Shorter summer break for schools being considered
SHORTENING the school summer holidays remains under consideration in Wales, with a longer Christmas break also a possibility.
The Welsh Government has confirmed “all options remain on the table” when it comes to catching up and it is actively seeking views on how to meet the needs of learners most affected by school closures during lockdowns.
The idea of shortening the long summer holiday to make up for lost learning after a year of disrupted education has been floated several times by education minister Kirsty Williams.
And she did so again during a live online Welsh Government question and answer session last week.
Answering questions from members of the public last Wednesday, she said: “Children will need to have a break this summer, and if we were to shorten the summer holidays in any way at all, we would want to make sure that time was reorganised later in the year.
“We are feeling much more hopeful as the vaccine is coming forward and giving us real hope.”
She also said the concern among scientists around the risk of Covid re-emerging in the winter months was also a factor.
“We need to be aware of the fact that our scientists are concerned about what Covid might do in the autumn and the winter,” she said.
“There is a debate to be had about whether we have a slightly shorter summer holiday and then add those weeks on to the Christmas holidays when we think, maybe, we could find ourselves with a bit of challenging situation again.”
On the subject of extra hours to help with the catch-up, the education minister said they had to be careful not to “overload” children.
“We don’t want them back, and overwhelm them extra, extra lessons.
“We have to think about what is best for children and making sure it is sustainable for them and having a longer term plan, not just for this year but further academic years,” she said.
In England, it was announced last week that secondary schools will be asked to consider delivering face-to-face summer schools as part of efforts to get then with to help pupils catch up.
An extra £400m in funding has been announced, along with £300m announced for catch-up projects in January.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the money will help ensure “no child is left behind” due to the pandemic.
Teachers, experts and unions called the money a “good start” – but warned about overwhelming pupils and teachers.
Ms Williams said the topic of shortening the summer holidays was not a new debate, saying: “There has long been a debate in education about whether we organise our academic year in a way that is best for children, and best for learning.
“We do know that that six-week summer period can be really, really challenging and many professionals will tell you about how the first weeks in the autumn term, in a normal year, is about reacquainting with the school and catching up and getting them back to where they were when they left the school at the beginning of the summer.
“This is not a new phenomena, nor is it a new debate.”
There is no date for when all schoolchildren in Wales will all return to the classroom, but it is hoped they will all be back after the Easter holidays.
By contrast, all pupils in England will return to classrooms from March 8 as part of the first step of a roadmap for easing lockdown.
Attempts in Wales to extend the last summer term for a week to help children catch up after months of closure had to be ditched after an outcry from local education authorities and unions.
Most of Wales’ 22 councils told schools they could not open for more time due to staff contracts.
Last week, Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders Cymru, said she thought the idea of a shorter summer break was “a non starter”.
“If we are talking about some sort of summer school and making it mandatory will that be seen by children as punishment?” she said.
England’s
“Children have had a really tough time and if we force school on them during summer holidays when many aren’t used to going to school after so long away, how will that work?
“If this comes at a time when they could travel or visit family or friends will they become resentful?
“If a scheme is voluntary who is it going to reach?
“Will it reach those who are hardest to reach?
“More does not equal better. School should be about quality not quantity.
“The most important thing about school is to educate.
“To do that effectively you need to engage not disengage people.”
NEW services introduced by the NHS during the Covid pandemic have led over a third of people living in RCT (36%) to reconsider how they will seek help for non-urgent healthcare issues in the future, although only 13% say they will contemplate using alternative ways to seek urgent medical help.
A new YouGov study into the way people in different areas of Wales have been accessing NHS services since the start of the crisis has been published by Welsh Government as part of its Help Us Help You campaign, designed to educate people on how to get the most appropriate healthcare for their needs.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s Director of Primary Care, Julie Denley, said the research had been conducted to understand levels of awareness across different regions of the NHS services that are available for patients, to make sure they can be seen and treated quicker and better.
“This survey confirms that with all the lockdown restrictions and changes to NHS services over the last year, some people are confused about the best way to get help for any health issues they are concerned about.
“We know that many people have been worried about accessing the NHS for fear of contracting the virus, particularly during peak periods, while others have been put off by the thought that they would be adding to the pressures on our doctors and nurses. While the way people can access our services has changed, we want local residents to know that we are very much still here for them. They can still get whatever healthcare and support they need and can get it safely, often without needing to make a trip to the GP or the emergency department.”
Despite it now being 11 months since GP surgeries across the country had to change the way they conduct their consultations, only 44% of people in RCT were aware that GPs were offering virtual appointments and just 29% had utilised them.
While over half (56%) of those surveyed were not aware of remote GP consultations being available, 79% did think they were an important service.
The NHS 111 online symptom checker to help people understand which NHS service to use for different non-emergency health concerns, has been welcomed by people in RCT.
This service was also seen as important by over three quarters of people surveyed (78%) but only 58% of people were aware of the online tool and just 27% had used it.
One of the key pressures on the NHS since before the Covid pandemic has been the number of unnecessary visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) which should only treat patients with urgent, life-threatening conditions. Broken bones, sprains and minor burns, for example, can all be treated much more effectively in a Minor Injury Unit (MIU) than in the ED, yet over a third of people surveyed in RCT (37%) were not aware that MIUs existed.
Ms Denley said: “To help us help you, it is essential that you access the right service in the right way, depending on your symptoms. Pharmacies are a key service if you are feeling unwell or have minor health concerns or are experiencing a common ailment. If you need out of hours health information or advice, NHS 111 Wales is available 24 hours a day every day and has a website where you can check your symptoms online.
“Minor Injury Units are the best place to go for less serious injuries but if you need emergency care for a limb or life-threatening injury such as choking, chest pain, blacking out or serious blood loss, you should call 999.
“We have an ongoing communications campaign planned through the year to help people understand how to access the advice and treatment they need in the best way.”
The survey results revealed clear public support among the people of RCT for the new NHS services that have been introduced. When asked how important it was that people access the NHS in different ways, such as through MIUs, remote GP consultations, NHS 111 online symptom checker or the common ailments scheme available at pharmacies, an average of 88% of people felt it was important.
Ms Denley added: “It is encouraging that the public can see the importance of these new services and that many are now reconsidering the way they seek treatment for both urgent and non-urgent care. However, to help relieve the pressures on the NHS and make sure that patients get the right treatment as quickly as possible, we really need everyone in Wales to change their habits and use the new services that have been introduced.”
For more information on how best to access NHS services, visit www.111. wales.nhs.uk.
CORY Band welcomes Royal Marines support for Kapitol Cory Online Championships.
Plans for the contest have been given a boost by confirmation of major support from Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.
Public Engagement Officer WO 1 Nev Dednum RM said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our great relationship with the world famous Cory Band, and partnering with them as a major sponsor of the 2021 Cory Online Brass Band Championships.
“This is a brilliant and innovative project and we wish all the competing bands the very best of luck.
“We look forward to seeing the results of their endevours in March”
Commenting on the high profile partnership, Cory Band’s musical director, Philip Harper said: “We are so pleased to be able to continue to attract the highest quality support for our online competition and it does’t come much higher than the Royal Marines.
“We are very much looking forward to working together.
“It gives a further incentive to all the bands who are currently working hard making their video entries.
“I am sure everyone will benefit from this link-up with such a professional and highlyregarded organisation.”
Despite the pandemic, patients can still visit Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital, where specialist equipment is further enhancing and streamlining cataract patients’ experience. Now YAG laser procedures to clear cataract capsules, sometimes required after cataract surgery, are available and the new kit can also be used to lower eye pressure in glaucoma. Adhering to all government guidelines, strict safety measures are in place at both the Cardiff Bay and Vale hospitals to keep patients safe.
CATARACT surgery is the most commonly performed operation in the UK, with over 20,000 procedures being undertaken in Wales alone every year. This usually prevents loss of sight. Following cataract surgery, over time, between 5 and 10% of patients develop capsular opacification, when scar tissue develops and makes sight cloudy. YAG laser surgery can easily correct this, with almost immediate restoration of the previously improved eyesight.
In early January, a state-ofthe-art Litechnica Selector II SLT/Q-YAG laser was installed at Nuffield Health’s Cardiff Bay hospital. This specialist equipment can be used by consultant ophthalmologists for a number of cataract-related and glaucoma procedures including laser capsulotomy, selective laser trabeculoplasty and narrow angle irodotomy. Patients can be seen, assessed and treated in one single visit to the consultation room, with less waiting on-site.
Eye specialist Dan Morris said “It is great news that we, as ophthalmologists, are performing laser eye treatments for patients here at Cardiff Bay. One of these procedures, a straightforward YAG capsulotomy, enables those who need it, to return to reading, driving and going out in the dark, after just a single visit“.
YAG Laser Capsulotomy is a special laser treatment used to improve vision after cataract surgery. It is a painless and safe procedure. During cataract operations, the natural lens inside the eye that had become cloudy is removed. A new plastic lens is put inside the lens membrane. In a small number of patients, the capsule thickens after surgery and becomes cloudy. This interferes with the light reaching the back of the eye. When this happens sight becomes misty and causes glare, which can mean that night-time vision becomes a major issue. Capsule thickening can happen in the months after cataract operations, but more commonly occurs about two years after surgery. A YAG laser capsulotomy is the only way to treat this and is mainly picked up by opticians when patients have routine reviews.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, is a form of laser surgery that is required to lower intraocular pressure in glaucoma. It is used as an alternative to eye drop medications or when drops alone are not lowering the eye pressure sufficiently or are causing significant side effects. It can also be used as initial treatment in glaucoma.
MEET THREE EMINENT EYE SURGEONS
At the Cardiff Bay Eye Centre of Excellence, Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals has seven consultant eye surgeons. In addition to Mr Amit Gaur, Prof Mohammed Muhtaseb, Mr Kadaba Rajkumar and
Mr Raghu Ram, here are some of those specialists who focus on laser treatments.
Ms Wai Siene Ng, a consultant ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Wales explains, “Vision is one of the most important senses essential to living a good quality of life. I was exposed to how important this was as a medical student and was amazed by how life changing it is for patients when their sight is restored after a cataract operation. My particular specialties are cataract surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, laser eye procedures for glaucoma and YAG laser treatment for patients following cataract surgery.
In the majority of cases, vision is successfully restored after cataract surgery. Patients with glaucoma or a family history of glaucoma often worry about going blind. This is because glaucoma is a silent thief of vision and is the second cause of blindness in the world. Glaucoma can run in families so it is important that they have regular yearly check-ups so that glaucoma can be detected early and treated. The majority of these patients should be able to preserve their vision in their lifetime.
I have many research interests and am very keen on using the latest glaucoma devices to get patients off drop treatment or to reduce the risks of major glaucoma surgery. Currently, I am looking at using anti-scarring agents during cataract surgery in patients with previous glaucoma surgery as well as Laser Peripheral Iridotomy in patients with angle-closure glaucoma.”
Mr Hugh Jewsbury, joined Nuffield Health six months ago and his NHS consultant post is at University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, where he specialises in cataract surgery, strabismus (squints) and neuro and paediatric ophthalmology. At Nuffield Health he performs YAG capsulotomy, cataract procedures and squint surgery for both adults and children aged 3 years and above.
With degrees in medicine and biomedical sciences, he completed his medical training at Bath and his general ophthalmology training in Wales. In 2013 he obtained Senior Trainee of the Year award across all medical specialities. His super-specialist training was at the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Involved in national and international research and training, Hugh Jewsbury is the Royal College of Ophthalmology Tutor at the University Hospital of Wales.
Mr Dan Morris, an ophthalmology consultant with the NHS at the Heath in Cardiff and at Nuffield Health for over 12 years, says, “I always wanted to be a surgeon and was fascinated by the way surgery on the eye can make such a big difference to people’s lives. I enjoy that special relationship that you develop with your patients. After all they are putting an incredible amount of trust in you to operate on something as delicate and important as their eyes.
My main specialties are cataract surgery and eyelid surgery. Thankfully cataracts can be removed in a painless day case operation so restoring sight. I also offer premium lenses such as toric and multifocal lenses to correct astigmatism, which causes blurry visison, to leave you less dependent on spectacles. Patients are carefully assessed for their suitability for this type of lens. I am comfortable with any lid problem from benign lumps and bumps to serious tumours. I also offer blepharoplasty surgery to improve baggy eyelids. My particular research interests are in cataracts, thyroid eye disease, ocular trauma, sports medicine and sustainable healthcare.
Many people put off coming to see an eye surgeon because they are petrified of somebody like me sticking something sharp in their eye, which is completely understandable! If however you just ask somebody who has had cataract surgery and you will see that it is really nothing to worry about at all and it can save your sight.
The other concern people have at present is COVID-19. We have not had any cases following cataract surgery at Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital and we are lucky, being a day case hospital with no high-risk inpatients. We keep the place scrupulously clean, wear PPE at all times, observe social distancing, minimise the number of people in the hospital and make sure you are COVID tested and isolated before your surgery, so that you can feel safe coming to us.” On Wednesday 24th March @ 6pm there is a free virtual patient event “Let’s talk eye problems” at 6pm with Mr Dan Morris. For more information generally or to book a place, please ring 02920 836714 or select eyes at the following link: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/ hospitals/cardiff-and-vale/ treatments