Hospital Covid cases increase by nearly 30 per cent at NGH and KGH between Christmas and New Year

Hospital Covid cases increase by nearly 30 per cent at NGH and KGH between Christmas and New Year The number of patients being treated for coronavirus at Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital increased by nearly 30 per cent between Christmas and New Year, new figures have revealed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

See also:

• Greencore: Inside story of health chief's battle with Government over Covid outbreak at Northampton factory Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• List of primary schools in Northampton closed to majority of students due to increasing Covid-19 risk Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Lockdown rules in full where you live - as England and Scotland tighten restrictions Northamptonshire Telegraph
• These are the latest Covid case rates across England - and hospital numbers by region Northamptonshire Telegraph

Outcome of UK negotiations with the EU and the impact on the NHS and health sector

Outcome of UK negotiations with the EU and the impact on the NHS and health sector A trade and cooperation agreement was concluded between the UK and EU on Christmas Eve 2020. This deal addresses many of the issues that the NHS Confederation has raised as asks from the government on behalf of members regarding Brexit and the NHS over the last four years. There is a lot of good news, but some significant changes compared with the arrangements that applied until the end of the post-Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020. This briefing reviews the agreements made in the UK-EU deal that will impact health and care in the UK and flags changes, both as a result of the deal and regardless of the deal. NHS Confederation 

Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU

Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU This guidance provides information on accessing healthcare for visitors to the UK from EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• How the NHS charges overseas visitors for NHS healthcare Department of Health and Social Care
• List of healthcare arrangements covering the UK and countries in the EEA and Switzerland Department of Health and Social Care

Seven in 10 adults are motivated to get healthier in 2021 due to COVID-19

Seven in 10 adults are motivated to get healthier in 2021 due to COVID-19 An England-wide survey of over 5,000 adults found that 80% of people aged over 18 have made the decision to change their lifestyle in 2021. Public Health England

Loneliness, social isolation and COVID-19

Loneliness, social isolation and COVID-19 The Local Government Association (LGA) and Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) have jointly produced this practical advice for Directors of Public Health and others leading the local response to the loneliness and social isolation issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak. It follows on from our guidance about the public mental health impacts across the life course.

Prime Minister announces national lockdown

Prime Minister announces national lockdown The Prime Minister has announced a national lockdown and instructed people to stay at home to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.

The decision follows a rapid rise in infections, hospital admissions and case rates across the country, and our hospitals are now under more pressure than they have been at any other point throughout the pandemic. Prime Minister's Office

See also:

• Guidance: National lockdown: Stay at Home Cabinet Office
• COVID-19 alert level: update from the UK Chief Medical Officers Department of Health and Social Care
• Prime Minister's address to the nation: 4 January 2021 Prime Minister's Office

Covid: England and Scotland begin new lockdowns as cases rise

Covid: England and Scotland begin new lockdowns as cases rise People in all of England and most of Scotland must now stay at home except for a handful of permitted reasons, as new lockdowns begin in both nations.

Schools have closed to most pupils in England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland will have an "extended period of remote learning".

England's rules are due to be reviewed on 15 February; Scotland's will be reviewed at the end of January. BBC News

See also:

• Medics appeal for more to get higher level PPE BBC News
• South Africa coronavirus variant: What is the risk? BBC News
• Covid-19: ‘One of the worst shifts of my life – it’s overwhelming’ BBC News
• Colchester Hospital: Covid deniers removed from 'at capacity' hospital BBC News
• South Africa coronavirus variant: What is the risk? BBC News
• Covid UK: Chief medical officers say NHS risks being 'overwhelmed' The Daily Mail
• 'Super-COVID': New UK variant set to take US pandemic to 'new level' The Daily Mail
• Moderna raises production goal of its coronavirus vaccine from 500 to 600 million by the end of 2021 The Daily Mail
• What are the five levels of Covid-19 alert in the UK? The Daily Telegraph
• NHS needs to deliver 2m jabs a week to fulfil government target The Guardian
• Covid deaths in UK could exceed 100k before end of month, data shows The Guardian
• England's coronavirus lockdown strategy flip-flops: a timeline The Guardian
• How the NHS was pushed to the brink as the nation waited for lockdown The Independent
• UK Covid cases reach another record daily high as government raises alert level to five The Independent
• Covid tests finally mandatory for UK-bound travellers The Independent

Covid deaths pass 1,000 mark in Northamptonshire

Covid deaths pass 1,000 mark in Northamptonshire Covid deaths in Northamptonshire is set to pass another sobering milestone with more than 1,000 recorded in the county. 

Sunday's NHS bulletin added three deaths at Kettering General Hospital, two on New Year's Eve and one on January 2. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Covid-19: Tougher restrictions 'absolutely essential' for Northamptonshire BBC Northampton
• Covid: Northamptonshire's New Year party fines top 150 BBC Northampton
• Police blast New Year's Eve revellers after issuing £30,000-plus in Covid fines across Northamptonshire Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• The first Oxford vaccine dose has been given in the UK - here’s the plan for the rollout Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• List of primary schools in Northampton closed to majority of students due to increasing Covid-19 risk Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Tier Four - What it means for Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Corby GP surgery begins offering Covid vaccination appointments after pre-Christmas hitch Northamptonshire Telegraph

"NHS staff are doing amazing things every day to care for our patients and each other"

"NHS staff are doing amazing things every day to care for our patients and each other" Hospital bosses saluted Northamptonshire's "amazing" NHS staff as they go into 2021 battling a triple whammy of winter worries.

Front line doctors, nurses and support workers from care assistants to porters and cleaners at Northampton and Kettering are treating around 1,100 Covid and non-Covid patients with no spare beds and staff shortages due to the virus. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health and care in 2021

Health and care in 2021 New Year’s Day 2021 finds the NHS, social care, public health and indeed the whole country even deeper in the Covid-19 crisis that began in March, now made massively more challenging by the new strain of Covid. The King's Fund 

2020: the health policy year in 12 charts

2020: the health policy year in 12 charts The wheels of health policy turn quickly. So, as 2021 begins let’s look back at the key health policy moments of 2020 to see the challenges and opportunities the year brought. The King's Fund

Better housing is crucial for our health and the COVID-19 recovery

Better housing is crucial for our health and the COVID-19 recovery Going into the COVID-19 pandemic, one in three households (32% or 7.6 million) in England had at least one major housing problem relating to overcrowding, affordability or poor-quality housing. 

Housing problems like these can affect health outcomes – including physical health directly from poor quality homes, and mental health from affordability or insecure housing. The Health Foundation

Outcome of UK negotiations with the EU

Outcome of UK negotiations with the EU Letter from Keith Willett, National Director for Emergency Planning and Incident Response, on the outcome of UK negotiations with the EU and key messages for NHS Organisations. NHS England 

See also:

• Brexit deal reduces uncertainty for health and care but major difficulties remain Nuffield Trust
• What should we expect for medical supplies in 2021? Nuffield Trust

New COVID-19 variant growing rapidly in England

New COVID-19 variant growing rapidly in England The new SARS-CoV-2 variant is growing rapidly, is more transmissible than other variants, and affecting a greater proportion of under 20s. 

The new variant has a transmission advantage of 0.4 to 0.7 in reproduction number compared to the previously observed strain. Imperial College London

See also:

• Report 42 - Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage B.1.1.7 in England: insights from linking epidemiological and genetic data Imperial College London

First people to receive Oxford University/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine today (4 January 2021)

First people to receive Oxford University/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine today (4 January 2021) The NHS is the first health service in the world to deploy the life-saving jab, which has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after meeting strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. It is the only approved vaccine which can be stored at fridge temperatures.

The government has secured access to 100 million doses of the vaccine on behalf of the whole of the UK, crown dependencies and overseas territories. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on the prioritisation of first doses of COVID-19 vaccines Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: Full list of local restriction tiers by area Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS to deliver first jabs with new Oxford vaccine NHS England
• Guidance: COVID-19 vaccination: why you are being asked to wait Public Health England
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports Public Health England

Covid: Regional rules 'probably going to get tougher', says Boris Johnson

Covid: Regional rules 'probably going to get tougher', says Boris Johnson Regional restrictions in England are "probably about to get tougher" to curb rising Covid infections, the prime minister has warned.

Boris Johnson told the BBC stronger measures may be required in parts of the country in the coming weeks.

He said this included the possibility of keeping schools closed, although this is not "something we want to do". BBC News

See also:

• Covid: What could 'tougher' measures mean for us? BBC News
• Covid: 'Nail-biting' weeks ahead for NHS, hospitals in England warn BBC News
• Covid: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout to begin BBC News
• Covid-19: Are pandemics the new normal? BBC News
• Covid-19: Vaccination programme 'marathon, not a sprint' BBC News
• Pfizer vaccine: 'This way can save more lives' BBC News
• Coronavirus: BMJ urges NYT to correct vaccine 'mixing' article BBC News
• Boris Johnson: 'Send children to school' BBC News
• Coronavirus: No increase in severe child cases, paediatricians say BBC News
• I caught Covid from a hospital, we must give all NHS workers the jab - now The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: Britain will need lockdowns until summer 2021 even with vaccines, scientists warn The Daily Mail
• Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Q&A: How effective is it, and how is it different to the Pfizer vaccine? The Daily Telegraph
• Hancock: England could face tighter Covid lockdown rules within 24 hours The Guardian
• Covid vaccine: UK doctors criticise rescheduling of second doses The Guardian
• Analysis: is it wise for England to mix and match Covid vaccines? The Guardian
• England health officials defend contingency plan to mix Covid vaccines The Guardian
• How is the Oxford Covid vaccine being deployed in England? The Guardian
• NHS England staff fear speaking out over Covid crisis in hospitals The Guardian
• ‘It makes me want to cry’: voices of hospital staff on the Covid frontline The Guardian
• Covid: More than 50,000 daily UK cases recorded for the sixth consecutive day The Independent
• Coronavirus: ‘Pretty clear’ tougher restrictions are needed, says SAGE adviser The Independent
• From inception to approval: The story behind the Oxford vaccine The Independent
• Matt Hancock blames Covid spread on public as government under pressure for new lockdown The Independent
• COVID-19: Hundreds of new vaccination sites for launch of Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine Sky News

Antidepressant use in England soars as pandemic cuts counselling access

Antidepressant use in England soars as pandemic cuts counselling access Exclusive: more than 6m people receive drugs as experts warn of Covid pandemic’s effects on mental health.

Calls to mental health helplines and prescriptions for antidepressants have reached an all-time high, while access to potentially life-saving talking therapies has plunged during the coronavirus pandemic, an investigation by The Guardian has found.

See also:

• How anxiety during lockdown led me to prescription drugs The Guardian

Hospitals without walls: the future of digital healthcare

Hospitals without walls: the future of digital healthcare In the wake of Covid, doctors and designers are radically adapting their thinking about what a hospital can be and what it should deliver. The Guardian

Thousands at risk of blindness set to benefit from a new eye drug

Thousands at risk of blindness set to benefit from a new eye drug Brolucizumab, has now been approved by NHS chiefs for patients with wet age-related macular deterioration - a painless yet incurable eye disease that's the leading cause of blindness in over-55s. The Daily Mail

Seasons greetings

We'd like to wish all our readers a very happy Christmas and we hope you have a wonderful New Year. 

This is the last blog of 2020, as we will be taking a break over the Christmas holidays, but we will still be tweeting updates via @NHFTNHSLibrary

We will be back from the 4th of January with our regular health news updates.