Downing Street petition calling for airborne infection prevention and control measures in healthcare settings 

The chair of UK Hazards Campaign, Janet Newsham, will be handing-in a petition at 10 Downing Street on Thursday 26^th June calling for improved new air quality and PPE rules for health and social care settings. Janet who is also the coordinator at Greater Manchester Hazard’s Centre, will be accompanied at Number 10 by representatives from several organisations, including Sioux Vosper, who is a member of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice.   Representatives from healthcare organisations will include Jonathan Fluxman from Doctors in Unite union and Dr. Alison Twycross RN, Chair of Supporting Healthcare Heroes UK Charity, Editor-in-Chief of Evidence Based Nursing and Honorary Associate Professor at University of Birmingham, School of Nursing and Midwifery.

The petition that they will be handing in is calling for the government to ‘set new rules on air quality and infection control in health and social care settings, to prevent and control airborne infections, with new ventilation and filtration requirements, new PPE standards and staffing rules’ – it also calls for monitoring and inspection to ensure compliance.

In her covering letter with the petition, Janet will be formally requesting a response from the government to the thousands of people who have supported and signed this important petition.

She has also sent this briefing document on the issue to all UK MPs: See link: https://shh-uk.org/get-in-touch-with-your-mp-safeair4all/

In the first few months of 2025, the UK was gripped by a ‘quaddemic’ of flu, covid, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Many hospital trusts across the country declared critical incidents, asking people to stay away from A and E units for non-urgent treatment, also asking them not to visit if they had symptoms of viral illness and to mask if they did have to come to the hospital.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a new alert on Thursday, 30th January, urging the public to adopt measures such as staying at home and masking up when venturing outside. However, it is notable that UHKSA did not mention airborne spread of any of the viruses or the need to protect patients with airborne infection prevention and control measures within healthcare settings.

Covid, flu and RSV are all airborne diseases and norovirus can be passed on by inhaling virus particles (as well as by direct contact or contaminated surfaces.)  Airborne can mean that the virus is spread by either aerosol particles or droplet particles. This means a person can become infected, either by inhaling aerosol particles that are spreading away from the infected person (like smoke in the air) or respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Although flu and RSV are mainly seasonal, covid remains a threat all year round.

Janet believes that improved airborne infection prevention and control measures in UK healthcare services, could help to reduce the impact of the winter crisis that has affected hospitals and GP surgeries across the country.  The measures will also provide reassurance for clinically vulnerable patients who have no choice but to attend essential medical appointments in hospitals and GP surgeries where the risk of airborne infection is high – particularly as this risk exists year round for Covid-19.

“Hospitals are at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19,” said Janet. “However, they are also environments where the risk of transmission is high, particularly for patients and healthcare workers. This has led to a staffing crisis in our health providers with high staff sickness levels, and dozens leaving the profession with long term disabilities. 

 “The ongoing threat posed by Covid-19 underscores the need for a proactive approach to infection control to reduce the incidence of long-term disabilities and prevent avoidable deaths. Protecting these vital spaces ensures the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens and contributes to the broader effort to stem the tide of this relentless virus. 

 “As we learn to coexist with Covid-19, vigilance and collective action remain our strongest tools in safeguarding public health.  It is critical that the Government takes the action called for in our petition.”

Research carried out on Covid wards at Addenbrooke’s Hospital suggests that air filter machines removed almost all traces of airborne Covid virus. The study was led by a team of doctors, scientists and engineers at Addenbrooke’s and the University of Cambridge in January, at the height of the second wave of the pandemic. Air filtration machines were placed in Covid wards and the air quality analysed with the machines switched on for a week, off for a week, and then on for another week. The team found that with the machines on, it removed almost all traces of airborne SARS-CoV-2.

In recent months an All-Party Parliamentary Group for Long Covid has been set up and separately to this group, a letter was sent to the chair of the Covid Inquiry, to invite her to “make urgent interim recommendations to make healthcare settings safe”.  A reply to this letter was received on 27^th January 2025, from the Right Honourable Baroness Hallett, Chair of the Covid-19 UK Inquiry, in which she declined to make any interim recommendation in Module 3 of the Inquiry.

Prof Colin McKay (Deputy Director for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde) testified recently at the Covid Inquiry that, as early as April 2020, it was increasingly clear to those on the ground that airborne transmission was taking place and that infection control advice was incorrect, leaving staff unprotected.

In September 2024, Dr Barry Jones, Chair of CATA (COVID-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance, which is a Core Participant in the UK COVID-19 Inquiry), gave evidence at the Covid Inquiry about healthcare officials denial of how COVID-19 is transmitted, which has resulted in:

• A failure to protect healthcare workers by providing them with enhanced PPE and adequate ventilation, leading to death and life-changing Long Covid;
• A failure to protect patients, with many contracting the virus in hospital;
• Billions of pounds being wasted on inappropriate PPE.

Kamini Gadhok MBE, former Chief Executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and Vice Chair of CATA highlighted the wider impact of these failures on the NHS: “The staffing crisis in the NHS has been compounded by Government officials’ blatant disregard for keeping healthcare workers safe during the pandemic, and we’re now seeing the impact this is having on patient care and waiting times.”

ENDS

EDITOR’S NOTES

Janet Newsham Contact: 07734 317158

Email: janetnewsham@googlemail.com

 Posts from X (formerly Twitter) that illustrate patients anxieties about attending medical appointments:

https://x.com/ELHopkins/status/1849774621555376171

https://x.com/JoIsSummer/status/1865453048379621798

 This ‘MegaThread’ has clips of video evidence given at the Covid-19 UK Inquiry

https://x.com/_CatintheHat/status/1860781843244634365

 UKHSA posts on Thursday 30^th January:

New Alert post: https://x.com/UKHSA/status/1884888051748368629

Link to Addenbrooke’s research article:

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/news/air-filters-on-wards-remove-almost-all-airborne-covid-virus/

**Link to Mirror Online article about UKHSA new alert on 30^th January: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/urgent-new-stay-home-wear-34580964

Prof. Colin Mckay’s testimony at the Covid Inquiry:    https://x.com/_CatintheHat/status/1860783278464114927

 Information about the Long Covid APPG:
https://joplatt.com/news/2024/12/11/jo-platt-becomes-chair-of-the-all-party-parliamentary-group-for-long-covid/

Letter to chair of Covid Inquiry:
https://x.com/LongCovidSOS/status/1870061604781298062

Links about covid being an airborne disease – information from the covid inquiry was taken from this link: https://www.rcslt.org/news/evidence-given-at-uk-covid-19-inquiry/#:~:text=On%2012%20September%2C%20evidence%20was,ongoing%20investigation%20into%20these%20issues.

Dr. Lisa Ritchie – IPC Lead for NHS England – Still believes that the primary mode of transmission for Covid-19 is droplet and contact.  Professor Clive Beggs testifies in the second part of this video that the primary mode of transmission is ”predominantly by an airborne route”:  Watch video: https://x.com/_CatintheHat/status/1884951090162016643

Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) Statement on inquest into the death of Ruth Perry Head Teacher of Caversham Primary School Coroner’s conclusion: Suicide contributed to by an Ofsted inspection.

News release – no embargo – 7 December 2023

On behalf of Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK), facilitator Hilda Palmer said today:

“There must be massive and constructive change from this painful process and Ruth’s death must be the ‘enough is enough’ moment, no more Ofsted deaths.

“The Coroner made clear that the’ inner workings of Ofsted’ were not in scope for the Inquest, but teachers reports and evidence heard makes clear it is not only the conduct of the inspections that causes acute stress but the fear of the high stakes consequences.  A bad one word judgement can lead to forced academisation of your school, loss of your job, reputation, career with no realistic chance to defend yourself or challenge Ofsted errors of fact or judgement. The weeks of delay between the inspection draft report and publication of report during which time Heads are not permitted, on threat of action against them, to speak to anyone outside of a tiny circle, even a mental health professional, puts intolerable stress on Head Teachers.

“We welcome the conclusions of the Berkshire Chief Coroner, Heidi Connor, based on a finding of facts that Ruth Pery’s death was suicide contributed to by an Ofsted inspection in November 2022, and unequivocally linking her deteriorating state of mind and death to the Ofsted inspection which was at times ‘rude & intimidating, lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity’.

“Ruth was a remarkable woman and a successful, well respected and much liked Head Teacher running an outstanding popular school, committed to the good education safety and welfare of the children.

“She was also much more than this, a much loved and loving wife, mother, sister and daughter, and a friend to many. She worked hard and achieved great things and had no history of mental ill health. All that changed within minutes of the Ofsted Inspection beginning and the loss to her family, friends and Caversham Primary School children and parents is immensely painful.

“At the inquest, Professor Julia Waters, Ruth’s sister,  bravely and eloquently painted a beautiful picture of her beloved sister and her rich and happy life, in words from her parents, her husband and herself and ended with: “We shall feel her terrible loss for the rest of our lives”.

“We are sorry that the coroner refused a renewed Article 2 application from the family, which would mean the state have to carry out an ‘enhanced investigation’ into a death as she said she does not have ‘sufficient concern about systems to protect life’.

And FACK renews its demands that all families have free legal representation provided for Inquests to ‘ensure equality arms’ when they face employers and state funded organisations and are able to challenge, to question and get the answers they need..

“We welcome the Coroner’s Conclusion and her Regulation 28 Preventing Future Deaths recommendations.to Ofsted and the Local Authority and. her hope that the Parliamentary Education Committee and Secretary of State will also consider her findings.

“We believe Ruth’s death and those of other teachers might have been prevented had concern about the suicides of other teachers related to Ofsted over the years been taken more seriously, investigated and acted upon preventatively by the Health and Safety Executive, HSE, Ofsted and Local Authorities when they happened. And we believe it is also essential that the HSE records, investigates and acts to prevent all work-related suicides in schools and all workplaces, something it refuses to do currently.

“After hearing evidence during the Inquest we are even more sceptical that Ofsted can be reformed. It should be scrapped and replaced by a cooperative, collaborative and supportive inspection system, which is accountable and effective in improving schools without destroying the health and lives of teachers.

“Nothing will bring Ruth back, but knowing that stringent efforts are being demanded of the organisations which had a role in her death, and of other related organisations, to prevent the deaths of other teachers in future is an outcome that Ruth’s family wanted. Julia Waters, Ruth’s sister, has fearlessly and eloquently exposed the unbearable and unfair stress of Ofsted inspections, the lack of protection and redress for Head Teachers, given thousands of teachers a chance to speak out, made their concerns a subject of public debate and investigation ever since Ruth’s death. We thank Julia and her family for all they have done to stop Ofsted deaths.

“FACK, Greater Manchester Hazards Centre, Hazards Campaign and Hazards Magazine pledge ourselves to continue the campaign to make all work suicides reportable, investigated and preventive action taken. No one should be driven to deaths of despair by work.”

For more information contact Hilda Palmer 079298 00240 hilda@gmhazards.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Papers and articles relating to Work-Suicide and the problem of the HSE refusing to record or investigate the causes and prevent them.

• Professor Sarah Waters, Hilda Palmer Work Suicides are uncounted: https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/languages/news/article/1866/work-related-suicides-are-uncounted

• Waters and McKee, BMJ, Ofsted and case of official negligence? https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/381/bmj.p1147.full.pdf

• Waters and Palmer, Journal of Public Health Dying at work. Work-related suicide – how does the UK regulatory context measure up? https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JPMH-09-2021-0114/full/html

• Our postcard campaign to the HSE over many years saw thousands of postcards delivered by mail to the CEO and now is an ecard campaign: https://www.hazards.org/hsesuicide/ • Rory O’Neill Hazards Latest article : https://www.hazards.org/suicide/wedespair.htm • Earlier articles: https://www.hazards.org/suicide/suicidalwork.htm • https://www.hazards.org/suicide/pressuregrows

Founder Members of FACK:

Dawn and Paul Adams – son Samuel Adams aged 6 killed at Trafford Centre, 10th October 1998

Linzi Herbertson -husband Andrew Herbertson 29, killed at work in Oldham, January 1998

Mike and Lynne Hutin – son Andrew Hutin 20, killed at work at Corus, Port Talbot on 8th Nov 2001

Mick & Bet Murphy – son Lewis Murphy 18, killed at work in Brighton on 21st February 2004

Louise Taggart – brother Michael Adamson 26, killed at work ion Aberdeen, on 4th August 2005

Linda Whelan – son Craig Whelan 23, (and Paul Wakefield) killed at work in Bolton on 23rd May 2002

Dorothy & Douglas Wright – son Mark Wright 37, killed at work in Deeside on 13th April 2005

Thursday, 30 November, 2023, 18.00 – 19.30
Register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsfu2rqTwiGNwGMcS6tNP7jyfWpU5KancR

Join us at this brilliant, lively and entertaining event, in discussion with the dynamic and inspiring Dave Smith and organised by the Hazards Campaign. Dave is a blacklisted campaigner, a trade union educator and has been a health and safety advocate for decades. He speaks with enthusiasm and from years of relevant experience.

It will be a unique opportunity to hear about his Organising 101 campaigning and organising  tips column in Hazards Magazine and to join him in discussion.

For more information, please contact Janet Newsham –  janet@gmhazards.org.uk

Thursday, 30th November, 2023, 18.00 – 19.30pm
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsfu2rqTwiGNwGMcS6tNP7jyfWpU5KancR