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Backed by a £22.5 million of government funding, community vaccine champions will tap into their local networks and encourage people in their communities to get vaccinated against the Covid-19. The funding, allocated today (January 13) to 60 councils, will help deliver bespoke projects in these regions, including: In Derby and Newham roving vaccinators and a vaccine bus will visit workplaces, places of worship and local highstreets.Videos shared on social media featuring local sporting stars, TV actors, local community and faith leaders and local NHS staff in Southampton.Developing a community transport to support access to vaccination sites/pop-ups and considering 'Grab a Jab' taxis scheme.As per NHS statistics, over 4.6 million people aged 18 and above remained unvaccinated in the 60 councils, selected to be a part of the Community Vaccine Champions programme. Vaccines minister Maggie Throup said: "Thanks to the pace and scale of our Covid-19 vaccination programme, we are in a much better position than this time last year."

AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd (AAH) has exceeded the milestone of delivering over 70 million COVID-19 vaccination doses across England, since it was awarded a contract in December 2020. In addition, AAH has delivered over 100 million ancillary items to more than 3,000 healthcare providers. David Bound, chief executive officer of AAH, said: "This is a huge milestone for AAH as we work tirelessly to support our communities. It's also a ringing endorsement of our delivery drivers, warehouse operatives, and specialist logistics teams and the determination, dedication, and passion they continue to show throughout this extraordinary period." The vaccination programme was also recognized by the Supply Chain Excellence Awards. Chris Emmott, senior project lead - Supply Chain, commented: "I'm incredibly proud that AAH was chosen for this job, particularly as we had the skills, the experience, and a great team to help facilitate the needs of the country. To get ready for a project like this, everybody's worked very long hours, they've worked weekends to get everything ready.

The Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio (DMTP) was able to deliver the electronic prescription service (EPS) in Wales - just 20 months after starting the project - with support from key partners in the NHS and industry. Patients in Rhyl were the first to benefit from the new service, which allows GPs to send prescriptions electronically to the patient's choice of community pharmacy, without the need for a paper form. The new EPS service is currently in a live testing phase, with a phased roll out across Wales expected from January 2024. DMTP, which is hosted by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) has worked closely with NHS England, who provided the core EPS platform that has been developed for use in Wales. NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership has also made a major contribution in the project, incorporating digital reimbursement to pharmacies and putting security measures in place.

To combat the effects of climate change, the Integrated Care System (ICS) in South East London (SEL) has initiated a pioneering inhaler recycling project. Supported by NHS England and spanning 20 community pharmacies across the region, the project marks the first nationally-funded pilot of its kind in England, targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from improperly disposed inhalers. The project, which commenced at King's College Hospital in February 2024, focuses on the recycling of pressurised metered-dose inhalers. These inhalers, due to their propellant content, contribute significantly to environmental harm, emitting gases equivalent to driving 71.8 miles in a standard petrol car.

John Dawson, the founder and former CEO of Alliance Pharma, has donated £5million to the University of Sunderland towards the creation of a new drug research centre. The donation - the biggest in the university's history - will create the John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute to improve health and wellbeing of millions of people worldwide. The new centre has been named after the pharmaceutical entrepreneur and Sunderland graduate who, alongside wife Sam, has provided the funding. He and Sam were on Thursday (April 20) joined by specially invited guests from across the region's health, education, and business communities, to launch the Institute housed in the University's Sciences Complex. Unveiling a plaque inside the building, John said: "It's an absolute honour and privilege to be able to launch the new Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute at the University of Sunderland today. "It's been wonderful to be back on the campus and see the incredible developments that have taken place since I studied pharmacy here more than 50 years ago. "I was immediately impressed at what has been achieved in that intervening half-century and I've been delighted to assist the University continue its development, particularly in the health arena. "I hope the launch of this institute will mark the next phase in the University's evolution and I'm very much looking forward to working with the team as they bring their projects to fruition."

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a notification regarding the shortage of Guanfacine 2mg and 3mg modified-release tablets has raised concerns within the healthcare community. This critical medicine supply notification, issued on March 28th, projects the unavailability of these tablets until the week commencing May 6, 2024. Guanfacine tablets, commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity while enhancing attention and concentration, play a vital role in managing conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the scarcity of these specific strengths poses challenges for patients reliant on this medication. Last year, several countries across the globe experienced shortages of medications for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)including the UK, the US and Australia. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has cautioned that while alternative strengths of Guanfacine remain accessible, they may not adequately meet the heightened demand, potentially resulting in treatment interruptions for patients.

A groundbreaking research project has revealed that the public is urging the government to prioritise primary and community care over hospitals. The study also found a strong public willingness to pay higher taxes to enhance NHS services. The Health Foundation and Ipsos UK conducted the research, combining nationwide polling with in-depth public deliberative workshops. These workshops, held in King's Lynn, Leeds, and London, constitute one of the most comprehensive public consultations about the future of the NHS in England. The study published on 16 May underscores the public's desire for a redistribution of NHS resources. If the NHS budget remains unchanged, 60 per cent of those polled believe the government should focus on improving access to community-based services like general practice and dentistry.

'Tepotinib' has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to patients with a specific gene mutation of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The new potentially life-extending drug is available from Thursday (14 April). It has been recommended for routine use across the NHS in England through Project Orbis, a programme to review and approve promising cancer drugs helping patients access treatments faster. NICE has published its final appraisal document recommending tepotinib (also known as Tepmetko and produced by company Merck Serono Ltd) as an option for treating advanced NSCLC with METex14 skipping gene alterations in adults. People with METex14 skipping alterations of NSCLC make up between 1-2% of all adults with lung cancer in England. Tepotinib, which requires people to take two tablets once daily, provides a new targeted treatment for adults with METex14 skipping gene alterations. Just over 700 people in England would be eligible to receive tepotinib as either a first or second-line treatment.

Kamila Hawthorne, the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Council, was honoured with the GG2 Woman of the Year Award at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, held at the Park Plaza Hotel on Tuesday, 5 March. Hawthorne has been a practitioner and a mentor to young GPs for almost 35 years, and has led pioneering research projects focusing on health inequalities, diabetes and heart disease. She has been recognised twice as GP of the Year for her work with minority ethnic communities. Professor Kiran Patel, Group Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, was named the GG2 Man of the Year Award. Apart from being a sought-after cardiologist and consultant, Patel also possesses a wealth of experience in managerial roles. He has done a lot of work in addressing health inequalities, and notably, in 2020, he prescribed the very first COVID-19 vaccine.