Scrutinising institutions Archives

‘The end of the mask mandate threatens Bristol’s young and vulnerable’

Masks coming off from ‘freedom day’ is going to restrict people’s movement around the city on Bristol’s buses.

Chloë Maughan

How vaccine hesitancy is being tackled in Bristol's diverse communities

Hannah Vickers, Lucas Batt and James Rogerson

Bristol parents say employers are wrongly classing them as keyworkers to get their kids into school

Tim Nelson

Moving on: Bristol's Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

Bristol council and organisations demand equal vaccine access and end to healthcare ‘hostile environment’ for migrants

The national campaign says a recent government announcement isn't enough to protect individuals and help the wider effort to tackle coronavirus.

Adam Cantwell-Corn

‘Sites set up during coronavirus offer hope for new understanding between Bristol’s vehicle-dwelling communities and the council’

Andreas Nicolaou and Jack Clements

Bristol nurseries ‘are being asked to run a bankruptcy model’ during coronavirus

Hannah Vickers

Council will have to make spending cuts, as cost of Covid-19 passes £100 million

Bristol City Council has repeatedly called for more funding from central government, because the current level of support leaves a black hole of £86 million.

Amanda Cameron (Local Democracy Reporter)

Under lockdown, social work has gone virtual. What happens when the real world comes back?

Child protection relies on face-to-face relationships and has been turned inside out by coronavirus. As lockdown eases, there are fears over what might come next.

Alex Turner

Council forced to find alternative for rough sleepers as government scraps scheme

Homeless people in Bristol will be moved out of hotels, where they’d been placed to self-isolate, and into whatever housing the council can lay its...

Amanda Cameron (Local Democracy Reporter)

You can’t stay home and safe when you’re sleeping rough

As Bristol Homelessness Action week comes to a close, we find out why people are still on the street almost two months after lockdown started. And ask: How might the pandemic change Bristol’s homelessness provision for the better?

Hannah Vickers

Clifton care home loses third of residents during Covid-19 outbreak

Seven people with coronavirus symptoms have died at Carlton Mansions in Clifton, the Cable has been told.

Matty Edwards

Bristol prisoner dies while awaiting trial during coronavirus lockdown

Lawyers and campaigners are calling on the government to “show political courage and rapidly reduce the prison population to save lives”.

Alon Aviram

City

Council owned Bristol Energy put up for sale amid controversy

Opposition councillors are demanding a full inquiry into loss-making Bristol Energy after the city council put it up for sale.

Adam Postans (Local Democracy Reporter)

Revealed: Bristol care workers speak out amid confusion and scramble for PPE during covid-19 outbreaks

New data reveals 60 care home residents have died from coronavirus in two weeks, but some homes with outbreaks haven't had more residents tested.

Matty Edwards and Priyanka Raval

Mayor Rees calls for Government bailout to plug £82m blackhole

Mayor Marvin Rees is pleading with the Government for an NHS-style bailout for local authorities as he warned it will take Bristol years to recover from the coronavirus.

Adam Postans (Local Democracy Reporter)

Opinion

‘We need better data and more testing to avoid coronavirus deaths in our care homes’

New data reveals that nearly one in three of Bristol’s coronavirus deaths have taken place in care homes. Nick Lawrence, a Cable member who used to work in public health, is baffled by the lack of up-to-date data and the government’s testing strategy.

Nick Lawrence

UPDATE: Housing association U-turn means Bristol Uni students spared £1,500 rent payment

First year students at the University of Bristol were told they had to pay rent despite the university closing down because their halls were run by a private provider.

Matty Edwards

Bristol’s NHS trusts scaling up critical care capacity while hospital admissions remain stable

Internal emails said one of Bristol’s hospital trusts had planned to triple capacity, but local NHS bosses have declined to reveal more detail on their preparations.

Matty Edwards

Sacked Bristol Uni temp workers to get coronavirus support after backlash

The university had been criticised for its decision to not enroll 84 temporary staff on the Government Job Retention Scheme. But staff are concerned that the move falls short of full protection.

Alon Aviram

Coronavirus testing finally announced for Bristol’s key workers, but more rises in deaths expected for weeks

In an in-depth interview, Bristol director of public health says the south west is responding well to the crisis despite criticisms of the UK’s handling of the outbreak.

Matty Edwards

Investigations

Whose life to save? Investigating the ‘do not resuscitate’ form coronavirus controversy

After families spoke out about their loved ones being pressured into refusing treatment if they get COVID-19, Bristol healthcare workers say there's far more to the story.

Priyanka Raval

Private Bristol student housing company refusing rent relief despite coronavirus exodus

Students in university-owned halls aren’t being charged if they’ve moved out, but a group of first-year students in privately owned halls have fallen through the cracks and may be forced to cough up £1,500.

Matty Edwards

Temporary coronavirus mortuary to open as council prepares for 'worst case scenario'

The new mortuary will increase Bristol City Council's capacity to deal with deceased people by two-thirds.

Adam Postans (Local Democracy Reporter)