The Measles outbreak continues in north London and West Midlands. It’s spread into East of England. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status. In 2026 to 22 June 801 English measles cases have been confirmed (959 in whole of 2025), an increase of 65 cases since the last report on 8 June, mostly driven by the North London outbreak. Alarmingly this continues increasing. There have been 2 measles deaths in children in 2026. Essex is in danger from its neighbours.
Heat Health Alerts, Red, Amber and Yellow will continue. Forecasters predict more this summer. Sweating is good. Dehydration, lack of breeze, tight-fitting clothes, not sweating causes overheating. Everyone is at risk, not just vulnerable people. Keep cool by:
- avoiding the sun when it’s strongest, typically between 11am and 3pm. Outside apply high protection sunscreen, wear a wide-brimmed hat and seek shade;
- keeping your home cool: keep windows and curtains closed in rooms that face the sun during the day. open windows safely when the air feels cooler outside than inside, eg at night, and get air flowing through your home;
- limiting strenuous physical activity, or plan it for cooler times of the day, eg early morning or evening;
- avoiding hot, closed spaces like stationary cars;
- wearing loose, light-coloured clothing made from breathable natural fabrics such as cotton or linen. Dark colours and synthetic materials absorb and trap heat;
- staying hydrated throughout the day, not only when thirsty. If sweating heavily, consider rehydration drinks to replace lost electrolytes. Limit caffeine and alcohol, which contribute to dehydration;
- spray or sponge your skin with cool water. Cold packs wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck also help;
- turning off non-essential electronics. TV, laptops and chargers generate heat.
As previously reported, Martha’s Rule is a patient safety initiative to support the early detection of deterioration by ensuring the concerns of patients, families, carers and staff are listened to and acted upon in all acute (hospital) settings. Martha’s Rule has now been extended to all maternity services after the review published this week found serious and sustained failures in maternity wards at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Jess’s Rule (Three strikes and we rethink) is a primary care initiative to encourage GPs teams to rethink a diagnosis if a patient presents three times with the same symptoms or concerns, particularly if symptoms unexpectedly persist, escalate, or remain unexplained
Warmer weather encourages more of us to be out and about enjoying the great outdoors. But we must remember to be aware of where ticks are found and how to remove them safely and quickly, as some tick bites can cause infections such as Lyme disease Ticks are small arachnids – more closely related to spiders and mites than to insects – that feed on the blood of animal hosts, including humans. The species of greatest concern for human health in the UK is Ixodes ricinus, also known as the sheep, deer or castor bean tick. It has a three-stage life cycle – larva, nymph and adult – and must take a blood meal at each stage before it can develop further. The full life cycle takes around 3 years to complete. When searching for a host, ticks climb to the tips of vegetation and use sensory organs on their front legs to detect carbon dioxide, body heat and movement. They attach to passing hosts and can feed continuously for several days before dropping off. There are two new blog posts to help us ‘be tick aware’:
- ‘What are ticks and how can you avoid being bitten?’
- ‘What is Lyme disease and how is it diagnosed and treated?’
Hundreds of women with aggressive cervical cancer are to be offered a new immunotherapy on the NHS, which could help more women survive and stay cancer-free in the long-term. This means the cancer has grown beyond the cervix to regions such as the pelvic wall, but not yet spread further around the body.
Trials found that adding pembrolizumab to standard chemoradiotherapy helped keep cancer at bay for longer and improved survival rates.
A dozen cutting-edge projects will see thousands of patients across the UK benefitting from new approaches to tackling obesity. £85 million grant funding from government and pharmaceutical company Lilly for new approaches such as using AI tools to improve patient care. Round-the-clock virtual advice and AI-assisted triage among plans to bring care to underserved communities.
In May our hospitals at Broomfield, Basildon & Southend:
- Saw 73.9% (74.4% in April) of patients within four hours in our emergency departments, against the national standard of 78%. This is in line with the Trust’s target. Basildon was 76.1%, Southend 71.6% and Broomfield 72.7%. Nationally the performance was 75.7% and in the East of England it was 75.6%. Work continues to improve the flow of patients across the hospital sites using Same Day Emergency Care, and removing the need for corridor care
- The average time for ambulances to handover patients in May was 33 minutes (31). This compares with 33 minutes in East of England and 38 minutes nationally
- In April 59% (62.7%) of patients received cancer diagnosis results within 28 days, against a standard of 80% while 46.5% (54.2%) received their treatment within 62 days against a national target of 85%. This has stayed at a similar level to previous months. The Trust remains in NHS England’s Tier One process for cancer performance but continues with a focus on getting test results back as quickly as possible, ensuring pharmacy and teams preparing medicines have enough staff and focussing on priority cancer pathways. Factors including Easter leave, multiple bank holidays and industrial action have all impacted on performance.
It’s wonderful Resident Doctors called off their strike. Whilst there is no extra money for this year, the offer is said to propose faster increases in pay scales next year. Additionally, 4,500 extra training places are promised for newly qualified doctors and doctors’ exam fees will be covered. We commend both sides for this and beg the BMA members to accept.
Dangers of heat: London’s Ambulances answered a record 8,869 999 calls on Friday 26 June 2026, 500+per hour from 6pm to midnight. 688 were Category 1 most seriously ill patients, including with cardiac and breathing arrests.
During the World Cup, Football fans are urged not to ignore health problems. New analysis reveals a significant drop in A&E attendances while the Three Lions are playing.
The NHS is available throughout the football action, including extra time and penalties. Don’t wait for the final whistle if serious illness or accident occurs.
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SWF Health & Social Care Group 