Day: July 12, 2021

A fun week for all at the Virtual SunWalk Festival

The festival that goes where you go!

With so much continued uncertainty and confusion surrounding summer holidays, it is now even more important than ever to plan events you can count on!

This is one festival that travels with you – The Virtual SunWalk Festival, created by the MoonWalk organisers, breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, is from 31st July – 8th August 2021. All you need to do is sign up for your chosen walking challenge, pack your walking shoes, and take this week-long festival with you wherever you go.

Walk the Walk will be providing a DIY downloadable Festival Kit with fun activities to do and make each day of the week… so get ready to fly your bunting and put those flowers in your hair, it’s festival time with a difference!

Walking has been proven to have so many benefits it is has been quoted as almost the perfect activity to keep fit and healthy, no matter what your age. Research continues to show that being active is proving to be a vital key in the prevention of diseases including breast cancer.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund*, a low level of physical activity alone is responsible for 7.5% of breast cancers and a staggering 25% of breast cancer cases in women are caused by lifestyle choices.

So, holidays, back garden or park, The Virtual SunWalk Festival is just the ticket and has a walking challenge to suit every ability and age – choose between a 5k, 10k or Half Marathon (13.1 miles). For those keen to take on the ultimate walking challenge, complete 100k in one go, or over the week.

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said: “The past 18 months has had an impact on all our lives in one way or another, so Walk the Walk’s Virtual SunWalk Festival is just a wonderful opportunity for families, friends, work colleagues, neighbours and everyone you know, to finally get together, put up the bunting, create their own Start and Finish, cook up some delicious treats to eat at the end of the walk and have some summer fun!

“The impact of Covid on Cancer patients has been devastating, so to create a week where people can reach personal goals, have a great time and where every step contributes towards helping those living with the physical and mental anxieties of cancer… Well, it’s the best!”

To sign up for the Virtual SunWalk Festival or to make a donation go to walkthewalk.org

More than half of UK students considering dropping out as mental health plummets

University degrees lose value with employers

  • 55% of students are considering dropping out of their courses, while 63% say their mental health and wellbeing worsened since the start of the academic year
  • Three in 10 businesses say a job candidate’s degree doesn’t matter at all, while 56% say that it is generally not important
  • However UCAS data reveals university applications have risen

More than half of UK students were considering dropping out this academic year, while two thirds have suffered a decline in mental health, a new study has found, alongside the fact that 56% of companies do not consider a degree important when recruiting.

The research by money transfer service RationalFX found that student mental health is declining, with a recent ONS survey revealing that 63% of students said their mental wellbeing had worsened since the start of the academic year in September 2020. Furthermore, 55% of students say they are considering dropping out of their courses.

In addition, new graduates will encounter a job market where 30% of business owners say a degree is not important at all when recruiting, while a further 26% rate the qualification as not very important, according to a poll by YouGov.

Despite this, the numbers for university applications this year have risen. New data from UCAS reveals that there have been 10% more applications for this Autumn, rising from 281,000 last year to a record 311,000, with 44% of school leavers applying for university places.

Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for RationalFX said: “Choosing whether to study for a degree has always been a big decision, but the impact of the pandemic has probably made it even more significant.

“For the majority of employers, a degree is far from essential, and for many students the last academic year has been very difficult. And with the cost of attending university higher than ever before, it is certainly not a decision to be taken lightly.”

Only 14% of businesses say a degree is very important while one in four consider it somewhat important. Larger businesses are more likely to consider a degree valuable when hiring a new employee, with 56% saying that it is important, compared to one in five small businesses.

The employment sector that places the greatest importance on degrees during the hiring process is Legal, with IT & Telecoms coming in second.

Finance and Accounting comes in third, followed by Media & Marketing, Manufacturing and Construction.

Marketing is split with 47% of businesses believing a degree is important, and 50% saying it is not. The sector that places the least importance on having a degree is hospitality and leisure.

Younger business owners are much more likely to value a degree, with 23% of those aged under 35 rating one as very important, compared to just 8% of UK business owners aged 55 and over.

Businesses in London are more likely to value a degree when they are looking for new hires, with 62% considering it at least somewhat important, while nearly of half of businesses in Wales (46%) say the qualification is not important at all.

The analysis was conducted by RationalFX, which is one of Europe’s leading international payment providers. Its competitive exchange rates, market expertise, suite of FX products and online payment platform enable bank transfers in more than 50 currencies worldwide.

Employment Sector and their opinion on the importance of a degree for a new hire
SectorVery importantSomewhat importantNot important at all
Legal402611
IT & Telecoms193917
Finance and Accounting213318
Media/Marketing/advertising/ PR & Sales182923
Manufacturing132531
Construction112540
Retail141635
Hospitality and Leisure61348
UK businesses and their opinion on the importance of a degree, split by region
RegionVery importantSomewhat importantNot important at all
London273517
Southeast72529
Southwest72437
Wales111346
Scotland141936
North62239
Midlands152128
https://www.rationalfx.com

Burnout: RCEM calls for urgent increase in staffing levels

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is calling for UK governments to act now to achieve safe staffing levels in Emergency Departments after a workforce survey found that three in five Emergency Medicine staff say they have experienced high levels of burnout, stress, and exhaustion.

The survey found:

  • 73% of respondents indicated workforce pressures in their Emergency Department impacted patient safety before the pandemic.
  • 59% of respondents experienced burnout during the second wave of the pandemic.
  • 59% described their levels of stress and exhaustion from having worked the second wave as higher than normal.
  • In the next two years, 50% are considering reducing their working hours and 26% are considering taking a career break or sabbatical. When asked what prompted them to make this decision, 32% selected workload pressures and 35% selected burnout.
  • In the next six years, trainee emergency physicians are considering reducing working hours (57%), taking a career break or sabbatical (45%), working abroad (36%), and changing specialty (25%).
  • 69% of clinical leads revealed that locums were being used in their Emergency Department to fill permanent posts.

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “The workforce survey reveals the scale of the problem in the Emergency Medicine specialty with burnout and retention of staff.

“The fact that half of Emergency Medicine staff are considering reducing their hours in the near future and over one quarter are considering taking a career break, is deeply worrying.

“Emergency Medicine has always been an exciting yet challenging career, but the intensity of the pandemic and the current severity of the pressures has exacerbated these challenges vastly and increased burnout and exhaustion among staff, and ultimately discouraged existing staff from continuing their career in the specialty.

“The response from the survey clearly show that operational pressures are seen by staff as the most significant reason for considering reducing hours, changing careers, or retiring early. Therefore, we must make Emergency Medicine a sustainable career and improve staff retention.

“Demand for urgent and emergency care has increased significantly over the past few years, but the workforce has not grown adequately to keep up with this demand. The result has led to an increase in crowding and corridor care, with more delays and more long stays for patients in Emergency Departments, while staff have been spread more and more thinly trying to cope with intense pressures. These factors put huge strains on staff and put patient safety at risk.

“This is not sustainable for staff, and if Emergency Departments must be the safety-net of the system and the place where people go when they have nowhere else to seek treatment, we must be staffed appropriately to deal with that. Our fear is that we are on the brink of a crisis in urgent and emergency care, and fewer staff will be inclined to work in Emergency Medicine and a depleted workforce will be facing higher demand.”

The College is calling for a workforce plan that achieves safe-staffing levels in Emergency Departments; currently the College estimates there is a shortage of between 2000-2500 Emergency Medicine Whole Time Equivalent consultants across the UK.

Dr Henderson continued: “Governments must acknowledge the data and reports that show Emergency Departments across all four-nations are struggling to cope, struggling with performance, and struggling to deliver quick, effective and high-quality care, and take the necessary action to address it.

“We urgently need decisive action and leadership, we must achieve safe-staffing levels in Emergency Departments across the UK, and this workforce must be formed of staff trained and qualified in Emergency Medicine.

“We must see a long-term Health and Social Care strategy that recognises the value of urgent and emergency care and enables high-quality care and performance – this should be done by funding Same Day Emergency Care and Ambulatory Emergency Care, through expanding capacity, funding local health systems, and rigorously determining the effectiveness of NHS 111 and maximising its potential – all these steps must be taken to address the problems facing emergency care.

“We hope that the new Health Secretary will hear our urgent calls for decisive leadership and take swift action to address the challenges facing the Urgent and Emergency Care system and enact our recommendations.”

Recruitment campaign launched to support Scottish tourism industry

Get involved in Scotland’s new recruitment campaign to support the tourism industry

In partnership with Scottish Government, the Scottish Tourism Alliance has launched a new campaign to address the current staffing crisis within Scotland’s tourism industry, a crisis caused by the impact of Covid-19 and the workforce shortage resulting from Brexit.

The aim of the campaign is to support your business in recruiting talent for the diverse range of positions which are currently available and to inspire young people to play an important role in the recovery of Scotland’s valuable tourism and hospitality industry, by choosing a job within the sector.

The initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by a range of organisations and charities, will run from July 5 to August 15 and is supported by the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Skills Development Scotland, Springboard, HIT Scotland, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise.

How can you help?

As part of the campaign all tourism businesses in Scotland are asked to list your vacancies, part-time and permanent on all levels (FREE) on the Careerscope jobs portal. The jobs will then be available to all Careerscope users and those with profiles will be matched to suitable advertisements. 

How can you get involved?

As well as making sure your current vacancies are listed on the Careerscope portal, all tourism and hospitality businesses are asked to get involved by sharing the campaign on your own social channels with the hashtag #DoWhatYouLove.

To support businesses there are a range of resources available for use on your digital channels and you can download the Recruitment Campaign Toolkit here.

Freedom … with a warning

The Prime Minister will host a press conference this afternoon (Monday 12th July) to confirm whether England can move to step 4 of the Roadmap.

Step 4 is expected to begin next Monday – so-called ‘Freedom Day’ (19th July) – if the UK government’s “four tests” for easing Covid restrictions in England have been met.

The Health and Social Care Secretary will announce the plans to parliament.

England’s four tests are:

  • The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
  • Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
  • Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
  • Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern

The Prime Minister is expected to urge the public to remain vigilant and exercise caution, praising the efforts of the country for the progress made so far while warning that the pandemic is not over and that caution will be key in the coming weeks.

The latest data will be presented, with current modelling suggesting that Covid cases will continue to rise as restrictions are eased. Hospitalisations, serious illness and deaths will also continue, albeit at a much lower level than before the vaccination programme.

As of 10th July, a total of 80.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in the UK, with 45.7 million adults receiving a first dose (86.9%) and 34.5 million adults receiving both doses (65.6%).

The move to step 4 was delayed by up to four weeks so every adult could be offered a vaccine. 6.8 million first and second doses have already been administered in England during the delay so far.

The delay has also moved the probable end of restrictions to a point closer to the school summer holidays in England, when transmission is expected to be lower. Reopening at a point later in the year may increase pressure on the NHS because of winter illnesses such as flu

Analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an estimated 8.5 million infections and 30,000 deaths in England alone.

Wherever you live, it is vital that people keep coming forward to get both jabs when called, with data from PHE showing COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta variant.

The analysis suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation after two doses.

The vaccination rollout will continue to accelerate by bringing forward second doses for under 40s to eight weeks – meaning the entire population will benefit from maximum protection more quickly.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We are tantalisingly close to the final milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but the plan to restore our freedoms must come with a warning.

“While the phenomenal vaccine rollout has offered every adult some protection against the virus, and the crucial link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths is weakened, the global pandemic is not over yet.

“Cases will rise as we unlock, so as we confirm our plans today, our message will be clear. Caution is absolutely vital, and we must all take responsibility so we don’t undo our progress, ensuring we continue to protect our NHS.”

The Scottish Cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss the latest situation in Scotland and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update parliament on our next steps in the afternoon.

Charity launches campaign to free Britain’s pavements of clutter

  • Living Streets is launching a campaign to rid Britain’s pavements of clutter.
  • An increase in e-bikes, e-scooters, and on-street dining has seen more space taken away from pedestrians.
  • Over a third of people (34%) would visit their local High Street more if pavements were less cluttered.
  • The charity wants people to map the clutter in their local area on an interactive map during their #CutTheClutter Week of Action (12-18 July 2021)
  • The campaign is supported by British Cycling, Cycling UK, Guide Dogs, RNIB and Transport for All.

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking is launching a campaign to rid Britain’s pavements of clutter.

Poorly placed bins, A-boards and excessive signage can clutter pavements and make it hazardous for people to get around. A recent increase in e-bikes, e-scooters, and on-street dining has seen more space taken away from pedestrians. Living Streets wants to cut the clutter on Britain’s pavements to make it easier for people walking and wheeling.

Cluttered pavements can prevent people with wheelchairs, buggies or Guide Dogs getting around easily and safely. Living Streets research finds that it can also impact on everyone’s desire to walk more, with a YouGov poll finding that over a third of people (34%) would visit their local High Street more if pavements were less cluttered.   

The charity is launching a #CutTheClutter Week of Action (12-18 July 2021) and asking people to show where the clutter is in their local area on an interactive map. The charity is also helping people write to their local councils to tackle the issue.

Stephen Edwards, Interim CEO, Living Streets said: “Our pavements should be wide enough for everyone to pass each other easily. When footways are blocked, it forces people into the carriageway and into traffic. Our research shows that people are more likely to get out and support their local economy when their streets are clutter-free.

“Town and cities nationwide have been using government investment to trial schemes to create more space for people walking, including widening pavements and closing certain streets to traffic. We should not undo all this great work and investment by crowding pavements with excessive signage and poorly placed street furniture.”

Living Streets’ Cut the Clutter campaign is being supported by British Cycling, Cycling UK, Guide Dogs, RNIB and Transport for All.

Katie Pennick from Transport For All recently highlighted the issues wheelchair users face from on-street dining in a Twitter video that’s been viewed over 1.9 million times.

Katie Pennick, Campaigns Lead, Transport for All said: “For wheelchair users, visually impaired people, and many other disabled pedestrians – street clutter can turn pavements into treacherous, disorienting, and difficult routes.

“A poorly placed A-board can put an end to a particular journey. Having to navigate constant obstacles puts many people off from walking and wheeling, excluding them from the benefits of active travel.

“It’s vital that we remove the barriers on our pavements to enable more people to enjoy moving around their local communities with freedom, ease, and independence.”

To take part in the Week of Action, visit livingstreets.org.uk/Clutter

Another £12 million to health boards for emergency care

The Scottish Government has released £12 million in additional funding to health boards across Scotland to support non-COVID emergency care.

This immediate action will help put measures in place to reduce waiting times for urgent or emergency treatment, with a focus on boosting staffing levels and available beds.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are acutely aware that hospitals are facing significant challenges due to a rise in non-Covid attendances and that some health boards are taking necessary measures to protect urgent and emergency care capacity.

“This £12 million will support them to do so. We are working closely with those Health Boards experiencing the greatest challenges to ensure the funding delivers the improvements required.

“Our NHS staff continue to work tirelessly to respond to the pandemic whilst providing vital non-Covid treatment and safe patient care. Any reductions to service will be short term to ensure those of most critical need have immediate medical attention. Urgent treatment, including vital cancer treatment will continue during this challenging period.”

Chief Executive of NHS Lothian Calum Campbell said: “Hospitals across Scotland are dealing with the pandemic, while seeing an increase in non-covid patients arriving at their doors.

“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for working with us to ensure everyone who needs urgent or emergency care is prioritised – such as vital cancer treatment or accident and emergency care for life-threatening conditions.

“This funding will be vital in helping to provide extra staffing and bed capacity to further enhance improvements in unscheduled care and support delivery of the NHS Recovery Plan.

“NHS Lothian will use this funding to increase beds in the community, relieving pressures on acute hospitals, and to support staff in treating patients as quickly as possible.”

The public can do their part to help the NHS by considering options closer to home when they need medical attention.

Advice is available online at NHS Inform, or they can contact their GP practice or visit their local pharmacy who can help and prescribe treatment.

They can also call NHS 24 on 111 if they can’t wait for their GP practice to open, or they think they need emergency treatment which is not life-threatening.