Tag: coronavirus

NET sends further £5million to front line charities

The National Emergencies Trust has announced a further £5m of funding will be distributed to front line charities today helping those most impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. This is possible thanks to the generosity of the UK public, major charitable trusts and corporate donations.

So far, around half of the £16m total pledged to the Coronavirus Appeal has been given out (£7.5m in total), following an initial allocation of almost £2.5m a week after the appeal launched. Further distributions will be made in the coming days, to continue to support the most vulnerable in society.

The money will be distributed through UK Community Foundations to 46 local community foundations across the country.

Major businesses and charitable trusts across the UK, as well as the British public, have generously donated to the appeal, including corporate donors such as BT, Tesco, HSBC, M&S and National Grid.

The appeal is responding to the needs of local communities across the UK and allocating money to community foundations based on local factors such as levels of deprivation and demographics in each region.

Local Distribution

A snapshot of some of the local groups already benefitting from the appeal include:

Horncastle Food Bank

Horncastle Food Bank in Lincolnshire which has seen a 300% increase in demand for food and hygiene parcels. The group has also stepped in to help combat child poverty, by providing food for those children no longer receiving free school meals and are now also distributing hot meals for vulnerable people currently in isolation.

ASD Helping Hands

ASD Helping Hands helps those caring for children and young adults with autism, supporting over 1,300 families in Norfolk. Since the outbreak, the organisation has launched a web and phone-based advice and listening service to continue to support the mental wellbeing of families during this stressful time.

Musical Memories

Social enterprise Musical Memories saw its 5th anniversary Big Sing concert for more than 150 older people in the community cancelled due to the outbreak. However, the social enterprise hasn’t been deterred and is now hosting live music online sessions every day for older people across rural Yorkshire to help fight loneliness and isolation. Funding will provide recording equipment to facilitate ever more creative and engaging remote concerts.

NET Coronavirus Appeal

The National Emergencies Trust’s Coronavirus Appeal was launched in partnership with the British Red Cross and with the support of the Duke of Cambridge.

Anyone can make a donation and further donations can be made by clicking the below button.

DONATE

 

This week celebrity supporters including Miranda Hart, Joe Lycett and Kate Thornton have shared video messages on their social media urging the public to get behind the appeal.

John Herriman, CEO of the National Emergencies Trust, said: “It is fantastic that good causes across the UK are already seeing the benefits of the public’s support and the overwhelming generosity of our corporate donors. It’s vital that we are able to offer support to these groups as soon as we can.

“Our work may have started but there is still much more to do. We’re asking the public to get behind the appeal and make contribution if possible, or to spread the word to help raise awareness.

“Everyone who donates can be confident their money is reaching those in need quickly and making an instant difference to the most vulnerable in our communities at this difficult time. We need to come together more than ever and I’m heartened the British public are rising to the challenge.”

Rosemary Macdonald, Interim CEO of UK Community Foundations, said: “Working closely with our network of 46 community foundations, we’re seeing unprecedented demand for support from those in need across our society.

“We’re working to make sure that donations reach communities quickly and in response to particular needs, so that we are properly supporting the most vulnerable as best we can.”

Further changes to waste collections ‘will help protect workers’ safety’

First it was glass, now it’s garden waste. Changes will be made to waste collections in Edinburgh to ensure the continued delivery of essential services and to protect the health of frontline workers and residents.

  • New arrangements will protect the health of frontline staff
  • Non-statutory garden waste collections will be suspended to allow for changes
  • Additional measures have been taken to safeguard public health

From 7 April we are suspending kerbside garden waste (brown bin) collections to help prioritise resources while enabling waste collection crews to observe social distancing guidelines during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

In order to give crew members the space to stay two metres apart, the number of operatives in refuse lorry cabs will be reduced, meaning we’ll need increased resources to carry out the collection of kerbside and communal general waste, food recycling and dry mixed recycling.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “As a result of the current situation, non-statutory garden waste collections will be suspended until further notice, along with kerbside glass (blue box) collections, which were stopped earlier this month.

We’ll be in touch with households who have paid for this service about how we’ll compensate them for the reduction in service once we know the extent of the disruption.

“We’re working extremely hard to continue providing essential services to people living here, and our waste collection crews are doing a fantastic job. However, their health is of utmost importance so it’s important that we adapt service provision to protect their safety.

“This latest change will allow us to keep collecting most bins while giving teams the space to practise social distancing, limiting the potential spread of the coronavirus. I want to reassure the public that we’re doing everything we can to keep essential services running as close to normal as possible while looking out for the needs of the people who work for us.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Like local authorities across the country we face unprecedented challenges and at times like these it’s necessary to make changes for the good of the city, and our employees.

“We know this will be of some inconvenience to those planning to be gardening during this period, but I would discourage people from putting grass and cuttings in the brown bins in the meantime, as contents will begin to compost meaning they may become too heavy for us to collect once the service is up and running again. You can, however, find tips and advice for home composting on Changeworks’ website.”

To further support the essential collection of general waste, mixed recycling and food recycling, the council is procuring extra resources from a third-party provider, as well as reassigning staff from cleansing teams.

Anyone with symptoms of Coronavirus is encouraged to follow the guidance on how to dispose of waste correctly to help protect the safety of bin collection crews.

Additional measures taken to safeguard waste and cleansing workers’ health have been the increased provision of hand sanitiser supplies, in addition to hot water handwashing points in a number of vehicles, the washing down of lorries at the end of shifts and efforts to encourage social distancing in depots.

We will be contacting all those who have registered for garden waste collections to update on arrangements via letter or email, depending on how they signed up.

During this period, residents can continue recycling garden waste by using a compost bin if possible – tips and advice for home composting are available on Changeworks’ website.

If your brown bin is full please don’t put more garden waste in as the contents will start to compost and could become too heavy to empty when services start again.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

New guidelines to protect frontline staff

New guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) has been published for health and social care workers responding to coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland.

The guidance, which has been agreed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers and Chief Nursing Officers, follows an urgent review of the existing guidance against the latest evidence and WHO advice, on the safest way to protect health and social care staff.

The new guidance includes:

  • what type of PPE to use in secondary, primary and community care settings, and when to wear it
  • when clinicians need to wear a higher level of protective equipment, and in which settings
  • detailed advice around risk assessing use of PPE in a range of different clinical scenarios, including community settings, such as care homes and caring for individuals in their own homes

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Protecting staff working on the frontline is an absolute priority and I want to thank each and every one of them for their hard work and commitment in this incredibly challenging situation.

“I want our staff to feel as safe as possible and this updated guidance provides clarity so that health and social care staff caring for patients feel confident in which PPE they need to wear in different situations and settings.”

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said: “The updates to the guidance reflect the fact that COVID-19 is now widespread in the community, so health and social care workers are more likely to see patients with the virus, some of whom will not have symptoms yet.

“We have introduced new measures to improve the distribution of PPE, including a single point of contact for all health boards to manage local PPE supply and distribution, and an email address for NHS staff to contact if they do not have what they need. This is covid-19-health-PPE@gov.scot. It will be monitored continuously and allow us to act to resolve any specific supply issues more quickly.

“A helpline has also been set up for registered social care providers having problems accessing PPE, with extra staff to prepare orders for social care, additional delivery drivers, longer delivery hours and use of more external delivery companies to increase capacity. Work continues to source further PPE and ensure there is an appropriate supply for all our workforce.”

The Scottish Government also outlined details of the improved process to report COVID-19 deaths that began yesterday.

As part of this new system, 40 deaths, which would not yet have been reported under the old system – because next of kin had not been informed – have been included and allocated to the last three days as appropriate.

The data below shows the running total of the number of deaths reported, under the old and new systems, of those confirmed to have died from Coronavirus across the last few days. There are now 126 deaths confirmed using the new system:

Tuesday 31 March – 69 (previously 60)

Wednesday 1 April – 97 (76)

Thursday 2 April – 126 (86).

 

Stung into action: Hancock unveils testing plans

England will carry out 100,000 tests for coronavirus every day by the end of this month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged yesterday.

Increased testing for the NHS will form part of a new 5-pillar plan, bringing together government, industry, academia, the NHS and many others, to dramatically increase the number of tests being carried out each day.

Mr Hancock’s announcement comes following increasing criticism of the government’s slow response to both testing for coronavirus and provision of vital personal protective equipment (PPE).

On Wednesday, trade unions urged the government to ensure essential workers get access to live-saving protective equipment in an open letter to ministers.

The letter, signed by the TUC, UNISON, RCM, GMB, Unite, BDA and CSP, said: “Our members care for the sick and the elderly, they look after our children and keep them safe, they make sure there is food on the supermarket shelves, they keep the lights on and the water running.

“We are weeks into fighting Covid-19. It is now clear that the lack of personal protective equipment for frontline workers has become a crisis within a crisis.”

The letter adds: “Workers are being exposed to unreasonable and unnecessary risk by the ongoing failure to provide key workers with adequate PPE.

“Every day we hear from our members that despite repeated assurances from government, people are being asked to work with inadequate or out of date protective equipment – and that is where PPE is being provided at all.”

The letter states starkly the risks faced by key workers. “They are risking their own health and safety for us. We must be clear what that means, those who are subject to prolonged and direct exposure to the virus – such as health and social care professionals – are risking their lives.”

Calling for urgent government action to increase PPE supply, the letter adds there must be “transparency on procurement, distribution, timescales and exactly how and when workers can expect to get the protection they need and deserve,” adding “we call on the government and employers to guarantee that no member of staff will be put under pressure to perform tasks without adequate protective equipment.”

The call was backed by Labour health spokesperson John Ashworth. “Labour calls on ministers to abandon attempts to gag staff and instead work closely with trade  unions to ensure staff get the PPE that is so crucial to keeping them and patients safe,” he said.

The appeal – and, perhaps more importantly, criticism from loyal government supporting newspapers including the Daily Mail and the Telegraph – appears to have had an effect and the government has been stung into action.

Professor John Newton the Director of Health Improvement for Public Health England, has been appointed to help deliver the new plans and bring together industry, universities, NHS and government behind the ambitious testing targets.

He will coordinate a national effort with global manufacturers encouraged to expand their manufacturing capacity here in England; our strongest, home grown businesses in life sciences and other industries are encouraged to turn their resources to creating and rolling out mass testing at scale, and the government will support anyone with a scalable scientific idea or innovation to start a business.

New testing capabilities for the NHS and their families will support staff who are isolating at home to return safely to work if the test is negative, and keep themselves and others safe if the test is positive.

Significant progress to increase testing has already taken place across the country to protect the vulnerable, support our NHS, and ultimately save lives. New testing centres have been established at the main hotspots of the disease, and the UK has already conducted more than 152,000 tests. The 5-pillar plan sets targets to expand the England’s capability further.

The new 5-pillar plan outlines the ambitions to:

  • Scale up swab testing in PHE labs and NHS hospitals for those with a medical need and the most critical workers to 25,000 a day by mid to late April;
  • Deliver increased commercial swab testing for critical key workers in the NHS, before then expanding to key workers in other sectors;
  • Develop blood testing to help know if people have the right antibodies and so have high levels of immunity to coronavirus;
  • Conduct surveillance testing to learn more about the spread of the disease and help develop new tests and treatments; and
  • Create a new National Effort for testing, to build a mass-testing capacity at a completely new scale.

Once widespread testing is available, we will prioritise repeated testing of critical key workers, to keep them safe and make sure that they do not spread the virus.

Over time, plans announced today will also see increasing focus on testing to see if people have already had the virus, to identify if they have the antibodies that will give them immunity against catching it again. This science is new and developing, but the aim is for a successful test that can be rolled out at scale, that could allow critical workers – and then the wider population – to return to work and their daily lives.

The Health Secretary also announced that over £13 BILLION of debt will be written off as part of a major financial reset for NHS providers – and community pharmacies will also receive a £300 million boost.

Seems the government has found that magic money tree after all!

New technology to aid COVID-19 air transfers

The Scottish Ambulance Service is utlilising the latest medical technology to aid in the safe transfer of COVID-19 patients using air ambulance.

The ‘epishuttle’ technology allows patients to be placed in a sealed adult sized incubator for transfer by air ambulance, providing protection for both patients and staff in complex cases.

To date, eight of these shuttles have been purchased, two of which have been received and are being tested for a go-live date on 3 April. A further two will be received on 17 April and another four by Mid-May.

The investment, of more than £500,000, will allow the Service to ensure patients receive the highest possible standards of care whilst increasing capacity for complex transfers involving COVID-19 patients, such as those from remote and Island communities.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is working in partnership with Transport Scotland, Loganair and the RAF to increase the range of transport options available for COVID-19 transfers.

Pauline Howie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “This is an unprecendented situation and our staff across the country are doing a fantastic job in caring for patients across Scotland.

“The fight against COVID-19 has required the NHS to think differently and to move at pace. By adapting our approach and using this latest available technology, we are taking  swift action in the best interests of patients and our hardworking staff – whilst increasing our capacity.

“The introduction of epishuttles will increase the range of options available to us as a Service as we deal with COVID-19 cases, particularly for rural and island communities.

“I’d also like to thank our colleagues at Transport Scotland, Loganair and the RAF who have been offered fantastic assistance to us through aircraft and staff. It has been a real team effort and means we have the full range of resources available to us to enable us to react to any situation as we continue to help communities across Scotland in the months ahead.”

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We’ve been working closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service to significantly increase capacity for airlifting patients off the islands and to ensure that any patients from our island communities with COVID-19 can be transported to receive the appropriate healthcare when they need it.

“The first batch of Epishuttles will be available from this Friday, with plans well underway to increase the number of these single patient isolation pods in the coming weeks. Epishuttles are designed to protect patients and crew from potential infection and safely transport patients on fixed wing aircraft.

“In the meantime, SAS is working with the RAF who are currently providing cover for transfers off the islands, using three puma helicopters based at Kinloss which can transfer some patients without Epishuttles.

“Our NHS is on an emergency footing and all health boards have been undertaking extensive work across Scotland to maximise the capacity available to manage expected rise in demand due to COVID-19. We can all play our part and ease pressure on services by staying at home, except for key workers, essential shopping, reasonable exercise or caring for the vulnerable.”

The rights and health of refugees, migrants and stateless must be protected

A joint press release from The Office of the High Commissioner, United Nations Human Rights; International Organisation for Migration; World Health Organisation:

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we are all vulnerable. The virus has shown that it does not discriminate – but many refugees, those forcibly displaced, the stateless and migrants are at heightened risk.

Three-quarters of the world’s refugees and many migrants are hosted in developing regions where health systems are already overwhelmed and under-capacitated. Many live in overcrowded camps, settlements, makeshift shelters or reception centers, where they lack adequate access to health services, clean water and sanitation.

The situation for refugees and migrants held in formal and informal places of detention, in cramped and unsanitary conditions, is particularly worrying.

Considering the lethal consequences a COVID-19 outbreak would have, they should be released without delay. Migrant children and their families and those detained without a sufficient legal basis should be immediately released.

This disease can be controlled only if there is an inclusive approach which protects every individual’s rights to life and health. Migrants and refugees are disproportionately vulnerable to exclusion, stigma and discrimination, particulary when undocumented.

To avert a catastrophe, governments must do all they can to protect the rights and the health of everyone. Protecting the rights and the health of all people will in fact help control the spread of the virus.

It is vital that everyone, including all migrants and refugees, are ensured equal access to health services and are effectively included in national responses to COVID-19, including prevention, testing and treatment. Inclusion will help not only to protect the rights of refugees and migrants, but will also serve to protect public health and stem the global spread of COVID-19.

While many nations protect and host refugee and migrant populations, they are often not equipped to respond to crises such as Covid-19. To ensure refugees and migrants have adequate access to national health services, States may need additional financial support. This is where the world’s financial institutions can play a leading role in making funds available.

While countries are closing their borders and limiting cross-border movements, there are ways to manage border restrictions in a manner which respects international human rights and refugee protection standards, including the principle of non-refoulement, through quarantine and health checks.

More than ever, as COVID-19 poses a global threat to our collective humanity, our primary focus should be on the preservation of life, regardless of status. This crisis demands a coherent, effective international approach that leaves no-one behind.

At this crucial moment we all need to rally around a common objective, fighting this deadly virus. Many refugees, displaced, stateless people and migrants have skills and resources that can also be part of the solution.

We cannot allow fear or intolerance to undermine rights or compromise the effectiveness of responses to the global pandemic. We are all in this together. We can only defeat this virus when each and every one of us is protected.

 

 

New guidance to support mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak

Advice on looking after your mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is now available on NHS inform, Scotland’s trusted health information site.

As people across Scotland adjust to these unusual circumstances, NHS 24’s mental health practitioners anticipate many will experience anxiety and stress about what’s going on in the world. In particular, those living alone or who are self-isolating, may be struggling with limited social contact as a result of social distancing measures.

NHS 24 Medical Director, Dr Laura Ryan, said: “Everyone deals with this type of situation differently, and it may feel like there is a lot going on which is outside of your control.

“Remember it’s ok, not to feel ok. Understandably, you may need some additional mental health support at this challenging time. Don’t forget that we’re all in this together and that support is available from a wide range of organisations to help you get through this.”

The NHS inform website hosts the national information service for COVID-19 and now provides online information and practical advice on mental wellbeing – www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus-mental-wellbeing

Guidance is centred on four main areas:

  • Staying informed – having the right information, as news from unreliable sources can make you feel more upset and anxious.
  • Creating a healthy home routine – helping everyone in your home to keep a sense of calm and order.
  • Staying connected – keeping in touch with friends and family online or by phone, to help you feel less alone while staying home.
  • Finding support – just talking to someone can help, phonelines such as Breathing Space and Samaritans are there to offer support.

Breathing Space National Coordinator, Tony McLaren, said: “We are receiving lots of calls to the Breathing Space helpline from people feeling anxious about their health, or concerned about the health of others.

“It’s perfectly understandable to feel this way, and our advisors are here to listen and offer support. Having mental health information available on NHS inform is an additional resource which can be accessed to potentially help ease anxieties.”

You can hear more from Tony on how to manage your mental health- search for ‘Tony McLaren NHS 24’ on www.soundcloud.com.

Extra funding from the Scottish Government has been made available for NHS 24 to develop additional self-help guides, online resources and mental health services to cope with further demand.

Coronavirus: latest update

Business Secretary Alok Sharma gave yesterday’s (1 April 2020) daily press briefing on the UK government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us for the daily briefing on our fight against coronavirus. I am joined today by Dr Yvonne Doyle who is the medical director of Public Health England.

Before Yvonne provides an update on the latest data from our COBR coronavirus fact file, I would like to update you on the steps that we are taking to defeat this pandemic.

Our step-by-step action plan is aiming to slow the spread of the virus, so fewer people need hospital treatment at any one time, protecting the ability of the NHS to cope.

Throughout our response to coronavirus, we have been following the scientific and medical advice. We have been deliberate in our actions, taking the right steps at the right time.

We are also taking unprecedented action to increase NHS capacity by dramatically expanding the number of beds, key staff and life-saving equipment on the front-line to provide the care when people need it most.

The daily figures show that a total of 152,979 people in the UK have now been tested for coronavirus. Of those, 29,474 have tested positive.

The number of people admitted to hospital in England with coronavirus symptoms is now 10,767, with 3,915 of those in London and 1,918 in the Midlands.

Of those hospitalised in the UK, sadly 2,352 have died. This is an increase of 563 fatalities since yesterday. The youngest of them was just 13 years old.

All our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.

This is more tragic evidence that this virus does not discriminate.

The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest threat our country has faced in decades, and we are not alone. All over the world we are seeing the devastating impact of this invisible killer.

We recognise the extreme disruption the necessary actions we are asking people to take are having on their lives, businesses, jobs and the nation’s economy.

And I want to thank everyone across our whole country for the huge effort that is being made, collectively, in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

To the frontline workers treating and caring for patients, the people delivering supplies to their neighbours, and the millions staying at home: thank you. You are protecting the NHS and saving lives.

And I want to thank businesses too.

Through your support for your workers and your communities, and through your willingness to support our health service, you are making a real difference.

Whether it’s INEOS building a new hand sanitiser plant near Middlesbrough in just ten days;

Or UCL engineers working with Mercedes Formula One to build new Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines, which help patients to breathe more easily;

Or broadband providers giving their customers unlimited data to stay connected;

Or indeed London’s ExCel Centre being converted into the NHS Nightingale Hospital with space for 4,000 patients.

These are just a few of the examples of businesses from across our great nation supporting lifesaving work.

There are also thousands of businesses, large and small, which have worked with staff to ensure they are supported in the days and weeks ahead.

Whether that is through ensuring PHE guidelines are followed on site, implementing furlough schemes, carrying over annual leave, or providing the means to work from home.

I want to convey my heartfelt thanks to all of those businesses, up and down the country, which are working to keep our economy going.

So that when this crisis passes, and it will, we are ready to bounce back.

Our businesses are doing all they can to support our people, and I want to make it clear that government, in turn, will do all it can to support our businesses.

We have taken unprecedented action to support firms, safeguard jobs and protect the economy.

From today businesses will start benefiting from £22 billion in the form of business rates relief. And grants of up to £25,000 which are being paid into the bank accounts of the smallest high street firms.

On Saturday, I said that we had provided funds to councils in England for grants to small businesses.

As of today, these local authorities have received more than £12 billion.

This afternoon I held a call with hundreds of local authorities across England and made clear that this money must reach businesses as quickly as possible. And I know that businesses across England have already started to receive these grants.

We know high street banks are working really hard to support the UK through this period, including through mortgage holidays and increased credit facilities.

Loans for businesses are also being issued through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme since it came into operation last week.

The Chancellor, together with the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority, wrote to the chief executives of the UK banks to urge them to make sure that the benefits of the Loan Scheme are passed through to businesses and consumers.

And it would be completely unacceptable if any banks were unfairly refusing funds to good businesses in financial difficulty.

Just as the taxpayer stepped in to help the banks back in 2008, we will work with the banks to do everything they can to repay that favour and support the businesses and people of the United Kingdom in their time of need.

Of course, this is a brand new scheme and, as with all new schemes, it will not be perfect from the outset.

We are listening all the time. And in response to concerns that we’ve heard from businesses, we are looking at ways in which we can ensure they get the support they need. The Chancellor will be saying more on this in the coming days.

It is crucial that when we overcome this crisis, as in time we will, that businesses are in a good position to move forward.

Times are tough, and we have harder times ahead of us.

But I know that together, we will pull through.

First Minister to feature in Radio Forth COVID 19 special tomorrow

In a first for Scottish radio, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to set to appear in a one-hour special on COVID 19 on Forth 1 and Forth 2 and across the whole Hits Radio Network and Greatest Hits Network in Scotland tomorrow.

The First Minister will be joining Ewen Cameron from 9am to 10am to answer questions from listeners and to respond to their most pressing issues and concerns about COVID 19 as well as providing the latest updates on the Scottish Government’s response.

The ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign will also be under discussion as the First Minister highlights the initiative which was launched this week to encourage people to volunteer to help their communities, public services and voluntary organisations during the pandemic.

Ewen Cameron, host of the interview and presenter of ‘Ewen Cameron in the Morning’ said: “This is an extremely challenging time for everyone and we’re grateful that the First Minister is taking the time to directly respond to questions from our listeners across Scotland.

“We know that people have many different concerns so this is an opportunity to hear from Nicola Sturgeon on the issues that matter to them and we would urge our listeners to send in their questions.”

Graham Bryce, Group Managing Director, said: “These are unprecedented times and in a first for Scottish radio we are bringing all 14 of our stations together for the special Q&A with the First Minister.

“Latest figures show that our stations reach 1.6 million people per week across all age groups and this is the ideal opportunity for them to hear more detailed information from the First Minister and for her to respond directly to their questions.”

To submit a question please visit the website: forth1.com or forth2.com.

Submissions close at noon today (Thursday 2nd April 2020).

Vulnerable people struggle to get essentials

Three-quarters of the population have experienced shortages of products when shopping in recent weeks, with vulnerable consumers among those struggling to get hold of essentials, new research from Which? has found.

In a survey of more than 2,000 members of the public on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak carried out between 20th-24th March, three-quarters (76%) reported experiencing shortages of products in supermarkets, shops or online.

A third (34%) said they could not find hand sanitisers while around a quarter could not find toilet rolls (27%) and rice and pasta (25%).

The coronavirus outbreak has also impacted shopping habits, with around a third (32%) saying they have shopped at independent and convenience stores more than usual.

While supermarkets have maintained there is plenty of food available to feed the nation, many stores have struggled to keep their shelves stocked around the clock to meet the sudden increase in demand, while online shopping delivery slots are booked up weeks in advance.

Major retailers have been seeking to address these issues by hiring thousands of extra staff, limiting purchases of some items and prioritising NHS workers and vulnerable customers at certain times, while the government has relaxed competition laws to allow supermarkets to work together on maintaining supplies of essential goods.

The government has also made plans to deliver weekly food parcels to more than a million people who have been identified as medically vulnerable.

Worryingly, in another survey of Which? members carried out in the same time period, thousands said they had experienced food shortages, including reports from some vulnerable customers who said they had struggled to get the products they needed.

One Which? member said they were struggling to get fresh food such as bread, vegetables and milk, particularly as they had been advised to stay indoors due to their age and had been unable to secure an online delivery slot.

Another member from rural Scotland said their local supermarkets, which are nine miles away, were filled with empty shelves. As these stores were relatively small, they had not yet introduced special opening times for older or vulnerable customers but were closing earlier.

Which? found that product shortages were experienced relatively evenly across all regions of the country, suggesting the issue was widespread.

The measures introduced by the supermarkets and the government appear to be having some impact and a number of supermarkets have recently been able to relax some of the restrictions that they put in place. The situation around the country continues to change regularly.

However, more must still be done to ensure effective coordination and clear communication across the country so that people are clear on the best way to access the food they need. This includes people the government has identified as vulnerable as part of its coronavirus guidance, as well as those who may be vulnerable because of their wider circumstances.

The government must also work with the food industry to develop an effective contingency plan to avoid any future disruption to supply chains, as well as addressing these issues of availability and distribution.

Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection and Food Policy at Which?, said: “Millions of people have been experiencing product shortages in supermarkets, with all parts of the country affected. While many can adapt their shopping habits, it is particularly concerning that we are hearing from vulnerable consumers who are struggling to get hold of essentials.

“Supermarkets must continue to work with the government to explore innovative solutions that ensure people have access to essential food supplies in the challenging weeks and months ahead.

“With coronavirus restrictions expected to last months, the government must ensure that there is more effective coordination of food supplies and clearer communication. All consumers, but particularly people who are vulnerable, need to have a much clearer route to access the right help and food supplies for their needs.”