AS coronavirus restrictions tighten, charity Children 1st is making sure that parents and carers can always get the support they need through their Parentline service.
Children 1st Parentline helps families with emotional, financial and practical support, over the phone and online. Throughout the pandemic Children 1st have helped families come together, deal with stress and cope through the continued changes to everyday life.
Families can also be put in touch with Children 1st Money Advisors, who help parents and carers deal with money worries and take control of their finances.
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st said: “Parents and carers are telling us that they feel like they’re at the end of their tether. After so long living with restrictions, they’re exhausted. Many families are struggling to make ends meet and are looking for support to keep the lights on and put food on the table.
“We want families to know they don’t need to go through this alone. Children 1st Parentline is here. Our staff and volunteers give confidential, non-judgemental support over the phone or online. You can call free on 08000 28 22 33 or start a webchat at children1st.org.uk/parentline”
One parent who reached out to Parentline said: “I would have been in a totally different place if it hadn’t been for these conversations.
“No one seems to be there to support the people who are supporting the children. I was really struggling. It’s fine talking to friends and family, but they aren’t in your shoes.”
Another parent said: “It feels really good just to be heard and not feel judged.”
Children 1st Parentline is open seven days a week, from 9am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12 midday Saturday and Sunday.
If your family are struggling get in touch by calling free on 08000 28 22 33 or visit children1st.org.uk/parentline to start a webchat.
Star studded line-up includes Love Island’s Dani Dyer, presenter Nadia Sawalha and foodie blogger Katie Pix
Some of Britain’s best celebrity cooks and TV personalities are set to take part in an online festival to encourage the nation to fall in love with seafood.
Launching on 12 October, the week-long festival called the Love Seafood Social, will feature household names including Love Island’s Dani Dyer and Celebrity MasterChef winners Nadia Sawalha and John Partridge.
Hosted by Love Seafood, the new consumer brand from Seafish – the public body supporting the UK seafood industry, the festival is designed to get more people in the UK eating seafood.
Focused around a programme of cook-alongs and seafood “how to’s,” the festival aims to remove the barriers that prevent people from buying and cooking seafood at home, making it simple and accessible for everyone to enjoy.
As part of the programme, TV personality Dani Dyer, will be following the humble fish fillet from sea to plate, chatting to the passionate people working behind the scenes at Osbourne Bros in Leigh-On-Sea.
There will also be various opportunities to cook-along live with well-loved names including Celebrity MasterChef winners, Nadia Sawalha and EastEnders’ John Partridge, as well as Instagram foodie Katie Pix and food blogger At Dad’s Table .
To kick-off the Love Seafood Social, Nadia Sawalha will host the first of five cook-alongs on Monday 12 October.
Since winning Celebrity Masterchef in 2007, Nadia has become recognised for her talents in the kitchen, releasing two best-selling cookbooks. A champion for fresh fish and delicious family-friendly meals, Nadia will demonstrate one of her go-to seafood dishes for feeding her family of four.
She said: “We love Seafood in my house and I can’t wait to show you lucky lot my favourite go to recipe! My husband loves, loves, loves fish but before I met him I hardly ever ate it. Over the years I’ve grown to love fish too and now cook it at least twice a week.
“I love how versatile and quick to cook it is and I’m chuffed to bits to be part of this campaign to get more people to experience the joys of seafood in the way me and my family do!”
Rounding off the week’s activities on Friday 16 October, Dani Dyer said: “I absolutely love eating seafood but it’s hard to know where to start when there are so many different types! I can’t wait to learn more about how our delicious seafood gets to our plates and take people on that journey with me.
“Hopefully I’ll pick up some top tips along the way for cooking seafood at home. With starting my own family, it’s never been a better time for me to learn more about the food we eat.”
Eastenders’ John Partridge is also part of the star-studded line-up and will be showing off his fish pie recipe from his debut cookbook ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ on Wednesday 14 September.
John said: “I’ve always found seafood such a comforting food and nothing gives you a warm hug quite like a classic British fish pie. I’m all about enjoyable cooking and delicious food and I always find myself turning to seafood when I want to make something simple and tasty.
“My fish pie is the perfect family meal, I like to serve it straight out the oven in the middle of the table with a serving spoon and let the food speak for itself!”
Food broadcasters and experts are also taking part in the festivities, with Nigel Barden and CJ Jackson demonstrating simple, but delicious seafood recipes to feed the whole family. The Cod’s Scallops, the UK’s number one fish and chip shop, also feature, demonstrating how people can cook the nation’s favourite takeaway at home.
Greg Smith, Head of Marketing at Seafish, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have support from Dani, Nadia, John and everyone else who is taking part in the Love Seafood Social.
“As an island nation, we have a deep relationship with the sea around us, but in recent years, our eating habits have sometimes overlooked the wonderful variety of seafood available in Britain. Love Seafood aims to turn the tide on that pattern with the support of our wonderful celebrity cooks, chefs, influencers and amazing seafood businesses.”
Love Seafood will replace the popular Fish is the Dish brand but will continue to offer recipes inspiration and nutritional information.
An invitation from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to take part in a consultation on MPs’ pay:
Today IPSA is publishing a consultation on how MPs’ pay should be updated.
IPSA have a statutory duty under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 to review MPs’ pay in the first year of each parliament. We decided after consulting in 2012, 2013 and 2015 that the best way to update MPs’ pay periodically was to link it to a transparent, external benchmark, and that the most appropriate benchmark was a measure of earnings.
This consultation proposes to retain that approach, using the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Average Weekly Earnings figure reflecting changes in public sector earnings for the period ahead.
Richard Lloyd, IPSA’s Interim Chair, said: “IPSA is responsible for setting MP’s pay and pensions. We act independently of parliament and have a statutory duty to review MPs’ pay in the first year of each parliament.
“We carried out a major review of MPs’ pay with consultations in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and technical adjustments in 2018. Given the huge economic uncertainties arising from the coronavirus pandemic, we do not think it is right to depart from this approach now.”
The consultation will close on 6 November 2020 and we expect to make a decision in December 2020.
To take part in the consultation please click the links below.
– Online event hosted by Greenpeace Edinburgh Local Group –
TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER at 7pm online
Transport accounts for around one third of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the vast majority coming from road transport – cars, vans and HGVs.
For the UK to achieve its 2050 target net zero target, we need a transport revolution in the UK – replacing petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans with electric vehicles accompanied by massive investment in walking, cycling and public transport.
We are pleased to welcome David Somervell from Transition Edinburgh and Suzanne Forup (Head of Development for Cycling UK in Scotland), to talk about the current situation and the future of transport in Edinburgh. Our special guest, Ian Murray (MP for Edinburgh South) will also be in attendance and present at the event.
Coronavirus has majorly impacted on the way we get about. Some key upcoming decisions by the Government will have long-lasting effects on the future of transport in Edinburgh.
This event will be a chance to learn about current transport campaigns in Edinburgh, how this maps against the national context, and how to take action to help achieve a sustainable transport future in the UK.
Agenda:
5 mins Hello and welcome
10 mins Greenpeace Speaker presentation on the national transport context
10 mins Presentation by David Somervell from Transition Edinburgh
10 mins Presentation by Suzane Forup from Cycling UK
10 mins Presentation by Ian Murray (Labour MP for Edinburgh South)
– Number rises to 92 per cent for people aged 20-29 –
– Highest level of medication for mental health dispensed in June –
The UK’s biggest online pharmacy has revealed a 61 per cent rise in the number of NHS prescriptions it has dispensed for medication intended to treat mental health conditions since lockdown began. This number is produced when comparing repeat prescriptions dispensed from March to July 2020 with the same period last year.
The data comes as Pharmacy2U reveals the latest trends in its dispensing data, focusing on prescriptions for mental health conditions.
It also reveals that the highest level of items dispensed came three months into lockdown, with week commencing 1st June seeing over 185,000 medicines delivered to people’s homes as lockdown measures began to ease.
There was a 92 per cent increase in mental health medication dispensed to 20-29 year-olds between March – July this year compared with 2019, followed by a 70 per cent increase to those aged 70-79.
In its role as a national provider of vital NHS services, Pharmacy2U monitors trends and works with the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the interests of improving NHS provision, reducing medicines waste, and supporting the appropriate prescribing and dispensing of medications across the country.
Since the beginning of March, the South West saw the highest percentage increase (90 per cent) for items intended for mental health issues compared with last year, followed by the South East (67 per cent increase) and the East of England (59 per cent increase). Greater London saw orders up 54 per cent on the same period in 2019.
Data from Pharmacy2U revealed that it has dispensed over 4.6 million items of medication and saved over 2 Million trips outside for potentially vulnerable people since March, helping hundreds of thousands of people get vital medicines and helping to ease the strain on the NHS and frontline services.
Phil Day, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmacy2U comments: “The last few months have been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime, and it has been particularly challenging and worrying for the most vulnerable who still need access to their repeat medicines to manage ongoing conditions.
“With the prescribing of mental health medications under the microscope at a national level, our responsibility to patients and the NHS is at the heart of all we do. All medication we dispense is requested by the patient and approved by the patients’ GP, who we work with closely to identify any over or under prescribing.
“This helps our patients keep the right amount of medication for their needs, and improves their adherence to their courses of treatment, whilst also preventing over-prescribing and the associated increased costs to the NHS.
“Our state-of-the-art dispensing facility uses the latest technology and industry leading clinical accuracy measures, to help hundreds of thousands of people in need get their medicines safely and, in some part, ease the strain on our partners and friends in the NHS and frontline services.”
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has outlined details of a £40 million fund to help businesses affected by temporary restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The COVID-19 Restrictions Fund will provide one-off grants of up to £3,000, depending on rateable value, to bars, restaurants and other businesses required to close by regulations.
A hardship fund with grants of up to £1,500 will support some businesses that remain open but are directly impacted by the restrictions, including those in the direct supply chains of firms that must close from tonight.
In addition, up to £9 million of funding will help with the costs of re-furloughing staff by supporting the 20% salary contribution required by the UK Government.
A discretionary fund of up to £11 million will help businesses that need support but don’t fall into the above categories. This will, for example, support soft play centres that have been unable to re-open this month.
The plan has been developed following discussions with business groups, trades unions and local authorities.
Ms Hyslop said: “The temporary restrictions announced by the First Minister are absolutely essential if we are to prevent a return to the dangerous level of infections that we experienced earlier this year.
“It is a difficult balance and we do not underestimate the challenge that these new measures present for businesses – particularly those in the hospitality sector.
“We have developed a funding plan which will help to protect jobs over the coming fortnight and I encourage business owners to apply for support.
“We are also committed to helping businesses meet their contribution to furlough costs, where staff have to be re-furloughed. We have increased the size of the grant available and are urgently identifying a mechanism to deliver additional support on top of that.
“While I welcome the UK Government’s plans to adapt the job retention scheme and the associated consequential funding, we still require clarity on what the Chancellor’s announcement will mean for Scotland.
“This situation further underlines the need for us to have the financial flexibility which would help us to rebuild our economy.”
Grants will be distributed by local authorities. Up to £2,000 will be payable to businesses with a rateable value of up to £51,000 that are required to close by law, for those with a rateable value of £51,001 or above the grant will be £3,000.
Ms Hislop’s announcement followed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement:
Job Support Scheme expanded to firms required to close due to Covid Restrictions
The UK government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions, the Chancellor announced today (Friday 9 October).
Job Support Scheme will be expanded to support businesses across the UK required to close their premises due to coronavirus restrictions
government will pay two thirds of employees’ salaries to protect jobs over the coming months
cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month
Under the expansion, firms whose premises are legally required to shut for some period over winter as part of local or national restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work – protecting jobs and enabling businesses to reopen quickly once restrictions are lifted.
The government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “Throughout the crisis the driving force of our economic policy has not changed.
“I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.
“The expansion of the Job Support Scheme will provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time.”
Under the scheme, employers will not be required to contribute towards wages and only asked to cover NICS and pension contributions, a very small proportion of overall employment costs. It is estimated that around half of potential claims are likely not to incur employer NICs or auto-enrolment pension contributions and so face no employer contribution.
Businesses will only be eligible to claim the grant while they are subject to restrictions and employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days.
The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January. In line with the rest of the JSS, payments to businesses will be made in arrears, via a HMRC claims service that will be available from early December. Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the CJRS.
The scheme is UK wide and the UK Government will work with the devolved administrations to ensure the scheme operates effectively across all four nations.
This comes alongside intensive engagement with local leaders today on potential measures are coming in their areas.
In addition to expansion of the JSS, the government is increasing the cash grants to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to support with fixed costs. These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks, compared to the up to £1,500 every three weeks which was available previously. This could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more.
The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from a £1.3 billion increase to their guaranteed funding for 2020-21 – allowing them to continue their response to Covid-19 including through similar measures if they wish.
These measures will sit alongside the original JSS – which is designed to support businesses that are facing low demand over the winter months – and the £1,000 Job Retention Bonus (JRB) which encourages employers to keep staff on payroll.
They build on the UK government’s wider package of unprecedented measures to help protect, create and support jobs through the pandemic, to ensure that nobody is left without hope or opportunity.
Welcoming the move, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The extension of the Chancellor’s Job Support Scheme is welcome news for businesses across Scotland, providing a vital safety net for companies which are asked to close temporarily.
“From the very start of the pandemic, the UK Government has focussed on stopping the spread of coronavirus and keeping people safe, while also doing everything we can to protect the economy.
“The unprecedented package of measures we have put in place to support all parts of the country shows the clear benefits for Scotland being part of a strong United Kingdom.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 8 October):
Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual report on the daily COVID statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,246.
That is 16.2% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 37,033.
440 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 in Lanarkshire, and 192 in Lothian.
The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.
I can also confirm that 397 people are currently in hospital – that is an increase of 20 since yesterday.
33 people are now in intensive care, that is 2 more than yesterday.
And I regret to say that 6 additional deaths have been registered of people who first tested positive during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths, under the measure used in these daily figures, is therefore now 2,544.
Today’s total – and indeed all of the deaths that have been recorded in recent days – reminds us, and should remind us, again that Covid is a virus that is deadly for some people, as well as being really dangerous for others.
This is not a virus that we can be complacent about or just allow to spread unchecked, however much we might wish it was and I think that is an important point in the context of everything else I will say today. But let me at this stage pass on my condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one to this illness.
Now, I have a couple of points I want to update on today. First of all, let me report that two more walk-in testing centres have opened this week.
A new centre opened in Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire yesterday, and a centre is opening for bookings in Stirling shortly.
We are continuing to work with the UK Government to increase the number of walk-in sites across the country, and several more – including centres in Dundee and Inverness – are due to open later this month.
These add to the five walk-in centres that are already in operation – two in Glasgow and one each in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews. These five centres, that are already operational, are within walking distance of student campuses, and therefore will be especially useful for students. But I want to stress that all walk-in centres are open to all members of the public. You can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website.
As always, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.
If you do not have a car – and can’t walk, or cycle to a testing centre – please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.
And remember, because this is an absolutely crucial point for all of us to understand, that you must start to self-isolate from the time you start to experience symptoms of Covid – you must not wait until you get a test result before you start self-isolating.
That is a really important point to make sure that we are doing everything we can to break the chains of transmission.
My second theme today, as you would expect, relates to the new regulations which come into force later today and tomorrow.
The regulations applying to hospitality will take effect at 6pm this evening – those relating to other premises like snooker and bingo halls take effect tomorrow. They will all be in force until Sunday 25th October – in other words, across two weeks and three weekends.
First – and with the exception of five central belt health board areas that I will come onto shortly where tighter restrictions will apply – pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be able to operate indoors on a very restricted basis.
They can only open indoors from 6 am to 6 pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks.
They can however continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10 pm.
In addition, hotel restaurants will be able to serve residents indoors beyond 6 pm, but will not be able to serve alcohol.
In all cafes, restaurants and bars that will remain open, the existing rules on meetings will continue to apply – so that means no more than 6 people can meet, and they should come from no more than 2 households.
However there is an exemption to these rules – and this exemption applies in all parts of Scotland – for weddings that have already been booked and of course for funerals. The current rules for these will continue to apply.
As I indicated earlier this week, we are introducing stricter restrictions in five health board regions: Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.
I think you probably only need to look at today’s figures to get a sense of why we have taken that difficult decision. I mentioned that there are 440 new cases in Glasgow today, 306 in Lanarkshire, 192 in Lothian.
Numbers in Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran are lower – at 53 new cases in Forth Valley and 84 in Ayrshire and Arran – but they are still very high for the population of those areas.
And given that people live and work across all five areas, there can be a ripple effect between them, which is a further reason that tighter restrictions apply to all five of these health boards.
So in these areas, all licensed bars and restaurants will be required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm this evening, though takeaways will be permitted. There is again an exception for hotels serving food and non-alcoholic drinks to residents.
Now I want to address a frustration about what I understand some see as a lack of clarity over the exemption for cafes – which are being allowed to stay open even in the central belt during the day as long as they don’t serve alcohol.
The reason for this café exemption is quite simple, it is to give people – particularly those who might be living alone and also working from home – somewhere they can still meet a friend for a coffee and a chat. And we judge that as important to help reduce the loneliness and isolation that comes with some of these restrictions that are in place right now.
But, and this is the other side of this balance, we are deliberately trying to reduce the volume of places that people come together so that we can stop the virus spreading, so we’ve got to draw any exemption really tightly.
That’s why we are not allowing premises like restaurants to decide to just stop serving alcohol, become cafes and therefore stay open – that would undermine the purpose of these restrictions.
But we did realise there was a potential anomaly for existing cafes that have an alcohol licence even though serving alcohol is very incidental to their business. What I announced the other day would have forced these cafes to close. In some areas – particularly rural areas – they might be the only cafe in a village.
So we decided to try to resolve this in a very targeted way. And in the 24 hours that we have been doing so, I readily accept that that has resulted in a lack of clarity.
But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay right now for trying to be as flexible as possible. It would have been easier and would have given much greater clarity just to stick to the position yesterday that cafes with a licence had to close.
But we decided to try to strike a different balance.
I can confirm that the Regulations being published today, I think they have just been published before the briefing started, have a definition of cafe which applies regardless of whether or not they have a licence. And that definition is –
“An establishment whose primary business activity, in the ordinary course of its business, is the sale of non alcoholic drinks, snacks or light meals.”
Now that is a definition based on what a cafe already does. It doesn’t allow a restaurant to now turn itself into a cafe.
I think business owners will know whether their establishment fits that definition or not. But any doubts or questions that any have should be discussed with local environmental health authorities.
I know how tough this is and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to be standing here in a position where we are requiring some businesses to close again. I am desperately sorry for that, and I know how desperately difficult this is for people trying to make a living, keep businesses they have worked to build up going and of course take care of their staff.
But government – all governments – are trying to strike right now almost impossible balances between lives and jobs.
And speaking for the Scottish Government, we are trying to do that as best we can. As I’ve said all along we will not always get it perfectly right but we are trying our best to get through this as well as we can.
Let me turn now to the other central belt restrictions that will be in place for the next two weeks.
Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close in those areas for two weeks, from tomorrow.
Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will also be suspended – with an exception for professional sports.
Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed, although the current rules will remain in place for under-18s, and gyms and pools can remain open for individual exercise.
And outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five areas for the next two weeks.
And in general, we are advising people who live in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley not to travel outside the health board area that they live in, if they do not need to. Similarly, people in other parts of Scotland should not travel to those areas if they do not need to.
That said, we are not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage. And we are not asking people to cancel any half-term breaks that they might have. But we are asking people, if you don’t need to travel – don’t do it at this stage.
Finally, if you live in these five health board areas please limit public transport to essential purposes only, for example, going to school or to work, if you are not able to work from home.
Now, I know that businesses who are affected by these temporary restrictions rightly want to know details of the compensation package that we are developing to support them for the next two week period.
We intended to publish details on the allocation of our £40 million support fund this morning. But we are now expecting an announcement from the Chancellor later today on furlough which might have an impact on our proposals, I hope they will have a positive impact on our proposals – so we will publish details after we have clarity on that. I would call on the UK government to ensure that whatever it announces today on furlough applies in Scotland from tonight.
However, I do now want to outline the three strands of the additional Scottish Government package:
Support for employment – this was intended to top up the existing furlough scheme. However, it is this aspect that might be impacted – we hope positively – by the Chancellor’s announcement later today.
We will give a cash grant over and above any employment support for each business that is being required to close or reduce their operations. This is likely to be at the same level as the support provided in Aberdeen when we had the local lockdown there – and that was, depending on rateable value, grants of £1000 or £1500.
We will make available a discretionary fund for local authorities to distribute to businesses that are in need of support but might not fall into the categories that I have already covered.
As I say, we will publish details of that once we have clarity of the first strand which we hope to get from the Chancellor later on. The restrictions which are coming into force today are significant, there is no way in which I can suggest otherwise. But the case numbers we have seen in recent weeks – including, increasingly, the figures now for people being hospitalised – show why these restrictions are necessary.
We have to stop the virus from spreading further. And having already restricted meetings between households in each other’s homes, the most important additional step we can take is to restrict people meeting up in places like bars and restaurants.
These measures still allow for some social contact in cafes as I have already outlined. And they do not prevent people from taking the half term holidays that they had already booked, or from going ahead with weddings which have already been planned. We have tried to minimize the impact on your lives as much as possible while still doing as much as we need to do to get this virus under control.
But for a period, and this is why for a period of just over two weeks, we will remove some of the major opportunities the virus has to spread. And we do believe this can have and will have a significant impact on transmission.
And so I know these steps are unwelcome – and believe me when I say they have been imposed with the greatest reluctance – I would urge all of you to stick with them. The only alternative to restrictions like this right now is a continuing surge in COVID, which would take more lives and probably in turn require even tighter restrictions in the weeks and months to come.
Now in addition to the temporary restrictions which come into place this weekend, and this is the point I will end on – I would urge everyone to continue to stick with the existing rules and guidance.
None of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment – except for specific purposes like childcare. That is a really tough restriction but it is perhaps the most important way we have of stopping this virus jumping from household to household.
When we do meet – outdoors, or in cafes – the maximum group size is 6, from a maximum of two households.
In addition, only car-share if it is essential.
Work from home if you can.
Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already done so.
And finally, please remember FACTS – FACTS comprises the basic rules that if we all follow take away the opportunities for the virus to spread. So:
Face coverings
Avoid crowded places.
Clean hands and hard surfaces
Two metres distance from people in other households.
and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.
I know this is tough, I really do know this is tough and none of what the government is doing right now is being done lightly. I do not want to be standing here imposing restrictions that limit the freedoms we all love and take for granted but this is, as it was at the very start of this pandemic, about saving lives and keeping each other as safe and as well as we possibly can.
We will get through this, it will pass, that much I do know, but I know it will pass easier and possibly more quickly if we pull together, stick together and look out for each other by doing all of these really important things. So my deep gratitude to all of you for that. Jason is now going to say a word of two before he and I turn to questions as usual.
World Mental Health Day, a programme of the World Federation for Mental Health, was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992.
The world is experiencing the unprecedented impact of the current global health emergency due to COVID-19 that has also impacted on the mental health of millions of people. We know that the levels of anxiety, fear, isolation, social distancing and restrictions, uncertainty and emotional distress experienced have become widespread as the world struggles to bring the virus under control and to find solutions.
The current worldwide pandemic arose against an already dire mental health landscape that saw mental health conditions on the rise across the globe. About 450 million people live with mental disorders that are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide (WHO’s World Health Report, 2001).
One person in every four will be affected by a mental disorder at some stage of their lives while mental, neurological and substance use disorders exact a high toll on health outcomes, accounting for 13% of the total global burden of disease (WHO, 2012).
The World Health Organization (2018) states that every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide. Annually, this represents over 800 000 people that die by suicide, which is more than people dying by war and homicide put together.
For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide every year. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to
29-year-olds while 79% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting and devastating effects on the people left behind.
This bleak picture necessitates that we ensure that mental health is prioritised now more than ever before.
The World Economic Forum (2018) noted that mental health disorders are on the rise in every country in the world and could cost the global economy up to $16 trillion between 2010 and 2030 if a collective failure to respond is not addressed.
We are faced with an international mental health crisis and have been forewarned over the past two decades of this imminent catastrophe. This has been compounded by the need for psychosocial support and mental health interventions during this time.
Thus, the drive for universal health coverage (UHC), articulated as a key target in the sustainable development goal for good health and wellbeing, is motivated by the desire for health equity across the globe (United Nations. Sustainable development goals: 17 goals to transform our world. New York: United Nations; 2015).
Universal health coverage means that all people have access to the quality mental health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.
We believe this is possible and it starts with strong primary health care that adopts a whole-of-society approach to health and wellbeing that is centred on the needs and preferences of individuals, families and communities. To make health for all a reality, governments need to invest in mental health.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization stated: “The world is accepting the concept of universal health coverage. Mental health must be an integral part of UHC. Nobody should be denied access to mental health care because she or he is poor or lives in a remote place.”
This statement necessitates that under the current global health emergency no-one should be denied mental health care. Psychosocial support and mental health national plans need to address the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on citizens.
It is therefore of great significance and importance that the theme for World Mental Health Day 2020 will be:
Mental Health for All Greater Investment – Greater Access
Mental health is a human right – it’s time that mental health is available for all. Quality, accessible primary health care is the foundation for universal health coverage and is urgently required as the world grapples with the current health emergency.
We therefore need to make mental health a reality for all – for everyone, everywhere.
I believe this call to action will be strengthened through our alliances, collaborations and partnerships to ensure that investment in mental health is prioritised, particularly during this time within the content of COVID-19.
It is also a time in which we can capitalise on the resilience displayed by individuals and communities who relaunched, regenerated and rediscovered themselves and their communities to be responsive during a time of crisis, as well as a time of great reflection and finding creative solutions and interventions to facilitate a mental health response in an emergency context despite social distancing or “lockdown”.
We invite you to join our call to action in highlighting the need for greater investment in mental health particularly during this global health emergency and thereafter. World Mental Health Day isn’t simply a one-day event.
We need to start now and continue our call to ensure that no-one is left behind. A great opportunity is provided to focus on the call for greater investment in mental health for all as we lead up to 10 October.
Together we are stronger and together we can make a big difference all over the world.
World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness in the global community about the critical mental health agendas – with a unifying voice through collaboration with various partners – to take action and to create lasting change through the messages we promote.
We are all in this together and together we can bring about mental health for all.
Police Scotland is urging people not to gather for a planned demonstration against the ongoing coronavirus restrictions at the Holyrood Parliament building today.
Superintendent David Robertson, of Edinburgh Division, said: “We are aware of a proposed demonstration in Edinburgh in relation to the ongoing restrictions in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and save lives.
“Anyone thinking of taking part is strongly urged to find alternative ways to protest rather than attending mass gatherings, for example through digital means.
“Police Scotland will have a proportionate and appropriate response should this event go ahead and will act decisively to enforce the law if required.
“We are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.”
A number of people – understood to be fewer than five – have died in the Western General Hospital following an outbreak of Covid-19 on a cancer ward.Six other patients have also been confirmed with the virus.
NHS Lothian is investigating the outbreak and the oncology ward has been closed to new admissions and discharges to allow tests to be carried out.
Patients and staff are being screened for the virus as part of the health board’s response.
Public health expert Prof Linda Bauld told BC Reporting Scotland: “Infections do happen, not just for Covid, but the cause is always that someone has brought in the infection normally from outside, then it does spread.
“I know that the NHS has been working incredibly hard to develop Covid-secure areas, including priority testing for cancer patients. Obviously we just need to get to the bottom of why this happened.”
An incident management team (IMT) has been set up and strict infection control measures have been put in place on the ward.
All patients have been informed of the outbreak and contact tracing is being carried out.
Patients who would normally return home for the weekend have been asked to remain in the hospital to reduce the risk of further transmission.
Dr Donald Inverarity, consultant microbiologist and chair of the Incident Management Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased and I would like to express our sincere condolences.
“The situation will continue to be reviewed and monitored very closely.
“Patient safety is our main priority and while we understand that the request not to go home for the weekend may be upsetting, it is necessary.
“It will help reduce the risk of onwards transmission and protect their families and the wider community. I would like to thank patients and their families for their co-operation and understanding.”
