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WORKFORCE
Nurses forced to use food banks as cost-of-living crisis bites
Nurses and other healthcare staff are being forced to use food banks as the rising cost of living piles pressure on households across the UK , it has emerged .
A food bank manager has told Nursing in Practice that nurses in her area are using the service for the first time . This comes after the Trussell Trust , the UK ’ s largest food bank network , revealed that the UK was facing a ‘ tsunami of need ’, with almost 1.3 million emergency parcels provided by its network over the past six months .
Charlotte White , manager of Earlsfield food bank , which is opposite St George ’ s Hospital in south London , said it was now being used by nurses for the first time .
This is part of a broader trend of more people in work needing to access the food bank , she added , explaining : ‘ A year ago , we never used to see any nurses . This has definitely been something we ’ ve only seen in the last 12 months .’
In its mid-year report , the Trussell Trust said one in five people referred to food banks is in work , and revealed a 30 % rise in demand for its services over 2021 . Read the report at bit . ly / 3Vim9tI
COMMUNITY NURSING
‘ Baby blindspot ’: No protection for children from pandemic impact
Services have failed to ensure that babies and their families are protected from the ongoing effects of the pandemic , which has had a lingering impact on many children , a survey has found .
Almost all ( 94.8 %) of the 555 professionals surveyed said the pandemic has had a negative impact on the social or personal skills of children , while 92 % said the same of ‘ communication , speech , and language skills and for emotional wellbeing and development ’.
The Casting Long Shadows report , published by the Institute of Health Visitors and the First 1001 Days Movement , used data from recent studies and a survey of professionals to reveal a concerning picture of the ongoing effects of the pandemic .
Sally Hogg , the report ’ s author , told Nursing in Practice that there was a ‘ baby blindspot ’ in the Government ’ s response to the pandemic . ‘ For children and families these are such formative stages and if something goes wrong , it can have a lasting impact ,’ she said .
‘ We all need to be taking this seriously and putting pressure on Government to take it seriously . The ripple effects of this are huge and , wherever you work , you are going to see the impacts .’ The report is available at bit . ly / 3EOR2iE
COMMUNITY NURSING
Childhood obesity rates in deprived areas a ‘ national scandal ’
The differences in obesity rates between children from the most and least deprived areas of England , as revealed in national data , were described as ‘ nothing short of a national scandal ’ by Sharon White , CEO of the School and Public Health Nurses Association .
The annual results of the National Child Measurement Programme show childhood obesity rates in Year 6 children ( aged 10 or 11 ) are more than twice as high in the most deprived areas of England compared with the least deprived ( 31.3 % versus 13.5 %).
The data also reveal that ‘ severe ’ obesity among Year 6 children is more
than four times as common in the most deprived areas , where 9.2 % of children live with extreme obesity , compared with only 2.1 % in the least deprived areas .
Ms White told Nursing in Practice the findings presented a ‘ further example of the widening health inequalities for our children ’ s young people and families ’.
She added : ‘ School nurses have a key role in prevention , early help , support , signpost , referral and advocacy . However , as the cost-of-living crisis begins to hit harder in our colder months , we fear this will become an ever-harder task .’ The NHS Digital article is available at bit . ly / 3AUgYs3
CLINICAL
Scientists uncover key cause of type 2 diabetes
Researchers from the University of Oxford have , for the first time , uncovered the chemicals that reprogramme the metabolism of pancreatic cells and cause the progression of type 2 diabetes .
The study shows that glucose metabolites , produced when glucose is broken down – rather than the glucose itself – drive the failure of pancreatic beta cells . Once damaged , the cells cannot produce insulin , resulting in the onset of type 2 diabetes .
The scientists examined diabetes progression in mice and beta cells cultured at high glucose .
High blood glucose levels caused an increased rate of glucose metabolism in beta cells , leading to a pooling of metabolites . The bottleneck of metabolites switches off the insulin gene , meaning less insulin is produced and the beta cells no longer respond to changes in blood glucose levels .
By blocking the enzyme glucokinase , which is involved in the first step of glucose metabolism , the researchers were able to prevent damage to the gene and maintain insulin production even at chronic high blood sugar levels . Nature Communications , go . nature . com / 3GWHncy
African and Caribbean communities for reasons including ‘ a lack of knowledge , certain beliefs about the condition and symptoms , healthcare messaging not landing , and the belief that a diagnosis will mean a lifetime of medication ’. Hypertension diagnosis and management , page 36 of Oxford and Keele argue it could reduce serious falls , disability and deaths .
The STRATIFY-Falls tool enables healthcare practitioners to develop more personalised care for older patients , including exercise intervention and drug reviews . bit . ly / 3VjQMz1
General practice tool could help prevent serious falls , study shows A tool in development for use in general practice can identify patients at high risk of serious falls and could change their management . Researchers at the universities
WHAT ’ S YOUR VIEW ? To comment on any of these issues and to read today ’ s news in general practice and community nursing , visit nursinginpractice . co . uk
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