The world’s most entertaining whisky club invites you to 28 Queen Street for a night of glitz and glamour
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is transforming its Members’ Room at 28 Queen Street into a Gatsby-themed party for one night only. From 7 pm on Friday, 26 November 2021 the venue will be transported back to the ‘Roaring Twenties’, as SMWS members and non-members are invited to the party of the century.
With champagne on arrival, live music, cocktails, canapes, and the Society’s ever-changing selection of single cask whiskies, 28 Queen Street will be engulfed with guests dressed to impress.
Sarah Prior, Queen Street Venue Manager, said: “We can’t wait to see all those smiling faces at 28 Queen Street for our Gatsby event. The world is getting back to (almost) normal, and what better time to celebrate as we enter the glorious festive season.
“With what has been a challenging year for everyone, we are delighted to welcome our members and new faces back to Society events. With Christmas around the corner, it’s the perfect time to come and see what the Society is all about.”
For the SMWS monthly Outturn this November, a new cask collection is taking to the stage every week: https://smws.com/latest-outturn
Belonging to the world’s most entertaining whisky club gives you access to exclusive Members’ Rooms, partner bar discounts, colourful tasting events, whisky education, and a monthly members’ magazine Unfiltered.
A new report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine ‘Crowding and its Consequences’ has found that at least 4,519 patients have died as a result of crowding and 12 hour stays in Emergency Departments in England in 2020-2021.
The new report investigates the extent of harm that crowding causes and applies NHSE’s own findings from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) program which found that one in 67 patients staying in the Emergency Department for 12 hours come to excess harm.
The report also provides comprehensive analysis on a variety of data points:
Four-hour target
12-hour waits
Decision-to-admit (DTA) waits and admissions
12-hour DTA waits vs. 12-hour time-of-arrival waits
Time to initial assessment for ambulance arrivals
Time to treatment
Median total time patients spend in Emergency Departments
Ambulance handover delays
Bed availability
Length of hospital stays
Dr Adrian Boyle, Vice President (Policy) of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:“To say this figure (4,519 excess deaths) is shocking is an understatement. Quite simply, crowding kills.
“For many years we have issued warnings about the harm that dangerous crowding causes, but now we can see the number of excess deaths that have occurred as a result. This will not surprise any member or fellow of the Royal College.
“October 2021 saw an unimaginable 7,059 12-hour stays from decision to admit, the highest number ever recorded, 40% higher than September 2021 which was the previous highest on record. The number of 12-hour stays has risen drastically for six months and is very likely to rise again in coming months.
“The picture is more bleak as Hospital Episodic Statistics show that 12-hour stays from time of arrival are 21 times higher than 12-hour DTA stays. We now know that at least one in 67 of these patients are coming to avoidable harm. It is appalling.
“The situation is unacceptable, unsustainable and unsafe for patients and staff. Political and health leaders must realise that if performance continues to fall this winter: more and more patients will come to avoidable harm in the Emergency Department; staff will face moral injury; and the urgent and emergency care system will be deep into the worst crisis it has faced.
“This potential trajectory is supported by the recent report by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives that found that as many as 160,000 patients annually, may be coming to harm as a result of delayed ambulance handovers. We continue to urge the Secretary of State to meet with us to discuss patient safety and the unprecedented pressures facing the urgent and emergency care system.
“RCEM CARES: The Next Phase outlines our system-wide plan to improve patient care. In the short-term Trusts must safely expand capacity where possible. They must maximise the use of services such as Same Day Emergency Care and Discharge to Assess. Trusts must focus on promoting flow through the hospital, ensuring patients are discharged in a timely way once their treatment is complete.
“In the long-term, the government must restore bed capacity to pre-pandemic levels, across the UK an additional 7,170 beds are required. The government must ensure that social care is resourced to support patients both when leaving hospital and once they are back in the community, this would help to reduce long hospital stays and prevent successive trips to the Emergency Department.
“Lastly, as a matter of urgency the government must publish a long-term workforce plan, this must include actions to retain existing staff who are reaching burnout as well as to recruit new staff. Across the UK there is currently a shortfall of 2,000 – 2,500 WTE Emergency Medicine consultants, as well as shortages of essential Emergency Medicine nurses and junior and supporting staff.
“This is the beginning of a long winter and an extremely challenging time for the current workforce as pressures will rise and patient safety will continue to be put at risk. These pressures may currently be facing urgent and emergency care and the ambulance services, but the solutions and actions must be system-wide and joined-up.
“It is up to the government, NHS leaders, and all of us to work together to put a stop to dangerous crowding; avoidable harm; preventable deaths; ambulance handover harm; and to ensure that we keep patients safe and deliver effective urgent and emergency care.”
Yesterday’s government figures showed that job vacancies have hit a record high of 1.2 million, an increase of 20% in the past three months. It’s seems like a no-brainer that our young people should be able to train to fill these roles.
Many of the sectors continuing to battle with skills shortages, such as construction, manufacturing, and hospitality, are reliant on Level 2 vocational qualifications as a direct route into jobs in these industries.
Yet, the Government has failed to prioritise these lower level, work-ready qualifications, instead focusing their post-16 policy and funding at qualifications of A Level standard and above.
The Government have a chance to close the skills gap and the disadvantage gap that is so significant among 16-19-year-olds, boost the economy and give young people the future they deserve. But to do this, they must ensure a wide range of high-quality, employer-endorsed options are available at all levels.
Two people from Edinburgh feature in the next episode of European Current Affairs programme, Eòrpa, which is about the proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill and will air onBBC ALBA tonight (Thursday, November 18) at 8.30pm.
Dr Donald MacDonald – from Edinburgh – practiced as a doctor, and as a minister, for many years, both in the UK and in India and he’s had MS for almost 40 years. He is against the assisted dying Scotland Bill because it goes against the age old medical ethic of not ending a life deliberately. He’s concerned that people would feel like a burden on their family, friends or caregivers and due to this they might opt for ending their life via assisted suicide or euthanasia.
And Leighanne Baird-Sangster from Edinburgh. In May 2020, her wife Gill was terminally ill with melanoma cancer and when she reached the end-of-life stage they had a very difficult 10 days before she died when she suffered a lot of pain. Leighanne supports the Assisted Dying Scotland Bill, so that no one else goes through what her wife did.
Assisted dying has always been a divisive, and deeply controversial topic. Those in favour may see it as a compassionate way to end suffering. Many people come to support it due to their own personal experience. But on the other hand, many of those against changing the law see it as gravely immoral, and as something which could be used to undermine the rights of the most vulnerable in society.
Any new change in the law in Scotland would not make it easy for someone to go through the assisted dying process. Anyone who wishes to go through with it must have a terminal, incurable illness, and must be deemed to be near the end of their lives. Although the proposed bill currently contains no recommendation on exactly how long someone might naturally have left to live.
Spain is the latest country to pass an assisted dying bill, giving people the option to end their lives when they choose. From March this year, those living in Spain who suffer from incurable illnesses can begin the process to end their own lives.
In Spain, a doctor can administer the final drug – something which would not be allowed were the law to change in Scotland.
Other Contributors include:
Dr Gordon MacDonald, Chief Executive Care not Killing, believes it would put people who are vulnerable in a very dangerous situation, that they would come under pressure to end their lives prematurely and rather than that we should be investing in proper palliative care.
Ally Thompson, Director – Dignity in Dying – says the current blanket ban is unfair and unjust, and causes so many dying people and their families to suffer needlessly. He believes legalising assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, would be better.
Liam MacArthur MSP for Orkney Islands – he thinks people have increasingly come to the conclusion that having this choice of an assisted death is compassionate, it’s what a progressive country ought to aspire to,
Rev Domhnall Michael Macinnes – he believes that passing this Bill would open Pandora’s Box and we should be encouraging life for people because it’s a precious gift from God. Mr MacInnes, who is minister of Gairbraid Church in Maryhill, Glasgow, is originally from Lewis. He is also a former minister at St Columba’s Church in St Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Javier Serrano Martin from Spain – was the first person in Madrid to die under the new assisted dying legislation. He suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and spoke to Eorpa shortly before his death.
Police Scotland has released images of a man they believe may be able to assist them in relation to an ongoing investigation into an incident which occurred on Annandale Street, near Broughton Street, at around 4pm on Friday 14 May, 2021.
The man officers wish to speak to is described as white, aged 17-20 years of age and of medium build with short brown hair. He was wearing a yellow high vis jacket, black cargo trousers and work boots.
Detective Constable Mhairi Macpherson said: “Our enquiries have been ongoing since this incident occurred and as part of our investigation, we are releasing CCTV images of a man we believe could assist us.
“I’d ask the person himself or anyone who recognises him and who can help us identify him, to contact officers.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2162 of Saturday, 15 May, 2021. An anonymous report can also be made to independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
An expert group is to be established to advise the Scottish Government on the banning of conversion practices, which aim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The group will include people with personal experience of conversion practices as well as representatives from LGBTI organisations, faith and belief communities, mental health professionals and academics.
The Scottish Government has committed to introducing legislation to end conversion practices as comprehensively as possible within devolved powers by the end of 2023.
It is anticipated the expert advisory group will begin its work early next year and this, alongside recommendations from the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee and other evidence and research, will inform the Scottish Government’s approach.
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We are clear about the need to end conversion practices in Scotland – ensuring that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is safe from them. These practices are harmful, discriminatory, and have no place in our society.
“Work is now underway to establish an expert advisory group on banning conversion therapy and its remit will include recommending an agreed definition of conversion practices.
“We will explore how legislation can best protect and support those who need it, while ensuring that freedoms – including freedoms of speech, religion, and belief – are safeguarded.
“We are also considering what non-legislative steps we can take to end conversion practices, and support survivors.”
The 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment to end conversion practices is also part of the shared policy programme between the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party.
The remit of the new expert advisory group will include:
recommending an agreed definition of conversion practices;
drawing together existing data and evidence on conversion practices, including international practice;
advising on potential actions to ban, end, or reduce conversion practices;
advising on support for victims and survivors;
advising on aligning any ban with commitments to protect freedom of expression and freedom of religion, in line with existing legislation;
advising on how mental health services, religious bodies and other professionals should be supported to provide appropriate services to people seeking help and advice in relation to their sexual orientation or gender identity
