Speaking at an online seminar hosted by the Science Museum on Thursday, Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said COVID hospitalisations were doubling every three weeks and could hit ‘scary numbers’ in future. The UK recorded almost 50,000 new cases on Thursday, which is the highest daily number since January 2021.
Several hospitals in England have begun to cancel elective operations. The Independent reported that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham has cancelled planned operations for two days due to a surge in admissions, while the HSJ reports that Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals has cancelled a number of operations in order to ‘protect urgent care’.
A report from the Academy of Medical Sciences, commissioned by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, has stated that the triple threat of COVID, flu and respiratory syncytial virus could exert serious pressure on the NHS this winter.
What about the NHS?
NHS England has confirmed that everyone accessing or visiting healthcare settings must continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules. Chief Nursing Officer for England, Ruth May, confirmed that Public Health England’s infection prevention control guidelines and hospital visiting guidance are set to remain in place for all staff and visitors.
The Chief Nursing Officer stated that ‘face coverings and social distancing measures will remain in place across healthcare settings so that the most vulnerable people can continue to safely attend hospital, their GP surgery, pharmacy or any other healthcare settings for advice, care and treatment.’
What we are doing at The VeinCare Centre:
As of Monday 19th July, Our COVID-19 Policies and Procedures remain in place.
We require all staff, our patients and visitors to wear the surgical masks that are provided by the clinic.
We remain COVID-secure and we continue to welcome you to have vein treatment in our safe healthcare environment.
We come to work only when we feel well and after we have had our own temperatures checked and recorded when we arrive. All members of staff have a lateral flow test twice a week.
Throughout the day, we all wear a disposable surgical mask and eye-protection (only removed and replaced when eating or drinking), we maintain social distancing and we regularly wash our hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand gel, in line with WHO Guidance. These measures are followed by all staff (even in the administrative office) and they are aimed to keep you and ourselves safe in the clinic.
The Clinic has a new air-filtration and ventilation system. All the clinical rooms, the vein treatment room and the office now have separate ventilation systems with medical grade filters. Air is brought into each room from outside after being filtered and either warmed or cooled and then after the air has circulated, it is vented out of the room and fresh air brought back in. Air does not mix between rooms and in this way, the risk or airborne transmission of the virus between staff and patients is minimised.
All members of staff have received 2 doses of the COVID vaccine and all of us will have 2 lateral flow tests each week.
We do all of this to keep our patients, visitors and staff safe.