Jeane Freeman – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

‘HELP IS ON IT’S WAY’

Green light for coronavirus vaccine rollout

Vaccinations to start next Tuesday in Scotland

The UK has become the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.

It’s understood that a public vaccination programme, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, could be under way as early as NEXT WEEK.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said this morning: “2020 has been just awful but 2021 now looks so much better. I can now say with certainty that help is on it’s way. This will take time to roll out but I am confident now, that from Spring, from Easter onwards, things are going to be better and we wll have a summer that everybody can enjoy.

“We still face a difficult winter – but dawn is on the horizon.”

British regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe for roll out next week.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said his morning: “The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use.

“This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

“The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) will shortly publish its final advice for the priority groups to receive the vaccine, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

“The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week. The NHS has decades of experience in delivering large scale vaccination programmes and will begin putting their extensive preparations into action to provide care and support to all those eligible for vaccination.

“To aid the success of the vaccination programme it is vital everyone continues to play their part and abide by the necessary restrictions in their area so we can further suppress the virus and allow the NHS to do its work without being overwhelmed.

“Further details will be set out shortly.”

TUESDAY START FOR VACCINATIONS IN SCOTLAND

Deliveries of the first coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to Scotland are expected to be made next week with injections being given from Tuesday 8 December.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has confirmed that the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has been authorised for use in the UK.

The vaccine, which must be stored at well below freezing, will be transported to 23 locations around the country in temperature controlled lorries.

Everyone being vaccinated will need two vaccines, between 21 and 28 days apart.

Those giving the vaccination to others will receive the injection first. The programme will then follow the independent advice received from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which recommends prioritising those with the greatest clinical need – including those aged over 80, and health and social care workers. The storage requirements mean logistics around delivery to care homes are more challenging and they are currently under consideration.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Today’s announcement confirming that a safe and effective vaccine can now be used is the best news than any of us have heard about the virus since the pandemic began.

“As long as we receive the first doses of vaccine when we expect to, we will begin vaccinating from Tuesday next week.

“It is of course worth remembering that everyone will require two vaccines, with the second vaccine between 21 and 28 days after the first, so even for those who are among the first, there will be very few completed until early next year.

“We intend to vaccinate the vaccinators first, followed by the priority groups recommended by the JCVI, however we also need to take account of the conditions attached to the authorisation to supply the vaccine which will present challenges around transporting the vaccine to care homes and individual homes.

“We are therefore in the process of working through how we can ensure people in priority groups in those settings can be vaccinated.

“For all the difficulties that lie ahead, it should give us all real hope that the end of the pandemic is in sight.”

Better outcomes for stroke patients in Scotland

The first step towards a national thrombectomy service for stroke patients is underway with the launch of a pilot in the North of Scotland.

Thrombectomy is a highly skilled procedure in which blood clots are removed mechanically rather than broken down by medicines (thrombolysis). It is used to treat those with severe stroke and reduce their risk of long-term disability.

NHS Tayside developed a training programme in Mechanical Thrombectomy (MT), supported by the Scottish Government. Key staff were trained by Professor Iris Grunwald, one of the UK’s leading stroke thrombectomy interventional neuroradiologists, using advanced simulation techniques.

Initially the thrombectomy procedures in Dundee will be performed on patients in Tayside before the service is extended to patients across the North.

A fully operational 24/7 service is anticipated in Tayside by 2023, and will form part of a national network in line with the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government commitment.

In the West of Scotland, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus will provide a ‘hub’ thrombectomy service for the West of Scotland by 2023, while the NHS Lothian service will also be operating from the Little France site within the same timeframe.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Over the past 10 years, the number of people dying from stroke in Scotland has decreased by more than 35%. While this is significant progress, we can still achieve even better outcomes.

“A quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service is part of our wider commitment in this year’s Programme for Government to ensure those who experience severe stroke receive the best possible treatment and care.

“It is testament to our healthcare professions that we are now seeing this first step towards a national roll-out, despite the additional pressures placed on them during the pandemic and I want to thank them for their hard work.

“Funding will continue to be made available to other boards to develop the programme and the framework.”

Honorary consultant interventional radiologist in NHS Tayside Professor Graeme Houston said: “We are delighted to be able to launch this service to provide mechanical thrombectomy for patients in the North of Scotland.

“Thrombectomy delivers a significant benefit for some patients who have sudden onset of stroke with significantly improved outcomes and a reduced level of disability.”

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Chief Executive Jane-Claire Judson said: “It’s good that we are seeing tangible progress towards thrombectomies being available to stroke patients in Scotland.

“People in Scotland must be given the best possible chance of living without disability or dependency after a stroke. We know that at least 600 people a year in Scotland would benefit from a thrombectomy. Developing the skills to deliver this procedure is a key part of establishing the service in Scotland.

“This progress is being driven by inspirational stroke survivors campaigning for change. Together, we will keep campaigning to make sure that this game-changing stroke treatment is available as soon as possible.”

The Stroke Association in Scotland welcomes the announcement that mechanical thrombectomy is to be made available to some Scots for the first time since 2018.

This is a long overdue but a significant first step towards delivery of a national thrombectomy service for the whole of Scotland which should be in place by 2023.

Thrombectomy is vital. Around 700 stroke patients are eligible for the procedure in Scotland each year. Patients who have a stroke caused by a large blood clot in the brain would potentially benefit from a thrombectomy procedure.

It involves inserting a catheter into an artery, usually within six hours of someone having their stroke, to remove the blood clot. This allows blood flow to resume and oxygen to reach brain tissue.

The treatment can dramatically reduce the devastating consequences of stroke such as losing the ability to walk and talk. Around one in three people who receive a thrombectomy after their stroke will be less disabled as a result, and around one in five of those who receive it will be able to function completely independently afterwards.

Andrea Cail, Director Scotland for the Stroke Association said: “Thrombectomy is a game-changing treatment, and it is good to finally have it available in Scotland again. But it is only the first step. Stroke is now a clinical priority in Scotland and restarting a thrombectomy service for those need it will be the difference between living or dying; living permanently disabled or without any disabilities at all.

“Thrombectomy is an extraordinary, highly-specialised, procedure that can save lives, reduce disability and is absolutely cost effective. One thrombectomy patient is estimated to save the NHS £47,000 over a five year period.

“We congratulate everyone involved in the North of Scotland thrombectomy planning group on making this happen. We know it’s not been easy. It has required serious commitment from everyone involved. By working together, hundreds of people affected by stroke and their families will benefit over the next few years.

“All Scots deserve the same. Thrombectomy must also be made available to the larger population centres of Glasgow and Edinburgh as soon as possible.

“We urge all those involved in developments for these next two sites to work together with purpose, and for the Scottish Government and Health Boards involved to urgently resolve or remove any barriers towards implementation and delivery. The time it has taken and is taking Health Boards to sort this out is lengthy and unacceptable.”

Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, consultant neurologist in Edinburgh and President of the British Association of Stroke Physicians, says: “Mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke is one of the most effective treatments in modern medicine.

“We knew this in 2015. In the last five years, about 45 people in Scotland have had this treatment, but about 700 people should have it each year. I am relieved that this dire disservice to patients with stroke is beginning to come to an end in Tayside. Patients elsewhere in Scotland deserve the same.”

Case study

Norrie Andrews, 77, from Glasgow had his stroke in Majorca last year. Only a few days into the holiday, Anne, Norrie’s partner, had gone to check on some electricity issues they had been experiencing. On her return, she found Norrie slumped over the side of his chair unable to talk and unable to move. Norrie had had a massive stroke.

He was taken to the local hospital quickly, and was administered with thrombolysis, a drug to break up the clot. Unfortunately the thrombolysis had no effect and the doctors decided Norrie would benefit from thrombectomy. He was immediately transferred to Son Espases University Hospital in Palma.

Anne had to give consent for Norrie to undergo thrombectomy (on his behalf.) It felt like an endless series of questions and forms that needed answered.

The procedure took 15 minutes and when Anne went up to the intensive care unit to see him she was amazed. He was alert, his speech was starting to come back and some movement too. They could hardly believe how something so horrifying had turned on its head.

Norrie still had some mild impairments, but the seriousness of his disability was saved (they believe,) by thrombectomy. And just over two weeks later, Norrie walked out of hospital without any difficulty and his speech was fine.

Anne said: “The doctors told me that had Norrie not had thrombectomy, he would never have been out of a wheelchair or spoken again. I was so relieved to hear this and we both felt very fortunate to have been in Majorca at the time.

“After returning home, I discovered thrombectomy would not have been available at the time of Norrie’s stroke. I was amazed to think a small island like Majorca had the treatment my husband so badly needed. Norrie is now back to his old life again.

“He walks every day and I am thrilled he has started to play golf again. He keeps his brain ticking over with puzzles, crosswords and word searches. He’s seeing his friends now, which has lifted his spirits and I’m able to see my own friends too.

“I am thrilled to hear thrombectomy is available in Scotland now. Stroke is a devastating illness and the disability caused by a stroke can be lifelong, destroying lives. I hope now there will be more people in Scotland making better recoveries from stroke because of thrombectomy.”

NHS Scotland unveils Winter Plan

An NHS Winter Preparedness Plan outlining steps to ensure a resilient and safe health care system has been published.

With coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continuing to rise, £1.1 billion has already been allocated to NHS Health Boards and Integration Authorities to meet the costs of responding to the pandemic.

An additional £37 million has been announced today to support services cope with the virus, vaccinations and Test and Protect and the delivery of normal winter illnesses and weather. As a result of these continued pressures, NHS Scotland will remain in a state of emergency over winter.

To complement the NHS Winter Preparedness Plan, a comprehensive Adult Social Care Winter plan will be published in early November. This will focus on delivering maximum protection for people who use social care support in residential and community settings and in their own homes, and for those who provide that care, including unpaid carers.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Every effort must be made to prepare the NHS for the pressures it will face in the coming months, including normal winter illnesses, the impact of any severe weather, a significant resurgence of COVID-19 and a potential no-deal Brexit.

“Due to the continued dedication of health and social care staff, and support from the public, NHS Scotland has not been overwhelmed at any point during the pandemic. Our over-riding priority is to ensure the this continues to be the case, not only to save lives and treat COVID-19 patients but to make sure we can continue to deliver healthcare to those who need it.

“I am absolutely determined that we will do everything in our power to be ready for these challenges. We have learnt a lot from the first wave of the pandemic and we are better prepared. We must also recognise that we cannot respond successfully to any of these challenges, if we do not work to support the health, wellbeing and resilience of our staff, of whom we have asked so much already.

“Our Winter Preparedness Plan sets out the range of actions we are taking to support our incredible health and care services and our staff, and outlines how we will work with them to manage this next phase.”

Actions outlined in the plan include:

doubling the number of people protected by the flu vaccine to nearly 2.5 million and preparing to deliver a safe, effective vaccine against COVID-19 as soon as available
increasing testing capacity from around 27,000 to at least 65,000 tests per day by winter, drawing upon both Scottish and UK-wide lab capacities. Three new Regional Testing Hubs will be fully operational by early December, providing an additional 22,000 daily tests
continuing to ensure Health Boards have access to sufficient contact tracers to respond to local surges, with additional national resilience from the National Contact Tracing Centre
the ability to repurpose approximately 3,000 acute beds nationwide for COVID-19 patients; including doubling ICU capacity within one week, trebling it in two weeks and quadrupling to over 700 should circumstances demand, subject to staffing and supplies
investing £20 million to support the redesign of urgent care and ensuring a consistent national framework to unplanned care
continuing to provide care and treatment for both urgent and routine health needs, including treatment for cancer and other life threatening conditions, and where we can, restarting a number of diagnostic and screening services, and elective procedures
investing over £78 million to restore as much elective activity as circumstances allow, supporting over 70,000 outpatient appointments, over 13,800 elective procedures and over 98,000 diagnostic tests
supporting the NHS Golden Jubilee hospital to treat a further 13,000 patients before the end of March 2021
maintaining the NHS Louisa Jordan as a crucial national facility for either COVID-19 or non-COVID patients, building on the 4,000 outpatients who have been seen there since July
supporting key workers in health and social care by ensuring staff ‘hubs’ and rest areas are maintained and establishing a Mental Health Network, backed initially by £5 million of funding
maintaining the COVID-19 Community Pathway with local Community Assessment Centres in every Board area
maintaining the Out of Hours Service in all Board areas for patients who need to be seen urgently and cannot wait for their GP practice to open

Read the NHS Winter Preparedness Plan.

Updated Testing Strategy published

Testing approach adapts as prevalence changes

The Scottish Government has published its updated Testing Strategy setting out the role testing continues to play in tackling coronavirus (COVID-19).

The strategy focuses on a number of key areas of testing:

whole population testing of anyone with symptoms (Test & Protect)
proactive case finding by testing contacts and testing in outbreaks
protecting the vulnerable and preventing outbreaks in high risk settings by routine testing
testing for direct patient care, to diagnose and to treat, and to support safe patient care as NHS services restart
surveillance to understand the disease, track prevalence, understand transmission and monitor key sectors

A key development to strengthen surveillance work and help prevent the spread of the virus will be for all contacts of COVID-19 index cases to be offered testing regardless of whether they have symptoms.

At present, recent close contacts of those people with a positive test result, are asked to isolate for 14 days. While they will still have to do this, they will now also be advised to get a test, allowing for further contacts to be identified and potential, wider outbreaks contained.

In addition, from September, Scotland will participate in the ONS Covid-19 Infection Survey which is currently operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This represents the single biggest expansion to date of asymptomatic testing for surveillance purposes in the pandemic. The survey will eventually see approximately 15,000 individuals in Scotland tested during every two-week rolling period. This equates to approximately 9,000 households.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The publication of our Testing Strategy clearly sets out the role of testing in our response to COVID-19, which will continue to evolve as the scientific and clinical understanding of the virus develops.

“We know that meeting this challenge requires a comprehensive set of public health measures to drive the number of cases down – intelligence, anticipation, prevention, mitigation and response and clearly testing has a crucial role – it allows us to get ahead of the curve and track down and contain the virus as far as possible.

“We will continue to adapt our testing strategy in line with the different stages of the pandemic. However, testing is only one effective intervention that we are using to manage the virus and it remains vital that people continue to follow physical distancing advice and practise good hand and cough hygiene not just for their own safety but in order to protect others.”

Scotland’s Testing Strategy

Test and Protect was rolled out across Scotland on 28 May 2020.

People with any of the following symptoms should self-isolate and book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they are unable to access the online service:

a high temperature or fever
a new continuous cough
a loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste.

Test and Protect advice leaflet to be sent to Scottish households

Households are to be sent information explaining how the Test and Protect system works and setting out what to do if someone develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms.

NHS Test and Protect is being delivered by NHS Scotland to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. People with symptoms are urged to get tested straight away, with positive cases then referred to contact tracers.

The advice is being issued as the country moves into phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s exit strategy routemap with more restrictions being lifted and the new message to ‘Stay safe. Protect others. Save lives’.

The information will also be available online in 16 languages, large print and audio files.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman said: “NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect plays a vital and central role in protecting all of us and will ensure we move through the phases of our exit strategy. It is a collective effort to help us protect others and save lives.

“We will continue to lift restrictions if we break the chain of transmission and supress the spread of the virus. We need everyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 to isolate and book a test immediately and to work with NHS Scotland contact tracers to identify who they may have had close contact with.

“Please keep the leaflet handy so you know exactly what to do if you need to self-isolate and how to access any support you need.

“NHS Test and Protect is central to keeping this virus under control but so too is physical distancing, wearing a face covering, avoiding crowds and good hand and cough hygiene. Together all of this will help us stay safe, protect others and save lives.”

Test and Protect was rolled out across Scotland on 28 May 2020.

People with any of the following symptoms should book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they are unable to access the online service:

a high temperature or fever
a new continuous cough
a loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste

The leaflet will be available online from 22 June 2020.

Jeane Freeman: Life should not feel normal

Statement given by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Sunday 31 May):

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start this afternoon by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,400 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 18 from yesterday.

A total of 1,073 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – 732 who have been confirmed as having Covid, and 341 who are suspected of having Covid. That represents a total reduction of 41 since yesterday, including a decrease of 3 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 27 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 6 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,688 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

Unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 9 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,362.

It is worth remembering that fewer deaths tend to be registered at the weekend than on other days of the week, and that is probably why today’s figure is relatively low.

And, as always, I want to stress that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals whose loss is a source of grief to very many. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

As Health Secretary, I also want to once again thank those working in our health and care sectors. That thanks is due to all staff – to people working in NHS 24; in emergency dental and eye care; in GP practices and Covid assessment centres; in care homes and in hospitals; to paramedics; procurement staff, and the porters, cooks, cleaners, and maintenance staff who help to keep our services running.

Your work is essential to the health and well being of us all, and all of us are grateful to you.

I have two issues I want to address briefly before focusing on the next steps for our NHS. The first relates to the changes to lockdown restrictions which took effect on Friday.

I know that this weekend there will have been many long-awaited meetings taking place in the sunshine. I know they will have brought real joy to many. But I cannot emphasise enough, how much we need you to stick to the rules we have set out.

The central advice continues to be to stay at home. That is the best way of stopping the spread of the virus.

I know that is hard in the sunshine, but it is essential. The reasons you can leave your house are exceptions. They are not the norm.

If you are meeting people outside there should be no more than two households in any group – and ideally no more than 8 people. Each household should socially distance from the other – and also, of course, from any other groups that are in the same place as you.

And we strongly recommend that you do not meet with any other household more than once in a day.

Remember also that every person you meet, could pass the virus to you, or you could pass the virus to them, even if you feel well.

So remember the basic precautions you should take – wash your hands; cough or sneeze into your elbow or into a disposable tissue; and try to avoid touching your face. Don’t touch shared surfaces such as park benches or play parks. And if you can, wear a face covering in shops and on public transport.

Please do not travel more than 5 miles from your home. And do not crowd beauty spots, rural locations or small villages. Car parks in many of these locations remain closed, They are closed for a reason, to stop crowding. So please don’t ignore that, don’t park on verges or at the side of the road as an alternative. That is unsafe. If it’s crowded, change your plans and go elsewhere.

And please – don’t go indoors. Being in someone else’s house must still be avoided, unless you are providing support to someone who is vulnerable.

Fundamentally, life may feel a little less restricted but it should not feel normal.

I know these restrictions remain tough, but they are necessary.

The changes we have made are intended to improve people’s quality of life, while continuing to minimise opportunities for the virus. If we don’t respect these rules then the virus will begin to spread again.

I know that the majority of people are following the rules and the law. But we have heard and seen some reports this weekend of more than two households meeting, of house parties taking place, and of large gatherings outdoors. None of that should be happening. It puts you and others at risk.

So enjoy meeting friends and loved ones, but please do it sensibly. Think about your actions. And remember that for all of us, our individual decisions are crucial not first to our own safety and that of our loved ones, but to each other.

The second issue I want to talk about is shielding.

I know that the last three months have been enormously difficult for people who are shielding, and for their families.

I also know that it is tough for you to see restrictions being eased on those who are less at risk – and that you want clarity about when you can start to lead a less restricted life.

We will provide you with more information over the course of the next couple of weeks, but I want to stress that the changes the UK Government announced yesterday are for England only. They do not apply in Scotland.

We have asked you to shield because the virus presents a very serious risk to you. You matter. And so we need to very careful to get our advice righ

t for you as we move through how we can safely ease the restrictions you face and what you can do to keep safe.

In doing so, we will try, as far as we can, to move from the current blanket approach – which requires all of you to stay at home all the time – to one that reflects both the latest clinical evidence, and your individual circumstances.

The final issue I want to talk about today relates to NHS Scotland. The Scottish Government has today published “A Framework for NHS Mobilisation”.

It sets out the core principles that underpin how we will, safely and gradually, resume some of the services in the community and hospital setting which were paused at the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

The mobilisation plan makes clear that we will start with the resumption of those services whose absence is clearly having a detrimental impact on people’s lives.

But as we do that we must make sure we keep sufficient capacity, to deal with any surge in Covid-19 cases. And we will build on some of the improvements that have been made as a result of responding to Covid – particularly in primary care – through increased use of digital consultations.

Mental health support – something which is arguably more important now than ever – will be made more widely available.

The care offered at emergency dental hubs will expand, as dentists prepare to open.

In hospitals, we will restart some urgent elective surgery which had been postponed.

As we emerge further from lockdown, more services will resume – including, for example, cancer screening services, and services for managing chronic diseases.

And although it may seem like a strange thing to say on one of the hottest days of the year, we are already looking ahead to the winter months – to the normal flu season, as well as to the continued risk of Covid-19. So our planning must take that into account and use the next few months to restock and replenish supplies.

The plan sets out an approach which is cautious, phased, and based on evidence. It is informed by our experience in recent weeks. The re-mobilisation will happen in stages, with constant checking on the prevalence of the virus and the R-number. The plan charts the way we will help the health service to resume important services, alongside making sure that the virus continues to be suppressed.

And as those decisions are made in that slow, evidence-based way we will make sure that patients are well aware of what to expect and that you, the wider public in Scotland, know what we are doing and the reasons for it.

I am just about to hand over to the Chief Nursing Officer and the National Clinical Director. Before I do that, however, I would like to re-state once again our key public health guidance.

Lockdown has been modified slightly – but life should not feel normal. You should still stay home as much as possible because the virus has not gone away.

Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group.

Stay 2 metres apart when you do meet.

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

Avoid hard surfaces – and clean any you are touching.

And if you have symptoms, don’t wait to see if you feel better tomorrow, get tested and follow the advice on self isolation.

We are only taking steps out of lockdown this weekend, because so many people have stuck to the rules so far.

If all of us continue to do the right thing, we will be able to relax more restrictions in the future. But right now these rules remain the best way of protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. So please, stick with them.

Public support for Test & Protect

A new poll found a high level of support for testing measures to control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The survey, carried out days before NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect was rolled out across the country, showed 91% of adults in Scotland recognised the importance of testing while 89% agreed that staying home helped to save lives. In total 88% said they would want a test if at all possible if they developed symptoms, and 88% would be happy to provide details of people with whom they had been in contact.

Under the system, people will need to isolate with their household as soon as they have symptoms and get tested straight away through NHSInform.scot. If they have a positive test result, they will be asked to provide details of all recent close contacts to NHS contact tracers, and those people will be contacted and asked to isolate for 14 days.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Test and Protect is an essential step in our response to COVID-19. We are taking this step now because it’s the appropriate thing to do for this stage of the virus.

“As with lockdown, we need everyone to take this next step very seriously. They have done this so far, and I am very confident they will step up to show the same spirit of solidarity and care for each other as before.

“It is a collective national endeavour. People will need the help of family, friends, colleagues and employers. But support from us and our local authority partners will be available for anyone who needs extra help to self-isolate.

“If we all agree that some of us will have to stay home at times – when we have symptoms, test positive, or have been in contact with someone who tests positive – we can gradually move away from a situation where everyone has to stay home all of the time.”

Test and Protect

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman explains how we can all play our part in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19):

Test and Protect is NHS Scotland’s new approach to controlling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.

The system will help to prevent you from spreading the virus, and protect the country from a second peak. But just like lockdown, it can only work if we all play our part.

From today, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 – a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change of taste or smell – you should immediately visit NHS Inform or call 0800 028 2816 if you can’t get online.

It is really important you do this as soon as you suspect you have symptoms. The quicker the NHS can tell if you have the virus, the better chance we all have of stopping it spreading.

When you contact the NHS you will be able to book a test at a mobile testing unit, a drive-through testing centre or order a home testing kit.

While you wait for that result, it is important that you and everyone in your household self –isolates.

If you test positive, you will need to self-isolate for 7 days, and your household for 14.

That has always been the case. What’s new is that now, as we begin to ease some of the lockdown measures, in order to keep the virus suppressed, we will also need to trace your close contacts and advise them to isolate for 14 days, with support.

So if you get a positive test result you will be asked who you have been in close contact with. This includes people in your household, people you have had direct face to face contact with for any length of time, and those you have been within 2 metres of for 15 minutes or more.

This NHS system is entirely confidential, when the people you have been near are contacted they will not be told who it is that they have been in contact with. This information is only collected and used by NHS Scotland for the purposes of tracing your contacts. The Scottish Government will not have access to it.

If you receive a call or a message from a contact tracer to say you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, they will ask you to self-isolate immediately. It is hugely important you do this in order to stop the spread of the virus.

It is only by all playing our part, getting tested, providing information and agreeing to isolate, that we can cut the numbers of people getting the virus.

You can find guidance on the Scottish Government website to help you self-isolate, which includes advice on what to do if you care for someone who is shielding, and how you can access food and medicine. It’s also a good idea to take steps to ensure that you are prepared in advance, in case you are ever asked to isolate.

For those who cannot leave their home and who cannot get the help they need from family, friends or online, the National Assistance Helpline (0800 111 4000) is available Monday to Friday, from 9.00 am 5.00 pm.

We have also published guidance for employers which makes clear that they should support anyone who needs to self-isolate as part of Test and Protect. We are also working with the UK Government to ensure that people are fully protected by their employment rights and benefits, such as Statutory Sick Pay as a minimum.

Of course, the best way to avoid having to isolate, is to follow the rules on physical distancing and stay 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your own household.

Test and Protect will be part of all our lives for the foreseeable future, until we know we have fully suppressed the virus, or there is a treatment or a vaccine that we can be confident will protect people properly.

So as we slowly change the lockdown restrictions, for everyone to enjoy more freedoms, we must all play our part by isolating when we are asked to.

FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce the first steps on the road to a loosening of lockdown restrictions at lunchtime today.

Jeane Freeman: Fair benefits for care workers

Statement given by the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Sunday 24 May):

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start this afternoon by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,101 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 60 from yesterday.

A total of 1,329 patients are in hospital with COVID-19 –845 who have been confirmed as having COVID, and 484 who are suspected of having the virus. That represents a total change of 24 from yesterday, including an increase of four in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 44 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. And that is a decrease of six since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,560 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital, and I wish all of them well.

Regrettably, I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, nine deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,270.

It is worth bearing in mind that fewer deaths tend to be registered at the weekend than on other days of the week – and that is almost certainly part of the reason why today’s figure is relatively low.

And, as always, I want to stress that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals who were loved, who were valued, and whose loss is a source of grief to very many. So I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

As Health Secretary, I also want to once again thank those working in our health and care sectors. That thanks is due to all staff – in care homes, in GP practices and COVID assessment centres, emergency dental and eyecare, paramedics, procurement staff, people working in NHS 24; and the many cooks, cleaners, porters and maintenance staff who make all of this possible.

What you do is essential to the health and wellbeing of our country. And all of us owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

I have one issue that I want to update you on, before I remind everyone of the guidance in place right now – and it is directly relevant to the point that I have just made, about the importance of frontline workers.

Social care workers have always played a vital and valuable role – but the importance of what they do has never been more apparent than during this emergency period.

Several employers already offer employment contracts to social care workers which are broadly in line with the Scottish Government’s fair work principles – but it is clear that others do not.

At this time, even more than is usually the case, that cannot be justified. It is not acceptable for any social care worker to be faced with the impossible situation of testing positive for the virus, knowing that their weekly income will reduce to only the level of statutory sick pay.

So we have intervened to ensure that social care workers do not face that situation, but receive better levels of sick pay. It is also the case that for some social care workers, their contract of employment offers no cover for death in service. Again, that is not acceptable, so our intervention will also ensure that in the tragic circumstances of this pandemic, when a social care worker dies their next of kin will receive financial support.

That sick pay fund will ensure that care workers who test positive for COVID-19 will receive sick pay above the current statutory level of £95.85 a week.

The death in service benefit will see a one-of payment of £60,000 made to a named survivor of any social care worker who dies without death in service cover in their contracted pension arrangements. And both these arrangements will be retrospective.

Over the course of the next week, we will work with local government, social care providers and trades unions on the details. But our aim is clear. This Scottish Government will provide fair benefits for care workers. They have continually shown, in recent weeks, how vital their work is. And we must help them, as they provide help to those who need it.

The people in our health and social care services are doing a tremendous job, but they need us to play our part. And part of that is by following the rules that we have put in place.

So I think it is essential today to remind everyone – because it is hugely important – what we mean by Self-Isolation, and what we are asking you to do.

That message may have become confused in the last 24 hours because of events in other parts of the United Kingdom, so let me be clear what we mean here in Scotland.

Self-isolation means the following – if you think you have the virus – if you have a persistent cough, a fever or loss of taste and / or smell, you should self-isolate at home for a minimum of seven days. In that time you should get tested if you can – bearing in mind that testing is now open to anyone over the age of five who have symptoms.

At the same time – anyone in your household should self-isolate for 14 days – to see if they develop the virus, and if they do, they should isolate for seven days from that point.

On the eighth day, if you do not have any more symptoms, you can go back out, back to the lockdown measures that apply across the country.

Self-isolation is not the same as lockdown. When you are self-isolating you should not go to the shops, or out for exercise or to help others. You should not leave the house for any reason.

Instead if you need anything you should have it delivered to you, whether that’s by family and friends, local volunteers, supermarket delivery services or by phoning the National Helpline on 0800 111 4000.

If you are concerned about vulnerable people who are with you or that you care for – again – phone the National Helpline – 0800 111 4000.

I cannot emphasise enough how important self-isolation is, as part of our efforts – your efforts – to tackle the virus. It is all about breaking that chain of transmission, and I encourage everyone who has symptoms to follow these rules completely.

We hope, as the First Minister indicated, that later in the week we will be able to confirm that some lockdown restrictions – especially relating to outdoor activities – will be relaxed.

But even if those restrictions are relaxed, some key advice – including what I’ve just read out on isolating if you have symptoms of COVID, as well on physical distancing, washing your hands and the use of face coverings – will remain the same. In fact, they will become even more important – to avoid undoing all the progress that you have made through your sacrifices and your compliance with the rules, particularly as we move into Test and Protect.

For the moment, however, all our key public health guidance remains unchanged.

So please stay at home – except for essential purposes, such as daily exercise; buying essential items such as food or medicine; or going to essential work which you cannot do from home.

You can exercise more than once a day – but when you do leave the house, stay more than 2 metres from other people. And do not meet up with other households other than your own.

Please wear a face covering where appropriate – for example if you are in a busy shop or on public transport. And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

I know that this is a bank holiday weekend – and that talk of emerging from lockdown probably makes following these restrictions even harder. But the fact that we have stuck with them so far, that is what makes it possible to think about relaxing them.

By doing the right thing, all of us – all of you – are helping to slow the spread of the virus, protecting our NHS, and you are saving lives.

So thank you to every single person who is doing that.

I am now going to turn to Professor Leitch, our National Clinical Director, to say a few words.