Our weekly roundup of news articles including Trusts told to up their game on staff awareness of Covid-19 safety measures and Barts Charity gives £2.9 million to establish a new centre of excellence for academic trauma and orthopaedic surgery.
Coronavirus: Scientists urge vigilance amid easing of lockdown measures – BBC Video
30 May
From Monday, lockdown restrictions will be eased further in England. People will be able to meet up to six people outside and some non-essential shops and businesses will begin to re-open.
Epidemic specialist Professor Sian Griffith and Professor Sally Bloomfield, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, urged the public to remember that there are still risks and they will need to be cautious and vigilant.
Social distancing: A practical guide on how to socialise now – BBC
30 May
The UK is starting to relax its coronavirus lockdown rules, meaning some of us can now see friends and family we have been separated from for months.
The BBC asked doctor and TV presenter Xand van Tulleken for his thoughts on ensuring our gatherings are as safe as possible.
Details of the rules vary across the UK, so if you are living outside of England some of the advice below may not apply to you.
Remote nursing consultations: how to get them right – Nursing Standard
1 June – Article by Erin Dean
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in remote consultations, with healthcare professionals keen to protect patients and themselves from the virus.
Guidance from NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence states clearly that face-to-face contact should be minimised in all settings during the pandemic.
The pandemic has meant an increased need for video consultations
For many nurses this has meant using video or phone consultations for the first time, or in a much more significant way.
But how should a nurse go about this, how can it be done safely, and what can enable healthcare professionals and patients to get the most out of the experience?
New guidance issued by the RCN says that the need for remote consultations is likely to continue for some time. This means it is worth all healthcare staff getting to grips with this method of communication, as it looks likely to be a key means of contact with patients for the foreseeable future.
Report finds health workers from BAME backgrounds face higher COVID-19 risk – RCN
2 June
RCN calls for action to protect health care staff, as Public Health England review confirms reports that people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds have a higher risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19.
Revealed: the extent of the mortality risk BAME nurses face from coronavirus – Nursing Standard
2 June – Article by Stephanie Jones-Berry
More than 10,000 cases of COVID-19 have been identified in nurses, midwives, and nursing associates, and a disproportionate number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) NHS staff have died, an investigation found.
A report into disparities in risks and outcomes by Public Health England revealed people from BAME backgrounds were more likely to die from COVID-19, while diagnosis rates for coronavirus were highest in black communities.
And people with Bangladeshi heritage were around twice as likely to die as white British people. Those with Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and other black heritage faced between 10 and 50% higher risk of death than white British people.
Catch-up on 2020 International Nurses’ Day – Nursing Times
2 June – Article by Steve Ford
The anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth on 12 May was “tinged with sadness” due to Covid-19 but was rightly grasped as an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of nurses, according to a leading figure in the profession.
The date has been commemorated around the world for more than 50 years as International Nurses’ Day. It was expected to be extra special this year because it marked Ms Nightingale’s 200th birthday and, as a result, the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
Trusts told to up their game on staff awareness of Covid-19 safety measures – Nursing Times
4 June – Article by Steve Ford
Hospital trusts and other healthcare providers have been told to ensure nurses and other staff have additional information and guidance on social distancing and other measures to limit Covid-19 risk.
NHS leaders have also urged employers to widely promote information on hand hygiene and personal protective equipment to “staff working at all levels within their organisation”.
Barts Charity provide a multi-million pound boost for orthopaedic research – Barts Health
5 June – Article by Lydia Gregory
Barts Charity have given £2.9 million to establish a new centre of excellence for academic trauma and orthopaedic surgery.
The Centre aims to unlock the potential for learning to improve care for people around the world who suffer with conditions affecting their bones, joints and muscles.
Small Change, Big Impact – Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Every day, occupational therapists across the UK make seemingly small changes that have a big impact on the lives of the people they support and the profession.
RCOT’s campaign Small Change, Big Impact celebrates these small changes and champions the powerful impact achieved.
Take a look at the Small Change, Big Impact story wall.