I attended the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on Wednesday, 20 January 2021. It is an extremely worrying time for the Board. Rachel Flowers our director of Public Health, alongside Mike Bell from the hospital and Agnelo Fernandes head of clinical commissioning updated us with some worrying statistics. Every 30 seconds someone is being admitted to hospital in the UK with COVID. Some 35,000 people are in hospital in the UK. Our own hospital CUH is averaging 250 people a day in care, many of which are in need of oxygen and some mechanical ventilation. My thoughts go out to all those families who have lost loved ones and to those who have people ill in the hospital.
On a positive note we do have the vaccination and in Croydon as I write this blog I know that by the weekend it is the intention to have rolled out the vaccination to all the care homes in Croydon. We are the largest provider of care homes in London and I must add my thanks to all the doctors and health care professionals who are working so hard to vaccinate as many of the vulnerable residents in our borough as possible. I know many people in their 80's have already had their first vaccination and they are looking forward to receiving the second one soon.
Guy Van Dichele, our director of Adult Social Care and his team are working very hard to co-ordinate the work programme for all those who need support and care going forward. As we know in some cases it is a long recovery. One of my family members who had COVID in March is still not well and he is only young and had no previous health conditions. My business partner's sister died from COVID and another colleague who works with me has lost his niece in her 30's and has a son in law (again only young) in hospital on ventilation in an induced coma with COVID. We all know of people who are suffering. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone suffering at this time.
Keep safe everyone and stay home if you can. As Rachel always says: "Hands, Face, Space" Please note that this picture was taken prior to the pandemic.
