Updated and new items first:
There have been a few new cases in the Home Counties, sadly including the death of an Oxfordshire student, of a different strain of meningitis to that of the recent outbreak in Kent. Health authorities say whilst cases of meningitis are regular occurrences the riskof them remains low.
This paper about Creating new Neighbourhood health centres in Essex was published on 13 May. Neighbourhood health is about making it easier for people to get care and support closer to home, helping people stay well and get support earlier before problems become more serious. Neighbourhood health aims to change this by bringing together NHS services, councils, voluntary organisations and community groups to provide more joined-up care in local communities. This could include GP services, wider primary care services, mental health support, community nursing, rehabilitation and wellbeing services working more closely together around people’s needs. This will be done differently as communities will need different solutions depending on local needs, geography and existing services. The aim is to create a connected network of local services that improves access, supports prevention and provides more care closer to home. Frequently asked questions in the paper explain the current national guidance, what is known so far, and how local partners and communities will continue to be involved as plans evolve. There will be:
- Core – Smaller local neighbourhood services that provide day-to-day care closer to where people live, such as GP services, community nursing and support from local health and care teams.
- Core+ – A larger neighbourhood hub offering a broader range of services for a wider local population, potentially including diagnostics, mental health support or outpatient clinics alongside core services.
- Core++ – A major neighbourhood health anchor site serving multiple neighbourhoods, bringing together a wider range of NHS, community and partner services in one place. These sites are intended to support more complex or higher-volume services while still keeping care closer to home.
We are running an independent academic research project about Neighbourhood Health to see what patients, service users and the public want in our area. Full information about this will be sent to all subscribers to our weekly newsletter and will be widely publicised in the next few days.
The struggle getting hold of medication in SWF remains difficult. “Access to medicines in England is at its most fragile point in years. People living with heart conditions, stroke risks, eye infections, bipolar and ADHD – to name just a few – are among those unable to get the medications they depend on. Supply problems mean people are too often leaving pharmacies up and down the country without the medication they need.” (BBC 1 May) This is happening in SWF. Please don’t blame pharmacy staff or GP surgery staff; it isn’t their fault. This is being caused by global supply chain disruptions, shortages of raw materials and pharmaceutical ingredients, and economic factors. Pharmacies can only dispense exactly what is prescribed. You can ask your doctor if there’s any alternative they can safely prescribe for you.
Measles outbreak continues in north London. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status. Up to 11 May in 2026 542 English measles cases have been confirmed, 65 more since 27 April, mostly driven by the North London outbreak. We in Essex are direct neighbours of the London area affected and it could easily spread towards us.
You’ll find the UKHSA comprehensive original blog of 11 May “What is hantavirus? How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms?” about this on our website at: https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/2026/05/11/what-is-hantavirus-how-is-it-transmitted-and-what-are-the-symptoms-2/ . At present, it is being updated daily at UKHSA update on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak – GOV.UK .
The outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship carrying passengers from across the world is a situation that authorities say they are taking very seriously. Health experts stress the risk to the general public is low.
What is hantavirus?
- Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by rodents
- It can be found in some areas of Europe, Africa and Asia
- While most hantaviruses do not pass from person to person, rare instances of human transmission have been documented with the Andes virus strain
How does it spread?
- As hantaviruses are carried by rodents, infections in humans tend to occur in places where people and rodents coexist
- People usually become infected by breathing in air contaminated with virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva
- Transmission between people occurs only through close contact
- The Andes strain of hantavirus has been identified in a number of people on the Dutch cruise ship
What are the symptoms?
- Symptoms of hantavirus infection can include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or shortness of breath
- In some cases, people develop severe breathing difficulties or low blood pressure and kidney failure, requiring hospital care
How is it treated?
- There is currently no widely available vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections
- Treatment is supportive and based on symptoms, such as hospital care and respiratory support
The interim target for speeding up hospital treatment in England has been reached.The goal was for 65% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks by March 2026 – and it hit that with the figure reaching 65.3%. This is the first stepping stone to hitting the 92% target by 2029. Performance was below 59% on July 2024. The overall size of the waiting list also improved, falling from 7.2 million to 7.1 million in the space of a month – the lowest for three and a half years. James Murray MP for Ealing North is the new Secretary of State for Health & Social Care.
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Key target hit with 8,500 extra mental health workers in the NHS
- Part of 10 Year Health Plan commitment to deliver more mental health care in the community.
People across England will benefit from faster and better mental health support with 8,500 additional mental health workers recruited since the end of June 2024, meeting a key target 3 years ahead of schedule. Around 1 in 5 adults in England (an estimated 9.4 million) are now affected by a common mental health condition, but high demand and subsequent long waits has historically been a significant barrier to people getting the support they need.
The milestone means thousands more people will be able to access mental health services sooner and closer to home, cutting waiting times, shifting more care to the community and helping people access mental health support before they reach crisis point.
The new workers – including therapists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses and support staff – are now in post across NHS trusts and community health services in England, providing care to children, young people and adults.
1,781calls have been made between September 2024 and February 2026 by NHS staff in England to Martha’s Rule helplines to flag concerns about patient care. The helplines were set up after a campaign by the parents of 13-year-old Martha Mills who died after serious failings in her care. Martha Mills, died from sepsis having been treated at King’s College Hospital in London in 2021. Her family’s concerns were not listened to. In 2022 the coroner said Martha would probably have survived if she had been transferred earlier to intensive care and given appropriate treatment.
Martha’s Rule encourages families, carers and patients to speak up if they notice changes in a patient’s condition and to seek an urgent review from a critical care team if their health is deteriorating and concerns are not being listened to. Under the scheme, clinicians also record daily insights about a patient’s health directly from families. Staff, including those in junior roles, can also ask for a review from a team independent of the one they work with. Over 1000 calls have helped identify serious deterioration of a patient’s condition. The importance of calls coming from staff is great as they make use of the “non-confrontational” way to raise concerns. The data also shows that, of the calls found to relate to acute deterioration, the greatest proportion were regarding patients belonging to the most deprived groups (26.1%), with the lowest number of calls (14.5%) regarding patients belonging to the least deprived groups.
The Lampard Inquiry into Essex deaths of thousands of mental health patients between 2000-2023 is refocusing due to “emerging evidence” and “ongoing issues” with Essex Partnership Trust’s engagement. After July’s hearings there may be interim recommendations for change.
Hay fever sufferers must now put up with symptoms for up to two weeks longer than they would have done in the 1990s. Scientists worldwide say climate change has “prolonged the pollen season”. The fine powder released by certain grasses, trees and plants can cause chaos for those who are allergic, with itchy eyes, sneezing and headaches all common symptoms. “While for some symptoms can be mild, for many hay fever impacts quality of life.” Allergy experts recommend “a cocktail approach” of antihistamine tablets or drops, steroid nasal spray, and eye drops.
Spring COVID-19 vaccine is booking now open. From now until 30 June 2026, vaccination is being offered in England to:
- adults aged 75 and over
- residents in care homes for older people
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed.
An informative recording of our March Virtual Public Meeting “Will SWF get better health services from 1st April’s NHS changes?” is on our website.
Our local Hospitals’ Trust went into an “intensive recovery programme” in April after the Health Secretary said “failure has been tolerated for too long”. Their performance in March was:
- 68.1% (68.3% in February) of patients were seen within four hours in their emergency departments against the national standard of 78%. Nationally the performance was 77.1% and in East of England it was 76.7%. A revised improvement plan was introduced in March along with increased senior leadership presence in clinical areas.
- 38 minutes was the average time for ambulances to hand over patients. This compares to 35 minutes in East of England and nationally.
- 63% (63.2%) of patients received cancer diagnosis results within 28 days, against the 79% standard. Improvement focuses on clinical priority of diagnostics.
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SWF Health & Social Care Group 