Let's draw on the spirit of Corby to reduce Covid rates - together we can do it

Let's draw on the spirit of Corby to reduce Covid rates - together we can do it Corby residents, renowned for their community spirit and dogged determination in the face of adversity, are being urged by those in the town to dig deep and stay at home to finally beat Covid. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Rule of Six won't save you from £200 Covid fine if you're inside an Audi parked up in Northamptonshire countryside Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Key workers deserve a medal for efforts during Covid-19 pandemic, says Northamptonshire's Chief Constable Northamptonshire Telegraph

New Chief Executive announced for Northampton General Hospital

New Chief Executive announced for Northampton General Hospital Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust has announced the appointment of Heidi Smoult as its new Chief Executive.

Heidi is currently Deputy Chief Inspector at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) where she is accountable for the effective regulation of the NHS and independent healthcare providers in the Central region. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Why our perceptions of the NHS matter

Why our perceptions of the NHS matter At various times in its 72-year history, the NHS – as a comprehensive, universal, taxpayer-funded service – has been said to be ‘unsustainable’. These arguments have tended to focus on population ageing, the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and ever more expensive treatments as leading to an inexorable rise in demand. The Health Foundation

Making decisions about social care requires tough choices

Making decisions about social care requires tough choices During a recent Institute for Government event, the former Chancellor George Osborne, spoke about social care. I held my breath as I wondered if he was going to join the long list of former politicians who get converted to the cause after leaving office. But no. Instead he spoke the unspoken about social care: ‘[The political consequence of fixing social care] is incredibly unpopular. It’s much more straightforward politically to keep kicking the can down the road.’ The King's Fund

Research and analysis: Supporting people living with dementia through safeguarding processes

Research and analysis: Supporting people living with dementia through safeguarding processes Guidance bringing together research undertaken by Dr Jeremy Dixon at the University of Bath, alongside people living with dementia, their family carers and professionals in the sector. Public Health England

‘COVID-friendly’ cancer care at home extended for more patients

‘COVID-friendly’ cancer care at home extended for more patients Thousands of people with cancer can benefit from ‘COVID friendly’ treatments from home, the NHS announced. More than 30 different drugs are available to treat patients, offering benefits such as fewer hospital visits or a reduced impact on their immune system. NHS England

Covid-19: Few people with symptoms are self-isolating, study finds

Covid-19: Few people with symptoms are self-isolating, study finds Fewer than one in five people request a Covid-19 test if they have symptoms, while the number who follow full self-isolation rules is low, a large study of the test-and-trace system has found.

The report, published in the British Medical Journal, also found only half of people knew the main Covid symptoms. BBC News

See also:

• Adherence to the test, trace, and isolate system in the UK: results from 37 nationally representative surveys (open access) The BMJ
• Covid: Children 'well protected by Pfizer vaccine' BBC News
• Covid 19: Inside the BioNTech vaccine factory in Germany BBC News
• Coronavirus: Germany's brain blood clots after AstraZeneca vaccination not seen in other nations The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: Cases fall 28% in week to 4,052 while deaths halve to 43 The Daily Mail
• Kent coronavirus variant is NOT deadlier than the original strain, PHE study finds The Daily Mail
• European Medicines Agency backs AstraZeneca vaccine but blood clot investigation ongoing The Daily Telegraph
• More than a fifth of Covid deaths at some hospitals after patients caught virus on wards The Daily Telegraph
• Almost third of UK Covid hospital patients readmitted within four months The Guardian
• Clear face mask that makes lip-reading possible approved for NHS use iNews

Assisted dying inquiry essential, leading brain surgeon says

Assisted dying inquiry essential, leading brain surgeon says One of the UK's leading brain surgeons, who has advanced prostate cancer, has said an inquiry into assisted dying is "absolutely essential".

Henry Marsh, a retired neurosurgeon and bestselling author, received his diagnosis six months ago.

He has supported a call by politicians for the government to hold an inquiry. BBC News

Government backs down over NHS deal with Palantir

Government backs down over NHS deal with Palantir Civil liberties group openDemocracy announced on Tuesday that the UK government has been forced to make a U-turn in the face of a legal challenge over involvement of 'spy tech' firm Palantir in the NHS Covid-19 data store. Computing

While the NHS has struggled with the pandemic, our treatment of mental illness has benefited

While the NHS has struggled with the pandemic, our treatment of mental illness has benefited We’re slowly moving away from the era where politicians’ interventions amounted to words, rather than hard cash or policy. iNews

Northamptonshire hospitals treated up to 84 stabbing victims last year

Northamptonshire hospitals treated up to 84 stabbing victims last year Stab victims accounted for up to 84 admissions to hospitals in Northamptonshire last year, figures suggest.

The Ben Kinsella Trust anti-knife crime charity said the Government must take steps to prevent another rise in attacks across the country as coronavirus restrictions are eased. Northamptonshire Telegraph

KGH failures left patient with dementia wandering the streets before he was hit in fatal crash

KGH failures left patient with dementia wandering the streets before he was hit in fatal crash An elderly man with dementia who was killed by a careless driver as he crossed a road was wandering the streets after KGH's catastrophic failures. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Ramadan 2021

Ramadan 2021 The month of Ramadan is likely to begin on either the 12 or 13 of April 2021, and is expected to last for either 29 or 30 days. These are tentative dates as the actual date of commencement of Ramadan 2021 is subject to the sighting of the moon. NHS Employers 

Recover, Reward, Renew: A post-pandemic plan for the healthcare workforce

Recover, Reward, Renew: A post-pandemic plan for the healthcare workforce One year since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, the political narrative has become one of recovery, for the health system as much as for the economy. But what does 'build back better' really mean for an exhausted and over-stretched healthcare workforce? Institute for Public Policy Research

See also:

• One in four NHS workers more likely to quit than a year ago, survey finds The Guardian
• NHS pay rise should be increased to prevent hundreds of thousands of healthcare staff quitting, report warns iNews
• The NHS staff forced to quit by the pressures of the Covid pandemic ITV News

The lives we want to lead: where next for the debate about care and support reform?

The lives we want to lead: where next for the debate about care and support reform? The issues facing social care, particularly the funding pressures, have been highlighted and exacerbated over the past year during the Covid-19 pandemic. The question of the lessons that need to be learned from the pandemic were central to a roundtable convened by the LGA and this briefing summarises the themes arising from this discussion. Local Government Association 

WHO calls for further studies, data on origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus, reiterates that all hypotheses remain open

WHO calls for further studies, data on origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus, reiterates that all hypotheses remain open The report of the international team on their Wuhan field visit, from 14 January -10 February 2021, was published today as WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for further studies.

The report stems from a Member State resolution adopted by consensus at the World Health Assembly in May 2020 and calling on WHO “to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts, including through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions.” World Health Organization

See also:

• WHO chief calls for deeper probe into lab leak Covid origin theory The Independent

Covid-19: Shielding coming to an end for millions

Covid-19: Shielding coming to an end for millions Wednesday marks the last day that about four million of the most clinically vulnerable people in England and Wales are advised to shield at home.

Letters have been sent out to the group in the last few weeks.

They are still being advised to keep social contacts at low levels, work from home where possible and stay at a distance from other people. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus: How to help health workers' mental health BBC News
• Covid: Half of UK has antibodies from vaccination or infection BBC News
• Coronavirus: More work needed to rule out lab leak theory says WHO BBC News
• Covid: Germany limits use of AstraZeneca Covid jab for under-60s BBC News
• UK's real Covid death toll hits 150,000, according to the Office for National Statistics The Daily Mail
• Covid variants will make vaccines ineffective within ONE YEAR, 66% of disease experts believe The Daily Mail
• Tricky weeks ahead as countries suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine The Daily Telegraph
• UK weather: Don't 'blow it', Matt Hancock warns, as temperatures threaten March record The Daily Telegraph
• Covid-19 vaccine passports to be designed by NHS team behind bungled tracing app, sparking concerns among MPs iNews

The crisis at the Tavistock's child gender clinic

The crisis at the Tavistock's child gender clinic In January, England's only NHS gender clinic for children and young people was rated "inadequate" by the country's health watchdog - the lowest rating, meaning it is performing badly.

The findings make for sobering reading with inspectors raising "significant concerns" about the way the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) works. BBC News 

PM accused of 'deliberately delaying' a pay rise for NHS workers

PM accused of 'deliberately delaying' a pay rise for NHS workers The Government told the NHS Pay Review Body that 1% was all it could afford.

The Prime Minister has been urged to “reconsider” the recent 1% pay offer and accused of attempting to “deliberately delaying” a pay rise for NHS workers. NursingNotes

See also:

• Nursing pay rise row: Are other public sector workers in line for an increase? Sky News

Corby's Covid hotspot 'masked' by North Northamptonshire local government shake-up

Corby's Covid hotspot 'masked' by North Northamptonshire local government shake-up Corby's Covid hotspot will become largely invisible to the public from Thursday thanks to the shake-up in local government.

No, it's not an April Fool's gag!

The borough will disappear along with Wellingborough, Kettering and East Northants when the new North Northamptonshire unitary authority takes over on April 1. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Stick to the Rule of Six or face a fine! Police warning as Northamptonshire gets ready to soak up the sun Northampton Chronicle and Echo