Dear Sir,

To mark World Mental Health Day which was held on Sunday October 10, Breast Cancer Now warns loneliness will be a devastating lasting legacy from the COVID-19 pandemic and urges people to reach out for support this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to help tackle heightened isolation and uncertainty around their diagnosis.

As a Clinical Nurse Specialist on Breast Cancer Now’s Helpline, I’m acutely aware of the shattering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emotional wellbeing of people with breast cancer. News of a diagnosis can be a lonely experience, and the pandemic has at times exacerbated this, denying people the chance to be with loved ones.

We’ve seen a sharp rise in calls to our Helpline and emails to our Ask Our Nurses service from people struggling emotionally – many say the loneliness they’ve felt living with breast cancer during the pandemic has been the hardest emotional impact to cope with, and that it’s negatively impacted their mental health.

As many of us look ahead to a ‘new normal’ beyond the pandemic, this World Mental Health Day, we must acknowledge the loneliness legacy facing people who’ve lived with breast cancer through the pandemic and commit to addressing it.

This Breast Cancer Awareness month, we want to remind everyone affected by breast cancer that we’re always with you, in every way we can.

Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, our Online Support Services are one click away for anyone after a breast cancer diagnosis. Whether you’re a younger woman, adjusting to life after treatment, or living with incurable secondary breast cancer, our tailored support provides a confidential, safe space to connect with others and access specialist information.

Find out more about Younger Women Together, Moving Forward, Someone Like Me, and Living With Secondary Breast Cancer at: breastcancernow.org/online-services.

Jane Murphy, Breast Cancer Now Clinical Nurse Specialist


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GPs 'working three-day' week is anything but


Dear Editor

In responding to reports that the “average GP is now working a three-day week” = the very notion of a ‘part-time ‘ GP is often anything but. The data used in this article actually shows that the average hours worked by a GP in England is around 40 hours per week – the same as most full-time jobs.

“To focus purely on ‘sessions’ is an incredibly crude measure. Each morning or afternoon ‘session’ of work for a GP is defined as four hours and 10 minutes long. In reality, the sheer scale of workload means that both a morning session and an afternoon session often extend well beyond this, which means many GPs in reality work 10 to 12-hour days.

“When even ‘part-time’ GPs are working at such a pace, it’s clear to see that current levels of workload – made worse by piles of admin and bureaucracy - are not sustainable. By removing some of this unnecessary bureaucracy, GPs would be able to devote more of their working hours to seeing patients who need them.

“GPs who work fewer sessions or hours in practices may well be dedicating time elsewhere in the NHS and wider health system – for example training younger doctors and medical students, working in hospitals or conducting research to ensure better healthcare in the future.

“We should also get away from the idea that working flexibly in itself is a bad thing. There are more women than men working as GPs today, and the fact that general practice offers flexibility that allows people of all backgrounds to balance their GP work with other commitments, such as family and caring responsibilities, should be celebrated and not condemned. Without embracing this, we risk losing these talented clinicians all together and therefore making access and workload problems a lot worse.”

Dr Richard Vautrey, GP, committee chair BMA GP


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Don't let our club end up being history

Dear Editor

Exmouth Family History Club along with many local clubs and organisations had to suspend all meetings and activities, in line with the Governments instructions regarding the Covid Pandemic.

I have been contacted by both currant members and members of the public asking when we are going to restart our meetings and talks.

The club was formed in 1984 and has arranged so many interesting talks and displays over the years, it is a shame that a number of the existing committee are having to step down due to changes in their lives, so it is necessary to find new volunteers to carry the club forward. If this is not possible, the existing committee will need to arrange for the official closing of the club.

We need all and any of the club members and general public who have an interest in Family History to please attend an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held at the Littlemead Methodist Church Hall on Roundhouse Lane Exmouth EX83BU, at 7.30pm on Thursday October 28.

The club needs your support, so please come along and have your say on its future.

John Wakefield, Exmouth Family History Club


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'Vitally important that we all plan for future'

Dear Editor,

The recent social care news coverage has raised interesting questions about the control we have over our care in later life. September was World Alzheimer's Month, raising awareness of the issues faced by people living with the challenging disease.

The disease is a major concern for some older vegetarians and vegans (veg*ns). Many of us worry about needing care, fearing we may lose the ability to choose a diet in accordance with our beliefs and values.

Vegetarian for Life (VfL), a national charity that supports older veg*ns, is launching a self-advocacy pack to support people worried about this situation. It has been launched to mark National Older Vegetarians and Vegans Day on October 1.

The pack will help to explain the laws protecting those with special dietary needs; sources of support if your rights aren't being recognised; and simple actions you can take to protect your rights. These include making a statement of your wishes and care preferences, helping future carers to understand your needs.

It is vitally important that people plan for their future and know their rights. VfL believes that needing care should not mean losing the right to have and practice their values.

Contact the charity to request a pack or visit the website for more information.

We hope to help as many veg*ns as possible to maintain their beliefs and be treated with dignity in care.

Joe Barson, Advocacy & Policy Officer, Vegetarian for Life