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Covid care home restrictions in Scotland caused harm, says report

Severe restrictions imposed on care home residents in Scotland during the Covid pandemic caused "harm and distress" and may have contributed to some deaths, academics have said.

A 143-page report has been produced by Edinburgh Napier University. It had been commissioned by the independent inquiry into the country's handling of the pandemic.

The report says that the legal basis for confining residents to their rooms and banning visitors was "unclear".

And it said care home residents were arguably discriminated against compared to other citizens.

The report is 1 of 14 that have been published by the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry, which is chaired by Lady Poole.

It found that in the early months of the pandemic there was "little evidence" that the human rights of residents and their families had been considered.

It said: "There is substantial evidence of the harm and distress caused to residents and their families by the restrictions imposed in care homes.

"This includes concerns that, particularly for people with dementia, being unable to maintain contact with their family exacerbated cognitive and emotional decline, potentially hastening their death."

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Source: BBC News, 16 June 2022

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Covid can cause ongoing damage to heart, lungs and kidneys, study finds

Damage to the body’s organs including the lungs and kidneys is common in people who were admitted to hospital with Covid, with one in eight found to have heart inflammation, researchers have revealed.

As the pandemic evolved, it became clear that some people who had Covid were being left with ongoing symptoms – a condition that has been called Long Covid.

Previous studies have revealed that fewer than a third of patients who have ongoing Covid symptoms after being hospitalised with the disease feel fully recovered a year later, while some experts have warned Long Covid could result in a generation affected by disability.

Now researchers tracking the progress of patients who were treated in hospital for Covid say they have found evidence the disease can take a toll on a range of organs.

What’s more, they say the severity of ongoing symptoms appears to be linked to the severity of the Covid infection itself.

“Even fit, healthy individuals can suffer severe Covid-19 illness and to avoid this, members of the public should take up the offer of vaccination,” said Prof Colin Berry, of the University of Glasgow, which led the CISCO-19 (Cardiac imaging in Sars coronavirus disease-19) study.

“Our study provides objective evidence of abnormalities at one to two months post-Covid and these findings tie in with persisting symptoms at that time and the likelihood of ongoing health needs one year later,” Berry added.

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Source: The Guardian, 23 May 2022

 

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Covid booster jabs offered at NHS walk-in clinics in England

Covid booster jabs are now being given at walk-in clinics in England as the NHS aims to increase vaccine uptake before what is expected to be a challenging winter.

From Monday, anyone in an eligible group who had their second dose of a coronavirus vaccine at least six months ago can turn up at one of hundreds of sites to get their top-up without making an appointment. The walk-in centres are also offering vaccinations to 12- to 15-year-olds.

The move follows criticism of the booster campaign, with only about half of the 12 million people in England eligible so far for a third vaccine dose having received one. The vaccine rollout to teenagers has lagged behind that of countries including France, Italy and Spain.

People entitled to a booster jab are: those aged 50 and over, people who live and work in care homes; frontline health and social care workers; people aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19; those aged 16 and over who are a main carer for someone at high risk from the virus, and; people aged 16 and over who live with someone who is more likely to get infections.

Nikki Kanani, a GP and the deputy lead for the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme, said: “NHS staff are making it as easy as possible for people to get their top-up vaccination, and from today people can now go online, find their nearest site and go and get their booster without delay.

“The booster is not just nice to have. It is really important protection ahead of what we know will be a challenging winter.”

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Source: The Guardian, 1 November 2021

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Covid ban on care home visitors risks premature deaths, experts warn

Sweeping bans on visiting at thousands of care homes risk residents dying prematurely this winter as they give up hope in the absence of loved ones, experts in elderly care have warned.

More than 2,700 care homes in England are either already shut or will be told to do so imminently by local public health officials, according to a Guardian analysis of new government rules announced to protect the most vulnerable from COVID-19.

Care groups are calling for the government to make limited visiting possible, including by designating selected family members as key workers.

Since Friday any care homes in local authority areas named by Public Health England for wider anti-Covid interventions must immediately move to stop visiting, except in exceptional circumstances such as end of life. It also halts visits to windows and gardens and follows seven months of restrictions in many care homes that closed their doors to routine visits in March.

The blanket bans will result in the “raw reality of residents going downhill fast, giving up hope and ultimately dying sooner than would otherwise be the case”, warned the charity Age UK and the National Care Forum (NCF), which represents charitable care providers.

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Source: The Guardian, 23 September 2020

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Covid antibodies 'last at least six months'

Coronavirus antibodies last at least six months and offer protection against a second infection, a study of healthcare workers suggests.

Staff at Oxford University Hospitals were regularly tested both for COVID-19 infections and for antibodies revealing a past infection.

The more antibodies people had, the lower their chances of re-infection.

A separate study found pre-existing immunity from other coronaviruses also protected against Covid.

Infection consultant Dr Katie Jeffery described the Oxford findings as "encouraging news" ahead of forthcoming Covid vaccines.

They indicated that having the virus once "provides at least short-term protection" from getting it again, she said.

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Source: BBC News, 21 November 2020

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Covid aftercare piles pressure on ‘understaffed’ community services

The aftercare of COVID-19 patients will have significant financial implications for ‘understaffed’ community services, NHS England has been warned.

This month the national commissioner released guidance for the care of patients once they have recovered from an immediate covid infection and been discharged from hospital.

It said community health services will need to provide “ongoing health support that rehabilitates [covid patients] both physically and mentally”. The document said this would result in increased demand for home oxygen services, pulmonary rehabilitation, diagnostics and for many therapies such as speech and language, occupational, physio, dieticians and mental health support.

One GP heavily involved in community rehab told HSJ: “There is a lot detailed information about what people might experience in recovery, but it doesn’t say what should actually happen.

“We have seen people discharged from hospital that don’t know anything about their follow-up and the community [health sector] hasn’t got any instructions of what they should be doing or what services have even reopened. This guidance needs to go a step further and rapidly say what is expected so local commissioners can put that in place.”

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Source: HSJ, 10 June 2020

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Covid admissions underestimated by a third

Newly released documents have revealed Sage modelling from two weeks ago has underestimated hospital admissions by more than a third.

Estimations were made by government modelling, predicting there would be about 275 daily hospital cases in England by 6 July, however, on 7 July figures have shown it was around 461.

Dr Stephen Griffin, from the University of Leeds has said "“While we can’t say for sure that hospitalisations might follow this precise trajectory, it seems likely that they will track the exponential growth in cases we are seeing. Thus, as many are predicting, the dropping of restrictions on July 19 represents an unacceptable and unnecessary risk,”. 

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Source: The Times, 10 July 2021

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Cover-ups and lies in maternity care keep happening, says Donna Ockenden

A week after Donna Ockenden published her damning report on the catastrophic failures in maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in March last year, she was contacted by families in Nottingham asking her to investigate how dozens of babies had died or been injured in their city hospitals.

Six months later, Ockenden — herself a senior midwife — was put in charge of another inquiry by the government and yet again she is finding a culture of cover-ups and lies in maternity care.

“Of the families that I have met in Nottingham to date, some of them have expressed concerns to me that the trust were not truthful in discussions around their cases,” she tells the Times Health Commission.

“We have all the systems and structures in place that should be able to spot maternity services in difficulty and here we are again. Families are having to fight to get answers.”

The woman who has done more than anyone to highlight the problems with maternity care is reluctant to use the word “crisis” but she warns: “I think that without urgent and rapid action, from central government downwards — on funding and workforce and training — mothers and their babies are not going to be able to receive the safe, personalised maternity care that they deserve and should expect".

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Source: The Times, 21 April 2023

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County Durham and Darlington improves patient safety with AI

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has created and implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) model to protect patients from acute kidney injury (AKI).

The trust’s AI-driven model helps healthcare staff to identify patients who are at risk from AKI and to swiftly respond with treatment. The technology uses risk stratification digital tools that staff are able to access through an app. These are combined with care processes developed at the trust and which involve a new specialist nurse team, preventive specialist intervention, assessment and follow-up.

Its implementation at County Durham and Darlington has led to a reduction in both hospital-acquired and community AKI. Overall, the incidence of AKI within the trust fell from 6.5% between March and May 2020, to 3.8% during the same period in 2021. The most significant reduction was seen in hospital-acquired AKI – which fell by more than 80%.

Jeremy Cundall, medical director for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and executive lead for the project, said: “The partnership has resulted in patients being detected earlier – preventing AKI from occurring or mitigating the worsening of existing AKI. Accordingly, patients have been more effectively triaged to the right pathways of care including referral and transfer to tertiary renal units where appropriate.”

Claire Stocks, early detection, resuscitation and mortality lead nurse for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This work has been a project very much about using collaborative partnerships to enhance patient safety and quality. An idea that was developed in a ‘cupboard conversation’ is now a fully operational specialist nurse service. Utilising digital innovations supports rapid triage, early detection and treatment to improve outcomes.”

In addition to the improvements in patient safety, the technology has delivered cost savings for the trust too. County Durham and Darlington saved more than £2million in direct costs from reductions in AKI incidence. The improved transfer of patients has also released ICU capacity, vital at a time when the NHS is dealing with a growing national backlog for elective surgery.

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Source: Digital Health, 27 July 2022

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Councils and trusts to help failing GP practices under ‘neighbourhood’ plan

Nominated “integrator” organisations – which could be NHS provider trusts or councils – will help GP practices “at risk of failure”, under new plans for London’s neighbourhood health service.

Proposals were published this week by the capital’s five integrated care boards, NHS England’s London region, local councils, the Greater London Authority, London Health and Care Partnership, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, with support from the Londonwide Local Medical Committees. The work was carried out jointly with the PPL consultancy.

Their plans say that “place partnership” teams – subdivisions of the ICBs, normally matching boroughs – will have to decide “footprints of neighbourhoods”, based on local information and data, such as mapping of capacity, demand, local assets and needs.

Many existing primary care networks (which are partnerships of GP practices) are likely to have to “re-align”, it indicates, as neighbourhood team “boundaries [will] not automatically be defined by existing PCN footprints, except where these boundaries align with recognisable neighbourhoods”. Some PCNs that don’t match may agree ways to work across several smaller integrated neighbourhood teams (INTs).

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Source: HSJ, 14 May 2025

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Councillors call for NHS trust bosses to resign over maternity scandal

Senior managers at an NHS trust are facing calls to resign from local councillors after criticism of the trust’s culture and widespread bullying.

The chair of Nottinghamshire County Council's health scrutiny panel has called for the chair of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust Eric Morton to step down along with Keith Girling, the trust’s medical director.

Councillor Sue Saddington, chair of the council’s scrutiny committee, said she would be writing to health secretary Sajid Javid over concerns about leadership at the trust.

An investigation by The Independent and Channel 4 News earlier this year uncovered dozens of cases of negligent baby deaths and injuries costing millions of pounds in compensation. Families have accused the trust of trying to cover-up mistakes and not learning from errors.

More than 30 babies have died at the trust in the past decade with 46 children left with brain damage.

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Source: The Independent, 13 October 2021

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Council-run children's social care in urgent need of investment and reform.

An independent review has found that children's services are not providing enough early support and are too focused on investigating families in crisis. 

The system was found to be under significant strain with the review suggesting that under the current system, it was not sustainable long-term. 

For those families in crisis who ask for help, it was reported that the process to apply for support caused more added stress and strain. At present, the service is failing young people and families in need of help and support. 

The review is to be published in Spring 2022 along with any suggestions for change. 

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Source, BBC News, 17 June 2021

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Council warned over broken alarm after woman dies

An assistant coroner has warned an east London council more people may die if it does not take action, after a "frail lady who was prone to falls" died of hypothermia at her home.

Anoush Summers, 77, died in hospital in January after a fall days earlier.

In a prevention of future deaths report, external, assistant coroner Edwin Buckett said Ms Summers' inquest concluded "the absence of a working wrist alarm prevented her from being found sooner than she was and probably contributed to her death".

Ms Summers lived alone but received help from two carers from Supreme Care Services, and she was visited twice a day.

After falling at home on 11 January, she was found the next day at 09:00 GMT wearing her wrist alarm and was taken to hospital.

She died of hypothermia at Homerton University Hospital on 14 January.

The assistant coroner said among issues he identified in her case "giving rise to concern" were:

  • Her wrist alarm had been reported as broken and not working on 6 January, but "this was not replaced or repaired by the company engaged by the local authority", which meant Ms Summers could not call for help as "it did not work"
  • None of the carers who attended her home after the wrist alarm broke on 6 January "ensured that steps were taken to replace the alarm" or reported the matter to the local authority
  • The last carer to see her, who visited on 11 January, "was not aware that the wrist alarm did not work as she had not read the care notes", and "no clear instruction was given" about the extent to which carers should read these notes

"None of the carers had been given any training, instruction or guidance on the testing of wrist alarms to ensure they worked properly when attending"

There was not a "clear system identified between the company providing carers and the local authority as to the duties and responsibilities of each in the reporting of faults with wrist alarms"

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Source: BBC News, 26 June 2024

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Council to vaccinate child in care after court win

A council has won a High Court battle to vaccinate a baby against her mother's wishes.

Islington Council faced a legal challenge by one of its residents after it arranged for her eight-month-old daughter to receive routine vaccinations while the child was in its care.

The mother, known only as Ms S, had refused the vaccinations out of her belief there was a link between the jabs and autism – a claim science does not support.

At the High Court, Mr Justice McDonald decided that not vaccinating the girl would leave her at risk of childhood disease "at a very young age when she remains vulnerable," and ruled in favour of the local authority.

The baby, known only as P, has been under the north London council's guardianship since February due to concerns that her mother could not meet her or her older siblings' basic care needs.

In July, the council proposed the infant stay with her mother at the family home while under its supervision, until it was decided whether or not she would permanently be taken out of her mother's care.

During this time the mother refused to have her daughter vaccinated.

After the council moved ahead with the appointment out of concern for the child's welfare, Ms S took the local authority to the High Court to try to stop it.

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Source: BBC News, 5 November 2025

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Council providing three-minute care visits to vulnerable, finds ombudsman

Care workers are taking as little as three minutes to help vulnerable people in their own homes, the social care ombudsman has found, after discovering a council was allocating extremely short visits to hundreds of people.

Amid chronic staff shortages and rising unmet care needs nationwide, a homecare worker commissioned by Warrington borough council sometimes stayed for just three minutes, despite the family paying for the full visit. The council was found to have allocated 15-minute care calls to more than 300 people in the region, despite national guidance stressing these were “not usually appropriate”.

The Homecare Association, which represents care providers, said the number of short calls being commissioned was increasing more widely and said “15-minute visits are inappropriately short”, result in inadequate care and are stressful for workers placed under “unfair pressure”.

The case that triggered the investigation involved a woman with dementia who was paying the full costs of her care under a plan devised by the council. In 15 minutes two agency care workers were expected to wake her, prepare a meal and a drink, ensure she ate and drank, administer her medication, change her incontinence pad, administer any personal care and tidy the kitchen. Electronic monitoring showed they regularly stayed less than 15 minutes and the ombudsman said it was probable her care needs were not met and her care was not dignified.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 January 2023

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Could this be the start of wholesale change in how the NHS and social care operate?

The health service has been promised “whatever it needs” to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, but government spending choices reveal possible long-term changes to funding and policy. 

Having initially promised the health service “whatever it needs, whatever it costs” on 11th March, the government made this official when Matt Hancock issued a ministerial direction allowing the Department of Health to “spend in excess of formal Departmental Expenditure Limits”—effectively providing a blank cheque.

But while the government’s actions are designed for the immediate crisis, they may be difficult to reverse once the peak of coronavirus has passed. Indeed, they could yet change how the health service operates on a permanent basis.

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Source: Prospect, 7 April 2020

 

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Could the Covid vaccine be taken as a pill?

Researchers are looking at ways the Covid-19 vaccine could become a pill or inhaler instead of an injection. 

In the hope of fighting against the coronavirus pandemic, a team in Sweden are hoping to create a new, powdered version of the vaccine which can be taken at home instead.

ISR's founder, Ola Winquist, a professor of immunology at the Karolinska Institute has said, "The game-changer is that you could distribute the [powder] vaccine extremely easily without the cold chain, and it can be administered without the need for healthcare providers".

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Source: BBC News, 26 July 2021

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Cough syrups could be made prescription-only over addiction fears

Concerns codeine-based cough syrup could be addictive and have serious health consequences have led the UK medicines safety regulator to consider stopping its sale over the counter.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is asking the public for their views on changing codeine linctus - which is a syrup with the active ingredient codeine phosphate and is used to treat a dry cough - to a prescription-only medicine.

This comes in the wake of multiple reports to the regulator that the medicine is instead being used recreationally for its opioid effects. Since 2018, the MHRA has received 116 reports of recreational drug abuse of, dependence on, and/or withdrawal from codeine medicines, including codeine linctus.

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said this can have a severe impact on people’s health. She said: “Codeine linctus is an effective medicine, but as it is an opioid, its misuse and abuse can have major health consequences.”

Pharmacists are also “significantly” concerned, especially about the overdose risk.

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Source: The Independent, 18 July 2023

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Cough syrup banned in Indonesia after spate of child deaths

Indonesia has temporarily banned all syrup-based and liquid cough medicines after the death of nearly 100 children from acute kidney failure since the start of this year.

Most of those affected are said to be below the age of six.

Muhammad Syahril Mansyur, the country’s health ministry spokesman, said: “Until today, we have received 206 reported cases from 20 provinces with 99 deaths.”

He added: “As a precaution, the ministry has asked all health workers in health facilities not to prescribe liquid medicine or syrup temporarily … we also asked drug stores to temporarily stop non-prescription liquid medicine or syrup sales until the investigation is completed.”

The ban, announced by the health ministry on Wednesday, applies to prescription and over-the-counter medicines. It comes after nearly 70 children died of acute kidney failure this year in the Gambia, linked to four brands of paracetamol cough syrup manufactured by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals.

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Source: The Times, 20 October 2022

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Cough medicines containing pholcodine withdrawn over safety fears

Certain cough medicines sold behind the counter at pharmacies are being withdrawn over safety concerns.

Health experts say there is a very rare chance that some people could experience an allergic reaction linked to an ingredient called pholcodine.

People should check the packaging of any cough tablets or syrups they have at home to see if pholcodine is listed among the ingredients. If it is, talk to your pharmacist about taking a different medicine.

Products containing pholcodine do not need a prescription, but cannot be bought without consultation with the pharmacist as they are kept behind the counter.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) described removing the products from sale as a precautionary measure.

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Source: BBC News. 15 March 2023

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Cost of private psychology soars in UK as practitioners turn away clients

The cost of seeing private psychologists is soaring and many are so busy they are turning away new clients, research has found.

The prices psychologists charge have risen by 34% since 2022 and 12 sessions now cost an average of £1,550, compared with £1,152 just three years ago, according to a survey by myTribe Insurance, which tracks the cost of private medical care.

Almost three in 10 (29%) psychologists are already treating so many patients that they are not taking on new ones, according to a survey of practitioners across the UK.

The sometimes months-long delays people face in their efforts to access NHS mental healthcare and the record number of people seeking help, usually for anxiety or depression, appear to underlie the double-whammy facing patients of fee uplifts and closed waiting lists.

Chris Steele, the founder of myTribe Insurance, said: “What we’ve seen over the last three years is a market that has become significantly more expensive for patients. A 34% rise in consultation fees is not just a statistic. It shows how private talking therapies are moving further out of reach for many people who need them.”

While many people are seeking help from a psychologist in private practice, the survey of 349 practitioners found that doing so can involve high prices, long waits and online-only care.

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Source: The Guardian, 18 September 2025

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Cost of private Covid jabs risks widening health inequalities, experts warn

Experts and patient groups have warned that the high cost of private Covid vaccinations could exacerbate health inequalities and leave those more at risk from the virus without a vital line of defence.

Both high street chain Boots and pharmacies that partner with the company Pharmadoctor are now offering Covid jabs to those not eligible for a free vaccination through the NHS, with the former charging almost £100 for the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.

While Pharmadoctor says each pharmacy sets its own prices, it suggests the Pfizer/BioNTech jab will set customers back £75-£85, while the latest Novavax jab will cost about £45-£55.

However experts have raised concerns that the high cost of the private jabs will widen inequalities, with the vaccinations unaffordable for many.

“The most disadvantaged in society are most likely to be exposed to respiratory viruses due to things like poverty, intergenerational households and crowded workplaces. While they might be most in need of a seasonal vaccine, they will also be the least likely to afford £100 in the midst of a cost of living crisis,” said Dr Marija Pantelic, of the University of Sussex.

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Source: The Guardian, 28 March 2024

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Cost of living: Young cancer patients 'in a desperate situation'

Charities are warning that young cancer patients facing soaring living costs are in a "desperate" situation.

Both Macmillan Cancer Support and Young Lives vs Cancer say they've seen dramatic increases in the number of people asking for emergency grants.

Research suggests tens of thousands of 18 to 39-year-olds with cancer are struggling to pay basic living costs.

Shell Rowe was among those who told BBC Newsbeat they're worried about becoming financially independent.  She was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 20 in 2019, just as she was about to study film in California for her third year of university.

"Prices have skyrocketed. I haven't been able to work and haven't been able to save and get a job," she says. "How am I ever going to be able to be financially independent? It really scares me."

More than half of the 18 to 39-year-olds with cancer surveyed by Macmillan and Virgin Money said they needed more financial support to manage the rising cost of living.

One in four young people are getting further into debt or have fallen behind paying rent and energy bills because of increased living costs, according to the survey of 2,000 people across all age groups.

More than a tenth (11%) of those surveyed say they've had to delay or cancel medical appointments due to the rising cost of petrol. Many people have to travel long distances for treatment, often in their own cars or a taxi because the risk of infection rules out taking public transport.

"It's never been as bad as this. Young people with cancer are in really desperate circumstances, because of the cost-of-living crisis," says Rachel Kirby, chief executive of Young Lives vs Cancer. "No young cancer patient should have to think about the choice of putting fuel in the car to get to treatment, or whether they can heat their homes. But those are the kinds of situations they're facing," 

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Source: BBC News, 3 October 2022

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Cost of living: Soaring bills damaging people's health, say medics

Rises in the cost of living are already having a negative impact of people's health, health professionals warn.

BBC News has been told of people skipping meals or cutting back on medication, because of money worries.

The Royal College of Nursing says people are having to make heart-wrenching choices that compromise their health and wellbeing. Along with GPs and hospital doctors, they warn health inequalities between rich and poor risk becoming worse.

Laura Brant, 28, has already had to make some tough choices about a treatment keeping her alive.

Having lived with kidney disease since the age of seven, she has already had two kidney transplants - and now needs another.

Laura is dependent on a dialysis machine to carry out the filtering process usually performed by the kidneys. Without it, she could be dead in a week.

Laura was having dialysis at home - but the machine used so much electricity and water the bills started to mount rapidly.

"I'd say that it's the straw that broke the camel's back, really, with the cost of running the dialysis machine, the water it uses, the electric," she says.

"And it was adding to my anxiety, like, 'How am I going to pay to do this treatment every month?'"

Royal College of Physicians president Dr Andrew Goddard says some of his respiratory-medicine colleagues are hearing of patients choosing to turn off oxygen supplies to save money.

"Respiratory disease disproportionately affects those least able to afford to improve their social circumstances," he says.

"It seems likely the cost of living crisis will widen this disparity further."

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Source: BBC News, 9 June 2022

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Cost of living: GPs warning over rise in prescription requests

The cost of living crisis is adding to pressures on GPs, the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland has warned.

The BMA said that is because the number of people asking for prescriptions for medicines that can be bought over the counter is increasing.

That includes medicines like painkillers and allergy medication, Dr Alan Stout of the BMA said.

Prescriptions are free for everyone in Northern Ireland.

The rise in prescription request increases "the cost to the health service as a whole and the pressure on GPs", Dr Stout told Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"We have talked before about the difficulties people have accessing GPs and this is just more demand and difficulties," he said.

Dr Stout added: "I absolutely don't hold that against anyone, it is not our position as GPs to deny people medication or deny people prescriptions if they need this medication."

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Source: BBC News, 23 June 2022

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