Tens of thousands of people may have long Covid in Northamptonshire, new estimates suggests

Tens of thousands of people may have long Covid in Northamptonshire, new estimates suggests Tens of thousands of people in Northamptonshire could be suffering from long Covid, new estimates suggest.

The Long Covid SOS charity said more public awareness and research is needed to support those with the “debilitating” condition. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Independent body finds Corby’s Urgent Care Centre ‘very good’

Independent body finds Corby’s Urgent Care Centre ‘very good’ An independent body for health and social care has found that Corby’s Urgent Care Centre (CUCC) is ‘very good’.

Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire (HWNW) have teamed up with volunteers from Healthwatch Rutland to listen to people’s experiences of using the centre. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Corby Urgent Care Centre Visit Report Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire 

NMC shines spotlight on nursing and midwifery

NMC shines spotlight on nursing and midwifery The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has published the first Spotlight on Nursing and Midwifery. This new report will be published every year, sharing insights from our work to support sector wide learning and improvement for the benefit of people who receive care.

NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment of respiratory and heart conditions

NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment of respiratory and heart conditions Hundreds of thousands of patients could benefit from a quicker diagnosis for a range of respiratory and heart conditions, through ambitious new NHS plans for fast-tracked tests and checks.

As part of measures announced by the NHS today to speed up detection of major health problems, GP practices will be able to directly order diagnostic checks to identify a wide range of conditions, including COPD, asthma, cardiovascular disease and heart failure.

Up to one million patients could benefit from the accelerated access, reducing the need for a specialist consultation and speeding up potentially life-saving treatment and medication for patients. NHS England

See also:

• NHS diagnostic plans will only increase GP workload without adequate funding BMA
• Improved access to diagnostics will undoubtedly support GPs in their referral decisions says College Chair Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs given freedom to order heart checks direct BBC News
• Major change to GP appointments as up to a million patients will be offered fast-track heart and lung tests under plans to combat record NHS backlog The Daily Mail
• GPs to get power to fast-track patients for heart and lung checks The Guardian
• GPs to directly order tests for respiratory and CVD diagnostics Pulse

New standards for NHS board members to strengthen leadership and governance

New standards for NHS board members to strengthen leadership and governance The NHS has published a framework and supporting resources today to help senior board members to strengthen board governance, boost leadership and improve patient safety.

Resources to support current and aspiring board members within the NHS to further develop their skills and careers will be sent to leaders today, including information on development programmes and peer support networks to develop and share good practice. NHS England

Kent NHS trust issued warning over use of rapid tranquillisation

Kent NHS trust issued warning over use of rapid tranquillisation An NHS trust has been issued with a warning notice regarding its use of rapid tranquillisation.

Inspections of hospital wards in Dartford, Maidstone and Canterbury found a decline in the quality of care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised concerns that staff were not always aware of the potential impact sedation had to patients' health.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust said it was committed to improving its care and services. BBC News

Why you should go to sleep at the same time all week

Why you should go to sleep at the same time all week Small differences in sleeping habits between work and rest days could lead to unhealthy changes to the bacteria in our guts, a study suggests.

This may be partly a result of people with "social jetlag" having slightly poorer diets, the UK researchers found.

Heavily-disrupted sleep, particularly shift work, is known to have a negative impact on health. BBC News

See also:

• Exploring the relationship between social jetlag with gut microbial composition, diet and cardiometabolic health, in the ZOE PREDICT 1 cohort (open access) European Journal of Nutrition
• Irregular sleep linked to harmful gut bacteria, study suggests The Independent

Rishi Sunak blames striking doctors for pushing up NHS waiting lists

Rishi Sunak blames striking doctors for pushing up NHS waiting lists Rishi Sunak has blamed striking doctors for pushing up NHS waiting lists in a fiery exchange with an A&E worker.

The prime minister was taken to task over his pledge to cut soaring waiting lists, which last month jumped to see a record 7.5 million patients waiting to start treatment. The Independent

See also:

• Rishi Sunak blames striking NHS workers for record-high long waiting lists Evening Standard
• Rishi Sunak blames striking workers as he signals he could fail in two key pledges – as it happened The Guardian
• Rishi Sunak shakes his head in disbelief as junior doctor tells him ‘it’s your fault we’re all unhappy’ The Independent
• Prime Minister blames striking doctors for long NHS waiting lists Pulse

One in four women with suspected breast cancer waiting more than two weeks for specialist NHS appointment

One in four women with suspected breast cancer waiting more than two weeks for specialist NHS appointment One in four women with suspected breast cancer are waiting longer than the two-week target to see a specialist despite an urgent referral, figures show.

NHS England data from spring this year shows 77 per cent of women were seen by a consultant within two weeks of being referred by their GP.

That leaves almost one in four (23.2 per cent) women with suspected breast cancer waiting more than the two weeks target – and in some regions, including London, this figure was as high as almost one in three. iNews

Negligence at Lancashire hospital caused boy permanent brain damage, court rules

Negligence at Lancashire hospital caused boy permanent brain damage, court rules Midwives at Royal Preston hospital failed to accurately monitor Jayden Astley’s heart rate and fabricated notes after birth in 2012

An 11-year-old boy suffered permanent brain damage after birth because of negligence by hospital midwives who then fabricated notes, a high court judge has ruled.

Jayden Astley’s challenges in life include deafness, motor impairments, cognitive difficulties and behavioural difficulties, his lawyers said. The Guardian

Nose-picking healthcare workers more likely to catch Covid, data suggests

Nose-picking healthcare workers more likely to catch Covid, data suggests Nose-picking should be given greater consideration as a potential health hazard, researchers have said, after finding healthcare workers who engaged in rhinotillexis were more likely to catch Covid than those who refrained.

Scientists in the Netherlands say research has previously found healthcare workers who had direct contact with Covid patients were more likely to catch Covid than those who did not. The Guardian

See also:

• Why not to pick your nose: Association between nose picking and SARS-CoV-2 incidence, a cohort study in hospital health care workers (open access) PLOS One
• Picking your nose raises your risk of catching COVID, study suggests The Daily Mail

Northamptonshire Health Charity Win Non-Profit Organisation Award

Northamptonshire Health Charity wins non-profit organisation award An independent charity supporting NHS hospitals and community services throughout Northamptonshire has been announced as a winner in this year’s non-profit organisation awards.

Northamptonshire Health Charity has been chosen as ‘Most Supportive Local Hospital Fundraiser 2023 – East Midlands’. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

A guide to supporting your internationally educated workforce

A guide to supporting your internationally educated workforce This guide provides practical advice and examples of how to support the internationally educated workforce (IEW) as an essential part of promoting a more inclusive and diverse NHS. It focuses on how trusts can support the IEW by looking at the following topics: recruitment, onboarding, and induction; creating a sense of belonging; tools to address bullying and harassment; high quality training and inclusive talent management; and leadership and accountability. NHS Providers

Trans people can wait seven years for NHS initial assessment

Trans people can wait seven years for NHS initial assessment Transgender people in England have faced waits of up to seven years for an initial NHS assessment, data seen by the BBC shows.

The South West's only gender identity clinic has the longest backlog, with an average wait of 90 months.

NHS England said people should be seen within 18 weeks of referral and blamed delays on an "increase in demand".

Trans woman Kaz Self, who waited for five years for an appointment, said the system was "dysfunctional". BBC News

Warning over medical clinics using fake Google reviews

Warning over medical clinics using fake Google reviews Medical clinics are using fake Google reviews to boost their profiles online, a BBC investigation has found.

Consumer groups say fake reviews are a "significant and persistent problem" and have called on internet firms to do more to remove them and fine companies.

Which? has warned it could be a serious issue if someone chooses a treatment clinic based on reading a fake review. BBC News

Cancer breakthrough as groundbreaking pill found to ‘kill tumours’

Cancer breakthrough as groundbreaking pill found to ‘kill tumours’ Scientists at a leading US hospital have developed a “cancer-killing pill” that kills solid tumours through “targeted chemotherapy.”

Likened to a “snowstorm that closes a key airline hub, shutting down all flights in and out only in planes carrying cancer cells”, the protein was developed by a research team at the City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organisations in the US.

The AOH1996 molecule works by targeting a cancerous variant of PCNA, a protein critical to DNA replication and repair of enlarging tumours. The Independent

See also:

• Small molecule targeting of transcription-replication conflict for selective chemotherapy (open access) Cell Chemical Biology

NHS considers using AI to spot breast cancer

NHS considers using AI to spot breast cancer Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can ‘safely’ read breast cancer screening images, a preliminary study suggests.

Researchers found that computer-aided detection could spot cancer in mammograms – X-ray pictures of the breast – at a ‘similar rate’ to two radiologists.

The NHS is already examining how it can implement this type of technology in its breast screening programme. Metro

See also:

• Artificial intelligence-supported screen reading versus standard double reading in the Mammography Screening with Artificial Intelligence trial (MASAI): a clinical safety analysis of a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority, single-blinded, screening accuracy study (abstract) Lancet Oncology
• Now AI's good enough to assess your mammogram: Study finds computer-trained programme spots 20% more cancers than human radiologists The Daily Mail
• AI can read breast cancer screening images, study finds The Independent

Hope for thousands with ADHD as scientists say new brain treatment can 'transform' lives of sufferers

Hope for thousands with ADHD as scientists say new brain treatment can 'transform' lives of sufferers A brain treatment that eases symptoms of ADHD could 'transform' the lives of children and their families, experts say.

Scientists have discovered non-invasive brain stimulation, combined with cognitive training, can significantly improve symptoms of the disorder in youngsters.

The condition is renowned for affected people's attention, activity and impulsivity, and affects around 5 per cent of children in the UK. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Transcranial random noise stimulation combined with cognitive training for treating ADHD: a randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial (open access) Translational Psychiatry
• Brain stimulation treatment could ‘transform the lives’ of children with ADHD The Independent

Scientists discover 'variant-proof' antibodies that can neutralize every strain of Covid - as virus rates tick up across US amid 'late summer wave'

Scientists discover 'variant-proof' antibodies that can neutralize every strain of Covid - as virus rates tick up across US amid 'late summer wave' Newly discovered antibodies could be the key to fighting off every strain of Covid.

Researchers have uncovered six new antibodies in the blood of patients who had survived Covid-19's early ancestor, the SARS virus of 2002, who then also received a vaccination against the coronavirus in more recent years.

The most powerful, E7, was found to neutralize newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Omicron XBB.1.16, which has caused a more than 14 percent spike in new US cases over the past month. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Potent pan huACE2-dependent sarbecovirus neutralizing monoclonal antibodies isolated from a BNT162b2-vaccinated SARS survivor (open access) Science Advances

Health Secretary Steve Barclay axes one-in-six civil service health jobs 'to free up money for frontline NHS services'

Health Secretary Steve Barclay axes one-in-six civil service health jobs 'to free up money for frontline NHS services' Steve Barclay has got rid of hundreds of civil servants to free up cash for the NHS, insiders claimed today.

The Department of Health and Social Care's workforce is now a sixth smaller than it was nine months ago, with just 3,316 mandarins now employed.

Sources close to the Health Secretary said he has 'always been interested in cutting bureaucracy'. The Daily Mail