Tag: public health

Surgical masks for police officers

Police officers and staff across Scotland will be given surgical face masks to wear as they respond to incidents or deal with the public where it is not possible to adhere to social distancing measures.

We have secured initial stocks of type 2 fluid resistant surgical masks and are distributing them to our workforce in response to advice from Health Protection Scotland, Public Health England and the UK Government.

Officers and staff will be able to choose to use the type 2 masks in certain low risk situations where they are unable to maintain a two-metre distance from their colleagues or members of the public.

Officers and staff who are in contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus will still follow existing guidance which recommends the FFP3 mask.

A total of 4,000 officers and staff in divisions across Scotland have already been trained in the use of, and supplied with, FFP3 mask, which offers an enhanced level of protection through a face-fitted respirator.

More info ➡️ http://ow.ly/71MH50zfZq6

 

Charity urges Police Scotland to be sensitive to new guidance for autistic people

National Autistic Society Scotland has welcomed changes to the ‘Stay at Home’ rules from Scottish Government which allow for autistic people who need to leave home more than once a day to exercise or travel beyond their local area should they need to for health reasons.

However, a number of autistic people and families with autistic children have contacted the charity reporting that they have been told to go home by Police, or threatened with fines.

While we have heard some positive stories of the police responding appropriately, we have also heard from families reporting that Police seem either unaware of the change in guidance or are insensitive to it. 

National Autistic Society Scotland has written to the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Iain Livingstone, asking that police officers across Scotland are made aware of the changes to the ‘Stay at home’ guidance. 

Amended Guidance issued from the Scottish Government makes it clear that, if you’re autistic or have a learning disability, you can leave your home more than once a day and travel beyond your local area if this is important to your health.

If you need carers with you, they don’t have to stay the two metres apart from you that is usually required by social distancing. However, it is still important to be careful and only go out when you really need to, to reduce the chance of getting ill or infecting other people. 

Nick Ward, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland said: “The lock down has fundamentally changed life and this can be very challenging for Scotland’s 58,000 autistic people, where for many, exercising in a safe way is very important to their physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

“We welcome the amended rules from the Scottish Government but are extremely concerned not all police officers are aware of the changes or are interpreting them correctly. We have today written to Police Scotland and have urged Government to promote the new guidance appropriately so all are aware.”   

Caroline, a mother with an autistic child, said: “The lock down has been really difficult for my son and the stress can lead to some very challenging behaviour when he gets frustrated and upset.

“It’s great the rules and changed for autistic people and driving to the nearby park – it’s unsafe for him to walk along the road – where he can feed the ducks and play safely is an absolute life line for us and I can see the difference it makes to his mental health – it calms him.

“I was really upset when recently the Police told us to turn around otherwise they would fine me. They said they needed to see a GP letter. I offered our social worker’s phone number but they refused.

“Our GP can’t provide a letter as understandably they are busy and to be honest it seems like a waste of medical professionals’ time during this pandemic.

“I know other parents who were planning on finally getting out as the rules had been changed but are now too scared so are still stuck at home, often with very distressed children. Even just the possibility of being stopped by Police and not managing to follow through with a plan will put off many families with autistic members.”

Edinburgh Airport COVID-19 testing centre opens to Key Workers

Key workers can now use the newly opened testing centre at Edinburgh Airport to confirm if they have the coronavirus.

A drive-through coronavirus testing facility has opened at Edinburgh Airport as part of the Government’s UK-wide drive to increase testing for thousands more NHS and other key workers.

The Edinburgh Airport site sits alongside a rapidly expanding network of testing sites being set up around the UK, and is operating on an appointment-only basis for NHS staff and other key workers. The facility will be piloted for its first few days of operation.

This follows the launch of the Government’s partnership with universities, research institutes and companies to begin rollout of the network of new ‘lighthouse’ labs and field testing sites across the UK, with 27 testing sites opened to date.

This network will provide thousands more PCR swab tests – which are used to identify if you currently have the virus – for critical key workers, starting with NHS front line staff. This means those who test negative for coronavirus can return to work as soon as possible, and those who test positive are able to recover.

The Edinburgh Airport testing centre is being operated in partnership with Sodexo, with Boots medical staff administering some tests and others being self-administered. Those tested will receive their results within 48 hours.

Health Minister Lord Bethell said: ““The UK Government is rapidly scaling up the national effort to boost testing capacity for coronavirus to protect the vulnerable, support our NHS, and ultimately save lives.

“This new service will help end the uncertainty of whether NHS and social care staff need to stay at home meaning those who test negative will be able to return to work.

“This is a national effort and we are proud to be working with a number of partners to turn this ambition into a reality and roll out additional capacity to where it is needed.”

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “This new testing centre at Edinburgh Airport, which is funded by the UK Government, will help key workers continue to do their lifesaving work and look after those who need it most.

“The UK Government has committed to expand our testing capacity right across the UK and this new centre is now one of three in Scotland. We will continue to work for everyone in the UK to save lives and protect our NHS.”

Professor John Newton, National Coordinator for the UK Coronavirus Testing Strategy, said: “New testing sites such as this one are a key pillar of our 5-pillar plan to scale up testing, and are critical in supporting NHS staff who are isolating at home to return safely to work if the test is negative.”

“This is a brilliant example of industries and businesses turning their resources to creating and rolling out mass testing at scale, which will help to deliver on our aim of carrying out 100,000 tests a day across the UK by the end of the month.”

A Boots UK Spokesperson said: “We feel incredibly proud to be supporting COVID-19 testing for critical workers in Edinburgh.

“Boots has been at the heart of UK healthcare for 171 years and has always come forward to support the community in times of need. Our team in Edinburgh is no exception. Some of our colleagues have already stepped forward to volunteer to run this COVID-19 testing station, which will start testing its first critical workers today.”

Sean Haley, regional chair of Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “Sodexo teams have moved quickly to set up COVID-19 testing centres as part of the industry-wide effort to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The opening of the Edinburgh Airport testing site will mean more frontline NHS and other staff can be tested and cleared to provide care to those who need it most. I am proud of our colleagues who are working together with pace and dedication to support the NHS.”

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: “We understand that the coronavirus pandemic is a national issue that requires a national response, and we realise we have a role to play by offering up space that can be utilised for crucial testing.”

The Government is also urgently working on setting up a home-testing service for critical key workers, supported by Amazon’s logistics network and other commercial partners.

Briggs: Plan now for coronavirus rehabilitation

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs says health boards must start planning now for rehabilitation support for people who have had severe cases of Coronavirus.

Covid-19 is expected to lead to a dramatic increase in the numbers of people managing what will possibly be long-term lung conditions and needing support for rehab and recovery.

The number of people who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease in NHS Lothian has increased by 70% since 2011/12, to 19,167 people, a higher increase than any other region in Scotland.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland are working with health boards, including NHS Lothian, to reform the way people with lung conditions access rehabilitation and support.

Vital support, such as Pulmonary Rehabilitation, could benefit thousands of people in Lothian, as well as allowing the health board to make significant savings in the long term.

The charity have a number of initiatives in place to support those living with chest, heart and stroke conditions during the Coronavirus epidemic, including their freephone advice line Nurses: 0808 801 0899

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperon, said: “It is right that health boards are focusing their efforts on maximising the number of intensive care beds, increasing ventilator capacity and continuing to treat those who are most sick.

“A high number of people in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s, who have breathing difficulties and are in the high risk category during the Coronavirus outbreak, would benefit from this treatment.

“NHS Lothian must start putting plans in place now for breathing rehabilitation, so that patients who have had Coronavirus can access this treatment and start their recovery.”

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “The devastating impact of coronavirus will see many survivors living with poor lung health, perhaps for the rest of their lives. They could be left dealing with breathlessness which can cause worry and anxiety, but there are rehabilitation programmes which can help.

“Physical activity is hugely important to recovery and it is key to living well with chest conditions. At the moment our local support groups which normally provide group exercise can’t meet up.

“We’re making sure that people can still keep active at home by sending out short videos and information on activities everyone can do. We’re also busy working with health boards across Scotland to make sure our services alleviate some of the pressures on the NHS.

“No-one fully understands what long-term effects coronavirus will have on people’s health – but we do know that support for rehab and recovery is going to be more important than ever.

“Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is urgently making plans and adapting our services to make sure we’re there for everyone who needs us, now and in the future.”

We CARE: Hancock launches care sector action plan

The UK government has published an action plan to support the adult social care sector in England throughout the coronavirus outbreak.

  • New action plan to reduce outbreaks in care homes, support care staff and providers and maintain independence of those receiving care
  • Plans to boost access to PPE, ramp up testing for care sector and recruit more staff
  • Unifying new ‘care’ brand for care workers with NHS-style identity, to ensure recognition and access to benefits during crisis and in response to ask from sector

Better access to testing, millions of additional PPE items, expansions to the workforce and a new brand to further recognise the sector’s contribution to society are at the heart of a new action plan to support the social care sector through the coronavirus outbreak.

The Government has committed to ensuring that all care workers who need a test receive one, and all symptomatic residents in a care home will be tested to prevent outbreaks. Over 4,000 social care workers have already been referred for testing so far.

Everyone going into a care home from hospital will be tested with immediate effect. Currently the first five residents with symptoms are tested to provide confirmation of whether there is an outbreak.

The way PPE is being delivered to care homes is being rapidly overhauled, with homes supported to order PPE quickly, including through direct dispatches via Royal Mail, a 24/7 hotline and a new pilot website.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said:  “We should all be proud of our incredible care sector who are fighting this battle against this virus on the frontline.

“Our care staff come to work day-after-day supporting our most vulnerable in these incredibly challenging times.

“Today we are introducing a new CARE brand that can be worn with pride, and it will signal to everyone that they belong to a strong, united and respected family.”

Over 1.5 million frontline care workers will now be able to unite under one banner to help create an NHS-style single identity to better celebrate and recognise the care sector.

This will be based on the existing CARE badge, which was launched as a unifying symbol of pride for the social care sector by Care England and the National Care Forum.

This will make it simpler for care-givers to access benefits such as priority shopping hours, in the same way as NHS staff and will recognise the integral role social care workers are playing in responding to this outbreak and supporting vulnerable people.

The action plan also outlines plans to expand the social care workforce by tens of thousands through a new recruitment campaign that will highlight the vital role of care staff, backed by a new online learning platform to rapidly upskill new staff.

Social care providers across England have already received an emergency drop of 7 million PPE items, so that every CQC registered care provider received at least 300 face masks to meet immediate needs.

In the coming weeks, a dedicated supply chain will be in place for social care, which will mean social care providers can make orders and have them dispatched directly to them – in line with the NHS and Local Resilience Forums.

Care providers unable to get PPE from their usual suppliers will be supported by a 24/7 hotline and a dedicated, in-house team at the National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR), who can rapidly pack and deliver PPE to providers.

The UK Government is also working with e-commerce experts to pilot a website which will allow care homes to order PPE online, using NHS Supply chains and shipped directly via Royal Mail.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said: ”The care workforce is playing an essential role in the fight against Covid-19, and they deserve the same recognition and support as NHS staff.  

“This virus has brought many challenges to the sector and today we are setting out how we will ensure care staff have all they need to do their jobs safely.

“We are keen to get as many people on the care frontline as possible which is why we’re launching a campaign to attract people to the sector to support the national effort. I urge former social workers, occupational therapists and nurses to return to the sector to join the fight to protect our most vulnerable.”

The plan also gives guidance to help minimise the spread of infection within all care settings. This includes advice on safe discharge from the NHS, including testing prior to discharge and when isolation is recommended.

This follows the announcement by the Health and Social Care Secretary yesterday that all care home residents and social care staff with COVID-19 symptoms will be tested as capacity increases.

Dedicated testing has already begun for frontline staff, including social care workers and in addition to over 20,000 tests for NHS workers and their families.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are working in partnership with ADASS and local providers to lead the coordination of regional testing and have already offered testing to 11000 care facilities. All registered care providers will be contacted in the coming days so employers can identify staff eligible for testing in line with PHE guidance and refer them to their local testing centre.

Chief Executive of Care England Professor Martin Green OBE said: “The social care action plan gives us a framework on which we should build the future of social care, as well as showing the important role social care is playing to support people in this current health emergency.”

To attract 20,000 people into social care over the next three months to relieve pressures in the care workforce, in the next few weeks we will re-launch our national recruitment campaign to run across broadcast, digital, and social media.

The campaign will highlight the vital role that the social care workforce is playing right now, during this pandemic, along with the longer-term opportunity of working in care. A new online platform will be developed to streamline the recruitment process for candidates and employers.

Previously registered social workers in England, occupational therapists and nurses are being invited to return to the sector to support the frontline effort. Over 7,000 retired nurses have responded to a call to return to employment – some of whom will be deployed to care settings.

The government has invited former social workers who have left the profession in the last two years to return to employment – with the aim that 8,000 social workers could be supported to return to work if they wish to. Over a thousand individuals have already expressed an interest in returning to social care during the outbreak.

Last month, the government announced £2.9 billion of funding to strengthen care for the vulnerable as part of the government’s commitment to ensure NHS and social care system, and other public services, have all the resources they need during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Joint Chief Social Worker for Adults, Mark Harvey and Fran Leddra said: “The social care workforce supports our families, friends and neighbours in the millions every day.

“They provide care and support to sustain in some of the most important elements of our lives – relationships, companionship, inclusion, meaning and aspiration. They enable people to not only get the best care possible but to also continue to contribute to and be a part of society. Our social care staff are there to make moments such as end of life as respectful and caring as possible, as this becomes more of a reality.

“We have both worked in social care all our lives and everyday find ourselves in awe of the dedication and commitment that care workers, social workers, and occupational therapists amongst many others have always shown and now in responding to COVID-19 and the new challenges that it has brought.

“We are delighted that the new CARE brand will provide much-deserved recognition to the social care workforce, and continue to be grateful to those returning or joining the workforce at this time.”

The new social care action plan has been published on GOV.UK

Edinburgh Charity Delivers Emergency Care Packs to Vulnerable Families Shielding at Home

An Edinburgh children’s charity is delivering emergency care packs to families who have a vulnerable child and are currently shielding at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Last week, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) – which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children – began providing free emergency packs of food and essential items to families visiting or being discharged from the hospital.   

Now, the charity has expanded this service and is delivering the free care packs to the homes of clinically vulnerable families who are known to the RHSC and who are currently shielding for an extended period to protect themselves during the pandemic.   

The packs contain food products and essential items including nappies, toilet roll, tinned soup, beans and tea bags to support families while they cannot leave the house to go shopping. 

The charity is also in the process of developing toiletry packs and creative care packs with art supplies to help keep children entertained at home and reduce isolation.  

ECHC is delivering the packs to families’ doorsteps, as well as to nursing bases where community nurses and health visitors are also helping to distribute them. The charity will keep in regular contact with the families throughout their isolation period to meet their needs if they require additional packs.  

Louise Sharkey and partner Graeme have been shielding their 12-year-old son Charlie, who has a rare genetic disorder and epilepsy, and his four-year-old brother Jack at home for over three weeks.  

Louise said: “During this difficult time, ECHC continues to be a well needed support that we are extremely grateful for and have relied on during many hospital admissions over the years. They are at the end of the phone should we need emotional support and are liaising closely with the palliative care team to provide support also.   

“Recently a care pack was dropped off at our house by the charity containing essential supplies that can be difficult to source right now. We have been finding it hard to get deliveries from supermarkets, so we were running low on things like antibacterial hand soap, pasta, toilet rolls, baby wipes and some cereals.

“We are very lucky to have a good family support network who have been providing us with essentials should they be needed but it’s not always easy for them as they don’t live close by.  

“The bag of essential supplies that came from ECHC was extremely useful as it contained extra toilet rolls and baby wipes that we use a lot with Charlie, and cereal. Jack was delighted that it contained some treats too! The charity is a lifeline for many families during hospital stays and at times like these in the community too.”  

ECHC recently launched its COVID-19 Emergency Appeal to help families having to cope with the impact of the outbreak on top of the distress of having a sick or injured child.  

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “Right now, all families are facing the challenges of lockdown. Keeping children fed and happy, and organising shopping trips on top of everything else, becomes even more difficult if you have a sick or injured child in hospital, or if you are returning home from hospital to begin an extended period of shielding or isolation.  

“The incredible NHS staff are working round the clock to make sure every child gets exceptional care throughout the crisis and we at ECHC are doing everything we can to help to reduce fear and isolation and to comfort and support families when they need it most.  

 “These emergency care packs have only been made possible thanks to the kindness of our supporters donating to our COVID-19 Emergency Appeal. We urgently need donations to continue to do this.   

“Times are difficult for all of us, but if anyone would still like to give, donations could provide a family with a much-needed care pack, fund a special play session at a child’s bedside or pay for a mum and dad to stay in our parent accommodation and be close to their child at the toughest of times.”  

To receive a care pack – Families known to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children who would like an emergency care pack are asked to contact Leigh at ECHC on 0131 668 4949 or leigh.drake@echcharity.org. 

 To support ECHC – A donation of £10 could fund an emergency care pack for one family, £15 could fund a special bedside play or creative session and £50 could pay for parents and carers to stay in ECHC’s parent accommodation for one week.

 Donations can be made online at 

https://echcharity.org/support-us/covid-19-appeal 

UK Govt. to offer testing for “everyone who needs one” in social care

All care home residents and social care staff with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms will be tested as capacity is built up, the UK government is announcing today.

  • All symptomatic care residents will be tested for COVID-19 as testing capacity continues to increase
  • All patients discharged from hospital to be tested before going into care homes as a matter of course
  • All social care staff who need a test will now have access to one with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to contact all 30,000 care providers in the coming days to offer tests

Currently the first 5 symptomatic residents in a care home setting are tested to provide confirmation of whether if there is an outbreak.

However, as lab capacity increases every day the government is expanding testing to include all care home residents who develop symptoms.

The safety of residents and staff is a priority and as such, testing will now also be provided to all potential care home residents before they are discharged from hospital.

This will provide reassurance and peace of mind to residents and family members, and will help care providers to take appropriate action to ensure that social care workers and other residents are safe – including implementing isolation procedures for those who test positive.

The measures confirmed today are expected to be outlined further in the government’s COVID-19 social care action plan tomorrow, and will help give residents, their families and those that they care for peace of mind.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said: “I am deeply conscious that people in residential care are among the most vulnerable to coronavirus.

“We are doing everything we can to keep workers, residents and their families safe, and I am determined to ensure that everyone who needs a coronavirus test should be able to have access to one.

“We have already begun testing social care workers and will roll this out nationwide over the coming days. And as we continue to ramp up our testing programme, we will test all current care home residents with coronavirus symptoms and all new care home residents who are discharged from hospital into care.

“Testing is key in our battle against coronavirus, and as part of our plan to prevent the spread and save lives we will ensure that everyone in social care who needs a test can have a test.”

As the rollout continues, the Health Secretary has confirmed that every social care worker who needs a test can now get one.

Dedicated testing has already begun for frontline staff, including social care workers and in addition to over 20,000 tests for NHS workers and their families.

As capacity grows further through the government’s new mega labs, it will prioritise the testing of symptomatic social care workers and anyone in their household who have COVID-19 symptoms.

CQC are leading co-ordination of testing for the care sector, and have already offered 6,000 care facilities the opportunity to test their staff. By the end of the week they will have contacted all 30,000 care providers.

Care providers will identify workers eligible for testing and refer them to their local testing centre.

Tests for social care staff and residents will support the government to achieve its ambition of 100,000 COVID-19 tests a day by end of April.

Nursing organisation issues statement on PPE

The NMC has issued a statement on personal protective equipment that sets out key points to help nursing and midwifery professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), said: “At this time of national crisis, it’s clear if we are to protect the public, then we’ve all got to do everything we can to ensure our nursing and midwifery professionals are able to practise as safely and as effectively as possible.

“We know that the consistent and timely availability of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) continues to be a significant challenge in health and social care across the UK. Understandably PPE is being raised with us by our registrants and their employers and is the focus of intense activity at a national level in all four countries.

“The statement we are publishing today clarifies the key points that nurses, midwives and nursing associates should take into account when applying the Code in practice and making considered professional judgements.

“I hope this information will provide reassurance for everyone using and working in health and care settings and help support nursing and midwifery professionals to make the right individual decisions for them and the people they care for during these incredibly challenging circumstances.”

The Statement:

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) recognises the enormous challenges faced by health and social care professionals at this time and we know they are worried about the timely delivery and provision of the right personal protective equipment (PPE).

Despite the significant and urgent effort to improve the availability of appropriate PPE in health and social care settings across the UK, some professionals are still facing situations where there is insufficient suitable protective equipment available.

Our Code and Standards support nurses, midwives and nursing associates in these difficult situations by setting out the key principles to follow to keep themselves, those they lead or manage and those they care for safe.

To support our registrants further we set out below some key points to help them as they put the Code into practice and exercise their professional judgment during this unprecedented pandemic situation.

How national guidance and the Code supports you as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate dealing with challenging PPE issues

National guidance on the use of PPE has been issued to support you during this time. Whether you are a nurses, midwife, nursing associate or a student on clinical placement you should follow this guidance, which covers a range of infection control measures, including hand hygiene and respiratory and cough hygiene, as well as advice on appropriate PPE and best practice.

Your employer is responsible for ensuring that you and any staff you lead or manage have all the necessary protective equipment – including protective clothing – and that you have access to current guidance on how and when to use it correctly to minimise the risk of transmission of Covid-19. Your employer is there to help you and your colleagues by managing resources effectively and dealing with risk, so that that the safety and quality of care or service you provide for people can be maintained.

As set out in the Code, if you have any concerns about the availability or use of PPE you must raise these with your manager as soon as possible, to make sure that they are aware of the issue and can take action to support you. You can also refer to our raising concerns guidance or seek advice from your representative body or trade union.

If situations arise where suitable equipment is not available difficult decisions may need to be made quickly about the safest and best course of action. The Code states that to preserve safety you must take account of your own personal safety, the safety of others and the availability of other options for care. So you shouldn’t feel that when making decisions, you have to place yourself or others at risk, or that you need to make these decisions on your own.

Where possible you should work with colleagues to find the best way forward in these circumstances. It is important to take into consideration the balance of risks in relation to those people who are dependent on care services, as well as the requirement to protect yourself and other staff so that they are able to provide ongoing care.

Any decisions you make should take account of local and/or national clinical guidance, advice and protocols.

Factors to consider include:

  • whether treatment can be delayed or provided differently (for example, remotely)
  • the availability of different levels of PPE that may offer sufficient protection to you and others in particular care activities
  • whether some members of the wider team are at a higher risk of infection than others
  • whether different care and treatment decisions might be appropriate to minimise the risk of transmission in accordance with local and national advice
  • Taking account of all the options available, what course of action is likely to result in the least harm in the circumstances, taking into account your own safety, the safety of others and the people in your care.

You should make a record of your decisions regarding how you handle any safety concerns. You should describe how you used your own professional judgment, the role of other members of the team in decision making, and the outcome.

We acknowledge that in exercising your professional judgment in line with the Code you may decide that you need to refuse to provide care or treatment to an individual because it is not safe for you to do so.

If a concern is raised with us about any registrant refusing to treat a patient because of their concerns about inadequate PPE or being responsible for service delivery in the absence of adequate PPE, we would follow the approach that we have set out in our joint regulatory statement. As part of this approach we would consider the context of the current pandemic, including the risks that the individual registrant was exposed to and how they exercised and recorded their professional judgment in line with the Code.

Chancellor delivers Tuesday’s UK Government update

Good evening from Downing Street, where I’m joined by Steve Powis, Medical Director of the NHS and Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England.

Earlier today, the government’s independent fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, the OBR, published a report into the impact of coronavirus on the economy and public finances.

It’s important to be clear that the OBR’s numbers are not a forecast or prediction.

They simply set out what one possible scenario might look like – and it may not even be the most likely scenario.

But it’s important we are honest with people about what might be happening to our economy.

So before I turn to the health figures, I want to spend a few minutes explaining what the OBR have said – and let me thank them for their continued work.

There are three brief points I want to make.

First, the OBR’s figures suggest the scale of what we are facing will have serious implications for our economy here at home, in common with other countries around the world.

These are tough times – and there will be more to come.

As I’ve said before, we can’t protect every business and every household.

But we came into this crisis with a fundamentally sound economy, powered by the hard work and ingenuity of the British people and British business.

So while those economic impacts are significant – the OBR also expect them to be temporary…

…with a bounce back in growth.

The second point I want to make is that we’re not just going to stand by and watch this happen.

Our planned economic response is protecting millions of jobs, businesses, self-employed people, charities and households.

Our response aims to directly support people and businesses while the restrictions are in place…

…and to make sure as restrictions are changed, we can, as quickly as possible, get people back to work; get businesses moving again; and recover our economy.

The OBR today have been clear that the policies we have set out will do that.

The OBR today have been clear that if we had not taken the actions we have, the situation would be much worse.

In other words, our plan is the right plan.

The third point I want to make is this: right now, the single most important thing we can do for the health of our economy is to protect the health of our people.

It’s not a case of choosing between the economy and public health – common sense tells us that doing so would be self-defeating.

At a time when we are seeing hundreds of people dying every day from this terrible disease, the absolute priority must be to focus all of our resources…

…not just of the state, but of businesses, and of all of you at home as well, in a collective national effort to beat this virus.

The government’s approach is to follow scientific and medical advice through our step-by-step action plan, aiming to slow the spread of the virus, so fewer people need hospital treatment at any one time, protecting the NHS’s ability to cope.

I said in my Budget a month ago that whatever the NHS needs, it will get – and we have honoured that promise:

Yesterday we published an update showing that we’ve given our public services an extra £14.5 billion in recent weeks.

We are taking action to increase NHS capacity, with more beds, more key staff and more equipment on the front-line.

And the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will be updating on our plans for social care tomorrow.

This is why we are instructing people to stay at home, so that we can protect our NHS and save lives.

I can report that through the government’s ongoing monitoring and testing programme, as of today:

  • 302,599 people in the UK have now been tested for coronavirus, with 93,873 people testing positive
  • 19,706 people in the UK have been admitted to hospital with the virus, down from 20,184 people yesterday;
  • Sadly, of those in hospital, 12,107 people have now died – an increase of 778 fatalities since yesterday.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who have lost their lives.

These figures are a powerful reminder to us all of the importance of following the government’s guidance:

Stay at home. Protect our NHS. And save lives.

Prime Minister released from hospital

Prime MInister Boris Johnson was released from hospital yesterday after having spent seven nights in hospital.

Mr Johnson was taken to St John’s Hospital in Westminster on Sunday 5th April – ten days after testing positive for coronavirus.

The PM was moved to an Intensive Care ward on Monday where he spent three nights before returning to a ward on Thursday.

He will now continue his recuperation at Chequers, the PM’s official country residence.

This was the statment from Downing Street:

The PM has been discharged from hospital to continue his recovery, at Chequers.

On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas’ for the brilliant care he has received.

All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness.

The Prime Minister was released from hospital on the day that the number of deaths from coronavirus in the UK topped 10,000. This figure does not include people who die in other community settings, including care homes, so that figure may well be substantially higher.