Dear Surrey Circle Health Reader,

Trusting that you’re keeping well and enjoying the beautiful spring sunshine, with renewed peace of mind with the U.K. having now passed the 20m vaccination point, therefore being around 30%, equating to 1 in 3.5 of us! By the time of April’s Health News we should be upto around the 60% mark. It’s really great to see people smiling and laughing once again, with an end hopefully to this nightmare well within sight within the next few months, as the U.K. alert level of the NHS’s potential to be overburdened haven this week been downgraded from the maximum of 5 down to 4. 

With the much needed upsurge in optimism however comes some nonetheless sobering headlines – It’s estimated that 100,000 have forgone cancer treatment during this pandemic, which will no doubt increase cancer morbidity rates over the coming few years, whilst it’s also estimated that around 10 million will be on the NHS waiting lists by this time next month, April, ie I in 6.5 of us. Lloyds bank have reported that 24% of us didn’t see, or have delayed in seeing, their GP over the past 12 months, and 35% of the U.K. public are less likely to currently see their GP about a health issue compared to 12 months ago, which will no doubt create a health ‘ticking time-bomb’.

So alongside the thawing of winter weather coupled with chirpy spring birdsong, it’s hugely encouraging to see infection and mortality figures falling fast, with April, May & June lockdown-ending dates fixed firmly in our consciousness by governmental appointment, however, make no bones about it, as we hopefully leave this devastating pandemic in our wake, it’s legacy will endure for many months and indeed years to come.

Try and enjoy the last few weeks (hopefully) of home-schooling, enforced lockdown with home-working, as within a few months we trust it’ll all be a nostalgic distant memory. 

Kind regards

Daniel