Love Andover Observer February 11th

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28 | Thursday, February 11, 2021 01264 883100 www.loveandover.com HampshireHe Scam warning for residents WITH an increasing number of people being called to receive their COVID-19 vaccination, residents are being warned to beware of vaccine fraudsters. Councillor Judith Grajewski, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Public Health said: “The vaccine is a vital tool in our fight against COVID-19 and a safe and effective way to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. Sadly, there have been cases reported of dishonest individuals approaching members of the public to offer vaccines in return for payment. Therefore, we want to remind everyone that the COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge and that the NHS will get in touch when it is your turn to receive it. If you’re contacted by anyone claiming to be from the NHS who asks for payment or a fee - or who gives you a link to a website to take payment for the vaccine - it is a scam. No-one from the NHS would come and knock on your door unannounced and you would not receive emails inviting you to click on links. If anyone approaches you in this way, or attempts to force or coerce you into handing over funds – in person or otherwise – always contact the police.” Those most at risk of being targeted by scammers are the elderly, as well as those who live alone, are self-isolating or are in financial difficulty. Many scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to target people. I completely understand that many people are keen to get their jab as soon as possible, but please remember the COVID-19 vaccine is only available from the NHS. No-one can pay for it and jump the queue. If a private organisation contacts you suggesting they can provide the vaccine, it will be a scam.” Other coronavirus-related scams include:sales of fake products including face coverings, supplements, anti-virus kits and sanitisers, which may be harmful or never arrive; bogus healthcare workers who try to gain access to your home by claiming to offer testing for COVID-19; people pretending to be from charities offering to do shopping or carry out cleaning tasks; emails asking for donations to the NHS. If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, please report this to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www. actionfraud.police.uk Transport options offer residents stress free travel to appointments TWO local taxi firms have stepped up to offer transport help so that local residents can receive their vaccines. Shaun and his team from Swift Cars taxi company have offered to support vulnerable people to access their vaccinations free of charge. Shaun shared: “We have been relatively lucky to still be able to operate our school contracts for the children of key workers who still need to travel to school but most of our airport work has dried up. We just want to help people out who need it most.” Swift cars are offering free transport to local people who need to get their vaccinations. In another initiative, local Taxi company Alpha Cars has set up a gofundme link to raise funds to provide free taxis for the elderly and vulnerable across the Andover community to get them to and from their COVID-19 Vaccine appointments. A spokesperson shared: “We have seen quite a few taxi companies up and Optician reports increase in cases of coronavision EYE strain and other sight-related issues have increased significantly as new research finds 42% of people have noticed their sight deteriorate since March 2020. This is almost double the number of people noticing sight deterioration during the first lockdown (22%), as reported by the College of Optometrists . Yet, the new study by high street down the country trying to supply free rides for people in their community who need help getting to and from their Covid-19 Vaccine appointments, and thought it would be wonderful to do the same for the Andover community. This is a great opportunity as we have the resources available and want to give as many free rides as we possibly can through our fleet of self-employed private hire taxi drivers. Hopefully taking away any added stresses for our elderly and vulnerable people and getting them to and from their vaccination appointment safely. We’d like to thank those who have donated already. To book a free Alpha Cars for Jabs journey to get to your Covid Vaccine Appointment please call 01264 444 444. You’ll need your appointment time and location details handy please. We’d like to thank those who have donated already, anyone else who would like to donate, can do so at https:// gofund.me/db952917. opticians Specsavers shows that nearly half (44%) of those suffering any deterioration are yet to address the issue and see an optician . This supports a recent YouGov survey by the charity Fight for Sight, which also found more people experiencing headaches and migraines, as well as difficulty reading and poorer night vision . Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director, explained: “It’s important that anyone noticing a change in their vision gets it seen to right away. While usually this is down to a change in prescription or from our eyes feeling tired, in other cases it can be something more serious. Our eyes are not designed to be fixed on a single object for a long period of time. When we focus on our screens, especially smaller format laptops, tablets or smart devices, eyes become stressed and strained. They may feel uncomfortable, sore, tired and as if they are itching or burning. You may also be experiencing blurred vision and headaches too.” Giles advice includes: Follow the 20:20:20 rule; look up from your screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Looking into the distance helps relax the focusing muscles of your eyes, which in turn reduces eye fatigue. Adjust your workstation: Adjusting your screen settings to ensure that the brightness and contrast are balanced correctly can help, as well as making fonts larger. Also be mindful of how your workstation is positioned. Adjust your screen so it is 15-20 degrees below eye level and around 50-70cm away from the eyes and make sure your room is properly lit to avoid squinting. Reduce glare: Reflections on your computer screen can cause glare and lead to eye strain. Try reducing this by attaching an anti-glare screen to your monitor or windows to avoid external light shining onto the screen. Glasses wearers can also have lenses treated with an anti-glare coating, to help limit the impact of light reflections on your eyes to reduce eye strain.
@loveandover @loveandover Thursday, February 11, 2021 | 29 althMatters Plea from Trust’s CEO delivers vaccinations Reminder to keep following the rules WITH the COVID-19 vaccination programme well underway, Hampshire County Council and the NHS are reminding residents who have received their vaccine that it is vital to keep following the rules of Hands-Face-Space to avoid putting others at risk. Councillor Judith Grajewski, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Public Health said: “The COVID-19 vaccine is a big breakthrough and a key tool in our fight against this serious and highly infectious disease. I know how keen everyone is to get their jab and get back to normal, but for those who have received their first dose, it can take a week or two to build up some protection from the virus, and it is not yet known whether people who have had the vaccine can still transmit COVID-19. Therefore, it’s vital to continue following the rules after being vaccinated, to ensure that you don’t unknowingly pass on the virus to anybody else. This is particularly important if you are caring for or seeing someone who is clinically vulnerable because you could be putting them at risk of severe illness or even death. We all want an end to lockdown, so it is now more important than ever that we continue to observe these simple behaviours, to prevent further spread of the virus and protect our communities. Remember: just because you’ve had the vaccine, does not mean it is safe for you to socialise.” CERVICAL Cancer Awareness Week at the end of January acted as a reminder to women to attend their routine cervical screening when they are invited by the GP. Councillor Judith Grajewski, Executive Member for Public Health at Hampshire County Council said: “Measures are in place during the pandemic to make it safe to attend your regular cervical screening when you receive a letter from the GP. You only have to go once every three to five years depending on your age, By Ella Palmer ENHAM Trust CEO, Heath Gunn took to social media to put out a heartfelt plea to help raise the profile of everyone who has a disability to get quicker access to the potentially lifesaving COVID-19 vaccination. Since Health’s letter to MP Kit Malthouse, Enham Trust secured vaccinations within a week for all their frontline care setting workers and residents in care. Heath Gunn took to social media to express his outrage after, whilst being supported in their efforts by the Charlton Hill GP Surgery, the Trust were informed they were still a non-guaranteed 2-3 weeks away from potentially being invited to have residents vaccinated as the local CCG placed them in priority group 4, meaning that people who have a disability are not priority to the elderly. “Enham Trust is a disability charity based in Hampshire supporting 6,000 disabled people each year to live, work and enjoy life. During its near 100-year history the Trust has supported over 250,000 disabled people. Our services focus on care, housing and employment – promoting independence, choice and achievement. The charity was established in 1921 in the village of Enham Alamein in North Hampshire, originally to rehabilitate servicemen disabled in the First World War. Enham Trust supports 50 disabled people across its 3 care homes and over 100 in the local community and and you will automatically be invited when your screening is due. It’s a five Heath Gunn provides services to more than 6,000 nationally. These are proven the most vulnerable people in society, six times more likely to die from coronavirus than the general population* and surely should have been among the first to be offered the vaccine, which hasn’t been the case. It seems to me the balance between who is getting the vaccination and when is all wrong. If you are measuring people’s vulnerability, then age isn’t the only determining factor. If you measure vulnerability, then surely physical and underlying health conditions have to weigh alongside people in advanced years.” Heath went on to say: “It strikes me as crazy that I have to be writing to my local MP. This virus is spreading like wildfire amongst people with disabilities.” This comes after Enham Trust, who Health Gunn describes as “working flat out as everyone has for 10 months, to successfully to keep the virus at bay,” has had its first confirmed cases in the last few days, which has had a huge impact on the staff, residents and their families with the worry that it may come with “lethal consequences”. Since the plea, support poured in from the local community and local MP Kit Malthouse raised his concerns with the Health Secretary, this has led to the Trust now having plans in place to get residents and staff vaccinated in the most secure way. Reduce your risk of cervical cancer minute test that could save your life. Simply knowing that cervical cancer is preventable empowers us all to take steps for ourselves or to educate others in how to lower the risk.” Women are encouraged to be familiar with the symptoms of cervical cancer and seek medical advice if experiencing any. Girls aged 11 to 18 can also take up the HPV vaccination which offers protection against most types of cervical cancer. Two women die every day from cervical cancer in England. It is estimated that cervical screening (for women aged 25 to 64) saves around 5,000 lives each year and yet one in four women in the UK is not attending their test. It is carried out by a GP practice nurse who is trained to make it as comfortable and embarrassmentfree as possible. The screening is not a test for cancer but can help identify potentially harmful cells which can usually be treated to stop them from developing. For more information, visit www. nhs.uk/cervicalscreening New pathway for physical health conditions ITALK, the local talking therapy service for Hampshire, has launched a new range of treatments to support the emotional wellbeing of people living with a long-term physical health condition. Studies show that one in six of us are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety in any given week, but it is estimated that this number rises to around one in three for people living with a physical health condition. Shalini Raman, Clinical Psychologist with italk said: “We know from research that our physical health and mental wellbeing are linked, so it is important to take into account the way that a physical health condition can affect someone’s mood, relationships and quality of life. Our italk Health pathway allows us to work more closely with physical health teams to provide that support, and ensure people’s emotional wellbeing is prioritised alongside their physical wellbeing” One of the treatments offered is an online course called Building Resilience with Long-Term Health Conditions. It’s available to book online free of charge, and teaches self-help skills for reducing stress, managing worry, and feeling more in control. Bella Pickering, Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner at italk added: “I really enjoy facilitating Building Resilience, and our patients have found the online webinar format convenient. The way we have set up the sessions, no one can see or hear you as a participant, so you can eat, drink or even take a break and get up to stretch your legs if you need to without feeling self-conscious. If you have any questions or reflections you can also type in messages using the Q&A feature and one of the facilitators will be happy to help in any way they can.” By attending the course, you will also gain access to italk’s Employment Advice service, which helps people resolve issues at work related to their wellbeing. The course is free of charge on the NHS and the sessions are run by trained facilitators from Solent Mind, working in partnership with Southern Health NHS Trust. You need to be over 16 and registered with a GP in Hampshire, excluding the cities of Portsmouth or Southampton, to attend. You can book your place online at the italk website, www.italk. org.uk The next upcoming course starts on 3rd March, 3pm – 4.30pm every Wednesday for 6 weeks.
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Love Andover Observer February 11th

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