Nightingale hospitals to become cancer testing centres
With predictions of an extra 18,000 cancer deaths in 2020 due to late diagnoses during the pandemic, Sir Simon Stevens announced that the Exeter Nightingale hospital will be converted into a non-covid CT scanning facility.
This will be the first of several dedicated diagnostic centres that will aim to deal with the high volume of patients awaiting tests.
Health officials have also stressed that these testing centres will offer a range of checks, not just tests for cancer.
Read the full story in The Telegraph.
PPE spend could hit £14 billion by end of the year
The government is expecting to spend more than 10% of the pre-covid NHS budget on personal protective equipment for the health system by the end of the financial year.
The estimation of £14 billion has been calculated based on the average price per item and the number of pieces the Department of Health and Social Care has said is necessary, but the DHSC has declined to confirm the actual forecasted spend.
Read the full story in the HSJ.
Trump undermines international co-operation to COVID-19
The US health department announced on Tuesday that it will be buying 500,000 doses of Gilead’s anti-viral drug which has been shown to cut recovery times for COVID-19.
This means the US will be buying most of the worldwide stock of the drug and preventing other countries from accessing it.
Critics have said this undermines internal co-operation to tackle COVID-19, given that other countries have taken part in the trials.
Read the full story on BBCNews.
Londoners give mandate on how data should be used
In a four-day process of detailed discussion and debate, the OneLondon Citizens’ Summit, 100 Londoners have given national and local health leaders a mandate for how they expect their data to be used.
The responses highlight the importance of collecting and using data to improve health and care provision, but concerns about the need to ensure security of data and transparency of access.
These public recommendations will be used to shape policy for the region.
Read the full story in Digital Health News.
Quote of the week
In response to the Boris Johnson’s promise to accelerate 1.5bn of funding for new buildings in the NHS, several healthcare leaders have warned more will still need to be done and improving workforce will play a key part in this.
Donal O’Donoghue, the registrar for the Royal College of Physicians said: “While new pots of one-off funding are welcome, what the NHS really needs right now is a sustainable funding package to support and grow the NHS workforce.”
Read the full story in the BMJ.