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A Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year to all our readers
Month: December 2014
New Year waste collections
Most households in Edinburgh will have their rubbish and recycling collected as normal this week: other than New Year’s Day, collections will not change for residents across the city.
Rubbish and recycling will not be picked up on Thursday 1st January (New Year’s Day) only.
For those who would usually have a collection on Thursday, it will be rearranged from Thursday 1st January to Saturday 3 January.
Normal service will resume on 2 January.
Residents can arrange a special uplift for bulky items online or by phoning 0131 529 3030. Collection of re-usable furniture and white goods can be arranged by contacting the national re-use phone line on 0800 0665 820.
Christmas tree recycling
Those who receive a garden waste service can recycle real Christmas trees after Christmas Day by placing it at the kerbside next to their brown bin by 6am on their garden waste pick up day. Bases should be removed and trees over 6ft tall should be cut it in half.
Residents living in a communal bin area can leave their trees beside their nearest shared bin on one of the dates below. These will be picked up and turned into compost for use in parks and gardens.
City Centre and Leith – Monday 5th, 12th, 19th January
North – Tuesday 6th, 11th, 20th January
East – Wednesday 7th, 14th, 21st January
South – Thursday 8th, 15th, 22nd January
South West – Friday 9th, 16th, 23rd January
West – Saturday 10th, 17th, 24th January
Christmas trees can also be taken to any of the city’s Community Recycling Centres. These will be open every day except 1st and 2nd January.
Residents are being reminded that a range of materials can be recycled, including wrapping paper, glass bottles and food waste. Check the Council’s rubbish and recycling pages to find out what goes into which bin.
2015 calendars
There will be no changes to collections in 2015. New bin calendars will be available on the Council’s bin collection day page at the end of December. Copies can also be ordered by contacting the Council on 0131 529 3030.
Find out more about rubbish and recycling in Edinburgh on the Council’s website.
More and more centenarians get card from the Queen
More than 7500 received card from The Queen this year
The team at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that traces those about to have their 100th, 105th and each birthday afterwards forwarded details of 7,517 people on to the Palace to issue a Centenarian card this year.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates a total of 13,780 people are aged 100 or more in the UK – a rise of 70% in a decade. This compares with 8,060 centenarians in 2003.
Most recent estimates show of the 797,000 babies less than 1 year old living in the UK in 2013, 123,000 boys and 151,000 girls are expected to live until their 100th birthday in 2113.
Women reaching 100 this year will have started receiving the State Pension in 1974 – when the basic State Pension was £10 a week.
Men reaching 100 in 2014 will have hit State Pension age in 1979 – when the basic State Pension was £23.30.
The basic State Pension now stands at £113.10 and will rise to £115.95 from April 2015.
Minister for Pensions Steve Webb said: “It is a massive source of celebration that more of us are living longer fuller lives and thousands of centenarians have celebrated their 100th birthday with a very special card.
Our reforms will ensure the State Pension remains strong for future generations and I am proud we are protecting today’s pensioners with the Triple Lock meaning the basic State Pension is at the highest percentage of earnings since 1992.
Centenarian team leader Margaret Wilberforce-Eke said: “Every day we help families mark amazing celebrations. Reaching 100 might be becoming more common, but it is still very special for all those involved.
It is a privilege to be involved in just a small part of these birthdays – but we hear back that receiving a card is the perfect finishing touch for a great day.”
Throughout their lives, these centenarians born in 1914 have lived through 2 world wars, the Cold War and the rise of the information age.
They turned 21 in 1935, when:
- the board game Monopoly was released in the United States
- Porky Pig made his debut
- Stanley Baldwin became Prime Minister
They turned 40 in 1954, when:
- Hancock’s Half Hour debuted on BBC radio
- Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia
- Roger Bannister ran the first 4 minute mile
They hit 60 in 1974, when:
- Richard Nixon announced his resignation
- Ceefax started
- the Rubik’s Cube was invented
They hit 80 in 1994, when:
- Labour party leader John Smith died suddenly
- Four Weddings and a Funeral was released
- First UK National Lottery draw took place.
British citizens receive cards on their 100th, 105th and every subsequent birthday from the Queen and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Only British Nationals receive a card from the Queen, other nationalities receive a card from the Secretary of State.
Police offer safe Hogmanay advice
Police in Edinburgh are preparing for one of the busiest nights in the capital’s calendar, Hogmanay.
City police are delighted to be supporting one of Edinburgh’s showcase events and are looking forward to a safe and fun night of spectacular entertainment and celebration on Wednesday night.
Police officers and stewards will be on duty at the ticketed street party and across the city to provide assistance and reassurance.
Chief Superintendent Mark Williams and Sam Bryce from G4S met the media at a briefing in the city centre yesterday and advised revellers:
- Get there early – there is plenty of entertainment on offer
- Wrap up warm – the weather is expected to be chilly, damp and breezy
- Don’t drink too much – anyone who drinks to excess makes themselves more vulnerable
- Don’t bring glass, you won’t get into the ticketed area
- The event is not suitable for children so leave them with a babysitter
- Look after yourself and friends, stick together
- Plan your journey home – public transport will be running and if you’ve booked a taxi, make sure you’re ready to be picked up
- Enjoy yourself safely – officers and stewards are here to help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVpM0v2tH_U
Record year for early years campaign
PlayTalkRead, the Scottish Government’s early years campaign, has reached a record number of families in 2014, it was revealed today.
Visits to the website over the year were 122,965 – an increase of 50 per cent on 2013 and a 219 per cent increase on 2012. More than 43,000 people visited Benji and Bessie, the PlayTalkRead buses in 2014 – an 11 per cent increase on last year.
PlayTalkRead encourages parents and carers to play, talk and read with their young children every day to give them the essential skills, motivation and abilities that will make it easier for them to keep learning throughout their lives.
This year also saw the pilot of a sensory playbus for children with disabilities or emotional and behavioural difficulties as part of the campaign – the first of its kind in the country.
Commenting on the campaign, Acting Minister for Children Fiona McLeod said: “As a former librarian, I’m delighted to see so many families have got involved in the PlayTalkRead campaign by either visiting the buses or the website. I hope they’ve been inspired by some of the ideas.
“Playing, talking and reading are fun ways to spend time with children from the very earliest age and helps build bonds. The PlayTalkRead buses and website are a great source of ideas and inspiration on how to turn daily routines into exciting new games.
“As a government we are determined to identify what works and ensure that the best ideas are promoted and supported more widely. That’s why we are taking the principles of PlayTalkRead and Bookbug and extending them into early primary school to develop a new Read, Write, Count campaign to boost literacy and numeracy in the critical first years of school.”
More information, including bus tour dates and locations, can be found on the PlayTalkRead website: www.playtalkread.org
Ebola: it’s here
Public health risk ‘extremely low’
A health worker who was diagnosed with Ebola after returning to Scotland from Sierra Leone is now being treated an isolation unit in London’s specialist Royal Free Hospital. Her condition is described as ‘stable’.
The health worker travelled back to Glasgow via Casablanca and London Heathrow. Passengers on those flights are now being traced but public health officials say the risk to the public is ‘very low’.
When the confirmed case of Ebola was diagnosed in Glasgow last night, NHS Scotland infectious diseases procedures were put into effect – the patient was isolated and received treatment in the specialist Brownlee Unit for Infectious Diseases at Gartnavel Hospital before her transfer to London early this morning.
The patient is a health care worker who was helping to combat the disease in west Africa. She returned to Scotland from Sierra Leone late on Sunday night. She left Sierra Leone on 28 December and was a passenger on flight AT596 from Freetown to Casablanca, flight AT0800 from Casablanca to London, and transferred at Heathrow to flight BA1478 for onward travel to Glasgow.
The patient was admitted to hospital early yesterday morning after feeling unwell and was placed into isolation at 7.50am. All possible contacts with the patient are now being investigated and anyone deemed to be at risk will be contacted and closely monitored. However, having been diagnosed in the very early stages of the illness, the risk to others is considered extremely low.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Committee (SGoRR) last night to ensure all necessary steps are being taken, and also spoke to Prime Minister David Cameron – according to UK and Scottish protocol for anyone diagnosed with Ebola, the patient will be transferred to the high level isolation unit in the Royal Free hospital, London, as soon as possible. This is where the facilities, staff and systems are in place to ensure the best quality and safest care.
While public health experts have emphasised that the risks are negligible, a telephone helpline has been set up for anyone who was on the Heathrow to Glasgow flight on Sunday.
The number is: 08000 858531
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told a press conference last night: “Our first thoughts at this time must be with the patient diagnosed with Ebola and their friends and family. I wish them a speedy recovery.
“Scotland has been preparing for this possibility from the beginning of the outbreak in West Africa and I am confident that we are well prepared.
“We have the robust procedures in place to identify cases rapidly. Our health service also has the expertise and facilities to ensure that confirmed Ebola cases such as this are contained and isolated effectively minimising any potential spread of the disease.
“Scotland’s NHS has proved it is well able to cope with infectious diseases in the past, such as swine flu, and I am confident we will be able to respond effectively again.”
The risk of infection to other passengers on the flights is considered extremely low. However, as a precaution, Public Health England is arranging for all passengers and crew on the flight from Casablanca to Heathrow to be provided with health information and will be contacting and following up those passengers who were sitting near the affected passenger on these flights. Health Protection Scotland is carrying out a similar exercise for the passengers on the Heathrow to Glasgow flight.
Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with the bodily fluids, such as blood, vomit or faeces, of an infected person while they are symptomatic. Therefore, the risk of Ebola being passed from an individual before they developed symptoms is extremely low.
As before, the advice is that if anyone is worried about symptoms (such as fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat or rash) within 21 days of coming back from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, they should stay at home and immediately telephone 111 or 999 and explain they believe they have come into contact with someone with Ebola.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, England’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “Our thoughts are with this individual who, along with other NHS and public health colleagues, has been doing a fantastic job saving lives.
“The UK and Scottish governments and English and Scottish health authorities are working together to make sure that this individual receives the best possible care. UK hospitals have a proven track record of dealing with imported infectious diseases.
“It is important to be reassured that although a case has been identified, the overall the risk to the public continues to be low.
We have robust, well-developed and well-tested NHS systems for managing unusual infectious diseases when they arise, supported by a wide range of experts. The UK system was prepared, and reacted as planned, when this case of Ebola was identified.
Professor Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection and Medical Director at PHE, said: “For Ebola to be transmitted from one person to another contact with blood or other body fluids is needed. The individual involved did not experience any symptoms consistent with the transmission of Ebola, and as such, the risk that this infection will have been passed from the affected individual to others is extremely unlikely.
“However as a precaution, PHE is following up all those in the vicinity of the passenger on the flight to the UK to ensure anyone who feels unwell undergoes a medical assessment rapidly. Our colleagues at Health Protection Scotland are carrying out a similar exercise for the passengers on the Heathrow to Glasgow flight.
Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, said:
“The NHS is prepared. The Royal Free hospital has an international standard infectious diseases team with experience treating dangerous diseases including Ebola. Staff who treat these patients have volunteered in the same way as those working in West Africa – testament to their dedication and professionalism.”
Know your New Year opening times, tweets Dr Owl
Dr Owl continues his flight across Scotland as part of the Be Health-Wise This Winter encouraging people to know when their GP surgery is open over New Year.
While GP practices re-open today (Monday 29 December) after the Christmas break, the wise Dr Owl is advising people to be aware that they will follow normal opening hours until closing again on Thursday 1st January, before re-opening again on Monday 5th January.
NHS 24’s Medical Director Professor George Crooks, explained: “While NHS Scotland staff have been very busy over the Christmas period, it is important that people remember there is another period of GP practices’ closures over New Year. It’s important that people know the opening times of their local pharmacy too and make use of the next couple of days to re-stock with simple home remedies to ensure they can look after themselves and their family if needed.
“Knowing you have remedies at home to help if a winter illness does strike can make all the difference and you can use the self-help guide available at www.nhs24.com for advice on treating coughs, colds and other winter illnesses at home.”
The national Be Health-Wise this Winter campaign is supported by NHSScotland in partnership with NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and all 14 Scottish Health Boards.
Many GPs will be working hard throughout the festive period supporting local Out of Hours services and the Be Health-Wise This Winter campaign has the backing of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland.
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this winter can be found at www.nhsinform.co.uk/winter or contact NHS inform on 0800 22 44 88.
More Scots women move into work
‘a strong economy will help tackle the inequality that blights our society’ – John Swinney
Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary John Swinney has today welcomed news that 2014 has been another encouraging and buoyant year for Scotland, according to employment statistics covering the period Aug-Oct 2014.
Female participation and youth employment are seen as the key successes of 2014.
The level of youth unemployment in Scotland has fallen by over 26 per cent in the last 12 months and is now at its lowest in the last five years, alongside a fall in the overall Scottish unemployment rate.
Latest Labour Market Statistics show female employment has risen by 46,000 over the year to reach 1,288,000 – the highest female employment level on record.
The number of women claiming Jobseekers Allowance fell by 8,900 over the year. At 27,900 it is at its lowest level since February 2009.
Scotland has a higher female employment rate than the UK – with the Scottish rate 3.2 percentage points above the UK rate. Scotland also has a lower female unemployment rate and higher female participation rate than the UK.
Mr Swinney said: “2014 has seen Scotland consistently outperform the UK on employment, unemployment and inactivity rates and Scotland’s economy continues to go from strength to strength.
“A real success story over the last year is increasing female participation and the narrowing gender gap in employment rates. Over the last two years, the gap between male and female employment rates has narrowed in Scotland, unlike the UK – with the gap closing by 3.6 percentage points in Scotland.
“As the Scottish economy grows our task is to ensure that everyone is able to benefit from that economic success. It is a top priority of this government to tackle the inequalities that blight our society, and by strengthening and stabilising our economy with an active and engaged workforce we can go a long way to make that happen.
“With discussion on further powers for the Scottish Parliament now taking place it is essential that we have the full tools we need to support employment opportunities for everyone in Scotland.”
No happy new year for City Link workers
‘a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement’ – RMT
More than 2,700 staff from the collapsed UK parcel delivery service City Link will be made redundant on New Year’s Eve, the RMT union has said.
That total is likely to include staff from the Edinburgh depot based in Livingston and members plan to join a demonstration outside the company’s Motherwell depot today.
Staff learned on Christmas Day that the company had gone into administration, in a move described as “disgraceful” by the union for transport workers.
Talks between union officials and administrators Ernst & Young were held on Saturday but the administrators have confirmed that ‘substantial redundancies are expected over the coming days’.
The meeting between City Link union RMT and administrators Ernst and Young ‘has exposed a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement at the top of the company dating back to November which leaves more than two thousand staff facing redundancy on new years eve with a skeleton staff kept on for a couple of weeks to wind down the operation’, according to union leaders.
At Saturday’s meeting the union was told that:
- the company were working with insolvency advisors since November without telling the staff or their union.
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the company was technically declared insolvent on the 22nd December but deliberately withheld that information. A plot to hold the announcement to Boxing Day was only thwarted by the RMT acting on information from a whistle blower.
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more than 2000 staff will be made redundant on New Years eve. City Link and it’s financial backers will have no liability for redundancy payments and the staff will have to apply to the government scheme. The remaining staff will be retained short term to wind down the company.
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individual sub contractors, owed thousands of pounds, are unlikely to see any of their money.
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there is no one in the frame to take over the company as a going concern but there may be a limited number of jobs available at other companies.
City Link, founded in 1969, was acquired by ‘restructuring specialist’ Better Capital in April 2013.
The company called in administrators on Christmas Eve after years of ‘substantial losses’, yet a November press release issued on behalf of the company paints a different picture. Just last month the Coventry-based company heralded it’s plans to ‘deliver an even more successful peak to last year’s winning performance’.
The press release, headlined ‘City Link plans ahead to beat last year’s successful peak performance’ reads:
With Christmas lights already starting to go up in many UK towns and the countdown to the festive season soon to begin, premium express carrier City Link has already got its plans in place to deliver an even more successful peak to last year’s winning performance.
City Link is now in the final stages of putting its Peak preparation plans into action, including bringing on line additional vans, collection and delivery drivers, warehouse staff and a range of new equipment and seasonal supplies.
It hopes to surpass last year’s success. The company received widespread praise for its smooth-running Peak operation – Mothercare even said that City Link had “really stepped up to the mark and delivered a great peak performance for our customers”.
To ensure that Christmas deliveries run smoothly this year City Link is adding an extra 1168 fleet collection and delivery drivers to its workforce to handle peak collections – 433 agency drivers and 735 subcontractors along with 100 additional trunking drivers in the busiest week.
In terms of vehicles, City Link is adding another 434 fleet collection and delivery vans to handle the extra demand, along with 80 additional trailers.
An extra 469 depot warehouse staff will be recruited along with around 30 additional operations support staff. Also, City Link is using 14 more forklift trucks and 963 more hand-held scanners.
City Link’s intensive preparation for the busy Christmas and New Year period also involves making plans for potential harsh winter weather with 1051 tons of rock salt on order together with 106 snow shovels and 24 snow spreaders to ensure they are well prepared to make deliveries in the event of a cold snap this winter.
Liam Tucker, City Link’s Operations Director, is extremely optimistic about this year’s Peak deliveries.
“City Link had one of its most successful peak periods in 2013 and we are looking forward to an even busier and more successful one in 2014. We’ve been planning since January and have worked with all of our larger customers to understand demand, put in place capacity and ensure contingency arrangements are there too,” said Mr. Tucker.
Operationally City Link is ready to cope well with increased demand; with a new automated sortation system in place to help increase throughput at the national hub in Coventry by up to 50% and with a £2m investment in new handheld scanners making life easier for all their drivers, including those temporary drivers coming in to help with the Christmas rush.
Customers will also benefit from a smooth delivery experience with City Link’s new “On Our Way” service which provides those receiving parcels with an estimated two-hour delivery slot and the option of re-arranging their deliveries if they’re not going to be in to sign for them. On Our Way benefits both the business customers sending parcels and the consumers receiving them: first time delivery rates increase and consumer satisfaction with deliveries rises.
Additionally the company’s Parcel Collection Points will also be open from 10.00 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays from the 30th November through to the 21st December being the last Sunday before Christmas.”
RMT is demanding an immediate meeting with Vince Cable and his officials and a government supported rescue plan to save the company as a going concern.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said: “It is crystal clear from today’s meeting that there has been a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement at City Link and that staff and their union have been starved of basic information while a plot was hatched to publicly collapse the business on Boxing Day when in fact it was already declared insolvent.
“What a despicable and callous manipulation of thousands of workers and their livelihoods over Christmas as the venture capitalists cut and run leaving a trail of chaos and misery in their wake.
Vince Cable has said he will meet us in the New Year. Clearly that is too late and the business will have been smashed to pieces by then as the asset strippers hover like vultures over the corpse.
“RMT is demanding a meeting with Vince Cable right now, not when it’s too late. We want to put a plan together for a Government backed rescue that protects the business and the jobs it supports. If the government can nationalise the bankers then they can nationalise City Link which is clearly in the public interest. “
Holiday season is no party for emergency services
‘drink responsibly, keep safe and do not cause any unnecessary burden for our ambulance crews’ – Health Secretary Shona Robison
With Christmas now over, revellers’ attention turns to the New Year celebrations. Party season is in full swing, but too much drink means this is always a busy time of year for the emergency services.
Last year in the 20 days between 13 December – 1 January the Scottish Ambulance Service dealt with almost 32,000 emergency incidents, an increase of around 4,000 – or an extra 200 calls a day – compared to normal demand.
Ambulance cover has been increased by up to 20% at peak periods to deal with the surge in emergency calls.
As well as fuelling more emergency calls, alcohol is behind most of the assaults and abusive behaviour that ambulance teams have to endure.
The safety of ambulance staff is paramount and any assault or threatening behaviour will be reported to the police. If ambulance crews feel that their safety may be compromised, they are instructed to hold near the scene and wait for support from colleagues or the police, rather than put themselves at risk.
Health Secretary, Shona Robison, said: “Our ambulance crews work incredibly hard to provide the best patient care 365 days a year, and this work does not stop at Christmas. While others are enjoying their nights out over the festive period, the emergency services are continuing to work around the clock to respond to 999 calls through all conditions and weather.
“We all have a duty to ensure we are using our public services responsibly and keeping them free for those who really need them. So, while I hope everyone across Scotland thoroughly enjoys the Christmas and New Year festivities, I’d ask people to take on board the advice of the Scottish Ambulance Service and ensure they drink responsibly, keep safe and don’t cause any unnecessary burden for our ambulance crews.”
Pauline Howie, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, said:
“The festive period is the busiest and most challenging time of year for our staff. They deserve recognition and respect for their dedication to serving their communities and dealing with the many alcohol related cases that are a result of people over indulging at parties and in pubs across Scotland.
“As they enjoy festive parties, we would ask people to drink sensibly and wrap up well for the weather. This will help us to ensure that ambulances are dispatched to those people who are in most need of our help.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service responds to the most serious life threatening cases in an average of 6.5 minutes.