic NHS England
• Guidance: COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable Public Health England

Coronavirus mutations: Scientists puzzle over impact

Coronavirus mutations: Scientists puzzle over impact Researchers in the US and UK have identified hundreds of mutations to the virus which causes the disease Covid-19.

But none has yet established what this will mean for virus spread in the population and for how effective a vaccine might be.

Viruses mutate - it's what they do.

The question is: which of these mutations actually do anything to change the severity or infectiousness of the disease? BBC News

See also:

• Spike mutation pipeline reveals the emergence of a more transmissible form of SARS-CoV-2 bioRxiv (open access)
• Coronavirus: Prof Neil Ferguson quits government role after 'undermining' lockdown BBC News
• Coronavirus: Boris Johnson aims for 200,000 tests by end of May BBC News
• Coronavirus: Can you compare the UK with Italy? BBC News
• Coronavirus: Mass testing earlier 'would have been beneficial' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Doctor MP says 'government's lack of testing has cost lives’ BBC News
• Minister James Brokenshire admits testing and tracking should NOT have stopped on March 12 The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: 12 different strains in March, one unique The Daily Mail
• Britain's coronavirus death toll may be 34% higher The Daily Mail
• How does the NHS contact tracing app work? An easy eight-step visual guide The Daily Telegraph
• Deputy chief scientist: We need to get to grips with coronavirus care home deaths The Guardian
• Number of key workers getting Covid-19 overtakes positive tests in hospitals The Guardian
• UK coronavirus death toll rises above 32,000 to highest in Europe The Guardian
• Coronavirus: NHS frontline messages 'difficult for Hancock to hear', says Labour MP and A&E doctor Sky News

Child mental health was in crisis before Covid-19. We can't go back to 'normal'

Child mental health was in crisis before Covid-19. We can't go back to 'normal' Vulnerable children will be even more at risk when the lockdown is lifted

Coronavirus doesn’t affect everybody equally – it affects those on the frontline disproportionately. A similar myth has spread about mental health: while anybody can experience mental health problems, they disproportionately affect children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, parental mental health problems, drug use, incarceration or domestic violence. These ACEs are compounded by poverty, poor education and hopelessness for the future. The Guardian

Coronavirus tracking app reports drop in symptomatic cases in Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northants

Coronavirus tracking app reports drop in symptomatic cases in Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northants An app helping scientists learn more about coronavirus is reporting a drop in symptomatic Covid-19 cases across north Northants as more people than ever are using it.

There are now 6,084 people in Corby, Ketttering, Wellingborough and East Northants self-reporting to the app which records if people have had a Covid-19 test, if they feel unwell and their symptoms. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• REVEALED: Northampton's hotspots where Covid-19 has claimed most lives Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• REVEALED: Daventry's hotspots where Covid-19 has claimed most lives Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 'Social movement' delivers thousands of food boxes to people in need in South Northamptonshire Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Coronavirus test, track and trace plan launched on Isle of Wight

Coronavirus test, track and trace plan launched on Isle of Wight Isle of Wight residents will be the first to get access to a new contact tracing app as part of government action to minimise the spread of COVID-19. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• CQC launches emergency support framework Care Quality Commission
• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• List of participants of SAGE and related sub-groups Government Office for Science
• Are some ethnic groups more vulnerable to Covid-19 than others? Institute for Fiscal Studies
• New COVID-19 staff terms and conditions FAQs NHS Employers
• Temporary NHS Community Hospital in Surrey named after Mary Seacole NHS England
• Review into factors impacting health outcomes from COVID-19 Public Health England
• Correspondence: Contact tracing: letters to directors of public health Public Health England

Coronavirus: First workers to trial NHS tracing app

Coronavirus: First workers to trial NHS tracing app An NHS app that aims to track the spread of coronavirus is being rolled out for the first time, as part of a trial on the Isle of Wight.

Council and healthcare workers will be the first to try the contact-tracing app, with the rest of the island able to download it from Thursday.

If the trial is successful, it could be available nationwide within weeks. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Lockdown psychiatric care 'severely disrupted' BBC News
• Coronavirus: How it feels to be a dementia carer under lockdown BBC News
• Coronavirus: France's first known case 'was in December' BBC News
• Coronavirus UK: Death toll hits 28,675 with 229 more fatalities The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: Care home deaths NOT inevitable, report says The Daily Mail
• Contact tracing: what is the UK's test, track and trace plan? The Daily Telegraph
• Coronavirus: NHS Nightingale London to stop admitting patients The Daily Telegraph
• How a hotel is stemming the tide of Covid-19 among rough sleepers The Guardian
• UK government 'using crisis to transfer NHS duties to private sector' The Guardian
• Launch of PPE delivery system for care home staff hit by delays The Guardian
• The inside story of the UK's NHS coronavirus ventilator challenge The Guardian
• No 10 facing fresh calls for transparency over Sage pandemic advice The Guardian
• Coronavirus: Hospitals could be blamed for NHS staff deaths as coroners barred from investigating government failings The Independent
• Coronavirus: Trial of NHS contact tracing app to begin on Isle of Wight - but how does it work? Sky News

Nine Covid-19 patients die at Northamptonshire hospitals

Nine Covid-19 patients die at Northamptonshire hospitals Hospitals in Northamptonshire have confirmed nine more tragic Covid-19 deaths today (Sunday).

The Midlands was the worst-affected region in NHS England's latest death toll update, accounting for 69 of the 327 deaths in the country.

Seven of those took place at Northampton General Hospital with two at Kettering General Hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• The number of patients dying with coronavirus in the Anglia region is lowest for a month ITV News
• GP appointments drop by a third in March in Northamptonshire raising concerns serious illnesses are going untreated Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northampton's lift tower tribute to great Colonel Tom Moore Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Covid-19 death at Kettering care home Northamptonshire Telegraph

Speech: Health and Social Care Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 1 May 2020

Speech: Health and Social Care Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 1 May 2020 Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock gave the 1 May 2020 daily press briefing on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Thousands of doctors unable to offer patients the desperate care they need as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, BMA survey finds British Medical Association 
• BMA COVID-19 survey results British Medical Association
• BMA COVID-19 survey results by region British Medical Association
• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Health Secretary welcomes reopening of fertility services Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested Department of Health and Social Care
• Supporting staff with childcare responsibilities NHS Employers
• Bereavement support for NHS staff during COVID-19 NHS Employers
• NHS urges public to get essential vaccines despite Coronavirus outbreak NHS England

Coronavirus: UK hospital trials new treatment drug

Coronavirus: UK hospital trials new treatment drug A new drug developed by UK scientists to treat Covid-19 patients is being trialled at University Hospital Southampton.

Developed by UK bio-tech company Synairgen, it uses a protein called interferon beta, which our bodies produce when we get a viral infection.

Initial results from the trial are expected by the end of June.

There are currently few effective treatments for coronavirus with doctors relying on patients' immune systems. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Doctors 'buy their own PPE or rely on donations' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Testing falls short of 100,000 daily target BBC News
• Coronavirus: World must 'pull together' to find and fund vaccine BBC News
• Coronavirus: Contact tracing app to be trialled on Isle of Wight BBC News
• Coronavirus: How Covid-19 can hit the kidneys BBC News
• Coronavirus R0: What is the R number and why does it matter? BBC News
• Why there are lies, damned lies...and coronavirus death statistics The Daily Mail
• UK announces another 315 coronavirus deaths bringing total fatalities to 28,446 The Daily Mail
• When will the UK lockdown next be reviewed? The Daily Telegraph
• NHS contact tracing app could give out false alerts as Bluetooth goes through walls The Daily Telegraph
• COVID-19 care home plans are not part of PCN DES, says NHS England GPonline
• Ministers under fire as Covid-19 testing drops back below 100,000 daily target The Guardian
• BBC stands firm against minister's criticism of Panorama show on PPE The Guardian
• Covid-19 has shown the NHS can change. Let's turn that to our advantage The Guardian
• Revealed: NHS procurement official privately selling PPE The Guardian
• Fearful Britons remain strongly opposed to lifting lockdown The Guardian
• Staggered work times expected in government exit strategy as NHS contact-tracing app tested The Independent
• A 'tsunami' of coronavirus survivors could overwhelm NHS rehabilitation services, experts warn The Independent

Another grim milestone passed for number of Covid-19 victims in Northamptonshire

Another grim milestone passed for number of Covid-19 victims in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire passed more sombre milestones as 12 new Covid-19 victims were confirmed in the county's two main hospitals, taking the death toll past 250.

Three deaths recorded at Northampton General Hospital on Monday (April 27) and Tuesday (April 28) this week took the grim total at the Cliftonville site to 151. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• 'I’m proud and nervous to be on the frontline': Northampton student nurse Hannah on her hospital call-up Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Happy birthday Captain Tom! Northampton General Hospital staff celebrate NHS hero Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Ethnic minority deaths and Covid-19: what are we to do?

Ethnic minority deaths and Covid-19: what are we to do? Desperate times offer opportunities for the light to come streaming in. Currently, we are seeing that light in the outpouring of support and love for health and care staff across the world during this pandemic. In the UK, a large proportion of those staff come from ethnic minorities and some are dying at a much higher rate than white staff. The same is true in the general population. The King's Fund

Research and analysis: National COVID-19 surveillance reports

Research and analysis: National COVID-19 surveillance reports National COVID-19 surveillance reports, including weekly summary of findings monitored through various COVID-19 surveillance systems. Public Health England

See also:

• Home testing programme for coronavirus Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Government launches plan to tackle loneliness during coronavirus lockdown Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
• Accounting for the variation in the confirmed Covid-19 caseload across England: an analysis of the role of multi-generation households, London and time New Policy Institute 
• New guidance on risk assessments for staff NHS Employers
• Statement on Covid-19 (coronavirus) Royal College of General Practitioners

Coronavirus: UK 'quite likely' to get close to or hit 100,00 tests target - Shapps

Coronavirus: UK 'quite likely' to get close to or hit 100,00 tests target - Shapps The government is likely to meet or "come close" to its target of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government would achieve the aim by the end of April - which was Thursday - and those figures are expected later.

Just over 81,000 tests took place on Wednesday, but ministers said there was capacity for more. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: NHS dashboard to predict protective gear shortages BBC News
• Coronavirus: NHS sets out six-week plan for 'return to normal' BBC News
• Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says UK is past the peak of virus BBC News
• Coronavirus doctor: 'I see staff crying when their patient passes away' BBC News
• Coronavirus: What it's like to be shielding in your twenties BBC News
• Coronavirus: Children just as likely to catch infection, study says The Daily Mail
• NHS warns hospitals to risk-assess BAME staff and take them off front-line because more vulnerable The Daily Mail
• When will the UK lockdown next be reviewed? The Daily Telegraph
• Virus pressure on NHS makes shielding BAME staff hard, say bosses The Guardian
• Entire UK order of 250 Chinese ventilators ditched over danger to lives The Guardian
• Randomised test of 100,000 to help decide end of UK lockdown The Guardian
• The NHS' recovery from covid will be complex, uncertain and controversial Health Service Journal
• Coronavirus set to re-emerge in society through care homes, warns NHS chief The Independent
• World must prepare for second and third coronavirus wave, WHO warns The Independent
• More than half of frontline NHS workers 'unable to cope' with stress brought on by coronavirus, ITV News survey shows ITV News
• Public health professor says NHS testing system 'emaciated' by Tory cuts ITV News

Northampton General Hospital urges people not to avoid A&E after sharp drop in attendances

Northampton General Hospital urges people not to avoid A&E after sharp drop in attendances Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has urged people not to avoid A&E during the coronavirus pandemic as figures show a sharp drop in attendances.

Almost a third fewer people went to the emergency department at NGH in March compared to the same month last year, according to NHS England stats. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Number of Northamptonshire's Covid-19 victims may be one-third HIGHER than we thought Daventry Express
• Keep safe and thank you to the pathology laboratory staff at Northampton General Hospital Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• KGH confirms five tragic Covid-19 deaths Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Nine more Covid-19 victims as number of cases in Northamptonshire passes 1000 Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Northampton and East Northants care homes worst hit by coronavirus Northamptonshire Telegraph

Major home testing programme for coronavirus will track levels of infection in the community

Major home testing programme for coronavirus will track levels of infection in the community 100,000 people will be sent self-testing kits to determine if they are currently infected. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Caring behind closed doors: forgotten families in the coronavirus outbreak Carers UK
• COVID-19 treatments could be fast-tracked through new national clinical trial initiative Department of Health and Social Care
• News story: Home Secretary announces visa extensions for frontline health and care workers Department of Health and Social Care
• Lifting lockdown: how to approach a coronavirus exit strategy Institute for Government 
• A balancing act: youth volunteering in hospitals, in the context of Covid-19 Institute for Voluntary Action Research
• The NHS needs an updated testing strategy NHS Providers
• Nursing Times survey reveals negative impact of Covid-19 on nurse mental health Nursing Times
• Personal protective equipment (PPE): resource for care workers delivering homecare (domiciliary care) during sustained Covid-19 transmission in the UK Public Health England
• Daily death reporting now includes all positive COVID-19 deaths Public Health England
• Statistical data set: COVID-19: number of outbreaks in care homes – management information Public Health England

Coronavirus: PM to update UK on 'steps to defeat' coronavirus

Coronavirus: PM to update UK on 'steps to defeat' coronavirus Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a cabinet meeting later and then lead the daily coronavirus briefing for the first time since his return to work.

No 10 said the PM, whose fiancee gave birth on Wednesday, will update the UK on the "fight against this disease and the steps we are taking to defeat it".

But political editor Laura Kuenssberg said he was unlikely to give "chapter and verse" on lifting the restrictions. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: Deadline day for 100,000 tests pledge BBC News
• Coronavirus R0: Is this the crucial number? BBC News
• Remdesivir: Drug has 'clear cut' power to fight coronavirus BBC News
• Coronavirus 'as deadly as Ebola in hospital' BBC News
• PPE 'designed for women' needed on frontline BBC News
• Coronavirus: How does contact tracing work and is my data safe? BBC News
• Coronavirus UK: A THIRD of patients admitted to hospital die The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: Care home deaths may exceed hospital fatalities The Daily Mail
• Why do so many NHS Nightingale hospitals remain empty? The Daily Telegraph
• Hospital chiefs 'increasingly frustrated' with UK testing failures The Guardian
• NHS looks into taking BAME staff off frontline for their safety The Guardian
• Exclusive: inquests into NHS staff coronavirus deaths told not to look at PPE shortages The Guardian
• UK turned down offer of 10,000 tests a day four weeks ago The Guardian
• Government rushes out request for experts to bolster Sage panel The Guardian
• Hancock grants GCHQ powers over NHS IT systems Health Service Journal
• Academics demand answers from NHS over potential data timebomb ticking inside new UK contact-tracing app The Register