Three quarters of UK adults vaccinated with first dose

Three quarters of UK adults vaccinated with first dose More than three quarters of UK adults have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures published today (2 June) show, as the vaccination programme continues at pace. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• New international approach to combat emerging health threats as crucial G7 health talks begin Department of Health and Social Care
• G7 Chair’s statement on vaccine confidence Department of Health and Social Care
• Speech: How we got here: lessons from the UK vaccine rollout Department of Health and Social Care

Covid-19: Health staff in plea for better protection

Covid-19: Health staff in plea for better protection More than 20 healthcare organisations, including those representing nurses, doctors, surgeons and therapists, are calling for stricter UK guidelines to be introduced on face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

In a virtual meeting with officials, they will say existing rules leave them vulnerable to infection through the air, especially by new Covid variants. BBC News

See also:

• Covid Could a third wave change 21 June plans in England? BBC News
• Covid-19: UK's data encouraging, says government adviser BBC News
• Covid: What do under-30s need to know about the vaccine? BBC News
• UK's daily Covid cases jump by a third in a week to 4,330 and 12 more deaths are recorded The Daily Mail
• EU delays adding UK to Covid ‘white list’ over fears of Delta variant The Guardian
• Vietnam variant: What is the new mutation of the India Covid strain? The Independent 

Self-harm in over-65s ‘needs post-pandemic focus’

Self-harm in over-65s ‘needs post-pandemic focus’ Self-harm among the over-65s must receive greater focus because of the increased risks associated with the pandemic, a leading expert has said.

Loneliness, bereavement and reluctance to access GPs can all be causes in older adults, said Prof Nav Kapur, who has produced guidelines on the subject.

He warned that in over-65s, without the right help, self-harm can also be a predictor of later suicide attempts. BBC News 

Priti Patel planning 'stealth tax on frontline heroes' with visa fee hike for NHS staff from EU

Priti Patel planning 'stealth tax on frontline heroes' with visa fee hike for NHS staff from EU Priti Patel is planning to hike visa fees for NHS and other workers from EU countries, triggering criticism of “a stealth tax on frontline heroes”. The Independent

Forbes lists Northampton NHS employee as one of top 30 healthcare leaders under the age of 30

Forbes lists Northampton NHS employee as one of top 30 healthcare leaders under the age of 30 Tremaine Richard Noel, head of emerging technology at Northampton General Hospital, developed a digital automation that monitored oxygen levels for coronavirus patients 24/7 without human intervention at the start of the pandemic. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

GP services in North Northants continue online as practices see patient numbers surge

GP services in North Northants continue online as practices see patient numbers surge Patients at GP surgeries in the north of the county will have to battle online booking and phone systems for the foreseeable future as face-to-face appointments become less common. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

KGH team win prestigious national award for work during pandemic

KGH team win prestigious national award for work during pandemic A team at Kettering General Hospital has won a prestigious award for the way it has cared for vulnerable patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Digestive Diseases Unit (DDU) team won a Cavell Star Award from the Cavell Nurses' Trust, which recognises outstanding care for patients and their families.  Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Happy to help: the welfare effects of a nationwide micro-volunteering programme

Happy to help: the welfare effects of a nationwide micro-volunteering programme This report estimates the wellbeing benefits from volunteering for England’s NHS Volunteer Responders programme which was set up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that active volunteers report significantly higher life satisfaction, feelings of worthwhileness, social connectedness, and belonging to their local communities. A social welfare analysis shows that the benefits of the programme were at least 140 times greater than its costs. London School of Economics and Political Science 

National stroke service model: integrated stroke delivery networks

National stroke service model: integrated stroke delivery networks This document outlines best practice stroke care; from prevention initiatives aimed addressing health inequalities, more efficient diagnosis through improved imaging services, cutting-edge treatments and innovative rehabilitation and life after stroke services. NHS England 

Covid: Zero daily deaths announced in UK for first time

Covid: Zero daily deaths announced in UK for first time The UK has announced zero daily Covid deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the first time since March 2020.

The latest figures also reported another 3,165 new cases, compared with 3,383 on Monday and 2,493 one week ago.

It comes amid concern over a recent small rise in cases linked to the variant first identified in India. BBC News

See also:

• Patients with low immunity anxious despite vaccine BBC News
• Covid: China's Sinovac vaccine gets WHO emergency approval BBC News
• Vitamin D does NOT protect against COVID infection or prevent it from becoming severe The Daily Mail
• Vietnam's 'very dangerous' new hybrid variant may be fueling its worst outbreak so far The Daily Telegraph
• UK monitoring suspected Covid variant detected in Vietnam The Guardian
• More NHS staff to get better protection from airborne Covid-19 risk The Independent
• Scientific community divided over Wuhan lab leak theories The Independent
• Vaccination centres are offering spare doses to under-30s but NHS has no plans to change rules for everyone iNews
• Covid: Bradford NHS consultant first in world to receive booster vaccine ITV News

Why is it harder to diagnose disorders on non-white skin?

Why is it harder to diagnose disorders on non-white skin? After finding unexplained dark marks on her skin which she couldn’t explain, BBC reporter Bree Johnson decided to investigate why it seems harder to diagnose skin conditions on non-white people.

She speaks to Kanayo Dike-Oduah, who nearly died as a result of a rare skin disorder, and to Malone Mukwende, who wrote a guide to help medical professionals diagnose clinical signs on black and brown skin. BBC News 

Ambulance crews in England to get body cameras after 30% rise in assaults

Ambulance crews in England to get body cameras after 30% rise in assaults Thousands of ambulance crews in England will be given body cameras after a sharp rise in attacks on NHS staff treating patients, the government has announced. Data shows that 3,569 ambulance staff were physically assaulted by members of the public last year – 30% more than in 2016-17. The Guardian

Northamptonshire has five times more Indian variant Covid cases than we thought

Northamptonshire has five times more Indian variant Covid cases than we thought Cases of the fast-spreading Indian variant of concern in Northamptonshire are nearly FIVE TIMES more than previously thought.

More than a quarter of the known cases are in East Northants, Corby and Kettering. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Freedom to speak up index report 2021

Freedom to speak up index report 2021 Freedom to Speak Up Index report continues to show an improvement in workers’ perceptions of the speak up culture in NHS Trusts But the disparity between the highest performing organisations and the lowest is increasing. National Guardian's Office 

Global medicine spending and usage trends : outlook to 2025

Global medicine spending and usage trends : outlook to 2025 The future level of global spending on medicines has implications for health care systems and policymakers across developed and emerging economies, and these issues are even more important in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic. This report finds medicine spending growth will continue to be driven by traditional factors including patent expiries, launches of new medicines as well as changing volume demand, particularly in pharmerging and lower income countries. Please note that free registration is required to access this report. IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science 

Dangers of children swallowing magnets prompts NHS call for ban

Dangers of children swallowing magnets prompts NHS call for ban A potentially life threatening TikTok trend, involving tiny magnets that can be easily swallowed, has triggered the NHS to call for a ban. These tiny magnetic balls are widely sold as creative toys, with a recent TikTok craze seeing them used as fake facial piercings by teenagers. NHS England 

NHS Vaccination Programme Jabs Half Of People In Their 30s

NHS Vaccination Programme Jabs Half Of People In Their 30s The NHS Covid Vaccination Programme has jabbed more than half of people in their thirties in just over a fortnight, new figures have revealed. More than five million appointments have been made and 53% of people aged 30-39 have received at least one dose since the programme, the biggest in NHS history, began opening up. NHS England

See also:

• Janssen coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine authorised by UK medicines regulator Department of Health and Social Care
• Life-saving vaccination programme to hit more major milestones as new vaccine added to armoury Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: COVID-19 surveillance and immunity studies Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: The R value and growth rate Department of Health and Social Care
• England’s top NHS nurse says volunteering surge can be positive Covid legacy NHS England

Covid-19: Job not done despite vaccination success, scientist warns

Covid-19: Job not done despite vaccination success, scientist warns The success of the UK's vaccination programme does not mean that the battle with Covid is over, a scientist advising the government has said.

Prof Adam Finn said the country remained vulnerable as there were still large numbers of unvaccinated people.

More than 25 million people in the UK have had two doses of a vaccine - just under half of the adult population. BBC News

See also: 

• Covid-19: UK in early stages of third wave - scientist BBC News
• Covid-19: Concern over June unlocking amid hospital pressure BBC News
• 'Very few' Covid hospital patients had two jabs, NHS boss says BBC News
• Covid: WHO renames UK and other variants with Greek letters BBC News
• Coronavirus: How Matt Hancock's and Dominic Cummings's claims about care home testing compare The Daily Mail
• Vietnam detects new hybrid of Indian and UK Covid-19 variant The Daily Telegraph
• Why the Covid Wuhan lab escape theory, dead and buried months ago, has risen again The Daily Telegraph
• Some long Covid sufferers in England waiting months for treatment The Guardian
• Patients were sent back to care homes without Covid test despite bosses’ plea The Guardian
• NHS test-and-trace workers are charged out at more than double their pay The Guardian
• MPs tell Johnson: you have a duty to help vaccinate the world The Guardian
• Covid: NHS chief warns of hospital pressures as Boris Johnson faces decision on lockdown ending ITV News

'Gene therapy is a game changer for our son'

'Gene therapy is a game changer for our son' Baby Arthur is just five months old. He has no way of knowing the treatment he is receiving in his right arm is the world's most costly medicine.

His devastating progressive disorder causes loss of muscle control.

But he has become one of the first patients to be treated on the NHS with Zolgensma, a gene therapy with a list price of £1.795m. BBC News

Children with Tourette's Syndrome and Tic Disorders are being 'totally neglected', NHS doctor says

Children with Tourette's Syndrome and Tic Disorders are being 'totally neglected', NHS doctor says Children with Tourette's Syndrome and tic disorders are being "totally neglected" with a failure to provide even the most basic services in some areas of England and Wales, according to a leading NHS doctor.

ITV News found almost a third of children referred to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) with the condition were told there was no help available. ITV News