Royal Infirmary Edinburgh – The NEN

Total-body scanner set to unlock disease insights

Scotland is set to receive its first total-body scanner in a boost to clinical research that aims to improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of complex, multi-organ diseases.

The Total-Body Positron Emission Tomography (PET) facility, due to be operational in 2024, will capture images of patients’ entire bodies quicker, in more detail and use less radiation than existing scanners.

In combination with data from the other new scanner in London, the Scotland scanner forms part of a new National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) which experts believe will accelerate the development of new drugs and diagnostics.

The platform, a partnership between Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK, aims to advance healthcare research and clinical trials, and unlock new treatments for complex diseases like cancer as well as cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

The NPIP Scotland Total-Body PET facility will allow academics to connect to the new platform to share data and collaborate on research.

The scanners are part of a £32 million investment into the ground-breaking technology by the UK Government, through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund.

The facility, based at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, will be jointly managed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

NPIP’s Total-Body PET scanners have higher sensitivity than current technology and will reveal new insights into biology and disease.

PET scanning is a non-invasive imaging technique that can detect diseases’ early onset.

Current PET technology leaves large sections of the human body out of the field of view, requiring the patient to be repositioned multiple times to achieve a full-body view.

Supplied by Siemens Healthineers, the two Total-Body PET scanners will capture superior images of a patient’s entire body in near real-time.

The new scanners are also faster, exposing patients to much lower doses of radiation, meaning more patients – including children – can participate in clinical trials to improve understanding of diseases.

The speed of Total-Body PET scanners mean that NPIP will be able to facilitate more patient scans, enhancing the scale and impact of clinical research projects.

This richer picture of human health will help researchers to develop new diagnostics, improve the quality and speed of drug discovery, and bring them to market quicker to benefit patients.

NPIP’s network of infrastructure and intelligence will provide a complete picture of patients and how they respond to new drugs and treatments.

Uniquely, it will also connect insights from many research programmes and trials. In doing so, it will begin to build a rich bank of data that the PET community can access for the benefit of patients.

Professor David Newby, The University of Edinburgh, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: “The Scotland Total-Body PET facility will bring together academics, industry and clinicians to create an integrated and accessible national PET facility for the benefit of patients across Scotland and the north of England.

“The Total-Body PET scanner will allow us to examine patients in ways that haven’t been possible before, propelling medical innovation and discovery, and ultimately improving the detection, diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases, including cancer.”

Dr David Lewis, University of Glasgow, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: “Total-Body PET scanners are a quantum leap forward in the technology of body scanning, and we are proud that a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow will jointly manage one of the first of these cutting-edge scanners in the UK.

“The Scotland Total-Body PET scanner will be a catalyst for innovative new research and cross-sector collaboration, ultimately benefitting patients by improving our understanding of complex diseases.”

Dr Juliana Maynard, Director of Operations and Engagement for the National PET Imaging Platform and Head of Translational Imaging at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “PET scanning is nothing short of transformational for patients who need it the most.

“Total-Body PET scanners can detect serious diseases with unprecedented speed and accuracy. NPIP will allow the kind of collaboration in imaging research the likes of which the UK has never seen before. It means that, collectively, we can power forward drug discovery with renewed confidence and drive world-leading capabilities in detection, diagnosis, and treatment.”

Craigmillar Park incident: Police urge Good Samaritan to come forward

POLICE are appealing for a man who took an injured man to hospital in Edinburgh on Saturday (19 August 2023), to contact them.

Around 6.20 pm, a 17-year-old seriously injured youth was assisted to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by the man who left before any details were taken by staff.

The man is described as white, in his 50s, had receding hair and was wearing glasses, a blue Adidas top and was carrying a rucksack.

Detective Sergeant Keith Morrison said: “At this time, we don’t know how the young man sustained his injuries, so it is imperative that we trace the man who took him to hospital so we can find out what he knows.

“From our enquiries, the injured man was at an event in Craigmillar Park the previous evening and had become separated from his friends. They were unable to get a hold of him, and it was only when he was admitted to hospital that his family were made aware of where he was.

“If you are the man described, or have any information that may assist our investigation, please call officers at Gayfield CID via 101, quoting incident number 2960 of Saturday, 19 August 2023. Alternatively, details can be given in confidence on 0800 555 111.

Specsavers fundraiser brings new equipment to Royal Infirmary to help premature and sick babies

Cutting-edge equipment for examining premature and sick babies is now in place at the Neonatal Unit in the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh thanks to a £73,000 fundraiser by Specsavers stores across Scotland.

Teams from across the business raised the money after being moved by the story of colleague Michael O’Kane whose daughter Sophie (now 9) was born at 24weeks weighing just 1lb 15oz.

They donated the funds to the Simpsons Special Care Babies (SSCB) charity to buy a piece of equipment called a PanoCam for the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Premature babies are at high risk of retinopathy which can cause blindness – they need their eyes checked regularly due to rapid changes in organ development (in what would have been the last three months of pregnancy) which can put them under a lot of stress – the PanoCam provides a much quicker and safer way to examine them.

Alongside the fundraiser, Specsavers’ Scottish stores also backed Bliss Scotland as their Charity of the Year to further support Scotland’s premature babies and their families – so the charity’s ambassador Lady Sarra Hoy (whose son Callum was born at 29wks back in 2014) came along to the Royal Infirmary to celebrate the success of the campaign.

Michael O’Kane, a Specsavers optician and store director in Morningside and Cameron Toll, says: ‘There were times when I feared Sophie wouldn’t pull through but she recovered thanks to incredible support from the Neonatal Unit, and I will forever be grateful.

“This fundraiser is testament to what can be achieved when you club together to make a difference, and myself and all my colleagues across Scotland feel immensely proud to have helped bring this equipment to the hospital.’

He joined Lady Sarra Hoy, a lawyer by profession and wife of cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, at the Neonatal Unit where they were shown the equipment by Professor Ben Stenson, Consultant Neonatologist at the Neonatal Unit, NHS Lothian and SSCB representative.

Lady Sarra Hoy says: ‘As a parent on the neonatal unit, it’s so frightening to see your baby undergo lots of invasive procedures which can be really stressful for them when they’re so tiny.

“This equipment – together with the support that Bliss are providing to families thanks to Specsavers’ incredible fundraising – will make such a difference to babies and their families.”

Staff at the unit are currently being trained in using the PanoCam which, as well as being used to examine premature babies, can also be used to detect ocular tumours in older children.

Mercedes Perez-Botella, Directory of Midwifery, NHS Lothian, says: ‘We are delighted that the PanoCam will soon be operational at the Simpson Centre.

“Retinopathy is a prevalent problem for babies who are born prematurely, and we hope that this new equipment will help our neonatal doctors to promptly identify any deterioration in the baby’s retina and act accordingly to prevent damage.

‘I am sure parents will also welcome this addition to our resources as it will provide them with extra reassurance about the high level of care their babies will get while in the Neonatal Unit.

“We would like to sincerely thank Specsavers and Simpsons Special Care Babies for fundraising for this new equipment, we know that this will make a real difference to families within the Neonatal Unit.”

The funds to purchase the equipment were raised by stores from all over the country who donated £2 from optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans (which helps to spot serious eye conditions, including glaucoma, up to four years earlier than traditional methods) and from earwax removals during a two-month period.

MED Surgical, the company which supplies the Visunex PanoCam Pro, usually charge £113,000 but generously contributed £40,000 to make Specsavers’ fundraising target of £73k more attainable.

NHS Lothian publishes research findings about the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh’s historical ties to slavery

NHS Lothian has published the findings of a research project, funded by NHS Lothian Charity, to learn about the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh’s historical ties with the enslavement of African people and people of African descent.

The main findings include:

From 1729 to 1850, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) received at least £28,080 from 43 individuals with ties to Atlantic slavery. These donors included physicians, surgeons, politicians, colonial officials, bankers, and a range of merchants, both in Britain and its colonies, who were connected to the enslavement of African people in the British West Indies and America.

From 1749 to 1892, the RIE owned and leased an estate in Jamaica called Red Hill pen, bequeathed in the will of the Scottish surgeon and enslaver Dr Archibald Kerr. Until the abolition of slavery in Britain’s colonies in 1834, the RIE owned and leased the enslaved people, drawing substantial rents from the property. After Abolition, the estate employed ‘apprentice’ Black labourers.

Between 1773 and 1801, the RIE was involved in requests for the manumission (the granting of freedom) of an enslaved Black woman (Juliet) and later her two enslaved children (John and William Moodie) on Red Hill at the request of their father, Dr John Moodie, a White man.

Through a complex series of events, the RIE eventually received approximately £832 from the British Government after the abolition of slavery (1834) as ‘compensation’ for the loss of the labour of the enslaved people at Red Hill.

NHS Lothian is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and harassment, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations between the different groups of people working for the organisation and using its services.

Throughout January, a series of public engagement events, led in partnership between the project’s independent Advisory Group and researcher, will be held in Edinburgh and online.

The purpose of these events is to start a conversation about what we have learned, the lasting impact, and the changes NHS Lothian can make today.

We are particularly interested in hearing from those groups who are most adversely affected by this history of slavery, including NHS Lothian BME staff and the wider ethnically diverse communities across Lothian. The Advisory Group will then make recommendations to the NHS Lothian Board to suggest how the organisation might correctly and appropriately learn from its past and act to tackle the modern-day racism and racial inequalities experienced by the people who work for NHS Lothian and use our services.

The full historical report and further details on the project itself can be found on NHS Lothian’s website, including how to take part in these important conversations – https://org.nhslothian.scot/AboutUs/OurHistory/Slavery/Pages/default.aspx

Two open sessions will also take place at the Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh. During these sessions, relevant eighteenth and nineteenth century records used in the historical report will be available for people to view with the guidance of staff at Lothian Health Services Archive.

Talking about the importance of this charity-funded project, NHS Lothian Chief Executive, Calum Campbell said: “It is essential that our health and care system is truly inclusive so that everyone in Lothian lives longer, healthier lives, with better outcomes from the care and treatment we provide.

“We also strive to be an inclusive employer where everyone who works with and for us has better experiences. This work to acknowledge and tackle racism and racial inequality is vital to delivering this ambition.

“This project was fully funded by NHS Lothian’s official charity, NHS Lothian Charity. An independent researcher was contracted by NHS Lothian Charity to undertake the research and will lead the subsequent public engagement work.

“We hope that the public will get involved in conversations about this important work, helping us to understand and consider different reflections and viewpoints that will inform the independent Advisory Group’s final recommendations.”

Director of NHS Lothian Charity, Jane Ferguson said: “This is an important piece of work that we are serious about working in partnership on with NHS Lothian and we are providing charitable funding to take it forward.

“Reducing health inequality is one of the Charity’s priority objectives and this research helps both us and NHS Lothian understand what more we can do to help improve the health outcomes of our ethnically diverse communities.”

A list of FAQs has been provided to help with any questions that you might have about this project.

For more information visit:

https://org.nhslothian.scot/AboutUs/OurHistory/Slavery/Pages/default.aspx

Be prepared for Road Works when travelling to RIE and New Sick Kids

If you are travelling to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or Royal Hospital of Children and Young People for an appointment, please be aware of road works which are due to commence Monday 17 October 2022, for 24 Weeks as this will affect your travel time to your appointment.

The road works will result in 2-way Temporary Lights on Old Dalkeith Road near Little France Campus. The lights will move as work progresses from the campus up towards Shawfair Park and Ride/Train station. This will take a break for 2 weeks from Friday 23 December 2022 until Friday 6 January 2023.

We have been informed that this will result in a minimum of 20 minutes delay up to 50 minutes at peak times.

It has been suggested that people travelling to these sites should instead travel via Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh which runs parallel to Dalkeith Road, to access the Campus, as this may limit time impact.

NHS Lothian: Free staff parking permit scheme re-introduced at Little France to ease congestion

NHS Lothian is to re-introduce a staff car parking permit scheme on the Little France campus as part of a plan to help ease traffic congestion.

The scheme, which was suspended during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be reinstated next year as a free permit for staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) amid safety concerns around growing levels of congestion and queueing traffic on the site.

Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, said the site was unable to sustain the sheer volume of cars that arrive each day and the problem was causing delays for patients, staff and visitors, as well as blue light services which need access at all times.

He added: “The decision to re-introduce free staff car parking permits has been carefully considered and planned over recent months and is not a decision that was taken lightly.

“We have been experiencing significant congestion across the Little France campus which cannot be sustained. It causes delays to patients, visitors and staff and for the buses which are essential to service the hospital.

“Critically, however, it also causes serious issues for our blue light services which must be able to travel through the hospital site at all times.

“We are actively looking for additional long-term solutions for staff, including the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair. In the meantime, a temporary new car park to provide more than 300 extra spaces on campus will also open in January.

“We will continue to engage with our staff throughout this process.”

The application process has been updated and staff who are interested in a permit are being asked to apply for the permit scheme, which will go live on January 17.

Forms will then be cross checked against the eligibility criteria, which is consistent across all NHS Lothian sites and includes questions about how far they have to travel, how long it takes, public transport links, the times of their journey and whether the role they perform requires them to move between sites during the course of a shift. Separate arrangements will be in place for those who have to attend in an emergency.

Staff who are already in possession of a staff parking permit will be able to use their current permit for one year, after which, it will be subject to an annual eligibility review.

Tracy Anne Miller, RIE Partnership Lead, NHS Lothian, said: “These next steps are essential. The site cannot cope with the levels of congestion we are experiencing. We will continue to engage with staff directly and help ensure they have equitable access to the scheme.”

NHS Lothian is actively investigating additional long-term solutions, and discussions are ongoing around the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair.

In the meantime, a temporary car park, which will provide an additional 250 spaces will be available in January.

Staff are also being urged to consider car-share schemes. Where possible, car-sharing will be facilitated within departments, however plans are being developed to try and help match people from different departments, if required. More details will be released in due course. All car sharing schemes will be operated in line with Scottish Government guidance.

‘Game-changing’ Stroke pilot procedure launched at RIE

A new, pilot mechanical thrombectomy service for stroke patients in the East of Scotland has been launched today.

The pilot will be based at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and will help pave the way for an eventual national service set to benefit hundreds of people who have been struck with a life-threatening stroke.

John Watson, Associate Director of the Stroke Association in Scotland said: “This service is long awaited, overdue, but very welcome indeed.

“Thrombectomy is a remarkable procedure. It involves inserting a long tube into an artery in the leg, which is then fed through the body to reach the blood clot in the brain. The blood clot is then captured in a mesh and pulled out.

“The removal of the clot allows blood flow to resume and oxygen to reach the brain, halting the damaging effects of the stroke. These are blood clots which are too big to be broken down by clot-busting drugs and are usually associated with severe strokes and the worst outcomes for patients.

“Around one in every three people who receive a thrombectomy following their stroke will be less disabled as a result. Around one in five will be able to function completely independently afterwards.

“Thrombectomy has the power to save lives and reduce disability for around one in every ten people who have a stroke.

“The Edinburgh-based pilot is an important milestone on the road to a national 24/7 thrombectomy service for Scotland. A pilot service for the North of Scotland based in Dundee, has been underway since November last year, and we look forward to a third thrombectomy centre in Glasgow coming online next year.”

In addition to improving quality of life, thrombectomy generates substantial savings for the NHS by reducing the need for other interventions or care in the future. Research indicates that, on average, every thrombectomy procedure saves the NHS £47, 000 over a 5-year period.

A stroke is a brain attack. The effects can be devastating. Stroke is a leading cause of severe adult disability. Almost two thirds of survivors leave hospital with a disability. Many have problems with speech and communication, thinking and vision. It can also affect peoples’ emotions and personality.

Alison Maclean, 72, from Dundee had her stroke just before lockdown in January 2020. It was a massive stroke that could have taken away her independence, but following a thrombectomy, she regained full function and has gone back to the life she had before her stroke, almost unchanged.

Angela said: “I am back to doing all the things I did before my stroke: seeing friends and family, reading, watching telly, going on my exercise bike and for walks.”

See foot of article for Angela’s story

John continued: “We want all eligible patients to have access to this game-changing treatment, as quickly as possible. But thrombectomy cannot deliver in isolation. It needs to be part of a new, re-shaped service covering the whole pathway from 999 call, to hospital treatment, recovery and rehabilitation.

“The Scottish Government recognises the need for stroke improvements, which is extremely encouraging. It already has a draft framework of what its own advisors, stroke clinicians and the wider stroke community including the Stroke Association want to see. This is the result of good work by all involved.

“We look forward to seeing the final report and recommendations at the end of the year. But of course, it is the delivery of change and improvement that really matters so we look forward even more, to a commitment early next year to publish a plan to deliver on it.”

Alison Maclean’s stroke story of receiving a thrombectomy

Alison Maclean, 72, from Dundee had her stroke during lockdown in January 2021. It was a massive stroke and she received a thrombectomy resulting in enormous success. The stroke could otherwise have left Alison unable to talk or walk.

I had an accidental fall on 21 Jan 2021. I rang NHS24 in complete agony. Two days later I was in hospital getting it checked out.

I had a fractured femur which was put in a plaster-cast and an operation was planned on 26th Jan 2021. On the morning of my operation, I suddenly developed left sided weakness, vision difficulties and problems speaking.

The doctor in the orthopaedic ward called for help. I don’t remember very much other than being asked to lift my arm and lift my leg and answer questions.

I thought I was ok, but the next thing I remember is the doctor telling me that he thought I might have had a stroke. I believe I was rushed in to a room to get a brain scan following which I underwent a thrombectomy. Apparently some blood had leaked from my femur bone causing a clot thereafter the stroke.

The next thing I remember was being in ICU. A nurse came up to me and told me that I’d had a stroke and had just received a procedure to remove a blood clot to help with my recovery.

I was quite relaxed about being told about the fact that I’d had a stroke, but my son called me and he was very distressed about it. I guess he had had to deal with the stress of seeing his Mum in a life-threatening situation making decisions on my behalf. I was unaware of how ill I was at the time, so there are big gaps in my recollection of what happened.

I felt fine following the procedure and apart from my hand shaking uncontrollably for the first day, everything else seemed normal. I was discharged on 2 February 2021. I feel great, just the same and I am back to doing all the things I did before my stroke: seeing friends and family, reading, watching telly, going on my exercise bike and for walks.

Lockdown has been absolutely fine. I’ve been in a bubble, so have had some company and when lockdown eased briefly last summer, I met a few friends and we’d have a cup of tea and biscuit together.

I am very positive about thrombectomy and the fact it probably saved my life. It should be available to everyone who needs it. My life is back to normal and that may never have happened if I had not received a thrombectomy.

Man pays thanks ambulance crew after horror mountain bike crash

A man has passed on his heartfelt thanks to the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) emergency responders, including who attended to him after a horror mountain bike accident which left him with five broken ribs.

David Turpin, of Gateshead, was visiting Scotland and out cycling on the Glentress Mountain Bike Trail, near Peebles, on August 13 when he came off his bike.

Immediately after the accident, the 47-year-old could not move. He ended up breaking five ribs and also punctured his lung.

He spent five days in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before returning south of the border, where he continues his recovery.

The 47-year-old wanted to thank Rhona Clement and Mary Griffin, both technicians at Penicuik Ambulance Station, alongside our Helimed ambulance.

David, who was transported to hospital via the Penicuik crew, said: “I want to pass on my heartfelt thanks to the SAS staff for rescuing me. I had come off my mountain bike, damaging my back and could not move.

“I broke five ribs, one of them in three places and displaced them. I also have a punctured lung. I spent five days in hospital in lots of pain but I am now back in Gateshead at home recovering.

“If it had not been for the Scottish Ambulance Service, and the many kind members of the public, I do not know what I would have done.

“I possibly would have tried to move and caused further damage. The service and all staff are fantastic and so reassuring. I also apologise for swearing in the ambulance!

“Thank you so much for everything. There are so many people to thank and it is difficult to know where to start.”

Police seek information following serious assault in Grassmarket

Detectives are continuing enquiries and appealing for information after a serious assault which took place in the Grassmarket area on Sunday (29 August)

Around 5.45am a 25-year-old woman was with friends near to the junction of Cowgatehead and Victoria Street when she was approached by a group of three men and a woman. An altercation took place which resulted in the woman sustaining a broken wrist.

The victim attended the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and was released after treatment.

Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe of Gayfield CID said: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and I am appealing to any witnesses to come forward.

“We believe the group involved in the assault made off along King Stables Road and I would urge anyone who may have seen a group of three men and a woman acting suspiciously to please get in touch.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident numer 1129 of Sunday, 29 August, 2021.

“Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Witness appeal following ‘deliberate’ hit and run

Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a man was struck by a car which then failed to stop. The incident happened on Restalrig Avenue near the junction with Craigentinny Avenue around 4.30pm on Friday (27 August).

A 34-year-old man was struck by a black Vauxhall Corsa car which had mounted the pavement before driving off.

The man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh later that evening for treatment to non-life threatening injuries.

Detective Inspector Jonny Wright of Gayfield CID said: “Our enquiries so far suggest the car was deliberately driven at the man and we are seeking further information in relation to the matter.

“I would urge anyone who was in the area around 4.30pm on Friday afternoon and may have witnessed the incident or hold any information in relation to the incident to contact us.

“I would also ask anyone who may have seen a black Vauxhall Corsa car with collision damage since then to get in touch.

“Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 4357 of 27 August, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”