Sarah Boyack MSP has highlighted the grim findings that more than 3 in 4 Dental Practices serving patients in Musselburgh are no longer accepting NHS Patients.
Following up on concerns of Musselburgh residents, Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack contacted practices serving the Musselburgh area to inquire whether they were accepting new NHS patients.
The findings also highlighted those that were accepting new patients had waiting lists of over six months on average.
Commenting Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “Patients in Musselburgh are being routinely let-down by the lack of NHS Dental provision.
“With more than three quarters of NHS Dentists unable to accept new patients, the people of Musselburgh have been left with a two-tiered system that routinely fails them.
“We are now seeing the devastating effects of the SNP mismanagement of our NHS, with patients spending months suffering unnecessarily whilst they are unable to see an NHS Dentists.
“This cannot carry on, The SNP must act now before more communities like Musselburgh are left without access to NHS services.”
Data collected by the office of Sarah Boyack MSP for the 20 closest practices to Musselburgh on 5/5/23:
Check out this freshly painted mural outside Fresh Start in West Pilton
National Galleries of Scotland have been working with residents and artists Fraser Gray and Eva Paredes to create this stunning artwork, inspired by the work the charity does to support the local community.
The mural is part of NGS’ work to build stronger relationships with people and organisations in North Edinburgh, where The Art Works will be based.
The mural also features some artworks inspired by the national collection – see if you can spot them!
Community heroes, Ukrainian families and youth groups gathered in Downing Street yesterday for a special Coronation lunch
Lunch was held in Downing Street with food from across the UK
Community heroes, Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and youth groups attended
Over 50,000 Coronation Big Lunches were held in the UK and across the globe
Community heroes, Ukrainian families and youth groups gathered in Downing Street yesterday for a special Coronation lunch hosted by the Prime Minister and Mrs Murty.
The event is taking place as part of The Big Lunch, a nationwide initiative to bring neighbours and communities together to celebrate the Coronation.
Over 50,000 Big Lunch street parties took place in the UK and in countries across the globe.
Downing Street was adorned with bunting featuring the official Coronation emblem and the Union Flag. Crockery will be donated by Emma Bridgewater – the award-winning ceramics company based in Stroke-on-Trent – including a limited edition King Charles III teapot.
Recipients of the Points of Light Award – volunteers that have made an outstanding contribution to their community – attended the event.
They include Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates who set up Saying Goodbye a charity that supports thousands of people who have lost a child during pregnancy, at birth or infancy – and Navjot Sawhney whose hand-cranked washing machine is benefitting over 1,000 families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries or refugee camps.
Also joining was Laura Ashurst from Stokesley in North Yorkshire. A three-time breast cancer survivor, Laura has campaigned for fifteen years to improve the lives of the 35,000 women across the UK with secondary breast cancer.
Attendees enjoyed food sourced from across the UK, including Loch Duart salmon from Sutherland in North West Scotland and soda farl from Northern Ireland.
Beef came from Gloucestershire in South West England and ice cream has been sourced from Chilly Cow, a company based in Ruthin, Wales.
Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine and their UK-based sponsors also joined the event. They included Olga Breslavska who travelled to the UK as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and is currently studying an intensive English course. Caroline Quill – a Homes for Ukraine sponsor – has been instrumental in matching 250 families across East Sussex and Kent and will also join the lunch.
Young people from organisations such as UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs also marked the occasion.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Come rain or shine, thousands of friends and neighbours are coming together this weekend to put up the bunting, pour the tea and cut the cake at street parties and community events across the UK.
“I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own Coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment.
“In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland – and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth – people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future”.
Parking attendants ride city buses to target inconsiderate drivers
A trial to crack down on drivers parking in bus lanes will see parking attendants riding Lothian Buses services to target city hotspots.
From tomorrow (Tuesday 9 May) parking attendants will begin travelling on specially selected routes, which experience issues with vehicles blocking bus lanes.
Attendants will be able to disembark buses to move on or issue parking tickets to any drivers breaking the rules and board the next bus on the same route.
The initiative, being carried out in partnership with Lothian Buses, aims to improve bus reliability and journey times by reducing disruption to services caused by incorrectly parked vehicles. In turn this will support and encourage sustainable, low carbon travel by public transport.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We already have an excellent bus service in Edinburgh, relied on by many, and our bus lanes are really important to making sure services can run smoothly and on time, especially during peak hours.
“This trial, in partnership with Lothian Buses, will let parking attendants target hotspots in real time, where drivers continue to park inconsiderately. We’ll continue monitoring its effectiveness to make sure we’re focusing on the right areas.
“Encouraging and supporting travel by sustainable, reliable public transport is crucial to our net zero 2030 aspirations, as well as helping to reduce congestion, improve air quality and provide accessible transport for everyone.”
Willie Hamilton, Operations Director, Lothian Buses, said: “Lothian is committed to providing a safe, reliable and trusted service across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“As we look to encourage the use of public transport in support of the Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council’s wider environmental goals, it is important that we work with partners across the city on effective ways to ensure bus priority measures are followed which will enhance our ability to provide a consistently reliable standard of service for our customers.”
Sometimes it seems the easy option is to throw something down the toilet rather than properly disposing of it, but the reality is you could be doing hundreds of pounds worth of damage to your plumbing without even realising it.
plumber unclogging blocked toilet with hydro jetting at home bathroom. sewer cleaning service
Sean Richardson, plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions has compiled his top 10 list of the things you shouldn’t be flushing away and reveals just how much these items could cost you in the long run –
1 – Baby Wipes
Be wary of the “flushable” label, it could end up costing you hundreds of pounds –
“One of the biggest offenders we see most regularly are baby wipes. Although many baby wipes are labeled as “flushable,” they do not break down like toilet paper and can clog your pipes, leaving you with an overflowing system.”
2 – Cotton Buds/Balls/Pads/Tampons/Condoms
Absorbent materials can wreak havoc on your plumbing –
“Tampons, pads, and other feminine hygiene products should never be flushed down the toilet. They can cause blockages as they twist and clump together to form a soft of solid mass, thus totally blocking your pipes. Alot of these products are designed to expand when they come into contact with moisture and to not break down in water. When these products are flushed down the toilet, they can get caught in the pipes and accumulate other debris, leading to blockages. Condoms are not biodegradable and can easily clog pipes. They should be disposed of in the rubbish instead.”
3 – Dental floss:
May seem like a harmless one to flush, but flushing floss significantly heightens the risk of blockages –
“Dental floss does not break down in water, which means once it goes down your toilet it stays there. Basically when you flush some floss down the toilet it can wrap itself around any debris that may be lurking in your pipes, like hair, wipes and toilet paper, which can create a solid mass leading to obstructions.”
4 – Hair
Hair should be kept out of your drains and out of your toilets –
“We’ve all seen how hair can clog up your shower and sink drains, your toilet is no different. When hair enters the drain it works similarly to how dental floss would, wrapping around other bits of debris and creating massive blockages. When hair is flushed down the toilet, it can get caught in the trapway, which is the curved part of the toilet that connects to the drainpipe. As more hair accumulates, it can create a mass that blocks the trapway, making it difficult for water and waste to pass through. Hair does not break down easily in water, so it can accumulate in the sewer system and cause backups and overflows”
5 – Paper Towels
Paper towels or tissues: These products do not break down like toilet paper and can cause blockages in pipes or damage sewage systems.
“Paper towels are not designed to dissolve easily in water, unlike toilet paper which is specifically made to break down quickly in water. This means that if you flush paper towels down the toilet, they are likely to get stuck in the pipes, causing clogs and potentially damaging the plumbing system.
Additionally, paper towels are often thicker and more absorbent than toilet paper, which means they can also absorb more water and expand in size, making it even more difficult for them to pass through the pipes and causing more severe blockages.”
6 – Cooking grease or oil:
It’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t pour grease and oil down your kitchen sink, but there have been horror stories from individuals deciding to pour the oil down their toilets.
“When cooking grease and oil are poured down your toilet drains they can mix with other materials such as soap, hair and other pieces of debris to form solid blockages that can be extremely difficult and expensive to remove.
Aside from that, when grease and oil enter the drain they can also contribute to the buildup of fats, oils, and grease, already present in the overall sewerage system, which can lead to those fatbergs people may have seen”
7 – Cigarette butts:
The non-biodegradable make-up of cigarettes makes them a nightmare for your pipes –
“Cigarette butts are another one to avoid as they are made of non-biodegradable materials such as plastic fibers and something called cellulose acetate, these do not break down easily in water. The butts also contain toxic chemicals and carcinogens that can contaminate waterways and harm aquatic life. Even if cigarette butts are flushed down the toilet and make it through the plumbing system without causing a blockage, they can still end up in waterways and contribute to pollution.”
8 – Cat Litter:
A highly absorbent material, it should be kept away from drains at all costs –
“Cat litter by nature is designed to absorb moisture and clump together, which means that it can easily form blockages in the pipes and cause backups and overflows. More often than not it can also feature elements that are not biodegradable, such as clay or silica gel, which do not dissolve in water and can further contribute to clogs.”
9 – Medications
A serious environmental issue –
“When medications like tablets and liquids are flushed down the toilet, they can enter the sewage system and ultimately end up in rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. Many medications are not effectively removed by wastewater treatment plants, which can lead to a fairly serious pollution of the water table.”
10 – Plasters/Bandages
Packed with adhesives that harm the environment and potentially your pocket –
“Plasters definitely should not be flushed as they are another product that are not designed to dissolve in water and can become tangled with other materials in the plumbing, which will wind up clogging the toilet. Plasters may also contain adhesives or other substances that can contribute to the buildup of fats, oils, and grease in the sewerage system.”
Blockages – How Much Do They Cost to Fix?
The actual cost of clearing a toilet blockage varies depending on a number of factors – severity of the blockage, the location and the actual plumber you choose to enlist.
“Usually minor blockages can be cleared with a plunger or drain snake, this can cost anywhere between £50 to £200. This price increases the worse the blockage get, in certain situations you could be looking at a bill of over a thousand pounds. Our advice, if you toilet is anyways blocked, address the issue as soon as possible and don’t allow it to fester”
The most expensive things you can flush down the toilet ; Ranked
Baby Wipes – “If its only a small blockage it can usually be cleared with a drain snake and a plunger, this can set you back anywhere from £50-£200 to fix. However if you leave the problem linger and allow the wipes to build up in your plumbing, you’ll need more specialised equipment and possibly even extensive repairs to your plumbing – this can set you back thousands of pounds.”
Feminine Hygiene Products –“Again, it depends on the severity of the blockage but if these are flushed down the toilet on a regular basis you could be looking at spending around £100-£500 to fix the issue.”
Paper Towels : “These can really clog up your plumbing, it’s ballpark £100-£500 depending on the severity”
Cooking grease and oil: “In a lot of cases you’ll need to use pretty specialised equipment to clear these blockages, so you’re looking at a bill for around £200-£1000 depending on how bad the problem is”
Cat litter:“Another big offender, due to its absorbency cat litter can cause major issue. Similarly to grease and oil, you’ll need pretty heavy duty equipment to get the job done, you’re looking at £200-£1000 again depending on the severity of the blockage”
Every step taken this National Walking Month can transform a life with Mary’s Meals
This May, Edinburgh residents are being encouraged to ‘step up’ and help Mary’s Meals feed more hungry children around the world.
During National Walking Month, the school feeding charity is calling on people to take part in its Move For Meals challenge, which encourages participants to raise sponsorship whilst keeping active.
Mary’s Meals serves a daily school meal to children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of a nutritious meal encourages children into the classroom, giving them energy to learn and hope for a brighter future.
The charity reaches 2,429,182 children every school day in 18 countries, including South Sudan, Syria and Ethiopia.
Morven Macgillivray, supporter engagement manager at Mary’s Meals, says: “With the weather getting warmer and the days growing longer, everyone is keen to get outdoors and get some exercise!
“This National Walking Month, you can help to transform the lives of some of the world’s poorest children by simply getting active, making the most of the sunshine and signing up to Move for Meals.”
Throughout May, Mary’s Meals is asking people to walk 10,000 steps a day as part of the Move for Meals challenge.
Morven continues: “It costs just 10 pence to feed a child with Mary’s Meals. So even raising as little as £1 for every 10,000 steps you complete will provide 10 children with a nutritious meal and an education that can be their ladder out of poverty.
“Walking 10,000 steps a day is just a small change you can make that can have a big impact on a child’s life.
“I hope that as many people as possible in Edinburgh will pull on their walking shoes and step up to the challenge this May to help us keep our promise to the 2.4 million children we feed every day with Mary’s Meals.”
It costs just £19.15 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for an entire school year.
Signing up for Move For Meals couldn’t be easier.
Find out more and get your free Mary’s Meals T-shirt at:
Tickets are now available for the second festival, which will run from 14-18 August as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe and once again deliver practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a Net Zero nation.
Organisers have announced the first four shows in the free hybrid event and say that other events and special guests will be announced shortly, with a special focus on consumer issues.
The first shows to be confirmed are:
Launching the Festival at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) HQ at 10 Charlotte Square in the heart of Edinburgh. Guest speakers will include Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), who will set the scene for the week ahead. Addresses will also be made by RICS representatives and a special guest still to be announced.
Ingredients for a Greener Kitchen, a show which will focus on three vital areas that can make kitchens eco-friendly: water efficiency, electrical efficiency and sustainably sourced kitchen units. Delegates will have the chance to quiz experts from SNIPEF, the plumbing employers’ body, SELECT, the electrical trade association and FMB member James Alan Construction, who will all share their first-hand knowledge and advise on what to consider when planning a kitchen.
Festival of fabric first, which will help homeowners understand more about the steps to take before embarking on a retrofit project to improve energy efficiency in their homes. The talk will offer tips and insights from a retrofit co-ordinator, architect and builder on what to look out for and the materials and products to use. It will also feature a discussion on Passivhaus.
Garden rooms and offices, which have become increasingly popular in recent years as homeowners change how they live and work. Experts will offer advice and tips on building a garden room and how to make it as eco-friendly as possible. Delegates will also have chance to ask questions relating to their next project.
GordonNelson, who is among the organising team from CICV, said: “The second Green Home Festival is shaping up to be as big a success as the inaugural event last year and the planning is firmly on track for another informative and helpful week.
“Once again, in a mix of in-person and virtual presentations, the Festival will highlight issues such as accessible green funding sources, air source heat pumps, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging.
“All the events will be relevant to the construction industry, which will be at the forefront of delivering net zero, but they will also have a strong focus on the interest of the consumers who will be the end users of the new technologies which are so rapidly being developed.”
Targeting homeowners, professionals, local authorities, housing associations and local authorities, the Green Home Festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation as the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March 2020.
Made up of 29 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.
Tickets for all Green Home Festival events are free and can be reserved here.
Learners are now paying 215% more for driving lessons than they did thirty years ago, with more young people being excluded from getting behind the wheel due to financial pressures.*
Now car insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk are calling for more regulation for the cost of learning to drive.
This comes after many simply cannot afford the expense as young people are estimated to pay over £2500 to get their licence.
Credit – Shutterstock
Quotezone.co.uk has researched the average amount of money a learner today will end up paying from start to finish.
Before even getting behind the wheel, learners in the UK must apply for a provisional driving licence, costing them £34 to apply online or £43 by post.
Next, the biggest expense, is finding a driving instructor suitable and getting enough practice in to take the test.
The Government’s ‘Ready to Pass’ campaign claims that the average learner will take 45 hours of lessons with their instructor plus 22 hours of private practice.**
Taking into account that the average 1 hour lesson costs £30, learners are expected to fork out £1,350 to pay instructors.***
Paying to actually take the driving test is another expense learners cannot avoid – pupils must pass both the theory test (£23) and the practical test (£62 for weekday tests rising to £75 on the weekend).****
Additional fees at the test-taking stage include paid-for apps to practise theory test questions, and many driving instructors will also require payment for learners to use the car when taking their test.
Overall, learners are now paying £2707 to learn to drive, not including the cost of more driving lessons and more tests if they are unsuccessful after the first try.
Every year around 1.6 million nervous Brits buckle up to sit their practical driving test, and the pass rate as a whole falls just shy of 50% – dropping to 46% on average for female drivers.
Comparatively, reports show that learners in the 1980s and 90s paid an average of just £10 an hour – meaning lessons alone are costing pupils today £900 more.
Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk said: “Learning to drive is a rite of passage and the worry is young people aren’t getting the option to learn, as the rising costs are making it unaffordable.
“More regulation on the cost of driving lessons and other mandatory fees would help young people get out on the roads and also help ensure they don’t cut corners.
“Having a more affordable pathway to learn to drive will also encourage pupils to take their time before booking a test and in turn help reduce the growing driving test backlog seen across the country.”
Learners also have to tax and insure the vehicle and indeed the vehicle cost itself if they don’t have access to a family car, it’s beginning to make driving unattainable for young drivers.
As a price comparison site, Quotezone.co.uk is designed to help young drivers find competitive costs by comparing products and exploring alternative options such as black box or telematics products.
The Forth and Tay Disabled Ramblers was set up in 2002 and its 50 members organise and take part in accessible scooter rambles in scenic places situated between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay in East Scotland.
As the cost of organising events and maintaining its scooter fleet has increased, the charity needs to raise more donations to keep going. Their latest ramble, along the 79-mile Great Glen Way, aims to raise awareness and funds whilst offering an unforgettable experience for the riders.
The Great Glen Way is regarded as one of Scotland’s greatest trails. It stretches from Fort William in the south-west to Inverness in the north-east and includes famous places such as Loch Ness.
The scooter users embarking on this dramatic journey will be accompanied by a team of twenty volunteers who will walk with them for six days. Their route follows the greatest geological fault in UK and parts of Thomas Telford’s historic Caledonian Canal. The group aim to reach the ‘capital of the Highlands’ Inverness on the 6th May.
Shelia Batchelor, Chairperson, will be one of the scooter explorers driving a TGA Breeze that was recently funded by the National Lottery. This scooter is particularly ideal for Sheila as she has MS. With limited movement in her right arm, it was becoming harder for Shelia to join in on rambles. Now with a Breeze, that has been adapted to have left hand controls, she can explore in complete control whilst enjoying the company of fellow ramblers.
Sheila says: “I was on a ramble with Brian, our charity secretary, when he came up with the idea for the Great Glen Way challenge.
“I was immediately excited and said we must make it happen…and it has. We have managed to sort accessible accommodation, scooter transportation, scooter charging, dietary requirements and appropriate driving times so now we are raring to go.”
“To take on this challenge is something I never thought I would be able to do. Not only will completing The Great Glen Way be a significant challenge, I will also get an enormous sense of achievement.
“Our scooters such as my Breeze are built to tackle canal towpaths and forest tracks so we will be able to comfortably enjoy all the stunning views our offroad route has to offer. Add to this our aim to gather donations along the way, we hope this journey will help us continue fulfilling our motto – being ‘hooked on freedom’.”
Donations to the Forth and Tay Disabled Ramblers can be made here.
Homebuyers who’ve always dreamt of living by the sea can reserve now and move in in time for summer, with a range of new properties available near the coast in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Barratt Developments – which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes – is encouraging first time buyers and downsizers to take advantage of the homebuilder’s cost-saving initiatives and find their new ideal home, located a stone’s throw away from a number of coastal walks and beaches.
An array of two and three-bed properties at Cammo Meadows in Edinburgh, The Strand in Portobello and St Clements Brae in Wallyford, East Lothian are now ready to be moved into ahead of the warm weather, with each development less than a ten-minute drive from golden sands.
Ideally located close to the City Bypass, the properties are perfect for first time buyers looking for work-life balance or those downsizing to quieter surroundings. According to Moneybox, the Edinburgh area is also the fifth most popular hotspot for first-time buyers.
Interior showhome photography of The Ashworth at David Wilson Homes Cammo Meadows development in Edinburgh
To make the move seamless, Barratt Developments, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, is currently offering buyers £1,000 for every £20,000 spent, plus flooring included. This cash from the initiative can be used towards a deposit, mortgage repayments or moving costs. A number of selected homes also include upgraded options.
In addition to a high-quality finish, buyers can expect their home to be energy efficient. According to Barratt Developments’ Tackling the Cost of Living Crisis – 2023 Report, more than 55% of Scots are considering buying a new build home to save on energy bills.
The recent ‘Watt a Save’ report from the Home Buyers’ Federation (HBF) showed that around 84% of new builds have an energy efficiency rating of A or B, compared to just 4% of existing housing in the UK. Thanks to advanced systems and technologies, all Barratt homes are now up to 63% more energy efficient, which could save homeowners up to £3,100 per year on bills.
Anne Ross, sales director at Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said:“Location is key when we build our homes, so we’re proud to be able to offer a selection of ‘ready-to-move-into’ properties in some of the most popular areas in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“These homes are perfect for first time buyers or downsizers looking to mix the hubbub of the capital with suburban living.
“If people reserve now, they can be moved in in time for summer and the process is made even easier with our current incentives – which include mortgage repayments and flooring, in addition to improved energy efficiency. Homebuyers are urged to move quickly, as we expect these homes to be snapped up fast.”
Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes in the North and West of Scotland also have limited availability on homes ready to move into before summer.
