Health & Wellbeing

Using dried blood spot samples (DBS) is an accurate alternative to venous blood in detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, a new study by immunology experts at the University of Birmingham has found.Currently antibody testing for COVID-19 uses serum or plasma, which requires a full intravenous blood sample, collected by a trained phlebotomist. For population-wider high volume testing, the use of such sampling is limited by logistic challenges, resources, and costs, as well as the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure from direct patient contact. In contrast, DBS sampling is simple, inexpensive and can be self-collected by the patient at home, using a simple finger prick. The sample can then be collected on a forensic grade card before being posted back to labs for processing. This offers exciting possibilities to widen access to antibody testing particularly in more resource limited countries.Researchers analysed serum and DBS samples from volunteers at University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation NHS Trust, some of whom had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by molecular tests, while the status of other volunteers was either negative or unknown. The anonymised matched serum and DBS samples were then processed using a highly sensitive ELISA test, developed by the University’s Clinical Immunology Service in partnership with The Binding Site, which specifically detects antibodies (IgG, IgA and IgM) to the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike protein.

Results showed a significant correlation between matched DBS and serum samples and minimal differences in results observed by sample type, with negligible discordance. Relative to serum samples, DBS samples achieved 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein antibodies.  100% of the PCR-positive samples were also antibody-positive in DBS.Senior author Dr Matthew O’Shea from the University’s Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy said: “Our results have demonstrated that dry blood spot sampling not only offers a viable alternative for antibodies testing, but one that overcomes the limitations that current methods can present by eliminating the need for skilled phlebotomists.“DBS offers the opportunity for wider population-level testing and improved surveillance in vulnerable groups such as patients with chronic conditions, the immunocompromised and the elderly by removing the need to come into contact with a healthcare professional during sample collection.”Co-author Professor Adam Cunningham said: “As well as offering the opportunity for improved population-wide antibody testing in the UK, the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the dry blood spot method could improve the effectiveness of sampling in low and middle-income countries, among groups where venepuncture is culturally unacceptable or in geographically dispersed populations.”The full paper ‘Sensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2–Specific Antibodies in Dried Blood Spot Samples’ was published on 24 September 2020 in an Emerging Infectious Diseases.

A recent surrogacy case in which an intended mother struggled to gain a parental order for her child when the intended father suddenly died, has highlighted significant gaps in fertility law according to a specialist lawyer.

In the case there was a domestic surrogacy arrangement between Mrs Y and Mr Y as the intended parents, and Mrs Z (the surrogate) and Mr Z. An embryo was created using Mrs Z’s eggs and Mr Y’s sperm. Sadly, Mr Y died suddenly and unexpectedly before the birth of the child and therefore before an application was made for a parental order. In the UK the surrogate mother and her partner are considered the child’s legal parents until a parental order is made.

The case concerned Mrs Y’s application, which was fully supported by Mrs Z and Mr Z, on behalf of both herself and her deceased husband (Mr Y) for a parental order.

Sarah Wood-Heath, a specialist ‘modern family’ lawyer with national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP said: “On the face of it, the requirements for a parental order were not met as Mrs Y had no genetic link to the child, although the child was

biologically her deceased husband’s, had been passed into her care from birth and there were no objections from the surrogate mother.

“It was rightly argued that the legislation should be ‘read down’ to include this unique situation and allow Mrs Y to apply for a parental order.

“In this case the Courts had to interpret section 54 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (2008). It was held that such ‘a reading down’ would be allowed and that the child’s welfare required the Court to make a parental order.

“Although the decision went in Mr and Mrs Y’s favour, the case added huge additional stress on to a newly widowed, new mother.”

Mrs Y’s case followed a long and emotional infertility journey in which she and her husband had received several unsuccessful rounds of IVF treatment before considering surrogacy.

Like many parents who choose to build their family via a surrogate, the limbo Mrs Y faced in the time between the child’s conception and the parental order being granted was extremely stressful and worrying, exacerbated further by the tragic

death of her husband.

Sarah continued: ““This case is just the latest in a number of cases which shows how the law on family and fertility is unable to always cover every situation which it is presented with.  It is a clear example of how this particular situation had not been covered by the law and how the Courts had to address this and be creative in order to achieve an outcome which was so clearly in the best interests of the child.

“Fertility law remains a growing area, in which the legislation and case law are still developing to take into account different circumstances and address potential gaps in the legislation as drafted.

“The Law Commission are currently undertaking a review of the UK’s surrogacy law and are considering a number of amendments which will better represent the way people are building their families in this day and age.

“For many of my clients, struggling to conceive is a hugely emotional, painful and stressful time of their lives and whilst the nature of fertility practice inevitably means that not all situations can be covered by the law I hope that the current review will help make the surrogacy journey more straight-forward and remove the uncertainty for parties.”

Sarah Wood-Heath is a partner and expert in specialist family law, helping clients build and create their families. Her specialisms include surrogacy, donor conception and co-parenting agreements.

Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

Customers, pubs and restaurants have been thanked for adhering to new curfew measures introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus – and are being urged to keep doing their bit in the days and weeks ahead.

All pubs, bars and restaurants in England must operate a table service only, except for takeaways, and close at 10pm, with the exception of deliveries which can continue afterwards. In addition, staff in pubs and restaurants must wear face coverings, as should customers except when they are sat at their table.

Fines for not wearing a face covering where required have doubled to £200 for a first offence. The only exception to these rules is where someone is exempt from wearing a face covering, for instance on medical grounds.

The City of Wolverhampton Council supported officers from Wolverhampton Police who patrolled the city centre last night to ensure venues were implementing the new measures and that customers were following them correctly.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “I’m delighted to say there was excellent compliance to the regulations in local pubs and restaurants last night, and I want to thank everyone for doing their bit in the fight against Covid-19.

"This is now the new normal and these sorts of measures are going to be with us for the foreseeable future unfortunately, so I would urge everyone, as we head into the weekend, to please continue to follow the guidelines and together we can beat this virus.”

Chief Supt Andy Beard said: "Pubs and restaurants have to shut at 10pm as part of efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus.

"Officers will continue to be out and about on high-visibility patrols to ensure that restaurants are playing their part, by shutting on time and only offering table service, and that customers are wearing face coverings as required.

"Wolverhampton is now one of a growing number of areas which has tougher restrictions so it’s more important than ever that everyone in the city does their bit in the fight against Covid-19.”

Also this week the Government announced that:

• People who can work from home should do so. Where this is not possible, people should continue to attend their workplaces.
• Face coverings must be worn by staff working in retail and by people in taxis and private hire vehicles.
• From Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions, though up to 30 will still be able to attend funerals as is currently the case.
• The 'rule of six' has been extended to all adult indoor team sports.

In addition, people in Wolverhampton must follow local measures which came into effect on Tuesday after the city became an area of national intervention. These mean:

• You must not allow people you don't live with or who are not part of your support bubble into your home or garden.
• You must not visit people you do not live with or who are not part of your support bubble in their home or garden, in Wolverhampton or elsewhere.
• People can only come into your home or garden for specific purposes set out in law.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include a fever, a new, continuous cough and loss or change to a person’s sense of taste and smell. People with symptoms, no matter how mild, should immediately self-isolate and book a test by visiting www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.

Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will be asked to share information about people that have been close contacts recently.

The Syncona Foundation has committed to three further years of support for national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia. The Foundation (formerly known as the BACIT Foundation), which is focused on on the prevention, treatment, cure and ultimately eradication of cancer and other diseases, began its support for Cure Leukaemia in 2016 and has, to date, donated over £500,000 to enable the charity to continue connecting blood cancer patients with pioneering new clinical trials for all blood cancers. This three-year extension will secure support from the Syncona Foundation until 2023, 8 years in total.

The Syncona Foundation’s support enabled Cure Leukaemia to raise an additional £1,000,000 in 2017 to double the capacity of the internationally renowned Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Birmingham. This expansion not only enabled clinical trial research teams for the Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) to be housed in the building but also allowed a new day unit to be installed enabling previous inpatient treatments for blood cancer patients to be performed in an outpatient setting, saving the NHS approximately £1,000,000 per year.

The CCH also played a key role during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, alleviating capacity issues elsewhere in the QEH by delivering chemotherapy to over 1,000 non-blood cancer patients. Annually, the CCH can now deliver 20,000 patient treatments, doubling what was possible prior to the expansion.

In January 2020, as a result of the continued support of the Syncona Foundation, Cure Leukaemia began a 3-year, £3,000,000 commitment to funding the TAP which consists of its facilitatory Hub at the CCH and specialist research nurse positions at 12 blood cancer centres across the UK. These nurses and the network’s co-ordinating Hub in Birmingham allow pioneering clinical trials to run in 12 of the UK’s biggest cities connecting blood cancer patients from a catchment area of 20 million with these potentially life-saving treatments.

Patients like Mark Hill, 62, from Bermondsey in London. Mark was the first patient placed on a clinical trial called MAJIC at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, a trial that would not have been possible without TAP. He said: “I got my life back. I wouldn’t have got this treatment without charities like them. Everything that happened to me wouldn’t have been possible – and certainly not at the speed it happened. The consistency of support from charities like Cure Leukaemia has just been the lynchpin, the driver, the rock that solid progress has been made on.”

Chair of the Syncona Foundation, Tom Henderson, was introduced to Cure Leukaemia back in 2015 by the charity’s now Patron James Maltin. James cycled the full Tour de France, a day ahead of the professionals alongside former footballer, blood cancer survivor and fellow Patron Geoff Thomas in 2015 and his introduction led to £521,137 being invested into the charity to date. He said: “I am so pleased to have played a part in the Syncona Foundation’s support of Cure Leukaemia. Having met many patients over the years that benefit from the charity’s work I know the phenomenal life-saving opportunities that are possible thanks to Cure Leukaemia. To see how the charity has grown since 2016 is testament to the brilliant support of the Foundation and I am delighted that this is continuing for a further three years.”

Tom Henderson, who attended an event at Lord’s Cricket Ground in November 2019 which announced Cure Leukaemia’s funding of TAP thanks to the Syncona Foundation and a two-year £2m national partnership with Deutsche Bank said: “During that evening (at Lord’s) there was a remarkable moment when all the survivors in the audience who owe their lives to funds raised for Cure Leukaemia stood up which was incredibly moving. The Syncona Foundation’s objectives focus on the prevention, treatment, cure and ultimately eradication of cancer and other diseases and Cure Leukaemia perfectly embodies these aims. It is fantastic to see how the Foundation’s support has impacted so positively on the charity since 2016 and we look forward to further progress over the next three years.”

Cure Leukaemia Co-Founder Professor Charlie Craddock CBE, who was recently featured in Syncona’s Annual Report detailing their impact on Cure Leukaemia said: “The Syncona Foundation was able to help us redesign and adapt what the clinical trial environment should be like in 2020, rather than just using a model that was tried and tested in the 1990s. Their funding investment has been of transformative importance – what we see is that for every pound you invest in Cure Leukaemia and the infrastructure it funds you get £10 of ‘free drugs’ for patients.

“We’re really grateful to the Syncona Foundation, who have been visionary partners and have made a big difference in so many ways.”

Cure Leukaemia Chief Executive James McLaughlin said: “We are delighted with this three-year extension of our partnership with the Syncona Foundation which is now the longest of its kind for Cure Leukaemia. The Foundation’s continued support is essential in allowing the charity to plan for the future and continue giving blood cancer patients across the UK access to potentially life-saving treatments through clinical trials.”

The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has praised African states for managing to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Africa has seen about 1.4 million cases and 34,000 deaths since February. These figures are far lower than those in Europe, Asia or the Americas, with reported cases continuing to decline.

Early interventions played a crucial role in curbing the virus' spread, Africa CDC head John Nkengasong said.

Africa CDC is the health agency of the 55-member African Union (AU).

The continent of more than one billion people accounts for just under 5% of cases globally and 3.6% of deaths.

Dr Nkengasong described as "false" suggestions that cases and deaths in Africa were significantly under-reported.

"We may not have been picking up all the cases, just like in other parts of the world... but we are not seeing people around the continent falling dead on the streets or mass burials going on," Dr Nkengasong said.

African states introduced a series of measures to tackle the virus as soon as the first cases were reported. Many, including South Africa, introduced nationwide lockdowns, but others such as Ethiopia opted for less strict measures.

Dr Nkengasong, however, attributed the low number to a "joint continental effort", which focused on "scaling up testing and following up contact tracing and very importantly masking", or the wearing of face masks.

"In many countries, including Ethiopia where I live, if you go to the streets of Addis Ababa you will see there is almost 100% masking," he added.

Africa's relatively young population also contributed to the low number of cases, Dr Nkengasong said.

Furthermore, the emphasis on community-driven initiatives, and experience in contact-tracing from fighting diseases like Ebola, had helped countries to tackle the virus, he said.

"This virus is in the community, and without a strong community response and strong community engagement there is no chance we can fight it," Dr Nkengasong added.

Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline reports increased anxiety amongst family carers about lockdown changes

Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline has reported a 36% increase in calls this year. This can be attributed to more strain amongst family carers as a result of uncertainty around lockdown rules and guidance. This is in addition to changing behaviour in the person diagnosed due to long periods of isolation, limited stimulation and lack of respite.

Susan Drayton, Clinical Lead at Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline said: “This is an extremely challenging time for families with dementia, who have had entire routines swept from under their feet overnight. As dementia is a condition which affects comprehension and communication, it can place huge strains on family carers and the person diagnosed to keep up to date with changing guidance. 

“These issues are compounded by dwindling support services which can increase deterioration in the person with dementia and the emotional toll on the carers themselves. It’s vital that we continue to highlight the needs of people affected by dementia at this time, particularly as they are now known to have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus.” 

When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them, giving the compassionate one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions that can be difficult to find elsewhere.  

The Helpline Nurses have put together some advice for families with dementia to manage this challenging time.  

Follow government guidance on lockdown restrictions: It is important to continue to follow government advice on helping to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Find a credible source of information such as GOV.UK, or the NHS website, so that you can keep up to date with information about restrictions in your area.

Supporting from a distance: If you are supporting someone with dementia who lives on their own, they may have difficulty understanding what has changed in terms of lockdown restrictions. It is important to keep in touch, take time to explain changes and make information available to them in a simple and accessible way. 

Routine: Gradually re-introducing parts of your old routine to your lockdown routine and keeping active can provide some comfort, stability and improved mental health and wellbeing. Although your choices may be limited, try to focus on the things you enjoy. 

Keep in touch: Draw on support you might have through your friends, family and other networks. Keep in touch with face-to-face services you were accessing prior to the pandemic to find out when they are going to resume services or alternatives to respite support. If your loved one is in a care home, keep in touch with the home to find out if and when you are able to visit. 

Post shielding support: If you have been using services set up specifically for shielding or self-isolating individuals, you should keep in touch with your local authority about what services will remain in place and what you need to take responsibility for. Some forms of support – such as priority supermarket delivery slots and some local volunteer schemes – will continue.  

Get help and support: While it is important to be aware of coronavirus, it is also important not to forget about other health conditions you might have. If you or the person you care for have not been able to access medical services due to the closure of NHS clinics, it may be time to contact the NHS for an appointment.  

If you are struggling with your mental health or have experienced grief or bereavement due to the coronavirus pandemic, allow yourself space to grieve and seek support from your GP if required. 

The Midlands will receive £18.8 million to expand and upgrade A&Es at four Trusts, ensuring they have the physical space to treat patients, manage patient flow and improve infection control, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced today.

This is in addition to the £300 million announced recently for 117 Trusts to upgrade their facilities, meaning the Government has now invested £450 million to upgrade A&Es this winter.

The funding will expand waiting areas and increase the number of treatment cubicles, helping boost A&E capacity by providing additional space and reducing overcrowding. Projects will be completed by the start of next year so hospitals benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter.

Alongside this, a new offer to patients is being piloted in Trusts across England, with NHS 111 being the first point of contact for accessing urgent medical care.

To ensure patients get the right care in the right place and avoid unnecessary visits to Emergency Departments, NHS 111 will build on its role during the pandemic to direct patients to the most clinically appropriate service, including Emergency Departments, an Urgent Treatment Centre, a GP or mental health professional.

Based on what works best during the pilots, this approach will be rolled out to all Trusts from December this year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are investing £450 million to make sure our A&E departments are ready for winter. Hospitals around the country will be able to expand and upgrade to ensure they can continue safely treating patients in the coming months.

“During the peak of the pandemic we saw millions of people using NHS 111 to get the best possible advice on Covid-19, and other urgent NHS services. These pilots will build on this and test whether we can deliver quicker access to the right care, provide a better service for the public and ensure our dedicated NHS staff aren’t overwhelmed.

“We all need to play our part by washing our hands regularly, using a face covering and keeping our distance from those not in our household. We are determined to protect the NHS as we did during the peak.”

NHS 111 will also book appointments for patients with the appropriate service to cut out unnecessary queueing and ensure they get the right care first time. This will be safer and more convenient for patients as it will reduce the amount of time spent in waiting rooms.

Those facing a life-threatening emergency should continue to dial 999 immediately. If someone is unsure how serious a condition is then NHS 111 can offer advice and if necessary, dispatch an ambulance.

To support this expansion the NHS is investing £24 million to increase 111 call handling capacity and will have more clinicians on hand to provide expert advice and guidance.

Each year there are 14.4 million A&E attendances in England that arrive without referral by 111, a GP or in an ambulance, as well as 2.1 million attendances that don’t result in any admission or treatment. Reducing this unnecessary use of Emergency Departments will ease the pressure on the NHS this winter and reduce transmission of Covid-19.

Dr Cliff Mann, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said “While emergency admissions are now back to near normal levels and 999 calls are actually above usual, covid infection control means rethinking how safely to look after people who might previously have been to an emergency department for a more minor condition. Local teams are working hard to expand and adapt services to ensure people can continue to get the care they need safely, whether that’s in hospital or closer to home.

“This additional investment will help us continue the development of NHS 111 and provide a broader range of services, with direct booking that will ensure all patients can see the right clinicians in the right setting, and address the extra challenges posed by Covid-19 so that emergency departments can safely treat those patients who do require their services.”

President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Katherine Henderson, said: “Expansion of NHS 111 will help patients to be seen more quickly by the service most appropriate to their needs. We are pleased to have reached the consultation phase of how A&E performance is measured with a focus on the safe, timely care of the very sickest patients, and look forward to the publication of the proposals.

“A further boost to capital funding to help redevelop our most challenged Emergency Departments is very welcome and vital to help ensure social distancing and reduce the spread of infection. Crowding must be eliminated from Emergency Departments – now more than ever – and this is a helpful step towards tackling that problem.”

The pandemic has shown NHS 111 can play a more prominent role in triaging patients to make sure they get the right care, first time round.

As winter approaches and we continue to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, these additional measures will help to reduce overcrowding in A&E, protecting both staff and patients and making the NHS as safe as possible. 

If a patient without a life-threatening condition in the pilot areas arrives at an A&E department without contacting NHS 111, they will continue to be given the assistance they need, but may end up waiting longer than patients with similar health issues who booked an appointment through NHS 111.

A public communications campaign ‘Help Us Help You’ will also launch later this year to direct people to the right NHS service.

Alongside this, NHS England has been exploring whether improvements could be made to emergency care performance measures as part of its ongoing clinically-led review, which has also considered how to accurately measure performance while the service meets the continuing challenges of Covid-19.

Before December a consultation will be launched on standards to ensure they reflect modern emergency care and deliver what patients need. The existing standards remain in place and – if any updates are subsequently made – this will only be on the basis of strong evidence and after thorough consultation.

Trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University will resume after being paused due to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK.

AstraZeneca previously said the studies were being paused while it investigated whether the adverse reaction was linked with the vaccine. But the university said it had been deemed safe to continue.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock welcomed the news that the trials would resume.

"This pause shows we will always put safety first,” he added. “We will back our scientists to deliver an effective vaccine as soon as safely possible."

The university said in a statement that it was "expected" that "some participants will become unwell" in large trials such as this one.

It added that the studies could now resume following the recommendations of an independent safety review committee and the UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

It would not disclose information about the patient's illness for confidentiality reasons, but the New York Times reported that a volunteer in the UK trial had been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and can be caused by viral infections.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says nearly 180 vaccine candidates are being tested around the world but none has yet completed clinical trials. Hopes have been high that the vaccine might be one of the first to come on the market, following successful phase 1 and 2 testing.

Its move to Phase 3 testing in recent weeks has involved some 30,000 participants in the US as well as in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Phase 3 trials in vaccines often involve thousands of participants and can last several years.

The government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told the Downing Street press conference on Wednesday what had happened in the Oxford trial was not unusual.

The news comes after Prof Sir Mark Walport, a member of the government's scientific advisory group Sage, warned the UK was "on the edge of losing control of the virus".

He said: "You've only got to look across the Channel to see what is happening in France and what's happening in Spain."

Official figures released showed a further 3,497 people have tested positive with the virus in the UK. It is the second day in a row that number of daily reported cases has exceeded 3,000.

It brings the overall number of confirmed cases so far to 365,174. Meanwhile, the government figures revealed that a further nine people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bring the UK death toll to 41,623.

New "rule of six" restrictions intended to halt the rises now have come into force.

In England indoor and outdoor gatherings of more than six people will be banned, except in certain circumstances such as for work or school. Those breaking the rules could be fined.

In Scotland, socialising will be limited to a maximum of six people inside and outside - but unlike England they must be from two households, and children under 12 are exempt.

In Wales, also from Monday, it will be illegal for more than six people from an extended household to meet indoors - but up to 30 can still meet outdoors.

Localised restrictions for parts of Northern Ireland, including Belfast and Ballymena are aimed at reducing contacts between people in homes in the affected areas.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove agreed fines might be necessary to ensure people self-isolate when required. He said: "I don't want to see fines being levied, but even more I do not want to see people behaving in a way that puts the most vulnerable at risk."

Most families in the West Midlands have experienced upheaval in their daily lives during the pandemic. With children and young people now back at school or college, PHE’s new campaign provides NHS-endorsed tips and advice to help children and young people’s mental wellbeing and equip and empower parents and carers with the knowledge to support them.

Research reveals that the coronavirus outbreak has caused an increase in anxiety in young people. What’s more, over two-fifths (41%) of children and young people said they were more lonely than before lockdown and more than a third said they were more worried (38%), more sad (37%) or more stressed (34%).

New PHE data from the West Midlands reveals that two thirds of parents surveyed say their children’s behaviour has changed since the start of the pandemic (68%), and when asked their top three worries around coronavirus, half (50%) said the mental wellbeing of their children topped the list of their biggest worries. 

As we adapt to a new normal many parents and carers anticipate their children will experience new stresses. This includes facing the challenges of catching up with missed education, starting new schools or colleges and building relationships with friends again.

Around a quarter of parents (23%) surveyed in the West Midlands said that not knowing what action they can take to support their children’s mental wellbeing has prevented them supporting, and 41% want more advice on how to support their mental wellbeing when returning to school. 

The new advice available on the Every Mind Matters website has been developed in partnership with leading children and young people’s mental health charities, including Young Minds, The Mix, Place2Be and The Anna Freud Centre. It is designed to help parents and carers spot the signs that children may be struggling with their mental health and support them, and also provides advice that can help maintain good mental wellbeing. 

In addition to the advice for parents and carers the site also provides tools to help young people build resilience and equips them to look after their mental wellbeing.

To engage parents and carers a powerful short film has been created featuring a range of celebrity parents including Davina McCall, Marvin Humes, Sean Fletcher, Katie Piper and Edith Bowman, reading extracts from best-selling author Charlie Mackesy’s well-known book, ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’. The emotive extracts all touch upon mental health and aim to encourage parents to visit the Every Mind Matters website.

The NHS Top Tips for supporting children and young people’s mental wellbeing as they go back out into the world (please see all tips on the Every Mind Matters website):

• Be there to listen: Ask the children and young people you look after how they are doing regularly so they get used to speaking about their feelings
• Stay involved in their life: Try to know something about all parts of your child’s or young person’s life
• Support positive routines: Be a positive role model and support positive behaviours including regular bedtime routines, healthy eating and getting exercise
• Encourage their interests: Children and young people are often drawn to particular interests, so support them in exploring them
• Take what they say seriously: help the children and young people you look after feel valued in what they say

The website also encourages parents to complete a personal ‘Mind Plan’, a quick and free interactive tool offering adults tailored mental wellbeing advice. More than 2.4 million ‘Mind Plans’ have been completed since launch in October.

Dr Lola Abudu, Health and Wellbeing Director at Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands said: “Coping with COVID over the past few months has been hard on everyone, including our kids, so it’s understandable that 50% of parents and carers in the West Midlands have been worried about their children’s mental wellbeing during lockdown.

Parenting can be tough, and juggling work or being furloughed while home schooling children has added extra pressures to the whole family unit. However, there are lots of things we can do to support adults and their children as we all try to get back to some sort of new normal life.

“The new NHS-approved guidance on the ‘Better Health – Every Mind Matters’ website helps adults spot signs that children are struggling with their mental wellbeing, helps parents and carers to understand how to support them with managing their emotions and deal with unhelpful thoughts.

It provides tips and advice to support children and young people when coping with stressors, including starting new schools or colleges, and building relationships with friends again. The online resource will help you find what’s right for your children – whether it’s listening to them talk about the challenges they’re facing or helping them develop skills to cope with their emotions.”

Telford and Wrekin Councillor Andy Burford, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “I’d encourage parents and young people to take some time for themselves and use ‘Better Health - Every Mind Matters’, for NHS approved tips and advice.”

Ellen Parsons, an A-level student from Shropshire opened up about how the disruption caused by coronavirus has affected her mental health. She said: “Lockdown has had a huge impact on my mental health. Not being able to sit my A-level exams felt as if two years of hard work now count for nothing.

“As well as the academic side, I have also missed my friends and the opportunity to experience things like our end of year prom. I’m worried about my future, because the grades awarded might not be a true reflection of what I could have achieved in my exams.

“This does lead me to question my future employment and whether I will get the same opportunities as someone who achieved their grades in previous years.”

Ellen’s sixth form provided support to all students, with teachers giving information about apprenticeships and employment opportunities. Shropshire Council also set up virtual drop-in sessions, where young people could talk about their concerns about the future. Sessions were on Zoom and organised by the local authority in association with Shropshire Mind, BEAM, Shropshire Public Health Nurses and the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Ellen appreciated the virtual drop-in sessions in Shropshire and added: “I feel that at this strange time, students need to reach out to each other and recognise that they are not alone. My future at this moment in time seems very unpredictable and I appreciate lots of students will be experiencing the same emotions.”

The new ‘Better Health - Every Mind Matters’ campaign will be supported through social media, radio and press activity, helping to reach audiences including parents and carers of children and young people (aged 5-18) and young people (aged 13-18).

 A sharp rise in coronavirus infection rates in Wolverhampton over the last few days has put the city at real risk of a local lockdown.

Latest data shows there were an average of 27.09 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 residents in Wolverhampton over the seven days up to 5 September, up from 12.6 cases per 100,000 for the seven days to 29 August.

John Denley, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Director of Public Health, said: "Covid-19 infection rates in Wolverhampton have more than doubled in a week, mainly driven by a big increase in cases among 18 to 30-year-olds.

“This is an urgent reminder that all of us – especially young adults – need to play our part in preventing the spread of coronavirus if we are to keep people safe and if we are to avoid a local lockdown.

“We've already seen that year groups at a couple of schools in Wolverhampton have had to self-isolate because of case of Covid-19 within their bubbles. We've also had to take the difficult decision to put a stop to all non-essential visiting to care homes so that we protect some of our city's most vulnerable residents.

"Meanwhile, as a council we've had to take enforcement action against one business which was failing its customers by not acting in a Covid-secure manner.

"While the vast majority of residents and businesses are continuing to do their bit – practicing social distancing, good handwashing and wearing face coverings where required – others have relaxed far too much. If they don't start taking this seriously right now, they will put Wolverhampton at a very real risk of facing additional lockdown measures.

"It's important to stress that young people are not immune to this awful virus and the experience in other countries is that rising cases among young people brings the virus into the homes of older and more vulnerable adults, with increases in cases among young people often followed several weeks later by rises in hospitalisation and deaths.

“We simply cannot afford that to happen here and the steps we all must take to prevent the spread of coronavirus are very clear. No one wants another lockdown so now is the time for everyone - and younger people in particular - to ensure they do their bit because coronavirus remains a real and present danger to us all."

To protect yourself and others, when you leave home you must:

• Keep washing your hands regularly
• Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in enclosed spaces, unless you are exempt for medical reasons or under 11
• Stay at least a metre away from people not in your household or bubble, ideally two metres

Most importantly, if you or any members of your household or bubble have symptoms of Covid-19, no matter how mild, please stay home, self-isolate for 10 days and book a coronavirus test as soon as possible.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Wolverhampton has three walk-through test centres, at Showell Road, off Stafford Road, at the council-run Mountford Lane car park in Bilston and in the car park of Whitmore Reans Health Centre, which are open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.

Demand for testing is currently high. There are a limited number of tests available at local test sites without the need for appointments. However, this is subject to varying daily demand levels so booking in advance is recommended.

Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will be asked to share information about people that have been close contacts recently.

Mr Denley added: "The test is free, only takes a few minutes and, combined with the Test and Trace programme, will enable us to track the spread of the virus, identify trends early on and better tackle potential outbreaks.

“By doing all this, you will be protecting yourself, your family and the wider community – and help us to avoid a local lockdown.”

The council’s Stay Safe, Be Kind campaign offers clear and simple advice about how people can help themselves, and how they can support others who may be particularly vulnerable at this time.

Health and wellbeing providers looking for alternative and flexible ways to deliver services in response to Covid-19 can now use NHS pay-as-you-go spaces across England. Profits made from this scheme will be reinvested back into the health service for the benefit of patients and to help rebuild the NHS.
 
NHS Open Space, an initiative launched in Spring 2019 by NHS Property Services (NHSPS), has now reopened post lockdown, offering clinical and non-clinical spaces for hire on an hourly or daily basis, with greater flexibility and choice at an affordable price.
 
Health and wellbeing providers – from physiotherapists to nutritionists and mental health specialists to PT’s – can use NHS Open Space to easily find and book rooms within their local communities, while being reassured of the safety of themselves and their customers.
 
With the ability to book non-clinical rooms, such as private offices or meeting rooms, these spaces can also be used by businesses, community groups, or freelancers in need of pop-up working or meeting space.
 
The intuitive booking system means that users only pay for the time and space they need, which could provide much-needed relief on finances for independent and small businesses in the midst of the pandemic. It also makes better use of the NHS estate, driving money back into the health service at a critical time.  
 
Darren Jefferson, Treatment Unit Manager at bpas has managed to get his business back on track through renting space through this scheme. “Throughout lockdown, we couldn’t meet with patients, so we ran sessions from home using video-conferencing tools. As my team slowly return to normal it feels great to be back in a professional environment. Not only does this provide a space that our patients can feel safe in, it has also helped me feel a sense of normality. I finally feel like I’m getting back to business as usual all while helping the NHS.”
 
Kash Nazir, Commercial Director at Wren Healthcare has also been able to benefit from their local NHS Open Space site. They said: “NHS Open Space has completely changed how Wren Healthcare are able to operate our ‘fit to fly’ Covid-19 testing services.  I needed to quickly find a flexible space in an NHS building to carry this out. With this service the team at Wren are able to book flexible appointments and offer a great service to our customers as and when patients are available. It’s also really reassuring using an NHS space knowing infection control and safety is a priority, as that’s of course a key concern for our patients.”
 
Following a two-year pilot, NHS Open Space, which has been designed and developed collaboratively with users, currently has 20 sites open for use across England with another 40 expected to launch in the Autumn. The spaces available range from consulting rooms and examination rooms to spaces for group activities or even meeting rooms.
 
John Westwood, Director of Asset Management at NHSPS, said: “We know many NHS providers and healthcare related business owners will be looking for more flexible property and space options in the wake of the pandemic as ways of working and operating change. We hope NHS Open Space will help provide an alternative, cost effective option for those looking to get their services up and running in local communities, while keeping their finances healthy. It will also allow us to help wider health economies, ensuring we are using space as efficiently as possible to improve health and wellbeing, and driving money straight back into the NHS.
 
“For many, cleanliness and infection control will be front of mind, as they will want the confidence to inform their customers they are in a safe space. Safety has been, and still is our number one priority. Using an NHS space will help take another weight off services’  minds, as providers and patients alike can count on us to ensure that all available sites are cleaned and maintained to the highest of safety standards.”
 

More than two million Indians have now tested positive for Covid-19, according to official figures. The country confirmed the last million cases in just 20 days, faster than the US or Brazil which have higher numbers. Testing has been expanded considerably in India in recent weeks but the situation varies across states.

Spurred by a low death rate, the nation continues to reopen even as new hotspots drive the surge in cases. But some states have imposed restrictions. The recent measures include local, intermittent lockdowns, sometimes limiting activity in specific cities or districts.

India is now the third country to cross the two million mark. It reported 62,170 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total tally up to 2,025,409. It has reported around 40,700 deaths so far. While that is the world's fifth-biggest total, experts say it is not very high given the country's population of 1.3 billion.

The government, however, has been accused of undercounting Covid-19 deaths due to a variety of reasons - from lags in reporting to rules on how India determines if a death was caused by the virus.

Meanwhile, India has been steadily "unlocking" its economy since early June after a gruelling lockdown that lasted nearly two months. Gyms and fitness centres are the latest to reopen.

Testing has also gone up but it remains patchy as some states are doing as many as 40,000 test per million, and others as few as 6,000. Case numbers are rising rapidly, for instance, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. It shot up the list this past month, and now accounts for India's third-highest caseload.

On world leukaemia day national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia launched its fundraising and awareness campaign for Blood Cancer Awareness Month called ‘The Cure Leukaemia (CL) Lifesavers 100 Club’ to address the £1,300,000 shortfall the charity faces in light of COVID-19.

With all of Cure Leukaemia’s major fundraising events scheduled for 2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis, the charity has created a fun and engaging campaign to encourage anyone and everyone to help raise funds during Blood Cancer Awareness Month and beyond.

The campaign focuses on how £100 raised for Cure Leukaemia can help save the lives of blood cancer patients across the UK. Not everyone can run marathons, cycle hundreds of miles or climb Everest and whilst there will always be remarkable people who take those challenges on, this campaign shows that everyone that raises funds can become a lifesaver too.

The CL Lifesavers 100 Club is open to anyone, from anywhere and of any age. It doesn’t matter how they choose to raise £100, but if they do, they will automatically join the CL Lifesavers 100 Club and, in return, every fundraiser will receive a CL Lifesavers 100 Club medal and a personalised card.

Whether it is a sporting challenge, regular donation, sponsored silence, raffle, cake bake or head shave there are hundreds of ways to raise £100. By all pulling together, Cure Leukaemia hope to encourage as many people as possible to join the Club and, by doing so, they will help address the £1.3m shortfall for this year.

The first member of the CL Lifesavers Club is inspirational blood cancer survivor Lizzie Dean. Lizzie, 31 from Birmingham, was given just months to live when she relapsed after a transplant to combat acute myeloid leukaemia in 2016. Thanks to a clinical trial made available to her by Cure Leukaemia, Lizzie is alive and well, back working and doing all she can to help the charity that saved her life.

Having not walked further than 2.6km in one go since her diagnosis she completed this distance for the 2.6 Challenge in April and now, in September, she is attempting to walk a full marathon distance of 26.2 miles during Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

Speaking about her challenge she said: “In 2016 I didn’t think I would be here in 2020 but I am thanks to this charity and I want to do everything I can to help other patients. To walk this distance will be a huge achievement for me and whilst I may be doing it in stages it really will be my ‘marathon’. I love Cure Leukaemia’s new Lifesavers campaign. People like me can’t cycle huge distances or climb mountains; but we still want to do our bit and it is great that the charity is going to recognize its fundraisers in this way.”

Cure Leukaemia CEO James McLaughlin said: “The COVID-19 crisis has decimated the ability of all charities to fundraise in 2020 and we have not been any different. However, it is imperative that we continue to do all we can to raise as much as physically possible to ensure blood cancer patients across the UK are not impacted further due to COVID-19.

“A person is diagnosed with blood cancer every 14 minutes in the UK and that stark statistic has not stopped since the virus swept through the world and that is why we must maintain the Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) to enable patients across the UK, like Lizzie, to have access to potentially life-saving clinical trials.

“With the launch of this campaign, we are keen to recognise the value of the collective and potentially lifesaving impact that can be made by those who raise £100 for Cure Leukaemia. We want this to be fun and engaging for all our supporters across the UK and we look forward to hearing about their ideas in the coming weeks and months.”

Staff at Wolverhampton brewery, Marston’s, have been thanked for volunteering to take part in a pilot coronavirus testing programme.
 
Nearly 100 employees at Marston’s volunteered to take part, with staff from the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Public Health team setting up a temporary test centre outdoors at the brewery and supporting workers to correctly administer the self-swabbing test kits. No positive cases of Covid-19 were found.
 
The City of Wolverhampton Council carried out the initiative last week to develop a blueprint for other organisations to do the same. This is particularly important given that rising numbers of cases have been observed in the city and the wider region in recent weeks.
 
John Denley, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health, said: "The steady increase in cases in recent weeks shows us that coronavirus remains prevalent in Wolverhampton and the wider region, and increasing testing is key to us being able to tackle the spread of the virus.
 
“This was an important learning experience and we really appreciate the involvement of staff at Marston’s. The suggestion to do this was really well received and the results provide good reassurance for Marston’s and compliment the excellent infection prevention measures the business has already introduced.”
 
Nicky Barnes, Marston’s Supply Chain Health and Safety Manager, said: “Marston’s and its volunteers at the Wolverhampton site were pleased to be able to support the pilot scheme and take the opportunity to be tested in the workplace.
 
“We are obviously very pleased with the negative results and hope that this goes someway to demonstrating that we have effective controls in place to minimise the spread of the virus on site.”
 
Symptoms of Covid-19 include a fever, a new continuous cough or a loss or change to their sense of taste or smell.

To book a test, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus or call 119.

The test is free, takes less than a minute and results are delivered the following day. Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will be asked to share information about people that have been close contacts recently. 

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “If anyone has symptoms of coronavirus, no matter how mild, they must get a test. We have seen in other parts of the country how quickly an outbreak can occur, and we need to do all we can to stop that happening in Wolverhampton by preventing the virus from spreading.”
  
The council’s Stay Safe, Be Kind campaign offers clear and simple advice about how people can help themselves and how they can support others who may be particularly vulnerable at this time. 

InvisibleShield, a ZAGG Brands (NASDAQ:ZAGG) company and the leading global innovator in screen protection, today announced that its 2020 glass screen protectors treated with Kastus anti-microbial technology have been examined by an independent global testing laboratory and confirmed effective against human coronavirus and 99.99% of the most common surface bacteria.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that human coronavirus can live on surfaces for up to three days2.
 
With Kastus technology, InvisibleShield customers now have the additional assurance that their device screen protector effectively kills human coronavirus. All InvisibleShield anti-microbial glass screen protectors produced in 2020 and beyond will feature Kastus technology, further reinforcing InvisibleShield’s commitment to digital wellness.
 
Gavin Slevin, Managing Director ZAGG International, said: “At InvisibleShield, we are driven by our mission to deliver industry-leading screen protection products for mobile devices that also protect our customers’ well-being,”

“There has never been a stronger need to protect against bacteria and viruses that are known to accumulate on our mobile device screens. Through our partnership with Kastus, our anti-microbial products not only provide the ultimate in digital wellness, but now also protect consumers against the human coronavirus.” 
 
The Kastus patented process enables InvisibleShield to infuse innovative anti-microbial technology into the glass during the manufacturing process. The technology has been tested to last the life of the screen protector, so consumers don’t need to worry about it wearing away over time.
 
Founder & CEO at Kastus, John Browne, said: “The team at Kastus is delighted to further strengthen our relationship with the global market leader in screen protection.

“Our combined innovation brings a uniquely important antiviral screen technology to a global audience”.
 
InvisibleShield backs its screen protectors with an industry-leading limited lifetime warranty and will replace the product if it ever gets worn or damaged for the life of the device.

With more than 215 million screen protectors sold worldwide, InvisibleShield is the No.1 selling brand for smartphone screen protection in the U.S.4 and has set the industry standard for screen protection.

A disability rights activist who is widely recognised as one of the UK’s most influential disabled people has been crowned the Future Face of Greater Birmingham at the sixth Future Faces Chamber of Commerce annual awards.

Shani Dhanda was named as the overall Future Face of Greater Birmingham award winner, and has been awarded a fully funded MBA from sponsor Aston University, as well as winning the Future Face of Charity and Social Enterprise.

The online ceremony was beamed from Chamber House in Edgbaston and hosted by Heart Drivetime presenter Gemma Hill.

Headline sponsors for the event were Aston University and Finpoint Business Finance Hub, while entertainment was provided by musical group Elegant Entertainment.

Shani was inspired to become a social entrepreneur, disability specialist and culture change agent, having suffered discrimination and felt underrepresented in her early life.

She was born with a rare genetic condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), more commonly known as Brittle Bones, which affects one in every 15,000 people in the UK.

Shani has gone on to become a respected keynote speaker across business, Government and not-for-profit organisations, as well as founding and leading three organisations Diversability, the Asian Disability Network and Asian Woman Festival.

She has also worked with major companies such as Google, Virgin Media and Viacom, and starred in a national TV advert for LinkedIn’s ‘In It Together’ campaign.

The judging panel said: “Shani is a real inspiration – on so many levels - as a practitioner for inclusion across business, government, non-profit and wider society, she breaks down barriers and helps organisations integrate inclusion into their frameworks.”

This year’s awards were judged by award-winning business coach Justice Williams MBE, Aston University’s Mark Smith, Louise Teboul of Common Purpose, Nathan Dennis from Legacy Consultants, SF Recruitment chief executive Saira Demmer and the 2019 Future Face of Greater Birmingham, Daniel Alcorn.

Other winners of this year’s awards were:

Future Faces Ambassador Award
(Sponsored by Common Purpose)
Edwin Ladd – Mr Ladd Media

Future Faces Apprentice of the Year
(Sponsored by Birmingham & Solihull Training Provider Network)  
Taylor Rooke - Updates Media         

Future Face of Arts and Culture
(Sponsored by Andalucía Tourism Board)    
Casey Bailey - Baileys Rap and Poetry        

Future Face of Charity and Social Enterprise
(Sponsored by Inspired Energy)       
Shani Dhanda - Asian Woman Festival         

Future Face of Entrepreneurship  
(Sponsored by SCC)
Kasim Choudhry - Thinkfest Limited 

Future Face of Finance
(Sponsored by Wesleyan)     
Jo Drinkwater - Grant McKnight       

Future Face of Industry
(Sponsored by RSM) 
Michal Nowinski - Arup          

Future Face of Legal           
(Sponsored by Schofield & Associates)
James Farmer - Cornwall Street Barristers  

Future Face of Public Sector and Education       
(Sponsored by Open College Network West Midlands)
Dr Islam Issa - Birmingham City University  

Future Face of Sales, Marketing and Communications  
(Sponsored by Elonex)
Daniel Nikolla - Hardy Signs  

Future Face of Technology and Innovation         
(Sponsored by Office Angels)
Tom Goodman - University of Birmingham