HPS, with support from stakeholders, has produced a short video clip to support colleagues required to obtain an upper respiratory tract diagnostic sample.This resource describes the techniques involved in obtaining an upper respiratory tract COVID-19 diagnostic sample
The Covid-19 crisis has had a big impact on general practice. Many surgeries, such as the one where Rebecca Rosen works, have switched to a universal ‘digital-first’ service – which has been argued could lead to a change for good in the longer term. Here she describes the promise of what she’s found so far, but also what we don’t yet know enough about.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has developed an eLearning hub to support psychiatrists and other clinicians working in mental health settings in gaining or refreshing knowledge and skills to support patients and staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.
This summary shares information, resources and ideas that you can use – especially if you now are working remotely or in isolation, and which can be shared with the people you support. Whilst the term ‘social distancing’ is being used to describe these measures, it may be helpful to think about the need to ‘physical distance’ as it is crucial this doesn’t mean we socially disconnect. Social connection is core to our mental wellbeing, and there are many ways we can stay connected, including virtually.
A new action plan for adult social care in England has earmarked fixing the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), ramping up staff testing and ensuring the sector gets the parity of esteem it deserves among its top priorities for supporting the care workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the space of a few short weeks primary care services in the UK have switched wholesale from 1.2m face-to-face consultations a day to the vast majority of consultations carried out remotely.
According to a 12 April BBC report, GPs are now seeing just seven in every 100 patients face-to-face, following a “remarkable” shift to online and telephone appointments across England in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has launched a range of digital services and online support for people with mental health issues. News story goes on to describe some of the initiatives.
People struggling with their mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will be offered additional online support and practical guidance to help them cope.
The current coronavirus pandemic has forced mental health outpatient services to close their doors and transition their practice to telephone or video consultations. Remote mental health interventions including telephone or video calls, and digital interventions such as computerised, web-based or app-based interventions have existed for some time.
Key messages
• Information is key; people who are quarantined need to
understand the situation
• Effective and rapid communication is essential
• Supplies (both general and medical) need to be provided
• The quarantine period should be short and the duration
should not be changed unless in extreme circumstances
• Most of the adverse effects come from the imposition of
a restriction of liberty; voluntary quarantine is associated
with less distress and fewer long-term complications
• Public health officials should emphasise the altruistic
choice of self-isolating
Covid-19 shows that we must overcome organisational barriers to deliver clean, realtime, standardised data in support of direct care, system planning, and urgent response.
The coronavirus pandemic has inevitably led to more time spent online, which will have increased the risk of children and teenagers being exposed to cyberbullying and harmful content, among other issues. This article examines available data on the effects of the pandemic on children as a result of their online activity and looks at what schools and child health professionals may need to anticipate in terms of children's mental health following the pandemic. Read in full with MPFT ATHENS login.
Expert opinion article on vaccine hesitancy. Looks at questions such as whether vaccination should be compulsory for healthcare staff. Read in full with MPFT ATHENS login.
The CCG launched reviews of some of the services it commissions in February to ensure that everybody in Shropshire has access to healthcare that is safe, high-quality and affordable for the future. [Includes community services review]
Our aim was to investigate the prevalence and magnitude of weight gain in-patients with bipolar disorder when treated with a second-generation antipsychotic as an add-on treatment to a mood stabilizer in routine clinical practice. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.