The week’s Covid-19 news was dominated by former adviser to the prime minister Dominic Cummings’ appearance at a Commons committee. In a dramatic seven-hour session, he launched a scathing attack on the government for its response to the pandemic, singling out both the prime minister and health and social care secretary for particular criticism.
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NHS bodies have welcomed the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) strategy, which places an emphasis on systems and tackling inequalities in health and care.
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As lockdown restrictions were eased across England, Wales and Scotland this week – and with changes due in Northern Ireland on Monday – all eyes were on the rising numbers of the B.1.617.2 variant of the Covid-19 virus. Further opening up of society is likely to be dependent on how easily the virus transmits and whether existing vaccines protect against infections and severe illness.
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The government must put the NHS and local government on a sound financial footing and tackle workforce pressures in health and social care to ensure services are better prepared for a future pandemic, the National Audit Office said.
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Prime minister Boris Johnson this week committed to a spring 2022 inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, while an independent panel, commissioned by the World Health Organization declared the global pandemic was preventable.
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Integrated care systems (ICSs) potentially could improve the delivery of services to patients, but risk being destabilised by the lack of plans and costings for reform of social care, according to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee.
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NHS leaders welcomed the commitment to additional funding for the NHS, included in the Queen’s speech, but were united in criticising the lack of firm proposals for social care reform.
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The United States made a potentially game-changing move in the challenge to vaccinate the world as it backed the waiving of patents covering Covid-19 vaccines this week.
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Integrated care systems (ICSs) have bid to become part of a national programme that will fund elective activity 20% above pre-Covid levels.
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The move to system working has introduced a new lexicon to the NHS in England, headed by integrated care systems or ICSs, and new or refreshed terms for the local NHS geography.
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