Health & Wellbeing

New research by Acas has found that over a third (36%) of British employers have seen their mental health support improve since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask businesses in Britain about whether they had seen a change to employee mental health and wellbeing support in their organisation since the start of the pandemic. The poll found that: 

Labour has called for clarity on Covid vaccines for children to prevent further disruption to their education. However, shadow education secretary Kate Green said other measures including mask-wearing, ventilation systems and testing were also needed.

Vaccine experts did not recommend the jab for healthy 12 to 15-year-olds on health grounds alone. But the UK's chief medical officers have been asked to consider any wider implications of extending the rollout.

A leading housebuilder is breathing new life into Birmingham’s former Selly Oak hospital, with a contemporary redevelopment of the striking red brick property.

Ellis Court, just a short walk from Selly Oak High Street, is an exclusive collection of modern apartments in a stunning garden setting. The development is a jewel in the crown of award-winning housebuilder Charles Church, offering 44 beautifully equipped one-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments with a study.

The latest suicides statistics show that around 6,000 people die by suicide each year in the UK.

Now, one leading mental health charity is aiming to raise awareness of suicide and encourage conversations to help reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts globally. The Kaleidoscope Plus Group is marking World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 by asking people to start a conversation about suicide and show that recovery is possible.

An NHS worker was set to battle not just the elements and the heady heights of Mount Snowdon but also his own debilitating illness in order to help raise money for the homeless.

Martin Daker, part of the Informatics team at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, took part in a sponsored walk up Snowdon on behalf of Your Trust Charity and the Trust's Homeless Pathway Team. He suffers from Sarcoidosis, a condition that affects his lungs that leaves them with only 50 per cent of ‘normal’ capacity for a person of his age.

Covid-19 infection rates are now higher in Wolverhampton than any other part of the Black Country and Birmingham – with just shy of 1,000 people testing positive for the deadly virus in the city in the last week alone.

Latest figures show there were 375.9 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the last seven days and the infection rate in the city is now 27th highest in England; by comparison the next highest area in the region – Dudley – is 50th. Hospitalisations are also rising and the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust currently has around 60 positive Covid-19 patients.

One of the UK’s leading technology educators and innovators CREDERSI have teamed up with Covid testing solutions company DAM Health to create the world’s first virtual reality Covid-19 lab training syllabus.   

The move is aimed at increasing the number of lab technicians being trained in the UK to meet a mass skills shortage and crisis. Research carried out by the Gatsby Foundation prior to COVID-19 indicated that, by 2030, the UK will require a further 700,000 Lab Technicians to support the UK economy.

The UK has ordered 35 million more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be delivered in the second half of 2022.

The government said it was preparing for a programme of Covid boosters to protect the most vulnerable this year. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said that the move was intended to future-proof our vaccine programme.

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara has recovered from Covid-19 and has resumed his duties. The presidency said the head of state tested positive for the virus at the beginning of the month.

The president was earlier said to have been self-isolating after coming into contact with a person who tested positive. The office did not at the time mention that the president had tested positive.

“Racism is a public health crisis,” according to a May 2020 statement from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

This means that racism — whether unintentional, unconsciously, or concealed — has affected Black Americans’ access to equal and culturally competent health care. Employees of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a letter to their director alleging “widespread acts of racism and discrimination within CDC that are, in fact, undermining the agency’s core mission” that may have indirectly contributed to that disparity.

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’ annual cycle sportive has this year raised a record-breaking amount after Covid-19 restrictions ensured the postponement of the popular event.

Ride the Reservoir, which this year saw over 500 cyclists take to the roads of Birmingham and the surrounding areas for the 7^th year running has raised over a staggering £58,000 for local hospice care. The event, which invites cyclists of all abilities to take on one of three challenging routes, took place on Sunday July 18 as temperatures peaked at 30 degrees providing extremely tough conditions for those taking part.

With the late August Bank Holiday approaching, health professionals are reminding patients and the public to plan ahead with a ‘five-step check’ to stay well. On Monday August 30, GP practices and some pharmacies will be closed or operating reduced hours, however a range of healthcare options remain available.

Dr Richard Mendelsohn, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “On a Bank Holiday, we know that people would much rather be spending their free time with family and friends, rather than worrying about whether they have the medication they need or where to get care and treatment.

Responding to the latest set of performance figures released by NHS England for July 2021, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Katherine Henderson, said: “The NHS has been running hot for months now and these figures show we are nearly at boiling point.
“We are worried that the public think that things are getting back to normal on the virtual eve of a further reduction in restrictions, and messages from the centre that says things are OK are disingenuous – the reality is that the health service is really struggling.

“Four-hour performance has sunk to its lowest ever level, we have levels of 12 hour waits we would usually associate with winter, and July saw the second highest ever number of attendances across emergency care units. Yet there is no sign of rescue ahead of winter. Despite our calls for action, crowding is back with us and is compromising patient care.”

Primark shoppers will be able to grab a COVID-19 vaccination and some great value summer fashion at the same time at the world’s largest Primark store this weekend.

Primark’s destination store in the heart of Birmingham will be home to a temporary NHS COVID-19 vaccination clinic, until Monday 16 August 2021. The walk-in clinic in Primark Birmingham will offer savvy shoppers, on the hunt for this season’s must-haves, a quick and easy opportunity to get their first or second Pfizer vaccination.

A Solihull couple who stepped out to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society in a unique sea shanty themed walking challenge, are encouraging people to take on their own walking challenge this Autumn.

Caroline Daniels and Bob Manekshaw walked over 10 miles as part of Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk, all while singing sea shanties throughout the route, in memory of their mothers who both passed away with dementia. The couple took part in the charity’s virtual walk in March, with the in-person event returning to Birmingham’s Sutton Park following a year’s hiatus on 11 September, 2021.

Staff working for the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull have been recognised for their incredible contributions to healthcare over the last year and beyond. Announced during a special, virtual awards ceremony, 10 individuals or teams from NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have been praised for their efforts.

The special winners were chosen from almost 120 nominations in seven different categories, submitted by colleagues from across the organisation. Winners included a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion network for general practice staff, doctors who have been paving the way in implementing national schemes, teams who have had to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic quickly and effectively and more.