Today, we are delighted to announce that we have received a firm commitment from The Scottish Government for upgrades to seven Wastewater Treatment Works, including Blackburn WwTW, to meet tighter discharge limits for nutrients and reduce spills from six associated combined sewer overflows.
These agreed plans to Scottish Water assets will improve the water quality to good status on the River Almond by 2027, in line with the Water Framework Directive.
We are delighted to continue to work constructively with Forth Rivers Trust, Veolia, SEPA, Scottish Water, West Lothian Council, local councillors and politicians, but most importantly local communities and community groups along our river for a cleaner, healthier and swimmable River Almond.
We will confirm further details of the works and planned timeframes when we know more.Together, we will #StopTheSewage#CleanRiverPledge
The Last Night In (a music film): STAY ODD live from Leith Theatre
Date: 8th May 2021 @ 8.30pm
Presented by Handsome Tramp Records in association with Creative Scotland
Tickets available here: https://bit.ly/2QNoQra
Scottish hip-hop mainstays Stanley Odd have announced they will be playing a unique performance of their latest album STAY ODD from the iconic main auditorium of Leith Theatre.
The band formed in Leith over a decade ago. Now, four albums and almost twelve years later, the six-piece are returning to the place where their journey began for a celebration of live music – and of Staying Odd.
The band are known for their electric live performances and, although we cannot dance together just yet, have decided to bring their explosive live show to fans’ living rooms.
The event will be ticketed however – recognising the uncertain times that we’re living through – fans have the choice of four price options. The standard price is £10, but fans will be offered an option of £5 – or nothing at all – to ensure the gig is as accessible to all. An additional option of £20 will also be available to folks who want to show some extra support.
The album itself, described by BUZZ Magazine as the band’s “most accomplished work yet,”, was recorded over a four-year period and showcases the sound of a band who are nothing but confident in their Oddness.
STAY ODD takes the listener on a journey through the global news cycle on a stolen bicycle, to a place where lying politicians are at odds with iconic female figures, and tales of witches are interspersed with classic hip-hop. Each track is as truly unpredictable as the last.
The album dropped on April 12th after being teased for over a year with the release of lead single Where They Lie in February, and then another every six weeks since July. This stunning music film of the band live from Leith Theatre is made possible by Creative Scotland’s Sustaining Creative Development fund.
The Last Night In was born out of the same desire to engage with their fans.
Frontman Dave Hook, aka MC Solareye, says of the show: “Playing in this beautiful, semi-derelict space – on the floor in the middle of the room – sort of represents all of the empty venues around the country just now.
“The Last Night In is a bittersweet celebration of live spaces as well as of STAY ODD getting played in full – start to finish.”
Connect with Stanley Odd: Facebook Instagram Twitter Bandcamp
Free impartial advice for private landlords at legal webinar
In Scotland the temporary ban on evictions, other than anti-social behaviour cases, is still ongoing, in addition to changes in Capital Gains Tax thresholds, reporting rules and increasing property values: all matters which private landlords and letting agents should be aware of, or they may face expensive fees.
Thorntons’ Dispute Resolution specialists Gillian Buchanan and Kirsty Waughman, alongside Property Partner Andrew Kirkhope, are hosting a free webinar from 9.30am on Wednesday 5 May 2021 to update private landlords and letting agents on current issues.
The one hour event, which includes an online Q&A session, will cover the emergency measures currently affecting the private rental sector, Capital Gains Tax overview and the increase in property values, as well as a cautionary tale about wrongful termination which demonstrates the costs associated with evicting a tenant under false pretences.
Gillian Buchanan, Dispute Resolution Partner at Thorntons, said: “This event will provide an opportunity to gain expert legal insight on dealing with landlord and tenant issues. We hope to arm attendees with practical advice which should help to protect their property portfolios.”
With the Holyrood Elections next week, 80 disabled people, families and carers came together to grill representatives of the major political parties at an online hustings event on Thursday, April 22nd.
As many as one in five people in Scotland are disabled or have a long-term health condition meaning they are a sizeable portion of the electorate. Despite this, very little time has been given to debating the issues that directly affect disabled people and families as campaigning has gone on.
Last week’s event was organised by a consortium of nine major charities who are trying to rebalance the debate so the voices of disabled people and families are heard and their views considered.
At the hustings disabled people questioned candidates from the five main Scottish political parties on a wide range of issues including social care, the impact of the pandemic, social security, employment as well as rights and access.
The panel was chaired by award-winning freelance journalist and broadcaster Pennie Taylor, who specialises in health and social care issues and covered by STV on Wednesday.
Rob Holland, External Affairs Manager for the National Autistic Society Scotland and one of the organisers of the hustings said: “Around one million people in Scotland have a disability or long-term health condition yet their views are often excluded from the national debate.
“Given the uncertainty about the post-COVID landscape it is more important than ever for political parties to hear from disabled people and families, understand the challenges they face and do something about it.”
The hustings event was organised by ENABLE Scotland, Health and Social Care Scotland (the ALLIANCE), Leonard Cheshire Disability, MS Society Scotland, National Autistic Society Scotland, RNIB Scotland, Scottish Autism, Sense Scotland and Sight Scotland.
QUOTES from disabled people that attended the Hustings:
David Weir, is 30, autistic and from Glasgow. He said: I always vote and encourage other autistic people to vote.
“I feel that many politicians don’t listen – so the more disabled people speaking up the more they will understand the challenges we face and hopefully do something about it.”
Cat Johnson, 34 from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with MS at the age of 21 in 2007. She said: “As someone with MS who has acquired disability rather than being born with one, you see both sides and remember how things were before.
“The way that we view and treat disabled people in society is so far off what is OK and that’s frustrating.
“It’s good to see politicians and their parties engaging at this stage but we need a longer term push for real change to provide better support for disabled people.
“Things like the new Scottish social security system holding on to the 20-metre-rule, which sets a baseless measure for the highest level of mobility support, need to change if we want to build a better, fairer society.”
Kirin Saeed, 52, from Edinburgh is blind. She said: “I as a visually impaired Asian woman believe events like these offer me and others to question the main decision makers, politicians, as well as to create greater awareness in the hope greater change may happen, although we have come a long way there is so much still yet to do.
“COVID19 has shown the importance in investing in the vulnerable of society to benefit all.
“I am a pragmatic optimist and feel the only way we will have greater say is to be at the heart of the legislative process. And having the chance to question and getting a small response is a positive start. It is what happens afterwards that I really look forward towards.”
Representing the main political parties at the event were Jeremy Balfour (Scottish Conservatives), Pam Duncan-Glancy (Scottish Labour), Neil Gray (SNP), Gillian Mackay (Scottish Green Party) and John Waddell (Scottish Liberal Democrats).
The Stroke Association is funding the world’s first study to determine the long-term impact of Covid-19 on stroke survivors.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic there have been widespread reports of adults with the virus also having strokes. The charity announces this new study today, amid concerns that the virus may be causing more severe strokes in patients whom doctors are struggling to treat.
It is thought that the virus could be increasing the chance of blood clots forming in the brain and blocking blood flow.
The Stroke Association is funding this vital research to investigate the difference the virus could make to stroke recoveries, which are already at risk due to disruption to stroke services caused by the pandemic.
The study will establish which differences in patients with and without the virus may influence their needs for treatment and care, including how to avoid the risk of having further strokes.
Researchers at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) led by Dr Richard Perry will follow up to 4,000 stroke survivors, with and without Covid-19 from across 13 emergency stroke units.
Stroke recovery, rehabilitation and health will be tracked for up to 18 months after their stroke. Researchers will collect and assess comprehensive, specialist medical information from stroke patients, including brain scans, blood samples and measures of disability.
The findings will help to understand how Covid-19 impacts stroke recovery and which treatments might best support survivors’ recoveries.
Dr Terry Quinn at the University of Glasgow works with the UCLH team on their Covid-19 and stroke research. Hhe said: “Research that compares stroke in patients with and without Covid-19 is essential to understand if Covid-19 results in more severe strokes, where survivors will need more support to recover from its devastating effects.
“From the beginning of the pandemic, I would see patients admitted with unusual strokes, who would then go on to have a positive Covid-19 test. This vital research will help us understand why this happens.
“The findings from this year-long study will inform decisions about the most effective treatment and the rehabilitation needs of this group of patients, including prevention of recurrent stroke. We already know that from the moment a person has a stroke or mini-stroke they are at substantial increased risk of further strokes.
“We’ve come a long way since the start of the pandemic. In the early days of the pandemic, stroke teams from across the UK came together to share their experiences and data. I was part of this collaborative activity and the exchange of information was crucial for delivering the best possible stroke care.
“This work had no external support and was reliant on busy clinicians giving up their time. Stroke clinicians will continue to engage with the new project, but the Stroke Association funding will allow us to achieve things that would not be possible without this support.”
Stroke is a sudden brain attack, stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK, and there are more than 128,000 stroke survivors living in Scotland. It’s estimated there will be around 173,000 by 2035.
Dr Rubina Ahmed, Research Director at the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability in the UK and the second biggest killer in the world. It’s extremely concerning that we’re seeing strokes happening in ways we have not seen before.
“This research is absolutely critical in understanding and treating stroke after Covid-19, to help reduce the devastating effects and ultimately improve lives. Covid-19 is here to stay, so it’s vital we can prevent and treat strokes linked with the virus.
“The pandemic has shattered our fundraised income and is threatening research that drives life-changing breakthroughs in stroke care. As a result of the pandemic, we have had to halve our budget for stroke research.
“Research improves treatment and care for people affected by stroke so they can live their best lives possible, and that’s why stroke research is worth saving. Now more than ever, we need the public’s support. If you can, please help us find a way through the research funding crisis by donating today, so that we can fund more life-saving research.”
In February, the Stroke Association announced the world’s largest study to confirm if Covid-19 increases the risk of stroke and by how much. Together with the new research announced today, the two studies will help doctors to prevent and best treat Covid-19 strokes in the people who are most at risk.
Over the past 30 years the Stroke Association has played a crucial role in supporting stroke research in the UK. Research helps stroke survivors rebuild their lives, but the pandemic has hit research hard. By saving stroke research, more sure stroke survivors can live life to the full.
Find out how stroke research helps rebuild lives at stroke.org.uk/rebuildinglives or to donate, please visit: stroke.org.uk/saveresearch
92,000 motorists are at risk of losing their driving licence with just one more motoring offence resulting in a ban, a Freedom of Information request to DVLA by IAM RoadSmart has revealed.
There are some 92,000 drivers currently with 9, 10 or 11 points on their licence who face the real risk of losing their licence with another 3 points pushing them on or over the 12-point ban threshold.
This could be through everyday driving habits, ignorance or judgement errors – such as speeding, overtaking on a double white line, parking in a dangerous place, not stopping at a school crossing, carrying too many passengers or overloading the vehicle.
Many drivers may also be unaware that a lack of basic vehicle maintenance could also land you with points – such as defective tyres, blown headlight or brake light bulbs, cracked light covers, smeary windscreen wipers or worn suspension components.
Specifically, at present there are 80,484 motorists in the UK with 9 points on their licence, 7,804 with 10 points and 4,313 with 11 points.
Meanwhile, there are nearly 8,800 motorists still driving with 12 points or more on their driving licence, with IAM RoadSmart once again renewing its call for a full review to ensure that drivers with multiple points are always treated in the same way. Until these anomalies are removed confidence in the simple “12 points and you are out” system will continue to be undermined.
Reasons that these drivers can keep their licence include exceptional hardship, such as loss of employment.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “The number of motorists still driving on UK roads with more than 12 points, or just under the driving ban threshold, is alarming.
“It is also an opportune occasion to educate motorists on some motoring laws that they might be unaware can result in licence points, so that motorists can change their driving habits and carry out regular basic checks of their vehicle to help make the roads safer for all users.”
Further data revealed by IAM RoadSmart’s Freedom of Information request also highlighted the postcode areas with the highest number of drivers with penalty points. These include Birmingham with 74,397, Sheffield with 56,876 and Nottingham with 56,245.
Top 10 most common driving offences which result in points:
Speed limits
SP30 – Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road – 3 to 6 points
SP50 – Exceeding speed limit on a motorway – 3 to 6 points
Insurance offences
IN10 – Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks – 6 to 8 points
Construction and use offences
CU80 – Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone – 3 to 6 points
Traffic direction and signs
TS10 – Failing to comply with traffic light signals – 3 points
Miscellaneous offences
MS90 – Failure to give information as to identity of driver – 6 points
Licence offences
LC20 – Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence – 3 to 6 points
Construction and use offences
CU30 – Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s) – 3 points
Careless driving
CD30 – Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users – 3 to 9 points
CU50 Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers – 3
New drivers should take extra care as they can amass points very quickly in their first two years of driving. This rule came into force on 1st June 1997. Anyone of any age passing their first driving test is ‘on probation’ for two years.
A total of six or more penalty points during that time will mean they have to go back to learner status, apply for a new provisional licence and take the test again.
For advice on driving and motorcycle riding best practice, including details of IAM RoadSmart’s training courses on effective speed management and practical tips on vehicle checks, visit www.iamroadsmart.com.
The TUC is calling for an immediate public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The call came as workers around the world marked International Workers’ Memorial Day yesterday, in memory of those who have died, been injured, suffered work-related ill-health or been infected at work.
Official figures show more than 11,000 working age people have died of Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
The TUC says that alongside scrutinising the quality of decision-making across the pandemic response in government, the public inquiry must specifically look at infection control and workplace safety, including the failure to provide adequate financial support to self-isolate, PPE availability for health and care staff and other frontline workers throughout the crisis, the effectiveness of test and trace, and the failure to enforce the law on workplace safety.
It adds it should examine the unequal impact of Covid-19 on different groups of workers, specifically Black and Minority Ethnic workers and insecure occupations among whom Covid mortality rates are disproportionately higher.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Any public inquiry must look at why workers were put at risk – be it through inadequate PPE or being unable to afford to self-isolate.
“This isn’t about settling scores. It’s about getting answers and learning the lessons to save lives in future. On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember those who have died, and pledge ourselves to fight for safe workplaces for everyone.”
Jo Goodman, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said: “An independent, judge-led statutory public inquiry is vital to making sure we learn lessons and save lives during the pandemic and for any future waves.”
The families of Unite members who lost loved ones to Covid-19 walked the memorial wall in London ton International Workers’ Memorial Day.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey and the families also joined with TUC representatives to observe the minute’s silence at midday on 28 April.
Unite said it is throwing its weight behind calls for a statutory public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic, recently rejected by ministers, and is backing the campaign for the National Covid Memorial Wall in Lambeth, south London, to be made permanent.
The memorial wall is made up of 150,000 individual painted hearts, one for every UK person who lost their life to the disease in the past year. The wall is around half a kilometre long and takes around 10 minutes to walk.
Len McCluskey joined Hannah Brady and Leshie Chandrapala, who both lost their fathers to the disease last year. Hannah’s father caught the virus while travelling to his work in a factory, while Leshie’s father was one of 27 London bus drivers who died of the disease between March and May last year.
Speaking ahead of his visit, Len McCluskey said: “Unite offers the bereaved families our full support in securing a permanent home for this incredible wall, and in the continued battle for the full and frank public inquiry the country needs.”
Over the weekend of 24th-25th April, volunteers from Greenpeace Edinburgh Group took part in a nationwide protest calling for the UK Government to ensure our oceans are off-limits to deep sea mining.
Volunteers photographed home-made banners at Portobello Beach. These images, along with hundreds of others from across the country, will be sent directly to Government to make it clear that people across the UK do not support plans to rip up the ocean floor for profit.
Ian from Leith said: “On Sunday, I joined volunteers from Greenpeace Edinburgh Group to take photos with ourbanner reading “Deep Sea Mining = Deep Trouble” at Seafield Beach in Edinburgh.
“The deep sea might seem a world away from Edinburgh, but in the year that the UK hosts the UN climate negotiations, we have a chance to prevent the needless destruction of our oceans. We’re sending a message to the UK Government that they need to take ocean protection seriously, and end their support for deep sea mining.
“Edinburgh Group has been campaigning for years for oceans protection, such as by hosting a photo exhibition last year to showcase the beauty of our oceans.“
This nationwide banner protest is the latest step in the campaign to protect our oceans. Earlier this month, Edinburgh Group hosted online screenings of Greenpeace’s docu-series Ocean Witness, and hundreds of people tweeted the Foreign Office Minister Zac Goldsmith about the need for a strong Global Ocean Treaty.
Greenpeace activists also recently held protests around the world, in the Pacific Ocean they displayed a banner in front of a ship chartered by DeepGreen, one of the companies spearheading the drive to mine this precious ecosystem.
Volunteers simultaneously carried out a peaceful protest in San Diego, USA, targeting a ship chartered by Belgian company Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR). Then on 22nd April, activists again targeted GSR as they conducted deep sea mining tests, writing RISK in approximately 2 metre high letters across the side of the ship.
During these tests, Greenpeace documented large patches of sediment rising to the surface, indicating significant disturbance to the sea bed.
Deep sea mining would involve sending huge industrial machinery to the fragile ecosystems in the depths of the oceans, many of which are less well understood than the surface of Mars.
It would undermine the livelihoods of many people in Pacific Island communities, by threatening fish stocks, and risks disturbing carbon storage in the deep ocean. We need to protect at least 30% of our oceans by 2030, and make sure governments urgently agree to a Global Ocean Treaty that can create a global network of ocean sanctuaries where marine life can thrive.
The Government’s review into deep sea mining will conclude in July. Despite the UK being a major player in this area, little is known about this murky industry. One of the three largest corporations who work on deep sea mining is UK Seabed Resources Ltd, a subsidiary of US weapons giant Lockheed Martin.
Instead of allowing the exploitation of our oceans, or unsustainable land-based mineral extraction, governments need to prioritize resource efficiency, and a transition to a circular economy, whereby resource usage is reduced and metals already in circulation are reused and recycled.
Ian continued: “Rather than a handful of companies exploiting the deep sea for profit, we need to prioritize reusing resources and moving to a sustainable, circular economy.
“I don’t want the phone I use, the battery in my electric car, or the chips in my computer to be there as a result of damage to such a precious and beautiful ecosystem.”
Join us at our next Group meeting to hear more about our Protect the Oceans campaign, and how you can get involved:
The service made nearly 2,500 referrals to external agencies such as the police and local authorities from April 2020 to March 2021, compared with 1,781 in 2019/20.
Referrals are made when concerns reported to the helpline are considered to be serious enough to warrant further investigation or if it is felt a family needs support.
The figures echo concerns from the charity’s frontline teams that the pandemic has increased the risks of abuse and neglect, with children both more vulnerable and out of sight of people who can keep them safe.
The NSPCC is now warning that with most children back in schools and society, the hidden harms they experienced during the lockdowns will become visible.
The charity is calling for the Governments across the UK to invest in a positive future for children by ensuring their catch-up plans go beyond education.
In the short term, they must address the harm and trauma children may have faced in the past 12 months, but Governments must also use the opportunity to invest in keeping children safe and well in the future.
The charity believes that investing in support for very young children must be a priority for the next Scottish Government, because this is a particularly vulnerable stage in life when foundations for lifelong health and wellbeing are built.
It is crucial that there is substantial investment in public services – universal and specialist – so all parents in Scotland are supported to give their children the best start in life.
This includes worries about parental alcohol and substance misuse, domestic abuse and parental mental health.
This was followed by:
Physical abuse, which increased by 42% to 490 referrals
Neglect, which increased by 2% to 422 referrals
Emotional abuse, which increased by 15% to 289 referrals
A parent from Scotland who contacted the helpline said: “I was recently let go from my job and I haven’t been coping well with the stress of it all. I’ve been drinking more than I used to and me and my wife argue almost every day.
“Sometimes the rows happen in front of our two-year old daughter – I’m worried what affect it must be having on her.
“Me and my wife have tried couples counselling in the past but it didn’t really work for us. I really want to get my anger under control so I’m hoping you might be able to help.”
Undertake a Scotland-wide needs assessment to build a true picture of infancy across the country and where there are gaps in support, or systems which need to change.
Follow the blueprint set out in the Independent Care Review’s Promise report, build intensive family support provision, considering specifically what support families with young children need.
Invest in specialist services which support the parent-child relationships so all parents in Scotland are enabled to give their children the best start in life.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said:‘”We’ve been hearing first-hand about the immense pressures families have faced during the pandemic and the heavy toll that has taken on children and young people. For some children, this has included experiencing abuse, bereavement and other harm.
“The record number of contacts to our helpline reinforces the need for Governments across the UK to put children at the heart of their recovery plans. These must go beyond education and address the harm some have experienced so the pandemic doesn’t leave a legacy of trauma for children.
“But this isn’t just a job for our Governments. Everyone has to play their part in keeping children safe. And that’s why we’re planning Childhood Day on 11 June when we’ll celebrate childhood and encourage people to get involved in making sure all children grow up happy and safe.”
The campaign will celebrate childhood by bringing the nation together to play, raise money and help keep children safe. It will put a spotlight on what it is to be a child, whilst also showing we must work together to prevent abuse and protect children.
The government’s Vaccines Taskforce has purchased an additional 60 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
Move will ensure people have the strongest possible protection from COVID-19
An extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been secured by the UK government to help support the booster COVID-19 vaccination programme beginning from the Autumn.
To protect the most vulnerable ahead of the winter, the government is preparing for a booster programme based on clinical need to ensure people have the strongest possible protection against COVID-19.
The additional Pfizer/BioNTech jabs will be used alongside other approved COVID-19 vaccines for the booster programme.
This comes as new data from Public Health England shows that one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine reduces household transmission of the virus by up to half.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Our vaccination programme is bringing back our freedom, but the biggest risk to that progress is the risk posed by a new variant.
“We’re working on our plans for booster shots, which are the best way to keep us safe and free while we get this disease under control across the whole world.
“These further 60 million doses will be used, alongside others, as part of our booster programme from later this year, so we can protect the progress that we’ve all made.”
The government will publish further details on the booster programme in due course and the final policy will be informed by advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the results of clinical trials studying the use of different combinations of approved COVID-19 vaccines.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “We are doing everything we can to make sure the most vulnerable are protected from COVID-19 now and in the future.
“Our brilliant Vaccines Taskforce has secured an extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to support our booster programme, which will be developed in line with the advice of our experts.
“In the meantime, we are making great progress with our vaccination rollout and I urge everybody to get their vaccines as soon as they are eligible.”
Overall, the UK has secured access to 517 million doses of eight of the most promising COVID-19 vaccines. These are:
Pfizer/BioNTech for 100 million doses – including the additional 60 million doses
Oxford/AstraZeneca for 100 million doses
Moderna for 17 million doses
Janssen for 30 million doses
Novavax for 60 million doses
Valneva for 100 million doses
GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur for 60 million doses
CureVac for 50 million doses
Health services across the UK have now administered a total of 47,540,984 million vaccines between 8 December and 27 April, including 33,959,908 million people with their first dose (64.5% of all adults) and 13,581,076 million with their second (25.8% of all adults).
All vaccines being used in the UK have met the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.
Rolling reviews are underway by the MHRA to assess the Janssen and Novavax vaccines. Clinical trials are ongoing for the Valneva, GSK and Sanofi and CureVac jabs.
The UK government has already hit its target of offering everybody in cohorts 1 to 9 – those aged 50 and over, the clinically vulnerable and health and social care workers – a first dose of the vaccine by 15 April and remains on track to offer a jab to all adults by the end of July.
Data from the ONS and Oxford University shows that COVID-19 infections fell significantly by 65% after the first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, rising further after the second dose.
Data from Public Health England’s real-world study shows the vaccines are already having a significant impact in the UK, reducing hospitalisations and deaths, saving more than 10,000 lives between December and March.
A recent survey published by ONS showed that 92% of those who had been vaccinated with a first dose did not experience any difficulties when going to get their vaccine – such as difficulty travelling to the vaccination site, concerns over catching the virus while there or having a long wait for their appointment.
Vaccines are available from thousands of NHS vaccine centres, GP practices and pharmacies. Around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre in England and vaccinations are taking place at sites including mosques, community centres and football stadiums.
Ben Osborn, Country Manager at Pfizer UK, said: “By more than doubling our supply commitment to the UK, we are delighted to support the ongoing rollout of the UK immunisation programme and help the government in its efforts to address the pandemic.
“Along with our partner BioNTech, we are working relentlessly to support vaccination campaigns worldwide and, based on current projections, believe we can deliver more than 2.5 billion doses of our vaccine globally by the end of 2021.”
The latest UK-wide vaccination statistics are published here
