Readers’ Letters: Call for action on lung health
As Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland launch their manifesto for the 2021 Scottish elections, it is clear there is a long way to go to protect and improve lung health in Scotland.
health
Budget: £1.65bn boost to help get every adult vaccinated for Covid this summer
The UK’s coronavirus vaccine rollout will receive a £1.65 billion boost to help it meet the target of offering a dose to every adult by July 31.
Nine in 10 over 65s in England have had first Covid vaccine, NHS says
Nine out of 10 people aged 65 and over in England have had their first Covid vaccine, NHS leaders have announced.
Councils fear spike in homelessness when protection ends, survey finds
Thousands of people were prevented from becoming homeless during the coronavirus pandemic due to “bold” Government action, but councils fear a spike when protective measures end.
More than 20 million people in UK vaccinated against Covid-19
More than 20 million people in the UK have now been given their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the Government has said.
Free Covid tests for all pupils’ families under plans to reopen schools
Whole families with children in school or college will be able to test themselves for coronavirus twice a week from home under plans for schools to safely reopen in England from March 8.
One million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered in Wales
One million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered across Wales while more than one in three of the country’s adult population have received at least one dose, new figures show.
Carol Vorderman recalls ’emotional experience’ after getting Covid-19 jab
A tearful Carol Vorderman has thanked the NHS after receiving her first coronavirus jab.
NHS Grampian’s plan to tackle operations backlog almost complete
Jeane Freeman says NHS Grampian will submit its plan for restarting non-Covid-19 services by next week.
Kate Forbes pledges to see if ‘compromise’ can be found on care workers’ pay
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has pledged to see if cash can be found in the Scottish Government’s Budget to give care workers a pay rise.
Life in lockdown: How to beat burnout
As we approach the one-year anniversary of when the pandemic began to really impact our lives, hope may be on the horizon in the form of vaccines and an end to lockdown restrictions, but it is important to recognise that daily life can still be difficult.
Surge testing in Ealing and Redbridge aims to suppress South African variant
Additional testing is to be rolled out across parts of east and west London to suppress the spread of the South African coronavirus variant.
Surge testing in Ealing after South African variant detected
Additional testing is to be rolled out across part of west London after a “small number” of new cases of the South Africa coronavirus variant were found.
One third of Scotland’s adult population given a Covid-19 vaccine, Sturgeon says
A third of Scotland’s adult population have been given a coronavirus vaccine, with more than 1.5 million jabs administered, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Forbes urges opposition to back her ‘consensual budget for unprecedented times’
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has urged MSPs to back her tax and spending plans for the coming year – saying these provide a “solid foundation” from Scotland’s recovery from Covid-19.
Ministers launch new ‘stay at home’ drive as Covid rates continue to fall
The Government has launched a new “stay at home” drive despite falling coronavirus rates, the success of the vaccine rollout and the announcement of a road map out of lockdown.
Van-Tam defends ‘painstakingly cautious’ coronavirus road map
Calls for the Government to speed up the easing of lockdown have been rejected by England’s deputy chief medical officer, who said it would be wrong to “blow it now”.
Waiting lists will take many years to deal with, health chief warns
It is going to take “many years” to tackle waiting lists which are now longer than they have been for about 20 years, the NHS Confederation chief executive has said.
Health and care workers have ‘professional responsibility’ over vaccines – Van-Tam
Health and care workers should have a Covid-19 vaccine as part of their “professional responsibility” to patients, England’s deputy chief medical officer has suggested.
Summer schools to help children catch up on lost learning
Secondary schools are to be given funding to run summer schools under plans to help children in England catch up on lost learning.
Nearly 145,000 people across the north-east have been given their first dose of the Covid vaccine
Almost 145,000 people in the north-east have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine.
NHS app could be used to show coronavirus vaccine or test result
The NHS app could be used to display vaccination status or latest coronavirus test results, as ministers consider the ethical issues surrounding the possible introduction of vaccine passports.
More than 100,000 people waiting for cancer tests, figures show
More than 100,000 people were waiting for cancer diagnostic tests at the end of 2020, up by 15% from the end of 2019, figures have shown.
Long Covid: Lack of specialist clinics in Scotland ‘putting lives in danger’
A north-east MSP claims the Scottish Government has "abandoned" long Covid sufferers by failing to set up specialist clinics to treat the condition.
Johnson ‘very optimistic’ all lockdown restrictions will be removed on June 21
Boris Johnson has said he is “very optimistic” that he will be able to fully remove all of England’s coronavirus restrictions on June 21 but warned “nothing can be guaranteed”.
Hancock urges people to get the jab amid fears of ‘pockets of infection’
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has issued a renewed appeal for people to get the coronavirus jab amid warnings that the virus may persist in deprived inner city communities where uptake is low.
Study shows ‘substantial reduction’ in hospital admissions four weeks after first Covid jab
Vaccination has been linked to a substantial reduction in the risk of Covid admissions to Scotland’s hospitals, a new landmark study has said.
PM should announce recovery plan for NHS workers – GMB
Union leaders are calling for a recovery plan for NHS workers as part of an easing of the lockdown after new research showed the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their mental health.
Cancer death rates to fall, but pandemic ‘likely to affect early diagnosis’
Death rates from the most common cancers are likely to fall this year, scientists have said, but the prediction comes amid warnings of the likely “marked” impact the pandemic could have on screening and early diagnosis.
NHS doctors use reanimated hearts to save lives of six children
NHS doctors have become the first in the world to give children new hearts which have been brought back to life by a ground-breaking machine.