Displaying items by tag: NHS

In March 2020, just before the national lockdown began, a notice appeared on the government website seeming to allow women to conduct their own medical abortions at home. Outcry followed and the notice was removed, the government website claiming that it was ‘published in error’. Website visitors were reassured that there would ‘be no changes to abortion regulations’. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care assured the House of Commons, ‘There are no proposals to change the abortion rules due to Covid-19.’ However, now 3 months later the government said, ‘DIY abortions could be a permanent fixture in the UK’. The media reported that up to 90,000 women have used the DIY service since it was introduced in March. The government will release official statistics next week. If 90,000 abortions took place it would make DIY abortion the biggest silent killer of lockdown, more than twice as many fatalities as Covid-19. See also

Complacency over the flu jab risks overwhelming the NHS as data reveals the scale of the challenge in expanding the vaccination programme. Last month, the Government announced plans to double the number of people who receive the jab even though the take-up rate among people in vulnerable groups eligible to have it for free has declined. The UK has an ambition to vaccinate 55% of people in vulnerable groups, such as those with multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or chronic asthma. WHO has previously said countries should vaccinate 75% of people in ‘vulnerable’ categories. Getting the flu vaccine is vital now more than ever with the possible co-mingling of Covid and flu.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched Together in Unity to support Anglican communities suffering from the pandemic. The unprecedented and devastating effect of coronavirus on global communities already impacted by conflict, natural disaster, and famine means they are ill-equipped to implement even the most basic hygiene and sanitation measures. Hospitals and clinics are without critical supplies, and lockdown measures have brought wages down to zero. Funds raised through the UK appeal will be distributed to coronavirus-response projects. Also, in the UK people have been making thousands of scrubs and walking miles to raise money for Hospitals. But Asian Christian hospitals have no such support and no government funding. People walk for days or travel on hot overcrowded trains to clinics, but lockdown and widespread fear of the virus has led many people to skip treatments at missionary clinics and hospitals that depend on income from routine treatments to pay staff. See

Pilgrim's Friends Society, which runs Christian care homes, said the government has been worse than neglectful in its care for elderly people for years. Successive governments have put the prospect of good social care plans in the 'too difficult to do' basket. The society was responding to a report which stated that the Government ignored care homes during the coronavirus pandemic. The evaluation of the readiness of the NHS and care homes for the Covid-19 crisis found they were just about able to cope, but it was a different story for adult social care. The report said, ‘Years of inattention, funding cuts and delayed reforms were compounded by slow, inconsistent and at times negligent government approaches to giving the support needed during the pandemic: discharging 25,000 patients from hospitals into care homes without making sure all were first tested for Covid-19, and continuing the patient moves even after it was realised that people could transfer the virus without ever having symptoms.’

Five-year-old disabled Tony Hudgell finished his fundraising challenge on 30 June and raised over £1 million for the hospital that saved his life. He challenged himself to walk every day of June on his prosthetic legs with the aid of two walking sticks, to raise money for the NHS. He made such strides with his walking that he exceeded his distance target of ten kilometres. Tony was an abused baby whose legs were seriously damaged before he was taken into care. His adoptive parents took him to Evelina London Children’s Hospital, resulting in his having both of his legs amputated in 2017. His mother said, ‘We are proud of him for doing so well with his walking, while helping to make a difference to the lives of other children who need the care of Evelina London.’

Nurses who have lived away from home since the early days of the pandemic to avoid the risk of infecting their families were interviewed recently. One says she fears that cases will begin to rise because members of the public, unlike medical staff, seem too eager to ‘move on’. Another said that her friend was admitted to her ward and it shocked her to see her friend fighting for breath and so ill. Thankfully she is now improving but the nurse said, ‘We are still admitting patients on to the Covid ward and I don't see much sign of it stopping. Some people tell us they have not been social distancing - they have been with relatives, or to other houses. I definitely think it is going to get worse before it gets better, because people just think that it is over.’ Pray for God to strengthen and comfort our frontline workers.

MSP had developed a gastric ulcer and other gastroenterological problems in 2019 and had a temporary stoma bag fitted. He told his parents and doctors that he ‘utterly loathed’ it and that he would rather die. As his condition developed he wrote an ‘advance directive’ in February 2020, refusing a permanent stoma or any medical treatment preventing him from living independently. His temporary stoma was removed on 14 May and he experienced sepsis. The only way to save his life was to fit a stoma bag immediately. He chose to have the bag inserted; he wanted to live. The doctors made an urgent out-of-hours application to Mr Justice Hayden to determine whether that life-saving treatment was or was not in his best interests. Even though he had changed his mind and his parents and doctors requested life, the judge ordered the withdrawal of life support.

280,000 social care workers are in insecure and low-paid work, leaving them vulnerable to Covid-19. A petition has been launched appealing for Matthew Hancock to provide funding so that all social care sector staff can be paid the Real Living Wage of £10.75 an hour in London and £9.30 in the rest of the UK. Dr John Sentamu said, ‘It is morally wrong to put our care workers on the front line in the face of infection and potential death, with limited personal protective equipment, and to do that for poverty pay. I hope that if this epidemic teaches us anything, it will be to draw us back to justice, compassion and love. That is why I am proud to support the campaign for the Government to prioritise the proper funding of social care, ensuring that every care worker will get paid a Real Living Wage.’

On 20 May Sir Keir Starmer asked the Prime Minister why there had been ‘no effective’ attempt to trace the contacts of those infected with Covid-19 since 12 March when tracing was abandoned. Mr Johnson replied, ‘We have growing confidence that we will have a test, track and trace operation that will be world-beating and yes, it will be in place by 1 June.’ He added that 24,000 contact tracers had already been recruited. The government does not have the luxury of testing and piloting this behind the scenes for months to come, so the system will have to evolve as it goes. On 21 May the NHS said, ‘Time is running out to finalise a “track-and-trace” strategy that would avoid a potential second surge in coronavirus cases.’

Two high court judges have upheld the Government’s decision to allow at-home abortions during lockdown. But it is not over yet. Christian Concern said that their legal challenge has exposed how the abortion industry has captured the Department of Health. The case showed that if pro-abortion lobbyists want something to happen, they can contact their insiders and get it done. One key civil servant in the case worked simultaneously for Public Health England and abortion provider Marie Stopes UK. These are not clinical experts simply advising on best practice; they are campaigners like BPAS executive Ann Furedi, who calls for abortion at any stage, for any reason. Christian Concern want to appeal this case, but more than that, they need to continue to expose the abortion industry’s privileged access to the heart of government and the untold damage caused to women and babies because of their influence.