public health – Page 54 – The NEN

PM Boris Johnson: ‘One Way Road to Freedom’

UK Government publishes four-step roadmap to ease restrictions across England and provide a route back to a more normal way of life
Each step to be assessed against four tests before restrictions ease, starting with the return of schools on 8 March
PM is clear that the decision on each stage will be based on data not dates, and government will move cautiously to keep infection rates under control

The Prime Minister has announced the government’s roadmap to ‘cautiously ease’ lockdown restrictions in England.

In a statement to parliament this afternoon he paid tribute to the extraordinary success of the UK’s vaccination programme and the resolve of the British public in following the lockdown restrictions, which has helped to cut infection rates and reduce the spread of the virus.

He also set out the latest vaccine efficacy data, with Public Health England finding that one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces hospitalisations and deaths by at least 75%. Analysis of the AstraZeneca vaccine efficacy continues, with promising early results.

Supported by the increased protection offered by these vaccines, the government is able to slowly and cautiously begin to ease restrictions in all areas across England at the same time, guided at all stages by data, not dates.

The roadmap, which has now been published on gov.uk, outlines four steps for easing restrictions. Before proceeding to the next step, the Government will examine the data to assess the impact of previous steps.

This assessment will be based on four tests:

The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully.
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.

There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step: four weeks for the data to reflect changes in restrictions; followed by seven days’ notice of the restrictions to be eased.

The Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser have made clear that this will give adequate time to assess the impact of each step and reduce the risk of having to re-impose restrictions at a later date.

As the Prime Minister said, getting children back into school has been the top priority, and so from 8 March all children and students will return to face to face education in schools and college.

By this point, everyone in the top four vaccine priority cohorts – as determined by the independent JCVI – will have received the first dose of their vaccine and developed the necessary protection from it.

Also from this date:

Wraparound childcare and other supervised children’s activities can resume where they enable parents to work, seek work, attend education, seek medical care or attend a support group
Care home residents will be allowed one regular visitor provided they are tested and wear PPE
The Stay at Home requirement will remain, but people can leave home for recreation outdoors such as a coffee or picnic with their household or support bubble, or with one person outside their household
Some university students on practical courses will be able to return to face to face learning

As part of step one, there will be further limited changes from 29 March, the week in which most schools will break up for Easter. Outdoor gatherings of either 6 people or 2 households will be allowed, providing greater flexibility for families to see each other. This includes in private gardens.

Outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts, will be allowed to reopen, and people can take part in formally organised outdoor sports.

At this point, the Stay at Home order will end, although many lockdown restrictions will remain.

For example, you should continue to work from home where possible, and overseas travel remains banned, aside for a small number of reasons.

The subsequent steps are set out as follows:

Step 2, no earlier than 12 April:

Non-essential retail, personal care premises, such as hairdressers and nail salons, and public buildings, such as libraries and community centres, will reopen.
Most outdoor attractions and settings, including zoos, and theme parks, will also reopen although wider social contact rules will apply in these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different households. Drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances will also be permitted.
Indoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also reopen – but only for use by people on their own or with their household.
Hospitality venues can serve people outdoors only. There will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcohol, and no curfew – although customers must order, eat and drink while seated.
Self-contained accommodation, such as holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can also reopen.
Funerals can continue with up to 30 people, and the numbers able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise to 15 (from 6).

Step 3, no earlier than 17 May:

Outdoors, most social contact rules will be lifted – although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal.
Outdoor performances such as outdoor cinemas, outdoor theatres and outdoor cinemas can reopen.. Indoors, the rule of 6 or 2 households will apply – although we will keep under review whether it is safe to increase this.
Indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play areas, the rest of the accommodation sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will also reopen.
Larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is lower) will also be allowed, as will those in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4000 people or half-full (whichever is lower).
In the largest outdoor seated venues where crowds can spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend (or a quarter-full, whichever is lower).
Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals. Other life events that will be permitted include bar mitzvahs and christenings.

Step 4, no earlier than 21 June:

It is hoped all legal limits on social contact can be removed.
We hope to reopen nightclubs, and lift restrictions on large events and performances that apply in Step 3.
This will also guide decisions on whether all limits can be removed on weddings and other life events.

In the meantime, the vaccination programme continues at pace, with the announcement of a new target to offer a first dose of the vaccine to every adult by the end of July.

The government hopes that the increased protection offered by vaccines will gradually replace the restrictions, with the roadmap published today providing the principles of the transition.

MPs will have an opportunity to vote on the regulations that will enable this roadmap in Parliament in the coming weeks.

We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as we have throughout the pandemic. They are setting out approaches for easing for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The roadmap can be found in full here.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will lay out Scotland’s recovery framework later today.

Scotland moves on to next stage of vaccination programme

Priority group 6 receive appointments

People with underlying health conditions and unpaid carers are beginning to receive coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations. Priority group 6 is one of the largest on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) list.

The first to be invited will be people who have conditions which are included on both the JCVI priority list and the flu vaccine list. Although there is some overlap, the two lists are not exactly the same. They will be invited at the same time as unpaid carers who receive carers’ benefits or who have been identified by GPs.

Carers who do not receive carers benefits, and who have not been identified by GPs, will be asked to come forward to register for their vaccine at a later date through an online portal or the national helpline. Work is also ongoing to identify people with underlying conditions who are not on the modified flu vaccine list, and they will be invited shortly.

Anyone aged 70 or over who has not yet been invited for their vaccine should visit nhsinform.scot for further advice, or call the national helpline on 0800 030 8013.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “As we move through the JCVI priority list, we will continue to maximise the number of vaccinations depending on available supply.

“Although a small number of people in group 6 will already have been invited in some parts of Scotland, we are now able to begin to roll out these invites more widely. Boards will begin to send the invites as their supply levels allow, and once they have completed a good proportion of 65-69-year-olds.

“This is one of the largest group of people on the priority list, so please be patient. It may take several weeks to get through the whole cohort. The age range of people in this cohort can be as young as 16 and their underlying condition may not be obvious to the outside world.

“I would stress that the offer at this time is based on a clinical judgment so we would strongly encourage people of all ages to take up this offer should it come.

“As a result of the high uptake in the last few weeks and a lower supply of vaccine than we had originally anticipated, we have had to adjust the number of appointments in the past week, and for the foreseeable future.

“We must also ensure we have enough vaccine for second doses when they are due as this provides longer lasting protection against the virus. All of this will mean that some of our vaccination centres may be less busy in the next couple of weeks.

“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.”

Reusable face masks soar in online popularity

A new report by leading face mask brand SmartCover reveals reusable face masks have soared in online popularity during the latest lockdown.

The analysis of online news and social media sentiment in the UK highlights that the public’s engagement with reusable face mask topics online has increased significantly in the last three months, compared to the previous period.

Reusable vs. disposable debate

While both reusable and disposable face mask-related topics are trending, the SmartCover analysis reveals that during the third government-imposed lockdown, the total number of reusable face mask mentions were almost double disposable mask related ones.

Sentiment analysis of online news and social media indicates a reluctant attitude towards disposable masks, with only 8% of total mentions positive, compared to 61% of positive sentiment mentions for reusable face masks.

Top hashtags and emojis reveal increased awareness on single-use

The social listening analysis reveals the top hashtags and emojis used in the UK in relation to reusable and disposable face masks. The “face with medical mask” emoji was the top result with 25% of mentions, while the “folded hands” emoji, another top result (5%), is an indicator that people are encouraging the use of reusable masks.

The “grinning squinting face” was the most used with disposable mask terms, with 40% of total mentions, equally popular as the “pleading face” emoji, which grew in popularity as people started encouraging each other to consider reusables.

The study highlights a general increase in the public’s consciousness about the downsides of single-use masks, with some of the most popular hashtags identified – #choosetoreuse, #ecofriendly, #washable or #reusebeatssingleuse touching on environmental concerns. Of the top ten most used emojis with disposable face mask terms, 90% were in a negative context.

Twitter leading platform for reusable face mask support

Engagement on reusable face mask terms increased over 2,000 times in the last three months, compared to the previous period. Twitter has been largely responsible for this increase, with 75% of mentions coming from the social media platform, followed by newspapers and online news, at 11% and 7%, respectively.

Matteo Grassi, CEO of Viceroy Group, parent company to SmartCover, said: “We’re seeing increased interest in reusable face masks, and it’s encouraging to see the UK public’s activism in this respect and their awareness on the environmental impact of single-use face masks.

“We hope more people consider the reusable alternative where possible, always making sure that safety certifications are being met.”

Schools return: Swinney urges parents to follow the FACTS

With P1 – P3 children and some senior pupils going back to school next week, Deputy First Minister appealed to parents to play their part in making the return a success when he led yesterday’s press briefing:

Mr Swinney said: “As you know, Monday will see children returning to early learning and childcare, and to primaries 1 to 3. In addition, a very limited number of senior phase students will return to secondary school, for essential work which is required for national qualifications, and which can only be done within school.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who are working hard to prepare for this return – that of course includes teachers, childcare providers, school staff and school leaders. Your efforts are hugely appreciated by me and by the Scottish Government.

This partial return of education is an important milestone. And there are two specific points I want to make about it today.

The first point concerns testing in schools.

As senior phase pupils, teachers and school staff start to return, we will be making at-home lateral flow tests available to them, twice a week.

Pilot testing programmes have been running in a small number of schools, in recent weeks. And we are using what we’ve learned from this, to roll the programme out across the country.

As part of that, we have been working closely with the UK Government to get test kits into schools. This process has obviously been affected by the severe weather that we’ve experienced in recent days.

However, I can confirm that around 2,500 schools have now received testing kits. And we expect any remaining schools will receive their allocations either today or early in next week.

On Tuesday, we issued comprehensive testing guidance to schools and to local authorities.

And we are working with YoungScot to provide online information and support for senior phase pupils who want to take part in the testing programme.

This first phase of testing will include childcare staff based in schools. We are currently working through the practical arrangements for rolling out testing to childcare staff working in other types of nursery settings. And we will provide further details on those arrangements very soon.

Testing in schools is entirely voluntary – but I would encourage staff and pupils to take the tests, if you are offered them. The use of testing is a very important addition to the other safety mitigations which are already in place.

Of course, the evidence suggests that the key risk in re‑opening schools isn’t transmission within schools and nurseries – but the greater contact it leads to, among the adult population.

That brings me to the second point that I would like to make this afternoon. Parents and carers also have a really important role to play, in making the return of education a success.

For example, if you have been working from home up until now, please continue to do so – even if your children are back at school or nursery. Your employer has a legal obligation to support you in doing that.

Don’t use this return as an opportunity to meet up with other parents or friends.

And as a general rule, if you find that you are meeting up with more people than you were before, once your children have returned to school, then think about why that is. All of us should be minimizing our social contacts right now.

In addition, when you are out of the house – at the schools gates for example – please remember to follow the FACTS advice.

For all of us, that advice is perhaps more important now than ever before. We’re now dealing with a much more transmissible form of the virus. So we need to respond accordingly – by making it even more difficult for the virus to spread.

That’s why the Scottish Government is launching a new campaign – to highlight the importance of the FACTS advice and all of the other rules and guidelines. It emphasises the need for all of us to stay on our guard, even as our vaccination programme is rolled out.

So I want to take this opportunity to quickly run through the five golden rules of FACTS – and why they’re so important:

The first is face coverings. In enclosed spaces, face coverings help to protect you, and those around you. And remember, ahead of next week, face coverings should be worn by parents and carers, when collecting or dropping off your children from school.
Avoid crowded places. Covid thrives in a crowd. So by avoiding these kinds of situations, you minimize the chance of spreading the virus.
Clean hands and surfaces – good hand hygiene and regular cleaning remain really important. If you are leaving the house, take hand sanitizer with you – or use it wherever it is provided.
Two metre distancing from members of other households. You should always physically distance from other households. Again, that’s maybe especially important to remember as some schoolchildren return. For parents and carers, for example, you should remember to physically distance when you are walking to school or nursery, and when you’re dropping off or collecting your children.
And finally self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms. That is how we identify cases – and stop the spread. If you are identified as a close contact of someone who has Covid, you also need to book a test, and to self-isolate for ten days.

By following each of these points, we can help to make this initial return of education a success. And we can help to keep each other safe, as the vaccination programme does its work.

However, I want to emphasise that the basic rule at the moment remains the same. Right now, all of us should be staying at home.

In any level 4 area – that of course includes all of mainland Scotland – you must only leave the house for essential purposes.

You cannot meet up with other households indoors.

And if you meet up with someone outdoors, you can only meet with one other person from one other household.

These restrictions are really difficult – and I don’t underestimate that for a moment. But crucially, they are working.

Case numbers are coming down – so too are hospital admissions.

We need to see that trend continue – and so it’s vital that we continue to stick with the restrictions.

That is how we keep the virus under control.

And it’s how we give ourselves the best chance of returning – more quickly – to some form of normality.

So please continue to do the right thing.

Stay at home, protect the National Health Service and save lives.

And my thanks go once again, to everyone who is doing that.

Scottish care home visits to resume next month

Routine indoor visiting of care home residents by relatives, friends and carers can resume from early March with care providers supporting residents to have up to two designated visitors each and one visit a week for each visitor, the Scottish Government has announced.

With a wide range of protections now in place against COVID-19 for care home residents, it is has been decided meaningful contact should be made easier for the wellbeing of residents and their loved ones.

The most recent of these protections is the COVID vaccine with more than 99.9% of older care home residents and 92% of staff now vaccinated with first dose.

Additionally, the national picture of coronavirus outbreaks in care homes is improving. NRS data shows that deaths from coronavirus in care homes have fallen by 62% in the last three weeks and the balance is now in favour of allowing contact to resume.

Guidelines to be published on Wednesday 24 February will support care providers to resume visiting for up to two designated visitors per resident.

Every time someone goes into a care home it is a COVID risk. But we are acutely conscious that continued restriction of contact for residents with relatives can contribute to loneliness and isolation and worsening physical and mental health. With the range of protections in place against COVID, the bigger risk now is the continued separation of residents from loved ones.

Visitors will need to wear face coverings and any PPE requested by the care home, and are strongly encouraged to take a COVID test on-site. While visiting may sometimes still be restricted, for example in the event of an outbreak at a care home, the expectation will now be that homes will facilitate regular weekly contact as long as certain safety conditions are met. We will then work to continue to gradually increase the frequency and duration of contact.

Health Secretary Jeanne Freeman said: “The decisions regarding restrictions on visiting for care home residents have been some of the most difficult we have faced and I have the greatest sympathy for those who have been unable to see relatives and loved ones in person for so long.

“Care home staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support continued contact between residents and their loved ones but these restrictions have been hugely challenging for them, as well as for care home staff and colleagues.

“We deeply regret the deaths and other harm caused by coronavirus in our care homes, but we also recognise the harm caused to the wellbeing of residents and families as a result of an inability to see those they love.

“We must remain vigilant about the risks but with multiple layers of protection now in place the balance is in favour of allowing visits. Everyone, including visitors, has a responsibility to ensure that visits take place as safely as possible by continuing to follow safety advice.

“The additional protection in place includes infection prevention and control measures (IPC); personal protective equipment (PPE) in care homes and testing of staff and visiting professionals to care homes, which have developed processes and protocols for safer indoor visiting to take place.

“The guidance we are publishing sets out an expectation that providers will put in place arrangements to enable regular visits to resume from early March and from the discussions I have had with providers, I now expect all care homes to have embraced this guidance by mid-March.”

Cathie Russell of Care Home Relatives Scotland said: “We look forward to working with care home providers, public health and oversight teams to ensure that the new guidance allows residents to enjoy meaningful contact with their closest relatives and friends once more.

“It has been a very difficult year. The deepest ties of love are important and we can never thrive without them.”

Donald MacAskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, said: “The COVID pandemic has presented frontline care home staff and managers with many challenges but undoubtedly the hardest has been keeping residents apart from family and friends.

“We have now reached a very different place and with a range of COVID-19 protections in place, including vaccination and testing, combined with the use of PPE and IPC, we are at a stage where we can re-introduce safer indoor visiting to Scotland’s care homes. This day has been long-awaited and we understand that it will be an emotional time for many.

“Scottish Care is committed to supporting staff and managers, residents and family, to make sure that these guidelines succeed in their aim of reconnecting individuals.

“We commit to working together to overcome any challenges and difficulties we might face and to support those who may still be anxious and fearful, so that together we can ensure that a painful period of separation can be replaced by greater togetherness.”

Gabe Docherty, on behalf of Scottish Directors of Public Health, said: “There’s not been a day when these very human considerations haven’t weighed on the minds of my colleagues and I as we’ve endeavoured to safely negotiate all the challenges COVID has presented.

“It is always been the focus of Directors of Public Health to reinstate visiting as soon as there was evidence that the risks of doing so were greatly reduced. So I warmly welcome and wholeheartedly endorse the approach – and all that it means for care home residents, their families and Care Home staff.”

Councillor Stuart Currie, Health and Social Care Spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said: “Local Government welcomes the forthcoming guidance on resuming meaningful contact for care home residents and recognises the impact that restrictions have had on residents, their families and friends and care home staff.

“This guidance supports all parts of the system to ensure that meaningful contact is undertaken safely with a number of safety and protection measures in place.”

The Scootish annnouncement follows a statement from the UK Government earlier this morning that every care home resident in England will be allowed one regular indoor visitor from 8 March.

Scotland’s vaccination rollout ‘exceeds expectations’

A total of 786,427 people have now received their first Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination in Scotland, including 93% of over-80s living in the community.

Some 99% of older adult care home residents have received a first dose, along with 89% of staff in older adult care homes. A total of 272,365 frontline health and social care workers have also been vaccinated, exceeding the initial target of 230,000 staff provided by health boards.

This week, following the opening of new mass vaccination centres, including the Edinburgh International Conference Centre and Aberdeen’s P&J LIVE at TECA, there has been a 49% increase in the number of vaccinations carried out compared with the previous week.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Scotland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is now delivering ahead of our expectations, thanks 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.

“Our aim is to vaccinate as many people as possible with both their first and second doses. The vaccine deployment plan was predicated on an uptake of at least 80% in each cohort – though so far we are significantly exceeding that for care home residents and staff, frontline healthcare staff, and over 80-year-olds in the community. If you are aged over 80 but have not yet received your invite, you should contact your GP surgery so they can assist.

“We hope to see a significant drop in the disease due to the vaccination programme, however this will take a number of months to evaluate fully. In the shorter term, we are monitoring the uptake rate but we also have a comprehensive surveillance system in place to monitor outcome of vaccine efficacy and disease reduction.

“Each health board is working hard to get the vaccine into people’s arms as quickly as possible, and everyone eligible will be offered the vaccine as we work our way through the priority groups.”

Community testing to be increased

Scotland’s next community testing site for people without COVID-19 symptoms will open in Cowdenbeath, Fife next Wednesday (10 February).

The centre will open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and initially, from 11am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Four more sites in different areas across Fife will open in the coming weeks.

The sites will provide lateral flow testing, followed by a confirmatory PCR test if the first result is positive.

Lateral flow tests detect active infections, with results in minutes. They are a cheap technology and could be a useful tool to identify people with asymptomatic infections who would not otherwise be detected.

Dedicated support will be available on-site for anyone who needs help to self-isolate as a result, including advice on how to access financial support and food packages.

The Fife site is the first to open since asymptomatic testing was successfully trialled in Johnstone in December.

Further proposals for Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries & Galloway, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and Grampian have been agreed, and discussions are underway with a number of other boards and local authorities for agreement in the coming days.

Community testing has continued in the meantime with MTUs deployed since 18 January to provide testing for people with and without symptoms in the following communities: Maybole, Grangemouth, Langholm, West Linton, Sauchie, Denny, and Hawick. Data on the number of people tested and positivity rates at these sites will be published by Public Health Scotland next Wednesday .

Is your face covering on correctly?

To best protect yourself and others from coronavirus, it must cover both:

✅ Your nose
✅ Your mouth

Remember, you should only be leaving home for essential reasons right now.#WeAreScotland
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) February 3, 2021

Public Health Minister Mairi Gougeon said: “Increased testing in this way will help us find and isolate more cases, by targeting resources with communities where there is high prevalence, helping us to identify more cases of the virus and giving us all a better chance of stopping it from spreading.

“However, a test only tells us if we are positive at the point in time that we are being tested. It does not mean that we can stop following all of the rules and guidelines which are in place to protect all of us. Testing is only one layer of protection against this virus – all others, including vaccination and the FACTS guidance work to greatest effect when they work together, so it is essential people continue to follow the restrictions currently in place to suppress COVID to the lowest possible level in Scotland.

“This expansion has been made possible as our testing capacity has increased but it could not have happened without the support of our local partners, and everyone involved in Scotland’s testing programme, from diagnostic staff to sample takers, and I want to pay tribute to each and every one of you as we continue to work to suppress this virus together.”

Further information and updates on the Fife Community Testing programme is available at nhsfife.org/communitytesting

Briggs: Ministers out of touch on NHS Lothian vaccination rollout

Local vaccination figures show that 80,066 people have been vaccinated in NHS Lothian, equivalent to 10.6% of the population over the age of 16.

Last week NHS Lothian said the Scottish Government vaccination figures were invalid, because they did not include vaccinations that had happened at GP practices in NHS Lothian.

At the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday Health Secretary Jeane Freeman admitted that “we do need to vaccinate faster in Scotland than we have been doing.”

Scotland is lagging behind the rest of the UK in the number of people vaccinated so far, with SNP Ministers rearranging their target for all over 70s to receive a letter to be vaccinated by the end of last week, to end of this week.

The delivery of vaccines to GP practices has been highlighted as a crucial area where the delivery of the vaccines is being held up, with GP practices limited to 100 vaccines doses a week.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “It is worrying that SNP Ministers are lagging behind other parts of the United Kingdom in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

“An efficient vaccination rollout is vital for protecting elderly and at risk people from Covid-19, but also so that our schools can fully reopen and businesses get going again.

“Every day that the vaccinations rollout is delayed is another day where pupils aren’t able to get back to school and businesses won’t be making any income.

“In NHS Lothian it is not clear whether GP practice vaccination numbers have been included in the total, and it is very concerning that SNP Ministers don’t know how many people have been vaccinated.”

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/

The Conservative Lothians list MSP also expressed concern over Accident and Emergency waiting times figures released on Tuesday.

They revealed that 83.4% of patients were seen within the 4 hour waiting time target at A&E departments in Lothian, for the December 2020, the latest figures available.

The figure seen within 4 hours is comparable to December 2019, when 80.4% of patients were seen within the 4 hour standard in NHS Lothian, despite attendance dropping from 23,724 to 16,916.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned that staff had been working relentlessly for 11 months and “Studies have shown many have face psychological distress, stress and even PTSD as a result of the pandemic.

Lothian MSP has called on SNP Ministers to step up their efforts to support NHS Lothian frontline staff, and said they that SNP Ministers have not done enough, despite unprecedented funding from the UK government to overcome Covid-19.

Mr Briggs said that members of the public also have a role to play in alleviating pressure on NHS services.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “NHS Lothian frontline staff have been working flat out to overcome Covid-19 for almost a year and we must all do everything we can to alleviate pressure on them as the Covid-19 vaccines is rolled out.

“It is important that people still go to A&E if they have an emergency, and not be put off by Covid-19, but people must make an appointment with their GP if they have a condition which doesn’t need immediate medical attention.”

“SNP Ministers have not done enough to support NHS Lothian frontline staff, despite record funding from the UK Government, with waiting times growing for A&E despite fewer people attending.

“Keeping socially distanced and following Covid-19 rules is crucial for a bit longer, as the vaccines is rolled out, so that our NHS doesn’t get overwhelmed.”

NHS Lothian attendance and waiting time figures:

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-services/hospital-care/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ (in data tables)

NHS Lothian

Episode and aggregate level data	Apr-2020	May-2020	Jun-2020	Jul-2020	Aug-2020	Sep-2020	Oct-2020	Nov-2020	Dec-2020
Number of attendances	12,030	16,150	17,737	18,984	21,136	20,470	19,328	17,776	16,916
Total attendances for year to month	271,907	263,517	257,058	251,908	247,864	243,117	237,364	230,625	223,817
Rolling average attendance	22,659	21,960	21,422	20,992	20,655	20,260	19,780	19,219	18,651
Over 4 hours in A&E	549	723	915	990	1,685	2,088	2,039	2,155	2,810
% within 4 hours (month)	95.4%	95.5%	94.8%	94.8%	92.0%	89.8%	89.5%	87.9%	83.4%
% within 4 hours (rolling annual)	86.6%	87.0%	87.4%	87.5%	87.6%	87.7%	87.9%	88.6%	89.1%
Episode level data only
Number of attendances	11,980	16,073	17,601	18,911	20,999	20,411	19,262	17,696	16,851
Over 8 hours in A&E	24	24	50	57	92	202	231	219	481
% within 8 hours (month)	99.8%	99.9%	99.7%	99.7%	99.6%	99.0%	98.8%	98.8%	97.1%
Over 12 hours in A&E	1	3	3	3	10	39	26	37	124
% within 12 hours (month)	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	99.8%	99.9%	99.8%	99.3%

Episode and aggregate level data	Apr-2019	May-2019	Jun-2019	Jul-2019	Aug-2019	Sep-2019	Oct-2019	Nov-2019	Dec-2019	Jan-2020	Feb-2020	Mar-2020
Number of attendances	23,831	24,540	24,196	24,134	25,180	25,217	25,081	24,515	23,724	23,617	21,909	17,764
Total attendances for year to month	282,525	282,583	283,569	284,742	285,857	287,956	289,785	290,805	290,817	290,699	290,349	283,708
Rolling average attendance	23,544	23,549	23,631	23,729	23,821	23,996	24,149	24,234	24,235	24,225	24,196	23,642
Over 4 hours in A&E	2,968	2,829	2,791	1,912	2,441	2,942	3,398	4,561	4,658	4,103	3,902	2,390
% within 4 hours (month)	87.5%	88.5%	88.5%	92.1%	90.3%	88.3%	86.5%	81.4%	80.4%	82.6%	82.2%	86.5%
% within 4 hours (rolling annual)

…

NOTE

The highest number of vaccinations in one day was recorded on Wednesday: 45,085 people had a jab, taking the total of those who have had a first injection to 694,347.

Caught in the act of Care

Gallery showcases Queen Elizabeth staff at the heart of delivering care during pandemic

Within the atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) we have a gallery which pays tribute to the many staff working across the hospital site to look after patients during this difficult time.

Here, we’ve collated some of the images from the ‘Caught in the act of Care’ exhibition alongside some of quotes from staff on what it’s like to work during the pandemic.

Council cuts could send rat populations spiralling out of control

A jump of 25% in the rat population during 2020 has increased the pest control workload in most areas of the UK, as rats migrate from city centre commercial areas to inner city residential – increasing reports from worried residents about rat sightings.

Reports of rats being seen in open public areas during lockdown are common, with Council pest control departments being sent an increasing number of reports of rats in inner city residential areas as rats migrate in the search for food and shelter.

“Lockdown is presenting a serious challenge for pest controllers, none more so than where financial cuts and social distancing is hampering Local Authority departments in their ability to tackle rat populations. This is not only a funding issue – the population of rats is growing, and the ability to control them with traditional means is decreasing as 74% of UK rats have been shown to carry immunity to popular poisons”, explains Jenny Rathbone of Pest Controller Pest.co.uk

Areas such as Bridgend where Councillor Nicole Burnett, cabinet member for social services and early help reported: “There does seem to be an increase in the rat population in residential areas, particularly residential areas close to town centres.” They have seen an increase of 47% in the reports of rat problems since 2016.

Cardiff is suffering a similar problem, Gill Lewis from Caerphilly County Borough Council stated: “there has been a significant increase in pest control requests since March 2020 because “more people are at home and seeing more pest activity than they usually would”.

“The big problem we face is that residents of more deprived inner-city areas tend to use Local Authority services to treat rodent problems, and it’s these areas rats are moving to during lockdown – any cuts to services will end up impacting the poorest the hardest – and we all know cuts are coming”, Rathbone adds.

UK Rat Population grew 25% last year (Source Pest.co.uk)

2019 – 120m
2020 – 150m

The issues currently affecting the control of the rat population in the UK are:

The first lockdown in March 2020 allowed rats to get a foothold, and breed well. The population increased 25% in 2020 from 120 million to 150 million.
Traditional pest control methods are becoming ineffective as the 2019-20 Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use survey of rats showed that 74% of rats in the UK carried a resistance gene to popular rodenticides, and even more worrying in some locations in the UK, 20% have two different genes, making them super resistant (Source)
Pressure on Local Authority Pest Control departments to provide more services, with ever increasing strain on finances.

Pest.co.uk is advising anyone living in inner-city urban areas to take proactive measures before problems start, these include:

Block up holes – Fill any gaps in brickwork, shed doors and any holes on external walls of your home including cellars and attics
Clear cupboards – Empty unused cupboards of bags, clothes, rags and keep them clean
Secure all food sources – Make sure food is not left out, tidy away any open food sources and keep worktops and floors clean of crumbs
Prepare traps – by leaving out rat traps you can pre-empt any future infestation, however it is better to bait with official rat poison than leaving food scraps out

“2021 could be interesting. The longer the lockdown continues, the higher the risk that rats get a real foothold that will be hard to control come summer”, concludes Jenny Rathbone of Pest Controller Pest.co.uk