bbcuk--2020-03-25--Coronavirus: Lockdown rule-breakers urged to mend their ways

The UK is in lockdown and people are being told not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary - but not everybody is following the rules .
On Tuesday , police broke up a group of more than 20 people who had gathered for a barbecue in Coventry .
West Midlands Police said it was `` unbelievable '' to see people gathered `` shoulder to shoulder '' .
However , Andy Street , the mayor of the West Midlands , says he believes people are following the new restrictions .
The Conservative mayor said he had walked around Birmingham and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Actually , everyone is saying we understand the seriousness of this and we are going to impose it on ourselves and that is the best thing , '' he said .
It was a sentiment echoed by Staffordshire Police 's Chief Constable Gareth Morgan , who said the `` majority of people '' were already making `` real sacrifices to save lives '' .
But the West Midlands force 's Chief Constable Dave Thompson has said police are receiving many calls about breaches of the lockdown .
• What is banned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can I exercise for ?
And other questions As well as the group that were dispersed from the barbecue in Coventry , police in Shepherd 's Bush , London , were called to groups of people sunbathing .
In a post on Twitter , officers team said : `` Please do n't just sit in groups . ''
And Derbyshire Police called on people not to visit the Peak District , sharing a picture of a row of cars .
Police in Rugby expressed exasperation at the `` unbelievable excuses '' offered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officers highlighted someone saying they were out to buy a bag of crisps - something that 's obviously not an essential shopping trip .
Staffordshire Police visited a pub in Tamworth last night after hearing reports it was planning a 'lock-in ' .
In a Facebook message , the force wrote : `` Come on guys , we 're in a global crisis and this is literally a matter of life and death for some of us . ''
The force also reported that `` too many people [ were ] out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It urged people taking exercise not to come into the town centre , but to `` go somewhere more remote '' .
Currently police do not have the power to issue fines to rule-breakers , although parliament is expected to pass emergency legislation on Thursday giving officers this right .
Life is being made more difficult for the police by the dozens of calls they have been receiving about things like cancelled hair appointments and whether window cleaners are allowed to work .
There is clearly confusion over what the rules are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message home that they are not the people to ask such questions .
In terms of how they tackle the rule-breakers they encounter , Warwickshire Police 's Chief Constable Martin Jelley says police are trying to make people understand why they need to follow the rules .
`` Where we do come across people believed to be in breach of the measures , our first actions will always be to explain the measures and the importance of following them during this national health emergency as we seek to persuade people to do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the West Midlands force area , Mr Thompson said that once the emergency legislation was passed , officers would target any larger gatherings .
Anyone who wants to let police know about `` large-scale breaches with large numbers of people congregating '' should do so via the non-emergency 101 number or online .
But they are advised not to call 999 as the line is needed for those in a genuine emergency .
`` We would ask you to trust that we will target the most problematic behaviour , '' Mr Thompson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What are the symptoms ?
• NEW GUIDANCE : What must I do ?
• NEW RESTRICTIONS : What are they ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , on Twitter , and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone .

"Where we do come across people believed to be in breach of the measures, our first actions will always be to explain the measures and the importance of following them during this national health emergency as we seek to persuade people to do the right thing," he said.


bbcuk--2020-03-25--Coronavirus: Scottish diplomat Steven Dick dies in Hungary

A Scottish diplomat has died in Hungary after contracting coronavirus .
Steven Dick , 37 , served as the deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Budapest .
He died on Tuesday , the Foreign Office confirmed .
It is not known whether Mr Dick had any underlying medical problems .
His parents , Steven and Carol Dick , said their son was `` kind , funny and generous '' and he was very happy representing the UK overseas .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was `` desperately saddened '' by the news of Mr Dick 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomat and represented his country with great skill and passion , '' he added .
`` He will be missed by all those who knew him and worked with him . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Mr Dick 's parents said he was a much-loved son , grandson and nephew .
`` It was always his dream to work for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' they said .
The UK Ambassador to Hungary , Iain Lindsay , said he had worked with Mr Dick since last October .
He said his team and their families were saddened and shocked by his death .
`` Steven was a dear colleague and friend who had made a tremendous impression in Hungary since his arrival last October with his personal warmth and his sheer professionalism , not least his excellent Hungarian , '' he said .
`` As our fellow Scot Robert Burns , whose works we had recently recited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with virtue warm 'd , Few heads with knowledge so inform 'd . '
We will miss him so much . ''
Sir Simon McDonald , permanent under-secretary at the FCO , said it was `` simply shattering news '' '' He was just starting out on what was sure to be an outstanding career and his friends around the world and across the FCO will miss him sorely , '' he said .
Before taking up his post in Hungary , Mr Dick had roles at the British Embassies in Kabul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of corporate strategy and governance at the Department for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport .
He started his career as a graduate trainee with the Bank of Scotland .

"He was just starting out on what was sure to be an outstanding career and his friends around the world and across the FCO will miss him sorely," he said.


bbcuk--2020-03-25--Coronavirus: ‘Many thousands of Covid-19 cases’ across NI

There are `` many thousands '' of Covid-19 cases across Northern Ireland , Michael McBride , the chief medical officer , has said .
At Stormont 's daily briefing , Dr McBride warned that the spread of coronavirus is a lot wider than statistics indicate .
On Tuesday , it was confirmed that seven people with the virus have died in Northern Ireland .
Dr McBride said there will be more deaths to come .
Asked if the current lack of testing may be creating a false sense of security among the public , he said : “ A test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
`` It may indeed reinforce behaviours that we don ’ t wish to see .
“ As we open up the Covid-19 centres , that does provide other opportunities for us to track the spread of the virus within the community , but we must prioritise those who are sick and critical care staff.
” Dr McBride said the health service would have the capacity to carry out 1,000 tests a day from next week .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it means to self-isolate • HEALTH MYTHS : The fake advice you should ignore • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Dr McBride said the first priority is that personal protective equipment ( PPE ) gets to `` those staff in the front line '' and re-emphasised the importance of adhering to hand hygiene and social distancing practices .
`` Do n't look back in two weeks ' time and think we should have done more , '' he added .
Meanwhile , the NI Health and Social Care Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help during the Covid-19 pandemic to contact them .
It is part of a wider appeal announced last Friday by the Department of Health to recruit former health professionals .
There will be a range of roles available to GPs , including telephone triage .
The board wants retired GPs to get send their contact details to gprevalidation @ hscni.net - they will then be contacted with registration information and help .
Retired doctor , Brian Patterson told BBC Radio Ulster ’ s Evening Extra programme that `` the times are such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly help with '' .
`` We 've got to also recognise that we 're not not in the first flush of youth and slightly more vulnerable than most , '' Dr Patterson said .
`` That said , there 's a variety of roles we can do .
Some are clinical roles and some are non-clinical roles .
`` Taking and making phone calls , the triaging ; we can do a lot of work with prescriptions , we can do a lot of work with laboratory results to free up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robin Swann said the executive is pushing ahead with plans for a `` volunteer army '' , not just for the health service , but for the wider battle against Covid-19 .
He said more than 30 local firms have come forward to help make ventilators , while more than 40 have volunteered to make personal protective equipment .
Mr Swann also said a new mobile app will be launched to advise the public on whether they have coronavirus symptoms .
Meanwhile , a new centre in Derry to assess people with suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urgent Care building at Altnagelvin Hospital .
Dr Tom Black from the British Medical Association said it was hoped 13 such centres would be operating within a week .
The centre at Altnagelvin Hospital will be the `` middle ground '' for the moderate to severe cases , Dr Black said .
Another GP , Dr Nichola Herron , stressed that the building is not a coronavirus testing centre and said there were `` absolutely no testing facilities '' there .
People have been encouraged to phone their GP as usual .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an assessment centre .

“As we open up the Covid-19 centres, that does provide other opportunities for us to track the spread of the virus within the community, but we must prioritise those who are sick and critical care staff.”


bbcuk--2020-03-25--Emily Jones: Stabbed Bolton girl was 'light of our life', parents say

The parents of a seven-year-old girl stabbed to death by a stranger in a park said she had a `` heart as big as her smile '' .
Emily Jones was randomly attacked by a knife-wielding woman at Queen 's Park in Bolton on Sunday .
She died a short time later , Greater Manchester Police said .
A 30-year-old woman arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder has been detained at a secure facility under the Mental Health Act .
Emily 's parents said she was their only child and `` the light of our lives '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , love and laughter , '' they said .
`` Emily had such a cheeky smile and was beautiful inside and out .
She had a heart as big as her smile . ''
Describing her as a `` little social butterfly '' , they said Emily had a `` passion for the outdoors and loved to play any sport , even when she was wearing her pink sparkly dresses '' .
`` This random act of violence means that we will never get to see our beautiful little girl grow up into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such promise of becoming , '' they said .
`` It is truly heartbreaking to wake up to a world without Emily in it and we can not comprehend why this has happened '' .

"This random act of violence means that we will never get to see our beautiful little girl grow up into the wonderful young lady she was showing such promise of becoming," they said.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Rishi Sunak to unveil financial aid for self-employed

Self-employed workers facing financial difficulties as a result of coronavirus are set to be offered a package of support from the government .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil the measures later .
He set out plans for 80 % wage subsidies for staff kept on by employers last week - and the PM has said he wants similar protection for freelancers .
However , Boris Johnson added he could not promise the UK would beat the virus `` without any kind of hardship at all '' .
The total number of people in the UK to die with Covid-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached 465 .
Mr Sunak said last week that the government would cover wages of up to £2,500 a month for staff being kept on by their employer , as part of `` unprecedented '' measures to prevent workers being laid off .
The chancellor later said drawing up plans to help self-employed people had proved `` incredibly complicated '' .
• Why is it taking so long to help the self-employed ?
Dr Adam Marshall , director general of the British Chambers of Commerce , said : `` For many people that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blink of an eye , things like statutory sick pay or universal credit just is n't enough .
`` It does n't need to be perfect - we just need a system in place , '' he told the BBC 's Today programme .
John Healey , a self-employed driving instructor from Lancashire , said : `` We do n't need a lot , we just need something .
`` But by doing nothing , we just go to the wall , basically , '' he told the Today programme .
BBC Newsnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the indications from talking to ministers and Conservative MPs were that the chancellor would match the 80 % salary support given to PAYE employees .
He said one minister said the reason why it had taken so long was because it was fiendishly complicated but `` when this chancellor acts , he acts big '' .
BBC business editor Simon Jack said calculating a support wage for the self-employed was so difficult because their income could be lumpy , irregular and intermittent .
Government sources said they had struggled to find a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need help .
As Parliament shut down until 21 April at the earliest due to the escalating pandemic , Mr Johnson told MPs : `` We will do whatever we can to support the self-employed , just as we are putting our arms around every single employed person in this country . ''
He said there were `` particular difficulties '' for freelancers who are not on Pay As You Earn ( PAYE ) schemes , but that he wanted to achieve `` parity of support '' across the workforce .
• A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak In the UK , more than 9,500 people have tested positive for the virus - although the actual number of cases is likely to be far higher .
The peak of demand for intensive care is expected to come in two to three weeks .
Chris Hopson of NHS Providers , which represents foundation trusts in England , said London hospital bosses were telling him they were already struggling with the high numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation to a `` continuous tsunami '' .
Their job was being complicated by staff sickness rates of up to 50 % in some hospitals and a shortage of ventilators , he told the Today programme .
Prof Neil Ferguson , a key government adviser on the country 's response , said he expected `` a very difficult few weeks particularly in the hotspots '' , including London .
However , he said while the health service would be `` particularly stressed , it wo n't break '' .
A 21-year-old woman from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus last week , had no underlying health conditions , her family said .
One of the latest people to be diagnosed is Prince Charles .
The 71-year-old is self-isolating at Balmoral with the Duchess of Cornwall , 72 , who tested negative .
Buckingham Palace said the Queen last saw her son , the heir to the throne , on 12 March , but was `` in good health '' .
Meanwhile the British Medical Association ( BMA ) has warned that doctors and patients will die without adequate protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said doctors were risking their lives due to a lack of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) - and said many health workers could go off sick unless urgent action is taken .
Health Minister Edward Argar said 24 million pairs of protective gloves and 13 million protective face masks had been delivered in `` the last few days '' , while an extra 8,000 ventilators were expected to be available within two weeks .
• Banks have been criticised for insisting on personal guarantees to issue government-backed emergency loans to business owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year 's Wimbledon would go ahead as planned will be made next week • Probation officers in England and Wales are scaling back supervision of criminals by asking them to come to their windows for monitoring rather than meeting face to face • All NHS and social care staff will be given free car parking , the Department of Health says • In Cambridgeshire , an 84-year-old man , reportedly with underlying health issues , becomes the first British prisoner with coronavirus to die • Anxiety UK is extending its helpline opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls to its helpline have risen by between 30 and 35 % over the last fortnight .
To reduce coronavirus-related anxiety the charity recommends people talk about their concerns , limit the time they spend following the latest developments , and find time to do things that distract them • Ministers have said free car parking will be provided to NHS staff working in hospitals in England • Dyson has had hundreds of engineers working around the clock to make 10,000 ventilators , after the government placed an order • In the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2tn ( £1.7tn ) coronavirus disaster aid bill that is the largest economic stimulus in US history • There are now more than 470,000 recorded infections worldwide .
The number of global deaths is more than 21,270 while more than 114,000 people have recovered Are you self-employed ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
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As Parliament shut down until 21 April at the earliest due to the escalating pandemic, Mr Johnson told MPs: "We will do whatever we can to support the self-employed, just as we are putting our arms around every single employed person in this country."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Banks under fire for coronavirus loan tactics

Banks have been criticised by firms and MPs for insisting on personal guarantees to issue government-backed emergency loans to business owners .
The requirement loads most of the risk that the loan goes bad on the business owner , rather than the banks .
It means that the banks can go after the personal property of the owner of a firm if their business goes under and they can not afford to pay off the debt .
Their main home would be protected but the bank could go after other assets .
Those can include things like personal savings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that will stop business owners from making use of the emergency loan scheme , which the government put in place to stop businesses from going under during the coronavirus crisis .
The coronavirus business interruption loans ( CBIL ) are a key plank of the government 's package to protect businesses throughout the ongoing shutdown .
• How to apply for business support • Coronavirus support 'not open to firms like mine' Alex Harris owns bar Behind This Wall in Hackney , east London .
He told the BBC 's Today programme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's coronavirus loan scheme , but was offered something quite different .
`` The government-backed loans are from £25,000 up to £5m , '' he said .
`` We got offered a financial product of theirs , another loan which is not part of the coronavirus package .
`` It 's for up to £24,999 , but will come at up to 22 % interest , which would initially bankrupt my business . ''
Mr Harris said he was being asked to borrow against his house and questioned why he was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this level of uncertainty '' .
Stephen Jones , chief executive of UK Finance , advised Mr Harris to contact the British Business Bank ( BBB ) , which is overseeing the scheme , to look for another lender .
He told the programme that no-one borrowing money under the government 's coronavirus loan scheme would be required to use their main private residence as security .
The BBB has told lenders they have discretion over the security they require .
According to UK Finance , formerly the British Bankers Association , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to £5m , where the government promises to cover 80 % of losses if the money is not repaid .
But , it notes : `` Lenders may require security for the facility . ''
And that could allow banks to repossess the owner 's personal property as well as the assets of the business if the firm goes under .
Barclays has told customers they will be required to sign personal guarantees to access the government-supported emergency finance .
And HSBC told the BBC it will require a form of personal guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Royal Bank of Scotland , which also owns NatWest , has confirmed it will offer business interruption loans without asking business owners for personal guarantees - proving that more generous terms can be offered .
The other banks will now come under pressure from business customers to copy RBS .
Personal guarantees allow banks to lend more because it means they are more likely to get their money back .
That means they do n't have to put as much money aside to cover failures , which is one of the biggest costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of personal guarantees shifts the risk from the bank and the government on to the business owner themselves .
If a loan of £100,000 was made to a failed business and the owner had signed a personal guarantee , the bank would first repossess the assets of the owner or the business .
Only then would the government step in to cover 80 % of whatever loss remained and the bank would only have to fund whatever was left after that .
Business owners and MPs say that is not fair when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of emergency measures introduced by the government .
The SME Alliance , which represents small and medium sized enterprises and is led by business owner Andy Keats , said that while business owners were grateful for the recognition that most firms will need help to survive the crisis , `` yet again , it is the banks and not businesses who will receive the funds to help SMEs '' .
'Business owners take all the risk' It said banks were seeking security - property they can repossess if the loan is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the business interruption loans .
`` We would appreciate some clarity because , as things stand , the proposed loans mean the banks have no risk , the government has a small risk and businesses and their officers have 100 % risk , '' said Mr Keats .
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking tweeted : `` There is confusion about [ coronavirus business interruption loan schemes ] .
Treasury must issue clear guidance on parameters and not allow security at 'discretion of the lender ' to muddy the waters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it simple , and no [ personal guarantees ] . ''
Kevin Hollinrake MP , a former business owner who chairs the group , said : `` I asked the chief secretary to the Treasury [ Steve Barclay ] in the House of Commons - does the new scheme include personal guarantees and he said it was his understanding that it would not .
Well it 's my understanding now that it will .
`` It should not include [ personal guarantees ] .
If it does , very few business owners are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In normal business circumstances , you ca n't expect banks to lend money without some sort of commitment .
But these are unheralded times and unprecedented measures . ''

If a loan of £100,000 was made to a failed business and the owner had signed a personal guarantee, the bank would first repossess the assets of the owner or the business. Only then would the government step in to cover 80% of whatever loss remained and the bank would only have to fund whatever was left after that.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: NHS staff to get free parking

NHS and social care staff will be given free car parking during the coronavirus outbreak , the government has said .
It comes after 400,000 people signed a petition urging the government to thank NHS workers by scrapping charges .
GP Anthony Gallagher , who began the petition , welcomed the move but said fees should be abolished permanently .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said : “ I will do everything I can to ensure our dedicated staff have whatever they need during this unprecedented time.
” The government has promised to provide NHS trusts with the money so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital car parks .
Elsewhere , Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said he has agreed with local authorities in England that they will provide free car parking on council-owned on-street spaces and car parks .
• Is the NHS ready for the coronavirus surge ?
• Free NHS hospital parking for thousands 'in greatest need' The government says councils will ensure NHS staff , care workers and volunteers can provide suitable evidence to be displayed in their vehicles in order to avoid charges .
The National Car Parking Group earlier confirmed it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 150 car parks in England .
Responding to the announcement , Dr Gallagher said : “ I hope after this nightmare has passed , that the government will still notice how NHS workers go above and beyond every day .
He said he hoped the government would `` do what is right '' and scrap charges at work car parks for NHS staff permanently .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the GMB trade union which has campaigned on the issue .
National secretary Rehana Azam said : “ We need a permanent end to the scandal that leaves NHS and ambulance workers paying hundreds and thousands just to park at the hospitals that they work at.
” A freedom of information request made by the union found that staff were paying up to £1,300 a year to park at work .
In Scotland , parking charges at three Scottish hospitals have also been scrapped .
Charging for parking at other NHS car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Parking at all NHS hospitals in Wales has been free since 2018 .
The Conservative government ’ s 2019 manifesto promised to make parking free for those in greatest need including “ disabled people , frequent outpatient attenders and staff working night shifts .
”

Responding to the announcement, Dr Gallagher said: “I hope after this nightmare has passed, that the government will still notice how NHS workers go above and beyond every day.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: NHS field hospital plans for Scotland

NHS field hospital sites in Scotland will be identified this week ahead of a predicted rapid rise in Covid-19 cases , the chief medical officer has said .
Dr Catherine Calderwod said she agreed with a senior medic who expects a coronavirus `` tsunami '' in coming weeks .
She said Scotland was looking to set up temporary hospitals similar to one planned for London .
Dr Calderwood also revealed that new distribution systems for protective equipment were being set up .
The ExCel exhibition centre space in East London is being prepared as a 4,000-bed field hospital , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help of the military , and there are reports that the NEC in Birmingham could take on a similar role .
Dr Calderwood said sites in Scotland for such facilities were `` absolutely '' being looked at .
She told BBC Radio 's Good Morning Scotland programme : `` We have had quite detailed discussions very recently and I know that there are sites being considered in Scotland this week . ''
The chief medical officer was asked about comments by the vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine , Dr David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatic explosion in coronavirus case numbers in London could be replicated in Scotland .
She said : `` Unfortunately , the emergency medicine doctor is absolutely right .
We have people with mild illness , as we know 80 % of people - but up to 20 % of people will have a much more significant illness . ''
So far , there have been 22 deaths in Scotland , while across the UK 465 people with the virus have died .
Dr Calderwood said the lower Scottish death figure may simply reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop symptoms and become seriously ill. '' You can be ill for two to three weeks before you 're hospitalised , '' she said .
`` I 'm worried that these low deaths are actually just because we have n't had the virus in Scotland for as long as they have had it in England '' In other words , there has n't been enough time for people to get more unwell and hospitalised and onto that stage where they 're needing intensive care .
`` This is probably just a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per se . ''
• LIVE : Latest updates on the situation in Scotland • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak The chief medical officer said she was hearing from NHS colleagues that they were worried about their personal safety due to shortages of protective equipment .
`` This makes me very uncomfortable , '' she said .
`` To send people to work on the frontline when they are worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will run low or run out .
`` We are also hearing of people using masks when actually they do n't need to be using them - that is depriving them , somebody else who does need the mask . ''
Dr Calderwood said the distribution model for protective equipment was being changed to ensure supplies were delivered to the right places in the right quantities .
`` It seems we had not enough that were coming in a timely fashion .
People were ordering from GP surgeries or from hospitals ordering many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever have before , '' she said .
`` That seems to have clogged up the system with huge orders for which there were n't enough supplies so the order did n't get processed at all . ''
Separate distribution lines have now been set up for primary care , social care and hospitals to speed up the process .
`` Distribution should not be a problem after this week , '' she said .
Dr Calderwood said testing was prioritised `` quite rightly '' for those requiring hospital treatment , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus .
She was asked why Prince Charles and his wife Camilla were tested for Covid-19 in Aberdeenshire when the heir to the throne was only displaying `` mild symptoms '' .
She said : `` My understanding is there were very good clinical reasons for that person and his wife to be tested .
Obviously I would n't be able to disclose anything else that I know because of patient confidentiality . ''

"It seems we had not enough that were coming in a timely fashion. People were ordering from GP surgeries or from hospitals ordering many, many more masks than they would ever have before," she said.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Government orders 10,000 ventilators from Dyson

The government has ordered 10,000 ventilators from Dyson to help deal with the coronavirus crisis .
The firm , headed by British inventor Sir James Dyson , said it had designed a new type of ventilator in response to a call on behalf of the NHS .
The order is still subject to the devices passing stringent medical tests but that is expected to happen quickly .
Dyson has had hundreds of engineers working round the clock to design the ventilators from scratch .
It hopes to build the ventilators at scale from its UK base in Wiltshire - using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parachutes in the World War Two .
However , the blitz spirit the company is keen to channel will not produce immediate results .
It is thought that even if regulatory approval is forthcoming , it could take a couple of weeks to move from prototype to the device being made in significant scale .
• A ventilator is a machine that helps a person breathe by getting oxygen into the lungs and removing carbon dioxide • Ventilators can be used to help a person breathe if they have lung disease or another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can also be used during and post-surgery • A tube , connected to a ventilator machine , is placed in a person 's mouth , nose or through a small cut in the throat ( called a tracheostomy ) Dyson - which is working with The Technology Partnership , a medical company based in Cambridge - is not the only game in town .
In the meantime , the government has told the BBC that is `` picking the low-hanging fruit '' by buying as many existing models as it can .
Currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators , the government thinks it can procure a further 8,000 from existing domestic and international suppliers .
However , it estimates that the NHS will need at least 30,000 to deal with the potential flood of virus victims .
By way of comparison , the state of New York has targeted the same number of 30,000 required ventilators , even though it has a population one third the size of the UK 's .
The race has been on for weeks to produce tens of thousands of ventilators to keep people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corner is vacuum and hairdryer maker , Dyson .
In another is a consortium of manufacturing companies including Airbus and GKN , which makes parts for cars and planes .
The approaches of these two groups are very different .
Dyson insiders have told the BBC they have a working prototype , designed and built from scratch , which has been tested on humans and is `` ready to go '' .
Meanwhile , the consortium of medical , military and civil engineering companies - which includes Airbus , Meggit , GKN and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the production of an existing design .
Usually , these processes would take months or even years .
It is a measure of the current emergency that the decision making process has been reduced to days .

"When it comes to miles eight to 10, those ventilators that are currently being procured and ordered from around the world will be very helpful, although the lack of ventilation available right now is a real issue."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: First UK prison Covid-19 death confirmed

An 84-year-old man has become the first British prisoner to die after contracting coronavirus .
The inmate at HMP Littlehey , a category C male sex offenders ' prison in Cambridgeshire , died in hospital on Sunday .
A HM Prison Service spokesman said : `` Our thoughts are with his family at this time . ''
The spokesman confirmed an independent investigation would take place , as is standard practice .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested positive for Covid-19 across 10 jails and four prison staff had tested positive for the disease across four jails .
Three prisoner escort and custody services staff have also tested positive for Covid-19 .
HM Prison Service said robust contingency plans had been put in place at its facilities in consultation with Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care .
It added that prisons are well prepared to take immediate action wherever cases or suspected cases of Covid-19 are identified , including the isolation of individuals where @ @

It added that prisons are well prepared to take immediate action wherever cases or suspected cases of Covid-19 are identified, including the isolation of individuals where necessary.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Cancer patient's chemotherapy put on hold

A woman with brain cancer has been told her chemotherapy has stopped because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Nancy Carter-Bradley , 44 , from Hampshire , said the health secretary should ring-fence cancer treatment .
She said her treatment at a London hospital had paused as it was at full capacity and oncologists were helping with the response to coronavirus .
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said it was `` exploring use of private healthcare facilities '' .
Mrs Carter-Bradley , from Penwood , said she had been dealing with `` unbelievable stress '' since she was informed her chemotherapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain cancer would be paused .
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment in which medicine is used to kill cancer cells .
It stops the cells from reproducing , which prevents them from growing and spreading in the body .
The mother-of-two , who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005 , was in remission until October of last year .
When her cancer returned she was put on a course of chemotherapy for a year .
Mrs Carter-Bradley said : `` With a matter of urgency there needs to be some sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can carry on , even if there are delays , rather than a complete stop . ''
She said she knew of several other cancer patients who had also had their treatment held .
`` To have my treatment stopped without doubt is going to shorten my life span , I do n't know to what degree , '' she added .
The trust said cancer clinicians were reviewing treatment plans for their patients .
A spokeswoman said : `` Drawing on national guidance , they are working through the timing of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
All essential surgery is going ahead .
`` We are also taking into account the increase in demand we 're expecting across our hospitals over the next few days and weeks . ''
• NHS 'should be able ' to handle coronavirus crisis The NHS has issued guidance to hospitals that cancer treatment should continue unaffected .
A spokeswoman said : `` Decisions about treatment are rightly being taken by expert clinicians who will be carrying out as much cancer treatment as possible , while clearly needing to balance this against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Cancer Research UK said it was not clear how cancer care would be affected and over what timeframe .
Professor Charles Swanton , the charity 's chief clinician , said : `` As the virus becomes more common in the UK , it will undoubtedly add more pressure to the NHS , bed and ITU availability and hence service delivery .
`` We also know that patients suffering from cancer are at higher risk of complications from viral infections such as flu , and Covid-19 is likely to be no different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Care has been contacted for comment .
• EASY STEPS : What should I do ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• HEALTH MYTHS : The fake advice you should ignore

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bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Hoppings fair cancelled due to virus outbreak

A travelling fair billed as Europe 's largest has been cancelled amid the coronavirus outbreak .
The Hoppings on Newcastle 's Town Moor dates back to 1882 and usually attracts about 300,000 visitors over nine days .
It was due to be held in June but organisers said it `` simply can not go ahead '' .
The government is ordering people to stay at home except in certain instances and avoid any gatherings of more than two people .
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said : `` The Hoppings is an extremely popular event but in light of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around social distancing it simply can not go ahead .
`` I appreciate some will be disappointed at this but not surprised in the circumstances with all mass gatherings having been cancelled .
`` Everyone 's priority right now should be restricting the spread of this virus . ''
The government has said people must stay at home and are only allowed to leave for specific reasons : • Shopping for `` basic necessities '' as infrequently as possible - but people should use delivery services where they can • Medical reasons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vulnerable person • Travelling to and from work , but only if it is `` absolutely necessary '' .
People should not meet friends or family members who do not live with them .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria @ bbc.co.uk .

Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said: "The Hoppings is an extremely popular event but in light of the pandemic and the government's restrictions around social distancing it simply cannot go ahead.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Shropshire flood recovery 'stalled'

Families whose homes were damaged by flooding last month say their recovery has been `` stalled '' by the lockdown introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus .
Hundreds of homes in the West Midlands were flooded in the wake of Storms Ciara , Dennis and Jorge in February .
Some people have had to self-isolate inside their still-damaged homes .
For others , the impact of flooding and coronavirus has meant they have lost their livelihoods .
Vic Haddock spent £150,000 setting up a new holiday let and canoe company in Ironbridge , which was flooded three times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have got to decorate it and get it back up to standard , but we had got bookings for most of year , '' he said .
`` Now everyone is cancelling , so I have got no livelihood , no income coming in . ''
Siobhan Connor 's family was flooded twice in eight days and she has been in isolation in her Shrewsbury home with her father Michael and 12-year-old son Oscar .
She said she felt like `` everything is on standstill '' because of coronavirus and was yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the government in the wake of the storms .
• 'Taking the lockdown in our stride' '' The doors are not shutting properly because they have warped and split , the fridge , the shower , the washing machine are all broken , '' she said .
`` But because of everything else , the effects of the lockdown , no-one is prepared or able to come and help .
`` There is plenty of stuff to do but we are limited in what we can do . ''
The White Hart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was closed for 10 days following the flooding in February .
It reopened for only a fortnight before closing again because of coronavirus .
General manager Alex Nicoll said the situation was `` bewildering '' .
`` This whole period of time has been just about a month but it feels like an age that we have gone through , '' he said .
`` The staff are constantly in this state of flux .
`` At least we have got that knowledge there is some support coming but the interesting thing will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In few weeks , if that does n't start to become clear , that will start to cause panic . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• NEW GUIDANCE : What must I do ?
• NEW RESTRICTIONS : What are they ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , on Twitter , and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone .

"We dried it out again and have got to decorate it and get it back up to standard, but we had got bookings for most of year," he said.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: GPs demand 'clarity' over protective gear guidance

GPs are demanding `` urgent clarification '' from the government on whether they should now wear protective equipment to examine all patients .
Family doctors now wear it if they see a patient with suspected coronavirus .
But the Royal College of General Practitioners ( RCGP ) has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to ask if GPs should wear it for all face-to-face consultations .
It says patients with the virus but no symptoms could still infect staff .
The BBC understands GPs in some surgeries have decided to wear personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for all face-to-face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended by Public Health England .
• Home tests wo n't be available 'next week' • Thousands volunteer to help NHS with vulnerable In the letter , Prof Martin Marshall , chairman of the RCGP , wrote : `` GPs across the country have never been more concerned , not just for the safety of themselves and their teams , but for patients too .
`` They are unsure as to whether they have enough supplies [ of PPE ] , either now , or as the crisis deepens .
`` They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the necessary clarity about whether GPs are using the right type of equipment , at the right times , '' he said .
Prof Marshall also noted the World Health Organization ( WHO ) recommends family doctors have eye protection for consultations but most practices do not have sufficient access to it , and there are concerns about the use of aprons that doctors have been given , rather than full body cover .
There has been widespread concern and anger at the shortages of personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` assured '' stocks of PPE - such as masks , gloves and gowns - were on the way to NHS staff , saying the Army had distributed 7.5 million pieces of equipment in the past 24 hours .
A dedicated hotline has also been set up allowing organisations to order PPE 24 hours a day , the government previously announced .
However , Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Healthcare Supply Association has been forced to use Twitter to ask DIY shops to donate equipment to NHS staff .
• A SIMPLE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

Prof Marshall also noted the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends family doctors have eye protection for consultations but most practices do not have sufficient access to it, and there are concerns about the use of aprons that doctors have been given, rather than full body cover.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Help needed to rescue UK's old rainfall records

At a loss to know what to do with your self-isolation time ?
Well , why not get on the computer and help with a giant weather digitisation effort ?
The UK has rainfall records dating back 200 years or so , but the vast majority of these are in handwritten form and ca n't easily be used to analyse past periods of flooding and drought .
The Rainfall Rescue Project is seeking volunteers to transfer all the data into online spreadsheets .
You 're not required to rummage through old bound volumes ; the Met Office has already scanned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You simply have to visit a website , read the scribbled rainfall amounts and enter the numbers into a series of boxes .
`` If you do just a couple of minutes every now and then - that 's great , '' said Prof Ed Hawkins .
`` If you want to spend an hour doing 30 or 40 columns - then that 'll be amazing .
But any amount of time , it will all add up and be a tremendous help . ''
• Same time , same place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be doubled to £5.2bn The Reading University scientist has run a number of previous `` weather rescue '' projects , including the digitisation of data collected by three men who lived atop Britain 's tallest mountain , Ben Nevis , at the turn of the 20th Century .
But this project is the biggest yet .
It 's looking to fill the yawning gap in UK digital rain gauge records between the 1820s and 1950s .
Each of the 65,000 scanned sheets contains the monthly rainfall totals for a particular decade at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to five million data points in all .
But if Prof Hawkins ' team can convert this information into a computer-friendly format , it could lead to a much better understanding of the frequency and scale of big droughts and floods .
And that will assist with planning for future flood and water-resource infrastructure .
For example , many across the country had a sodden start to the year because of heavy rainfall .
But meteorologists suspect the October of 1903 was just as bad , if not worse .
Unfortunately , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was noted down on paper , it 's not possible to be precise .
Likewise , there were some very dry springs and winters in the 1880s and 1890s .
Britain had six or seven very dry winters and springs on the trot .
If that happened today , it would probably cause quite serious problems for the water companies because they rely on wet winters and wet springs to recharge the reservoirs .
`` Water companies have to plan for a one-in-100 or one-in-500-year drought , '' said Prof Hawkins .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of very dense digital data , and so it 's very hard for them to come up with reliable estimates .
`` We know there are periods in the past that , if they happened again , would probably break the system .
And the same is true for very heavy rainfall and floods , '' he told BBC News .
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET @ bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter : @ BBCAmos

For example, many across the country had a sodden start to the year because of heavy rainfall. But meteorologists suspect the October of 1903 was just as bad, if not worse. Unfortunately, because all the rainfall data from the time was noted down on paper, it's not possible to be precise.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coping with coronavirus anxiety

Coping with coronavirus anxiety

Anxiety UK have experienced a big rise in callers since the outbreak of coronavirus .
David Smithson , the charity @ @ @ @ @ gives his advice on how to deal with anxiety during this difficult time .
And @ @ @ @ @ with pre-existing anxiety disorders about why coronavirus has been especially challenging , and the strategies @ @ @ @ @ cope .

Anxiety UK have experienced a big rise in callers since the outbreak of coronavirus.
David Smithson, the charity’s operations director, gives his advice on how to deal with anxiety during this difficult time.
And we hear from three women with pre-existing anxiety disorders about why coronavirus has been especially challenging, and the strategies they have been using to cope.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: What’s behind the great toilet roll grab?

`` I did n't want to overbuy as I did n't want to be a part of the problem .
So I placed an online order on Amazon for 30 rolls for £18 - I thought that would definitely cover her for three months . ''
Josh , a 25-year-old carer from Nottingham , is one of the many UK shoppers who have been trying to get their hands on a highly sought-after commodity : toilet paper .
He looks after his mum , a disabled cancer patient , and has been trying to make sure that she has enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amount of time people most at risk of coronavirus have been told to stay at home .
But Josh 's delivery never came .
He says it was listed as out for delivery by Hermes on several different days , but eventually it just disappeared from the portal .
Josh believes it was stolen .
He says that he was offered a full refund for the purchase , but found the whole situation frustrating : `` Panic buying just instigates panic buying , and we need to make sure that there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my mum . ''
Hermes told the BBC that it does n't receive any information on what is inside the parcels it delivers , and that nearly all of its deliveries are successful .
Lulu , a university graduate , lives with her mum who is a nurse .
She had a similar experience with a delivery from ethical toilet roll company Who Gives A Crap .
She 's had a subscription with the firm for about six months .
She believes that the £36 package of 48 rolls , which was clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Australian firm , which uses half of its profits to help build toilets in developing countries , told the BBC : `` We 've seen a small increase in concerns that deliveries may have been stolen , but nothing drastic .
In most cases we are finding that the delivery just has n't been completed yet . ''
• What are supermarkets doing about stockpiling ?
Avant Garde Brands , which sells household products on Ebay and Wowcher , told one UK customer that it was starting to receive reports of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It said that the coronavirus pandemic had led to an `` unprecedented '' spike in demand for retailers .
Shoppers are turning to online shops and more niche toilet paper companies so that they are n't caught short .
Bumboo offers subscriptions for its toilet rolls made from bamboo .
For every box purchased online , it plants a tree .
Although the firm has only been trading for seven full months , managing director Fay Pottinger said that sales had gone `` crazy '' since the beginning of March , when `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in '' .
She told the BBC that so far this month , sales have jumped by about 325 % against the last .
She adds this could have been much higher , had the company not run out of stock .
US firm No .
2 , which also sells bamboo toilet paper , said that in the month-to-date , it had seen more than a 5,000 % increase in its sales on Amazon 's website before it sold out too .
Meanwhile , Who Gives A Crap 's chief executive Simon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , sales were up to five times higher than on an average February day .
He added that although consumers might be worried , `` it 's important to show compassion to each other right now , including to delivery drivers who are out there every day ensuring people can get basic necessities delivered to home '' .
Being stuck on the toilet with only one square left is seemingly one scenario most panic buyers are trying to avoid .
Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd , a consumer psychologist at Anglia Ruskin University , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need to do something practical to make it feel like they are in control '' .
The focus on toilet roll `` likely started on the basis of some people trying to be practical in that they wanted to stock up on basics in case they could not go out .
There 's then been a snowball effect as consumers observed each other stockpiling - they also had to do it . ''
She adds that seeing photos of empty shelves online `` further fuels a vicious circle '' .
While stockpiling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , people need to remember to stay `` community-minded '' , said Tony Richards of Essity , one of the UK 's largest toilet paper producers .
He reassured consumers : `` Do n't panic ... we can get toilet roll on the shelves .
We just need time . ''

The focus on toilet roll "likely started on the basis of some people trying to be practical in that they wanted to stock up on basics in case they could not go out. There's then been a snowball effect as consumers observed each other stockpiling - they also had to do it."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--The companies that need workers

The companies that need workers

Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis as restaurants , bars , hotels and gyms have been forced to close .
But many companies still in business are urgently seeking more staff to meet orders , help with deliveries and just to keep things moving .
The major supermarkets are searching for 35,000 additional workers , but many other firms supplying essential goods or services are also looking for extra help so they can cope with the increased demand .
Home care company Cera has just created 10,000 new jobs for people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
Meanwhile , chemist chain Lloyds Pharmacy is seeking 1,500 workers across the country in the next few days .
And Virgin Media says it needs 500 new people at Birmingham , Sheffield , Manchester and Teesside .
The government should help by reallocating some workers in sectors that have temporarily shut down to parts of the economy facing labour shortages , reckons think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies .
It pointed out the coronavirus pandemic has led to sharp falls in labour demand in many corners of the economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other sectors .
To help , the government should remove barriers to taking up temporary jobs , facilitate worker loans between firms and sectors , and subsidise retraining where appropriate , it said .
`` There is an urgent need to reallocate some workers , '' said Xiaowei Xu , a senior research economist at IFS .
`` At a minimum , the government should remove barriers to fill much-needed roles . ''
Where are the jobs ?
Tesco said last week it is bringing in up to 20,000 new colleagues to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next twelve weeks .
You can apply here .
Asda said it wanted to recruit more than 5,000 temporary staff from the pool of workers whose jobs have been impacted by the virus .
Here is the application site .
Aldi announced it was looking to fill 5,000 new temporary posts and take on 4,000 permanent new workers for jobs in all its stores and distribution centres .
Details can be found here .
Morrisons said it would be recruiting about 2,500 pickers and drivers , plus 1,000 staff in its distribution centres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lidl said it would create about 2,500 temporary jobs across its 800 stores in the UK .
The jobs site is here .
The home care company is looking for 10,000 people to provide immediate relief and support to the NHS and elderly in isolation .
It said it will provide training and certification for people to begin working as professional carers , noting that workers can start earning income in just 10 days .
The majority of positions will be in the following regions : London , King 's Lynn , Norwich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Old Stratford , Nottinghamshire , Staffordshire , Cumbria , Lancashire , Wiltshire , Essex , Kent , and Abercynon .
`` These are long-term positions within our company , and we hope this will encourage those recently left without work , or even those currently employed , to consider getting trained and becoming part of this crucial community , '' said Horus Patel , chief technical officer of Cera .
Information about roles at Cera can be found here .
Care provider Home Instead Senior Care wants 3,000 kind , compassionate people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic .
No experience or qualifications are needed as full training is given to all new recruits .
`` For those people who have recently lost a role in hospitality , or retail that might have transferable skills we want to let you know that we are here for you and can offer you the opportunity of employment , '' said chief executive Martin Jones .
The chemist chain needs 1,500 temporary and permanent roles filling over the coming days .
Vacancies include dispensers , pharmacists , delivery drivers and warehouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We know this is a difficult time , with many people struggling with job losses or redundancies , so we hope that this opportunity will provide some hope for those who need it most , as well as helping us to continue providing a first-class healthcare service , '' said Toby Anderson , chief executive of Lloyds Pharmacy .
`` It 's also an opportunity to contribute to your local community and those that need the help most of all . ''
For information on the roles and to apply , click here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating 500 new UK contact centre jobs to help keep customers connected during the coronavirus pandemic .
New jobs are being created at locations across the country on both a permanent and fixed-term basis .
Roles will be based in Birmingham , Sheffield , Manchester and Teesside .
`` We 're working day and night to keep the country connected and make sure services are running smoothly , '' said Abby Thomas , an executive director at Virgin Media .
`` In these difficult times , we 're really proud to soon be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact centres who will help us continue to serve our customers . ''
The poultry giant is searching for hundreds of temporary staff to work at its processing sites across the UK .
The company is looking for people to join its teams across a range of roles in its agriculture and production operations .
`` There has been a noticeable increase in grocery sales as people practise social distancing and self-isolate , '' said Kirsty Wilkins , Moy Park 's HR and performance director .
`` This has resulted in a heightened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , opportunities in the sector to meet this demand . ''
Find out more here .
The social care charity has hundreds of new vacancies across the country .
It says : `` We are currently recruiting for hundreds of support worker roles across England and Scotland to help support vulnerable people with their daily routines . ''
Candidates can register their interest here .
If your company needs workers right now , send us the details of what you need and how to apply , and we 'll add it to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the issues relating to coronavirus ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

"For those people who have recently lost a role in hospitality, or retail that might have transferable skills we want to let you know that we are here for you and can offer you the opportunity of employment," said chief executive Martin Jones.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Why Ralph McTell has updated his hit Streets of London for coronavirus era

It began with a conversation between a foreign correspondent who loves ballads , and his neighbour , a legend of the British folk music scene .
The result was Ralph McTell agreeing to write a new verse of his legendary hit Streets of London - something he 'd always previously refused to do .
First recorded in 1969 , the song at one point sold 90,000 copies a day and has been covered by more than 200 artists .
It also won Ralph an Ivor Novello award for best song and continues to feature in folk music 's `` best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dress rehearsal' Ralph is a neighbour and also one of the kindest men I know .
Since I was a teenager I have loved his bittersweet songs of the heart and acute social observation .
Like most of the population , Ralph , aged 75 , is observing the lockdown in his London home .
As an avid follower of news he watched , appalled , as the Covid-19 crisis swept the world .
`` This is of biblical proportions , this catastrophe , '' he told me .
`` And each day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is no dress rehearsal , this is actually going on right now and there is nothing we can do about it , except try and follow the basic rules . ''
Born into a working class family in Croydon , south London , at the end of World War Two , Ralph left home and joined the army aged 15 .
His social conscience was forged in a post-war world circumscribed by poverty .
It is not a pose .
With its focus on the homeless and imagery of lonely figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of London resonates powerfully now as thousands of rough sleepers across Britain are seeking a place of safety .
Chatting on the phone , I told Ralph I had been filming with homeless people in London and of how they were searching for a safe place to self isolate .
I spoke of a young woman called Blue , aged 29 , who I 'd met living under a railway bridge and how fearful she was that she would be arrested and put into isolation .
`` What would you write now if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the song ? ''
I asked .
Changing the song was something he 'd always resisted , he said .
It was written when he was 22 and belonged to a particular time .
But this was an extraordinary moment in history .
`` Give me a chance to think and try and write something . ''
This new verse was the moving result : In shop doorways , under bridges , in all our towns and cities You can glimpse the makeshift bedding from the corner of your eye Remember what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're all in this together , brother , sister , you and I. Ralph is an optimist .
In recent daily encounters he has detected a new mood of community .
In his area of west London , it has manifested itself in warmer greetings and observing the rules of social distancing .
He is aware of the paradox that what pushes us physically apart might bring us closer .
`` I 've got a little dog and took her for a walk yesterday .
And I noticed people as they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of smile and move apart and I thought , 'Ah the message is going in at last .
Yes I think we 're all going to be different after this . '
'' Like his musical colleagues , Ralph is unable to perform in front of crowds for as long as Covid-19 remains a major public health hazard .
But his great song - with its new verse - is a powerful appeal to our better natures in these fearful times .

"This is of biblical proportions, this catastrophe," he told me. "And each day that goes by there is the realisation that this is no dress rehearsal, this is actually going on right now and there is nothing we can do about it, except try and follow the basic rules."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: 'I'm stuck in isolation with my homophobic parents'

With the UK on coronavirus lockdown , some young people have been forced to isolate alongside parents who do n't accept their sexuality .
After the coronavirus outbreak suddenly ended a UK tour he was performing in , Sam , 23 , a dancer , from Birmingham , says he had `` no choice '' but to move back to his `` strict '' Christian family home .
`` I saw the career I love disappear overnight , and now I 'm stuck in isolation with homophobes . ''
Even though Sam chose to return home , he says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't be himself .
`` My mum says that homosexuality is an evil disease and that the devil is making me gay .
She loudly prays every day that I 'll be delivered from sin and find a wife .
`` I genuinely have nowhere else to go during this mad time , so I 'm just putting up with the abuse . ''
Sam came out to his mum and dad while at university , thinking he would never live with his parents again .
`` They did n't take it well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , '' he adds .
He says when he started working in the theatre , his dad told me him be `` careful '' of homosexual men .
Sam says he feels like the LGBT community has forgotten people like him .
`` I see on social media that people are so busy filming home workouts , and holding online parties , that they do n't realise there are people like me struggling to stay alive right now .
Not because of the coronavirus , but because of their sexuality . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave' Nicky , 19 , is a marketing assistant from London .
In January , she was `` outed '' as gay by a family friend .
Her mum and her mum 's partner immediately asked her to leave their home , saying they did not support her `` lifestyle decision '' .
They only allowed her back after she experienced mental health problems .
`` Living with my homophobic family is like having flatmates you do n't like .
You do n't talk to them , you just get on with your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant she previously got up early and returned home late .
She rarely saw her family .
`` I used to spend as much time out of the house as I could .
With the lockdown , everything has changed .
I ca n't believe it .
`` I 'm not allowed to eat the food my mum and her partner buy .
My mum 's partner talks about me as if I ca n't hear him .
He says I 'm disgusting and he hopes he does n't catch what I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in April , but after losing shifts at work she is now unsure where she stands .
`` As bad as it is at home , I just ca n't afford to move out .
I 'm using the deposit I saved up just to get by .
I need to wait for all of this virus stuff to be over before I start trying again . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , director of services at akt , which supports homeless young people in the LGBT community , says the charity is currently supporting between 120 and 130 young people .
That includes an increased number of 16 to 17-year-olds who have contacted them in the last week .
`` Over the last few weeks we have been receiving an especially high volume of referrals from young people , '' she says .
`` Our services team is adapting to the current climate by providing e-mentoring services , live chats and online hubs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need us . ''
She said the charity is providing emergency safe housing with host families , as well as providing access to food , phone credit top-ups and vital resources .
Paul Martin , chief executive of LGBT Foundation , says some young people currently feel `` they have nobody to turn to '' .
`` I strongly encourage them to reach out to us , where they will find a listening ear .
We 've got a helpline helping highly vulnerable people and providing that support at an increasingly challenging time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also `` launching a telephone befriending service to support LGBT people who are highly vulnerable . ''
You can follow BBC LGBT correspondent Ben Hunte on Twitter and Instagram .

"As bad as it is at home, I just can't afford to move out. I'm using the deposit I saved up just to get by. I need to wait for all of this virus stuff to be over before I start trying again."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Friday Night Dinner: Why food fights and mayhem have become a TV treat

At a time when many of us are having to stay away from our family , it 's business as usual round at the Goodmans - in other words , collective chaos .
If you 're unfamiliar with this foursome , they 're the fictional stars of Channel 4 's Friday Night Dinner - an anarchic sitcom where the degree of farce borders on the insane .
As the title suggests , the set-up is in theory benign , cosy even .
A secular Jewish household - mum , dad and their two grown-up sons - come together each week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the Sabbath .
Soup , chicken and `` crimble '' crumble are always on the menu and yet the Goodmans never get to eat .
Mayhem ensues within minutes of the brothers stepping through the front door .
It starts with their compulsive pranking of each other .
But as the evening goes on , a series of random surreal events leads to family meltdown - and dinner ruined .
The show , which starts its sixth series this week , is the creation of Robert Popper , whose previous credits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Inbetweeners .
Popper , who is Jewish , had his Eureka !
moment for a comedy which played with the oddities of family dynamics , particularly those in a Jewish family , while musing in the bath .
`` I decided I wanted to do a show about a family and the feeling you get that when you go home you revert to being kids again , '' he says .
`` I used to go home on Friday evening , which is like the Sunday lunch equivalent , and my brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` And , whenever I 'd seen Jewish comedy or scenes , they seemed overdone or overly emotional , with a violin playing and soft focus on the candles so I wanted to do something where those elements were just a backdrop .
`` But the intensity of the Goodmans and how they are very argumentative and everyone knows everyone 's business - that 's all very recognisably Jewish . ''
Those Goodmans are Tamsin Greig , as mum Jackie , Paul Ritter is dad Martin , elder son Adam is Simon Bird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jonny .
Sitting sardine-like on a sofa , they seem relaxed and in good spirits - unlike their characters in the comedy , which has for nine years followed its own particular formula .
Mum 's desperately trying to keep control ; characteristically shirtless dad - the family oddity - has a new weird obsession ; strange neighbour Jim unfailingly turns up at the door with his dog and Jonny 's gags always get the better of Adam .
As Bird and Rosenthal jostle somewhat on the sofa you might assume they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in real life .
`` Well , he 's just tipped a box of popcorn on my head .
But I 've already got three siblings so I 'm really over them and do n't need another , '' says Bird .
`` Between takes we do try to chuck grapes into each other 's mouths .
The action and the off-camera bits are really quite similar , '' adds Rosenthal .
Though the essential ingredients of the show have n't altered , the extremes to which the farce goes has been ramped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ episode in the new series does n't disappoint in this regard , featuring as it does fire and copious excrement .
Popper admits his enjoyment at `` pushing things to the limit and making each Friday awful for the family '' , which habitually involves swearing - and violence .
`` Jackie is considerably more violent in this series and there 's a greater intensity , '' says Greig .
`` It 's not right and it 's not good but Robert said , 'it 's just funny ' . ''
She recalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds `` and fist punch '' , while Rosenthal displays a bruise and recounts how Bird , who is `` a lot stronger than he looks '' once caused the ligaments `` to pop out in my leg - which was apparently very harrowing for everyone else '' .
And a lot of food gets thrown leading to Jackie ( and Greig ) despairing over the carpet .
`` I worry about the waste because the carpet gets trashed , '' she says .
`` But I also find food moving in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics seem to appreciate the gags .
Mark Lawson in the Guardian said : `` The pleasure ... is in Popper 's expert escalation of the desperation and social embarrassment that are the engines of farce .
The plots become twisted chains of deceit , miscomprehension and blackmail . ''
While Veroncia Lee from the Arts Desk , called the show a `` deliciously daft comedy , '' adding : `` There 's nothing groundbreaking or edgy about Friday Night Dinner , but like a favourite meal it always satisfies , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the silliness , the show is not always an easy ride for the actors , says Greig .
`` We 're stuck in this house and it feels like a Jewish Big Brother because you ca n't leave and you ca n't go outside until it 's dark so as not to disturb the neighbours .
`` It 's filmed in winter so if you 're outside and the Beast from the East comes , you think : ' I really hope someone is finding this funny ' - the experience is often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - which this series includes Miranda actress Sally Phillips - it 's also `` quite stressful , '' she adds , especially as they do n't know the territorial protocol over the Green Room 's seating .
`` If someone is on my sofa , I have to pretend to be OK with it but I 'm not a very good actor , '' adds Bird .
Sadly the regular visiting character of Jackie 's kindly mum will no longer be in the show following the death of the `` brilliant '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) actress Frances Cuka .
Popper says it would `` be a bit crass '' to have a funeral in the show but an onscreen tribute will go up as the final episode ends .
Another thing Popper does n't feel the show should address is anti-Semitic sentiment , which has been increasingly debated in the UK due to accusations that it 's a problem within the Labour party .
`` My intention was never to bring any Jewish issues into the show , I wanted it to be silly and funny , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did touch on it in the last series ( when Jim 's girlfriend made an anti-Semitic comment ) because I thought I might as well do it once . ''
The lack of political comment is among the attractions of the show , which , says Popper , has an increasingly younger audience .
And despite the name calling and often gross scenarios , it 's fast become a family watch .
It 's this `` that was appealing when we started all those years ago , '' says Rosenthal .
Greig adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the notion of coming home and that feeling that there is always a place to go .
That 's interesting to watch and experience . ''
Friday Night Dinner can be seen on Channel 4 at 22:00 GMT from Friday 27 March .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"My intention was never to bring any Jewish issues into the show, I wanted it to be silly and funny," he says. "But I did touch on it in the last series (when Jim's girlfriend made an anti-Semitic comment) because I thought I might as well do it once."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Why this self-isolating dad told his daughter he was in Africa

Conservationist Julian Bayliss is self-isolating in north Wales after possibly being exposed to coronavirus in Africa .
Dr Bayliss has @ @ @ @ @ chosen not to return to his home but instead to rough it - and spend @ @ @ @ @ field .
He spoke to the BBC 's Jonah Fisher .

Conservationist Julian Bayliss is self-isolating in north Wales after possibly being exposed to coronavirus in Africa.
Dr Bayliss has a small daughter and has chosen not to return to his home but instead to rough it - and spend the time in a nearby field.
He spoke to the BBC's Jonah Fisher.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Dating, sex and relationships

A quarter of the world ’ s population is living under some sort of lockdown as a result of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ creative ways to date and keep the spark alive in their relationship , while staying @ @

A quarter of the world’s population is living under some sort of lockdown as a result of coronavirus.
Many people are finding creative ways to date and keep the spark alive in their relationship, while staying safe.
BBC Minute’s Olivia Le Poidevin reports.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Newspaper headlines: NHS 'kindness army' and Charles test 'queue jump'

`` At last some good news , '' is the headline on the front of the Daily Mail as the paper is one of many to praise the more than 500,000 people who have signed up to become NHS volunteers .
It adds that the recruitment rate equates to five people per second .
The Daily Express describes the volunteers as the `` people 's army of kindness '' and a group who have shown an `` incredible display of public spirit '' .
The Daily Mirror adds that the volunteers are `` selfless '' and carries a quote from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ astonishing '' .
The Times reports that many doctors and nurses are being forced to turn to DIY safety gear , because of a shortage of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
Despite assurances from Health Secretary Matt Hancock that millions of pieces of PPE have been sent out in recent days , one doctor reported to the British Medical Association that she was forced to use a pair of safety goggles from her nine-year-old daughter 's science party bag .
The Guardian adds that the NHS is `` on the brink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four masks per shift , GPs going on the internet to buy scrubs , and midwives having to make do with goggles from a DIY store .
Get news from the BBC in your inbox , each weekday morning '' Mass testing kits a gamechanger , '' is the headline accompanying the main story on the front of the Daily Telegraph .
It reports that a pin prick test - which can tell if someone is immune to the virus - could be available via Amazon or Boots within weeks .
Officials want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to doctors and nurses so they can return to work as soon as possible , amid fears the peak of the pandemic could be coming at Easter .
The Guardian says the tests can produce results within 10 to 15 minutes - but also carries quotes from Boots urging customers not to turn up yet in the hope of getting a test .
The Sun urges the government to roll out the antibody tests `` as quickly as possible '' .
Highlighting the cases of South Korea and Germany , it says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only way out of the coronavirus `` mess '' is to `` test , test and test some more '' .
The Daily Mirror asks why Boris Johnson has been `` slow to act '' expanding Britain 's testing capabilities .
And the Daily Star questions why Prince Charles was afforded a test despite displaying mild symptoms and there being a reported shortage for NHS staff .
Stephen Glover uses his column in the Mail to question the price the young will have to pay once the UK is through the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assurances will mean `` years of austerity '' that will make the last decade look like a `` minor irritant '' .
He asks : `` Is it right that in order to save the lives of mostly elderly people the future lives of millions should be devastated ? ''
The Guardian 's Martin Kettle suggests that the crisis has forced the right to accept that the state is a `` guarantor '' in a period of emergency - and that it has an `` irreducible responsibility '' to the vulnerable .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous '' is examined by Robert Saunders in the online edition of the New Statesman .
He says that at times of crisis , there is a `` romantic allure '' of politicians `` sinking their petty differences and standing shoulder-to-shoulder '' .
He goes on to say that bringing opposition parties into government reduces the chance to probe and contest No 10 's decisions .
Under the headline `` Ground Siro , '' the Sun has what it calls an exclusive about how a football match is likely to have triggered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An immunologist , Professor Francesco Le Foche , tells the paper that the match between Atalanta and Valencia at San Siro stadium in Milan last month could have been one of the `` major triggers '' for the virus .
He says that thousands of people who were all in close proximity `` shouting and hugging '' could have `` favoured viral reciprocation '' .
In its editorial column , the Times considers what it calls a `` hair-raising '' question : how will the nation 's locks be affected by the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascinating to see whether men opt for the taking-care-of-business buzz cut or for the post-apocalypse , Game of Thrones shaggy look .
Finally , it asks , while many wives will administer a competent trim to their husband - how many will risk reversing the roles ?

Officials want priority for the kits to be given to doctors and nurses so they can return to work as soon as possible, amid fears the peak of the pandemic could be coming at Easter. The Guardian says the tests can produce results within 10 to 15 minutes - but also carries quotes from Boots urging customers not to turn up yet in the hope of getting a test.


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus: Schools 'may open over Easter holidays' for key workers' children

Some schools may have to open over the Easter holidays to look after the children of key workers .
That is according to updated guidance from the Department of Education ( DE ) .
The department also said that one `` hub '' school in an area could take pupils from a number of other schools if local agreements were reached .
According to DE figures , 1,172 children of key workers and vulnerable children attended school on Tuesday , 24 March .
Some 580 schools opened to provide care for the children of parents providing essential goods and services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any individual school was 17 .
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• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • HEALTH MYTHS : The fake advice you should ignore • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Education Minister Peter Weir had previously asked parents only to send their child to school as a `` last resort '' .
Mr Weir said the updated guidance was in response to queries received by the department , including whether schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or over the Easter holidays .
`` Where possible , we would encourage , pre-education settings and schools to continue to look after critical workers ' children and vulnerable children throughout the Easter holidays and consider whether weekend provision can be facilitated , '' the Department of Education guidance said .
`` This will be kept under review . ''
The guidance also said that other public sector workers could be used in schools to care for children as long as they had the necessary security clearances .
They might be needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of staff were ill , isolating or at risk .
However , schools and pre-schools are to be allowed to create `` hubs '' if necessary .
That would mean only one school staying open in an area , which could then take pupils from a number of schools so that fewer would have to stay open with small numbers of pupils .
`` All schools and pre-school education settings are being asked to work together , '' the guidance said .
`` This may include the attendance of staff at a setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children at a setting other than their normal setting . ''
`` Where schools wish to work together to create a localised cluster arrangement , whereby certain schools in a close geographical area wish to agree collectively to have a 'hub ' school to service all children within the area , this is permissible where it is sensible to do so . ''
Those schools , though , would be expected to observe Public Health Agency ( PHA ) guidelines on safety including social distancing rules .
The guidance also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as their pupils had special educational needs and therefore were defined as vulnerable children .
In a letter accompanying the guidance , Mr Weir thanked school staff but urged them all to play a part in providing care for the children of critical workers .

"Where schools wish to work together to create a localised cluster arrangement, whereby certain schools in a close geographical area wish to agree collectively to have a 'hub' school to service all children within the area, this is permissible where it is sensible to do so."


bbcuk--2020-03-26--Coronavirus delays cleaner air plans in cities

Plans to reduce high-polluting vehicles travelling around UK cities are set to be delayed due to the coronavirus crisis .
Councils in Birmingham , Oxford and Leeds have written to the government asking permission to postpone their plans to reduce city centre traffic .
At the same time , levels of nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) have fallen since people were told to work from home last week .
The government said it was `` sympathetic '' about Covid-19 's impact .
Birmingham was among five cities the government called on to establish a clean air zone along with Leeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesman for the Department of Environment , Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) said : `` We are sympathetic to the challenges local authorities are facing and we are working with them to mitigate the impact this may have on other priorities .
`` We have received Birmingham 's request to delay the implementation of its Clean Air Zone , and will respond as soon as possible . ''
In some city centres average daily nitrogen dioxide emissions have fallen compared with the same eight-day period last year , analysis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released from car exhausts , is a serious air pollutant and also indirectly contributes to the warming of the planet .
On 16 March , Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to work from home and avoid non-essential travel , going on to close schools and instruct people to stay home except for very limited reasons .
Birmingham 's Clean Air Zone ( CAZ ) was due in July , but the council has asked for government permission to postpone it until `` at least '' the end of the year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ZEZ ) in Oxford was due in December , and motorists not driving zero emission vehicles in the city centre were to face charges from February next year Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council have now closed a consultation into the scheme .
It will resume later in the year with a `` view to implement the scheme in the summer of 2021 '' , they said .
Councillor Tom Hayes , cabinet member for Zero Carbon Oxford , said : `` We are all living through an unprecedented crisis .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time . ''
Leeds City Council was due to launch a Clean Air Charging Zone in September .
Council leader Judith Blake said it would `` not be appropriate '' to work on introducing the measures yet .
`` We are asking for more time , it 's not appropriate at the moment to move forward with the current timetable , '' she said .
Southampton has been operating a non-charging clear air zone since 2019 , while Derby is still consulting on its plans .
Council leaders in Nottingham , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to curb air pollution .
The BBC has approached other cities planning clean air zones for comment .

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "We are sympathetic to the challenges local authorities are facing and we are working with them to mitigate the impact this may have on other priorities.


bbcuk--2020-04-16--NHS boss: 'I need gowns, can I call Burberry?'

The director of a large NHS trust has contacted the BBC asking for the phone numbers of Burberry and Barbour because he does n't have enough gowns .
He said we have `` less than 24 hours supply and [ with the ] weekend coming up '' it was adding to his huge concern .
The BBC is not disclosing his name or the trust he runs .
The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working `` around the clock '' to provide protective equipment .
For a number of weeks , Prime Minister Boris Johnson and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and interviews that Burberry will begin making personal protective equipment ( PPE ) on behalf of the government as one of the answers to a critical shortage of PPE .
Burberry said at the end of March it would repurpose its trenchcoat factory in Castleford , West Yorkshire , to make non-surgical gowns and masks for hospital patients .
The government has been criticised for not providing enough PPE for NHS and other care workers to protect them in their work .
Last week Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was `` enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it 's used in line with our guidance '' , adding there was a `` huge task '' to make sure those who need it get it .
However , on Wednesday the NHS Trust director said : `` The official line that we do n't have a shortage of PPE is fantasy . ''
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A gown is a piece of PPE used to protect the body of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
It should be made of water-resistant material and have long sleeves .
If the gown is not water resistant , a waterproof apron is needed underneath to protect the wearer from droplets containing the virus .
The shortage of non-surgical gowns is a critical problem facing the NHS as it struggles to secure enough personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for frontline staff .
The situation at this particular trust is so critical that single use PPE is being reused .
A leaked Public Health England document this week advised health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only as a `` last resort '' .
The boss added `` Trusts are already decontaminating PPE for reuse .
I have several examples '' .
In messages and phone calls that followed , the NHS boss said that they were investigating using hydrogen peroxide , normally used as bleach , to sterilise PPE , including masks .
As the world fights coronavirus , the demand for gowns is unprecedented and at levels never seen before .
Almost all of the UK 's supply of gowns used by the NHS is made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions have been driven by cost , as all sectors seek the cheapest prices .
But as every country in the world fights for finite supplies , a UK solution has been sought .
The government and management consultancy Deloitte approached well known UK garment brands asking if they can help make PPE .
They also requested that UK manufacturers complete a survey to share what they could make .
Earlier this week , Barbour began distributing gowns from its factory in the north east of England .
Burberry is still making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to start next week .
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• GETTING READY : How prepared is the UK ?
• TRAVEL PLANS : What are your rights ?
Getting a supply chain formalised using UK factories has been difficult .
UK garment factories approached by the BBC have said the government does n't fully understand what is possible in the UK , and which firms could produce what .
This lack of understanding has caused production delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use is also slowing down the manufacturing process .
Some factories say it could be another two weeks before the necessary paperwork is signed off and they can manufacture the gowns .
On Wednesday afternoon the NHS boss offered to write a letter to a factory , issuing a certificate that would absolve the factory of liability if anything happened with the use of an uncertified gown , such was his desperation for equipment .
However , the factory felt this was too dangerous .
This comes as factories around the UK are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sent home and furloughed .
To add to the frustration of factory bosses , they say they 're getting upsetting calls from NHS hospitals and workers begging for gowns .
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said : `` Adequate supply of protective equipment is an international issue facing many countries during this global pandemic . ''
Nearly one billion pieces of protective equipment had been delivered to the frontline so far , the spokesman said .
`` There is also a 24 hour NHS-run helpline where NHS and social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disruption .
`` We continue to work around the clock to give the NHS and the wider social care sector the equipment they need and it is crucial the guidance for protective equipment is followed closely , '' the spokesman added .

An earlier version of this story reported that a director of a large NHS trust had contacted the BBC with concerns about the provision of gowns for staff. The person concerned is not a director of a trust - the BBC has since been told he is currently part of a network of organisations helping to source PPE for some NHS trusts during the pandemic.