Monkeypox cases declining - particularly in London

Monkeypox cases declining - particularly in London New cases of monkeypox appear to be reducing with just 20 people a day becoming infected, UK health officials say.

In a report on the virus, they say the epidemic in London has declined since mid-July and is now the same size as in the rest of the country.

UK vaccine supplies are set to run out until a new delivery arrives sometime in September. BBC News

See also:

• UK monkeypox case numbers show overall decline UK Health Security Agency

Minimise A&E use this winter amid 'substantial' pressure on the NHS, public to be asked - Evening Standard

Minimise A&E use this winter amid 'substantial' pressure on the NHS, public to be asked Health chiefs are preparing to launch a public awareness campaign encouraging people to reduce A&E usage in a bid to protect the NHS from collapse this winter, according to reports.

In a letter to staff, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said winter planning has begun earlier than usual as the “pressure on the NHS is likely to be substantial, particularly in urgent and emergency care”. Evening Standard

UK energy bills crisis could set back health equality by decades, say experts

UK energy bills crisis could set back health equality by decades, say experts A  failure to tackle soaring energy bills could set back health equality by decades and see the NHS faced with a “humanitarian crisis” of people unable to keep warm or eat properly, NHS leaders and public health experts have warned.

With one help service receiving calls from almost 100 people in a single day who had had their power disconnected, there are fears that many clinically vulnerable people could die or be forced to stay in hospital because it is unsafe to send them back to a freezing home. The Guardian

See also:

• Could the energy crisis cause a public health emergency? NHS Confederation
• GPs could prescribe money off energy bills under Treasury plan The Guardian
• GPs reject Treasury plan for them to prescribe money off energy bills The Guardian
• Government ‘has lost the plot’ over plan for GPs to prescribe heating bill discounts The Independent
• NHS bosses warn soaring energy bills will make people sick if government does not offer more support ITV News

Overseas hiring spree planned for care homes in England amid winter fears

Overseas hiring spree planned for care homes in England amid winter fears Foreign workers could be recruited for care homes in England amid concerns about staff shortages this winter, under government plans.

The health secretary, Steve Barclay, wants the overseas recruitment spree to include sending NHS managers to countries such as India and the Philippines to hire thousands of nurses, the Times reported. The Guardian

Prescribing e-cigarettes on the NHS could help up to 40% of smokers quit, study claims

Prescribing e-cigarettes on the NHS could help up to 40% of smokers quit, study claims Dishing out vapes on the NHS can help even 'hardened' cigarette smokers quit, researchers say.

A pilot scheme saw more than 300 traditional smokers given £25 vape shop vouchers, as well as support from the health service's stop smoking service.

Within one month, four in 10 of those who used the coupons said they had turned their back on cigarettes for good. The Daily Mail

See also:

• A pilot e-cigarette voucher scheme in a rural county of the UK (open access) Nicotine and Tobacco Research
  

Autism breakthrough as scientists find 70 genes 'strongly linked' to condition

Autism breakthrough as scientists find 70 genes 'strongly linked' to condition Scientists have discovered dozens of genes that are strongly linked to autism, in what could be a breakthrough.  

Researchers hope the more than 70 newly-identified genetic variants could pave the way for new tests and treatments for the condition. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Rare coding variation provides insight into the genetic architecture and phenotypic context of autism Nature Genetics

NHS blows £1million on 'woke groups' for staff

NHS blows £1million on 'woke groups' for staff The NHS has spent more than £1million on hundreds of 'woke' staff networks at a time when it desperately needs more cash for patient care.

Nearly 500 of these groups have been set up by health trusts across the UK – taking up around 36,000 hours of staff time a year. Despite ministers' calls for the NHS to cut back on 'waste and wokery', some groups use taxpayers' money to put on events around transgender issues, sexuality and racism, often held during the working day. The Daily Mail

Digital health care across the UK: where are we now?

Digital health care across the UK: where are we now? Achieving digital transformation in health and social care in England has long been a goal, but progress on it over the past decade has not been straightforward. But what is happening elsewhere in the UK? With Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England all embarking on ambitious digital health programmes, Rachel Hutchings and Jessica Morris take a closer look at the various approaches being taken. Nuffield Trust

NHS leaders make ‘unprecedented move’ urging government to act now on rising energy costs or risk public health emergency

NHS leaders make ‘unprecedented move’ urging government to act now on rising energy costs or risk public health emergency NHS leaders across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are warning of rising numbers of people falling sick and worsening health outcomes across the country unless the government takes urgent action to limit further energy price increases.  

They fear a widening of health inequalities and worsening health outcomes for people living in communities with the highest levels of deprivation if individuals and families are driven further into poverty because of excessive energy costs. A decision on the energy price cap is expected on 26 August, with the latest estimates suggesting that the cap could go as high as £4,200 by January. NHS Confederation

See also:

• People's health at risk unless action taken on energy costs - NHS leaders BBC News
• NHS chiefs claim soaring energy bills will trigger 'humanitarian crisis' this winter The Daily Telegraph
• NHS leaders warn of ‘humanitarian crisis’ if government doesn’t act on energy costs The Guardian
• NHS boss warns of ‘unprecedented’ risk of death from cold homes unless ministers intervene on bills The Independent
• Cost of living: UK facing 'public health emergency' if action not taken on energy bills, NHS chiefs warn Sky News

Developing aspiring ethnic minority nursing and midwifery leaders

Developing aspiring ethnic minority nursing and midwifery leaders The Midlands Developing Aspirant Ethnic Minority Nursing and Midwifery Leaders Programme is a new, innovative regional pilot scheme designed by ethnic minority nurses and midwives for ethnic minority nurses and midwives. Miriam Coffie and Tom Warner explain how the programme works and its contribution to reducing healthcare inequalities. NHS England

NHS to roll out variant busting booster jab from September ahead of winter

NHS to roll out variant busting booster jab from September ahead of winter The NHS will become the first healthcare system in the world to use the next generation, bivalent COVID vaccine when it kickstarts the autumn booster rollout in early September.

Following the updated advice from the JCVI on Monday, the NHS has now set out plans for the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme – the largest and fastest vaccine drive in health service history.

Set to start during the week of 5 September, NHS staff will begin vaccinating care home residents and people who are housebound. NHS England

See also:

• National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published UK Health Security Agency
• Good practice statement on the use of second booster doses for COVID-19 vaccines World Health Organization
• Covid booster rollout to start in early September in England BBC News
• Covid pass app working again, says NHS Digital, after disruption BBC News
• COVID-19 booster campaign to start on 5 September, NHS England says GPonline
• NHS England to use dual-variant Covid vaccine in autumn booster programme The Guardian
• British travellers left struggling to board flights after NHS Covid pass down The Guardian
• NHS Covid Pass fixed after glitch leaves travellers without vaccination records The Independent
• Bring back Covid face masks on public transport or face winter wave, Tony Blair Institute warns The Independent
• Most people with Omicron didn't even realise they had COVID-19, study finds Sky News

Ambulance pressures: Thousands of taxis sent following 999 calls

Ambulance pressures: Thousands of taxis sent following 999 calls Ambulance services are using taxis to take thousands of patients to hospital following calls initially categorised as urgent.

Freedom of Information Act figures indicate the practice is increasing as trusts struggle with pressures.

Patients ranged from a three-day-old baby in Yorkshire to a 103-year-old in Wales. BBC News

Government defends medical student number cap

Government defends medical student number cap Questions are being asked why the government is sticking to its cap on medical and dentistry places.

A shortage of doctors and other medical staff has been described as the biggest challenge facing the NHS.

But the number of places at UK medical schools are capped - in England this year there are 7,500 places. BBC News

'Thousands' of foreign workers to be hired to fill health and social care staffing shortages

'Thousands' of foreign workers to be hired to fill health and social care staffing shortages The government is working on plans to recruit thousands of foreign workers from countries such as India and the Phillippines to plug staffing gaps in the health and social care sector, according to reports.

Overseas recruits are expected to be brought in on a “mass scale” as the health service struggles to fill vacancies. The Independent

See also:

• Slump in nursing course acceptances will worsen staffing crisis – union boss The Independent

UK dentists should give antibiotics to patients at risk of heart infection – study

UK dentists should give antibiotics to patients at risk of heart infection – study Dentists in the UK should be encouraged to give antibiotics to patients at high risk of life-threatening heart infection before invasive procedures, a study has found.

Research suggests bacteria from the mouth entering the bloodstream during dental treatment could explain 30% to 40% of infective endocarditis cases. The rare but life-threatening condition occurs when the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves become infected. The Guardian

See also:

• Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis Before Invasive Dental Procedures (abstract) Journal of the American College of Cardiology
• Dentists should give antibiotics to high-risk patients to help prevent life-threatening heart infection University of Sheffield
• Infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures: IDEA case-crossover study NIHR

Liz Truss called for patients to be charged for GP visits, 2009 paper reveals

Liz Truss called for patients to be charged for GP visits, 2009 paper reveals Liz Truss called for patients to be charged to see their GP and for doctors’ pay to be slashed by 10% in a pamphlet she co-authored in 2009, the unearthed document has revealed.

The Tory leadership frontrunner also wanted to see the universal child benefit abolished in the report, which she co-wrote with six other people when she was deputy director of the Reform thinktank. The Guardian

Nine in ten GPs fear their practice will struggle to cope this winter

Nine in ten GPs fear their practice will struggle to cope this winter Nearly nine in ten GPs fear that their practice will struggle to cope this winter, with workload pressures and staff shortages chief among their concerns, a GPonline poll has found.

Northampton General Hospital nurse given prestigious award for 'outstanding' end-of-life care

Northampton General Hospital nurse given prestigious award for 'outstanding' end-of-life care A nurse from Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has been awarded a prestigious national award for her outstanding work supporting patients and their families in end-of-life care. The Chief Nursing Officer for England Silver Award recognises major contributions to patient care and the nursing profession. Northants Live

Kettering care home rated inadequate for third time

Kettering care home rated inadequate for third time A nursing home has been rated inadequate for a third consecutive time and will remain in special measures.

An inspection of Five Gables near Kettering, Northamptonshire, in June found "no significant improvement" since the previous checks in January.

A report said its management of records and medicines could put people at risk. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Five Gables Nursing Home Care Quality Commission

Bringing hospital care home: virtual wards and hospital at home for older people

Bringing hospital care home: virtual wards and hospital at home for older people This report explores the potential benefits, limitations, and current scientific evidence to be considered when providing a safe, effective, and person-centred alternative to hospital inpatient care for older adults. This publication highlights how ‘virtual wards’ are being funded and implemented. It explains the various definitions of the term ‘virtual wards’ as used in different parts of the UK and describes the face-to-face care delivered by a multidisciplinary team, combined with some remote monitoring. British Geriatrics Society