Day: October 2, 2023

Pet first aid becomes lifesaver for seriously injured dog

Two-year-old Labrador Reggie was out enjoying a Sunday evening walk with his loving owner when disaster struck, and PDSA’s pet first aid advice had to be put into practice.

While running through the woods with his canine brother, Ronnie; Reggie sliced his paw open on some broken glass that had been discarded on the ground.

With blood pouring from his cut paw, over a mile from the car and unfortunately no supplies on hand, Reggie’s owner, Jess, utilised her recently learnt pet first aid knowledge to wrap the serious wound with a makeshift bandage.

To help stem the bleeding, Jess ripped off a piece of her clothing and applied pressure to the cut. She then covered it with a poo bag, tied loosely round Reggie’s ankle, to keep it clean while they made their way back to the car.

Once home, Jess unwrapped the bandage to clean Reggie’s paw and realised it was still bleeding heavily. She immediately called the vet, who directed them to head straight to their out of hours service.

After being examined, the vet informed Jess that the deep cut had damaged a major blood vessel and would need stitches under general anaesthetic. Luckily the procedure went smoothly and just a few hours later, Reggie was discharged and able to go home for some well-needed rest and recuperation, while his paw heeled.

PDSA Vet Lynne James said: “It can be extremely worrying when your pet has an accident or gets injured, especially if you’re far from home and you haven’t got your pet first aid kit with you.

“In Reggie’s case, his owner did exactly the right thing and helped stem a potentially life-threatening bleed, preventing further contamination and infection to the wound – thanks to the lifesaving advice learnt from our pet first aid leaflet.

“Our guide covers everything from what to do if your pet is having a seizure, to how to cool your pet down safely if they develop life-threatening heatstroke.

You never know when disaster might strike so it’s very useful to be clued up on pet first aid – it could save a life in an emergency.”

Jess said: “After reading through all of PDSA’s pet first aid advice in the guide, we made sure we had a complete pet first aid kit for the dogs, but I didn’t have it with me on our walk. Despite that, the advice in the guide ended up really being a ‘lifesaver’ when Reggie cut his paw.”

PDSA’s pet first aid guide is available for FREE, you can download your own copy from PDSA’s website: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-first-aid  

PDSA relies on donations to deliver life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets through its 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK. To help keep people and their pets together in times of need, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support.

To find out more about PDSA’s vital work, or to donate, visit www.pdsa.org.uk

Influential entrepreneur becomes Vice-Chair of Salvesen Mindroom

Business leader, educator and entrepreneur Judy Wagner has been appointed Vice Chair of neurodiversity champions Salvesen Mindroom Centre.

Ms Wagner, a strong advocate for diversity in the workplace for three decades, has been a trustee of the Edinburgh-based charity for the past three years during which time her influential business network has helped to expand the charity’s reach and impact.

She has also enabled the charity to broaden its scope of service delivery and attracted new clients and opportunities to extend its services.

An Edinburgh University graduate and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, she has been heavily involved in championing diversity issues since co-founding international executive search business FWB Park Brown in 1993 and has also worked with Scottish Enterprise to establish the Balancing the Boardroom project, the first of its kind in Scotland for women on boards.

Last year she was part of an independent review on Women in Entrepreneurship commissioned by the Scottish Government. She focused on the education sector, liaising with key leaders across the whole sector, examining how enterprise and diversity, including neurodiversity, could be embedded in our education system. 

“There is no doubt that the best teams embrace diversity of all forms,” she says. “And the benefits of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace are well proven in ensuring success, attracting and retaining key talent and creating a welcoming environment.”

Ms Wagner, who is also passionate about Salvesen Mindroom’s role as a key partner in the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, part of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at The University of Edinburgh, is committed to helping establish the charity as a centre of excellence for Neurodiversity, supporting children, young people and those in the workplace with leading research, advice and practical resources.

Salvesen Mindroom Centre’s Chair Sandy Manson, who has long argued for diversity to become a key business priority, says: “Judy’s ethos and enthusiasm are a perfect fit for us.

“She embraces everything we are trying to achieve and has already proved an impressive force for good on various fronts, including using her networks to publicise and attract delegates for the global It Takes All Kinds Of Minds conference we held in the city in March. We look forward to enhancing our offering further with her guidance as Vice Chair.”

Salvesen Mindroom Centre is a charity that champions all forms of neurodiversity and supports all kinds of minds. Their mission is to be a leading centre for change, in how we live, work and learn. They will achieve this through support, education, advocacy, and research. Visit their website for more information on the charity’s work.

New Winter COVID-19 Infection Study

A study to gather vital data on COVID-19 this winter has been launched by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Winter COVID-19 Infection Study (WCIS) will run from November 2023 to March 2024, involving up to 200,000 participants.

UKHSA previously commissioned the Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS), carried out by the ONS during the pandemic, in partnership with scientific study leads Oxford University.

Recognised globally as the gold standard for surveillance of the virus, CIS gathered and analysed more than 11.5 million swab tests and 3 million blood tests from April 2020 to March 2023. 

The new WCIS is a different study and will involve up to 32,000 lateral flow tests being carried out each week, providing key insight into the levels of COVID-19 circulating across the wider community. This sample will be broadly representative of the population according to key characteristics.

While widespread vaccination has allowed us to live with COVID-19, some people remain more vulnerable to severe illness, and this in turn can lead to increased pressures on the NHS over the winter months.

That is why UKHSA is urging eligible adults to book their flu and COVID-19 vaccines online via the NHS website, by downloading the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free, to give themselves the best protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.

UKHSA’s existing surveillance systems already provide up-to-date information on hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, but the introduction of this study will allow us to detect changes in the infection hospitalisation rate (IHR), which requires accurate measurement of infection levels in the community.

Calculating the IHR will enable UKHSA to assess the potential for increased demand on health services due to changes in the way the virus is spreading, which could be driven by the arrival of any new variants.

Professor Steven Riley, Director General of Data, Analytics and Surveillance at UKHSA, said: “The data we collected alongside the ONS during the pandemic provided us with a huge amount of valuable insight, so I am delighted that we are able to work together again to keep policymakers and the wider public informed in the coming months.

“UKHSA continues to lead the way internationally on COVID-19 surveillance and by re-introducing a study of positivity in the community, we can better detect changes in the behaviour of the virus.”

The study will use lateral flow devices (LFDs) supplied by UKHSA.

The latest UKHSA technical briefing, published on 22 September, included initial findings of tests performed in the laboratory at Porton Down to examine the effectiveness of LFDs in detecting BA.2.86, and found no reduction in sensitivity compared to previous variants.

The model and scale of this study could also be converted into a programme that captures data on different respiratory viruses, should that be required in future.

Deputy National Statistician Emma Rourke at the ONS said: “ONS is committed to building on the experience of standing up the gold standard CIS. Our resources and statistical expertise are here for the public good, and we are delighted to be delivering this study in partnership with UKHSA.

“There remains a need for robust data to help us continue to understand the virus and its effects during the winter months.

“As well as working to provide UKHSA with regular rates of positivity, we will also be looking at analysis of symptoms, risk factors and the impact of respiratory infections, including long COVID, as part of this important surveillance.”

One week on, Martin still missing

Almost one week on from when he was last seen, police continue to appeal for information to trace 70-year-old Martin Sinnett who is missing from Edinburgh.

Officers are checking a possible sighting in Musselburgh in the High Street and Harbour area.

There is also a confirmed sighting of Martin around 6.35am on Tuesday, 26 September outside the motorbike training centre on Seafield Road, Edinburgh.

At that time, he was wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He was also wearing a distinctive kilt jacket, blue jeans and black trainers with white soles. Officers have released a CCTV image.

Inspector Mike Smith said: “We are extremely concerned for Martin’s wellbeing and just want to know he is safe and well.

“I would ask residents in these areas to check their gardens, sheds and outbuildings in case Martin has sought shelter. If anyone has seen Martin or has any information on his whereabouts, please contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference number 0708 of 26 September

More than 11,500 disclosures given to people at risk of domestic abuse

More than 11,500 disclosures have been made to tell people their partner has an abusive past, since Police Scotland launched a scheme eight years ago to help tackle domestic abuse.

The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland (DSDAS) launched on 1st October 2015, has received over 20,000 requests for information.

Of the 20,005 requests, 11,599 disclosures (58 per cent) have been made to tell people their current partner has a violent or abusive past.

‘a thousand words’ commissioned by Scottish Womens Aid and Zero Tolerance. Copyright Laura Dodsworth

Detective Superintendent Gillian Faulds, Police Scotland’s Head of Domestic Abuse, said: “Abusers manipulate and control their victims.

“Abuse can be gradual and it can be very difficult for victims of domestic abuse to recognise their situation and to then take action to end their relationship.

“The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland helps someone at risk of abuse consider their circumstances and make an informed choice about the future of that relationship.”

The scheme operates two pathways, the right to ask and the power to tell.

Under the Right to Ask, people who think their partner may have an abusive past, or their family and friends have concerns, are able to submit an application. Where lawful, proportionate and necessary, a disclosure can be made to the person at risk.

Under the Power to Tell, professionals including the police and partner agencies can apply for a disclosure to be made where they have reason to believe a person could be at risk of domestic abuse.

Detective Superintendent Faulds added: “If you’re a family member, a friend, a work colleague or even a neighbour and you think that someone you know is potentially at risk of harm from their current partner then you can make an application.

“Those at risk from domestic abuse who are told about a partner’s abusive past can then choose the course of action they wish to take, whether to end the relationship or continue it. Officers will always signpost those at risk to support and advice offered by our partners.

“All it takes is one person to alert us and we can help end the threat and harm caused by domestic abuse.”

Submitting a DSDAS application can be done online on the Police Scotland website, by calling 101, speaking to an officer or attending at a police station. Applications are processed within 45 days or sooner.

HMRC: Scottish taxi driver tax checks come into force

Scotland’s 29,000 taxi and private hire drivers need to complete HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax checks when renewing their operating licence, starting from today (2 October 2023).

The checks have been introduced to promote tax compliance within the industry and make it fairer for the vast majority of drivers who already pay their taxes correctly.

Councils will administer the process in Scotland, which involves making sure drivers have completed their tax check before their licence applications can be considered.

The checks will also be required for those in Scotland renewing their licence to operate a booking office or a scrap metal site, plus those who are metal dealers.

Marc Gill, Director of Individuals and Small Business Compliance, HMRC, said: “While most taxi drivers in Scotland pay their taxes accurately and on time, we want to level the playing field and tackle the small minority who don’t.

“The hidden economy is estimated to cost the UK Government £2 billion in unpaid taxes, which deprives funds for the vital public services we all rely on.

“By linking tax compliance to licence renewal, the government hopes to discourage participation in the hidden economy and encourage drivers to fulfil their tax obligations.”

The checks were rolled out in England and Wales in April 2022, where more than 120,000 people have already successfully gone through the process.

When renewing their licence, drivers will need to use a Government Gateway account to complete the tax check on GOV.UK, which is quick, simple and straightforward.

After answering a few questions about their tax registration, HMRC will provide applicants with a tax check code. This code must be given to the local council before they can proceed with the licence renewal application.

Scotland-council-taxi-private-hire-licence-numbersDownload

New town centre plans unveiled for East Lothian’s Blindwells 

Ambitious plans to develop a mixed-use centre at the heart of East Lothian’s new town, Blindwells, including more affordable homes, have been submitted for approval.

The project proposals, led by regeneration and property development specialist Hargreaves Land, could see new shops, offices, restaurants, supermarket and business space all constructed on 5 acres at Blindwells.

Included in the plans are sixty affordable apartments overlooking the newly created Princes Loch.  Also proposed are a new wellbeing centre, care home, gym and community space as part of ambitious plans to create a sustainable and pedestrian friendly town centre.

Extra bus stops, active travel paths and electrical vehicle (EV) charge points are also proposed, supporting the principles of a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’. This approach is based around creating communities to allow residents to meet their daily requirements within a few minutes’ walk of their front doors and includes access to sustainable modes of travel.

Hargreaves Land, which is working with planning and development consultants Turley and EMA architects to bring forward its plans, expects the move will create a ‘vibrant and bustling’ new centre at the heart of Blindwells, delivering a significant economic boost for the local area in the process.

This includes hundreds of jobs in the construction, supply chain, and local services sectors, which could all follow if the latest phase of development gets the green light from East Lothian Council which is anticipated early in the new year.

Onsite construction work could start as early as mid-2024.

Jonathan Graham, senior development surveyor at Hargreaves Land, said: “Our ambitious plans mark another exciting chapter in the Blindwells story. We are investing for the future, building a town centre that will create a new destination and an exciting sense of place for residents, adding to their overall wellbeing and living experience.

“We’re also working with our partners to deliver much needed affordable homes, ensuring schemes like this one are a welcome addition to local communities and contribute towards providing high quality housing for people in places where they want to live.”

Kate Donald, director at Turley, said: “We’re proud to provide ongoing support to Hargreaves Land to help them deliver exciting plans for Blindwells. This latest application will see the creation of a vibrant town centre which will provide key amenities to the wider new community that is being created.”

Hargreaves Land is the developer behind the regeneration of Blindwells, which lies between Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton and has been earmarked for new housing for more than a decade as part of the regeneration of one of Scotland’s former coalfields. 

Over 150 new homes are already occupied with housebuilders Persimmon, Bellway and Ogilvie all currently active at Blindwells, with Hadden Homes and Avant Homes also proposing to commence onsite in the new year.

Scottish Water unveils Scotland’s ‘Top of the Taps’

Edinburgh consumes nearly 250,000 litres of water from public Top Up Taps

THE BUSIEST and most-used taps across Scotland over the summer have been identified in the latest data revealed by Scottish Water.

The research paints a fascinating picture of exactly where thirsty drinkers have been using the national water provider’s network of Top up Taps from May to August.

Topping the chart, retaining its top position, was the Grassmarket Top up Tap which dispensed almost 35,000 litres. Seven of Edinburgh’s 10 taps featured in the top 10,

Impressively, the Top Up Taps initiative has inspired a 19% increase in people carrying a refillable bottle, and figures show that well-hydrated people across Edinburgh filled up almost 18,000 water bottles and consumed 236,353 litres of water across the area’s 11 taps.

Following the Grassmarket, the other most used taps in the region was in The Meadows Pavillion which served up 31,869 litres, and Portobello Promenade with 31,621 litres.

The Botanics West tap was the least used in Edinburgh with 2,780 litres dispensed. Meanwhile the tap in Rutland Place clocked in with a total tap usage of 15,092 litres and Leith Links at 18,259.

Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: “It’s brilliant that so many locals and visitors alike are using our Top Up Taps in such numbers.

“But nothing would make us happier than seeing them used even more! There couldn’t be many better reasons for carrying a refillable water bottle and topping up when you’re out and about – it’s good for your health, good for your pocket and good for the planet.”

Publicly funded Scottish Water recently installed its landmark 100th Top Up Tap in the shadow of the Kelpies in Falkirk. Since launching the initiative in 2018, the 100 taps collectively have topped up the equivalent of nearly 6 million single use plastic bottles.

The aim was to put the distinctive blue Top Up Taps in key locations all over the country – and they now stretch from Arran to Arbroath and from Shetland to Stranraer.

It couldn’t be easier to see where your communities tap is – just visit

www.YourWaterYourLife.co.uk/TapMap 

and search by putting in any postcode or viewing a complete list of the Top Up Taps across Scotland.

Brian Lironi, added: “Water is our most precious natural resource, and we want the people of Scotland and visitors to have access whenever they need it.”

Full usage list of Top up Taps in Edinburgh:

Total Usage May – Aug 2023 (L) 

Edinburgh- Grassmarket – 32135

Edinburgh- The Meadows Pavillion – 31869

Edinburgh- Portobello Promenade – 31621 

Edinburgh- Scottish Parliament – 28910

Edinburgh- South Queensferry – 21975

Edinburgh- Botanics East – 21853 

Edinburgh- Silverknowes – 18407

Edinburgh- Leith Links Refill Station – 18259

Edinburgh- Rutland Place – 15092

Edinburgh- High Street – 13452

Edinburgh- Botanics West – 278

Campaigners call for end to incineration excess

Campaigners have written to the Scottish Government urging them to use their powers to stop the development of three incinerators that otherwise will be built, despite Ministers banning new incinerators in 2022.

Local community groups and environmental campaigners have written to Lorna Slater, Minister for the Circular Economy, calling for the Scottish Government to “close this gaping loophole” and immediately stop plans for unnecessary incinerators being built in Scotland.

In 2022, the Scottish Government banned plans for new incinerators after an independent review found that Scotland will have more capacity to manage waste than there is waste to burn by 2027. However, incinerators that had planning approval before the ban came into force were not included in the ban.

There are at least three incinerators (Avondale Energy from Waste in Falkirk; Inverurie in Aberdeenshire; and Levenseat 2 in South Lanarkshire) that have planning permission but have not yet entered construction. If they were built they will create unnecessary and harmful emissions which will put the Scottish Government’s climate and recycling agendas at risk.

The letter asks the Scottish Government to use its powers under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations to direct the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to refuse to award permits to new incinerators. Without these permits, the incinerators are not allowed to operate.

As well as burning valuable resources, incinerators contribute to climate breakdown by emitting greenhouse gases from the waste they burn. On average, burning one tonne of waste emits one tonne of CO2 directly into the atmosphere.

John Young from the Dovesdale Action Group, who successfully campaigned against incineration plans in South Lanarkshire, said: “Whilst we endure a climate emergency, nationally we are not on target to meet our commitments to reduce emissions or increase household recycling.

“Plans for new incinerators hinder our ability to meet these targets. Burning our resources does not support the national agenda for a circular economy, nor does it recognise the impact on communities and the environment. If we are to reduce the impact of waste, we need to stop polluting our air with greenhouse gases and transform the waste industry for the benefit of the people, not shareholders.”

Dr Ronald Parr, local activist concerned about the planned incinerator in Inverurie, said: “The Inverurie incinerator is redundant before it even opens. If it is built, the North East of Scotland will struggle with two large incinerators just 15 miles apart.”

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “If all the incinerators that have planning permission were built, Scotland would have more capacity than there is waste to burn in four years time.

“Plans to build unnecessary incinerators must be rapidly reversed. The Scottish Government has the power to do this by directing SEPA to refuse permits, and they must use it.

“Incinerators are a terrible way of getting rid of waste – burning resources means we can’t reuse them and burning plastic releases carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate breakdown.”

Shlomo Dowen, National Coordinator of UKWIN, said: “Scotland has a great vision to move towards a more circular economy, and that means less incineration and more reduction, reuse and recycling of waste.

“However, this greener future is put at risk by incineration overcapacity because once built these burners will need to be provided with a constant supply of waste. The Scottish Government needs to act urgently to close this gaping loophole in their incineration moratorium before it is too late.”

The three incinerator plants which have obtained planning permission prior to the ban but have not yet begun construction or obtained a permit are: Avondale Energy from Waste in Falkirk; Inverurie in Aberdeen; and Levenseat 2 in South Lanarkshire. The Glenfarg  incinerator in Perthshire and Oldhall incinerator in North Ayrshire are believed to be in the early construction stages and do not have permits.

The local community groups and environmental groups who have written the joint letter to the Scottish Government are:

Community Groups and individuals:

Ayrshire Against Incineration Group
Badenoch & Strathspey Conservation Group
Dovesdale Action Group
Friends of the Earth Falkirk
Friends of the Earth Inverness and Ross
Irvine Without Incinerators

Environmental Groups:

Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland
Friends of the Earth Scotland
UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN)

Full letter to the Scottish Government:

https://scot.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b5ad0d61b2a67d22c68bf7d8d&id=577a4fa164&e=195fc3d780