St James Quarter adds fashion brand REISS

St James Quarter has added British fashion brand REISS to its line-up. The new 1,978 sq ft store will open on level three of the shopping district joining the likes of Kooples, Aesop, Russell & Bromley, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and H Beauty.

REISS is a modern, global fashion brand offering stylish women’s and men’s wear and will complement St James Quarter’s luxury fashion line up, bringing even more jobs to the Scottish capital. Founded in 1971 by David Reiss, the brand has 185 locations across 8 countries.

St James Quarter has gone from strength to strength since opening in June, and REISS joins the impressive and growing list of names at the retail led destination, which includes & Other Stories, Mango, Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Miele, Next, H&M, JD Sports, John Lewis and many more.

This latest letting also follows on from the recent announcement of two new lettings to international restaurants WingStop and Thai Express Kitchen at the quick service pitstop dining area, Leith Street Eats.

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “REISS has been a fixture of the British shopping scene for half a century and will be a welcome addition to St James Quarter’s growing list of luxury brands.

“At St James Quarter, there really is something for everyone and we’re continuing to grow our diverse offering by blending international retailers with household names and popular local brands.”

Spokesperson at REISS, added: “In our 50th year, we’re proud to be opening another REISS store in a great location.  St James Quarter is an exciting development with everything the modern customer is looking for.”

This latest signing at St James Quarter, which recently opened the first phase of its retail, dining, and leisure elements in June this year, underscores the Scottish capital’s global appeal and further bolsters the St James Quarter leisure offer.

A game-changing mixed-use development being delivered by Nuveen Real Estate, St James Quarter completes the distinctive offer of Edinburgh with over 80 new brands, an enticing mix of restaurants and bars, W Edinburgh, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, and an unrivalled guest experience providing customers with an enviable events programme in a range of new and attractive public spaces.

Complementing an unrivalled shopping offer, St James Quarter will be a premier food and drink destination. It will provide a truly diverse offer – from fast, fresh food, to family and restaurant dining, including Bonnie & Wild as the anchor for the development’s new concept food hall alongside Five Guys, and The Alchemist. The offer will be available over a number of locations throughout St James Quarter, each with its own unique look and feel.

Faulty tyres could land drivers £10k fine … and 12 points

October is Tyre Safety Month, the annual reminder to make sure vehicles’ wheels are roadworthy. 

Motorists using illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres can lead to serious outcomes and in 2019 contributed to 5 fatal collisions and 136 serious collisions according to figures from the Department for Transport.

Motoring charity TyreSafe, the driving force behind the initiative, highlighted the extent of the issue in 2016, commissioning research that revealed over 27% of the 340,000 tyres analysed were illegal due to inadequate tread.

Many police forces across the country support Tyre Safety Month and will be eagle-eyed when it comes to tyre inspections on routine checks.    

Car insurance comparison experts Quotezone.co.uk are warning motorists could face another issue – both large fines and hikes to their insurance premiums if they drive with defective tyres. 

Motorists can be fined up to £2,500 for each faulty tyre and receive three points on their driving licence. If the police see another tyre falling short of the law, it doubles to £5,000 and 6 points. Four faulty tyres could even see the maximum 12 points – resulting in the loss of a driving licence.

Commercial vehicle drivers, where the car or van is owned by their employer – could land firms with penalties of up to £20,000.

The legal minimum tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm. These grooves help to remove water from the contact patch between your tyres and the road surface meaning the car can brake, steer and accelerate properly.

Greg Wilson, Founder of car  insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “While the complexity of insurance premium calculations makes it impossible to put a pounds-and-pence figure on it, on average three penalty points could result in a 5% jump in a driver’s car insurance premium, while six penalty points could see the cost of their insurance rise by a painful 25%.

“Also bear in mind that most driving convictions must be declared to insurance providers for five years – even if the penalty points are removed from your licence after four, so motorists with points on their licence could be hit year after year until they’re spent.

“With many cars being parked at home over the past year due to various lockdowns and people working from home, it’s possible tyres might be in better condition than normal, with fewer miles potentially resulting in less wear and tear. However, it is still crucial that drivers do proper checks before travelling – long periods without driving can cause its own problems such as issues with the battery.”

Quotezone.co.uk has created a Winter Driving Checklist, to help motorists prepare for travelling in the darker and colder weather:

  • Check that windscreen washers are working and topped up with water – the bottle may need emptied out if the car hasn’t been used, to unclog blockages from debris
  • Check the battery by going for a short trip close to home first
  • Check tyre pressure and that each tyre has more than 1.6mm of tread i.e. can hold a 20p in place
  • Check tyres for lumps, bumps or cuts and remove any stones and debris
  • Check oil levels
  • Check you have a breakdown kit – jump leads, safety triangle, torch with extra batteries, empty fuel can
  • Check you have a winter emergency kit – blanket, bottle of water, phone charger, first aid kit, de-icer
  • Check if your car insurance policy includes breakdown assistance and home start, and consider signing up for standalone breakdown cover if it isn’t included
  • If the car is electric, make sure you have a full charge before setting off – winter roads can lead to unexpected deters and delays. Ideally, keep a portable battery booster in the boot in case you need an emergency recharge somewhere unexpected.

Quotezone.co.uk is a pioneer of comparison technology and one of the leading car insurance comparison sites in the UK, with over 110 car insurance providers to choose from, helping 3 million people find better deals on their insurance each year.

Frankie & Benny’s is offering free breakfast at Fort Kinnaird

To celebrate the launch of its brand-new breakfast menu, Frankie & Benny’s at Fort Kinnaird is offering free a breakfast to anyone who wears their pyjamas to the restaurant.

Running until midday on Sunday 17th October, customers will have the chance to try the new breakfast items including a fruity French Toast, a Beef Brisket Hash, and a Breakfast Wrap filled with cheese, sausage, bacon, potato tots and fried egg.

To enjoy a free breakfast up to the value of £10, all customers need to do is turn up in their pyjamas, snap a picture of them and their meal and share it on their socials with the hashtag #PJsAtFrankies.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “What better way for Frankie & Benny’s to launch their new breakfast menu than to get shoppers dressed in their comfiest pj’s before tucking into some tasty new dishes – all for free!

“If you’re hoping to join the pyjama party at Fort Kinnaird this week, make sure to get booked in as I’m sure it’ll prove popular with our visitors!”

Visit the Fort Kinnaird Frankie & Benny’s restaurant by booking a table online, or by calling 0131 669 3190.

Aldi to open 100 new UK stores over next two years

Aldi is looking for sites in all areas of Edinburgh

Aldi has announced it will open 100 new stores across the UK over the next two years – and it’s looking for new sites all over Edinburgh. 

The supermarket has pledged to invest £1.3 billion by 2023 in a bid to further grow its retail estate, as it continues to push ahead with plans to open an average of one new store a week. 

Aldi is looking for sites in all areas of Edinburgh.  

Aldi, which now has more than 920 stores across the UK, is searching for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for property development.  

The supermarket says it is on the lookout for sites that are big enough to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store and around 100 dedicated parking spaces, preferably on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.     

Additionally, Aldi will also be investing in the development of new and expanded distribution centres. 

Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “We’re continuing to gain even more customers – with over 60% of UK households shopping with Aldi in the last year.  

“Our focus is on expanding our store estate, making sure Aldi is accessible to as many of these new shoppers across the country as possible. Looking ahead, we are excited to provide millions of new customers with access to Aldi’s award-winning quality and unbeatable value as we create even more places and more ways to shop with us.” 

The full list of locations it is targeting in Scotland are: 

  • Edinburgh – all  
  • Glasgow – Cathcart, Bishopbriggs, Darnley, Maryhill, Port Dundas/Springburn, Tannochside/Uddingston 
  • Scottish Borders – Peebles 
  • Lanarkshire – Blantyre, Stepps/Moodieburn 
  • Aberdeen – Stonehaven 
  • Inverclyde – Gourock 
  • North Ayrshire – Largs 
  • East Renfrewshire – Clarkston 
  • West Dunbartonshire – Dumbarton 
  • Stirling – Dunblane  

Invisible Cities launches new 360 Virtual Tour of Edinburgh

Discover the Scottish capital from anywhere in the world  

Alternative tour guide company  Invisible Cities has developed a new virtual tour of Edinburgh using innovative 360° technology. 

The initiative evolved from a year of Covid-19 restrictions when the in-person city walking tours that the social enterprise specialises in were not always possible. 

Developed in partnership with 360 Virtual Studios, which provides virtual technology marketing solutions for the arts, culture and tourism industries, the tour allows viewers to discover the spectacular sights of the Scottish capital from wherever they are located around the globe. 

Available in full 3D reality for those who own goggles or through a cardboard version supplied by Invisible Cities, the new tour will be launched at a special virtual event on Zoom on November 3rd when participants will be able to ask questions and hear about Invisible Cities’ future plans. 

Tickets are priced £10 per person and those who sign up in the UK can also order a special Tour Box containing goodies such as chocolate, tea and coffee from fellow social enterprises and further information on Edinburgh and how this virtual came to life-to be delivered for them enjoy while they watch the excursion unfold. 

Zakia Moulaoui Guery, CEO of Invisible Cities says: “The pandemic has made us look for alternative ways of touring the world and launching our 360 Virtual Tour of Edinburgh is such an exciting step for us.

“We are very grateful to 360 Virtual Studios who supported us every step of the way with this. The use of virtual technology is not something we could have done on our own. It was also made possible thanks to Adapt & Thrive funding.

“We can’t wait for people to discover Edinburgh in a brand-new way and our tour box just adds a little bit more comfort to the whole experience.” 

Invisible Cities trains people who have previously experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city.  They offer a number of themed family-friendly tours across the UK in cities including Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, York and Cardiff.  

Adapt and Thrive is a Scottish Government’s funded programme which aimed to support third sector organisations financially affected by the pandemic to change, flex, innovate, or grow so they can be resilient and financially sustainable during and post COVID-19.

360 Virtual Studios’ Managing Director: Michelle Milnes says: “360 Virtual Studios are absolutely thrilled to partner with Invisible Cities in helping to open up our beautiful capital city to be viewed by a global audience, whilst generating vital funding for this wonderful social enterprise.

“As innovators of virtual technology in Scotland, we’ve already seen how virtual tours have provided a vital income stream for many organisations during lockdown. We’re excited to see how our 360 virtual video can give a boost to these sectors in a post-pandemic world.” 

For more information on Invisible Cities visit https://invisible-cities.org/    

New Centre for Cities high streets recovery data published

Centre for Cities has published the latest update to its High Streets Recovery Tracker, covering September 2021. We have data for the 63 largest cities and towns in the UK.

The tracker can be found here.

Here are some embargoed topline trends from this month’s update:

Changes in footfall in September

  • Overall footfall continued to rise in the centres of the 63 largest cities and towns in the UK in September, the average rise was 8 percentage points.
  • The biggest increases in footfall were seen in Sheffield, Nottingham and Chatham.
  • However, ten large city and town centres recorded falls in footfall. The three places recording the largest drops in footfall were seaside resorts: Blackpool, Bournemouth and Southend.
  • Overall weekday footfall – an indicator of workers back in the office – rose from 60% of pre-pandemic levels at the end of August to 67% by the end of September – a 7 percentage point increase.
Cities with the largest increase in footfall in September
RankCityChange in footfall (percentage point)Overall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1Sheffield3389
2Nottingham3288
3Chatham26101
4Huddersfield2086
5Bristol2081
Cities with the decrease in footfall in September
RankCityChange in footfall (percentage point)Overall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1Blackpool-37123
2Bournemouth-2994
3Southend-2697
4Reading-2372
5Edinburgh-1480

Footfall as of the end of September

  • Overall, footfall had returned to pre-pandemic levels in six of the 63 large cities and town centres studied by the end of September: Blackpool, Swansea, Burnley, Chatham, Sunderland and Dundee.
  • Overall footfall remains lowest in London, at 49% of pre-pandemic levels it is now the only large city or town in the country where city centre footfall is not yet at half of pre-Covid levels. It’s weekday footfall – an indicator of workers back in the office – also remains the lowest in the UK, at 44% of pre-pandemic levels.
  • On average, weekday footfall at the end of September was 67% of pre-pandemic levels, with two places – Burnley and Chatham – back to pre-pandemic weekday footfall levels.
Cities with the highest overall footfall as of the end of September
RankCityOverall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1Blackpool123
2Swansea104
3Burnley104
4Chatham101
5Sunderland100
Cities with the lowest overall footfall as of the end of September
RankCityOverall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1London49
2Milton Keynes66
3Oxford67
4Luton68
5Slough69

HMRC: Time to get ready for Self Assessment

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding Self Assessment customers to check that they have the correct information in order to complete their tax return.

The deadline for 2020/21 tax returns is 31 October 2021 for those completed on paper forms and 31 January 2022 for online returns.

While the end of January is more than three months away, HMRC has already seen thousands of people filing their returns – more than 63,500 customers filed their tax return on 6 April, the first day of the tax year. Customers can file before the January deadline but still have until 31 January to pay.

Any customer who is new to Self Assessment must register via GOV.UK to receive their Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). Self-employed individuals must also register for Class 2 National Insurance. 

HMRC is encouraging customers to register early so that they can access guidance and be aware of what they need to do. This includes record keeping, knowing when the filing and payment deadlines are, and the potential for a first tax payment to include a payment on account.

This year, customers will also have to declare if they received any grants or payments from COVID-19 support schemes up to 5 April 2021 as these are taxable, including:

  • Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)
  • Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
  • Other COVID-19 grants and support payments such as self-isolation payments, local authority grants and those for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme

HMRC recognises that some customers may be worrying about paying their tax bill. Customers can access support to help pay any tax owed, and may be able to set up their own affordable monthly payment plan online by using HMRC’s self-serve Time to Pay facility. Customers should contact HMRC for help if they have concerns about paying their bill.

HMRC’s Myrtle Lloyd, Director General for Customer Services, said: “We want to help people get their tax returns right by making sure they are prepared and have everything they need before they start their Self Assessment.

“If anyone is worried about paying their tax bill, support is available – search ‘time to pay’ on GOV.UK.”

The fastest way to complete a tax return is online via a customer’s Personal Tax Account. They will need their UTR to access their tax return, as well as details of their income or earnings and other financial records.

Detailed information on what documents are needed for Self Assessment are on GOV.UK.

HMRC urges everyone to be alert if they are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or personal information. HMRC sees high numbers of fraudsters emailing, calling or texting people claiming to be from the department.

If in doubt, HMRC advises not to reply directly to anything suspicious, but to contact them straight away and to search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.

Family Animaton & Cooking Workshop at Corstorphine CC

Last remaining Free places

Wanna work with a professional animator? And a professional chef? Get creative on all fronts!

From 4pm – 7pm on Monday 18th October at the Hub 191 St Johns Road we are cooking up a storm and creating a cracker!

Email Fiona on development@ccchub.online to grab your free space- open to family groups

Book your free space now!

Growing concern about the looming winter as Emergency Department performance sinks to new low in England

BMA lambasts UK Government’s ‘Rescue Package’

The latest Emergency Department performance figures for September 2021 published today by NHS England show the highest number of 12-hour stays on record, the highest number of four-hour stays on record, and the worst four-hour performance ever recorded.

The latest figures were published on the day the UK Government set out it’s Plan to improve access for NHS patients and support GPs.

The data show in September 2021 there were 1,392,542 attendances to Type 1 Emergency Departments in England.

Four-hour performance has deteriorated for the sixth consecutive month, once again reaching a record low. Just 64% of patients in Type 1 Emergency Departments were admitted, transferred or discharged within four-hours.

A record breaking 5,025 patients stayed in an Emergency Department for 12-hours or more from decision to admit to admission. This is an 80% increase on the previous month, August 2021, and it is the highest number of 12-hour stays since records began and is almost a third higher than the previous highest, recorded in January 2021. The number of 12-hour stays from time of arrival is not published but is likely to be significantly higher.

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “This data is bleak and is a stark warning of the crisis that we are heading towards this winter.

“Dangerous crowding has returned to Emergency Departments, exit block is preventing a flow of patients through the hospital, and there have been widespread reports of ambulances queuing outside hospitals facing long handover delays.

“For patients, this means long and potentially frustrating waiting times in the Emergency Department. For staff it is incredibly challenging, as they do all they can to continue to deliver care quickly amid rising attendances and pressures.

“At the same time the health service continues to manage covid as cases have been rising steeply, with the NHS now treating around 14 times as many patients as the same time last year.

“Trusts also continue to deliver elective care but there is a real threat that in the coming months this may once again have to be paused to manage pressures on urgent and emergency care and the rising number of covid cases.

“The winter presents a significant challenge for the health service; staff are increasingly worried about the NHS’ ability to cope. The Government need to recognise the potential crisis and support the health and care service as it tackles the challenges ahead.

“NHS England’s Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery 10 Point Action Plan is a blueprint on how to manage these pressures in the short and medium term. Trusts must do all they can to follow this guidance to mitigate pressures across the system and prevent further deterioration in performance.

“But the underlying cause of all of the problems facing the NHS is a decade of underfunding. The health service has for a long time struggled to meet the demand of the population. It is short on staff across the board; capacity has not risen in line with demand. Existing staff are exhausted, with many looking to leave after having to shoulder an ever-increasing workload.

“So far promises to increase the workforce have fallen short. The forthcoming spending review is an opportunity for the government to signal it’s intent to boost staffing with a long-term workforce plan and rescue the NHS in the long run.”

Meanwhile the NHS, working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, has today published a blueprint for improving access to GP appointments for patients alongside supporting GPs and their teams in England.

Surgeries will be provided with additional funding to boost their capacity to increase the proportion of appointments delivered face to face, as part of a major drive to support general practice and level up performance, including additional efforts to tackle abuse against staff.

The measures, including a £250 million winter access fund from NHS England, will enable GP practices to improve availability so that patients who need care can get it, often on the same day if needed. The investment will fund locums and support from other health professionals such as physiotherapists and podiatrists, with a focus on increasing capacity to boost urgent same-day care. This is in addition to £270 million invested over the previous 11 months to expand capacity and support GPs.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, said: “Improving access to high quality general practice is essential for our patients and for the rest of the NHS too.

“It is a personal priority and today NHS England is taking both urgent and longer term action to back GPs and their teams with additional investment and support.”

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said: “I am determined to ensure patients can see their GP in the way they want, no matter where they live. I also want to thank GPs and their teams for their enormous efforts in the most challenging times in living memory.

“Our new plan provides general practice teams with investment and targeted support. This will tackle underperformance, taking pressure off staff so they can spend more time with patients and increase the number of face-to-face appointments.

“Alongside this we are setting out more measures to tackle abuse and harassment so staff at GP surgeries who work so tirelessly to care for patients can do so without having to fear for their safety.”

The NHS England document makes clear that every GP practice must seek patients’ input and respect preferences for face to face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.

The extra investment will help to increase the number of appointments delivered, while local health systems will be free to determine how best to tackle particular challenges to access and provision of care in their own community, which could include putting in place additional resource for walk-in consultations.

Local plans will need to deliver these improvements in access, with practices that do not provide appropriate levels of face to face care not able to access the additional funding, and instead offered support to improve.

Under the plan, the NHS will also support upgrades to telephone systems, ensuring that more patients can quickly and easily speak to general practice staff, and help the public avoid long waits when contacting a surgery by phone.

The government will also reduce administrative burdens on GPs by reforming who can provide medical evidence and certificates such as FIT notes and DVLA checks – freeing up time for more appointments.

UKHSA will complete its review of infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance in general practice and set out practical steps on IPC measures in GP settings which could increase the number of patients that can be seen.

As part of this package, the NHS will increase its oversight of practices with the most acute issues in relation to access, and GP appointment data will be published at practice level by spring next year. This will enhance transparency and accountability, as monthly data is currently only published by clinical commissioning group.

In addition, patients will get the opportunity to rate their practice’s performance, via text message, based on their most recent experience of accessing support. This survey, which has been previously agreed with the profession, is being piloted in around 60 practices and will be rolled out next year.

Together with the government and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the NHS will also develop a zero-tolerance campaign on abuse of NHS staff, including GP teams.

General practice teams have delivered more than 300 million appointments over the last year as well as delivering the vast majority of Covid vaccinations, saving lives and protecting millions of people against the virus at speed.

Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “As a nurse on the frontline during the pandemic I know how hard GPs and their teams have worked, while recognising how badly so many people want to see their GPs in person.

“This plan will give our dedicated general practices the support needed to increase capacity, boosting the number of appointments for patients to see and speak to their GP practice.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the sector to ensure patients can get the care they need.”

Patients will also be able to see different types of clinicians in general practice, who can best meet their needs and conditions, including pharmacists, paramedics, advanced nurse practitioners and nursing associates.

NHS England will also work with the government to consider how far and fast the role of pharmacists can be increased in the supply of medication, as part of relieving workload on GPs.

Government’s ‘rescue package’ for GPs is flawed and patient care will suffer as result, warns BMA

“It’s truly frightening that we have a government so ignorant to the needs of such a core part of the NHS”

Responding to the publication by the Department of Health and NHS England and NHS Improvement today, outlining their plans to improve access for NHS patients and support for GPs, BMA GP committee chair Dr Richard Vautrey said: “After weeks of promising an ‘emergency package’ to rescue general practice, we’re hugely dismayed that whilst additional funding has been promised, the package as a whole offers very little and shows a Government completely out of touch with the scale of the crisis on the ground.

“GPs and their teams will now be facing the worst winter for decades, and as a result, patients’ care will suffer. Appointments will be harder to book, waiting times will get longer, more of the profession could leave and GPs will struggle to cope.

“It is also disappointing to see that there is no end in sight to the preoccupation with face-to-face appointments; we need a more intelligent conversation about the variety of appointments and care that are available to patients to meet their needs.

“While in-person consultations are a key feature of general practice and absolutely necessary for some patients and certain conditions, the pandemic has proven that in many other cases, phone or video appointments are entirely appropriate and appreciated by patients, and a crude focus on percentages or targets is completely unhelpful.

“Throughout our discussions with ministers and NHS England in recent weeks, the BMA has been clear that without a concerted effort to reduce bureaucracy, admin and red tape in practices, patient access and care was at risk.

“Unfortunately, today’s offer merely tinkers around the edges, and will not reduce the unnecessary burden practices carry and therefore free up any more time for doctors to see more patients. We need an end to target-driven, payment-by-results, care and allow practices to look after patients in a way that is flexible and right for the person in front of them and the Government have missed an opportunity to tackle this.

“Reducing the administrative burden on GPs by reforming who can provide medical evidence and certificates such as Fit notes and DVLA checks, won’t happen for some time and is a mere drop in the ocean as what is needed is urgent action now to free up sufficient time for more appointments.

“While the additional £250m is welcome, it must be easy for practices to access rapidly and they must not be forced to have to produce reams of plans or try to meet unattainable targets to get it  – which has often happened in the past.

“We had four simple asks – and only one appears to have been fully answered. Increased sentencing for assaulting healthcare workers is something we asked for, but meaningless if the same Government refuses to address the crisis fuelling such abuse.  The Secretary of State has started to address a second, by talking more positively about general practice but he needs to do much more to publicly support the profession when we are under such pressure and facing a torrent of abuse on a daily basis.

“These proposals will only confirm the profession’s belief that ministers and NHS England fail to understand the dire state of general practice – or that they, not hardworking GPs, are to blame.

“It’s truly frightening that we have a government so ignorant to the needs of such a core part of the NHS. GPs want to improve the care we offer to our patients, but today’s offer will not enable us to do that as we had hoped.

“GPs across England will be truly horrified that this is being presented as a lifeline to general practice, when in reality it could sink the ship all together. There can be no doubt that this lack of action at such a critical time will force many GPs to hang up their stethoscopes and leave the profession for the last time.”

Scotmid Hamilton Place reopens with significant upgrades and extended Food to Go offering

Scotmid Co-Operative’s Hamilton Place store reopened on Friday, 1st October after undergoing a major refurb to increase and enhance its customer offering.

The programme of work comprised a range of improvements designed to amplify the customer experience while shopping in store. They include a new entrance and rebrand, internal remodelling and layout to accommodate an extended range of fresh food products, wider aisles for easier navigation and state of the art refrigeration.

The most exciting change comes in the form of an even more extensive Food to Go offering, with a larger breakfast selection, freshly-made baguettes, pizza sandwiches, toasties and burritos. The store will also be the second Scotmid in Edinburgh to stock a rotating choice of delicious treats from The Kilted Donut – with flavours including Nutella Bomb and Brown Butter Biscoff.

Customers can also now enjoy selecting from Scotmid’s latest dine in ranges, including Meal for Tonight – meal kits including a hot food option and desserts and Big Night In – a beer, wine or spirits and a snack or pizza offer and Food Now – for those looking for something to eat as soon as they leave the store.

Kevin Plant, head of food retail at Scotmid, said: “Hamilton Place is a popular store with many locals and one which enjoys serving a number of regular customers on an almost daily basis.

“The refurbishment has introduced several enhancements to complement and build on the provision of our existing refill station, which has proved a hit. From the extended Food to Go range to the daily delivery of doughnuts from The Kilted Donut, we now have even more choice for customers when they shop with us.

“I want to say a huge thank you to the whole team who has worked tirelessly to get the store ready. A lot of effort has gone into refurbishing the store, so it is great to be welcoming old and new customers and to hear the positive things they have to say.”

Scotmid Hamilton Place is located on 56-60 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5AZ.