No cases of monkeypox in Northamptonshire', says public health boss

No cases of monkeypox in Northamptonshire', says public health boss Public Health Northamptonshire is taking steps to re-assure and advise Northamptonshire residents about monkeypox as well as provide guidance as to what to do if they believe they may be infected. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Ministers should be wary of declaring war on the NHS

Ministers should be wary of declaring war on the NHS Words count – they can motivate or demotivate thousands of public servants and often signal the direction of policy. So the prime minister’s claim that some public bodies have a ‘post-COVID mañana culture’ will baffle hard-pressed NHS workers. The emerging narrative from government briefings – that the health service needs radical reform – will worry them even more. The Health Foundation

Reforming health care: reflections from a former health minister

Reforming health care: reflections from a former health minister The NHS is experiencing an unusual set of pressures at the moment, with waiting lists of 6.5 million, staff shortages, ambulance delays, long waits and much more.

Meanwhile, public satisfaction with the NHS has nosedived, according to the recent British Social Attitudes survey. While politicians acknowledge the challenges and repeat their support for the NHS, outriders on the political right are flexing muscles and calling for more fundamental reform – despite the ink only just drying on the last set of NHS reforms with the Health and Care Bill receiving royal assent.

Lord Norman Warner has been top civil servant, health minister from 2003 to 2007 and in the House of Lords for over 20 years, and has written about it all in his new book In Pursuit of Competence. He joins our Chief Executive Dr Jennifer Dixon to share his insights and reflect on what might be ahead. Podcast from The Health Foundation

Chart of the week: The over-representation of Black people as restricted patients in secure hospitals

Chart of the week: The over-representation of Black people as restricted patients in secure hospitals People with severe mental health problems who are in contact with the criminal justice system can be held as restricted patients in hospitals if they have been assessed as needing treatment. Miranda Davies takes a closer look at new data that shows that 16% of restricted patients in hospital are Black or Black British, despite only making up 3% of the general population. Nuffield Trust

South Asian Dementia Pathway Toolkit (ADaPT)

South Asian Dementia Pathway Toolkit (ADaPT) This toolkit aims to provide improved culturally sensitive support for people living with dementia from South Asian communities. People from South Asian communities are at greater risk of developing dementia but are less likely to access all points of the care pathway – and more likely to present in crisis and/or at a later stage. They are more likely to face barriers including a late or missed diagnosis, reduced access to treatments, and inappropriate or inadequate support coupled with problems caused by language barriers. They often rely on local, community-led organisations for support. Race Equality Foundation

Mental Health Act reform: race and ethnic inequalities

Mental Health Act reform: race and ethnic inequalities The Government announced plans in the Queen’s Speech to bring forward legislation to reform the Mental Health Act 1983. The proposals include approaches to reduce the disproportionate number of individuals from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities subject to compulsory detention and treatment. This briefing outlines research on race and ethnic inequalities in relation to the Act, summarises proposals for reform and stakeholder views. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

New review sets out action to improve patient access to primary care

New review sets out action to improve patient access to primary care Neighbourhood teams must be central to improving access to primary care for patients, a new review has said today.

The teams, evolving from Primary Care Networks, should bring together general practice with other parts of the health and care system to improve access and offer regular support to those with complex needs such as elderly people or those with long-term conditions. NHS England

See also:

• Next steps for integrating primary care: Fuller Stocktake report NHS England
• Fuller sets a welcome vision for integrated primary care, but core general practice is in desperate need of support The Health Foundation
• On the day briefing: The Fuller stocktake report - next steps for integrating primary care NHS Providers
• The Fuller Stocktake report: a moment of opportunity? Richmond Group of Charities
• RCGP response to Fuller Stocktake on integrating primary care Royal College of General Practitioners
• Patients must have access to same day GP appointments, says NHS review The Daily Telegraph
• New neighbourhood teams would improve patient access to GPs and NHS, report says Evening Standard
• PCNs should evolve into 'integrated neighbourhood teams', says Fuller review GPonline
• New neighbourhood teams would improve patient access to GPs and NHS, report says The Independent

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

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

Surveillance indicators suggest that at a national level, COVID-19 activity (including case rates and hospital admissions) has decreased in week 20 of 2022.

The number of acute respiratory infection incidents (suspected outbreaks) increased slightly in England to 129 in week 20, compared to 127 in the previous week. UK Health Security Agency

Scandal-hit Nottingham maternity services ordered to improve

Scandal-hit Nottingham maternity services ordered to improve A mother whose baby died after mistakes by staff said she "felt like I was dying" as the NHS trust responsible is told to improve its maternity services.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said units at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - which is under review after dozens of baby deaths and injuries - were still inadequate. BBC News

See also:

• Donna Ockenden to investigate latest NHS maternity scandal The Daily Telegraph
• Shropshire baby deaths inquiry midwife to lead Nottingham review The Guardian
• Women and babies still at risk at scandal-hit Nottingham hospitals, watchdog warns The Independent
• Nottingham maternity scandal: Concerns over staff ability to monitor babies heart rates The Independent

Monkeypox tracker ‘being developed to track UK cases’

Monkeypox tracker ‘being developed to track UK cases’ Health officials are reportedly planning a dashboard to track monkeypox cases in the UK - similar to one launched during the Covid pandemic.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is currently providing regular updates on their website on the situation across the country.

The total number of cases in the UK rose to 90 on Thursday - up from 75 the day before. The Independent

See also:

• Monkeypox cases confirmed in England – latest updates UK Health Security Agency
• Clinical features and management of human monkeypox: a retrospective observational study in the UK (open access) The Lancet
• Monkeypox: Cases detected in three more countries for first time BBC News
• Monkeypox outbreak may have been imported to UK FOUR YEARS ago, says ex WHO doctor The Daily Mail
• Health chiefs only have enough monkeypox vaccine doses for 10,000 people The Daily Mail
• First monkeypox cases identified in Wales and Northern Ireland as UK total rises to 90 The Independent
• Monkeypox: Six of your questions answered by an expert virologist The Independent
• Monkeypox: Vet who caught disease in 2003 says new outbreak is a 'wake-up call for the world' Sky News

Bristol surgeon ‘harmed’ 203 women with unnecessary operations

Bristol surgeon ‘harmed’ 203 women with unnecessary operations More than 200 women were harmed when a rogue surgeon carried out operations on them unnecessarily, an NHS inquiry has found.

Some of the women were left with life-changing physical problems or unable to work, while many also suffered trauma and serious psychological harm as a result. The Guardian

See also: 

• Bristol NHS Trust finds 200 patients harmed by mesh bowel surgery BBC News

GPs: It could take a year and a half for face-to-face appointments to get back to normal

GPs: It could take a year and a half for face-to-face appointments to get back to normal Face-to-face GP appointments won't get back to pre-pandemic levels for another year-and-a-half unless ministers act urgently to improve access, campaigners warned today.

Official data shows just 63 per cent of consultations were done in person in England in April, up just 1 percentage point in a month — despite the worst of Covid being over and GPs told to get back to 'normal'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GP teams still working to their absolute limit, shows latest consultation data Royal College of General Practitioners

Explaining the health and care system

Explaining the health and care system How does the health and care system work? It is a question that is simple to ask but notoriously difficult to answer. The King's Fund

Broken ladders: The myth of meritocracy for women of colour in the workplace

Broken ladders: The myth of meritocracy for women of colour in the workplace Women of colour across the UK already know that experiencing racism at work is the norm. That’s why the Fawcett Society has partnered with the Runnymede Trust to produce their ground-breaking research, Broken Ladders: The myth of meritocracy for women of colour in the workplace.

Broken Ladders centres the voices and experiences of thousands of women of colour at work and explores the different experiences of women from different ethnic minority groups and religions.

The report shows that every stage of the career journey, from entering work to senior leadership, women of colour are being locked out of reaching their true potential.

Findings of the Second Permanent Secretary's Investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions

Findings of the Second Permanent Secretary's Investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions Final report on investigation into alleged gatherings during Covid restrictions (Sue Gray). Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street

See also: 

• PM press conference opening remarks: 25 May 2022 Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street
• PM statement to the House of Commons: 25 May 2022 Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street
• Sue Gray report: Drunken No 10 party culture in lockdown laid bare BBC News
• Sue Gray report: 'I wish I'd taken a fine to be with my dying husband' BBC News
• Conservative MP suggests NHS staff 'let their hair down' BBC News
• Time to move on, pleads Boris: 'Sorry' PM issues a half-hearted Partygate apology after release of Sue Gray's account The Daily Mail
• Civil servants caught with their 'proverbial pants down' in Sue Gray partygate report The Daily Telegraph
• Sue Gray report: full breakdown of findings about No 10 parties The Guardian
• Partygate: cabinet minister says there was ‘blurring of boundary’ at No 10 The Guardian
• Nurse fined £10k over NHS pay protest in lockdown wins compensation The Guardian
• Safety regulator refused to investigate some NHS staff Covid deaths The Guardian
• Covid Bereaved Families Hit Out At Findings In Sue Gray Report Huffington Post UK
• Sue Gray’s report: What she said – and what she really meant The Independent
• ‘Absolutely certain’ Boris Johnson will quit if committee finds he misled parliament, says standards chief The Independent
• Partygate: Boris Johnson insists UK needs to move on from Downing Street lockdown events after damning Sue Gray report Sky News

Monkeypox: How UK hospitals are tackling the outbreak

Monkeypox: How UK hospitals are tackling the outbreak The majority of people in the UK who are unlucky enough to catch monkeypox will have a very mild form of the disease and recover quickly at home. A small number, though, may need specialist medical treatment.

That's where a group of NHS hospitals - called the High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) network - steps in. BBC News

See also:

• Monkeypox: public health advice for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men World Health Organization 
• Monkeypox: First case confirmed in Wales BBC News
• England records SEVEN more cases of monkeypox bringing the UK total to 78 The Daily Mail
• Monkeypox may have been circulating in UK for years, scientists say The Guardian
• Monkeypox: Charities warn against stigmatisation of gay and bisexual groups amid outbreak The Independent

The NHS' 'first climate friendly' operation

The NHS' 'first climate friendly' operation The NHS is a massive organisation and everything it does has an impact on our climate.

In fact, the activities of the NHS contributes to 6% of the UK's total carbon footprint. But climate change also directly costs it money, so reducing emissions isn't just green, it will also put more cash back into healthcare. BBC News

NHS lacks enough staff and equipment to give adequate cancer care, says survey

NHS lacks enough staff and equipment to give adequate cancer care, says survey The NHS has too few staff and not enough equipment to give people the cancer care they deserve, a poll has found.

The YouGov survey of almost 2,500 adults for Cancer Research UK found 75% of people agreed with the statement: “I don’t think the health service has enough staff or equipment to see, test and treat all the people with cancer who need to be seen, tested and treated.”

Of those who have had cancer, 76% agreed. The Independent

See also:

• NHS ‘understaffed and underequipped’ to tackle cancer, say 3 in 4 people Cancer Research UK

NHS performs world’s first double hand transplant for scleroderma

NHS performs world’s first double hand transplant for scleroderma A roof tiler whose hands were left unusable by an autoimmune disease has told of his joy after NHS surgeons successfully performed the world’s first double hand transplant for the condition. The Guardian

See also:

• 'A double hand transplant? That's space-age stuff'' BBC News

Scientists discover why people with autism may literally see the world differently

Scientists discover why people with autism may literally see the world differently Autism may be driven by unusually wired visual circuits in the brain which make babies literally see the world differently, scientists believe.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) scanned the brains of six-month-olds who were at high risk of developing autism because their siblings had already been diagnosed with the condition. The Daily Telegraph

See also: 

• Infant Visual Brain Development and Inherited Genetic Liability in Autism (open access) American Journal of Psychiatry