Police in Edinburgh with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership have launched a new protocol locally to help officers in searching for missing people with dementia. Continue reading Protocol to assist in search for missing people with dementia
FAREWELL SERVICE: Sunday 23rd June at 1pm
The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is moving to its new home at Little France in July. Continue reading Say goodbye to the Sick Kids at farewell service
We’re planning a fabulous programme of free music for Make Music Day 2019 in Stockbridge Library running 11am – 4.30pm on Friday 21 June.
Performers scheduled include The Professors of Logic, Aria Alba – Opera for All, #ElspethMcVeigh, #NothingAtAll – look out for updates!
Deeds and not words are required from the Scottish government to deliver an economy that helps tackle poverty, one of its key advisory groups has said. The Poverty and Inequality Commission said that Holyrood ministers must be clearer about how they plan to deliver inclusive economic growth. Continue reading Deeds, not words: action needed to address poverty
The Fischy Choirs Summer Concert took place at Royal Botanic Gardens in Inverleith on Monday.
Continue reading Feeling Good: Fischy Choirs make sweet music at The Botanics
Housing & Economy Convener Cllr Kate Campbell is encouraging residents to have their say on short term lets by taking part in the Scottish Government’s consultation on the regulation of the industry.
Latest waiting time figures highlight need for fundamental shift in focus for child mental health services 
Latest waiting time figures have reinforced the call by a coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers for increased investment in mental health services with a much greater focus on prevention and early intervention.
The call from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) (see Notes to Editors for members), which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, comes as the latest waiting time figures from the Information Services Division, part of NHS National Services Scotland, highlight that thousands of children and young people are failing to be treated within Scottish Government waiting time target.
With an increasing number of children and young people being identified with mental health problems they also highlight a postcode lottery for mental health treatment across the country.
Covering the quarter January to March 2019, the figures highlight that 4,237 children and young people started treatment at specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in this period.
The NHS in Scotland, including ten of the 14 regional health boards, failed to meet the Scottish Government 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from CAMHS. This target should be delivered for at least 90 per cent of patients.
While 73.6 per cent in the NHS in Scotland are being seen within this 18-week waiting time, still in itself far too long, more than a quarter (26.4 per cent) are failing to be seen within this period.
Individual health boards failing to meet this target are: NHS Borders (target achieved for 40.0 per cent), NHS Fife (72.8 per cent), NHS Ayrshire & Arran (81.6 per cent), NHS Grampian (43.3 per cent), NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (80.6 per cent), NHS Highland (81.4 per cent), NHS Lanarkshire (76.6 per cent), NHS Lothian (69.1 per cent) and NHS Tayside (57.9 per cent)
The figures also indicate that 118 children and young people in the quarter had been waiting for more than a year prior to being seen for treatment, an increase from 108 in the previous quarter (October to December).
It should be noted that a mere 0.53 per cent of the NHS budget is spent on specialist CAMHS, amounting to £61.074 million. In addition to this, only 6.34 per cent of the overall mental health budget is spent on CAMHS.
These very low figures are despite the fact that mental health services are creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand, as evidenced by these waiting time figures. Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom), with 50 per cent of mental health problems established by the age of 14 and 75 per cent by the age of 24.
While acknowledging the great efforts the Scottish Government is making, such as an additional £250 million of funding announced in the Programme for Government, the SCSC has called for the Scottish Government for greatly increased investment in CAMHS and for a more consistent approach to delivering these services across Scotland.
It has also called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention for those with mental health problem, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS.
This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age in order to strengthen knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental health.
Emotion and resilience classes should be provided to all students from primary one to teach students how to work through their emotions in a healthy way and there should be a whole-school approach, with training for all staff involved in education and providing counselling support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “These latest waiting time figures highlight that fact we are continuing to fail thousands of children and young people with mental health problems.
“The great efforts the Scottish Government is making, including an additional £250 million for mental health over the next five years announced in its recent Programme for Government, is to be welcomed, but more clearly needs to be done.
“These newly released figures highligh that the NHS in Scotland, including ten of our health boards, are failing to meet what is already a lengthy waiting time. Yet we know that three children in every classroom has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.
“There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14. This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age as well as providing training for all staff involved in education.
“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it. This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”
The ISD figures released yesterday show that for the latest quarter to March 31st 2019, 85 young people in NHS Lothian waited over a year to be seen out of the 118 of young people waiting over a year across all NHS health boards in Scotland.
The number of young people waiting within the 18 week target in NHS Lothian has increased to a record 540, 69.1%, which is still below the national average of 73.6% seen within the 18 week target for the last quarter.
In NHS Lothian more young people are being seen within the 18 week target, however the 85 young people waiting over a year to be seen still makes up 72% of all young people waiting over a year to be seen in Scotland for the same quarter.
The CAMHS Workforce Report states that “NHS Grampian and NHS Lothian’s child & adolescent populations are projected to increase the most by over 6.0% each” (page 8), which means that NHS Lothian CAMHS will need extra funding to meet future demand.
Scotland’s first Youth Commission on Mental Health produced a report last week that said fundamental change was needed to the way young people with mental health issues were supported. Recommendation included that mental health education be embedded within the school curriculum and for education professionals to be trained in mental health support.
The commission’s also called for waiting times to access child and adolescent mental health services to be reduced to eight weeks.
Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “This provision of mental health services for young people in Lothian is nowhere near where it needs be.
“Hundreds of young people are waiting over the 18 week target every quarter in NHS Lothian to be seen by a mental health professional.
“There has been a mental health crisis for young people in Lothian for many years now and the complacency of SNP Ministers means that young people are suffering without the access to support that they need.
“The SNP must start taking the necessary actions to improve mental health provision for young people in Lothian immediately.”
Walk the Walk is calling on kind-hearted people from across Scotland to donate a night’s sleep by volunteering at The MoonWalk this Saturday. Continue reading Donate a night’s sleep by joining The MoonWalk Circus!
Lottery Community Fund cash for local projects
Scots of all ages who may be feeling lonely, isolated or disconnected from their communities are set to benefit from a £1.5 million National Lottery cash boost announced today. Continue reading Let there be heat! Good news for Granton
Prime Minister Theresa May spoke in London at a joint press conference with President of the United States Donald Trump earlier today …
This week we commemorate the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our liberty on D-Day, 75 years ago.
As leaders prepare to gather here from across the world, it is fitting that we begin with a celebration of the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States – enduring partners who stood side by side on that historic day – and every day since.
For generations, at the heart of the transatlantic alliance has been our shared democratic values, our common interests and our commitment to justice.
It is that unity of purpose that will preserve the deep-rooted ties between our people and underpin our nations’ security and prosperity for the next 75 years and beyond.
So I am very pleased to welcome the President of the United States of America on this State Visit to the United Kingdom.
For the past two and a half years the President and I have had the duty and privilege of being the latest guardians of this precious and profound friendship between our countries.
As with our predecessors, when we have faced threats to the security of our citizens and our allies, we have stood together and acted together.
When Russia used a deadly nerve agent on the streets of our country, alongside the UK’s expulsions the President expelled 60 Russian intelligence officers – the largest contribution towards an unprecedented global response.
And, in Syria, when innocent men, women and children were victims of a barbaric chemical weapons attack, Britain and America, along with France, carried out targeted strikes against the regime.
Since we spoke about NATO during my first visit to the White House we have maintained our support for this crucial alliance.
Thanks in part to your clear message on burden-sharing, Donald, we have seen members pledge another $100 billion, increasing their contributions to our shared security. And I’m pleased to announce that NATO will soon be able to call on the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and F-35 fighter jets to help tackle threats around the world.
Today we have discussed again the new and evolving challenges to our security, our values and our way of life.
We share the same view about their origin and our objectives in meeting them.
But – like Prime Ministers and Presidents before us, and no doubt those that will come after – we can also differ sometimes on how to confront the challenges we face.
I have always talked openly with you, Donald, where we have taken a different approach – and you have done the same with me.
I have always believed that cooperation and compromise are the basis of strong alliances, and nowhere is this more true than in the special relationship.
Today we have discussed again the importance of our two nations working together to address Iran’s destabilising activity in the region and to ensure Tehran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon.
Although we differ on the means of achieving that – as I have said before, the UK continues to stand by the nuclear deal – it is clear we both want to reach the same goal.
It is important that Iran meets its obligations and we do everything to avoid escalation which is in no-one’s interest.
Recognising our nations are safer and more prosperous when we work together on the biggest challenges of our time, I also set out the UK’s approach to tackling climate change, and our continued support for the Paris Agreement.
And we also spoke about China, recognising its economic significance and that we cannot ignore action that threatens our shared interests or values.
As we have deepened our cooperation on security – including our joint military operations, and our unparalleled intelligence-sharing – so our economies too are ever more tightly bound together.
Every morning 1 million Americans get up and go to work for British companies in America. And 1 million Britons do the same for American companies here.
Our trading relationship is worth over £190 billion a year and we are the largest investors in each other’s economies – with mutual investments valued at as much as $1 trillion.
Mr President, you and I agreed the first time we met that we should aim for an ambitious free trade agreement when the UK leaves the EU.
And from our positive discussions today I know that we both remain committed to this.
I am also sure that our economic relationship will only grow broader and deeper, building on the conversations we had and the ideas we heard from UK and US businesses when we met them earlier today.
Tomorrow we will sit down in Portsmouth with our fellow leaders to reaffirm the enduring importance of the western alliance and the shared values that underpin it.
And as we look to the future – in the years and in the generations ahead – we will continue to work together to preserve the alliance that is the bedrock of our shared prosperity and security – just as it was on the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago.
