Day: April 27, 2020

Perfect plants for relieving stress

Stressed out Scots are being offered advice on the best plants to have in their home and garden. Gardening experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have put together their top plants for creating a less stressful environment.

Well known stress relievers all make the list including Lavender, Chamomile, Jasmine and Evening Primrose. Other less well known but just as effective include Peppermint, Areca Palm, and even Aloe Vera, which is more commonly used for its soothing and healing properties.

A spokesperson for GardeningExpress.co.uk said: “Life is stressful enough, so anything natural we can add to our gardens or inside our home to alleviate some of that has to be a good thing.

“Plants like Lavender and Chamomile are very easy to grow in the garden and require very little care. As well as having great stress relieving properties, they look and smell amazing too.”

Here are GardeningExpress.co.uk top ten stress relieving plants:

1. Lavender

Just the smell and sight of lavender is enough to calm some people. Lavender oil is great for treating anxiety and depression. They’re also very easy to grow in the garden and picked up for pennies.

2. Peppermint

Peppermint lowers frustration and helps boost alertness. It’s also great at relieving tired or overworked muscles.

3. Chamomile

Drink as a tea and Chamomile will help reduce inflammation. It’s also very well known for easing anxiety and aiding a good night’s sleep.

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera has many medicinal and soothing properties and it’s also one of the most powerful plant air purifiers around. The plant is great to have around if you suffer from anxiety and helps relieve worry and stress.

5. Rosemary

Often using in cooking, Rosemary improves air quality, memory function, reduces stress and alleviate anxiety.

6. Areca Palm

This air purifying palm removes any unwanted toxins and adds moisture to the air. Breathing in cleaner air helps to lower anxiety and blood pressure, with positive effects on our mental health and wellbeing.

7. Chrysanthemum

As well as adding a splash of colour to your home, Chrysanthemums are said to purify the air and lessen the symptoms of worry and stress. It also has lots of medicinal properties including the treatment of high blood pressure, colds, headaches and dizziness.

8. Jasmine

Sweet smelling Jasmine helps promote sleep, meaning you feel fresh and alert and much less anxious.

9. Evening Primrose

This yellow wildflower is said to balance hormones. When your hormones are balanced, you should experience less depression and irritability.

10. Sunflowers

The bright yellow head of a beautiful Sunflower is enough to make everyone smile. The seeds also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that produces serotonin, also known as the happy hormone, which helps improve mood.

Planning adapts to aid Edinburgh’s recovery

The city council has been establishing new ways of working and adapting the Planning Service as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

This includes making sure that citizens can still comment on planning applications and making and issuing decisions which will both help with a swift recovery and a positive future for the city.
The Development Management Sub Committee will start to meet again virtually to consider significant planning applications with the same membership and regularity, and the first Committee to convene since lockdown began, is planned for 20 May.
Work on planning applications has been continuing with all of the council’s planning team working from home and over 360 applications have been decided since lockdown began. Building Warrant applications are also being progressed and over 320 building warrants have been granted during the same period.

Cllr Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “I would like to reassure citizens and the business community that our planning and building standards service is rising to the challenges that physical distancing due to the ongoing pandemic presents.

“Since lockdown started the council has continued to progress hundreds of planning and building warrant applications. I’m also delighted that we have the green light to reconvene the Development Management Sub Committee electronically next month as elected member oversight is an important part of the planning process.

“I’m reassured that the public can still comment on applications and that we will issue decisions on applications to everyone as soon as we possibly can. It’s important that when we come out of lockdown the construction industry is not held up and can hit the ground running with the right planning and building warrant approvals in place.

“There’s also still almost a week left to comment on ‘Choices for City Plan 2030’, as the council extended the period of acceptance for comments to 30 April. The actual plan when developed will shape future development in the city and so if you haven’t already done so I would encourage you to comment on it.”

In response to the pandemic and following government guidance and legislation the council has introduced new ways for people to stay informed and comment on planning proposals despite the lockdown.

These include:

  • Starting our publication of applications that we have received since the lockdown commenced in March. Site notices will be published online, and adverts will be published in the press.
  • Issuing neighbour notification letters by post, with the planning portal open for comments to be made on applications.
  • The weekly list will publicise all applications received, decisions made, and site notices published.
  • Due to the closure of our offices we are still unable to receive any paper letters of representation or paper applications.  Online representations and applications are being accepted/validated and, where appropriate, delegated decisions are being issued.

New fund for perinatal mental health

poverty family JRF

Mums, dads and families at risk of poor mental health during pregnancy and the early years will be able to access enhanced peer support, parenting support and perinatal counselling services, with new annual funding of up to £1 million.

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health fund will provide crucial help by supporting third sector organisations to deliver key services and address gaps in provision.

Inspiring Scotland will run the fund – which will open to charities from August – and will work with the Scottish Government to achieve the goals of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board.

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey said: “The third sector provides an invaluable source of support for the mental health of women, babies and their families during pregnancy and early parenthood.

“Last year, the Scottish Government provided funding to support the work of third sector organisations in this area and I am delighted that we are able to build on this with the new Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund.

“The fund will allow one-to-one support for organisations to help provide the services that women and their families need across Scotland.”

Inspiring Scotland Chief Executive Celia Tennant said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Scottish Government with this important new third sector fund for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health charities.

“We know how vital the perinatal period is for families and how crucial the early years are for infant development. Charities across Scotland are doing essential work, and with the uncertainty caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), their work is more important now than ever.

“We look forward to continuing our support of the third sector and their support for infants and families at this crucial stage of life.”

The application process for the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund will open on 5 May 2020.

The fund will run for three years, from August 2020 – March 2023.

Third sector organisations interested in applying to this fund, should register online. 

PIP claims plummet but help is at hand

New claims for PIP have plummeted by more than half since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the work and pensions committee was told last week.

At the committee session, Justin Tomlinson, minister for disabled people, stated: “We have seen a significant drop in the number of new claimants. We’re not totally sure why.

“But in January 51,000 new claimants in the month. At the beginning of March it was around about 12,000 a week, that’s now down to 5,000 a week as of last week.

Mr Tomlinson also stated that although there were fewer staff now available to deal with disability benefits, new claims for PIP were actually going through more quickly, partly as a result of a switch away from face-to-face assessments and partly due to a drop in the number of claims.

He said the average length of time from the beginning to end of the process has actually improved.

If you are experiencing problems with a PIP claim or need benefits advice Granton Information Centre can help. Due to the Coronavirus restrictions the office is currently closed to the public, but GIC is still operating!

Please call Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 4pm on 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458 if:

•You would like to arrange a telephone appointment to discuss money, benefits, housing or debt
•You wish to discuss an existing case
•You require a foodbank referral

All messages will be returned as long as you clearly leave a telephone number for us to reach you on.

Emails will be monitored daily – our email address is info@gic.org.uk

Thousands come forward to help NHS Scotland in COVID-19 emergency

More than 22,000 students and returning health and social care workers have come forward to support the NHS in its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The figure includes nearly 7,000 students in nursing and midwifery, medicine and the allied health professions and scientific disciplines. In addition there are almost 3,000 former social care workers, professionals and experienced healthcare workers returning from career breaks and retirement and individuals joining the NHS from the independent sector.

Applicants are being held on a list, with Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) and Disclosure checks being fast-tracked to allow new recruits to take up posts as soon as possible.

Offers of employment are being made across NHS Scotland with more than 160 applicants ready to be deployed and more than 3,600 returners in the process of completing their pre-employment checks.

The Scottish Social Services Council is taking forward applications and pre-employment checks for the social care workforce, with 140 individuals now matched into roles and a further 225 ready and available for deployment.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “I thank the thousands of students and retired health and social care workers who have answered our calls for support, and put themselves forward to help the NHS response to COVID-19. 

“This has been an outstanding response and we are working with NHS Education for Scotland and our boards to ensure returners and students are deployed as quickly and effectively as possible.

“While increasing capacity in our NHS is essential we must also do it safely which is why the processes, induction and training must be carefully followed and I thank those who have registered for their patience as we urgently work through these details.

“The steps we are taking now are about targeting and prioritising our workforce where it is most needed which means adapting our staffing plans as we move through the different stages of this pandemic.

“While not all of those who have applied to help will be needed immediately, the offers are very much appreciated, and this is giving us the scope to be as flexible as we can, so we can make the best use of the different talents which our students and returning NHS and social care staff are offering.”

The NHS recruitment drive is part of the Scotland Cares campaign which is also looking at formal volunteering to support public services and other charities and groups in the local community.

Of the 22,611 who have so far come forward (as at 26 April 2020), 3028 have registered with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 1700 with NHS Lothian and 17,883 through the dedicated NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Accelerated Recruitment Portal.

Data from the 17,883* applicants processed through the NES Accelerated Recruitment Portal is broken down as follows:    

  • 3053 Nurses (17%)
  • 1512 Doctors (9%)
  • 307 Physiotherapists (2%)
  • 366 Biomedical Scientists (2%)
  • 190 Occupational Therapists (1%)
  • 221 Midwives (1%)
  • 82 Paramedics (<1%)
  • 2547 Care professionals (15%)

6904 NHSS Students (39%)

  • 5440 Nursing Students (31%)
  • 662 Medical Students (4%)**
  • 405 Midwifery Students (2%)
  • 106 AHP Student Final Year (1%)
  • 291 Other Student  (2%)

*The breakdown above does not add up to the total as while it includes a selection of identified roles, it does not include other roles such as drivers, speech and language therapists and podiatrists among others.

**Final year medical students who have graduated and received provisional registration are able to express interest in a FiY1 (foundation interim year 1) post or Healthcare Support Worker role. Medical students who are not in their final year can express interest in a Healthcare Support Worker role only.

All applications are now received via the NES Recruitment portal. People can register here.  

Boris Johnson’s back

PM Boris Johnson made a statement in Downing Street this morning:

I am sorry I have been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked 

and I want to thank everybody who has stepped up

in particular the First Secretary of State Dominic Raab

who has done a terrific job

but once again I want to thank you

the people of this country

for the sheer grit and guts

you have shown and are continuing to show

every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land

and it is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war

and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face

and yet it is also true that we are making progress

with fewer hospital admissions

fewer covid patients in ICU

and real signs now that we are passing through the peak

and thanks to your forbearance, your good sense, your altruism, your spirit of community

thanks to our collective national resolve

we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission

to prevent our national health service from being overwhelmed

in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere

and that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide

If this virus were a physical assailant

an unexpected and invisible mugger

which I can tell you from personal experience it is

then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor

and so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity

this is the moment when we can press home our advantage

it is also the moment of maximum risk

because I know that there will be many people looking now at our apparent success

and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures

and I know how hard and how stressful it has been to give up

even temporarily

those ancient and basic freedoms

not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones

working from home, managing the kids

worrying about your job and your firm

so let me say directly also to British business

to the shopkeepers, to the entrepreneurs, to the hospitality sector

to everyone on whom our economy depends

I understand your impatience

I share your anxiety

And I know that without our private sector

without the drive and commitment of the wealth creators of this country

there will be no economy to speak of

there will be no cash to pay for our public services

no way of funding our NHS

and yes I can see the long term consequences of lock down as clearly as anyone

and so yes I entirely share your urgency

it’s the government’s urgency

and yet we must also recognise the risk of a second spike

the risk of losing control of that virus

and letting the reproduction rate go back over one

because that would mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster

and we would be forced once again to slam on the brakes across the whole country

and the whole economy

and reimpose restrictions in such a way as to do more and lasting damage

and so I know it is tough

and I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can

but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people

and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS

and I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict

and in spite of all the suffering we have so nearly succeeded

we defied so many predictions

we did not run out of ventilators or ICU beds

we did not allow our NHS to collapse

and on the contrary we have so far collectively shielded our NHS so that our incredible doctors and nurses and healthcare staff have been able to shield all of us

from an outbreak that would have been far worse

and we collectively flattened the peak

and so when we are sure that this first phase is over

and that we are meeting our five tests

deaths falling

NHS protected

rate of infection down

really sorting out the challenges of testing and PPE

avoiding a second peak

then that will be the time to move on to the second phase

in which we continue to suppress the disease

and keep the reproduction rate, the r rate, down,

but begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions

and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy

and in that process difficult judgments will be made

and we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made

though clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days

and I want to serve notice now that these decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency

and I want to share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you the British people

and of course, we will be relying as ever on the science to inform us

as we have from the beginning

but we will also be reaching out to build the biggest possible consensus

across business, across industry, across all parts of our United Kingdom

across party lines

bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can

because I think that is no less than what the British people would expect

and I can tell you now that preparations are under way

and have been for weeks

to allow us to win phase two of this fight as I believe we are now on track to prevail in phase one

and so I say to you finally if you can keep going in the way that you have kept going so far

if you can help protect our NHS

to save lives

and if we as a country can show the same spirit of optimism and energy shown by Captain Tom Moore

who turns 100 this week

if we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we have all shown in the past six weeks

then I have absolutely no doubt that

we will beat it together

we will come through this all the faster

and the United Kingdom

will emerge stronger than ever before.

Heart Research UK: Healthy Heart Tips

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Physical activity for adults while staying at home

At a time when gyms are closed and the population is being asked to stay at home, finding ways to keep active can be challenging. Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health.

Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you meet the recommended amount of physical activity while staying at home.

How much physical activity is recommended?

The Government recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week.

It is also recommended that adults engage in strengthening activities on two days each week, such as lifting weights or press ups. If you are not yet in the habit of doing this amount of physical activity, you can start small and build up to the recommended amount over time.

Moderate Intensity Activities

(150 minutes weekly)

Your heart will beat faster, you will breathe harder, you will get warmer and you can probably maintain a conversation

E.g. Brisk Walking or cycling

Vigorous Intensity Activities

(75 minutes weekly)

Your heart will beat rapidly, you will breathe much harder, you will get warmer and it will be difficult to have a conversation

E.g. Running or football

Replace your daily commute with physical activity

If you are working at home, you may be saving time that would normally be spent on commuting to and from work. Why not put this time to good use by scheduling in some physical activity. For example, you could go for a brisk walk, jog or cycle outdoors or walk briskly around the house, including going up and down flights of stairs.

Find a range of exercises you can do inside your home

Find exercises that you can do in short bursts of ten minutes or more, at regular intervals throughout the day. For example, you could try some gentle weight-lifting, using cans of baked beans. The NHS provide tips for exercising without gym equipment on their Website

Don’t be a couch potato

Rather than spending your evenings sitting on the sofa without moving much, why not try a few gentle exercises, such as leg raises, while watching your favourite TV show.

Examples of some exercises you can do from your sofa can be found on the NHS website, and you can find lots more healthy tips, advice and recipes at heartresearch.org.uk.

If it was urgent before COVID-19, it is urgent now

A message from Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director for Acute and Dr Kerri Neylon, Deputy Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde:

We understand the COVID-19 pandemic may have made people anxious about accessing healthcare services in the same manner they would previously have done. 

However, we would like to reassure everybody that we have both the capacity, and the patient pathways in place to ensure anyone requiring urgent hospital care, COVID-19 or non-COVID-19, is appropriately and safely assessed.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 that are deteriorating including persistent fever, worsening cough or breathlessness then please call NHS24 on 111.  This may involve being assessed at one of our established COVID-19 Community Assessment Centres.

For all other health issues please do not delay in contacting your GP as you normally would. It is incredibly important that if you do have symptoms that are of significant concern and may reflect an underlying serious illness such as cancer, that you are assessed as quickly as is possible.

Our GPs are all open and you will initially be assessed over the phone by a clinician who you can talk to about your symptoms. If required, a follow up video consultation or face-to-face appointment will take place at your practice.

For patients suspected of having cancer, please rest assured if you are referred on to the hospital that our hospital based specialty teams will arrange assessment for you as quickly as is possible.

We have all had to make changes to the way we work due to COVID-19 and it may be that you are offered a telephone or video (attend anywhere) appointment with your consultant, rather than visiting the outpatient clinic. You may be offered a test such as a specialized scan as a first assessment, with appropriate advice, reassurance, or, a follow up appointment and plan for further investigations, if required.

Please be reassured that every precaution has been taken to shield you from COVID-19. If you do require to visit a hospital site, our staff will work with you to provide specific times to attend via safe pathways separate from other patients. If transport is required, we can provide that as well.

All our staff are trained in the correct procedures and will be wearing appropriate PPE to ensure that neither you, nor anyone else is put at risk.

Your safety and wellbeing are our utmost priorities, and the sooner you are able to be assessed, the sooner we can put you on the appropriate care pathway.

Remember, if it was urgent before COVID-19, it is urgent now

Environment Secretary’s statement on coronavirus: Sunday 26 April

UK Environment Secretary George Eustace spoke at the daily government press conference on 26 April 2020 to give the latest update on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Downing Street Press Conference. I’m pleased to be joined today by Stephen Powis, the National Medical Director of NHS England.

Before I update you on the latest developments in the food supply chain, let me first give you an update on the latest data from the COBR coronavirus data file. Through the government’s ongoing monitoring and testing programme, as of today:

  • 669,850 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 29,058 tests carried out yesterday;
  • 152,840 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 4,463 cases since yesterday;
  • 15,953 people are currently in hospital with the coronavirus in the UK, down from 16,411 on 25 April.

And sadly, of those hospitalised with the virus, 20,732 have now died. That is an increase of 413 fatalities since yesterday.

We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these victims.

At the beginning of the outbreak of this virus we saw significant problems in panic buying. That episode quickly subsided and food availability now is back to normal levels and has been for several weeks. All supermarkets have introduced social distancing measures to protect both their staff and their customers and it is essential that shoppers respect these measures.

The food supply chain has also seen a significant reduction in staff absence over recent weeks. As staff who had been self-isolating through suspected coronavirus symptoms have returned to work.

So absence levels are down from a peak of typically 20% in food businesses three weeks ago to less than 10% at the end of last week and in some cases individual companies reporting absences as low as 6%.

We have put in place measures to support the clinically vulnerable. So far 500,000 food parcels have been delivered to the shielded group, that is those who cannot leave home at all due to a clinical condition that they have.

In addition, the major supermarkets have agreed to prioritise delivery slots for those in this shielded group. So far over 300,000 such deliveries have been made, enabling people to shop normally and choose the goods that they want to buy.

We recognise that there are others who are not clinically vulnerable and therefore are not in that shielded group but who may also be in need of help.

Perhaps through having a disability or another type of medical condition, or indeed, being unable to draw on family and neighbours to help them. We have been working with local authorities to ensure that those people can be allocated a volunteer shopper to help them get their food needs. Charities such as Age UK and others can now also make also direct referrals on the Good Samaritan App to locate volunteers for those in need.

Many supermarkets have taken steps to increase the number of delivery slots that they have. At the beginning of this virus outbreak there were typically 2.1 million delivery slots in the entire supermarket chain.

That has now increased to 2.6 million, and over the next couple of weeks we anticipate that that will grow further to 2.9 million. So supermarkets have taken steps to increase their capacity but while this capacity has expanded, it will still not be enough to meet all of the demand that is out there.

Some supermarkets have already chosen to prioritise some vulnerable customers with a proportion of the delivers slots that they have and others have offered to work with us and also local authorities to help establish a referral system so that when somebody is in desperate need, a local authority is able to make a referral to make sure that they can get a priority slot.

As we look forward more generally towards the next stage in our battle against this virus, there are encouraging signs of progress, but before we consider it safe to adjust any of the current social distancing measures, we must be satisfied that we have met the five tests set out last week by the First Secretary.

Those tests mean that the NHS can continue to cope;

  • that the daily death rate falls sustainably and consistently;
  • that the rate of infection is decreasing; and operational challenges have been met;
  • and, most important of all, that there is no risk of a second peak.

For now, the most important thing we can all do to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.

I want to pay tribute to all those who are working throughout the food supply chain from farmers, manufacturers and retailers. The response of this industry to ensure that we have the food that we need has been truly phenomenal.

Thank you.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update Scotland: Sunday 26th April

Statement given by the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, on Sunday 26 April:

Good afternoon. Thanks once again to all of you for taking part in this media conference.

I want to start with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 10,324 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 273 from yesterday’s figures.

As always, let me be clear that these numbers will be an underestimate.

A total of 1,735 patients are in hospital with COVID-19 – this is a decrease of 13 from yesterday.

And a total of 133 people were last night in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. This is a decrease of seven since yesterday.

It is with sadness that I report that 18 further deaths have been registered, of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measure, to 1,249.

As I have said previously at these Sunday briefings, these figures should be treated with some caution. Although deaths can be registered at weekends, registration numbers are usually relatively low. This should be taken into account when looking at today’s figures.

And of course, the number of deaths that is reported every day is so much more than a statistic. Each death represents an individual whose loss will be a source of grief and sorrow to many, and I want to extend my deepest condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones.

As Health Secretary, I also want to thank once again those who are working in our health and care sector, for the incredible work that you are doing.

Those thanks are due to everyone – the doctors and the nurses, the paramedics, the care home staff, the porters, the cooks, the healthcare assistants, the cleaners and many, many more.

Your work is crucial to the health and wellbeing of our country. You will have the same worries and anxieties as the rest of us but you go to work each day, putting that aside to care for others. All of us are truly grateful to you for everything that you are doing

I have two issues I want to update you on today. The first is about people volunteering to join or re-join the NHS and care workforce.

It is now almost four weeks since – as part of our ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign – we established a web portal for students, and former NHS and care workers, to apply to work in the NHS or the care sector, as they respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In total, more than 22,000 people have now volunteered.

The volunteers include experienced former staff, doctors, nurses, social care professionals and nursing, medicine, midwifery, and Allied Health professional students who are either now graduated or coming towards the completion of their training.

We are working with NHS Education for Scotland, our health boards and the Scottish Social Services Council to ensure that volunteers can start work as quickly as possible – while still following the correct induction and training processes.

A number of volunteers have been placed with NHS boards, and more than 3,000 are completing their pre-employment checks – which are being fast-tracked – just prior to being deployed.

The Scottish Social Services Council has placed almost 150 people into work in the care sector, and a further 200 are ready and available for deployment.

Not everyone who has applied to help us will be needed immediately.

But please bear with us – your volunteering and your offer to bring your skills and your talents really does matter, and we will need you, as we go through this pandemic.

Having such a large number of volunteers really matters – it provides us with important flexibility, as we look at staffing needs through the different stages of this pandemic.

I am immensely grateful to everyone who has offered to support our NHS and care services in this way.

The second point I want to update you on is support for those who are shielding. That term, as you know, refers to approximately 160,000 people in Scotland, who are at the highest clinical risk from COVID-19, and who are therefore being asked to isolate themselves completely.

A text message service has been in place for almost a month now, so that people who are shielding can ask for support and receive information.

So far, more than 78,000 people have registered for the text service. I would encourage everyone who is shielding to register.

Even if you don’t need additional help at the moment, as many people don’t, registering will be useful if you ever do need that further help.

You should have received information on how to do that – letters to people who are shielding started to go out on 26th March. But I will also read out the number of our national helpline in a minute or so.

One of the services which you can request by text is free delivery of food packages. More than 80,000 food packages have been delivered so far.

In addition, six supermarkets are offering priority deliveries for people who are shielding.

Over 33,000 people have expressed an interest in these priority slots, and we have passed their information on to the participating supermarkets.

Supermarkets have also identified and contacted existing customers who are eligible for priority slots and many have already received deliveries.

And people who were not existing customers of any of the participating supermarkets, received texts last week with details of how to register.

If you don’t have a mobile phone, you can get access to these services through your local authority. Our national helpline will direct you to the local authority that applies to you.

It is a good way of finding information more generally about the support, which is available. The national helpline number is 0800 111 4000, and the line is open between 9am and 5pm every weekday.

I know for many of the people who are shielding, this is a worrying time, and also a very difficult time. Staying at home all the time is necessary for your own protection – but I know that it is even harder than the restrictions which are in place for everyone else.

We are determined to ensure that support is available for you throughout this time – so please, make use of that support if you need to.

Before I hand over to Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer, and to Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director, I want to emphasise once again the importance of sticking to our public health guidance.

Stay at home – unless it is for essential purposes such as exercising once a day, or buying food or medicine.

When you do go out, stay two metres away from other people, and don’t meet up with people in other households.

And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

These restrictions are tough – and I know they get tougher as the weeks go by, and especially when the weather stays warm. But they continue to be essential. They are the way in which all of us can slow the spread of the virus, protect our NHS, and save lives.

So thank you once again to everyone who is doing the right thing and staying at home. You are making a difference, and you are saving lives, and I thank you very much indeed.