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We’re here to help you stay well this winter

This winter, it’s really important that we all remember that the NHS is here to help you stay well, safely.

We have been working hard to make changes to how healthcare is provided to make it safe for you during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

If you’re worried about your health, don’t delay. The sooner you get advice, the better.

Depending on your symptoms, you can get advice from your local pharmacy, GP practice or NHS 111. For minor health concerns, your local pharmacist can help. GP practices offer remote consultations online or by phone, or if you need a face-to-face appointment, they will tell you what to do.

If you need medical help fast, think you need to go to an Emergency Department (A&E) or you’re not sure what to do, use NHS 111 first – online or by phone to get clinical advice or direction to the most appropriate services for treatment for you.

You can also help us to help you. If you are over 65, have a long-term health condition or are pregnant, it is more important than ever this year to ensure you have your free flu vaccination. Just speak to your GP or pharmacist to book an appointment. You can also find more information at www.nhs.uk/fluvaccine

Be sure to also stock up your medicine cabinet with winter self-care essentials too. Many over-the-counter medicines (including paracetamol and ibuprofen) are available to help relieve symptoms of common winter illnesses and you can find further information at www.nhs.uk

To help prevent further spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) please follow current Government guidelines for the area you live in at all times. If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus it’s important you get tested as soon as possible. You can apply for a test online via www.nhs.uk/coronavirus, or by calling 119.

Please remember that the wearing of face coverings in all shops and supermarkets is mandatory from Friday, July 24th.  Anyone not complying will face a fine of £100.

Huntingdonshire District Council’s Discretionary Business Grant scheme has been live for one week, and already over a third of the total limited fund (1.6m) has already been allocated to local businesses who have applied. Payments have been scheduled and those successful applicants will start to receive their Government grant towards the end of this week.

However, there is still a large amount of money remaining to apply for, and we recommend that any local businesses who are eligible apply quickly to avoid missing out. This funding does not need to be repaid; it is a grant distributed on behalf of Government to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic response.

We would like your help, perhaps by using your local connections to promote the scheme to local businesses.

The fund is targeted at local businesses that come under one of these four categories:

• Shared/Serviced Accommodation (Workspace) £10,000
• Bed & Breakfasts £5,000
• Market Traders £3,000
• Charities £5,000

Please note that if a business is utilising the Government furlough scheme and Self-Employed Income Support Scheme – they could still be eligible for the Discretionary Business Grant scheme.

Please encourage businesses to check their eligibility and apply today at: www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/discretionarygrant

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough continues to see a moderate decline in new infections, there continues to be good intensive care capacity in our hospitals and capacity to transfer people, when they no longer need hospital treatment, safely into the community.    Referrals of other illnesses into primary care are returning to near normal.

The Strategic Coordination Group is clear that while some limited lifting of restrictions are beginning to be made or planned for,  it continues to be imperative to keep the rate of COVID-19 infection down – and that adherence to government  messages is what is allowing health and social care services to manage the emergency locally.

All  organisations are asked  to continue  to promote the stay at home, social distancing and hygiene messages  as this remains the best defence we have against the virus spreading.

VE Day celebrations ‘at home’ are to be supported and promoted by all organisations for the coming weekend – as there are concerns that the bank holiday, good weather and restrictions lifted on some DIY/Gardening outlets could undo the good work we have all done so far.

Information is released today about the opening of Household Recycling Centres from May 11 – but this information will stress that these are for essential trips only to  dispose of waste which cannot be collected by doorstep collections and which otherwise might cause harm or hazard to householders.  Strict traffic control measures around the sites are also being planned.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has confirmed that while it is in the ‘top half of the bottom end’ of the league table for forces issuing fixed penalty notices for people breaking social distancing measures, it did issue a further eight fines over the past weekend.  The Chief Constable has confirmed the Force will continue to issue fixed penalty notices – although it will rely most heavily on the ‘Educate, Engage, Explain’ part of its  Four E strategy,  before it reaches ‘Enforce’.

Work is underway to contact around 6,000 local people who government believes should be on the shielded list locally and have been contacted by letter,  but have not registered.  All of these people will receive information first containing a password to be used by staff and volunteers from the district and city hubs who will then be making personal contact to make sure all of these people are safe and being supported.   No contacts from the volunteer hubs will be asking for money to undertake tasks, and all will carry identification which can be checked.

The Warn and Inform group of public sector communications leads will continue to highlight the difference between these activities and  scam calls to vulnerable people by fraudsters attempting to gain money for non-existent shopping trips or provision of other services.    False claims online of specific faith groups failing to adhere to social distancing measures across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which are being picked up will also be dealt with as and when they are seen.

Preparations are underway to manage contact tracing initiatives which we are expecting to be nationally led, but locally implemented, following trials that are happening in different parts of the UK now.