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News Report Page 12 of 14
Publication Date:-
2021-05-16
News reports located on this page = 2.

New Smart Covid Testing Center for Bootle Strand

SEFTON Council is moving its RAPID Coronavirus testing centre for people with no symptoms from Bootle Leisure Centre to Bootle's Strand Shopping Centre. From 9am on Saturday, 15 May 2021, people without Covid19 symptoms will be able to get a test, with a result in as little as 30 minutes, at the Town Centre location. Bootle Strand owner, Sefton Council, has specially adapted the former H Samuel unit in the Strand for people to come along and take a RAPID test safely. It will be open seven days a week. The Strand site replaces the Bootle Leisure Test Centre, which will close, at 5pm, on Friday 14 May 2021.

Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council, said:- "Around 1/3 of people with Coronavirus do not show any of the tell tale symptoms so by taking regular rapid tests, we can check if we're one of these asymptomatic carriers to help make sure we don't pass on the virus accidentally. I'm glad that we can now provide the facility where people can take those rapid tests and collect free home testing kits at this convenient Bootle town centre location."

Sefton's other RAPID test site is at Southport's Splash World.

Rapid home testing kits involves taking a throat amnd nasal swab, dropping the sample into the container supplied and then checking for the result after 20 to 30 minutes.

As well as both RAPID testing sites, kits are available from any Sefton Pharmacy and between 2.30pm and 8pm, 7 days a week, from the Borough's walk through Local Test Centres. These are located opposite Bootle Town Hall and at Crosby Library Car Park, Netherton Activity Centre and Southport Town Hall and are open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

Cllr Maher added:- "Now that lockdown restrictions are being relaxed and more people are going out to their workplaces, going for a drink or meal at a pub or restaurant or meeting up with friends and family outside, taking regular rapid tests is increasingly important to keeping down the spread of Covid. Any of us who is regularly out and coming into regular contact with others needs to be taking a RAPID test as often as twice a week."

People who aren't confident about taking a rapid test at home can choose to go for an assisted test at Sefton's new Bootle Strand or Southport Splash World test sites.

Cllr Maher continued:- "RAPID tests will help to finding those of us who do not show the key Coronavirus symptoms of a new persistent cough, a high temperature or a loss of sense of taste or smell. But it is still vital that anyone who does develop these symptoms or does get a positive test self isolates for 10 days and immediately books a PCR test by visiting:- NHS.UK/Coronavirus or phoning:- 119."

Eligible people who test positive are entitled to the ₤500 Test and Trace Support Payment in the same way as a regular swab test through NHS Test and Trace. People can find out more about self isolating at:- Sefton.Gov.UK/Self-Isolation.


NHS 111 pilot strengthens specialist care for children

A partnership between North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Cheshire and Merseyside Children and Young People (CYP) Network, which sees specialist paediatric practitioners working alongside trained NHS 111 advisors, has helped to enhance care for children and their families when using NHS 111.

When the Pandemic hit in March last year, public concern grew and access to face to face healthcare was restricted. NHS 111, which is delivered across the Region by NWAS, experienced a rise of 93% in calls at the peak of the Pandemic, which included an increase in calls concerning unwell children.

In May 2020, 6 clinicians from the Cheshire and Merseyside Children and Young People (CYP) Network and an NWAS trainee advanced clinical practitioner volunteered to form a small team of paediatric 111 advisors.

The paediatric 111 advisors focus on handling calls for children under the age of 5 and are on hand to offer additional clinical expertise alongside the 111 advisors to provide the best care and advice for youngsters and their families.

Jackie Bell, Head of NHS 111, said:- "Our 111 health and service advisors are highly trained to handle a wide range of calls from members of the public of all ages, with a whole host of urgent medical needs, and they do a fantastic job. With demand on our service increasing throughout the Pandemic we noticed an opportunity to bring in a small number of specialist roles with focused knowledge on certain areas where we were seeing a rise in calls. The paediatric clinicians have been a very welcome addition to the team, supporting patients and staff as we worked our way through a challenging period, and the scheme shows how partnership working can benefit patients across the Region."

This collaboration has proved successful with data showing that more than ˝ of the calls the paediatric clinicians handled were resolved at home with the care and advice they were able to provide over the telephone, where otherwise these patients may have turned to the:- Emergency Department, Primary Care or Hospital services for support. 111 staff also reported positive feedback around working alongside clinicians with specialist knowledge to call on for advice if required.

Following the successful trial, the partnership arrangements with the Cheshire and Merseyside CYP Network, Southport and Ormskirk NHS Hospital Trust and Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. have been extended throughout 2021.

Kim Williams, Lead Nurse for the Cheshire and Merseyside CYP Network said:- "The feedback received was extremely positive. Commitment from both organisations and provider trusts enabled us to provide an enhanced service to children, young people and their families during the peak of the Pandemic. The benefits to the wider system are significant and it has raised a genuine interest and desire to explore how we might make this permanent in the future."

 

 
      
 
   
 
 
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