Health
Local health board promises speedy delivery of Covid-19 booster shots
FOLLOWING last week’s announcement by the JCVI, Hywel Dda University Health Board’s mass vaccination team says it is working at pace to ensure its current facilities are used to their maximum capacity. The health board is confident that everyone eligible for a booster will receive an offer by the end of January 2022.
The health board has promised that it will continue to prioritise people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire for their booster appointment against the time scale since their primary course was completed, which in turn, was driven by age and vulnerability.
The Health Board said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their patience and for attending their appointment when it is their turn.
“People attending their appointment are also now asked to show their support and kindness towards the hard-working staff, security and volunteers, who will be spending a second festive period helping to keep Wales safe.”
Bethan Lewis, Interim Assistant Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda UHB, told The Herald: “Following last week’s significant update to booster eligibility, our efforts have been focused on achieving this incredibly ambitious programme by increasing the number of appointments across our seven mass vaccination centres and recruiting extra staff and volunteers.
“Our communities across Hywel Dda have a big role to play in helping us offer a booster vaccine to everyone aged 18 and over and our most clinically vulnerable by the end of January.
“First, please be patient and do not attend any of our centres without an appointment. Our call centre is also receiving lots of calls and this is causing delays in answering, so we strongly advise that you do not contact the health board or your GP to ask about your vaccine.
“Our priority is to increase the number of appointments available and we will contact you when it is your turn. This will be done by letter, or text, and it may be at short notice.
“We understand people have commitments, especially at this time of year, but we must ask people to prioritise their appointment as far as possible. Due to the high volume of people we are currently vaccinating, if you have to cancel your appointment, or change the date, it may be some weeks before it can be re-scheduled.
“The vast majority of the population are currently receiving their booster appointment on or before 26 weeks since their second dose. As more appointments are made available across our seven centres, this gap will reduce significantly. Please bear with us.
“You can also help by arriving for your appointment on time and no earlier than 10 minutes before your allotted time. This will help keep our car parks flowing and limit the length of queues. We apologise if there are delays, but please be patient and dress for colder weather in case you are asked to wait outside.”
The health board understands that many people have been anxiously contacting our COVID-19 Command Centre to ask questions or to rearrange an existing appointment, which has resulting in long waits to speak to someone.
The health board is increasing the number of call and email handlers but if you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit https://hduhb.nhs.wales/covid19-vaccination in the first instance to find the answer to your query or visit Public Health Wales’s website https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/
Again, we ask people to not contact us to ask about their booster vaccine, however it is very important that we leave no one behind. In light of yesterday’s ministerial announcement, if you are over 65 and haven’t yet had a booster appointment, or if it has been more than 26 weeks since your second dose and you have not received an appointment, please get in touch with the health board directly.
The health board is also prioritising those who are still need their first and second vaccines. Everyone aged 12 and over is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination and no one will be left behind.
Please visit https://hduhb.nhs.wales/covid19-vaccination to request your vaccine or if you cannot request one online, please call 0300 303 8322.
If you would like to work at a mass vaccination centre, the health board has full and part time hours available as well as bank opportunities. Please visit https://hduhb.nhs.wales/jobs/ to apply.
For volunteering opportunities please visit contact the health board’s volunteering team via [email protected] or by calling 01267 244 401.
Health
Phone calls to reduce GP visits for 42% of patients this winter
NEW research from the Royal Voluntary Service has shown that a simple phone call could significantly impact well-being, reducing GP visits by 42% among patients who receive regular telephone support.
The charity urges those feeling isolated this winter, particularly the elderly, to use telephone support services as a way to improve health and free up GP appointments, potentially reducing waiting times. It is estimated that if people experiencing loneliness in later life reduced their GP visits by just one appointment a year, this could free up 588,000 appointments annually.
As winter approaches, the Royal Voluntary Service reports that isolation can sharply increase, especially for adults over 75, with nearly half (47%) of people in this age group feeling lonelier in the colder months. Among those who live alone, one in six say they feel forgotten during winter, and 20% report having no one to turn to for emotional support.
In addition to loneliness, older generations face several winter worries, including increased heating costs, cited by 55% of respondents, and reduced ability to go out, which 29% said they dreaded as winter sets in.
To address these challenges, Royal Voluntary Service has launched the Stay Safe, Warm and Well campaign in partnership with Yakult. The campaign provides a guide for practical and emotional winter preparation, encouraging sign-ups for telephone support services and offering access to the Virtual Village Hall online community for events and activities. Practical advice on money-saving and energy-saving tips is also available through the guide.
Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador Elaine Paige, who has herself made support calls for the charity, described the positive impact these calls can have. “A warm, friendly phone call can transform someone’s day. Some conversations leave you smiling long after the call ends—something we could all use, especially in winter. For those facing the season alone, there are amazing people ready to remind you that you’re not alone,” she said.
The charity’s support services match volunteers with individuals across the UK for friendly chats, reducing isolation and boosting mental health. Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said: “The feedback that conversations with volunteers are helping people to visit their GP less is testament to the value of connection.”
Yakult Marketing Manager Reshma Patel added: “Our research with Royal Voluntary Service shows that one in four adults over 75 feel they’d benefit from practical and emotional support over winter. We are committed to helping people access the Stay Safe, Warm and Well guide to support their overall well-being.”
Health
Over 1500 patients in Wales blocked from leaving hospital
THE First Minister Eluned Morgan has been pressured on her government’s failure to clear hospital beds in Wales, leading to delays for people seeking urgent medical care.
According to a report from BBC Wales, there are currently 1,600 patients across Wales waiting to be discharged from hospital compared to England where there are currently 12,000.
However, when comparing population sizes, it’s revealed that Wales is performing worse than its closest neighbour, with 0.05% of the population of Wales stuck in hospital beds compared to 0.02% in England.
The Welsh Labour government have been criticised for their failure to clear out backlogs in the system,
The Liberal Democrats have now called on the Welsh Government to provide urgent social care funding to local authorities to help alleviate pressures on the NHS in Wales.
Speaking in the Siambr on Tuesday, The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS described how over twenty years of Welsh Labour government in Wales had let to a “desperate situation in our NHS, with services nearing breaking point.
Welsh Labours refusal to change their approach and fix a system clogged up by mismanagement is directly responsible for the current situation faced by thousands of patients.
Delays in discharging patients from hospitals are placing huge pressures on both staff and those awaiting care, but there is a way out of this mess and the answer lies in social care.
I have been told by numerous professionals working in healthcare that the first step towards fixing our NHS is made by providing local authorities with the funding to fix social care services within their respected areas.
By dedicating adequate investment into our social care services, we can make life easier for patients discharged from hospital while also lifting the strain on health services throughout Wales.”
Education
Concern over ‘highest-ever’ school bullying rates
RATES of bullying in Welsh schools have reached record levels, with more than one in three children and young people reporting being bullied, the Senedd heard.
Gareth Davies raised concerns about a 6% increase in bullying between 2021 and 2023, according to a survey of more than 130,000 pupils in 200 secondary schools.
The Conservatives’ shadow mental health minister told the Senedd: “These results are higher than ever previously reported in the survey, which is deeply troubling.”
He said the latest survey showed regression on “just about every metric of pupil wellbeing”, including growing social isolation and a rise in behavioural issues.
Mr Davies, who worked in the NHS in north Wales for more than a decade, pointed to a 2021 legal duty to have regard to the mental health of children and young people.
He said: “The mental health of pupils has declined and reports of bullying in schools have only increased, so the Welsh Government have failed in that duty, unfortunately.”
Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell called for an update to 2019 anti-bullying guidance for school governing bodies following a commitment from the Welsh Government eight months ago.
The shadow education secretary focused on the impact of poverty, warning the high cost of school uniforms can cause stress and lead to bullying.
Mr Campbell, a former lecturer, expressed concerns about penalties, such as detention, for pupils over non-compliance with uniform policies.
Raising a report on “horrific” experiences of racism in Welsh schools, he said one pupil was told a classmate did not want to sit next to them due to the colour of their skin.
“That’s entirely unacceptable in our schools,” said Mr Campbell.
Labour’s Carolyn Thomas warned children’s mental health is at an all-time low, pointing to smartphones and social media as major contributing factors.
She said: “They can be used to bully, manipulate and control, sending young people into an isolated world of despair, not thinking they can get out of it or go to somebody for help.”
The North Wales politician highlighted a petition calling for a ban on phones in schools.
Rhys ab Owen, an independent who represents South Wales Central, stressed that bullying can impact people for decades to come after school.
“But it’s an issue that doesn’t affect learners equally,” he said. “In Cardiff, around a third of learners come from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
“And I was staggered to read a survey from 2020, which said that 61.5% of learners had expressed stereotypes over skin colour, religion and nationality.”
In a statement on November 12 to mark anti-bullying week, Lynne Neagle accepted that bullying continues to be an issue in Welsh schools.
Pledging to prioritise the problem, Wales’ education secretary said new statutory anti-bullying guidance will be published for consultation after Christmas.
Ms Neagle pointed to concerning trends, including 42% of girls scoring high or very high in a questionnaire on psychological problems compared with 27% of boys.
She told the Senedd: “I wouldn’t want to be a teenager growing up today.”
Ms Neagle stated the Welsh Government provided more than £800,000 this year for one of the biggest surveys of children and young people in the UK.
She said: “The link between bullying and mental health is well known. At its most extreme, young people have taken their own lives as a result of being bullied. This is a tragedy for the young life lost, for their family and friends and for whole communities.”
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