Addressing the leading risk factors for ill health: a review of government policies tackling smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use in England

Addressing the leading risk factors for ill health: a review of government policies tackling smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use in England This review assesses government policies tackling each of the leading risk factors driving ill health and early death in England, including smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, and harmful alcohol use. The report concludes that the government’s current approach – including policies that promote individual behaviour change – is insufficient to deliver on its key targets and achieve its ‘levelling up’ mission to improve healthy life expectancy. It finds that trends are going in the wrong direction for many of the major health risk factors and calls for the government to take stronger action to tackle the leading risk factors for ill health. The Health Foundation

Chart of the week: How does the quality of patient ethnicity data vary between private and public health care providers?

Chart of the week: How does the quality of patient ethnicity data vary between private and public health care providers? The pandemic has highlighted ethnic disparities in health care and outcomes in England, but poor data on the ethnicity of patients hampers efforts to address inequalities. In this week's chart, Sarah Scobie looks at how patient ethnicity data varies between private and public health care providers. Nuffield Trust

NHS launches online platform to empower patients as they wait for care

NHS launches online platform to empower patients as they wait for care Millions of patients on the waiting list for NHS care will be able to access support and check wait times at their fingertips thanks to a new online platform launching today.

Built in conjunction with patient groups, My Planned Care is one of the latest measures in a major package of moves by the NHS to tackle the COVID backlog.

The platform will allow patients and their carers to access information ahead of their planned appointment, operation or treatment through the touch of a button. NHS England

Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2021 to 2022 season

Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2021 to 2022 season National influenza and COVID-19 report, monitoring COVID-19 activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Official Statistics: Seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in frontline healthcare workers: monthly data, 2021 to 2022 UK Health Security Agency
• Research: COVID-19 vaccine weekly surveillance reports (weeks 39 to 8, 2021 to 2022) UK Health Security Agency

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in England

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in England The COVID-19 vaccination programme (the programme) met stretching and unprecedented targets, helping to save lives and reduce serious illness and hospitalisation, according to a report by the National Audit Office. As the programme continues to evolve in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to new clinical advice and evidence about vaccines, there are some clear risks to be managed.

Covid: How we already understand long-term vaccine safety

Covid: How we already understand long-term vaccine safety "We don't know the long-term side effects of Covid vaccines." That's a claim that's still common to see shared online.

But a year is actually considered "long term" when it comes to vaccine safety.

This week marks the anniversary of the first delivery of Covid-19 vaccines under the Covax scheme - as well as being more than 14 months since the first dose was given.

And scientists explain that's more than enough time for all but the rarest side effects to have emerged. BBC News

See also:

• Covid: Millions of vaccine doses destroyed in England BBC News
• Covid-19 tests: Southern Health Trust investigates 'inaccurate' results BBC News
• Government's decision to sell vital vaccine infrastructure 'is baffling and should be reversed' The Daily Mail
• Lateral flows missed up to 80% of Covid-infected people, study suggests The Daily Mail
• New Covid vaccine 100% effective against severe disease, manufacturers say The Independent
• "We are broken": The 2020 diaries of an ICU nurse on the Covid frontline The Independent
• Covid: 25000 NHS staff who had retired or left health service returned to the front line in the pandemic iNews
• GPs 'not expected' to lead spring Covid booster programme, says NHS England Pulse

Life may actually flash before your eyes on death - new study

Life may actually flash before your eyes on death - new study New data from a scientific "accident" has suggested that life may actually flash before our eyes as we die.

A team of scientists set out to measure the brainwaves of an 87-year-old patient who had developed epilepsy. But during the neurological recording, he suffered a fatal heart attack - offering an unexpected recording of a dying brain. BBC News

See also:

• Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain (open access) Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
• A replay of life: What happens in our brain when we die? Frontiers in Science

Climate crisis will increase mental health emergencies, researchers warn

Climate crisis will increase mental health emergencies, researchers warn Healthcare staff told to expect an increase in patients requiring treatment for substance use, anxiety and stress during periods of extreme heat.

Extreme heat leads to an increase in emergency admissions for mental health problems, US researchers have found. The Independent

See also: 

• Association Between Ambient Heat and Risk of Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health Among US Adults, 2010 to 2019 (open access) JAMA Psychiatry

England abortion ‘pills by post’ scheme to be scrapped in September

England abortion ‘pills by post’ scheme to be scrapped in September Women in England will be able to access abortion pills more easily for the next six months, but the temporary “pills by post” scheme brought in because of Covid will then be scrapped in September.

Maggie Throup, the public health minister, confirmed on Thursday that women seeking to terminate a pregnancy by taking the two pills involved at home would lose that right at the end of August. The Guardian 

NHS figures reveal a MILLION fewer women were screened for breast cancer last year

NHS figures reveal a MILLION fewer women were screened for breast cancer last year England faces a breast cancer timebomb as official figures show a million fewer women were screened for the disease over the first year of the pandemic.  

In total 1.19m women had the vital tests in the 12 months to April 2021, marking the lowest number since records began two decades ago and down nearly half on 2.12m the previous year. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Decrease in women screened for breast cancer in 2020-21 NHS Digital

Only a THIRD of English adults have seen an NHS dentist in the past two years of the pandemic

Only a THIRD of English adults have seen an NHS dentist in the past two years of the pandemic Only a third of English adults have seen a NHS dentist in the past two years of the pandemic, statistics have revealed. 

Official health service data shows just under 15.8million adults in England were seen by an NHS dentist in the 24 months to the end of 2021. The Daily Mail

Northampton mum's hope 'no other child has to go through what mine did' after 11-year legal battle over daughter's brain injuries

Northampton mum's hope 'no other child has to go through what mine did' after 11-year legal battle over daughter's brain injuries A Northampton mum who fought an 11-year legal battle over her daughter Megan's catastrophic brain injury resulting from failed maternity care says no other child should have to go through the same trauma. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Northampton girl who suffered brain injury at birth gets £19m BBC Northampton

Tickboxes and tokenism?: service user involvement report 2022

Tickboxes and tokenism?: service user involvement report 2022 This report is the result of a survey which explored people’s experiences of service user involvement. This user-led research shows the current picture of involvement and explores the barriers that deaf and Disabled people face when wanting to share their lived experience. The report contains recommendations for those who want to run inclusive, meaningful involvement to shape their services and make them better for everyone. Shaping Our Lives 

The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise cases

The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise cases This report presents findings from ‘The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise’ project commissioned by the General Dental Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It investigated how seriousness in fitness to practise cases is understood and applied by health professions regulators. The findings reinforce that professionals who engage with regulators during the fitness to practise process will benefit through early engagement and this can make a positive difference to the outcome of their case. It also shows the importance of considering context when looking at fitness to practise cases, understanding the role of other people, the culture and environment they were working in when something went wrong. Nursing & Midwifery Council 

Supporting male victims/survivors accessing a sexual assault referral centre: good practice guide

Supporting male victims/survivors accessing a sexual assault referral centre: good practice guide The purpose of this guide is to educate and guide staff working in sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) to better enable males, including those from diverse communities, to access the support of a SARC following sexual assault and abuse. Where males do access support from a SARC, this guide will support SARC staff to deliver high-quality care that is responsive and understanding of the diverse needs of male victims/survivors of sexual assault and abuse. NHS England 

Covid: End of legal need to self-isolate in England

Covid: End of legal need to self-isolate in England All remaining legal Covid restrictions have been removed in England, nearly two years after the first rules were introduced.

It means people are no longer legally required to self-isolate if they test positive for Covid - although they are still advised to do so.

The changes are part of the prime minister's Living with Covid plan, to "transition back to normality". BBC News

See also: 

• UK's faltering Covid wave continues to fizzle as daily cases plunge 26% in a week The Daily Mail
• Freedom or folly? The end of England’s Covid restrictions (podcast) The Guardian
• Patients must still wear face masks in GP practices, NHS England says The Independent
• NHS staff told maintain isolation and testing measures despite end Covid restrictions The Independent
• COVID-19: All remaining coronavirus restrictions lifted in England Sky News

New sickle cell treatment given to first patients in England

New sickle cell treatment given to first patients in England Sickle cell patients have begun receiving the first new treatment for the blood disorder in over 20 years.

The inherited condition can cause severe pain and organ failure, often requiring hospital admissions.

Crizanlizumab is given as a monthly infusion and is thought to cut visits to A&E by 40%. BBC News 

Health unions criticise ‘miserly’ 3% NHS staff pay rise

Health unions criticise ‘miserly’ 3% NHS staff pay rise Health unions have criticised the government for offering NHS staff in England a “miserly” 3% pay rise from April, despite inflation having hit 5.5%.

Ministers have proposed the increase in their written evidence to the NHS pay review body, which advises what salary uplifts the service’s 1.3 million staff should get. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS pay recommendation 'final push for many to leave service' GMB Union
• Government's view on NHS pay shows it's not serious about fixing nursing workforce crisis Royal College of Nursing
• Miserly government NHS pay proposal won’t clear the backlog or help patients UNISON
• 'A tight-fisted proposal': Unions hit out at 3% pay rise for NHS staff and say exhausted workers deserve more The Daily Mail
• Government puts forward 3% pay uplift for NHS nurses in England Nursing Times
• Government suggests 2% pay uplift for salaried GPs Pulse

NHS lacks 6,000 staff needed to run testing centres in England

NHS lacks 6,000 staff needed to run testing centres in England The NHS does not have the 6,000 staff needed to run its promised array of new testing centres designed to speed up diagnosis of cancer and other diseases, medical leaders are warning.

The drive to recruit the radiographers and radiologists needed to take and analyse scans and X-rays at the community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in England risks already-understaffed hospitals losing key staff to work there, a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” strategy that would backfire, they claim. The Guardian

Coroner slams NHS trust over suicide of student, 21, and warns 'bullying and harassment' is rife

Coroner slams NHS trust over suicide of student, 21, and warns 'bullying and harassment' is rife A coroner has slammed a 'culture of historic culture of bullying and harassment' at a Norfolk NHS mental health trust where staff felt 'some suicides are inevitable' following the death of a university student. The Daily Mail