Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents all faiths in the UK, said there was “nervousness” in the area with the “speed and scale” in which free trials have been reduced, adding that members “would prefer”. to maintain the policy in force “until we overcome this”. The move comes at a time when infection levels have broken records: one in 13 people in England contracted the virus last week, according to the National Statistics Office (ONS). This amounts to 4.1 million infected people. Hospital admissions have also risen in recent weeks, indicating that the NHS is still at “significant risk” of the virus, Mr Hopson told The Independent. Under current guidelines, free trials will continue to be provided for hospital patients and staff treating patients who remain vulnerable to Covid-19 and are eligible for community drug treatment, residents of care homes and people working in certain high-risk environments. , such as prisons. Along with numerous campaign teams and scientists, NHS trusts are particularly concerned about the prospect of poorer communities carrying even more disease burden due to their inability to afford regular examinations. “One of the issues is inequality, where we are now in a position where people are potentially better able to take care of their health, if they can afford to get tested, compared to those who can’t,” he said. Mr Hopson. “This feels deeply uncomfortable as the NHS relies on the fundamental principle of free on-site care, based on clinical need rather than solvency. “This impact on health inequalities is the concern I hear most from our members.” The poorest parts of England have been hit hardest by the pandemic, with a recent analysis by the Independent showing that at least 30 per cent more coronavirus deaths occurred in these areas in the first six weeks of the year. Distinct ONS data also show that the country’s poorest regions are at greater risk of re-infection, with the now dominant Omicron subtype, known as BA.2, known to be able to infect humans repeatedly over a period of months. Although Hopson acknowledged that the government had “difficult decisions” to make in managing “cost-compensation and public health protection”, he warned that details of the new hospital testing regime could have a negative impact on functions. Previously, patients who had registered for surgery had to undergo PCR examination in the days before their appointment. “We knew where the people were before they came to the hospital,” said Mr Hopson. Now, patients must return a negative result through a lateral flow test “before admission,” says NHS guidance. “There is a nervousness that when switching to daily LFT tests, unlike advanced PCR tests, where trusts provided results before patients traveled, we will see more people come and say, ‘I did not understand. It was written to do a test.’ LFT “, said Mr. Hopson. “This could mean higher levels of cancellations per day, right where we are trying to maximize optional performance. “Trust leaders are nervous about the impact of making small changes that may seem small, when in fact they could have quite a significant operational impact. “We will have to work out the details of what exactly this new regime means.” Fears are also growing about the persistence of nosocomial infections (HAI) as BA.2 continues to spread across the UK. In the past 28 days, 23.7 percent of people in a hospital with Covid have contracted the virus after being admitted for a separate health problem, according to data. Although free examinations for patients and their doctors and nurses will continue to be available, support staff and guests are not eligible. That risks repeatedly exposing already sick patients to the virus, Mr Hopson said. “Another area of nervousness is protecting the much larger number of vulnerable and immunosuppressed patients we see in healthcare settings,” he said. With BA.2 bringing the issue of HAI back to the forefront, there is concern that the new testing policy regime could put the most vulnerable patients in trusts at risk, Mr Hopson suggested. “Are we striking the right balance here between, again, the public cost of testing versus ensuring that we do what we can to protect people?” In addition to the threat posed by future infections, the number of people admitted to the hospital, both with and for Covid-19, increased last month, while prevalence levels in the community are currently at record highs. There have been 15,632 people hospitalized in England with Covid since Wednesday, an increase of 18 per cent a week and the highest rate since 19 January.
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News from the UK in photos
April 1, 2022
Queues of freight and passengers waiting to check in at Dover Harbor, Kent, as some ferry services remain suspended at Dover Harbor following the departure of 800 sailors from P&O Ferries without notice PA
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March 31, 2022
A soldier of the Cavalry Cavalry Regiment falls from a horse during a practice to attend the state ceremony around this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Hyde Park in London AP
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March 30, 2022
Sheep in the snow in Shetland SWNS
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March 29, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of York arrive in Thanksgiving for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey in London PA
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March 28, 2022
Artists including dancers from Ukraine are rehearsing for the finale as the Blackpool Tower Circus prepares to reopen after a 1 1 million renovation £ Getty
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March 27, 2022
Players at Bolton Castle near Leiburn, North Yorkshire, watch the players bring to life the story of the Battle of Towton, which took place on March 29, 1461 in a small village near York called Towton PA
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March 26, 2022
Early morning swimmers play with a ball in the sea at Cullercoats Bay on the north east coast of England PA
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March 25, 2022
View of trucks queuing on the A20 near Dover in Kent as freight delays continue in Dover Harbor, where P&O ferries remain suspended after the company fired 800 workers last week without warning. PA
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March 24, 2022
A group of people believed to be migrants are taken to the beach after being transported to Dungeness, Kent, by the RNLI lifeboat following an incident with a small boat in the English Channel. PA
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March 23, 2022
John Shipton, the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, walks with his son’s partner Stella Moris as they leave Belmarsh Prison in London where Moris was to marry Julian Assange. AFP / Getty
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March 22, 2022
A pedestrian looks at the cherry blossom trees in Battersea Park, London AFP / Getty
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March 21, 2022
People walk next to narcissus and cherry blossoms at War Memorial Park in Coventry PA
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March 20, 2022
The Spring Equinox ceremony of the Order of the Druids took place at Tower Hill Terrace in London. The Druids perform a ceremony celebrating the rise of light. Ceridwen, the mother of the earth, brings symbolic seeds that are symbolically sown around a circle. The concern of the Order of the Druids is the evolution of humanity in harmony with the universe and the teaching through open meetings, ceremonies, meditation and ritual PA
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March 19, 2022
People take part in “Stand Up to Racism” march in central London to celebrate UN Day against Racism PA
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March 18, 2022
A dog stroller on Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland PA
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March 17, 2022
Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge unveils a traditional clover sprig in the mascot of the 1st Irish Guards Battalion, the Irish wolf dog Turlough Mor known as Seamus – and drummer Adam Walsh during Opera M parade in the Aldershot, south west of London. AFP / Getty
News from the UK in photos
March 16, 2022
Lenny Boyd, 5, explores the sunflowers during a preview of Van Gogh Alive, a riveting, multi-sensory art experience that combines high-definition views of Van Gogh’s paintings with digital surround sound and Provencal scents in Festival Square. in Edinburgh PA
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March 15, 2022
Crowds in the crowd watch runners and riders in action as Brazil and rider Mark Walsh overcome the Juvenile Handicap Boodles hurdle on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival PA
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March 14, 2022
Nine-year-old Remo wears a police cap belonging to police officer Paul O’Donnell as he speaks to the media at Tulliallan Police College, Scotland Police Headquarters PA
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March 13, 2022
A driver checks the Locomotive 4555 as it rises in steam and prepares to leave the platform at Cranmore Station on the East Somerset Rail PA
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March 12, 2022
Surfers lead the waves at Rest Bay in Porthcawl as yellow wind warns in West Wales over the weekend PA
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March 11, 2022
Members of the Royal Navy walk through Portsmouth during a parade for the freedom of the Royal Navy city PA
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March 10, 2022
A woman walks miniature poodles on the first day of the Crufts dog show at the Birmingham National Exhibition Center PA
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March 9, 2022
A visitor looks at a work of art called “Myth Explored, Explored and Exploded” dating back to 1993, during a press tour of the “Natural History” exhibition dedicated to the British artist Damien Hirst and his formaldehyde sculptures at the Gagosian Kings Gallery Cross, London AFP via Getty Images
News from the UK in photos
March 8, 2022
MPs give a position …
