Information

This page gives useful contacts and links to help and advice during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Guidance and Support from central government:

Latest government information:

• Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19

Advice from your borough

• Kensington and Chelsea dedicated web portal
• Westminster Coronavirus (COVID-19) - advice and information pages

Vaccination Information

The COVID-19 vaccine is a safe, effective way to protect ourselves from coronavirus.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued its NHS guidance on which groups of people will be eligible for its free 2023 winter vaccination programme, announcing that otherwise healthy Britons between the ages of 50 and 64 will no longer receive free Covid-19 booster doses.

The JCVI said its advice was now to offer the vaccine to “those at high risk of serious disease” who are “most likely to benefit from” it, including

• residents in a care home for older adults,
• people over the age of 65,
• those aged six months to 64 in clinical risk groups,
• frontline health and social care workers,
• people aged 12 to 64 who are carers or household contacts of people with immunosuppression.

NHS England will confirm details on how and when eligible people can access the autumn booster vaccine shortly, and anyone invited – including those yet to have their first jab – are urged to come forward as soon as possible

• Book, cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have approved the private sale of Covid booster shots which could be available later this year or next year to those who are not in the above groups.

Coronavirus Testing

Free tests for COVID-19 from the NHS has now ended for most people in England.

A small number of people who are at high risk from COVID-19 will still be able to get free NHS tests.

You can purchase Lateral Flow Tests from pharmacies and testing companies.  Examples of High St pharmacies who can supply tests in-store or online are: 

• Boots is selling a single test for £2, a pack of two LFTs for £3.95 and a pack of five for £9.80.
• Superdrug is selling a single test for £1.99.
• Lloyds Pharmacy is selling single tests for £1.89 or up to a pack of five for £9.29
• Superdrug Pharmacy are selling a single test at £1.99 and a pack of five costing £9.79
• Tesco Pharmacy will be selling LFTs in 1,500 Tesco stores across the UK, starting at £2
• Morrisons Pharmacy is selling single lateral flow tests for £1.75

Accessible Advice 

	Signhealth a leading Deaf charity, has translated Coronavirus information from Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care into BSL.
	Mencap has information which will help people with learning disabilities to understand more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), testing and vaccinations
	FAQs from blind and partially sighted people (by RNIB, Guide Dogs, Visionary, VICTA, Fight for Sight, Vision UK and the Macular Society) Five ways RNIB services can help
	Imperial College medical students and West London CCG have co-produced YouTube videos about using the NHS during the pandemic in Arabic,  Farsi,  Kurdish,  Sylheti, English, Somali (link to play mp4 file) Westminster has published information videos on their Youtube channel on NHS Test & Trace. They have versions of this video in Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Kurdish Sorani, Portuguese, Somali and Tigrinya. The video explains the steps you should take if you do have symptoms.

Direct Payment information

These pages offer information and advice on employing Personal Assistants during this pandemic.

How to protect yourself

The latest information and advice from the NHS website:

• Advice for everyone
• Advice for people at high risk
• Symptoms and what to do
• Self-isolation if you or someone you live with has symptoms
• NHS test and trace: how it works