COVID-19 Update

• 25 Mar 2021
• |
• Great Britain, Ireland, Isle of Man, N. Ireland

Message to Staff from CEO, Andy Mayhew

In recent days, we have reached the first anniversary of the initial lockdowns at the very outset of the coronavirus pandemic. It seems surreal to look back on what we all hope will be a unique year of our lives, both personally and professionally.

I am immensely privileged to lead Praxis Care at this unprecedented time and I want to thank each service user, each member of staff, our Board and the wider circle of carers, partners and friends of Praxis Care for their commitment and flexibility. Together, we have maintained essential support and even managed to grow and develop new services, despite the constraints and limitations we have faced.

I want to especially emphasise the importance of continuing to comply with public health directions across the jurisdictions, even though we are all naturally weary. It is deeply encouraging to see the growing levels of uptake of the various vaccines available from both service users and staff and I really want to see that maximised. It is the key to keeping safe and getting back to doing the things we miss so much.

It is helpful to reflect on the important role the vaccine has played, even at this early stage, in easing the pressure in hospitals and, closer to home, protecting our service users and staff. In one of our dementia services, we experienced a very concerning COVID outbreak which eventually infected 8 staff and 16 service users. This service is now clear of COVID, with everyone fully recovered from their illness. I have no doubt that the very high level of uptake of the vaccination among service users and staff in that service was a significant factor in the positive outcome.

I would encourage anyone who has reservations about the vaccine to access some of the helpful information that is available on the various public health platforms. Some examples of this are linked below. I would also urge you to speak to your GP if you continue to have concerns.

Additionally, please remember all the important measures that have helped get us through to this point:
• hand hygiene
• maintaining social distance
• wearing the required PPE at all times in all service and office settings (including going in and out of facilities)
• taking your temperature prior to starting the shift and more regularly in line with policy
• not attending work if displaying symptoms and alerting your line manager if you develop symptoms while in work
• making arrangements to work from home if that can be done effectively
• paying attention to your mental health, especially by keeping in contact with friends and family in a safe way

If you have any concerns or suggestions please feel free to contact me on +44 (0) 75 5212 7046.

For further advice you can refer to the following links:

• WHO statement on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine safety signals
• Northern Ireland COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
• HSE: COVID-19 vaccines
• NHS: Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
• Isle of Man: About the vaccine

Thank you once again for all of your efforts. The senior leadership team and Board of Praxis Care share an immense admiration and pride for your dedication to those people we serve. We are lucky to have you as part of this organisation, and I look forward to brighter days when we can move beyond this traumatic experience and continue to provide the exceptional service that we all work so hard to provide.

Andy Mayhew