Tory MPs rip out NHS protections from trade bill

Tory MPs rip out NHS protections from trade bill Conservative MPs have ripped out an amendment to the government's trade bill to prevent the NHS being sold off or undermined by the government's trade deals with other countries.

The House of Lords had last month inserted a clause banning any agreement that “undermines or restricts” the UK's ability to provide “a comprehensive publicly funded health service free at the point of delivery”.

The amendment also restricted “the sale of patient data” and the government's ability to control drug prices. The Independent

Bullying on NHS maternity units and poor training a risk to safety, MPs told

Bullying on NHS maternity units and poor training a risk to safety, MPs told Doctors and midwives working in maternity services face higher levels of bullying than any other part of the NHS, MPs have been told.

According to the General Medical Council, trainee doctors in maternity services report more than twice the level of bullying seen in the rest of the NHS while the Nursing and Midwifery Council said midwives were also more likely to be bullied. The Independent

Gender identity development service for children rated inadequate

Gender identity development service for children rated inadequate The UK’s main gender identity development service for children is leaving thousands of vulnerable young people at risk of self-harm as they wait years for their first appointment, according to a highly critical report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took immediate enforcement action against the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust when it completed the inspection in November, which rated the service overall “inadequate” and highlighted overwhelming caseloads, deficient record-keeping and poor leadership. The Guardian

• Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust Gender Identity Service inspection report Care Quality Commission
• NHS child gender clinic rated 'inadequate' by inspectors BBC News

Second Sainsbury's warehouse in Northampton hit by Covid-19 outbreak

Second Sainsbury's warehouse in Northampton hit by Covid-19 outbreak Sainsbury's declined to give the specific number of confirmed cases, but it is believed three per cent of the 450-plus employees have tested positive at the site. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

See also:

• Nearly a third of Covid patients return to hospital within 5 months - new study explained Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Epidemiology of post-COVID syndrome following hospitalisation with coronavirus: a retrospective cohort study (open access preprint) medRxiv
• Police end rule-breaking Wellingborough house party with birthday boy handed fine Northamptonshire Telegraph

Cost of constipation still rising in most English regions

Cost of constipation still rising in most English regions The Cost of Constipation report published by the multidisciplinary organisation, the independent Bowel Interest Group, reveals that the cost of avoidable emergency admissions to hospital because of constipation is rising year-on-year in most English regions.

Useful resources on implementing best practice bowel management can be found here. 

Saving lives, improving mothers’ care: lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2016-18

Saving lives, improving mothers’ care: lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2016-18 This report examines the care received by women who die during or up to a year after pregnancy and covers all pregnancy-associated deaths involving UK women between 2016 and 2018. The results indicate that whilst maternal death is still rare in the UK, there are some important actions identified to prevent women from dying in the future. MBRRACE-UK

See also:

• Perinatal Confidential Enquiry: stillbirths and neonatal deaths in twin pregnancies MBRRACE-UK

Why £2k would make us stay: UNISON survey of NHS staff

Why £2k would make us stay: UNISON survey of NHS staff The survey was launched on 11 December 2020 and ran for a month, gaining around 10,500 responses from staff directly employed in the NHS across the UK. The survey was conducted as part of ongoing work to inform UNISON’s campaign for a minimum £2,000 pay rise for all NHS staff. 

See also:

• The net Exchequer impact of increasing pay for Agenda for Change staff London Economic
• Pay rise immediately would reassure undervalued staff to stay in NHS UNISON
• Government would recover 81% of cost of pay rise for NHS England staff – report The Guardian
• Government must ‘gift exhausted NHS staff pay rise,’ unions say The Independent
• Health union puts pressure on PM to speed up pay rise for Northamptonshire's NHS heroes Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Coronavirus: long Covid

Coronavirus: long Covid This briefing provide an overview of long Covid, the impacts of this condition and the development of clinical guidance and services for those affected. It also provides links to further reading and Parliamentary material. House of Commons Library 

NHS COVID jabs available at rugby ground, racecourse, food court and cathedral

NHS COVID jabs available at rugby ground, racecourse, food court and cathedral NHS staff will start delivering COVID vaccinations at a rugby ground, racecourse, food court and cathedral as the biggest immunisation programme in health service history grows. Ten new large-scale Vaccination Centres, capable of jabbing thousands of people a week, are opening their doors in every health region across the country. NHS England 

Covid-19: Lockdown restrictions could relax once 'top 4 cohorts' vaccinated

Covid-19: Lockdown restrictions could relax once 'top 4 cohorts' vaccinated The government said that the UK could begin to reopen from the beginning of March, once the top 4 risk groups are protected from Covid-19. 

But Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC that there were still a "number of caveats" to reopening, and that we don't yet know the impact vaccination has on the transmission of the virus. BBC News 

See also:

• Covid vaccine: WHO warns of 'catastrophic moral failure' BBC News
• Did we see a Christmas coronavirus spike? BBC News
• Military medics to help in Shropshire hospitals due to staff shortages BBC News
• Covid-19: New variants may mean vaccines need regular updates The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: Boris Johnson criticised amid 'vaccine postcode lottery' The Daily Mail
• UK coronavirus: Mutations mean lockdowns needed as vaccine rolls out The Daily Mail
• Analysis: Why the second Covid wave is nothing like the first The Daily Telegraph
• Rare inquests into UK Covid deaths raise concerns over care failings The Guardian
• As many as six in 10 UK care home residents still awaiting Covid jab The Guardian
• Coroner's Covid findings stoke calls for inquiry into pandemic policy The Guardian
• Coronavirus: NHS critical care beds could reach their limit this week as hospital admissions continue to rise iNews
• How to find your NHS number: Where to get the 10-digit code, and why you don't need it to book Covid vaccine iNews
• UK leading world in getting vaccines to poorer countries, insists Hancock after WHO warning The Independent

Oxford research tackles threat of antibiotic resistance

Oxford research tackles threat of antibiotic resistance Oxford University is opening a new research institute dedicated to tackling resistance to antibiotics.

The university says this is one of the the biggest rising threats to global health, already causing 1.5 million deaths per year worldwide.

The institute will be funded by £100m donated by the Ineos chemical company. BBC News

One in four young people ‘unable to cope with life’ since start of Covid pandemic, study finds

One in four young people ‘unable to cope with life’ since start of Covid pandemic, study finds One in four young people feel they have been “unable to cope with life” since the start of the pandemic, with the unemployed more likely to feel anxious and depressed, a new study suggests. The Independent

See also:

• Young people "unable to cope with life" since pandemic Prince's Trust
• Lockdown mental health: Tips for helping your child BBC News

Hospitals in England told to keep performing urgent cancer surgery

Hospitals in England told to keep performing urgent cancer surgery NHS bosses have instructed hospitals to keep performing urgent cancer surgery despite Covid pressures, after a growing number cancelled procedures because they did not have enough intensive care beds or available staff.

They have told England’s regional directors of cancer to ensure treatment of people who need cancer surgery within four weeks gets the same priority as care of patients who have Covid. The Guardian

Northamptonshire reaching "breaking point" as NHS confirms 15 more coronavirus deaths

Northamptonshire reaching "breaking point" as NHS confirms 15 more coronavirus deaths NHS England has confirmed 15 more coronavirus deaths registered by Northamptonshire hospitals in the last four days.

Friday's daily bulletin revealed ten previously unrecorded deaths at Northampton General Hospital since Monday and a further five at Kettering General Hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Covid-19: Nursing Covid patients 'a harrowing experience' BBC Northampton
• Children's ward at Northamptonshire hospital to be used as Covid-19 ward from next week Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Only a matter of time before Northamptonshire community pharmacists are giving out coronavirus vaccines Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Police dish out 400 Covid fines during first nine days of lockdown in Northamptonshire Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• KGH chief promises children's ward relocation will be internal - but cannot rule out NGH move if cases rise Northamptonshire Telegraph
• These care home residents in Northamptonshire have received the Covid-19 vaccine in the comfort of their own home  Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Anti-mask, anti-lockdown, anti-common sense: Kettering protest planners warned by police Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Police to start spot checks on car-sharing workers on Northamptonshire industrial estates Northamptonshire Telegraph

Five traps to avoid in a new round of NHS legislation

Five traps to avoid in a new round of NHS legislation Long read: With proposals having been made for a significant legislative overhaul of the English health service, in this long read we look at both history and current trends to highlight the traps that need to be avoided if any reforms are to be successful. Nuffield Trust 

Measuring mortality during Covid-19: a Q&A

Measuring mortality during Covid-19: a Q&A With another lockdown underway for most of the UK, Sarah Scobie answers some key questions on how mortality figures are collected and measured during the pandemic. This explainer was originally published last May, was updated again in October, and has now been updated further to reflect the latest data. Nuffield Trust 

Support for staff following patient safety incidents

Support for staff following patient safety incidents This report explores feedback from national investigators around positive efforts identified in the support of NHS staff by their organisations following patient safety incidents. It describes the literature around NHS staff support to attempt to identify areas of best practice and the impact of any interventions. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch 

Communications toolkit for local maternity teams to improve communications with Black, Asian and minority ethnic women

Communications toolkit for local maternity teams to improve communications with Black, Asian and minority ethnic women This toolkit aims to provide helpful suggestions about how to communicate with women of different backgrounds, about the extra support that is available to them, as well as signposting to currently available publications, messaging, insights and templates. NHS England 

New Every Mind Matters campaign

New Every Mind Matters campaign The new campaign launches to support the nation’s mental health, as half of adults say they are more worried during this current lockdown than in March 2020. Public Health England 

Stepping up: the response of stop smoking services in England to the Covid-19 pandemic

Stepping up: the response of stop smoking services in England to the Covid-19 pandemic This report, written in partnership with Cancer Research UK, examines the performance of stop smoking services in England during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. It finds that the Covid-19 pandemic forced local authorities to reconfigure their stop smoking services at an unprecedented speed. Many found that smokers welcomed remote methods of engagement such as telephone consultations. The impact of the pandemic on the NHS meant that NHS providers of stop smoking support could no longer offer the same level support. Many specialist stop smoking services and lifestyle services were able to pick up the demand that could not be met in primary care. Action on Smoking and Health