Vital that government supports NHS and social care to keep normal services running as winter approaches
Some interesting views and research that reinforces the needs to fully prepare for winter . Their press release also states
“We know from our recent polling* that people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds – one of the groups worst affected by the pandemic – are less likely to have used NHS services since lockdown. ”
* Polling data from the Health Foundation and Ipsos MORI conducted in July found that concerns about using hospitals is greater among some of the groups worst affected by COVID-19, with more than one in four (28%) people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and more than a third (34%) of people with a disability saying they would feel uncomfortable about using their local hospital, compared with just over one in five overall (22%).
People from black and minority ethnic backgrounds are also less likely to report having used a health service since the beginning of lockdown (36% compared to 42% of the population as a whole), and are more likely to have considered using a service for a health issue but decided not to (9% compared with 5% overall).
Interviewed by Matt Bailey at 7.10am on 29th July about NESCHA views on imminent Andy Burnham announcement later that morning. I was greatly encouraged by his feedback ( he said it was interesting and ran over time!) and wrote the paper attached.
I never dreamt that one day I would be living the system!.
Sadly Robert my co-author , died when I was in hospital some years ago but my wife visited daily and then she lived with a diagnosois mixed dementia for over four years, was admitted to hospital last October and, following a rapid discharge to a care home, died peacefully in December .
Despite a professional background in social work and years spent working on improving health and care systems, nothing fully prepares you for living that experience. It brought into sharp focus both the compassion of frontline staff and the frustrations families can face when services are not as joined-up or consistent as they should be.
NHS de-frazzle new book and brilliant review