See also:
- Update on prescription charges for COVID-19 antiviral medicines Department of Health and Social Care
- New guidance sets out how to live safely with COVID-19 UK Health Security Agency
Monday, 4 April 2022
NHS rolls out COVID vaccine to five million 5 to 11 year olds
NHS rolls out COVID vaccine to five million 5 to 11 year olds The NHS will start vaccinating children aged 5-11 today, as the biggest and most successful vaccination drive in health service history moves to the next phase. Almost five million children in this age group are eligible for two doses of the vaccine following updated JCVI guidance. NHS England
Record 4.9 million people has Covid in UK
Record 4.9 million people has Covid in UK About one in every 13 people in the UK has coronavirus, according to latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That is some 4.9 million people, up from 4.3 million people the week before.
ONS officials say that is the highest number seen since its survey began at the end of April 2020. BBC News
That is some 4.9 million people, up from 4.3 million people the week before.
ONS officials say that is the highest number seen since its survey began at the end of April 2020. BBC News
See also:
- What we now know about long Covid BBC News
- Covid vaccines now available for five to 11-year olds in England BBC News
- Lateral flow tests: Should I recycle the plastic? BBC News
- Covid is now more prevalent than EVER in England... so how rife is virus in YOUR town? The Daily Mail
- Revealed: Seventy-four Britons have had Covid FOUR times, official figures show The Daily Mail
- Covid infections among over-35s soar to record levels in England The Daily Telegraph
- UK Covid symptoms list expanded with nine more signs of illness The Guardian
- End of free Covid testing risks creating ‘a perfect storm’ for UK economy The Guardian
- I have long Covid and despair that the UK government ignores its blight | Ravi Veriah Jacques The Guardian
- How long Covid is accelerating revolution in medical research The Independent
- Clinically vulnerable Covid patients denied access to life-saving antivirals The Independent
- GPs can refer patients for free Covid testing, says NHS England Pulse
Gynaecology waits soar by 60% during pandemic
Gynaecology waits soar by 60% during pandemic Gynaecology waiting lists in England have risen by 60% during the pandemic - more sharply than any other specialty.
Across the UK, more than 570,000 women are waiting for help.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said patients were "consistently deprioritised and overlooked". BBC News
Gap-free human genome sequence completed for first time
Gap-free human genome sequence completed for first time Scientists say they have completed the first full and seamless catalogue of genetic instructions of humans.
Until now, about 8% of the human genome code was missing from the blueprint, experts told the journal Science.
The quest to decipher and complete a gapless DNA sequence has taken decades. BBC News
See also:
- Filling the gaps (open access) Science
Future maternity scandals may stay uncovered, NHS ombudsman warns
Future maternity scandals may stay uncovered, NHS ombudsman warns Exclusive: As new law gives provision for staff to give evidence secretly, Rob Behrens says Shrewsbury could be tip of iceberg
New laws allowing health workers involved in medical blunders in England to give evidence in secret mean future maternity scandals may remain uncovered, the NHS ombudsman has warned, as he says the “shocking” baby deaths in Shrewsbury are not a one-off. The Guardian
See also:
- Does damning Ockenden report net need to be cast WIDER? The Daily Mail
- New law means future medical scandals could be missed, says NHS watchdog The Guardian
- What is the ‘normal birth movement’ and why can it be harmful? The Guardian
- ‘Sense of deja vu’: other maternity victims say Shrewsbury not a one-off The Guardian
- The grim toll at Shrewsbury is a symptom of a public sector that doesn’t listen to its users | Sonia Sodha The Guardian
Autistic children wait up to five years for an NHS appointment
Autistic children wait up to five years for an NHS appointment Children are having to wait up to five years for an NHS autism appointment, according to figures obtained by the Observer that lay bare the crisis in children’s mental health services.
Figures acquired under the Freedom of Information Act show that 2,835 autistic children referrals at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust have still not had a first appointment an average of 88 weeks after being referred. The longest wait at the time the response was sent in January stood at 251 weeks – nearly five years. The Guardian
First osteoporosis drug of its kind for more than a decade approved for NHS use
First osteoporosis drug of its kind for more than a decade approved for NHS use A health watchdog has approved the first new osteoporosis drug of its kind for more than a decade, after medics urged it to perform a U-turn.
Earlier this year, more than 100 experts wrote a letter calling on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to repeal its verdict that romosozumab should not be given on the NHS. The Independent
See also:
Senior nurse struck off after 'repeatedly harassing' female colleagues
Senior nurse struck off after 'repeatedly harassing' female colleagues A senior nurse has been struck off after a tribunal that heard he “repeatedly harassed” female colleagues ruled his behaviour was “deplorable”.
Alfred Muvheni Mavurayi was alleged to have “constantly” made sexually explicit comments at “leered” at younger women while working as ward manager of the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. The Independent
Friday, 1 April 2022
Covid patients DOUBLE in Northamptonshire hospitals as government prepares to scrap free home testing
Covid patients DOUBLE in Northamptonshire hospitals as government prepares to scrap free home testing Free Covid testing ends on March 31st for the majority of people in Northamptonshire as NHS figures show the number of coronavirus patients in county hospitals has nearly doubled in less than a month. Northamptonshire Telegraph
Northampton General Hospital halts home births as staff shortages lead to safety concerns
Northampton General Hospital halts home births as staff shortages lead to safety concerns Clinicians say staff shortages are behind a decision to temporarily suspend the home birth service at Northampton General Hospital from Friday (April 1). Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Improving hospital discharge in England: the case for continued focus and support
Improving hospital discharge in England: the case for continued focus and support Most people admitted to hospital want to get better and get home, as soon as possible. But delayed discharges – where people remain in hospital when they no longer need hospital care – are an ongoing problem for the NHS. The Health Foundation
Spring Statement 2022: What does rising inflation mean for health and social care?
Spring Statement 2022: What does rising inflation mean for health and social care? As anticipated, Spring Statement 2022 provided no extra funding for the health and social care sector. But given consumer price inflation is now expected to reach 8% in 2022/23 – 5 percentage points higher than was expected last autumn – this will have an impact on the health and care budget, alongside a cost-of-living crisis that has real implications for those working in the sector and those waiting for care. The Health Foundation
Education and training tariff guidance and prices for the 2022 to 2023 financial year
Education and training tariff guidance and prices for the 2022 to 2023 financial year This guidance sets out the national tariffs for health care education and training clinical placements in the financial year 2022 to 2023. It also describes how the tariffs will be implemented and in what circumstances the national tariffs may be varied and how to do this. Department of Health and Social Care
Policy paper: NHS mandate 2022 to 2023
Policy paper: NHS mandate 2022 to 2023 The government’s mandate to NHS England confirms their objectives and budgets for the year ahead.
The financial directions published alongside provide further details on how NHS England’s budget is broken down. Department of Health and Social Care
Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers
Research: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers Genomically confirmed case numbers for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation. UK Health Security Agency
See also:
- Prescription charge waiver for COVID-19 antivirals and therapeutic clinical trials Department of Health and Social Care
- National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published UK Health Security Agency
- Research: COVID-19 vaccine weekly surveillance reports (weeks 39 to 13, 2021 to 2022) UK Health Security Agency
- Guidance: Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19 UK Health Security Agency
Covid: Nurses' boss wants life assurance scheme extended for NHS staff
Covid: Nurses' boss wants life assurance scheme extended for NHS staff The government has been called "disrespectful" for ending a UK-wide scheme that provided financial support to families of deceased health and social care workers in the pandemic.
Families of staff who contract Covid at work and then die are no longer entitled to the £60,000 compensation.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says it is not the right time to stop. BBC News
Families of staff who contract Covid at work and then die are no longer entitled to the £60,000 compensation.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says it is not the right time to stop. BBC News
See also:
- Ministers must extend life assurance scheme for nursing staff contracting COVID-19 at work Royal College of Nursing
- Covid: Infections are sky high so why stop testing? BBC News
- Immensa: Why were Covid test errors at Wolverhampton lab not stopped sooner? BBC News
- Britons should KEEP wearing face masks because Covid infections are so high, top health chief says The Daily Mail
- More than 300,000 sign petition to keep free lateral flows after Friday The Daily Mail
- Failure to consider long Covid impact will hit UK economy, says expert The Guardian
- Examining the false narratives of Covid, two years on The Guardian
- LMCs raise alarm as rising COVID-19 cases drive up pressure on GPs GPonline
- Private firm running NHS Covid test sites axing more than 5000 jobs - letting all but 21 go without a penny The Independent
- Covid infections reach record high as free testing ends The Independent
- Covid-19 variant that ‘escapes immunity’ could take world by surprise – Vallance The Independent
- ‘Anti-science extremist’: Tory MP shut down for claiming Covid jabs ‘disaster in the making’ The Independent
Artificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes care in England
Artificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes care in England Nearly 900 patients with type 1 diabetes in England are testing a potentially life-changing artificial pancreas.
It can eliminate the need for finger prick tests and prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks, where blood sugar levels fall too low.
The technology uses a sensor under the skin. BBC News
See also:
Less than half of staff at maternity scandal trust feel able to speak out
Less than half of staff at maternity scandal trust feel able to speak out Less than half of staff at scandal-hit Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust feel they can speak up about concerns, according to a staff survey, as a damning report warned serious problems persist in maternity care. The Independent
See also:
Boris Johnson forced to rapidly backtrack on U-turn over gay conversion therapy ban after furious backlash
Boris Johnson forced to rapidly backtrack on U-turn over gay conversion therapy ban after furious backlash Boris Johnson has reversed a plan to keep so-called gay conversion therapy legal after fierce backlash from campaigners and MPs, according to reports.
The U-turn comes just hours after it emerged the prime minister had decided against making it a crime to seek to change someone's sexual orientation. The Independent
See also:
One in seven women die of ovarian cancer within two months of diagnosis, audit reveals
One in seven women die of ovarian cancer within two months of diagnosis, audit reveals The most deprived women in England are 50 per cent more likely to die of ovarian cancer within two months of being diagnosed than the richest, NHS data revealed today.
Overall, one in seven women lose their lives to the disease just two months after they are found to have it. The Daily Mail
See also:
- Ovarian Cancer Audit Feasibility Pilot: Outputs National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service
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