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Found 2,349 results
  1. News Article
    The development of coronavirus vaccines tweaked to target new variants will be fast-tracked in the UK and four other countries, Britain’s regulator has said, adding that “robust evidence” on effectiveness and safety will still be required for authorisation. The approach, similar to the regulatory process for the modified flu vaccine, will not need a brand new approval or “lengthy” clinical studies, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday. This will "significantly reduce" the length of time it takes for the vaccines to be ready, with concern mounting over the threat posed by the South African and Brazilian variants and their ability to partially evade the body’s immune response. Under the new guidance, developers will need to provide clear evidence their adapted vaccines produce a strong immune response to the variant and meet the high safety standards outlined by the MHRA. “This is based on scientific principles and does not cut any corners on safety or effectiveness,” said Dr Christian Schneider, chief scientific officer at the MHRA. Read full story Source: The Independent, 4 March 2021
  2. News Article
    NHS workers have raised concerns about the prospect of all health and social care staff in England being compelled by law to take the Covid vaccine. The Downing Street review which is considering making it mandatory for NHS workers to have the jab, as a way of protecting patients, has led to questions about its moral and legal implications. A consultant in a busy north-west hospital said they would feel “incredibly uncomfortable” with the idea of forcing NHS staff to have the vaccine. They said they would prefer a concerted high-profile campaign to encourage staff to have the vaccine, with a last-resort option of asking unvaccinated staff to take on different roles, away from the frontline. “I would feel very uncomfortable with us forcing anyone to have it – you can’t force an injection into someone,” the consultant said. Last week Care UK said it only wanted to hire new staff who had had the vaccine, while another care provider, Barchester, said it wanted all of its staff, including current workers, to have had the jab by 23 April, adding that if they did not they would not be considered for shifts. The matron of a care home in Merseyside said there had been a lot of pressure put on her to have the vaccine, which was making her anxious. “I don’t want to be bullied into a decision when I have legitimate concerns. I feel being told I am selfish and putting others at risk is insulting," she said. However, a CBT therapist in her 30s, who also works in the north-west of England believed all NHS staff should be vaccinated, regardless of their role. She said her hospital trust’s values emphasised “care, compassion and commitment” and individuals who refused the vaccine could potentially harm others. “If we’re going to be caring for people, it comes under that value and it’s a core part of what the NHS is about. So if someone is saying they don’t want the vaccine, it puts into question whether you are going against the values of the trust.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 3 March 2021
  3. News Article
    Care home residents and staff were put at risk of infection because personal protective equipment (PPE) was used wrongly, a health watchdog has said. Croft House, in Ossett, near Wakefield, has been put in special measures after being deemed "inadequate" by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors. The home was "not well-led", according to the inspectors who visited last year. The CQC report, which was published last week, highlighted a number of measures had not been taken, meaning staff and residents were exposed to the risk of infection transmission, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "Staff could not safely put on and take off PPE as this was stored in people's rooms. Staff needed to cross the room to collect the PPE," the report said. Meanwhile, there was no hand sanitiser in the corridors or bins to dispose of PPE and staff "were not effectively wearing PPE", it added. Residents at the home, which provides nursing and residential care for up to 68 people, were at "risk of missing medication or being given incorrect medication" because of how systems were managed, the report said. However, relatives spoke highly of staff at the home, with one family member describing an employee they knew as "accommodating and helpful", according to the report. Countrywide Care Homes, which runs the site, said improvements had been made since the inspection on 18 December. Read full story Source: BBC News, 2 March 2021
  4. Content Article
    Louise Cahill is clinical coordinator of a COVID-19 vaccination centre in Newport, Wales. She talks to RCN magazines about an average day and what it means to be involved in the historic immunisation programme. At the end of the article there are 10 tips for nurses talking about vaccinations to patients.
  5. Event
    This conference will update clinicians and managers on clinical negligence with a particular focus on current issues and the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on clinical negligence claims. Featuring leadings legal experts, NHS Resolution and experienced clinicians the event will provide an update on current claims the conference will discuss why patients litigate, The Coronavirus Act 2020 and Clinical Negligence Scheme for Coronavirus, responding to claims regarding COVID-19 and the implications of the coronavirus clinical negligence claims protocol. There will be an extended masterclass on trends in clinical negligence claims and responding to claims followed by an extended focus on Maternity Claims. The conference will close with a case study on the advantages of bringing together complaints, claims and patients safety investigation, and practical experiences of coronavirus complaints at claims at an NHS Trust – including understanding the standard of care on which services should be judged, and a final session on supporting clinicians when a claim is made against them. Further information and registration or email: kate@hc-uk.org.uk hub members receive 10% discount. Email: info@pslhub.org
  6. News Article
    Some 1 in 10 people still experience persistent ill health 12 weeks after having COVID-19, termed “long COVID” or post-COVID conditions. A new policy brief from the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies documents responses to post-COVID conditions in different countries of the WHO European Region and looks at how sufferers, including medical professionals, are driving some of those responses. Written for decision-makers, this brief summarises what is known about the conditions, who and how many people suffer from them, diagnosis and treatment, and how countries are addressing the issue. Commenting on long COVID, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge said, “COVID-19 has caused a great deal of suffering among people across the Region, with reports of long COVID an extra cause for concern. It’s important that patients reporting with symptoms of long COVID are included as part of the COVID-19 response to mitigate some of the longer-term health impacts of the pandemic. This policy brief makes clear the need for policy-makers to take the lead on this issue.” Read full story Source: WHO, 25 February 2021
  7. Content Article
    This World Health Organization (WHO) policy brief highlights areas where policy-makers can take action to meet the challenge of post-Covid conditions based on what is currently known. It addresses the need for multidisciplinary, multispecialty approaches to assessment and management; development of new care pathways and contextually appropriate guidelines for health professionals; and the creation of appropriate services, including rehabilitation and online support tools.
  8. News Article
    A single shot of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid jab reduces the chance of needing hospital treatment by more than 80%, an analysis in England shows. The Public Health England (PHE) data showed the effect kicked in three to four weeks after vaccination. It was based on people aged over 80 who were the first to receive the jab. Government scientists hailed the result, but stressed that two doses were needed for the best protection. It comes after similar findings were published by Scottish health authorities last week, which they hailed as "spectacular". The PHE data, which has not been peer reviewed, also suggested the Pfizer vaccine, which started being rolled out a month before the AstraZeneca vaccine, leads to an 83% reduction in deaths from Covid. This was based on people over the age of 80 who had died. The data also showed vaccination cuts the risk of people over 70 developing any Covid symptoms by around 60%, three weeks after an initial dose. Prof Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, said the decision to give the AstraZeneca vaccine to older people was "clearly vindicated". Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 March 2021
  9. News Article
    The government has been called on to take action over the national “backlog” for a specialist mental health service after a woman died after a substantial wait to access treatment. Carole Mitchell, who died by suicide on 22 November 2019, waited almost seven months for a first appointment after being referred to Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust for psychology services. In a prevention of future deaths report, published earlier this month, coroner Alison Mutch said the inquest was told waits had since increased and “someone in Mrs Mitchell’s position today would be more likely to wait nine months”. The coroner added evidence heard suggested the delay experienced was “reflective of both the regional and national backlog for appointments”. The report has been sent to both the Department of Health and Social Care and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 1 March 2021
  10. Content Article
    UCLPartners have developed a series of proactive care frameworks to restore routine care by prioritising patients at highest risk of deterioration, with pathways that mobilise the wider workforce and digital/tech, to optimise remote care and self-care, while reducing GP workload. The frameworks include: atrial fibrillation high blood pressure high cholesterol type 2 diabetes asthma COPD. The frameworks are being implemented by GPs across the country, helping practices to identify who needs priority care, and those whose care can safely be delayed. Find out more by following the link below.
  11. News Article
    More than 34,000 people with dementia are estimated to have died from coronavirus in the UK since the start of the pandemic, according to new figures. The condition has been identified in just over a quarter of all deaths due to COVID-19, partly due to the large number of deaths in care homes. Nearly 12,000 care home residents have died since January alone. A coalition of charities, including Alzheimer's Society, Dementia UK, John's Campaign and Together in Dementia Every Day (tide), are now calling for introduction of universal social care – free at the point of use like the NHS – as a legacy of COVID-19. It comes as new figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that deaths of care home residents, where around 70% of people have dementia, are 30%t higher than previously thought. Nearly 12,000 have died since January alone. The charities also revealed the result of a survey of 1,001 people who care for someone close to them with dementia, demonstrating that the toll of the pandemic reaches further than simply deaths from the virus. More than nine in ten (92%) said the pandemic had accelerated their loved one's dementia symptoms, with a third (31%) reported a more rapid increase in difficulty speaking and holding a conversation, and a quarter (25%) in eating by themselves. Nearly a third (32%) of those who lost a loved one during the pandemic thought that isolation/lack of social contact was a significant factor in that loss. The Alzheimer Society and Dementia UK said their helplines had been flooded with calls from relatives reporting how quickly their loved ones were deteriorating. Read full story Source: The Independent, 1 March 2021
  12. News Article
    Delays due to the COVID-19 crisis have created tens of thousands of year-long waiters for ophthalmology treatment, and a surgery backlog which experts say may never be recovered. NHS England provisional data shows the number of people waiting 52 weeks or longer for ophthalmology treatment increased to more than 23,000 in December, up 57,580% on just 40 the year before. Experts say ophthalmology procedures have been hit particularly hard by the cancellation of elective work due to COVID-19 pressures. On average, roughly 130,000 ophthalmology patients completed treatment per month in England in 2019, most of which would likely have been cataract surgeries. Royal College of Ophthalmologists professional standards chair Melanie Hingorani told HSJ that many in the discipline feared “traditional” ways of working were too “fragmented” to address the size of the challenge. She said that without a “much more innovative” approach it would be “really difficult” to deal with the surgery backlog on ophthalmology and that clearing it could take “two years, maybe longer”. There remained a danger, however, she added that: “Maybe we never catch up”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 1 March 2021
  13. Content Article
    In this article, published by Pfizer, Dr Berkeley Phillips, Country Medical Director, highlights the importance of actively listening to patients and patient organisations in order to understand their changing needs.
  14. Content Article
    The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF) has added its voice to a chorus of growing safety concerns about the rise in businesses operating out of people’s homes. NARF said urgent government intervention on food safety standards is required to deal with the subject that has gained increased attention during the coronavirus pandemic. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, founder of Natasha’s Foundation, said the emergence of tens of thousands of at-home and dark kitchens during the COVID-19 pandemic raises fears about food safety, particularly for the two million plus people in the UK who have food allergies. “...we need ministerial intervention, laws to ensure businesses are regulated, inspected and rated, and an urgent commitment to boost resources targeted at food safety. The cost of failure for many families will be too high.” The Foundation was set up by the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died in 2016 after an allergic reaction to sesame in a baguette. It has been instrumental in new labeling legislation, called Natasha’s Law, that will come into force in the UK beginning in October.
  15. Content Article
    This study, published in Occupational Medicine, aimed to identify the rates of probable mental health disorder in staff working in intensive care units in nine English hospitals during June and July 2020. Results showed: Almost half of intensive care unit staff who participated in this study report symptoms consistent with a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression or anxiety or problem drinking. Around one in seven intensive care unit staff in this study report recent thoughts of self-harm or of wanting to be better off dead. Nursing staff in this study were more likely to report higher levels of distress than doctors or other clinical staff.
  16. News Article
    Hospitals across London are racing to tackle a backlog of tens of thousands of urgent operations that need to be carried out in the coming weeks to prevent patients dying or losing limbs, The Independent has learnt. The slow decline in Covid patient numbers means many hospitals across the capital are warning they will still be relying on extra staff, and “surge” beds opened at the height of the crisis, well into March. NHS bosses have been briefed that across the city there are about 15,000 priority two (P2) patients. These are classed as needing urgent surgery, including for cancer, within 28 days, or they could die or be at risk of losing a limb. But the lack of available operating theatres, nurses and anaesthetists mean the city has a shortfall of more than 500 half-day surgical lists a week. The Independent has spoken with multiple NHS insiders and seen briefing documents detailing the challenges facing the capital’s hospitals, which are expected to last up to 21 March in some areas. One briefing warned: “Hospitals have insufficient capacity to meet urgent elective demand for P2. P2 demand is intended to be seen within 28 days, the surge has occurred for over 28 days. Patients who would normally have been seen are waiting longer than clinically advisable." Read full story Source: The Independent, 25 February 2021
  17. News Article
    Shortages of oxygen are endangering the lives of more than half a million COVID-19 patients every day in the world’s poorest nations, new research has shown. Despite being vital for the effective treatment of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus, sustained access to oxygen has proven difficult in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to cost, infrastructure and logistical barriers. According to Unitaid, a global health agency, more than half a million people in LMICs currently need 1.1 million cylinders of oxygen per day, with 25 countries currently reporting surges in demand, the majority in Africa. Supplies of oxygen were already constrained prior to COVID-19 and have been exacerbated by the pandemic, Unitaid says. Read full story Source: The Independent, 25 February 2021
  18. News Article
    Almost half of people with potential cancer symptoms did not contact their GP during the first wave of the pandemic, a survey suggests. Symptoms left unchecked included coughing up blood, lumps and changes to the appearance of moles. NHS figures showed a fall in referrals to cancer services last spring. However, this study, of almost 8,000 people, captures the fall in people contacting their GP in the first place. The team that carried out the study, from Cardiff University and Cancer Research UK, said this raised concerns that people could be diagnosed later - and so be less likely to be treated successfully and recover. They surveyed a representative sample of people across the UK and found that of 3,025 people who said they had experienced at least one symptom which could be a warning sign of cancer, 45% did not seek help. They also found that: 31% did not seek help after coughing up blood 41% did not seek help for an unexplained lump or swelling 59% did not seek help after noticing changes to the appearance of a mole. Some of the reasons given by people who did not contact their GP were not wanting to waste doctors' time or put extra strain on the NHS; not wanting to be seen as someone who made a fuss; and fear of catching Covid at appointments. But people who did contact their GP reported feeling "safe" and "secure" when attending face-to-face appointments. Read full story Source: BBC News, 25 February 2021
  19. News Article
    Senior doctors are leading a programme of work to review deaths caused by hospital-acquired covid in the North West, which has had disproportionately high rates of nosocomial infections over the last three months. According to internal NHS England papers seen by HSJ, a number of common themes have been identified as driving the infections in the region, including “breaches in the basic tenets of infection prevention control”, insufficient numbers of cleaning staff at some trusts, and a lack of consistent testing. The papers say there is also evidence that covid occupancy rates above 20 per cent drives nosocomial transmission. Occupancy rates in the North West have been near or above this level since the start of December, but have still been significantly lower than other areas, such as London. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 24 February 2021
  20. Content Article
    The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) carried out a themed review of their maternal death investigations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The national learning reports can be used by healthcare leaders, policymakers, and the public to: Aid their knowledge of systemic patient safety risks. Understand the underlying contributing factors. Inform decision making to improve patient safety. Explore wider patient safety processes.
  21. Content Article
    Anti-stay-at-home protesters aren’t the only ones with an argument based on individual rights on their side, writes Graham Mooney, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
  22. Content Article
    This animation by the Rockefeller Foundation explains how the 'Swiss Cheese' model can be applied to containing the spread of COVID-19. Combining different methods of infection control such as wearing face masks, social distancing and vaccination, creates a more solid and resilient barrier to transmission.
  23. News Article
    All adults with a learning disability will be offered the vaccine against coronavirus after new advice from government experts warned they were at greater risk from the virus. The decision is a major win for disability charities and campaigners. The decision will mean as many as 150,000 more people could be offered the vaccine. The government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued new advice saying any adult on GP Learning Disability Register should be prioritised for vaccination along with adults with related conditions such as cerebral palsy. The JCVI had previously said only those were severe learning disabilities and those living in care homes should be prioritised for vaccinations. Disability rights campaigners and charities warned this left vulnerable people at increased risk from the virus. Read full story Source: The Independent, 24 February 2021
  24. News Article
    The NHS has been warned not to use or distribute a batch of high-grade face masks after government officials warned they may not meet safety standards. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had “received urgent information” suggesting the items did not meet UK government specifications. Hospital bosses and others including GPs have been told to stop using the FT-045A FFP3 masks, quarantine any remaining supplies and then track down any they might have sent on to other health providers through mutual aid schemes. DHSC said it was pausing further distribution while a rapid review was carried out. Some 1.12 million masks are affected, the department said. DHSC’s warning document told health bosses: “Please be assured that we are working with regional teams and providers to fit-test staff to alternative models and provide of them with alternative masks in the quantities needed. We have a good supply of other FFP3 masks.” Rob Harwood, consultants committee chairman of the British Medical Association, told the BBC: “Healthcare staff working on the frontline do so facing the grave risk of contracting Covid, and deserve the best protection from this deadly virus." “Many will be incredibly concerned to learn that some masks designed to offer enhanced protection, as well as gloves, may not meet standards, potentially placing them at greater risk.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 24 February 2021
  25. Event
    until
    WHO will host a monthly WHO COVID-19 Vaccine research forum, starting on Tuesday 2 March 2021. This first webinar is scheduled between 14:00 – 16:00 Central European Time (CET). The agenda will be shared in advance. The goals of these ongoing meetings are: To encourage and facilitate the rapid dissemination of research protocols and emerging results. To provide regular updates against R&D Blueprint roadmap priorities with the ability to pivot given dynamic research needs. Register
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