On Sunday 21 August: COVID INFECTIONS HAVE PEAKED BUT REMAIN SERIOUS. IT’S AWFUL TO HAVE IT. PLEASE GET VACCINATED; appointments and walk-ins aren’t busy. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests SWF had 400* Covid cases. Deaths and hospitalisations are falling but are still high. Hospitals treating Covid patients can’t treat others waiting long times for other procedures.
Last week’s good news included that those awaiting NHS treatment for more than two years is down from 22,500 to 1,030 in 2022. 7,000 extra hospital beds are promised for the coming winter. It seems to be forgotten that ten years or so ago the plan was to improve and increase local community health and welfare services so as many patients as possible would be treated and cared for at home. Thus Broomfield Hospital’s new wing was reduced by one whole storey. The lack of community social & health care is blocking many hospital beds.
The Omicron variants BA.4&5 spread more easily, make people more seriously ill, immunity is waning, the virus is mutating, and people are mixing more. Those in Essex hospitals with Covid have more serious respiratory illness. Essex NHS is in its worst ever summer state. What will winter be like with more Covid and a forecast increase in flu?. Mid & South Essex NHS Trust running our three local acute hospitals at Broomfield, Basildon & Southend has increased Covid protection measures in place with mask/face covering wearing compulsory and: restrictions on visiting: https://www.mse.nhs.uk/coronavirus-covid-19
New Normal or More Restrictions? We must live with Covid as part of our world, affecting lives and sadly causing long-term serious illness and deaths. Staff absences continue to hit services and supplies. PLEASE BEHAVE RESPONSIBLY FOR YOUR OWN AND EVERYONE’S SAKE. It was very interesting to see the teams from many countries at the Commonwealth Games still taking much more careful anti-Covid measures than we are.
The Gov.UK Coronavirus Dashboard says SWF had 8 Covid cases in the week ended (w/e) 12 August. The Dashboard is inaccurate as numbers of tests fall and infections go undetected/unreported. More accurately, the Dashboard says in w/e 12 August in England there were 744 (p/w 827) Covid deaths and in w/e 15 August 6,005 (p/w 6,697) patients admitted to hospital. There is a 3-week lag between infections and subsequent hospitalisations and deaths. The latest, more reliable, *ONS data estimates 1,350,000 (1 in 40) people in England had Covid in w/e 8 August (p/w 2,160,000 = 1 in 25). Taking the ONS estimate and SWF’s population as 16,000 that means there were actually 400 (p/w 640) SWF residents with Covid in w/e 26 July.
People testing positive for COVID-19 aren’t legally required to self-isolate. To avoid catching and spreading Covid the Government says: GET VACCINATED; ventilate indoor meetings; meet outdoors; wear face coverings in crowded enclosed spaces. Stay home if you can and avoid contact with other people.
10% OF SWF PEOPLE ARE UNVACCINATED? On 16 August, in SWF 89.1% of 12+ year olds have had 1st jab (p/w 89.1%); 86.6% have had 2nd jab (p/w 86.5%); and 72.2% have had a 3rd dose or booster (72.2% p/w). SWF is below the national averages of 93.4% for 1st doses and 88.0% for 2nd doses, and above the national average of 69.2% for 3rd & booster doses. Most deaths from Covid in Essex and England are of people not fully vaccinated.
Ambulance services and GPs are under severe pressure. Hospitals have suspended/restricted visiting, are postponing surgery & appointments, and say don’t attend A&E unless life is threatened, or you’re seriously injured.
Free Covid tests for the general public are no longer provided. Reasonably priced LFD (Lateral Flow Device) kits are available from some pharmacies and online providers.
Vaccination Hubs continue to deliver vaccinations at: Runwell Lodge, Wickford (not the Rettendon Lodge on Burnham Road); Civic Centre, Southend; Thurrock Community Hospital. Information about all vaccination centres in Essex is at: https://www.essexcovidvaccine.nhs.uk/coronavirus-vaccine/walk-in-vaccination-clinics/
National information is at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/ . Covid vaccinations can be booked online at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or on 119.
Vaccines and vaccination policy information is at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/. Everyone aged 5+ can get a 1st and 2nd dose of Covid vaccine. People aged 16+ and children aged 12-15 who are immunosuppressed or living with someone seriously vulnerable can also get a booster dose. People aged 12+ with severely weakened immune systems are being offered a 3rd dose and a booster 4th dose. People over 75, living in care homes, are being invited for boosters. Autumn 2022 boosters will be offered to over-50s, carers, health & care staff and clinically vulnerable people 5-49; arrangements for this are now being planned; per JCVI 15 July 2022.
Our Group’s public meeting and AGM was held virtually on Thursday 14 July. The Chief Operating Officer of Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust told us about the situation in our local acute hospitals. We also discussed our local GPs and other services. Our 2021-22 Annual Report was adopted. Our 2021-22 Annual Report and the recording, presentation and notes of this event are published at https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/2022/07/21/the-swf-health-social-care-group-public-meeting-agm-2022/ . Consideration is being given to undertaking independent academic research of the health and welfare needs of SWF and surrounds in the coming year.
Ring 999 for life-threatening emergencies. Ring 111 to book other A&E attendance slots at any time or for all other out of hours’ services. To contact Kingsway Surgery for non-urgent or other routine matters please don’t ring but email kingsway.receptionist@nhs.net . For Greenwood Surgery phone for all clinical matters; for prescription and administration queries email greenwood.meds@nhs.net ; for hospital appointments for which you’ve been referred ring the Central Referral Service on 0300 123 0771 or Broomfield Hospital Appointments on 01245 513900; the Practices can’t provide hospital appointment details.
SWF Health & Social Care Group provides health & social care information and signposting to people, especially those at risk, isolating, housebound, and without local support. Information is on our website https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/ . Contact us on swfhealthsocial@outlook.com or leave a voicemail on 01245 322079 which is monitored daily.
SWF Health & Social Care Group 