Clinical radiology: UK workforce census 2020 report

Clinical radiology: UK workforce census 2020 report The RCR's annual workforce census reveals huge shortages across radiology departments – both diagnostic radiologists who enable accurate treatment, and interventional radiologists who treat via non-invasive procedures. The RCR report states that without significant investment in workforce, equipment and new ways of working, patients will suffer, diagnoses will be further delayed, and fewer patients will benefit from life-saving minimally invasive interventional radiology. Royal College of Radiologists

Prevalence of ongoing symptoms following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the UK

Prevalence of ongoing symptoms following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the UK Estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of people with self-reported “long COVID”, and associated activity limitation, using UK Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey data to 2 May 2021. Office for National Statistics

See also: 

• Continuing to deepen understanding of long COVID and its unequal impact is crucial to protect the nation’s health The Health Foundation
• 375,000 Britons say they are still suffering from Long Covid, official report finds The Daily Mail

NHS vaccine lead urges people not to delay second dose

NHS vaccine lead urges people not to delay second dose The director of England’s NHS COVID vaccination programme, Dr Emily Lawson, is urging people that are contacted to bring forward their second jab, to rebook as soon as possible, after she received her follow-up jab this week. NHS England

See also: 

• Over 40 million people receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in UK Department of Health and Social Care
• Leading dating apps partner with government to boost vaccine uptake Department of Health and Social Care
• Major testing drive ahead of return to schools next week Department of Health and Social Care
• The MHRA concludes positive safety profile for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
• Sharp rise in people overcoming hesitancy and saying yes to the lifesaving COVID-19 jab NHS England

Covid-19: Government 'open' to delaying 21 June England lockdown end date

Covid-19: Government 'open' to delaying 21 June England lockdown end date The government is "absolutely open" to delaying the final lifting of England's Covid lockdown on 21 June if necessary, the health secretary has said.

Matt Hancock insisted 21 June was a "not before" date to end restrictions and No 10 "would look at the data".

He said the Delta variant first seen in India was about 40% more transmissible than the Alpha (Kent) strain. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: People in hospital with Indian variant not increasing significantly - NHS boss BBC News
• UK Covid infections rise by two-thirds from low level BBC News
• Covid vaccine stickers come to dating apps in UK BBC News
• Covid: PM to push for world vaccination by end of 2022 BBC News
• Coronavirus: UK regulator approves Pfizer Covid vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus: Indian 'Delta' variant may raise hospital risk, Public Health England warns The Daily Mail
• Vaccinated Britons can enter France freely from next week The Daily Telegraph
• Catching up in Britain: experts assess the scale of the challenge The Guardian
• What can the UK government do to stave off a third Covid wave? The Guardian
• ‘Mix and match’ Covid booster jabs may be offered in UK The Guardian
• End of lockdown poses Boris Johnson one of his toughest decisions The Guardian
• ‘Broken’ NHS staff ‘terrified’ about 21 June lockdown lifting The Independent
• Will the UK go back into lockdown? Everything we know so far The Independent
• Bolton Covid-19 hospital patients 'a lot younger' than in previous waves of the pandemic, NHS chief says iNews

Patient data transfer still set to start in July

Patient data transfer still set to start in July The government is proceeding with the creation of a central store of data from GP records in England next month, despite the NHS suggesting a delay.

The data is moving to a central NHS Digital database, with the Department of Health saying it expects GPs to introduce the system from 1 July.

The NHS wanted a delay until September so patients had more time to learn about the system, the BBC has learned. BBC News

See also:

• National data opt-out NHS Digital
• What’s happening with your NHS data? Full Fact
• College writes to Health Secretary calling for immediate delay to patient data proposals Royal College of General Practitioners
• Government faces legal challenge over NHS data sharing plan Computing
• BCS: Lack of communication over NHS GPDPR ‘astonishing’ Computer Weekly
• Why are there calls for patient data-sharing scheme to be halted? The Guardian
• The NHS data grab: why we should be concerned about plans for GPs’ records The Guardian
• Labour asks NHS and Matt Hancock to pause plans for sharing patient data The Guardian
• Tell me how you’ll use my medical data. Only then might I sign up | Kenan Malik The Guardian
• The Tories have worked out how to pull off an NHS data grab: do it during a pandemic | Marina Hyde The Guardian
• Plan for NHS to collect patient data from GPs should be delayed over privacy fears, says Labour Sky News

UK needs national register for eating disorder deaths, MPs say

UK needs national register for eating disorder deaths, MPs say Eating disorder deaths need to be recorded on a national register, MPs are urging, as experts warn of an underreported “crisis” in the growing number of people in the UK experiencing life-threatening disorders.

While Office for National Statistics figures show 36 people died in 2019 from conditions such as anorexia, there are concerns this underestimates the true toll. The Guardian

See also:

• ‘Young people need help’: parents call for change in eating disorder care The Guardian

Ambulance staff in Northamptonshire will now wear body cams due to increased assault incidents

Ambulance staff in Northamptonshire will now wear body cams due to increased assault incidents More than 1,000 cases of assault were reported by ambulance staff in the last 12 months.

Ambulance staff across Northamptonshire and the rest of the region will now wear body cameras while on shift due to an increase in the number of assault incidents. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

The invisible epidemic: rethinking the detection and treatment of structural heart disease in Europe

The invisible epidemic: rethinking the detection and treatment of structural heart disease in Europe This report considers the impact of structural heart disease (SHD) in an ageing society. It sets out the health and economic case for governments to invest in SHD, followed by the key barriers that contribute to suboptimal detection and treatment and recommendations for how governments, healthcare systems and patients can address these issues. International Longevity Centre UK 

Providers deliver: collaborating for better care

Providers deliver: collaborating for better care A report by NHS Providers, Providers deliver: collaborating for better care features 14 innovative cases studies which showcase successful cooperation between providers in the acute, mental health, community and ambulance sectors, working together and with local partners.

The case studies provide a striking insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the drive towards collaboration both within and across integrated care systems (ICSs), with providers and wider system partners supporting each other during an incredibly challenging time. 

Clinically led review of urgent and emergency care standards

Clinically led review of urgent and emergency care standards The NHS National Medical Director was asked to review the current NHS access standards to ensure they measure what matters most to patients and clinically. In December 2020, the recommendations from the clinically-led review of NHS access standards for urgent and emergency care were published for consultation alongside the strategy for transforming urgent and emergency care provision. This document summarises the responses to the consultation and next steps. NHS England and NHS Improvement 

Over half of UK adults vaccinated with second dose

Over half of UK adults vaccinated with second dose Over half of UK adults have been vaccinated with a second dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, giving them the strongest possible protection. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Corporate report: G7 Carbis Bay progress report: advancing universal health coverage and global health through strengthening health systems, preparedness and resilience Department of Health and Social Care
• Confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants identified in UK Public Health England
• Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers Public Health England
• Research: Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: variant risk assessments Public Health England
• Research: COVID-19 vaccine surveillance reports Public Health England

Covid: Indian variant 'now dominant' in the UK

Covid: Indian variant 'now dominant' in the UK The variant of coronavirus first identified in India is now the dominant strain in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

The number of cases confirmed by laboratory analysis rose by 79% over the last week to 12,431.

Scientists believe the variant, now known as Delta, has overtaken the Kent, or Alpha, variant. BBC News

See also:

• UK 'most trusting' country on Covid vaccines BBC News
• Contracting Covid-19 can make you 85% less likely to contract the virus again The Daily Mail
• Neurological symptoms just as likely in people with mild cases of COVID as in severe cases The Daily Mail
• Watch: What happens at a long Covid clinic The Daily Telegraph
• Nurse who spread Covid conspiracy theories that vaccines will 'kill you' struck off The Daily Telegraph
• Covid variants: how much protection do the different vaccines offer? The Guardian

How AI is working with Parkinson’s patients?

How AI is working with Parkinson’s patients? For two weeks recently I got into a steady routine. At 10:30 each morning, I would sit at my kitchen table, strap three devices containing sensors to my right arm, and switch on a tablet computer. Then I would spend 20 minutes going through a series of exercises monitored by a man who popped up in a window on the screen.

The results of my endeavours will, I hope, help millions of people like me dealing with Parkinson's disease. BBC News 

Baby and mother win right to access Healthy Start food scheme

Baby and mother win right to access Healthy Start food scheme A one-year-old baby and her mother have won a high court challenge granting her the right to access a healthy food and vitamins scheme from which she was previously barred. Thousands of babies and toddlers similarly denied access to the scheme will now be able to benefit from it. The Guardian 

Your medical records are about to be given away. As GPs, we’re fighting back

Your medical records are about to be given away. As GPs, we’re fighting back | Ameen Kamlana GP practices in England have been instructed to hand over their patients’ entire medical histories with just six weeks’ notice. Like many GPs, I’m very concerned about the implications this has for my patients. A growing number of us in London have taken taken the decision to pull the plug on the new data-sharing programme with NHS Digital and refuse to hand over patient records. The Guardian 

See also:

• In a couple of weeks your NHS data will be shared with third parties - GPs like me are worried iNews

“Reasonable” to require care home staff to be vaccinated, says UK’s human rights watchdog

“Reasonable” to require care home staff to be vaccinated, says UK’s human rights watchdog The UK’s human rights watchdog has said it is “reasonable” to legally require care home staff to be vaccination against Covid-19. 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said a proportionate approach to requiring care home workers to be vaccinated against Covid could help ease restrictions, as well as allowing staff to work in a safe environment and give more freedom to residents. Northamptonshire Telegraph 

Northampton General criticised for poor response to racial attack on staff member by patient

Northampton General criticised for poor response to racial attack on staff member by patient Northampton General Hospital has apologised for failing to properly handle an incident where a patient attacked a security officer while hurling racial slurs. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

'Unsafe' Northampton care home is being failed by 'significant shortfalls' from management, say inspectors

'Unsafe' Northampton care home is being failed by 'significant shortfalls' from management, say inspectors The care home for residents with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs has been scolded for exposing patients to risk.

Berrywood Lodge was held in esteem by the CQC after it earned a "good" rating back in 2016 - but in every inspection since then, the home has criticised for declining standards. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

Guide for LGBT patients on what to expect from their doctor

Guide for LGBT patients on what to expect from their doctor A new guide for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) patients, setting out what they should expect from their doctor, has been published to coincide with the start of Pride Month by the General Medical Council. 

Wrong site surgery – wrong patient: invasive procedures in outpatient settings

Wrong site surgery – wrong patient: invasive procedures in outpatient settings The investigation looked at the risks involved in the correct identification of patients in outpatient departments. Correct identification is crucial to make sure they receive the right clinical procedure. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

See also:

• NHS blunder sees wrong woman given invasive procedure BBC News
• NHS mix-up led to female patient having unnecessary cervical examination The Independent