The NHS says it’s now “back online” as normal following the global IT outage and has apologised for the disruption caused to patients.
After the Crowdstrike IT outage last Friday (19 July) caused mayhem for companies and organisations right across the world, NHS England has now assured the public that it is back up and running today (22 July) and that patients should continue to attend their appointments “as normal”, unless they are told or advised otherwise.
A senior doctor described last Friday’s outage as an “unprecedented situation” and “one the toughest single days in recent times for GPs across England”.
Dr David Wrigley, who is the Deputy Chair of GPC England at the British Medical Association (BMA), said the outage caused “exceptionally trying circumstances” and led to a “catastrophic loss of service” across the NHS, but the country’s health service has now confirmed that anyone with an appointment should attend this week.
Delays to some services, however, should be expected, although the NHS says it is hoping to keep this “to a minimum”.
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The NHS is aware of a global IT outage and an issue with a GP appointment and patient record system.
If you have an appointment please do attend unless you are told otherwise. If you need help use 111 online or by phone and in an emergency call 999.
An NHS spokesperson said in an updated statement issued this morning (22 July): “Systems are now back online, and patients with an NHS appointment this week should continue to attend unless told not to.
“Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff throughout this incident we are hoping to keep further disruption to a minimum, however there still may be some delays as services recover, particularly with GPs needing to rebook appointments, so please bear with us.
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“It’s important that patients attend appointments as normal unless told otherwise.
“You can contact your GP in the usual way, or use your local pharmacy, NHS 111 online, or call 111 for urgent health advice.”
The NHS is now ‘back online’ as normal after the global IT outage last Friday / Credit: gov.uk
Just as the NHS has referenced that GPs, in particular, are expecting to be met with service delays this week, Dr Wrigley has too warned of a “considerable backlog”.
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He explained in his statement: “The temporary loss of the patient record system has meant a considerable backlog.
“Even if we could guarantee it could be fully fixed on Monday, GPs would still need time to catch up from lost work over the weekend, and NHS England should make clear to patients that normal service cannot be resumed immediately.”
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home
Emily Sergeant
The Council is now offering financial help to support people moving into a smaller and ‘more manageable’ property.
Ever heard of ‘rightsizing? Well, according Manchester City Council it’s a process where a tenant in a larger social rent, Council, or Housing Association property, that may have more rooms than they need or perhaps are struggling to manage a big house as they get older, can be supported into a smaller property that better suits their needs.
The benefits of this process include cheaper bills, lower rents, and overall, just homes that are easier to clean and manage.
The aim of it is also to free up larger Council properties for families who are on the housing register – of which there are said to be around 20,000 of them currently at this time, with larger homes having some of the most significant wait times.
Are you struggling to look after a big Council or housing association home? We can help!
We are offering £2,500 to help people move into a smaller more manageable home, freeing up larger homes for families that need them.
It’s also estimated, according to the Council, that a third of all social rented family homes are thought to ‘underoccupied’.
This is why financial support and grants are now being offered.
Last year alone, 109 households were helped to ‘rightsize’ and were supported in the process by a dedicated team of Council officers, as well as benefitting from the Rightsizing Incentive Scheme – with a further 432 households having expressed interest doing so in the future.
Residents interested in ‘rightsizing’ could get a cash incentive of £2,500, which can be spent on anything they like, along with moving costs.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“Rightsizing could be a brilliant option for older people who are renting a Council home who may have spare rooms they don’t need or would benefit from looking after a smaller property,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development.
“Often a barrier to moving is the cost, but the Council will take care of the financial burden to help a resident move into a new home.
“The benefit for the city is that we can free up more larger homes for people who are waiting for a property that properly meets their needs. We think around a third of Council tenants could be under occupying their home, which means they could be paying more than they need to or they could be hit with the bedroom tax.”
Does this sound like you? Are you ready to ‘rightsize’? Find out more and begin the process via Manchester City Council’s website here.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Trailer released for Netflix’s new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’
Emily Sergeant
The trailer for Netflix’s new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby has been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby – the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital – hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film – simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby – is described as being the most ‘comprehensive’ look at one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given ‘unparalleled and exclusive access’ to those central to the story.
“This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility,” commented director, Dominic Sivyer. “Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case.”
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions – who produced the documentary – added: “The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone’s perspectives with care and understanding.
“We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story.”
Emily Sergeant -
22nd July 2024 
