Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland local authorities chosen to support new test and trace service

Local authorities in LLR are part of eleven areas in England who have been selected to share good practice for the new test and trace service, a key element in the Government's fight against coronavirus. Each local authority will be given funding to develop tailored outbreak control plans, working with local NHS and other stakeholders.

Work on the plans will start immediately and focus on identifying and containing potential outbreaks in workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools. As part of this work, local authorities will also need to ensure testing capacity is deployed effectively to high-risk locations. Local authorities will work closely with the test and trace service, local NHS and other partners to achieve this.

How people will be contacted by Test and Trace
Some potentially fraudulent emails relating to Test and Trace are currently being investigated, so we thought it would be helpful to confirm what happens:
 You will be contacted by email, text or phone
 Text messages will come from the NHS
 Calls will come from 0300 0135000
 You will be asked to sign into the NHS Test and Trace website
 On the website, you'll be asked for information including your name, date of birth and postcode
 If you can't use the website, you will be asked for this information over the phone
 You won't be asked for bank details or payments; details for any other accounts such as social media, to set up a password or a PIN over the phone or asked to call a premium rate number e.g. starting with 09 or 087.
Further information can be found at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test-and-trace-if-youre-contacted-after-testing-positive-for-coronavirus/

NEW Lloyds Pharmacy opening times - see Pharmacy section below

Shielding and Protecting Vulnerable People

• 24,954 residents of Leicestershire have been identified as requiring shielding as of 2 June. The increase includes GP referrals, specialist clinician referrals and newly identified NHS patients.
• 14,247 people on the Shielding List are currently registered for support, of whom 5,087 are registered for support obtaining essential supplies and 1,118 registered with basic care needs.
• the County Council has made over 10,300 calls to people who have registered and district councils have contacted an additional 7,500 people of those responding to say that they had existing food networks, and no identified care needs.
• 5,200 people have received a Government food parcel, with over 260 County Council emergency food parcels delivered. Some people who received food parcels have subsequently said they no longer wish to receive them and de-registered, but we are aware of a small number of people who say that their food parcels have stopped for no reason.
• 45 volunteers engaged by Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) are undertaking activities including 'safe and well checks'.
• the Department for Work and Pensions continue to attempt to contact people on the Shielded List who have not registered on the Government website. We receive daily updates on unanswered and inconclusive calls and we are following up all records, but the data quality remains very poor.

Coronavirus cases in LLR - September and October

The 'second' wave has certainly arrived in Leicestershire. Numbers of positive cases have been steadily increasing across the city and county over the past two months.

All seven county districts now have rates over 100 per 100,000 as of 10th October.

• Hinckley and Bosworth - 101.4 per 100,000 population
• Melton – 101.8 per 100,000 population
• North West Leicestershire – 101.8 per 100,000 population
• Blaby – 117.5 per 100,000 population
• Harborough – 117.8 per 100,000 population
• England – 150.1 per 100,000 population
• Charnwood - 154.4 per 100,000 population
• Oadby and Wigston – 178.8 per 100,000 population

Kibworth & Great Glen MSOA

As of 14th October, 30 new cases of covid-19 had been reported in this MSOA for the previous fortnight. 18 of them had been in the previous 7 days.

For March, April, May and June 2020 there have been 10 deaths recorded for the Kibworth & Great Glen Middle Super Output Area - March (1), April (6), May (2). and June (1).

Approx 30% of 180 care homes in Leicestershire have had outbreaks since the start of the pandemic.

GP and Pharmacy opening times – get the help you need
We are pleased to say that all GP practices in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will be open from 8am to 6:30pm to ensure people can get the care they need.

Patients should contact their practice by phone, where they will be assessed by phone or video and offered an appointment if necessary. Patients should not turn up at their practice without an agreed appointment time.

Seeking medical help is one of the four reasons that people can safely leave home, in line with government guidance. Patients may be offered an appointment at the surgery if this is necessary and if care cannot be offered remotely. Alternatively, if you have coronavirus symptoms and need to be seen in person you may be referred to one of our designated hubs.

Pharmacists can also assess symptoms and manage minor illnesses and ailments. They can give clinical and practical medical advice or over-the-counter medicines to help safely manage minor health issues such as: sore throats, coughs, colds, tummy troubles, teething problems and aches and pains.

It's easy to get NHS help using your smartphone, tablet or computer. Please visit Health at home for information about online support including contacting your GP, ordering repeat prescriptions, managing long-term conditions and maintaining your mental and physical wellbeing.

The Health at home site describes how online, video and telephone consultations work for patients.

We understand that for some people this change in approach may be daunting but please do have a look at the information available on the Health at home website. We are looking at how we can capture the experience of patients using these different methods of GP consultations so look out for further information about this soon.

The NHS in LLR wants people to be aware that they must continue to seek help when they need it. The local NHS has organised its resources and services to protect and effectively care for patients independent of whether they have coronavirus symptoms or not.

Local testing for essential workers goes live at Birstall Park and Ride

Essential workers and the people they live with can now get tested to see if they have coronavirus at a convenient local drive-through test centre at Birstall Park and Ride.
This means that people who work in the NHS, social care, education, food and drink production, transportation and many other essential services, as well as people in their households, will now be able be quickly tested locally if they have symptoms. If the test is negative for everyone in the household, workers will be able to get back to carrying out their critical roles as soon as possible.

Appointments for testing must be made in advance. Some employers will choose to refer their employees for a test using an online portal or they may ask employees to refer themselves by visiting www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

After referral, essential workers will receive a text message containing a website link and a verification code for them to book a test for themselves and the people they live with. The results will be sent to the individual by text message within 48 hours.

Warning on testing kits for the public
The NHS is aware that home testing kits are being offered to the public, including by private GP practices. The Department of Health and Social Care has warned against the purchase of unapproved antibody testing kits.

Several reports have emerged of individuals purchasing these tests online for personal use. Antibody tests offer hope for people wanting to find out if they have had coronavirus, and are now immune and get back to work. But so far no country in the world, including the UK, has found a reliable antibody test. Unapproved tests could be misleading, by providing inaccurate or inconsistent results, potentially putting those tested and those around them at risk.

The government is currently working with several companies who are offering these tests and are evaluating their effectiveness. However, so far, the antibody tests that have gone through the validation process have not proven to be accurate enough to be rolled out for public use which is why the government is backing industry efforts to develop a home grown test.

#YouAreNotAlone Supporting victims of Domestic Abuse

What action is the Government taking? 

• We are providing £2 million in funding to immediately bolster domestic abuse helplines and online support. The Home Office is working with charities and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to ensure this money is being spent where most effective and that frontline charities and organisations have the help they need. 
• Launching an awareness campaign demonstrating that help is available at any time. From this week, adverts will be running across social media showing where people can get help and materials will be made available to wide range of partners including charities and supermarkets.

How can people access help?

• Help is available via a 24 hour freephone helpline, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline- 0808 2000 247 (run by Refuge) and online www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
• Use the Silent Solution option in emergencies. Anybody requiring urgent medical or police assistance are encouraged to call 999. For those at risk, unable to say over the phone what help is needed, they should stay on the line and when prompted by the operator dial 55. This will let the emergency services know that it is a Domestic Abuse incident and does not put the victim at risk.

How can you help?

• Share campaign materials and helpline numbers on your social media and with any relevant groups. You can find materials here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2ldeo76tr71n7uv/AACN1t1dDsXb1wb2coyQvLIOa?dl=0
• Show your support for the #YouAreNotAlone campaign and encourage others to do the same. You can show your support by again sharing the above materials and/ or a photo of a heart on the palm of your hand to show victims they are not alone and to let perpetrators know their behaviour is unacceptable in any circumstances. Don't forget to use the #YouAreNotAlone
• Encourage local charities and service providers to bid for funding as part of the Government's £750 million boost to the Charity Sector. When the scheme is up and running in the coming weeks, encourage organisations in your constituency that provide support vulnerable people and offer key services to bid for support.
• Put a poster in your window. Create a poster for your window, sharing the freephone helpline information along with a handprint (or outline of a hand) and the message #YouAreNotAlone. Encourage others to do the same to get the message out across your communities.

0116 295 3060: 24hour NHS support for all urgent mental health needs

reminder that Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) has launched a dedicated phone line 0116 295 3060 (local call rate) where people of all ages in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland can access NHS mental health support when they need it urgently. The service links people of all ages including existing and previous service users and people who have never used mental health services before, with call handlers and clinicians who can assess their needs. Callers are given advice, support, signposted or referred directly to the appropriate service.

The Central Access Point (CAP) offers an alternative to NHS 111, the emergency department and other urgent and non-urgent services for people with urgent mental health needs. During the Covid-19 outbreak the service will also reduce the pressure on other services, particularly emergency services.

The 0116 295 3060 line also supports carers, stakeholders and health and social care professionals looking for information and advice. Calls are answered by call handlers and triaged by a nurse who will assess the urgency and the caller's need. If an individual requires an assessment, they will be referred to the appropriate service, such as a community mental health team or LPT's crisis and home treatment team. The team is also supported by a consultant psychiatrist.

The CAP phone service* is not an emergency service. Where people have immediate, serious and life-threatening emergency mental and/or physical health needs, for example if an individual has taken an overdose or is in imminent danger of physical harm, they should attend A & E or call 999 for the appropriate emergency service.

*Local call rate. Please refer to phone provider for details of charges.

Other important helplines

In these challenging times someone close by might need one of these telephone numbers.
Childline: 0800 1111
Samaritans: 116 123
Domestic Violence Hotline: 0808 2000 247
Mind: 0300 123 3393
Age UK: 0800 169 6565

ACCESSING DENTAL SERVICES IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

If you need urgent dental care, help is at hand:

If you don't have a dentist, find your nearest dentist and CALL them. You can search for your nearest dentist at: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

In line with national guidance issued in response to the Covid-19 pandemic dental practices in the East Midlands are currently closed for routine "face to face" dental appointments.

People seeking help with dental problems should not visit a local NHS dental practice but instead phone, between the hours of 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, for information for advice on alternative arrangements in place e.g.Urgent Dental Centres (UDC). Or contact NHS 111 evenings after 5pm, weekends and bank holidays. All practices are offering telephone or video-link consultations and can prescribe pain killers and antibiotics if needed. They will also be able to refer those patients in need of urgent treatment to a service where they can be seen.

The precise UDC locations will not be publicised, as these are accessible by referral only; drop-ins are not permitted.

People seeking help should not visit A&E departments or GP surgeries for dental care.

How do patients access these urgent dental centres?

People should contact their normal dental practice by phone or contact NHS 111 out of hours. Most NHS dental surgeries will be accessible by phone, even though their doors are shut, and are offering telephone or video-link consultations. They will be able to prescribe pain killers and antibiotics where clinically required. The few patients in need of urgent treatment will be referred to a UDC and once the referral is received the patient will be contacted directly by the service to arrange an appointment if this is needed.

This system also helps manage the flow to centres and avoid queues (in line with social- distancing measures).

For safety some sites will be designated for patients with Covid-19 symptoms or those self-isolating and others for patients without symptoms. A small number of sites will treat only vulnerable or shielded patients. It is important for patients to be clear about whether or not they are symptomatic, self- isolating or in a vulnerable or shielded group.

Due to Covid-19, South Leicestershire Medical Group (Station Street and Smeeton Road surgeries) are no longer booking routine appointments. If you already have an appointment booked, the clinician will be contacting you by telephone. Please do not attend the Practice until you have received this telephone call.

For all patients that have not got an appointment but feel they need to be seen, please telephone the practice (Kibworth Health Centre 0116 279 3308, or Old School Surgery 0116 279 2422). The staff will take your details and a clinician will call you back. Please do not visit any of our sites to make an appointment. Patient and staff safety is paramount. GP surgeries are only available after phoning to get your appointment. No walk-in permitted.

Prescription repeat requests should be put through letter boxes unless you request electronically which is easy once you've got the login details from the surgery.

Both Fleckney surgeries and Great Glen Surgery are currently closed, but you are still able to drop off repeat requests and other documents at these sites.

Lloyds Pharmacy on Station Street is operating a social distancing system which means maximum of two customers in the shop at a time. Other customers therefore need to wait outside until invited in keeping the 2m distance between them.

Opening hours:
Mon to Fri: open 8.30am to 1pm, closed for lunch, open 2pm to 6pm
Saturday: open 9am to 1pm.

N.B. Closed for Bank Holiday Monday 25th May.

For those struggling to get their prescription medication collected, or not sure when it is going to be ready, the pharmacy telephone number is 0116 279 2263 but best not to phone at peak times like just after they open. Ideal mid morning or mid afternoon.

Finally, Lloyds operate a free delivery service for prescribed medication. Echo is the free online repeat prescription service by Lloyds Pharmacy. Echo works with your GP surgery to take care of prescriptions. You can request your medicines online and Echo will confirm and dispense them to a delivery address of your choice. To avail yourself of this free service you need to sign up at https://www.echo.co.uk/ However they have a long waiting list currently, so be patient!