Healthwatch Bulletin - Health, Social Care and COVID-19 (29.1.21)

This week we have provided a separate bulletin on the COVID-19 vaccination programme This includes details of recent announcements.

Our hard-working NHS, teams of volunteers, and support services have now vaccinated over 200,000 people across Sussex. More than 75% of people aged 80 and over have been vaccinated and Sussex is 7th highest in the country for the number of people age 80 and over that have received their vaccination.

The roll-out gathered pace this week with the opening of the largest vaccination centre in Sussex, at the Brighton Centre. This will mean that thousands more will be able to will receive their vaccinations.

Plans are in place to ensure that housebound people receive their vaccines. A ‘roving’ service involves the vaccination being taken into people’s place of residence to be vaccinated. This is being done by a combination of either the GP-led vaccination services or Sussex Community Foundation NHS Trust

We are on track to meet the target to have vaccinated nearly everyone in the top 4 priority groups by mid-February.

Attached is our bulletin on health and social care, and COVID-19

We have provided updates on:

- our next care home webinar which takes place on Wednesday 24th February. The webinar is for relatives/family carers with loved ones in Care Homes.  This second of three webinars will focus on the impact of long-term restricted visiting/separation from loved ones.

- details of a new disablity survey. To help the government understand the barriers that disabled people face and what it may need to focus upon to improve the lives of disabled people, they are seeking the views form people with disabilities to know more about their experiences.

- data on confirmed COVID cases in our City.