The Agriculture Industry revealed to have the poorest safety record in the UK
Farm Safety Week 2021 aims to reduce the number of incidents which continue to give farming the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK & Ireland
New figures reveal that fatal injuries on UK farms have almost doubled over the past year – from 21 fatalities in 2019/20 to 41 in 2020/21
According to the Farm Safety Foundation, the charity behind the annual campaign, farmers over the age of 60 accounted for 53% of those killed
When comparing older and younger age groups the fatal injury rate is over 4 times higher for the 65s and over compared to the 16-24 age group.
7 members of the public lost their lives on GB farms in 2020/21 – 5 adults involving cattle and an additional 2 children.
In a recent survey, almost seven in ten farmers would identify tiredness as a major risk with most having taken, or seen others take, risks due to being tired
Farm Safety Week is an initiative led by the Farm Safety Foundation and supported by the Farm Safety Partnerships, the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland
From the 19th – 23rd of July, the Farm Safety Foundation will hold their ninth annual Farm Safety Week, a campaign which aims to draw attention to, and reduce the injury risk farmers across the UK face on a daily basis.
With long hours, intense physical labour, low pay and at the mercy of the elements, farming is a difficult industry to work in, but still, nearly half a million workers are choosing to be farmers today.
Yet, for a workforce that accounts for a mere 1% of GB’s working population, the industry accounts for nearly a quarter of all workplace fatal injuries, giving it the poorest safety record of any occupation (almost 20 times higher than the GB industry average).
The picture is similar in Northern Ireland where farming accounted for 5 of the 13 workplace fatalities in 2020/2021 representing 38% (HSENI) and, in the Republic of Ireland, farming accounts for 5% of the workforce but an alarming 40% of all workplace fatal incidents.
Unfortunately, farm safety is an issue rarely discussed outside of agricultural circles but, according to the UK’s leading farm safety charity, the Farm Safety Foundation, this is exactly what we should be doing.
To mark the start of the Farm Safety Foundation’s Farm Safety Week campaign, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have shared their annual Fatal Injuries in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing in GB report 2020/21 which reveals that, over the past year almost twice as many people were killed on farms in Great Britain compared to the previous year.
A total of 41 people in England, Scotland and Wales were killed in agriculture including 34 farm workers and seven members of the public. Two children have been killed by farming this year and, for an industry that still has between 1 and 2 children being killed through its activities each year, this simply MUST improve.
Now in its ninth year, Farm Safety Week brings together five countries over five days with ONE clear goal – to speak up for safety and encourage farmers to rethink risk so we can reduce the number of life-changing and life-ending incidents happening on our farms.
“Agriculture is a vital part of our economy and everyone involved is rightly proud of the quality and standard of the food produced.” explains Adrian Hodkinson, Acting Head of Agriculture, Health & Safety Executive. “However, this appears to come at a significant cost to many farmers and workers in terms of serious injury, lifelong ill health and in some cases death.
“The causes of farm incidents are well known and the things to stop them are usually straightforward: putting on handbrakes; fastening lap belts in cabs; getting ATV training and helmets; putting cows and calves in fields without footpaths; stopping things before trying to fix or unblock them and so on.
“When we investigate life-changing farm workplace incidents we find, time and time again, that risks are not being removed or managed. It is far too common for people to accept risk is an inevitable part of the job – this isn’t the case, the guidance is easily available to manage the risks and prevent injury”
His advice: “Think a job through and then put the right measures in place to make safer.
“It is not acceptable that agriculture continues to fail to manage risk in the workplace. We need everyone to play their part to change their own behaviours, do things the right way and ‘call out’ poor practices whenever they are seen.
“On a more positive note,” Adrian added: “I’m really encouraged that there now some very high-profile advocates for improvement who see the real benefits for attracting and retaining people and reducing costs. It’s fantastic to see a real focus on maintenance of machinery and trailers, that many ATV users are getting trained and wearing helmets, and cattle handling facilities are being improved.”
Throughout this year’s campaign, the Farm Safety Foundation, supported by the Farm Safety Partnerships, the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland, will highlight the issue of risk-taking, cost-cutting and tiredness on UK and Ireland’s farms and how life-changing and life-ending incidents continue to impact families and communities. We will be meeting farmers who have experienced this first-hand and, of course, exploring what can be done to address it.
In a recent survey into farmers across the UK carried out with funder NFU Mutual, the Farm Safety Foundation found that many farmers need to be more aware of tiredness and realise how excessively long hours can play into the risks when farming. Almost seven in ten (69%) of those surveyed, identified tiredness as a major risk with most having taken, or seen others take, risks due to being tired.
Unfortunately, in farming, 15-hour days are seen as normal but, with 89% of farmers wanting advice on how to combat fatigue, the Farm Safety Foundation did a call out on social media for farmer’s top tips to dealing with tiredness which include giving up alcohol for the two weeks before any busy time like lambing or staying hydrated and grabbing 40 winks after lunch – the full list will be revealed during the week.
According to Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager:“Today’s HSE report is a desperately disappointing read with some very sober statistics. The fact that farming has a fatality rate almost 20 times the GB industry average is shocking and shameful.
“41 people lost their lives on our farms over the past year including 2 children – this is 18 more than the previous year and we can’t become immune to the impact that these deaths have on farming families and communities.
“We can’t just accept that farming is a dangerous occupation. We have to redouble our efforts to drive a change.
“The main causes of fatal farm incidents have not changed over the past 60 years despite legislation and an increased awareness of the importance of working safely.
“We need to reassess the risk of everyday tasks and think about the long-term consequences of each and every risk we have taken and do something to either remove it or control it. Complacency kills – many farmers think they know their farm and the risks involved in going about their daily tasks.
“However, those risks change day-to-day and next time things might not work out the same way. We want to encourage those living and working in the industry to rethink risk, to carry out risk assessments and most importantly put in controls that suit the circumstances of any busy farm.
“As an industry, we need to work together so that farm safety is acknowledged as important. We need to do more than sit around and talk about it. We need action! This is why Farm Safety Week is still so important.
“Over the past nine years, we have been very privileged to have an opportunity to bring together a wide range of organisations and individuals who really do care about the issue and want to drive safety forwards. We need to engage with farmers of all ages to challenge and change attitudes and ultimately make our farms safer places to work.”
For more information on Farm Safety Week visit www.yellowwellies.org or follow @yellowwelliesUK on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using the hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek
Scotland ranks third in GB tourist destinations survey
WITH the nation set to embrace staycations, Wales has been named the most popular UK destination to visit post-lockdown – closely followed by the south coast of England, leaving Scotland in third place.
With 20% of the vote, Wales – famous for its rugged coastline and mountainous national parks – topped the list of the UK places where caravan and motorhome owners plan on visiting once coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted.
Scotland took 17% of the vote, just 2% behind the south coast of England.
More than 1,900 adults aged 35 and over were surveyed by YouGov as part of the research, which was commissioned by Kimberley and carried out in late June.
It comes after a record number of leisure vehicles were sold across Europe in 2020 – rising 12% to around 235,000 units, according to the European Caravan Federation
Chris Lowe, director at Kimberley, said: “When restrictions relaxed last summer, there was a huge rise in demand for passport-free holidays and once all lockdown measured are fully removed, it’s expected that British people will once again opt to remain on home turf.
“From the iconic Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands to the White Cliffs of Dover and Lake Windermere in the Lake District to the Welsh views of Snowdonia, it’s no secret that people have been enjoying so many of Britain’s beauty spots and discovering a new-found appreciation for what is on our shores.
“I’m quite surprised Scotland has come third in the poll. As a country with outstanding natural beauty, we know it’s a firm favourite with motorhome and caravanning fans due to the ability to enjoy everything from coastal views to mountainscapes.”
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: “Scotland’s incredible scenery provides stunning surroundings no matter the mode of transport. With our dynamic driving routes criss-crossing the country, it is no surprise Scotland has ranked so highly as a must-visit destination for caravan and motorhome owners.
“New driving routes – like The Coig covering Ayrshire and some Scottish islands, and South West Coastal 300 – have been a huge success for Scotland’s visitor economy, while showing off the incredible landscapes and attractions to be found across the country throughout the year.
“It is extremely important that we all do our upmost to preserve these special places and enjoy them responsibly. We would urge visitors to ‘know before they go’, checking online whether attractions and businesses are open, welcoming visitors and offering pre-booking – with this being especially important for caravan and motorhome owners. To ensure that visitors and the communities they visit enjoy the best experience possible, we urge all visitors to leave no trace and to dispose of waste and litter responsibly.
“We know that tourism is a force for good – creating economic and social value in every corner of Scotland and enhancing the well-being of everyone who experiences it. We all deserve a holiday, and Scotland, with all it offers, will be the perfect antidote after a series of restrictions and lockdowns.”
The south coast – including Brighton, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall – came second in the list, with 19% of caravan and motorhome owners pining to visit once restrictions are eased. The east coast, including Norfolk and Suffolk, came in fourth place (10%) and the north west placed fifth (7%).
Of those surveyed, 8% of people said they had no plans to travel, with 4% being unsure about where to visit.
Chris said: “Sales of caravans and motorhomes have also surged due to this increase in staycations, with holidaymakers relishing the flexibility that leisure vehicles have to offer. With lockdown restrictions easing but foreign travel uncertain, more people are looking at the domestic holiday market and leisure vehicles allow them to conveniently take a break.”
Kimberley – which was set up in 1981 – has branches in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire; Darlington, County Durham; and is preparing to open its third site in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in late summer 2021.
As well as supplying new and pre-used leisure vehicles, Kimberley offers a variety of exclusive caravans and motorhomes that leading manufacturers Compass, Coachman and Swift have tailored to its own specification – including the addition of multiple unique features and upgrades.
Once coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted, which one, if any, of the following places in the UK do you plan on visiting first?
Location
Percentage of caravan and motorhome owners aged 35 and over
Wales
20%
South coast (e.g. Brighton, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall)
The University of Edinburgh has ‘effective arrangements for managing academic standards and the student learning experience’, according to a review conducted by QAA, the UK’s independent higher education quality body.
The review commended the University’s achievements in several areas including student partnership and the support provided by its Institute for Academic Development in support of teaching, learning and researcher development.
The review was undertaken by a team of six independent reviewers, who were appointed by QAA. The review took place through a Planning Visit in February 2021, followed by a Review Visit in March 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the review was postponed from Autumn 2020. Its commendations included the following areas:
The University’s commitment to working in close partnership with the student body is exemplified by student involvement across all decision-making structures and university initiatives.
The University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD) provides responsive, reflective and proactive university-level support for teaching, learning and researcher development and is valued by staff and students.
The promotion and expansion of the Student Association-led and University supported Peer Assisted Learning Schemes (PALS) have contributed to the integration of students as they join the University.
The University operates a highly professionalised approach to supporting the recruitment, selection and training of students to effectively contribute to the University’s Institutional Periodic Review (IPR) process.
The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 and is one of Scotland’s four ancient universities, occupying an estate of more than 250 buildings organised in five main campuses spread across Edinburgh.
The University describes itself as a large and diverse research-intensive University, and has collaborative agreements leading to a joint University of Edinburgh qualification with 55 international institutions and seven UK institutions.
Professor Tina Harrison, Assistant Principal, Academic Standards and Quality Assurance, said: ‘I’m delighted with the outcome of the ELIR, that re-confirms our effectiveness in maintaining academic standards, commends our positive partnership with our students, and highlights the outstanding work of our Institute for Academic Development.
‘The review process provided an important opportunity for University-wide reflection and, with the expert input from the review team, we have a clear plan for further development and enhancement of the learning experience for our students.’
QAA’s report also makes a number of recommendations, asking the University of Edinburgh to:
establish a systematic approach to enable effective institutional oversight and evaluation of the implementation of policy and practice
develop an effective approach to the strategic leadership and management of change that will ensure more immediate and timely implementation of identified solutions in order to support staff and enhance the student experience
prioritise the development of a holistic and strategic approach to the design and management of assessment and feedback.
Free to attend programme online and at St. John’s Church, Princes Street from 6th – 30th August
Edinburgh’s social justice and human rights festival is coming of age this summer with its biggest event yet.
Among the headline offerings are a poignant new choral work, No Alleluias: A Requiem for 2020, specially commissioned to celebrate the festival’s 21st birthday and an online appearance by former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen (below) who spent several weeks in intensive care after contracting Covid-19.
Both reflect on the extraordinary experiences faced during the past year and Rosen – “not dead yet,” he says – considers how we can emerge from the pandemic with a more equal future.
Originally established as the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, Just Festival celebrates humanity in all its differences and encourages the exploration of new perspectives in the hope of reducing religious, political and social intolerance.
Festival director Helen Trew says: “The last year has shattered many illusions and laid bare the inequality at the heart of our society. So, as we come of age, it is time to put our shoulder to the wheel of a better, fairer, inclusive future for us all.”
Running from 6th – 30th August, the festival features a range of innovative events and art installations presented, through a blend of digital discussion and performance plus live audience event, in St John’s Church and the surrounding area.
The No Alleluias requiem, a mix of live and virtual choir, was inspired by preacher and theologian Rev Dr Karen George Thompson and describes her experience of last Easter Sunday.
Having lost her father to Covid and been infected with the virus herself, she also saw her community suffer and found the uplifting Easter message replaced with melancholy.
The resulting choral work, composed by Anthony Hammond with lyrics by Robert Rae, is an extraordinarily moving piece and will help close this year’s festival.
The programme also includes:
a live installation of Peace Cranes when 140,000 origami birds will be positioned throughout St John’s Church as symbols of hope for inter-generational justice and a call for a solution to the nuclear and climate emergencies;
Photography under Siege, an exhibition of photographer Mahmoud al Khurd’s images of life in Gaza today and an evening of music and conversation with Northern Irish peace activist Tommy Sands.
And the Cabaret of Dangerous ideas returns this year, looking at issues including children’s access to nature and outdoor play, debating whether we need to-re-wild youngsters.
With the exception of the No Alleluias performance, all events are free to attend, although a donation is suggested to support the festival whose main sponsors this year are Elephants in Action, a part of ELE Global, with support from EventScotland, Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund and the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, managed by Arts & Business Scotland.
Helen Foord, CEO and founder of ELE Global comments: “The team is delighted to be supporting Just Festival again, helping to celebrate 21 fantastic years.
“And we’re proud to be associated with an event whose values of tolerance and encouraging new ways of looking at the world are ever more important in these challenging times.”
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “The Just Festival is a timely event that I am sure will spark engaging debate while offering a welcome return to in-person experiences for audiences alongside its impressive virtual programme and I am delighted that EventScotland has been able to support it through Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund.”
A Glasgow charity has received a donation from a UK regional housebuilder to help support children to engage in cycling activities. Free Wheel North received a £1,000 donation from Persimmon Homes West Scotland, as part of the housebuilder’s Building Futures campaign.
The charity encourages children of all abilities to participate in cycling at an affordable cost, improving mental and physical wellbeing as well as learning key life skills.
Not only does Free Wheel North cater for disabled children with specialist bikes, but their facility also allows families who financially cannot commit to owning their own bike or do not have the space to store one, the opportunity to still participate in regular cycling.
Carol Thompson, who applied for the funding for Free Wheel North, said: “Cycling is a key life skill as it means independence for the children as well as it being a skill that they will carry with them for their entire life.
“Donations such as this are so important with COVID-19 restrictions directly affecting our visitor numbers. In 2019 our disability cycle track welcomed more than 41,000 but this year that number has dropped to just 7,224 causing a dramatic drop in our funding.
“With the kind donation from Persimmon Homes, we hope that this year we will be able to create even more opportunities for children to enjoy again. The funding will help us to maintain and service our fleet of speciality bikes, making them ready for when more children can return to the track.”
Persimmon Homes is giving away £1million through their Building Futures programme. The campaign aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health, and sport.
A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 regional businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in October.
In each sector – education & arts, health, and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Chris Logan, managing director of Persimmon Homes West Scotland, said: “Our Building Futures initiative allows us to support community groups that focus directly on young people across the areas that we are building.
“We are delighted to be able to donate £1,000 to Free Wheel North. The inclusive activities they provide for young people within the community is a much-needed service and allows opportunities for those who may not be able to experience them safely elsewhere.
“The Building Futures campaign is still open for applications and we are encouraging charities and services who work specifically with under 18’s to apply now via our website.”
For more information about the new developments available across West Scotland or to find out more about the Building Futures initiative, visit:
15 new studies across the UK will expand research into long COVID to support thousands of vulnerable people, backed by nearly £20 million through the NIHR
15 new studies across UK to expand research that will support thousands of vulnerable people
Nearly £20 million for research projects will help improve understanding of long COVID and identify effective treatments
Projects include the largest long COVID trial to date which will involve over 4,500 people
Thousands of people suffering with long COVID will benefit from new research programmes backed by £19.6 million to help better understand the condition, improve diagnosis and find new treatments.
An extensive programme of 15 new research studies, backed by government funding through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), will allow researchers across the UK to draw together their expertise from analysing long COVID among those suffering long-term effects and the health and care professionals supporting them.
The latest research shows that although many people make a full recovery following COVID-19, a significant proportion of people continue to experience chronic symptoms for months. These ground breaking studies aim to help those people affected return to their normal lives.
The projects will focus on:
Better understanding the condition and identifying it
Evaluating the effectiveness of different care services
Better integrating specialist, hospital and community services for those suffering with long COVID
Identifying effective treatments, such as drugs, rehabilitation and recovery to treat people suffering from chronic symptoms
Improving home monitoring and self-management of symptoms, including looking at the impact of diet, and
Identifying and understanding the effect of particular symptoms of long COVID, such as breathlessness, reduced ability to exercise and brain fog
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “Long COVID can have serious and debilitating long term effects for thousands of people across the UK which can make daily life extremely challenging.
“This new research is absolutely essential to improve diagnosis and treatments and will be life-changing for those who are battling long-term symptoms of the virus.
“It will build on our existing support with over 80 long COVID assessment services open across England as part of a £100 million expansion of care for those suffering from the condition and over £50 million invested in research to better understand the lasting effects of this condition.”
Professor Nick Lemoine, Chair of NIHR’s long COVID funding committee and Medical Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN), said: “This package of research will provide much needed hope to people with long-term health problems after COVID-19, accelerating development of new ways to diagnose and treat long COVID, as well as how to configure healthcare services to provide the absolute best care.
“Together with our earlier round of funding, NIHR has invested millions into research covering the full gamut of causes, mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of long COVID.”
The selection process for this broad range of innovative studies into long COVID involved people with lived experience at every stage and their input has been invaluable in shaping the outcome of this call and the research projects which will receive funding.
The projects include:
STIMULATE-ICP at University College London which will be the largest long COVID trial to date, recruiting more than 4,500 people with the condition. With £6.8 million of funding, the project will test the effectiveness of existing drugs to treat long COVID by measuring the effects of 3 months’ treatment, including on people’s symptoms, mental health and outcomes such as returning to work. It will also assess the use of MRI scans to help diagnose potential organ damage, as well as enhanced rehabilitation through an app to track their symptoms.
The immunologic and virologic determinants of long COVID at Cardiff University with nearly £800,000, which will look at the role of the immune system in long-term disease and whether overactive or impaired immune responses could drive long COVID by causing widespread inflammation.
ReDIRECT at University of Glasgow backed by nearly £1 million, which will assess whether a weight management programme can reduce symptoms of long COVID in people who are overweight or obese.
LOCOMOTION at University of Leeds with £3.4 million, which focuses on identifying and promoting the most effective care, from accurate assessments in long COVID clinics to the best advice and treatment in surgeries, as well as home monitoring methods that can show flare-ups of symptoms. The research aims to establish a gold standard of care that can be shared across England and the rest of the UK.
EXPLAIN at University of Oxford backed by £1.8 million, which will seek to diagnose ongoing breathlessness in people with COVID-19 who were not admitted to hospital, using MRI scans to trace inhaled gas moving into and out of the lungs to assess their severity and whether they improve over time.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Long Covid is a terrible illness affecting thousands of people across the UK, and as it’s such a new disease, there’s still a lot we don’t know about it.
“This UK Government funding, which is supporting studies led by the University of Glasgow and University of the West of Scotland, will help us make progress in understanding long Covid and hopefully improve treatment and support for patients right across the UK.”
Professor Amitava Banerjee, Associate Professor in Clinical Data Science and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, University College London, Chief investigator of the STIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, trajectory, inequalities and management: understanding long COVID to address and transform existing integrated care pathways) trial, said: “Individuals with long COVID have long been asking for recognition, research and rehabilitation.
“In our two-year study across six clinical sites around England, we will be working with patients, health professionals, scientists across different disciplines, as well as industry partners, to test and evaluate a new ‘integrated care’ pathway from diagnosis to rehabilitation, and potential drug treatments in the largest trial to-date.
“We will also be trying to improve inequalities in access to care and investigating how long COVID compares with other long-term conditions in terms of use of healthcare and burden of disease, which will help to plan services.”
Dr Dennis Chan, Principal Research Fellow, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Chief investigator of the CICERO (Cognitive Impairment in long COVID: PhEnotyping and RehabilitatiOn) project, said: “Cognitive impairment, referred to informally as ‘brain fog’, is a major component of long COVID that compromises people’s daily activities and ability to return to work.
“The aim of this study is twofold; first, to understand better the nature of this ‘cognitive COVID’ in terms of the cognitive functions affected and the associated brain imaging changes, and second, to test whether neuropsychological rehabilitation can improve people’s outcomes.
“If this study is successful we will not only understand much better the way in which COVID affects the brain but also provide NHS services with new tools to help people recover from their cognitive difficulties.
Professor Fergus Gleeson, Professor of Radiology and Consultant Radiologist, Oxford University, Chief Investigator of EXPLAIN (HypErpolarised Xenon Magnetic Resonance PuLmonary Imaging in PAtIeNts with Long-COVID) project, said: “Following on from our earlier work using hyperpolarised xenon MRI in patients following hospitalisation with COVID-19 pneumonia, where we showed that their lungs may be damaged even when all other tests were normal, it is critical to determine how many patients with long COVID and breathlessness have damaged lungs, and if and how long it takes for their lungs to recover.
“Hyperpolarised xenon MRI is a safe scanning test that requires the patient to lie in the MRI scanner and breathe in one litre of the inert gas xenon that has been hyperpolarised so that we can see it using MRI.
“The scan takes a few minutes and does not require radiation exposure, so it may be repeated over time to see lung changes. Using this technique, we can see the xenon – which behaves in a very similar way to oxygen – move from the lungs into the blood stream.
“In this way, we can see if there has been damage to the airways in the lungs, or to the areas where oxygen crosses into the blood stream, which appears to be the area damaged by COVID-19.”
Background information
The projects were funded following a UK-wide research call for ambitious and comprehensive research into understanding and addressing the longer term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19 in non-hospitalised people and will build on the existing research already commissioned to look at long COVID.
In February 2021, 4 projects funded by NIHR and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) were announced, following the first research call.
The UK began the commissioning of long COVID research in 2020 and some projects are already producing results that are informing the understanding of long COVID. This research call adds to the existing investment of over £30 million of research funding taking the total investment to £50 million.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued official guidance on best practice for recognising, investigating and rehabilitating patients with long COVID. According to NICE guidance, ‘long COVID describes signs and symptoms that continue or develop after acute COVID-19. It includes both ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 (from 4 to 12 weeks) and post-COVID-19 syndrome (12 weeks or more).’
In October 2020, NHS England and Improvement launched a 5 point plan for long COVID. There are now 89 specialist post COVID-19 clinics operating in England.
On 15 June 2021, NHSEI published a new 10 point plan and announced an additional £100 million expansion of care for patients with long COVID.
Study summaries
Developing and testing the best ways to diagnose, treat and provide rehabilitation for people with long COVID
Dr Amitava Bannerjee, University College of London – £6.8m
The wide-ranging symptoms of long COVID are debilitating and need coordinated care from specialists, hospitals and community services. The STIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, trajectory, inequalities and management: understanding long COVID to address and transform existing integrated care pathways) trial, developed with the help of patient organisations, will be the largest long COVID trial to date, recruiting more than 4,500 people with the condition. This project will test the efficacy of existing drugs to treat long COVID, and measure the different effects of three months’ treatment on patients with regards to their symptoms, mental health and outcomes such as returning to work. It will also assess the use of MRI scans to help diagnose potential organ damage in those recovering from the coronavirus, as well as enhanced rehabilitation – the provision of joined-up specialist care centred around an app for patients allowing them to track their symptoms.
Optimising standards of care for long COVID in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and at home
Dr Manoj Sivan, University of Leeds – £3.4m
Although there are 83 long COVID clinics in England, most people have not had access to them, and face long waiting times to be seen. The LOCOMOTION (long COVID multidisciplinary consortium: optimising treatments and services across the NHS) project focuses on identifying and promoting the most effective care, ranging from accurate assessments in these clinics to the best advice and treatment in surgeries, as well as home monitoring methods that can show flare-ups of symptoms. Drawing from the experiences of current long COVID patients and NHS professionals, the research aims to establish a ‘gold standard’ of care that can be shared across England and the rest of the UK. Analysis will be conducted in 10 long COVID clinics, at home and in doctors’ surgeries, and the study will track referrals and evaluate different services through patient interviews to make sure they are efficient, accessible and cost-effective. Specialists in healthcare inequality will also ensure that views are sought and recorded from people who are not visiting clinics.
Explaining why long COVID patients experience breathlessness and a reduced ability to exercise
Professor Fergus Gleeson, University of Oxford – £1.8m
One of the most prevalent and persistent symptoms among long COVID patients has been discomfort in breathing following physical activity. The EXPLAIN (Hyperpolarised xenon magnetic resonance pulmonary imaging in patients with Long-COVID) project will seek to diagnose ongoing breathlessness in coronavirus patients who were not admitted to hospital, using MRI scans to trace inhaled gas moving into and out of the lungs.
A 15-minute scan using low levels of xenon gas will display lung function and – if abnormalities are found – comparisons of data across different groups of participants recruited from Oxford and Sheffield can help assess their severity and whether they improve over time. Some EXPLAIN patients will also have a separate scan to see if heart damage can be identified. If the MRI scans separate patients with and without lung disease, further CT scans can be analysed, using artificial intelligence and blood samples to identify associated conditions and inform the development of treatments.
Understanding and treating ‘brain fog’
Dr Dennis Chan, University College London – £1.2m
Up to three quarters of people who experience long-term symptoms after COVID-19 report problems with memory, attention or other cognitive functions – symptoms known collectively as ‘brain fog’. The CICERO (Cognitive Impairment in long COVID: PhEnotyping and RehabilitatiOn) project will first determine which elements of brain function are most affected in people with long COVID. The relationship between brain function and other symptoms of long COVID, such as fatigue and anxiety, will be explored, and MRI scanning will be used to identify the affected brain networks. The researchers will then develop and test a new rehabilitation strategy to help people recover from the cognitive aspects of long COVID and return to normal life and working ability. This will support production of a freely available COVID-19 Cognitive Recovery Guide on how best to offer the new rehabilitation approach depending on the patient’s symptoms.
Co-designing personalised self-management for patients at home
Professor Fiona Jones, Kingston University – £1.1m
Long COVID describes more than 200 different symptoms that can interact and fluctuate. Although fatigue and problems with brain function are the most common symptoms, each patient can experience a different set of symptoms. The LISTEN (Long COVID Personalised Self-managemenT support – co-design and EvaluatioN) project will work in partnership with people who have long COVID to design and evaluate a package of self-management support that can be personalised to individual needs. The researchers will first work with people living with or recovered from long COVID, plus a social enterprise with expertise in reaching seldom heard populations, to design the package and associated patient and training resources. The team will then test the self-management package alongside up to six one-to-one virtual coaching sessions from trained rehabilitation practitioners, to test whether the treatment improves how people with long COVID feel and how they cope with everyday activities. The researchers will also evaluate how the package could be implemented more widely, with the aim that self-management for people with long COVID can be delivered at scale.
ReDIRECT: Remote Diet Intervention to Reduce long Covid symptoms Trial
Dr David Blane, University of Glasgow – £999,679
The immunologic and virologic determinants of long COVID
Professor David Price, Cardiff University – £774,457
Quality-of-life in patients with long COVID: harnessing the scale of big data to quantify the health and economic costs
Dr Rosalind Eggo, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – £674,679
Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation for Treating Post-COVID Fatigue (PAuSing-Post-COVID Fatigue)
Dr Mark Baker, Newcastle University – £640,180
Immune analysis of long COVID to inform rational choices in diagnostic testing and therapeutics
Professor Daniel Altmann, Imperial College – £573,769
Understanding and using family experiences of managing long COVID to support self care and timely access to services
Professor Sue Ziebland, University of Oxford – £557,674
Development of a robust T cell assay to retrospectively diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection and IFN-γ release assay as diagnostic and monitoring assay in Long COVID patients
Dr Mark Wills, University of Cambridge – £372,864
Using Activity Tracking and Just-In-Time Messaging to Improve Adaptive Pacing: A Pragmatic Randomised Control Trial
Professor Nicholas Sculthorpe, University of the West of Scotland – £317,416
Impact of COVID-19 vaccination on preventing long COVID: a population-based cohort study using linked NHS data
Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra, University of Oxford – £224,344
Long COVID Core Outcome Set (LC-COS) project
Dr Tim Nicholson, King’s College London – £139,619
Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play centres, Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Scrambles at the EICA and Tumbles at Portobello will finally be reopening their doors to customers today, Monday, 19 July 2021.
Bookings for members went live at 9pm on Tuesday, 13 July and for non-members on Wednesday, 14 July.
Claire Rusack, Leisure Manager at the Royal Commonwealth Pool and Clambers said: “It’s been such a long time coming after an extended lock-down, which meant that we weren’t able to open as originally planned on 7th June, but we’re delighted that we can finally welcome back our youngest of customers and their parents and carers to let off some steam.
“So, for anyone with little ones who need to burn off some energy, make sure you’re not disappointed by pre-booking in advance for any sessions you want to attend via the Edinburgh Leisure app or website. And if you think you might be a regular customer, you might want to consider buying one of our soft-play memberships.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions Edinburgh Leisure has had to adapt their offering with pre-booking done via the Edinburgh Leisure app or website only for all visits, either 8 days in advance for members or 7 days for non-members. No parties or special events can be booked at this stage.
All three venues will follow the same daily opening times from 9.30am-5pm, Monday to Sunday, with five pre-bookable slots of 60-minutes each to accommodate deep cleaning between each. At the start of each month, the frames will be treated with a 30-day virus protection.
Adults will book a table for a maximum of six people, which will include adults, children, and babies.
Adults can remove face coverings while seated at the table but will be required to wear them at all other times, especially when moving around the space. A café service will be available throughout all sessions. However, we are running a restricted menu at this time.
To adhere to Government guidelines, there will be no adults or staff allowed in the frames.
However, adults can enter the frame to support a child with additional support needs. All adults entering the frame or walking around the soft play area must wear a face covering. Space in baby areas where adults are present, will be limited, due to physical distancing.
Currently, frame capacity has been reduced to 40% of normal operating capacity, and ball pools and modular items have been removed.
The cost of a 60-minute session is: free for 0-6 months; £4.40 for 6 months – 2 years; and £6.80 for children 3 years and over.
And for regular soft-play attendees, there is an option to buy a membership, offering great value.
A monthly membership costs £16.70 for one child; £28.00 for two children; £33.80 for three children; and £39.50 for four children, which can be used at any of the three Edinburgh Leisure soft play centres across the city.
The Edinburgh Leisure app can be downloaded from the Google and App stores.
Frontline NHS and social care staff can attend work rather than self-isolate with testing mitigations in exceptional circumstances under updated guidance announced this morning.
From today (Monday 19 July), double vaccinated frontline NHS and social care staff in England who have been told to self-isolate will be permitted to attend work in exceptional circumstances and replaced by testing mitigations.
This will include staff who have been contacted as a close contact of a case of COVID-19 by NHS Test and Trace, or advised to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 app.
This measure is being introduced to alleviate pressure on NHS and social care services and will be contingent on staff members only working after having a negative PCR test and also taking daily negative lateral flow tests for a minimum of seven days, and up to 10 days or completion of the identified self-isolation period.
This measure is being introduced to alleviate pressure on NHS and social care services and will be contingent on staff members only working after having a negative PCR test and daily negative lateral flow tests.
The government is clear the change applies only to frontline NHS and social care staff where their absence may lead to a significant risk of harm.
The decision to allow NHS and social care staff to attend work after being told to self-isolate should be made on a case-by-case basis, and only after a risk assessment by the organisation’s management.
This must be authorised by the organisation’s local Director of Infection Prevention and Control, the lead professional for health protection, or the Director of Public Health relevant to the organisation.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “As we learn to live with this virus, it’s important that we ensure frontline staff can keep providing the best possible care and support to people up and down the country.
“The government has backed healthcare services at every turn through this global pandemic and these new rules will fortify our collective defences against this awful virus, by allowing fully vaccinated frontline NHS and social care staff to continue to work when needed.”
Careful consideration should be given by local NHS and social care organisations to the risk of onward transmission compared to the risk to delivery of critical services.
Staff who are permitted to attend work will remain under a legal duty to self-isolate as a close contact when not at work, but will be considered to have a ‘reasonable excuse’ under the Self-Isolation regulations to leave self-isolation to attend work where their absence could result in harm. They will continue to receive self-isolation reminders.
UK Health Security Agency Chief Executive, Jenny Harries, said: “With the number of cases continuing to rise, it is imperative that we do everything we can to manage this virus and support our NHS and social care services under the strain of increased demand and sustained pressure.
“We have provided specific guidance to NHS and social care settings for circumstances where there is a significant risk to health or safety resulting from staff absence or a critical service cannot run.
“This measure only applies to double vaccinated staff, who will only be able to attend work after testing negative on PCR and daily lateral flow tests, and following a risk assessment and the supervision of the health service.”
In order to mitigate the increased risk associated with attending work, the following mitigations must be implemented:
The staff member should be fully vaccinated, defined as having received both doses of an MHRA approved vaccination, with 14 days having elapsed since the final dose.
The staff member should undertake a PCR test and should self-isolate until they receive the result. They should only attend work if this result is negative.
They should undertake daily LFD tests prior to starting work each day. Test results should be reported to NHS Test and Trace via the web portal and to their duty manager. Any staff member who has a positive LFD test during this period should not attend work and should arrange a PCR test as soon as possible.
If the staff member develops any COVID symptoms, they should stay at home and immediately arrange a PCR test.
Staff working during this 10-day period should comply with all relevant infection control precautions and PPE should be properly worn throughout the day. Any breaches should be reported immediately to their line manager.
The staff member should not work with clinically extremely vulnerable patients or residents, as determined by the organisation.
Existing guidance will be updated by Public Health England today (Monday 19 July), and shared with NHS trusts and relevant social care organisations across England.
These changes apply in England only. The Scottish Government will announce any changes to exisiting arrangements, if necessary, in due course.
The vaccination programme completed first doses for all over 18s who have attended their scheduled appointments at close of play yesterday – Sunday 18 July.
Second doses continue to be scheduled and it is expected all adults will have received them by Sunday 12 September.
Some of those eligible have rearranged their initial appointment for health or work reasons and will get their first dose shortly. Anyone else who has not yet received their first dose for whatever reason is urged to head to a local drop-in clinic or go to NHS Inform to book an appointment convenient for them.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “It is testament to the incredible work being done by all those involved in the vaccination programme that we have reached this milestone of giving first doses to all those who attended their scheduled appointments.
“I want to thank them and of course, everyone who has taken up their offer of a vaccine as each and every one is playing their part in helping us out of the pandemic and of course, protecting themselves and those around them.
“For anyone who hasn’t yet come forward, we urge you to do so now. We have made getting a vaccination easier than ever – head to one of the drop-in clinics being offered across the country or, if you prefer, book an appointment online at NHS Inform. Please check your NHS board’s social media posts for the latest information on where you can attend.
“All of the evidence says that the vaccines are working as we continue to battle the faster-transmitting Delta variant which is now dominant so I urge everyone to take advantage of the vaccination programme which is open to every adult in Scotland.”
