We'll be back on Tuesday the 19th of April

Our health news service will be taking a break next week for Easter. 

We'll be back bringing you our daily health care news service on Tuesday the 19th of April...

GMB’s Dr Amir Khan warning as Covid patients in Northampton and Kettering hospitals hits 14-month high

GMB’s Dr Amir Khan warning as Covid patients in Northampton and Kettering hospitals hits 14-month high Numbers of Covid patients in Northamptonshire hospitals reached the highest level in 14 months this week.

NHS England data released on Thursday (April 7) showed 186 people were being treated for the virus — 98 at Kettering General Hospital and 88 at Northampton — by Monday, the most since February 2021. Northamptonshire Telegraph

England has a new drugs strategy – what now lies ahead?

England has a new drugs strategy – what now lies ahead? The new drugs strategy for England shows the government is serious about righting the wrong of nearly a decade of disinvestment and political neglect. £533 million has been committed over the next three years to community treatment and recovery services, with additional funding for prisons.

As a society we now have a serious chance to transform our national treatment system and turn the tragic tide of rising deaths. But it won’t be simple. The King's Fund

Premature mortality in adults with severe mental illness (SMI)

Premature mortality in adults with severe mental illness (SMI) This report examines geographical variation in premature mortality (deaths under the age of 75 years) in people with severe mental illness (SMI) by upper tier local authority (UTLA) in England. It also considers the complex relationship between premature mortality in people with SMI and those without SMI at a local level. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

United against health inequalities: a commitment to lasting change

United against health inequalities: a commitment to lasting change This survey of trust leaders shows high board-level commitment and strategic emphasis on tackling health inequalities and commitment to making action on health inequalities 'core business'. However they describe several barriers to progress with nearly two in three (65 per cent) saying that wider pressures on the system and operational challenges hinder their ability to progress work on reducing health inequalities. Nearly half of trust leaders expressed concerns about the lack of access to data about health inequalities within trusts (49 per cent) and across the health system (48 per cent). NHS Providers

NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard: 2021 data analysis report for NHS trusts

NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard: 2021 data analysis report for NHS trusts This year's report shows the number of BME staff at very senior manager level has almost doubled between 2020 to 2021 – up from 153 to 298. The analysis also shows the number of BME board members across all NHS trusts have increased by a quarter between 2020 and 2021, and are up by three quarters on 2018 when the data was first published. 

The survey also showed the NHS workforce is more diverse than at any point in NHS history with more than 300,000 staff from a BME background – the equivalent of 22.4 per cent of all NHS staff. This is up from 18 per cent in 2017. However despite this rise, BME staff remain underrepresented in senior positions – particularly in board executive roles. The survey also shows that 29 per cent of BME staff experienced bullying, harassment of abuse from patients last year – three per cent higher than white staff. NHS England

Goldacre recommendations to improve care through use of data

Goldacre recommendations to improve care through use of data Patient care in the NHS will be improved through more efficient and safer access to health data, which will drive innovation and lead to potentially lifesaving research.

Professor Ben Goldacre, Bennett Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, has today published the findings from his independent review into how the NHS can achieve better, broader, and safer use of health data. Learning lessons from the pandemic, the review advises how to utilise health data in healthcare and sets out 185 recommendations to the government. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Better use of data is vital to NHS recovery – the Goldacre Review is welcome but government must now provide a credible plan The Health Foundation
• Goldacre Review is important piece of puzzle in setting direction for use of health data for research NHS Confederation
• New vision for NHS health data has potential to drive health improvement The BMJ
• Goldacre review outlines recommendations on safer use of health data Computer Weekly
• Goldacre recommends Trusted Research Environments become ‘the norm’ Digital Health
• Goldacre report makes recommendations for data analysis in healthcare UK Authority

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

NHS under huge strain as A&Es turn away ambulances

NHS under huge strain as A&Es turn away ambulances Hospitals are under "enormous strain", with growing numbers so busy they are having to divert ambulances to other sites because they are unable to cope.

Over the past week, 20 NHS Accident and Emergency departments in England issued diverts, with patients taken elsewhere. BBC News

Miscarriage: Tens of thousands have PTSD symptoms

Miscarriage: Tens of thousands have PTSD symptoms Tens of thousands of women in the UK may be experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after miscarriages each year, a leading researcher warns.

Prof Tom Bourne estimates the number affected could run to 45,000 annually. BBC News

Shrewsbury inquiry chair willing to investigate Nottingham maternity scandal

Shrewsbury inquiry chair willing to investigate Nottingham maternity scandal A senior midwife who led the investigation into what was dubbed the worst maternity scandal in NHS history has said she would be willing to lead an inquiry into the deaths of dozens of babies at one of the UK’s largest hospitals.

An investigation by The Independent and Channel 4 News found last year that at least 46 babies suffered brain damage and 19 were stillborn at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in the decade to 2020.

Scientists stumped by ‘mini epidemic’ in child hepatitis cases

Scientists stumped by ‘mini epidemic’ in child hepatitis cases Scientists have been left stumped by an “unusual” spike in hepatitis cases among young children in the UK.

In England, 60 cases in children aged under 10 are being investigated, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. In Scotland, 11 children aged under five have been admitted to hospital with the inflammatory liver condition. The Independent

See also:

• Increase in hepatitis (liver inflammation) cases in children under investigation UK Health Security Agency
• Increase in hepatitis cases in children under investigation Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Childhood hepatitis: Why are we seeing an unusual spike in cases? BBC News

Almost 3,000 Covid deaths added to UK total after discovery of data error

Almost 3,000 Covid deaths added to UK total after discovery of data error Health agency says revision brings total number of deaths within 28 days of positive test to 169,095

Almost 3,000 Covid-19 deaths have been added to the UK’s official figures after the discovery of a data error.

The cumulative number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus rose by an extra 2,714 on Wednesday, in addition to 233 newly reported deaths. The Guardian

See also:

• Is now finally the time to ditch the daily Covid stats? The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: NHS staff absences due to virus hits 10 week high The Independent
• Covid-19 hospital admission rate in England is highest since second wave 
• The Independent
• People infected with Omicron ‘less likely to lose sense of smell compared to Delta’ The Independent

Most carers like me haven’t had a break since 2020 – it’s a scandal in plain sight | Yasmin Qureshi

Most carers like me haven’t had a break since 2020 – it’s a scandal in plain sight | Yasmin Qureshi For as long as I’ve been an MP, I’ve been an unpaid carer. It’s never been more urgent to fix this broken system. The Guardian

Having a waistline half your height is the perfect formula for good health, experts say

Having a waistline half your height is the perfect formula for good health, experts say There are many magic formulas when it comes to our health. But the simplest may be to keep our waistline half our height.

This is the new advice from health officials to combat bulging bellies amid a national obesity crisis.

Too much fat around the middle is linked to a greater risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, according to experts. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• Keep the size of your waist to less than half of your height, updated NICE draft guideline recommends NICE
• Keep your waist to less than half your height, guidance says BBC News
• Ensure waist size is less than half your height, health watchdog says The Guardian

Why you still might NOT be able to get a face-to-face GP appointment on a Saturday or evening

Why you still might NOT be able to get a face-to-face GP appointment on a Saturday or evening An NHS contract that forces GPs to work Saturdays and weekday evenings contains a loophole that means a 'physical' doctor doesn't need to be available, the country's biggest medical union has claimed. The Daily Mail 

Drop-in clinics offering Covid spring booster jabs in bid to keep pressure off hospitals

Drop-in clinics offering Covid spring booster jabs in bid to keep pressure off hospitals Health chiefs are urging people to take up offers of Covid vaccine spring boosters in a bid to slow down the rise in hospital cases and deaths in Northampton. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• NHS tribute made from bed sheets unveiled in Northampton Northants Live

Research: Hepatitis C in England and the UK

Research: Hepatitis C in England and the UK Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health threat in the UK. These reports summarise the scale of the problem and are intended to support focused action. UK Health Security Agency

New calorie labelling rules come into force to improve nation’s health

New calorie labelling rules come into force to improve nation’s health New rules requiring calorie information to be displayed on menus and food labels come into force from Wednesday 6th April 2022.

The changes – which were approved by Parliament in 2021 – mean it is now a legal requirement for large businesses with more than 250 employees, including cafes, restaurants and takeaways, to display calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drinks. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Calories now appear on menus in large restaurant chains  BBC News

Covid: Blood clot risk higher for six months after having virus

Covid: Blood clot risk higher for six months after having virus After a Covid infection, there is an increased risk of developing a serious blood clot for the next six months, a study from Sweden suggests.

The research found people with severe Covid, and those infected during the first wave, had the highest clot risk.

This highlights the importance of being vaccinated against the virus, the researchers say. BBC News

See also:

• Risks of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding after covid-19: nationwide self-controlled cases series and matched cohort study (open access) The BMJ
• Covid rates in England are now the 'highest we've EVER seen', mass-testing survey reveals The Daily Mail
• Go to work if you have a headache or feel tired, Sajid Javid says (even though it might be Covid) The Daily Mail
• Cancer patients seriously ill after struggle to access Covid drugs in England The Guardian
• Covid-related deaths rise in England with infections at record high The Guardian
• Sadiq Khan calls on leading vaccine manufacturers to share Covid jab blueprints with world The Independent
• Covid cases: Why so many people are catching coronavirus for the first time now after two years avoiding it iNews