Health and care sector latest developments
Flu bounce back and cold snap leave NHS facing difficult winter
Figures published today show that the number of patients in hospital beds with flu has risen by 9 per cent on the previous week (2,924), following two weeks in which the number had fallen.
The average number of patients in hospital with Norovirus and COVID-19 per day was also up on the previous week, and overall bed occupancy was up 5 per cent on the previous week at just under 92 per cent.
According to NHS England, Christmas and new year gatherings may be the reason for the spike in these numbers.
Responding to the figures, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, warned that “there is still a long way to go before this difficult winter is over”. He added that the current cold snap is causing concerns that “we will see pressures continue to mount over the coming weeks”.
Report calls for universal definition of corridor care
A new report from the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has called for a universal definition of ‘corridor care’ to be agreed.
As the Health Service Journal has highlighted, the report says the definition of temporary spaces for treatment “varies across organisations” and leads to “a limited understanding of the safety risks and impact” of the practice.
The report also raised concerns about instances of corridor care not being logged as patient safety incidents.
A spokesperson from DHSC said: “NHS England is working closely with trusts to reduce variation, tackle inconsistencies, improve data collection, and reduce discharge delays, alongside social care colleagues.”
Responding to the report, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, acknowledged that “corridor care is undignified, unsafe and frustrating for patients and their families” and warned that “until the challenges in social care are tackled it is likely that the practice will unfortunately continue”.
Danny Mortimer to take up role as Director General for People across Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers and deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, will join the Department for Health and Social Care’s executive team in February to become the permanent Director General for People, working across the department and NHS England.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, praised Danny for his work in his current roles and for playing “a pivotal role in championing the NHS workforce, supporting employers through some of the most challenging periods the service has ever faced, and helping to shape constructive dialogue across the health system.”
Danny thanked colleagues and members at NHS Employers and the NHS Confederation for their support and said that he “looks forward to working with colleagues across government and the service to develop our shared ambitions for the people and patients served by the NHS”.
NHSE director to head major trust
Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, will leave his post to become trust-level chief executive for Imperial College Healthcare Trust.
He will take up his new role from April, to coincide with Imperial and the three other acutes in North West London – Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust, London North West University Healthcare Trust and the Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust – moving to a single group chief executive and accountable officer.
The new North West London Acute Provider Group will have a £4 billion turnover, the largest one in the country.
It has been said that the appointment is for at least an initial 12 months while the group becomes established.
Coming off weight loss jabs linked to faster weight gain
New research has suggested that people on weight loss jabs gain weight faster when they stop using the drugs, compared to those who make lifestyle changes.
The review, carried out at the University of Oxford, found that those taking GLP-1 agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide were projected to regain all the weight they had lost a year and a half after stopping the jabs.
Professor of diet and population health at the university, Susan Jebb, explained that those who instead opt for behavioural programmes without the use of drugs “probably have to practice those strategies more, and maybe they therefore are more persistent over time”.
A spokesperson for the NHS said the findings show that jabs are “not a magic fix” and should be paired with “healthier diets and physical activity”.
