England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022

England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022 The UK government and devolved administrations published the UK Rare Diseases Framework in January 2021, setting out a shared vision for addressing health inequalities and improving the lives of people living with rare diseases across the UK. Each each of the four UK nations committed to developing nation-specific action plans detailing how these priorities will be addressed. This is the first action plan setting out how the DHSC and delivery partners will implement the framework in England. Department of Health and Social Care

Government to crack down on unregulated cosmetic procedures

Government to crack down on unregulated cosmetic procedures The public will be protected against botched Botox and fillers, as the government confirms its intention to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

An amendment to the Health and Care Bill tabled on Tuesday 1st March would give the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to introduce a licensing regime for Botox and fillers, the scope and details of which will be determined via extensive engagement including a public consultation. Department of Health and Social Care

New online system launched for ongoing provision of free PPE to continue protecting our workforce and communities

New online system launched for ongoing provision of free PPE to continue protecting our workforce and communities A new online platform to order personal protective equipment (PPE) in England has been launched.

The new system builds on user feedback to improve the experience of those using the site. Department of Health and Social Care 

Nearly third more Covid deaths among England’s poorest since turn of the year

Nearly third more Covid deaths among England’s poorest since turn of the year At least 30 per cent more coronavirus deaths have occurred in the most deprived areas of England since the turn of the year, data shows, reinforcing concern that the poorest communities will carry the greatest burden of disease under the government’s plans for “living with Covid”. The Independent

See also:

• UK logs average of just 27,500 Covid cases in last three days as infections plunge by 25% in a week The Daily Mail
• Moderna accused of 'hijacking' technology used COVID-19 vaccine The Daily Mail
• The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is only 12% effective against infection in children aged five to 11 The Daily Mail
• Ex Govt comms chief who advised Matt Hancock was PR spinner for Russia's Sputnik Covid jab The Daily Mail
• I didn’t break Covid rules when kissing aide, says Matt Hancock The Guardian
• Vallance and Whitty to step out of spotlight as Covid restrictions end in England The Guardian
• Covid’s first wave was deadliest of the three in UK care homes, figures show iNews

Record demand for mental health services as new mothers are left ‘isolated’ in pandemic

Record demand for mental health services as new mothers are left ‘isolated’ in pandemic Tens of thousands of new mothers have been left feeling “hopeless” and “isolated” during the pandemic, with the NHS seeing record numbers of referrals to mental health services.

Requests for help from new, expectant and bereaved mothers jumped by 40 per cent in 2021 compared with 2019, analysis by The Independent has revealed.

Climate crisis taking growing toll on mental health, landmark UN report warns

Climate crisis taking growing toll on mental health, landmark UN report warns The climate crisis is adversely affecting mental health as extreme weather events cause trauma and livelihoods are lost, a landmark United Nations report has said.

This impact will worsen under further global warming, with children and adolescents particularly vulnerable to anxiety and stress as the world gets warmer, the international experts warned. The Independent

See also:

• Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (report) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Climate change: a threat to human wellbeing and health of the planet Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Climate change: Five things we've learned from the IPCC report BBC News
• Climate change: IPCC report warns of ‘irreversible’ impacts of global warming BBC News
• Heat-related deaths in Europe may treble if world warms 3C, warns IPCC report The Independent
• Mental Health in a New Climate Change Report Psychology Today

Patients will be endangered by flaws in health bill, says NHS ombudsman

Patients will be endangered by flaws in health bill, says NHS ombudsman Patient safety will be harmed and victims of medical negligence denied justice because of flaws in the government’s health and care bill, the NHS ombudsman has told the Guardian.

Rob Behrens, the parliamentary and health service ombudsman, fears he and his staff will not be able to get to the bottom of clinical blunders because under the bill he will be denied potentially vital information collected by the NHS’s Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch.

NHS won't put pronoun choice on GP records despite report claiming trans patients are being failed

NHS won't put pronoun choice on GP records despite report claiming trans patients are being failed The NHS has rebuffed a demand to note patients’ preferred pronouns and trans status on their medical records.

A report by the London Assembly’s health committee says trans and gender-diverse patients are being failed by a lack of NHS data on gender identity.

Some experience ‘misgendering, micro-aggressions, and misunderstanding’ and may be deterred from booking an appointment, it adds. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Access to healthcare for trans and gender-diverse people London Assembly

Sajid Javid announces NHS digital transformation agenda

Sajid Javid announces NHS digital transformation agenda UK health secretary Sajid Javid has set out a digital agenda to harness technological breakthroughs and drive transformation in the NHS and social care.

Speaking at the HSJ Digital Transformation Summit (24 Feb), Javid announced a digital health plan will be published in Spring, building on lessons from the pandemic. Healthcare IT News

Charity warns nearly 50,000 vulnerable people in Northamptonshire 'rolling the dice' every time they go out after Covid rules scrapped

Charity warns nearly 50,000 vulnerable people in Northamptonshire 'rolling the dice' every time they go out after Covid rules scrapped Charities are warning that scrapping Covid rules could impact nearly 50,000 vulnerable people in Northamptonshire.

Groups representing at risk families said a lack of guidance from Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a concern for those forced into shielding to avoid deadly infection during the peak of the pandemic. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Establishing proportionate accountability for integrated care systems

Establishing proportionate accountability for integrated care systems Partnership with local authorities and meaningful engagement with people and communities are the best way of ICSs earning a mandate to push back. NHS Confederation

Millions of people with rare diseases to benefit from faster diagnosis and better access to treatment

Millions of people with rare diseases to benefit from faster diagnosis and better access to treatment Millions of people with rare diseases will benefit from faster diagnosis and new treatments following the launch today of England’s first Rare Diseases Action Plan by Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid.

There are more than 7,000 rare diseases, affecting an estimated 3.5 million people in the UK. Their complex nature means it is difficult for healthcare professionals to receive training on every condition or for patients to access the relevant specialist. Department of Health and Social Care

Case study: Innovative model identifies high-risk people for priority COVID-19 vaccination

Case study: Innovative model identifies high-risk people for priority COVID-19 vaccination Funded by the NIHR, the research team, comprising experts from 12 institutions, collaborated to develop a new approach to identifying patients’ risk at a population level. 

Using its findings, the team developed a clinical risk prediction model, QCovid®. It then tested how well this model predicted hospital admissions or deaths from COVID-19 infection using the pre-existing health records of a separate set of people. National Institute for Health Research

Covid: Five things we still need to keep an eye on

Covid: Five things we still need to keep an eye on The legal restrictions that ruled our lives for two long years are gone in England and on their way out across the UK. We've moved from being "under the thumb" of Covid to "living with" the virus.

However, the pandemic is far from over - Covid is here for the long term and some scientists think we are relaxing too early.

So what do we need to keep an eye out for in the months and years ahead? BBC News

See also:

• Omicron: How do I know if I have it? BBC News
• Even more infectious sub-variant of Omicron is now DOMINANT in England The Daily Mail
• At least 5million children lost a parent in the first 20 months of the pandemic, study suggests The Daily Mail
• UK government has abandoned its own Covid health advice, leak reveals The Guardian
• NHS accused of 'lack of urgency' in addressing racial inequality of vaccine rollout The Independent

Pregnancy risk tool cuts baby loss in black and Asian women

Pregnancy risk tool cuts baby loss in black and Asian women A new pregnancy screening tool cuts the risk of baby loss among women from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds to the same level as white women, research suggests.

The app calculates a woman's individual risk of pregnancy problems. BBC News

See also:

• Reducing health inequality in Black, Asian and other minority ethnic pregnant women: impact of first trimester combined screening for placental dysfunction on perinatal mortality (open access) BJOG
• NHS pilots pregnancy screening that may cut racial disparities in baby deaths The Guardian

UK has highest lung disease rates in Western Europe - study

UK has highest lung disease rates in Western Europe - study More people die in the UK from serious lung disease than anywhere else in Western Europe, new analysis suggests.

New charity Asthma and Lung UK (ALUK) found that 500,000 people died from pneumonia, asthma and other respiratory conditions over a seven-year period. BBC News

Stressed NHS staff in England quit at record 400 a week, fuelling fears over care quality

Stressed NHS staff in England quit at record 400 a week, fuelling fears over care quality A record number of more than 400 workers in England have left the NHS every week to restore their work-life balance over the last year, according to a new analysis of the workforce crisis hitting the health service. The Guardian

Ambulance staff experiencing 'horrific' abuse and attacks, NHS warns

Ambulance staff experiencing 'horrific' abuse and attacks, NHS warns Ambulance staff are experiencing “horrific” abuse from the public as attacks on workers increased by 23 per cent in the wake of the pandemic.

Assaults against female ambulance staff have risen by 48 per cent in the last five years, according to a new report from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The Independent

See also:

• NHS ambulance staff who have suffered violence and aggression issue national plea to ‘Work Without Fear’ Association of Ambulance Chief Executives

Breakthrough triple treatment for prostate cancer offers patients years more healthy life

Breakthrough triple treatment for prostate cancer offers patients years more healthy life A breakthrough triple therapy for advanced prostate cancer can give patients years more healthy life and reduces the overall risk of death by a third. 

The regime involves two standard therapies alongside a powerful new hormone medication, darolutamide. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Darolutamide and Survival in Metastatic, Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (abstract) New England Journal of Medicine

NHS put on cyber attack alert following Russian invasion of Ukraine

NHS put on cyber attack alert following Russian invasion of Ukraine NHS organisations have been asked to strengthen their defences against cyber attacks, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

NHS England cautioned trusts to ensure their IT systems are “patched and protected, and that immutable backups are in place”. Further guidance will be issued to technical teams “this week”, according to the email to trusts leaders. Health Service Journal