Norovirus cases on the rise
Norovirus activity has remained high in recent weeks, with total norovirus laboratory reports between weeks 41 to 42 of 2024 more than double the 5-season average for the same 2-week period. UKHSA is reminding the public there are some simple steps you can take to avoid spreading the infection:
- Stay home for 48 hrs after symptoms clear
- Wash hands with soap & warm water
- Don’t prepare food for others
You can find more information about norovirus and how to stop the spread in our blog.
Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs. Norovirus infections can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time and to isolate.
Latest data shows twice as much flu among school children
Last month UKHSA published a press release highlighting that as of 22 October, children aged 5 to 14 years have a higher rate of confirmed flu cases than any other age group.
All school-aged children, up to and including year 11, are eligible for a free nasal spray flu vaccine. The vaccine usually produces a better immune response in children and evidence from last year’s flu season shows strong effectiveness for children in England with a 54% reduction in hospitalisation for those between 2 and 17 years of age.
Delivery of the flu vaccine in schools started in early September. Parents are encouraged to ensure they sign and return consent forms on time so their children do not miss out.
World Antibiotics Awareness Week and ESPAUR
UKHSA has published the English Surveillance of Antibiotic Prescribing and Utilisation Report (ESPAUR) for 2023-24. To accompany the report, there is also a press release which can be found on gov.uk.
The report shows that the majority of antibiotic resistant bloodstream infections in the last 5 years (65%) were caused by E. coli – a common cause of urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever.
Overall, from 2019 to 2023, rates of resistant infections in the most deprived populations of England have increased by 9.5% in 2023. There were an estimated 66,730 serious antibiotic resistant infections in 2023, compared to 62,314 in 2019. UKHSA is working with partners to understand the reasons for these differences and design interventions to tackle them.
It is also World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW).
e-Bug, is a health education programme that aims to promote positive behaviour change among children and young people to support infection prevention and control efforts and therefore reduce AMR.
Whooping cough (pertussis) activity remains high.
Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time.
Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. This passes protection to their baby in the womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.
NHS England has set out five key tasks for every part of the NHS in the immediate future:
- Living within the money – in a challenging fiscal environment the Government have had to make difficult choices to support the NHS in the recent Budget. Nonetheless, budgets are likely to be tight in 25/26, so the NHS needs to continue improving productivity – as recognised this week by the Institute for Fiscal Studies – and ensuring money is well spent, including things like driving down agency spend.
- Embedding improvement – taking the resources made available through NHS IMPACT and best practice from across the NHS to empower teams to sweep away the things that needlessly get in the way of good care and good outcomes, and that waste time and effort – including that of patients.
- Maintaining quality and safety – particularly in urgent and emergency care as winter begins to bite, but looking beyond, including those services which are on the margins – like the recent example of paediatric audiology – to spot signals, and act, before they let patients down.
- Working better with primary care – addressing the friction points which frustrate colleagues and patients alike and laying the foundations to move to a neighbourhood health service.
- Making the most of the opportunities there are – fully exploiting tools already invested in – like the FDP and the NHS App – to make services better for patients and more productive, and ensuring collective buying power is used to drive down spend on everyday products.
The Sudlow Review on uniting health data is timely. Professor Sudlow said: “We are simply not maximising the benefits to society from the rich abundance of health data in the UK. Far too often research about health conditions affecting millions of people across the UK is prevented or delayed by the complexity of our data systems. We are letting patients and their families down as a result. This review shows that getting this right holds a great prize, for our own care and for an effective NHS. We need to recognise our national health data for what they are: critical national infrastructure that can underpin the health of the nation.” England’s Chief Medical Officer responded: “Using data from multiple sources is essential to improve current patient care, make the NHS more effective and improve outcomes for future patients through research. This report will help us use data more effectively for current and future patients, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality.”
UKHSA, the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England have launched their “Get Winter Strong” campaign. Everyone is encouraged to ‘Smash’ and ‘Wallop’ flu and COVID-19 this winter. The latest National COVID-19, Flu & RSV surveillance report says:
- COVID-19 activity decreased across most indicators and was at baseline levels
- Influenza activity increased across some indicators but remained within baseline activity levels
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity increased and was circulating at medium levels of activity, with increases seen in most age groups.
Stay on top of your lung health this winter: As winter arrives it’s important for people with long-term respiratory conditions, including COPD and asthma, and parents of children with asthma, to take extra precautions. https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/health/winter/keeping-well-in-winter-if-you-have-a-long-term-respiratory-condition/
Vaccinations are offered against flu, COVID-19 and RSV and those eligible are urged to take up the vaccines ahead of the peak season to ensure they are protected heading into the winter months. Public health news is on our website and in weekly e-newsletters. SWF Library provides online services and help with internet access. For health & welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com , or leave voicemails on 01245 322079 https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/
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