Views sought on proposed legal duties for public bodies
Health and social care services, children’s services, police and other public bodies will have a legal duty to ‘ask and act’ to prevent homelessness under Scottish Government proposals.
The measures would be part of new laws aimed at preventing homelessness, based on recommendations from an expert group convened by the charity Crisis at the request of the Scottish Government. They would represent the biggest change to Scotland’s homelessness legislation in almost a decade.
Public bodies would have a legal duty to identify anyone at risk of homelessness and either take action themselves or refer on to more appropriate help.
A consultation on the plans, run jointly with COSLA, will give people with experience of homelessness, alongside those from the housing sector, public bodies and others, the chance to share their views and help shape Scotland’s approach to preventing homelessness.
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We know that the best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. These new proposals build on the strong housing rights that already exist in Scotland for people who become homeless.
“Early action should be a shared public responsibility, giving people facing homelessness more choice and control over where they live.
“Homelessness is often a traumatic and unsettling experience that can have a profound impact on the lives of those involved, including children.
“By intervening at an earlier stage, and encouraging services to work together to respond to people’s needs, we can ensure fewer people and families are faced with having to re-build lives affected by homelessness.
“This will further add to our existing ambitious programme of work and investment to ensure everyone has a safe, warm place to call home.”
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “We strongly support plans for new duties for public bodies to prevent homelessness in Scotland.
“Scotland has made huge progress in its journey towards ending homelessness in recent years, but while the country has powerful protections in place for people experiencing homelessness, far too many people are being forced to reach crisis point before they get the help they need.
“Everyone has a role to play in preventing homelessness, and by introducing new duties requiring public services to ask about someone’s housing situation, and offer them the help they need, we can build a truly world leading system of homelessness prevention.”
Councillor Kelly Parry, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing said: “People have a right to a place they can call home. Rough sleeping and sofa surfing is something we have always worked to eliminate.
“We welcome the proposal that the duty to end homelessness will be shared with other public bodies and look forward to being closely engaged in the consultation with other partners”.
This winter is already far worse than last winter, says RCEM President
The latest data from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Winter Flow Project 2021/22 show that since the beginning of October 2021 there have been 56,096 patients delayed by 12 hours or more from time of arrival in Emergency Departments.
In comparison, last year’s Winter Flow Project 2020/21 didn’t record over 50,000 12 hour stays from time of arrival in Emergency Departments until February Week 3.
Data also show that in December 2021 Week 2, four-hour performance fell to 56.3%, the lowest ever recorded.
Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:“The data show a deepening crisis. We’ve now reached 50,000 12-hour delays, a figure we didn’t reach until February last winter.
“It is hard to communicate the enormous strain NHS staff are under and how deeply the pressures affect patient care. The latest Winter Flow Project report details some of the harrowing conditions patients find themselves in and conditions in which staff are delivering care. This winter is already far worse than last winter, with the coming weeks set to take us deeper into crisis.
“Trusts are already doing all they can, opening every last bed where safely possible. The government must ensure adequate support is given to social care, as difficulties in discharging patients following their treatment has knock-on effects throughout the system and causes exit block in Emergency Departments, ambulances handover delays, and prevents ambulance crews from returning to the community and responding to emergencies.
“The public must be cautious and sensible over the Christmas period and take care of themselves and those around them. Using facemasks, washing hands, avoiding spending long periods of time in very crowded places, getting tested if you develop Covid symptoms, and getting boosted – all these practices will make a real difference in the coming weeks.”
Adults over the age of 18 are being urged, where possible, to book their booster vaccination appointment in advance using the online portal to help avoid queues and keep everyone safe.
When you book an appointment, you can select the venue that you wish to attend. Confirmation of your booking, including the time and location will be sent to the email address linked to your portal registration.
DROP- IN CLINICS FOR BOOSTER VACCINE
Drop-in clinics for booster vaccinations for people over the age of 40 have been rolled out in some vaccination clinics across Lothian. However, it must be stressed that if you choose to use a drop-in clinic, instead of booking an appointment in advance, you may have to wait in queues to be seen.
If you choose to drop-in, please help keep everyone safe by wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, even if you have to queue outside. If you have already booked an appointment and choose to drop-in beforehand, please cancel your slot to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.
There are lists of vaccination clinics running across Lothian which offer pre-booked appointment slots, but only some in East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian will offer dedicated drop-in clinics for people aged 40 and over.
Available Drop-in clinics
Edinburgh:
Allermuir Health Centre, 165 Colinton Mains Drive, Edinburgh EH13 9AF
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Craigmillar Medical Centre, 106 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4DT
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Tollcross Health Centre, Ponton Street, Edinburgh EH3 9PX
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Gracemount Health Centre, 24 Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6RN
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Leith Community Treatment Centre, 12 Junction Place, Edinburgh EH6 5JQ
7 days
9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -6pm (last drop in 3.30pm Saturday and Sunday)
Pennywell All Care Centre, 1 Macmillan Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 4WL
7 days
9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm
Sighthill Health Centre, 380 Calder Road, Edinburgh EH11 4AU
7 days
9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm
Lowland Hall, Royal Vaccination Centre, Ingleston, Newbridge EH28 8NB
7 days
9.30am – 6.30pm
Ocean Terminal (first floor)
7 days
12 – 6.30pm
Conan Doyle Medical Centre, 4 Nether Liberton Loan, Edinburgh EH16 5TY
Saturday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Mountcastle Health Centre, 132 Mountcastle Drive South, Edinburgh EH15 3LL
Saturday
9.30am – 3.30pm
South Queensferry Medical Practice, 41 The Loan, South Queensferry EH30 9HA
Saturday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Pentlands Medical Centre, 44 Pentland View, Currie EH14 5QB
Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
You can find out more about all the vaccination clinics running across Lothian and stay up to date with the latest news via the websites of the Health and Social Care Partnerships:
We are still encouraging those who have yet to receive their first dose or who are now due their second dose of the COVID vaccine to come forward.
Please note, as per the latest Scottish Government guidance, we are currently not offering second doses for those aged 12-15.
AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are available at all the below locations. If you are using public transport to get to your appointment, see details below. You might find it useful to plan your journey either on Traveline Scotland’s website or Lothian Buses.
Pyramids Business Park, Easter Inch Steadings, Bathgate EH48 2EH. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
You can get directions for driving here, and Lothian Buses’ travel advice is here.
Lowland Hall, Royal Highland Vaccination Centre, Ingliston. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
You can use Lothian Buses to attend the mass vaccination centre at Lowland Hall; see this document for more information.
Gorebridge Vaccination Centre, Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge, EH23 4TX. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
If you’re travelling to Gorebridge Vaccination Centre by bus, you can plan your journey using Borders Buses or Traveline Scotland (as mentioned above).
Haddington: East Lothian Community Hospital, Alderston Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 3PF. Open for appointments only, between 8.20am and 4.30pm, seven days a week. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all available.
Musselburgh: Musselburgh Primary Care Centre, Inveresk Rd, East Lothian, Musselburgh EH21 7BP. Open for appointments only seven days a week between 8.20am and 4.30pm.
The Scottish Government’s next benefit, Adult Disability Payment (ADP), will open for new applications in pilot areas from 21 March 2022.
This new payment, to be administered by Social Security Scotland, will replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which are currently delivered by the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Adults of working age with a disability or health condition, who are not already in receipt of PIP or DLA, and living in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles local authority areas, will be the first to be able to apply from this date.
Further council areas will be introduced in phases until Adult Disability Payment rolls out nationwide from August 2022.
Individuals with ongoing awards of PIP or DLA do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment. Their awards will be transferred automatically to the new Scottish system from August 2022, with no break in entitlement or payment.
Legislation to introduce the new benefit was laid before the Scottish Parliament on Friday.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “Adult Disability Payment will be the twelfth Scottish benefit to be delivered by the Scottish Government, since we gained limited powers over social security and created Social Security Scotland in 2018.
“ADP will also be the most complex and largescale Scottish benefit yet, reaching up to a forecasted 339,000 people once the entitlements of all Scottish PIP and DLA recipients are transferred from the DWP.
“We know people have found applying for DWP disability benefits stressful in the past. That is why we have listened to their experiences as we have designed our new system, and we are committed to doing things differently.
“We are introducing an improved application process and, in contrast to the DWP system, we are removing the burden from individuals to provide supporting information, so that the onus will instead be on Social Security Scotland to collect the information we require. Our new, person-centred decision making process will ensure everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
“Importantly, we have abolished assessments in the form currently undertaken by the DWP. Instead, and only where required, we will hold person-centred consultations between the person and a Social Security Scotland health or social care practitioner, starting from a position of trust. Our consultations will not involve functional examinations.
“Another key difference in our new system will be around the definition of terminal illness. We will follow the judgement of clinicians instead of being tied to fixed periods of life expectancy, and anyone with a terminal illness will be fast tracked.
“From the outset, the eligibility criteria for ADP applicants will remain mostly the same as existing DWP disability benefits, as will payment values for awards, so that we do not create a two-tier system with varying rules whilst Scottish PIP and DLA recipients are transferred to Social Security Scotland.
“We are committed to undertaking an independent review of ADP within a year of its full introduction, to consider the eligibility criteria, gather feedback from people who’ve applied and collect data to inform any proposed changes.
“We have also worked with people with lived experience and relevant organisations to develop all aspects of the application process, and make it easy and inclusive for people to access support they are entitled to. We are offering a range of ways to make an application, including online, by post, over the phone or face-to-face. Social Security Scotland local delivery teams will also be available to provide assistance.
“People in Scotland with existing DWP awards do not need to be concerned about reapplying or going through an application process again. They will be transferred automatically to Social Security Scotland and we will write in advance, so people know what to expect. Our focus on safe and secure delivery will ensure that everyone continues to get the payments they receive, when they expect to.”
Studies have shown 61% of the UK’s population over-indulge in alcohol over the festive season, more than they usually do.
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease. How much is too much? How do you know how many units of alcohol you are consuming?
We’re providing some guidance on understanding alcohol units and keeping track of how much you are drinking this Christmas.
What are alcohol units and ABV?
Alcohol units represent the quantity of pure alcohol contained within an alcoholic drink (1 unit is 10ml of pure alcohol). The number of units of alcohol in your drink depends on the size and the strength of your drink. ABV means ‘alcohol by volume’ and this is a measure of the amount of alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of a drink.
Calculating your units
You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles. To calculate the number of units in a drink, multiply the ABV by the volume (in ml) and divide by 1000.
ABV x volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = units
1 BOTTLE OF WINE
1 PINT BEER / LAGER / CIDER
1 SINGLE SPIRIT
750ml (ABV 13.5%) =
10 units
1 pint (568ml) (ABV 5.2%) =
3 units
25ml (ABV 40%) =
1 unit
The drinks you pour at home may be larger than the amount measured out in pubs. You could try using a measuring cup when pouring drinks at home so you can keep track of what you are drinking.
How much is too much?
For men and women, the maximum recommended alcohol units each week is 14, spread over 3 or more days. If you are pregnant, it is recommended that you do not drink alcohol at all.
Try recording how much you are drinking over a week using a diary or alcohol tracker.
People living in Edinburgh and Lothian are being urged to seek the right medical help and to only go to A&E if it is a critical emergency.
The call comes as hospitals continue to be under immense pressure and demand for health and social care services is expected to reach unprecedented levels this winter.
Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director of NHS Lothian explains: “Demand for our services is already at an all-time high, putting our staff under huge pressure. Our emergency departments are extremely busy. Now, more than ever, it is vital people access the right care in the right place.”
NHS Lothian is asking anyone who feels unwell, or has a minor illness, to use NHS Inform online or visit their local pharmacy first.
Pharmacists can provide expert advice on a wide range of conditions, such as sore throats or stomach upsets. Many can also offer consultations and, if appropriate, prescribe medicines for impetigo, shingles, skin infections and for some women urinary infections.
People can also prepare by stocking up on remedies to treat common illnesses at home, check repeat prescriptions and order only what is needed in plenty time to cover the festive break.
Local GP practice teams have a wide range of health professionals who can help with routine or urgent care. There are now more ways to access this care with many able to help more quickly with phone consultations. Anyone who needs to be seen face-to-face will be given an appointment.
If people have a minor injury or think they need to attend A&E, but it is not a critical emergency, they should call 111 first, day or night. They can refer people to the right service, which could include a video call for minor injuries, or an out of hours appointment for urgent care that can’t wait.
For critical emergencies such as severe injury, a suspected heart attack or stroke, severe breathing difficulties or bleeding always call 999 or attend the nearest A&E.
With COVID-19 still among us, it is also vital that people test themselves regularly at home for COVID-19, if they don’t have any symptoms.
Kits can be picked up at lots of high street pharmacies and can also be ordered online from NHS Inform.
Picture – Chris Watt @chriswattphotography
Dona Milne, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian said: “We want everyone to stay safe and well and to be able to enjoy the festive season with their loved ones. People don’t always have COVID symptoms but can still pass it on. That’s why it’s important to test at home twice weekly and each time before socialising with others.”
Amid concern about the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID virus which is much more easily passed from person to person, Ms Milne urged everyone to follow the latest Scottish Government guidance and be extra careful:
Ms Milne added: “There are a few steps you can take to stay safe. Please do a test before you meet up with people and try to meet in smaller groups of no more than three households.
“If you are indoors, make sure there is ventilation – just opening a window a little makes a big difference. And following the guidance on wearing masks, hand-washing and social distancing is hopefully second nature by now, so we thank the public for continuing to follow the rules.”
The main symptoms of COVID-19 include a high temperature, a new cough that lasts for more than an hour or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours, or a loss or change to smell and taste.
Anyone who develops any one of these symptoms, no matter how mild, should book a PCR test online via NHS Inform and self-isolate until they get the test result. Self-testing is not appropriate for people who have these symptoms.
For more information about how to access the right care in the right place and stay safe this winter please visit: services.nhslothian.scot/rightcare
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition,an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over an increase in the number of pupils identified with additional support needs (ASN) against a backdrop of declining support.
It has also voiced similar concerns over a declining number of those with ASN receiving Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs), the only education plans that are legal documents. This is despite a Scottish Government promise there would be no decline in the numbers of those receiving them.
The figures show that the number of pupils with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems in 2021 has reached a record high of 232,753. Of this total 58.0 per cent are boys. This represents 33.0 per cent of the pupil population, rising from 118,034 in 2012, and is a near doubling (97.2 per cent) in numbers from that year.2
The SCSC has also raised concerns at the number of those receiving a CSP.
This is a legal document, the only education plans that are legal documents, requiring services such as education, health and social work to work together to give a child or young person the support they need.
It provides some guarantees of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress, placing statutory duties on local authorities to review and ensure the provisions contained within it are being met.
Despite a Scottish Government promise that there would be no reduction in the proportion of pupils receiving them since their introduction in 2004, there has been a significant fall in the number of pupils with CSPs, from 3,448 in 2012 to 1,420 in 2021, amounting to a drop of 58.9 per cent (publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools). This is a reduction from 2.9 per cent to 0.6 per cent of those with ASN.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “While it is promising that this increase tells us that more young people with ASN are being identified, it is against a worrying background of damaging cuts to services.
“Ensuring the adequate provision of educational support for children and young people with ASN is critical, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the damaging impact this will have on them
“We have major concerns over a lack of resources and specialist staff to support these children and young people. This clearly has an impact not only on the individuals concerned but also on their peers and teachers.
“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, which is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.
“We are also concerned that we are experiencing a decline in the use of CSPs, which are designed to support those with the most complex needs. This is despite an increase in the numbers of those requiring such support
“As we recover from COVID-19, the Scottish Government and local authorities, along with the private and third sectors, need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of these vulnerable children and young people. It must also work with local authorities to ensure that those who require a CSP get it, making parents and carers aware of their legal rights.”
The EIS has also commented on today’s publication of National Improvement Framework (NIF) data, saying that the data confirms the need for greater investment to support education recovery for Scotland’s young people.
The data released today simply confirms what the EIS has been saying for the past year, which teachers have understood instinctively – that the Covid created disruption to learning has affected all pupils to some degree but has disproportionately impacted on children from the most deprived backgrounds.
It is noticeable, also, that children with additional support needs have been impacted in a similar manner – 42% achieving Literacy levels against a national figure of 76% and in Numeracy 53% against a figure of 83%.
Given that more than 1 in 4 pupils in our mainstream schools have additional needs this is an area of significant concern, which the EIS believes the Scottish Government is failing to tackle with sufficient targeted investment.
Commenting on the data, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “We didn’t need publication of this data to know that children from the poorest backgrounds and those with additional support needs were the ones suffering most from the pandemic.
“Schools have prioritised, quite rightly, the well-being of pupils but as we start to look at education recovery from the pattern of disrupted learning, the Scottish Government needs to up its game in terms of investment in our children’s future.
“Recent OECD research (OECD Education at a Glance 2021), for example, has shown that smaller class sizes where there are patterns of multiple deprivation or additional needs help individual pupil recovery but the Scottish Government continues to resist making any progress in this area.
“The Government’s education recovery plan was far too timid in its ambition given the scale of the impact of Covid on the most disadvantaged young people. The simple fact is that pupil recovery will be delayed and diminished if much greater resource isn’t made available to schools.”
New alcohol policy measures should be considered to reduce drink-related ambulance callouts, according to researchers studying data from Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The University of Stirling-led team made the recommendation after their study found that ambulance callouts related to drinking in licensed premises fell significantly during the first lockdown – but were replaced relatively quickly by alcohol-related callouts to homes.
Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, Director of the Institute for Social Marketing and Health at Stirling, led the study and believes its findings present policymakers with an opportunity to reflect on how to sustain the positive outcomes of lockdown for the NHS and emergency services – including a reduction in what paramedics described as “mass public intoxication” over weekends – but also tackling other issues, such as the increase in problems caused by drinking at home.
Niamh Fitzgerald
Professor Fitzgerald said: “During the pandemic, both in the UK and abroad, licensed premises – including bars, restaurants and nightclubs – faced significant restrictions, including closures and curfews, which helped to reduce spread of the virus. However, we know that these restrictions also led to many people drinking more alcohol at home.
“By looking at data from the frontline of the NHS – the Scottish Ambulance Service – and adjusting for the fact that ambulance callouts fell during this period for other reasons, our study shows that there were disproportionately large short-term reductions in alcohol-related callouts in April and May 2020, when licensed premises were closed, compared to the previous year.
“This was a situation that paramedics described as a ‘welcome break’ from the hostile, alcohol-fuelled scenes experienced in towns and cities on weekend nights pre-pandemic.
“However, we also identified public health risks caused by increased home drinking during this period – with those night-time callouts quickly replaced by alcohol-related ambulance callouts on all days of the week, likely to be linked to home drinking.
“For example, in June 2020, when premises were still closed and weekend night-time callouts for alcohol incidents were still lower, the proportion of alcohol-related callouts had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, there were 18,832 alcohol-related callouts at the height of the pandemic, in April to June 2020 – 16 percent of all callouts.
“Our findings suggest that policymakers here in Scotland, but also around the UK and abroad, need to consider how to build upon the lessons learned during the pandemic. As the night-time economy recovers, how can we avoid a return to pre-pandemic levels of alcohol-related callouts arising from the night-time economy, but also reduce callouts and harm from home drinking?”
Reduction in callouts
The research team – involving academics from ISMH and the University of Glasgow – analysed interviews with licensing stakeholders, to understand how COVID-19 has affected licensing and alcohol-related harms; explored the experiences of ambulance clinicians in further interviews; and conducted descriptive and time series analyses of alcohol-related ambulance callouts in Scotland, before and during the first lockdown.
Overall ambulance callouts for all causes between March and June 2020 – when lockdown was in place – decreased in comparison to the previous year. However, alcohol-related callouts fell much more sharply – with a 23% reduction in April 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. The drop was even more stark at weekends – down 31.8% – and at weekend night-times, down 48.9%.
After April, despite licensed premises remaining closed, the proportion of alcohol-related callouts gradually started to return to pre-lockdown levels. However, the resurgence in alcohol-related callouts was generated by calls spread throughout the week rather than concentrated at weekends, which still experienced substantially lower callouts in June 2020 than the previous year.
“Massive drop” in alcohol related incidents
Ambulance clinicians reported that the number of late-night callouts relating to alcohol “plummeted” when premises closed completely or operated under a curfew. However, there were perceived increases in domestic callouts and concerns raised about home drinking.
One paramedic said that during this time there had been “nowhere near the same amount of public intoxication or mass intoxication… there’s been much less in the way of assaults that involve alcohol, unconscious people outside that involve alcohol, falls that involve alcohol. All these things we’ve noticed a massive drop in.”
Another said: “It’s so nice to go to work on a Friday night knowing that you don’t have to go into pubs and clubs… it’s made a huge difference”
Several reported that the reduction in alcohol-related calls meant that they were spending more time on other calls.
Dr Jim Ward, Medical Director at the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), said: “We will always respond to people in need regardless of cause, location, or time.
“However, heavy drinking both at home and when on nights out, as well as through chronic alcohol problems, not only increases the risk of accidents but can also lead to a rise in assaults, including those against ambulance staff.
“By drinking in a way that avoids harm, the public can support our hard working staff and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on our service and A&E departments at an extremely busy time.”
Policy implications
Professor Fitzgerald said: “The views expressed by paramedics are powerful and give pause for thought about whether business recovery post-COVID has to mean a return to the ‘mass intoxication’ described.
“This is surely an opportunity for politicians and clinicians to show leadership in pushing for better alcohol policies that protect the NHS and frontline services. At a time when policymakers want to support the hospitality sector, but also wish to protect health services, there is an opportunity to put in place win-win policies that can do both.”
The research team suggest that one such policy could be to increase the minimum unit price of shop-purchased alcohol to reduce consumption within homes without affecting prices in bars. Other possibilities discussed are restrictions on online sales and licensing changes.
The research teams are analysing separately if and how the 50p minimum unit price, introduced in Scotland in 2018, has impacted alcohol-related ambulance callouts, as well as exploring expert and stakeholder views on this and other ‘win-win’ policies.
The researchers used data from the ‘Evaluating the impact of alcohol licensing in England and Scotland (ExILEnS)’ project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s Public Health Research Programme; and the ‘Impact of minimum pricing for alcohol on ambulance callouts in Scotland (IMPAACT)’ and ‘Lockdown and Licensed Premises’ studies, both funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.
The new paper, Lockdown and Licensed Premises: COVID-19 Lessons for Alcohol Policy, is published in Drug and Alcohol Review.
getting the flu vaccine
practicing good hygiene
taking antiviral medication if you meet the criteria 
