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Covid: Disabled people account for 6 in 10 deaths in England last year

Nearly 6 out of every 10 people who died with coronavirus in England last year were disabled, figures suggest.

Some 30,296 of the 50,888 deaths between January and November were people with a disability, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows. It also suggests the risk of death is three times greater for more severely disabled people.

Charities have called for urgent government action, describing the data as "horrifying and tragic".

The ONS figures suggest disabled people were disproportionately affected by the pandemic - accounting for 17.2% of the study population but nearly 60% of coronavirus deaths.

Among women, the risk of death involving coronavirus was 3.5 times greater for more-disabled women - defined as having their day-to-day activities "limited a lot" by their health - compared with non-disabled women.

For less-disabled women, defined as having their day-to-day activities "limited a little", the risk was two times greater.

Compared to non-disabled men, the data showed that the risk was 3.1 times greater for more-disabled men, and 1.9 times greater for less-disabled men.

Looking at people with a medically diagnosed learning disability, the risk of death involving Covid was 3.7 times greater for both men and women compared with people who did not have a learning disability.

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Source: BBC News, 11 February 2021

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Covid: Depression rises in young and women during second peak

Women and younger adults were more likely to feel depressed during the second UK coronavirus peak than men and other age groups, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data suggests.

Four in 10 women aged between 16 and 29 were affected, compared to 26% of men. One in five adults experienced depression in early 2021 - more than double pre-pandemic levels.

But GPs in England diagnosed fewer cases of depression in adults in 2020 compared with the year before. Many people may not be seeking medical help, the ONS says.

Health experts have always warned that the combined effects of ill health, isolation and job losses during the pandemic would have a negative impact on people's mental health and wellbeing.

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Source: BBC News, 5 May 2021

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Covid: Confusion over gestational diabetes advice

Some pregnant women who have had gestational diabetes say a change to shielding advice in England has caused confusion. 

Some have been told to stay at home while others have not, based on a new algorithm which calculates an individual's risk from Covid. It identified an extra 1.7 million people as extremely clinically vulnerable in England this week. They will now be prioritised for a Covid vaccine.

NHS England says not everyone with the same condition will be advised to shield but suggests people contact their GP to discuss their individual case.

Heather Davis Mahoney, from Hertfordshire, had gestational diabetes while carrying her second child, and was monitored closely during her third pregnancy. She has not been told to shield, but says it's worrying when others from similar backgrounds have been told they should.

"There's been an explosion of confusion. People don't know what's going on and are worried about putting themselves and their babies at risk," she says.

But GP Dr David Triska said just because someone has gestational diabetes or had it in the past, doesn't mean they should be shielding. "I think the major point of confusion is that people are expecting that this is a binary 'yes' or 'no' per condition algorithm - and it is not," he said.

"The reason why people are getting different answers from various sources is because this is an individual risk assessment."

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Source: BBC News, 20 February 2021

 
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Covid: Care homes policies violated human rights, says Amnesty

Sending thousands of older untested patients into care homes in England at the start of the coronavirus lockdown was a violation of their human rights, Amnesty International has said.

A report says government decisions were "inexplicable" and "disastrous", affecting mental and physical health.

More than 18,000 people living in care homes died with COVID-19 and Amnesty says the public inquiry promised by the government must begin immediately.

According to Amnesty's report, a "number of poor decisions at both the national and local levels had serious negative consequences for the health and lives of older people in care homes and resulted in the infringement of their human rights" as enshrined in law.

Researchers for the organisation interviewed relatives of older people who either died in care homes or are currently living in one; care home owners and staff, and legal and medical professionals.

Amnesty said it received reports of residents being denied GP and hospital NHS services during the pandemic, "violating their right to health and potentially their right to life, as well as their right to non-discrimination".

It adds that care home managers reported to its researchers that they were "pressured in different ways" to accept patients discharged from hospital who had not been tested or had COVID-19.

Amnesty says the public inquiry into the pandemic should begin with an "interim phase". "The pandemic is not over," it added. "Lessons must be learned; remedial action must be taken without delay to ensure that mistakes are not repeated."

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Source: BBC News, 4 October 2020

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Covid: Care home visits advice impractical, say charities

The government is facing criticism over its guidance on safe visits to care homes in England.

Labour and a number of charities have described the suggestions, including floor-to-ceiling screens, designated visitor pods and window visits, as impractical. Alzheimer's Society has said it "completely misses the point".

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the guidance was "non-exhaustive".

The updated government advice, which came into effect on Thursday, says care homes - especially those which have not allowed visits since March - "will be encouraged and supported to provide safe visiting opportunities".

Labour's shadow care minister Liz Kendall said many care homes would not be able to comply with the government's requirements which meant "in reality thousands of families are likely to be banned from visiting their loved ones".

She said instead of suggesting measures such as screens, the government should "designate a single family member as a key worker - making them a priority for weekly testing and proper PPE".

Kate Lee, chief executive at Alzheimer's Society, said: "We're devastated by today's new care home visitor guidance - it completely misses the point: this attempt to protect people will kill them."

She said the pandemic had left people with dementia isolated and thousands had died. The guidelines "completely ignore the vital role of family carers in providing the care for their loved ones with dementia that no one else can", she added.

She said the "prison-style screens" proposed by the government with people speaking through phones were "frankly ridiculous when you consider someone with advanced dementia can often be bed-bound and struggling to speak".

That view was echoed by Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, who said she was "acutely aware" that the methods being sanctioned were "unlikely to be useable by many older people with dementia, or indeed sensory loss".

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Source: BBC News, 5 November 2020

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Covid: Care home staff without PPE at start of pandemic - MPs

Care home staff were without personal protective equipment (PPE) early in the pandemic because the government prioritised the NHS, MPs have said.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee said care homes received only a fraction of the PPE needed compared with the health service.

It said social care "was only taken seriously after the high mortality rate in care homes became apparent".

The government said it worked "tirelessly" to provide PPE.

The report from the Public Accounts Committee said many healthcare workers were put in an "appalling situation" where they had to care for people with Covid-19 or suspected Covid-19 "without sufficient PPE to protect themselves from infection". It said the social care sector did not receive "anywhere near enough" to meet its needs.

Health and social care staff suffered PPE shortages, it said, with some forced to reuse single-use items as stocks ran "perilously low".

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Source: BBC News, 10 February 2021

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Covid: Cancer delays 'could cause 2,000 deaths in Wales'

As many as 2,000 people could die because of Covid-related delays in the Welsh NHS, a cancer expert has said. With virus cases rising, Prof Tom Crosby, of the Wales Cancer Network, fears cancer cases missed in the first lockdown may now be harder to treat.

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said it would be "foolish" to have a plan for backlogs before the pandemic is over. But he said work was under way to address the issue with health boards.

Alongside the spread of the virus, medical professionals are very worried about deaths that could occur not because of Covid, but due to the backlog of appointments and surgery it is causing.

BBC Wales Investigates has been uncovering the full extent of the looming problem facing the NHS. 

Delays caused by the pandemic are a serious concern to Prof Crosby, who is medical director at the Wales Cancer Network. He said when the pandemic first hit, acute COVID-19 cases became the focus in hospitals at the expense of cancer, cardiac and orthopaedic appointments.

"Some of the conversations we've had with patients in the clinic have been really, really challenging," he said.

"Then there are thousands of patients who have not come through to the system that usually would have. Some of those are going to have had cancer, and they will not have been diagnosed now."

Prof Crosby has been looking at possible outcomes for cancer patients because of delays in diagnosis and treatment.

"We have done some modelling work with England, and it has suggested that between 200 and 2,000 excess deaths will occur as a result of undiagnosed or untreated cancer in Wales," he said.

"I think the effects on cancer services are going to be here for two to three years."

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Source: BBC News, 9 November 2020

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Covid: Burn-out fears of 'exhausted' unpaid carers

Many unpaid carers looking after vulnerable friends or relatives during the coronavirus crisis say they are worried about how they will cope this winter.

Almost 6,000 unpaid carers completed a Carers UK online questionnaire. Eight in 10 said they had been doing more, with fewer breaks, since the pandemic began - and three-quarters said they were exhausted.

The government said it recognised the "vital role" of unpaid carers.

In the Carers UK survey, 58% of carers said they had seen their physical health affected by caring through the pandemic, while 64% said their mental health had worsened.

People also said day centres and reductions in other services meant the help they once got had reduced or disappeared, leaving many feeling worn out and isolated. Carers UK wants such services up and running again as a matter of urgency.

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: "The majority of carers have only known worry and exhaustion throughout this pandemic.

"They continue to provide extraordinary hours of care, without the usual help from family and friends, and with limited or no support from local services."

"It's no surprise that carers' physical and mental health is suffering, badly. I am deeply concerned that so many carers are on the brink and desperately worried about how they will manage during the next wave of the pandemic."

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Source: BBC News, 20 October 2020

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Covid: Brain fog more common two years on, study suggests

Two years after having Covid-19, diagnoses of brain fog, dementia and epilepsy are more common than after other respiratory infections, a study by the University of Oxford suggests.

But anxiety and depression are no more likely in adults or children two years on, the research found.

More research is needed to understand how and why Covid could lead to other conditions.

This study looked at the risks of 14 different disorders in 1.25 million patients two years on from Covid, mostly in the US. It then compared them with a closely-matched group of 1.25 million people who had a different respiratory infection.

In the group who had Covid, after two years, there were more new cases of:

  • dementia, stroke and brain fog in adults aged over 65
  • brain fog in adults aged 18-64
  • epilepsy and psychotic disorders in children, although the overall risks were small.

Some disorders became less common two years after Covid, including:

  • anxiety and depression in children and adults
  • psychotic disorders in adults.

The increased risk of depression and anxiety in adults lasts less than two months before returning to normal levels, the research found.

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Source BBC News, 18 August 2022

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Covid: Boris Johnson WhatsApp messages requested by inquiry

The Covid public inquiry has asked to see Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages during his time as prime minister as part of its probe into decision-making.

Counsel for the inquiry, Hugo Keith KC, said the messages had been requested alongside thousands of other documents.

He said a major focus of this part of the inquiry was understanding how the "momentous" decisions to impose lockdowns and restrictions were taken.

The revelations came as he set out the details of how this module will work. The inquiry is being broken down into different sections - or modules as they are being called.

The preliminary hearing for module one, looking at how well prepared the UK was, took place last month.

Monday marked the start of the preliminary hearing for module two, which is looking at the political decision-making.

Mr Keith said this allowed the inquiry to take a "targeted approach". He said it would look at whether lives could have been saved by introducing an earlier lockdown at the start of 2020.

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Source: BBC News, 31 October 2022

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Covid: Asthma drug 'speeds up recovery at home'

A cheap drug, commonly used to treat asthma, can help people at home recover more quickly from COVID-19, a UK trial has found.

Two puffs of budesonide twice a day could benefit many over-50s with early symptoms around the world, said the University of Oxford research team. There are also early signs the drug could reduce hospital admissions.

The NHS says it can now be prescribed by GPs to treat Covid on a case-by-case basis from today.

At present, there are few options for treating people with Covid who are not in hospital, apart from paracetamol.

This widely-available asthma drug works in the lungs, where coronavirus can do serious damage, and could improve the recovery of at-risk patients who are unwell with Covid at home.

Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said he was "delighted" by the trial results so far and he said GPs could prescribe it after "a shared decision conversation" with patients.

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Source: BBC News, 12 April 2021

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Covid: Antibodies 'fall rapidly after infection'

Levels of protective antibodies in people wane "quite rapidly" after coronavirus infection, say researchers.

Antibodies are a key part of our immune defences and stop the virus from getting inside the body's cells. The Imperial College London team found the number of people testing positive for antibodies has fallen by 26% between June and September.

They say immunity appears to be fading and there is a risk of catching the virus multiple times.

More than 350,000 people in England have taken an antibody test as part of the REACT-2 study so far. 

In the first round of testing, at the end of June and the beginning of July, about 60 in 1,000 people had detectable antibodies. But in the latest set of tests, in September, only 44 per 1,000 people were positive.

"Immunity is waning quite rapidly, we're only three months after our first [round of tests] and we're already showing a 26% decline in antibodies," said Prof Helen Ward, one of the researchers.

The fall was greater in those over 65, compared with younger age groups, and in those without symptoms compared with those with full-blown COVID-19. The number of healthcare workers with antibodies remained relatively high, which the researchers suggest may be due to regular exposure to the virus.

There have been very few confirmed cases of people getting Covid twice. However, the researchers warn this may be due to immunity only just starting to fade since the peak infection rates of March and April.

The hope is the second infection will be milder than the first, even if immunity does decline, as the body should have an "immune memory" of the first encounter and know how to fight back.

The researchers say their findings do not scupper hopes of a vaccine, which may prove more effective than a real infection.

One of the researchers, Prof Graham Cooke, said: "The big picture is after the first wave, the great majority of the country didn't have evidence of protective immunity. The need for a vaccine is still very large, the data doesn't change that."

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Source: BBC News, 27 October 2020

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Covid: Adults with learning disabilities 'miss out'

People with learning disabilities have been "at the back of the queue" during the coronavirus pandemic, a panel of MPs has been told.

Those living in supported accommodation were left waiting weeks for guidance on testing and visits.

MPs were also told long-term social factors were likely to be more important than biology when it came to ethnic divides in the virus's impact.

The panel focused on what lessons could be learned.

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Source: BBC News, 1 December 2020

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Covid: 16,000 coronavirus cases missed in daily figures after IT error

A technical glitch that meant nearly 16,000 cases of coronavirus went unreported has delayed efforts to trace contacts of people who tested positive.

Public Health England (PHE) said 15,841 cases between 25 September and 2 October were left out of the UK daily case figures. They were then added in to reach Saturday's figure of 12,872 new cases and Sunday's 22,961 figure.

PHE said all those who tested positive had been informed. But it means others in close contact with them were not.

The issue has been resolved, PHE said, with outstanding cases passed on to tracers by 01:00 BST on Saturday.

The technical issue also means that the daily case totals reported on the government's coronavirus dashboard over the past week have been lower than the true number.

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Source: BBC News, 5 October 2020

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Covid: 12-week vaccine gap defended by UK medical chiefs

The UK's chief medical officers have defended the Covid vaccination plan, after criticism from a doctors' union.

The UK will give both parts of the Oxford and Pfizer vaccines 12 weeks apart, having initially planned to leave 21 days between the Pfizer jabs.

The British Medical Association said cancelling patients booked in for their second doses was "grossly unfair".

But the chief medical officers said getting more people vaccinated with the first jab "is much more preferable".

Pfizer has said it has tested the vaccine's efficacy only when the two vaccines were given up to 21 days apart.

But the chief medical officers said the "great majority" of initial protection came from the first jab.

"The second vaccine dose is likely to be very important for duration of protection, and at an appropriate dose interval may further increase vaccine efficacy," they said.

"In the short term, the additional increase of vaccine efficacy from the second dose is likely to be modest; the great majority of the initial protection from clinical disease is after the first dose of vaccine."

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Source: BBC News, 1 January 2021

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Covid: ‘Harrowing’ rise in child deaths since coronavirus lockdowns

There has been a "harrowing" rise in child deaths and serious cases of harm linked to to abuse or neglect of children since the first Covid lockdown, according to reports from the Local Government Association (LGA).

Data has revealed there were 536 serious incident notifications in England between April 2020 and March 2021, with LGA saying it was a "huge cause for concern" and it is extremely concerned about children’s safety.

Councillor Anntoinette Bramble, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, has said, "The pandemic has put extra pressure on families, particularly those living in difficult circumstances, which can fuel harmful acts of abuse or neglect on children. Councils have been working hard with their partners to identify this and provide the help children need, but it is vital that children’s social care services are funded to meet this need.”

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Source: The Independent, 21 August 2021

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Covid: 'Sharp drop' in heart-attack hospital admissions

There has been a sharp drop in the number of patients admitted to hospitals in England with heart attacks or heart failure in recent months, research reveals.

Experts are worried that people who need urgent medical help are not seeking it. This was also the case during the first wave of the pandemic.

The researchers included 66 hospitals in the study and compared daily admission rates in the year before the pandemic with those during the first and second waves in England, up to 17 November.

During the first lockdown, daily admissions for heart attacks or heart failure decreased by more than 50%. They went up again in the summer, as coronavirus rates decreased in the UK and the NHS became less busy with the virus.

From October, when coronavirus cases were rising again, heart admissions began to drop - by between 35% and 41% compared with pre-pandemic data, according to the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researcher Prof Chris Gale, from Leeds University, said: "Medical emergencies do not stop in a pandemic. I am afraid that we are seeing a re-run of one of the preventable tragedies of the first wave - people were either too afraid to go to hospital for fear of contracting COVIDd-19 or were not referred for treatment."

"The message to patients needs to be clear. If they experience symptoms of a heart attack or acute heart failure, they need to attend hospital."

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Source: BBC News, 20 January 2021

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Covid-stricken city calls in Babylon to ‘relieve pressure’

Royal Wolverhampton Trust (RWT) has become the first provider to sign a deal with Babylon Health for citywide coverage of a new COVID-19 app, HSJ has learned.

Digital health provider Babylon announced earlier this month the creation of a “covid-19 care assistant” app, which provides patients with digital triage, a live chat service, a symptom tracker and video consultation.

RWT’s deal covers around 300,000 patients registered to a Wolverhampton GP, and all trust staff regardless of where they live. Earlier this year, RWT announced a 10-year deal with Babylon to develop a “digital-first integrated care” model.

The new COVID-19 app will be made available to staff today and will then be rolled out to the general public next week.

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Source: HSJ, 3 April 2020

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Covid-safe mask for ENT procedures offered to NHS for free

A protective device against coronavirus for at-risk doctors is to be provided free to the NHS.

The SNAP device for ear, nose and throat surgeons was created after Burton-upon-Trent consultant Amged El-Hawrani died with COVID-19 in March. He was one of the UK's first senior medics to die with the virus, his death showing that they were at serious risk.

The device clips over patients' masks to prevent the virus spreading through coughs and sneezes. It was developed by surgeons Ajith George and Chris Coulson, with the help of Aston University, who said nasendoscopy procedures - where a small flexible tube fitted with a camera is inserted into the nose - often made patients cough, splutter and sneeze.

It works by clipping on to either side of a normal surgical face mask, creating a hole for an endoscope to be inserted while keeping the patient's nose and mouth completely covered. When it is removed, a one-way valve closes the hole so no virus can escape.

"We were concerned about the safety of doctors but also about the risk of missed diagnoses and opportunities for treatment of patients," Mr Coulson, an ENT surgeon working at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said.

"Our aim has been to produce an easy-to-use, cheap device that would allow clinicians to return to routine practice."

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Source: BBC News, 16 September 2020

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Covid-positive hospital patients rise a quarter in one week

The number of patients in English hospitals who have tested positive for Covid has increased 28% in a week, the steepest rise since mid-March

The third Covid wave of 2022 has now seen Covid occupation levels rise from 3,835 on 4 June to 6,401 yesterday.

The sharpest rise in the number of Covid positive patients came in the North West region, where the total rose by 43% in a week.

There are now over 1,000 Covid positive hospital patients in the North West, North East and Yorkshire, Midlands and London regions for the first time since 11 May.

Some 38% of Covid hospital patients are being treated primarily for the condition.

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Source: HSJ, 24 June 2022

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Covid-positive care home staff work amid shortage

A care home owner has said she was "forced" to ask two staff with Covid-19 to work because of a staff shortage.

The Caledonia home in Holyhead, Anglesey, said 11 of its 12 residents had Covid and the two staff only cared for residents who were also positive.

Ann Bedford said Anglesey council and an agency had both been unable to provide emergency cover for staff who were sick or isolating. After speaking to social services, it was agreed the staff could work.

"I have never known a situation as bad as we faced over the last weekend. As a matter of course we have contingency plans in place to cope in emergencies but even these buckled under the strain," she said.

"My heart sinks when I think about the weeks and months ahead. We felt abandoned and alone. I called on social services for help but they were facing their own emergencies."

"The shortage of carers on Anglesey is at dangerous levels and is being intensified by the pandemic."

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Source: BBC News, 8 September 2021

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Covid-positive care home plan failing to relieve pressure on crowded hospitals

Trusts in more than half English local authorities still do not have an agreed safe place to discharge recovering covid patients to, despite the government asking councils to identify at least one such ‘designated setting’ by the end of October.

The situation is leading to an increase in delayed discharges from hospital just as the service comes under increased pressure from the second covid wave and returning elective and emergency demand. 

In a letter last month, the government told local authorities to identify at least one “designated setting” – typically a care home – which hospitals could discharge covid positive patients to when they no longer need secondary care. The designated setting would also take discharged patients who had not received a negative covid test.

The plan is designed to protect residents in other homes, after thousands of care home residents died due to outbreaks of the virus in the spring.

But a well-placed source in the care sector told HSJ less than half of the 151 upper tier councils met the 31 October deadline, due to a range of reasons including insurance costs, fear of high mortality rates and reputational damage to the designated homes.

It means that in many parts of the country, there are a lack of options when it comes to discharging patients, which is causing a rise in delayed discharges.

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Source: HSJ, 5 November 2020

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COVID-19: Working in medicine is “pretty awful” right now, says college president

The second wave of COVID-19 has put doctors under huge pressure, the Royal College of Physicians has warned, as two thirds of physicians report feeling tired or exhausted.

A survey of 25 500 members of the college from across the UK, conducted on 2 November, received 1890 responses. It found that two thirds (64%, 931) felt tired or exhausted, 48% (687) felt worried, and just under a third (29%, 424) felt demoralised. Almost a fifth (19%, 280) said they have sought informal mental health support, such as speaking to colleagues or friends, during the pandemic. Just 10% (155) said they had sought formal mental health support from either their employer, GP, or external services.

College president Andrew Goddard said he was concerned about the mental health of doctors, “There is no way to dress it up—it is pretty awful at the moment in the world of medicine. Hospital admissions are at the highest ever level, staff are exhausted, and although there is light at the end of the tunnel, it seems a long way away.”

He said that before the pandemic, few physicians would have expected to need formal mental health support during their career.

After the pandemic, staff will be in desperate need of a break, Goddard said, and will need specific time away if they’re to be at their best. “Doctors have demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the pandemic, working under the most challenging conditions the NHS has ever faced, but they can’t continue working this way forever,” he said.

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Source: The BMJ, 21 January 2021

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Covid-19: Women forced to give birth alone caused 'widespread distress and anxiety'

Women forced to give birth alone have said 'the system has completely failed' them.

A new report by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service found the Covid rules requiring pregnant women to attend scans and give birth alone has caused widespread distress and anxiety. 

The research also revealed many women having to attend their appointments online felt it did not meet their requirements at all. 

The Royal College of Psychiatrists, who released the findings, have said due to a lack of support and resources, the mental health of pregnant women and new mothers is at risk. 

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Source: The Independent, 01 July 2021

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COVID-19: Woman whose father died in care home launches legal review over government’s “litany of failures”

A woman whose father died in a care home has launched a judicial review case in the High Court over the government’s “litany of failures” in protecting the vulnerable elderly residents who were most at risk from COVID-19.

Cathy Gardner accuses England’s health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, NHS England, and Public Health England of acting unlawfully in breaching statutory duties to safeguard health and obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to life.

Her father, Michael Gibson, who had Alzheimer’s disease, died aged 88 of probable COVID-19 related causes on 3 April at Cherwood House Care Centre, near Bicester, Oxfordshire. She claims that before his death the care home had been pressured into taking a hospital patient who had tested positive for the virus but had not had a raised temperature for about 72 hours.

“I am appalled that Matt Hancock can give the impression that the government has sought to cast a protective ring over elderly residents of care homes, and right from the start,” Gardner said. “The truth is that there has been at best a casual approach to protecting the residents of care homes. At worst the government has adopted a policy that has caused the death of the most vulnerable in our society.”

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Source: BMJ, 15 June 2020

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