Does your bike need a bit of TLC? Bring it along to Dr Bike this Saturday in Macmillan Square, to have it checked and repaired, for free!
There will also be a family friendly led bike ride around the local area (children must be accompanied by an adult; and aged 8+).
These are free activities for people living in North Edinburgh, and there’s no need to book.
A partnership between NHS 24, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) ensures anyone who needs urgent mental health support will be directed to the most appropriate service for their needs.
Termed the ‘Mental Health Pathway,’ the collaboration between the three services means that people phoning 999 with non-emergency mental health concerns are now referred to NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub.
This is staffed by Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and Mental Health Nurses who are highly trained to help patients in mental distress. The Mental Health Hub is designed to support people who need urgent mental health support, where emergency intervention is not required.
The Hub can also be accessed by phoning 111. As well as helping people with their immediate care needs, specialist staff can also refer people to local services. They’ll then get further assessment and treatment if needed. Although most people can be helped immediately and supported with self-care techniques.
Dr Ron Cook is NHS 24’s Medical Director. He details the aims of the Mental Health Pathway and why it became essential for NHS 24, Police Scotland, and Scottish Ambulance Service to work together to provide more effective urgent mental health support for patients: “It is imperative that anyone in mental health crisis or distress can quickly and easily connect with professionals who are experts in that field. Within office hours, patients seeking help with their mental health should contact their own GP.
“However, during the out of hours period, such as evenings and weekends, it is common for patients to be unsure of where to access mental health support. Many will often reach out for help by dialling 999, which may not be the most appropriate care route for them.
“The Mental Health Pathway was set up to streamline the process for anyone needing urgent assistance with their mental health, and aims to make all callers feel supported, understood, and cared for.
“This project has led to a better experience for individuals experiencing mental illness or distress, but also has the added impact of reducing the deployment of frontline services in non-emergencies and easing the demand on emergency services.”
The Mental Health Pathway was developed as a response to actions from the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027, which aims to improve mental health services and outcomes for people in Scotland by providing a comprehensive and integrated approach to mental health.
NHS 24, Police Scotland, and SAS’ partnership went live operationally in 2020, and since then, the project has undergone various evaluation phases and gradual roll-out to thoroughly test processes to ensure patient safety.
2024 has marked a significant milestone for the Mental Health Pathway as over 91% of Police Scotland staff are now trained in the transfer process, with work ongoing to train 100% of applicable staff, secure the pathway as business as usual, and ensure all Police Scotland and SAS staff have awareness of and confidence in transferring mental health callers appropriately.
Anna is a Senior Charge Nurse in NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub, she explains the benefits to patients: “It is great that patients now come directly through to us if they need urgent assistance with their mental health, as it means that they are not waiting for lengthy periods at A&E which may not be the most suitable place for their needs at that time.
“It is so important that we are providing safe and effective care for all patients, and the development of the Mental Health Pathway means that people are getting the help they need at the right time by right person.”
The collaboration between NHS 24, Police Scotland, and SAS not only has a positive impact on patients. The Mental Health Pathway has also meant that police and ambulance staff are no longer deployed unnecessarily to calls regarding mental health unless there is an immediate threat to life.
This change has meant that staff from these services now have more time to perform their core roles.
Notably, Police Scotland data has recorded that 17,413 officer hours were saved over a ten-month period and 99% of their staff confirmed they felt confident making referrals and using the Mental Health Pathway following their training.
Chief Superintendent Matt Paden leads Police Scotland’s Mental Health Taskforce, he said: “Our work around policing’s response to mental health seeks to reset the parameters of policing’s contribution to a system wide response to ensure people get the compassion, help, and support they need and deserve from those best able to provide it.
“Our colleagues in the Mental Health Taskforce and C3 Division have worked closely with partners in NHS 24 and Scottish Ambulance Service to deliver the Mental Health Pathway over a period of years.
“Their important work demonstrates the benefits of referring those in mental health crisis to services best able to meet their needs. This can provide better outcomes for individuals and communities, better value to the public and enable officers to tackle threat, harm and risk and prevent crime.
“Further development and evaluation will continue, but I am grateful to all of those involved in the successful implementation and delivery of the Mental Health Pathway.”
Catherine Totten, Head of Service for Mental Health and Dementia at the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said: “SAS supports people in mental health crisis and distress 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, and we are committed to improving the outcomes and experience for these service users.
“The Mental Health Pathway allows us to directly transfer non-emergency callers to mental health trained clinicians in the NHS 24 mental health hub, ensuring those in crisis receive the right care at the right time.”
Edinburgh Multicultural Festival goes on tour! This fall we will be visiting libraries in the Edinburgh North neighbourhoods with our featured artists.
On Saturday, 19 October, Granton Library will be hosting ahalya Dance Academy who will bring a South Asian cultural dance performance and workshop for all ages.
Ahalya Dance Academy, an Edinburgh based dance school specialising in the ancient Indian art form of Bharatanatyam. Their vision is to bring the rich tradition of Bharatanatyam to diverse communities and provide a platform for aspiring dancers to learn and grow.
This event is free but ticketed, so make sure you register with us ahead of the event!
@top fans
Teen Boutique on this Saturday 11 am to 1pm this Saturday at PYCP.
Affordable clothes for PY families and friends.
Please share.
Team PY
The government is launching a major crackdown on waste in the NHS to save millions of pounds a year, helping to divert more resources to frontline care.
A new strategy – the Design for Life Roadmap – is being published to radically cut the number of single-use medical devices in the health service and reduce our reliance on foreign imports.
Disposable medical devices substantially contribute to the 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste that the NHS produces every year in England alone. The roadmap paves the way to slashing this waste and maximising reuse, remanufacture and recycling in the NHS.
Doing so will create thousands more UK jobs and help transform the country into a life sciences superpower. As it stands, millions of devices like walking aids and surgical instruments are thrown away after just one use.
Harmonic shears – surgical devices which seal patients’ wounds using ultrasound waves – each cost more than £500 and around 90% of them are binned after a single use. Innovative companies are already purchasing these used devices and safely remanufacturing them at a lower price.
The government will encourage more of this kind of innovation to safely remanufacture a wider range of products and drive costs down, including by changing procurement rules to incentivise reusable products and rolling out examples where hospitals are already leading the way on cutting wasteful spending and practices.
Approximately £10 billion each year is spent on medical technology like this in the NHS, but too much of it is imported via vulnerable routes that risk disrupting patient care.
A Circular Economy Taskforce has already been created to foster more highly skilled green jobs and smarter use of our resources. An economy wide shift to a circular economy could add £75 billion to the economy and create 500,000 jobs by 2030.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The NHS is broken. It is the mission of this government to get it back on its feet, and we can’t afford a single penny going to waste.
“Because the NHS deals in the billions, too often it doesn’t think about the millions. That has to change. This government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the public finances, so we will have a laser-like focus on getting better value for taxpayers’ money.
“Every year, millions of expensive medical devices are chucked in the bin after being used just once. We are going to work closely with our medical technology industry, to eliminate waste and support homegrown medtech and equipment.”
The below case studies illustrate the potential savings:
The Design for Life programme will reduce this kind of waste and achieve an NHS-wide move to sustainable alternatives– also supporting the government’s net zero goals.
A new roadmap sets out 30 actions to achieve this shift – including how the government will work with companies to encourage the production of more sustainable products, along with training for NHS staff on how to use them.
Taking this approach will mean more money can be spent in the UK, driving growth, creating more engineering, life sciences and research jobs – all while securing savings for the NHS budget.
Many of these products include precious metals such as platinum and titanium which are in high demand but go to landfill when they could be recovered and sold. A reduction in the amount of disposed single-use devices will also reduce the country’s carbon footprint and plastic pollution.
The government will encourage industry figures to innovate by making sure benefits of reusable MedTech are part of how the NHS chooses the products it buys.
Baroness Merron visited University College London Hospital yesterday (Tuesday, 15 October). The hospital is a member of the Circular Economy Healthcare Alliance, which advocates for sustainable practices within the NHS.
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said: “Design for Life doesn’t just deliver on the Health Mission, to build an NHS fit for the future, it also delivers on our Growth Mission to make the UK a life science superpower and our commitment to get the NHS to net zero by 2045.“
She toured a mock operating theatre and was shown various sustainable products its NHS staff use – from simple products like gowns and scissors to sophisticated, expensive products like harmonic shears.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, said: “While the NHS is treating record numbers of patients, we know there is much more to do to ensure taxpayers get value for money.
“The NHS made a record £7.25bn worth of efficiency savings last year and is targeting a further £9bn of savings for 2024/25. But we are rightly still looking for ways to get our money’s worth for every penny we spend.”
In response, charity Kidney Care UK is urging people to take their five minute online Kidney Health Checker to understand their level of risk and take action to prolong their kidney health as part of their #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign.
The campaign has the backing of 51-year old Lois Denham, a kidney transplant recipient from Paisley: “Most of us probably haven’t really heard of Chronic kidney disease but I had symptoms – I was exhausted, and I mean really exhausted, not just tired, but constantly.
“Along with this I also had brain fog. Before I had my transplant I was vomiting up to four times a day including through the night. It was horrendous. However, I continued to work almost full time right up to the day before my transplant. But it wasn’t until I had my transplant in January 2023 that I realised just how awful it had been before that. I had just got used to it, it had been so long.”
“Now, thanks to the most wonderful and precious gift from the most incredible person, Josh, I now not only more energy, but I’m also well. I’m able to do and experience so much more. I actually get to live a full and happy life thanks to the selfless generosity of my big hearted friend. I will forever be grateful to him.
“But the point is, that I didn’t know I was at such risk, or how kidney disease could develop itself, what the repercussions would be not just to me health wise but on my family, on my ability to just do everyday things.
“I have polycystic kidneys and I was being monitored. So if you have risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes or an underlying kidney condition then please, take it seriously. Get yourself checked out and take the advice that doctors give you so you can try and live a healthier, fuller life for longer.
“Like the campaign says, your kidneys are amazing – but you could be losing kidney function without even knowing.”
The most common signs of CKD are: cramps, itchy skin, dietary changes (food tasting different to how it does normally), nausea and/or vomiting, exhaustion, changes to your wee and swelling of your ankles/legs or face.
Our research also showed that:
CKD currently affects 1 in 10 people – equivalent to more than 7 million people in the UK – but 1 million of those are not even aware they have CKD.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes, but more than 70% of people with high blood pressure do not have an annual urine test for CKD; furthermore 45% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 32% of people with Type 2 diabetes do not have their annual urine test for CKD. Unless urgent preventative action is taken to improve diagnosis and treatment rates, CKD is predicted to be the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2040..
Fiona Loud, Director of Policy at Kidney Care UK, said: “We want to see at risk groups in Scotland screened for CKD as early as possible. Delay in the diagnosis of moderate to advanced CKD by just one year results in a 63% higher likelihood of kidney failure requiring costly and burdensome treatment to stay alive, such as dialysis or a transplant.
“This also has a significant effect on people’s mental health and on their ability to work. Whether people are identified early or late, there will always be a cost to the NHS; but by identifying people sooner more can be done to prolong their kidney health, improve their quality of life and reduce the impact on health and other services.”
Whilst age-based screening is offered for people aged 40 to 75 via the NHS Health Check, only half of all people invited for the NHS Health Check take up the offer. Innovations such as the new digital health check programme may make it easier for people to engage with their health. However, it’s important to note that people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes aren’t included in the health check programme.
Laurie Cuthbert, Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at Kidney Care UK, added: “We are concerned that a lack of symptom awareness amongst the general public in Scotland, combined with a fear of not wanting to burden their GP, means that some are at risk of losing as much as 90% of their kidney function without realising or taking simple steps to look after their kidney health.
“We hope that our #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign will help raise awareness of the Bloody Amazing role they play. By empowering individuals to take control of their kidney health, we want to ensure that more people are diagnosed sooner and ultimately never reach kidney failure.”
Take 5 minutes to protect your kidneys today:
People in Scotland are being encouraged to take a closer look at their recycling habits this Recycle Week (14th to 20th October) to make sure their efforts aren’t going to waste.
This year, Zero Waste Scotland is putting a spotlight on the efforts people put into recycling at home, acknowledging that we could all probably do more. In fact, research from Zero Waste Scotland found that over half (52%) of what’s in the average general waste bin in Scotland could have been recycled.)52%) of what’s in the average general waste bin in Scotland could have been recycled.)
To address this issue, while also celebrating national efforts in recycling, Zero Waste Scotland has launched its Don’t Let it Go to Waste campaign, which aims to increase positive recycling behaviour.
Over the course of the week, Zero Wast Scotland will be encouraging people across the country to take action on household waste and recycle all that they can. The campaign features a series of helpful resources for communities and schools, including a short film focusing on recycling efforts, animations addressing recycling questions, posters, lesson plans and activity sheets.
With many councils collecting more materials than ever before, a common cause of confusion is uncertainty around which items go in each bin. To help, Zero Waste Scotland’s free Recycling Sorter tool can guide people to understand what can be recycled and in which colour bin for every local authority area in Scotland. In addition to using the interactive tool, Zero Waste Scotland is also encouraging people to check their Council website for the latest recycling information and, importantly, to not let their recycling go to waste.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Recycling plays a critical role in the circular economy, keeping valuable materials in use for longer and reducing the need to extract new resources. By putting the right items in the right bins, we can significantly reduce waste and minimise our environmental impact.
“Scotland has a strong reputation for environmental awareness and many households already make great efforts to recycle. However, it’s clear that more can be done to ensure our recycling efforts are as effective as possible – and this is when Zero Waste Scotland can help.”
In addition to supporting people in Scotland directly, Zero Waste Scotland supports the Scottish Government in providing funding to local authorities through the Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF), which helps to improve recycling facilities and services across Scotland.
To date, £65 million has been awarded to 41 projects across 26 local authorities. These projects range from improvements to household recycling services and upgrading recycling facilities to introducing recycling in schools and expanding the collection of new materials like mattresses and polystyrene.
The funded projects are expected to divert nearly 60,000 tonnes of material per year for recycling or reuse, resulting in carbon savings of approximately 60,000 tonnes CO2e annually.
Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal addressed more than 300 delegates at RCEM’s Annual Scientific Conference in Gateshead last week (10 October 2024).
Her Royal Highness praised the dedication of Emergency Medicine professionals and highlighted the work of the NHS workforce, in particular Emergency Departments, with the Covid outbreak and high workloads.
The Princess Royal was greeted at the conference venue by Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and Catherine Feast, RCEM’s Director of Engagement and External Affairs.
Her Royal Highness viewed the winning submissions from the poster competition and met the designers, and then went on to meet the abstract authors, discussing their studies which focused on key issues facing Emergency Medicine.
The Princess Royal further engaged with speakers and delegates before listening to Professor Richard Body from the University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, who delivered his presentation on how to optimise shared decision making for patients with chest pain.
Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “It was a great honour to welcome Her Royal Highness to our conference.
“Once again, she showed her understanding of the specialty, her interest in the people who work in it, and her awareness of the challenges it faces.
“We are so lucky to have such an engaged and passionate patron, and I know it means so much for those members who were able to meet and chat with her about their work.”
Catherine Feast, Director of Engagement and External Affairs at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “Her Royal Highness’s presence at our Annual Scientific Conference marks the second event The Princess Royal has attended this year and we are so grateful she gives us so much of her time.
“As ever, our delegates were delighted to have her here and to hear her support for the specialty.
“She is a fabulous royal patron, and we are honoured to have had her visit us last week.”
The Princess, who has been royal patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine since 2008, previously attended RCEM’s trainee conference, which was also held in Gateshead in February 2024.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that has brought joy to those seeking adventure and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Scotland’s leading children’s charity. And now, a precious few were once again able to stand atop the iconic Forth Bridge to help raise money for Barnardo’s Scotland.
The charity’s ‘Your View’ event allows members of the public one of the most sought after and unique experiences in Scotland – namely the chance to ascend 361 feet up the historic bridge and enjoy an uninterrupted 360-degree panoramic view of the Edinburgh and Fife coastline.
Your View is in its sixth year – run in conjunction with Network Rail and Balfour Beatty – and another lucky 900 people travelled from all across the world to take part – including visitors from New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada, Denmark and Portugal.
More than 6,000 visitors in total have experienced the event and there have been no fewer than ten marriage proposals on the vertiginous viewing platform since 2017. Best of all, though, the event has now raised more than £375,000 to fund the work of Barnardo’s Scotland.
The latest couple to get engaged atop the bridge were Laura Dowds, 34, and Connor Robertson 31, from Armadale, in West Lothian. The couple met in 2020, and Laura admitted that she had no idea that she would be engaged by the time she set foot back on terra firma.
Laura explains: “The proposal was a complete surprise! Connor didn’t even tell me that we were doing the bridge viewing until we arrived in the car park, so the whole day was a pleasant surprise from start to finish.
“I was stunned to say the least; I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing him down on one knee! The amazing photographer managed to capture lots of snaps of our special moment, too, and we are so grateful to have these fantastic memories.
“We don’t have a date for the wedding yet, as I’m going to let Connor recover from all the work he put into the proposal! But it will be local and hopefully in the next year. We’re so excited for this exciting new chapter.”
Along with the proposal, Laura said that the couple thoroughly enjoyed their Your View experience: “Your View was one of the best things we’ve done together – getting to be up on top of the bridge and taking in some of the most amazing sights.
“I’d recommend it to anyone. The volunteers were amazing, too, from getting history about the bridge being built, to the friendly and helpful staff joining you as you make your way up in the hoist.
“It was a day we will never forget. Barnardo’s is an incredible charity and we’re over the moon that all of the money from tickets goes straight towards the great work that they do.”
Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “Your View proved once again to be a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for those lucky enough to secure a ticket. We want to thank all of those who joined us over the weekend as this is a crucial fundraiser for Barnardo’s Scotland as we continue to support children, young people and their families throughout the country.
“Your View would not be possible without the generosity of Network Rail and Balfour Beatty, and I wish to thank both organisations and our wonderful volunteers for making this special weekend happen. And I very much would like to congratulate Laura and Connor for their historic moment.”
Barnardo’s Scotland intends to use the funds raised to continue to deliver employability support in 12 local authority areas across Scotland from five hubs in Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Edinburgh and Paisley.
Cliff Graham, Head of Operations for employment, training and skills in Scotland at Barnardo’s, said: “Barnardo’s Works provide employability support and training to 1,100 young people a year in Scotland. We provide one-to-one support, informal group work, vocational training and work experience across a range of programmes.
“Our services aim to provided holistic support with a range of pathways that allows young people to move into a positive destination such as employment, apprenticeships college or further training. We are delighted to benefit from this funding as it will help us provide additional support and IT equipment to our service users across Scotland.”
Alan Ross, Director of Engineering and Asset Management at Network Rail Scotland, said: “We’re so proud to once again have hosted the Barnardo’s Your View event at the Forth Bridge. The event continues to be a valuable opportunity to raise vital funds for young people and their families across Scotland.
“Although the sun wasn’t shining, it was still a fantastic weekend for all involved, and the marriage proposal at the top certainly brightened everyone’s day. Enormous thanks goes to the staff and volunteers for making the day another huge success.”
At Barnardo’s, our purpose is clear: Changing childhoods and changing lives, so that children, young people, and families are safe, happy, healthy, and hopeful. Last year, we worked with thousands of children across Scotland through more than 150 services and partnerships.
Across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we provided essential support to 373,200 children, young people, parents and carers through more than 800 services and partnerships across the UK. This included 173 services in Scotland. For more than 150 years, we’ve been here for the children and young people who need us most – bringing love, care and hope into their lives and giving them a place where they feel they belong.
Over the course of the financial year 2023-24, more than 16,000 people volunteered for Barnardo’s across the UK – a total of 1.7 million hours of their time. To donate, volunteer or fundraise, please visit: www.barnardos.org.uk/get-involved/raise-money.
POLICE are appealing for information after a man was seriously assaulted in Edinburgh.
Around 7pm on Sunday (13 October), a 31-year-old man was cycling eastbound on the Union Canal Tow Path, near Harrison Park, when he was approached by a man, who assaulted him.
The cyclist attended at hospital for treatment and was later released.
The suspect is described as being between 20 and 30 years old, around 6ft tall, of medium build, with dark eyebrows and possible facial hair. He was wearing a blue hooded top, grey tracksuit bottoms and possibly white trainers.
Extensive enquiries are ongoing and officers are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch.
Detective Inspector Gordon Couper said: “A man has been seriously assaulted and it is imperative that we trace the individual responsible.
“A dedicated team of officers are working on this and I would like to reassure the community that we are doing everything we can to trace whoever is responsible.
“We have been gathering CCTV footage from the surrounding area, which is being reviewed.
“But I would also be very keen to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have information which can assist our investigation.
“Please think back – did you see anything suspicious? Or did you see someone matching the suspect’s description in the area on Sunday evening?
“Any information, or footage, could prove vital, so please do pass it on to officers.
“Officers will remain in the area while enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with any information, or any concerns, can speak to them.
“Information can also be passed by calling 101, quoting incident number 2814 of Sunday, 13 October, 2024. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.”
