Coronavirus (Covid-19) information and resources

• Public Health England has published this coronavirus fact sheet for children which has been developed by the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. It has been designed to help children understand what coronavirus is, the importance of hand washing and how to help stop the virus spreading.

Project 6

"Hello, I’m Vicki Beere CEO, for Project 6, Keighley.

We have spent the last few years talking about assets and communities, attempting to practice Asset Based Community Development, and often failing to really grasp what this means. Now we have a chance to change that and let our communities and people lead the way – there is a plan - and it will work best if we use this rich network of people and communities who are so keen to support each other.

Community mobilisation has been phenomenal. New partnerships and interdependencies have formed - cross sectors and cross faiths, people are now working in ways, delivering services, that they had no idea even existed two weeks ago.  Behind them are a team of leaders moving the chess pieces around and unblocking things left, right and centre. Forming leadership teams across sectors, making things happen, quickly, strategically and in ways we never thought possible.

There have been some tricky bits and even more tricky times ahead.  A plea; we need our voice amplified by colleagues across all sectors. For when this enormous change settles down the safety net we offer, will have shifted, and strengthened and be needed more than ever before.

Health, social and income inequalities are being exposed more than ever, the people living tentatively on the breadline are now in free fall. Referrals to our local foodbank are nearly doubling each week, our crisis service is staffed eight fold to handle the work, we are planning all the time but we don’t really know what for.

The new community heroes are emerging all the time, the restaurant owners who want to come and cook food for the street drinkers and homeless, the taxi drivers delivering baby milk to us this afternoon, the front line staff who are delivering new services with gusto and the ones at home developing new ways of working with vulnerable people, families and children and calming distressed people on the phone.

This is a story that is still being written, while there is exhaustion and fear, there is also hope and optimism and solidarity. There are some amazing things happening out here. Let’s make sure we take the very best of what’s happening and build around it’.

Spotlight on community support

Forum Central, the representative body for the health and wellbeing third sector in Leeds (a collective term for community and voluntary organisations), is joining forces with NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group and Leeds Older People’s Forum to issue the reminder that people may be missing out on getting support to help them manage during the coronavirus pandemic. Here is just two examples of some of the wonderful work underway."

Café Leep

“Wow I’ve just been in tears. I rang one of our members to tell her I have an iPad for her and her staff started crying saying how amazing we all are and can’t thank us enough!”

“I love the chair exercise session with Helen, Helen has such a calming and relaxing voice, Thank you x”

Just two out of hundreds of thankful, emotional and positive online messages from people with learning disabilities who have connected via social media and Leep1’s online Facebook group during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite facing the challenge of having to close the Leep1 café, Café Leep, where people with learning disabilities work and train to NVQ level before moving on to employment, the small but extraordinary team have managed to set up an online Facebook group and are now connecting over 200 members across a range of weekly activities.  For more information visit the Café Leep Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter @CafeLeep

Association of Blind Asians

Association of Blind Asians (ABA), a Leeds citywide charitable organisation which has been running for over 30 years, aims to provide people with visual impairments from diverse cultural backgrounds with the support they need to live independent and fulfilling lives, is working hard to remain connected with their members, offering support via regular welfare checks over the phone and video calls.

ABA have also adapted their services in response to the pandemic, including offering live exercise classes via video call and preparing and delivering culturally appropriate food parcels and meals to their members who are vulnerable, self-isolating, and/or part of the ‘shielded’ group of who have been advised by the government to stay at home at all times.

Research has revealed that those living with diabetes face a significantly higher risk of dying with Covid-19 and one third of people who died in hospital from Covid-19 had diabetes. People who are at high risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes can now be fast-tracked into the flagship Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.

The evidence shows that obesity can double your chance of dying from coronavirus. So now is the time to adopt medically-proven changes in what we eat and how we exercise. Over half a million people have already been referred into the Healthier You programme, the first national initiative of its kind in the world, and those completing the programme who were overweight or obese lost on average 3.6kg, greater than originally predicted.

Previously, people had to go to their GP or visit a healthcare professional and get a blood test before a referral, but the risk of coronavirus has meant that fewer people have had face to face GP appointments and fewer people are accessing blood tests.

People can now use an online tool, hosted by Diabetes UK, to calculate their risk of developing the condition and get help to prevent diabetes by answering a series of basic questions. If you’re at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes you may be eligible to join your free local Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. If you’re at moderate or high risk, you’ll be invited to sign up to your free local Healthier You service.

A national campaign to target Black and South Asian communities will also launch in August to target those groups who are more at risk of Type 2 diabetes at younger ages, and also more at risk of coronavirus.

FAQs for Health Care Professionals
FAQs for Patients and Public

• Coronavirus guidance for clinicians and NHS managers from NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Guidance for members of the public looking for health advice is on the NHS website
• The latest travel information and advice about the government's response to the outbreak is on the gov.uk website
• Briefing paper: 'what is the R number and why is it important?'
• Get the NHS COVID-19 app

Resources:

• Age UK has published this Procedure for staff and volunteers supporting an unknown person or one with suspected coronavirus. This useful guidance gives advice for volunteers on how to manage contact for all those being supported at home, not just the elderly.
• COVID 19 - DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks flowchart with key facts and prompts to inform your emergency planning risk assessment and Free-Of-Charge applications and Fast-Track Barred List Check Service

Local information:

Bradford
If you are in need of urgent help or support in Bradford, please call: 01274 431000
To find out how your organisation or group could be supported by local volunteers please email: info@volunteeringbradford.org
Find out more by reading this Information Pack.

Calderdale
You can request support via this online form: https://calderdale.gov.uk/v2/request-support

Craven
The county council customer service centre is providing support for those people who have nobody and find themselves in desperate need of help. This help can be accessed by calling the hotline on: 01609 780780 (Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.30pm and Saturday, 9.00am to 5.00pm for social care enquiries only). The team will signpost you to the right support and ensure you are provided with the care you need.

Kirklees
You can call Kirklees Council's Covid-19 response helpline to let the council know what you need help with, or to let them know how you can help others: 01484 226919 The helpline is managed by Kirklees Direct and is currently open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays.
Please use this form to share your details and a member of the team will be in touch about how you can support the efforts to assist those impacted by Covid-19 across the area. If you know someone who needs assistance, they can ring the helpline number above.

Leeds
If you are self-isolating and you do not have friends or family who live locally who can help, you can get help from Voluntary Action Leeds by calling: 0113 378 1877

North Yorkshire
If you don't have anyone who can help you, the customer service centre can signpost you to your nearest community support organisation for help with shopping, prescriptions, caring for pets and having someone to talk to. Call: 01609 780780 (Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5:30pm).

Wakefield
If you can't get out for things you need and you don't have any friends, family or support available within the community, help is available. This helpline is for anyone who is alone and needs help with essentials like shopping and medication. Call: 0345 8 506 506 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Choose option 3 to make a request for support and help will be arranged.
Community hubs have also been set up in Wakefield so that local voluntary sector organisation can be supported to continue to serve the local communities: https://www.nova-wd.org.uk/news/2020/03/25/covid-19-community-hubs/

• Covid-19 - A message from your local pharmacies (07.04.20)
• Delivery of medicines (03.04.20). There is a significant and increasing demand for delivery of medicines in response to Covid-19.
• Pharmacy opening times and ways of working (23.03.20). Like general practice, some community pharmacies are beginning to work in different ways to help protect their teams, patients and the public during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Dr Sari Harenwall, Senior Clinical Psychologist and COVID Rehab Clinical Lead for the Primary Care Wellbeing Service at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and colleagues in Bradford have recorded a series of videos on how to manage your physical and mental health and wellbeing with Long Covid. These videos are also available to watch on YouTube.

Pregnant women, especially those from a BAME background, are among groups identified as being more vulnerable to serious illness in the event of contracting Covid-19 following infection with coronavirus. NHS England has produced some leaflets, some translated into community languages, on topics of interest to pregnant women and their families. West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership has also produced some short films containing advice about how to protect yourself and what to look out for if you are pregnant.

Additional information about coronavirus and pregnancy is available from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives.

Covid-19 has impacted on many frontline services for people accessing care and support. This includes services that support the contraceptive needs of women following childbirth. Sexual health services and primary care are operating on a reduced capacity, which may result in women may not being able to access their regular form of contraception.

In order to provide women with the support they need, and to reduce the potential increase of unplanned pregnancies, maternity services are providing support and access to contraception for women who have just given birth, before they are discharged. The aim is for all women to have a conversation with their midwife about their contraceptive needs before leaving maternity services so they have a have a plan in place.

The following resources have been produced to support maternity services in achieving this aim:

• Joint response issued by the faculties of FSRH, RCOG and RCM, setting out recommendations on the provision of contraception by maternity services after childbirth during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Poster 'Think about CONTRACEPTION now'
• Maternity contraception and Covid-19 flyer (prints two on a page, double sided)
• Videos in community languages
• Supporting information and links

We regularly post updates around coronavirus on the News section of this website.

Blogs
27 March 2020 - Rob Webster talks about the three rapid steps we've taken to co-ordinate our COVID-19 efforts.
20 March 2020 - This leadership message from Rob Webster, lead CEO for our partnership, includes COVID-19 updates.

If you work in primary care and community health – including in general practice, community pharmacies and community health services – you can offer your patients the support of an NHS Volunteer Responder.

For more information, tips and examples on what volunteers can do to support your patients download our guide: https://bit.ly/volresponse

Road Safety GB has launched a new campaign, encouraging all road users to do their bit to reduce the strain on the emergency services in the coming weeks and months - by taking extra care if they must make an essential journey.

The Take Extra Care campaign, backed by a number of road safety stakeholders and the Met Police, has been launched in response to the escalating coronavirus situation, which is placing additional pressure on the NHS.

To reduce the number of road casualties during these unprecedented times, Road Safety GB is urging all road users to only travel when essential. For those who must travel, the plea is to do everything to avoid collisions and casualties.

Please drive safe...
If you’re driving on an essential journey, you’ll realise the roads are much quieter than usual. But please remember, normal rules apply. There’s no excuse for dangerous driving. The speed limit is a limit - not a target to beat. And most importantly, driving safely means avoiding unnecessary accidents and putting our NHS under even more pressure. 

Keeping your car clean and safe...
If you have to use your car because you're a key worker or a designated carer or shopper - now is the time to be extra vigilant. Think about door handles, touch screens and buttons, it’s not just the steering wheel and gear stick. Consider using gloves when refuelling. Staying safe on the roads, isn’t just about driving.​

• Our Working carers and Covid-19 web-based resource has been developed to help unpaid carers who work, look after the person they care for, and themselves, during these unprecedented times. It covers: money worries; your rights as an employee; looking after your mental and physical health; healthy eating; looking after the person you care for; looking after children's mental and physical health; and trying to get back to 'normal'.
• My coronavirus (Covid-19) 'Plan B' - to help you think about the different ways and people that can help you in an emergency, if you look after someone who couldn’t manage without your support.
• You can view the Unpaid Carers Programme's response to the Carers UK report 'Caring behind closed doors during Covid-19' here.

Eye care 

On 10 May 2020, the Prime Minister announced the conditional plan to ease lockdown restrictions but it is still the case that routine optical services have been stopped temporarily. This is to address the safety of patients and of optical teams, as well as supporting the public health measures required to slow community transmission of Covid-19.

Please contact a local optician if you are in need of urgent or essential eye care services.

For optical staff, the NHS website holds the most recent guidance for optical settings.

Urgent dental advice

NHS England last week (07.05.20) shared updates for the public around urgent Dental Care during this time. Urgent dental advice is as follows:

• NHS dental practices are providing urgent telephone advice and triage. If you have a regular dentist you should call them as a first step. Please do not visit the practice. The dentist will assess your situation over the phone, including giving advice and, if needed, prescriptions for painkillers or antibiotics which can then be collected from or delivered by a local pharmacy.
• If you don’t have a regular dentist and need urgent dental advice, call NHS 111.
• If your dentist or NHS 111 think that you need urgent face-to face treatment, they will refer you for local urgent dental care so that any necessary emergency dental treatment can be carried out.
• If a face-to-face appointment is necessary, you will be advised on what to do. Urgent dental centres have measures in place to minimise any risk from coronavirus
• Please do not visit A&E departments with dental problems.

For further dental information, the NHS website holds the most recent guidance

£450,000 of funds has been made available to voluntary and community organisations to help tackle the impact on people’s health affected by COVID-19. In particular, the Partnership is looking for innovative and sustainable community support for people who are worst affected by the impact of the pandemic. For example those who live alone and cannot access social activities, or people whose mental health and financial circumstances have changed significantly due to the pandemic. You'll find more information, including how to apply, here.

Our workforce health and wellbeing page contains resources that have been brought together to help you manage your own health and wellbeing, and to support you in looking after the health and wellbeing of others at this difficult time.