Vaccines delivered to 44% of Scotland’s eligible population
Scotland’s vaccination programme has delivered first doses of the coronavirus vaccine to more than two million people – 44% of the adult population.
The landmark was reached yesterday (Wednesday 17 March). 60 year old Ian Love from Dunipace was among those vaccinated on the day the milestone was reached.
The engineering manager received his first dose at Forth Valley College’s Stirling campus, one of a number of community venues being used to deliver the vaccine locally in NHS Forth Valley.
The national vaccination programme continues to move through groups 6 and 7 on the priority list which includes those with particular underlying health conditions and unpaid carers. A self-referral online service has been launched to enable any eligible unpaid carers who have not received an invitation to register themselves.
As groups 6 and 7 progress, we have begun scheduling appointments for the next priority groups which are group 8 (age 55-59 years) and 9 (age 50-54 years) and vaccinations for these groups began at the start of this week.
Heath Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “More than two million people in Scotland have now received their first dose of the vaccine. That this has been achieved in little more than three months is down to the enormous efforts of our vaccination teams.
“I would like to thank everyone who is working tirelessly to make this a success, and also every individual who has taken up their offer of a vaccine.
“Scotland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is now in the final stages of vaccinating the first nine priority groups. When you are offered the vaccine please take up the invitation.
“The vaccination programme is one of three key ways we are working to beat this virus, along with our expanded testing programme to identify cases and break chains of transmission and the important lockdown restrictions everyone in Scotland must follow. All these measures work to greatest effect when they work together.”
Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland Dr Miles Mack said: “It is remarkable that a year after the first COVID-19 mortality in Scotland, effective vaccines have been developed, and are now being rapidly rolled out across the country.
“It is a testament to the hard working healthcare staff, military personnel and volunteers that we mark the milestone of 2 million first dose vaccinations, since the vaccine rollout programme began in December.
“We know that the vaccines are safe and effective. They are a vital tool in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and in ensuring that people are protected against this deadly disease. But there is more work to be done. Much of the adult population is yet to receive their first vaccine dose, and I would encourage people to take up the offer of a vaccine when they are called.
“I’d also ask the public to please bear with us while they are waiting their turn to be vaccinated. I know that vaccinators are working through the clinical priority list as quickly as they possibly can.”
Mr Love said: “I am so pleased to have had my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is such a relief and it really is starting to feel like we can start to think about a return to normal life.
“I want to thank everyone at NHS Forth Valley – the whole procedure has been simple and the local staff were very reassuring and clearly explained the process. I look forward to getting my second dose in around twelve weeks’ time.”
NHS Forth Valley Immunisation Team Coordinator Gillian Bruce said: “We are delighted to be marking the delivery of 2 million Covid-19 vaccinations here in Stirling.
“This achievement is testament to the hard work of local immunisation teams, GP Practice staff and volunteers across the country who are working closely with colleagues in local councils, Health and Social Care Partnerships and the military to deliver this large and complex vaccination programme.”
More than 25 million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine – but there may be a dark cloud on the horizon.
The UK government is facing questions over coronavirus vaccine supply after he NHS warned of a ‘significant reduction’ in the supply of Covid vaccines in England next month in a letter to local health organisations.
The letter says there has been a ‘reduction in national inbound vaccines supply’ and asks health boards to ‘ensure no further appointments are uploaded’ to booking systems in April.
The BBC has reported that a delivery of millions of doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, has been held up by four weeks.
UK Government health minister Matt Hancock tried to make light of concerns raised at a media breifing yesterday and the Department of Health insists it is still on track to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July.
Cities and regions can apply for additional funding to help them recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Speaking ahead of the first meeting of the City Centre Recovery taskforce tomorrow (Thursday) Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced two new funds totalling £4 million.
Each city local authority has been invited to submit proposals focused on recovery planning to the £2 million City Centres Recovery Fund.
Proposals received so far include:
plans for more city centre based apprenticeships and training in Edinburgh
property repair, improvement and conversion in Perth City Centre
repurposing of Dundee City Centre properties through collaboration with Creative Industries sector
support for businesses in Glasgow applying for outdoor trading areas as restrictions ease
Meanwhile, a £2 million Regional Recovery Fund is calling for proposals focused on maximising local job creation, as well as accelerating delivery of City Region and Growth Deal investment and developing regional recovery plans.
Ms Hyslop said: “There is no denying the severe impact this pandemic has had, and continues to have, on our cities and regions. We recognise the sacrifices everyone has made to support our collective effort to get the virus under control and for that we are incredibly grateful.
“We know the pandemic has had differing impacts across Scotland, and this targeted support allows each local authority to put forward tailored proposals that meet their unique needs and support economic recovery.
“We have already provided £1.2 billion in economic recovery initiatives over the last year and the recently passed Scottish Budget sets out even more recovery measures to support the economy in the next year.
“Our City Centre Recovery taskforce will develop a shared vision for the future of Scotland’s city centres, with a focus on innovative actions to help them prosper over the next five years, in a way that encourages inclusive and sustainable growth.”
The First Minister has set out a timetable for the re-opening of parts of society over the next two months.
Stay at Home regulations will be lifted on 2 April and replaced with guidance to Stay Local, with more services including hairdressers, garden centres and non-essential click and collect services able to open from 5 April.
More college students will also return to on-campus learning and outdoor contact sports will resume for 12-17 year olds on 5 April if progress on vaccination and suppression of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues.
The Scottish Government then hopes to lift all restrictions on journeys in mainland Scotland on 26 April.
Discussions will be held with island communities already in lower levels on the possibility of having a faster return to more socialising and hospitality with restrictions on mainland travel to protect against importation of the virus.
Vaccination of all nine JCVI priority groups – more than half of the population, accounting for 99% of COVID-related fatalities – is expected to be completed by mid-April, supplies allowing.
The dates outlined are enabled by strong new evidence that suggests vaccines reduce the chances of transmitting the virus as well as reducing serious illness and death, even after a first dose.
Further expected easing on 26 April includes:
all retail premises, libraries, museums and galleries, tourist accommodation would be able to open
the hospitality sector would be able to reopen outdoors for the service of alcohol, and potentially open indoors for non-alcohol service
up to four people from two households could be able to socialise indoors in a public place such as a café or restaurant
six people from up to three households could be able to meet outdoors and the limit on wedding and funeral attendance could be raised to 50 people
gyms and swimming pools would be open for individual exercise and non-essential childcare would be permitted
non-essential work in peoples’ homes and driving lessons could resume from this date
On 17 May, it is hoped that groups of four people from two households would be able to socialise indoors in a private home, and that cinemas, amusement arcades and small scale outdoor and indoor events could restart with limits on capacity.
Further easing on this date would include outdoor contact sport for adults and indoor group exercise
The First Minister also indicated that in early June it is hoped that Scotland could move to Level 1 and by end of June to level 0.
Grants of up to £7,500 for retailers and up to £19,500 for hospitality and leisure businesses will be paid in April to help businesses re-open progressively.
These one-off re-start grants will replace ongoing Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF) payments and will provide more money up front to help with the costs of re-opening. Eligible businesses must have applied to the SFBF by 22 March in order to receive these payments.
The last four-weekly SFBF payment of up to £3,000 will be paid on 22 March, as scheduled. Targeted restart grants for businesses that are not in scope for the current SFBF support package may be considered if the Scottish Government receives further consequentials from the UK Government.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Vaccination is already having a significant impact on the number of deaths in Scotland, and research giving us more confidence in its effects against new variants and in helping prevent transmission.
“That gives us more confidence in setting possible dates for our next steps out of lockdown in addition to the significant changes set out last week to allow more socialisation, and get children back to school as soon as possible.
“It is not possible to provide specific dates or details for coming out of lockdown beyond 17 May – that will depend on what impact there is from the changes already made – however my hope and ambition is that from early June, all of Scotland will effectively be in level 1 of the levels system, allowing for a further easing of restrictions – and possibly moving to level 0 in late June.
“That is not the endpoint – we hope and expect that vaccination, better treatments, continued use of the test and protect system, and proportionate ongoing precautions such as good hand hygiene will allow us to keep COVID under much greater control.
“This will allow us to enjoy many of the things that we took for granted before the pandemic– normal family gatherings where we can hug our loved ones, sporting events, gigs and nightclubs.
“I cannot set a date for that point yet, but I do believe that over the coming weeks as more and more adults are vaccinated it will be possible to set a firmer date by which many of these normal things will be possible, and I am very optimistic that this date will be over the summer.
“Thanks to the sacrifices we all made three months ago, and the success of the vaccination programme we are now in a much better and brighter position, with well-earned optimism as we look ahead to the summer.
“We are getting the virus under control, but it is still dangerous, and to reach these dates it’s more important than ever now to stay within the rules – until 2 April stay at home, except for essential purposes; don’t meet people from other households indoors, and follow the FACTS advice when out and about.”
Responding to the announcement of the timetable for lifting estrictions, CAMRA Scotland’s Director Joe Crawford said: “Pub goers, licensees and brewers will be disappointed to see our pubs being treated unfairly compared to similar businesses like cafés and non-essential retail.
“The return of curfews and a ban on alcohol being consumed indoors is devastating news for the industry which is looking to reopen covid-secure venues so that people can socialise safely. For many businesses it just won’t be worthwhile opening back up as they won’t be able to turn a profit under these draconian restrictions.
“Restart grants announced today are welcome – but without a full and proper reopening, and with continuing restrictions like table-service only requirement lasting for the foreseeable future, it is vital that the Scottish Government provides dedicated financial support for our pubs, social clubs and the breweries that serve them until they can trade at full capacity.
“CAMRA are also campaigning for the UK Government to cut tax on beer served in pubs to help them compete with supermarkets.”
Responding to the latest update on lockdown restrictions and the outline of indicative dates for the re-opening of the economy from the First Minister, Dr Liz Cameron OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Businesses have been patiently waiting for indicative dates to re-open and today’s announcement is a good start. It will enable many businesses and customers to start planning and preparing for re-opening with confidence and optimism.
“In particular, the intention to relax travel restrictions should support the viability of the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors. We are pleased to hear that the Scottish Government will work with the UK Government and the travel & aviation sectors to look at the detail as to how international travel can re-open safely and quickly.
“We also need to see clarification of what is allowed in the various levels of restrictions, sooner rather than later. We would urge alignment across all UK nations which enables the industry to restart together and to avoid confusion for travellers.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to plan for the re-opening of the remaining sectors of the economy. We are now looking to engage on the granular detail of the levels, associated criteria and trigger points. We will work with government to help enable that to be done as quickly and as safely as possible, in line with the continued successful roll-out of the vaccination programme.”
On the establishment of restart grants, Dr Cameron said:“It makes more sense to provide businesses with a lump sum so they can deploy these resources where it can be of most use – businesses themselves are the best judges of this.
“Businesses will welcome the certainty of when they can expect the funds to be allocated and we look forward to working with Scottish Government and local government to ensure this process runs as smoothly as possible.”
‘Tough times ahead’ for licensed hospitality sector, warns Scottish Licensed Trade Association, following the First Minister’s statement today.
The SLTA has expressed bitter disappointment after today’s announcement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that bars, restaurants and cafés will not be able to serve alcohol indoors when the licensed hospitality industry reopens next month.
Warning that there remain “tough times ahead” for licensed hospitality as Scotland slowly emerges from lockdown, SLTA managing director Colin Wilkinson said: “This is not the news we were hoping for. Yes, it’s good news for those bars, restaurants and cafés with suitable facilities who will be able to serve people outdoors – in groups of up to six from three households – until 10pm from 26 April.
“However, for indoor hospitality, today’s news is yet another bitter blow and we are surprised that the Scottish Government has chosen not to allow premises to sell alcohol when they reopen next month. “We of course welcome the news that from 17 May, hospitality venues will be able to open until 10.30pm indoors with alcohol permitted and, for outdoors, until 10pm.
“We welcome these indicative dates for reopening as they provide more clarity for businesses but overall, these slight lifting of restrictions don’t go far enough and, for the majority, reopening will remain unviable. We’re bitterly disappointed.”
The SLTA welcomed confirmation that on 22 March, recipients of support under the Strategic Business Framework Fund will receive a final four-week payment then in April a further combined payment of a two-week payment under the Strategic Business Framework Fund and eligible hospitality and leisure businesses will also receive a further payment of up to £19,500 in the form of a restart grant.
But Wilkinson added:“Restrictions will continue into June and beyond, leading businesses further into debt.
“The typical small hospitality business has taken on between £60,000 and £90,000 in bank debt and deferred bills as of February this year just to survive Covid – and the debt is rising with every week of low or no income.
“If there is a positive to come out of today’s announcement it is that we have something to work towards but that doesn’t change the fact that for a very high percentage of business, reopening in April will simply be unviable.”
Council leaders are encouraging communities and businesses to ‘stick with it’ after a proposed date for lifting the ‘stay at home’ rule was announced today by the Scottish Government.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “This is a welcome and clear roadmap out of lockdown that gives us all something positive to look forward to.
“The successful roll-out of the vaccine programme and the fall in positive cases across Edinburgh is testament to the collective efforts of our health services, our residents and our businesses. The hard work and sacrifices we’re making are the only way can achieve the roadmap and return to normal.
“We are moving in the right direction, with rates across the city at one of the lowest levels since spring last year. We must stick with it and stay within the guidelines, to continue to keep the virus under control and keep our communities safe.
“I know so many of our local traders are anxious to open their doors again and I hope everyone will join me in getting out when we can to support businesses near us and in our city centre. We’ll very soon be able to fully enjoy everything our amazing city has to offer and welcome back friends and visitors to our Capital.
Depute Leader Cammy Day said:“Tuesday 23 March, a week today, marks a full year since the country went into lockdown and our condolences go out to all those who have lost loved ones during this unprecedented crisis. We will remember them during a national silence next Tuesday.
“Today’s announcement is really good news for businesses across Edinburgh as travel restrictions look to be eased across Scotland from 26 April. Opening up retail, hospitality and tourism gives us all something to look forward to and meeting up with more loved ones in outdoor settings for something to eat and drink will be a real treat again.
“Until then it’s important we don’t drop our guard – we need to continue to observe this gradual, phased approach so we can protect people’s health and safety while working towards Edinburgh’s successful recovery from the pandemic. We all want to keep the virus under control and keep everyone safe.
“So for now, until 2 April, our advice remains the same – please stay at home and help save lives. Hope’s on the horizon and we’ll get there even faster if we stick together now.”
Responding to the First Minister’s announcement on an indicative timeline for lifting restrictions, STUC General Secretary said: “We welcome this cautious approach that is entirely reliant on continuing progress in suppressing the virus. The implications for public health and sustainable economic recovery of moving too fast would be catastrophic.
“We have no doubt that the First Minister will continue to be subject to sustained pressure from bosses in many sectors, including hospitality, to move more quickly but this must be resisted.
“We believe that effective test, trace and isolate measures are essential, along with the flexibility to increase local restrictions when necessary to control any outbreaks.
“For the sake of the public’s health and the safety of workers we need the future return to work to be a steadily managed stream and not a torrent. “It is essential that the proposed return of students to colleges and universities is only undertaken with full and early consultation of education unions.
“We urge employers planning the return to work to learn from previous mistakes made during the emergence from the first lockdown. They must ensure that all continuing guidelines on social distancing and face coverings in the workplace continue.
“They must respect any ongoing fears and concerns of their own workers and, critically, fully consult with employees both on what is expected of them and on the protection they have a right to expect. Any worker with concerns should contact their union or the STUC.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries not to pause Covid vaccinations, as several EU countries halted their rollouts of the Oxford AstraZeneca jab.
It said there was no evidence of a link between the vaccine and blood clots.
Germany, France, Italy and Spain have now joined Denmark, Norway and Iceland in halting vaccinations as a precaution while data is examined.
WHO’s vaccine safety experts meet today to discuss the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will also meet and is due to draw conclusions on Thursday. It has also said the vaccine should continue to be used.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sought to reassure anxious Scots over safety concerns yesterday.
She told the daily media briefing: “We are of course – as I’m sure you are too – aware that some countries, most recently the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, have paused their use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“You might be hearing reports of this in the media and you might have concerns as a result. So I wanted to take the opportunity today to address this directly.
“In the UK, the decision to suspend the use of any vaccine is a matter for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
“The MHRA has confirmed to us that there is no current evidence of an increase in blood clots being caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine. That is the issue that has caused the pause in some other countries.
“As you would expect, though, the MHRA is continuing to monitor this carefully, and it remains in regular contact with other regulators.
“There is, however, significant and growing evidence of the benefits of vaccination in reducing death, illness and we hope now, reducing transmission as well – and the vaccination programme continues to make very good progress.
“So for all these reasons and based on the advice and opinion of the MHRA, we continue to urge people to come forward for vaccination included with the AstraZeneca vaccine when you are invited to do so.“
Indeed, I can confirm that, as of 8.30 this morning, 1,908,991 people in Scotland have received the first dose of the vaccine.
“That is an increase of 20,294 since yesterday.
“In addition, 1,907 people yesterday received the second dose, which brings the total number of second doses now to 161,945.
“So as of now, virtually all people over the age of 65 have had the first dose of the vaccine. So too have 53% of 60-64 year olds; 41% of 55 to 59 year olds; and 33% of 50 to 54 year olds.
“As the Health Secretary indicated when she was here on Friday, we expect the pace of vaccination to pick up significantly again this week in line with increased supplies.
“So we are expecting that, taking first and second doses together, there will be around 400,000 vaccinations done over the course of this week.”
MHRA response to the precautionary suspensions of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca
‘It has not been confirmed that the reports of blood clots were caused by the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so.’
Dr Phil Bryan, MHRA Vaccines Safety Lead said: “We are closely reviewing reports but the evidence available does not suggest the vaccine is the cause.
“Blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon. More than 11 million doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca have now been administered across the UK, and the number of blood clots reported after having the vaccine is not greater than the number that would have occurred naturally in the vaccinated population.
“We are working closely with international counterparts in understanding the global safety experience of COVID-19 vaccines and on the rapid sharing of safety data and reports.
“People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so.”
As secondary school pupils start to return to the classroom, those aged 12-15 who have smartphones are being encouraged to download the Protect Scotland app.
The app, extended to include the younger age group in December 2020, will help pupils protect themselves and those in their household from COVID-19, as the part-time return to school gets underway.
The Scottish Government today reminded people of the importance of not only downloading the app, but also ensuring that the code provided is entered if a person tests positive, to anonymously alert those who have been in close contact.
App users who are then alerted are able to isolate quicker, and get tested, to stop the spread.
To date, 1.8 million people in Scotland have downloaded the app, and it has, so far notified almost 40,000 people to self-isolate.
The aim is to increase the app’s reach further, particularly as people start to come together in school settings over the coming weeks, to offer an additional layer of protection and reduce the risk of people spreading the virus unknowingly.
https://youtu.be/rzGzh0msKNA
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, said: “The Protect Scotland app has been and remains a vital tool in the reducing the spread of COVID-19, particularly with the new, more transmissible strains in circulation.
“Whilst lateral flow testing is in place for senior secondary pupils and will be extended to S1-S3 pupils after the easter holidays, the app runs in the background and adds an additional protection meaning pupils will be notified far quicker if they come into contact with someone who has the virus.
“As pupils start to come back together, the more people that use it, the more effective it will be in slowing the spread of COVID-19.”
Download the free app today at protect.scot and protect yourself, your family, and Scotland against coronavirus.
Charities write open letter to encourage those with underlying health conditions to come forward for the jab
More than half of cohort 6 have already been vaccinated
Vaccine drive includes NHS text alert sent to more than 2 million people in this group
People with underlying conditions including cancer, diabetes and heart disease are being encouraged to come forward for a Covid-19 vaccine by leading UK health charities.
Frontline charities, including Mencap, Diabetes UK and Lupus UK, have asked those with underlying medical conditions, their carers, and those with learning disabilities on their GP register, to book a vaccination to protect themselves and those around them from coronavirus.
People in cohort 6 have been prioritised for the vaccine because they have conditions that mean they are more likely to become seriously unwell from coronavirus.
More than half of those in cohort 6 have already received their first dose of the vaccine and it’s hoped that the charities’ letter – alongside text messages from the NHS – will help to increase take up further among those in this at-risk group.
The charities who signed the open letter are among 22 who have joined together in partnership to reassure those they support about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
GP services already have been contacting this cohort but those who have not yet received a letter can get a quick and convenient appointment at a vaccination centre or community pharmacy by using the national booking system or calling 119. The NHS have sent text messages to people in this group with a link so they can book their appointment.
The vaccine is safe and effective and very few people are advised not to have it. However, if you have any concerns, you can discuss these if you book over the phone, or with a health professional at your appointment.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The backing of the charities who work every day to support those who are entitled to a jab as part of cohort 6 is a great boost for the vaccine rollout and shows what we can achieve when we pull together.
“This open letter is a hugely important way to reassure those with underlying health conditions, and their carers, about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
“The charities’ support for this national vaccine effort is invaluable in encouraging more people to come forward and helping us to save lives.”
These vital charities support those included in priority vaccination categories, including cohort 6 which covers individuals aged 16 to 64 with certain long-term conditions identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation as being at higher clinical risk from Covid-19.
Underlying health conditions faced by people in cohort 6 include chronic respiratory, heart, kidney, liver disease and neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and epilepsy, stroke, vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression due to a health condition or treatment, asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen, morbid obesity, severe mental illness, as well as sickle cell, lupus and those on GP learning disability registers.
Cohort 6 also includes carers who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of Covid-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable.
Minister for Vaccines Nadhim Zahawi said: “We have already given a first dose of the vaccine to more than half of those in cohort 6 and I am grateful to the charities who are encouraging more people in that group to come forward.
“The vaccine is our way out of this pandemic and offers the chance to protect yourself and others – that’s why it’s vital that people get their jab.
“This open letter should help to reassure those with any concerns the vaccine is safe and supported by more than twenty of our most trusted charities.
“I would like to thank them all for backing this life-saving campaign and offering their expertise and assistance to support the largest medical deployment in British history.”
Open letter
We are writing today to encourage people living with an underlying health condition in cohort 6 to come forward for a Covid-19 vaccine.
People with these conditions, including their carers, and those with learning disabilities on the learning disability register, have been prioritised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation because they are more likely to become seriously unwell from Covid-19.
The vast majority of you should already have been invited for vaccination and more than half of you have already received your first dose.
Some of you may still be waiting for a letter from your GP.
But the good news is, even if you have not received your letter yet, you can now get an appointment at a vaccination centre or community pharmacy, quickly and easily, by using the national booking system or calling 119 in England.
We are proud to support the vaccination roll-out and are here to support you.
The vaccine is safe and effective and very few people are advised not to have it. However, if you have any concerns, you can discuss these when you book, or with a health professional at your appointment.
Over 20 million people in the UK have had their first dose and great progress has been made by the NHS.
We are very pleased to see the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out providing protection for people, like you, who are most at risk from the virus.
Underlying health conditions in cohort 6 include chronic respiratory, heart, kidney, liver disease and neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and epilepsy, stroke, vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, due to a health condition or treatment, asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen, morbid obesity, severe mental illness, as well as sickle cell, lupus and those on GP learning disability registers.
Cohort 6 also includes carers who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of Covid-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable.
The vaccines that have been approved for use in the UK have met the strict safety standards set by the medicines regulator on safety, quality and effectiveness.
To protect yourself and your family, friends and colleagues, you still need to follow the current government guidance on social contact after receiving your vaccine.
Please come forward to have the jab. It will help save lives and offers the best form of protection from this terrible virus.
The organisations within the partnership, 18 of which have also signed the letter, are:
ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust)
Anthony Nolan
Asthma UK
British Heart Foundation
British Liver Trust
British Lung Foundation
Cancer Research UK
Carers UK
Diabetes UK
Epilepsy Action
Kidney Care UK
Kidney Research UK
Lupus UK
Macmillan Cancer Support
Mencap
MS Society
National Kidney Federation
Rethink Mental Illness
Sickle Cell Society
Stroke Association
Terrence Higgins Trust
Versus Arthritis
Unpaid carers are included in cohort 6 providing they:
are eligible for a carer’s allowance
are identified as a primary carer by their GP
are receiving support following a carer’s assessment by their local council or from a local carer’s organisation
are the sole or primary carer who provides close personal care or face to face support for an elderly or disabled person who is clinically vulnerable to COVID-19
Leading off-grid energy supplier, Calor, has launched a nationwide search for the very best rural community projects, with £85,000 in grants up for grabs.
On top of this, the Warwickshire-based firm is also launching an exciting new award, the Rural Hero of The Year, which will celebrate those who have gone the extra mile for others during the pandemic.
Designed to provide a helping hand and much-needed funding across the UK to rural community groups who aren’t connected to the mains gas grid, the 2021 Calor Rural Community Fund launched on Wednesday 10th March and entries are open until Wednesday 21st April.
This past year, communities have had to support each other from a distance like never before and in recognition of this, Calor has also launched its Rural Hero of the Year Award so that special individuals could be recognised for the great community work they’ve done.
The award is a separate category within the Rural Community Fund, where people can nominate themselves or someone in their local community who went above and beyond to help others during 2020.
That could be a neighbour who provided Zoom story-telling classes for children in the local village, someone who did the food shopping for the elderly neighbours in their area, or any other deserving initiatives throughout the pandemic that shows how an individual helped their local community out in some way. Entries are open from Wednesday 10th March until Wednesday 23rd June.
The winner of the Rural Hero of the Year award will be presented with a commemorative trophy and special prize from Calor recognising their outstanding contribution to community spirit in 2020.
Andy Parker, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Calor, said: “We’re passionate about engaging with and helping rural communities across the UK. Through the Rural Community Fund we are incredibly proud to have been able to support 214 projects with over £460,000 generated through donations and Calor contributions over the last four years.
“This funding is absolutely vital to these projects and it’s been incredible to see these grants bring to life everything from local football teams’ new facilities to outdoor learning centres for primary schools.
“We understand that this past year has been particularly hard which is why we wanted to recognise those individuals who have put their heart and soul into helping others.
“It’s one of the many reasons we launched our Rural Hero of the Year category which will celebrate those who have gone above and beyond to help their community throughout the pandemic. We’re incredibly excited to see all of the entries for this and the Rural Community Fund, over the coming months.”
The Calor Rural Community Fund gives applicants the chance to win funding of £1,000, £2,500 or £5,000 for anything from vital renovations and upgrades to public facilities, through to new equipment for children’s groups in often remote areas of the country.
Applicants for the fund will be listed on the Calor Rural Community Fund website and then encouraged to share their project through social media to gain points. Those projects with the highest number of points in each funding category will become shortlisted finalists, and will be reviewed by a Calor Committee before being announced as Finalists.
To find out more about the Calor Rural Community Fund and the Rural Hero of The Year award, as well as more detail on how to enter and get involved, head to communityfund.calor.co.uk.
A report commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing shows that the government’s COVID-19 infection control guidelines, which are used across the UK, are “flawed and need replacing”.
The report, written by independent experts, analysed a literature review which underpins the current guidance and found that the review met just four of the 18 criteria the experts deemed essential. Crucially, the report found that the review failed to consider a key way in which COVID-19 is transmitted – airborne infection – about which growing evidence has emerged during the pandemic.
For these reasons, the experts concluded the review provided only a “superficial account” of the available COVID-19 evidence and that the current guidelines based on the review need replacing.
In the report, the authors Professor Dinah Gould, an Honorary Professor of Nursing at London’s City University, and Dr Edward Purssell, also from City University, said: “UK infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in health care settings, and the rapid reviews of the literature on which it was based, still identify droplet spread and hands as the major route, based on early advice from the World Health Organization (WHO). “Updated evidence indicates that aerosol spread is much more significant and the original advice from the WHO has been superseded. The UK guidelines are still based on this outdated evidence, however. They urgently need thorough revision and replacing.”
The report highlights that the guidelines omit detail on the importance of ventilation and advise that higher level personal protective equipment (PPE) must only be provided in certain high-risk settings like intensive care, but that it’s up to individual health trusts to decide whether or not to provide them more widely to other staff.
This has caused huge concern for members, especially with the emergence of highly infectious new COVID-19 variants. Members have also expressed concern about the lack of action on ventilation in UK hospitals as research suggests airborne transmission is a particular problem in poorly ventilated rooms.
The RCN has repeatedly tried to engage the government on these issues and is calling for all NHS staff to be given a higher level of PPE as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of a review.
RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said: “We have been battling this pandemic for more than a year now. ‘Following the science’ is a hollow boast when we have evidence showing the flaws.
“The report and its findings must launch an official review and not be swept under the carpet as an inconvenience.
“Health care workers need to know everything possible is being done to keep them protected. It is inadequate to say they have masks if they aren’t fit for purpose. Staff are scared for themselves and their families and left any longer it’ll turn to anger.”
The horrific – and often avoidable – impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland on the lives of those in care (like older people and disabled people) has thrown into sharp relief the inadequacies of our social care system.
While the recent Report of the Independent Review of Social Care (the Feeley Review) identified some of the problems, its recommendations shrank back from confronting the cancer at the heart of social care, namely, its domination by market forces and by private providers whose primary concern is with profit and not care.
By contrast, this pamphlet, jointly published by the Jimmy Reid Foundation and the Social Work Action Network (SWAN) with contributions by leading disabled activists, public sector trade unionists, frontline workers and campaigners including Neil Findlay MSP and journalist Kevin McKenna, calls for a publicly owned, controlled and funded national care service, where care workers and care users are in the driving seat.
The pamphlet can help shape the debate in the coming months over the kind of National Care Service we want to see in Scotland. Buy it, read it and order copies for your union branch, your college course or your organisation.
Copies can be purchased in pdf or hard copy from Calton Books for £4 each:
New research from think tank, the Institute of Employment Rights (IER), has found the risk of Covid-19 transmission in the workplace remains significant and is being dangerously downplayed by the UK government’s light-touch approach.
HSE and Covid at work: a case of regulatory failure is written by 11 specialists in occupational health and safety and labour law, including academics conducting empirical research into workplace risk factors throughout the pandemic.
The team, from England, Scotland and Wales, carried out a comprehensive review of the latest data on workplace transmission and the response of the government and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to mitigating that risk. Their report identifies a serious mismatch between the risk to workers’ health and the government’s claims to make workplaces “Covid-secure”.
The role of work in transmitting the disease was recognised from the outset of the pandemic. In May 2020, the Office for National Statistics identified 17 high-risk occupations and ‘clusters’ of cases quickly emerged in a wide range of sectors from public services to food processing and retail.
Public Health England (PHE) figures have since revealed the highest-risk workplaces were offices, which accounted for more outbreaks in the second half of 2020 than supermarkets, construction sites, warehouses, restaurants and cafes combined.
Workplace infections account for a significant proportion of all Covid cases. An analysis of PHE data conducted by Professor Rory O’Neill, one of the co-authors of HSE and Covid at work, revealed that 40% of people testing positive for Covid-19 reported prior ‘workplace or education’ activity.
Meanwhile, a survey of call centre workers by co-author Professor Phil Taylor revealed that over one in three (35.4%) were seated less than two metres away from their colleagues in contravention of social distancing rules. This is despite a warning from the government’s own SAGE advisors that reducing social distancing to one metre rather than two could increase transmission ten-fold.
In May 2020, the government declared workplaces “Covid-secure” and reassured workers that this would be enforced through a £14m package for HSE ‘spot checks’. But IER’s analysis found strong evidence that risk was not sufficiently mitigated in workplaces because Covid-19 rules were not adequately enforced.
The IER’s analysis of the government’s strategy reveals an underfunded, light-touch approach through an understaffed agency which failed to regulate the risk to workers and, by logical extension, to communities, including carers, pupils and students in education and their parents.
The magnitude of this risk has since been tragically borne out by large workplace outbreaks such as that seen at the DVLA’s Swansea offices, while the government’s underwhelming response is reflected in the complete absence of prosecutions of employers known to be breaking Covid rules.
Andy McDonald, Shadow Secretary for Employment Rights and Protections, said:“In a time of national crisis it is more important than ever that the government’s actions are held up to scrutiny. The findings of this report are deeply concerning – if health and safety laws and Covid-19 rules are not enforced, they are not worth the paper they are written on.
“When a deadly disease sweeps the country we need worker protections more than ever, yet the government has effectively shielded employers from prosecution even while coming down hard on individual citizens who break the same rules. We have seen the tragic results of under-regulated workplaces in outbreaks across the country, including at the DVLA offices in Swansea.
“The workers affected – and those in our emergency services and NHS who fought to save their lives – deserve answers as to how this was allowed to happen.”
Professor Phil James, Professor of Employment Relations at Middlesex University and editor of the report, said:“When the pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020, the government had to decide how it would balance the protection of public health with the protection of the economy. A year later, our analysis suggests it got that balance wrong. Our jobs are among the most important features of our lives, but they are not worth our lives, nor are they worth the lives of colleagues, family and friends.
“This light-touch approach to the regulation of businesses during the worst pandemic we have seen in 100 years must now be subject to a major independent public inquiry to understand what went wrong and how we can do better. It is vital that we learn from the failings of workplace regulation over the last year, because this pandemic proves that workers’ health is also public health – it benefits us all.”
Lord John Hendy QC, Chair of the IER and a co-author of the report, said:“Something has gone very badly wrong when enforcement action has been taken against over 40,000 members of the public and holidaymakers are threatened with ten years in jail but employers known to have put thousands of people at risk are getting off scot free.
“There has been health and safety legislation on the UK’s statute book for over 200 years. The current regulations are well known and could have been reasonably and effectively applied to protect workers. They were not.
“Had employers been reminded of their legal duties and these laws enforced through robust inspections and effective penalties, workplaces could have been made a lot safer than COVID-19 has shown them to be.”
Carolyn Jones, Director of the IER, said:“The government and HSE has neglected perhaps the richest resource at their fingertips in their exclusion of the UK’s nearly 100,000 trained trade union health and safety representatives from their ‘Covid-secure’ strategy.
“Several comparative economies have adopted a co-enforcement approach whereby the State and trade unions work together to ensure the health and safety of those at work and the models that work well internationally should be considered in building a similar approach in the UK.
“In the second stage of our health and safety project, we will take evidence from representatives across the economy and society to understand how better cooperation between all concerned can make a difference in the future.”
Key factors identified in the report
Severe lack of resources
Inspectors were themselves locked down when ‘spot checks’ were announced. Demonstrating the severity of the risk to workers, the HSE barred Inspectors from making workplace visits because of the danger to them of making such visits. As a result, ‘spot checks’ were conducted by phone despite 67% of people in a YouGov survey favouring random in-person checks.
Austerity. Following a 58% funding cut over the last 10 years, which forced the HSE to reduce its staffing levels by 36%, there were too few inspectors to perform ‘spot checks’ on the nation’s 5.5m health and safety dutyholders. The £14m of extra funding barely made a dent in the nearly £1000m lost by the HSE during 10 years of government austerity and covered just 0.5% of HSE activity.
A decline in workplace inspections even as risk increased
Workplace inspections fell rather than increased during the pandemic. The number of workplace inspections completed between May and September 2020 was 40% lower than during the same period in 2019. Even care homes, where the virus presented an extremely lethal threat, were not adequately inspected, with only eight having received a visit by September 2020.
Funding rules forced public money into private hands. The HSE was not permitted to use any of the £14m extra funding to train new inspectors, so more than half of this money was siphoned off to private companies to ‘inspect’ employers. In fact, this was done from call centres staffed by untrained workers who made 15-minute, scripted phone-calls to employers. The ineffectiveness of this strategy was evidenced by the findings of a TUC survey revealing very clear breaches of the law in over a third of workplaces. Meanwhile, the UK’s richest health and safety resource – nearly 100,000 trained trade union health and safety reps – were not invited to participate.
A light-touch approach to employers and the law
No legal standing for “Covid-secure” guidance. In direct contrast to the various emergency laws made in relation to social activities and other forms of pandemic control, the measures employers were asked to take were not backed by the force of law. Instead, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the HSE issued ‘guidance’.
Legal duties to workers consistently downplayed. The IER’s report identifies two Acts of Parliament and seven sets of regulations relevant to the duties owed to workers, but found these were barely mentioned in the guidance given to businesses. As a result, the guidance failed to emphasise the legal obligations of employers to protect the health and safety of workers.
Recommendations
Concluding this initial report, the team made the following recommendations:
The urgent launch of a major independent public inquiry into the future of the regulation of safety and health at work in the UK, with a focus on creating a regulatory system, including an effective regulator, that will better protect the health and safety of all workers in the UK, now and in the future.
A significant increase in investment in the HSE to promote stronger enforcement of legal protections, thereby improving their effectiveness.
A comprehensive review of enforcement strategies employed by the HSE and local authorities, including a critical examination of the – currently rare and diminishing – use of legal sanctions.
Ensure the political independence of the HSE by considering its reconstitution in line with the United Nations’ Paris Principles, which require the involvement of representatives from civil society and the ringfencing of adequate funds to prevent government from imposing its political beliefs through budgetary controls.
Strengthen trade union safety representatives’ rights to access workplaces, undertake preventative work and support the enforcement of the law, such as through the issuing of improvement notices and the bringing of private prosecutions.
Enhance existing safety representative rights relating to the provision of information, consultation, and training (including paid time off to undertake it).
Reform the current statutory framework for health and safety at work to better protect workers in modern, more casualised, forms of employment, including those found in the gig economy.
Reform and enhance current laws permitting workers to stop work in conditions of serious and imminent danger, – provisions derived from EU law and provided under Sections 44 and 100 of the Employment Rights Act,.
Consider adopting international models of co-enforced oversight, that involve State regulators working alongside trade unions and other civil society organisations to monitor and enforce compliance with legal standards.
Explore the value and application of forms of supply chain regulation under which powerful supply chain actors have duties to ensure that they support effective health and safety management and compliance in supplier organisations. This would, for instance, would make fashion retailers buying from dangerous Leicester garment factories partly liable for the dangerous conditions there.
The team behind the report will now establish a Committee of Inquiry that will take evidence from relevant parties to understand how reforms to health and safety legislation could provide better protection for workers in modern workplaces.
