Things in the library 8th October...

 Things to read... 

The next Reading Group book if 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' by Muriel Spark on 3rd November via Microsoft Teams - please contact the library if you would like to join. At the staid Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, Scotland, teacher extraordinaire Miss Jean Brodie is unmistakably, and outspokenly, in her prime. She is passionate in the application of her unorthodox teaching methods and strives to bring out the best in each one of her students. Determined to instill in them independence, passion, and ambition, Miss Brodie advises them, "Safety does not come first. Goodness, Truth, and Beauty come first. Follow me." And they do--but one of them will betray her.

Things for children to read... 

A new book published recently aims to help children stay hopeful and positive during the COVID-19 pandemic. The story is a sequel to ‘My Hero is You: how kids can fight COVID-19!’, published in April 2020. Both books have been released by a collaboration of 60 organizations working in the humanitarian sector, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the MHPSS  Collaborative for Children & Families in Adversity.

‘My Hero is You 2021: how kids can hope with COVID-19!’ draws on the daily realities of millions of children since the beginning of the pandemic. For many, the pandemic continues to disrupt their education, recreation, and time with friends, family and teachers. 

The story – aimed primarily at children aged 6-11 years – sees the return of Ario, a fantasy creature who travels the world helping children to find hope in the future and joy in simple pleasures. Together with old and new friends, Ario addresses the fears, frustrations and concerns children are facing in the current phase of the pandemic, and explores the various coping mechanisms that they can use when faced with difficult emotions like fear, grief, anger and sadness. 

Available to download  free in a variety of languages.

Things to attend...

ScHARR short courses for October-December have been announced.

• MASTERIE ONLINE Course 19th & 26th October 2021 (4 x half days) 20th & 21st October 2021 (2x half-days); Fees £349 

• How to Critically Appraise Research ONLINE Course Wed 20th & Thur 21st October 2021 (2 x half days) Fees; £149
  
  
• Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis ONLINE Mon 1st, Tues 2nd, Mon 8th and Tues 9th November 2021 (4 days) The course comprises live online sessions, plus a series of short, self-directed exercises to be undertaken in addition to the live sessions. Fees £499

• Introduction to Social Media ONLINE Course: Tues 2nd & Wed, 3rd Nov 2021 (2 x half days). Fees: £149
• How to Quickly Synthesise Research; ONLINE Course: Wed 10th & Thur 11th Nov 2021 (2 x half days) Fees; £149
• Advanced Simulation Methods ONLINE Tues 30th November - Thur 9th December 2021 (6 x half days) Fees; £599
• Scoping Reviews, Mapping Reviews and Evidence Gap Maps ONLINE 1-day course. Date tbc.

Things to keep children active... 

Physical activity among children and adolescents is associated with lower adiposity, improved cardio‐metabolic health, and improved fitness. Worldwide, fewer than 30% of children and adolescents meet global physical activity recommendations of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. Schools may be ideal sites for interventions given that children and adolescents in most parts of the world spend a substantial amount of time in transit to and from school or attending school. 

The purpose of this Cochrane Review update is to summarise the evidence on effectiveness of school‐based interventions in increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity and improving fitness among children and adolescents 6 to 18 years of age.

Things to read and attend...

Next Journal Club:  Tues 12 October. Contact the library for a copy of the paper and joining information

Venue: Virtually/ Education and Skills Centre, F Floor, Grey Lifts.

Paper: Safety, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Adolescents

Things spooky... 

Kelham Island Museum after dark - an event for children and an event for over-18s on October 28th. Book in advance.

Things about measuring well-being... 

While there is very good national data on the wellbeing of adults, the national statistics on children and young people’s wellbeing in the UK, is not collected regularly, or nationally.

A key role for the What Works Centre for Wellbeing is to create robust, consistent wellbeing measures that can be used with confidence for different purposes and groups in the UK. With this project, they have developed a framework to measure the subjective wellbeing of children and young people, an area with growing national interest, particularly as a result of Covid-19.

Things to take part in... 

The Commission on Young Lives, an independent commission set up to research and design a new national system to support vulnerable young people in England, has opened a call for evidence. They are looking to hear from frontline workers, system leaders and commissioners, and those with lived experience. The closing date for submissions is 30 November 2021.

Things to make... 

I love butternut squash and this risotto is easy to make and fabulous in flavour - don't stint on the sage - the fried leaves on the top may be the best bit! I may have featured it before but make no excuses to do so again.

Things nearly finished... 

Next week will be my final Blog before I retire. There  will be a few weeks before my successor takes up the post so Sarah & Kate will be stretched to cover the  library services.  So there will be a few weeks gap in the blog. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

Things in the library 3 Sept...

 Things to read... 

Our next Reading Group meeting will be on 4th Oct still online via Teams. A book that I particularly enjoyed when I read it a couple of years ago so I am interested in what other people think of it. The book is Bear Town by Fredrik Backman and don't be put off thinking it is about sport - anyone who knows me will know I have no interest in sport! 

It is a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

 

Things about pre-eclampsia... 

 A blood test which identifies pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, a condition that is potentially life- threatening if not diagnosed and closely monitored, is being supported and spread across the region by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).

The test eliminates the risk of poor prediction of pre-eclampsia and reduces the risk of unnecessary hospitalisation for women who will not go on to develop the condition. This creates the potential to free up hospital beds and provides both an improved patient experience and wellbeing and financial benefit for the NHS.

Things about CAMHS ..

CAMHS National Summit 2021: transforming mental health services for children and young adults. This online conference, organised by Social Care Conferences, takes place on 16 November 2021. Further information: Social Care Conferences

Things about sepsis... 

Clinicians at Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital are leading medical trials of a blood test that could help to save thousands of UK lives a year by predicting sepsis days before patients show any symptoms. Sepsis is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury and is associated with life-threatening organ dysfunction. Worldwide, an estimated 49 million people a year contract sepsis, while in the UK almost 2 million patients admitted to hospital each year are thought to be at risk of developing the condition.  

Presymptom Health believes the technology can predict whether a patient will develop sepsis around 3 days before symptoms appear, enabling clinicians to treat them much sooner and manage them more effectively. 

Things about baby boxes... 

The Scottish Government has published a report evaluating the Baby Box scheme which provides families with a range of essential items including information leaflets designed to inform and support positive parenting behaviours. Findings from a survey of 2,236 parents, and 870 health visitors, midwives and family nurses include: the estimated take up of baby boxes in Scotland is over 90%; 84% of parents surveyed said they had found the leaflet on safe sleeping useful; and 37% of parents felt they had learned about bonding with their baby through playing, talking and reading as a result of reading a leaflet included in the box.

Things about babies...

Delighted to announce that we have two new members of the Reading Group Lily & Evie both born in the last few weeks. Congratulations to both sets of parents and their families. 

Things about autism... 

The National Autistic Society and Mind have published a good practice guide to help mental health professionals adapt talking therapies for autistic children and adults. The guide incorporates the views of over 1,500 autistic people and almost 1,000 family members who responded to a mental health survey in October and November 2020.

Things about body image and eating disorders... 

The NSPCC has released figures on Childline counselling sessions to children about eating and body image disorders. Figures for 2020/21 show that: there were 4,986 counselling sessions on body image and eating disorder issues. This included a 13% increase in counselling sessions to 12- to15-year-olds compared with 2019/20, and a 7% increase in counselling sessions to 16- to 18-year-olds.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has released findings following analysis of NHS England data on the number of children and young people waiting for eating disorder treatment. Figures show that at the end of the first quarter of 2021/22: 207 children and young people under the age of 19 were waiting for urgent treatment, up from 56 at the same time last year - a 270% increase; and 1,832 were waiting for routine treatment, up from 441 at the same time last year – a 315% increase. Figures also show that the number of under-19s receiving urgent and routine treatment has also increased by 160% and 93% respectively on figures for the same period last year.

Things to eat...

A recommendation from Sarah this week... nutty plum and sloe gin crumble.

Things in the library 6 August...

 Forty things... 

Someone asked me recently “was I counting the days until my retirement” …well I wasn’t …but I did & found I had 40 of my working days left. So I thought I would spend my last 40 days telling everyone something  different about the library on each of those days via our Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtags  #40things #GillRetiring . When I made a list I found so many things I wanted to tell people about that I might have to postpone my leaving day 😄. So do follow us to find out what 40 things I have chosen.

Things for new starters... 

If you have new rotating doctors in your area or as colleagues please make sure that they know about the library and all our services. Everyone in the trust gets our Monday morning bulletin so do encourage them to glance through this and also to join the library to make the best use of our services whilst they are with us. Whether it is for training, literature searches, current awareness services or leisure reading or a place to work, they will be very welcome. They can find full details of everything to offer on our website.

Things green... 

Sheffield has been blessed with many green open spaces within the city boundaries - many thanks to be benefactor J G Graves. This greenground map produced by Outdoor City and University of Sheffield shows 365 of them.

Things about mindfulness... 

An interesting article spotted this week looks at Yoga and Mindfulness Interventions for Preschool-Aged Children in Educational Settings: A Systematic Review which can be downloaded from this link. They conclude that this systematic review provides some evidence that yoga and mindfulness are promising practices for addressing social emotional development among preschool-aged children.

Things about social and ethnic groups... 

A  population-based retrospective cohort study has published the results of  research looking at the social and ethnic group differences in children’s use of healthcare services in England, from 2007 to 2017. They conclude:

Between 2007 and 2017, children living in more deprived areas of England made greater use of emergency services and received less scheduled care than children from affluent neighbourhoods. Children from Asian and black ethnic groups continued to consult GPs more frequently than children from white ethnic groups, though black children had significantly lower outpatient attendance rates than white children across the study period. Our findings suggest substantial levels of unmet need among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Further work is needed to determine if healthcare utilisation among children from Asian and black ethnic groups is proportionate to need.

The full text of the article and supplementary material  in Archives of Disease in Childhood can be accessed by this link. 

Things about opening hours... 

We are now open one evening a week (Tuesdays) until 7pm if you need to use the library and/or the computers.

Things about Children and young people’s mental health... 

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have published initial findings from the early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme, a programme funding the creation of mental health support teams working in schools and further education colleges in England. An evaluation of the first wave of mental health support teams and education mental health practitioners, working with more than a thousand schools and colleges, include: schools and colleges welcomed the funding of additional capacity to provide in-house mental health support and participants raised concerns about gaps in support, especially for children and young people whose needs were not ‘mild to moderate’ (the group that the teams are designed to support) but also not serious enough to meet the referral criteria for specialist services. The final report from the early evaluation will be published in summer 2022.

Things to read... 

The next virtual Reading Group meeting will be on Sept 1st at 18:30 to 19:30 - all are welcome, please contact the library for the joining link. The book we will be looking at is 'West' by Carys Davies.

When widowed mule breeder Cy Bellman reads in the newspaper that colossal ancient bones have been discovered in a Kentucky swamp, he sets out from his small Pennsylvania farm to see for himself if the rumours are true: that the giant monsters are still alive and roam the uncharted wilderness beyond the Mississippi River. Promising to return within two years, he leaves behind his daughter, Bess, to the tender mercies of his taciturn sister, Julie. With only a barnyard full of miserable animals and her dead mother’s gold ring to call her own, Bess fills lonely days tracing her father’s route on maps at the subscription library in town and shrinking from the ominous attentions paid to her and her aunt by their neighbour and sometimes yard hand, Elmer Jackson. Bellman, meanwhile, ventures farther and farther from home, across the harsh and alien landscapes of the West in reckless pursuit of the unknown.

Things to make... 

Greengages (Reine Claude in France) are, I think, my favourite plum (sorry Victorias ...you are a close second) and spotted in the shops yesterday. They can vary in quality but good ones are fabulous. If you want to cook with them this Nigel Slater frangipane tart is good (you can always cheat with a ready-made pastry case if pastry isn't your thing.

Things in the library 30th July

 Things about opening hours... 

So far we have had little response to our survey about early morning/late evening opening hours. If this is something you would use then please take a couple of minutes to give your opinion. This will inform our decisions about opening hours from September. 

In the meantime the library will be open until 19:00 on Tuesdays in August (unless we have any unforeseen staffing issues) and on Wed 4th August until 19:30 - no counter services available for the last hour as I will be hosting the Teams Online meeting for Reading Group.

Things to read... 

So 4th August 18:30 till 19:30 'Little Women' is the book to be discussed. Please contact the library if you would like the joining link. The book to be reading for September is 'West' by Carys Davie.

Things with a new look...

We had an update of our library management systems this week and alongside that the images have been updated for our library catalogue. So if you are looking at the catalogue (a webpage - so available for searching from anywhere) you might spot some of these.

Things about LGBTQ+... 

People who identify as LGBTQ+ experience disproportionately worse health outcomes and have poorer experiences when accessing health services. In this Kingsfund podcast, three years on from the Government’s LGBT action plan, Helen McKenna sat down with Dr Michael Brady, National Adviser for LGBT Health at NHS England, and Michelle Ross, Co-Founder and Director of Holistic Wellbeing services at cliniQ to explore the health inequalities LGBTQ+ people face and what needs to happen to make sure health services are inclusive.

Things for all of us... 

PHE has launched the latest Better Health campaign to encourage adults across the nation to lose excess weight, eat more healthily and get active this summer. The move follows a nationwide survey of over 5,000 adults which revealed that over 4 in 10 (41%) adults in England say they have put on weight since the first lockdown in March 2020.

Almost over half a stone (4.1kg) was gained on average by those who put on weight, with 1 in 5 (21%) reporting putting on a stone or more. In adults aged 35 to 65 years old, the average weight gain for those who put on weight rises to over 10lbs (4.6kg).

Search ‘Better Health’ or visit nhs.uk/betterhealth for free tools and support to start leading a healthier lifestyle today.

Things about Tai Chi... 

Tai chi was as effective as conventional exercise for reducing central obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a trial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors recommended incorporating the gentle mind-body exercise into physical activity guidelines for older people.                         

 

Twelve weeks of regular tai chi sessions helped older adults reduce their waist size in a recent clinical trial. The trial’s 543 participants aged 50 years or older were located at a single research site in Hong Kong. They were randomly assigned to a control group with no exercise, to aerobic exercise and strength training, or to a tai chi group for 12 weeks. An instructor led the conventional exercise and tai chi groups, which met 3 times a week for 1 hour.   

At baseline, 75% of participants were overweight or obese. Because Asian individuals typically have a higher body fat percentage than White people at the same body mass index (BMI), the researchers used waist circumference as a more accurate measure of cardiometabolic risk. At weeks 12 and 38, waist circumference decreased similarly in the conventional exercise and tai chi groups but increased in the control group. Both exercise groups also had modest decreases in body weight and BMI.

Things about autism... 

 A policy paper on the 'The national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026' was published recently. The roadmap for the next 5 years, which is set out in their vision, gives these aims:

• Improving understanding and acceptance of autism within society
• Improving autistic children and young people’s access to education and supporting positive transitions into adulthood
• Supporting more autistic people into employment
• Tackling health and care inequalities for autistic people
• Building the right support in the community and supporting people in inpatient care

Things to see... 

A new exhibition opens at the Millenium Gallery next week. 'Earthbound: Contemporary Landscape from the Roberts Institute of Art' and a related event (charge and needs booking) you can join award-winning artist Paul Evans for a day of drawing from natural environment surrounding Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. Using both traditional and highly innovative techniques, Paul will take you through a number of drawing exercises that will bring you closer to nature, build your personal repertoire of marks, and improve your ability to 'experience and see things for yourself - as they really are'.

For family events across the road at Weston Park see these suggestions. 

Things to make... 

If you are enjoying the Olympics then why not try some Japanese inspired recipes, perhaps this version of a Katsu curry which can be adapted for different diets.

Things in the library 2nd July...

 Things about child development... 

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) has a membership comprising a diverse group of clinicians, practitioners and world-leading child mental health researchers, working across an array of child and adolescent mental health domains. As part of the ACAMH educational series of talks on child development Dr. Max Davie, Community Paediatrician specialising in child development, has recorded two talks on this topic which you can watch or read the transcript. In the first he focusses on what mental health professionals working with children and young people need to know about child development, the second is on neurodevelopmental assessment. ACAMH members can get a CPD certificate for watching either - details on the website.

Things about weight and wellbeing... 

Announced yesterday the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme – backed by £12 million of government funding – will offer free online support via GP and primary care teams referrals for adults living with obesity, who also have a diagnosis of either diabetes, high blood pressure or both, to help manage their weight and improve their health.  

Alongside this, the government is providing £30 million of new funding to councils across England to roll out expanded management services for adults living with obesity. Services can be delivered face to face, remotely or digitally. With 98% of councils accepting the funding, individuals will be able to sign up for this help via their primary care services or in some areas refer themselves via their local authority.

In most areas, services will include 12-week sessions, with dietary advice, physical activity guidance and support to help people start and maintain healthier habits. 

An additional £4.3 million of new funding has also been allocated to 11 local authorities to support the expansion of child weight management services in 2021 to 2022. They will trial new ways to improve access to services for up to 6,000 children identified as living with excess weight or obesity. 

New rules on advertising unhealthy foods online and before 9pm on TV across the UK after public consultation. Regulations will come into force at the end of next year to introduce a 9pm watershed for advertisements of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). These new regulations will apply to food and drink products of most concern to childhood obesity and will ensure the healthiest in each category will be able to continue to advertise. This approach means foods such as honey, olive oil, avocados and marmite are excluded from the restrictions.

Things to attend... 

It is Reading Group next week and the book we are discussing is 'American Dirt' by Jeanine Cummins. If you would like to join us online from 18.30 - 19.30 please contact the library for the joining link.

Our next book (4th August) will be quite a contrast 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. A comment often made by members of the Reading Group is that they have enjoyed a book which they would have never otherwise chosen.

Things to book... 

NHS Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Digital Conference takes place as a digital event in October, organised by Westminter Insight, covering such topics as:

• how to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion to create a sense of belonging for all NHS employees
• how to implement data tracking, reporting, and transparency around targets to help improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the NHS
• Creating diverse NHS leadership to ensure they better reflect the communities they serve
• Ensuring a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and harassment to support staff

Just one thing... 

A recent fascinating series of radio programmes...

If time is tight, what's the one thing that you should be doing to improve your health and wellbeing? Michael Mosley reveals surprisingly simple top tips that are scientifically proven to change your life.

• Count your blessings
• Hot baths
• Standing on one leg
• Green spaces
• Intelligent exercise
• Learning a new skill
• Cold showers
• Eating bacteria
• Early morning walks

Several of these could be combined (though please don't stand on one leg in the shower!). The website explains the science and you can listen to the episodes. 

Things to make... 

Wimbledon means strawberries... but not necessarily with cream. Balsamic vinegar is fabulous with strawberries (as is black or pink pepper). This recipe marinates strawberries in balsamic vinegar and combines them with halloumi and fresh cucumber. 

 Things read...

The Reading Group this week departed from our normal fiction selection to read 'Why I am no longer talking to white people about race'. You might be interested in the summary of our discussion.

It was universally appreciated (enjoyed doesn't quite seem the correct word) and many said they would read it again, that it was an important book and would recommend it to others. Most found it easy to read and understand though a few struggled a bit with it being not their normal type of reading matter  (non-fiction). Many mentioned the history chapter as the most informative and interesting. One or two felt that bits of the book turned a bit 'lecturery'. Comments about the 'Fear of a black planet' section were that it was easy to relate to and parts made us feel uncomfortable.  It was felt that it was a sobering reminder of the history that we are not taught and an eye-opener to the way education, health services, police etc have been structured to privilege some people and discriminate others. Positive discrimination was explained well in terms of the need to re-balance an organisation - whilst we recognised that it can also be divisive. The importance of us all speaking out in situations where we are aware of discrimination and having conversations on discrimination was the take-away message. 

Things about child poverty... 

The End Child Poverty Coalition has published figures on the rates of child poverty across the UK. The figures, which cover the period from 2014/15 to 2019/20, show that: in March 2020 half a million more children in the UK were living in poverty compared to five years ago, totalling 4.3 million children; child poverty is rising significantly in the North East of England; 75% of children living in poverty in 2019/20 lived in households with at least one working adult, up from 67% in 2014/15; and the highest rates of poverty are in larger cities, particularly Birmingham and London. The level of child poverty percentage rise in Yorkshire & Humberside is 5.4% and in Sheffield 5.6%

 Things coming soon... 

14th - 18th June is a week to celebrate NHS Knowledge and Library Services and Specialists. The week focuses on the invaluable work undertaken by NHS knowledge and library specialists [that's us!]. The week is an opportunity to highlight the range of ways in which NHS knowledge and library teams support all healthcare staff and learners [yes all of you!] to deliver informed decision making and evidence-based care across all areas of clinical and operational healthcare. 

We are going to receive 10 titles chosen by NHS staff as part of the 'Uplifting Resources for the NHS from the NHS' collection and will add them to our Leisure Reading collection when we recive them - number 4 on the list we already have available as it was a previous reading group book choice.

1. "Love in colour” by Bolu Babalola

2. “The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse” by Charlie Mackesey

3. “Three things about Elsie” by Joanna Cannon

4. “Before the coffee gets cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

5. “The lido” by Libby Page

6. “Where the crawdads sing” by Delia Owens

7. “The salt path” by Raynor Winn

8. “Calypso” by David Sedaris

9. “The lost spells” by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

10. “Happiness FM” by Mary Dickins

Things about children and the pandemic ... 

Barnardo's has published findings from and commented on a survey by YouGov on the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on children and young people's mental health. Findings from the poll, conducted with more than 4,000 children and young people aged 8- to 24-years-old, include: 29% of 8- to 15-year-olds reported feeling more stressed now than before the pandemic; the two most common issues that 8- to 15-year-olds were worried about were catching or spreading the virus and being behind in their studies; and the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who reported struggling with their mental health and wellbeing has increased from last year.

The Disabled Children's Partnership has published a report on the impact of the pandemic on disabled children, their siblings and their parents. The report shows the findings from the third in a series of surveys of disabled children and their families. It found: a high proportion of disabled children and their families are still experiencing severe levels of social isolation despite the easing of restrictions; over half of families are unable to access therapies vital for their disability; 60% of families are experiencing delays and challenges accessing health service appointments; and that disabled children and their families are at risk of developing additional long-term health problems.

Things to tell your colleagues... 

If you have ever  received a service from the library that has helped you then please tell someone around you. We try to advertise our services widely but still sometimes find people coming here saying "I've worked here # years - and I never knew we had a library". The dents in the wall from library staff hitting their heads against it may soon become an issue of concern to facilities - 'Save a librarian'! Seriously though, we know that most people who use our services do so because they were told about it by a colleague so do talk about us.

Things to be reading now... 

The next Reading Group meeting will be via Microsoft Teams on 7th July at 18:30. Please contact us if you would like the joining link or to be on the mailing list if you want to read along with us. The next book is 'American Dirt' a 2020 novel by American author Jeanine Cummins, about the ordeal of a Mexican woman who had to leave behind her life and escape as an undocumented immigrant to the United States with her son. A book which has provoked some controversy so it will be interesting to find out the opinions of our Reading Group.

Things away...

I will be off on my holidays for the next 2 weeks - trying to avoid the sight of the G7 leaders in their bathers and limousines stuck in Cornish lanes!  Apologies if the blog is missing as my colleagues may not have time to write it in my absence. Stay safe everyone. Now to stock up on my holiday reading!

Things to make...

With Cornwall in mind it has to be a Rick Stein fish recipe this week -  one of my favourite combinations hake and chorizo. Enjoy.

Things in the library 28th May...

 Things about free books... 

It’s been almost a month since World Book Night and we hope that if you were one of the people who collected a book from us that you enjoyed it! This year, there were over 100,000 books donated to organisations across the UK and Ireland, including libraries, prisons, hospitals, care homes, schools, and many more. 

If you did receive a book then World Book Night Organisation would love to have your feedback.

PS we have 2 copies left if you want to call up to the library.

Things about Genomics... 

The government will develop global standards and policies for sharing genomic health data under new plans that aim to make the UK a global leader in the area.The Genome Implementation Plan 2021-22 sets out bold ambitions to improve care, treatment and diagnosis using genome sequencing. Working with partners in the genomics community, the government set out 27 commitments to deliver over the next 12 months, including the development of global standards and policies for sharing genomic and related health data.

As part of this the National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust will contribute total of £4.5 million over the next five years to the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health to ensure the standards are easily accessible and usable by global genomic and data sharing programmes.

Other “high priority actions” include faster diagnosis and treatment of cancer; whole genome sequencing for patients with rare diseases; and the recruitment of five million people to take part in research to accelerate the detection of disease. The work builds upon the 100,000 Genomes Project, with the government now committing to sequencing one million whole genomes – 500,000 genomes in the NHS and 500,000 in UK Biobank – in a bid to transform healthcare in the UK and create jobs.

Things about innovation... 

An in-depth study examining approaches to spreading and adopting innovation in the health sector has been published by the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSN) to help AHSNs, and partners, understand and harness the AHSN collective experience and expertise.

The review, which identifies the different approaches used across the 15 AHSNs within the Network, highlights the complexity of spread work; the diversity of approaches; the influential factors; and provides recommendations for the future. This research provides the first aggregated view of approaches and challenges to spread and adoption across the AHSN Network, to help the AHSNs and our partners understand the complexity and variation. As well as mapping approaches across the AHSN Network, the review included a deep dive into the Transfers of Care Around Medicines (TCAM) national programme.

Read a summary of the report including additional recommendations for the wider health and care system based on the findings.

Things about patient safety... 

The recently published update to the NHS patient safety strategy outlined a new commitment to explore and address inequalities in patient safety.

New patient safety initiatives the strategy introduced:

• Patient Safety Syllabus – 13 May 2021, Health Education England in collaboration with Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) and NHS England and NHS Improvement, has published the first National patient safety syllabus. The syllabus will underpin the development of patient safety curricula for all NHS staff.
• Patient Safety Incident Management System (PSIMS) – November 2020, PSIMS will commence its public beta stage in early 2021. From this point, organisations with compatible local risk management systems will be able to start recording patient safety events on PSIMS instead of the existing National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS). 
• Patient safety partners – October 2020, our consultation on the draft ‘Framework for involving patients in patient safety’ closed 18 October 2020. A final version of the framework will be published in 2021 providing guidance on how the NHS can involve patients and their carers in their own safety; as well as being partners, alongside staff, in improving patient safety in NHS organisations. 
• Patient Safety Specialists – September 2020, we have launched the patient safety specialists initiative that will see NHS organisations identifying at least one member of staff to the role of their patient safety specialist, to oversee and support patient safety activities across their organisation. 
• Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) – 10 March 2020, we have published a new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) webpage, including details of our work with a small number of early adopters who are testing an introductory version of the framework. The PSIRF is being developed to replace the current Serious Incident Framework with updated guidance on how NHS organisations should respond to patient safety incidents, and how and when a patient safety investigation should be conducted. This testing phase will be used to inform the creation of a final version of the PSIRF which we anticipate will be published in Spring 2022.
• National Patient Safety Alerts –  the first National Patient Safety Alert was issued by our national patient safety team in November 2019 following its accreditation to issue the new types of alerts. All national bodies that issue alerts are going through a process of accreditation to issue National Patient Safety Alerts to ensure they meet a set criteria to improve their effectiveness and support providers to better implement the required actions. In March 2020 the MHRA became the second national body to be accredited

Things about obesity... 

There were more than one million admission to NHS hospitals in 2019/20 where obesity was a factor, according to new figures published by NHS Digital.

The Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet; England, 2021 is an annual compendium of data on obesity, including hospital admissions, prescription items, obesity prevalence among adults and children as well as physical activity and diet.

• 27% of men and 29% of women were obese. Around two thirds of adults were overweight or obese, this was more prevalent among men (68%) than women (60%)
•  
• Children living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to be obese, than those living in the least deprived areas
•  
• 13.3% of Reception children living in the most deprived areas were obese compared to 6.0% of those living in the least deprived areas
•  
• 27.5% of Year 6 children living in the most deprived areas were obese compared to 11.9% of those living in the least deprived areas

Things to discuss... 

Reading Group next week will be talking about 'Why I am no longer talking to white people about race' by Reni Eddo-Lodge, please contact the library if you would like the joining link. The next book will be 'American Dirt' by Jeanine Cummins which will make for an interesting conversation following on from this month's book.

Things to do over the Bank Holiday... 

Stay safe! If you want to try to avoid the crowds there are some more unusual places to visit locally here ....but don't all go at once ....and do check opening times/booking etc if relevant. Who knew about the Star Disc?

Things to make...

Finally some lovely weather is being forecast so I expect the BBQs will be in operation this weekend. For a nice veggie recipe try asparagus rafts ... asparagus is in season in the shops now.