Month: June 2023

Are the kids alright?

Throughout 2020 and 2021, Public Health Scotland (PHS) ran three national surveys to hear directly from the parents and carers of younger children about how the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated restrictions, had affected their families.

PHS heard how the pandemic had impacted on relationships, behaviour, mood and parental wellbeing, with negative outcomes reported more frequently in low-income households compared to high-income households.

Now, three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, PHS is checking in again to see how young children and their families are doing. Parents and carers of a child aged between 0–11 years old are being asked to complete a new national survey, even if they have taken part in previous surveys or are caring for a child born out with the time of the pandemic restrictions. The survey is running for a fourth time from 8–30 June 2023, and PHS is keen to gauge any ripple effect, as well as any impact of the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Dr Grant Aitken, Public Health Intelligence Adviser at PHS, said:

“It’s important that we find out if the challenges we heard about previously are reducing, or if there are still some families who are struggling to cope with lasting impacts of the pandemic.

“Equally, it could be that some impacts are only becoming apparent now, and it’s important we capture these if so. This includes understanding people’s financial needs, with many families struggling to afford basics like food, housing costs or household bills.”

As with previous surveys, findings will be used by PHS to support practitioners, service providers and policy makers to respond to children and families in need, in areas covering childcare, education and health. Doing so is vital to help create a Scotland where all children and their families are given the chance to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, and to thrive.

Please complete the survey, or help us to promote it by emailing phs.comms@phs.scot for social media assets and a flyer for distribution or display.

Poor children to suffer, as Scotland’s oral health gap set to widen

The British Dental Association has responded to new figures from the Scottish Liberal Democrats warning the oral health gap between rich and poor children will widen, given ongoing access problems, and the growing exodus from a broken NHS system.

Official data from Public Health Scotland has already shown the fall in participation is hitting those in most deprived communities the most. In September 2008, the gap in child participation between the most and least deprived areas was three percentage points; this had increased to seven percentage points by 2010, eighteen percentage points (55.3% compared to 73.1%) in September 2021. The figure now stands at twenty percentage points (55.9% compared with 75.8%).

The BDA has warned that lower levels of participation will inevitably translate into a higher dental disease burden, with deep oral health inequalities expected to widen even further given the cumulative impact of limited access to services, the temporary suspension of public health programmes, and the impact of lockdown diets. Lower participation will reduce the chance of picking up early signs of decay at routine check-ups, and delays in treatment will mean higher costs to the NHS and worse outcomes for young patients. 

The professional body has stressed that reform to the broken low margin/high volume model the service works to are now essential, and that a new model has been pledged for rollout in the autumn. At present certain key treatments can be delivered at a financial loss, accelerating the exodus from the service. A recent BDA survey showed over half (59%) of high street NHS dentist reported having reduced the amount of NHS work they did since lockdown. Over four in five (83%) said they plan to reduce or further reduce their NHS commitment in the year ahead. 

The BDA says that the future of the service hinges on reform providing it with firm foundations, with a decent, sustainable model that can deliver for patients and dentists across Scotland. 

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “The oral health gap between rich and poor kids is set to widen.

“It’s a national scandal. Prevention is better than cure, but dentists are losing the chance to nip problems in the bud. The growing exodus from the NHS may make that permanent.

“Tooth decay is already the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children. It will take real reform to bring this service back from the brink.”

Midsummer Picnic at Granton Castle Walled Garden

Midsummer Picnic at Granton Castle Walled Garden

Saturday 17th June 1pm – 4pm.

All are welcome to join us.

Bring your own picnic and enjoy activities or just relax.

We’ll be there with water play💧and we’ll offer taster yoga sessions 🧘

There will also be a plant sale 🌱🌿🪴 and much more!

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Weekend storm warning for motorists

As weather forecasters say we could be in for a weekend of thunderstorms, motorists are being warned to check their insurance policies before venturing out into the elements.

The Met Office says a ‘hotter than normal’ weekend will bring outbreaks of torrential downpours and thunderstorms as temperatures cool after the heatwave.

Quotezone.co.uk, a leading car insurance comparison website, says any damage to cars caused by driving through flash floods might not be covered by insurance policies. It warns motorists to carefully check their policy exclusions, and even if routes are partially blocked, drivers should think twice before using waterlogged roads.

If drivers find themselves stuck in the car during a thunderstorm, official advice from the Met Office is to wind up the window and stay inside the vehicle – the metal frame of the car should act as a conductive Faraday cage, passing the current around the passengers and into the ground, should it be struck by lightning.* 

If motorists have an open or soft top vehicle, they are best to avoid driving if they know thunderstorms are coming.

Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “Motorists who have taken out third party only or third-party, fire and theft insurance wouldn’t be covered for any storm damage to their vehicles – only fully-comprehensive policyholders are likely to be protected in those cases.

“If a storm is predicted look at official flood warnings, avoid roads that are likely to flood and allow more time for your journey, note you may have to pull over and wait it out if the downpour starts to affect your visibility – not forgetting to put on the hazard lights.

“Unfortunately, if motorists do decide to drive through waterlogged roads, there’s a very real risk that they won’t be covered for any resulting water damage to the car – even fully-comprehensive drivers.”

Greg also warns motorists that have to go out, to make sure their cars are roadworthy before setting off, which includes checking tyre tread and windscreen wipers.

Quotezone.co.uk compares prices across all types of car insurance, including breakdown cover,  and niche products such as motor trade insurance – helping around 3 million users every year find better deals on their insurance. 

Men jailed for sexual offences

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, 9 June, 59-year-old Rhoderick McGregor was sentenced to 10 years for serious sexual offences.

McGregor was convicted on Tuesday, 16 May, at Edinburgh High Court in connection with the offences that took place in Fife between 2006 and 2014.

Detective Sergeant Mark Brown said: “We acknowledge how difficult this has been for McGregor’s victims. Their commitment and engagement during our investigation helped ensure his conviction. Our thoughts remain with them and I hope that his sentencing gives them some comfort and assists them in moving forward.

“Investigating the abuse of children and young people is a top priority for Police Scotland. I hope this outcome will give confidence to anyone who is experiencing or has experienced abuse to come forward, knowing that we will carry out a robust investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

“No matter how much time has passed, please report it. You can be assured that you will be fully supported by our officers and our partner agencies.”

A man responsible for the non-recent sexual abuse of young people in Edinburgh has also been jailed.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, 7 June, 2023, James Grover was sentenced to four years in prison for assaults on three people during the 1990s and 2000s.

The 41-year-old became subject of a Police Scotland public protection investigation in 2019 after the victims, who were aged between 12 and 15 years old at the time of the offences reported their abuse.

Grover was arrested and charged on 6 February 2020 before being found guilty of lewd and libidinous practices, indecent assault and assault on 2 May, 2023.

Detective Inspector Jonny Wright, who led the investigation, said: “Over a number of years, James Grover targeted his victims and subjected them to serious abuse that was both physical and sexual.

“These individuals showed incredible courage to come forward and make us aware of Grover’s offending, allowing us to conduct a thorough investigation, which ultimately led to his conviction and prison sentence.

“I want to thank them for their bravery and support of our inquiries. I hope today’s outcome brings them closure and peace of mind.

“Police Scotland will always take any reports of non-recent sexual crime seriously and investigate robustly. If you wish to report offences of this nature please contact us via 101.”

Dermatology: Funding to bring down outpatient waiting list

£1.8 million for new national service

A new national digital dermatology programme will be launched to help speed up treatment and reduce waiting lists.

By capturing quality digital images of a patient’s skin concern when they visit their GP or primary care provider the programme will, where clinically appropriate, allow a senior dermatologist to triage, diagnose and assess some skin conditions without the need for patients to attend an appointment.

People will then either be treated by their GP, directed to a more suitable service for their skin concern like an acne clinic or be offered a face-to-face appointment at a dermatology clinic, with those who need it directly scheduled for treatment or surgery.

Dermatology is one of the biggest outpatient specialties with over 46,000 patients on the waiting list for a first appointment at the end of March 2023. This new programme, backed by £1.8 million of funding, could potentially reduce demand for outpatient dermatology appointments by up to 50 per cent with the potential for up to 90 percent of referrals across Scotland to include a digital image.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “The Scottish Government is determined to reduce waiting times across all specialities, and we know that dermatology is one of the busiest when it comes to demand for outpatient appointments. This new programme will lead to a better and quicker service for patients – allowing clinicians to see patients in the right place sooner. It has the potential to significantly reduce waiting times.  

“Innovation like this is vital for the future of our healthcare service and I am excited to see the real benefits that will come from programmes like this in the years to come.”

Fiona Macdonald, Consultant Dermatologist and Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) Clinical Lead for Dermatology said: “Managing referrals during the pandemic highlighted to Dermatologists how important a good quality image is to a Dermatology referral.

“It can help us prioritise the most urgent referrals, choose the right treatment pathway or offer advice to support care provided in Primary care”.

Dr Stuart Sutton, GP and clinical lead for primary and secondary care interface working, said: “Having a fast, effective and secure way for Primary Care teams to send images of our patient’s skin conditions to specialist colleagues will ensure more rapid and most appropriate advice and treatment is available – a picture provides a level of detail that cannot be conveyed in a traditional referral letter.”

UK to provide £16 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine

  • In recognition of growing needs FCDO to provide £16 million to enable aid partners to help civilians, including 32,000 people directly affected by flooding, as well as at the frontlines and displaced communities.
  • UK funding will assist aid organisations with their response and includes £10 million to the Red Cross Movement, £5 million to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and £1m to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
  • To bolster rescue efforts and manage impact of ongoing flooding the FCDO is sending boats, community water filters, water pumps and waders to Ukraine.

The UK has today (10 June) set out an additional £16m in humanitarian support as Ukraine deals with the aftermath of flooding caused by the destruction of Nova Kakhova dam, which has affected 42,000 people in the Kherson area, and continuing Russian attacks.

This builds on our existing humanitarian support of £220 million which is allowing partners, such as the Ukraine Red Cross, to help evacuate civilians affected by the flooding.

Alongside this the UK-led Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine has already delivered two specialist rescue boats, search and rescue equipment, and trauma medicine to Kherson to assist the ongoing rescue operations by the State Emergency Services.

The additional £16 million is given in recognition of mounting needs across Ukraine, including in the areas affected by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

Funding will support aid organisations in the area who are currently assisting people affected by the flooding with rapid response equipment, shelter and essential supplies, as well as in areas affected by fighting and communities who have been displaced.

Beyond the immediate rescue efforts, this funding will help to respond to the ongoing impacts from flooding, including waterborne infectious diseases, loss of livelihoods and risks from landmines.

The funding will consist of £10 million of support to the Red Cross Movement, £5 million to OCHA and £1m to IOM.

The UK is also providing a package of rescue boats, community water filters, water pumps and waders to help State Emergency Services of Ukraine responders deal with the ongoing impact of the flooding. Equipment is expected to start arriving in Ukraine by next week.

Today’s announcement comes as water levels in Kherson continue to rise, with flooding spreading to other towns along the Dnipro River. The UK has moved quickly to bolster its support to Ukraine as it deals with severe flooding from the dam, which is expected to last for weeks and leave many in need of food, water and basic supplies.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary James Cleverly said: Flooding from the destruction of Kakhovka dam is having an untold impact on over 32,000 people living in Kherson, and thousands more in the surrounding area.

“The UK is leading the way in providing support to those desperately in need. Our funding is playing a vital role in helping Ukrainian services and aid organisations evacuate people and get help to those in need.

“We will continue to stand by Ukraine in dealing with this terrible incident.”

This aid package is part of the UK’s total support for Ukraine which so far totals £1.5billion in economic and humanitarian support, which has paid for the delivery of more than 11 million medical items as well as food supplies, ambulances and shelter kits.

Earlier this week the Foreign Secretary visited Ukraine to highlight the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its recovery. During his time there he met President Zelenskyy in Kyiv and discussed how best the UK will continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.

The UK is also set to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference later this month, which will bring together governments and industry leaders to develop a concerted multi-sector plan to help Ukraine to recover from Russia’s illegal invasion.

Water Safety Scotland produces series of advice codes for water users

Water Safety Scotland (WSS) has produced a series of safety codes that offer important advice pertaining to a number of popular water-based recreational activities. Five activities were selected by examining data from the Water Incident Data (WAID) and are designed around the same three-steps as the more general water safety code.

Experienced and casual users can examine the advice given and hopefully make wiser and more informed decisions when undertaking the activities of angling, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking/canoeing, sub-aqua diving and open water swimming. Each code is available to view and download from the WSS website.

A spokesperson for WSS said: “It is vitally important for water users to be well-informed before undertaking recreational activities in or on the water.

“Our activity-specific advice codes will be promoted throughout Scotland to try to ensure that the advice is seen by those who would most benefit from learning it. Our hope is that this will reduce the number of incidents that we see each year”

With summer now upon us, WSS also want to raise awareness of cold water shock (CWS). While it can be tempting to enter the water in warmer weather, the temperature of Scotland’s open water remains very cold and sudden immersion can lead to CWS.

CWS can affect even the strongest swimmers as it overwhelms the ability to breathe and to swim, which can lead to drowning. 

With more hot weather on the way, it is important to learn how to keep safe around water, follow local safety guidance and to avoid alcohol on and near waterways.

Last year, 45 people sadly lost their lives to accidental drowning in Scotland; the majority of which were in inland open waterways such as rivers, canals and lochs (62 per cent).

To help reduce drowning fatalities, WSS is highlighting the three-step water safety code:

·         Stop and Think, Spot the Dangers

·         Stay Together, Stay Safe

·         In an Emergency, Call 999.

On 25 July, in recognition of World Drowning Prevention Day, WSS will be hosting a free Water Safety Open Day at Helix Park, Falkirk between 11am – 3pm.  

Visitors to the event are invited to visit information and activity stands and watch various demonstrations. The Helix Park lagoon will offer opportunities for the public to watch the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) as well as Newfoundland water rescue dogs in action.

The water safety code can be accessed online here and has been translated into the seven most widely-spoken languages in Scotland. The five activity-specific codes can be accessed here.