Northampton within first 10 hospitals in UK to introduce new skin cancer treatment as patients across the county to benefit from faster recovery

Northampton within first 10 hospitals in UK to introduce new skin cancer treatment as patients across the county to benefit from faster recovery Specialists at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) have launched a new treatment for patients with common skin cancers to aid faster recovery without surgery.

Skin Brachytherapy is a highly targeted radiotherapy technique used to treat certain types of basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Hospitals on alert as first Omicron cases are confirmed in Northamptonshire

Hospitals on alert as first Omicron cases are confirmed in Northamptonshire Bosses at the two main Northamptonshire hospitals have no plans to extend restrictions as the first Omicron cases are confirmed, despite a new ban on visitors at a neighbouring NHS trust. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Omicron: Six cases discovered in Brackley BBC Northampton
• Extra testers rolling into south Northamptonshire as more cases of Covid Omicron variant are confirmed Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• It's 643 days since Northamptonshire's first Covid case and people are STILL going to work and school with symptoms Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• UK Omicron Covid cases ‘doubling every three days’ top scientists say Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• First Covid-19 Omicron variant case is confirmed in North Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Telegraph

What has happened to non-COVID mortality during the pandemic?

What has happened to non-COVID mortality during the pandemic? In England, deaths from causes other than COVID-19 have been lower than usual for 80% of the pandemic. In January to September 2021, this was equivalent to about 34,000 (or 9%) fewer deaths than we would expect, based on historical mortality patterns. This analysis explores some of the questions arising from this reduction. The Health Foundation

Community mental health survey 2021

Community mental health survey 2021 People were eligible to take part in the survey if they had at least one contact with services between September and November 2020, with another contact either before, during or after this period. In addition, some questions ask participants to reflect on their care over the last 12 months. Therefore, results of this survey reflect experiences of care throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This report shows that people are consistently reporting poor experiences of NHS community mental health services, with few positive results. Many people reported that their mental health had deteriorated as a result of changes made to their care and treatment due to the pandemic. Care Quality Commission

Supporting named leads for health inequalities on NHS boards

Supporting named leads for health inequalities on NHS boards This report, published by the NHS Race & Health Observatory in collaboration with The King’s Fund, sets out recommendations to help ensure senior NHS officials responsible for improving health inequalities are able to make a difference. It outlines practical recommendations and next steps to ensure named leads on boards are equipped to make a difference on health inequality outcomes and held to account with system partners on progress. NHS Race & Health Observatory

New law to prevent use of force in mental health settings

New law to prevent use of force in mental health settings Patients in mental health settings will be better protected from inappropriate use of force following the commencement of landmark regulations and publication of guidance of the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 today (Tuesday 7 December). Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Statutory guidance: Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 Department of Health and Social Care
• Consultation outcome: Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 statutory guidance Department of Health and Social Care 

Policy paper: From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives

Policy paper: From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives A 10-year plan to cut crime and save lives by reducing the supply and demand for drugs and delivering a high-quality treatment and recovery system. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Largest ever increase in funding for drug treatment Department of Health and Social Care

Covid: First data points to Omicron re-infection risk

Covid: First data points to Omicron re-infection risk The first real world data showing the coronavirus variant Omicron may evade some of our immunity has been reported by scientists in South Africa.

Scientists have detected a surge in the number of people catching Covid multiple times.

It is a rapid analysis and not definitive, but fits with concern about the mutations the variant possesses. BBC News

See also:

• Sarah Gilbert: Next pandemic could be more lethal than Covid BBC News
• Covid vaccine: Why our black and South Asian friends and family still won't have a jab BBC News
• Covid: Travel changes too late to halt potential new wave - scientist BBC News
• Covid: GPs can defer some services in booster jab push BBC News
• Covid: Pfizer and Moderna jabs give best overall boost, UK trial finds BBC News
• Community transmission of Omicron is now happening in 'multiple regions of England' The Daily Mail
• Omicron-stricken South Africa sees cases almost TRIPLE in a week as hospital admissions DOUBLE The Daily Mail
• Omicron wave could put as much pressure on hospitals as last winter even if it IS mild The Daily Mail
• Omicron will become UK's dominant variant 'within weeks', says scientist The Daily Telegraph
• More than 300,000 housebound people yet to get Covid booster vaccines The Daily Telegraph
• Covid in England roundup: the risks, the data, the outlook The Guardian
• Sage scientists seek balanced UK response to Omicron concerns The Guardian
• 1,000 omicron cases may already be in UK as ‘variant spreads faster than Delta,’ expert warns The Independent

Doctors report 13,000 cancelled operations in UK over two months

Doctors report 13,000 cancelled operations in UK over two months UK hospitals have cancelled at least 13,000 operations over the last two months as they struggle to cope with record demand for NHS care and people sick with Covid-19.

Figures collected by A&E doctors showed that 13,061 planned surgeries had to be called off during October and November because of shortages of beds and staff.

The percentage of people spending at least 12 hours in A&E is double what it was this time last year. The Guardian

See also:

• A&E crisis sparks 220 lost operations every day as NHS creaks under weight of Covid fallout The Daily Mail
• NHS cancelled 13000 operations in last two months The Independent

NHS forecasts 230,000 extra cases of PTSD in England due to Covid

NHS forecasts 230,000 extra cases of PTSD in England due to Covid The NHS is forecasting there will be 230,000 new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder in England as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, official figures show.

Covid-19 has increased exposure to events that could cause PTSD, an anxiety disorder triggered by very stressful, frightening or distressing events, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It says the NHS is already facing the biggest backlog of those waiting for mental health help in its history. The Guardian

See also: 

• The explosion of Covid PTSD cases is a mental health crisis in the making | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian

Couple whose unborn baby died following series of blunders get huge compensation payout

Couple whose unborn baby died following series of blunders get huge compensation payout A couple whose baby was stillborn following a series of blunders by NHS staff have received £2.8million in compensation.

The out-of-court settlement – the largest for a stillbirth clinical negligence case in the UK – was agreed five years after Sarah and Jack Hawkins' daughter Harriet died. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Stillborn baby's parents receive £2.8m from Nottingham hospital trust BBC News
• Scandal-hit hospital to pay £2.8m after baby death The Independent

KGH says sorry after another medication mix-up

KGH says sorry after another medication mix-up Kettering General Hospital bosses have apologised after another medication blunder - the FIFTH never event to take place there this year.

An investigation has been launched after the serious mix-up - classed as the kind of mistake which should never happen - saw a patient given medication through the wrong route in October. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Doing a lot more with only slightly more: the NHS’s Covid-19 recovery and public expectations

Doing a lot more with only slightly more: the NHS’s Covid-19 recovery and public expectations Covid-19 demanded that the government commit massive increases to the health budget: over the past two years it has spent £80 billion on tackling the pandemic, 40 per cent above previous health spending plans. While we all hope that health spending will not need to return to these levels in the near future, the legacy costs of responding to the acute phase of the pandemic are great. The King's Fund

Misconduct in public office: why did so many thousands die unnecessarily?

Misconduct in public office: why did so many thousands die unnecessarily? A panel of four, chaired by Michael Mansfield QC, heard evidence from over 40 witnesses including bereaved families, frontline NHS and key workers, national and international experts, trade union and council leaders, and representatives from disabled people’s and pensioners’ organisations. This report summarises the concerns raised, including NHS preparedness, government response, the impact on various population groups, the impact on frontline staff, inequalities and discrimination and more. People's Covid Inquiry

The state of health visiting 2021: we need more health visitors

The state of health visiting 2021: we need more health visitors This report aims to capture the experiences of frontline health visiting practitioners working with families across the United Kingdom in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It finds that the needs of babies, young children and families are increasing, there are not enough health visitors to meet these rising levels of need, and families are experiencing an ongoing postcode lottery of support. Institute of Health Visiting

Digital transformation in community health services

Digital transformation in community health services This report highlights how community health services have been delivering better care for patients and service users through remote monitoring, virtual consultations and self-management tools. It is informed by case studies and a survey of community service leaders. It finds that a number of systemic issues, including insufficient capital and revenue funding for the technological transformation needed, have dogged digital roll-out in community services. Community Network

Ten year vision to improve adult social care

Ten year vision to improve adult social care People who need care, the social care workforce and unpaid carers will benefit from the ten-year vision for adult social care.

The white paper is part of the government’s wider social care plans, backed by £5.4 billion, which for the first time provides a limit to the cost of care for everyone in the adult social care system, and significantly increases state support. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Policy paper: People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper Department of Health and Social Care
• New vision for social care will feel like hollow words without the money to deliver it The Health Foundation
• The King's Fund responds to the government's adult social care White Paper The King's Fund
• LGA responds to adult social care reform white paper Local Government Association
• Social care white paper an important step but must be financially backed to pull care sector back from the brink Nuffield Trust
• Social care: Plans to fund improvement in England unveiled BBC News
• Social care white paper widely criticised Channel 4 News
• A £500m plan to boost social care staff is on the way as 40,000 staff leave sector in just six months The Daily Mail
• Time for honesty if Boris Johnson really wants to fix social care The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt and Labour attack ministers’ social care plan The Guardian
• What are the Government’s plans for social care? The Independent
• PM told to 'back up words with cash' on social care plan to bring sector ‘back from brink’ ITV News
• Social care white paper ‘falls well short’ Local Government Chronicle

Government agrees new deals to future proof vaccine rollout in light of new variant

Government agrees new deals to future proof vaccine rollout in light of new variant The government has signed new contracts to secure the supply of our vaccine stock to future proof the country’s vaccine programme.

The new contracts with Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were accelerated in light of the new variant, as part of the ongoing efforts to ensure the government is doing everything it can while scientists across the world learn more about Omicron. Department of Health and Social Care

Covid: Trigger of rare blood clots with AstraZeneca jab found by scientists

Covid: Trigger of rare blood clots with AstraZeneca jab found by scientists Scientists believe they have found "the trigger" that leads to extremely rare blood clots after the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.

The team - in Cardiff and the US - have shown in exquisite detail how a protein in the blood is attracted to a key component of the vaccine.

They think this kicks off a chain reaction, involving the immune system, that can culminate in dangerous clots. BBC News

See also: 

• ChAdOx1 interacts with CAR and PF4 with implications for thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (open access) Science Advances
• UK approves another antibody treatment for Covid BBC News
• Covid: Senior GP's capacity warning over booster rollout BBC News
• Covid: Don't kiss strangers under mistletoe - minister BBC News
• Poorly controlled asthma 'increases Covid risk for children' BBC News
• Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla: My wife's vaccine death is fake news BBC News
• UK's Covid outbreak rebounds as infections rise 11% in a week to 48374 The Daily Mail
• Worldwide health alert after cardiologist says he caught Covid variant during London conference trip The Daily Telegraph
• Two more rounds of boosters to come as Government orders ‘variant-proof’ Covid vaccines The Daily Telegraph
• Sajid Javid says delivering Covid booster jabs is NHS’s new national mission The Guardian
• Ministers should face misconduct charges over Covid crisis, say UK campaigners The Guardian
• Pressure on Hancock over pub landlord’s Covid deal The Guardian
• Will the Omicron Covid variant cancel Christmas? The Guardian
• UK ministers secure 114m more Covid vaccines for next two years The Guardian
• Omicron could see ‘very large wave of infections’, leaked report warns The Independent
• NHS staff in Scotland to use transparent face masks The Independent
• No.10 staff repeatedly held Christmas lockdown parties The Independent

Safety watchdog launches national investigation into ambulance delays

Safety watchdog launches national investigation into ambulance delays The national patient safety watchdog has launched an investigation into the “significant patient harm” caused by Ambulances being forced to wait with patients outside of A&E, The Independent has learned.