UK coronavirus (COVID-19) alert level increased from Level 3 to Level 4

UK coronavirus (COVID-19) alert level increased from Level 3 to Level 4 Following advice from the UK Health Security Agency and in the light of the rapid increase in Omicron cases, the UK Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director have recommended to ministers that the UK COVID-19 alert level should increase from Level 3 to Level 4. Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• Daily rapid testing for COVID-19 contacts launches this week Department of Health and Social Care
• Public urged to get boosted as 22 million top-up jabs delivered Department of Health and Social Care
• Prescription charge waiver for COVID-19 antivirals and therapeutic clinical trials Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS to roll out life-saving booster jab to people aged 30-plus NHS England
• COVID-19 variants identified in the UK UK Health Security Agency

Covid: New booster target as Johnson declares Omicron 'emergency'

Covid: New booster target as Johnson declares Omicron 'emergency' Booster jabs will be offered to everyone over 18 in England from this week, the PM has announced, as he declared an "Omicron emergency".

"No one should be in any doubt, there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," Boris Johnson said on Sunday.

A new target has been set to give boosters to all adults who want one by the end of the month, he said. BBC News

See also: 

• Covid: First UK death recorded with Omicron variant BBC News
• Covid: UK in a 'race between virus and vaccine' over Omicron, says Sajid Javid BBC News
• Covid: Work-from-home guidance reintroduced in England BBC News
• Omicron: Better to act now than to wait for deaths - Javid BBC News
• Covid: First people in UK hospitals with Omicron variant BBC News
• Covid Omicron wave: 'We have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best' BBC News
• Covid: Omicron study suggests major wave in January BBC News
• Covid: Care home visitors cut to three to slow Omicron spread BBC News
• Covid booster jabs extended to over-18s — here’s how to book yours The Daily Telegraph
• Under 'Plan B' omicron could lead to 75,000 Covid deaths in five months The Daily Telegraph
• UK’s 1m a day booster rollout is strategy of short-term pain for long-term gain The Guardian
• Hospitals told to increase critical care bed numbers within weeks The Independent
• COVID-19: Concerns about 'scale and pace' of booster programme with NHS 'already beyond full stretch' Sky News

Seventy-five people have died in autism and learning disability units in England since 2015

Seventy-five people have died in autism and learning disability units in England since 2015 Seventy-five people with a learning disability or autism have died in inpatient units in England since 2015, Sky News can reveal.

It follows an independent review, commissioned by NHS Midlands, which found the death of Clive Treacey - one of the 75 - was "potentially avoidable". Sky News

Blood supplies could soon become 'critical,' NHS warns

Blood supplies could soon become 'critical,' NHS warns NHS stocks of blood may become “critical” this winter, a regulator has warned, as Covid and higher than average winter rates of cold and flu risk donation levels.

The NHS Blood and Transplant authority declared a major incident at the end of October after its supply of blood supplies dropped to critical levels. The Independent 

The secret NHS trust boss: the strain on hospitals is visible and visceral

The secret NHS trust boss: the strain on hospitals is visible and visceral The chief executive of an acute hospital NHS trust in England talks anonymously about the pressures the service is facing. The Guardian 

Number of healthy patients ‘stranded’ in English hospital wards rises by 80%

Number of healthy patients ‘stranded’ in English hospital wards rises by 80% The number of patients stuck in hospital in England despite being medically fit to leave nearly doubled between February and November this year. The rise is worrying health experts, who say it is more evidence that the crisis in the adult care system is creating backlogs in the NHS.

NHS England data shows that the number of times hospital trusts were unable to discharge a patient who no longer met the criteria to stay in hospital increased from 223,593 in February to 402,211 in November – a rise of almost 80%. The Guardian 

Health chiefs name England's Omicron hotspots as West Northamptonshire tops the charts

Health chiefs name England's Omicron hotspots as West Northamptonshire tops the charts England's Omicron hotspot was today revealed as West Northamptonshire as No10's scientific advisers warned the mutant strain could trigger the biggest wave yet — but UK-wide daily Covid infections dropped for the first time in over a week.

Up to 83 cases of the highly-evolved variant have been detected in West Northants with 27 officially confirmed by lab analysis, according to the UK Health Security Agency. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Covid: Omicron cases more than double in Northamptonshire BBC Northampton
• Covid-19: 'We'd welcome more vaccine helpers with open arms' BBC Northampton
• Corby schoolchildren sent home due to staff shortages linked to Covid BBC Northampton
• Figures show Covid cases rising in south Northamptonshire even before Omicron was identified, as Boris Johnson rolls out Plan B restrictions Northamptonshire Telegraph

The NHS’s duty of care with its overseas staff

The NHS’s duty of care with its overseas staff Staff from abroad have long been invaluable to the NHS, not least in nursing where they make up nearly a fifth of the current workforce. Drawing on our conversations with communities of overseas nurses, this blog from Claudia Leone emphasises the importance of supporting and retaining staff from overseas. Nuffield Trust 

What might ‘levelling up’ mean for the NHS?

What might ‘levelling up’ mean for the NHS? There has been much talk about levelling up over the past few months, with a white paper on how it will be achieved now expected in the new year. With different parts of the country facing unique issues when it comes to delivering health care, Rachel Hutchings describes five issues that could affect levelling up within the NHS. Nuffield Trust 

Hidden health needs: the elephant in the NHS waiting room

Hidden health needs: the elephant in the NHS waiting room According to this report, NHS waiting lists vastly underestimate the scale of unmet health need in England. It predicts that without intervention the level of need is expected to peak at 15.5 million in 2023 and still stand at 13.5 million in 2024. The analysis also reveals the parts of country that are likely to feel this demand strain more acutely. Lane Clark & Peacock LLP 

Record numbers accept a place to study nursing and midwifery

Record numbers accept a place to study nursing and midwifery Record numbers of students accepted places to study nursing and midwifery in England this year for the second year running, according to the latest data on university admissions published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Department of Health and Social Care 

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Weekly national influenza and COVID-19 report, monitoring coronavirus (COVID-19) activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Prescription charge waiver for COVID-19 Antivirals and Therapeutic Clinical Trials Department of Health and Social Care
• Booster bookings surge as National Booking Service expands to over 40s three months on from second dose NHS England
• Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers UK Health Security Agency

Covid-19: Face masks required in more indoor venues in England

Covid-19: Face masks required in more indoor venues in England Face coverings are now compulsory in most indoor venues in England, under measures to tackle the Omicron variant.

The new rules require people to wear masks in locations including theatres, cinemas, places of worship, museums and indoor sport stadiums.

Further changes start next week under the government's move to so-called Plan B Covid restrictions. BBC News

See also:

• 'The unvaccinated ask for jabs, but by then it's too late' BBC News
• Omicron and boosters: Your questions answered BBC News
• Covid booster shots could reduce a fully vaccinated person's risk of death 90%, study finds The Daily Mail
• Two vaccine doses may NOT be enough to protect against Omicron coronavirus variant, says Pfizer The Daily Mail
• Booster drive chaos as over-40s say they're being TURNED AWAY at clinics The Daily Mail
• SAGE scientists warn Plan B WON'T solve Omicron crisis in hint 'Christmas lite' may be needed The Daily Mail
• In charts: Why ministers think we could hit a million omicron cases a day by Christmas The Daily Telegraph
• GPs offer Covid boosters to under-40s against NHS guidance The Guardian
• Stricter measures than plan B may be needed to rein in UK’s Omicron growth The Guardian
• Omicron: ‘Plan C’ measures could see table service in pubs and visitor limits in care homes The Independent

Almost 6 million people on waiting lists for NHS surgery in England

Almost 6 million people on waiting lists for NHS surgery in England A record number of almost 6 million people are waiting to have hospital treatment in England, the latest NHS monthly performance statistics show.

The number of patients on the waiting list for non-urgent hospital treatment, including surgery such as a hip or knee replacement or cataract operation, rose to 5,975,216 in October, the highest since records began in August 2007. The Guardian

See also: 

• Busiest November ever as new figures show pressures on NHS staff NHS England
• NHS performance summary: October - November 2021 Nuffield Trust
• Health Foundation highlights need for a credible and realistic strategy to bring NHS waiting lists down The Health Foundation
• NHS Tracker: How is the NHS in your area coping? BBC News
• Long Covid among staff adding to healthcare pressures, say NHS leaders The Independent

Bosses at West Suffolk hospital criticised over ‘intimidating’ hunt for whistleblower

Bosses at West Suffolk hospital criticised over ‘intimidating’ hunt for whistleblower Bosses at Matt Hancock’s local hospital have been severely criticised in an NHS report for their part in an “intimidating” bullying scandal exposed by the Guardian.

The long-delayed review into West Suffolk hospital in Bury St Edmunds was ordered in January 2020 after the Guardian revealed that senior clinicians were subjected to an unprecedented demand to provide fingerprint samples as part of a management search for a suspected whistleblower. The Guardian

See also: 

• West Suffolk Review NHS England
• West Suffolk Hospital hunt for whistleblower 'incendiary' says report BBC News

Warning of 'generational crisis' of inactivity as teenage boys hit hardest by lockdown

Warning of 'generational crisis' of inactivity as teenage boys hit hardest by lockdown Secondary school age boys became less active than girls for the first time during the Covid pandemic, according to a major new report which lays bare a “generational crisis” of children’s inactivity. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Active Lives: Children and Young People Survey Academic year 2020-21 (report) Sport England
• Coronavirus challenges highlight importance of physical activity and sport for children Sport England

Covid: Anniversary of first Northamptonshire vaccination

Covid: Anniversary of first Northamptonshire vaccination More than half a million people have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine in Northamptonshire one year on from the first jab being administered.

The county's roll-out of the vaccine started at Northampton Hospital on 8 December 2020. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Tory MPs threaten Plan B revolt as PM still under fire over Downing Street party Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Wellingborough MP Peter Bone "absolutely believes" Boris Johnson is telling the truth over No10 Christmas party Northamptonshire Telegraph
• 1.2m coronavirus vaccine doses given in past year in Northamptonshire Northants Live

New online cancer information hub launched to help Northamptonshire patients cope with diagnosis

New online cancer information hub launched to help Northamptonshire patients cope with diagnosis A new online cancer information hub has been launched to help Northamptonshire patients to understand and cope with diagnosis and treatments. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group Northants Cancer Information Hub YouTube

Northampton Hospital: New cancer treatment reduces need for surgery

Northampton Hospital: New cancer treatment reduces need for surgery A new cancer treatment which removes the need for surgery or traditional radiotherapy "could be a norm for the future," according to a hospital clinician.

Northampton Hospital is one of 10 places across England to trial Skin Brachytherapy. BBC Northampton

Children's services back in spotlight after reviews into deaths of two infants in Northamptonshire

Children's services back in spotlight after reviews into deaths of two infants in Northamptonshire Heads of children's services in Northamptonshire admit there is still work to be done following publication of two independent reviews into deaths of infants in the county. Northampton Chronicle and Echo