Day: February 6, 2020

Busiest year ever for NHS Lothian

The year 2019 was the busiest on record for NHS Lothian’s hospitals and community health centres, according to new figures published.

NHS Lothian provided care and treatment to more patients in 2019 than ever before, an increase of nearly three per cent (2.7%) on the previous year.

Local figures show a total of 1,693,614 attendances, admissions and appointments throughout acute and community services. In addition, general practices carried out around 5,000,000 urgent and routine appointments across Lothian.

Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian said: “The beginning of the year is a good time for us to reflect on what we have achieved in 2019 and look ahead to how we can improve and evolve in 2020.

“Every number represents a patient who required safe, effective, patient-centred care. These statistics show just how hard our staff work all year round to provide the highest quality care for our patients.

“I would like to thank them for all of their hard work as we look forward to a new decade of care.”

The number of adults and children requiring urgent care in Emergency Departments (ED) and Minor Injuries Units (MIU) across NHS Lothian rose by five per cent, compared with last year. On average, around 800 patients attended each day, with 288,663 people treated overall.

A total of 218,706 people were admitted into hospitals across NHS Lothian in 2019, a five per cent increase on the numbers for 2018.

Throughout the year, 1,046,277 outpatients were seen in clinics across community and hospital sites in NHS Lothian.

Meanwhile a total of 139,968 patients received unscheduled GP care including doctor’s advice, primary care emergency centre consultations, home visits and district nurse care. An increase of 1.49% increase from 2018.

Tim Davison, NHS Lothian Chief Executive said: “These figures underline just how important it is that the provision of healthcare services continues to evolve to meet rising demand and the changing needs of our population.

“This is not without considerable challenge, but NHS Lothian is committed to working with our Health and Social Care partners to redesign services across Lothian to meet that need.”

One more challenge NHS Lothian faces this year is the recruitment of two senior executives. Board Chairman Brian Houston resigned last week, and Chief Executive Tim Davidson, who announced his intention to retire last month, leaves in August …

Metro Rod recruiting 80 apprentices nationwide

Following a successful year since the initial launch of its apprenticeship in Drainage Maintenance, Inspection and Repair, Metro Rod is now aiming to recruit up to 80 new apprentices in 2020.

The nationwide commercial drainage expert makes the announcement as apprentices are being put in the spotlight around the country for the 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week, which is taking place from 3rd to 9th February.

Metro Rod’s apprenticeship scheme is an industry first. Nearly a year on since launch, Metro Rod remains the only company to offer a bespoke apprenticeship. This apprenticeship is accredited by the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning.

During the apprenticeship, participants will join specialist drainage teams in Metro Rod franchises around the country, where they will become highly skilled members of the industry while simultaneously earning a living.

The bespoke ‘earn while you learn’ training programme will include 37 practical internal courses and 12 external courses, covering every aspect of the industry that drainage specialists need to know. As all teaching is provided in-house and adopts a practical hands-on approach.

Apprentices will cover all elements of a career in drainage; from the traditional services to modern, innovative technologies. With training taking place on-the-job, apprentices not only learn from expert mentors with years of industry experience but are also provided with invaluable opportunities to experience real-life situations.

The structured learning pathway is split into three phases, starting with a three-month foundation then progressing to 18 months of skills development and ending with a final three months for consolidation and assessment. In this way, apprentices are given the opportunity to progress down a pathway that enables them to create a career that suits them.

Peter Molloy, managing director at Metro Rod, said: “Nearly 12-months after the launch of our apprenticeship scheme, there are now multiple apprentices working out of our depots across the UK. We can confidently say that each of our new employees are benefitting from this way of training whilst our customers are gaining from their fresh knowledge and new skills on-site.

“Every person who takes part in our new apprenticeship scheme is supported each step of the way. Whether they want to be an engineer or specalise in a particular discipline, this is a great way for apprentices to discover the best route for them.

“At Metro Rod, we’re committed to making sure the next generation of drainage and plumbing specialists have the skills, enthusiasm and knowledge to move the industry forward and truly believe that the Metro Rod apprenticeship ensures this.

“Our ethos when it comes to apprenticeships is to provide the right people with the right skills to build their own careers, grow our business and better the drainage industry. These beliefs perfectly tie in with this year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme of ‘Look Beyond’, as our scheme gives apprentices the tools to look beyond the end of their training to a career they can continue to grow throughout their adult lives.”

To find out more about the apprenticeship scheme, contact Metro Rod on apprentices@metrorod.co.uk.

Port chaplains offer welfare to thousands of seafarers

Two port chaplains from international maritime charity Sailors’ Society reached out to more than 6,000 seafarers in Leith and Greenock ports last year. 

Pauline Robertson and Becky Haldane provide practical and emotional support to the men and women who dock at the ports.

Pauline said: “Seafarers are away from loved ones for up to a year at a time, so can often feel quite lonely. We provide them with a friendly face, news from home and welfare support.”

The support offered includes everything from providing free Wi-Fi and lifts to local amenities, to offering counselling in times of crisis.

Pauline recently supported the crew of the stranded ship MV Alexander Tvardovskiy during its month-long detention in Leith port. Pauline visited the nine men and one woman regularly, providing them with company, food, Wi-Fi access and phone cards.

Pauline added: “This situation is not uncommon sadly. We work all over the world supporting seafarers and their families with everything from abandonment to education.

“The issues seafarers can face have not changed that much in the 200 years that Sailors’ Society has been around. We have been a listening ear all that time and will continue to care for this invisible workforce that we all depend on for almost everything we use every day.”

Pauline, Becky (above) and their fellow Sailors’ Society chaplains reach out to 1,000 seafarers plus their families in more than 90 ports around the world each day.

Committee rejects Period Products Bill

A Bill which would have placed a duty on the Scottish Government to ensure free period products are available on a universal basis has failed to win the support of a Scottish Parliament Committee.

The Local Government and Communities Committee said that while they are unanimous in their support of the intentions underpinning the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, more clarity on both costs and what such a scheme would look like is required before legislation should be contemplated.

The majority of the Committee raised concerns over the financing of the scheme, highlighting the large disparity between the costs to implement a universal scheme presented in the Bill’s Financial Memorandum and the Scottish Government’s own estimates.

The Committee took evidence on targeted measures already put in place by the Scottish Government which provide free period products in schools, universities and some local authority buildings.

The Committee commended the work of MSP Monica Lennon in bringing forward the Bill – but, in scrutinising the proposed legislation, learned that evaluation of those measures is ongoing.

The majority of the Committee agreed that there was a lack of clarity on whether a universal scheme was needed, what the total cost might be and how much it may grow. They were also concerned about the significant work which would be required by Ministers to devise and develop a universal scheme.

Local Government and Communities Committee Convener, James Dornan MSP, said: “A difficulty in affording and accessing period products affects people across Scotland every day, and the Committee is aware of the need to reduce stigma around menstruation.

“We applaud Monica Lennon for all her efforts in bringing this Bill before the Scottish Parliament and helping to raise awareness of these issues.

“The Committee also commends the work undertaken by local authorities, the third sector, and grassroots groups to promote and deliver existing schemes and welcomes the positive response to the Government’s targeted provision of free products.

“However, the Committee has concerns about the Bill as drafted, including a lack of clarity over how much a universal scheme would cost, what a scheme would look like and the work required by Ministers to implement it.

“This is clearly a serious and important issue and the Scottish Government should ensure that current schemes are accessible to everyone who needs them. But for the majority of the Committee it is clear that the legislation before us is not the answer.

“Andy Wightman MSP and Sarah Boyack MSP did support the General Principles of the Bill and dissented from a number of the Report’s conclusions. Details can be found in the Committee’s report.”

Agencies combine to bring human traffickers to court

Four people have been charged as part of a joint operation to tackle human trafficking across the East and West of Scotland.

Led by detectives from Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit, Operation Risbalit saw enforcement activity take place at six premises in Alloa, Inverkeithing, Cowdenbeath and Glasgow.

As a result, three men aged 41, 24 and 23 were arrested and charged along with a 25-year-old woman. All were scheduled to appear at Falkirk and Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court yesterday in connection with human trafficking offences.

Staff from a range of agencies worked together to bring the case to court. Police Scotland’s East Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit and Financial Investigation Unit, as well as key partners from Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI); Edinburgh Social Work; National Human Trafficking Unit; National Crime Agency; BTP; Scotrail; Network Rail and COPFS played vital roles in evidence gathering and resourcing the enforcement process.

In addition to the targeted arrests, visits were carried out at businesses in Bathgate, Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh and Stirling. These were led by Immigration Enforcement and supported by officers from Police Scotland.

Detective Inspector Keith Fairbairn from Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit said: “Extensive inquiries were undertaken by Police Scotland and supported by a number of other agencies and this culminated in the arrest of four people, who have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the officers and partners involved in this operation for their support and dedication throughout.

“Identifying human trafficking and supporting victims of such offences is a top priority for Police Scotland. Operation Risbalit is an Edinburgh-led inquiry, but our officers will continue to liaise with key counterparts both nationally within Scotland and the UK.

“I want the public to be assured that any report of human trafficking will be treated with the utmost seriousness and investigated thoroughly to bring perpetrators to justice.

“If you have any concerns that someone in your community may have been trafficked, or if you are a victim of this crime and wish to report it to police, please contact us via 101 or make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Police issue doorstep crime warning

Most people who call at your door will be genuine, but sometimes someone may turn up unannounced with the intention of tricking their way into your home. If someone calls:

LOCK – Keep your front, back, & side doors locked, even when you are home.

STOP – Before you answer, stop & think if you are expecting anyone. Check that you have locked the back door & taken the key out. Look through a spy hole to see who it is.

CHAIN – If you decide to open the door, put the door chain or door bar on first if you have one. Keep this on while you are talking to the person on the doorstep.

CHECK – Even if they have a pre-arranged appointment, check identity cards carefully. Close the door while you do this. If you are still unsure, look up a phone number in the phone book or online & ring the organisation to verify their identity. Do not use a phone number on the identity card as this may be fake.

Bogus callers may be smartly dressed & claim to be from the council, police, or utility company. They can also turn up as builders, gardeners, or other trades & try to trick you into paying for unnecessary work.

You should never agree to have work done by someone who is just ‘cold calling’.

If you think work needs done get at least three quotes from trusted companies.

Use The Edinburgh Trusted Trader Scheme to find tradespeople who have been checked & vetted by both Police & Trading Standards officers. Information on this Scheme can be found here- http://ow.ly/nPfT50ybKfx or by phoning 0131 513 9921.

If you think a bogus caller or doorstep criminal has called on you, or been in your street, report this to the police immediately on ‘101’ non-emergency or ‘999’ in an emergency. If you would rather remain anonymous, you can report incidents to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For further crime prevention advice- https://www.scotland.police.uk/…/home-and-personal-property/ or contact your local Crime Prevention Officer by contacting ‘101’.

Community Health Matters

New course at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Community Health Matters: a new course starting at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Thursday 27 February.

Free Creche available – please book in advance.

For more info, call us on 0131 551 1671, or email:

lynn.mccabe@ea.edin.sch.uk
seanfitzharris2807@gmail.com

The Seven Kingdoms of Wester Hailes!

A TEAM of community researchers will join forces with academics to help improve their neighbourhood.

UK Research and Innovation yesterday announced its backing for the Seven Kingdoms of Wester Hailes, one of 53 new UK-wide projects worth £1.4million which will enable members of the public to actively contribute to research and innovation projects that affect their lives.

Part of the agency’s Enhancing place-based partnerships in public engagement programme, the project involves community partners working with Edinburgh Napier University to contribute to the local place plan being developed with support from the Scottish Government’s Chief Architect.

Wester Hailes is made up of seven distinct neighbourhoods: Calders, Clovenstone, Dumbryden, Hailesland, Harvester, Murrayburn, and Westburn.

Local residents there will get the opportunity to become community researchers, and get involved in a variety of placed-based activities with support from researchers from across the university. The work, backed by cutting-edge technology, will include virtual reality, oral and art-based storytelling projects and the creation of a book.

Previous research carried out by the university has shown that the seven neighbourhoods in Wester Hailes have a distinct identity, and the project will help local residents and organisations to better understand the challenges this presents and how creating a local place plan may help.

The collaborative approach in Seven Kingdoms of Wester Hailes – one of 25 place-based partnership projects to share a £500,000 funding pot – will bring new skills to the community and bolster its relationship with the university.

Project lead Dr Louise Todd, from the university’s Business School, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be leading on this fantastic public engagement and research initiative.

“This is an exciting interdisciplinary project that will involve researchers from across the whole university and at every stage in their academic career.

“Working with our network of community partners in Wester Hailes to co-create and co-design place-making activities, the project will be of tangible benefit to both the local community and to the university’s public engagement and research communities.” 

Dawn Smith, Edinburgh Napier’s Public Engagement Officer, said: “UKRI funding provides the opportunity to work collaboratively to support the community in developing its Place Plan, creating a legacy and a stronger relationship between local residents and the university.”

Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent the public spaces as the heart of every community, strengthening the connection between people and the places they share.

Tom Saunders, Head of Public Engagement with UK Research and Innovation, said: “This is one of 53 pilot projects that we have funded, all using exciting ways that researchers and innovators can involve the public in their work.

“In 2020 and beyond, we will build on the lessons we can learn through funding these pilot projects to help us achieve our ambition of making research and innovation responsive to the knowledge, priorities and values of society and open to participation by people from all backgrounds.”

The projects announced yesterday actively encourage people who would not usually get involved in research to take part in ground-breaking discovery and innovation.  They cover a diverse range of topics from plastic pollution to period poverty, and net zero carbon emissions to air quality.

Another project will see farmers working with researchers in Devon to make informed decisions on future land management to deliver carbon emission targets.

And homeless people in the north west of England will help the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Liverpool to explore women’s experiences and perspectives of managing menstruation while living in deprivation.

Democracy Isn’t Working

A report by the Centre for the Future of Democracy, a new research unit at the University of Cambridge, showed that 60.3 per cent of people in Britain said they were dissatisfied with the way democracy was working.

The report suggested that Britain’s outdated First Past the Post voting system and majoritarian style of democracy was responsible for increasing polarisation forcing citizens into opposing tribes and making voters less likely to accept the mandate of rival political parties.

The research comes following a General Election that saw the Conservatives gain a majority of seats with a minority of the vote and saw the views of 14.5 million voters (45%) go unrepresented according to ERS analysis.

The Society also called for the Government’s proposed Democracy Commission to be citizen-led and to ‘genuinely get to grips with Britain’s democratic crisis’.

Willie Sullivan, Senior Director (Campaigns), Electoral Reform Society said: “This report showing falling support for democracy is truly worrying, yet it should come as no surprise. For too long politicians of all parties have been ignoring the cracks in our political system and failing to take the actions needed to shore up the crumbling foundations of our democratic structures.

“From continuing to pack the Lords with party cronies and ex-MPs to failing to take action to address our outdated campaign rules for too long politicians have failed to step up and begin to repair the damage done to our broken politics.

“Only serious structural reform can begin to repair this lack of faith in our democracy, a proportional voting system for the Commons and a fairly elected second chamber representing all nations and regions of the UK will give people a voice.  But we also need to do more and build into the system space for ordinary citizens to take part. The Citizens Assembly of Scotland and the similar process that took place in Ireland recently can show us how.

“Citizens are right, our institutions are broken. Now it’s up to those in power to take the urgent action needed to fix them.”

DemocracyReport2020