No one’s listening: an inquiry into the avoidable deaths and failures of care for sickle cell patients in secondary care

No one’s listening: an inquiry into the avoidable deaths and failures of care for sickle cell patients in secondary care This report, jointly published with the Sickle Cell Society, has found “serious care failings” in acute services and evidence of attitudes underpinned by racism. These concerns have led to a fear and avoidance of hospitals for many people living with sickle cell. The report includes a number of recommendations and the APPG is calling on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement to prioritise taking urgent action. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia

See also:

• MPs find 'serious failings' in sickle cell care BBC News
• Sickle cell disease inquiry finds ‘serious care failings’ in NHS The Guardian

Government to invest £375 million in neurodegenerative disease research

Government to invest £375 million in neurodegenerative disease research People living with neurodegenerative diseases could live longer, healthier lives due to innovative new research, following a government commitment to invest £375 million over the next 5 years.

At least £50 million will be made available specifically for research to help find a cure for MND – a condition that affects the brain and nerves and affects 5,000 people in the UK. New, innovative projects will help researchers to better understand the disease and its related conditions, develop and test treatments and improve care for those living with MND. Department of Health and Social Care

UK hits 12 million top-ups in record-breaking week

UK hits 12 million top-ups in record-breaking week More than 2 million boosters have been given to people across the UK in the last week, as the vaccination programme continues to accelerate.

In a record-breaking week, the UK has topped 12 million booster and third jabs given in total across the UK – with hundreds of thousands of people coming forward every day to get the vital protection offered by top-up jabs ahead of the colder months. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Government accepts JCVI advice on COVID-19 vaccination programme Department of Health and Social Care
• Independent report: COVID-19 booster vaccine programme for winter 2021 to 2022: JCVI statement, November 2021 Department of Health and Social Care
•  NHS vaccinates one million 12 to 15-year-olds NHS England
• Boosters give over 90% protection against symptomatic COVID-19 in adults over 50 UK Health Security Agency

Over-40s Covid booster due to 'waning' protection

Over-40s Covid booster due to 'waning' protection Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has said that "waning" protection against Covid, has led to a recommendation that everyone over the age of 40 receives a third booster dose of the vaccine.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also recommended that 16 and 17 years olds should receive a second dose. BBC News

See also: 

• Covid vaccine ‘waning immunity’: How worried should I be? BBC News
• Covid booster doses to be offered to over 40s BBC News
• Covid: Austria introduces lockdown for unvaccinated BBC News
• Covid vaccines: NHS jabs more than 1m children aged 12-15 in England BBC News
• UK bucking trend of rising Covid cases in Europe BBC News
• Oxfordshire-based company creates Covid vaccines given in a skin patch The Daily Mail
• Covid patients taking antidepressants are up to 30% less likely to die from the virus, study claims The Daily Mail
• Covid test firm ‘to sell swabs carrying customers’ DNA’ The Daily Telegraph
• No 10 plans booster jab requirement for people to obtain Covid pass The Guardian
• Covid ‘blizzard from east’ could disrupt Christmas, warns PM The Independent

Alarm over ‘serious’ delays in diagnosing childhood cancer in England

Alarm over ‘serious’ delays in diagnosing childhood cancer in England Health experts have raised the alarm over “serious” delays in diagnosing children and young people with cancer, as a study reveals the number found to have the disease during the pandemic fell by almost a fifth. The Guardian

NHS bosses advise all hospitals to review security after Liverpool blast

NHS bosses advise all hospitals to review security after Liverpool blast NHS chiefs are advising all hospitals to review their security arrangements in the wake of Sunday’s terrorist incident at Liverpool Women’s hospital, the Guardian can reveal.

NHS England is finalising new guidance to send to all 213 health trusts in England, which between them provide services at more than 500 hospital sites. The Guardian 

Covid could ‘ruin next five Christmases’ as expert warns jabs are not enough

Covid could ‘ruin next five Christmases’ as expert warns jabs are not enough Covid-19 could ruin Christmas for the next five years, a leading health expert has warned.

Professor Tim Spector has said the current vaccine and testing measures are not sufficient enough to keep the spread of the virus under control. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also: 

• Traveller fined £300 for breaking quarantine after arriving back in Northampton from Belgium during Covid-19 pandemic Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Thousands of care home staff to lose jobs as Covid jab policy kicks in Northamptonshire Telegraph
• The 38 Northamptonshire neighbourhoods with Covid cases on the rise Northants Live
• Everything you need to know about the Northamptonshire Covid situation Northants Live

Two nurses studying in Northampton receive prestigious title for their dedication to the industry

Two nurses studying in Northampton receive prestigious title for their dedication to the industry Two nurses studying for advanced qualifications in Northampton have received prestigious, national titles for their dedication to the industry. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

'They saved my baby': Mum's emotional thank you to Northampton General Hospital

'They saved my baby': Mum's emotional thank you to Northampton General Hospital First time mum, Charlotte Gould-Leer, 22, was told the chances of saving her extremely premature baby were 'minimal' but, despite the odds, nurses and doctors in Northampton and Coventry were able to save little Christine's life. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

NHS performance summary: September-October 2021

NHS performance summary: September-October 2021 NHS England published the latest data on key activity and performance measures for August and September of this year. Here we show the performance against some key targets, including those set out in the 2021/22 operational planning guidance published in September.

A&E waiting times in October were the worst since records began, with 1 in 4 patients waiting longer than four hours to be admitted, transferred or discharged. Attendances are back to pre-pandemic levels, and trolley waits are at a record high. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Pressures on the NHS are far from ‘sustainable’ The Health Foundation
• NHS waiting lists: how big is big? The King's Fund
• Health and care system stretched beyond its limits as winter approaches Nuffield Trust
• NHS waiting list hits ANOTHER record-high with 5.83MILLION patients in need of routine operations The Daily Mail
• Record 5.8m people in England waiting for hospital treatment The Guardian
• NHS waiting list at record high as 5.8 million The Independent
• What the latest NHS data tells us - and how many people in England are waiting for treatment Sky News
• A&E to ward bed waiting time at its longest ever, NHS England data shows Sky News

New report highlights persistent inequalities and continued inequitable care for pregnant women

New report highlights persistent inequalities and continued inequitable care for pregnant women The latest Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care study examines in detail the care of all women who died during, or up to one year after, pregnancy between 2017 and 2019 in the UK.

Pregnancy remains very safe in the UK, with the overall maternal death rate showing a slight decrease. Among 2,173,810 women who gave birth in 2017-2019, 191 died during or up to six weeks after pregnancy, and 495 during or up to one year after their pregnancy.

Nevertheless, the findings show a continued inequality in the mortality rates for women of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, and socio-economic circumstances. MBRRACE

See also:

• Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care Infographic MBRRACE
• Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care lay summary MBRRACE
• Black women four times more likely to die in childbirth BBC News
• Third of pregnant women’s deaths were avoidable, inquiry finds The Independent

The state of the state 2021-22: towards a new public sector normal

The state of the state 2021-22: towards a new public sector normal This is Deloitte and Reform's tenth annual report on government and public services. It blends a citizen survey (conducted by Ipsos MORI) with commentary built on interviews with fifty of the most senior figures in government and public services. These officials talked of organisational pressures, the impact of austerity and their concerns over funding for the future. This year's report also includes the views of business leaders on their experience of working alongside the public sector. Deloitte 

NHS chief announces next steps for local health systems

NHS chief announces next steps for local health systems The NHS will set out the next steps for how primary care networks will work with partners across newly formed integrated care systems to meet the health needs of people in their local areas.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard has asked Dr Claire Fuller, senior responsible officer of the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System, to set out how systems can accelerate implementation of the primary care, out of hospital care and prevention ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan and drive more integrated primary, community and social care services at a local level. NHS England 

Over 11 million people receive top-up COVID-19 vaccine

Over 11 million people receive top-up COVID-19 vaccine The vital booster programme has reached another milestone as more than 11.4 million people in the UK have now received their top-up jabs to maintain protection ahead of the winter months. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2021 to 2022 season UK Health Security Agency

Covid: Medication holiday may boost vaccine protection

Covid: Medication holiday may boost vaccine protection An important trial will test how to boost Covid jab protection in vulnerable patients whose immune systems are weakened by drugs they need for other health conditions.

About 1.3 million people in the UK are on methotrexate for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. BBC News

See also: 

• A multi-centre randomised controlled trial examining the effects of temporarily suspending low-dose methotrexate treatment for two weeks after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster on vaccine response in immunosuppressed adults with inflammatory conditions and nested mechanistic study VROOM Study
• Covid: First UK case in pet dog confirmed by top vet BBC News
• Daily UK Covid cases rise for first time in 10 days The Daily Mail
• Jonathan Van-Tam says Britain's Covid crisis will be a 'lot calmer' after Easter The Daily Mail
• UK records 42,408 new Covid cases and 195 deaths Evening Standard

Alder Hey NHS Trust must pay boy £27m over brain injuries

Alder Hey NHS Trust must pay boy £27m over brain injuries A boy who suffered "catastrophic brain injuries" when doctors failed to see he had a virus and sent him home after he had a seizure has been awarded £27m. BBC News 

Menopause: Bereaved husband urges men to spot mental health signs

Menopause: Bereaved husband urges men to spot mental health signs A bereaved husband has urged men to recognise signs of mental health symptoms linked to the menopause.

Linda Salmon, 56, took her own life last April after her anxiety worsened during the Covid pandemic.

Her husband David said he had not realised the menopause could cause suicidal thoughts. BBC News

NHS ambulance delays leaving patients stuck at GP surgeries for hours

NHS ambulance delays leaving patients stuck at GP surgeries for hours Patients experiencing life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes or major breathing problems are becoming trapped for many hours in GP surgeries, unable to get to hospital, because ambulances are taking so long to turn up after the GP practice rings 999. The Guardian

See also: 

• NHS responds to highest number of 999 calls on record NHS England
• ‘It’s awful’: what it’s like to work a 12-hour ambulance shift in England The Guardian
• A day with the paramedics on the frontline of the UK’s ambulance crisis – podcast The Guardian
• ‘It’s terrifying’: GP tells of wait with ill patients as ambulance fails to arrive The Guardian

Care home chaos commences as up to 60,000 staff sacked overnight

Care home chaos commences as up to 60,000 staff sacked overnight A care home manager broke down today after being forced to sack six staff members who refused to get vaccinated against Covid — as she pleaded with Boris Johnson to 'give us a break'. The Daily Mail

Blood test could identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes almost 20 YEARS before, study claims

Blood test could identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes almost 20 YEARS before, study claims A blood test may detect people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes two decades for the condition strikes, a study suggests.  

Swedish scientists found people with high levels of a protein called follistatin were twice as likely to develop the 'silent killer', compared to volunteers at the other end of the scale. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Elevated circulating follistatin associates with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (open access) Nature Communications