Community Pharmacy can play a leading role in the re-building of the health and social care sector as Covid19 surge plans reduce says representative body

The Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene, has said that the community pharmacy network here can provide significant support in getting the health and social care system back on its feet after Covid19 surge plans have been downgraded.

The call comes as the Health Minister Robin Swann has announced that he will be bringing forward a strategic framework for the re-establishment of the health service after it adapted to accommodate the system to prepare for hundreds of Covid19 patients to be admitted to hospital.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive, Community Pharmacy NI

The representative body has said that community pharmacists already play an enhanced role in transforming our health service and that now is the opportunity to invest further in the network as the current crisis gradually lifts.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI said:

“We are only too aware of the unrelenting pressures that the entire health service has been placed under during the darkest moments of the spread of Covid19. We are not out of the woods as yet, but the Minister and Department have a difficult job on their hands in piecing back together elements of the health service that had to be dismantled to accommodate a worst case scenario.”

“Prior to the Covid19 outbreak, waiting times at the likes of GP surgeries were significant and the health service was under visible strain. During the recent weeks and months, it is apparent that the community pharmacy network stepped up massively and adapted almost overnight to keep the flow of vital medicines to patients managing conditions in addition to those presenting symptoms at pharmacies who were unable to access their GP.”

“We know that with the right resourcing and financial backing that pharmacists can do so much more to alleviate bottlenecks. The Minister has stated that there is a clear opportunity to make a number of improvements and we are keen to work with the Department to ensure that any investment in community pharmacy is one that works to help transform the health service. If we do not invest in transformative services, then we are putting public health at risk.”

Charity Chief demands urgent answers on Covid Charities Fund

Nora Smith, Chief Executive, CO3

A charity sector chief has called for the immediate release of funds to charities in Northern Ireland who have had their income slashed due to coronavirus.

CO3 Chief Executive Nora Smith told a Stormont committee that charities here have lost millions of pounds in income.

Despite a £15.5million support fund announced by the Department for Communities weeks ago, there is still no detail on when it will open, or what charities can apply for it.

Since lockdown, more than three quarters of local charities have said they are in ‘serious financial difficulties’. Fundraising has been decimated and most are not eligible to apply for government backed support schemes.

Speaking after briefing the Communities Committee, Nora Smith, CO3 Chief Executive, said:

“We are now into week nine of lockdown and charities are existing on severely depleted funds, with many workers on furlough. This is happening at a time when demand for services is greater than normal.

“Whilst the Covid Charities Fund was welcome news, charities are no closer to knowing if they are eligible and it is taking far too long to get clarity on the details of this fund.

“The government quickly made grants available to businesses in the early days of this pandemic, but most charities in the third sector have had no financial support whatsoever.

“Time is quickly running out, and redundancies are on the way. We are now entering the third month of this crisis and have already lost millions of pounds in fundraising. Entire organisations could go to the wall.

“We are calling on the Executive to address this financial emergency now and open this fund without further delay.”

Nora also called for furloughed workers to be allowed to come back and volunteer in their place of work to maintain vital charity services:

“A £15.5 million fund will not solve the crisis in our sector but there are other solutions available that would help protect cash flow.

“Making slight changes to the law to allow furloughed charity employees to come back and work in a volunteering capacity would not cost any more money to the public purse, but it would ensure that charity services can keep going and support people who need them.

“This would also avoid increased strain on other public services like the health service and the welfare system. We are urging our elected representatives to help us make this case to the UK Government.”

NILGA welcomes funding for local government but more is needed

Cllr Frances Burton, President, Northern Ireland Local Government Association

Responding to Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA’s announcement in the Assembly this morning that the Executive has allocated funding of £20.3m to local government in Northern Ireland, NILGA President Cllr. Frances Burton said:

"This is welcome funding which will help alleviate some immediate pressures across our 11 local councils. Working with all councils, NILGA and chief officers have outlined the income annihilation that local government has suffered and will suffer solely due to Covid-19. The pressures on councils right now are huge and mounting daily.

“We will work with Stormont to ensure that this funding is allocated swiftly. NILGA sees this as the first in a range of substantial funding measures which will help sustain essential council services for those in greatest need, thereby protecting frontline public services.

“This funding gives hope, not just for institutions like councils, but for the many partners that councils work with, to serve the community in the new Northern Ireland that must emerge out of Covid-19. Ultimately this is about caring for our community. We owe it to all those who are sacrificing so much, so selflessly. 

“With a longer-term financial package to be worked on for our councils, we reiterate our message that we will put citizens first and join with Stormont and national government to get our country safe and back to work again.”

Common sense step to help businesses through crisis, writes Nigel Birney, Head of Trade Credit, Willis Towers Watson Belfast

Nigel Birney, Head of Trade Credit, Willis Towers Watson Belfast

Last week, the Treasury announced that the UK Government will support businesses through the coronavirus crisis by guaranteeing business-to-business transactions currently supported by Trade Credit Insurance. As a business support measure, it will likely not receive the same attention as the furlough scheme or the CBILS but its importance for local firms cannot be understated.

The Treasury’s announcement confirms that the government views the availability of Trade Credit Insurance to cover business-to-business transactions both domestically and globally as hugely important and a vital component as we look to rebuild the economy and re-establish supply chains. The increase in risk caused by Covid-19, and the unprecedented level of expected claims, has forced underwriters to rebalance their risk portfolios and guide their clients by reducing or completely withdrawing cover on many companies in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and other export markets.

This government support will provide a much-needed boost to the local economy by maintaining and sustaining credit lines for many NI businesses. This announcement is also highly relevant for local companies that get credit from their trade suppliers, both domestically and from abroad. Those suppliers that are insured and supported by relevant state-backed schemes should be able to continue to supply NI companies that have been hard-pressed and have seen their own credit ratings recently downgraded by the credit insurers.

When Trade Credit Insurance cover is reduced or withdrawn, it causes disruption to supply chains, as credit lines are removed, and businesses are left exposed to unacceptable credit risks of non-payment or bad debt. This can place an enormous strain on cashflows or, in many cases, force otherwise good businesses to cease trading. As the largest credit insurance broker in Ireland, we have a strong sense of what is going on within the credit insurance industry and recently it was becoming an increasingly grim picture. Not only does Trade Credit Insurance provide financial protection by helping businesses to grow safely, but crucially it also underpins many working capital facilities and access to such facilities will be vitally important as businesses begin trading again.

Over the last number of weeks Governments across Europe have introduced credit insurance guarantee schemes to support domestic and international trade, which we broadly welcomed and strongly lobbied for local support to take our concerns to Westminster. We knew that if similar support was not forthcoming from the UK Government the impact on NI businesses could have been catastrophic. We potentially could have had the unpalatable situation where a company in Ballymena would have been unable to get insurance on a business in Portadown, because the UK insurer was no longer comfortable with the risk profile of the buyer, yet a supplier in Germany could sell to the same buyer in Portadown and the debt would be insured under the German Government backed guaranteed scheme.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA and her Department worked hard to help secure this scheme with the Treasury and deserves praise for listening to and making a strong case for businesses in Northern Ireland. I look forward to the full details of the scheme being disclosed and I hope it is rolled out as quickly as possible to allow our local firms to manage their credit risk and trade with confidence, on a level playing field with their competitors at home and abroad and, following this announcement, without the fear of a potentially fatal bad debt.

Back to the future of work: re-opening our workplaces by Lisa Bryson, Partner, Employment and Immigration, Eversheds Sutherland, Belfast

Lisa Bryson, Partner, Employment and Immigration, Eversheds Sutherland Belfast

Every day brings something new for us all to consider and today’s business leaders will need to consider a number of different issues when contemplating what tomorrow’s workplaces will look like. Last week, the Chancellor announced that the Job Retention (or ‘furlough’) Scheme will be extended until October and further guidance has been given on the interplay between furlough and holiday. The Northern Ireland Executive also unveiled its ‘Pathway to recovery’ and exit from lockdown with a five-step plan.

While employees and employers across the rest of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland now have an idea of likely return to work dates, this is not the case in Northern Ireland.  There have been widespread calls from industry for greater clarity from the Executive on how and when local businesses will move through each stage of the five-step plan, before eventually returning to work.

While we all wish we could flick a switch and return to normality, there is no quick – or one size fits all – fix. Businesses will need to take a medium to long term view on re-opening measures, given that public health professionals are warning that Covid-19 is likely to be a risk for many months to come. For now, we must take each day at a time and in the short term focus on what we do know.

Employers have a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and anyone else who may be affected by the employer’s business. Employers know their business.  Employees also know the parts of the business in which they typically work. Employers should take this time now to risk assess their business and to engage with their staff about what health & safety measures might, could or need to be introduced. Involving unions and or employees in this conversation will, in turn, help build employee confidence and alleviate anxiety about returning to work when that time comes.

The HSENI has some very helpful tools online to assist employers to take a systematic review of their business. There are many different options and solutions being discussed to ensure health and safety in every workplace. Naturally these vary from industry to industry and location to location but include such matters such as changes to layouts of offices or factories; staggered start and finish times; changing shift patterns; closing canteens; additional car or bike parking facilities; one way systems; screens; temperature testing or screening and in some settings the provision of PPE. Each potential change will also have potential legal, practical, or cost implications for business and each of these factors will need to be addressed together. The UK government has set out eight different, sector specific, guidance notes which set out practical considerations sector by sector.  

Whether employers are considering how to continue operating safely (if they have not had to close), or are considering how to move from furlough or ‘working from home’ back to site, communication and transparency will be key to maintaining positive employee relations.  Nothing about the last eight or so weeks has been easy for anyone, and inevitably further difficult times lie ahead as society and the economy seek to recover from this unexpected setback. 

What we do seem able to say with a fair degree of certainty is that our key workers, people, unions, businesses, industry groups, politicians, friends and family will work through this together with the common aim of enabling Northern Ireland to come back ‘better’.

Statement from Londonderry Chamber on green light for Graduate Entry Medical School at Magee

Reacting to the announcement by the deputy First Minister that the Executive has given the go-ahead to a Graduate Entry Medical School at Magee, Londonderry Chamber President Redmond McFadden said: 

“This is excellent news, not just for the North West region but also for Northern Ireland. The hard work starts now to recover from the impact of Covid-19 both on the health of our population and on our economy. A Graduate Entry Medical School will have a hugely positive impact on our regional economy and will provide a significant boost to Northern Ireland’s healthcare workforce. By training and retaining new doctors, nurses and other vital health professionals locally, we can significantly bolster our health service, especially at a time when it is under extreme strain.

“Everything must now be done to ensure the school is open and ready for its first intake of students in September 2021. The Covid-19 emergency has highlighted the importance of our health service. Finally delivering the Medical School would be a lasting legacy to the efforts of our frontline healthcare staff during this crisis.

“I am very pleased that we will finally have a Graduate Entry Medical School at Magee. It is testament to the combined efforts of those across business, education, healthcare and politics, who have worked together on this campaign.  As part of the wider City Deal for Derry City and Strabane, the Medical School will drive real economic and social change across the North West and help address years of underfunding and underinvestment in the region.”

Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 18 May 2020

Forward Look

• The First Minister Arlene Foster MLA and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA outlined their ‘Pathway to recovery’ plan this week. Unlike the other nations, this five-stage plan is not calendar led. The first steps to ease lockdown will start on Monday with garden centres and recycling centres allowed to open. Terminally ill people will also be allowed to get married. Further announcements are expected on Monday following the Executive meeting. All stages will be continually reviewed against the R rate which currently sits below 0.7. The plan can be viewed here.

• The Taoiseach is increasingly confident that the Republic of Ireland will be able to move to phase one of reopening the country on Monday 18 May. Cabinet is set to meet today to decide.

• Health Minister Robin Swann MLA outlined a three-step programme to support care homes in NI. This includes significant expansion of testing for care home residents and staff, intensive support and investment and reform in social care. He has also instructed the Department of Health to create a health recovery plan to tackle waiting times and services.

• The Nightingale Hospital (Belfast City Hospital) has been stood down temporarily to allow urgent non-Covid19 treatments to take place.

• Finance Minister Conor Murphy MLA is expected to shortly present a final draft to the Executive on targeted rates relief for businesses. This follows on from the work undertaken by Gareth Hetherington and the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre.

• The Job Retention Scheme has been extended by Chancellor, Rishi Sunak MP until October. Some changes are expected to this in August with companies to be asked to share the cost of the scheme.

• HM Treasury announced it will temporarily guarantee business-to-business transactions currently supported by Trade Credit Insurance.

• The UK Government has confirmed to the EU it will enhance inspection posts at NI’s ports in order to deliver on the Brexit deal.

• The Bank of Ireland is now accredited for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. It is expected to be open for applications from existing customers in the coming days. 

• At NI Questions in Westminster, Secretary of State Brandon Lewis MP said the NIO has begun consulting with the Stormont parties and stakeholders about its new approach to legacy. It is hoped consensus on all fronts will be reached.

• Ryanair are to restore 40% of its flight schedule from July. Passengers will have to wear face masks and pass temperature checks before flying.

• Matthew O’Toole MLA will replace the late John Dallat on the NI Assembly Public Accounts Committee.

• Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA will brief the Economy Committee on Wednesday 20 May on the economic impact of coronavirus. She is also expected to unveil an economic recovery paper which will dovetail with the wider Executive plan next week.

• Health Minister Robin Swann MLA will brief the Health Committee on Wednesday 20 May.

• First Minister Arlene Foster MLA and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA will brief the Executive Office Committee on the Executive’s response to Covid-19 on Wednesday 20 May.

• The Communities Committee will receive a joint briefing by CO3 and NICVA on the impact of Covid-19 on the charity sector on Wednesday 20 May.

• Applications for the £10,000 Small Business Grant Scheme & the one-off £25,000 grant for businesses in the retail, hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors close on Wednesday 20 May.

• Applications for the post of Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner will close on Friday 22 May.

• The NI Assembly is recruiting for a Public Services Ombudsman. Closing date for applications is Monday 1 June.

Other Stories this week

• The UK Government announced that all British and Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland will be treated as EU Citizens for immigration purposes. This follows the case brought by Emma de Souza.  

• Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA has reappointed Mr Jim McCall and Mr Derek Wilson to the Board of the NI Housing Executive for a second term from 1 June 2020 for a period of five years.

• Health Minister Robin Swann MLA announced the appointment of six Non-Executive Members to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). Ms Bonnie Anley, Mrs Hilary Singleton and Ms Lindsey Smith have been appointed as Lay Members; Mr Jim Quinn is appointed as the Trade Union Member; and Councillor Jonathan Craig and Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon appointed as District Council Members.

• The DUP announced the co-option of Janice McArthur as Councillor for Bangor East and Donaghadee.

• The ONS reported that GDP decreased by 5.8% in March. While Ulster Bank’s Richard Ramsey reported the steepest ever fall in business activity in April in NI. 

• Former Invest NI Chief Executive Alastair Hamilton has joined the board of Danske Bank as a non-executive director.

Consultations

• Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme – 2020 Tariff Review Department for the Economy. Deadline 26 May.

• Energy Strategy Micro Inquiry NI Assembly Economy Committee. Deadline 29 May

• Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s past: The UK Government’s New Proposals NI Affairs Select Committee. Deadline 1 June.

NILGA CEO says councils are "approaching a financial endgame with catastrophic outcomes for the community"

Reacting to the evidence session from representatives from SOLACE - the body of the Chief Executives of NI’s eleven councils - today at the Communities Committee at Stormont on the impact of Covid-19 on local councils, the Chief Executive of NILGA, Derek McCallan said:

“It is clear from the evidence provided today at Stormont by SOLACE that local authorities in Northern Ireland are receiving accolades for their response and recovery work amidst Covid-19 but are approaching a financial endgame with catastrophic outcomes for the community.”

Derek McCallan, NILGA Chief Executive

“NILGA has explicitly highlighted that unless councils receive the type of un-ring fenced support all other UK councils have received in the short term - until end of June - and in the medium term - looking into the next financial year, to offset irretrievable losses of hundreds of millions of pounds of rates based revenues here in NI, then institutional collapse or severe cuts in services will ensue. Support for the 22 Welsh and 32 Scottish councils has been agreed, by the respective Assemblies, not linked to services but their survival, because of the consequences in the community.”

“Unless our regional and national government apply the same policy and proportionate funding as exists dynamically in every other region of the UK, for what councils do here, many redundancies may follow, seriously undermining the economy, and at a time when councils are being asked to do more. These steps are not being considered as options – but as a last resort.”

“Meanwhile councils continue to recognise that saving lives, maintaining public health, and providing the planning, development and regulatory tools for the private sector to get back to work when it is safe to do so, is essential, which councils will do every day – until they run out of money.”

He added:

“Our local councils need greater direct financial support, which will yield many, many times the return on the investment for government, the communities they serve and the workforce which is retained as a result. We are not financed like Government departments and are using reserves and putting communities first.” 

“NILGA has asked for further engagement with Ministers, officials and Committees & an immediate recall of the Ministerial / Council Partnership Panel so we can work through the steps necessary to ensure recovery. Similarly, we have asked Treasury in Westminster to support more finance for Northern Ireland, which ultimately would see a completely new public sector model here.”

Reactive media statement from Lisa Bryson, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast on NI Executive Covid-19 recovery plan

Lisa Bryson, Partner, Employment and Immigration, Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast

Lisa Bryson, Partner, Employment and Immigration, Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast commented:

“The Executive has indicated a desire to take a cautious approach to re-opening Northern Ireland and has rightly placed the health and well-being of the public at the heart of the document. The general overview of how the Executive plans to re-open the economy and society assists with providing a framework for businesses to consider, however, greater clarity is needed for employers on how and when Northern Ireland business can move through each stage of the five-step plan.”  

“It is important that the health of the public comes first and that appropriate safety measures are in place to beat the virus, but there is likely to continue to be a high level of anxiety among employers and employees about how and when they can get back to work.”

“Employers will need take a medium to long term view on re-opening measures, given that public health professionals are warning that Covid-19 is likely to be a risk for many months to come. Consideration will need to be given to what the ongoing financial impact will be for those businesses currently unable to operate at full capacity (or at all), how they might change to or adopt new operating requirements, and also, unfortunately, whether or not existing operations or business can continue in their current shape and size, or at all”. 

“The ways of living and working in Northern Ireland will look very different for a long-time to come. Many new questions will need to be addressed around what the ‘new norm’ will look like for each workplace and how they impact on every individual. Continued collaboration and flexibility will be required from everyone to ensure that new working practices are implemented smoothly and safely.”

“From the document published today, we are at least one small step forward in terms of a pathway. Timeframes, or a more definitive roadmap, is however, a necessary component to enable critical business survival decisions to be made. This is also important for the general well-being of people who are concerned about their own individual futures.”

Nigel Birney, Head of Trade Credit at Willis Towers Watson in Belfast reacts to Government business support through Trade Credit Insurance guarantee

Reacting to the announcement by the HM Treasury that the UK government will temporarily act as the reinsurer to guarantee business to business transactions currently supported by Trade Credit Insurance Nigel Birney, Head of Trade Credit at Willis Towers Watson in Belfast said:

“This announcement by the UK Government is important news and could provide very welcome relief for many NI businesses who trade both domestically and internationally as we look to rebuild the NI economy.”

“The increase in risk caused by Covid-19, and the unprecedented level of expected claims, has forced underwriters to rebalance their risk portfolios and guide their clients by reducing or completely withdrawing cover on many companies in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and other export markets. If this government support is confirmed it will provide a much needed boost to the local economy by maintaining and sustaining credit lines for many NI businesses.”

“Not only does Trade Credit Insurance provide financial protection by helping businesses to grow safely, but crucially it also underpins many working capital facilities. Access to such facilities will be vitally important as businesses begin trading again.”

“When Trade Credit Insurance cover is reduced or withdrawn it causes disruption to supply chains, as credit lines are removed and businesses are left exposed to unacceptable credit risks of non-payment or bad debt it puts strain on cashflows. It is one of the main reasons that otherwise good businesses cease to trade. As the largest credit insurance broker in Ireland, we have a strong sense of what is going on within the credit insurance industry and recently it was becoming an increasingly grim picture.”

“Over the last number of weeks other Governments across Europe have introduced credit insurance guarantee schemes to support domestic and international trade, which we broadly welcomed and for which we strongly lobbied, but it caused further anxiety for NI businesses, if we did not have similar support. We could potentially have had the unpalatable situation whereby a company in Ballymena would have been unable to get insurance on a business in Portadown, because the UK insurer is uncomfortable with the risk profile of the buyer, yet a supplier in Germany could sell to the same buyer in Portadown and the debt would be insured under the German Government backed guaranteed scheme.”

“As Credit Insurance is an integral part of risk management for many companies there is much relief within the Northern Ireland business community that this government backed scheme is being introduced, and if implemented in full, would mean that local Norther Irish companies should be able to trade with confidence at home and abroad ,on a level playing field, protect themselves against bad debt and secure their cashflow. We look forward to the full details of the scheme being disclosed.”