NHS Guidance Puts Your GrandMa and GrandPa at risk

Grandma and GranPa forced to shop by NHS guidnace

NHS COVID-19.  Is the NHS guidace right for Your Granny or Granddad?

Shopping when they should not…

Recently 10 Downing Steet has issued a guide to every resident in the UK.   That advice for a resident appears to be at odds with that of the NHS for those over seventy. See the guide page 6

 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877678/coronavirus-leaflet.pdf

Summary…

1) Those Seventy and over, and any with an underlying health condition or are pregnant

This group – there is a slight difficulty that relates to the wording.  If you look at the layout it suggests that it is for that particular group only and there is no clear reference back to the other sections.

Just the mention of protecting yourself by following the advice above. But there is nothing above just a simple heading.

The page before that is page 4 (The physical booklet is out of sequence and page four talks about symptoms).

As indicated, the pages are not in normal read sequence they are 2, 4, 6 and 7 for the front and 5 3 8 and Front piece (Page 1) for the back.  Just on one piece of paper folded but uncut.

There is a simple statement on page 6

If you need shopping or medication, ask family, friends or neighbours to drop these at the door, or if possible order online.

This advice is at odds with the NHS guidance which implies that going to the shops is fine and therefore the NHS guidance is putting the health of those over seventy, those with underlying health conditions, or anyone that is pregnant at risk.

If you have watched the news on television you will see the death rate that is by far the highest is in the over seventy age group.  Therefore, it would seem logical to keep any person over seventy away from the shops. Quote from NRS Scotland says

“Over 60% of all deaths involving COVID -19 were people aged 75 or over”

Therefore, it is logical that people in this group should be treated differently from the population in general.

It also follows that it is illogical that they follow the same rules as everyone else, especially with a death rate greater than 60%.

You can see the NRS data here National Records of Scotland Statistics  

The NHS Guidance is more clear than that of 10 Downing Street. However, it simply applies the same rules to this group at risk as they are doing for the population at large. That is instead of putting processes in place to actively protect this group they leave people over seventy etc to do the same things.

NHS Guidance those over seventy etc… How to protect yourself from coronavirus is exactly the same as that for the population at large.

Therefore, is the idea to kill off Granny or Granddad, those with underlying health condition and mums to be?

See NHS guidance https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/advice-for-people-at-high-risk/

2). The guidance from 10 Downing Street includes those with severe high risk

The guidance here is clear.  That is you should have received a letter from the NHS.  The missing bit is that one needs to contact your GP in this case. For that group, you should stay at home.

Finally, there is no mention about help for the Disabled – How do they cope and how do retailers work with the disabled etc in this situation. Can any guidance be provided?

Surely help needs to be provided to the weakest in society especially as some are essential workers. How do they get to work?

For completeness below is the advice for the population in general.

3) People healthy in general

– Should stay in
– Shop for essentials, and medical items
– Have one form of exercise a day
– Comply with the two-meter rule
– Should work from home if they can
– If they can’t and are essential workers they can travel

4). Comment from NHS Fife

We have asked NHS Fife to comment on this article and it appears that there has been no one available to comment.

New Prescription Collection and Delivery Service

Doctor writing a prescription

You might not have thought of this, but did you know that when you visit your GP and if you need a prescription why not ask for it to be sent with your mobile phone number by email to your chemist. That way instead of standing in a queue to wait for your medication you can pop into the chemist when you receive a text message. A message that tells you that your prescription is ready. Please remember to tell your GP to ask your chemist to send you a text message.

At the moment pharmacies are delivering an excellent service to the public despite the rise in business caused by the COVID-19 virus.

NHS Fife say

EXTRA TIME MAY BE NEEDED…

“Patients are reminded that they should follow their normal repeat prescription ordering pattern and only order the medicines they need. However, in light of demand at this time, patients should allow some extra time to ensure the prescription is generated, taken to the pharmacy and then assembled, labelled and clinically checked by the Pharmacist.”

NO NEED TO STOCKPILE…

“There are currently very few issues with the supply of medicines so there is no reason for individuals to order extra or to stockpile medicines at home.”

“Due to significant demand in response to COVID-19, there may be occasion when some pharmacies will close for short periods, or operate reduced opening hours.  Where this happens there will be clear signage on the entrance to the pharmacy as to when they will be open again or directions to an alternative open pharmacy.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION

“The increased demand over the last few weeks has lead to prescriptions taking longer than usual to be processed and the patience and understanding of the public is very much appreciated.  It is important that people order prescription medicines in the usual way and I would stress to only order the medicines needed at that particular time. This will enable medicines to be available for everyone that needs them and will not impact on the medicines supply chain ( as we have seen with foodstuffs, toilet roll etc. )”

NEW PRESCRIPTION SERVICE FOR THE VULNERABLE…

There is also a new service to deliver prescriptions to the vulnerable. It is being managed by Fife Voluntary Action (FVA) and it kicked into action on Wednesday 25th March 2020. Since then the demand has been amazing. It uses the services of volunteers to provide the service. Therefore below is the advice from an NHS SpokesPerson to help FVA:

“The newly established priority delivery service is for vulnerable people who are very unwell or self-isolating and have no carer, family member, neighbour or friend who can collect prescriptions from the pharmacy on their behalf.”

So how does the service operate?

Firstly, it is volunteers that will collect prescription medicines from community pharmacies and hospitals, and deliver them to people at their home. Therefore, it relies on their goodwill, when contacting the organisations to be patient and courteous.

Volunteer drivers will try to attend community pharmacies to collect prescriptions from

9 AM – 10 AM or 5 PM – 6 PM

when pharmacies may be closed to the public. This is to minimise risk and disruption to services.

Secondly, you need to make contact with your GP but when you do:

AD-HOC GP PRESCRIPTIONS.

Tell your GP Practice which community pharmacy you would like the prescription sent to. For many people, you will have already done this and the GP Practice will know. If not, you should suggest a community pharmacy near your home. From then on your prescription will be sent directly to the chemist you usually use. As explained earlier once this is set up an email is sent to the chemist for all future prescriptions.

The outcome then may be:

  • A single prescription
  • A number of defined repeat prescriptions
  • Repeat Prescription. If you are a patient that uses the repeat prescription service then this service is very similar to the other services. Therefore, please arrange for your repeat prescription (when you are ready to reorder) to be taken to the chemist. Do this after hours and have it popped through the Chemist’s letterbox – ideally in an envelope.

PRESCRIPTION COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

To access the delivery service, a phone line will operate:-

between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

For more info please see

https://www.nhsfife.org/nhs/index.cfm?fuseaction=nhs.newsdisplay&objectid=11EC26C2-0B19-344F-53C47987FDB23EE7

Fife Voluntary Action would now prefer patients to complete an online form in the first instance – please click on… www.fva.org/prescription

Please note you will need to scroll down the page as the form cannot be seen when you open the page.

but will also respond to telephone calls and emails.

If you have a prescription either paper or sent by email and managed to get it to the chemist then send an email to:-

Email:   prescriptions@fva.org

Please note FVA cannot collect and deliver prescriptions for Methadone and Subutex: Unfortunately, we are unable to collect or deliver these drugs. Please contact addiction services on 01592 716 446 if you need help with these items.

FVA will need the following information:

Personal Information.

  • Your First Name:
  • Your Last Name:
  • Your Street Address:
  • Your Main local area and Postal Town
  • Your postcode:
  • Your phone number
    • Mobile:
    • Home:

Your GP practice

  • Name
  • Address

Your Community Pharmacy (Your Local Chemist)

  • Name
  • Address
  • Date and time the prescription was ordered
  • Is this an urgent Prescription?
  • If it is please tell us why, and when you will run out

  • Any repeat prescription the following week

Special Instructions:

  • Any items to be stored in a fridge
  • How to operate the buzzer (If you live in a flat)
  • Any other advice to help delivery – for instance, delivery directions, the Google Plus code for Google maps may help. Here is an example for the FVA Kirkcaldy:- 4R6P+55 Kirkcaldy
  • Please note FVA cannot leave prescriptions unattended

Additionally, you need to say and agree to the following..

I (Your Name) agree to FVA processing the information you have provided here, and sharing it with NHS Fife, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, Fife Council and pharmacies purely for the purposes of helping you to get your prescription(s) during this pandemic and any similar emergencies.

Kirk Suspends Church Meetings- Covid 19

As we all know there is a guideline issued by the Scottish Government not to attend busy places and this applies to everyone. You will see from the guidelines that religious meetings are also included. Therefore, the Church of Scotland have issued advice to all local churches not to have regular church meetings and services and these cease from 17th March until further notice.

You can find a copy of the advice here https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/advice-for-churches-covid-19-coronavirus

Some churches are offering live streaming of daily talks and Sunday service meetings on the Internet. Please see a note below from Dalgety Parish Church written by Rev Christine Sime

‘Following advice from The Church of Scotland all worship services have been cancelled. 

On Sunday mornings I will lead worship from the church – this will be livestreamed, we hope you can join us and know God’s presence and blessing.

Our church building will be open for prayer /reflection each weekday morning for the time being – please keep to advice on handwashing. Prayers will be said every morning in Dalgety Parish Church for congregation, community, nation, world – for all creation. This will be at 10am each morning – wherever you are add your prayers too.

And please help those unable to watch our ‘livestream’ know that they are remembered in prayer. 

Christine’

The text of the Church of Scotland Advice appears below

Advice for Churches: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Updated 17 March 2020

Worship – Cancellation of Services

The Scottish Government now advises that people should minimise social contact by avoiding crowded areas and large gatherings, including religious congregations, and smaller gatherings.

The Church of Scotland now asks, in the strongest terms, that all gatherings for worship should cease until further notice, with effect from Tuesday 17 March 2020. Other Scottish Churches are taking similar actions. This obviously includes Easter services. Some Presbyteries have already instructed this action. This will include, but not be restricted to: housegroups, meetings for youth work, and church cafes. It will still be possible for an individual to offer a livestream of a sermon and prayers. Further information on livestreaming, including information on copyright, can be found in this circular on the Law Department’s webpages here. Sunday broadcasts of a weekly service take place on Radio 4, and also on Radio Scotland; other radio stations are available. Several churches currently offer livestreams or recorded services; a list can be found on our website.

Church buildings can be kept open as a place for people to come and pray. Notices should be clearly displayed asking that visitors observe robust hand hygiene.

Prayer

The Moderator, the Right Reverend Colin Sinclair, along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and other church leaders, has issued a call for a National Day of Prayer; more details can be found in the news section of our website.

Offerings

The Church is aware that closing down worship services will impact on congregational income, and we want to encourage people to continue contributing financially as far as possible, and to encourage the increased use of standing orders as an expression of ongoing stewardship.

Funerals

The key phrase here is to minimise social contact. Sensitive conversations will need to take place with families and mourners ahead of funeral ceremonies, and to consider the size of groups gathering for funerals. It may be necessary in the future to consider whether funerals should be restricted exclusively to minister, immediate family, and funeral directors. In addition, local guidance from funeral directors and crematorium staff will be critical here. It should be noted that many crematoria have the facility to livestream services and to host a recording of services for a period of time after the cremation service.

Weddings

Certain venues will be restricting attendance, and it may be that couples have to work through what changes have to made, including, in some cases, rearranging. Restrictions on travel into the UK will also have an effect on guests at weddings. Again, sensitive conversations will be the order of the day.

Pastoral Care Networks

Please see our guidance note from the Church’s Safeguarding Department with some useful guidance about setting up small pastoral care networks with a practical outcome. This guidance note contains a postcard which may be useful. There are some good ideas here about small groups; such groups can mitigate social isolation, and help people to continue to feel that they are part of the wider community of faith. Previous advice about using tools such as Skype, email, letters, greetings cards, Facetime, and Whatsapp groups are all useful approaches and some of these are particularly helpful where people don’t use technology.

General Assembly

The decision has been taken in the light of Scottish Government advice to cancel the General Assembly of May 2020. The Office of the General Assembly will be in touch with commissioners separately.

Hygiene recommendations

Best hygiene practice should continue to be observed in all pastoral contacts.

Updated advice is available from NHS Scotland.

Public Health Scotland and the UK Government recommend that you should take usual infection prevention precautions including:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
  • Churches can underline the importance of handwashing by ensuring that hand sanitisers are not available in toilets where soap and water can be used
  • It is particularly important after taking public transport to use sanitiser on your hands
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Carry tissues to catch coughs and sneezes and bin the tissue
  • If you feel unwell, stay at home, do not attend work or school
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in church buildings

NHS Scotland have prepared a poster which could be displayed at your building entrance to give advice to visitors. The purpose of this poster is to protect the visitor and those within the building.

Travel advice

Advice has also been issued to travellers, advising against all non-essential travel worldwide. This advice was revised on 17 March.

Posters

Below are two posters which you may wish to display in your buildings.

This page will be updated when new advice becomes available from NHS Scotland and the UK Government.

Online worship

Several churches live stream or post their services online. You can find a list of these on our Kirk services online page.