Forncett Parish Council

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital:

• Many outpatient and follow-up appointments will now be carried out over the phone or online where safe to do so. Any adult patients who continue to need to attend an outpatient appointment on the hospital site are being asked them to attend alone if possible.
• Urgent and emergency cases and cancer treatments are carrying on as normal. All non-urgent elective surgery is being postponed, and everyone affected will be contacted as soon as possible.
• All pregnant women attending any maternity appointments in the community, hospital or for an ultrasound scan are asked to attend unaccompanied. Following scans, women will be asked to go home to have a teleconsultation with the doctor.
• The Spire Hospital in Norwich is one of the private hospitals it was announced that are providing the NHS with additional capacity.

James Paget University Hospital:

• Following yesterday’s government announcement on stricter measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19, the James Paget University Hospital is implementing the following with immediate effect:
• No visitors will be allowed into the hospital to see patients, unless there are exceptional circumstances agreed with the ward manager in advance.
• All routine face-to-face outpatient appointments and elective procedures will be postponed from today. Patients will be informed in due course about further arrangements but should not come to the hospital unless specifically asked to do so.
• Urgent appointments and emergency surgery will continue as normal.
• The A&E department remains open for patients requiring urgent care. But please remember that people should not visit the hospital if they have the symptoms of COVID-19, which includes a high temperature and/or a new continuous cough.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital:

• The hospital is now carrying out some consultations over the phone. Staff are contacting patients if they do still want them to attend hospital for their planned appointment or procedure. If patients have a routine appointment booked and they have not been contacted, they will be called at the time at which they were due to be seen in hospital for a phone consultation. People should call 01553 214545 if they have any questions. The helpline is operational 9am-3pm, Monday to Friday.

East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH):

• ECCH is cancelling routine appointments and visits so staff can focus on protecting the most vulnerable people. People can call the East Coast Community Access line on 01493 809977 if they have questions. More information on specific clinics is available at: ecch.org/coronavirus-covid-19.

Norfolk Community Health and Care (NCH&C):

• NCH&C is making information about their services available on their website: norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/covid-19.htm.

Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation trust (NSFT):

• NSFT is moving away from face to face contact where appropriate, and will be delivering as many services as possible by phone or video conferencing. This will be decided on a case by case basis. Those already in the service will be able to contact their designated key worker using the contact details given to them on entering the service.
• Any concerns with this can be raised through the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS): [email protected] or https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Find-help/Pages/Patients’-Advice-and-Liaison-Service-(PALS).aspx

CCG support for Primary Care

• GP practices are being provided with new technology to enable remote working, this includes WebEx licences, iPads, webcams and headsets.
• All GP practices in Norfolk and Waveney are now using GP Connect, which enables NHS 111 to see patient records.
• The CCGs are supporting 12 GP practices who have asked for rapid deployment of technology to enable them to offer video consultations.
• This week PCN Clinical Directors are looking at how they can use risk stratification tools to identify those people who need to be looked after at home and to manage them so they don’t end up in hospital.

Use the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions

• People can help the NHS by downloading the NHS App and using it to order repeat prescriptions – it’s easy to do. People can download the NHS App on Apple’s App Store or get it on Google Play.

Use the online 111 coronavirus service

• It is really important that people use the online 111 coronavirus service if they feel they cannot cope with their symptoms at home – people should only call 111 if they cannot get help online. Calling 111 when you do not need to could stop someone who needs help getting it.

UEA

• Technicians at the University of East Anglia are making hand sanitiser gel, which they have already started distributing to NHS organisations in Norfolk and beyond, with the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and Norfolk County Council some of the organisations to benefit so far. This is available to GPs as well and our Primary Care Networks will organise distribution.

Texts to vulnerable people

• The NHS has started to issue daily text messages to extremely vulnerable people most at risk from COVID-19. This is part of a package of measures and provides information to support them to stay at home. You can read more about this work in this blog.
• The government is also texting people across the UK to inform them of the new rules announced by the Prime Minister yesterday (23 March 2020). This has been made possible thanks to the cooperation of mobile phone operators.

 

Briefing Note – Support for businesses impacted by coronavirus

National support package (as at 23 March 2020)

The Government has announced a package of support for businesses in response to coronavirus, COVID-19. This note summarises the support offered, and sources of further information.

The package of support nationally includes:

• A Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. All UK businesses are eligible. HMRC will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. HMRC are working urgently to set up a system for reimbursement. Existing systems are not set up to facilitate payments to employers. Contact: HMRC
• Deferring VAT and Income Tax payments. The Government will support businesses by deferring Valued Added Tax (VAT) payments for 3 months. If you’re self-employed, Income Tax payments due in July 2020 under the Self-Assessment system will be deferred to January 2021. All UK businesses are eligible. For VAT, the deferral will apply from 20 March 2020 until 30 June 2020. This is an automatic offer with no applications required. Businesses will not need to make a VAT payment during this period. Taxpayers will be given until the end of the 2020 to 2021 tax year to pay any liabilities that have accumulated during the deferral period. VAT refunds and reclaims will be paid by the government as normal. Contact: HMRC
• Statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs – Government is working with employers over the coming months to set up a repayment mechanism “as soon as possible.”
• A 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England for 2020-21. Businesses will be rebilled by local authorities (District Councils in Norfolk) as soon as possible. The Government will publish guidance to local authorities by 20 March 2020. Contact: District Council(s)
• A £25,000 grant will also be provided to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from premises with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000. Contact: District Council(s)
• Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief. Local authorities (District Councils) will contact eligible businesses directly and funding will be provided to local authorities in early April with additional guidance. Contact: District Council(s)
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to support long-term viable businesses who may need to respond to cash-flow pressures by seeking additional finance. The first 12 months of finance will be interest free (funded by Government). This will launch next week delivered by the British Business Bank. Contact: British Business Bank and partners
• The HMRC Time To Pay Scheme to help with tax for businesses and self employed individuals with support via HMRC’s dedicated helpline on 0800 0159 559. Contact: HMRC
• Government has confirmed with the insurance industry that government advice is sufficient to enable claims for pandemics and government-ordered closure.
• Providing support for liquidity amongst large firms, with a major new scheme being launched by the Bank of England to help them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans. Contact: Bank of England
• The Government will be providing further support to other industries directly impacted in due course (including airports and airlines).
• Funding for the government’s early years entitlements will continue during any periods of nursery, preschool or childminder closures, or where children cannot attend due to coronavirus. The Government will continue to pay funding to local authorities for the free entitlements for two, three and four-year-olds, providing reassurance for early years settings.[1]

Full details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

Local support package

 

Norfolk County Council is taking steps to support and maintain critical services and service providers. The Council has been contacting providers to set out our commitment to ensure financial resilience for providers who will be at the heart of the Norfolk response and enabling continuity of care for people across the county, including:

• Day service providers will continue to be paid for the next three months, based on the average of their normal payments over the previous two months.
• Supported Living providers will be provided with financial support to meet additional costs, particularly in relation to supporting people who would previously have attended day services. Work will be taking place to identify any ongoing additional cost pressures. Sectors will be looking at overall capacity and opportunities to redeploy staff.
• Residential and nursing care payment processes will continue and we will work with care homes to prevent any financial uncertainty.
• Home Care providers will continue to be paid for the next three months, based on the average of their normal payments over the previous two months. This will provide a guarantee of cashflow during the current uncertainty and enable businesses to continue to pay staff. For providers that can undertake additional services that would result in payment above this amount the Council will ensure that this will be paid in addition.
• Carers of children looked after will continue to be paid and we will work closely with providers to ensure that our most vulnerable children remain safe.
• Short breaks providers and providers of other children’s social care services will continue to be paid for at least the next three months, even if the demand for their specific service diminishes in the current situation and we will work with the providers to identify how staff can be flexibly deployed to take account of the most pressing needs at the time.
• Arrangements are being made with partners to ensure the most vulnerable families are supported, including how children eligible for free school meals, will be supported.

These are the steps Norfolk County Council is taking to help local businesses more generally:

 

• We will continue to pay promptly those businesses delivering services to the County Council – we already pay over 98% of our invoices within 30 days
• We will prioritise payments to those businesses in receipt of grants from Norfolk County Council.
• We are working closely with the LEP, Chamber and FSB to provide consistent advice and sign-posting to businesses that will be available on all of our online platforms and will make that advice available to district councils
• We are looking at how we create dedicated staff to support businesses directly if they are struggling with access to the Government resources that have been put in place.
• We will be sharing resource to maximise capacity to meet the needs of business across our areas.
• We will signpost apprenticeship providers and stakeholders to Department for Education guidance on supporting apprentices and their employers.

Sources of further support and information:

Government: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

Norfolk County Council: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health/health-and-wellbeing/adults-health/coronavirus

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/safety/service-disruptions

Norfolk District Councils: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/what-we-do-and-how-we-work/your-local-councils-mps-and-meps/local-councils

Information correct as at 23/03/2020

Law enforcement, government and private sectors partners are working together to encourage members of the public to be more vigilant against fraud, particularly about sharing their financial and personal information, as criminals seek to capitalise on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the police.

They spend hours researching you for their scams, hoping you’ll let your guard down for just a moment.

Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.

Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud*.

Further advice can be found here:

National Crime Agency

 

Staying Safe

Keep yourself safe:

• This is a highly infectious virus and if you become infected, you are likely to infect others. By keeping yourselves safe, you help stop the spread of the virus and keep people around you safe.
• Follow Government advice on preventing the spread of the virus and social distancing.
• Avoid any physical contact with vulnerable groups or those who are self-isolating.
• If you are unwell, follow NHS guidance and do not seek to help others.

Advice to residents:

• Only accept help from someone you know and trust
• Never give anyone your cash card or credit card and PIN – always give cash and ask for a receipt
• If someone is doing shopping for you, provide them with a list and budget, based on what you can afford
• It is your home and you do not have to agree to anything a visitor may ask
• Never deal with unknown cold callers
• If you are in doubt, or feel pressurised or threatened close the door, call a friendly neighbour or in an emergency ring 999

We want to help keep the people of Norfolk up to date by highlighting scams which are using the current situation as part of their approach. The latest information and advice is available at: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/scams/consumer-alerts

Supporting your community

Key principles                       

• Always make sure residents wanting to help put their own health first and do not inadvertently spread the virus further.
• Residents should be aware of and follow Government advice – maintain good hygiene, such as regularly washing your hands and reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission by providing support over the phone and social media.

• For grassroots activity, hyperlocal works best – advise people to support their own neighbours on their street or a couple or roads nearby as large scale won’t be effective.
• For those wanting to undertake higher risk activities with safeguarding risks, they should volunteer for an existing charity.

 

Six Ways to Help:

1. Be a great neighbour

The most immediate form of help that residents can provide to their community during this time is to look out for vulnerable neighbours.

2. Donate

Anyone looking to donate money can be advised of the following routes:

• Norfolk Community Foundation, working alongside partners, has established the Covid-19 Community Response Fund to support our local charities working hard on the ground to keep vulnerable people safe and well. Further information can be found at: www.norfolkfoundation.com/giving-philanthropy/.
• The National Emergencies Trust (NET), in partnership with the British Red Cross, has launched a fundraising appeal, to raise and distribute funds to support communities made most vulnerable by the coronavirus outbreak.  Further information can be found here: https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/national-emergencies-trust-coronavirus-appeal

3. Give time

Voluntary Norfolk will be using their volunteering portal to gather the various roles that are needed in the sector. This can be found here: https://www.voluntarynorfolk.org.uk/volunteering/. More options will be added as more gaps arise.  This is a great option for those wanting a more structured way to help or to do roles which require safeguarding and training.

4. Support community groups

If you speak to people running an existing community group who are looking for guidance and advice, Community Action Norfolk are supporting in this way.  Their website has several resources for the VCSE sector: www.communityactionnorfolk.org.uk.

5. Advise local businesses

New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership via the New Anglia Growth Hub is offering free advice and guidance to local businesses, whether they are experiencing supply chain issues, order or booking cancellations, a reduction in sales, or any other challenge, they contact the Growth Hub to speak to one of their qualified business advisers. They are also offering free support and advice to help businesses to access the support measures put in place by Government.  Email: [email protected] or telephone 0300 333 6536 (Mon- Fri 9am-5pm).

More information about the measures put in place by the Government to support businesses can be found here: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health/health-and-wellbeing/adults-health/coronavirus/business-support

6. Support vulnerable people

If residents feel a member of their family is at risk due to their age or an underlying health condition, the advice is to practice social distancing and consider isolating themselves before any symptoms occur.  The government has issued advice on how to self-isolate and reduce the possibility of transmission.

The NCC website has further information about supporting vulnerable people here: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health/health-and-wellbeing/adults-health/coronavirus/supporting-vulnerable-people.

Notice of Election District Wards 2019 (2)

Notice of Election Parish 2019 v1

Your local Mobile Library Service

Mobile libraries are free to join and are open to people of all ages.  Items can be chosen from the vehicle or reserved via the online catalogue for collection from a mobile library. They can be returned to any branch library or mobile library in Norfolk.  All mobile libraries are equipped with a lift for people with mobility problems and wheelchair users.

Our mobile libraries offer:

• Fiction books for adults and children (book request: adults – 60p, children – free)
• Non-fiction books for adults and children (subject requests are free)
• Large print books (book request 60p)
• DVDs for adults and children (a small charge applies)
• Audio books on CD and tape (tapes – free, a small charge applies for CDs for adults, children – free)
• Jigsaw puzzles (free)

The mobile library service offers an e-mail reminder system to advise mobile library users that the mobile library will be in their area within the next two days.  If you wish to be added to the mailing lists, please ask your mobile library driver for the green e-mail slip to complete or alternatively contact us direct with your name, e-mail address and mobile library route number.

The mobile library service is keen to recruit more ‘Mobile Library Friends’ – volunteers who help us to promote the service by doing any of the following:

• telling their friends/neighbours about the mobile library
• delivering fliers locally
• putting up posters
• suggesting improvements/alternative stops.

If you are interested, please speak to the mobile library driver or contact us direct.

To check the mobile library timetables for your area, please click on the link: www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries-local-history-and-archives/libraries/your-local-library/routes-and-timetables and choose your village from the list. Or click here: mobile-library-timetable

More information is available on the Norfolk County Council website: www.norfolk.gov.uk  (search ‘mobile libraries’), or contact the mobile library office on 01603 222303 or e-mail: [email protected] .

The next meeting will be held at South Norfolk Council on Wednesday 16 March.

Further information can be found here:

SNOPF

The mobile library service visits Forncett and offers a great value for money service, with the following items available for hire:

.        Fiction books for adults and children (book request for adults 60p, free for children)

·         Non-fiction books for adults and children (subject requests are free)

·         Large print books (book request 60p)

·         DVDs for adults and children (a small charge applies)

·         Audio books on CD and tape (a small charge applies)

Mobile Library timetable

Grants of up to £1000 are available from South Norfolk Council to make homes more dementia friendly. Find out more here