On Sunday 12 February 2023: OUR NHS REMAINS IN CRISIS. COVID INFECTIONS, HOSPITALISATIONS & DEATHS REMAIN SERIOUS. THE TWINDEMIC OF COVID & FLU IS HERE.
12 February was the last opportunity to get free Covid vaccinations. You may still be able to get Covid and Flu vaccinations at pharmacies subject to availability of vaccines and payments. The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination & Immunisations (JCVI) has advised the Government to arrange Spring COVID boosters for the most vulnerable people again this year, and another full Autumn programme like the 2022 one.
There is a significant increase now in the sickness bug Norovirus; cases in the over 65s are up over 30% higher than the pre-pandemic average. Don’t visit vulnerable people, particularly in care homes or hospitals while having diarrhoea and/or vomiting until 48 hours after symptoms stop. Keep practicing good hand hygiene especially after being unwell, using the toilet or preparing or eating food.
On 3 February Covid, Flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections and hospitalisations remained high. NHS and care staff absence from sickness remains high. Record numbers of staff are leaving the NHS; FURTHER STRIKES OF NURSES, PARAMEDICS AND OTHER NHS STAFF ARE PLANNED. WE WILL PUBLISH DETAILS OF THOSE AFFECTING OUR AREA WHEN KNOWN. Thousands of treatments have already been lost during recent nurses’ strikes and these strikes make workloads more challenging. 18% more people are attending A&E than last winter; 13,000 hospital beds are blocked by patients fit to discharge. 100,101 hospital beds are available (up from 90,621 last year). NHS crisis lines are failing to answer suicide calls.
Our local health and welfare service providers are restricted by the funding, resources and targets they are given by central government. All our local medical professionals are terribly upset because they can’t look after us properly. They’re doing their very best. This situation was predicted last summer and not enough has been done nationally in advance.
On 18 January we asked East of England Ambulance Trust Board’s public meeting: Q: Given the present situation, what please is your message to the local communities in places like South Woodham Ferrers about the levels of services they can expect today and how they can help you to make those services work as well as possible? In particular as examples, what can they expect and should do if people seem likely to be having a cardiac arrest, a heart attack, a stroke, be involved in a serious accident where there seems to be a major trauma patient, and a serious accident where someone seems to have an open fracture or broken pelvis?
A: The Director of Nursing, Safety & Quality confirmed the Trust continued to offer an emergency response for those in life and limb threatening situations. She recommended individuals in an emergency continue to contact 999 as soon as possible where they would be clinically triaged and a response dispatched based on the circumstances. A response may also be provided to patients in collaboration with partner organisations such as the Air Ambulance. Regardless of media reports, ring 999 and you will get a timely response and any delays will be explained and dealt with.
The ongoing Independent Inquiry into Mental Health Services, The Linden Centre, Broomfield, in Essex has been in the national news headlines recently. On 28 July 2022 the Chair of the Inquiry issued an appeal to staff to come forward to share their experiences and insights. Sadly that appeal has not met with success. We share the concern of family members who lost their lives whilst in the inpatient care of our NHS mental health Trusts in Essex between 2000 and 2020. We have written to the Chair of the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and to local MPs supporting the call for the Inquiry to be put on a statutory public basis so that witnesses can be compelled to testify, these most serious matters can be fully investigated and trust by patients and the public can be restored in our mental health services.
After twenty years of ‘discussions’ a meeting was held in January 2023 to discuss the frustration at the lack of progress in obtaining a new Health Hub to replace St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon, which is universally recognised as no longer fit for purpose. At last there has been some progress and a new Medical Hub to replace St Peter’s is planned. We are seeking information about the timetable for this and details of the services it will provide
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests SWF had 250* Covid cases w/e 31 January. 2.2m people in the UK have long Covid; 80+ in the SWF & Dengie area. If you think you have long-Covid see your GP for a diagnosis & referral to a local recovery service.
Cases of Scarlet Fever and Strep A remain high. Most people don’t get extremely sick but they can be a serious illness, particularly for young children. Both are treated with antibiotics; there isn’t a vaccine. Get the latest information from pharmacists and at: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/12/05/group-a-strep-what-you-need-to-know/ .
The Dashboard says in w/e 13 January in England there were 615 (p/w 679) Deaths with Covid on death certificates and in w/e 6 February 5,058 (p/w 4,621) patients admitted to hospital. Hospitalisations and deaths lag behind infections. The *ONS data estimates 861,500 (1 in 65) people in England had Covid in w/e 31 January (p/w 800,000 = 1 in 70). Taking the ONS estimate and SWF’s population as 16,000 that means there were 228 (p/w 266) SWF residents with Covid in w/e 31 January.
To AVOID CATCHING & SPREADING Covid the Government says: TAKE EXTRA CARE, IF UNWELL AVOID VULNERABLE FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES & RELATIVES; ventilate indoor meetings; meet outdoors; wear face coverings in crowded enclosed spaces. If you get Covid stay home if you can and avoid contact with other people. Most hospital deaths with Covid and flu on death certificates in Essex and England are reported to be of people not fully vaccinated. 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 