UKHSA have issued new guidance on Covid vaccination and testing for latent TB (Briefing note 2021/060) gov.uk/government/org…

With 200,000 Omicron cases and a doubling time of 2-3 days, we are just 8 doubling times away from a potential 50 million cases. Hands, face, space and vaccines vital to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed.

Shockingly bad behaviour by some MPs towards Prof Chris Whitty Professor Chris Whitty. He is doing an excellent job and has my full support.

There is much in the press about omicron being more transmissible but less severe than delta. Higher number of cases means it could still overwhelm the NHS without sensible precautions.

I’m absolutely delighted to see that Chris Whitty and Jonathan Van Tam have been knighted, and Helen Stokes Lampard made a dame in the New Years honours list. Thoroughly well deserved.

Another attempt to normalise the crisis in the NHS, to blame staff for whinging and to criticise NHS leaders and commentators for over-reacting. The crisis across all parts of our health and care system is real and urgent. The NHS propaganda war thetimes.co.uk/article/nhs-pr…

Busy day ahead with FOM board meeting, awards and AGM, followed by dinner at RCP

I’m on the Radio 4 PM programme today at 17.30 talking about the ONS report on worklessness and health.

I’m on the train to Paddington for an Academy of Medical Royal Colleges policy planning day tomorrow with Amanda Pritchard CEO of NHSE. Tonight we’ve got a lecture from Sir Michael Marmott (last year was Jeremy Hunt) and a dinner at RCoAnaes.

I’ve just done an interview with the Financial Times about lessons employers need to learn from the Covid 19 pandemic.

I’m about to head to Liverpool for the Labour Party conference. AoMRC have a lunch time meeting tomorrow with shadow health ministers and other interested parties.

I’m at the academy of medical royal colleges meeting at the Conservative party conference. Just listened to Lord Bethell speak.

I’m sitting between Prof Dame Carrie MacEwen, head of the GMC, and Prof Neil Mortenson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons at the Conservative party conference.

This year’s RCP census shows that 52% of advertised consultant physician posts in England and Wales went unfilled last year, the highest proportion since records began in 2008. Of the 52%, nearly three quarters (74%) went unfilled because of a lack of any applicants at all.

I’m at RCGP for the 70th anniversary dinner. Sitting with a trio of medical dames Carol Black, Clare Gerada and Helen Stokes-Lampard.

A few photos from OH2023, the joint SOM/FOM conference

I am beyond speechless. That not only did it take a year for the Trust to involve the police. But they forced the consultants who raised concerns to apologise to Letby. Trust managers have no regulator to hold them to account. Lessons learned must include proper accountability.

The Occupational Medicine OUP journal special issue on Long Covid and work has now been published. academic.oup.com/occmed

I had a trip by blue light ambulance to University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust a couple of days ago with a life threatening problem. I’ve had amazing service from ED, AMU Thrushell and the ambulance service. Couldn’t fault it.