With the shining sun and soaring temperatures set to continue across the country into next week, the region’s ambulance service announced yesterday its decision to raise to its highest operational pressure level – which means the trust now stands at Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) Level Four.
Level Four “indicates a potential for failures” within ambulances services as they try to cope with “extreme pressure”, according to the national NHS framework.
The Health Service Journal has reported that all 10 of the country’s ambulance services have also been raised to the highest level.
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NWAS said the heat had caused a rise in people struggling with respiratory illness.
Confirming the move to REAP Level Four, a spokesperson for NWAS said: “As a result of the recent warm weather and increased demand, we have decided to step up to Level 4 of our Resource Escalation Action Plan, which represents extreme pressure.
The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has confirmed it has moved to its highest alert level / Credit: NWAS (via Facebook)
“In moving to Level 4, we will be maximising all available resources, increasing staffing levels in emergency call centres and on the road.”
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NWAS is now urging people not to dial 999 other than for serious emergencies, and to instead call either 111, contact their GP, or visit a pharmacist for advice.
The increasing incident level for NWAS comes as two of the region’s major hospitals, Royal Bolton Hospital and Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, have warned of serious pressures at their A&E departments, and have admitted that staff are currently dealing with “extremely busy” situations.
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Level Four “indicates a potential for failures” within ambulances services / Credit: NWAS
Images circulating on social media earlier this week showed ambulances have been spotted queueing up outside the Stockport hospital
The two hospitals have urged patients to only come to A&E if they have any of the following symptoms – severe chest pains, difficulty breathing, bleeding you can’t stop, possible broken bones, loss of consciousness, stroke symptoms, or severe tummy pain or headache.
You are also still encouraged to attend A&E if you have a child who is very unwell.
Featured Image – NWAS (via Facebook)
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A Japanese fine dining restaurant is opening in the former Randall & Aubin site
Georgina Pellant
A new Japanese fine dining restaurant will open on Bridge Street in Manchester this October, bringing a theatrical ‘multi-sensory’ dining experience to the city.
Giving diners the chance to dine from specially created 7 and 11-course tasting menus or opt for a traditional ‘chef’s choice’ experience at its six-seat Omakase counter, bosses say it will offer a contemporary interpretation of Japanese dishes currently not seen outside of London.
Called MUSU, which translates as ‘infinite possibilities,’ the restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Patron Michael Shaw, who has worked at top eateries including Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and Richard Neat’s eponymous restaurant in Canne.
Image: Supplied
Shaw has spent the last 18 months honing his passion for Japanese cuisine in preparation to open MUSU and will bring on Head Sushi Chef Andre Aguiar, who has trained under renowned Japanese sushi master YugoKato, to head up the kitchen.
When MUSU it opens its doors on Bridge Street on 6 October, diners will be treated to a new tasting menu concept that promises to deliver a ‘multi-sensory dining experience.’
Its menu is divided into three sections – Sentaku, Kaiseki and Omakase – giving diners the choice between ordering dishes a la carte style, opting for a set seven or eleven-course tasting menu, or entrusting the chef to create their ‘perfect menu.’
Served to guests at the six-seat Omakase counter, the latter is presided over by Head Sushi Chef Andre Aguiar.
Drinks-wise, diners can look forward to a mixture of classic cocktails, Japanese sakes and whiskies, as well as a specially chosen list of wines handpicked by house sommelier Ivan Milchev.
As for the new high-end Japanese restaurant’s design, MUSU’s multi-million-pound interiors will boast bespoke Italian furniture, subtle mood lighting and bespoke Geisha-inspired walls, with a bar made from Dekton stone, banana leaf patterned brass and onyx.
Feature image – Supplied
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A huge Spanish food festival is coming to Manchester
Georgina Pellant
A huge festival dedicated to the wonders of Spanish cuisine is coming to Manchester next month.
Organised as part of country-wide celebration by Spanish brewery Estrella Galicia, the festival will bring some of the city’s finest Spanish and South American chefs together for a vibrant mix of tapas tours, foodie masterclasses and high-end tasting menus.
Hosted cross Manchester, London, Cardiff, Brighton and Newcastle, locals can take part in the ultimate Spanish food tour with selected restaurants offering their best-selling tapas plates with a pint of Estrella Galicia on the side.
Former Masterchef contestant Caroline Martins of the Sao Paulo Project will host a special tasting menu at her current home inside Ancoats’ Blossom Street Social, mixing traditional Spanish dishes with influences from her home country of Brazil in Central America on Sunday 11 September.
Sao Paulo signature petit four: Coconut Marshmallow (Maria-Mole) / Guava Jam (Goiabada) / Jambu Flower (South American flower that numbs your tongue) / Image: The Sao Paulo Project
The ‘Romeo and Julieta’ with Guava Parfait / Guava Jelly / Parmesan Genoise Sponge / Sangiorgio’s Minas Cheese / Dormouse Chocolate & Lime Crumble / Image: The Manc Eats
An official Estrella Galicia Chef Ambassador for 2022, Martins has made quite a name for herself since arriving in Manchester – appearing on the Great British Menu earlier this year and wowing local diners in Ancoats with her Alice in Wonderland-style food.
Known for serving weird and wonderful creations like edible ‘beef fat’ candles, marshmallows topped with tongue-numbing Jambu flowers and desserts disguised as poisonous mushrooms, Caroline has become something of a local sensation since moving to Manchester in 2020.
Elsewhere across the festival, local tapas favourites Evuna, La Bandera and the family-run staple El Rincon de Rafa will all get involved in a special tapas tour across the city on Thursday 29 September.
A fixture in Manchester for over 25 years, El Rincon de Rafa is a family-run favourite amongst foodies in the know. / Image: El Rincon
Image: La Bandera is located just off Deansgate and is another long-running Spanish tapas favourite
Estrella Galicia offers a wide variety of drinks here in the UK including Estrella Galicia Cerveza Lager, 0,0%, Gluten-free, 1906 Reserva Especial and 1906 Black Coupage.
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2022 
