Friday 10 December 2021
Public: coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for Devon on our website
Please pass this onto district, borough, parish and town councillors as appropriate. The bulletin can be shared as a link by clicking the 'View it as a Web page' link at the top. Find previous bulletins on our web page.
Do it for Devon
Stick with us and keep following the guidance to keep everyone safe and well.
We need the support of local residents and visitors to keep Devon safe. While cases are high, everybody needs to continue to act carefully and remain cautious.
Keep up to date with the latest government coronavirus guidance.
#RespectProtectEnjoy #DoItForDevon
Our Director of Public Health Devon, Steve Brown, has welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement of additional measures to curb the rising cases of coronavirus.
New additional measures include:
- from Monday 13 December, guidance to work from home for those who can
- from Friday 10 December, mandatory face masks will be extended to most public venues, including theatres and cinemas
- from Wednesday 15 December, the NHS COVID pass will be mandatory for entry into nightclubs and venues where larger crowds gather
Steve Brown, Devon’s Director of Public Health said:
“I welcome the move to introduce additional measures to curb the rise in cases of coronavirus, including the emerging Omicron variant.
“Case rates in Devon remain above the England average, and if we want to see that reversed – especially now that we’re into the colder winter months – we need to see some changes.
“Requirements to more routinely wear face coverings, and the guidance now for people to work from home if possible, are good additional measures.
“Little is known yet about the Omicron variant, although it’s suggested that it is more transmissible than the Delta variant.
“As cases of the new variant rise, we expect to see that pattern in Devon, with the likelihood that it overtakes the Delta variant to become the dominant strain across the country.
“We are monitoring the data very closely and will continue to take appropriate measures to curb transmission where we see outbreak situations.”
Please continue to follow our public health advice.
CCG Members' briefing - coronavirus vaccination in Devon
Please see below for the latest coronavirus vaccination briefing for Members from NHS Devon, Devon’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG):
You can view current and previous copies on the Provider Engagement Network (PEN) website.
 Ten things to know
With new rules and advice about coronavirus, it’s easy to lose the thread. We’ve listed 10 important things to remember to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Councillors back plans to expand mental health support across North Devon and Torridge
On Wednesday 8 December, Cabinet Members backed plans to retain and reopen four mental health support centres in northern Devon.
The day centres, in Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe and Holsworthy, changed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, from providing face-to-face support, to providing support virtually and over the telephone.
Our Cabinet has supported recommendations to reopen centres in the four towns as hubs, and to expand the support available by introducing outreach services into local communities.
The move means that residents across North Devon and Torridge will be able to access mental health support as easily as people who live in, or close enough to, the towns in which the hubs are based.
Each centre will implement plans to develop the outreach services, with staff, people who use the service, local councillors, and the voluntary sector all working together.
The existing Barnstaple, Bideford and Ilfracombe support centres will reopen when it’s safe to do so under coronavirus guidelines, while the service in Holsworthy will continue to provide its once-weekly morning drop-in sessions in a different building, still in the town.
Read more details from Councillor James McInnes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Services.
 Devon's Director of Public Health urges extra caution in response to Omicron variant
We sent out a special edition of our ConnectMe newsletter to help explain what the Omicron variant is, what the new restrictions are and how they will help to slow the spread of COVID-19. If you missed it, you can catch up via this link.
All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate for ten days, regardless of their age or vaccination status
The government’s guidance has been updated to reflect changes to self-isolation requirements for contacts of people who have been identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
These contacts must stay at home and self-isolate for ten days, even if they are fully vaccinated or aged under 18 years and six months.
If you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 that has not been identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant, and you are fully vaccinated or aged under 18 years and six months old, you are not required to self-isolate.
You may be entitled to a one-off payment of £500 through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme if you are required to stay at home and self-isolate or you are the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate.
COVID-19 booster programme expands in Devon, but please wait your turn
All eligible adults in England aged 18 years old and over will be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine by the end of January.
But younger people are being urged to wait until they are called forward – with the more vulnerable continuing to be prioritised for their booster.
Following advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), everyone who is currently eligible – including those aged 40 years old and over, health and social care workers and those at increased risk from the virus due to health conditions – will be able to book their COVID-19 booster vaccine from three months after their second dose. Younger age groups will be invited by the NHS in due course, in age order and grouped into five-year age bands.
To see if you're currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 booster, visit the NHS website.
Double digit spending increase for vulnerable children and adults in Devon
Spending on services for vulnerable children and adults in Devon are set to rise by more than 10 per cent next year.
Devon County Council’s target budget for 2022/23 was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday 8 December, but will not be finalised until February.
The target budget calls for an extra £18.2 million to be spent on adult care and health in the new financial year. That’s an increase of 10.5 per cent. There will be an increase of £11.6 million for children’s services if the budget is ratified. That’s a rise of 10.8 per cent.
But Devon’s Director of Finance, Angie Sinclair, warned that the pressures on both services were continuing to mount.
“This year significant pressures are continuing to be experienced within Devon and across the country,” she told councillors.
“Adult care and health and children’s services in particular are continuing to experience in-year, operational pressures. Many of these current year pressures are translating into budget pressures for 2022/23.”
 Additional funding to help keep Devon’s hospitals flowing this winter
Devon County Council and NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have announced additional funding to help keep hospitals flowing this winter, with a one-off £3 million payment for domiciliary care staff.
The announcement follows a conference last week, that we hosted, at which care providers highlighted low pay as one of a range of reasons why they struggle to attract and keep care workers.
Cllr James McInnes, Cabinet Member responsible for adult care and health, said:
“We’ve successfully secured around £2.4 million from the government’s Workforce Capacity funding, and NHS Devon CCG is topping it up to a little over £3 million with the aim of reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and getting patients home again as soon as they’re well enough.
“It’s part of our wider commitment to support the care sector, which is experiencing the biggest care worker shortage the industry has seen.”
But the whole care market, not just domiciliary care, needs proper, lasting funding, and we’re stepping up our call on the government to ‘level the playing field’, between the NHS and adult social care. Read more on our news pages.
Over 50s urged to have free flu vaccine
The UK Health Security Agency has warned that there could be a significant flu surge this winter, coinciding with continuing or rising COVID-19 cases.
This is caused by colder weather, increased social contact indoors and expected lower natural immunity to flu because of lower levels in circulation last winter.
Modelling by the Academy of Medical Sciences suggests that hospital admissions and deaths from flu this winter could be double that of a 'normal' year.
People over 50 in Devon are being urged to take up their free NHS flu vaccine as soon as they're invited to do so.
The COVID-19 vaccine does not protect against flu, so it's vital to have both the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to reduce your chances of becoming unwell and needing hospital treatment.
NHS Devon's Primary Care Medical Director, Dr Alex Degan, says:
"Many of the measures we take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 also help to prevent people catching flu, including staying at home if you feel unwell, washing your hands regularly and covering your mouth and nose if you cough or sneeze.
“The best way to avoid catching and spreading flu is by having the vaccination before the flu season starts."
Visit the NHS website to find a pharmacy near you offering the flu vaccine.
 Support available for people struggling this winter
We know that sudden unexpected living costs can create real challenges for people who are experiencing financial hardship.
The government's Household Support Fund is available to provide rapid short-term support to help those who are struggling to afford food, energy and water bills, and other related essentials this winter.
The scheme, which runs until Thursday 31 March 2022, can also be used for things like emergency boiler and heating repairs, travel costs, warm clothing, cleaning products and laundry costs, phone bills and the repairing or replacing of essential white goods in the home.
To access support, you must be a Devon resident, over the age of 16 years old and be without sufficient resources to meet your immediate short-term needs.
Applications are made through Devon’s district and unitary councils, so if you’re struggling with the cost of household essentials this winter, please contact them for details about what support is available in your area and how to apply.
We have also partnered with Citizens Advice Devon to help eligible households using pre-paid meters, who are struggling to meet their fuel bills. For more information please visit the Citizens Advice Devon website.
The Growth Hub service for all: Thrive
A new business support programme has been launched, offering a range of business training and support services for the self-employed and small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
Up to 600 businesses will be supported through the Heart of the South West Growth Hub’s new Thrive programme.
The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities with match funding from the Growth Hub and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The programme aims to stimulate economic development through improving SME productivity, competitiveness, helping them to grow, create jobs and reach new markets.
New role for former Nightingale Hospital Exeter
The former NHS Nightingale Hospital in Exeter is to be re-purposed to help reduce waiting lists for medical appointments and treatments that have built up due to the pandemic.
From this month, the facility will provide a range of services to non-COVID-19 patients living across Devon, including:
- Centre of Excellence of Eyes - a high volume cataract and diagnostic hub for ophthalmology
- Southwest Ambulatory Orthopaedic Centre - two operating theatres for day case and short stay elective orthopaedic procedures
- Devon Diagnostic Centre - a community diagnostic hub
- Rheumatology - the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust's rheumatology service
A spokesperson for NHS Devon said:
"We know that waiting lists continue to grow, particularly for our orthopaedic and ophthalmology services, and as an off-site elective facility for non-COVID-19 patients, the Nightingale will allow us to care for an increased number of patients and pilot the separation of elective services from our hospital sites to better protect elective care across Devon."
Visit the Nightingale website for more information.
Members’ Bulletins over Christmas and New Year
This issue is your final Members’ Bulletin for 2021.
We will circulate your next Members’ Bulletin on Friday 7 January 2022.
Please continue to refer to direct messages from Democratic Services and the COVID-19 ConnectMe bulletin over the forthcoming weeks.
Useful contacts:
Members' Area
Don't forget your new Members' Area SharePoint site is your one-stop-shop to access resources to aid you in your role as a Devon County Councillor. Key documents from the Council's various service areas, including induction resources, are posted in the Document library, and the Who's who? highlights the best person for you to contact for an efficient resolution.
By pulling together across the Council, with our partners and our communities, we are doing everything we can to help us all through this incredibly difficult time. Thank you to you and your community and stay safe and well.
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