Covid vaccination begins for UK 12 to 15 year olds

Covid vaccination begins for UK 12 to 15 year olds The rollout of Covid vaccines to health 12 to 15-year-olds has begun in England and Scotland.

Invites are also being sent out in Wales this week, while in Northern Ireland the teen vaccinations are likely to be offered from October.

It is part of the drive to get more people protected ahead of winter as the pandemic continues. BBC News

 

See also: 

• Pfizer/BioNTech jab safe for children aged five to 11 BBC News
• Why we need to get Covid booster jabs... but other vaccines last a lifetime The Daily Mail
• Is this the first sign of the back to school wave? UK's daily Covid cases jump by 17% in a week The Daily Mail
• Boris Johnson refuses to rule out Christmas Covid disruption The Guardian

Children face 'agonising' waits for mental health care

Children face 'agonising' waits for mental health care Children struggling with mental health problems during the pandemic are facing "agonisingly" long waits for treatment, a BBC investigation has found.

Data from half of England's specialist child mental health services found one in five youngsters seen since Covid hit waited longer than 12 weeks for care.

The numbers still waiting also appear to be rising sharply. BBC News 

Early baby therapy could reduce autism diagnoses

Early baby therapy could reduce autism diagnoses Training parents how to respond to babies showing early signs of autism could reduce by two-thirds the number of three-year-olds meeting the criteria for diagnosis, a small study suggests.

Improvement on this scale has never been shown before, the UK and Australian researchers say. BBC News

See also:

• Effect of Preemptive Intervention on Developmental Outcomes Among Infants Showing Early Signs of Autism: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Outcomes to Diagnosis (open access) JAMA Pediatrics

Young cancer patients in UK face ‘inequality of fertility provision’

Young cancer patients in UK face ‘inequality of fertility provision’ Children and young people with cancer face a postcode lottery for services to preserve their fertility, a damning report has revealed.

Treatments for childhood cancer have improved dramatically over the past 50 years, and more than 80% of patients will live for decades. However, one in five are likely to experience fertility problems as adults as a result of the disease or treatment. The Guardian

See also: 

• Inconsistencies in fertility preservation for young people with cancer in the UK (open access) Archives of Disease in Childhood

Use of 10p statins in organ donation ‘could save thousands of lives’

Use of 10p statins in organ donation ‘could save thousands of lives’ Exclusive: NHS launching large trial of approach that could boost number of transplants and their success rate

Thousands of lives could be saved globally by giving patients a 10p statin before transplants, doctors have said, as the NHS launches the world’s largest clinical trial in organ donors. The Guardian 

Northampton General's new Paediatric Emergency Department gets the royal treatment

Northampton General's new Paediatric Emergency Department gets the royal treatment The Princess Royal has officially opened Northampton General Hospital's new Paediatric Emergency Department.

Before visiting the new £2.9m new facility, Princess Anne met senior hospital leaders, clinicians and volunteers who had been part of the county’s Covid-19 response. ITV News

See also:

• Princess Anne opens Northampton General Hospital's new £2.9 million paedriatic emergency department Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• IN PICTURES: Princess Anne's visit to Northampton in September 2021 Northamptonshire Telegraph

Blood test delays in Northamptonshire as tube shortages continue to blight NHS

Blood test delays in Northamptonshire as tube shortages continue to blight NHS More blood tests are being rescheduled at Northampton and Kettering Hospitals as a shortage in equipment continues.

A shortage in blood tubes, which is forcing a reduction in tests across the UK, have been felt throughout the NHS for several weeks. Northants Live

Inside a GP surgery: 'There is not enough time or space in the day'

Inside a GP surgery: 'There is not enough time or space in the day' Not only has the Covid pandemic put GP surgeries across England under immense pressure, it has also caused significant backlogs of work they are now trying to clear. The BBC has spent the morning inside one NHS practice to hear how staff and patients are coping.

The Harborough Field Surgery near Rushden, Northamptonshire, has nearly 13,000 patients on its roll. BBC Northampton

Making maternity services safer: nurturing a positive culture

Making maternity services safer: nurturing a positive culture According to this report, poor working cultures must be tackled if UK maternity services are to be made safer. It describes how a positive working environment is needed, where multi-disciplinary teams work and train together and are better equipped to deliver good quality, safe care for women and families. Royal College of Midwives

Research: Health Profile for England: 2021

Research: Health Profile for England: 2021 The fourth annual profile combining data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2021. Public Health England

Barriers to wellbeing: migration and vulnerability during the pandemic

Barriers to wellbeing: migration and vulnerability during the pandemic This report reveals that refugees, asylum seekers and migrants reported higher levels of bad health and inadequate housing during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as difficulties registering with a GP and accessing remote health care services, suggesting significant unmet health care needs. Doctors of the World

Drawing light from the pandemic: a new strategy for health and sustainable development

Drawing light from the pandemic: a new strategy for health and sustainable development Over the past year, members of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development have reflected on what worked and, more often, what did not work in the Covid-19 response and in previous crises. This report makes a series of recommendations with the aim of achieving seven key objectives to prevent a catastrophe on the same scale from happening again. World Health Organization 

Public spending during the Covid-19 pandemic

Public spending during the Covid-19 pandemic This briefing looks at the very high level of UK public spending on tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, including how the money was spent and where it came from. House of Commons Library

Thousands of patients to benefit from life-saving COVID-19 treatment

Thousands of patients to benefit from life-saving COVID-19 treatment Thousands of vulnerable NHS patients in hospital due to COVID-19 are set to benefit from a groundbreaking new antibody treatment, the government has announced. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Research: DHSC and ONS: Direct and Indirect health impacts of COVID-19 in England - long paper, 9 September 2021 Department of Health and Social Care
• Speech: The hidden costs of COVID-19: the social backlog Department of Health and Social Care
• New system for international travel Department of Health and Social Care
• Over one million invited for COVID booster jabs this week NHS England
• Confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants identified in UK Public Health England

Ronapreve: 'Most vulnerable' to get new Covid drug

Ronapreve: 'Most vulnerable' to get new Covid drug The UK's "most vulnerable" hospital patients, who are unable to build up an antibody response to Covid, will be offered new drug Ronapreve from Monday.

The new Covid treatment, approved just last month, uses a pair of laboratory-made antibodies to attack the virus. BBC News

See also:

• First Covid booster jabs given to NHS staff BBC News
• Covid calculator spots people vulnerable despite jabs BBC News
• Sajid Javid: 'We need to avoid unsustainable pressure on the NHS' BBC News
• Covid: Vaccine volunteers sought for children's second dose study BBC News
• Long Covid less common than feared - ONS study BBC News
• People with Down's syndrome are most at risk of death after having two Covid vaccines, study finds The Daily Mail
• Covid Delta variant 'will hunt down anyone who's not had jab', scientific advisers warn No 10 The Daily Mail
• NHS aims to deliver over 1m daily Covid and flu jabs in race against time The Guardian
• No 10 accused of sidelining behaviour experts on latest Covid measures The Guardian

Folic acid to be added to UK flour to help prevent birth defects

Folic acid to be added to UK flour to help prevent birth defects Folic acid is to be added to UK flour to help prevent spinal birth defects in babies, the government will announce.

Women are advised to take the B vitamin - which can guard against spina bifida in unborn babies - before and during pregnancy, but many do not.

It is thought that adding folic acid to flour could prevent up to 200 birth defects a year. BBC News

Sickle cell: 'Did our son have to die to change things?'

Sickle cell: 'Did our son have to die to change things?' Sickle cell disease is the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK but some feel the illness, which mostly affects black people, isn't taken seriously.

Nurse Gildé Nsianguana has the condition and has interviewed the parents of Evan Nathan Smith for Radio 1 Newsbeat.

After being denied oxygen, Evan called 999 from his hospital bed but died shortly after. An inquest found that if hospital workers had a better understanding of the condition his life might have been saved. BBC News

Culture of bullying and racial discrimination found at NHS trust

Culture of bullying and racial discrimination found at NHS trust A culture of bullying and racial discrimination has been found at a hospital trust, according to an inspection report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said there was a bullying culture across Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) Trust, with many staff too frightened to speak up.

The trust has been told it requires improvement as a result of the report. BBC News

Operations at risk from CO2 shortages unless ministers 'prioritise NHS', hospitals chief warns

Operations at risk from CO2 shortages unless ministers 'prioritise NHS', hospitals chief warns NHS surgery is at risk from the gas shortages unless ministers make it their top priority, a health service leader is warning.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is used in some operations, as well as to freeze meat and in the brewing and nuclear power industries – potentially putting the NHS in the firing line if shortages worsen. The Independent

Appeal court overturns UK puberty blockers ruling for under-16s

Appeal court overturns UK puberty blockers ruling for under-16s The court of appeal has overturned a controversial judgment that children under the age of 16 considering gender reassignment are unlikely to be mature enough to give informed consent to be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs. The Guardian

See also:

• Puberty blockers: Court of Appeal rules under-16s can use gender reassignment aid as NHS trust wins case iNews

Most NHS staff vote to oppose 3% pay rise as union warns workers ‘fed up’

Most NHS staff vote to oppose 3% pay rise as union warns workers ‘fed up’ NHS staff have voted overwhelmingly to oppose the government’s 3% pay rise as Britain’s biggest health union warned thousands of workers are “fed up of being taken for granted”.

Publishing the results of a consultation exercise that ran over the summer, Unison said the majority (80%) of health staff were not happy with the pay increase and want to challenge the government. Only one in five (20%) found it acceptable. The Guardian

See also: 

• UNISON health members deliver damning verdict on government’s 3% increase UNISON

Growing toll of illnesses missed by 'remote' doctors fuels concerns over healthcare appointments

Growing toll of illnesses missed by 'remote' doctors fuels concerns over healthcare appointments Family doctors must carry out more appointments face to face, the Daily Mail demands today.

A string of deaths has heightened fears that cancers and other illnesses are being missed because of the rise of phone and video consultations.

Before the pandemic around 80 per cent of GP appointments were in person. But the figure was just 57 per cent in July despite life returning to normal.

See also:

• GPs and patients are ‘on the same side’ over face to face appointments – but chronic GP shortages make it hard to guarantee safe care, says College Royal College of General Practitioners
• Media depiction of virtual appointments irresponsible and causing unnecessary concern, warns College Royal College of General Practitioners
• Pandemic caused a plunge in numbers who saw a GP and this year is set to be worse than last The Daily Mail
• Backbone of the NHS... so why DO so many GPs avoid patients? The Daily Mail
• Dr ARUN GHOSH: Why it's crucial we save this life-saving human touch The Daily Mail
• DR MAX PEMBERTON: GPs who won't see patients are hurting the NHS The Daily Mail

Our blog will be taking a short break...

Due to annual leave the health news blog will be taking a short break. 

We'll be back on Monday the 20th of September.

Don't forget you can also follow us on Twitter for more health related updates.

Covid-19: Clubbers urged to get tested in Corby as rate rise

Covid-19: Clubbers urged to get tested in Corby as rate rise People going to nightclubs in the area with the highest Covid case rate in England have been urged to take regular lateral flow test to curb infections.

Corby, in Northamptonshire, had 623 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 4 September, a 23% week-on-week rise.

Health officials said the increase might also be partly caused by some Corby schools returning in mid-August. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Covid-19 testing site at University of Northampton to permanently close this weekend Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• NHS ‘will be at breaking point by November’ without masks and social distancing Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Northampton man accused of wasting police time for lying about positive Covid-19 test Northamptonshire Telegraph

Between 275 and 279 people in Northamptonshire died while waiting for social care in last three years

Between 275 and 279 people in Northamptonshire died while waiting for social care in last three years Between 275 and 279 people in Northamptonshire died while waiting for social care over the last three years, analysis of NHS data has revealed.

The figure, found by sister site NationalWorld, is made up of those who applied for adult social services from their local council between April 2017 and March 2020 died before they received any support. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

What will the end of the Universal Credit uplift mean for areas of poor health?

What will the end of the Universal Credit uplift mean for areas of poor health? The end of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit in October 2021 has the potential to further widen health inequalities and leave some areas further behind the average for living standards. 

Areas with a higher proportion of the population receiving Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit also tend to have lower healthy life expectancy. The Health Foundation 

Thousands of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in mental health trusts experience harassment, bullying, or abuse at work, new analysis finds

Thousands of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in mental health trusts experience harassment, bullying, or abuse at work, new analysis finds Thousands of ethnic minority staff working in mental health trusts are subjected to harassment, bullying, or abuse at work from members of the public, colleagues, or their managers, new analysis of NHS data has found.

The analysis of the NHS annual staff survey was carried out by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

See also:

• Third of BAME staff in NHS mental health services face racist abuse at work The Guardian

Home For Good: Successful community support for people with a learning disability, a mental health need and autistic people

Home For Good: Successful community support for people with a learning disability, a mental health need and autistic people The Care Quality Commission’s Home for Good report celebrates examples of successful community support provided to people with complex needs.

The report includes eight stories of people who have previously been placed in hospital settings, often called Assessment and Treatment Units and how all are now thriving in community services across England.

Is Manchester greater?: a new analysis of NHS integration

Is Manchester greater?: a new analysis of NHS integration The government is embarking on the most significant NHS reforms for a decade, with the aim of improving collaboration and integration across health and social care. However this analysis of existing pilot schemes finds no compelling evidence of overall improvement. This report finds that in Greater Manchester, where integration is most advanced, results have been generally poor. Centre for Policy Studies

NHS appoints national director of learning disability and autism

NHS appoints national director of learning disability and autism NHS England has announced the appointment of Tom Cahill as the national director for learning disability and autism.

Tom, who has been chief executive of Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust since 2009, will join NHS England to build on progress already made in providing people with a learning disability or autism with care in the community, rather than in inpatient settings. 

Consultation on mandatory vaccination for frontline health and care staff

Consultation on mandatory vaccination for frontline health and care staff The government is seeking views on plans for staff in health and care settings in England to be required to have COVID-19 and flu vaccines to protect vulnerable people. 

The consultation, running for a period of 6 weeks, looks at whether requirements should apply for health and wider social care workers: those in contact with patients and people receiving care. It would mean only those who are fully vaccinated, unless medically exempt, could be deployed to deliver health and care services. The consultation will also seek views on whether flu vaccines should be a requirement for health and care workers. Department of Health and Social Care

Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published National influenza and COVID-19 report, monitoring coronavirus (COVID-19) activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. Public Health England

See also: 

• Research: COVID-19 vaccine surveillance reports Public Health England

Covid: Boosters not needed for all, says Oxford jab creator

Covid: Boosters not needed for all, says Oxford jab creator Giving booster jabs to everyone is unnecessary, says the scientist behind the Oxford vaccine, as she calls for doses to be sent to countries in need.

Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert told the Daily Telegraph some vulnerable groups would need boosters but immunity was "lasting well" in the majority of cases.

"We need to get vaccines to countries where few of the population have been vaccinated so far," she added. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca approved as booster vaccines BBC News
• Covid England: PHE data highlights how vast majority of people being hospitalised are unvaccinated The Daily Mail
• Covid cases in England rose 9% last week as schools went back The Daily Mail
• Covid cases in Israel fall sharply amid mass booster vaccine rollout The Daily Mail
• More than 8,000 people in hospital with Covid in UK The Guardian
• Ministers hoping vaccines watchdog will back mass rollout of booster jabs The Guardian
• NHS 'faces breaking point by November' without masks and social distancing as Covid cases rise iNews

Record 5.6m people in England waiting for hospital treatment

Record 5.6m people in England waiting for hospital treatment The number of people in England waiting for hospital treatment has reached a new record high.

A total of 5.6 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of July, according to figures from NHS England. This is the highest number since records began in August 2007 and includes those waiting for hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS performance summary: July-August 2021 Nuffield Trust
• Long waits for ambulances continue in England BBC News
• One in 10 people in England now on NHS waiting list, figures show The Daily Mail
• Spire reports £4.7m profits on back of long NHS waiting lists The Guardian
• Johnson’s hopes of banishing NHS backlog likely to remain wishful thinking The Guardian
• NHS waiting list hits record high, new figures show The Independent

Johnson’s hopes of banishing NHS backlog likely to remain wishful thinking

Johnson’s hopes of banishing NHS backlog likely to remain wishful thinking Analysis: Persistent understaffing and ageing estate means drive to slash waiting lists will be very hard to achieve

Every day brings reminders of how permanently under-resourced the NHS is: a ward closing here because there are too few nurses, a queue of ambulances – each with a patient in the back – stuck outside an overstretched A&E there. The Guardian

See also: 

• Raising the levy: will the new health and social care tax work? The King's Fund
• Additional funding alone not enough for momentous recovery task ahead for health and care services Nuffield Trust
• Minister defends social care bill reform wait BBC News
• Don't kid yourself tax rises will fund a better NHS The Daily Telegraph
• Left in its current state, the NHS will squander every penny of Boris' windfall The Daily Telegraph
• Nearly half of all NHS staff have no medical qualifications The Daily Telegraph
• I don't want NHS managers to be paid 'unacceptable' salaries with health tax funds, says care minister The Daily Telegraph
• NHS will run out of extra cash promised by government in two years, IFS analysis shows The Independent

Remote GP calls may have contributed to five deaths, says coroner

Remote GP calls may have contributed to five deaths, says coroner Remote GP appointments may have been a contributing factor in the deaths of five people who did not see their doctor face to face, a coroner has concluded.

Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Greater Manchester South, said important information missed in telephone appointments may have been acted on if they were seen in person. The Daily Telegraph

NHS trust AI pilot prompts 80% drop in admissions of vulnerable patients

NHS trust AI pilot prompts 80% drop in admissions of vulnerable patients A pilot at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust has shown that predictive artificial intelligence improved care for vulnerable people and reduced hospital appointments by 80%.

Data from the MySense pilot between May 2020 and April 2021 showed that it also significantly reduced unnecessary burden on GPs and other healthcare workers. Public Technology

Vaccine centre's first drop-in sessions for 16-year-olds as Northamptonshire's jabs total passes ONE MILLION

Vaccine centre's first drop-in sessions for 16-year-olds as Northamptonshire's jabs total passes ONE MILLION Northamptonshire’s 16-year-olds can now 'grab a jab' at the county's Covid-19 Vaccination Centre as the number of doses delivered in the county passed ONE MILLION.

The centre at Moulton Park is running its first drop-in sessions for those aged 16 and 17 from 5.30pm on Thursday (September 9). Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also: 

• Consultation on mandatory Covid vaccination for health and care staff begins Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Sword swallower who reached Britain's Got Talent final has a new job with Northamptonshire's Covid jab army Northamptonshire Telegraph

Revealed: The best and worst trusts to be a junior doctor

Revealed: The best and worst trusts to be a junior doctor HSJ analysis of data from the latest General Medical Council national training survey has revealed the top and bottom trusts for overall experience for junior doctors.

Northamptonshire Healthcare features in the top five best trusts to be a junior doctor. Health Service Journal 

The NHS Long Term Plan and COVID-19: Assessing progress and the pandemic’s impact

The NHS Long Term Plan and COVID-19: Assessing progress and the pandemic’s impact This analysis looks at progress on the main pledges in the NHS Long Term Plan and the impact of COVID-19 on their delivery. 

The NHS Long Term Plan remains the blueprint for the NHS’s evolution, but the pandemic has dealt a huge blow to both the NHS and social care. In this report, we provide a narrative of what was achieved before the pandemic, assemble the evidence of how the pandemic has affected progress against the plan’s major commitments, and identify implications for the future as the NHS and government plans its recovery from the pandemic. The Health Foundation

Cancer nursing on the line: why we need urgent investment across the UK

Cancer nursing on the line: why we need urgent investment across the UK UK cancer services are slowly recovering from the devastating blow caused by Covid-19. The pandemic has both laid bare and exacerbated the terrible strain the cancer workforce has been under for many years. 

When the pandemic hit, some services were forced to pause, whilst others had to quickly adapt and many have still not ‘returned to normal’. Some cancer nurses were also deployed to care around the clock for the half a million people admitted to hospital with coronavirus. The practical and emotional impact of this disruption on people living with cancer has been profound. McMillan Cancer Support

See also:

• Nurse shortage ‘delaying treatment for 21% of UK cancer patients’ The Guardian
• NHS staff shortages led to failings in my cancer treatment, says patient calling for more specialist nurses iNews
• COVID-19: Cancer and heart patients say they felt 'abandoned' and 'anxious' after NHS treatments repeatedly cancelled and disrupted by pandemic Sky News

An ever-growing NHS budget could swallow up all of this week’s tax rise, leaving little for social care

An ever-growing NHS budget could swallow up all of this week’s tax rise, leaving little for social care This week saw major announcements on health and social care funding. Outside of the usual Budget or Spending Review process, the government announced around £12 billion of additional spending for the Department of Health and Social Care for each year between 2022−23 and 2024−25, alongside a corresponding tax rise. Institute for Fiscal Studies

See also: 

• 'If NHS needs money, there's less for social care' BBC News
• NHS could ‘swallow up’ all the money raised by new tax rise, says IFS The Guardian

Innovation and new technology to help reduce NHS waiting lists

Innovation and new technology to help reduce NHS waiting lists Local surgical hubs, new technology to speed up diagnosis, and innovative ways of working will help the NHS to tackle growing waiting lists and treat around 30% more patients who need elective care by 2023/24.

Backed by a new £36 billion investment in health and social care over the next 3 years, ‘doing things differently’ and embracing innovation will be the driving force to get the NHS back on track. Department of Health and Social Care 

4 in 5 people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses

4 in 5 people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses Four in 5 people aged 16 and over in the UK have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures show.

A total of 43,535,098 people have received 2 doses (80.1%) and 48,292,811 people have received one dose (88.8%).

More than half of all teenagers aged 16 to 17 in England have already received their first jab, just over 4 weeks after the green light was given for this age group to be offered the vaccine. Department of Health and Social Care 

Covid: Consultation on mandatory jabs for frontline health staff

Covid: Consultation on mandatory jabs for frontline health staff Compulsory Covid and flu jabs for frontline NHS and care workers in England are being considered in a government consultation.

Plans are already in place to make it mandatory for care home workers in England to be fully vaccinated.

But some unions and care organisations have warned that making the jabs mandatory will lead to staff shortages. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Boris Johnson concerned over unvaccinated hospital patients BBC News
• Covid England and Wales: Weekly deaths rise 17% to 668 as virus now behind one in 15 fatalities The Daily Mail
• Covid vaccines do NOT increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women, two new studies find The Daily Mail
• 'Frustrated' doctors reveal Covid patients STILL not being given Regeneron's antibody cocktail The Daily Mail
• PHE says it has spotted 53 cases of 'Mu' variant in UK which is feared to be resistant to vaccines The Daily Mail
• People refusing Covid jabs should not work in social care, minister suggests The Guardian
• WHO asks rich countries to delay Covid booster jabs for rest of year The Independent
• Covid-19 booster vaccines will start being given to older groups in the next fortnight under NHS plans iNews
• Doctors and nurses say NHS needs 'firebreak' as staff struggle with demand of Covid cases iNews
• Unvaccinated frontline NHS staff to be redeployed Nursing Notes

Will Boris Johnson’s plan for the NHS work?

Will Boris Johnson’s plan for the NHS work? Boris Johnson chose to visit a hospital he knows only too well to highlight the new funding package for the NHS in England.

He spent anxious days in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in central London in April 2020, seriously ill with Covid.

The pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over the NHS and that's because of uncertainty over how case numbers and hospital admissions will develop next year. BBC News

See also: 

• Health Secretary opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph Department of Health and Social Care
• Boris Johnson on need to address NHS wait times BBC News
• Social care tax rise: Boris Johnson wins Commons vote  BBC News
• Social care: Will people still have to sell their homes? BBC News
• Now NHS wants to hire £270k bosses: Recruitment drive fuels fears over where extra cash raised by social care reforms will be going The Daily Mail
• ‘Misleading’ social care cap does not cover care home food and accommodation costs The Daily Telegraph
• UK care homes say funding shake-up threatens their viability The Guardian
• Social care backlash grows after MPs vote through tax plan The Guardian
• Social care funding in England: your questions answered The Guardian
• UK lawmakers back tax hike to pay for health, long-term care The Independent
• MPs back National Insurance hike to tackle NHS backlog and fund PM's care changes Sky News

Transport noise linked to increased risk of dementia, study finds

Transport noise linked to increased risk of dementia, study finds Exposure to noise from road traffic and railways is associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to the largest study of its kind.

Research has consistently linked transport noise to health conditions including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, but studies on transport noise and dementia were scarce and small, and findings inconsistent. The Guardian

See also: 

• Residential exposure to transportation noise in Denmark and incidence of dementia: national cohort study (open access) The BMJ

GP surgeries in England told to provide face-to-face appointments

GP surgeries in England told to provide face-to-face appointments Sajid Javid has told nearly 1,000 GP surgeries to provide more face-to-face appointments — after they were found to be failing to meet basic patient needs.

The Health Secretary said that while online and phone consults can be convenient for some, they 'are not right for everyone'.  The Daily Mail 

Two in five 16 to 17-year-olds in Northampton receive first Covid jab

Two in five 16 to 17-year-olds in Northampton receive first Covid jab Two in five 16 to 17-year-olds in Northampton have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, figures reveal.

It comes as pupils across England return to school after the summer holidays, amid a warning over a potential rise in cases. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid-19: Low jab rate 'a factor' in Corby's high case rate BBC Northampton 
• Northampton Covid-19 testing centre staff not paid for three weeks continue working due to 'human spirit' Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Kettering drugs overdoses linked to hazardous substance

Kettering drugs overdoses linked to hazardous substance Police have warned that a "potentially dangerous batch of crack cocaine and heroin" has led to four overdoses in a town in a few days.

Northamptonshire Police said "lifesaving interventions" have been needed in a number of incidents in Kettering.

It believed "a very hazardous substance - possible isotonitazene or fentanyl - has been used as a cutting agent". BBC News

See also: 

• Police issue warning over dangerous batch of Class A drugs Northamptonshire Police

Record £36 billion investment to reform NHS and Social Care

Record £36 billion investment to reform NHS and Social Care The Prime Minister today set out responsible, fair, and necessary plans to tackle the Covid backlogs, reform adult social care, and bring the health and social care system closer together on a long term, sustainable footing.

£36 billion will be invested in the health and care system over the next three years, to ensure it has the long term resource it needs. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Social care cap a bold step forward but funding won't ‘fix’ social care or tackle the NHS backlog The Health Foundation
• The King's Fund responds to the announcement of a health and social care levy The King's Fund
• Care providers, care users and workers will feel short-changed by proposed health and social care levy and reform Nuffield Trust
• Why the cap on care costs is not all it seems BBC News
• MPs to vote on health and social care tax rise BBC News
• Boris Johnson outlines health and social care tax to pay for reforms BBC News
• Nursing sector bosses hail plan to fund social care reforms but fear NHS will hoover up billions The Daily Mail
• Levy will ensure our NHS can cope with this unprecedented challenge The Daily Telegraph
• Funding social care is 'permanent new role for Government', says Rishi Sunak The Daily Telegraph
• Boris Johnson raises taxes by £12bn a year to fund NHS and social care – video The Guardian
• More money for the NHS is overdue, but there's not nearly enough to fix social care | Andy Cowper The Guardian

Four in five people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses

Four in five people aged 16 and over vaccinated with both doses Four in five people aged 16 and over in the UK have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures show.

A total of 43,535,098 people have received two doses (80.1%) and 48,292,811 people have received one dose (88.8%). Department of Health and Social Care 

Covid: No plans for October lockdown, says government

Covid: No plans for October lockdown, says government The government has denied newspaper reports that it is planning an October lockdown in England.

The i newspaper said plans had been drawn up to extend the school half-term holiday, if the number of hospitalisations continue at the current level.

The i said a full lockdown was unlikely - but the government could introduce some rules as part of a "firebreak". BBC News

See also:

• Cases of the Mu variant begin to rise, experts fear the variant could be more contagious than Delta The Daily Mail
• COVID-19: AstraZeneca boss says booster jabs may not be needed for everyone and widespread rollout could put extra pressure on NHS Sky News

Sexually transmitted infections fall during pandemic

Sexually transmitted infections fall during pandemic Cases of newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are down by a third in England, data reveals.

Experts say the drop is partly due to people changing their behaviour during the pandemic but also because fewer tests have been done.

With few Covid restrictions remaining, people are now being warned not to swap social distancing for an STI - and to get checked if they have risky sex. BBC News

See also: 

• STI rates remain a concern despite fall in 2020 Public Health England
• Official Statistics: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): annual data tables Public Health England
• STI rates plunged by a third last year as Covid lockdowns forced 'changes in behaviour' The Daily Mail

Thousands of cancer patients could qualify for 'effective and valuable' treatment

Thousands of cancer patients could qualify for 'effective and valuable' treatment Some 8,000 people in England with hormone-sensitive or hormone-relapsed prostate cancer will be eligible for apalutamide treatment after it was recommended by a health watchdog. The Daily Mail 

Long-term air pollution linked to greater risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation

Long-term air pollution linked to greater risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation A new report finds a link between long-term exposure to air pollution and the severity with which a person will experience the effects of COVID-19.

Air pollution has harmful effects on the lungs. When COVID-19, a disease which infects the airways of the lungs, became a global pandemic it raised the question - does air pollution increase the chance of catching COVID-19 or worsen health outcomes if you do contract it? Imperial College London Environmental Research Group

Dismissed for too long: recommendations to improve migraine care in the UK

Dismissed for too long: recommendations to improve migraine care in the UK This report found a wide range of issues with migraine healthcare including slow or no diagnosis and lack of access to specialist care. It sets out the action needed from government, healthcare systems and other organisations to give everyone living with migraine in the UK the support they need. Migraine Trust 

Additional £5.4 billion for NHS COVID-19 response over next six months

Additional £5.4 billion for NHS COVID-19 response over next six months The NHS will receive an extra £5.4 billion over the next six months to support its response to COVID-19 and help tackle waiting lists, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid have announced.

The funding will immediately go towards supporting the NHS to manage the immediate pressures of the pandemic. This includes an extra £1 billion to help tackle the COVID-19 backlog, £2.8 billion to cover related costs such as enhanced infection control measures to keep staff and patients safe from the virus and £478 million to continue the hospital discharge programme, freeing up beds. Department of Health and Social Care

Social care: PM to unveil overhaul of sector in England

Social care: PM to unveil overhaul of sector in England Boris Johnson will vow to end "catastrophic costs" for social care users in England when he sets out long-awaited reform proposals later.

The prime minister will announce the plans to MPs, alongside money to help the NHS respond to the Covid pandemic.

He is expected to breach election promises and raise National Insurance (NI) by about 1.25%.

And the plan has prompted a backlash from some of his own Tory MPs. BBC News

See also: 

• Fixing social care is not all about a cap on costs The King's Fund
• There is an alternative to the Government's social care reform plans The Daily Telegraph
• What has gone wrong with social care in England? The Guardian
• Boris Johnson faces growing red wall rebellion over social care tax rises The Guardian
• Boris Johnson to defy Tory anger with social care plan set to hit workers with higher national insurance bills The Independent
• UK National Insurance rise: How social care reform plans could impact income – and why there’s a backlash iNews
• Why is Boris Johnson's plan for social care reform being widely criticised? ITV News

Government plans October firebreak lockdown if Covid hospital admissions remain high

Government plans October firebreak lockdown if Covid hospital admissions remain high The Government has drawn up plans for an October “firebreak” Covid lockdown should hospitalisations continue at their current level and threaten to overload the NHS, a senior Government scientist has told i.

The member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the UK is about to enter “an extended peak” of infections and hospitalisations, which are in danger of pushing the NHS beyond breaking point and could force the Government to re-introduce restrictions over the school half term period at the end of next month. iNews

See also: 

• United States eclipses more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths per day - the highest in six months The Daily Mail
• Weekly Covid tests for pupils could be scrapped this month, Gavin Williamson says The Daily Telegraph
• No 10 intent on keeping Covid powers amid expected rise in cases The Guardian
• NHS 'ready to go' with Covid jab booster programme, says vaccines minister The Independent
• Covid antibodies ‘tumbling’ among elderly, fuelling calls for booster jab rollout The Independent

Mental health patients in shared wards despite calls for NHS to end practice

Mental health patients in shared wards despite calls for NHS to end practice Concerns raised after minister says there are more than 1,100 beds still in dormitory settings in England.

People with serious mental health problems are being forced to share wards with distressed fellow patients, 20 years after the NHS was told to give them all their own rooms.

There are still more than 1,100 beds in dormitory wards in mental health units in England, despite sustained criticism of their potentially damaging effects on patients, the government has said. The Guardian 

GP staff facing abuse from patients over cancelled blood tests

GP staff facing abuse from patients over cancelled blood tests GP surgery staff are facing abuse from patients who are “angry and upset” that their blood test has been cancelled because of the NHS-wide chronic shortage of sample bottles.

“Patients are angry when we ring them up and say, ‘Sorry we can’t do your blood test after all’. A lot of people are quite angry and concerned about their own health,” Dr David Wrigley, the deputy chair of council at the British Medical Association, said. The Guardian 

Corby's Covid rate now highest in England again

Corby's Covid rate now highest in England again Corby holds the unenviable position of having England's highest Covid-19 case rate once more after a surge in people testing positive for the virus.

The town's high rates topped the chart for the majority of the first three months of 2021 before cases rapidly dropped. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Car sharing could be adding to Covid increase in Northamptonshire warn NHS officials Northants Live 

Corby medical practice warns patients of flu vaccine delays

Corby medical practice warns patients of flu vaccine delays Corby's biggest GP practice has warned patients to not turn up for flu jab appointments because the shipment of life-saving vaccines has been delayed. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Almost £17bn needed to clear backlog and treat expected rise in patients needing NHS hospital care

Almost £17bn needed to clear backlog and treat expected rise in patients needing NHS hospital care Further support and investment in staff and infrastructure also essential to address ‘huge challenge’ facing the NHS, warns The Health Foundation

New analysis from the Health Foundation’s REAL Centre sets out the scale of the challenge facing government if it wants to clear the backlog in NHS care over the course of this parliament and return hospital waiting times to 18 weeks. 

We need to move from person-centred to community-centred services

We need to move from person-centred to community-centred services For many years, health and social care organisations have aimed to create 'person-centred' services built around the individual. But if we want to make a meaningful difference to people's health and wellbeing, I believe there is a need to shift from person-centred to community-centred ways of working. My argument in this blog is that to do so we need to reframe what success would look like; promote more 'mutual' approaches; give community building the same billing (and resource) as public service reform and be open and honest about what gets in the way. The King's Fund 

Clinical and care professional leadership in integrated care systems

Clinical and care professional leadership in integrated care systems This report was commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement, to inform its guidance to support embedding system-wide clinical and professional leadership in all integrated care systems. NHS Confederation 

Prospective parents given more choice over when to start a family

Prospective parents given more choice over when to start a family People across the UK will have more choice over when to start a family as the government sets out plans to increase the storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos.

Following a public consultation last year, proposals will be introduced to increase the statutory storage limits for everyone from the current 10 years, to a 10 year renewable storage period up to a maximum of 55 years. Department of Health and Social Care 

New body to tackle health disparities will launch 1 October, co-headed by new DCMO

New body to tackle health disparities will launch 1 October, co-headed by new DCMO The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will officially launch on 1 October with the aim of tackling health inequalities across the country. It will be co-led by newly appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy.

The OHID will be a vital part of the Department of Health and Social Care and will drive the prevention agenda across government to reduce health disparities, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and improve the public’s health.

People seeking NHS weight loss help heavier than those before COVID new study finds

People seeking NHS weight loss help heavier than those before COVID new study finds People seeking NHS help to lose weight during the pandemic are on average five pounds heavier than those starting the programme during the previous three years, new NHS research has revealed. Extra weight, gained as people lived through the COVID pandemic, means people are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. NHS England 

Covid: Shaken to the core, can the NHS cope this winter?

Covid: Shaken to the core, can the NHS cope this winter? With autumn arriving, the NHS is bracing itself for a tough few months.

Covid, plus the return of normal winter illnesses and a growing backlog, could stretch the NHS to its limit.

How well equipped is the NHS for what is coming? BBC News

See also: 

• Millions of pupils return to school amid Covid spike concern BBC News
• Covid: What Israel tells us about the way out of the pandemic BBC News
• Covid-19: Vaccine passports to start in England this month BBC News
• Covid: Decision to jab children 'entirely up to parents' BBC News
• Nadhim Zahawi hints full vaccination will be required of NHS staff The Daily Mail
• NHS staffing crisis fears as Sajid Javid pushes ahead with compulsory Covid vaccines The Daily Telegraph
• Give pupils Covid jab to prevent virus running through UK, expert says The Guardian
• COVID-19: Forcing all NHS staff to have coronavirus jab 'not necessary', says leading health group Sky News

Flu jab delay: Doctors call for MPs to take action

Flu jab delay: Doctors call for MPs to take action Doctors have queried why the government did not plan for a delay to flu vaccine deliveries in England and Wales.

Seqirus, one of the UK's largest suppliers of seasonal flu vaccines, has said the delay of up to two weeks is due to a shortage of HGV drivers.

British Medical Association vice-chairman David Wrigley urged MPs to "to take some action and say why are there were no contingency plans in place". BBC News 

See also: 

• Winter flu vaccine programme ‘cannot fail’ says College in response to delivery delays Royal College of General Practitioners
• GP surgeries in England cancel flu jabs amid vaccine shortage The Guardian
• Winter flu jabs in England face disruption from vaccine shortage The Independent

NHS to receive extra £5.5bn to help Covid recovery, says government source

NHS to receive extra £5.5bn to help Covid recovery, says government source Boris Johnson will unveil his long-term plans for social care and the NHS as early as Tuesday, amid rows over how to pay for multi-billion pound funding.

The PM said he had a plan to reform social care when he took power in 2019, but has yet to announce the detail.

Now, reports of an increase in National Insurance to cover the cost - which would break his commitment not to raise taxes - has led to anger from Tory MPs. BBC News

See also:

• Social care: Plans for reform in England likely this week - sources BBC News
• Chancellor is 'playing hardball' over PM's proposed £10billion tax to ease Covid pressures on NHS The Daily Mail
• Increase taxes not national insurance to fund social care, says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• Boris Johnson faces open warfare with his own party over national insurance hike The Independent
• Politicians' obsession with NHS funding has left social care fat cats to milk the system dry iNews

Reports of sex abuse between children double in two years

Reports of sex abuse between children double in two years Reports of children sexually abusing other children doubled in the two years to 2019, according to police figures obtained by BBC Panorama.

The programme has followed up on research from 2017, when police recorded almost 8,000 reports of abuse among under-18s in England and Wales.

Yearly reports have risen to between 15,000 and 16,000, but cases fell in 2020-21 during the pandemic. BBC News 

Cuts to NHS mental health beds mean more than £100m spent on private providers

Cuts to NHS mental health beds mean more than £100m spent on private providers Plummeting numbers of mental health beds in the NHS have led to a steep rise in spending on private hospitals in England as patients are increasingly sent miles from home to be treated, according to Labour research. The Independent

Coroners warned of mental health care failings in dozens of inquests

Coroners warned of mental health care failings in dozens of inquests Shortfalls in mental health services and staffing have been flagged as concerns in dozens of inquests since 2015, the Observer can reveal, with coroners issuing repeated warnings over patients facing long waiting lists or falling through gaps in service provision.

The Observer has identified 56 mental health-related deaths in England and Wales from the start of 2015 to the end of 2020 where coroners identified a lack of staffing or service provision as a “matter of concern”, meaning they believed “there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken”.

NHS gender identity clinic whistleblower wins damages

NHS gender identity clinic whistleblower wins damages A child safeguarding expert who faced vilification after raising concerns about the safety of children undergoing treatment at a London NHS gender identity clinic has won an employment tribunal case against the hospital trust.

Sonia Appleby, 62, was awarded £20,000 after an employment tribunal ruled the NHS’s Tavistock and Portman trust’s treatment of her damaged her professional reputation and “prevented her from proper work on safeguarding”. The Guardian

See also: 

•  NHS child gender identity clinic whistleblower wins tribunal BBC News

Pilot scheme to link up NHS and social care is increasing delays

Pilot scheme to link up NHS and social care is increasing delays Patients waited longer for treatment under a flagship pilot scheme to integrate health and social care, figures reveal, as experts warn the programme may exacerbate the backlog. The Daily Telegraph

Lucy Wightman's LAST column: Everyone needs to help to ensure we can live safely in Northamptonshire with Covid among us

Lucy Wightman's LAST column: Everyone needs to help to ensure we can live safely in Northamptonshire with Covid among us 'We all need to continue to play our vital part in preventing further cases across Northamptonshire' says county's public health director. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Northamptonshire 16 and 17-year-olds urged to take up coronavirus vaccine offer to protect themselves and loved ones Northampton Chronicle and Echo

GP patient survey 2021: The 10 worst-rated doctors’ surgeries in Northamptonshire as voted by you

GP patient survey 2021: The 10 worst-rated doctors’ surgeries in Northamptonshire as voted by you Patients’ satisfaction with their local surgeries has remained high despite all of the chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Gynaecological cancer awareness month: Specialist nurse from Northampton busts common myths

Gynaecological cancer awareness month: Specialist nurse from Northampton busts common myths A specialist nurse from Northampton has busted a number of common myths about gynaecological cancer as part of an awareness month.

Claire Campbell, Macmillan’s Gynae-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Northampton General Hospital, has put the facts straight on gynaecological cancers and is correcting some of the most common myths. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Osteoporosis: Woman had nine spinal fractures in 10 months

Osteoporosis: Woman had nine spinal fractures in 10 months A woman with osteoporosis said she had nine spinal fractures in 10 months and was left unable to walk.

Karen Faulkner, 61, from Northampton, said prior to being diagnosed with osteoporosis she was a regular gym-goer with a full-time job.

But she said has been now unable to work for more than a year. BBC Northampton

Fixing social care is not all about a cap on costs

Fixing social care is not all about a cap on costs Einstein said that everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. He would surely turn in his grave at the state of the debate about social care reform in England which, increasingly, has been reduced to whether the government will introduce a 'cap' on social care costs and, if so, how it will pay for it. The King's Fund

Deaths from suicide that occurred in England and Wales: April to July 2020

Deaths from suicide that occurred in England and Wales: April to July 2020 This is the first assessment of suicides in England and Wales, based on official death registrations, that occurred during the early months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, until now not feasible because of death registration delays. Office for National Statistics

See also:

• England's first Covid lockdown DIDN'T trigger a spike in suicides, official data shows The Daily Mail
• Suicide rate fell during first Covid lockdown The Daily Telegraph
• Suicide rate did not rise during first Covid lockdown, reports ONS Evening Standard

New hospitals join pioneering study to improve prostate cancer diagnosis using AI

New hospitals join pioneering study to improve prostate cancer diagnosis using AI Six new NHS trusts across England will receive funding for ground-breaking trial of Artificial Intelligence to diagnose prostate cancer quicker. Department of Health and Social Care 

UK and Australia agree to share vaccines to tackle global pandemic

UK and Australia agree to share vaccines to tackle global pandemic The UK and Australia will share COVID-19 vaccine doses to benefit each other’s life-saving vaccine rollout programmes, the government has announced today.

The UK will send 4 million Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to Australia to rapidly enhance their vaccination programme, with the first batch of 292,000 doses due to be shipped shortly. Australia will return the same overall volume of doses before the end of the year. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Half of all 16 and 17-year-olds receive life-saving COVID vaccine NHS England
• COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report published Public Health England
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2021 to 2022 season Public Health England

Covid: Schools aren't infection hubs, says public health boss

Covid: Schools aren't infection hubs, says public health boss Schools are not "drivers" or "hubs" of Covid infection, Public Health England's medical director has said.

Dr Yvonne Doyle said she understood parents' nervousness about schools returning after the summer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

She stressed that lots of measures to cut Covid spread remained in place.

But Prof Calum Semple, a government scientific adviser, said with most adults vaccinated, schools were likely to be a "greater part of the problem". BBC News

See also: 

• Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country BBC News
• Covid: Australia to get Pfizer doses from UK in vaccine swap BBC News
• HALF of all 16 and 17 year olds in England have already had their Covid vaccine The Daily Mail
• No urgency on Covid booster shots for healthy adults, says UK scientist The Guardian
• Covid: NHS 'ready' to vaccinate over-12s in schools in 'very near future', Gavin Williamson says ITV News

Jeremy Hunt: Taxpayers must pay more to fund social care

Jeremy Hunt: Taxpayers must pay more to fund social care The government must find a way for social care to be adequately funded, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said, amid reports ministers plan to raise national insurance.

Downing Street did not deny reports of an increase of at least 1% to improve social care and tackle the NHS backlog. BBC News

See also: 

• Why the time has come for a new health and care premium The Daily Telegraph
• Tax rise for 25 million to pay for social care The Daily Telegraph
• Increase taxes not national insurance to fund social care, says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• Rise in national insurance could fund post-Covid boost for NHS The Guardian

Sexual abuse of children happening in broad range of religious settings, report finds

Sexual abuse of children happening in broad range of religious settings, report finds Most major religions are guilty of "blatant hypocrisy" for covering up sex abuse while preaching "right from wrong", a government-ordered inquiry has concluded. 

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) examined child protection in 38 religious organisations and settings in England and Wales. The Daily Telegraph

See also: 

• Religious groups in UK failing children over sex abuse, report says BBC News
• Child sexual abuse victims let down by ‘blatant hypocrisy and moral failing of religions’, inquiry finds The Independent
• A 'moral failing': Report finds child sexual abuse prevalent in institutions across major UK religions Sky News

Around 78 million people may have dementia by 2030 - a 45% increase - WHO predicts

Around 78 million people may have dementia by 2030 - a 45% increase - WHO predicts About 78 million people may have dementia by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates in a new report. 

It would be a 42 percent increase from current figures - the number was 55 million in 2019.

By 2050, the number of people with dementia could be 139 million, the WHO says - a whopping 153 percent increase from 2019. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• World failing to address dementia challenge World Health Organization
• Global status report on the public health response to dementia World Health Organization