Northampton care home residents at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, says CQC

Northampton care home residents at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, says CQC Residents at a Northampton care home were at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, according to the healthcare watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded St John's Home's rating from 'good' in 2019 to 'requires improvement' after a critical inspection. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• St John's Home inspection report Care Quality Commission

Developing clinical leaders through innovation

Developing clinical leaders through innovation In 2016, I read about the leadership development opportunities offered by shadow boards. Shadow boards offer staff members the opportunity to work with senior leaders on strategic projects and gain an understanding and knowledge of working at board level. I wanted to create something similar with trainee doctors and the trainee leadership board was born. It offered a small group of next-generation clinical leaders at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust an opportunity to learn about leadership in the NHS, take on one of the trust’s challenges and present their solutions to the board. The King's Fund

Global report on ageism

Global report on ageism This report outlines a framework for action to reduce ageism including specific recommendations for different actors (e.g. government, UN agencies, civil society organizations, private sector). It brings together evidence on the nature and magnitude of ageism, its determinants and its impact. It outlines what strategies work to prevent and counter ageism, identifies gaps and proposes future lines of research to improve understanding of ageism. It also includes a discussion on the impact of ageism on health. World Health Organization 

The UK nursing labour market review 2020

The UK nursing labour market review 2020 This report examines the shape, size and state of the nursing labour market, analysing trends in the employment and training of nursing staff across the UK economy. Royal College of Nursing 

Caring as a social determinant of health: findings from a rapid review of reviews and analysis of the GP Patient Survey

Caring as a social determinant of health: findings from a rapid review of reviews and analysis of the GP Patient Survey Public Health England commissioned Newcastle University to explore the consequences of being an unpaid carer of older people and identify evidence about how best to support this group of carers. This report found a lack of clear and robust evidence about how best to support people caring for older populations, and gaps in evidence on key outcomes. It concludes that unpaid caring should be considered a social determinant of health. 

Half of all adults in UK receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Half of all adults in UK receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine Half of all adults in the UK have received their first dose of the (coronavirus) COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures show.

The UK health services vaccinated a total of 26.8 million people between 8 December and 19 March with first doses, while 2.1 million people have had their second dose so far. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Groundbreaking new technology to detect known variants of concern Department of Health and Social Care
• Extra £47.6 million for Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre Department of Health and Social
• Trials to find preventative COVID-19 treatments for most vulnerable to launch in UK Department of Health and Social
• NHS Vaccination programme protects almost 2.8 Million in record week NHS England

Covid vaccine: US trial of AstraZeneca jab confirms safety

Covid vaccine: US trial of AstraZeneca jab confirms safety Results from the long-awaited US trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine are out and confirm that the shot is both safe and highly effective.

More than 32,000 volunteers took part, mostly in America, but also in Chile and Peru.

The vaccine was 79% effective at stopping symptomatic Covid disease and 100% effective at preventing people from falling seriously ill. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: Half of UK adults receive first vaccine dose BBC News
• Why are some towns struggling to shake off Covid-19? BBC News
• Coronavirus vaccines: PM to telephone EU leaders in bid to stop export ban being imposed BBC News
• Covid: Masks and social distancing 'could last years' BBC News
• Travel corridors with Europe let 'significant' number of Covid cases into UK The Daily Mail
• Covid Europe: UK had highest excess death toll after first wave, interactive ONS map shows The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus may cause deafness, tinnitus and vertigo, study says The Daily Telegraph
• Professor Neil Ferguson on the Covid year that shattered our way of life – podcast The Guardian
• EU export ban would delay UK Covid vaccine drive by two months The Guardian
• UK sees record 844,000 vaccine doses given on single day The Independent
• Covid case decline slows in England as Europe braces for third wave  The Independent

We doctors must learn from what went wrong with 'do not resuscitate' orders | Rachel Clarke

We doctors must learn from what went wrong with 'do not resuscitate' orders | Rachel Clarke Patients and their families were not consulted. The CQC inquiry shows that their trust should never be taken for granted

As patients, we literally surrender our bodies and minds into our doctors’ hands. We could not be more vulnerable. For a clinician to exploit this power in any way at all is monstrous, an affront to decency. The Guardian 

NHS steps up help for women suffering abuse or assault after Sarah Everard death

NHS steps up help for women suffering abuse or assault after Sarah Everard death Women suffering domestic abuse or sexual assault are being encouraged to contact the NHS for support, after numbers seeking help halved during the first lockdown.

Health chiefs issued the call to women who are suffering in the wake of Sarah Everard’s death, which prompted large numbers of women to reveal their experiences of assaults and harassment. The Independent

See also:

• NHS urges sex crime and abuse victims to seek help NHS England

Northamptonshire total nears 280,000 as vaccine experts confirm Covid jabs are safe

Northamptonshire total nears 280,000 as vaccine experts confirm Covid jabs are safe Northamptonshire's Covid-19 vaccination teams are urging people not to be put off booking jabs after fears of possible side-effects were rubbished by regulators.

Latest NHS figures published yesterday (Thursday) showed 262,100 people in the county received at least one dose of the life-saving vaccine up to March 14. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

See also: 

• Nearly half of staff at Northampton General Hospital suffered work-related stress last year Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Pop-up coronavirus vaccination clinic at Northampton mosque to encourage harder-to-reach communities to get jab Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• 'Come on Northamptonshire, I know we can do this!' Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Health chiefs "hopeful" Northamptonshire hospitals won't see Covid patients if cases go up Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Covid vaccine appointments 'will not be cancelled' - and second doses will go ahead despite delays Northamptonshire Telegraph
• No-one will be left behind! Northamptonshire's vaccines boss' vow after NHS warns of delays Northamptonshire Telegraph

'Opportunities missed' to save homeless man, review finds

'Opportunities missed' to save homeless man, review finds Opportunities were missed to protect a homeless man who died despite being known by councils, police and hospital workers, a review has concluded.

The Safeguarding Adult Review was commissioned following the death of Jonathan Upex in a Wellingborough hotel in 2019.

It found more than 700 case records had been lodged against his name in a year. BBC Northampton

Roadworks will split Northampton General Hospital in two this weekend

Roadworks will split Northampton General Hospital in two this weekend Anyone heading to Northampton General Hospital this weekend is being warned to plan ahead as roads around the site will be effectively split in two.

Giant cranes move in from 8pm tonight to carry out work as part of a facelift for the southern entrance at NGH. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

The Royal College – Our Professional Home: An independent review on diversity and inclusion for the Royal College of Surgeons of England

The Royal College – Our Professional Home: An independent review on diversity and inclusion for the Royal College of Surgeons of England An independent review into the diversity of the leadership of the surgical profession and of the Royal College of Surgeons.

See also:

• Hospital operating theatres plagued by racist, sexist and homophobic abuse The Independent

The 12-month stretch: where the Government has delivered – and where it has failed – during the Covid-19 crisis

The 12-month stretch: where the Government has delivered – and where it has failed – during the Covid-19 crisis This briefing note explores the past 12 months of the pandemic through the health crisis, the economic crisis, and their impact on households’ ability to cope financially. It considers the big picture of what policy makers have done, how well they have done it, and where it’s left people, both in terms of health and economic outcomes. It concludes that the past year has been marked by successes on income support and vaccines, but also failures on lockdown that have cost lives and deepened the economic crisis, and a legacy of inequality that needs to be addressed in the recovery. Resolution Foundation 

£25 million boost for nurse training

£25 million boost for nurse training The government has announced a £25 million boost for nurse training. The funding will see nurses and other healthcare students benefit from expanded virtual training and the launch of a new national critical care qualification for qualified nurses. NHS Employers 

Research and analysis: Inequalities in oral health in England

Research and analysis: Inequalities in oral health in England This report describes the current picture of oral health inequalities and oral health services inequalities in England and ways to reduce them. Public Health England 

Health Secretary: driving digital in the NHS

Health Secretary: driving digital in the NHS In his first major digital transformation speech since the pandemic began, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has spoken about how technology has made a greater impact on the ability of health and care providers to respond to COVID-19 than any other sector, and the vital role it will play in the future of healthcare as the government focus shifts to build back better.

In his speech at Digital Health Rewired, the Health Secretary outlined the scale of the progress that has been made in health and care adopting technology during the pandemic. Department of Health and Social Care 

£7 billion for NHS and social care for COVID-19 response and recovery

£7 billion for NHS and social care for COVID-19 response and recovery A funding package of £7 billion has been confirmed for health and social care services, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced today.

The NHS will receive £6.6 billion in additional funding over the next 6 months to support the continuation of the NHS response to COVID-19, and the recovery of elective services as hospitalisations continue to fall. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Transparency data: Coronavirus England briefing, 18 March 2021 Department of Health and Social Care
• Transparency data: Coronavirus cases by local authority: epidemiological data, 18 March 2021 Department of Health and Social Care
• Shielding advice for the clinically extremely vulnerable to stop from April Department of Health and Social Care
• Research and analysis: COVID-19: trend in deaths within 28 days of a positive test Public Health England

AstraZeneca: UK clot review confirms safety of vaccine

AstraZeneca: UK clot review confirms safety of vaccine There is no evidence the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine causes blood clots, say UK and EU regulators after a "thorough and careful review".

The MHRA and the EMA say people can have confidence in the vaccine's benefits and should get immunised, despite some countries pausing use.

But anyone with a headache lasting more than four days after vaccination should seek medical advice, as a precaution. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19 nearly disabled NHS says hospital boss BBC News
• UK's death rate 7% above normal in 2020 BBC News
• Covid vaccine: PM to have AstraZeneca jab as he urges public to do the same BBC News
• Coronavirus: The student nurses behind the masks BBC News
• Covid UK: Daily deaths down 47% in a week to 95 as cases drop 7% to 6,303 The Daily Mail
• Britain's Covid vaccine shortage may delay lockdown-easing plans, expert warns The Daily Mail
• AstraZeneca and Pfizer Covid vaccines more effective against Brazilian variant than initially feared The Daily Mail
• Covid vaccine dip spotlights tensions between Matt Hancock and NHS The Guardian
• UK must be wary of South Africa variant as third wave hits Europe, Neil Ferguson says The Independent

Underfunded but ‘fabulously well organised’: a hospital trust chief on the NHS

Underfunded but ‘fabulously well organised’: a hospital trust chief on the NHS University College London’s Marcel Levi talks openly about what he loves and loathes about the health service

A service so underfunded that hospital roofs leak, is worryingly reliant on overseas staff and with an “insular” culture that repels fresh ideas – but which has also performed superbly to save lives during the Covid pandemic. After four years running one of Britain’s biggest hospitals Prof Marcel Levi has some strong views on the NHS and the government’s stewardship of the nation’s most venerated institution. The Guardian