Day: November 2, 2021

NHS Dentistry: Scottish Government plans set to spark exodus from service

The British Dental Association has warned the Scottish Government plans to revert to pre-COVID models of care risks sparking a flight of dentists from the NHS, with potentially devastating consequences for patient access across Scotland. 

In October Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf wrote to all NHS dental teams that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022. Since the first lockdown NHS practices have operated under a COVID support package, reflecting pandemic pressures and tight infection control restrictions that continue to limit capacity across the service. 

According to a new survey of dentists in Scotland [1]:

  • 80% of dentists estimate their practices will reduce their NHS commitment should the Scottish Government withdraw emergency support and return to pre-COVID models of care. Over a third (38%) of dentists indicate they are now likely to change career or seek early retirement in the next 12 months should the policy be taken forward. 15%  say they are likely to practice dentistry outside of Scotland, and 1 in 10 estimate their practice is likely to cease operations. 
     
  • Half of dentists report that they are operating at less than 50% of pre-COVID capacity. While the Scottish Government has offered a support package to boost capacity, many practices are unwilling to commit to a broken NHS model. Over 30% say they have not applied, andamong those half (50%) say they are now unable to commit to the NHS long-term. Support for ventilation costs requires a minimum 3 year commitment to the NHS.
     
  • 9 in 10 of dentists (89%) estimate the removal of emergency funding will have a high impact on the short-medium term sustainability of their practices.

BDA Scotland have warned from the outset that a return to a ‘business as usual model’ – low margin and high volume – will put practices under unsustainable financial pressure and will likely lead to closures or movement to the private sector. Practices are facing an unprecedented backlog, with recent data from Public Health Scotland indicating that the number of treatments delivered in the year to March 2021 was less than 25% of those delivered in the previous 12-month period, corresponding to over 3.5 million appointments lost as a result of the pandemic.

NHS dental care free at the point of use remains a centrepiece SNP policy. BDA Scotland has said the Scottish Government must change course to achieve that goal, develop an interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable model for delivering care.  

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Free NHS dentistry for all is a worthy ambition. Rather than exploring ways to actually achieve that goal the Scottish Government has blindly headed down a road that could destroy this service.

“COVID has slashed our capacity, yet emergency support will end. Yes, Ministers have offered some support, but with small print many practices simply could not sign up to in good conscience.

“Dentists are unwilling to be shackled to a corpse. When aid hinges on committing to an NHS model that is now frankly unsustainable it is unsurprising take up appears so modest.

“We doubt Humza Yousaf wants to be remembered as the man who killed NHS dentistry in Scotland. Without a willingness to reflect on choices made in recent weeks that risks being his legacy.”

Scottish winners of Good News competition announced

A Fife church that provided school children with tablets to help with online learning has received £1,500 prize money in a national competition.

The Good News church competition was launched by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical to shine a light on churches’ bright ideas and success stories, community heroes and ingenuity in the face of adversity.

St Luke the Evangelist Church in Auchmuty, Glenrothes was chosen as the regional winner for Scotland – earning themselves £1,500 to support the church’s work in the community.

The church, led by former teacher Father Gerry Dillon, provided computers and tablets to local pupils to take part in online learning during the UK-wide lockdown.

Father Gerry Dillon, Priest of St Luke the Evangelist, Glenrothes and St Finnian’s, Lochgelly, said: “We are delighted to win and very grateful to Ecclesiastical for the award which we’ll be putting towards our AV equipment.

“The AV system will widen access to our community space(s), and to the community groups and services working with people and within our community. It will also make it possible for us to partner with global projects and initiatives who can broaden individual and community horizons.

“This scheme not only helped us partner with the local school to support the learning of children through digital devices, but also to develop parents’ literacy, numeracy and digital skills – which has been an unexpected benefit of this initiative.

“Going forward St Luke’s will continue to be an additional space in the community that will be of use for the ongoing well-being of the whole community, as well as developing nurturing opportunities, especially with local schools and youth groups.”

St Luke’s will now join four other churches in the national final where they can win a further £6,000 as overall winner – bringing the total winnings to £7,500.

Helen Richards, church director at Ecclesiastical, said: “Congratulations to St Luke the Evangelist Church, our regional winner for Scotland. Their efforts to support local pupils who were without access to computers or devices needed for online learning during the pandemic really impressed our judging panel.

“Despite the challenges that the pandemic has brought with it, churches have remained a beacon of hope to the communities they are based in.

“That’s why this year’s theme for our church competition is ‘Good News’! We wanted to help shine a light on those unsung heroes in our communities and the new initiatives that churches have come up with to help those most in need – spreading the ‘Good News’ far and wide.”

Members of the public will be able to vote for their favourite shortlisted church to help decide the overall national winner, who will receive a further £6,000.

Voting will open on Wednesday 3 January and closes on Tuesday 22 February and can be made at www.ecclesiastical.com/churchcomp.

Heart of Newhaven update

Welcome to your November Newsletter

For those of you expecting to hear more about the Friendship Benches project, and perhaps even see some of the finished benches, prepare to be disappointed. Bad weather on the chosen weekend meant the decorating work could not go ahead outside as planned and has had to be postponed.

We’ll keep you updated on a revised timetable and let you know when the results can be seen.

Talking of delays, yet more problems with getting the new Victoria Primary School building ready for pupils, has meant that the earliest the Heart can expect to be in possession of the keys to the old site is now January 2022. We will of course update you when we have a more concrete timeline to share.

In the meantime however, time does not stand still.  There is always work going on behind the scenes with the Trustees and volunteers, and new Working Groups are being formed to help make the transition from community vision to community reality.

These groups will be dealing with practical working arrangements for the site, community projects, and communications and marketing. If you would like to help out in any way, please use the Volunteering page on the website to get in touch.

Projects of course are always underway, despite Covid, especially as we ease out of full lockdown.

We recently collaborated with an exhibition entitled Forth Reflections, which was held in Ocean Terminal. Collaborators were Edinburgh Wellbeing PACT and the Forth/Edinburgh Shoreline Project.

This was an exhibition of crafted calico squares made by local residents, who used the squares to highlight a particular stretch of the Forth coast that meant something special to them.

They were used creatively to highlight concerns about pollution but also to illustrate the importance of living near water and how it helps individual well-being. On hand to talk to visitors were some of the Heart’s Trustees and collaborators, who discussed what well-being, one of the Heart’s main community objectives, means and how it can be improved.

Here’s what some of the visitors said:

“Living near the sea, walking, wandering with that Scottish sea breeze, gives me life and energy and reminds me to breathe.”

“I love to look at the ocean because you can lose yourself there.”

“Such pleasure taken in lockdown walking by the sparkling sea, such sadness at the pollution.”

There was more support also, for the Heart of Newhaven Community project as a whole:

“I think the Heart of Newhaven is a very good idea for people to have somewhere to go after we have all been in isolation for so long and it will be very positive to move on.”

“There is a great need of places to go that are suitable for people with disabilities. During lockdown there was nowhere to go and it’s taking time for people to feel comfortable about going out again.”

“The Newhaven area needs a community centre – there is nothing like that here.”

It is exciting to be able to report that the Heart is one of six designated community hubs along the banks of the Forth chosen to host exhibitions and activities associated with the wider Restoration Forth programme.

Restoration Forth has obtained a substantial grant for the many facets it involves, including the restoration of seagrass beds which provide the right habitat for, among other things, the oysters that used to be so plentiful in the Firth.

You can read more about the project and the new funding here:

Seagrass meadows and oysters being restored in major Firth of Forth marine restoration project

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-herald-1130/20211027/281797107205661

Heart of Newhaven Community is happy to be actively collaborating with such exciting initiatives and even more will be taking place once we’re in our new home.

Remember as ever, to check the Heart of Newhaven Community website and social media for any updates or news.

Go to a public firework display if possible, say RoSPA

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is advising that the safest place to enjoy fireworks is at a professionally-organised public display as fewer people are injured here than at private gatherings.

Ashley Martin, RoSPA’s public health adviser, said: “We see hundreds of firework-related injuries every year, and they literally change lives, with people receiving scarring that requires lifelong treatment.”

 “If there are organised displays available in your area we’d encourage members of the public to attend, as these will be put on by those trained in the use of fireworks, and will ensure that you and your family are safer.

However, as we head towards Bonfire Night and Diwali, we face the possibility that many public firework displays may not go ahead, whether it’s down to COVID-19, reduced stocks, or a change in safety labelling.

Ashley continued “If you are attending a private event, or putting on your own display, we’d urge you to adhere to the Firework Code, and make sure you are buying any fireworks only from reputable retailers. Please be aware that rules around the use of fireworks can vary depending on which part of the UK you live in.

“Check that the firework box carries a CE or UKCA mark, make sure you’re only buying category 2 and category 3 fireworks, and before using please check the distance requirements on the instructions.”

Thinking of holding a fireworks party?

Follow the Firework Code:

  • Plan your firework display to make it safe and enjoyable, and check the time that you can legally set off fireworks
  • Only buy fireworks which carry the CE or UKCA mark, keep them in a closed box and use them one at a time
  • Read and follow the instructions on each firework, using a torch if necessary
  • Light the firework at arm’s length with a taper and stand well back
  • Keep naked flames, including cigarettes, away from fireworks
  • Never return to a firework once it has been lit
  • Don’t put fireworks in pockets and never throw them
  • Direct any rocket fireworks well away from spectators
  • Never use paraffin or petrol on a bonfire
  • Make sure that the fire is out and surroundings are made safe before leaving.

For more information head here:  www.rospa.com/fireworks

Communities urged to join Scotland’s Climate Festival

Seed funding made available to help communities combat climate change

To achieve the ambitious changes needed to tackle climate change, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is urging communities across the nation to come forward and register events as part of Scotland’s Climate Festival.

The exciting new initiative aims to kick start climate conversations and inspire community led climate action.  Whatever the outcome of discussions by world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, it will augment the scale and increase the impact of empowered local voices across Scotland.

Community climate action is already widespread across Scotland and, building on that, we are calling for communities already hosting events, big and small, physical and online, to sign up to be part of Scotland’s Climate Festival – amplifying the call for greater action and raising awareness of the changes we all need to make if Scotland is to become a Net Zero Nation by 2045.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “COP26 coming to Scotland is a unique opportunity to advance the society-wide transformation demanded by the climate crisis. That’s why we are determined to make sure the event reaches out far beyond the negotiations in Glasgow, into every community in the country.

“Scotland has made great progress in delivering its world-leading climate targets and is already over half-way to net zero. To end our contribution to climate change within a generation, we will all need to play role. Our communities and young people will be at the heart of that action.

“This programme will help empower everyone to take action to tackle climate change – especially those that might have not previously engaged.”

All climate event organisers will have access to expert advice and resources to help promote local events in their community.  They will also be offered the opportunity to work with national agencies, such as Sustrans, Zero Waste Scotland and Community Energy Scotland, to create and support events. 

Climate events will be added to an online festival map and events calendar further promoting action and engaging wider audiences.

And, to help voices of people everywhere to be included, a Seed Fund has been opened to support organisers set up community climate festivals and events across Scotland. 

Funds of up to £500 are available and will support groups that are interested in starting a new climate event in their local community, or in getting their fledging event to the next stage.

Catherine Gee, Deputy CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “The hosting of COP26 in Scotland must be a catalyst to broaden and intensify climate action so that everyone, from all areas of life, can play their part combatting the climate emergency.

“Scotland’s Climate Festival will bring the issues discussed before, during and after COP26 right to the heart of our communities, providing much needed energy and mobilisation to support local action whatever the global agreement is.

“Building on our track record of supporting communities and young people we aim to further unlock opportunities for those currently not engaged in climate change action by providing resources, links to national agency supporters, webinars, branded communications kits and seed funding.”

Scotland’s Climate Festival is supported by the Scottish Government. 

Further information can be found at:

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/climatefestivalscot

Letters: The Air We Breathe

Dear Editor

Financial organisations are operating heavily in ore mining, oil extraction, shale drilling, coal mining and – worst of all – they are active in the destruction of the world’s forests.

The rapid destruction has now reached 70% of our forests. Behind these ghastly figures stand the faceless multinational financial organisations.

The felling of the world’s trees reduces the ability of the forests to produce the oxygen that we humans need to breathe. The rate of oxygen decrease is destructive to humans, animals and sea stocks.

We have the knowledge of this terrible destruction being carried out by these exploiters. The oxygen cannot be replaced because the forest has been chopped down – it has gone!

We know who is doing this and they know who they are – causing catastrophe!

Our government – all governments – must immediately stop this destruction of the rain forests, the soil erosion and the terrifying population dispalcement.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

NOTE: Tony may be heartened by announcements expected from the COP26 conference later today – ED.

Edinburgh College opens new digital care hub for students

Edinburgh College has launched a new digital care hub, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, designed to provide greater skills and opportunities to health and social care students in the Lothians.  

The Edinburgh College Digital Care Hub, located at the College’s Sighthill Campus, will equip students with the transferrable skills required to fulfil a successful career in areas including Health and Social Care, Dental and Pharmacy with a particular emphasis on technology enabled care.  

The hub will focus on building students’ digital and practical skills through its state-of-the-art equipment, supporting experiential learning in a purpose-built setting. 

It contains a replica medical ward with patient room, toilet and wet room facilities; an infection control and decontamination area; a reflection room; a care at home room; as well as a virtual reality room designed to give students an immersive experience which demonstrates how a patient with dementia experiences day-to-day life.  

Within the care hub students have access to realistic patient simulators with true-to-life responsiveness, in a variety of care settings, enabling them to develop patient testing and care skills. 

Also key to the role of the digital care hub is embedding the principles of professionalism amongst students and fostering the meta skills required to work in a care environment including communication, nurture, resilience, initiative and leadership. 

The new facility hosts the Edinburgh College and University of Edinburgh Social Care Academy which provides an agile pathway to a career in health and social care specifically for school pupils.

As part of the programme, pupils study units in digital skills for health and social care, mental health, the human body, infection prevention and control and safe beginners for health and social care.

After successfully completing the programme, pupils are able to progress on to further studies with the College or university or advance into employment.  

The digital care hub was launched during an event attended by representatives from key institutions connected to the College and the new hub, and brought together those with a collective interest in supporting the future of the health and care sector.  

Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal and CEO, said: “We are delighted to be launching our Digital Care Hub in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.

“The facility will provide practical learning experiences for pupils and students as well as exposing them to many sector specialisms which they ordinarily might miss out on without having access to specialist equipment in a health and care setting.  

“The COVID pandemic has highlighted the importance of our health and care workers across the country and through addressing the national skills gaps in digital enabled care, the Digital Care Hub, through partnership working with industry, is ready to provide a pipeline of future workers equipped with the skills and knowledge required to meet the demands of the sector and population.”

Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to work with Edinburgh College on the Digital Care Hub, which will be an excellent resource for those considering a career within health and social care.

“Harnessing technology to support learning in this way and simulate real-life scenarios in the workplace will enable students to make informed choices about their future, built on their own ambitions and potential.” 

Scottish Government steps up vaccination programme

Military to support national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme

More than 100 members of the Armed Forces will this week join the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme.

Some 100 vaccinators and 15 nurses will work across all 11 territorial health boards on the mainland to support the rollout of flu vaccines and coronavirus (COVID-19) injections and boosters.

Vaccinations are being offered to as many people as possible as winter approaches.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved in the COVID -19 vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 8 million first and second doses have been delivered.

“We are now in the midst of an extremely busy period for the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme with flu and COVID-19 booster injections being  offered to the most vulnerable groups, alongside first COVID-19 jabs to 12-15 year olds.

“With increasing levels of social mixing and close social contact in the colder months, it is expected that COVID-19 will add to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS. That is why we have again requested military support to complement our existing resources and to ensure we can get even more vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.

“It remains clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective step that anyone can take to protect themselves from the most severe disease caused by COVID-19. Anyone who has not yet received their first or second COVID-19 vaccination can check their nearest open access centre on NHS Inform or phone the national vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013.”

NHS Inform – Information on open access centres 

Further £10 million winter funding for NHS

An additional £10 million is going to health boards across Scotland to bring in a range of measures to get A&E patients to the right care as quickly as possible.

This includes deploying physiotherapists and occupational therapists at A&E units to help triage and treat patients who would otherwise wait to see nursing staff. This will prevent people being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.

The new funding will provide more specialists such as social care workers and Allied Health Professionals on hospital rotas, and extended opening hours for pharmacy and diagnostic services such as scanning and ultrasound to speed up referrals. It will also support extra staff for peak public holidays.

This is on top of the £300 million package of funding announced as part of the Winter Plan to support the NHS.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As part of the NHS Recovery Plan we have invested £27 million towards the Redesign of Urgent Care to ensure people receive the right care, at the right place. This will add to that work so our hospitals and A&E departments are not overstretched, if some patients can be safely and effectively treated elsewhere.

“Alongside the additional £10 million investment recently announced to prevent delayed discharge and avoid hospital stays, this extra winter funding aims to ease pressures in A&E departments and minimise delays that patients are currently experiencing when they need urgent care.

“Placing physiotherapists and occupational therapists in A&E will stop unnecessary hospital admissions so that, for example, patients with musculoskeletal conditions, chest infections, or those who have suffered a fall, can receive the right care quickly and advice on exercises to support recovery at home and in the community.

“This is not only good news for our NHS, but also better for the public in giving treatment in the right place, so emergency care is available when it’s really needed.”

Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced a record winter funding package of £300 million to increase NHS and social care capacity.

Since then, a further £482 million has been allocated to NHS Boards and Integrated Authorities to deal with the costs of responding to the pandemic

The Scottish Government will be working with health boards over next few weeks to identify what they might need most from this latest £10 million funding.