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[Hugo]

Where there is a will, there is a way and bridge or no bridge they'll be in Craig Y Don before you know it     

[Bri Roberts]

Please do not worry me unnecessarily, Hugo. 😡

We are currently sitting in the bar at Hotel Football over in Manchester.

[Hugo]

Never mind Bri, you can cheer yourself up and go to watch two good football teams playing at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow

[SteveH]

Llandudno schoolgirl contracts Strep A infection Scarlet Fever as mum urges others to know the symptoms
Two of Joanne Jones' daughters have now taken ill and she's urging others to be aware of the symptoms to look out for

A mum is urging other parents to be aware of the symptoms of Strep A infections and Scarlet Fever after her two daughters became poorly with the virus.

Joanne Jones, from Llandudno, said her eight-year-old daughter Jasmine started feeling unwell, which she initially mistook for a chest infection. Her symptoms started off with a cough, which got progressively worse.

?I thought she maybe had a chest infection. Then it turned into some kind of sickness bug, so I thought she had one of those 24-hour things. But after four days of hardly eating, I knew it wasn?t just a bug. At times she seemed OK. Then her temperature would spike to 40 degrees.

?She would go bright red, and it felt like I was holding a hot water bottle from the heat coming off her face, back, and chest. Then she got more and more drowsy nearing the end of the week, to the point she just couldn?t stop coughing.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llandudno-schoolgirl-contracts-strep-infection-25680125


GUIDANCE is being given to schools in Conwy after a rise in infections caused by the Strep A bacteria
Across the UK at least six children have died with an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection in recent months, with a seventh possible case reported at the weekend.
https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23171292.conwy-schools-given-guidance-amid-rising-cases-strep/

[SteveH]

Strep A: Antibiotics shortage in some Welsh pharmacies

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-63879548


UK Health Secretary says no issue with antibiotic supply
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said there is no issue with the supply of antibiotics from manufacturers for Strep A, though he admitted some GPs may have shortages while stock is moved around.

He told Sky News: "I checked with the team last night - we have an established team in the department that does this on a permanent basis - and they reassured me we have good supply.

"The medical suppliers are required to notify us if they've got shortages.

"Now, sometimes, GPs can have particular surges if they've got a lot of demand in an area, and that's quite routine, we can move the stock around our depots.

"As of last night when we checked (with suppliers), they said they could reassure us that they've got good stock and were moving that around to meet demand.

"Obviously parents are concerned at the moment because they see the stories.

"One in five children have this - Strep A - naturally, complications are very rare, but it's important that we're vigilant."

[SteveH]

Two stories this morning.........

Llandudno GP surgery forced to stay open until midnight to answer Strep A calls
The surgery faced unprecedented demand after receiving hundreds of calls from worried parents

A Llandudno GP surgery was forced to extend its opening hours until midnight this week to cope with a huge volume of calls about Strep A. Craig Y Don Medical Centre in Llandudno said the demand on services was "far greater than we have ever seen" on Monday, December 5, following health warnings about Streptococcus A outbreaks.

It comes after schools and nurseries were warned about a rise in Strep A and scarlet fever infections in Wales. Last week, a child at Welsh primary school died after contracting the invasive infection and a Llandudno mum issued a warning after her daughter contracted scarlet fever.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llandudno-gp-surgery-forced-stay-25697669


Strep A: Health board warns of 'incorrect' social media information
AN INCREASING number of people are visiting phamacies across North Wales due to "incorrect" information about Strep A virus circulating on social media.

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has said there is an increase in people requesting a test for a sore throat.

The North Wales health board has said this likely linked to "incorrect" information circulating in local Facebook community groups encouraging people to use the Sore Throat Test and Treat Service available at some pharmacies to test specifically for Scarlet Fever, a Strep A infection.

A BCUHB spokesperson said: "People with symptoms of Scarlet Fever cannot use the Sore Throat Test and Treat service as this is for management of bacterial tonsilitis or viral sore throat only.

"Anyone with signs of Scarlet Fever (sore throat, fever, rash, swollen tongue) should instead, contact their GP or NHS 111 Wales.

"Anyone asking for the Sore Throat Test and Treat Service in a pharmacy who as symptoms indicating possible Scarlet Fever will be referred on to their GP or NHS 111 Wales by the pharmacist."

They added: "If you or your child has a sore throat and fever (but no rash/swollen tongue), you can find out which pharmacies are offering the Sore Throat Test and Treat service here. Please call the pharmacy before visiting to check the service is available before travelling."

[SteveH]

A search for people missing after an explosion at a block of flats in Jersey that left three dead has found no signs of life.

Chief Minister Kristina Moore told the BBC "we have now moved into a recovery operation".

It is understood there were nine known residents in the block before the blast in St Helier on Saturday morning.

Three bodies have been found at the Pier Road scene and specialist teams are continuing to look for six more.

The final total is estimated to be up to a dozen, as details on visitors to the flats are unknown.

Specialist teams and a search dog are on the scene, following the collapse.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-63933571

[SteveH]

Hospital appointment number showing as spam on some mobiles

Some networks show an exclamation mark and words in red saying ?block this number?.

But it is actually a genuine and is Ysbyty Gwynedd patients? booking centre booking line 03000 84 0040 ? which really shouldn?t be ignored.

The message raises concerns that some patients could miss out on booking hospital treatments if they don?t answer.

A spokesperson from Ysbyty Gwynedd said they were aware of some concerns.

The said: ?If people have any concerns or are unsure that a number is correct they can contact the hospital?s patient advice and liaison support team, for support and advice.

"The PALS team can be found in the hospital foyer or by calling 03000 851177 or emailing BCU.PALS@wales.nhs.uk

On its website the hospital said it was working to help reduce waiting times for outpatient appointments with a private provider SHS Partners to reduce waiting lists.

Patients who have been waiting up to three years for their first out patient appointment within orthopaedics and general surgery were being offered an appointment in order of clinical priority and the patients? time waiting.

Clinics were being carried out across the three acute hospitals and provided by the SHS partner group ?who are all NHS health professionals".

[SteveH]

Good advice I think ......

The peak of British electricity usage is between 4pm and 7pm which means that putting extra strain on the National Grid system during that period from using high power devices could increase the likelihood of it becoming overloaded. The National Grid has said this is the period that a blackout is most likely to happen especially on a "really, really cold day".

Martin Lewis went on to say that Britons should avoid, where possible, turning on their washing or drying machines during this time in a bid to help each other out. He added: ?Let?s all try not to put stuff we don?t need to put on between 4pm and 7pm.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/martin-lewis-sends-warning-anyone-26069316

[SteveH]

A message has been sent to any driver in the UK planning on filling up with petrol or diesel in the next 14 days, as reports suggest motorists could see diesel prices fall in next two weeks. However, it will depend on retailers passing on a drop in wholesale prices.

The RAC revealed that diesel drivers are still charged an extra 20p over the owners of petrol cars. This comes despite there being 'little difference' in their prices on the wholesale market - in some cases, diesel drivers are forking out ?92 to fill the average tank, as opposed to a family petrol car paying ?81.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/uk-drivers-issued-14-day-26363003

[SteveH]

Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones

A siren-like alert will be sent to mobile phone users across the UK next month to test a new government public warning system.

It allows the government and emergency services to send urgent messages warning the public of life-threatening situations like flooding or wildfires.

The test is expected to take place in the early evening of 23 April.

Phone users will have to acknowledge the alert before they can use other features on their devices.

A message will appear on the home screens of people's devices during the test, with vibration and a loud warning sound that will ring for about 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to silent.

The system - which became operational on Sunday - is being modelled on similar schemes used in the US, Canada, Japan and The Netherlands.

Messages would only ever come from the government or emergency services and will initially focus on the most serious weather-related events, with the ability to get a message to 90% of mobile users within the relevant area.

Cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64999417

[Dave]

I hear a building company has gone in to liquidation. Interesting I thought, I thought they were successful and in fact they probably are. Looking at company information on the GOV.UK website they are very successful at covering their tracks from business to business. It's an amazing network of companies that have formed a trail going back years with key players dipping in and out of the different company books.  I'm no accountant but it all looks dodgy to me!
Maybe someone can explain why this goes on?

[Helig]

They are known as Phoenix Companies and this is quite common in the building trade. They trade for so long and then go bust leaving a trail of creditors trying to collect some of the money they are owed. The people concerned then set up a new company which trades in a similar fashion to the previous one. HMRC has taken a number of steps to challenge this activity and it has made efforts to limit losses of tax and NIC. The rogues continue to engage in the nevertheless.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phoenix-companies-and-the-role-of-the-insolvency-service/phoenix-companies-and-the-role-of-the-insolvency-service

https://taxdisputes.co.uk/phoenix-fraud/

https://www.ftadviser.com/companies/2019/07/31/hmrc-to-take-on-phoenix-companies/

I have to say that this has been a problem for the tax system for many years. There have been attempts to block these going back to the 1970s at least. It is a bit like the tax loss due to offshore funds, some attempts have been made to block these but they are ineffective.

[Hugo]

Helig, that type of thing happens all the time and in various trades.       I remember one guy who described himself as a pillar of the community and I seem to remember that he was chairman of a local Conservative Party.
At one time I could reel off nine companies he was involved in that went into liquidation, including ironically one with Phoenix in its title

[Dave]

It?s unbelievable that they can get away with such practices. Perhaps deeper scrutiny of the company should be part of the process when planning applications are made but there again perhaps it?s a case of who you know and the nature of the relationship.