Child obesity levels likely to be higher in areas with more poverty and lower breastfeeding rates

Child obesity levels likely to be higher in areas with more poverty and lower breastfeeding rates Children are more likely to be obese or overweight in areas of England where there is more childhood poverty, lower breastfeeding rates and where fewer adults undertake physical exercise. According to a new report looking at Reception and Year 6 children, poorer access to places for children to engage in physical activities is also associated with more children being overweight and obese. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Childhood obesity: is where you live important? Nuffield Trust

Poverty and the health and care system: the role of data and partnership in bringing change

Poverty and the health and care system: the role of data and partnership in bringing change Health and care systems can mitigate, reduce and prevent poverty’s effects on health, but to do this they need to be much better at sharing and acting on data. This long read with the Centre for Progressive Policy sets out the data available, explores existing good practice, and what needs to happen next. The King's Fund

Homeless and Inclusion health nursing: case studies

Homeless and Inclusion health nursing: case studies This collection of case studies demonstrates the role that specialist homeless and inclusion health nurses play in protecting and improving the health and wellbeing of the most disadvantaged members of society. Queen’s Nursing Institute

Pathfinder 2022: faster, further and fairer

Pathfinder 2022: faster, further and fairer This report shows that although there have been significant improvements over the years for women with ovarian cancer, not enough progress has been made in diagnosis, awareness, treatment and support. It reveals that if diagnosis was faster, further support was available and access to treatment was fairer, there could be potential for more women to survive, live well with ovarian cancer and be supported from diagnosis and throughout treatment. Target Ovarian Cancer

Flu comes early in England, with hospital cases rising

Flu comes early in England, with hospital cases rising Cases of flu have climbed quickly in the past week in England, suggesting the season has begun earlier than normal, say officials.

People may have little immunity to flu after a break from the disease during Covid pandemic restrictions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says hospital and ICU admissions for the respiratory disease are rising the fastest in children under five.

Hospital rates are going up among the elderly too. BBC News

See also:

• Flu starts to bite... but Covid's easing! The Daily Mail
• Warning for parents after rise in hospitalisations for flu in children under 5 The Independent
• COVID rates start to fall but cases of serious flu rising fast in young children Sky News
• How many people die from the flu? Our World in Data

Families accept damages over Nottingham NHS endoscopy deaths

Families accept damages over Nottingham NHS endoscopy deaths The families of three patients who all died after undergoing the same specialised endoscopy procedure have accepted damages from an NHS trust.

The patients all died after a procedure called an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Following their deaths, a coroner issued a report calling for changes. BBC News

Gene research finds DNA variants linked to dyslexia in first study of its kind

Gene research finds DNA variants linked to dyslexia in first study of its kind Scientists have for the first time pinpointed a large number of genes that are reliably associated with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is known to run in families – partly because of genetic factors – but until now, little was known about the specific genes that relate to the risk of it developing.

The team behind this latest research claim it is the largest genetic study of dyslexia to date. The Independent

See also:

• Discovery of 42 genome-wide significant loci associated with dyslexia (open access) Nature Genetics
• GWAS of Dyslexia: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GenLang Consortium
• Gene study identifies DNA variants linked to dyslexia University of Edinburgh

Further cuts will kill off NHS dental services, chancellor told

Further cuts will kill off NHS dental services, chancellor told Jeremy Hunt has been told that any cuts to the health budget will in effect “kill” dental services across the UK and deny millions of patients access to a dentist on the NHS.

The chancellor has told members of the cabinet that “everything is on the table” as he seeks to find tens of billions of pounds in savings after ditching the economic plan of Liz Truss, who said on Thursday she was standing down as prime minister. Health is one key area expected to be hit. The Guardian

See also:

• What will public spending cuts mean for the NHS and social care? The BMJ

Lockdown's collateral cancer burden: 40 THOUSAND tumours were 'missed' in first year of pandemic

Lockdown's collateral cancer burden: 40 THOUSAND tumours were 'missed' in first year of pandemic Almost 40,000 cancers went undiagnosed during the first year of Covid, according to official statistics which lay bare the 'true and catastrophic impact' of the pandemic.

Just 290,000 people in England were told they had cancer in 2020, down by roughly a tenth on one year earlier — the biggest drop logged since records began half a century ago. It was also the fewest annual diagnoses in a decade. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Statistics show an average of 789 new malignant cancers diagnosed a day in 2020 NHS Digital
• Cancer Registration Statistics, England 2020 NHS Digital

A THIRD of doctors and quarter of nurses are now foreign nationals

A THIRD of doctors and quarter of nurses are now foreign nationals A third of doctors and a quarter of nurses are now foreign nationals, new analysis revealed today.

It is the first time both of these milestones have been reached.

Some 209 different nationalities are now represented in the NHS, with countries ranging from India and Pakistan — who together account for nearly one in nine doctors — to the likes of Andorra, Micronesia and Puerto Rico. The Daily Mail

Reading the signals: maternity and neonatal services in East Kent – the report of the independent investigation

Reading the signals: maternity and neonatal services in East Kent – the report of the independent investigation Following concerns raised about the quality and outcomes of maternity and neonatal care, an independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust was commissioned. The primary reason for this report is to set out the truth of what happened, so that maternity services in East Kent can begin to meet the standards expected nationally, for the sake of those to come. The report identifies four areas for action. The NHS could be much better at: identifying poorly performing units; giving care with compassion and kindness; teamworking with a common purpose; and responding to challenge with honesty. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• NMC statement in response to publication of the East Kent Maternity Review Nursing and Midwifery Council
• We must work together to fix maternity care Royal College of Midwives
• RCOG responds to the East Kent maternity investigation Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Everything you need to know about the East Kent maternity scandal The Daily Mail
• Timeline of East Kent maternity scandal The Daily Mail
• How East Kent shares chilling similarities with other inquiries into appalling maternity cases  The Daily Mail
• ‘This cannot go on’: NHS maternity care report’s author calls for fresh approach The Guardian
• East Kent NHS inquiry finds better care might have prevented 45 babies’ deaths The Guardian
• Maternity care is not on a journey of obvious improvement The Guardian
• ‘They lied to all of us’: Families who lost babies due to maternity failings call for criminal prosecution The Independent

Government must restore doctor-patient relationship to the heart of general practice, say MPs

Government must restore doctor-patient relationship to the heart of general practice, say MPs MPs accuse the government and NHS leaders of failing to heed the evidence on the importance of continuity of care, hastening the decline of a uniquely important relationship between a GP and their patients, in the midst of an acute and growing shortage of GPs.

The wide-ranging report on the future of general practice urges Ministers and NHS England to acknowledge a crisis in general practice and set out what steps they are taking to protect patient safety. House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee

See also:

• General practice is like calling an Uber, MPs say BBC News
• Seeing your GP should not be like booking an Uber driver who will never see you again, MPs say The Daily Mail
• General practice is 'systemically toxic', MPs warn in devastating report on GP crisis GPonline
• Ministers accused of ignoring scale of problems facing GPs in England The Guardian

NHS England’s new operating framework: what you need to know

NHS England’s new operating framework: what you need to know The new NHS England operating framework outlines the ways of working that will be needed to remodel and improve care and put the health service on a more sustainable footing in line with the new Health and Care Act. It largely addresses five things: purpose, areas of value, leadership behaviours and accountabilities, and medium-term priorities and long-term aims. NHS Confederation

Making research everybody’s business

Making research everybody’s business The RCP, together with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have published a joint position statement setting out a series of recommendations for making research part of everyday practice for all clinicians. Clinical research is essential to improving outcomes for patients, and by improving the efficiency and efficacy of care it can be a vital tool in tackling waiting list backlogs and reducing the pressure on the NHS. Royal College of Physicians

Black Death 700 years ago affects your health now

Black Death 700 years ago affects your health now The devastation of the plague pandemic left such an incredible genetic mark on humanity that it's still affecting our health nearly 700 years later.

Up to half of people died when the Black Death swept through Europe in the mid-1300s.

A pioneering study analysing the DNA of centuries-old skeletons found mutations that helped people survive the plague.

But those same mutations are linked to auto-immune diseases afflicting people today. BBC News

See also:

• Evolution of immune genes is associated with the Black Death (open access) Nature

New UK research consortium given £2m to tackle monkeypox

New UK research consortium given £2m to tackle monkeypox Scientists have been given £2 million to help tackle the global monkeypox outbreak with the creation of a new consortium.

A team of 25 researchers from 12 institutions will study the virus, look into the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine – which is being used to protect against monkeypox, and develop tests to identify and manage the disease. The Independent

Breast cancer patients in England face delays to reconstruction surgery

Breast cancer patients in England face delays to reconstruction surgery Charity Breast Cancer Now warns of a ‘postcode lottery’ of NHS care for women after mastectomy

Women waiting for breast reconstruction surgery on the NHS in England face a “postcode lottery” of care, with some forced to wait more than three years, a damning report warns.

Two in five women (40%) waiting for breast reconstruction during the pandemic after having their breasts removed due to cancer faced a delay of 24 months or longer, according to research involving 1,246 women who either underwent reconstruction surgery or were waiting for it. The Guardian

See also:

• Delivering real choice: the future of breast reconstruction in England (report) Breast Cancer Now
• Half of UK women say pandemic had ‘significant impact’ on their wait for and experience of breast reconstruction, as data reveals 34% decrease in breast reconstruction activity in England compared to pre-pandemic Breast Cancer Now

Don't panic about the 'most vaccine-resistant Covid strain ever'!

Don't panic about the 'most vaccine-resistant Covid strain ever'! Britons should 'not get too alarmed' that an Omicron sub-variant dubbed 'the most vaccine-resistant yet' has been spotted in the UK, experts insisted today.

The mutant strain — called XBB — has accumulated mutations which scientists fear make it harder for the body to spot.  The Daily Mail

See also:

• The NHS retirees who returned to vaccinate England BBC News
• Swarm of Covid sub-variants show ‘increased transmissibility and immune escape’ The Daily Telegraph
• Covid: Number of weekly deaths in England and Wales jumps by nearly 40% Evening Standard
• Updated Moderna Covid booster gives even better protection than earlier jab The Guardian
• New machine learning tool can help predict patients most at risk of COVID-19 Imperial College London

£400 bribes really DO help pregnant women stop smoking

£400 bribes really DO help pregnant women stop smoking Pregnant women given up to £400 in high street shopping vouchers were twice as likely to quit smoking, a landmark study has found.

Experts say the financial incentives were 'highly effective' in helping women stop smoking during pregnancy.

The UK-wide study, led by the University of Glasgow, included almost 1,000 women. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Effect of financial voucher incentives provided with UK stop smoking services on the cessation of smoking in pregnant women (CPIT III): pragmatic, multicentre, single blinded, phase 3, randomised controlled trial (open access) BMJ

Desborough mum given incurable ovarian cancer diagnosis visited her GP 11 times

Desborough mum given incurable ovarian cancer diagnosis visited her GP 11 times  Desborough woman told she has incurable ovarian cancer visited her GP 11 times to report her symptoms before finding out why she was suffering.

Mo Easton waited over a year for the right diagnosis and is now living with her fourth recurrence of the deadliest gynaecological cancer – ovarian cancer.

The 77-year-old is working with charity Target Ovarian Cancer to highlight its latest state-of-the-nation report highlighting lack of progress in combating the disease. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Young artists wow Northampton General Hospital staff by brightening up new Critical Care Unit

Young artists wow Northampton General Hospital staff by brightening up new Critical Care Unit Young artists wowed staff at Northampton General Hospital’s new Critical Care Unit by using their amazing work to splash some colour on its walls.

A staggering 144 pieces of artwork were submitted by pupils at Northampton School for Boys, Northampton School for Girls, Wootton Park School and Caroline Chisholm School as part of a competition supported by Northamptonshire Health Charity. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: the workforce report 2022

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: the workforce report 2022 This report finds that the number of doctors joining the workforce overall has grown by around 17 per cent over the last five years, but that growth is not consistent. It varies considerably between different groups of doctors, leaving a shortfall in primary care that puts at risk patients’ ability to access GP services. The number of specialty and associate specialty (SAS) and locally employed (LE) doctors on the GMC register has increased at six times the rate of GPs, largely driven by doctors coming from overseas. Current rules actively prevent these doctors from working in areas like primary care and the GMC is proposing the government change the Performers List criteria, to allow more doctors to work in general practice. General Medical Council

See also:

• Many unknowns in GMC’s primary care SAS proposal BMA
• HEE responds to the latest GMC Workforce report Health Education England
• The King’s Fund responds to the General Medical Council’s workforce report The King's Fund
• Increasing GP numbers must continue to be focus of addressing workforce crisis Royal College of General Practitioners
• RCPCH comments on the GMC’s State of medical education and practice Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• RCP responds to GMC workforce report Royal College of Physicians

Operating framework for NHS England

Operating framework for NHS England This operating framework sets out how NHS England will operate in the new structure created by the 2022 Health and Care Act. The framework describes the roles that NHS England, integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS providers will now play, working alongside our partners in the wider health and care system. It shows how accountabilities and responsibilities will be allocated to improve local health and care outcomes in a way that maximises taxpayer value for money. The framework has been co-created with 300 system leaders, organisations and stakeholders, including Health Education England and NHS Digital.

Guidance: Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why

Guidance: Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why This guidance explains to patients how they can help protect themselves and their children against flu this winter. It includes information for children, eligible adults and pregnant women, and details why it’s very important that people at increased risk from flu, or who care for someone vulnerable, to have their free vaccination every year. UK Health Security Agency

Respiratory illness may take up half of NHS beds this winter

Respiratory illness may take up half of NHS beds this winter Up to half of all hospitals beds in England could be occupied by patients with respiratory infections, including Covid and flu, NHS England says.

The warning came as NHS bosses set out further details of its plans to help the health service cope this winter.

This includes rapid response teams to help people who have fallen at home and "data war rooms" to monitor pressures.

The return of normal winter viruses along with Covid will place huge strain on hospitals, NHS England said. BBC News

See also:

• 24/7 control centres among new plans to step up NHS winter preparations NHS England
• NHS is setting up 'war rooms' as it prepares for one of the toughest winters in its 74-year history The Daily Mail
• Omicron’s ‘grandchildren’ could dominate Covid cases this winter, experts warn The Independent
• NHS England setting up 'war rooms' to prepare for 'toughest winter on record' Sky News

East Kent hospital baby deaths: Dr Bill Kirkup review to be published

East Kent hospital baby deaths: Dr Bill Kirkup review to be published An independent review launched after up to 15 babies died at a hospital trust will be published later.

The report into maternity services at East Kent Hospitals, which is expected to be "harrowing", examined up to 200 cases involving mothers and babies.

The medical experts reviewed an 11-year period from 2009 at two hospitals in Margate and Ashford. BBC News

See also:

• Troubled maternity service still beset by problems - BBC investigation BBC News
• East Kent maternity services still failing us, say families
• 'No-one joined the dots' - grandad who exposed an NHS scandal BBC News
• 'Harrowing' report will say how babies died at scandal-hit NHS trust The Daily Mail
• Babies needlessly died at NHS trust: 'Harrowing' report set to expose catalogue of failings The Daily Mail
• NHS logging baby deaths as stillbirths 'to avoid scrutiny' The Daily Mail
• NHS faces £90bn bill for 'staggering' maternity blunders The Daily Telegraph
• Grieving families to hear results of report into maternity failings at East Kent Hospitals ITV News

Five hours' sleep is tipping point for bad health

Five hours' sleep is tipping point for bad health At least five hours sleep a night may cut the over-50s' chances of multiple chronic health problems, researchers say.

Ill health can disrupt sleep - but poor sleep may also be a forewarning or a risk itself, they say.

There is evidence sleep helps restore, rest and rejuvenate the body and mind - but why the "golden slumber number" might matter remains unclear. BBC News

See also:

• Association of sleep duration at age 50, 60, and 70 years with risk of multimorbidity in the UK: 25-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study (open access) PLOS Medicine
• Five hours’ sleep is tipping point for poor health, study suggests The Independent

Scientists develop more accurate test for cervical cancer

Scientists develop more accurate test for cervical cancer A more accurate test for cell changes that could lead to cervical cancer has been developed by scientists.

The test can also pick up DNA markers for some other cancers, meaning it could in future be used as a predictive test for breast, womb, cervical and ovarian cancer.

When tested for cervical cancer, it performed better than currently available methods for detecting those with advanced cell changes who need treatment. The Independent

See also:

• The WID-CIN test identifies women with, and at risk of, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 and invasive cervical cancer (open access) Genome Medicine
• Four-in-one cancer test… but you'll still need a smear! Scientists say it could spot women at risk of cervical, breast, womb and ovarian cancer up to FOUR YEARS before diseases strike The Daily Mail

A healthy workforce means a healthy economy. Britain can’t afford to be so ill

A healthy workforce means a healthy economy. Britain can’t afford to be so ill | Devi Sridhar The appointment of the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt as chancellor is particularly timely, given one of the largest problems facing the British economy: the growing number of working-age adults who are “economically inactive” – meaning they are neither employed nor looking for work – because they struggling with long-term sickness. Long-term sickness is being driven by two key factors: long Covid and people being signed off sick until they can access NHS care. The Guardian

See also:

• Coffey’s ‘ultra-libertarian’ health stance risking lives, Tory ex-minister warns The Guardian

‘Insulting’: shock as NHS uses offensive term for people with learning disability

‘Insulting’: shock as NHS uses offensive term for people with learning disability Category of ‘mental retardation’ in NHS Digital’s annual statistics demeans patients, campaigners say

The NHS has been criticised for using outdated and offensive terminology in its official statistics when describing people with intellectual disabilities.

NHS Digital publishes annual statistics that record all admissions, appointments and attendances for all patients at NHS hospitals across England and is broken down by specific diagnostic categories. The Guardian

NHS spent £45MILLION on changing staff emails for biggest reorganisation in a decade - Daily Mail

NHS spent £45MILLION on changing staff emails for biggest reorganisation in a decade Health officials spent £45million on transferring staff email addresses as part of the biggest organisational restructure in a decade, MailOnline can reveal. 

The shake-up of the NHS in England saw 300-plus hospital trusts, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and care systems crunched into 42 Integrated Care Systems (ICS). The Daily Mail

The past, present and future of government spending on the NHS

The past, present and future of government spending on the NHS With the Chancellor making further updates to government spending plans and the health service facing crisis on several fronts, there is uncertainty over what the future will hold for health care finances amid such instability. How much is this government really spending on the NHS per person given rising demographic pressures, and how does this compare historically? John Appleby and Sally Gainsbury take a look at the reality. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• From safety net to springboard: putting health at the heart of economic growth NHS Confederation

Performance tracker 2022 : public services after two years of Covid

Performance tracker 2022 : public services after two years of Covid Performance Tracker reviews the state of nine public services – general practice, hospitals, adult social care, children’s social care, neighbourhood services, schools, police, criminal courts and prisons – and their comparative and inter-connected problems.

The report shows that projected 3.4% per year average budget increases set out in the 2021 spending review have fallen – due to inflation and higher than anticipated pay awards – to 1.5%, which is unlikely to be enough to meet growing demands and deal with the aftermath of Covid in most services. At the same time long-term staff shortages are set to worsen due to below-inflation pay rises and the cost-of-living crisis. Institute for Government

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities: one year on

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities: one year on OHID was set up as part of Matt Hancock’s (then   Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) disestablishment of Public Health England. The argument for OHID (acting alongside its sister organisation the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)) was that bringing health improvement expertise into the heart of government, through the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), would ensure a stronger evidence-based influence over wider government policy decisions on health and health inequalities. It was accompanied by the announcement of a Health Promotion Taskforce, a Cabinet committee to help provide the cross-government vehicle for those decisions. So how has OHID been doing, or perhaps more aptly, been allowed to do? The King's Fund

Under pressure: an analysis of primary care pressures facing Integrated Care Systems at launch

Under pressure: an analysis of primary care pressures facing Integrated Care Systems at launch This report identifies 16 of 42 regions where primary and secondary care services are under high levels of pressure going into this winter. The research finds widespread variation in access to services including a nearly four-fold variation in the proportion of patients waiting three weeks or more for a GP appointment. Analysis from nine different NHS data sources including appointment access, waiting times and ratios of staff to patients is used to look at relative pressures between new integrated care systems, established in July 2022 and now responsible for regionally managing health services. Future Health

Covid: Life expectancy still down in many countries

Covid: Life expectancy still down in many countries Life expectancy has been slow to rise again after the shock of the pandemic, according to new research.

Data on registered deaths from 31 countries shows few recovering in 2021, and many seeing further declines.

Countries that rolled out vaccines quickly, to all age groups, have generally bounced back faster.

Life expectancy in England and Wales rose slightly in 2021, while in Scotland and Northern Ireland it fell further, the researchers say. BBC News

See also: 

• Life expectancy changes since COVID-19 (open access) Nature Human Behaviour
• Outrage as Boston University CREATES Covid strain that has an 80% kill rate The Daily Mail
• ‘They can’t ignore us any more’: five women on long Covid and medical misogyny The Guardian
• Scientists identify new Covid subvariant that is best yet at beating immune system The Independent
• Covid jab rates vary in England in children of different ethnicities New Scientist
• Why are Covid-19 cases rising again? New Statesman
• COVID pandemic caused changes to global mortality not seen in 70 years, say researchers Sky News

End rules stopping thousands of doctors working in GP surgeries, says GMC chief

End rules stopping thousands of doctors working in GP surgeries, says GMC chief Exclusive: regulator warns ‘patients will suffer’ if growing group of medics in NHS restricted mainly to hospitals

Thousands of doctors are being prevented from working in overstretched GP surgeries across the UK because of unnecessary “red tape”, leaving NHS patients experiencing “unprecedented” waits for care, the head of the doctors’ regulator in the UK has said.

Charlie Massey, the chief executive of the General Medical Council, said barriers that stopped medics from being deployed to meet areas of high demand, such as in primary care, must be removed urgently if the NHS workforce crisis was to be resolved and access to care improved. The Guardian

Children’s health chief calls for free school meals for all to end ‘disturbing’ food poverty

Children’s health chief calls for free school meals for all to end ‘disturbing’ food poverty The government must offer all children free school meals to address the country’s “profoundly disturbing” food poverty rates, the NHS’ most senior paediatrician says.

Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, warned the cost of living crisis was forcing struggling families to turn to unhealthy food and called on the government to act. The Independent

'Scant evidence' that social prescribing works

'Scant evidence' that social prescribing works Gardening clubs, art classes and walking groups have all been hailed as healthy alternatives to popping pills.

But there is 'scant evidence' social prescribing actually improves people's health, according to a scientific review.

Researchers found no consistent evidence that the radical approach to treatment — now widely available on the NHS — actually works. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Effect of social prescribing link workers on health outcomes and costs for adults in primary care and community settings: a systematic review (open access) BMJ Open

The dating-style matchmaker that pairs patients with cutting-edge trials

The dating-style matchmaker that pairs patients with cutting-edge trials The process couldn’t be simpler — you enter your name, date of birth, a few key characteristics about yourself and then wait for interested parties to click on your profile.

But this is not internet dating. Instead, it’s a new way of recruiting people to clinical trials that promises to speed up the development of life-saving medicines, potentially slashing the time it takes to get new drugs on to the market and transforming the way medical research is carried out. The Daily Mail

Corby Lakeside research team wins award for medical trial work

Corby Lakeside research team wins award for medical trial work Doctors working at Corby’s Lakeside Research have received awards from a regional clinical research network for their teamwork.

National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) East Midlands awarded the Corby medics two accolades.

As well as winning the ‘outstanding achievement by a team’ award they were also shortlisted in the ‘excellent example of collaborative working’ category. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Should emergency departments move patients to other wards even when there's no bed space available?

Should emergency departments move patients to other wards even when there's no bed space available? With emergency departments beyond capacity throughout the country, some hospitals have been trialling an approach of moving a set number of patients into inpatient wards each hour, regardless of bed availability. Is this a viable solution to the problems faced throughout the system? Dr Louella Vaughan assesses the evidence and argues for further caution before rolling out such a model. Nuffield Trust

Introducing integrated care systems: joining up local services to improve health outcomes

Introducing integrated care systems: joining up local services to improve health outcomes This report examines the setup of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and their partners and the risks they must manage. The report is not an assessment of whether the programme has secured good value for money to date because ICSs have only recently taken statutory form. Instead, it is an assessment of where they are starting from and the challenges and opportunities ahead. It makes recommendations intended to help manage those risks and realise those opportunities. National Audit Office

The bet against the NHS – how likely is a two-tier healthcare system in the UK?

The bet against the NHS – how likely is a two-tier healthcare system in the UK? This briefing unpacks the background and policy landscape creating increased concerns for the health care system in the UK. It explains how for-profit health care provision has grown in the past two decades, the role of the Government in creating an environment that encouraged this growth, and the effect this has on patients and the way we access treatment based on ability to pay rather than level of need. Centre for Health and the Public Interest

NHS delivers record number of lifesaving cancer checks as long waits for care continue to fall

NHS delivers record number of lifesaving cancer checks as long waits for care continue to fall More people than ever before received a lifesaving NHS cancer check in August alongside continued progress against the elective recovery plan, new figures show today.

Over a quarter of a million people (255,055) were checked following an urgent GP referral in August – the highest number since records began. NHS England

Guidance: The R value and growth rate

Guidance: The R value and growth rate The latest reproduction number (R) and growth rate of coronavirus (COVID-19). UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Research: Consensus statements and medium-term projections on COVID-19 UK Health Security Agency

Covid cases rise as one in 37 has virus in UK

Covid cases rise as one in 37 has virus in UK The latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest one in 37 people in the UK has coronavirus, a rise from one in 50 the week before.

Experts warn of a "notable rise" in older people in England and Wales.

They say vaccines are the best defence against the virus and urge people aged 50 and over and others eligible for booster jabs to get them.

There are fears of a flu and Covid "twindemic" this winter. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Time running out to protect vulnerable, campaigners warn BBC News
• Study links coronavirus lockdowns to birth rate drop in Europe BBC News
• BioNTech: Could Covid vaccine technology crack cancer? BBC News
• Still never had Covid? Thank your genes: Three in 10 people have a gene that blocks infection The Daily Mail
• Covid cases surge across UK again as one in 35 people in England now has virus The Independent

Nurses can leave ‘if they want to’ – they have already had a pay rise, says Thérèse Coffey

Nurses can leave ‘if they want to’ – they have already had a pay rise, says Thérèse Coffey Thérèse Coffey doubled down on her previous comments rejecting any notion of an increased pay offer.

The Health Secretary has said that nursing staff can leave the UK “if they want to” amid complaints over poor pay and short staffing. Nursing Notes

See also:

• RCN responds to media comments by the Health Secretary on not making changes to NHS pay Royal College of Nursing
• Government must act urgently on NHS pay to bring record waiting times down UNISON
• Ballot dates for ambulance strike vote revealed BBC News
• Nurses can LEAVE if they're unhappy about their pay Health Secretary says The Daily Mail
• Therese Coffey: Government ‘has already acted’ to help nurses with cost of living Evening Standard
• Thérèse Coffey says nurses won’t get higher pay offer as strike vote looms The Guardian
• Endemic low pay threatens future of NHS, says union boss The Guardian
• NHS facing mass staff walkouts this winter as unions hold votes on coordinated strike action The Independent
• Higher pay offer for nurses unlikely to be put on the table, Health Secretary Therese Coffey says Sky News

Thérèse Coffey criticised for giving leftover antibiotics to a friend

Thérèse Coffey criticised for giving leftover antibiotics to a friend Doctors have rounded on the health secretary, Thérèse Coffey, after she admitted to sharing prescription medicines with others, actions the British Medical Association described as both dangerous and against the law.

Coffey told civil servants in a meeting last month that she had given leftover antibiotics to a poorly friend, an admission that came as the discussion on how to alleviate pressures on struggling GPs moved on to public behaviour around antibiotics. The Guardian 

See also:

• Health Secretary Therese Coffey admits to illegally sharing antibiotics with friends and family as she faces backlash over plan for pharmacies to offer the medicines without prescriptions The Daily Mail
• Thérèse Coffey's 'nuts' plan for antibiotic prescription without GP okay makes drugs less effective The Daily Mail

NHS struggles as lockdown boozing causes deaths from liver disease to soar to unprecedented levels

NHS struggles as lockdown boozing causes deaths from liver disease to soar to unprecedented levels Deaths from alcohol-related liver disease reached record levels at the height of the Covid pandemic, NHS figures have revealed.

More than 5,200 people under 75 lost their lives to the condition in 2020 – 20 per cent more than the year before and the highest number since records began.

Hospitalisations related to the disease also reached unprecedented levels that year, rising to 25,000 – a jump of 57 per cent since 2010. The Daily Mail 

More Covid patients in Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital as over-50s offered vaccine booster

More Covid patients in Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital as over-50s offered vaccine booster Covid jabs are being made available to everyone over-50 from Friday (October 14) in a bid to reduce the impact of an autumn wave on the NHS in Northamptonshire and beyond.

The county’s vaccination programme this week reached the milestone of 100,000 booster jabs since the latest campaign launched on September 12 urging people to get vaccinated to ensure they are protected against the virus’ most severe symptoms.

Numbers of Covid patients in the county’s two main NHS hospitals have more than doubled since the beginning of October. Northamptonshire Telegraph

RCP sets out urgent workforce solutions to keep the NHS running

RCP sets out urgent workforce solutions to keep the NHS running The RCP has warned that long waiting times in the NHS will become normalised unless the government acts immediately, as well as setting out credible long-term workforce solutions.

In a new policy paper, the RCP reiterates the case for long-term workforce planning and sets out a range of short- to medium-term solutions the government must implement now to keep the NHS running. Royal College of Physicians

See also:

• Government must listen and act on solutions put forward to alleviate NHS workforce crisis BMA
• NHS workforce and spending plans must go further if the government is to deliver its promises The King's Fund
• NHS Confederation responds to the Royal College of Physicians new policy paper on workforce solutions NHS Confederation
• Severe lack of staff piles pressure on overstretched NHS services NHS Providers

Why do diagnostics matter? Maximising the potential of diagnostics services

Why do diagnostics matter? Maximising the potential of diagnostics services This briefing explores the role that diagnostics play in underpinning much of the activity that takes place in the health and care system, the policy focus to date and where attention is needed to ensure diagnostic capacity and capability are fit for the future. The King's Fund

See also:

• Are community diagnostic centres really moving care closer to home? The King's Fund
• Community diagnostic centres may struggle to reduce NHS backlog in current situation The King's Fund

Poor NHS buildings mean poor NHS care

Poor NHS buildings mean poor NHS care I’ve been writing about the poor condition of some NHS buildings and equipment for nearly a decade. Over this time the cost of tackling the problems with NHS buildings and equipment has more than doubled from £4 billion in 2011/12 to over £10 billion in 2021/22. And nearly one-fifth of the repair bill is now for equipment and buildings that are in such a sorry state they present potentially catastrophic risks to patient care.  The King's Fund

See also:

• Estates Returns Information Collection, Summary page and dataset for ERIC 2021/22 NHS Digital
• Billions needed to plug growing NHS maintenance backlog NHS Providers
• Cost of eradicating NHS repairs backlog hits £10bn for first time The Guardian
• Cost of fixing 'crumbling' NHS hospitals soars to record £10bn The Independent

The power of the ordinary

The power of the ordinary Half of adults who have a mental health difficulty had experienced symptoms by the age of 14. Many children struggle with their transitions to secondary school or are affected by exposure to risk factors such as poverty, disability, discrimination or trauma during their childhoods. But many of these problems are preventable. A Million & Me was developed by BBC Children in Need to explore how ordinary, trusted relationships can help children who are beginning to struggle with their mental wellbeing. Projects have showcased early intervention approaches, and provided intelligence for the wider children’s mental health and wellbeing system. 

However, this report raises concerns that this awareness is not translating into enough action to prevent mental ill health in children at scale. It recommends further investment from governments and charitable funders in programmes to boost children’s mental health and prevent later problems. Centre for Mental Health

Over £800m to boost innovation, growth and improve patient safety

Over £800m to boost innovation, growth and improve patient safety Patients up and down the country are set to benefit from innovative new treatments and improved delivery of health and care services following significant funding to support ground-breaking experimental medicine research and advance the UK’s response to patient safety challenges.

Today (Friday 14 October) the government has announced that over £800 million of funding, to be allocated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will go to support specialist research facilities bringing together scientists to create an environment where experimental medicine and patient safety research can thrive. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS invites people 50 and over for autumn boosters and flu jab

NHS invites people 50 and over for autumn boosters and flu jab Millions of people aged 50 and over will be able to book their autumn booster and flu vaccines tomorrow, as the NHS Covid-19 and flu programmes continue to protect the country ahead of winter.

Online and phone bookings will open to around 12 million people aged between 50 and 64 to book their Covid jabs tomorrow (Friday 14 October). NHS England

See also:

• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2022 to 2023 season UK Health Security Agency

Covid protection may be boosted by genes, study shows

Covid protection may be boosted by genes, study shows Some people with "lucky genes" or certain DNA may get extra strong protection after Covid jabs, say scientists from University of Oxford.

The researchers found people with a version of a gene called HLA-DQB1*06 had a bigger antibody response following vaccination than others.

About 30 to 40% of the UK population have this type. BBC News 

See also:

• Human leukocyte antigen alleles associate with COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity and risk of breakthrough infection (abstract) Nature Medicine
• Bereaved families to ask Covid contract PR firms not to bid for inquiry work The Guardian
• When doctors become long Covid patients – and still aren’t believed The Guardian
• ‘I’m going to get there’: they’re slowly recovering from long Covid – but how? The Guardian
• Covid-19 health crisis fears ‘may have led to 14% drop in live births in Europe’ The Independent
• Covid: Professor warns of two new ‘telltale’ symptoms as cases rise The Independent

Public responds to NHS amber alert over donor blood stocks

Public responds to NHS amber alert over donor blood stocks The blood-donation service has been inundated with offers of help after putting out an alert, on Wednesday, warning NHS stocks were running critically low in England.

More than 10,000 appointments to donate blood over the next few weeks have been booked in the past 24 hours.

People can check how and where to donate, at blood.co.uk, but should be prepared for online queues, NHS Blood and Transplant says. BBC News

See also:

• How the NHS's dire blood shortage was sparked by cancelling walk-ins six years ago The Daily Mail

University of Leicester team finds more stillbirths in deprived areas

University of Leicester team finds more stillbirths in deprived areas Research suggests there are higher rates of stillbirth and neonatal death for those living in deprived areas and minority ethnic groups.

A report from a team at the University of Leicester shows that while overall stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates have reduced, inequalities persist.

MBRRACE-UK, the team that carried out the research, said it had looked at outcomes for specific ethnic groups.

The group said it hoped the work would help target support and intervention. BBC News

See also:

• Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Report for births in 2020 MBRRACE-UK

Record 7 million people awaiting hospital treatment, says NHS England

Record 7 million people awaiting hospital treatment, says NHS England About one in 18 have been waiting for more than a year, the figures for the end of August show

The number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to a new record high.

Seven million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of August, NHS England said. The Guardian

See also:

• Fewer ops being done as NHS waiting list hits seven million BBC News
• NHS in 'grave situation' , says Academy of Medical Royal Colleges chair Channel 4 News
• GPs face rising pressure as NHS backlog hits record 7m patients GPonline
• An NHS in crisis and boom time for private health: that’s the bleak prognosis now | Aditya Chakrabortty The Guardian
• NHS waiting list hits record high as A&E performance sinks to new low The Independent
• Patients waiting for routine hospital treatment in England hits record high Sky News

Signs of dementia 'might be visible up to a DECADE before patients are even diagnosed'

Signs of dementia 'might be visible up to a DECADE before patients are even diagnosed' Possible signs of dementia may be visible up to a decade before people are typically diagnosed, a study suggests.

People who performed badly on problem solving and memory tests nine years earlier were more likely to get diseases including Alzheimer's, Cambridge scientists found. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Pre-diagnostic cognitive and functional impairment in multiple sporadic neurodegenerative diseases (open access) Alzheimer's & Dementia

Children at risk of catching measles, mumps and rubella as NHS figures show hundreds missing out on vaccine in Northamptonshire

Children at risk of catching measles, mumps and rubella as NHS figures show hundreds missing out on vaccine in Northamptonshire Hundreds of under-fives in Northamptonshire could be at risk of catching measles, mumps and rubella as more than one in ten have not been vaccinated by their fifth birthday, new figures reveal. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust wins three awards at the annual Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust wins three awards at the annual Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards On Thursday 6 October 2022, Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust picked up three award wins at the annual Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards.

The three awards that the team took home were the “All Age Crisis and Acute Care for the Integrated Response Hub”, the “Seni Lewis Award for the Liaison and Diversion Team with Northants Police” and an “Outstanding Leadership Award” for Adam Smith, Deputy Director of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism. About My Area

Amber alert issued on blood stocks – existing O Neg and O Pos donors asked to make appointments

Amber alert issued on blood stocks – existing O Neg and O Pos donors asked to make appointments NHS Blood and Transplant has triggered an “amber alert” – which came into force today - meaning hospitals have been asked to put in place management plans to protect blood stocks. This could mean postponing some non-urgent elective surgeries to ensure blood is prioritised for patients who need it most.

See also: 

• Shortage of blood supplies prompts amber warning BBC News
• How to give blood in UK: Where can I donate to NHS? What is my type? The Daily Mail
• First ever amber alert for NHS blood supplies could mean cancelled surgery The Guardian
• NHS declares first-ever ‘amber alert’ over critically low blood supplies The Independent

The mental health nurse’s handbook

The mental health nurse’s handbook This handbook is a resource for mental health nurses and their employers to guide their preceptorship and supervision conversations, helping to focus on some key areas of practice. It is intended as a brief practical guide and provides links to other important and helpful resources. NHS England

Narrowing the gap – increasing engagement with digital services

Narrowing the gap – increasing engagement with digital services Following the publication of novel research on digital inclusion in health and social care by Basis Social, Bola Akinwale, Deputy Director, National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme reflects on how the NHS and wider organisations can reduce digital exclusion and narrow healthcare inequalities. NHS England

One in 20 suffer long-term Covid effects, study finds

One in 20 suffer long-term Covid effects, study finds One in 20 people suffer long-term effects after Covid, a study has found.

The long Covid in Scotland study, led by the University of Glasgow, found that effects were more likely to occur after severe infections requiring hospitalisation.

The research showed older women from deprived communities were most at risk. BBC News

See also:

• Outcomes among confirmed cases and a matched comparison group in the Long-COVID in Scotland study (open access) Nature Communications
• First results from largescale long-covid study University of Glasgow
• Over-50s set to be invited for Covid booster and flu jab in England BBC News
• PAxlovid: Pfizer's Covid drug can cause deadly blood clots, study warns The Daily Mail
• Twelve million over-50s invited to book Covid booster from Friday The Daily Telegraph
• NHS to trial booking flu jabs online as it opens COVID boosters to over-50s GPonline
• ‘It felt like I was never going to get better’: patients navigating long Covid The Guardian
• The astounding impact and reach of long Covid, in numbers and charts The Guardian

Black people more likely to develop dementia, large study finds

Black people more likely to develop dementia, large study finds Black people are more likely to develop dementia than white and South Asian people, a UK study suggests.

It confirms previous study findings but the reasons are complex, University College London (UCL) researchers said.

A mix of genes and underlying health conditions, such as high blood pressure and obesity, may play a role in dementia risk among black people. BBC News

See also:

• Risk factors, ethnicity and dementia: A UK Biobank prospective cohort study of White, South Asian and Black participants (open access) PLOS One

Operating theatres go unused as NHS backlog grows

Operating theatres go unused as NHS backlog grows The push to tackle the hospital backlog is being undermined by the struggle to get services back to full strength.

A BBC analysis shows the expected surge in new patients has not yet happened.

Instead, the waiting list in England is growing because the NHS is carrying out fewer operations and treatments than it was before Covid, despite a government push to boost capacity.

Surgeons said it was really frustrating as operating theatres were not being used due to a lack of beds and staff. BBC News

Heart attack responses a ‘shambles’ as patients face eight-hour ambulance waits

Heart attack responses a ‘shambles’ as patients face eight-hour ambulance waits Senior doctors have sent a warning over the “shambles” of heart attack care after pressures on the NHS have left patients waiting eight hours for an ambulance.

The caution comes as several hospitals in the past week have declared critical incidents over the level of pressure on their emergency care services. The Independent

NHS drug shortage spikes by 200% in a year

NHS drug shortage spikes by 200% in a year The economic chaos and rising prices are being felt in the health sector too,  where inflation is hitting medicine manufacturers.

Higher raw material, production and import costs are causing an unprecedented shortage of drugs and leading to soaring prices.

The cost of medicine is one of the biggest outlays for the NHS, and a drugs research team has told Channel 4 News they estimate price rises cost NHS England an extra £136 million over the last year.

Pharmacists say it’s not sustainable.

Bed-blockers: Medically-fit patients to be discharged within 24 hours from NHS hospitals under plan

Bed-blockers: Medically-fit patients to be discharged within 24 hours from NHS hospitals under plan Medically-fit patients may be discharged within 24 hours under NHS plans to tackle bed-blocking.

More than 13,000 hospital beds across the country — one in seven — are currently occupied by patients declared well enough to go home. Some have spent up to nine months on wards.

The years-old crisis, thought to cost taxpayers £2billion every year, has a knock-on effect on ambulance response times and restricts capacity to perform other operations. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS looks at plans to speed up discharge of medically fit patients The Independent

Valuing health: why prioritising population health is essential to prosperity

Valuing health: why prioritising population health is essential to prosperity This report calls on the government to consider the health of the population as crucial to sustainable economic growth, rather than being dependent on a prosperous economy. Raising alarm about rapidly declining population health and widening health inequalities, the report identifies that the nation is facing a ‘ticking time-bomb’ of ill health with current government policies insufficient to meet the scale of the challenge. To-date, principal discourse centres upon healthcare and treatments, rather than developing and sustaining trajectories that preserve health. British Medical Association

NHS faces consultant exodus

NHS faces consultant exodus The NHS is facing a potential exodus of senior doctors as punitive pay and pensions rules force many consultants to consider quitting, the BMA has warned.

The association’s consultants committee has told the Government the health service could face a ‘tidal wave of resignations’ during the next year, after a survey of consultants in England revealed 44 per cent were planning to leave their roles ‘in some capacity’ in the next 12 months. BMA

See also:

• NHS ‘in danger of complete collapse’ as senior medics plan to leave, warns BMA The Independent

MPs call on Government to address postcode lottery of menopause treatment in new report

MPs call on Government to address postcode lottery of menopause treatment in new report Ahead of World Menopause Day, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause (the APPG), chaired by leading parliamentary campaigner Carolyn Harris MP, publishes its final report following a year-long inquiry into the subject.

The MPs findings demonstrate that widespread action is needed across all spheres to improve the situation for those going through the menopause, and the families, friends and colleagues affected by it.

Menopause symptoms can have a debilitating impact on the day-to-day lives of women. Whether from the inability to get the right diagnosis at the right time, difficulties in accessing HRT, a lack of support from their employer while struggling at work, or simply not being able to recognise what is happening to them and their bodies and seek help.

See also:

• Give all women a menopause check at 45, MPs told BBC News
• All women should be offered a health check aged 45 to diagnose early menopause, MPs say The Daily Mail
• MPs call for menopause health checks at 45 and free HRT in England The Guardian
• Offer 45-year-old women a menopause health check on the NHS, MPs say The Independent

£50 million to tackle health inequalities through research

£50 million to tackle health inequalities through research People are set to benefit from a £50 million research boost to tackle health inequalities in local areas and improve health outcomes across the country.

The significant investment, overseen by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will enable 13 local authorities to set up pioneering Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) between experts and academics to address knowledge gaps in local areas. Department of Health and Social Care

Significant milestone reached as extra 2 million scans, tests and checks delivered to bust the COVID backlogs

Significant milestone reached as extra 2 million scans, tests and checks delivered to bust the COVID backlogs Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) have delivered more than 2 million vital tests, checks and scans for patients, with a further 10 centres now approved, the Health and Social Care Secretary has announced today (11 October 2022). These centres are busting the COVID-19 backlogs by speeding up access to lifesaving tests. Department of Health and Social Care

World-first national genetic testing service to deliver rapid life-saving checks for babies and kids

World-first national genetic testing service to deliver rapid life-saving checks for babies and kids The NHS will be able to diagnose and potentially save the lives of thousands of severely ill children and babies — within days rather than weeks — with a world-first national genetic testing service launching today.

Announcing the groundbreaking new service at the first-ever NHS genomics conference in England, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard hailed it as the start of a “new era of genomic medicine”. NHS England

See also: 

• Life-saving gene test for seriously ill children in England BBC News
• DNA revolution 'to save thousands of young lives The Daily Mail
• New NHS genetic testing service 'could save thousands of children' in England The Guardian

People not looking for work due to illness hits record high

People not looking for work due to illness hits record high The number of people not looking for work because they are suffering from a long-term illness has hit a record high, latest official figures show.

The fall in the number looking for work has helped to push the unemployment rate to its lowest for nearly 50 years.

The jobless rate fell to 3.5% in the three months to August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. BBC News

'Not a single penny less' to NHS despite tax hike reversal, says minister

'Not a single penny less' to NHS despite tax hike reversal, says minister The NHS and social care will receive “not a single penny less” as a result of the Government repealing a multibillion-pound tax hike, according to a Treasury minister.

Chris Philp offered the guarantee as the House of Commons took steps to scrap the national insurance rise introduced by former prime minister Boris Johnson’s government. The Independent

Nurses will not get higher pay offer, says UK health secretary, as strikes loom

Nurses will not get higher pay offer, says UK health secretary, as strikes loom Health secretary said there is limited scope for negotiation on 3% offer and she is ‘not anticipating further changes’

Thérèse Coffey has said nurses will not get a higher pay offer, as they vote on strike action for the first time in decades.

The Royal College of Nursing will ballot nurses this week, asking for a higher pay award as well as action to tackle pressures caused by surging vacancies. The Guardian

See also:

• Therese Coffey tell nurses they're not getting more cash as strike action looms The Daily Mail

Old diabetes drugs slash the risk of dementia by more than a FIFTH, study finds

Old diabetes drugs slash the risk of dementia by more than a FIFTH, study finds A class of diabetes drugs that have fallen out of fashion may help prevent Alzheimer's, a major study suggests. 

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) reduced the risk of developing the disease by more than a fifth in a study of more than half a million patients.

The drugs are thought to work by reducing bad cholesterol in the blood and boosting blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain. The Daily Mail 

Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital Trust appoints new interim CEO

Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital Trust appoints new interim CEO A new CEO has been appointed to act as the interim boss of University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group that jointly manages Northampton General Hospital Trust (NGH) and Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust (KGH).

Group chief digital information officer Andy Callow has stepped up in Simon Weldon’s absence from the top job for "personal reasons”. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Union tables claim to increase pay rise offered by Northampton mental health hospital

Union tables claim to increase pay rise offered by Northampton mental health hospital A union representing workers at St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton has tabled a claim to improve the pay increase offer.

UNISON has formally proposed that St Andrew's employees receive either a £2,000 rise at all career levels or the current rate of Retail Price Index (RPI) - presently 11.8 percent - whichever is higher. Northampton Chronicle and Echo