North Edinburgh News – Page 2098 – The NEN

Vauxhall most popular car for young Scottish drivers

New research shows the most popular car brands for young drivers, aged 18-25, in Scottish cities are Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Ford in that order.

Insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk found The Vauxhall Corsa is the favourite model, followed by the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta.

The data from Quotezone.co.uk is taken from a sample of nearly 2,700 young drivers in 2019-2020 across Scotland’s cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Inverness, Stirling, Perth and Glasgow.

The only exceptions to Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Ford dominating the top three most popular spots are Glasgow which features Audi and Sterling with Peugeot – both in third place.

Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, Greg Wilson, comments: “A major consideration for young drivers is the cost of insuring their car, so you might assume that most would opt for a car in a very low insurance group, like a Volkswagen Up (usually insurance group 5 or lower), a Seat Mii (insurance group 4 or lower), or a Skoda Citigo (group 4 or lower).

“Interestingly, though, our data suggests young drivers in who do buy Volkswagens are more likely to splash for a Golf than an Up, even though Volkswagen Golfs tend to range from insurance group 18 up to group 31.

“Similarly, young drivers who opt for a Seat are more likely to buy a Seat Leon than a Mii, despite the fact that most Leons fall into insurance group 14 or higher.

“Still, while many young drivers might be open to paying a little more to insure a motor with a bigger engine, their relative inexperience or small no claims bonus means it’s still vital that they shop around to ensure they aren’t paying over the odds. Our aim is to bring more transparency to the insurance process by giving the power back to the customer, so they can easily see what is on offer across the market, then choose for themselves what suits them – at a competitive price.”

Quotezone.co.uk also sponsor the FirstCar Awards for young drivers – according to the awards, the most wanted new car of 2020 for young drivers is actually the Audi A1 followed by the Honda E and finally the Vauxhall Corsa. The most wanted used car was the Mini Hatch. Advice for young drivers plus this year’s winners announced here.

Young drivers can also take steps to help keep insurance premiums down such as;

Parking the car overnight close to the house either in a private driveway or garage
Opting for a slower car with a smaller engine
Avoiding expensive ‘modifications’
Choosing a car with an alarm, immobiliser and fit a tracker
Exploring the use of a telematics insurance product
Keeping mileage low
Driving safely and avoid motoring convictions / build up a No Claims Bonus
Considering completing the ‘Pass Plus’ or ‘RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders’ test

Recommended by 97% of reviewers, Quotezone.co.uk helps around 3 million users every year, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products including niche driver products such as Learner Driver Insurance, 4×4 insurance and Young Driver Insurance.

Young Driver Statistics, 18–25 year olds, in Scottish cities, top 3 most popular cars – make and model, across 2019/2020 from a sample size of nearly 2700.

Scottish City	Top Young Driver Make	Top Young Driver Model
Aberdeen	1 – Vauxhall	Corsa
	2 – Ford	Fiesta
	3 -VW	Polo
Dundee	1 – Ford	Fiesta
	2 – Vauxhall	Corsa
	3 – VW	Polo
Edinburgh	1 – Vauxhall	Corsa
	2 – Volkswagen	Polo
	3 – Ford	Fiesta
Inverness	1 – Volkswagen	Polo
	2 – Ford	Fiesta
	3 – Vauxhall	Corsa
Sterling	1 -Vauxhall	Corsa
	2 – Ford	Fiesta
	3 – Peugeot	206 and 207
Perth	1 – Vauxhall	Corsa
	2 – Volkswagen	Golf
	3 – Ford	Focus
Glasgow	1 – Vauxhall	Corsa
	2 – Volkswagen	Polo
	3 – Audi	A3

Utilita team still stepping out despite the snow

Staff at Utilita’s Energy Hub in Leith are taking part in the ‘Future Steps’ campaign, a 10,000 steps-a-day challenge during the month of February to raise vital funds for The Prince’s Trust.

Utilita Energy is powering The Prince’s Trust Future Steps campaign, to enable the charity to give young people hope for the future by helping them to develop the skills and confidence needed to move into work, education or training.

Staff from the Energy Hub in Leith – who have been aptly named the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ – will each clock up 10,000 steps for 28 consecutive days throughout February, resulting in 60,000 steps a day and a massive 1.68 million steps in in total by the end of February.

Debra Clason, Team Leader of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Future Steps team at the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith, said: “With so many young people’s lives disrupted and impacted by the pandemic, their education or career plans may have been put on hold, so it’s important that the support they need to confidently get back on track is there when they need it most.

“We’re telling the customers we speak to about the campaign, and also educating each customer about the Energy High 5 campaign – helping every household to reduce their energy spend by £163 per year.”

The Utilita Energy team aim to beat 5m steps they achieved in 2020. They’ve been walking at 6am and 6pm daily to fit the 10,000 steps-a-day challenge around their shifts – and have at times felt like arctic explorers!

Hub Manager Debra Clason, has been walking at 5am some mornings, she’s that competitive, and likes to inspire her team by always doing the most! Team Leader Donna Hall (above) said that on Thursday last week, steam from her breath was forming ice crystals in her hair!

Debra said: “Despite the sub-zero weather, Donna, Maxine and I from the team have recently ventured expeditiously up Arthur’s Seat.

“Whilst we only intended to walk around the outside of the old volcano, watching all the people sledging and snowboarding tempted the us to tackle the heights, and when darkness fell we made our way up to the top of Salisbury Crags.

“I brought a torch, but it wasn’t needed with the bright white snow. Coming back down, the three of us hopped, skipped and slipped to the bottom of the hill, frozen, exhilarated and in love with the Edinburgh skyline that made the climb worthwhile.”

Laura Heaton, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Utilita for making Future Steps possible by sponsoring the campaign, and to their teams all over the UK who have signed up to get moving in support of our cause.

“The funds raised will help us to keep up with demand from young people in these anxious times, so that they can get the advice and opportunities they need to get back on track and regain control of their futures – whatever challenges they may be facing.”

To donate valuable funds to help improve young people’s wellbeing and help them to get into work, please visit the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ JustGiving page here.

David Lloyd Clubs opens its (virtual) doors free to all

David Lloyd Clubs @home App now free of charge
Up to 600+ classes with new live and on demand content available every day
Includes David Lloyd Clubs exclusive signature classes and wellness sessions
For children, a virtual after-school club including sport skills, cooking & story time
Exclusive virtual social and wellbeing events to support mental health

With Lockdown 3 and nearly a year of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic taking a physical and mental toll of the nation’s health, David Lloyd Clubs wants to do its bit to help by opening its doors (albeit virtually) for the first time.

With health, fitness and wellbeing content previously only available exclusively to its members, the UK’s largest health club is today making its David Lloyd Clubs @home available free of charge to the nation.

In response to the recent news that nearly half of the UK population are exercising less during the current lockdown than during the first in early 2020* the aim is to provide everyone the opportunity to access fitness and wellbeing content.

With David Lloyd Clubs @home, users can access some 600+ classes ranging from yoga and Pilates, to high intensity interval training (HITT), post-natal workouts and mobility sessions for runners, all delivered by David Lloyd Clubs expert team. A series of challenges across different genres enables users to progress and challenge themselves.

With loneliness a key symptom of the pandemic, providing access to a friendly virtual community is another key driver behind the launch, aiming to support users who may be struggling alone, those looking for an escape from working on the frontline or juggling the demands of home working and home schooling.

Virtual coffee mornings hosted by social enterprise coffee traders Change Please have seen members develop their barista skills and whip up tasty brunch options, quiz nights have opened up some friendly rivalry, and future plans include a virtual book club and more live interactive workshops.

If you need encouragement, advice and motivation to get you and your family off the sofa and into the great outdoors, DL Run Club group offers a warm welcome to runners of every level, and the David Lloyd Mile provides a friendly online community for families to share their daily outdoor exercise and offers younger ones the opportunity to win certificates for miles clocked up.

With reports suggesting the country’s third lockdown has triggered an unprecedented mental health crisis** there’s a dedicated wellness section too. Content includes meditation sessions, mindfulness programmes and beauty tutorials. There’s even a series of hair tutorials – ideal for those who may have been victim to a lockdown haircut!

For parents worried about their children’s development, a series of skills videos have been exclusively created focusing on Agility Balance and Co-ordination (ABCs).

These skills are the basis of all movement and physical activity and the windows of opportunity when children can develop the ABC’s more easily and quickly are typically between the ages of 5 -10/11. Armed with no more than some balloons, tennis balls, a racket and a bucket, children can follow along the fun 10-minute sessions. More family focused content within the app includes a daily story time session and cookery classes.

And for older people who may have struggled to leave the house to exercise during lockdown, the wide range of specially tailored fitness workouts and wellness content will help everyone keep fit and healthy until we can all confidently leave our homes again.

Glenn Earlam, CEO of David Lloyd Clubs says: “Our members have told us that David Lloyd Clubs @home has proved to be a lifeline over three lockdowns, keeping them fit, well and feeling connected.

“We know the last year has taken its toll on the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing and we wanted to be able to offer everyone the opportunity to benefit from the huge range of the content delivered by our friendly David Lloyd Clubs @home team.

“Exercise not only boosts physical health, but also has a huge impact on mental health. I genuinely hope we can encourage everyone to take a look and find something to help them.

“You don’t need to be a regular exerciser or feel confident in the weights room, there’s plenty of sessions that need no equipment and can be done in the house. But its far more than just fitness – we have meditation, mental wellbeing advice, hair and makeup tutorials, kids clubs and even quizzes and coffee mornings, so our @home App really is like a virtual David Lloyd Club experience in your own living room.”

Now available on Apple and Android – just search David Lloyd Clubs.

Find out more here: https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/clubs/david-lloyd-clubs-at-home/

Invisible Cities: LIVE virtual tours of Edinburgh to help those who have experienced homelessness

Collaboration will enable human-centric tours of the city, which will be broadcast in real time by your local Invisible Cities guide

Invisible Cities, the social enterprise that trains people who have previously experienced  homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city in Edinburgh, Manchester,  Glasgow and York – has teamed up with Virtualtrips.io to offer LIVE virtual tours of Edinburgh.

Virtualtrips is a dedicated live-streaming platform that offers raw, human-centric tours of interesting places, broadcast in real time by expert locals. With more than 250 tours across 45 locations and counting, people can ‘travel’ together to Venice, explore Yellowstone National Park, and make it back in time to see the coast of Guernsey – all in the same day.

Viewers can enjoy following Virtualtrips’ friendly and knowledgeable guides and engage with them and fellow travellers through interactive chat. All of the tours are currently free to watch, though tips are encouraged (and very much appreciated!)

On average, people have rated the tours 4.7 out of 5 across 15,000 reviews.

Zakia Moulaoui Guery, Founder & CEO of Invisible Cities, said: “The Virtualtrips online platform offers virtual walking tours from around the world and we are really delighted to be joining forces with them.

“We are also hoping to eventually be able to take this partnership further and become a Virtualtrips community partner, but that is for the future!

“In the meantime, our virtual tours of Edinburgh will keep the community engaged, allow us to continue our work, giving a voice to those who have felt invisible and offering some much- needed entertainment for people across the UK and beyond.”

The virtual tours of Edinburgh are also available on Invisible Cities’ very own Zoom platform, making them ideal for teams at work, or families and friends, who wish to discover the city from the comfort of their own home.

Zakia concludes, “We are inviting people to book their preferred date and time via our Invisible Cities website and then they can just log onto zoom on the day.

“Their guide will take them through a journey along the streets of Edinburgh – either on their own or as part of a group tour experience, with others from various households, no matter where they are in the world!”

For more information on the Virtualtrips.io collaboration visit https://www.virtualtrips.io/locations/edinburgh

For more information on Invisible Cities and their very own virtual tours of Edinburgh visit https://invisible-cities.org/   

Scottish Power employees encouraged to volunteer with added day off

ScottishPower has confirmed staff will be given an extra paid day off work this year to volunteer in their communities or with charities they support.

With ScottishPower recently unveiled as a Principal Partner of the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow this coming November, employees are being encouraged to apply to be among the thousand-strong volunteer force needed to help the delegates and visitors in and around the event.

It is likely employees will require 36 hours of time to dedicate to roles at the event. ScottishPower has confirmed that its enhanced volunteering policy will also cover this added requirement for staff successfully chosen to support the conference.

The UK’s only integrated energy company generates 100% green electricity and currently employs around 5,500 people at sites across the UK, including 1650 at its Glasgow-based HQ.

The international summit, due to take place at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) on 1 – 12 November 2021, is expected to bring together the largest gathering of heads of state ever hosted in the UK.

The improvements to the company’s volunteering policy were confirmed by Sheila Duncan, HR Director. She said: “Our belief is that a better future, quicker should exist for everyone. And in our quest for net zero, we should also be striving for a more inclusive and fair society where nobody is left behind.

“We are proud of the role we take in working and volunteering with our communities and customers, while giving support to those needing assistance.

“Following a challenging year where everyone has stepped up and shown incredible resilience and flexibility in difficult circumstances, we felt it was important our staff were rewarded for their unwavering commitment.

“The pandemic has hit home the value and importance to be gained from helping those in need. And as a large organisation, we’re in the fortunate position that we’re able to help. We would encourage everyone to take advantage of this improved policy and will provide all the support necessary.”

Under the improved policy, staff can choose any community or charitable activity under the following headings and apply via their line manager:

environmental work and conservation projects;
fundraising for community projects or charities; and
the administration of public events.

The Big Issue sellers join LinkedIn to connect with customers

The Big Issue (TBI) and LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, have partnered on a pilot scheme to support 10 of the magazine’s vendors who have lost their livelihoods and their sense of community as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Big Issue vendors taking part in the pilot, who are based all around the UK, have joined LinkedIn to find a new lifeline for their work, as they remain unable to sell the magazine during the latest national lockdown as high street footfall is much lower.

The 10 vendors have received specialist and bespoke training from LinkedIn to help them build their digital skills to reach an online customer base, find new opportunities, and engage with LinkedIn’s community of 30 million UK members.

They have also received tablets donated from Dixons Carphone, the business behind Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse, to help them access their LinkedIn profiles and online training.

The vendors will be able to reach out to new and existing customers on LinkedIn to let them know that they can purchase a copy of The Big Issue digitally. Their profiles are all searchable on the platform through The Big Issue’s LinkedIn page.

Big Issue vendors run their own micro-businesses, buying copies of the magazine for £1.50 and selling to the public for £3, keeping the difference. In this way the magazine provides them with the means to earn a legitimate income.

The partnership with LinkedIn aims to connect the vendors with the 30 million-strong network of UK professionals, giving them access to a platform which reinforces that they are working for a living, and allows them to increase their sales in the face of the ongoing challenges in the Covid-19 pandemic.

As we remain in national lockdown, and with footfall on the high streets of previously bustling cities and towns declining, The Big Issue and LinkedIn’s ambition is to onboard more vendors onto the scheme throughout the year.

Emma Ford, Big Issue vendor who usually sells the magazine in Victoria Station, London, said: “Covid-19 has affected me very badly. I haven’t had Covid-19 but it’s changed my life.

“It’s played with my mental health and has affected my confidence. I really hope the partnership with LinkedIn will help me a lot. We can’t sell the magazine now, so it’s amazing that we can sell online. We really need that income boost. No one knows what will happen, but any little help makes a big difference.”

Paul Cheal, Group CEO of The Big Issue Group, said: “Covid-19 has changed everything for everyone, but its impact has been keenly felt at The Big Issue. All earning potential was stripped from our 1,700 regular vendors who made their living selling The Big Issue on the streets of the UK.

“Now, as we find ourselves in our third national lockdown and footfall on the high street likely to be almost non-existent for the foreseeable future, we are fully focused on empowering our vendors with the digital skills they need to connect with their customers.

“The partnership with LinkedIn, which we welcome wholeheartedly, will not only help the vendors sell their magazine again, it will ease the feeling of social isolation experienced over the past year, allowing them to reconnect with their customers and community.”

Josh Graff, UK Country Manager, LinkedIn says: “The pandemic has had an enormous impact on the livelihoods of Big Issue vendors and wreaked havoc on their ability to earn an income.

“We’re delighted that this pilot programme will give vendors a new, safe, and much needed opportunity to reconnect with customers and sell their magazines. We’re really excited about the potential of this scheme and hope that LinkedIn members across the UK also welcome the opportunity to buy from Big Issue vendors once again.”

You can find out if your local vendor is on LinkedIn by visiting The Big Issue’s company page and searching for the vendors.

Alternatively, you can support The Big Issue’s 100 Days of Action Appeal by buying a subscription from your vendor or by subscribing online at bigissue.com/support.

Budding garden designers invited to enter exciting competition

Pocket garden challenge launched

Budding garden designers are invited to enter exciting competition

A nationwide competition has been launched by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to find pupils from across Scotland to participate in the sixth annual Pocket Garden Design Competition.

Children, from as young as three, are being challenged to design a colourful and sustainable garden that could feature at the Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace in late May if restrictions allow, and if not in an interactive online garden showcase.

Many people have found joy as they rediscovered the nature on their doorsteps during lockdown, and the competition encourages young people to celebrate that through their designs.

Following the great success of Pocket Gardens in past years, schools from across Scotland are being encouraged to take part and develop designs for a tiny garden which reflect the four interlinked 2021 themes.

These themes include The Year of Coasts and Waters, One Planet Picnic, Wildlife Gardening and Health and Wellbeing through noticing nature.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It’s a great competition with new opportunities! This year an Activities at Home sheet is available to inspire children to get involved while learning at home.

“We are excited to work with Scotland’s brand-new national gardening event – The Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace – to celebrate and share the innovation and creativity of Scotland’s young garden designers.

“This competition over the years has inspired entries from across the country and we hope that in 2021 it gives parents and educators a new focus as we continue a blended mix of home and in school learning.”

Anthony McCluskey, Chair of the Garden for Life Forum, who will be involved in the judging, said: “2020 winners, that were not able to display their pocket gardens last year when the event was cancelled due to lockdown, will join winning Pocket Gardens from 2021.

“Double joy – winning designs from two years to see!”

Brian Cunningham, Head Gardener at Scone Palace and organiser of The Scottish Garden Show, commented: “One of the aims of The Scottish Gardens Show is to showcase approaches to gardening that benefit the health of both people and the planet and it is crucial to involve children and young people as part of the life blood of the show.

“The Pocket Gardens are a perfect fit and I’m looking forward to the inspiration and fun they will bring to the show.”

Pupils are invited to submit their entries no later than 17 March 2021 to oneplanetpicnic@keepscotlandbeautiful.org.

Further information and inspiration from past years can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden

Adult Social Care: Scottish Government supports Feeley Review recommendations

Collision course with COSLA over National Care Service?

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has accepted the findings of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, and the Scottish Government is already working to implement key recommendations.

Ms Freeman told Parliament yesterday that Derek Feeley’s Independent Review, commissioned five months ago in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was an “important opportunity” to be bold in reshaping how social care is planned, funded and delivered.

Speaking in a debate on the review, Ms Freeman set out a number of immediate measures in response, including a new £20 million Community Living Change Fund to redesign services for people with complex needs including intellectual disabilities and autism, and for people who have enduring mental health problems.

This will address some of the issues raised by the 2018 Coming Home report, about the need to avoid out of area placements and delayed discharge for people with learning disabilities and complex needs.

She said she accepted the principle of introducing a National Care Service but would continue to talk to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) about how to address its concerns.

The Scottish Government is working to implement other measures recommended by Derek Feeley’s report. These include:

work with local partners to end charging for non-residential care
developing minimum standards for terms and conditions in the social care sector, to help organisations meet fair work principles by the end of May
work to ensure there is no delay in the annual Real Living Wage uplift for Adult Social Care workers

Ms Freeman said: “The independent review of social care gives us a clear roadmap for the future of care provision in Scotland and we believe in the recommendations in this report.

“There is immediate action that can be taken now to secure improvement. I am pleased to announce a new Community Living Change Fund of £20 million to deliver a redesign of services for people with complex needs including intellectual disabilities and autism, and those who have enduring mental health problems. We will work with local partners as quickly as practicable to end all charges for non-residential care.

“The report also recognises and highlights the critical and invaluable support that the social care workforce provide to people all over Scotland. We are looking to establish a new sector-level body to ensure an effective voice for the whole of the social care workforce to enable them to respond to local conditions and address matters of importance, and support an effective collective bargaining role in the sector.

“As a priority, we will work with our stakeholders to agree a national approach to implementing the real living wage for Adult Social Care workers – for 2021 and in future years.

“We want to move from a competitive market to collaboration and ethical approaches to commissioning and procurement to help embed fair work principles and improve the consistency of services.

“The National Care Home Contract should also embed changes which drive the Fair Work Agenda and I have asked that for the first time Union representatives should be party to the discussions on this contract.

“I understand the concern expressed by COSLA on the issue of accountability. Local government is a critical partner in taking forward the radical change the Review rightly calls for and I support. We need to work together to find the best way to secure the Review’s recommendations and the spirit of its intent.

“I believe, as the report sets out, that improving adult social care gives us an important opportunity – to improve people’s lives, to build our economy, and to invest in high-quality, fair work.

“This is just beginning of a process for improvement. It is now up to us to ensure a social care system that consistently delivers high quality services across Scotland – a system that is founded in fairness, equality, and human rights, and that puts lived experience at the heart of its redesign and delivery.”

Council Leaders have already rejected the idea of a Scottish Care Service.

Speaking following the launch of the Feeley report on 11 February, Councillor Stuart Currie, COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson, said: “There was real and unanimous opposition to the recommendations on governance and accountability which would see the removal of local democratic accountability and a degree of centralisation, which Leaders rightly felt would be detrimental to the local delivery of social care and its integration with other key community services.

“They (council leaders) also felt that given the level of funding set out in the Review, Local Government would be well placed to deliver the human-rights based approach outlined at pace, whilst ensuring local democratic accountability remains front and centre of social care.”

Council leaders will consider a detailed report on the proposals and the Scottish Government’s response at the end of this month.

Online Open Days at Scotland’s Rural College King’s Buildings

Students will be able to learn more about individual courses on offer at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) during a series of virtual events next week (22-26 February).

In addition to a general overview about studying at SRUC’s King’s Buildings campus in Edinburgh – with the chance to speak to current students – prospective students can learn more about specific courses ranging from HNC to postgraduate degree level.

These include courses in Horticulture, Applied Animal Science and Environmental Management and Conservation.

An event highlighting the Horticulture with Plantsmanship course will take place on Monday 22 February, followed by an event for Horticulture and Garden Design on Tuesday 23 February.

Further events for Applied Animal Science, Rural Business Management and Environmental Management and Conservation will be held on Wednesday 24 February with an event for Agriculture on Thursday 25 February.

The campus overview will take place on Friday 26 February at 1.30pm, followed by a student panel Q&A session at 4pm.

The events, which will be hosted on Microsoft Teams, offer the chance to hear from lecturers and ask questions about the courses.

Marketing and Student Recruitment Officer at the King’s Buildings campus, Anouska Curzon, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has meant we are unable to invite prospective students onto our campuses.

“However, we hope that by meeting some of the staff and students online, we are giving everyone the opportunity to find out more about what it’s like to study with us.”

For more information or to book a place, please visit:

https://www.sruc.ac.uk/opendays

Audit Scotland: Lessons to be learned from pandemic response

The Scottish Government acted quickly to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed by Covid-19, but it could have been better prepared to respond to the pandemic, according to a new report from Audit Scotland.

Staff across the NHS and Scottish Government took early action during the first wave in 2020, including increasing intensive care capacity and pausing non-urgent treatment. Service innovation, such as a huge rise in video consultations, also happened within weeks and it is important these are learned from.

However, there is now a substantial backlog of patients, with NHS boards prioritising those in most urgent need. It will be hard to deal with this backlog alongside the financial and operational challenges already faced by boards.

The Scottish Government based its initial response to Covid-19 on the 2011 UK flu pandemic preparedness strategy. Scotland took part in three pandemic preparedness exercises in the years before the coronavirus outbreak.

But not all the actions identified in these exercises were fully implemented.

These included measures to ensure access to enough PPE and to quickly address social care capacity, both of which became significant issues during the first wave of Covid-19.

Covid-19 has caused or contributed to the deaths of around 9,000 people in Scotland so far. People from the most deprived areas, of South Asian origin, or of Caribbean or Black ethnicity are among those who have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic. Deaths from other causes were also higher than average at the start of the pandemic.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: NHS staff have shown extraordinary commitment to treating and caring for Scotland’s people during a pandemic that has highlighted the need to deal with long-standing health inequalities.

“Getting the full range of health services back up and running will be challenging. But there are clear lessons to be learned from the pandemic, both in how the country could have been better prepared and in the innovation that we’ve seen. It’s essential that these advances are now retained and built upon.”