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Government issues Covid safety reminder ahead of Jubilee bank holiday weekend

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 31st May 2022

The Government has posted some Covid safety advice ahead of the Jubilee weekend, urging people to ‘protect yourself and those around you’ from the virus.

With a four-day bank holiday weekend on the horizon, thousands of Brits will be travelling to visit friends and family.

From street parties to parades to concerts, the nation will be out in force to celebrate 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

But the Department of Health and Social Care has issued a five-step guide to keeping the Jubilee celebrations Covid-safe.

Read more: Manchester-based online fast fashion retailer Missguided goes into administration

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The guidance comes from NHS Test and Trace and is advisory – all legal domestic Covid restrictions have been lifted.

People are being advised to book their vaccines and boosters if they haven’t already, and to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they feel unwell, especially with flu-like symptoms and a high temperature.

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The advice also includes opening windows to allow fresh air to circulate, washing hands regularly, and wearing face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces.

These measures are particularly important when meeting with people who are at higher risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

The full latest health guidance is available at gov.uk/coronavirus.

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Nurses plea for Government support as 90% say patient safety is being ‘compromised’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Patients dying in corridors, a lack of equipment, and generally unsafe practices are the findings of a harrowing new report into nursing.

Towards the end of last month, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) – which is biggest nursing union and professional body in the world, with more than 500,000 members – asked its members to answer a short survey into the state of nursing throughout 2024, and thousands of nurses across the UK responded.

The report documents the experiences of more than 5,000 NHS nursing staff, with several raw, unedited, and often heartbreaking responses included, all of which confirm that ‘corridor care’, as it’s known, is “widespread” nationwide.

Almost seven in 10 (66.8%) respondents said they’re delivering care in “over-crowded or unsuitable places”, such as corridors, converted cupboards, and even car parks, on a daily basis.

More than nine in 10 (90.8%) said patient safety is being “compromised”.

According to the findings from the survey, demoralised nursing staff reported caring for as many as 40 patients in a single corridor, and find they are unable to access oxygen, cardiac monitors, suction, and other lifesaving equipment during this time.

Some of the more shocking accounts including in the report are of female patients miscarrying in corridors, and nurses being unable to provide adequate or timely CPR to patients having heart attacks.

Nursing staff also report cancer patients being put in corridors and other “inappropriate” spaces.

Nurses are calling for Government support as 90% say patient safety is being ‘compromised’ / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)

More than a quarter of nursing staff surveyed said they weren’t told the corridor they were providing care in was classed as a “temporary escalation space”, which is what the report says NHS England referred to it as, and this means that certain risk protocols and measures may not be in place to ease pressures and protect patients.

This is why the RCN is calling on officials to publish how many patients are being cared for in corridors and other inappropriate places.

The union is urging the Government and NHS England from an RCN-led coalition.

RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said this devastating testimony from frontline nursing staff shows patients are coming to harm “every day”, and are “forced” to endure unsafe treatment.

“The revelations from our wards must now become a moment in time,” Professor Ranger said.

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“A moment for bold Government action on an NHS which has been neglected for so long. Ministers cannot shirk responsibility and need to recognise that recovering patient care will take new investment, including building a strong nursing workforce.”

Featured Image – Pxhere

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Manchester may finally get a lido as part of plans for a new ‘woodland town’

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Plans to transform Holt Town in Manchester

A lido may be on the way to Manchester for the first time in decades, as part of major plans to regenerate Holt Town.

The area just beyond Ancoats and New Islington could be transformed into a ‘woodland town’, with thousands of new homes and high quality green spaces.

The new town would ‘bridge the gap’ between the bustling city centre and major cultural venues like Co-op Live, the Etihad Stadium, and all the other facilities at SportCity and the Etihad Campus.

If it all goes ahead as planned, Holt Town will be home to a lido – something that’s been on a lot of Manchester wishlists for decades.

Plans include building around 4,500 new homes- including at least 20% genuinely affordable properties, family housing, apartments and age-friendly homes.

It’ll all incorporate high quality green spaces surrounding a 1km play street spine, provision of new local services, cultural opportunities, and significant affordable workspace, plus a focus on green travel rather than car use.

Around 15 acres of green space would be created, enhancing Holt Town’s proximity to the canals and rivers.

How Holt Town could look after its regeneration. Credit: Supplied
How Holt Town could look after its regeneration. Credit: Supplied
Holt Town's regeneration plans include a lido for Manchester
Holt Town’s regeneration plans include a lido for Manchester
Holt Town will be built along the canals and rivers near Manchester
Holt Town will be built along the canals and rivers near Manchester
The new 'woodland town' will be built along the canal
The new ‘woodland town’ will be built along the canal

Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve the ambitious Holt Town plans at a committee meeting next week (22 January), following positive feedback public consultation last year, where 10,000 people viewed the plans and 411 formal responses showed strong support.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Holt Town has huge potential and this is feeding our ambition to create a brand new woodland town – the first of its kind in Manchester. 

“We have an opportunity to deliver a transformative programme of investment and we expect this area to be Manchester’s next urban regeneration exemplar, creating a neighbourhood that meets the needs of our city and our people – with at least 4,500 new homes, including significant affordable housing options. 

“This neigbourhood will represent a people first focus around active travel, green spaces, new play spaces for young people – and a digital first approach that will better connect the community with local services.

“Following consultation, we are beginning to move to the early delivery phase for Holt Town – a new town within the city of Manchester – that will finally bridge the gap between the city centre, Sportcity and the Etihad Campus in east Manchester.”

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Featured image: Supplied

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