Category: North Edinburgh News

Research provides comprehensive view of pharmaceutical pollution of Scotland’s water environment

  • Study to be used to promote positive action on medicine use and disposal, to reduce pharmaceutical pollution
  • Data on 60 medicines in the water environment, known to occur through consumption and inappropriate disposal into wastewater systems, were obtained from a range of sources
  • Nine medicines were recommended for further action to reduce the potential environmental risk

A study carried out by researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) with the James Hutton Institute and the Environmental Research Institute (University of the Highlands and Islands) has delivered the first national assessment of the emerging area of concern around pharmaceutical pollution of Scotland’s water environment, with an innovative Scottish partnership using results to promote practical actions to reduce this globally recognised public health and environmental issue.

Pharmaceuticals (medicines) enter the water environment when people taking medicines go to the toilet (between 30-100% of a dose is excreted) and when partially used or expired medicines are inappropriately flushed down the toilet instead of being returned to a pharmacy for proper disposal.

Information on 60 medicines was added to a database of over 3,000 data points representing 11 ‘types of water’ – such as water in the environment, influent wastewater and treated wastewater.

The study, commissioned by the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) to support the work of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership, combined published and unpublished academic data with monitoring data from Scottish Water and SEPA.

Lead researcher Dr Karin Helwig says: “Pharmaceuticals (medicines) are designed to have an effect on humans so it’s no surprise that they affect water organisms, too, and that could disturb the balance in ecosystems.

“There is still much we don’t know about how serious these risks are, but if we value our environment it makes sense to try and reduce this kind of pollution as much as possible.

“Different organisations collect monitoring data for their own different purposes, so it was a real testament to partnership working that we were able to collate everything together and get a clearer picture of this area of emerging concern for the Scottish environment.”

The study found that nine medicines, including ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory painkiller) and antibiotics, may pose higher risks of ecotoxicity and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), although the authors emphasise that monitoring is often carried out at higher risk locations.

Dangers to human health are extremely unlikely, but the findings do illustrate levels of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Wastewater treatment plants were not initially designed to treat pharmaceuticals and are unable to treat some pharmaceuticals. So tackling this complex issue requires “up-stream” actions.  

The One Health Breakthrough Partnership (OHBP), which was involved in the design and oversight of this study, is a cross-sector initiative bringing together key stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable interventions in healthcare.

NHS Highland lead and OHBP co-founder, Sharon Pfleger, Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health, says: “It is important to try to prevent or reduce the impact of pollution by medicines as much as possible rather than trying to deal with the problem.

“That’s why the OHBP is taking an “up-stream” public health approach, ensuring that prescribers and the public understand that medicines do pollute our waters and how they can help, developing guidance for prescribers on more eco-friendly choices of medicines, promoting the use of green and blue spaces to help physical and mental health instead of using medicines and ensuring that people know how to correctly dispose of unused or unwanted medicines.”

The OHBP (Scottish Water, SEPA, NHS Highland, and the Environmental Research Institute-University of the Highlands and Islands) is committed to working with partners to develop solutions and progress the recommendations put forward in this report. Together the OHBP aims to drive research and innovation and influence policy in Scotland to achieve optimal health for people, animals, plants and the environment.

This study recommends that further environmental research be done for areas of the country where few data are available, and, similarly, for groundwater, lochs, and coastal and estuarine waters.

The study will be used by researchers, environmental regulators, the water industry, and the health service as a baseline to assess whether, and to what extent, future interventions and OHBP activities help to reduce pharmaceutical pollution.

The report and its appendices are available on CREW’s website. 

CRW2017_16_Main_ReportDownload

Emergency Care faces continued pressure as Scottish Government publishes workforce strategy


The latest weekly update of Emergency Department activity and waiting time statistics show:

  • There were 24,920 attendances, the highest since week ending 10 October 2021
    70.5% of attendances were seen and resulted in subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours
  • 7,347 patients were delayed by four hours or more, this is the third highest on record
    1,825 patients were delayed by eight hours or more
  • 643 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more, this is the second highest on record

Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The data show the stark picture of the health system in Scotland right now and the serious crisis Urgent and Emergency Care is facing.

“There are extremely high numbers of patients being delayed for long periods of time, and we know that these long waits are associated with a high risk of harm or even death.

“This is a critical time. The pandemic is not over. Covid is ever present in the community, with increasing numbers of covid patients in hospital and a high level of covid related staff absences. The workforce is burnt out and overwhelmed, every shift is extremely demanding with staff covering for absent colleagues and managing high numbers of patients, doing their best to keep them safe and minimise harm. The moral injury to our colleagues working in our Emergency Departments cannot be underestimated.

“We welcome The Health and social care: national workforce strategy published last week by the Scottish Government. It is a positive strategy for the next five years. We especially welcome the commitment to grow the NHS workforce by 1,800 WTE staff and increase the number of medical school places by 500.

“However, we are disappointed both not to have been consulted on this strategy and by the limited mentions of Urgent and Emergency Care. We look forward to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care consulting with The Royal College on the meaningful details for Emergency Medicine including staffing and capacity needs.”

‘Alarming’: Rising carbon footprint due to consumption of imported goods

Figures released by the Scottish Government yesterday (15 March) show that Scotland’s carbon footprint has increased for the first time in six years.

The greatest increase came from the greenhouse gas emissions from imported goods. Emissions from imports are now greater than the rest of Scotland’s emissions combined.

Scotland’s carbon footprint measures the greenhouse gas emissions from all the goods and services consumed by Scotland in a year. However, Scotland’s Net Zero targets only include greenhouse gases emitted in Scotland. Emissions from imports are excluded from national climate targets and this means they can rise unabated.

The Circular Economy Bill, which is due to be consulted on in May, is a chance for Scotland to reverse this trend and start taking responsibility for its environmental impacts overseas.

In a circular economy, materials consumption is reduced by reusing products rather than burning or burying them after a single use. This means producers need to think about how the product can be reused from the initial stages of design, and choose materials accordingly.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “The rise in Scotland’s carbon footprint is alarming. By only looking at the emissions produced at home, we are ignoring the greatest part of our carbon footprint and failing to play our full role in tackling the climate crisis.

“The climate emergency doesn’t recognise any borders, and by outsourcing the emissions from imports to other countries, the Scottish Government is shirking its responsibility.

“The Scottish Government can reverse the rise in emissions by putting strong consumption targets at the heart of its newly announced Circular Economy Bill – this is the only way to ensure that Scotland reduces its global environmental impact.”

Scotland’s carbon footprint was 70.4Mt CO2e in 2018, a 2.6% rise on the previous year.

Hop To It: Morrisons Easter Egg range launches in stores

– Range includes four new luxury Easter eggs including a free-from choccy orange, cute Leo the Lion Cub and ‘Egg’ on Toast –

– Chocolate donuts are already causing a storm on social media –

– New hot cross bun flavours this year include Blondie, Apple & Cinnamon and Chocolate Orange –

Morrisons customers can get extra egg-cited this week as its new Easter range has now landed in stores. 

New products in the range include four luxury easter eggs: 

·         The Best Chocolate Collection Dark Egg – an indulgent rich Belgian dark, chocolate, with a creamy milk and white chocolate marbling

·         The Best Chocolate Collection Raspberry and Belgian White Egg – a creamy Belgian white chocolate, studded with tangy freeze-dried raspberry pieces

·         The Best Chocolate Collection Milk Egg – luxurious and smooth Belgian milk chocolate decorated with blue, red and white speckles

·         The Best Chocolate Collection Free From Seville Orange Choccy Egg – a chocolate orange egg, hand dipped in crunchy cocoa nibs with rich Belgian dark chocolate and Seville orange truffles, deliciously vegan and free-from gluten, wheat, egg and milk.

Morrisons has also been working to reduce plastic across its own-brand range and all of The Best Eggs this year will be completely plastic free. 

Morrisons will also be offering a chocolate ‘Egg on Toast’ and adorable Leo the Lion Cub, a toffee flavoured white and milk chocolate with dark chocolate decorations, which will be a ROAR-ing hit with families with kids. 

In addition, Morrisons has launched the UK’s first hollow Donut. It is toffee-flavoured and comes in with two toppings, white chocolate & pink drizzle or white chocolate & crispy pearls.

The new donuts are already causing a stir on social media with a post by @helenjtea amassing over 4,500 likes and comments from fans including “insane”, “Wow they look incredible” and “omg I actually thought this was a donut”. 

From this week, Morrisons customers will be able to pick up hot cross buns in four new flavours – Blondie, Apple & Cinnamon, Chocolate Orange and a fun savoury option Cheese & Jalapeño.

Customer favourites Extra Fruity and Lemon Drizzle will also be back on shelves for a second year.

Sarah Newton, Senior Product Developer at Morrisons, said: “We’re proud of this year’s Easter range, it features delicious treats our customers know and love plus some fun new flavours for the whole family to enjoy – all without breaking the bank.”

Morrisons Easter range is available in stores nationwide now with selected products available online. 

For more information visit: 

https://groceries.morrisons.com/browse/easter-confectionery-186013 

Edinburgh’s young people announced as Young Scot Awards finalists

Young people from across Edinburgh have been announced as finalists in this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards in recognition of their incredible achievements. 

Jordan Stewart and Amaranta Laing, both from the capital, have been nominated in the Arts category for their work in creating Fusion – an organisation which aims to amplify the voices of young people through the power of music.

By partnering with Children 1st, Jordan and Amaranta have helped 10-year-old Sophie to produce ‘Sophie’s Song. Sophie created the track in the hope of influencing the justice system for victims and witnesses of crime.

26-year-old Rhys Gilchrist joins Jordan and Amaranta in the Arts category.

Photo – Chris Watt Web – www.chriswatt.com Mobile – 07887554193 Instagram – @chriswattphotography

The talented musician regularly facilitates interactive sessions at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to bring joy, fun and creativity to young people going through difficult times. Rhys also recently organised an orchestra visit to offer patients a distraction and hosts a song writing group to support those undergoing treatment in writing and producing their own music.

Fergus Crawley, 25, has been nominated in the Wellbeing category for his work in encouraging young people to open up about their mental health struggles.

Fergus, who works as a personal trainer, has been fundraising since 2018 to raise money for a host of men’s mental health charities, including going up and down Ben Nevis for 11 consecutive days, squatting 125,000 kg in 24 hours, and embarking on a 94-mile run.

His efforts have seen him raise a total of £100,000 in just four years, which Fergus hopes will go a long way to helping to break the stereotypes surrounding men’s mental health so that less people suffer in silence.

21-year-old Connor Muir has been nominated in the Volunteering category.

Connor, who lives in Leith, has been dedicated to making a difference to his local community for years, having volunteered with the Citadel Youth Centre since he was just 16. Connor helped to set up the centre’s intergenerational café, New Spin and often runs errands for a lot of the older members.

Throughout lockdown, Connor volunteered to take supplies and meals to vulnerable families and young people and would often spend time with isolated people in the neighbourhood – offering them much-needed friendship during a lonely time.

Addie, Hannah and Jo, all from Edinburgh, have been nominated in the Equality and Diversity category for their work in setting up Whatever Next? – a multi-media platform that explores their experiences as Chinese adoptees, and adoptees in general.

Through a monthly podcast, the three discuss the varied experiences they have had as adoptees, and how it has impacted the different areas of their lives – covering areas like the ABCs of adoption, food, adoptive parents and dating as an adoptee.

In doing so, they aim to open up a conversation around adoption – busting myths and providing relatable narratives to other adoptees. The work of Whatever Next? has won acclaim and the chance to speak on bigger and bigger platforms – with the trio having appeared on BBC Radio Scotland, LBC, and in the Herald.

Their work also won them the Creative Edinburgh Student Award in 2021.

The finalists all impressed an esteemed panel of judges with their outstanding contributions to their communities. The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards aims to recognise and inspire extraordinary young people from across the country who are making a real difference to the lives of others.

Now in its sixteenth year, the awards highlight the triumphs of young people in a range of categories – from sport and the environment to enterprise and volunteering – and shine a light on the invaluable contributions made by remarkable young people across Scotland.

The results will be announced on 27 April 2022 at a star-studded red-carpet awards ceremony hosted at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.

The winners will join a prestigious roll call of previous recipients including RuPaul’s Drag Race champion Lawrence Chaney and social media star Jamie Genevieve.

Charitable duo Jack Mullen and Alfie King were crowned 2021’s ‘Young Scots of the Year’ for their work raising donations and keeping community spirit alive during the pandemic.

Kirsten Urquhart, Chief Executive (Interim) at Young Scot, said: “The inspiring work of these remarkable young people is a testament to what the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards are all about – recognising, championing and celebrating the achievements of Scotland’s young people.

“Congratulations to all of the 2022 finalists!”

Edinburgh holds out the hand of friendship to Ukraine

The latest on the city council’s response and how you can help

Russia’s horrific and unprovoked attack on Ukraine hits very close to home. Not just because of the proximity of this war, but because of the family and civic connections between our nations and, in particular, between Edinburgh and our twin city Kyiv.

There has been a characteristically caring and generous response from the people of Edinburgh since the invasion began, with countless individuals and organisations coming forward with offers of support and donations.

How can I help?

From speaking to the Ukrainian community and the volunteers supporting them here in Edinburgh, they have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of donated goods.

If you want to help, please consider giving a monetary donation instead. There are many options available, but we are recommending the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. 

Can I volunteer? 

We are working extremely closely with EVOC and Volunteer Edinburgh to help coordinate our response to the crisis.  If you want to find out more about volunteering opportunities and how to register, please visit the Volunteer Edinburgh website.

Can I take refugees into my home?

The UK Government has just launched its Homes for Ukraine scheme, which will allow households to sponsor and take in refugees who are fleeing the war.

The first phase, which began taking registrations of interest yesterday, is aimed at individuals who are able to make offers to a specific person/people. 

Those arriving will have met standard security checks, and all sponsors and all adults in the sponsoring households will be required to do the same.

A monthly payment of £350 will be offered in exchange for accommodation (spare room/self-contained accommodation) for a minimum six months. This doesn’t include meals or living expenses.

Initial details of the scheme, FAQs and how to apply are available from the UK Government website.

What is the Council doing? 

As a Council, and as a City, we have shared our condemnation for Russia’s actions and are holding out the hand of friendship to the people of Ukraine, committing to doing whatever we can to help.

The Ukraine flag continues to fly above the City Chambers as a symbol of our solidarity with the Ukrainian people, while the Granton gasholder remains illuminated in Ukraine’s colours.

The Lord Provost has written to the Major of Kyiv and delivered a video message to the Eurocities anti-war demonstration in Florence (38 mins in) which also featured a live address from the President of Ukraine. 

At their meeting on Thursday, councillors are set to award the Freedom of Edinburgh to President Zelensky and Mayor Klitschko, in recognition of standing heroically by their country and their citizens.

We are in regular touch with the Mayor’s office, as we are with the Mayor of another of Edinburgh’s twin cities, Kraków, which has already welcomed well over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.

They have provided us with a list of the goods they desperately need, and we are working closely with our partners to arrange shipments for those who have made it to Krakow and those who remain in Kyiv. 

Our plans for incoming refugees are developing quickly and we’re in daily meetings with the Home Office, Scottish Government, Edinburgh Airport, third sector and other agencies to ensure we provide the warmest possible welcome from the moment they land. They have had their lives torn apart and will be traumatised and afraid.  Some will be extremely young and/or vulnerable and will need urgent care. 

This involves coordinating support and ensuring we make the best use of the limited resources we have available – whether that be arranging short and longer-term accommodation, transport, interpreters, access to GPs and healthcare support, counselling, education or any of the other basic services that we all rely on. We have set up a dedicated helpline for Ukrainian arrivals, which will be manned 24 hours a day by our Customer Team. 

While this is ongoing, and assuming agreement by councillors on Thursday, we will write to the Home Office encouraging unrestricted refugee visas and local working to source host families to house refugees, with a focus on those most able to support unaccompanied children. 

We also plan to write to the MOD to request access to unused temporary accommodation for those travelling to Edinburgh from Ukraine, and to provide £100,000 in Council funding to help coordinate local humanitarian aid.

Other useful links:

Researchers reveal the impact of Covid-19 and war on Ukraine’s persons with disabilities

New report examines ways of strengthening support mechanisms

Researchers have called for Ukraine’s organisations of persons with disabilities (OPD) to have a bigger role in the country’s decision-making processes.

The Edinburgh Napier-led team were finalising their report on the impact of Covid-19 on the country’s almost three million persons with disabilities just as Russia launched its first attacks on its eastern European neighbour.

Their investigation, carried out with partners in Ukraine, documents how the pandemic created many new barriers while also amplifying existing ones.

Covid-19 limited persons with disabilities’ access to healthcare, social services and transport, increased their social isolation and undermined their economic security. 

Digital poverty meant many could not access online portals for government departments or online learning, and the study also highlighted concerns about decreasing levels of cooperation from public bodies.

Now war with Russia – in which 15 per cent of the civilian population caught up in the conflict will have a disability – is presenting new and even more complex challenges.

Initial reports suggest persons with disabilities are struggling to access safe zones, medical services or reliable information on top of the other challenges faced by a population under attack. 

Principal Investigator Dr Kiril Sharapov, from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: “Organisations of Persons with Disabilities remain one of the last remaining systems of support for the people they have been taking care of within the context of the pandemic and now within the context of this catastrophic war.

“They continue, where and when they can, to provide support to the most vulnerable individuals and their families. Their knowledge and expertise must inform all current and future relief efforts provided by the Government of Ukraine and by the international donors and humanitarian agencies.”

The research report calls for organisations of persons with disabilities to have their unique roles recognised at legislative level within Ukraine, and for the Government to support their activities.

It also recommends that public bodies consult with and give OPDs a say in decision making, and that OPDs should be actively involved in monitoring the quality of social services delivery.

There are almost three million people registered as having a disability in Ukraine, with actual numbers likely to be higher due to the lack of reliable statistics. 

Dr Sharapov researched the impact of the pandemic on them in partnership with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine umbrella group and local organisations. The study was funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund and the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council.

A total of 108 organisations responded to a survey co-designed by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, making it the largest to explore the views of the disability movement on the effects of the pandemic. The findings were presented to disability experts and activists who were asked to comment and make recommendations.

The research report says it is “essential” that public authorities in Ukraine at all levels recognise and support OPDs as key actors in ensuring and protecting the rights of people they are caring for. 

It also recommends that an up-to-date register of all OPDs is kept, and that the Government cooperate with them in developing a rapid response protocol for circulating information during any future public health emergencies.

Working-paper-COVID19-and-Disability-UKR-ORG-ENGDownload

Going Greener: Creative writing workshop at Granton Parish Church

GRANTON Goes Greener are very ecited to be hosting another CREATIVE WRITING workshop with an Edinburgh based climate activist and a writer-@KirstyLewin at @GrantonParish.

The workshop is part of #climatefestivalscot and sponsored by @KSBScotland

Scammers targeting Self Assessment customers, HMRC warns

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is warning Self Assessment customers to be on their guard following the Self Assessment deadline after more than 570,000 scams were reported to HMRC in the last year.

At this time of year, Self Assessment customers are at increased risk of falling victim to scams, even if they don’t mention Self Assessment. They can be taken in by scam texts, emails or calls either offering a ‘refund’ or demanding unpaid tax, thinking that they are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self Assessment return. In the 12 months to January 2022, nearly 220,000 scams reported to HMRC offered bogus tax rebates.

Criminals target unsuspecting Self Assessment customers to try and steal money or personal information. They use phone calls, texts and emails to try and dupe citizens, and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. In January 2022, phone scams rose to 3,995 compared to 425 reported in April 2020.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. 

“Never let yourself be rushed, and if you’re in any doubt then check our ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK.”

HMRC gave customers an extra month to submit a completed tax return and if customers filed by 28 February 2022, they would avoid a late filing penalty. More than 11.3 million customers filed their Self Assessment tax return by 28 February, with more than 1 million of those taking advantage of the extra time by filing in February.

Customers have until 1 April to pay their outstanding tax bill or set up a Time to Pay arrangement to avoid receiving a late payment penalty. Interest has been applied to all outstanding balances since 1 February.

Customers can now make Self Assessment payments quickly and securely through the HMRC app. Customers choosing to make secure Self Assessment payments through the HMRC app can either connect to their bank to make their payments or pay by Direct Debit, personal debit card or corporate/commercial credit/debit card. 

A full list of the payment methods customers can use to pay their Self Assessment tax bill is available on GOV.UK.

Customers can report suspicious phone calls using a form on GOV.UK. Customers can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. 

HMRC has a dedicated team working on cyber and phone crimes. They use innovative technologies to prevent misleading and malicious communications from ever reaching the customer.

Since 2017, these technical controls have prevented 500 million emails from reaching HMRC’s customers. More recently, new controls have prevented 90% of the most convincing SMS messages from reaching the public and controls have been applied to prevent spoofing of most HMRC helpline numbers.

HMRC is also reminding Self Assessment customers to double check websites and online forms before using them to complete their 2020/21 tax return.

People can be taken in by misleading websites designed to make them pay for help in submitting tax returns or charging to connect them to HMRC phone lines.

Customers who are in any doubt about whether a website is genuine should visit GOV.UK for more information about Self Assessment and use the free signposted tax return forms.

Edinburgh City FC to fundraise for J.K. Rowling’s charity Ukraine appeal

Football match to raise money for Lumos Ukraine appeal

Football fans will be doing their bit for charity when they attend the Edinburgh City FC vs. Stranraer FC match this Friday 18th March, as all ticket proceeds will be donated to Lumos’ emergency Ukraine appeal.

Lumos is an international children’s charity founded by Edinburgh-based author J.K. Rowling that has been working in Ukraine for nearly a decade supporting national and regional authorities with care reform and developing community support services so that children can grow up in families rather than in orphanages.

In response to the current crisis, Lumos has launched an emergency appeal to help the children and families of Ukraine, raising vital funds to provide food, hygiene and medicine kits, help with the relocation of the most vulnerable children, support families, foster carers and emergency foster carers, and to provide psychological support in the coming weeks and months.

All tickets will be £5, and season ticket holders will be offered the opportunity to make a donation on the night.

Peter McDermott, Lumos CEO, said: “For many, football offers the opportunity to come together with family. This partnership between Edinburgh City FC and Lumos offers the public a way to  help the children and families of Ukraine, who are now in grave danger. War tears apart families and exposes already vulnerable children to all manners of harm.

“We are grateful for Edinburgh City FC for this gesture of generosity that will help Lumos keep more families together and provide vital help to those impacted by this war.”

Jim Brown, Edinburgh City FC Chairman, said: “Edinburgh City FC have a proud history of supporting our local community so we are delighted to announce a partnership with Lumos who are supporting communities right now in Ukraine.

“Like so many we are deeply touched at the work Lumos is currently doing with children and vulnerable families throughout Ukraine including Edinburgh’s twin city of Kyiv, therefore we are donating 100% of the gate money from this coming Friday evening’s game so they can continue to get vital supplies to those who need it most.

“All tickets for our game are priced at £5 so we urge all football fans and the wider public to come along to Ainslie Park on Friday. This is more than just football: this is Edinburgh standing with Ukraine.”

Advance tickets can be purchased at: 

https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Tickets/SelectType?fixtureId=656