Coventry & Warwickshire COVID-19 Portal

 

Coronavirus briefing for Coventry and Warwickshire on Sunday 12 April 2020

LATEST NATIONAL PICTURE 

• As of 9am 11 April, 334,974 people have been tested, of whom 78,991 tested positive. The tests concluded figure excludes data from Northern Ireland.

• As of 5pm on 10 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 9,875 have died.

• Boris Johnson has said he owes his life to the NHS staff treating him for coronavirus. The prime minister, 55, thanked medics at St Thomas' hospital in London, where he continues to recover after spending three nights in intensive care.

• A statement from Downing Street by the Home Secretary on 11 April 2020 can be found here. During the speech the Home Secretary outlined support for domestic abuse victims.  

• The latest health advice is available here 

LATEST LOCAL PICTURE

The latest figures published by GOV.uk and PHE are: As of 9am on 11 April 2020, there are a total 10,368 cases in the Midlands. In Coventry and Warwickshire this is broken down as follows:

• Coventry: 357 (previous day 335) 

• Warwickshire: 554 (previous day 513) 

CORONAVIRUS LOCAL MEDIA HEADLINES

19 heroes from the NHS have died fighting coronavirus

Coventry Telegraph (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed 

A total of 19 health workers have died so far fighting Covid-19 on our behalves. The tragic figure was revealed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock after England's Chief Nursing Officer Ruth May declined to give a figure. It comes as Coventry and Warwickshire continues to fight against coronavirus, with more than 800 confirmed cases and 140 deaths. Ms May told reporters: "It would be inappropriate for me right now to go into listing them and numbering them because we haven't got necessarily all of the position across England with all of the people's families giving us permission to talk about them." 

Coronavirus: Remembering the NHS workers who have died

BBC (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed

FALLEN HEROES Matt Hancock says 19 NHS staff have died during coronavirus pandemic

The Sun Online, 11/04/2020, p.1, Unattributed

Hancock pays tribute to `members of NHS family'' who have died

North Wales Chronicle (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed

These are the NHS workers who have died from coronavirus

The Daily Telegraph Online, 11/04/2020, p.1, Unattributed

NHS worker based at St Cross Hospital in Rugby dies

Coventry Telegraph (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed 

A staff member who worked at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby has passed away. The NHS frontline worker's death has been announced by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. Though the trust did not give any information about how the death occurred, it comes amid widespread concern about hospital and healthcare staff on the frontlines of the battle against Covid-19. Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, said: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm that a member of staff at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, has sadly passed away."

NHS worker based at St Cross Hospital in Rugby dies

Coventry Telegraph (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed

Coronavirus: Rugby hospital nurse dies of suspected Covid-19

BBC (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed

MATRON'S JOB COST HER LIFE

Sunday Mirror, 12/04/2020, p.6, John Siddle, Patrick Hill; John Kelly

Matt Hancock pays tribute to ''members of the NHS family'' who have died

Lancashire Evening Post (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed

Tragic death of nurse who met PM

The People, 12/04/2020, p.9, John Siddle; Patrick Hill; john Kelly

Tragic mother of miracle quads was 'infected working at Heathrow job'

The Mail on Sunday, 12/04/2020, p.21, Abul Taher

Selfless NHS nurse known as ''Mummy Lei''dies after contracting coronavirus

Coventry Telegraph (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed

HAIL YOUR HEROES Sun readers thank unsung heroes making a difference during coronavirus crisis

The Sun Online, 12/04/2020, p.1, Unattributed

Tributes paid to three more nurses as NHS death toll rises

Reading Chronicle (Web), 12/04/2020, Unattributed

TRAGIC NHS VICTIMS

The Sun, 12/04/2020, p.9, Amir Razavi

New warning as NHS Trusts forced to deploy CCTV after thefts of masks and sanitiser

Coventry Telegraph, 26/03/2020, p.7, Josh Layton 

A fresh warning has been issued about the thefts of hand-sanitisers and face masks from hospitals - with CCTV being deployed to catch the culprits. Essential kit and toilet rolls have gone missing from already stretched wards since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic. Warwick and University Hospital in Coventry have both been hit, with gels vital to preventing the spread of Covid-19 being blatantly ripped off walls in corridors. However, a sterner warning has now been issued by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT), which runs Warwick Hospital, "While we understand that people are concerned, it is extremely disappointing that hand-sanitiser and other equipment that helps to keep our staff and patients safe is being stolen from our Trust." 

The location of the 163 coronavirus deaths in Coventry and Warks

Coventry Telegraph (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed 

60 people have died from Covid-19 in the Coventry region in the last seven days. The number of people who have died after contracting coronavirus in Coventry and Warwickshire has risen to 163. George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust reported 32 deaths, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust reported 42 deaths and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust reported 89 deaths.

BORIS' TRIBUTE Boris Johnson told NHS medics ‘I owe you my life’ and gave them ovation from hospital bed after leaving intensive care

The Sun Online, 11/04/2020, p.1, Unattributed 

Boris Johnson has spoken for the first time of his virus ordeal telling medics: “I owe you my life.” The PM showed appreciation by clapping his medics just two hours after being wheeled out of intensive care and back to a normal ward at St Thomas’ Hospital. Former Tory communications chief Carrie, 32, printed out news images of doctors and nurses — including one from George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, Warks, which showed medics spelling out “Get well soon Boris”. 

Doctors only realised Boris wasn't coming into hospital when they saw him clapping the NHS on TV

The Mail on Sunday, 12/04/2020, p.8, Harry Cole

They were HORROR AT HOME: PAGES 6 AND 7 exemplary blessed Easter. ELIZABETH R.

The Sun, 12/04/2020, p.4, David Wooding; michael Hamilton

Coronavirus cases in Birmingham and the Midlands, mapped

The Daily Telegraph Online, 11/04/2020, p.1, Unattributed 

Accident and Emergency department at Coventry's University Hospital is no longer treating minor injuries or illness for adults, while Birmingham's NEC is preparing in case it is required to double as a field hospital. Elsewhere, Birmingham Airport could serve as a mortuary if the need for the facility arose. Sandwell Council said it was working "with and on behalf of" local authorities in the West Midlands and Warwickshire "on mortuary provision across the region".

Hospital: We have plans to cope with surge in demand

Coventry Telegraph, 26/03/2020, p.10, Claire Harrison 

A Coventry resident, who did not want to be named, claimed that the intensive care unit at the George Eliot Hospital is full and patients are being treated in operating theatres. A Trust Spokesperson said: "As in hospitals across the country, George Eliot staff are pulling out all the stops to care for patients with coronavirus and to plan and prepare for the surge in cases we know is coming."

CORONAVIRUS BROADCAST HEADLINES

Warwick Hospital featured

BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire, Breakfast, 11/04/2020, 08:10:20, 5:0

University hospitals in Coventry and Warwickshire recorded two deaths through Corona virus on Friday. There were nine at the George Eliot hospital and three at Warwick hospital.

CORONAVIRUS NATIONAL MEDIA HEADLINES

Cancer deaths set to soar

The Sunday Express, 12/04/2020, p.8, Lucy Johnston 

Cancer deaths caused by the indirect effects of Covid-19 on the NHS will outstrip the number predicted to die from the virus, experts have warned. The eventual figure will be far higher than the 20,000 projected UK fatalities caused by coronavirus, researchers said. Leading medics are conducting analysis to work out the exact impact of the UK's lockdown on cancer patients. They believe the findings will show an urgent need to rethink the current pandemic health policy, citing major disruptions to cancer services and care. 

Our NHS heroes pay a heavy price virus

The Sunday Express, 12/04/2020, p.6, Jon Coates 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has paid tribute to the NHS workers who have died from coronavirus. Yesterday's death toll was a drop from 980 on Friday, which remains Britain's worst day so far. With total fatalities reaching 9,875 yesterday, Britain is set to hit the 10,000-¬death milestone today. Thirty¬ three of the 823 new fatalities in England had no known underlying health conditions. They were aged 29 to 94. Scotland yesterday confirmed a further 47 deaths, Wales had 32 and Northern Ireland 15.

MATRON'S JOB COST HER LIFE

Sunday Mirror, 12/04/2020, p.6, John Siddle, Patrick Hill; John Kelly 

Worcestershire nurse dies while self-isolating at home with coronavirus symptoms

ITV.com (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed 

Tributes paid to three more nurses as NHS death toll rises

ITV.com (Web), 11/04/2020, Unattributed 

GONE TOO SOON

The Sun, 12/04/2020, p.9, Amir Razavi 

Death of consultant who lived for NHS

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.9, Victoria Ward 

Tragic death of nurse who met PM

The People, 12/04/2020, p.9, John Siddle; Patrick Hill; john Kelly 

TRAGIC NHS VICTIMS

The Sun, 12/04/2020, p.9, Amir Razavi 

PATEL VOWS TO ACT OVER FEARS ON PPE

The Sunday Express, 12/04/2020, p.6, David Williamson 

Home Secretary Priti Patel said yesterday she was "sorry" if people felt there were failures supplying NHS staff with vital coronavirus safety kit. She said there was "exponential" demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the global health pandemic and the Government was working to address this. NHS England's national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said it was "absolutely critical" PPE was distributed to all frontline workers "so that they not only are protected but they feel safe". He said the Government was "working night and day to ensure we procure the PPE that we need".

Priti Patel 'apology' over PPE falls short, Labour says

The Independent Daily Edition, 12/04/2020, p.3, Andrew Woodcock 

'I'm sorry if people feel there have been failings'

The Independent Daily Edition, 12/04/2020, p.1, Andrew Woodcock 

I can't thank them enough ... I owe them my life

The Sunday Express, 12/04/2020, p.1, David Maddox 

Boris Johnson has paid a heartfelt tribute to the NHS staff who looked after him in intensive care, saying: "I can't thank them enough, I owe them my life." Friends said the Prime Minister was "euphoric" after starting his recovery from coronavirus - and told them the care he received had been "exemplary".

It was 50-50 with Boris. An aide said: 'I'm going to pray'

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.8, Tim Shipman 

'We all think we're invincible': how PM's illness shocked the Cabinet

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.2, Unattributed 

Doctors only realised Boris wasn't coming into hospital when they saw him clapping the NHS on TV

The Mail on Sunday, 12/04/2020, p.8, Harry Cole 

Boris: the NHS saved my life

The Mail on Sunday, 12/04/2020, p.1, Harry Cole 

PM praises NHS for saving his life as nurses told to refuse to work over PPE

ITV.com (Web), 12/04/2020, Unattributed 

PM praises the NHS for saving him

Sunday Mirror, 12/04/2020, p.21, Karen Rockett 

Doctors put faith in WhatsApp groups for treatment advice

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.5, Unattributed 

As the NHS grapples with the most acute challenge in its 72-year history, doctors have begun to reveal the crucial role the Facebook-owned free messaging service is playing in fighting the virus. Prof Mike Grocott, vice president of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, is a member of "at least" four NHS-related groups, some of which have 256 members, the maximum allowed by WhatsApp. In normal times, treatment guidelines are set out in carefully considered protocols published by the medical royal colleges, NHS England and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, based on "gold standard" peer-reviewed evidence published in scientific journals.

Malaria drug championed by Trump used on NHS wards

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.4, Unattributed 

Coronavirus patients in NHS hospitals have begun receiving a controversial anti-malarial drug, as leaks reveal fear among staff that global stocks will run out. Barts in London and the Royal Devon and Exeter are among trusts handing out hydroxychloroquine, described by US President Donald Trump as a "game-changer", in a bid to keep seriously ill Covid-19 patients alive. The medication has been incorporated into the Chinese guidance for the management of the virus. However, the NHS has so far "strongly discouraged" use of the drug other than in the hospital trials because evidence of usefulness is so limited.

Ex-health minister Darzi mastering new skills to join intensive care unit

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.9, Unattributed 

Lord Darzi, the eminent surgeon and former health minister, has joined doctors on the coronavirus front line, after taking part in online training to prepare for the switch to working on an intensive care unit (ICU). Lord Darzi, who holds the Paul Hamlyn chair of surgery at Imperial College, London, began work at the ICU at Imperial College NHS trust's St Mary's Hospital, on Tuesday. He wanted to "set an example" to other medics amid "a lot of fear" about treating Covid-19 patients. He is also a member of the NHS England board.

Biotech feels the pinch as crisis proves a trial for clinical research

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.6, Unattributed 

As scientists across the world scramble to develop a vaccine for coronavirus, swathes of pharmaceutical companies have been forced to press pause on clinical trials. Hundreds of trials in the UK have either been cancelled or delayed as laboratories refocus their resources to prioritise front-line care for Covid-19 patients. "Covid has had a devastating effect on everything that we do, the way we work, our personal lives and it's had a devastating effect on the NHS, which provides the facilities in which the clinical research is undertaken," says William van't Hoff, chief executive of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

NHS phone app holds key to lifting lockdown

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.1, Tim Shipman; Nick Rufford 

Ministers have ordered the creation of an NHS mobile phone app the government hopes will help end the coronavirus lockdown. The app would allow mobile phones to trace users who have come into contact with infected people, alerting them to get tested. This would make it possible to start lifting the most stringent social-distancing measures from late next month, ministers hope. Senior sources say NHSX, the health service's technology arm, has been working on the app with Google and Apple at "breakneck speed". Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is considering how to incentivise people to install the app. Experts say the "track and trace" concept only works effectively if 60pc of people adopt it.

Experts fear spike in cases when families gather for Ramadan

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.2, Nicholas Hellen; Andrew Gregory; Christina Lamb 

A doctor at an NHS trust where about four out of 10 patients admitted for Covid-19 are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (Bame) background, has warned of the risk of a "big spike" in cases as Britain's three million Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan. The warning comes after the British Medical Association called for an inquiry into why people from such backgrounds - including the first 10 doctors to be named as fatalities - appear more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

AIR AID FOR NHS HEROES

The Sun, 12/04/2020, p.48, Unattributed 

Airline crews from across the travel industry have come together to launch Project Wingman - a scheme to ease the pressure on frontline NHS staff during the coronavirus crisis. The project creates an atmosphere of a small airline lounge in hospitals for doctors, nurses and other NHS staff, where they can unwind, de-stress, off-load problems or simply have a chat with airline staff. There are currently more than 1,200 volunteer crew from different airlines in the UK, including Norwegian, easyJet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, TUI, Flybe, Jet2 and Loganair on hand to help NHS staff during and after their shifts throughout the day.

'It's beyond frustrating': overseas medics blocked from helping UK fight emergency

The Observer, 12/04/2020, p.11, Nosheen Iqbal 

A petition co-ordinated by RefuAid and Help Refugees is lobbying the GMC to apply its emergency powers to hundreds of refugee doctors who have already passed English language and written exams with the GMC, but are unable to work on the frontline as their final exams in clinical care have been cancelled. Last Thursday, NHS England announced it was recruiting medical support workers, a new role aimed at deploying medical students and refugee doctors in auxiliary roles. The GMC permits these doctors to help as part of clinical care teams, but not as registered doctors able to appropriately use their skills and experience. 

Red tape stops 21 stranded doctors helping the NHS

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.7, Dipesh Gadher 

FAILING THE TEST

The Sun, 12/04/2020, p.8, Nick Parker; Nick Pisa; Graeme Culliford 

NHS heroes are still being tested for coronavirus at a snail's pace at shambolic drive-through centres. Health Secretary Matt Hancock's pledge of 100,000 tests a day by the end of April looks unlikely with a current daily rate of 18,000, just 7,000 more than a week earlier.

Deep-sea divers move in to help hospitals

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.1, Andrew Gregory 

More than 500 deep-sea divers with experience of coping with breathing difficulties have been drafted in to help the NHS treat critically ill coronavirus patients. The divers are all medical technicians who are experts in managing oxygen flow. A two-page alert notice sent by NHS England to medical directors said some hospitals were "drawing more oxygen from their tanks than the maximum flow for which they were designed". This increases the risk of tanks freezing, which could "cause flow to drop unexpectedly, compromising supply to patients". The divers' experience of the use of oxygen in tanks may help doctors identify and rectify any problems in supply before they become serious.

GPs tell patients to buy their own oxygen amid NHS shortages

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.4, Gabriel Pogrund; tim Ripley 

GPs are advising patients with respiratory diseases to buy oxygen privately amid shortages of the gas across the NHS. Last week hospitals were warned to urgently consider limiting how many patients were given oxygen simultaneously. Hospitals usually have a pipeline to pump liquid oxygen from a central store to the wards, but most do not have the capacity to meet the demand from the number of patients they are treating with Covid-19. BOC Group, a German owned industrial gas company, which is thought to be the largest oxygen supplier to the NHS, said on Friday night it had been training military drivers, but that it currently had a "sufficient" number of staff available.

One in five dental practices going down the tube

The Sunday Times, 12/04/2020, p.4, Andrew Gregory 

Millions of patients face being left without a dentist as one in five practices are on the brink of collapse this month. A sharp loss of income since the government banned all routine dental care during the coronavirus crisis has crippled practices, with many poised to close permanently. Some have already been forced out of business. A British Dental Association (BDA) survey of 2,800 practices found 71.5pc said they could stay "financially sustainable" for only three months at the most. 

Staff must expose scandal says hero heart doc

Sunday Mirror, 12/04/2020, p.4, John Siddle 

A doctor who lost his job for speaking out about NHS failings urged coronavirus whistle blowers not to be bullied into silence. Heart consultant Kevin Beatt, won GBP907,000 in damages last month after being unfairly sacked for exposing staffing shortages, run-down equipment and workplace bullying. The Department for Health said: "Whistle blowers perform a vital and courageous service." NHS England would not comment.

Give our NHS heroes reward they deserve

The Mail on Sunday, 12/04/2020, p.122, Unattributed 

In many hospitals, doctors and nurses are being asked to treat Covid-19 patients without adequate protection. And it appears that the bigger the load carers are exposed to, the worse their own illnesses turn out to be. Retired doctors and nurses who have answered the call to help are being likened to kamikaze pilots. The overwhelming majority of NHS staff will do what they have been trained to do. This is their time to shine and be applauded. However, let's not resurrect that corny old label 'angels'. They are more like soldiers being instructed to go over the top, armed only with masks, gloves and flimsy aprons against an invisible enemy. 

Distressed, unable to sleep - how much longer before our NHS workers burn out?

The Independent Daily Edition, 12/04/2020, p.28, Alison Leary 

Comment: The UK is currently caught in a pandemic which is putting an enormous demand on the NHS and social care. The NHS is its workforce and its reach extends from intensive care units in acute hospitals to community pharmacy. It's a big complex system with a very diverse yet purposeful workforce of more than one and a half million people with a commitment to a common mission that many other sectors can only dream of. 

Hospitals on brink of running out of gowns 

The Sunday Telegraph, 12/04/2020, p.3, Edward Malnick and Laura Donnelly 

Some NHS trusts are resorting to flying in supplies of personal protective equipment from China because of a UK shortage. The disclosures emerged alongside a new Government plan to tackle low supplies PPE, with any company that can produce such kit now asked to sign up. NHS Providers yesterday issued an alert about "critically low levels of stock of clinical gowns in some trusts". It came hours after Public Health England relaxed its guidance, saying that medical staff could wear coveralls if gowns were not available. Separately, The Telegraph can disclose that Public Health England and the NHS took four years to publish updated guidance on controlling the spread of infections in hospitals after the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group suggested that intensive care units should be designated as "hot spots" in the event of an influenza pandemic. 

ACTIONS TAKEN 

• Sharing further messages around GP and pharmacy opening over the Easter Bank Holiday 

• Preparing new messages for extension of lockdown

• Monitoring latest updates from Public Health England and GOV.UK 

• Social media monitoring for local areas, local hospitals and retweeting PHE, NHS messages on Coronavirus advice is ongoing 

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

• None

STATEMENTS ISSUED

• None