NHS confirms two more Covid-19 victims at Kettering General Hospital

NHS confirms two more Covid-19 victims at Kettering General Hospital NHS England today confirmed two more Covid-19 patients have died at Kettering General Hospital in recent days.

Figures revealed in a daily bulletin showed the fatalities at the Rothwell Road site on Sunday and Monday this week. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Increased number of fixed penalty notices issued by Northamptonshire police for breaching covid-19 legislation Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• New peak for coronavirus cases in North Northants tonight Northamptonshire Telegraph

Two treasured Northampton General Hospital nurses to retire after 40 years of service each

Two treasured Northampton General Hospital nurses to retire after 40 years of service each Two nurses who have dedicated more than 40 years of their lives to caring for others are due to retire next month.

Both Linda Pratt and Denise Eglis will leave Northampton General Hospital in mid-November to retire, after long careers in the nursing field. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The Spending Review and public health: the need for certainty in the shorter term and social value in the longer

The Spending Review and public health: the need for certainty in the shorter term and social value in the longer The Spending Review this autumn comes at a critical point in the pandemic, and in the economic cycle that has been rent asunder by it. This means the Spending Review has to do two things if it is to support public health: in the short term it must provide much greater certainty for critical budgets, and in the long term it must expect more from departments on social value creation and do all it can to protect against poverty and long-term unemployment. The King's Fund

Access to new medicines in the English NHS

Access to new medicines in the English NHS Have you ever wondered how new medicines are developed, approved and priced? This explainer outlines the long journey from the discovery of a new drug to when it becomes available on the NHS. The King's Fund

Coronavirus infections rising rapidly in England, REACT study shows

Coronavirus infections rising rapidly in England, REACT study shows Swab tests on more than 85,000 people across England have shown an increase in R and that coronavirus infections are growing nation-wide. 

An interim report led by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI, which includes tests taken between 16th and 25th October, shows that the prevalence of infection has more than doubled since the last round of testing, with 1.28% infected. Imperial College London

See also:

• High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 swab positivity and increasing R number in England during October 2020: REACT-1 round 6 interim report (open access preprint) Imperial College London
• Covid-19: Nearly 100,000 catching virus every day BBC News
• Nearly 100,000 people in England catching Covid-19 every day, 'worrying' Government-led study finds The Daily Mail

Working together for a healthier post-Covid future

Working together for a healthier post-Covid future This report, commissioned by the Healthier Futures Academy in the Black Country and West Birmingham, illustrates the effects that a COVID-driven recession could have on population health. It frames a discussion about how the NHS, with other local organisations, can more effectively address the causes as well as the effects of ill health. The Strategy Unit

Detailed guide: Full list of local COVID alert levels by area

Detailed guide: Full list of local COVID alert levels by area The areas in England listed as local COVID alert level high and local COVID alert level very high. Department of Health and Social Care

Covid-19: 'Too early to say' what Christmas rules will be says minister

Covid-19: 'Too early to say' what Christmas rules will be says minister "It's too early to say" what Covid rules will be in place by Christmas, the environment secretary has said.

George Eustice warned people "may not be able to get together in the larger groups that they normally would".

Opposition parties have called for coronavirus rules to be the same across all four UK nations this Christmas. BBC News

See also:

• Becoming a new mum during the pandemic BBC News
• British contact-tracing apps to share data BBC News
• One in six working-age adults hospitalised with coronavirus work for the NHS, finds study The Daily Mail
• Around 1.4% of Covid-19 patients will suffer a stroke, scientists warn The Daily Mail
• No10's publicly-available coronavirus statistics are 'disparate', top scientists warn The Daily Mail
• Hospitals 'could be treating 25,000 Covid patients by the end of November' The Daily Telegraph
• Hundreds of GPs a month seek mental health support as COVID-19 pressure bites GPonline
• 'Like 7/7 but for a month': NHS teams during Covid – in pictures The Guardian
• 10% of England's population could be tested for Covid-19 every week The Guardian
• How teenagers ended up operating crucial parts of England’s test and trace system | George Monbiot The Guardian
• Covid hospital cases in UK ‘could pass spring peak in November’ The Guardian
• Without a trace: do virus tracking apps really work? The Independent
• NHS to target risk of Covid outbreaks on wards after watchdog investigation The Independent
• NHS worker punched and thrown from Tube train after confronting passengers for not wearing masks The Independent

Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say

Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say NSPCC and others urge government to fund rebuilding of struggling support service

A generation of babies born during the Covid-19 pandemic may be at risk because they and their parents are not being fully supported by health visitors in the weeks and months after birth, a coalition of children’s charities has said.

The NSPCC and nine other early-years charities say restrictions to the service and redeployment of health visitors could mean thousands of families do not receive checks they are entitled to. The Guardian

See also:

• Government is at risk of failing babies and parents during the coronavirus pandemic NSPCC

'I needed to fix myself for my kids': breaking the cycle of domestic abuse

'I needed to fix myself for my kids': breaking the cycle of domestic abuse Families with complicated lives are being helped by a project that supports both parents during their child’s first two years

When Jess was 11 weeks pregnant, she got into an argument with her boyfriend, Robbie, who lashed out and hit her. Jess had suffered a previous miscarriage and was terrified of losing another baby. The Guardian

Ninth Covid-19 patient dies at Northampton General Hospital during 'second wave' of pandemic

Ninth Covid-19 patient dies at Northampton General Hospital during 'second wave' of pandemic NHS England confirmed another patient who had tested positive for Covid-19 has died at Northampton General Hospital.

Figures revealed in a daily bulletin showed the fatality at the Cliftonville site on Friday (October 23). That takes the total to nine at NGH since a 'second wave' of the pandemic began to hit the the county and cases started rising sharply last month. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northamptonshire councils given below-average £14.48 per person in new emergency coronavirus government grants Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Which areas of Northamptonshire saw biggest rises in Covid-19 cases in the last week Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Tier 4 Covid restrictions could be brought in if infection rates don’t drop - the rules explained Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton student wins Nurse of the Year award in the learning disabilities category

 Northampton student wins Nurse of the Year award in the learning disabilities category Northampton University student, Lauretta Ofulue, was one of this year’s Student Nursing Times Award winners who were revealed today (October 27) during an online virtual awards ceremony. Northamptonshire Telegraph

590 people’s stories of hospital during Covid-19

590 people’s stories of hospital during Covid-19 In partnership with British Red Cross, this report reviews the experiences of 590 people after being discharged from hospital. The research shows significant numbers of people are not receiving follow-up support under new policy to switch to a ‘discharge to assess’ model in March 2020 (introduced to cope with demand at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic), leading to unmet needs. It calls on the NHS to address these issues coming into the busy winter period amidst growing pressures of a second Covid-19 wave. Healthwatch

Is there a doctor in the house? Averting a post-pandemic staffing crisis in the NHS

Is there a doctor in the house? Averting a post-pandemic staffing crisis in the NHS The UK ranks 27th out of 36 OECD countries for number of physicians, and around 30 per cent of doctors on GP and specialist registers are over 55 years old. The UK relies more heavily on foreign-trained physicians than comparable countries – but within a decade it could become increasingly difficult to meet demand this way. While population growth and ageing have increased demand for doctors, such demographic factors could mean a staffing crisis is on the horizon. This briefing suggests a range of cost-effective solutions to plug doctor shortages once the Covid-19 crisis has passed. Institute of Economic Affairs

An avoidable crisis: the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

An avoidable crisis: the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities The Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, appointed Baroness Doreen Lawrence to lead this review into how those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds were being impacted by Covid-19. The report makes both immediate and long-term recommendations to protect those most at risk and tackle structural inequalities in several key areas including the machinery of government, health, employment and in the education system. Labour Party

Largest COVID-19 antibody testing programme publishes findings on antibody response over time

Largest COVID-19 antibody testing programme publishes findings on antibody response over time Findings from Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI show the number of people with antibodies fell by 26.5% over 3 months. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Declining prevalence of antibody positivity to SARS-CoV-2: a community study of 365,000 adults (open access preprint) Imperial College London
• Official Statistics: REACT-2: real-time assessment of community transmission – antibody waning Department of Health and Social Care
• Coronavirus antibody prevalence falling in England, REACT study shows Imperial College London
• Covid: Antibodies 'fall rapidly after infection' BBC News
• Just 4% of England has antibodies now, government study finds The Daily Mail

Covid: How busy are hospitals as the second wave rolls in?

Covid: How busy are hospitals as the second wave rolls in? The second wave is placing an ever greater toll on UK hospitals. There are more than 1,000 Covid admissions a day - 10 times the rate at the end of summer.

Hospitals have started cancelling routine treatments, as happened during the first peak, with hospitals in Leeds this week following others in announcing some treatments will have to stop.

But just how busy is the NHS? And how much Covid can it take? BBC News

See also:

• Covid has thrived on racial discrimination, says Baroness Doreen Lawrence BBC News
• Coronavirus: Europe's daily deaths rise by nearly 40% compared with last week - WHO BBC News
• Syria: Inside a refugee camp where Covid is spreading BBC News
• Coronavirus UK: 367 deaths and 21,331 new cases in daily toll The Daily Mail
• Britain's Covid-19 deaths rise by 55% in a week with 761 victims recorded in latest seven-day spell The Daily Mail
• Eli Lilly ends antibody drug trial early after it failed to help patients recover The Daily Mail
• Self-isolation row as No10 confirms it IS looking at halving it to SEVEN days The Daily Mail
• 10,000 people a day could receive false positives in Operation Moonshot, researchers say The Daily Telegraph
• Seven months of Covid: reflections from healthcare workers in England The Guardian
• Dashboard designed to chart England's Covid-19 response finds major gaps in data The Guardian
• NHS hospital forced to postpone cancer operations as Covid spreads on wards The Independent
• First coronavirus vaccines 'may not prevent infection', UK task force head warns The Independent
• Coronavirus: Government throwing ‘lit match into a haystack’ by discharging Covid patients to care homes The Independent

Don't hold home firework displays, urge doctors

Don't hold home firework displays, urge doctors Plastic surgeons fear there will be a big increase in injuries from DIY firework displays this November.

Public events have been cancelled due to Covid, meaning many people may decide to host their own Diwali and bonfire night displays at home. BBC News

See also:

• BAPRAS urges caution regarding firework displays at home British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons

Therapy patients blackmailed for cash after clinic data breach

Therapy patients blackmailed for cash after clinic data breach Many patients of a large psychotherapy clinic in Finland have been contacted individually by a blackmailer, after their data was stolen.

The data appears to have included personal identification records and notes about what was discussed in therapy sessions. BBC News

After scandals like Winterbourne View, why is basic decency still remarkable?

After scandals like Winterbourne View, why is basic decency still remarkable? Children with learning disabilities and their families need support that is kind, compassionate and thoughtful

In late July 2019, I tweeted asking families with autistic or learning disabled children to share their experience of “sparkling” actions by health and social care professionals. I was writing a book about how professionals could make a difference in the lives of children and their families, and the manuscript was woefully negative. The Guardian