This page contains information for anyone with a responsibility for or interest in public health or promoting health and wellbeing in Leeds. It provides the latest advice and guidance from the Leeds Public Health team, and signposts you to relevant local services and resources, to help you undertake your role as effectively as possible during the Coronavirus pandemic.
If you are a member of public seeking information and advice about Coronavirus in Leeds, please visit
Coronavirus (COVID-19) information.
Government guidance is continually being updated and changing. You can find the latest government advice and sign up for alerts by visiting
GOV.UK Coronavirus (COVID-19).
To find out about how coronavirus is being managed locally,
visit the Leeds outbreak plan.
You can find health advice on
NHS Coronavirus (COVID-19).
For resources and materials to help promote national messages around Coronavirus, visit Department of Health and Social Care's
Campaign Resource Centre where you can download posters, social media materials, radio adverts and more.
Government issued guidance on testing for Coronavirus is available:
Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested.
Information and resources on specific topics
Below is a collection of information on specific topics, organisations offering support in Leeds at this time, and links to useful resources.
Vaccination
Translated and accessible resources
Vulnerable and at-risk groups
VAL has produced a pack advising people
how to stay safe when being a good neighbour.
Self-management support
A directory of services has been developed for older people and/or those with long term conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological conditions, stroke, respiratory conditions and people with mental health conditions. It includes links to relevant services (including how these may have been changed or adapted as a result of Covid-19) plus information on online tools, virtual groups and digital support.
Access self-management support directory
Read
advice for people at higher risk from coronavirus (COVID-19).
Long Covid
Some people who contract coronavirus (Covid-19) do not fully recover for months, which is known as Long Covid. Estimates suggest that ten percent of Covid patients may experience symptoms more than three weeks after infection, and a smaller proportion suffer from Long Covid symptoms after more than three months.
The most common symptoms of Long Covid are fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pains, chest pains, palpitations, brain fog, and anxiety.
People in Leeds who are struggling with ongoing coronavirus symptoms should consult their GP.
NHS Leeds have published further information on recovering from coronavirus.
NHS England have produced a self-care resource to help people manage ongoing symptoms.
Your COVID Recovery aims to help the reader understand what has happened and what they might expect as part of their recovery.
Additional national resources
Information for other groups of people
NHS England guide to caring for people with Learning Disability, Autism or both
Using NHS services in Leeds during Coronavirus
NHS services in Leeds have developed a range of
informative resources all about how to access health and care services during the pandemic. These include updates on changes to appointment systems, ordering prescriptions, closure of branch surgeries and information in accessible and alternative formats and translations.
Your NHS is still here for you
NHS Leeds reminds people to seek medical care when they need it, particularly those that are struggling with life changing and life threatening illnesses.
People are reminded to:
- ring 999 or attend A&E with medical emergencies
- to make contact with their GP if they have concerns about an existing health condition or are feeling unwell
- seek medical attention for unwell children and attend routine vaccination and immunisation appointments
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has produced
a series of posters with advice for parents and carers so they know what to do if the child starts to feel unwell.
Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust have set up a
Cancer Support Helpline for patients and/or their carers if they are worried or have any questions about coronavirus following receipt of a letter from the hospital about changes to their appointment or treatment. The helpline,
0800 923 0014, offers a five day a week (including bank holidays) telephone support service from 9am to 5pm.
Staying safe – domestic abuse and child protection
Money and financial difficulty
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on the financial situation of households in Leeds.
Information on where to get advice and support on a whole range of finance matters is available through
Money Advice Centre and Leeds City Council’s
Money Information Centre (MIC). Leeds MIC provides up-to-date information in relation to:
- debt and money advice
- benefits advice and Universal Credit
- emergency food
- low cost loans
- reducing utility bills and payment holidays
West Yorkshire Trading Standards have produced information on
scams awareness. People who have concerns can report complaints to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline by calling 0808 223 1133 and report scams to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040.
Find out what help and advice is available for anyone struggling to pay for food, rent and other household bills:
Help with food and household bills.
Gambling
Gambling is a leisure activity that doesn’t cause any problems for most people however for a minority it can lead to serious harm.
Self-help
GAMSTOP lets customers put controls in place to help restrict their online gambling.
GAMBAN lets customers block gambling websites and apps on all their devices.
MOSES can help customers to self-exclude from betting shops for a minimum of 6 months.
See
GamCare self-help for more information.
Local support and treatment
GamCare’s
Leeds Community Gambling Service (LCGS) offers free advice, support and treatment to individuals, families and communities affected by gambling.
LCGS works in partnership with the
NHS Northern Gambling Service, which provides specialist addiction therapy and recovery to people affected by gambling addiction across the North of England.
Outside office hours, the National Gambling HelpLine is available 24/7 on 0808 8020 133.
Supporting good mental health
During this time, you may feel bored, frustrated or lonely. You may also feel low, worried, anxious, or be concerned about your health or that of those close to you. These are all common reactions to the difficult situation we face, and it is okay to feel this way. Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same – it can change as circumstances change and as you move through different stages of your life. It’s important to look after your mental health.
Training
In Leeds, there is a range of mental health training, including suicide prevention, Psychological First Aid, and mental health awareness. These courses are delivered by different partners in the city. Details can be found in the
Mental health training section of
Public health priority based training.
Adults
New Mental Health Helpline: If you are working with people who may be feeling anxious or stressed and need someone to talk to, there is a new 24-hour mental health helpline available. It can support people and also refer them to services for further help. If they’re registered with a Leeds GP, they can call the helpline on
0800 183 0558.
Mindwell is a user-friendly website that has resources, videos and the latest information to help people in Leeds take care of their mental health at this challenging time. It’s also a good resource if you are concerned about someone or if you are a professional supporting others.
Every Mind Matters - a collaboration between UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the NHS - offers useful
tips on dealing with anxiety about coronavirus.
For people who might be likely to experience a crisis in their mental health, the Leeds Crisis Card may be useful; members of the PHRC can order mental health resources, including the 'Feel like you've had enough' crisis card (order code L155) and crisis poster (order code P655) and 'How are you feeling' booklet (order code L172), for free from the Public Health Resource Centre.
Evidence indicates that sleep has become a concern for lots of people so
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s Every Mind Matters campaign have created sleep resources to help.
Practicing the
Five Ways to Wellbeing can help to focus on ways to combat loneliness and improve our mental health, through connecting with others; being active; taking notice of what's around us; learning new things; and giving.
Suicide prevention
New
Suicide Prevention Guidelines for frontline workers and volunteers, have been produced locally to help them feel equipped to support anyone they have concerns about. The production of these new guidelines is in response to feedback from frontline workers and new volunteers reporting to us that they are receiving increasingly difficult calls about suicide from members of the public, particularly during the time of Covid-19 pandemic. Key members of the Leeds Strategic Suicide Prevention Group were involved in producing them.
If you or someone you know has been bereaved by suicide, support is available from
Leeds Suicide Bereavement service or, for those in other parts of West Yorkshire, from the
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service. Queries can be directed to Leeds Mind reception by calling 0113 305 5800 or emailing
info@leedssbs.or.uk for the Leeds service or
info@wyhsbs.org.uk for the West Yorkshire service.
Children and young people
Young people may be experiencing particular issues with their mental health at this time.
MindMate is a trusted Leeds-based website specifically for children and young people, their families and the professionals who support them. The website helps users explore emotional wellbeing and mental health issues and offer information about where support is available.
Kooth offers free, safe and anonymous online support for young people.
The
Infant Mental Health Service (Leeds Community Healthcare NHS) has developed a resource to support parents and carers at this time to tackle challenges and develop ways to strengthen the unique relationship between baby and caregiver.
Organisations
Leeds Mindful Employer provides organisations with easier access to information and support for staff who experience stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions. Useful information is available in
current and past editions of their newsletter.
Join Leeds Mindful Employer Network
Our Frontline is a mental health support offer for frontline staff led by The Samaritans, Mind, Shout, Hospice UK and Mental Health at Work. It offers round-the-clock one-to-one support, by call or text, from trained volunteers, plus resources, tips and ideas to look after your mental health.
Eating well
People who are struggling to get hold of enough food due to financial constraints, self-isolating, or lack of availability can access additional support through Leeds City Council’s
emergency food scheme. The helpline number is 0113 868 9827.
A food access flowchart has been produced showing how the food support system is currently working in Leeds. Email
Emma.Strachan@leeds.gov.uk to request a copy of the flowchart.
Anyone who has made a claim for Universal Credit may also be entitled to
Healthy Start vouchers if they are pregnant or have a child/children between 0-4yrs. The vouchers can be used for fresh or frozen fruit or veg, cows’ milk or infant formula and are worth £6.20 per week for 0-12mths, £3.10 a week for pregnant women and children 1-4yrs.
Leeds Food Aid Network offers information about other food support services across the city.
The Association of UK Dietitians website offers
lots of tips on eating well while keeping food shopping trips to a minimum.
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust has set up a
malnutrition helpline, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm on 0113 843 0905, or email
lch.malnutrition@nhs.net with concerns about poor appetite, unintentional weight loss, dehydration, difficulties affording food, constipation, lack of appetite, issues relating to dementia, wounds, risk of falling, not feeling well enough to shop for or cook food.
Vitamin D
Around one in five people in the UK have low levels of vitamin D, especially older adults, pregnant and breastfeeding people, infants, and people with darker skin. Vitamin D is essential for good health. It affects people’s bones, teeth, and muscles as well as mental health and immune systems. A lack of vitamin D can lead to painful bone health conditions in both children and adults and increased risk of falls.
Since it is difficult to get vitamin D from sunlight and diet alone, all adults should consider taking a daily supplement during the autumn and winter months. For people who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, supplements may be recommended all year round.
This short video highlights the importance of vitamin D and who is at risk of low levels:
Read more information about
Vitamin D and COVID-19 and look at the
BDA Food Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. Additional information on
Vitamin D: supplement use in specific population groups.
Staying active
During the pandemic it is especially important to remain as active as possible, whether that is at home, outdoors, or in a gym or leisure centre. Physical activity is good for your mind and body.
Adults
Home-based activities such as dancing or a more structured workout can be found at:
People who are ready and able to get active outside of their homes may be interested in one or more of the following initiatives:
-
CityConnect enables more people to travel by bike and on foot
-
Love Exploring is an app that provides a range of discovery games and guided tours that are fun to do and free to use
-
MyFitnessPal is a free fitness tracking app and website. Other free fitness tracking apps are also available; search your app store
-
Discover Leeds can be used to discover and explorer green spaces in Leeds
-
Walking for Health offers over 1800 free short walks every week. Visit the website to find your nearest walk
-
This Girl Can encourages women to get active in whatever way is right for them
- visit
Leeds Girl Can to find out about This Girl Can in Leeds
-
Parkrun is free, weekly, timed 5k event. It is a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along, whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.
Children and young people
Resources to help children and young people stay active include
- Active Leeds has produced two great activity packs - Ready Set Rainbow (for under-8s) and Get Active Stay Active (for older children and teenagers). Both packs are available to view, download or print at the
Active Leeds Healthy At Home Hub, which also features lots of other ideas for getting active at home, including a link to the
Active Leeds YouTube channel
-
Yorkshire Sport Foundation offers lots of resources for school-age kids, including 'This Girl Can' Disney Dance-alongs
-
Joe Wicks’ YouTube broadcast and #ThisIsPE which features PE lessons taught by local teachers
- The Active Leeds new
Healthy at Home hub lists resources to keep families active
- Try free dance classes with
DAZL (or just dance freestyle to your favourite tunes!)
Weight management
People with obesity are thought to be at increased risk of having more serious complications from COVID-19.
Ongoing support for weight management
Anyone in Leeds who is looking for support to manage their weight can get it through the following organisations.
One You Leeds provide health and wellbeing coaching for weight management, healthy eating, as well as practical physical activity and cooking sessions.
Every Body Can supports adults in Leeds who would like to lose weight safely and effectively. Delivered over a 12-week period in partnership with One You Leeds, Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Leeds United Foundation,the course provides guidance from a dedicated Health & Wellbeing Coach, information about nutrition, and building positive behaviours around eating and getting active.
People may also be directed to NHS choices to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) along with a
12 week plan for weight management.
If you are due to have surgery, getting in shape beforehand is important as it will positively impact on how well your surgery goes and your recovery afterwards. For support from the NHS visit
Shape Up For Surgery.
Drugs and alcohol
Forward Leeds is the alcohol and drug service in Leeds for adults, young people and families. It continues to accept referrals and offer support for anyone concerned about their own or someone else's drug and/or alcohol use.
Referrals can be made by calling 0113 887 2477 or e-mailing
info@forwardleeds.co.uk.
To keep up-to-date with the latest information, visit the Forward Leeds Twitter page:
@forwardleeds
For advice around reducing alcohol related harm, the following videos are now available.
Units of alcohol, what they are, and how to reduce your alcohol intake safely
Alcohol Dependency Advice
No Regrets Leeds
18 to 25 year olds in Leeds who are concerned about their drinking can find helpful advice and support resources by visiting
No Regrets Leeds.
Further information
For further information, advice and resources around drugs and/or alcohol, visit the links below:
Smoking
Smoking and COVID-19 risk
An
UCL rapid evidence review has been published assessing the association of smoking status with coronavirus infection, hospitalisation and mortality.
The review concludes that “across 102 studies, there is substantial uncertainty about the associations of smoking with COVID-19 outcomes. Smoking cessation remains a public health priority and high-quality smoking cessation advice including recommendations to use alternative nicotine products should form part of public health efforts during this pandemic”.
Government guidance has been issued providing advice for users of a range of tobacco products.
Stopping smoking - supporting quitters
COVID-19 has motivated many smokers to quit. People are more aware of the need to protect their health and with the pandemic restrictions disrupting routines, people are embracing the opportunity to make changes to their behaviour. In response, many healthcare and public health practitioners have seized this opportunity to help people stop smoking and an estimated one million people have quit smoking in the UK since the pandemic hit.
However, many of these are short-term quits, we need to sustain the momentum to support those who have quit to stay quit, and to encourage others to follow.
A recent Cochrane review reported the strong link between stopping smoking and improved mental health and wellbeing. The authors found that compared with people who continued to smoke, people who stopped smoking showed a significant reduction in anxiety, depression and stress and an improvement in positive feelings and mental wellbeing.
The improvements were seen across all groups, including those diagnosed with a mental health condition. This is important, given that
people with mental health conditions are more likely to smoke than the general public and smoking rates increase with the severity of illness. This now feels even more significant as we start to recover from the effects COVID-19 especially Mental Health.
Smokefree Action has published set of frequently asked questions (FAQs), designed to answer questions people may have about quitting smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read or download Smokefree Action's 'Quit For Covid' FAQs PDF (PDF, 192KB).
People in Leeds who want to stop smoking can get support from
One You Leeds. Additional information on quitting smoking can be found at
Today is the Day.
Bereavement support
If you are working with anyone suffering from loss, grief and bereavement, there is a new Bereavement Support Line that has been launched across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. It provides a first point of contact for anyone suffering any form of grief and loss, or those worried about losing someone, for example, a family member, friend or member of their community. They can call the FREEPHONE number
0808 196 3833, and use the live chat function available on the
Grief and Loss Support Service website. The service is available 7 days a week, from 8am to 8pm.
The Grief and Loss Support Service has made available
posters in different languages, a BSL sign-language video, and
an easy-read guide.
If you or someone you know has been bereaved by suicide, support is available from
Leeds Suicide Bereavement service or, for those in other parts of West Yorkshire, from the
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service. Queries about either service can be directed to Leeds Mind reception by calling 0113 305 5800 or emailing
info@leedssbs.or.uk for the Leeds service or
info@wyhsbs.org.uk for the West Yorkshire service.
Cruse Bereavement offers a range of support and resources for anyone who has been bereaved and has a free helpline 0808 808 1677.
Leeds Bereavement Forumhas collected a list of local and national resources, which we hope will be useful for those affected by bereavement.
Child Bereavement UK Leeds offers support to children and young people who have been bereaved of a close family member. The service is available for Leeds young people up to and including age 18, providing general advice, advocacy, one to one and group support. You can call them on 0113 350 3598 or via
email.
The following film has been created by the Leeds Public Health Team and Child Bereavement UK. It contains information and advice for anyone supporting children and young people in Leeds who have been bereaved.
Sexual health
Sexual health services such as contraception and C-Card, STI testing and treatment and abortion services are still a priority and in most cases running as normal. Contact your GP for an appointment or visit
Leeds Sexual Health for updates on other local services, including the Leeds Sexual Health clinics. Leeds Sexual Health clinics are no longer offering walk-in services, but appointments can be made by calling
0113 392 0333. Alternatively, you can seek advice and reassurance from a Health Advisor by emailing
lcht.lshadvice@nhs.net.
If you are pregnant and need to access abortion services, or just want to talk through your options, you can contact the two abortion providers in Leeds directly, for pressure-free advice, guidance and to arrange an abortion:
Seasonal Health (Summer and Winter planning)
Every year there is a
National Heatwave Plan for England and a
Cold Weather Plan for England, which describes the actions we can take to reduce the negative impact of hot and cold weather.
During the summer period, the Met Office may forecast heatwaves that triggers response levels from the NHS, Government and public health system, and communicates risks. Each alert level triggers a series of appropriate actions detailed in the Heatwave Plan.
Although there are several factors contributing to winter illness and death, in many cases simple preventative action could avoid many of the deaths, illnesses and injuries associated with the cold. Many of these measures need to be planned and undertaken in advance of cold weather.
Met Office Weather Alerts
The Met Office offers email alerts about specific weather topic areas. When you receive an alert you can follow the hyperlink in the email, taking you to the Met Office's weather warnings page which shows full details of the warning and a map of the areas where the warning applies.
Subscribe to Met Office email alerts
Who is at most risk?
Public Health takes a life course approach and aims to increase the effectiveness of interventions throughout a person's life. It focuses on a healthy start and targets people at critical periods when they are more vulnerable to the effects of hot and cold weather e.g. pregnancy and older age.
Hot and cold weather presents risks to certain groups listed below. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic can add and pose additional risk to those who are clinically and socially vulnerable, including:
- pregnant women
- people living with frailty
- people with long term conditions
- those who are extremely clinically vulnerable
- children under the age of 5
How can you help?
Become a winter friend. Anybody working or volunteering in Leeds is encouraged to familiarise themselves with the nine evidence based, high impact interventions to support their colleagues, service users, friends and families stay safe.
Watch this animation on Winter Friends:
Winter Wellbeing Checklists are available for adults and for children and families. They are a useful tool to help those 'at risk' of illness due to cold weather access available key support and services.
Additional resources to support you as a Winter Friend:
Additional Resources
Further training and information films on a range of Winter Health topics can be found on the
Leeds Public Health Playlist.
Families
Child Friendly Leeds has collated a range of information to support children, young people, and families during the pandemic.
This includes:
There is also fun and exciting activities and things to do at home, educational and fun learning resources for all ages, and a competitions page.
Social media is a useful way to keep up to date with the latest news and messages. Listed below are Twitter accounts you may wish to follow.
