Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of January – A month that can be tougher on our mental health than most, after the annual end of year & new year seasonal break. Your reward for having achieved that feat is a cracking bumper Health News read, from your ‘roving health reporter’ here at Surrey Circle Health, Specialist PMI Healthcare Broker, who are extremely pleased to announce that within the past month have been approved as fully-fledged Members of AMII – The Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries, being the medical insurance industry’s most prestigious professional body, having actively influenced the UK’s regulation of PMI during the past two plus decades, since 1998.

9^th Jan – Sunday Mirror newspaper – ‘Burnt Out Docs’:-

“Almost 50 a week leave so they don’t have to ‘risk their lives.’” In an exclusive that further reported that – “More than 2,500 doctors left the NHS last year as exhaustion and “battlefield” conditions took their toll. NHS England says more than 27,000 medical staff – including consultants, GPs and surgeons, quit from July to September, equating to around 2% of the entire workforce. The mass exodus is the largest since records began in 2011. Almost 7,000 said they left because they could no longer live a normal life.”

10^th Jan – Sky Sports Advert – ‘Affordable Private Medical Insurance’:-

“There has been a 55% increase in people waiting for NHS surgery and people marching in the streets over its future. Top 7 Reasons to get Private Medical insurance Now:-

1. No more lengthy waiting lists – The NHS is struggling, but private medical insurance will ensure you can skip the queues.
2. A private room – You won’t have to share a room with countless other sick people.
3. Personalised care – Private nurses and doctors usually have more time to give to give to their patients, which means better personal attention.
4. Get the exact treatment you need – NHS treatments are limited by government budgets – private care means you’ll get exactly the treatment you need.
5. Peace of mind for your family – With private medical insurance your family can rest safe in the knowledge that you’ll always receive the best care.
6. Problems dealt with before they become serious – Minor health problems can quickly become serious if not dealt with promptly. Private care will ensure your health issues aren’t left to worsen.
7. Lock-in your good health – Feeling good now? Let’s ensure it stays that way by having private medical care on tap, whenever you need it.
   

13^th Jan – Metro newspaper – ‘Infections down in London as National Total Rises 15%:-

“COVID infection rates in London have fallen by a third amid signs the Capital may now be past the peak of the Omicron wave. One in fifteen people in the city had the virus last week, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS), down from one in ten over the previous seven days. However, the UK’s overall estimated total is up by more than 15 per cent and infections are rising in every other region of the country, except for the East of England where experts say the trend is uncertain.

A record 4.3 million had the disease last week, up from 3.7 million, according to the ONS. Scientists say the numbers are more reliable than official government figures, because they are based on random testing. They also warned that recent falls in reported cases do not include reinfections, apart from in Wales, and may have been distorted by test shortages”.

Concluding with some sobering stats – “129,587 new reported infections yesterday, with the weekly number down 19% but the total of 398 deaths was the highest daily figure in 11 months.”

13^th Jan – BBC News website – ‘Hospital Waiting Lists Hit Six Million in England’:-

“This is the first time that such a high number has been recorded, with about one in twenty waiting for routine care such as knee and hip surgery – for more than a year. The figures are for the end of November – before the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus hit the country. Also in December, nearly 27% of patients arriving at all emergency departments waited more than four hours to be seen – Another record high. Patients needing a bed on a ward also faced record delays. More than 120,000 – almost one in three of those admitted- spent more than four hours waiting for a bed, and nearly 13,000 waited more than 12 hours – Another high since records began in 2010.

Demands for ambulances was also high, with crews struggling to reach patients on time. On average, it took more than nine minutes to reach an immediately life-threatening callout in December – The target is seven. For emergencies such as strokes and heart attacks, it took more than 53 minutes on average – It is meant to take less than 18. Both figures, however, showed slight improvements on the performance in October.”

17^th Jan – Daily Mail newspaper – ‘Britain gets boozy: Millions drink up to 50 units a week’:-

“It is the latest sign that shutting down society has had a damaging knock-on effect. Professor Julia Sinclair, chair of the addictions faculty at The Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “the switch to boozing at home was partly to blame for the rise as the drinking sessions can last hours longer than they would in a pub”.

The research used a score called ‘Audit’, developed by The World Health Organisation (WHO), to assess problem drinking. It found the number of Britons whose drinking puts them at risk jumped to eight million in October last year – A rise from six million in October 2019. The NHS recommends adults consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. One measure of spirit is one unit, a pint of (lower-strength) beer/lager is two units and a large glass of wine is three. (medium, 2 & small, 1)”

25^th Jan – AXA Health on LinkedIn – ‘AXA publishes it’s Annual Study of Mind Health & Wellbeing’:-

“More than 11,000 participants were surveyed by IPSOS research institute, (French global leader in market research – ‘Institut de Publique Sondage d’Opinion Secteur’, more commonly recognised in the UK as MORI polls) in eleven markets across Europe and Asia. 36% of people say the pandemic boosted their ability to deal with difficult situations. Yet only 44% of those surveyed said they had felt happy or experienced joy in the past year. Respondents who find themselves happiest are in China (57%), Spain (50%) and Switzerland (54%), a high level compared to Japan (27%), Italy (37%) and France (39%).

When facing these challenges only 37% of participants think the public health system in their country provides adequate support – this is particularly notable in Italy (24%) and UK (23%), while respondents seem to have greater trust in China (65%) and Switzerland (58%). Also 37% of people

feel their employer provides good support when it comes to mind health, with the lowest level in Japan (20%) and Hong Kong (32%). This shows a major role for companies and health care systems in improving prevention, support and care around mind health and wellbeing.”

29^th Jan – Guardian newspaper – ‘Long Covid Study finds Abnormality in Lungs that could explain Breathlessness’:-

“Abnormalities have been identified in the lungs of Long Covid patients that could offer a potential explanation for why some people experience breathlessness long after their initial infection. The findings from a pilot study involving 36 patients raise the possibility that Covid may cause microscopic damage to the lungs that is not detected using routine tests.

Breathlessness is a symptom in the majority of Long Covid patients, but it has been unclear whether this is linked to other factors such as changes in breathing, tiredness, or something more fundamental. According to Dr. Emily Fraser, a consultant at Oxford university hospitals and a co-author of the study, the latest findings are the first evidence that underlying lung health could be impaired. “It is the first study to demonstrate lung abnormalities in people with Long Covid who are breathless and where other investigations are unremarkable”, said Fraser. “It does suggest the virus is causing some kind of persistent abnormality within the microstructure of the lungs or in the pulmonary vasculature.””

So there you have it good readers, trusting that you enjoyed those seven articles – Still very much Covid-based of course, with currently over 1,500 weekly death certificates recording COVID-19 upon their death certificates – So please be mindful of such as restrictions are being rapidly lifted in this country, by a government that’s under more political pressure than at anytime in recent years – Having embraced the huge challenges of Brexit & COVID-19, who would’ve thought that a few afterwork drinks with your colleagues would be the thing that’s brought them to their political knees! Again, trying to keep conspiracy theories under wraps, was I the only person that found it amusing that within AXA’s Mind Health Study that the happiest people on the planet were found not in Hawaii, or perhaps Bali, but China – the very country that spawned this pandemic upon the world! Until March please stay safe and well, mask-wearing, hand washing, social distancing SCH Health News reader.

Kind regards,

Daniel Donoghue,

Brokerage Director
Surrey Circle Health
Whole of Market Specialist PMI Broker