Swindon’s top health bosses to answer residents’ coronavirus questions

Members of the public will have the chance to quiz two of Swindon’s top health chiefs during a joint question and answer session on Facebook.

It will be held on Friday, 27 November.

Steve Maddern, the Council’s Director of Public Health, will be joined by Kevin McNamara, Chief Executive of the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to provide the latest update on the current situation at the hospital and to answer residents’ covid-related questions.

Residents are asked to submit their questions in advance of the event via the council’s corporate Facebook page, tune in to watch the session and have their questions answered at 5pm on the day.

During the 30-minute session, Steve will be updating viewers on the latest covid-19 statistics for Swindon and the council’s ongoing response to the pandemic, while Kevin will share how Great Western Hospital is responding to the recent increase in hospital admissions.

To date, the council has hosted six coronavirus livestreams on Facebook, which have reached over 130,000 residents.

Steve Maddern said: “As we continue to see COVID cases across our community, the pressure on our hospital to respond to this demand is increasing. I’m delighted that Kevin will be joining me from Great Western Hospital to share his perspective on the situation.

“If we want to continue accessing vital medical treatment, it’s up to all of us to continue to follow the guidelines and avoid overwhelming the NHS.”

Kevin McNamara said: “Our staff have done a fantastic job working extremely hard over many months to make sure that every patient who needed care for covid-19 has received it.

“As we go in to winter, covid is once again a significant challenge for us and we are also very busy with the usual type of demand we see at this time of year. I’m looking forward to joining Steve to provide an update on the current situation, the impact on non-Covid services and answering the public’s questions.”