Day: April 13, 2022

New fund to investigate international best practice in the built environment for healthcare

  • New fund to investigate international best practice in the built environment for healthcare
  • Edinburgh Napier University to administer £1million budget

Administration of a £1m research budget focused on developing international best practice in the built environment for healthcare has been awarded by NHS Scotland Assure to Edinburgh Napier University.

The fund, launched on 1 April, is open to researchers who are looking to work collaboratively to identify ways to deliver safe healthcare environments that are free from avoidable risk.

NHS Scotland Assure has been designed to improve the management of risk in the built environment across Scotland, providing greater confidence to stakeholders, and a key focus is to develop opportunities for multi-disciplinary working within the healthcare-built environment.

This fund aims to provide opportunities to explore development of a consortium of different disciplines which delivers research in line with the identified needs of NHS Scotland Assure. The service will share best practice case studies in standards and models for the built environment.

The buildings and environment in which healthcare is delivered play a large part in preventing and controlling the risk of transmission of infection and other harms, and it is essential that buildings are safe, resilient and not vulnerable to these risks, where these can be prevented.

The guidance and advice generated by NHS Scotland Assure helps to ensure that patients, their carers and those delivering healthcare are in an environment which is not only safe but also effective and person centred. Research plays a pivotal part in supporting this as it ensures that produced guidance and given advice are based not only on best practice but also on best evidence.

It will also ensure that the most up-to-date and robust research is translated into practice to improve future health outcomes.

Over the next two years, the research programme will focus on eight healthcare environments:

·       Water systems, including drainage (Design, Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance (DICM))

·       Ventilation systems (DICM)

·       Pathogens, the microbiome, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), transmission risks and burden of disease in the hospital environment

·       Hospital design, including size and single room provision

·       Lessons learned from Covid-19

·       Human factors/Ergonomics and Infection Prevention and Control

·       Climate change requirements and the unintended consequences on built environment risks

·       The role of safety and harms in relation to medical gases, electrical systems and fire safety.

The closing date for the first round of funding applications, based on research meeting one or more of the eight themes above, will be set for July 2022.

Professor Nick Antonopoulos, Vice Principal, Research & Innovation, Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We are very excited to announce this award, which is a good fit for the University’s experience and ongoing strategy, and reflects our commitment to develop our well-established research and teaching expertise in health and wellbeing.

“The success of the fund will be a priority for our Schools of Applied Sciences and Engineering & the Built Environment, and the University’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise department, who will all play their part in supporting the research programme.”

The Research Service at Edinburgh Napier will also be running regular events over the next two years, to nurture an inclusive approach between professional roles within the built environment and across infection prevention & control (IP&C); healthcare providers; academia; and research institutions.   

Further information and relevant pro formas for application can be found here.

Volunteer at Let’s Rock Scotland and enjoy the event for FREE

Are you a fan of 80s music? Child Bereavement UK needs you! The charity is looking for music fans to give 4 hours of their time to volunteer at Let’s Rock Scotland selling wristbands and raffle tickets to raise funds to support its work.

In return volunteers get to enjoy the rest of the event free of charge!

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. The charity supports children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. 

The line-up for Let’s Rock Scotland, which takes place on Saturday 18 June 2022 at Dalkeith Country Park, Edinburgh, includes Squeeze, OMD, Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins), Level 42 and Nick Heyward.

Lorna Murchie, Community Projects Manager for Child Bereavement UK said: ‘This year Child Bereavement UK is delighted to be the beneficiary charity of some of the UK’s most anticipated festivals and gigs.

“Our volunteers tell us they have a great time soaking up the festival atmosphere and seeing their favourite acts, in return for just a few hours of their time helping us raise much-needed funds.  If you’re tempted to join in, please visit our website to find out how you can get involved .’

For more information on volunteering or to see a full list of events please visit: 

https://www.childbereavementuk.org/Event/festivals

To find out more about the charity and for support please visit: 

www.childbereavementuk.org 

or call 0800 02 888 40

Dobbies Garden Centre: Lupins set to be Edinburgh’s most popular bloom this spring

Spring it on with Dobbies!

With spring well and truly here and the gardening season in full swing, research from the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies, has found that 65% of Edinburgh locals are looking forward to doing more gardening this spring. 

The research, from Independent Media News, looked into this year’s gardening trends, attitudes towards gardening, garden centres themselves and some of the misconceptions about the UK’s favourite pastime.

Dobbies’ Edinburgh store has had a great start to the season and looking at customer trends from last year and this year to-date, General Manager, Jenna Bavidge, predicts Lupins will be the most popular plant for Edinburgh gardeners this spring.

Perennial Lupins, a favourite cottage plant, is a haven for bumblebees and butterflies with striking, tall bright blooms that come in a variety of colours and shades. These are wonderful pollinators and will inject gorgeous colour into the garden right the way through spring and summer and will continue to bloom year on year.

Research from Dobbies shows that just under half of Edinburgh residents are hoping to encourage more wildlife into their garden, and Lupins are the perfect plant to do that.

Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, encourages Edinburgh residents to Spring it on this year by sharing his top tips on Lupins and why they are so popular in East Scotland: “Lupins is a great addition to any garden, no matter the size or shape of your borders.

“We recommend planting Lupins in early spring to maximise their flowering potential and mulching well with peat-free compost to encourage strong growth and good moisture.

“These hardy blooms thrive in a bright spot that benefits from partial shade. If you don’t have a garden space, Gallery Lupins have been bred to be smaller and can flourish in a balcony space.”

For more information on what’s in stock at your local Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, visit www.dobbies.com.

If you would like to explore Dobbies full SS22 range, you can do so via their digital Look Book and Look Book Video.

Mark McCarthy of MARKDAVID collaborates with Foil Me Foils to launch limited edition foil design

Mark McCarthy, owner of the luxurious MARKDAVID salon in Stockbridge, is delighted to announce his collaboration with hair colourists favourite foil brand, Foil Me Foils.

Mark is the very first hairdresser in the UK to collaborate with the brand and the partnership arose from Mark’s great relationship with the brand and his passion for using the foils since opening his MARKDAVID salon just over two years ago.

Mark hails from Australia and has always had a strong affinity with the brand – loving their sustainable philosophy and admiring their ability to create a practical product that has an edge. 

Mark was using the foils, purchasing the special editions and regularly posting his work using the foils on social media. The natural affinity Mark and the team at Foil Me Foils had made the initial conversation easy. Foil Me Foils had created foils for salons out with the UK, but had never collaborated with a UK hair artist. 

The foils, named ‘The Stella’ capture Mark David’s love for Art Deco, his family and his gorgeous Cocker Spaniel, Stella.

All elements are integral in Mark’s life, meticulously illustrated and graphically designed by Foil Me artists, Emily Ciardiello and Chelsea Winter.

The distinctive parquetry design complements the luscious forest green background and golden palette of Stella. In a beautiful symbolic tribute to Mark’s close family members, the box design comprises of blue flowers on the light wood and gold parquetry, ensuring this foil is an exceptional representation of what art truly is!

As with all Foil Me Foils, the foils are 100% recyclable and are created to provide clients with a more enjoyable colour experience in the salon.

Mark McCarthy, Owner of MARKDAVID commented: “Creating the new foil design with Foil Me Foils was such a fantastic experience. I love being creative and it was so much fun to collaborate with the brand – they worked so hard to meet my vision and create the perfect foils for me.

“This includes nailing the correct tones, adding small finishing touches such as stems to the flowers and ensuring they had the exact type of lilies that I loved, not only for their look but also for the meaning behind them.

“I hope my team, clients and other salon owners and colourists will love the design as much as I do and I can’t wait to get everyone’s feedback!”

Emily, Foil Me Foil’s Co-Founder and Creative Director, said: “I really enjoyed working with Mark David; he is remarkably talented and his artistic vision is clearly reflected in his award-winning salon. I was so honoured and incredibly excited to illustrate Stella – her energy was captivating.

“With every custom foil we create, each element is scrutinised and we ensure the salon and Foil Me’s brand is reflected in the design. To depict the Art Deco beauty of Mark David Salon, and also include personal details such as the blue flowers, yet still make it accessible to other Foil Me movers by capturing the essence of Stella, was an amazing experience.”

For further information on MARKDAVID, please email Alex Hamilton at alex@ajc93.com.

Pure Cremation helps save lives with £1,500 donation to St Andew’s First Aid

The UK’s leading provider of direct cremation has donated £1,500 to St Andrew’s First Aid, Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, to help them achieve its ambition of creating a nation of lifesavers. 

Pure Cremation presented the donation to the charity, whose work and fundraising efforts have suffered over the past two years due to the impact of the pandemic.

St Andrew’s First Aid aims to deliver training to some 13,000 people every year.

Since the start of Covid19 the charity’s community fundraising events – which are its main source of income – have had to be cancelled, with funds drying up as a result.

The charity was also forced to cancel its community training scheme.

Instead, most of St Andrew’s First Aid’s volunteers lent their time and skills elsewhere in their respective communities, such as delivering medicines and supplies to vulnerable residents and helping out at NHS vaccination hubs.

Ian Kirk is the Regional Manager for Pure Cremation Scotland and Northern Ireland and a volunteer with St Andrew’s First Aid.

Ian joined the charity at the age of nine and worked his way up over many years to become a fully-fledged first aid trainer. He is still a volunteer today, juggling his charitable activities with his career and family life.

Ian said: “St Andrew’s First Aid is a fantastic cause which over many years has equipped generations of families across Scotland with invaluable skills which in turn will have helped saved countless lives.

“Like other charities, its income has been severely impacted by the pandemic, as has its community activities. 

“At a time when donations to charity are reducing but costs still need to be met, we are pleased to award this sum to help St Andrew’s First Aid continue in its vital work.”

Stuart Callison, Chief Executive of the charity, said the donation from Pure Cremation came as a welcome surprise at a time when much of the funding during the pandemic was allocated to Covid-related causes such as NHS charities, or essential supplies for those most in need.

It also came at a time when St Andrew’s First Aid was looking to resurrect its community training activities.

He added that although St Andrew’s First Aid had been unable to continue its work in schools and other community groups over the past two years, it had devised a vital emergency first aid and mental health training programme for secondary school pupils called Ready for Life.

Over the coming months, the programme will see almost 1,000 pupils learning vital, life-saving first aid skills and being able to spot signs of mental ill health in friends and family and provide the necessary support.

Mr Callison said: “We are extremely grateful to Pure Cremation for the donation which will assist our programme of community based first aid training.

“St Andrew’s First Aid, like many other charities, has been hit hard by the impact and restrictions brought about by the pandemic.

“Our volunteers have found many other ways to continue supporting their communities and making a difference to those around them. Donations and support from businesses, organisations and individuals are more important than ever to us as we seek to continue our efforts to establish Scotland as a nation of lifesavers.”

Established in 2015 Pure Cremation was the first company to provide a dedicated service in direct cremation – an alternative to the traditional funeral where there is no church, no service, no officiant, mourners, cars or flowers.

The donation to St Andrew’s First Aid is one of six being made to charities across the UK, totalling £13,000.

Regenerating Scotland’s town centres

New measures to revitalise town centres and regenerate local economies have been published.

In response to last year’s review of the Town Centre Action Plan, a joint report by the Scottish Government and COSLA outlines actions to better embed a ‘Town Centre First’ approach to meet the needs of communities and tackle climate change.

Actions include:   

  • ensure town centre regeneration contributes to climate action by reducing emissions, investing in low carbon transport and creating more green spaces
  • make town centre services as accessible as possible to help reduce unnecessary car journeys and prevent climate change
  • incentivise entrepreneurship by delivering the ambitions set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation
  • support businesses with town centre premises by exploring a new online sales tax that helps traditional businesses compete with those operating online
  • use the planning system to limit out of town development and ensure our non-domestic rates system continues to support our net zero ambitions by providing reliefs for businesses generating more energy from renewable sources
  • require developers to install and optimise digital connectivity in new town centre housing developments and support community organisations delivering digital skills training  

Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “This response has been developed in partnership with local government and recognises how vital town centres are for Scotland’s economic, environmental and social wellbeing.

“The actions in this report provide a framework to meet our ambitions and give communities the freedom and confidence to deliver locally. They will help improve our town centres following the pandemic and deliver net zero climate ambitions whilst promoting better planning and delivering enhanced digital capabilities for businesses and residents.

“This approach will also help us deliver the entrepreneurship ambitions set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation by creating enterprising communities. We all have a role to play in ensuring our towns and town centres deliver the needs of the whole community and these actions will help us deliver that ambition by creating healthier, fairer, greener and more successful towns.”

Letters: Roundabout ad safety fears

Dear Editor

A board has been ‘planted’ on Silverknowes Roundabout, inviting people to ‘Advertise Here’.

Is it possible the organisation dealing with the management of roundabouts is promoting the erection of such advertising boards on the actual roundabout?

How can they be so stupid to even think of doing so?

It is obviously meant to catch people’s atttention while they are also driving and navigating a roundabout!

Surely the transport authorities must overrule this idiotic rule?

Tony Delahoy

Increase in hepatitis cases in children under investigation

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently detected higher than usual rates of liver inflammation (hepatitis) in children. Similar cases are being assessed in Scotland.

Public health doctors and scientists at the UK’s public health agencies are continuing to investigate 74 cases of hepatitis (liver inflammation) in children since January 2022, where the usual viruses that cause infectious hepatitis (hepatitis A to E) have not been detected.

Of the confirmed cases, 49 are in England, 13 are in Scotland and the remainder are in Wales and Northern Ireland.

One of a number of potential causes under investigation is that a group of viruses called adenoviruses may be causing the illnesses. However, other possible causes are also being actively investigated, including coronavirus (COVID-19), other infections or environmental causes.

There is no link to the COVID-19 vaccine. None of the currently confirmed cases in the UK has been vaccinated.

Adenoviruses are a family of common viruses that usually cause a range of mild illnesses and most people recover without complications. They can cause a range of symptoms, including colds, vomiting and diarrhoea. While they don’t typically cause hepatitis, it is a known rare complication of the virus.

Adenoviruses are commonly passed from person to person and by touching contaminated surfaces, as well as through the respiratory route.

The most effective way to minimise the spread of adenoviruses is to practice good hand and respiratory hygiene and supervise thorough handwashing in younger children.

Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at UKHSA, said: “We are working swiftly with the NHS and public health colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to investigate a wide range of possible factors which may be causing children to be admitted to hospital with liver inflammation known as hepatitis.

“One of the possible causes that we are investigating is that this is linked to adenovirus infection. However, we are thoroughly investigating other potential causes.

“Normal hygiene measures such as good handwashing – including supervising children – and respiratory hygiene, help to reduce the spread of many of the infections that we are investigating.

“We are also calling on parents and guardians, to be alert to the signs of hepatitis – including jaundice – and to contact a healthcare professional if they are concerned.”

UKHSA, working with partners, will continue to make the public aware of findings throughout the course of the investigation.

Hepatitis symptoms include:

  • dark urine
  • pale, grey-coloured poo
  • itchy skin
  • yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
  • muscle and joint pain
  • a high temperature
  • feeling and being sick
  • feeling unusually tired all the time
  • loss of appetite
  • tummy pain

SCRAN FIR BEES!

North Edinburgh Arts is working with local artist Natalie Taylor on a butterfly and bee friendly art project in Muirhouse and West Pilton.

Not only does this landscape art intervention offer nectar rich flowers for our struggling pollinators, but also it delivers a serious message in Scottish slang whilst adding a splash of colour to a busy roadside verge

SCRAN FIR BEES is a huge community artwork written large near the Red Bridge on Ferry Road, passed by hundreds of cars and buses every day, and highly visible from the cycle path bridge which passes over it nearby.

HMRC customers in Scotland encouraged to check out financial support available to them

Customers in Scotland are being encouraged to check online for the range of financial support available from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to help with living costs.

HMRC has listed the support available in one place to ensure people are not missing out and can easily find out online if they are eligible and how to claim.

The new GOV.UK page pinpoints people to a one-stop shop of all the benefits, credits and allowances available to individuals and families, making it easier than ever for people to claim what they are entitled to.

This includes:

Child Benefit

Child Benefit can be claimed if someone is responsible for bringing up a child who is:

  • under 16
  • under 20 if they stay in approved education or training

Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. It’s paid every 4 weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.

Tax-Free Childcare

Working parents can get assistance of up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with the costs of childcare until the September after their 11th birthday. If a child is disabled, this goes up to £1,000 every 3 months until the September after their 16th birthday (up to £4,000 a year).

Marriage Allowance

Marriage Allowance allows individuals to transfer 10% (£1,260) of their personal tax allowance to a husband, wife or civil partner if they earn less than the personal tax allowance, which is usually £12,570.

Work-related expenses and uniform allowances

Tax relief can be claimed on money spent on things like work uniform and clothing, tools, subscriptions or business travel.

The GOV.UK page also includes guidance for those on a low income wanting to make the most of their savings and help for those struggling to pay their tax bill.

Myrtle Lloyd, Director General Customer Services Group, HMRC: “We understand these are very difficult times for many so it’s vitally important we continue to highlight the range of support available.

“We’d encourage those who think they may be eligible for support to take a look and claim what they’re entitled to – it could make an important difference to household budgets at a time when it’s needed the most.”

Additional online tools and guidance are available to help customers check if they are eligible for each service – as well as extra support to guide them through the application process.