Senin, 02 November 2020

North West Ambulance Service declares a major incident as dozens of 999 calls are left on hold - Daily Mail

North West Ambulance Service declares a major incident as dozens of 999 calls are left on hold with crews 'run ragged' after 'several paramedics isolated due to coronavirus'

  • North West Ambulance Service covers  areas including Greater Manchester 
  • People waiting for ambulance told not to call 999 back to see how far away it is
  • Staff working for NWAS agreed to go without breaks for a two hour period

By Jemma Carr For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

North West Ambulance Service has declared a 'major incident' due to an exceptionally high volume of calls.

The service - which covers areas including Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria - has urged those with non life-threatening injuries to take themselves to hospital or seek other care.

People waiting for an ambulance have been told not to call 999 back to see how far away help is - but can call to say they no longer need an ambulance if necessary.

Staff working for the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) agreed to go without breaks for a two-hour period to tackle the mountain of call ins which the service says were not directly related to Covid-19.

The force is currently handling 500 calls but it is not clear what has caused the massive surge, sources told Manchester Evening News.

The service is said to be struggling as several paramedics are isolating due to Covid-19.

North West Ambulance Service has declared a 'major incident' (the service's social media, pictured) due to an exceptionally high volume of calls

North West Ambulance Service has declared a 'major incident' (the service's social media, pictured) due to an exceptionally high volume of calls

The service - which covers areas including Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria - has urged those with non life-threatening injuries to take themselves to hospital or seek other care

The service - which covers areas including Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria - has urged those with non life-threatening injuries to take themselves to hospital or seek other care

Ambulance union bosses have urged people seeking help to 'only call if you really need to'

Ambulance union bosses have urged people seeking help to 'only call if you really need to'

Ambulance union bosses have urged people seeking help to 'only call if you really need to'.

They said crews across the North East are being 'run ragged'.

NWAS Unison secretary Jeff Gorman told the local paper that it is the first time the service has ever dealt with a situation like this one.

He said: 'It's very extreme. I have been here for 30 years and I have never known anything like this. They don't declare a major incident easily.'

An NWAS spokesperson said:  'Due to high volume of calls into our service, the trust has declared a major incident. 

'This is being managed in accordance with our usual protocols and we are urging the public to only call us if their condition is life threatening or potentially life threatening.

'Traditionally, Mondays are often a very busy day for us and we are unsure as to why we are seeing a surge today. 

'There is currently nothing to indicate this increase in calls is in relation to Covid-19. We are putting in place additional support throughout the North West and will be closely monitoring the situation throughout the evening. 

Staff working for the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) agreed to go without breaks for a two-hour period to tackle the mountain of call ins which the service says were not directly related to Covid-19

Staff working for the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) agreed to go without breaks for a two-hour period to tackle the mountain of call ins which the service says were not directly related to Covid-19

People waiting for an ambulance have been told not to call 999 back to see how far away help is - but can call to say they no longer need an ambulance if necessary

People waiting for an ambulance have been told not to call 999 back to see how far away help is - but can call to say they no longer need an ambulance if necessary

People waiting for an ambulance have been told not to call 999 back to see how far away help is - but can call to say they no longer need an ambulance if necessary (file image)

People waiting for an ambulance have been told not to call 999 back to see how far away help is - but can call to say they no longer need an ambulance if necessary (file image) 

'There are patients who are facing delays and we are very sorry that we are unable to respond as quickly as we would like. Please help us by not calling us to check where the ambulance is as we need those lines to be free for those in a life-threatening condition. However, if you feel you no longer need an ambulance, please let us know.

'Due to the actions we have implemented, such as signposting patients to other services such as 11 online and utilising additional resources, since we declared a major incident we are starting to see a reduction in calls and would like to thank the public for their support.

'For medical advice you can visit 111 online.'

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2020-11-02 19:47:00Z
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Coronavirus lockdown: PM warns UK faces 'medical disaster' without action - BBC News

Coronavirus lockdown: PM warns UK faces 'medical disaster' without action

Published
Related Topics
  • Coronavirus pandemic

The UK faces a "medical and moral disaster" unless tough action is taken now to stop the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

He told MPs a national lockdown in England, due to begin on Thursday, would end "without a shred of doubt" on 2 December.

But he said there was "no alternative" to the stricter measures - to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.

MPs will vote on the plans in the Commons on Wednesday.

However, some of Mr Johnson's own backbenchers are threatening to oppose the proposals.

Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the PM of a "catastrophic failure of leadership" over the pandemic.

Sir Keir - who started calling for a short lockdown or circuit-breaker in October - criticised the government's "inaction", saying it meant the lockdown would be "harder, longer and more damaging than it needed to be".

The prime minister was speaking in the Commons two days after announcing the lockdown at a televised press conference.

Outlining the measures again, along with details of further support for businesses and jobs, Mr Johnson told MPs the government would double its support from 40% to 80% of trading profits for the self-employed from next month - as well as extending the furlough scheme.

He said the latest national restrictions would not be a return to the "full-scale lockdown of March and April", but he apologised for the "anguish" the restrictions would cause people and businesses.

Mr Johnson also warned that without action "the sick would be turned away because there was no room in our hospitals," with doctors and nurses potentially "forced to choose which patients to treat, who would live and who would die".

On Monday, the UK recorded 18,950 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 136 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The PM said the lockdown regulations would end at 00:01 GMT on 2 December, with MPs given a vote on what should replace them.

Mr Johnson insisted he had been right to "try every possible option" to get the virus under control at a local level before imposing a nationwide lockdown - and denied that the UK had been slower to act than other countries in Europe.

2px presentational grey line

What are the new restrictions in England from Thursday?

  • People told to stay at home except for specific reasons
  • These include work which cannot be done from home, childcare or education, exercise outdoors, medical reasons, essential shopping, providing care for vulnerable people or volunteering, and visiting members of your support bubble
  • Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed, but individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place. Children under school age and those dependent on round-the-clock care who are with their parents do not count towards the two-person limit
  • Non-essential retail will close apart from for click-and-collect purchases
  • Pubs, bars, restaurants must close but can still provide takeaway and delivery apart from for alcohol
  • Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities must close, along with entertainment venues and personal care facilities such as beauty salons
  • Places of worship will close, unless they are being used for funerals, for broadcasting acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare, or essential services such as blood donation or food banks
  • Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can stay open
  • Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be allowed except in exceptional circumstances, and funerals will be limited to a maximum of 30 people
  • Children can move between homes if their parents are separated
  • Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be "especially careful" but will not have to shield
  • Overnight stays, staying in a second home, and holidays will not be allowed in the UK or abroad - although there are exceptions, such as work trips
  • People should avoid all non-essential travel by private or public transport
2px presentational grey line

The PM said the government was planning a "steady but massive expansion in the deployment of quick, turnaround tests" - with the Army poised to help roll them out - and there was a "real prospect" of a vaccine in the first quarter of next year.

He added: "I believe that these technical developments taken together, will enable us to defeat the virus by the spring - as humanity has defeated every other infectious disease - and I am not alone in this optimism."

Mr Johnson faces a rebellion from several senior Tory MPs, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee at the vote on Wednesday.

Sir Keir confirmed Labour would support the government but called for the four-week period to be used to "fix the broken track-and-trace system and give control to local authorities".

He said government scientific advisers had recommended an urgent two to three-week circuit break lockdown on 21 September but that the PM had "ignored that advice" for 40 days.

He accused him of being "too slow and behind the curve", putting "what he hoped would happen ahead of what is happening".

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'
Banner

Elsewhere in the UK, Scotland's five-level system of Covid restrictions has now come into force.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said two households in Wales will be able to form a bubble and meet at home after the 17-day firebreak ends on 9 November.

Schools in Northern Ireland have reopened after an extended half-term break, while other restrictions including the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants continue until 13 November.

In other key developments:

  • The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have together returned to Windsor Castle - where they have a reduced household staff, nicknamed HMS Bubble. The 94-year-old monarch had spent the weekend visiting the 99-year-old duke in Norfolk
  • Leaders from the UK's four nations have said they will work together on a joint approach to the Christmas period
  • Remembrance Sunday events in England can go ahead despite the lockdown, Downing Street said - so long as they are outdoors, with social distancing
  • All 40 FA Cup round one ties, including those involving non-elite teams, will be played as planned from 6-9 November. But golf courses, driving ranges and tennis courts in England must close until at least 3 December
  • A winter defence force of 7,500 military personnel has been put on standby to help deal with the second wave of Covid-19, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told MPs, with the Ministry of Defence already looking at several "significant asks" from local authorities
  • Travel firm TUI has cancelled all flights and holidays departing from England and Wales between November 5 and 2 December

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2020-11-02 20:09:00Z
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Coronavirus lockdown: PM warns UK faces 'medical disaster' without action - BBC News

Coronavirus lockdown: PM warns UK faces 'medical disaster' without action

Published
Related Topics
  • Coronavirus pandemic

The UK faces a "medical and moral disaster" unless tough action is taken now to stop the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

He told MPs a national lockdown in England, due to begin on Thursday, would end "without a shred of doubt" on 2 December.

But he said there was "no alternative" to the stricter measures - to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.

MPs will vote on the plans in the Commons on Wednesday.

However, some of Mr Johnson's own backbenchers are threatening to oppose it.

Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the PM of a "catastrophic failure of leadership" over the pandemic.

Sir Keir - who started calling for a short lockdown or circuit-breaker in October - criticised the government's "inaction", saying it meant the lockdown would be "harder, longer and more damaging than it needed to be".

The prime minister was speaking in the Commons two days after announcing the lockdown at a televised press conference.

Outlining the measures again, along with details of further support for businesses and jobs, Mr Johnson told MPs the government would double its support from 40% to 80% of trading profits for the self-employed from next month - as well as extending the furlough scheme.

He said there was "no alternative" but to introduce national restrictions in light of the latest coronavirus data but it would not be a return to the "full-scale lockdown of March and April".

But he apologised for the "anguish" the restrictions would cause people and businesses.

On Monday, the UK recorded 18,950 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 136 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The PM said the lockdown regulations would end at 00:01 GMT on 2 December, with MPs given a vote on what should replace them.

The prime minister insisted he had been right to "try every possible option" to get the virus under control at a local level before imposing a nationwide lockdown - and denied that the UK had been slower to act than other countries in Europe.

He said the UK faced a "medical and moral disaster" if the NHS was allowed to be "overwhelmed".

"The sick would be turned away because there was no room in our hospitals," with doctors and nurses potentially "forced to choose which patients to treat, who would live and who would die," he said.

2px presentational grey line

What are the new restrictions in England from Thursday?

  • People told to stay at home except for specific reasons
  • These include work which cannot be done from home, childcare or education, exercise outdoors, medical reasons, essential shopping, providing care for vulnerable people or volunteering, and visiting members of your support bubble
  • Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed, but individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place. Children under school age and those dependent on round-the-clock care who are with their parents do not count towards the two-person limit
  • Non-essential retail will close apart from for click-and-collect purchases
  • Pubs, bars, restaurants must close but can still provide takeaway and delivery apart from for alcohol
  • Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities must close, along with entertainment venues and personal care facilities such as beauty salons
  • Places of worship will close, unless they are being used for funerals, for broadcasting acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare, or essential services such as blood donation or food banks
  • Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can stay open
  • Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be allowed except in exceptional circumstances, and funerals will be limited to a maximum of 30 people
  • Children can move between homes if their parents are separated
  • Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be "especially careful" but will not have to shield
  • Overnight stays, staying in a second home, and holidays will not be allowed in the UK or abroad - although there are exceptions, such as work trips
  • People should avoid all non-essential travel by private or public transport
2px presentational grey line

The PM said the government was planning a "steady but massive expansion in the deployment of quick, turnaround tests" - with the Army poised to help roll them out - and there was a "real prospect" of a vaccine in the first quarter of next year.

He added: "I believe that these technical developments taken together, will enable us to defeat the virus by the spring - as humanity has defeated every other infectious disease - and I am not alone in this optimism."

Mr Johnson faces a rebellion from several senior Tory MPs, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee at the vote on Wednesday.

Sir Keir confirmed Labour would support the government but called for the four-week period to be used to "fix the broken track-and-trace system and give control to local authorities".

He said government scientific advisers had recommended an urgent two to three-week circuit break lockdown on 21 September but that the PM had "ignored that advice" for 40 days.

He accused him of being "too slow and behind the curve", putting "what he hoped would happen ahead of what is happening".

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'
Banner

Elsewhere in the UK, Scotland's five-level system of Covid restrictions has now come into force.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said two households in Wales will be able to form a bubble and meet at home after the 17-day firebreak ends on 9 November.

Schools in Northern Ireland have reopened after an extended half-term break, while other restrictions including the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants continue until 13 November.

In other key developments:

  • The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have together returned to Windsor Castle - where they have a reduced household staff, nicknamed HMS Bubble. The 94-year-old monarch had spent the weekend visiting the 99-year-old duke in Norfolk
  • Leaders from the UK's four nations have said they will work together on a joint approach to the Christmas period
  • Remembrance Sunday events in England can go ahead despite the lockdown, Downing Street said - so long as they are outdoors, with social distancing
  • All 40 FA Cup round one ties, including those involving non-elite teams, will be played as planned from 6-9 November. But golf courses, driving ranges and tennis courts in England must close until at least 3 December
  • A winter defence force of 7,500 military personnel has been put on standby to help deal with the second wave of Covid-19, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told MPs, with the Ministry of Defence already looking at several "significant asks" from local authorities
  • Travel firm TUI has cancelled all flights and holidays departing from England and Wales between November 5 and 2 December

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2020-11-02 19:21:00Z
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Coronavirus lockdown: PM warns UK faces 'medical disaster' without action - BBC News

Coronavirus lockdown: PM warns UK faces 'medical disaster' without action

Published
Related Topics
  • Coronavirus pandemic

The UK faces a "medical and moral disaster" unless tough action is taken now to stop the spread of coronavirus, the prime minister has warned.

Boris Johnson told MPs there was "no alternative" but to introduce a national lockdown in England - which is due to come into force on Thursday.

He outlined the planned measures ahead of a Commons vote on Wednesday.

Labour's leader accused the PM of a "catastrophic failure of leadership" over No 10's handling of the pandemic.

Sir Keir Starmer criticised the government's "inaction" and said it meant "the lockdown will be harder, longer and more damaging than it needed to be".

The Labour leader previously called for a short lockdown or circuit-breaker in England back in October.

He confirmed his party would support the government in Wednesday's vote, but called for the four-week period to be used to "fix the broken track and trace system and give control to local authorities".

On Saturday, the prime minister announced pubs, restaurants, gyms, non-essential shops and places of worship would be closed.

Outlining the measures and further support for businesses and jobs, Mr Johnson told MPs that as well as extending the furlough scheme, the government will double its support from 40% to 80% of trading profits for the self-employed from next month.

In his Commons statement, Mr Johnson said there was "no alternative" but to introduce national restrictions in light of the latest coronavirus data.

He said: "Faced with these latest figures, there is no alternative but to take further action at a national level."

On Monday, the UK recorded 18,950 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 136 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The prime minister insisted it was "right to try every possible option" before imposing a nationwide lockdown, and rejected criticism that the UK had been slower to act than other countries in Europe.

2px presentational grey line

What are the new restrictions in England?

  • People will be told to stay at home except for specific reasons
  • These include work which cannot be done from home, childcare or education, exercise outdoors, medical reasons, essential shopping, providing care for vulnerable people or for volunteering, and visiting members of your support bubble
  • Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed, but individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place. Children under school age and those dependent on round-the-clock care who are with their parents do not count towards the two-person limit
  • Non-essential retail will close, but can remain open for click-and-collect delivery
  • Pubs, bars, restaurants will have to close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery, excluding takeaway of alcohol
  • Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also close, along with entertainment venues and personal care facilities such as beauty salons
  • Places of worship will close, unless they are being used for funerals, to broadcast acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare, or essential services such as blood donation or food banks
  • Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open
  • Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be able to take place except in exceptional circumstances, and funerals will be limited to a maximum of 30 people
  • Children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated
  • Clinically vulnerable people will be asked to be "especially careful" but people will not be asked to resume shielding
  • Overnight stays, staying in a second home, and holidays will not be allowed - including in the UK and abroad - although there are exceptions, such as work trips
  • People will be told to avoid all non-essential travel by private or public transport
2px presentational grey line

Mr Johnson warned of the "medical and moral disaster" the nation faces if the NHS was allowed to be "overwhelmed".

He said: "Doctors and nurses could be forced to choose which patients to treat, who would live and who would die", posing what he called an "existential threat" to the health service.

"If we fail to get coronavirus under control, it is the sheer weight of demand from Covid patients that would deprive others of the care they need.

"Cancer treatment, heart surgery, other life-saving procedures, all this could be put at risk if we do not get the virus under control."

Mr Johnson faces a rebellion from several senior Tory MPs, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers, when they vote on the measures on Wednesday.

Mr Johnson says the planned restrictions will end on 2 December and MPs will be given a vote on what should replace the new lockdown regulations when they expire at 00:01 GMT on 2 December.

On Sunday, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said the lockdown could be extended if it took longer to bring the transmission rate of the virus down.

The PM said he was optimistic that technological advances would help "defeat this virus by the spring".

He said the government was planning a "steady but massive expansion in the deployment of quick, turnaround tests" with the Army poised to help roll them out.

Mr Johnson hailed advances in medicine including "virtually instant" Covid-19 tests and said there is a "real prospect" of a vaccine in the first quarter of next year.

He adds: "I believe that these technical developments taken together will enable us to defeat the virus by the spring as humanity has defeated every other infectious disease and I am not alone is this optimism."

Responding to the PM's statement, Sir Keir said Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak had "failed to learn" lessons from the first wave of the pandemic.

He told MPs: "The central lesson from the first wave of this virus was that if you don't act early and decisively the cost will be far worse, more people will lose their jobs, more businesses will be forced to close and tragically more people will lose their loved ones.

He added that Sage - the government's committee of scientific advisers - recommended an urgent two to three-week circuit break on 21 September.

"For 40 days the prime minister ignored that advice," he says, and the resulting lockdown was "longer and deeper".

"At every stage the prime minister has been too slow, behind the curve.

"At every stage he's pushed away challenge, ignored advice and put what he hoped would happen ahead of what is happening."

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'
Banner

Elsewhere in the UK, Scotland's five-level system of Covid restrictions has now come into force.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced that two households in Wales will be able to form a bubble and meet at home after the 17-day firebreak ends on 9 November.

Schools in Northern Ireland have reopened after an extended half-term break, while other restrictions including the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants continue until 13 November.

In other key developments:

  • The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have together returned to Windsor Castle - where they have a reduced household staff, nicknamed HMS Bubble - ahead of England's second national lockdown. The 94-year-old monarch had spent the weekend visiting the 99-year-old duke in Norfolk
  • Leaders from the UK's four nations have said they will "work together" on a "joint approach to the Christmas period" following a meeting of the Westminster government's emergency Cobra committee
  • Remembrance Sunday events in England can go ahead despite the lockdown, Downing Street has said. The prime minister's official spokesman said guidance would be given to councils, adding that events should be held outside with social distancing
  • All 40 FA Cup round one ties, including those involving non-elite teams, will be played as planned from 6-9 November. But golf courses, driving ranges and tennis courts in England have been told to close until at least 3 December
  • A Winter Defence Force of 7,500 military personnel has been put on standby to help the government and councils deal with the second wave of Covid-19, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told MPs. He said the Ministry of Defence was currently looking at a number of "significant asks" from local authorities
  • Travel firm TUI has said it will not operate its flights and holidays departing from England and Wales from Thursday up to and including 2 December

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2020-11-02 18:06:00Z
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