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Small doses of hope but much frustration

3rd August 2020 By

What the papers said in the week ending August 1st

The most significant article for older people this week is the report of an update on preventative aspects for dementia from leaders in the field, published in the Lancet. They have added three factors to the nine they identified in 2017: Alcohol, head injuries and air pollution raise the risk of dementia. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext

Then there is evidence that government and others are struggling to respond to an awakened awareness that  social care arrangements and funding in this country are not fit for purpose: so we have –

  • Plans for over 40s to pay for social care https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/26/uk-ministers-looking-at-plans-to-raise-taxes-for-over-40s-to-pay-for-social-care
  • Alternatively the suggestion is that NHS and social care be fused – and an individual is appointed to look into this https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/revealed-social-care-nhs-swelling-budget-camilla-cavendish
  • Sober minds point to the need for fair increases in taxation https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/taxing-matter-of-solving-the-social-care-crisis
  • https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/30/there-is-no-magic-fix-for-our-social-care-crisis

There is frustration and confusion as attempts to ease the lockdown have been followed by an increase in the number of Covid 19 cases – and a return to some restrictions – https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/jul/26/more-coronavirus-handbrake-restrictions-may-be-imposed-on-travellers

  • There is international concern that the virus is not going away: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/27/europe-braces-for-second-wave-of-coronavirus
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/29/one-big-wave-why-the-covid-19-second-wave-may-not-exist-coronavirus
  • England is identified to have the highest number of excess death among 29 nations during the crisis: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/30/covid-19-england-had-highest-excess-death-levels-in-europe-by-end-of-may

Better news is that ‘excess deaths’ have become negative – in a sort of catch up, there have been fewer deaths per week than the five year average for the past three weeks. The catch up is small compared with the excess accumulated in previous weeks https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/28/why-deaths-wales-england-below-five-year-average-covid-19-ons

  • Another health initiative – encouraging people not to be overweight or obese – is launched with the Prime Minister as a demonstration model, and with resistance to more Covid-19 as one of its selling points https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/23/new-rules-on-junk-food-ads-could-threaten-uk-economic-recovery
  • https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/am-i-obese-heres-how-to-find-out-bmi
  • https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/

Discharges from general hospital wards have been blamed for deaths in care homes. There is now revelation that in the first weeks of the crisis, mental health patients were discharged at a greater rate than usual – again to free-up beds.  There is concern that some people have been placed at risk by this: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/26/concern-over-uk-mental-health-patients-discharged-at-start-of-lockdown

  • More bad news: The government is accused of giving misleading information about poverty amongst children https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/30/boris-johnson-repeatedly-used-inaccurate-child-poverty-figures
  • https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/latest-on-regulation-blog/

And Allyson Pollock berates them for wasting time, money and resources on a chaotic contact tracing scheme placed in the hands of a number of private companies. It would have been done more cheaply and effectively by the NHS https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/31/outsourcing-england-test-trace-nhs-private

Barbara MacArthur, aged 93, tells of life as a carer: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/30/we-feel-a-little-forgotten-uk-care-system-fails-93-year-old-mother

Virtual consultations are declared the norm: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/30/all-gp-consultations-should-be-remote-by-default-says-matt-hancock-nhs

The Guardian ran three days of features about young black people

  • https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2020/jul/29/young-british-black-voices-behind-uk-anti-racism-protests-george-floyd
  • But government is accused of not showing urgency in correcting inequalities: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/28/ministers-accused-of-dragging-their-feet-over-uks-racial-inequality
  • https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jul/30/exclusive-tone-deaf-ministers-reject-bame-review-of-english-curriculum
  • We are told that the proportion of black school leavers aiming for university has fallen, even though over all there is strong recruitment to academic training: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jul/30/proportion-of-black-school-leavers-going-to-university-in-england-falls
  • https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jul/30/trainee-teacher-applications-surge-by-65-per-cent-in-england
  • https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jul/09/uk-universities-record-number-applications-lockdown

End of an era:

Olivia De Havilland has died aged 104: www.theguardian.com/film/olivia-de-havilland

Newport Market is lost: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/26/end-of-an-era-newport-market-stalls-pack-up-ahead-of-new-development

While Amazon moves from books to groceries: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/28/amazon-plans-big-expansion-of-uk-online-grocery-service

Good books:

We are recommended – Plagues and people by William McNeill

  • https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/27/a-great-read-on-how-plagues-change-us
  • And ‘Look up’ by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola (Waterstone’s children’s book of the year    https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/307/307930/look-up-/9780241345849.html

But free TV is reserved for very few: Free TV licences for over-75s are ending: here’s what to do now

 

David Jolley 

Filed Under: NEWS

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Speaking Out

There are some things which just have to be said.  We have to speak out because at the heart of the Christian message is our belief that God is not silent.  God has spoken through creation itself and the evolving universe; through the human story; through the dwelling of Jesus Christ in time; through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in each believer; through the inspiration of the scriptures; and through the wisdom and the teaching of the Church through the ages.

We use words all the time.  Words of welcome.  Words of wisdom.  Words of warmth.  Words of warning.  Words of wistfulness.  Our words are wasted if words are just words.   In the beginning was the Word.  And the Word was with God.  And the Word was God.  Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him.   The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word made things happen.

As Christians, as followers of the Word, we do something about what we have heard.  Our own best words are our actions.

Please tell us what you would like us to Speak Out about by contacting:  info@ccoa.org.uk

 

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Reflect and Pray

Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You.”

St Brendan the Navigator   484-577

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