Sports performance students at Heriot-Watt University are getting the chance to trade the classroom for the football pitch as part of a new partnership with Falkirk FC.
Both institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing to a two-year collaboration to merge academic and professional sport expertise.
This partnership grants Falkirk FC access to Heriot-Watt’s cutting-edge Sport Science Laboratory facilities, where player performance can be analysed using advanced exercise testing and movement analysis techniques, and body composition assessed by gold standard imaging methods.
In return, Heriot-Watt students will gain real-world experience in sport and exercise science, applying their skills to tasks such as player conditioning, match performance analysis, and injury prevention.
A key component of the agreement is to provide placement and research opportunities at the Club for third and fourth-year students studying for a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science. They will learn directly from coaches, sports scientists, and club staff to understand the strategies and techniques involved in elite performance and player development.
He welcomed the signing of the MoU and is looking forward to optimising the performance levels at Falkirk FC.
Chris said: “Through this exciting partnership with Falkirk FC, our students will gain invaluable, hands-on experience in a real-world sports environment, where they can apply the principles they learn in the classroom directly to player development and performance analysis.
“This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to producing industry-ready graduates, and we’re thrilled to offer our students an opportunity to learn from and contribute to a leading football club.
“By bringing together Heriot-Watt’s academic strengths in sport science with Falkirk FC’s expertise on the field, we’re setting the foundation for a powerful exchange of knowledge that will benefit both our students and the club.”
With Falkirk FC currently topping the Championship and aiming for a Premiership return, this partnership arrives at an opportune time for the club to leverage scientific support for player performance.
The MoU is not the only link between the University and Falkirk FC in recent times. In October, the Club signed a new centre-forward, Barney Stewart, from Heriot-Watt University Football Club. Barney has been loaned back to the University squad until January after which time he will move to Falkirk under contract until June 2027.
Blair Doughty, Head of Physical Performance at Falkirk FC, added: “This partnership has the potential of huge benefit for both Falkirk FC and Heriot-Watt University.
“The University share the same values and vision to help improve performance which is something we look for in a strategic partner. The access to cutting-edge Sport Science Laboratory facilities will be of great value to the performance department as we seek to provide a best-in-class performance services for our players to give them the tools needed to perform at the highest level.
“As well as facilities another benefit of this partnership is the ability to keep up to date with the latest research developments helping inform best practise and also develop our own process and frameworks to push performance both for the First Team and Academy.
“Lastly, this partnership will help Heriot Watt develop their students into industry ready candidates and allows us to shape the practitioners of the future. Through learning and seeing firsthand the work done at Falkirk Football Club”
Free Lifeguard training opens doors for young Edinburgh talent
Edinburgh Leisure, in partnership with The King’s Trust, is offering an exciting opportunity for young people aged 16-30 to launch a career in lifeguarding through a comprehensive free training programme starting in February 2025.
Programme Highlights
The innovative ‘Get into Lifeguarding’ initiative provides a structured pathway to employment, featuring:
A pre-selection day with a swim test
Free 1-week National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) course
One week of work experience at one of Edinburgh Leisure pool venues
Mentorship from experienced staff
Job interview preparation
Up to six months of post-programme support
Reimbursed travel expenses and lunches
Programme Timeline
w/c 3 February 2025: Pre-selection Day
17 – 21 February 2025: NPLQ Course
24 – 28 February 2025: Work Experience at an Edinburgh Leisure venue
Dates TBC: Interview Experience and Celebration Event
Franek Karwacki, 18, from Trinity, is one of the last cohort’s success stories. He’d left Trinity High School in summer 2024 with outstanding A-grade Highers and had been working part-time in a fish and chip shop.
Unlike many of his peers who pursued immediate university education, Franek chose an alternative path. Encouraged by his father, he applied to the ‘Get Into Lifeguarding Course’ offered by the King’s Trust in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure, viewing it as an opportunity for professional development and personal growth.
“Unlike my university-bound friends who are burning through their savings, I’m earning a steady income. The shift work doesn’t bother me, and I quite enjoy the earlies, starting at 5:30am and ending at 2pm, as it gives me time to pursue my passion for basketball,” he says.
The programme has opened a door he hadn’t even considered before: “I hadn’t necessarily thought about lifeguarding as a career path,” Franek admitted, “but now I’ve gained skills that were completely paid for and got a job. The support from both Edinburgh Leisure and the King’s Trust had transformed what could have been an uncertain period into a real opportunity.”
Alyson Coats, Manager at Leith Victoria Swim Centre and responsible for the partnership, emphasised the programme’s broader mission: “”This initiative is a win-win. We’re providing young people with a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and potentially launch a career in the leisure industry.
“For many young people, like Franek, this could be life-changing for them.”
How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply by Friday, 24 January 2025:
Changes to the pricing structure at Edinburgh Airport, now part of the VINCI Airports network, will see the cost of picking up and dropping off passengers increase by £1 to encourage more use of public transport.
From January 13, the cost to use the pickup and dropoff area will start at £6 for the first ten minutes at the airport.
The increase will mean that use of the area will be competitively priced against public transport, a mode of transport that 37% of passengers already use. Our Surface Access Strategy seeks to grow that number further while reducing the emissions caused by transport to and from the airport.
Revenue raised will assist in improving passenger experience, growing connectivity and investing in the airport’s infrastructure.
The airport continues to operate a free dropoff and pickup area which has recently been upgraded and moved closer to the terminal, while local residents and users of electric cars will still qualify for a 50% discount for the first ten minutes.
Gail Taylor, Chief Commercial Officer (XAero) at Edinburgh Airport said: “We have just had a record year for passengers at Edinburgh Airport and that number is likely to grow year-on-year, and we want to make sure that people are making more sustainable choices when getting to and from the airport.
“The use of cars is the most polluting mode with four journeys for each passenger compared to just two when using public transport. We want more people to use the robust transport links we have as this both reduces emissions and congestion.
“We have a number of large capacity projects planned over the next few years and reinvestment back into the airport infrastructure will improve the overall experience for passengers.”
More information on drop off and pick up areas, as well as local residents and EV discounts:
Emergency Departments in Scotland are struggling against the combined pressures of extreme weather and a rise in hospital admissions from flu.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has described the country’s health service as being “in the depth of a winter crisis” as Scotland braces itself against snow and ice.
Yesterday, after coming under increasing pressure regarding the condition of Emergency Care in Scotland, Health Secretary Neil Gray said A&E demands had been “exacerbated by higher than normal levels of influenza infection in the community”. Data released last week showed hospital admissions caused by flu increased by 12% in a week.
The Health Secretary’s comments come as data released yesterday by Public Health Scotland revealed last November 6,429 patients waited 12 hours or more in Emergency Departments – the highest proportion of 12 hour waits for any November since records began in 2011.
Dr Fiona Hunter, Vice Chair of RCEM Scotland said: “Today’s data, and every previous month’s data, shows just how much pressure Scottish EDs were under coming into this winter.
“The system was already under extreme pressure, and this huge flu surge and cold spell are likely to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
“But it cannot – and must not – be blamed as the sole cause of the crisis we are currently experiencing.
“My colleagues are working flat out in very difficult conditions with some departments nearing 400% capacity- four times as many patients as there are cubicle spaces for. We are running on hard work and goodwill, and our patients are receiving unacceptable, undignified and unsafe care in corridors and in the back of ambulances.
“The main issue is that we can’t move our patients who desperately need admission to a hospital bed in to wards or high dependency units. These wards have the highest level ever known of patients who are ready to be discharged but have no available social support to allow them to do so.
“We are predictably gridlocked, in the depth of a winter crisis, and our patients and staff are the ones suffering.”
“TYPE 1 DIABETES DOES NOT CHANGE ONCE YOU CROSS THE BORDER, WHY SHOULD TYPE 1s IN SCOTLAND MISS OUT AND RECEIVE WORSE CARE BASED ON WHERE THEY LIVE?”
Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian Region, Foysol Choudhury, led the Scottish Parliament’s first Member’s Business of 2025 on one of Scotland’s most pressing healthcare technology issues – access to medical technology for diabetic patients.
This debate comes after much campaigning from both in and outside of parliament, including groups like iPAG (Insulin Pump Awareness Group), Diabetes Scotland, and MSPs like Mr. Choudhury, fellow Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack and Labour’s health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie.
Access to diabetes technology is crucial for people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an incurable autoimmune condition that requires lifelong insulin therapy and constant management, including making up to 180 more daily decisions about their health to balance blood glucose levels.
Access to diabetes technologies is essential to reducing the physical and mental burden of type 1 diabetes and preventing serious complications like seizures, heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and death.
The physical and mental toll of T1D is immense, often causing symptoms like lethargy, nausea, and anxiety, as well as diabetes distress, but tailored treatments and access to current technologies are critical to easing this burden and improving quality of life.
This push for access to technology comes not only from campaign groups and politicians but also from those suffering long wait times to access HCL systems, with Scottish Labour figures showing about 3,000 patients waiting across Scottish health boards. Nearly 1,000 are waiting in Lothian alone, with some in Scotland waiting over five years for an insulin pump.
In June 2024, the Scottish Government announced “up to” £8.8 million to improve access to diabetes technology, including pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Yet health boards are still facing significant pressures to fund diabetes technology with the ongoing cost of managing and replacing these devices.
Some have stated that patients outside the identified priority groups will not have access to this technology for the foreseeable future. As of November, NHS Lothian has stated that there has been no additional funding for dieticians, diabetes nursing, and administrative costs from the Scottish Government.
As a result, these constraints are driving a shift toward less suitable options, such as systems that prevent carers from monitoring glucose levels remotely. Families report being offered Freestyle Libre 2+ or Freestyle Libre 3 as standard, with little consideration for individual needs.
This approach poses significant safety risks, particularly for young children and individuals unable to manage their own systems. This goes against SIGN 170, a toolkit published by NHS Health Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.
During the debate, MSP Choudhury emphasised: “Type 1 diabetes does not change once you cross the border, why should type 1s in Scotland miss out and receive worse care based on where they live?
“Diabetes technology is genuinely preventative care which will save the NHS money in the long term.”
Mr. Choudhury concluded: ““I want to finish by asking members to place themselves in the shoes of a type 1. Knowing the technology to change your life is available, but there is no political will to ensure you get it soon. Imagine the frustration you would feel day by day. We cannot just tell people to wait.”
Online activist and T1 diabetic, Lesley Ross, contributed online: “We shouldn’t have to fight for the best possible care when we are struggling to manage our condition.”
Chair of iPAG Scotland, Mary Moody contributed online: “We know that diabetes teams across Scotland want to do the best for their patients but are restricted by administrative and budgetary constraints.
A toolkit to assist decision-making is published by NHS Health Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network,
but may be disregarded with people being given equipment that does not meet their exact needs and may put them at risk. This has got to improve. Patient safety has to come first.”
Following the debate, MSP Choudhury concluded: ““I want to thank the campaigners and type 1s who have been advocating and contributing to this discussion and thank them for their hard work.”
Services dealing with ‘extraordinary surge’ in flu cases
Health Secretary Neil Gray underlined the ‘resolve and resilience’ of the NHS as he praised the dedication of Scotland’s health and social care workforce in facing up to an ‘extraordinary surge’ in Influenza A cases.
The number of patients admitted to hospital as an emergency and testing positive for flu has surpassed the recent peak of the winter of 2022/23.
Following the latest in a series of meetings with First Minister John Swinney, health boards, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Public Health Scotland and NHS 24 earlier this week, Mr Gray praised the NHS response to the increased pressures on the system, in a statement to parliament.
He also thanked members of the public for continuing to follow guidance on the best way to access services, and for doing their bit to reduce the spread of infections in the community.
He stated that, as of 15 December, more than 1.2 million adult flu vaccinations have been administered. Those eligible to be vaccinated have until March to do so, with many health boards offering drop-in clinics.
Mr Gray said expert healthcare advice is available without the need for an appointment through the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service, adding that £13.6 million of additional funding has been invested in General Practices to enable the recruitment and retention of staff.
Services such as Discharge to Assess and Hospital at Home are also key to helping health and social care partnerships to reduce delayed discharges, ensuring people who are clinically ready to leave hospital can do so.
Mr Gray said: “The resilience and determination shown by staff in the face of pressures across the health and care sector is inspiring.
“Every part of our health service has gone above and beyond to serve the country during the hardest months of the year.
“I’d like to thank the ambulance service staff for their sacrifice and devotion to their task, staying at work beyond the end of their shift as they wait to turnaround at hospitals.
“I’d also like to thank social care staff doing extra shifts to make up for staff being off sick with flu and GPs working at the weekends to offer appointments and bolster the resilience of the entire system.
“Hospital staff, like the porter I met at St John’s in Livingston on Christmas Eve, are working hard to turnaround beds as quickly as possible.
“This is the reality of public service – relentless, skilled, devoted and dedicated work to serve the people that need it most.
“Thanks to the incredible efforts of NHS staff and sure-handed planning, we are facing this with resilience and resolve.”
A groundbreaking new imaging approach developed by researchers at Heriot-Watt University has shown ‘extremely encouraging’ results in early-stage clinical trials on prostate cancer at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
The ongoing clinical trial demonstrated an initial 94% sensitivity rate in tumour detection. The new test is delivered in less than 20 minutes and relies on existing clinical ultrasound equipment.
The cost of an ultrasound scanner is a fraction of an MRI scanner (around 10%), so the new approach provides clinicians with a valuable new tool to help better guide prostate biopsies and focal therapy, a technique that destroys cancer cells.
All men are at risk of prostate cancer with 1 in 8 diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime. 52,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year – 144 every day.
Currently, a relatively unreliable blood test, called a Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA test, means many men are unnecessarily sent for an expensive MRI scan in an attempt to spot cancerous tissue. Current long waiting lists for tests mean treatment can be delayed.
Despite using multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI – a specialist type of scan) for prostate cancer diagnosis, up to 28% of clinically significant tumours are missed and 1 in every 2 individuals with positive MRI findings receive a negative biopsy result.
Less Grey Imaging Ltd is a spin-out from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, with the mission to bring greater clarity to prostate imaging. The technology offers clinicians up to a 20-fold increase in resolution compared to mpMRI, which provides a grey and difficult-to-read image.
The new imaging test begins by injecting a commonly used contrast agent into a vein that contains millions of tiny and harmless microbubbles that travel through the patient’s bloodstream to the prostate.
The team uses a technique known as super resolution ultrasound imaging (SRUI) to track these microbubbles as they flow inside the prostate. Due to the altered blood flow in cancerous tissue, the image highlights previously unseen tumours, enabling earlier diagnosis.
Dr. George Papageorgiou, CEO of Less Grey Imaging, explains how the new technique aligns well with histopathology, the diagnosis and study of diseases of the tissues which involves examining tissues or cells under a microscope. He said: “Our initial clinical findings in prostate imaging align well with histopathology, highlighting its potential to reliably detect clinically significant prostate cancer.
“Currently, prostate cancer diagnosis varies widely across the country, with many patients being diagnosed too late for curative treatment. By integrating ultrasound more prominently into the diagnostic pathway, we can ensure equal opportunities for early diagnosis across all regions of the UK.
“Less Grey Imaging’s mission is to revolutionise prostate imaging by delivering clarity and precision. Urologists will have an imaging tool that enables accurate diagnoses and quicker decision-making. Our software deploys existing ultrasound equipment to enhance image quality down to microscopic detail. By minimising reliance on radiologist assessment, we intend to streamline workflows, reduce NHS costs, and improve patient efficiency.”
The potential of the technology has been recognised by Innovate UK, which awarded the company a £370,000 grant through its ICURe Exploit Funding programme. This is being used to support the company’s product development and attract further investment.
The UK has a higher cancer mortality rate compared to several other developed countries, and more recently, the Darzi report, a bleak review of the NHS published in September 2024, revealed that waiting times targets for the first treatment for cancer have not been met since December 2015.
Professor Vassilis Sboros from Heriot-Watt University and co-founder of Less Grey Imaging, explained how the technique can help support an NHS that is fit for the future. He said:“Our super-resolution ultrasound imaging technology provides a leap in imaging resolution.
“By utilising existing ultrasound scanners found in hospitals and clinics worldwide, we’re able to produce high-resolution images of the prostate that clinicians have never seen before. This is exactly what the new Government needs to tackle the challenges facing the NHS.
“Back in 2019, we proved the concept worked in our lab but now we have shown it works during our initial patient trials. It’s just like looking inside the body with a microscope, allowing clinicians to see 20 times more detail than before. Even concealed tumours are possible to identify.
“With one man dying from prostate cancer every 45 minutes in the UK, we hope earlier detection will radically improve treatment outcomes, saving lives while reducing the number of people sent for unnecessary and often risky tests.”
Professor Alan McNeill is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh and founder trustee of charity Prostate Scotland. He said: “The initial trial results are extremely encouraging, providing really useful information for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. This is the most common cancer in men but, if it is caught early while the cancer remains within the prostate, it can be cured in the majority of cases.
“The technology has the potential to significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy, help clinicians like me to carry out more targeted biopsies and even focus treatments with greater precision.
“I can anticipate it benefiting treatments like focal therapy by allowing us to pinpoint and treat cancerous tissue with greater accuracy. Nearly every week, my colleagues and I meet men in their 50s or early 60s suffering from advanced prostate cancer that leaves them with fewer treatment options. We continue to raise awareness and encourage earlier diagnosis for all men.”
Gary Tait was treated for prostate cancer five years ago after his wife, a practice nurse, encouraged him to see his GP. He is now Chair of Edinburgh & Lothian Prostate Cancer Support Group. He said: “Being diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer is an incredibly anxious time so it is very positive to see these trial results which indicate that the new ultrasound technique could lead to more accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer.
“From the perspective of men who are unaware of a developing tumour in their prostate, this improved method of diagnosis could lead to earlier treatment which improves the likelihood of a good outcome.
“We fully support the development of this new technology which raises the possibility of enabling more men to be both diagnosed and treated earlier than they can be at present.”
Professor Gill Murray, deputy principal of business and enterprise at Heriot-Watt University, said: “This breakthrough exemplifies Heriot-Watt’s commitment to transforming innovative research into real-world healthcare solutions with global applications.
“Less Grey Imaging represents exactly the kind of high-impact spinout company we aim to nurture – one that combines cutting-edge science with clear commercial potential and significant societal benefit.
“These early clinical trials are particularly encouraging as they demonstrate how our research excellence can help address critical healthcare challenges while creating economic opportunities.
“By developing technology that makes cancer diagnosis more accessible and accurate, we’re supporting the NHS and positioning Scotland as a leader in medical innovation.
“Addressing global challenges through the real world application of our research is why we established our Global Research Institutes. Each institute has its own distinctive DNA, and our global research institute in health and care technologies excels in the creation and growth of new innovative businesses.
“Less Grey is a fantastic example of one of these businesses and perfectly aligns with our enterprise strategy of fostering research-led companies that can scale globally while delivering tangible benefits to patients and healthcare systems worldwide.”
Fighting cancer is one of the five key themes for Health and Care Technologies. Anyone interested in collaborating with the new Health and Care Technologies global research institute at Heriot-Watt University can contact GRID@hw.ac.uk.
POLICE are appealing for help to trace 21-year-old Maisy Williams who has been reported missing in Edinburgh.
Maisy was last seen in the Tipperlinn Road area around 12.30pm TODAY – Tuesday, 7 January, 2025.
She is described as being around 5ft 6in tall, of slim build, with black, shoulder length hair. Maisy was last seen wearing black trousers, a black hoodie, a black beanie hat, and red trainers.
Inspector Paul Begley said: “Enquiries to trace Maisy are ongoing and we are appealing to anyone who may have seen her to contact us as soon as possible.
“Anyone with information on where Maisy may be is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1211 of 7 January, 2025.”
A Midlothian company is literally bringing light into the lives of hard-working teams and big-hearted volunteers who staff Scotland’s charities with a brilliant initiative which will also cut waste and boost the circular economy.
Blackmoon Lighting, which has been operating out of Loanhead since 2004, has established a scheme in which whenever it is engaged in a Category (Cat) B fit out, it recovers energy-efficient light fittings from existing Cat A fit outs which otherwise might be thrown away, refurbishes them and donates them to worthy causes.
A Cat A fit out is a basic operational fit out that provides a finished empty space, ready to move into, while a Cat B fit out involves bringing all office design elements, including flooring and furniture, to create an operational workplace.
The firm, which specialises in concept designs, lighting modelling and supplying energy efficient, sustainable lighting solutions, founded the scheme following the appointment of a new management team in May last year.
It gives perfectly serviceable light fittings a second life by collecting them, refurbishing them and distributing them to charities or recycling them. Any fittings donated to charitable causes come with a five-year guarantee.
Matthew Wright,who has taken on the role of Managing Director at Blackmoon, said: “There are lots of Cat B fit outs going on across the Central Belt of Scotland, where a workplace is completely re-designed to a client’s unique specifications, and often the first thing they do is rip out the lights and replace them with new ones. That’s where we step in.
“This re-purposing initiative is our way of closing the loop, reducing resource consumption, lowering emissions and making a contribution to building a Net Zero future through our circular economy approach.
“We have already helped the Smart Works charity in Edinburgh and a major educational concern in the city. Energy-efficient light fittings benefit charities financially, but many can’t afford them. Now all they have to do is get in touch with us and we’ll see how we can assist.”
Smart Works Scotland, which gives unemployed women the clothes, coaching and confidence to secure employment and change their lives, has two centres, at Annandale Street in Edinburgh and in Glasgow.
Rachel Shields, its Fundraising and Partnerships Manager, said: “We were delighted that the light fittings were donated free to our charity’s new centre in Edinburgh by this amazing and sustainable initiative.
“Thanks so much to Blackmoon Lighting for supporting our cause and helping to transform our new centre into a warm and welcoming hub where even more women can access our transformative interview, dressing and coaching service to help them connect with their potential, get the job and change their lives.”
The new management team at Blackmoon Lighting, which includes Ewan Arthur as Sales Director and Marc Faughnan as Operations Director, took over on the retirement of the company’s founder, Kenny Morrison.
It employs 12 people and carries out installations across the UK. The fast-growing company also has the facility to design and manufacture bespoke luminaires and systems for both decorative and commercial applications.
