COVID Updates (January 2021)

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Sent on behalf of the COVID-19 Primary Care Incident Management Team for Coventry and Rugby, South Warwickshire and Warwickshire North CCGs**Please find below the latest primary care briefing.**

Information provided by NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG, NHS South Warwickshire CCG and NHS Warwickshire North CCG in line with Public Health England guidance.

This information may change rapidly as the situation develops. For the latest local information for primary care, visit our dedicated Coventry and Warwickshire COVID-19 support portal:https://www.cwcovid.support/  

You can also find the latest national information on the NHS England Primary Care site: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care
In today’s briefing we include the latest news stories falling into the following categories:

  • Local Updates
  • Place Updates
  • Communications from NHS England
  • Education
  • Latest Local Picture
  • Latest National Picture

Please click on the relevant section below to view specific information.

Local Updates

1. Shielding letter 

Yesterday (05 January), the Government announced that England would go into a national lockdown. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer has made the decision to reintroduce shielding. Shielding guidance can be found here and will look identical to the national shielding restrictions in place on 5 November-2 December. Please see attached noted from the Department of Health and Social Care providing further detail, as well as a copy of the letter Government will send to patients. The Government will also contact patients via email and text where those details are recorded in their patient record.  

2. COVID-19 vaccinations 

The attached leaflet has been produced to remind patients and members of the public that they will be contacted when it is their turn to receive the vaccine, and to advise why they are being asked to wait to receive the vaccine. 

If you would like to add this to your website, please do so with the following text: 

We understand a lot of people want to be vaccinated and would like to reassure you this will happen. Please be patient and wait to be contacted. For further information on why you are being asked to wait for your Covid-19 vaccine, please read the information on the GOV.UK website or this leaflet.

3. Primary Care staff undertaking Care Home visits/vaccinations
 
The current advice is that staff who are going into Care Homes should undertake a lateral flow test twice a week – these can be obtained from your own practice and/or the PCN vaccination hubs. 

4. Learning disability and autism, dementia and mental health guidance 

Please see attached guidance for learning disability and autism, dementia and mental health. The guidance relates to matters that require particular emphasis in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic but does not cover all the matters that readers need to have regard to in exercising their legal responsibilities. This is one of a suite of resources for mental health, learning disability and autism coronavirus guidance, which should be consulted in parallel.

5. Medicines Delivery Service letter 

Please see attached the letter outlining the home delivery of medicines and appliances during the COVID-19 outbreak

Place Updates

NO UPDATES FOR South Warwickshire – 05 January 2021

NO UPDATES FOR Warwickshire North – 05 January 2021

NO UPDATES FOR Coventry and Rugby – 05 January 2021

Communications from NHS England

6. COVID-19 Primary Care Bulletin – 30 December 2020 (COVID vaccine special)
Dr Nikki Kanani and Ed Waller provide an update on the changes to second dose vaccine scheduling and an expansion of first dose delivery, the outcome of a review into clinical evidence and the latest public health data, and much more in this COVID vaccine special edition of the COVID-19 Primary Care Bulletin

7. COVID-19 General Practice Webinar Recordings and slides
An archive of the national primary care webinars and slides are available online from the NHS Future NHS site: future.nhs.uk/P_C_N/view?objectID=19549104 (a login is required).

8. Media enquiries
A reminder that our communications team is here to support you if needed. If you are approached by the media, please forward on to your local communications team: agem.communications@nhs.net. Outside of working hours the communications team can be reached via 01522 537887

Education

Please note all sessions are open to all localities.

9. Free On-line Safeguarding Training

NB – it is recommended that 50% recommended training hours for Level 3 are face to face- please access IRIS training or CCG training for this purpose.

Latest Local Picture

Please note: we are now issuing the briefing twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday) communications via: warnoccg.covid19primarycarecommunications@nhs.net. We would also ask that if you have questions or concerns relating to the current situation around coronavirus and COVID-19 you use the same address: warnoccg.covid19primarycarecommunications@nhs.net. Please keep us updated with any issues that you may be having so we can try to address them.

Please note that the below data does not include care home data.  

Coventry and Warwickshire COVID position up to 05.01.2021

  • 32,261 cases now confirmed in Coventry and Warwickshire (+3,120 / +9.7% from Thursday)
  • 336 of these are currently admitted (+16 / +5.0% from Thursday)
  • Admissions by Trust:
    • GEH: 78
    • UHCW: 160
    • SWFT: 95
    • CWPT: 3
  • 231 beds still available (+25 / +12.1% from Thursday)
  • 38 ITU bed(s) occupied by Covid patients (+8 / +26.7% from Thursday)
  • 822 reported deaths in a hospital setting (+32 / +4.1% from Thursday)

View the charts for more information.

Latest National Picture

As of Monday 04 January 2021 at 09:05pm:

For the latest advice click here.