Hospital Chief's praise for staff after busiest start to the year

A Hospital chief executive has spoken of his pride in staff after their busiest start to a year ever.  Christmas 2018 and New Year saw record attendances at Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals' A&E. 20 extra patients were seen each day compared to 2017, an increase of 16%.  Despite this staff treated, admitted or transferred 89.3% of patients within 4 hours of arriving in A&E; a near 10% improvement on the previous year. Patients also waited much less time for transfer into Hospital from Ambulance. Overall patients now spend 2 hours less on average in A&E than they did in the same period over 2017 to 2018.

Chief Executive Silas Nicholls said:- "This is my 1st winter at the Trust and I'm hugely proud of how staff have risen to the challenge. The £1.25m improving Southport A&E and more than £1m invested in additional clinical staff has certainly helped improve our performance. But it's the hard work, commitment and dedication of staff to the care and well being of local people that has made the biggest difference. We've had to make some difficult decisions over the past week to make space for everyone who needs care. I want to apologise to anyone whose experience while staying with us has been affected by how busy we are. Staff are working incredibly hard to keep all patients safe and cared for. Patients and visitors have a part to play too. Help them to help you keep up their fantastic work."

►  Wash your hands regularly and use the gel dispensers. Norovirus has been a significant issue for the NHS this winter. If you have suffered diarrhoea or vomiting, please don't visit Hospital until 48 hours have passed since the last symptoms

►  If you're a patient, get up and keep mobile, have a shower and put on normal clothing; they're all things you can do to help you feel better and begin your recovery

►  Help get your loved one's things ready to help with a trouble free discharge. For example, bring in their clothes and get things ready at home for them; get the heating on, shopping in and so on

►  Keep A&E free for people with serious injuries or illness, or life threatening emergencies. If you are unsure of where to go for medical advice or treatment and it is not an emergency NHS111 can help direct you to the most appropriate place for your care.

Warning of a rise in ever more convincing phishing and violation emails

THIS new wave of new wave of phishing emails just on keeps going.  The 1st email scam we are looking at has had lots of coverage now since we reported on it a few weeks back, the fake TV Licensing emails...  The other is a email scam of a sensitive nature...

The TV Licensing scam... The image above is the latest variation we have spotted.  It's less convincing than the 1st TV Licence scam email we spotted, but still this is likely to get people clicking on it. Just like the old HMRC emails and Police emails, these emails use the same tricks. In this case the email will use terms such as:- 'correct your licensing information,' 'billing information updates' and 'renew now' to trick people into clicking on the link within the email. Do not click on these emails and forward them to:- Phishing@CityOfLondon.Police.UK.

A TV Licensing spokesperson has again said:- "Yes, we are continuing to work closely with Action Fraud to raise awareness of these fake TV Licensing emails that are circulating. Bank staff and police officers will never ask you to move money to a safe account. It is also important that you never click on links in emails you were not expecting. Also If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it us."

Often the TV Licensing phishing emails, just as with the HMRC email, are often part of larger fraud, in which criminals use seemingly innocent emails that leave you open to being hacked.

If you think that falling for the phishing email can stop at just that, think again! Often the victim will later receive a phone call from the fraudster claiming to be from the fraud department of the victim's bank, alerting them to the original fraud... The scammer will go on to try and make you believe them, often if you do, even more money can be taken from you. Anyone who has provided their details as a result of a fraudulent email should report it to Action Fraud! Especially if you have provided any bank details, you should call their bank urgently.

The other scam we are reminding our readers, like you is an email that has doing the rounds for a few months now and upsetting many.  Oddly this email scam is not getting the PR the TV email is getting, but it is a very nasty scam.

It starts with the fraudster claiming to have hacked your computer, but they have not taken your bank details or put ransomware on it. No they claim to have used your webcam and also to copy all your contacts. They often say they use a:- "use the facebook pixel" or "tracking pixel" to see that you have read the message. Also they do not show any images, but they do offer to prove it, via sending them to contacts on your email list instead.

Adding to this they give you a few hours or 48 hours to make a fixed payment. Plus to make it more convincing, they can often add a password you used on a hacked website, like LinkedIn and other sites that have been hit by hackers over recent years. Do not fall for this! Again, do not click on any links, if it has any. Do not reply, but forward it to:- Phishing@CityOfLondon.Police.UK. Always delete fake emails immediately and never open attachments.

A variation we have also been alerted does has an attachment on it, that claims to be a video file or image file, say .jpg Oddly is doesn't show and puts a virus on your computer if clicked on. A good reason to have an up to date antivirus on your computer. Another trick hackers can use to get past issues like antivirus programs is with links claiming to have the 'proof' on them.  If you click on it, yep, you often get a virus! Do not click on anything, just forward it to:- Phishing@CityOfLondon.Police.UK and delete.

If you feel your computer has been hacked, take it to a known PC shop to get it checked, say PC World.  If you have been hacked, contact the Police via:- 101 for help i you feel your at risk, otherwise contact Action Fraud.  If you spot a new email scam, please let us know. Do not send it to us, but tell us the Subject and any other information that we can use to warn other readers about it.  Email us via:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com and help us to keep you all informed.