The NHS estate backlog grows again

The NHS estate backlog grows again Annual data on the NHS estate is surprisingly fascinating. For example, NHS Digital’s latest estates publication tells us that two NHS hospitals still use coal-fired boilers; the occupied floor area of Addenbrooke’s Hospital would cover 58 football pitches; and Barts Health NHS Trust spent £13.9 million on inpatient food in 2019/20. The King's Fund 

Modern ward rounds: good practice for multidisciplinary inpatient review

Modern ward rounds: good practice for multidisciplinary inpatient review This report (produced together with the Royal College of Nursing, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and NHS England, and developed along with patients) sets out best practice for modern ward rounds. It brings together the good practice currently being delivered in the NHS and enables clinical teams to self-assess against this and identify priorities for improvement. Royal College of Physicians 

Clinical practice guide for improving the management of adult Covid-19 patients in secondary care

Clinical practice guide for improving the management of adult Covid-19 patients in secondary care Drawing on the GIRFT programme’s data-driven methodology and the wealth of experience of its national clinical leads, the guide covers infection prevention and control, emergency medicine, critical care, anaesthesia, acute and general medicine, respiratory medicine, diabetes care, and geriatric medicine and community care, as well as looking at cross-cutting themes such as trust leadership and management, research and clinical coding. Getting It Right First Time 

The world of health and social care is changing — so are we

The world of health and social care is changing — so are we The CQC's draft strategic plan for the next five years is open for public consultation. It aims to make regulation more relevant, working with health and care services to find solutions to problems and improve outcomes for everyone. The CQC also wants to be more flexible to help manage risk and uncertainty. The consultation closes on 4 March 2021. Care Quality Commission

Landmark reform of mental health laws

Landmark reform of mental health laws People with mental health issues who are detained under the Mental Health Act will benefit from landmark reforms which provide more control over their care and treatment, the government has announced today.

A package of reforms has been set out in a wide-ranging new Reforming the Mental Health Act white paper, which builds on the recommendations made by Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act in 2018. Department of Health and Social Care 

See also:

• 'Discriminatory' mental health system overhauled BBC News

Covid: Large trial of new treatment begins in UK

Covid: Large trial of new treatment begins in UK A large-scale trial of a new treatment it is hoped will help stop Covid-19 patients from developing severe illness has begun in the UK.

The first patient received the treatment at Hull Royal Infirmary on Tuesday afternoon.

It involves inhaling a protein called interferon beta which the body produces when it gets a viral infection. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: 2020 saw most excess deaths since World War Two BBC News
• Covid: NHS doctor 'receives 20 to 30 abusive messages a day' BBC News
• Long Covid: Virus 'like Russian roulette' for young and healthy BBC News
• Covid: Play your part in fight against virus, says Patel BBC News
• Covid UK: Boots and Superdrug won't start vaccinations til THURSDAY The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: ALL over-50s to get vaccinated by MAY, says government The Daily Mail
• Covid is now behind a THIRD of all deaths in England and Wales The Daily Mail
• Rapid lateral flow Covid tests No10 is using are too inaccurate, scientist warns The Daily Mail
• Thousands of patients sent to hotels to free hospital beds for Covid The Daily Telegraph
• Vaccine supply is what is holding back jabs programme, says Matt Hancock The Guardian
• Covid: vaccinating our way out of a crisis – podcast The Guardian
• 2020 was deadliest year in a century in England and Wales, says ONS The Guardian
• Patel says Covid rules 'tough enough' despite another 1,243 deaths The Guardian
• Coronavirus poses ‘very real’ risk to life, say public health officials after anti-vax leaflets distributed in London The Independent
• COVID-19: New cases may be running at 250,000 a day, and pressure on NHS 'won't start easing until March'  Sky News

Nearly half of NHS critical care staff report PTSD, depression or anxiety

Nearly half of NHS critical care staff report PTSD, depression or anxiety Nearly half of intensive care staff reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression or anxiety, according to research that led experts to say NHS workers are “suffering more than combat troops”.

The findings, based on responses from 709 doctors, nurses and other clinical roles across six NHS hospitals in England, date from June and July 2020, after the height of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. About 45% reported symptoms consistent with a probable diagnosis of PTSD, severe depression and anxiety. The Guardian

See also:

• Mental health of staff working in intensive care during COVID-19 (open access) Occupational Medicine
• Covid: Many NHS staff 'traumatised' by first wave of virus, study shows BBC News
• Mental health of NHS staff placed under further strain as Covid hospitalisations continue to rise The Independent

New training for NHS maternity staff to boost babies safety

New training for NHS maternity staff to boost babies safety Hundreds of senior midwives are to be given new training to help improve culture and leadership across 126 NHS trusts.

Patient safety minister Nadine Dorries said a new £500,000 maternity leadership programme would be rolled out later this year aimed at giving senior staff running maternity wards the skills and knowledge they need to boost culture and safety. The Independent

See also:

• New NHS maternity leadership training to address Ockenden Review recommendations Department of Health and Social Care

These are the 17 sites delivering Covid-19 jabs in Northamptonshire

These are the 17 sites delivering Covid-19 jabs in Northamptonshire County's vaccination programme gathers pace with 25,000 jabs already delivered.

There are 17 Covid-19 vaccination sites up and running in Northamptonshire — with more to follow.

Primary Care teams are currently vaccinating the over-80s, care home workers and their own staff assessed as being at highest risk. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

See also:

• Health chiefs decline to say how many people in Northamptonshire have had second dose of vaccine Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Police are 'increasingly likely' to give out Covid fines - but will it reduce compliance? Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Birthday party and basement bash broken up as Northamptonshire Police dish out £200 Covid fines Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• ‘Worst is yet to come’ for Covid-19 infections - what you need to know Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Experts say Test and Trace is a ‘big failure’ - where did it go wrong? Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Current shopping rules at UK supermarkets during lockdown - including Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s Northamptonshire Telegraph

New Northamptonshire charity set up by cancer survivor to make and deliver 'pick me up' care packages for NHS staff

New Northamptonshire charity set up by cancer survivor to make and deliver 'pick me up' care packages for NHS staff A new Northamptonshire charity will create and deliver care packages full of ‘pick me up’ items to give out to NHS staff during lockdown.

Ailsa’s Aim was set up by Sara Whatley, from Higham Ferrers, who was diagnosed with rare forms of ovarian cancer while pregnant with her now two-year-old daughter, Ailsa. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Main Northampton hospital entrance shuts ahead of three-month construction project

Main Northampton hospital entrance shuts ahead of three-month construction project Northampton General Hospital's main entrance will close for three months as of today for a three-month long facelift project.

The south entrance of NGH is being redeveloped to build a reception area with a Costa, Subway, M&S Simply Food and Stock Shop introduced to the hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the COVID-19 crisis (updated 7th January 2021)

Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the COVID-19 crisis, SCIE (updated 7th January 2021) Those most at risk from COVID-19 – older people, and people with existing long-term health conditions – are likely to be over-represented in the group of people whose rights and freedoms are protected by the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. This guidance sets out what protections the MCA gives them, both during the crisis and in more typical times. Social Care Institute for Excellence 

The Covid-19 vaccine communication handbook

The Covid-19 vaccine communication handbook A team of renowned scientific experts has joined forces from across the world and created this guide to help fight the spread of misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccines. The Handbook sets out the facts, highlighting how the vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective. University of Bristol 

Public health medicine pandemic experience survey

Public health medicine pandemic experience survey This survey report of doctors working in public health and health protection roles has exposed criticism and scepticism with the government’s plans to reorganise Public Health England, and the opportunities for doctors to help shape any changes. The survey further found doctors reporting dangerously highly levels of mental and physical fatigue as a result of battling Covid-19, coupled with resentment with the sense their branch of practice had been overlooked by decision makers. British Medical Association 

The UK response to Covid-19: use of scientific advice

The UK response to Covid-19: use of scientific advice This report analyses of the way the government has received, and applied, scientific evidence and advice during the first period of the coronavirus pandemic up to autumn 2020. It considers the nature and function of official scientific advisory structures, the transparency of scientific advice, and the use of data in informing the UK's Covid-19 response. House of Commons Science and Technology Committee 

Government publishes plan for the largest vaccination programme in British history

Government publishes plan for the largest vaccination programme in British history Tens of millions of people will be immunised by the spring at over 2,700 vaccination sites across the UK, the government has announced as part of comprehensive plans to rapidly scale up the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Department of Health and Social Care 

See also:

• Policy paper: UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan Department of Health and Social Care
• Statement to Parliament: A vaccine delivery plan for everyone Department of Health and Social Care
• More than 2.2 million people in UK receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine Department of Health and Social Care
• Government to deploy first British-manufactured rapid lateral flow antigen tests for COVID-19 Department of Health and Social Care
• New NHS Vaccination Centres Open Their Doors Today NHS England

Which Covid vaccine is better? Pfizer v Oxford v Moderna

Which Covid vaccine is better? Pfizer v Oxford v Moderna The three Covid-19 vaccines are from Pfizer-BioNTech, the University of Oxford and Astra-Zeneca and Moderna.

The Pfizer, Oxford and Moderna vaccines each require two doses and you are not fully vaccinated until a week after your second shot.

But there are many differences between them. BBC News 

See also:

• Covid: UK at 'perilous moment' in pandemic, says PM  BBC News
• Inside Newcastle's Covid mass vaccination centre  BBC News
• Coronavirus patients who have lived to tell the tale share their stories The Daily Mail
• Covid research: Convalescent plasma trial paused as results poor The Daily Mail
• Retired medics are still being asked to fill out THIRTEEN forms to join Covid vaccine effort The Daily Mail
• Hospital's oxygen supply at 'critical level' due to surge in Covid patients The Daily Telegraph
• Sage 'urges Boris Johnson to introduce three-metre rule' The Daily Telegraph
• After an unrelenting year, stressed-out NHS staff deserve more than a clap The Guardian
• This is what an 'overwhelmed NHS' looks like. We must not look away The Guardian
• 'Hot homes' scheme to ease strain on NHS falls well short of target The Guardian
• 'Cummings effect': why are people bending lockdown rules? The Guardian
• Quarter of Covid hospital admissions in England aged under 55 The Guardian
• Coronavirus spreading out of control, warns NHS England chief The Independent
• Covid patients occupying more than 30,000 hospital beds in England The Independent
• Illness among NHS staff and other healthcare workers is hitting crisis level iNews
• NHS workers on 'hell' of Covid-19 wards at Gloucestershire hospital ITV News
• NHS staff debunk Covid-19 conspiracy theories with harrowing messages Metro

Eyesight risk warning from lockdown screen time

Eyesight risk warning from lockdown screen time An eye health charity is recommending people learn the "20-20-20" rule to protect their sight, as lockdown has increased people's time using screens.

Fight for Sight advises looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes you look at a screen.

Out of 2,000 people, half used screens more since Covid struck and a third (38%) of those believed their eyesight had worsened, a survey suggested. BBC News

See also:

• More than 1 in 3 people in the UK report deteriorating eyesight due to increasing screen time during pandemic Fight for Sight

Global health insurance card to replace EHIC

Global health insurance card to replace EHIC UK residents can apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to access emergency medical care in the EU when their current EHIC card runs out.

Under a new agreement with the EU, both cards will offer equivalent healthcare protection when people are on holiday, studying or travelling for business.

This includes emergency treatment as well as treatment needed for a pre-existing condition. BBC News  

Thousands of women had abortions while ‘struggling to access contraception during Covid crisis’

Thousands of women had abortions while ‘struggling to access contraception during Covid crisis’ Thousands of women have had abortions after falling pregnant while having difficulties accessing contraception during the pandemic, healthcare providers have warned.

Sexual health clinics have been forced to shut or run reduced services while staff are transferred to work with Covid patients or have to self-isolate - with the profound disruption leaving many women unable to access their usual methods of contraception. The Independent