Second Covid-19 patient dies at Northampton General Hospital

Second Covid-19 patient dies at Northampton General Hospital NHS England has confirmed two Covid-19 patients died on the same day at Northampton General Hospital earlier this week. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• ‘Tier 2 is virtually inevitable’: Leader of Northampton Borough Council on new lockdown system Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northamptonshire is three weeks behind Liverpool as Covid-19 cases rise Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Kettering secondary school confirms fourth coronavirus case Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton doctor suspended after arranging medical appointments on WhatsApp for a pregnant patient he met through Tinder

Northampton doctor suspended after arranging medical appointments on WhatsApp for a pregnant patient he met through Tinder A doctor has been suspended from his duties after he arranged medical appointments on WhatsApp for a patient he had previously met through Tinder. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Mental health rehabilitation inpatient services: results from the 2019 information request

Mental health rehabilitation inpatient services: results from the 2019 information request This report raises concerns about the high number of beds situated a long way from the patient’s home, which could result in people becoming isolated from their friends and families and cut off from the local services that will provide care following discharge. It makes recommendations to improve the care for people in mental health rehabilitation inpatient services. Care Quality Commission

Assessment of mental health services in acute trusts programme: how are people’s mental health needs met in acute hospitals, and how can this be improved?

Assessment of mental health services in acute trusts programme: how are people’s mental health needs met in acute hospitals, and how can this be improved? This report reviews the findings from over 100 acute hospital inspections. It looks at how well people with mental health needs were cared for across emergency departments, acute medical wards, maternity wards, and children and young people’s services. It also tries to identify where trusts, and the wider system, needs to improve. Care Quality Commission

Resilient public services in an age of cyber threats

Resilient public services in an age of cyber threats This report makes recommendations for future cyber security policy. It finds that, while Covid-19 has accelerated the digitisation of public services in the UK, it also poses an increased cyber risk. It concludes that without sound infrastructure, investment in maintaining or updating that infrastructure, and a cyber-aware workforce, there is a threat of largescale damage both to the UK public sector and wider society. Reform

A telling experience: understanding the impact of Covid-19 on people who access care and support – a rapid evidence review with recommendations

A telling experience: understanding the impact of Covid-19 on people who access care and support – a rapid evidence review with recommendations This report aims to identify what worked well, and to highlight areas that people found difficult, both generally and in relation to social care during the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic, seen through the lens of personalisation. Think Local Act Personal

New measures to support roll-out of vaccines in the UK

New measures to support roll-out of vaccines in the UK New laws will allow more healthcare workers to administer flu and potential COVID-19 vaccines safely to the public. Department of Health and Social Care

Covid patients 'less likely to die than in April'

Covid patients 'less likely to die than in April' Coronavirus patients admitted to intensive care have a better chance of surviving now than they did in April, according to the dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.

But these gains levelled off over the summer, Dr Alison Pittard said.

The proportion of patients admitted to critical care who die fell by almost a quarter from the peak and as much as half in hospitals overall. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: What the tier rules say about the split between science and politics BBC News
• Covid: Row over regional rules 'damaging to public health', scientist warns BBC News
• Coronavirus: Higher ethnic death risk 'not linked to health' BBC News
• Is tracking down every super spreader the REAL key to beating Covid-19? The Daily Mail
• England's Covid-19 outbreak grows 64% in a week The Daily Mail
• Physios and paramedics will be trained to deliver flu and Covid-19 jabs The Daily Mail
• Ethnic minorities are twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than white people because of poverty The Daily Mail
• Increase in Covid infections means Christmas will be 'tough' this year, Sage member warns The Daily Telegraph
• Covid: Greater Manchester running out of hospital beds, leak reveals The Guardian
• NHS Covid-19 app users sent incorrect risk-level change alerts The Guardian
• Midwives, physios and pharmacists to administer future UK Covid vaccine The Guardian
• Serco profits surge thanks to Covid-19 test-and-trace contract The Guardian
• 'Psychological PPE' is what Britain's health professionals urgently need now | Clare Gerada The Guardian
• UK coronavirus cases up nearly 17,000 in 24 hours, as deaths increase by 67 The Independent
• Coronavirus: Police to be given test-and-trace data to help enforce isolation rules The Independent

Endometriosis care needs urgent improvement, MPs say

Endometriosis care needs urgent improvement, MPs say Endometriosis care across the UK needs urgent improvement and diagnosis times need to be cut in half, a report by MPs says.

It found an average wait for a diagnosis was eight years and that has not improved in more than a decade.

Endometriosis affects one in 10 women in the UK and causes debilitating pain, very heavy periods and infertility. BBC News

Police 999 callouts to people suffering mental health crises soar

Police 999 callouts to people suffering mental health crises soar Two fifths of people in England waiting for NHS support end up calling emergency or crisis services.

The police are being called to deal with soaring numbers of incidents involving people suffering from mental health crises, sparking fresh concern about lack of NHS help for the mentally ill. The Guardian

NHS hospital admissions for eating disorders rise among ethnic minorities

NHS hospital admissions for eating disorders rise among ethnic minorities Faster increase among BAME people in England raises fears of cultural or racial factors

The number of hospital admissions for eating disorders is rising at a faster rate among people from ethnic minorities in England, prompting concerns that there may be cultural or racial factors driving them.

For white ethnicities, hospital admissions for eating disorders rose by just under a third (31%) across three years, whereas admissions among ethnic minorities rose by more than a half (53%), according to Guardian analysis of NHS data. The Guardian

New mothers need longer 'settling in' period at home before midwife visits, NICE warns

New mothers need longer 'settling in' period at home before midwife visits, NICE warns New mothers should be given a longer "settling in" period at home, as very early visits from midwives could lead to unfair assessments, warns new guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Parents should be allowed at least 12 hours alone with their baby after they leave hospital to ensure risk assessments carried out by midwives during the first postnatal visit accurately reflect their living situation, the independent body recommends. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Consultation: Postnatal care In development [GID-NG10070] NICE

Why won't councils re-open our public loos? 'Covid-says-no' attitude leaving many stranded at home

Why won't councils re-open our public loos? 'Covid-says-no' attitude leaving many stranded at home In June, the UK Government wrote to local councils explicitly stating that 'enabling access to toilets is vital' and gave detailed guidance, but it appears this has not been universally heeded. The Daily Mail

Hospitals say they are prepared for second wave of Covid-19 in Northamptonshire

Hospitals say they are prepared for second wave of Covid-19 in Northamptonshire The CEO of Northamptonshire's two main hospitals says he is concerned the Covid-19 second wave currently hitting parts of the UK is heading for the county. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Cystic fibrosis: Shielder, 24, hopes 'everyone is sensible' over Covid BBC Northampton
• First death of patient with Covid-19 for 73 days is confirmed at Northampton General Hospital Daventry Express
• NHS 111 services recorded eight times more children with coronavirus symptoms in Northamptonshire when schools reopened Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• One-year waiting list for routine treatment hits record high at Northampton General Hospital Trust due to pandemic Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Seventy four positive coronavirus cases reported today across Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Another Kettering secondary school confirms coronavirus cases Northamptonshire Telegraph

The Comprehensive Spending Review needs to be genuinely comprehensive: and that means investing in social care

The Comprehensive Spending Review needs to be genuinely comprehensive: and that means investing in social care The clue to what needs to happen in this year’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) is in the first word of its title. While some areas of public spending have been largely protected in the past decade, others, including local authorities and adult social care, have seen heavy cuts. As social care reels from the impact of Covid-19, it is time to redress some of that balance and make public spending more comprehensive, focusing not just on health services but on care, and not just on spending by national government but by local government too. The King's Fund

The bigger picture: learning from two decades of changing NHS care in England

The bigger picture: learning from two decades of changing NHS care in England This report looks back at how NHS care in England has changed over the last two decades. It finds a disconnect between the way services have developed and the changing health needs of the population. It finds that, while the volume of health care delivered grew substantially, growth varied significantly across different services. The Health Foundation

COVID-19 is magnifying inequalities and “risks turning fault lines into chasms” – focus now must be on shaping a health and care system that delivers for everyone

COVID-19 is magnifying inequalities and “risks turning fault lines into chasms” – focus now must be on shaping a health and care system that delivers for everyone The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England looks at the quality of care over the past year. This includes the period before the full impact of COVID-19 began to be felt and CQC’s routine inspections were suspended as a result of the pandemic.

See also:

• The King’s Fund response to Care Quality Commission's State of care report The King's Fund
• England's 'fragile' care sector needs immediate reform, says regulator The Guardian

How will Brexit affect the UK’s response to coronavirus?

How will Brexit affect the UK’s response to coronavirus? This briefing considers how leaving the single market might affect UK health and social care services in the short term as they try to deal with coronavirus while maintaining normal services. It also looks at what difference a deal might make, and the options that the UK and the EU have. Nuffield Trust

Day surgery for children and young people

Day surgery for children and young people This report highlights the specific needs of children and young people undergoing day surgery, outlining pre- and post-operative aspects of care and preparation, parental involvement and facilitating discharge. Royal College of Nursing

Heart failure: a blueprint for change

Heart failure: a blueprint for change This report reveals that prior to lockdown, UK hospital admissions for heart failure had risen by nearly a third over the last five years to more than 100,000 per year. It suggests that this could partly due to missed opportunities to diagnose and treat people with the condition before they become more unwell and need to be admitted to hospital. It concludes that disjointed and unequal care, likely exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, is leading to more people dying with heart failure. British Heart Foundation