Women’s Prize for Fiction

Maggie O’Farrell wins the award for 2020

Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020

TWO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART. On a summer’s day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home? Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs.Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of the children will not survive the week.

Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief.

Congratulations to Maggie O’Farrell for her achievement. To have your say or buy the book click here.

Mental Health Campaign

Every Mind Matters campaign launched

Public Health England have launched a new campaign – Every Mind Matters, to support the well being of children, young people and their carers. The Covid pandemic has impacted everyone and research shows that children are more anxious, worried and lonely than ever before. These new stresses could cause harm to the mental health of the young generation.

This new advice supports parents and carers to recognise signs that their child may be struggling with their mental health and provides support to help them maintain good quality well being.

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/childrens-mental-health/

Public Health Updates

Keeping up to date with current awareness

Cycling to work lowers risk of illness and death compared to driving.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
(People who cycle to work are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death than those who drive. This is seen across all occupational groups and suggests that cycling to work could benefit people from all economic backgrounds. If fewer people are able to travel by public transport due to social distancing, measures to make cycling easier and safer could improve the nation’s health.)

Lung health checks in supermarket car parks reach older smokers in deprived communities.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
( Tests carried out on mobile units parked in supermarket car parks were a popular and effective way to check the lungs of at-risk current and former smokers in a study in Manchester.)

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on schools and childcare reopening.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Statement from the Chief Medical Officers and Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the evidence of risks and benefits to health from schools and childcare settings reopening. 23 August.)

Drinking in the dark: alcohol labelling is failing consumers.
Alcohol Change UK; 2020.
(In this study we reviewed a random sample of 424 alcohol containers on shop shelves in October 2019 to assess whether labels included the UK’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) low-risk drinking guidelines and other essential pieces of information that would allow consumers to make informed choices.)

Recovering from COVID-19: Post viral-fatigue and conserving energy.
Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT); 2020.
(Rehabilitation is fast becoming the new priority in dealing with the impact of this pandemic and is crucial for people recovering from COVID-19 infection. We’ve published three guides to support people to manage post-viral fatigue and conserve their energy as they recover from COVID-19. These guides are endorsed by the Intensive Care Society.)

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New agreement for NHS junior doctors

Opportunities to train in the independent sector

A new agreement has been reached between independent healthcare providers and the NHS, allowing staff to train in elective surgery or diagnostic activities. Hundreds of thousands of patients are treated in independent facilities with around half a million NHS procedures each year being delivered by independent hospital. This agreement will allow the opportunity to utilise almost all available independent hospital capacity to ease the pressure off the NHS.

Professor Cliff Shearman, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said;

We are delighted our work with NHSE, HEE and the Independent Health Providers Network has led to this agreement. It’s only right that NHS-funded treatment should help train the NHS workforce of the future. Every opportunity should be taken to provide them with access to good quality training opportunities.”

To find out more click here.

Festival of celebrations

A week celebrating our achievements over the year

Hosted by Chief Executive, Caroline Donovan and her team of directors, the festivals have focused on the improvements made since the CQC inspection and the commitment of staff during this unprecedented year. What soon became clear, was the overwhelming sense of teamwork, commitment and dedication from each and every staff member, both clinical and non-clinical.

Each day celebrated a different network including;

  • Community and well-being
  • Children and young people
  • South Cumbria
  • Mental Health
  • Corporate services

What was evident was how each team adapted to the new way of working, ensuring safety was at the forefront of everything. Even through the pandemic, support has still been offered to patients and families, providing excellent patient care each and every day. Every network has embraced the use of digital software, from attend anywhere to Microsoft Teams, allowing people and patients to stay connected.

Congratulations to all those individuals and teams who were nominated and of course to the winners. To watch the videos click here.

Speeding up the diagnosis of deadly diseases

A boost in funding for artificial intelligence (AI) for the NHS

The Government is committed to saving more lives and detect up to three quarters of all cancers at an early stage by 2028. A £50 million funding investment has been made for work involving Digital Pathology and Imaging Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence with the aim to improve the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer.

The 3 centres identified to access a share of the funding include London, Coventry and Leeds, benefiting 26.5 million patients across the UK.

National Pathology Imaging Co-operative Director and Consultant Pathologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Darren Treanor said:

“This investment will allow us to use digital pathology to diagnose cancer at 21 NHS trusts in the north, serving a population of 6 million people. We will also build a national network spanning another 25 hospitals in England, allowing doctors to get expert second opinions in rare cancers, such as childhood tumours, more rapidly. This funding puts the NHS in a strong position to be a global leader in the use of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of disease.”

To find out more click here.

Community pharmacies

Supporting the health and well-being of the local population

A NICE quality standard covering how community pharmacies can promote health and well-being. It describes high quality care in areas identified as priorities. To find out more click here.

The flowchart below outlines areas covered and associated recommendations.

Digital Transformation and Covid 19 – Online Event

Implementing quality standards and solutions

The Kings Fund are hosting a free online event next week, Tuesday 15th September 10-11am and will discuss the changes in service and delivery of healthcare over the past few months.

The event will include:

  • what an inclusive, person-centred digital revolution would look like for the NHS and social care
  • the standards from before the pandemic and what the gains from this rapid transformation should consolidate
  • what this transformation will mean for people and staff on the ground

To register your place click here.

£800 million tender for NHS

Supporting the provision of digital solutions

Launched by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) the tender covers the provision and support of IT systems for NHS Digital and other public and health care bodies.

“The framework is intended to address the evolving technical “stacks” associated within the different pillars of NHS Digital, including platforms and infrastructure; product development; and data services.” (Andrea Downey)

Up to 12 suppliers will be chosen to develop strategic relationships, provide support networks, and improve data management services. The tender is open for applications until 3pm on the 24th September 2020. To find out more click here.