Tag: public health

Further expansion of access to coronavirus testing

Anyone in England with coronavirus symptoms who either has to leave home to go to work or is aged 65 and over will now be able to get tested.

  • Everyone in England aged 65 and over with coronavirus symptoms can now get tested, along with symptomatic members of their household
  • Symptomatic workers who are unable to work from home also eligible for testing
  • Testing of all asymptomatic NHS and social care staff and care home residents also being rolled out
  • New expansion of testing made possible due to rapidly increasing testing capacity

Anyone in England with symptoms of coronavirus who has to leave home to go to work, and all symptomatic members of the public aged 65 and over, will now be able to get tested, the UK government has announced.

This will mean people who cannot work from home and those aged 65 and over can know for sure whether they have coronavirus and need to continue isolating.

Members of their households with symptoms – a new continuous cough or high temperature – will also be eligible for testing.

Anyone eligible can book a test using an online portal.

The government also announced that NHS staff, care home staff and care home residents will be eligible for testing whether or not they have symptoms.

Working with Public Health England, the Care Quality Commission and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the government is piloting sending packages of ‘satellite’ test kits directly to care homes across England to enable testing of residents.

So far, 4,760 tests have been delivered to more than 4,300 locations. In addition, over 25,000 care staff have already been tested.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said: “Expansion of our testing programme protects our most vulnerable and keeps people safe.

“Testing is now available to all over 65s and members of their households, if they have symptoms.

“Any worker who needs to leave their home in order to go to work, and their households, if any of them have symptoms can also get a test. This means construction workers to emergency plumbers, research scientists to those in manufacturing – can now be tested.

“All they need to do is go on the internet and apply for a test.”

Testing for coronavirus helps the government and scientists understand its current spread and plan how to manage the pandemic.

As capacity has increased, testing has been offered to different groups in a phased approach, prioritising NHS workers. However, the ultimate aim is that anyone who needs a test will be able to have one.

Yesterday’s announcement marks a further step towards that goal. It follows the announcement last week that all essential workers with symptoms can now book a coronavirus test, or order a home testing kit, using the new online portal.

There are now more than 40 drive-through testing sites across the country, and, by the end of the week, 25,000 home testing kits will be available for ordering every day.

A network of mobile testing units is also travelling the country to reach care homes, police stations, prisons and other sites where there is demand for testing. The network is expected to reach over 70 units by the weekend.

Since the beginning of April, the government has significantly increased the UK’s coronavirus testing capacity, which currently stands at 73,400 tests per day and is on track to reach 100,000 tests daily by the end of the month.

The response to coronavirus is a national effort. Each of the devolved administrations will have their own eligibility criteria and testing priorities, however the government is working closely to align approaches.

“Some Promising Signs”: Jeane Freeman updates Holyrood

Statement given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman to Scotland’s Parliament yesterday:

Thank you very much Presiding Officer, and thank you for the opportunity to update the chamber on several key areas around our response to COVID-19, and to say something about our future planning.

Today is International Workers’ Memorial Day, and across Scotland many people observed a minute’s silence to particularly honour health and social care staff who have tragically died during this pandemic. A number of our own colleagues in Scotland have lost their life to COVID-19 and my thoughts, and I know those of members across the chamber, are with their families and loved ones.

In the last 24 hours, 70 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed as having COVID-19 – and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,332.

As always, it is so important to remember that behind each one of those numbers is the loss of someone loved and now much missed and I offer my sincere condolences to their families and friends.

Presiding Officer, notwithstanding all of that, we are starting to see some promising signs that the efforts and the sacrifices that the overwhelming majority of people across Scotland have made are having an impact.

The number of patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 has been broadly stable in recent days, and the number of people in ICU with COVID-19 has shown signs of decline.

We should not read too much into all of this yet – these are early days – but these trends are both welcome and cautiously hopeful.

As of today, 50% of adult care homes have reported an outbreak of suspected COVID-19. Last week I set out a series of additional steps to support those who live and work in our care homes.

These steps increase the clinical support focussed on preventing COVID-19 infection and transmission in care homes. Our NHS Directors of Public Health are now providing enhanced clinical leadership and have contacted every care home in Scotland. They are assessing how each home is managing infection control, staffing, training, physical distancing and testing.

We have provided a direct delivery of PPE to care homes and have worked with local partners to significantly improve the operation of local PPE hubs. Whilst the supply of PPE is primarily the responsibility of care home providers in both the private and the public sector, we will continue to provide both top up and emergency provision to ensure staff have what they need and they and the residents have that protection.

Work is also underway to ensure that all COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospital should provide two negative tests before discharge, and that all new admissions to care homes, and all residents who are symptomatic should be tested and those new admissions should be isolated for 14 days.

Social Care and care home staff continue to be priority key workers for testing and I have written to all care homes reminding them of this and asking them to make sure that as employers they follow through where this testing is required.

As members know we also have over 21,000 returning health and social care staff alongside student nurses, student midwives, AHPs and newly graduated doctors, all willing to apply their skills and experience to the collective effort. Many of them are able to work in both the care and the primary care setting. And, as of today, 185 applicants have been matched into roles in care homes and care at home services, and a further 218 are ready and available. I expect the number of matches to increase rapidly in the coming weeks.

As well as those working in care homes to protect our most vulnerable people, I know there are many carers – both paid and unpaid – who are supporting people to stay in their own homes and they, too, must be protected. So we have extended the provision of PPE to Personal Assistants and unpaid carers.

From the start of this week, the local PPE Hubs for the registered social care sector are receiving enhanced supplies and support so that they can distribute to the whole of the social care sector where normal supply routes have failed.

We have published advice for unpaid carers on the appropriate use of PPE and how to access it, and will be publishing equivalent guidance for Personal Assistants shortly.

I have asked the National Carer Organisations and local carers’ centres to discuss with carers their needs, and help us with directing them to their local Hub where they need PPE.

We will ensure Hub locations are clearly signposted on the Scottish Government website and Health and Social Care Partnerships are working with local carers’ centres to make clear how individuals can get the necessary Personal Protective Equipment.

Throughout this difficult time, it is critical that social care support is maintained to ensure the safety, dignity and human rights of people who already receive that support.

In addition to the funding directed towards social care from the 2020-21 budget, I reached agreement some weeks ago with COSLA that we would meet additional costs incurred because of the impact of the pandemic.

That agreement was specifically reached to ensure that both existing and new demand and need could be met. Alongside this, those additional returning staff I mentioned a moment ago are also available for deployment to these services to ensure staffing resilience.

So it is not acceptable to me that care packages are cut – in some instances by 100%.

I expect the steps I have already taken to be used and if there is more that needs to be done to ensure existing packages are not cut and new demand is met, then I hope that colleagues in the sector know that my door is always open and I expect them to come to me with those additional requirements.

I want to turn now to testing. By 22 April, 17,800 health and social care staff, or symptomatic household members, had been tested. 21 per cent of those tested were social care staff.

By the end of April, all 14 Health Boards should have local testing capacity. In terms of testing capacity, we are on track to reach at least 3,500 tests available per day by the end of this month, making steady progress from the start of this pandemic, where capacity was 350 tests per day, from two labs.

We also continue to work with the UK Government on its testing programme, which is expanding both capacity and access in Scotland.

Four UK Government drive-through testing facilities are already operational, with a fifth due to open in Perth this Thursday.

Five mobile testing units manned by army personnel are going live in Scotland this week, and it is anticipated that a further eight units will be live in Scotland within the next week or two.

This increased capacity in our own NHS labs and through that participation in the four nation testing exercise has ensured that we are able to expand the areas and the groups whoa re being tested. So we have increased availability to key workers beyond the Health and Social Care sector using the categories that we have outlined before, and have today also increased testing to all 70-year-old and over admissions to a hospital setting.

In terms of access to the UK four nation exercise, this is controlled through the queueing system managed by the UK Government and through their digital portal.

I want to touch on now on two other issues before I conclude: research and ongoing changes to healthcare delivery.

The pandemic has required fundamental change to how health and care is accessed and delivered. This has involved a significant reorientation of resources, and the incredible support and efforts of local leaders, planners, clinicians – in fact the entire workforce. The work has included:

  • preparing to quadruple ICU beds and ensuring there is sufficient hospital bed capacity
  • significant increases in digital access for health services – with around 60% of GPs now using “Near Me”, and weekly digital consultations increasing from around 300 to over 9,000
  • the reshaping of primary care to support COVID-19 hubs with 24/7 access
  • shielding almost 150,000 clinically vulnerable people and focusing multi-disciplinary teams working on anticipatory care planning with them
  • and expanding mental health support by moving towards a 24/7 NHS24 mental health hub and digital therapies

What is clear is that, in line with our framework for decision making that was published last week, we need to achieve a careful balance in managing our healthcare capacity going forward including our commitment to continue to treat emergency, urgent and maternity cases. 

So we will continue to work closely with Health Boards and their partners to ensure there are robust plans in place to safeguard local resilience and responsiveness, whilst we also consider how and when we can increase the business as usual work of our NHS.

The incredible levels of compliance with social restrictions that we’ve seen show a clear willingness on the part of the people of Scotland to think beyond individual health to population health. As we move to introduce the test, trace and isolate measures required, we will need that focus on population health to continue.

Finally, I want to update you on research proposals for COVID-19 that we launched on 25 March.

139 proposals were received from across Scotland’s Universities and Research Institutes.

Following an independent expert review process, 55 projects have been selected for funding.

This has resulted in a Pan-Scotland portfolio of research, with 15 different institutions leading on projects.

In summary, the outcome of the call is a programme of projects meeting the aim of establishing a broad Scottish programme of high quality research on COVID-19 that will be delivered rapidly and inform policy and clinical practice in responding to the pandemic.

Presiding Officer, I continue to be grateful for the tremendous resilience of our health and social care staff, our key workers, and most importantly people all across Scotland.

Together, we are making progress, we are suppressing the virus, we are saving lives and we are showing that we can continue to rise to the challenges of this pandemic.

Thank you.

Scots encouraged to use face protection in enclosed public places

Coronavirus update: First Minister’s speech Tuesday 28 April 2020:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – 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 10,721 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 200 from yesterday.

A total of 1,754 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – that is an decrease of eight from yesterday.

A total of 126 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is also a decrease of 8 since yesterday.

These figures continue to give us cause for cautious optimism.

I am also able to confirm today the positive news that since 5 March, a total of 2,448 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

On a much sadder note, I have to report that in the last 24 hours, 70 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 1,332.

Tomorrow of course will see the publication of National Records of Scotland weekly statistics that cover not just those who have die having had a positive test,  but those where Covid-19 is a presumed factor in the deaths.

These numbers, as I stress every day, are not just statistics. Behind each of these numbers is a unique and irreplaceable individual whose loss is a source of grief to many. So once again, I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank – as I always do and consider it important that we always do – our health and care workers. Everyone across Scotland is grateful to you for the extraordinary work that you are doing.

Many of us will have joined the minute’s silence at 11 o’clock today to honour the frontline workers – including, of course, health and care workers – who have sadly lost their lives while working to tackle this pandemic.

It was a reminder of the selflessness of our health and care workers – choosing to treat and care for others during a time of crisis – and it was also a reminder of the government’s duty to do everything we can to keep those workers safe.

I have two issues I want to update you on today.

The first relates to testing. We have been making steady progress on increasing our testing capacity over the last month – from an initial starting capacity that could cope with 350 tests a day to a capacity of at least 3,500 by the end of this month.

We will give a further update on testing capacity at the end of the week.

As a result of the work we have been doing so far to build capacity, we have already been able to expand testing in some priority areas.

Tests are currently made available and processed within NHS labs for:

  • people in hospital with symptoms of Covid-19 and all those in intensive care
  • people who have been referred for testing by their local Covid hubs
  • people in care homes who have symptoms
  • people who are being admitted to care homes
  • and key workers in our health and care services and where appropriate their family members. More than 20,000 people in that category have now been tested.

In addition, of course, key workers in other sectors – for example the prison service – are now able to book tests online for the drive through centres established at different locations around the country.

We are today expanding testing further.  All NHS Boards are now being asked to put in place procedures to test all those over 70 who are admitted to hospital for any reason – not just those with Covid symptoms.

As we know, the virus can have an especially severe impact on older people. And so although we don’t usually test people without symptoms – because the test isn’t totally reliable in those cases – we do think that there could be a benefit in testing older people both on their admission to hospital and then at intervals thereafter.

So patients in this category will be tested on admission, and then every four days throughout their stay in hospital.

This will help us identify if the virus is being transmitted in hospital, and if so, how and where. It will also help us provide better care for older people in hospital and therefore contribute to our wider efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

The second issue I want to address relates to face coverings, an issue which has attracted lots of attention recently. Guidance on this has just been published on the Scottish Government’s website.

I want to stress at the outset that I am talking here about face coverings made of cloth or other textiles, such as a scarf. I am not talking about medical grade face masks that health and social care workers wear.

The guidance makes clear that the most important step we can all take to prevent transmission of the virus is to comply with the current stay at home, social distancing and hygiene rules.

Face coverings are not – I repeat not – a substitute for any of that.

The guidance also makes clear that the evidence on use of face coverings is still limited.

However, it recognises that there may be some benefit in wearing a face covering if you leave the house and enter an enclosed space where you will come into contact with multiple people and safe social distancing is difficult – for example on public transport or in shops.

Of course just now, most shops are closed so this would apply in particular to food shops.

To be clear the benefit comes mainly in cases where someone has the virus but isn’t aware of that because they are not experiencing  symptoms and therefore not isolating completely – so wearing a face covering in these circumstances may reduce the chance of that person transmitting the virus to others.

The Scottish Government is now recommending the use of face coverings in these limited circumstances as a precautionary measure.

Given that the evidence is relatively weak, we are not at this stage making this mandatory or suggesting that it will be enforced, though we will keep that under review as we go into future phases of managing and tackling the pandemic.

And of course it is worth bearing in mind that there are some people – people with asthma, for example – may have very good reasons for choosing not to cover their mouth and nose when they are out and about.

And we are not recommending the use of face coverings for children under the age of two.

However, to repeat we are recommending that you do wear a cloth face if you are in an enclosed space with others where social distancing is difficult, for example on public transport or in a shop.

Let me emphasise the key point here which is that you should not really be in situations very often like that right now if you are complying with the stay at home rules.

The guidance states that there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that there are benefits to wearing a face covering outside, except in unavoidably crowded situations. Again, we are keeping that aspect under review.

The guidance also includes some information on how to safely apply and wash coverings.

When you are applying or removing the face covering, you should wash your hands first, and avoid touching your face. And after each time you wear the covering, you must wash it at 60 degrees centigrade, or dispose of it safely.

The detailed guidance, as I’ve said, is available on the Scottish Government’s website, and the guidance on the NHS Inform website will also be updated very soon.

The most important point I want to stress is this one. The wearing of facial coverings is an extra precaution that you can and, we are suggesting, you should take. It may do some good in some limited circumstances. It is not – and must not be seen as – a substitute for the other rules and guidelines that we have been stressing. 

In particular, anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 – and all members of their household, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms – must self-isolate. Guidance on that is available on the NHS Inform website.

And physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene – covering up coughs with disposable handkerchiefs, or even with your sleeve – remain the most important and effective measures we can all adopt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

So please, above all else, continue to follow the rules that we have set out.

Stay at home, except for essential purposes such as buying food or medicine, or exercising.

If you do leave the house, you should stay 2 metres apart from other people, and you should not meet up with people from other households.

And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

I know that sticking to these rules is really, really difficult but it is essential. It is how all of us can help to slow the spread of the virus, to protect the NHS, and continue to save lives. So thank you for sticking with it.

Primary Care services to remain open over May public holidays

Primary care services will remain open during the May public holidays, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has confirmed.

Funded by £8.2 million from the Scottish Government, GP services and community pharmacies have been asked to remain open on the May public holidays, with NHS 24 operating with an increased number of call handlers.

Ms Freeman has praised the response and dedication of healthcare staff across the country who are ensuring people can continue to access services during the pandemic.

Ms Freeman said: “Health and social care staff are already working incredibly hard to look after people during this pandemic, and I want to thank each and every one of them for their ongoing commitment and dedication during this unprecedented time.

“Last month we asked GP services to remain open during the Easter holidays and once again, we have asked them to do the same for the May public holidays.

“Community pharmacies will also be open so they can continue to provide advice and treatment through the extended Minor Ailment Service for minor illnesses and common conditions. We have also taken steps to ensure NHS 24 can continue to meet the increase in demand.”

Dr Andrew Buist, chair of the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee, said: “Practices and out of hours services are working under increased pressure during this pandemic and I am extremely grateful to GPs across Scotland who are all willing to put in the extra work that is needed to help the NHS fight this virus.

“During this unprecedented time, GPs have been asked to keep their practices open over public holidays and, as we have witnessed recently over the Easter weekend, patients have been receptive to these changes and how we have adapted. The BMA was also clear that this needed to be supported by the Scottish Government and we welcome the funding put in place to make this happen.

“It is very important for patients to know their NHS is open for non-COVID-19 related health concerns, and they should always contact their GP if they have any worries. General practice is part of the protective ring around Scotland’s hospital system as we fight this pandemic.

“I am proud of how quickly GPs have responded to these challenging times with flexibility and ingenuity. There is a huge amount of work being put in from the Scottish Government and across the system and we should continue to work together with clear thinking and strong leadership.”

Health advice can be found at NHS Inform.

First Minister: ‘Progress remains very fragile’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start as I always do with an update on some of the key statistics, in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can confirm that there have been 10,521 positive cases confirmed, which is an increase of 197 from yesterday.

A total of 1,762 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19, that is an increase of 27 from yesterday.

A total of 134 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is an increase of one since yesterday.

I should say at this point that despite these occasional fluctuations, overall these statistics for hospital and intensive care admissions still give us cause for cautious optimism.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,380 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been now able to leave hospital, and I wish them well.

On a much sadder note, I have to report that in the last 24 hours, 13 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus, and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement to 1,262.

It is worth highlighting again, indeed it’s important that I do so, that although people can now register deaths on Sundays, we do know that from recent weeks that the figures that we report on Mondays, of deaths which were registered on a Sunday, tend to be relatively low. That means the figure I report tomorrow maybe significantly larger than today’s.

And of course, once again, I want to stress and indeed reflect on the fact that the numbers I read out here every day are not just statistics.

They are individuals whose loss is a source of grief and distress to family and friends. So once again, I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank as I always do, our health and care workers, who continue to do extraordinary work in the most difficult of circumstances.

And again, place on record my thanks to essential workers the length and breadth of the country, whose dedication each and every day is helping to keep vital services running.

Tomorrow, on international workers’ memorial day, the Scottish Government will join a minute’s silence at 11am to honour those frontline workers.

Particularly, though of course not exclusively, health and care workers,  who have sadly lost their lives while working to tackle this pandemic.

I invite all of you at home, and those taking part in essential work across the country, to join us at that time tomorrow.

The silence will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have died as a result of their work to serve, care for and save others.

It will be a further reminder that, of all the duties government bears during a situation like this, the most vital is our obligation to help to keep care and health workers safe.

I want to stress again today that I and the Scottish Government are acutely aware of that responsibility, and will work each and every day to do everything we can to fulfil that obligation.

I have two things I want to comment on this morning. The first is to reflect a little bit more on some of the statistics I have just reported.

I know that it might not feel this way, since the numbers that I am reporting each day, particularly those on the number of people who are dying, are always far higher than we want them to be – but it is nevertheless the case that we are now seeing some real signs of progress.

The number of people in intensive care has fallen by around a third in the last fortnight, from the figure I would have reported to you two weeks ago today.

The number of people in hospital, which was rising sharply in the first 10 days of this month, has also now broadly stabilised and the trend there may also now be a downward one.

Our NHS, while working incredibly hard and in the most difficult of circumstances, has not been overwhelmed, which just a few weeks ago we really feared that it might be.

Of course, we are not yet seeing a definite fall in the number of people who are dying each day from the virus.

However, as we have always said, because of the way the illness progresses, that will be the last daily number that we do start to see declining, and we hope to see that in the next couple of weeks.

But we do have evidence that the actions that all of us, all of you watching at home are taking, are making a real and a positive difference.

Your efforts are working, so again today I want to thank you for that.

However, and I realise that this is a less welcome and much more difficult point for me to make, this progress remains very fragile and now is a time for all of us to exercise careful caution. It is certainly not a time to throw caution to the wind.

The margins we think we are working within, in respect to the reproduction number – that crucial R number that I spoke about last week, are very narrow.

At this stage, even a slight easing up in the restrictions in place now, could send the reproduction rate back towards or above one, and the virus would then start to spread very quickly again.

Within days of that, all the indicators that are suggesting progress now, would start to go in the wrong direction again.

That would mean more cases, more hospital and intensive care admissions and sadly, more deaths.

So for all our sakes, and to protect the progress that together we’ve made, all of the restrictions currently in place need to remain in place, for now.

The job is not done yet – we need you to stay the course for a bit longer.

Of course, we are now thinking about the ways in which we can begin to ease the lockdown a bit when it is safer to do so, although we can’t yet put dates on any of that.

And as I said last week, lifting lockdown will not be a flick of a switch moment. We will instead be considering gradual and careful variations.

It important and necessary to do that work now, and we are doing that work now, and as I said last week, I think it is really important to engage you in that work in an open and transparent way.

So I can confirm that in the coming days, I will say more about the different options under consideration, and how we are going about assessing those.

But let me stress again that the current restrictions are still in place. We have to stick with them for now, in order to be able to relax things in future.

As well as the impact on all of us as individuals, I absolutely understand the anxieties of business, and I am acutely aware of the social and health impacts of economic damage.

But let me make this point – a premature easing up on restrictions, if it led to the virus running out of control again, would not help your business or the economy. In fact, it would make the economic damage even worse.

That’s why I am asking businesses as well as individuals to continue to do the right things, as indeed the vast majority of you have been doing already, for which you have my deep gratitude.

So if you are a business on the list of those required by law to close, then obviously you should remain closed.

But if you are not in that category but chose to close voluntarily at the start of the lockdown, and are now thinking of reopening – our view is that you should not contemplate doing so, unless you can comply fully with existing guidance, and are able to change your working practices to ensure safe social distancing at all times.

The precautionary principle that I have spoken about before still applies, for the protection of your workers and for your customers.

And for all of us, not just businesses. If you are now going out and about a little bit more than you were at the start of the lockdown, then you really shouldn’t be.

Because you might be putting yourselves, and your loved ones at risk.

Fundamentally, the basic restrictions of lockdown continue to apply.

You should only leave home for essential purposes like buying food or medicine, or exercising.

If you do leave the house, you should stay two metres apart from other people, and not meet up with people from other households.

And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

As I say every day, I know that all of this is difficult, and I know that it gets more difficult with every day that passes but it remains essential.

As I’ve said many times, and again today, any easing up right now would risk us seeing the virus surge upwards again.

So please, please stick with it, so we can continue to make progress together, and accelerate hopefully, the stage at which we can begin a process of restoring some normality to our lives.

The other issue I want to very briefly update on relates to skills.

Skills Development Scotland have updated their ‘My World of Work’ website to help people find free courses.

This new service has been developed with the support of the Open University in Scotland, and it highlights free courses run by 12 providers in areas like digital technology, business studies, and languages.

In the coming weeks and months, we will expand the range of courses available, by working with colleges and universities.

We are also working with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, who are all developing similar initiatives, in order to highlight the courses they offer.

I‘m aware that doing courses like this may not be an option for everyone. If you have caring responsibilities, or if you have volunteered to help others, time to study might be pretty limited.

But for some people, maybe especially, though not exclusively, people who are currently furloughed, or have been made unemployed, it could make sense to develop new skills during this period.

We hope that this initiative will help people to do that, safely and free of charge.

It’s a good example of the importance of digital public services, and I’m grateful to Skills Development Scotland for establishing this site so quickly.

The courses are open to anyone. So if you are interested then go to myworkofwork.co.uk where you will find the free courses under the ‘Learn and train’ section of the main menu.

That concludes my update for today.  Before I pass on to the Chief Medical Officer, and then the Health Secretary, I simply want to end by thanking again each and every one of you for doing the right thing, and staying at home.

I know it’s difficult, but it is as I hope I’ve demonstrated today, also making a difference.

The steps we are all taking are helping to slow the spread of the virus, as we wanted to do.

They are helping to protect the NHS as we wanted to do, and they are, notwithstanding the figures I have to report to you every day, helping to save lives.

So please stick with them, and thank you for doing so.

Remembering the workers who lost their lives to Covid-19 at work

Today is International Workers’ Memorial Day, when trade unions around the world remember workers who lost their lives and commit to keep the living safe.

This is the story of Peter, Mary, Cheryl, Zeeshan and Emeka – five UK workers who were taken by Covid-19.

Today is International Workers’ Memorial Day, when trade unions around the world remember workers who lost their lives and commit to keep the living safe.

This year we especially remember the frontline workers who lost their lives to Covid-19 while looking after our loved ones and keeping our country running.

We will be forever in debt to the workers who have died during this pandemic – our nurses, doctors, care staff and other essential workers.

Remember the dead, fight for the living.

Minute’s silence

At 11am today – Tuesday 28th April – take part in the minute’s silence.

It will be a moment to pay tribute to the sacrifice made of so many workers during the pandemic, to remember those who’ve sadly lost their lives, and to thank all those who continue to do vital work at great risk.

The initiative is supported by the government, and reps may wish to request employers mark it, by asking the workforce to cease work for one minute at 11am.

Help spread the word about the minute’s silence, by encouraging as many friends and colleagues to take part, whether in their workplace of at home.

You can quickly spread the word by posting this tweet, sharing this Facebook status or asking your contacts on WhatsApp to join you in taking part in the silence.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “For every minute this pandemic continues, people are making extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe and run our vital services.

“The least we can all do is spare a moment to pay our respects and show our gratitude to all the key workers who have lost their lives.”

The silence is also an opportunity to think about all those workers who are continuing to keep the country safe and functioning, says UNISON.

Society of Occupational Medicine calls for a goal of zero workplace deaths due to COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) is today renewing its call for the UK government to prevent any further work-related deaths.

Scores of UK healthcare workers have already died from COVID-19 infections and their deaths will be marked today at 11am with a moment’s silence. But at SOM, we do not believe that work-related fatalities due to COVID-19 exposure are inevitable. In fact, we believe a goal of zero work-caused fatalities is achievable.

Today is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, an initiative supported by the United Nations. SOM backs the aim of raising awareness on the adoption of safe practices in workplaces and the role that occupational safety and health (OSH) services play.

As politicians discuss the end of the lockdown and people plan their return to work, we believe it is essential that all employers conduct risk assessments to ensure the safety of all employees.

With the proper application of safe systems of work and the use of a hierarchy of control, no worker should die of work-acquired COVID-19.

Concern has been raised about the shortcomings of and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), but PPE should be considered the lowest form of protection. Employers must consider a range of controllable factors in the work environment and this includes the use of design, engineering and administrative controls.

SOM is calling for robust and increasing access to occupational health (OH). The need for advice from occupational health doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, hygienists, ergonomists etc. is required. The need to protect our workers has never been greater and is the core role of OSH.

SOM is also supporting a multidisciplinary drive across sectors to raise awareness, share knowledge and engage employees in solutions. It is encouraging workplaces to design-in exposure prevention measures as advised by the Health and Safety Executive – helping employees take the opportunity to better understand the risks and demonstrate good practice in their work.

Dr Will Ponsonby, Society of Occupational Medicine President said: “The UK could and should have aimed for a target of zero work-caused fatalities in this pandemic. The need to protect our workers has never been greater, and that goal must be put in place as the foundation for all future planning.”

Heart Research UK: Healthy Heart Tips

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Physical activity for adults while staying at home

At a time when gyms are closed and the population is being asked to stay at home, finding ways to keep active can be challenging. Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health.

Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you meet the recommended amount of physical activity while staying at home.

How much physical activity is recommended?

The Government recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week.

It is also recommended that adults engage in strengthening activities on two days each week, such as lifting weights or press ups. If you are not yet in the habit of doing this amount of physical activity, you can start small and build up to the recommended amount over time.

Moderate Intensity Activities

(150 minutes weekly)

Your heart will beat faster, you will breathe harder, you will get warmer and you can probably maintain a conversation

E.g. Brisk Walking or cycling

Vigorous Intensity Activities

(75 minutes weekly)

Your heart will beat rapidly, you will breathe much harder, you will get warmer and it will be difficult to have a conversation

E.g. Running or football

Replace your daily commute with physical activity

If you are working at home, you may be saving time that would normally be spent on commuting to and from work. Why not put this time to good use by scheduling in some physical activity. For example, you could go for a brisk walk, jog or cycle outdoors or walk briskly around the house, including going up and down flights of stairs.

Find a range of exercises you can do inside your home

Find exercises that you can do in short bursts of ten minutes or more, at regular intervals throughout the day. For example, you could try some gentle weight-lifting, using cans of baked beans. The NHS provide tips for exercising without gym equipment on their Website

Don’t be a couch potato

Rather than spending your evenings sitting on the sofa without moving much, why not try a few gentle exercises, such as leg raises, while watching your favourite TV show.

Examples of some exercises you can do from your sofa can be found on the NHS website, and you can find lots more healthy tips, advice and recipes at heartresearch.org.uk.

If it was urgent before COVID-19, it is urgent now

A message from Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director for Acute and Dr Kerri Neylon, Deputy Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde:

We understand the COVID-19 pandemic may have made people anxious about accessing healthcare services in the same manner they would previously have done. 

However, we would like to reassure everybody that we have both the capacity, and the patient pathways in place to ensure anyone requiring urgent hospital care, COVID-19 or non-COVID-19, is appropriately and safely assessed.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 that are deteriorating including persistent fever, worsening cough or breathlessness then please call NHS24 on 111.  This may involve being assessed at one of our established COVID-19 Community Assessment Centres.

For all other health issues please do not delay in contacting your GP as you normally would. It is incredibly important that if you do have symptoms that are of significant concern and may reflect an underlying serious illness such as cancer, that you are assessed as quickly as is possible.

Our GPs are all open and you will initially be assessed over the phone by a clinician who you can talk to about your symptoms. If required, a follow up video consultation or face-to-face appointment will take place at your practice.

For patients suspected of having cancer, please rest assured if you are referred on to the hospital that our hospital based specialty teams will arrange assessment for you as quickly as is possible.

We have all had to make changes to the way we work due to COVID-19 and it may be that you are offered a telephone or video (attend anywhere) appointment with your consultant, rather than visiting the outpatient clinic. You may be offered a test such as a specialized scan as a first assessment, with appropriate advice, reassurance, or, a follow up appointment and plan for further investigations, if required.

Please be reassured that every precaution has been taken to shield you from COVID-19. If you do require to visit a hospital site, our staff will work with you to provide specific times to attend via safe pathways separate from other patients. If transport is required, we can provide that as well.

All our staff are trained in the correct procedures and will be wearing appropriate PPE to ensure that neither you, nor anyone else is put at risk.

Your safety and wellbeing are our utmost priorities, and the sooner you are able to be assessed, the sooner we can put you on the appropriate care pathway.

Remember, if it was urgent before COVID-19, it is urgent now

Environment Secretary’s statement on coronavirus: Sunday 26 April

UK Environment Secretary George Eustace spoke at the daily government press conference on 26 April 2020 to give the latest update on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Downing Street Press Conference. I’m pleased to be joined today by Stephen Powis, the National Medical Director of NHS England.

Before I update you on the latest developments in the food supply chain, let me first give you an update on the latest data from the COBR coronavirus data file. Through the government’s ongoing monitoring and testing programme, as of today:

  • 669,850 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 29,058 tests carried out yesterday;
  • 152,840 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 4,463 cases since yesterday;
  • 15,953 people are currently in hospital with the coronavirus in the UK, down from 16,411 on 25 April.

And sadly, of those hospitalised with the virus, 20,732 have now died. That is an increase of 413 fatalities since yesterday.

We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these victims.

At the beginning of the outbreak of this virus we saw significant problems in panic buying. That episode quickly subsided and food availability now is back to normal levels and has been for several weeks. All supermarkets have introduced social distancing measures to protect both their staff and their customers and it is essential that shoppers respect these measures.

The food supply chain has also seen a significant reduction in staff absence over recent weeks. As staff who had been self-isolating through suspected coronavirus symptoms have returned to work.

So absence levels are down from a peak of typically 20% in food businesses three weeks ago to less than 10% at the end of last week and in some cases individual companies reporting absences as low as 6%.

We have put in place measures to support the clinically vulnerable. So far 500,000 food parcels have been delivered to the shielded group, that is those who cannot leave home at all due to a clinical condition that they have.

In addition, the major supermarkets have agreed to prioritise delivery slots for those in this shielded group. So far over 300,000 such deliveries have been made, enabling people to shop normally and choose the goods that they want to buy.

We recognise that there are others who are not clinically vulnerable and therefore are not in that shielded group but who may also be in need of help.

Perhaps through having a disability or another type of medical condition, or indeed, being unable to draw on family and neighbours to help them. We have been working with local authorities to ensure that those people can be allocated a volunteer shopper to help them get their food needs. Charities such as Age UK and others can now also make also direct referrals on the Good Samaritan App to locate volunteers for those in need.

Many supermarkets have taken steps to increase the number of delivery slots that they have. At the beginning of this virus outbreak there were typically 2.1 million delivery slots in the entire supermarket chain.

That has now increased to 2.6 million, and over the next couple of weeks we anticipate that that will grow further to 2.9 million. So supermarkets have taken steps to increase their capacity but while this capacity has expanded, it will still not be enough to meet all of the demand that is out there.

Some supermarkets have already chosen to prioritise some vulnerable customers with a proportion of the delivers slots that they have and others have offered to work with us and also local authorities to help establish a referral system so that when somebody is in desperate need, a local authority is able to make a referral to make sure that they can get a priority slot.

As we look forward more generally towards the next stage in our battle against this virus, there are encouraging signs of progress, but before we consider it safe to adjust any of the current social distancing measures, we must be satisfied that we have met the five tests set out last week by the First Secretary.

Those tests mean that the NHS can continue to cope;

  • that the daily death rate falls sustainably and consistently;
  • that the rate of infection is decreasing; and operational challenges have been met;
  • and, most important of all, that there is no risk of a second peak.

For now, the most important thing we can all do to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.

I want to pay tribute to all those who are working throughout the food supply chain from farmers, manufacturers and retailers. The response of this industry to ensure that we have the food that we need has been truly phenomenal.

Thank you.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update Scotland: Sunday 26th April

Statement given by the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, on Sunday 26 April:

Good afternoon. Thanks once again to all of you for taking part in this media conference.

I want to start with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 10,324 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 273 from yesterday’s figures.

As always, let me be clear that these numbers will be an underestimate.

A total of 1,735 patients are in hospital with COVID-19 – this is a decrease of 13 from yesterday.

And a total of 133 people were last night in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. This is a decrease of seven since yesterday.

It is with sadness that I report that 18 further deaths have been registered, of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measure, to 1,249.

As I have said previously at these Sunday briefings, these figures should be treated with some caution. Although deaths can be registered at weekends, registration numbers are usually relatively low. This should be taken into account when looking at today’s figures.

And of course, the number of deaths that is reported every day is so much more than a statistic. Each death represents an individual whose loss will be a source of grief and sorrow to many, and I want to extend my deepest condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones.

As Health Secretary, I also want to thank once again those who are working in our health and care sector, for the incredible work that you are doing.

Those thanks are due to everyone – the doctors and the nurses, the paramedics, the care home staff, the porters, the cooks, the healthcare assistants, the cleaners and many, many more.

Your work is crucial to the health and wellbeing of our country. You will have the same worries and anxieties as the rest of us but you go to work each day, putting that aside to care for others. All of us are truly grateful to you for everything that you are doing

I have two issues I want to update you on today. The first is about people volunteering to join or re-join the NHS and care workforce.

It is now almost four weeks since – as part of our ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign – we established a web portal for students, and former NHS and care workers, to apply to work in the NHS or the care sector, as they respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In total, more than 22,000 people have now volunteered.

The volunteers include experienced former staff, doctors, nurses, social care professionals and nursing, medicine, midwifery, and Allied Health professional students who are either now graduated or coming towards the completion of their training.

We are working with NHS Education for Scotland, our health boards and the Scottish Social Services Council to ensure that volunteers can start work as quickly as possible – while still following the correct induction and training processes.

A number of volunteers have been placed with NHS boards, and more than 3,000 are completing their pre-employment checks – which are being fast-tracked – just prior to being deployed.

The Scottish Social Services Council has placed almost 150 people into work in the care sector, and a further 200 are ready and available for deployment.

Not everyone who has applied to help us will be needed immediately.

But please bear with us – your volunteering and your offer to bring your skills and your talents really does matter, and we will need you, as we go through this pandemic.

Having such a large number of volunteers really matters – it provides us with important flexibility, as we look at staffing needs through the different stages of this pandemic.

I am immensely grateful to everyone who has offered to support our NHS and care services in this way.

The second point I want to update you on is support for those who are shielding. That term, as you know, refers to approximately 160,000 people in Scotland, who are at the highest clinical risk from COVID-19, and who are therefore being asked to isolate themselves completely.

A text message service has been in place for almost a month now, so that people who are shielding can ask for support and receive information.

So far, more than 78,000 people have registered for the text service. I would encourage everyone who is shielding to register.

Even if you don’t need additional help at the moment, as many people don’t, registering will be useful if you ever do need that further help.

You should have received information on how to do that – letters to people who are shielding started to go out on 26th March. But I will also read out the number of our national helpline in a minute or so.

One of the services which you can request by text is free delivery of food packages. More than 80,000 food packages have been delivered so far.

In addition, six supermarkets are offering priority deliveries for people who are shielding.

Over 33,000 people have expressed an interest in these priority slots, and we have passed their information on to the participating supermarkets.

Supermarkets have also identified and contacted existing customers who are eligible for priority slots and many have already received deliveries.

And people who were not existing customers of any of the participating supermarkets, received texts last week with details of how to register.

If you don’t have a mobile phone, you can get access to these services through your local authority. Our national helpline will direct you to the local authority that applies to you.

It is a good way of finding information more generally about the support, which is available. The national helpline number is 0800 111 4000, and the line is open between 9am and 5pm every weekday.

I know for many of the people who are shielding, this is a worrying time, and also a very difficult time. Staying at home all the time is necessary for your own protection – but I know that it is even harder than the restrictions which are in place for everyone else.

We are determined to ensure that support is available for you throughout this time – so please, make use of that support if you need to.

Before I hand over to Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer, and to Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director, I want to emphasise once again the importance of sticking to our public health guidance.

Stay at home – unless it is for essential purposes such as exercising once a day, or buying food or medicine.

When you do go out, stay two metres away from other people, and don’t meet up with people in other households.

And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

These restrictions are tough – and I know they get tougher as the weeks go by, and especially when the weather stays warm. But they continue to be essential. They are the way in which all of us can slow the spread of the virus, protect our NHS, and save lives.

So thank you once again to everyone who is doing the right thing and staying at home. You are making a difference, and you are saving lives, and I thank you very much indeed.