From July 24^th, members of the public will need to wear face coverings that cover the nose and mouth in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and transport hubs, to help curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Anyone refusing to wear one could be fined up to £100. 

The exceptions to this rule are:

• A child under the age of 11
• An employee of the transport operator, when they are acting in the course of their employment
• A constable or police community support officer acting in the course of their duty
• An emergency responder such as a paramedic or fire officer acting in the course of their duty

There are also a series of factors which the Government describes as a “reasonable excuse”, which also means you don’t have to wear a mask. These are if:

• you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
• putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress
• you are travelling with, or providing assistance to, someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
• you are travelling to avoid injury or escape the risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
• you need to remove it during your journey to avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others
• you need to eat, drink, or take medication you can remove your face covering
• you are asked to remove your face covering by a police officer or other official, for example to check your railcard

From Saturday 1 August, the guidance will be relaxed so clinically extremely vulnerable people will no longer be advised to shield, but support will remain available from NHS volunteers and local councils. People will retain their priority for supermarket delivery slots, and still be able to access help with shopping, medication, phone calls and transport to medical appointments.

While people should continue to follow strict social distancing measures, if you were identified as clinically extremely vulnerable, you will be able to participate in more activities, such as visiting shops and places of worship. Also, those who need to work and cannot do so from home will be able to return as long as the workplace is COVID-19 secure, adhering to the guidance available.

You can read the full guidance here. An easy-read version can be found here.

If you have symptoms of Covid-19, you can get a free NHS test. 

Symptoms of Covid-19 include:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

If you need to get tested, there are a number of Mobile Testing Units in the county. These are updated weekly. Book a test here.

What to expect from the test?

Here are some step-by-step guides as to what to expect from a COVID-19 test.

• COVID-19 Swab test
• Being tested-for COVID-19

For update information, visit the COVID-19 portal (see bottom of page) here.

The NHS in Gloucestershire has eased some of the restrictions around visiting hospitals as part of the next phase of COVID-19 planning.

The restrictions, which were implemented in March to limit the spread of the virus and protect patients, staff and visitors, stopped all visits during the peak of the pandemic.

Since 8 July 2020, a limited number of visits are permitted, as long as visitors adhere to specific guidelines which include wearing a face covering and maintaining 2 metre social distancing.

The updated restrictions apply to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (GRH), Cheltenham General Hospital (CGH) and seven community hospitals in the county:

• Cirencester
• The Dilke (Cinderford)
• Lydney
• Lydney
• North Cotswolds (Moreton-in-Marsh)
• Stroud
• Tewkesbury
• The Vale (Dursley)

They are also applicable to the county’s mental health and learning disability inpatient units:

• Wotton Lawn (Gloucester)
• Charlton Lane (Cheltenham)
• Berkeley House (Stroud)
• Laurel House (Cheltenham)
• Honeybourne (Cheltenham)

All visitors must:

• wear a face covering
• maintain 2 metre social distancing at all times
• follow infection control advice from ward staff
• where possible, visitors are asked to speak to ward staff before planning a visit to schedule their visit

Visiting hours

Visiting hours at Cheltenham General Hospital, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and the Community Hospitals are restricted to 2pm to 6pm, 7 days a week:

• Only 1 visitor (a close family member or carer) may visit for 1 hour per day
• Bays with 4 or 6 beds will be limited to 2 visitors at any one time

People who should not visit the hospital include:

• people with a fever, cough, shortness of breath
• people with symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting (existing/permanent advice)
• children and young people under the age of 16

People over the age of 70, or with a long term health condition are advised to carefully consider their health and wellbeing and speak to ward staff before planning a visit

Maternity wards and units

• 1 person may attend scan appointments with the mother from mid-July
• 1 person will be able to accompany women in labour (please be aware that they may be asked to leave the area if additional healthcare staff are needed to assist with the birth)
• 1 partner may be present at the start of an induction on the maternity ward for one and a half hours
• After birth, 1 visitor is permitted to visit for one hour per day

Children’s Ward at GRH

Open visiting which can be arranged with the nurse in charge, with the following restrictions:

• 2 visitors per child at any one time
• visiting to children’s wards is restricted to parents/ carers only
• no siblings or other family members should visit 
• 2 visitors are allowed on the neonatal ward at any one time

Mental health and Learning Disability services

1 visitor may visit for 1 hour per day.

Recognising the particular complexity of mental health and learning disability services and the need for human contact in many therapies, additional visiting may be arranged where the welfare and wellbeing of the individual would be at risk if visiting was restricted. A local protocol which includes wearing a face covering and 2 metre social distancing will be followed for these situations.

Compassionate grounds

Exceptions may be made for relatives hoping to visit on compassionate grounds. These visitors are being asked to telephone the ward and speak to staff if they wish to visit outside the specified hours.

You can also see what NHS services are available here.

Co-production Week was back for the fifth year to celebrate the benefits of co-production, share good practice and promote the contribution of people who use services and carers in developing better public services.

Co-production is about working in equal partnership with people using services, carers, families and citizens. Co-production offers the chance to transform social care and health provision to a model that offers people real choice and control.

This year, the theme was ‘Co-production in a changing world’. 

• Watch Tim Heaven and Jan Marriott (Co-chairs of the Learning Disability Partnership Board) talk to Vicci Livingstone-Thompson (CEO of Inclusion Gloucestershire) about what co-production means in Gloucestershire - Doing things together (Co-production)
• Jan Marriott also wrote an article which you can read here.

We would love to hear your feedback or contributions, so if you have anything which you want to share, or have a question to ask us, email us here. 

All our previous bulletins can be found on our website here. For a directory of COVID-19 related resources, visit Inclusion Gloucestershire's dedicated webpage here.

If you were emailed this bulletin by someone else, or found it on social media, and wish to receive it directly to your email inbox next time, click here to subscribe.

Are you blind or partially sighted and live in Gloucestershire?

Whether you are anxious about social distancing when travelling, or have faced challenges ordering your online food shop, we want to hear your concerns and your suggestions. We are working closely with Gloucestershire Council and local health settings, to ensure local providers understand the challenges the pandemic has raised for blind and partially sighted people in Gloucestershire. We are dedicated to making positive change and giving blind people in the area a voice.  We want to hear your views to help us shape our future work.

The Gloucestershire Sight Loss Council, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust and led by blind and partially sighted volunteers, advocates the needs, and campaigns on behalf of, blind and partially sighted people in the area.

They are running a short survey to capture your experiences of the pandemic. Your feedback will be vital in helping us campaign on the COVID-19 issues that matter to you in Gloucestershire. The survey is open until 31^st July.

If you are not online, you can ring this telephone number 020 89961937 and someone will ring you back and help you complete it over the telephone.

COVID-19 Resources

Bristol and Gloucestershire Sight Loss Councils have been working to create guidance leaflets on social distancing and assisting blind and partially sighted people in various settings during COVID-19.

You can find best practice guides/tips here.

• How can health settings support blind or partially sighted people
• Buses
• Public buildings
• Shops
• Taxis
• Trains

Can spare a few minutes to help get the voices of older people heard? 

As we begin to move past the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions loosen for some people, there is still lots to learn about the effects of the lockdown, in particular on older people across Gloucestershire.

Age UK Gloucestershire are committed to hearing older people’s voices and want to hear from as many people as possible, so that they can plan, inform and raise awareness of the issues that older people are facing. They have therefore designed their survey “Raise Your Voice” and now need help to distribute as widely as possible to older people across the county. 

You can access the electronic version of the survey here.  The link is also on the home page of the website here. It won’t take too long to complete but will help make sure as many different voices as possible are heard.

CCP are setting up some Mindfulness taster sessions on Zoom for all to try!

The aim of the sessions are to support people with stress, anxiety, depression with learning self-help tips and techniques.

No previous experience of mindfulness is required.  You just need access to Zoom, a chair or cushion (and if comfortable on the floor) space to lie down, if you wish to. There will be some seated mindfulness practices, a body scan (this can be done lying down) and some gentle yoga stretches. 

The sessions will be 11am -12pm on:

Tues 4th Aug -   What is Mindfulness? 

Tues 18th Aug -  Stress and how can mindfulness help

Tues 25th Aug - Dealing with difficult thoughts and emotions

For more information, contact James Baker by email or 07593 446 894.

Suicide Crisis is a Gloucestershire-based charity supporting those who are suicidal because of a traumatic experience. The charity has two parts – the Suicide Crisis Centre and the Trauma Centre.  A lot of the work  at the Trauma Centre is about early intervention, because people who experience trauma-related conditions (such as PTSD and dissociation) are at higher risk of self-harm and suicide. The Suicide Crisis Centres offer a safe place where you will be supported and helped through your crisis.

The team recently shared with The Metro newspaper a personal account of working in a Suicide Crisis Centre during the pandemic, at a time when there has been an increased need for such crisis services.

The article explains why they have continued to provide face-to-face appointments for clients who are assessed as being at high risk of suicide. It explains the challenges of providing face-to-face support safely, and how social distance and the inability to use physical touch (to comfort a distressed client) has changed their work. You can read this here.

For more information or support, visit:

Website || Address: Suicide Crisis, P.O. Box 1344, Cheltenham. GL50 9FP

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Newsbites is back as GRCC's fortnightly newsletter which is quick and easy to consume. With GRCC News and Around Gloucestershire news combined, it is easy to keep up-to-date with what's going on. 

FutureDotNow are coordinating industry action through a new initiative, DevicesDotNow, targeting the 1.9 million households who don’t have access to the internet and are digitally excluded as we face a socially distanced world gripped by COVID-19. Supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the DevicesDotNow campaign is asking businesses to donate tablets, smartphones and laptops, as well as connectivity in the form of sims, dongles and mobile hotspots