Health experts plea to get a jab as flu comes early with hospital cases rising in Northamptonshire Health experts in Northamptonshire are ramping up pleas for people to get flu jabs ahead of a predicted winter ‘twindemic’.
Vaccines are free to those at most risk of suffering severe symptoms.
Government data shows flu cases climbing quickly in the past week at the same time as hospitals are admitting more people with Covid-19, leading to increased pressure on emergency departments. Northamptonshire Telegraph
Myth #2: “The NHS is a ‘sacred cow’ that evades reform, and its exceptionalism is its weakness” The NHS is the closest thing we have to a national religion – or so it's often said. But many critics have claimed that the high value we place on our health system leads to widespread resistance to its reform. In the second of a series of mythbusting commentaries, Nigel Edwards shows this isn't the case – in fact the NHS has perhaps had much too much reform, of the badly planned kind. Nuffield Trust
Supporting doctors through the menopause Female doctors must be well supported through the menopause to reduce the risk of a potential exodus of passionate and skilled clinicians from the workforce, according to Medical Protection.
In its paper Supporting doctors through the menopause, Medical Protection said around one in five female doctors in the UK are aged between 45-54, when menopause is likely to occur. Many could be impacted by symptoms such as anxiety, depression, poor concentration, brain fog, dizziness and insomnia while doing their best to care for patients in challenging and complex environments.
It fears many of these doctors may leave medicine early without better mental wellbeing support, greater awareness from leaders and workplace adjustments.
COP27: Climate change threatening global health - report Climate change is severely impacting people's health around the world, a report by a leading medical publication has found.
The Lancet Countdown report says the world's continued reliance on fossil fuels increases the risk of food insecurity, infectious disease and heat-related illness.
UN Secretary General António Guterres responded that global leaders must match action to the size of the problem. BBC News
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Harm to patients ‘normalised’ as ‘burned-out’ paramedics work without breaks, care watchdog warns Harm to patients has become “normalised” as burned-out paramedics are working without breaks, the national care watchdog has warned.
Concerns over the pressures on staff at South East Coast Ambulance Service have been raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Senior staff told the CQC that patients were being adversely affected by ambulance delays but it was now being seen as “part of the culture”. The Independent
How does residential mobility shape the health of local areas? Residential mobility – people changing where they live, by moving from one area to another – plays an important role in shaping public health in local areas. But this has often been overlooked in research and policy discussions. The Health Foundation
Cost of living crisis forcing nurses to quit their NHS pensions The cost of living crisis is forcing nurses to quit their pensions, according to new figures.
The number of staff leaving the NHS pension scheme has doubled from 30,270 to 66,167 in just one year, according to an analysis by The Royal College of Nursing. The Independent
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Myth #1: “We already spend too much on health – and despite this our outcomes are poor” It has become commonplace to argue that the NHS is a ‘bottomless pit’ consuming greater amounts from the public purse than other countries. In the first in a new commentary series, Nigel Edwards untangles this and other similar claims to show that they're not quite borne out by the evidence. Nuffield Trust
What to do about dying? We don’t like to think about death. To many, death and dying have no value and are relegated to the margins of our lives.
But about half a million of us in Britain die each year, mostly in our 80s, with half of us dying in our usual place of residence – in our own bed.
With palliative care stretched and family and friends often left unsupported, what could be an enriching and meaningful phase of life can become over-medicalised, transactional and feared. Podcast from The Health Foundation
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
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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
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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
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 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
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
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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
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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
