With the easing of Government restrictions, The Share Community are seeking volunteer befrienders to help local residents with learning disabilities get back out into the community. Share is a registered charity with a site in Tooting providing support to adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. Their befriending project matches people with similar interests to go for walks, bike rides, or coffee. Befriending is incredibly rewarding, providing companionship to those who are socially isolated and regular contact with a friendly face outside their usual circle. I am told that reliability and being a good listener are the only prerequisites to be a volunteer befriender. If this sounds like you, Share would love to hear from you! Click here to find out more. Here in South West London, over half a million residents have received their first vaccine dose so far! Although this is a pivotal milestone, the percentage of vaccinated persons still remains lower among all ethnic minority groups compared with the White British population. I recognise that many within the BAME community may be unfamiliar with vaccines and feel unsure. However, I can assure you that the vaccines have all been rigorously tested and declared safe by doctors around the world. I continue to urge everyone eligible to book their vaccine appointment as soon as possible. The sooner the vaccine is rolled out, the sooner we can begin to rebuild. Together we can do this. For those unaware, latest Government guidance states that those with a serious mental health illness are now eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Serious mental health illnesses include those such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. However, this list is not exhaustive and anyone who is severely affected by a mental health problem is encouraged to contact their GP if they have not yet been invited to receive the vaccine. If you are a carer for a person with a severe mental illness, you could also be eligible. Click here for more information on eligibility or contact your GP. If you are eligible, to book or manage an existing vaccination appointment, click here. The end of 2020 brought the news that we’d been waiting for - the first vaccine was approved for use in the UK. I’m hugely grateful to all the scientists who have made this happen. Around the world they’ve been working non-stop – just like our frontline healthcare professionals and key workers - to put a stop to this virus and allow us to get on with life as normal. Now another milestone in the vaccination programme is happening on our doorstep. St George’s is one of four sites participating in a new study to assess the safety and immune response of the Oxford-AstraZenaca jab in healthy children aged 6-17 years old. Building on previous trials of the vaccine, which have shown that it is safe, produces strong immune system responses, and has high efficacy in all adults, this trial will assess if children and young adults make a good immune response with the vaccine. I recognise that some have concerns about the vaccine, and dangerous myths circulate on social media – it’s simply not good enough to just ignore them and hope they go away. Labour has offered to work with ministers to tackle online harms. And we can all play our part in putting friends and family members at ease by reminding them that we can trust the NHS to take care of us in these difficult times. If the vaccine is good enough for scientists and the regulator, it’s good enough for my family and I. Indeed, I have joined together with a cross-party group of MPs, encouraging everyone to take up the vaccine. The video can be viewed here. We won’t see changes overnight and we still need to look out for our communities. Let's regain the spirit of coming together like we did in the first days of the pandemic and work to eradicate this virus. As you will know, a South African variant of Covid-19 has arrived in the UK. This new Covid variant has now been detected in CR4 (Merton). Residents in CR4 are no different to us in neighbouring Tooting (SW16 and SW17). We use the same shops, the same hospital, and the same parks, so if it’s there, it could very easily be here. This will be the same across all affected areas. As a matter of urgency, the Government needs to launch widespread testing in neighbouring postcodes. This is the only way to see how widespread these new variants are. I have written to the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock MP, the Director of Public Health at Wandsworth Council, Shannon Katiyo, and the Chief Executive of Wandsworth Council, Paul Martin, to ask about plans to launch testing in neighbouring postcodes. While I press for action on this, we need to make sure we’re all doing everything we can to keep ourselves and each other safe. It’s absolutely vital that we minimise our social contact to prevent the spread of this new variant within our community. Please think twice before leaving home, and when you do leave, please continue to adhere to social distancing. Together, we will get through this. Throughout the ongoing pandemic I have been inundated with emails from parents, school staff, students, and residents alike who have taken the time to outline their views on school closures. Some are concerned about safety, with many teachers and students facing the very real and grave possibility of bringing the virus home to vulnerable family members. Some are concerned about the impact a further lockdown could have on children's wellbeing and their education. And some are concerned about the challenges school closures will cause for working families.
As I am sure you will agree, the current situation is incredibly serious. This virus is spreading exponentially across the country, many people are in hospital, and too many people are tragically losing their loved ones. We know how difficult another lockdown will be, but I believe that national measures are necessary. As the Shadow Minister for Mental Health and a working mother, it is safe to say the impact of extended school closures on children’s well-being and working families cannot be overstated. This is why Labour called on Government to do everything possible to avoid it. Boris Johnson must immediately set out clear plans for every child to return safely to school as soon as possible - and be honest with parents about the timetable for this. It is also critical that young people’s education is safeguarded throughout this period of remote learning, and every student must have access to the devices they need to learn. Schools and families can request free mobile data increases for students without broadband or who cannot afford extra data for devices. More information on this scheme can be found here: get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/about-increasing-mobile-data. It is vital the Government prevent disadvantaged families being priced out of education. As many families will agree, working parents face huge challenges in balancing work, childcare, and supporting their child’s education. They must have the support they need to do this. Nobody should have to choose between their job and supporting their children, so the Government - and employers - must clearly promote the use of the job retention scheme for those unable to work due to family commitments. Please rest assured that myself and Labour Party colleagues will continue to hold the Government to account on these issues as we all navigate the ongoing pandemic. Stay safe, Rosena. With the Officer for National Statistics estimating that 1 in 30 Londoners now have coronavirus, and the Mayor of London declaring a major incident across all London hospitals, the ongoing situation could not be more serious. NHS services in the capital are at risk of becoming overwhelmed in just a matter of days.
Working as a doctor in St George’s A&E department, I understand how emotionally drained healthcare workers are feeling. Indeed, ‘overwhelmed’ was the word used by nurses, consultants and registrars at our local hospital in Tooting when they were interviewed for a special report by the BBC, with one senior staff nurse saying she has “never felt so demoralised in her life.” The report conducted by BBC London's Political Correspondent, Karl Mercer, showed the heartbreaking situation in high dependency units at St George’s. The hospital has now had to increase intensive care capacity from 60 to 120, the vast majority of which are for coronavirus patients. Wandsworth alone recorded a further 2394 cases this week – the 13th highest in London. Whilst better times are on the horizon with the recent announcement of the approved Moderna vaccine, I can only implore residents to continue to follow latest public health advice on the virus to ensure we can protect as many lives as possible. On behalf of all my colleagues working on the frontline, please stay at home. The ongoing pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives, and it is understandable that this will have an impact on our mental health.
As we enter a national lockdown, it is vital that we all take care of our mental health. There are many brilliant services available to offer advice and support, and there is never any shame in asking for help. If you are facing a mental health crisis, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123, any time, day or night. If you are not comfortable speaking over the phone, you can also text SHOUT to 85258. They also have an advice page offering tips on how to take care of your mental health during the pandemic. If you are aged between 13-25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994, with any question. They will connect you with experts and peers who will give you the support and advice you need. You can also phone Childline on 0800 1111, or speak directly to a counsellor here. For the LGBT+ community, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 or email chris@switchboard.lbgt. All phone operators identify as LGBT+. Stonewall are also available on 08000 50 2020 for advice on a range of issues. If you are facing domestic abuse, you can call Refuge on 0808 2000 247, or access their online chat feature here. Women’s Aid live chat feature is also open here. Both of these websites have an option to quickly exit their sites and wipe them from your browser history. Sports Direct has shown exactly what not to do during this pandemic. If we’re to beat coronavirus, we have to be selflessThere seems to be a view amongst some under-70s, that coronavirus doesn’t really affect them and they don’t need to worry too much about it. I’ve listened to 69-year-olds tell me that because they themselves are fit and healthy, that it couldn’t possibly happen to them. Having just done a shift as a doctor in A&E over the weekend, I want to take this opportunity to warn people that this virus does not discriminate by age.
It was deeply, deeply eye-opening. Previously healthy people in their thirties and forties were seriously ill, some of them on ventilators. Being young does not grant you immunity to this disease. The symptoms of Covid-19 at its worst, are horrific. There can be no room for complacency. Our health service is facing an unprecedented crisis. There is a limited amount of vital equipment, including personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and precious ventilators. Every extra person in hospital requiring treatment means there are fewer resources available for others. London Covid-19 doctor says soon staff will be forced to choose whose life to saveRosena Allin-Khan, a Labour MP and A&E doctor, reveals ‘heart-wrenching’ decisions facing hospital workers
Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting and an A&E doctor, is still working regular shifts. On Sunday she worked at St George’s hospital in her south London constituency. She explains how the coronavirus pandemic has affected staff: I’ve been an A&E doctor for 15 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. The departments are quieter because people are staying away from hospital, but the patients are sicker. We’re seeing a distinct rise in the numbers coming in with respiratory symptoms, who are testing Covid-19 positive. On Sunday, very early in the morning, the entire resuscitation department, where the absolute sickest patients go, was full to capacity with patients with breathing difficulties. We had to move other very ill patients to the paediatric resuscitation area to keep them safe. This is only set to get worse. We’re seeing patients now who would have only contracted the virus two weeks ago. In the coming 10 days we expect the entire A&E department will be taken up with suspected Covid-19 patients. Doctors and nurses are brave, and the A&E department is known for being on the frontline and high risk, but there’s a palpable fear among staff for three reasons. Firstly, they’re frightened for their own health and those of the people they love. When I finished my shift yesterday, which was Mother’s Day, I came back to the house and I couldn’t touch or hug my two little girls until I put all my clothes in the wash and had a shower. The second reason is that staff expect, very soon, potentially to have to make heart-wrenching choices about whose life can be saved if we don’t have enough ventilators. That goes counter to everything you’ve ever learned as a doctor or nurse – to make life-and-death decisions, where we could possibly have saved every one of those people, is unimaginable. This is what our colleagues in Italy are living through now. Third, the patterns described thus far for symptoms of coronavirus are not what we’re now seeing in the emergency department. We’re seeing young, previously very healthy people, who are ill in hospital. Some are in their 30s, and they need ventilators to stay alive. Some patients are presenting with abdominal pain, which we hadn’t heard of before. A person can come in and say they have a stomach pain, and they’re put in the “green” area of the department – but then they mention they also have a cough. Everybody should be assumed to be Covid-positive until proven otherwise at this point. There’s also a real concern among staff around the country about personal protective equipment. They either don’t have any, or if they do many feel it’s being rationed. It’s very hard to listen to some colleagues say that as a result of there not being enough equipment to go round, they’re resigned to catching the virus – it’s just a matter of when. On social distancing, the messaging from the government hasn’t been clear enough. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has banned public gatherings of more than two people. It’s clear and easy to understand. There has to be no ambiguity in the language because people’s lives depend on it. Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives. |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|