It has been reported that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS managers and GP’s requested care homes place a blanket ‘Do not resuscitate’ (DNR) order on all their residents in order to keep hospital beds free.
We are seeing an increasing number of enquiries from single parents who are confused by the apparent ever changing government guidance of social interaction due to the impact of COVID-19. A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size.
The Government has announced a new Job Support Scheme which will come into effect from 1 November and replace the existing Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the CJRS”).
On 21 May 2020 we reported on the provisions of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 that were aimed at assisting struggling businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic.
England’s children’s commissioner, Anne Longfield, has warned that vulnerable children requiring urgent support will ‘slip out of view’ due to the impact of COVID-19, and has subsequently called for more investment into youth work.
England’s children’s commissioner, Anne Longfield, has warned that vulnerable children requiring urgent support will ‘slip out of view’ due to the impact of COVID-19, and has subsequently called for more investment into youth work.
Kirsty Jackson, Partner and Head of Ramsdens Commercial Property team has featured on AdviserPointsOfView.com talking about how the Commercial Property industry has been effected by COVID-19.
Following the latest impact on the market by the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government are introducing new legislation from 31st August and 1st September in a bid to provide more flexibility to the property sector, and most importantly the high street.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the Scheme”) is set to change again from 1 September 2020 in line with previous government announcements.
Effective from 1 September 2020, the government will reduce the percentage amount an Employer can claim under the scheme by 10% down to 70% of employee salary.
The journal Lancet Oncology last week predicted that delays in treatment since Covid in March could lead to 3,500 avoidable cancer deaths in England in the next five years. Mary Smith, an expert in clinical negligence claims based in Bristol, stated that the NHS was struggling to meet service demand before the pandemic took place with a waiting list amounting to 4 million.
In an attempt to encourage positive behaviours in clinical negligence litigation, NHS Resolution, the Society of Clinical Injury Lawyers and patient safety charity Action against Medical Accidents have all collaborated on the Covid-19 Clinical Negligence Protocol 2020.
Gareth Dando, Partner in Ramsdens Employment team has featured in has featured on HR Grapevine’s latest podcast talking about how #HR teams and departments can prepare for potential of a second lockdown.
During the first 7 weeks of lockdown in the UK, the police took one call every 30 seconds relating to domestic abuse. The charity Refuge reported a 700% increase in calls to its helpline in a single day. The UN has described the global spike in domestic abuse as a “shadow pandemic” alongside Covid-19.
As solicitors we have had to come up with various different ways and means to ensure that our clients can obtain a valid Will in the challenging and often changing COVID-19 environment. We have witnessed Wills through windows, on car bonnets and even on wheelie bins, but in some cases this might no longer be necessary.
Employers will welcome clarification that a worker self-isolating because a person in a ‘linked household’ – a household in the same ‘bubble’ – has COVID-19, or shows symptoms of it, is entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP).
Previously, SSP was only payable if a worker had to self-isolate because someone in their own household was ill or had symptoms of the virus.
The review on Legal Aid has restarted following a pause induced by the impact of COVID-19. Justice Minister, Alex Chalk, informed the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid that the review has re-commenced with a plan to publish findings in Spring 2021.
At a time when lockdown is over and restrictions are relaxing we now ask, what is the impact of this pandemic on clinical negligence claims across England and Wales? A QC Mr Nigel Poole has voiced his opinion on this matter and suggested that ‘context is all’ for example our present context will be of great significance when the Courts weigh up whether a Trust or Professional has acted negligently during the pandemic.
The current Covid-19 crisis has thrown up numerous challenges for all of us, but for some the challenges are far greater. Ramsdens Private Client team have many years of experiencing working with people who have dementia and those who care for them. As we begin to return to normality, or indeed the new normal, we wanted to cast a light on what people living with dementia continue to face every day.
The current lockdown and the resulting isolation has given us all time to think and reflect now that we have been taken away from “normal life” and there is no guarantee as to when this will resume. Now is the perfect time to make sure that our affairs are in order and to ensure that we do not leave anything to chance.
There is little doubt Covid-19 has caused many issues for families all over the world. We are having to deal with problems that we didn’t know existed only a few months ago. The current pandemic was unimaginable and as a result, people have not had time to plan for a worst case scenario.
Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital have described the rise in child abuse cases during lockdown as a ‘silent pandemic’, as the number of new cases at its head trauma unit has risen by 1,493% compared with the previous three years.
The Government has now announced a handful of creative schemes aimed at minimising the economic impact of COVID-19 and saving as many jobs as possible.
Children’s Minister, Vicky Ford, has failed to address serious concerns raised by Become, the national charity for children in respect of the emergency measures implemented at the start of lockdown.
Recently we have seen an increase in enquiries from clients about putting in place cross option agreements.
It is not uncommon for the shareholders of a private limited company, often those run by owner-managers, to take out insurance policies on their own lives which pay out on the death of the insured shareholder.
In recent weeks it has come to light that the number of care home deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic amount to almost a third of the fatalities. Therefore, it is no surprise that the government faces the prospect of Judicial Review due to the policy regarding moving COVID-19 patients into care homes.
In a time of social distancing Natalie Marrison, Head of Personal Injury at Ramsdens and Howard Elgot, Barrister at Parklane Plowden Cambers fielded an interactive session where they discussed methods to optimise engagement and delivery of case management during COVID-19 from a legal and clinical perspective.
More details were issued on the extension of the furlough scheme to 31st Oct and the changes that will take place at the end of July.
As we enter another week of having to deal with Covid-19, many of us are now reflecting on the recent past, missing the “normality” of being able to go to the shops, see family and friends and even just go for a walk without having to don a mask, gloves and maintain a distance of at least 2 metres.
Fresh reports of care home closures across the UK due to COVID-19 continue to come to light, including at Friary Lodge in Whetstone, North London and Temple Court in Kettering. Staffing issues and operational difficulties due to the pandemic were cited as reasons for the temporary closure.
In our blog of 24 April we reported on the Government’s press release announcing measures to protect companies and commercial tenants from aggressive rent collection by their landlords during the Coronavirus pandemic.
