Category: North Edinburgh News

City of Edinburgh Music School Open Day

The City of Edinburgh Music School is a National Centre of Excellence funded by the Scottish Government and does not charge fees.It is unique in Europe as it is the only specialist music school that caters for children aged P1 to S6.

The senior music school is at Broughton High School and the primary music school is at The Flora Stevenson Primary School.

Applications are encouraged on behalf of children who display an above average ability when learning an instrument and/or show a heightened awareness and response to music.

The closing date for applications is Friday 10th January 2020.

We have an Open Day on Saturday 2nd November which is open to all and is held at Broughton High School between 11 am and 2pm.

Please visit our website for more information and how to apply:

www.edinburghmusicschool.co.uk

Edinburgh Law Firm joins will-writing charity initiative

A law firm from Edinburgh is aiming to raise vital funds for nine of the UK’s best loved charities, after signing up for Will Aid, the annual charity will-writing campaign.

This is the first year Quill Legal has signed up to the scheme, which runs throughout November. Continue reading Edinburgh Law Firm joins will-writing charity initiative

Cancer treatment plans should include tailored exercise prescriptions, says expert panel

A global panel of exercise oncology experts has published new guidance recommending the systematic use of an “exercise prescription” to help cancer patients cope with treatment side effects and lower the risk of developing certain cancers. Continue reading Cancer treatment plans should include tailored exercise prescriptions, says expert panel

Is there Room on the Broom for Blackhall Bookworms?

Dear Bookworms,

Tomorrow (Friday 18th October) from 3 until 4 we will be doing some witchcraft.
Even better … we will be having a witch craft session!

Join us for a reading session of Julia Donaldson’s classic “Room on the Broom” and a monstrous craft session after! Ages 4 – 11.

As usual sessions are free but please book in advance!

Ask a member of staff, call 0131 529 5595 or email blackhall.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

No Deal Brexit: medicine supplies advice issued to health professionals

A joint letter from Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has been issued to health and social care professionals providing them with further advice on ensuring medicine supplies in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, new controls on the entry of goods from the EU into the UK will need to be introduced. This is likely to cause delays at ports of entry and a slow-down in the flow of medicines and medicine supplies into the UK.

The letter outlines what steps are being taken in Scotland to ensure continuity of supply of medicines and medical devices and to support prescribers if shortages arise.

Commenting on the letter, Health Secretary Jeanne Freeman said: “Brexit is a crisis created by the UK Government, made worse by their refusal to rule out a disastrous ‘no deal’ exit. The reality is the supply of medicines and medical devices to Scotland will be impacted if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, meaning there is a risk of shortages.

“As a responsible government we are doing all we can to prepare as much as possible for the consequences of ‘no deal’. The joint letter from our Chief Medical Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer sets out clearly what preparations have been made to mitigate as best we can and provides our health and social care professionals with as much reassurance as possible.

“If the UK leaves the EU without a deal and some shortages occur, the NHS will manage the situation and, if necessary, provide advice on suitable alternatives or other treatment options while supply is restored to normal levels.”

Letter from the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer

Information on the mygov.scot/eu-exit website is also available.

Back in August, the UK Government announced that the Department of Health and Social Care was to strengthen its Brexit preparations with a £25 million contract to set up an express freight service to deliver medicines and medical products into the country.

The department is leading a procurement exercise for an express freight service as part of the government’s plans to support continuity of supply when the UK leaves the EU on 31 October.

The service is intended to deliver small parcels of medicines or medical products on a 24-hour basis, with additional provision to move larger pallet quantities on a 2- to 4-day basis. The service will be available to the whole of the UK.

While the majority of goods will be standard medicines and medical products, the express freight service can also deliver temperature-controlled products if needed.

The contract will run for 12 months, with a possible further 12-month extension.

The service will provide an additional level of contingency as part of necessary preparations to leave the EU on 31 October whatever the circumstances, supported by an additional £2 billion from the Treasury across government.

This money includes £434 million to help ensure continuity of vital medicines and medical products through freight capacity, warehousing and stockpiling.

The new service will support existing plans already in place, including:

  • building buffer stocks of medicines and medical products
  • changing or clarifying regulatory requirements so that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK if we have no deal
  • strengthening the process and resources used to deal with shortages
    procuring additional warehouse capacity
  • supporting companies to improve the readiness of their logistics and supply chains to meet the new customs and border requirements for both import and export.

UK Health Minister Chris Skidmore MP said on 15 August: “I want to ensure that when we leave the EU at the end of October, all appropriate steps have been taken to ensure frontline services are fully prepared.

“That’s why we are stepping up preparations and strengthening our already extremely resilient contingency plans.

“This express freight service sends a clear message to the public that our plans should ensure supply of medical goods remains uninterrupted as we leave the EU.”

Double celebration for Beatlie School

A Livingston school which provides specialist education for young people with severe and complex medical needs has received a second financial boost in a matter of weeks.

The school, which provides innovative support and education for children from three to eighteen years old, discovered last month that it’s set to move to a new multi-million-pound campus, after it was selected to be part of the Scottish Government’s new School Investment Programme.

Now, local charity Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids has agreed to match-fund £1831, which local parents and teachers had raised as part of Cash for Kids Superhero Day. Continue reading Double celebration for Beatlie School

Restart a Heart Day: Half a million Scots have CPR skills

Half a million people in Scotland have been equipped in vital life-saving CPR since 2015, it was announced today on Restart a Heart Day (October 16).

Restart a Heart Day – part of the Resuscitation Council’s Restart a Heart Campaign – is the annual worldwide campaign which strives to raise awareness of cardiac arrests and increase the number of people equipped in CPR. Continue reading Restart a Heart Day: Half a million Scots have CPR skills

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce: No Deal Brexit is ‘worst of all outcomes’

The potential impact of a no-deal Brexit for Edinburgh businesses has been revealed in a survey of members carried out by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. The responses came from over ten sectors, with the outlook for a no-deal Brexit being overwhelmingly negative.

76% of respondents confirmed that a no-deal Brexit would have a negative impact on their business and only 4% suggested it would have positive implications. Despite this reality, only 14% have a specific plan to deal with the likely impact on their business. The chamber surveyed 102 members in September and October 2019.

In order to address the concerns raised, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has launched a series of workshops in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP to help businesses to prepare should the UK leave the EU without a deal on 31 October.

The workshops are available to all interested businesses, whether they are a member of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce or not.

They will commence this week, with two targeted at potential issues for the food and drink and hospitality sectors. Guidance around the future supply chain and the ability to recruit EU staff will be among the issues covered.

There will also be further workshops starting next week, to consider the impacts on the digital and creative sectors and professional services. Issues such as the impact of no-deal on intellectual property and data protection will be touched on.

Commenting, Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “While we are encouraged that talks to avert a no-deal Brexit are ongoing, the results of this survey indicate the stark reality facing both our members and the city of Edinburgh if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Whatever your views on Brexit, we are very clear that a no-deal scenario is the worst of all outcomes.

“So that we can support Edinburgh businesses to deal with the implications of this, we will be running a number of workshops in the coming weeks. These are available to everyone and will help ensure businesses are as prepared as possible for any scenario. Our hope is that the practical advice on offer does not need to be implemented, which is why we would urge the UK government and the European Union to reach a deal.

“Business continuity and growth is vital for the health of the economy – our survey makes clear a no-deal Brexit will have severe consequences not only for the vast majority of businesses but also the communities in which they operate.”

Further information on the workshops 

Food and Drink: (17th & 23rd October)

What does a No Deal Brexit mean for the Food and Drink Sector? Find out how legal changes caused by a No Deal Brexit impact on your business and what steps you can take in order to prepare. Our No Deal Brexit workshops delivered in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP will cover the following issues:-

  • EU Staff – how a No Deal Brexit will impact EU staff already working in the UK.
  • EU Staff – how a No Deal Brexit will impact on businesses ability to recruit and retain EU national staff who arrive after 31 October 2019
  • Guidance on supply chain vulnerabilities in the event of a No Deal Brexit.
  • Guidance on compliance with EU food law if a third party exporter.

Hospitality: (17th & 23rd October)

What does a No Deal Brexit mean for the Hospitality Sector?   Find out how legal changes caused by a No Deal Brexit impact on your business and what steps you can take in order to prepare.  Our No Deal Brexit workshops delivered in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP will cover the following issues:-

  • EU Staff – how No Deal Brexit will impact EU staff already working in the UK.
  • EU Staff – how a No Deal Brexit will impact on businesses ability to recruit and retain EU national staff who arrive after 31 October 2019
  • Is a No Deal Brexit the beginning of the end for European owned deli’s and restaurants and an opportunity for British restauranteurs?
  • Guidance on supply chain vulnerabilities in the event of a No Deal Brexit.
  • These issues will be tailored towards the hospitality sector. 

Digital and Creative (22nd October & 29th October)

What does a No Deal Brexit mean for the Digital and Creative Sector? Find out how legal changes caused by a No Deal Brexit impact on your business and what steps you can take in order to prepare.  Our No Deal Brexit workshops delivered in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP will focus on the following issues:-

  • Labour Supply Chain
  • EU Staff – how No Deal Brexit will impact EU staff already working in the UK.
  • EU Staff – how No Deal Brexit will impact future EU staff arriving in the UK after 31 December 2019.
  • Recruiting Non EU Staff after a No Deal Brexit –when and how will this get easier after No Deal?
  • Business travel and work to the EU after a No Deal
  • Information and Data Management
  • Data Protection – how No Deal Brexit impacts on GDPR and its applicability.
  • Transferring personal data between the UK and EEA in a No Deal Brexit: the implications and practical steps to take.
  • A look at data protection policies and data management practices and practical steps to take.
  • Intellectual Property – A look at the various intellectual property issues that may arise in a No Deal Brexit in relation to trademarks, copyright and patents.

Professional Services  (22nd October & 29th October)

What does a No Deal Brexit mean for the Professional Services Sector? Find out how legal changes caused by a No Deal Brexit impact on your business and what steps you can take in order to prepare.   Our No Deal Brexit workshops delivered in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP will focus on the following issues:-

  • EU Staff – how No Deal Brexit will impact EU staff already working in the UK.
  • EU Staff – how No Deal Brexit will impact future EU staff arriving in the UK after 31 December 2019.
  • The impact of No Deal Brexit on re-qualification and consultancy.
  • Establishing a legal entity elsewhere in the EU
  • Working in other EU member states after No Deal – case studies on how this will operate in other member states
  • Fly in/fly out business travel
  • Information and Data Management
  • Data Protection – how No Deal Brexit impacts on GDPR and its applicability.
  • Transferring personal data between the UK and EEA in a No Deal Brexit: the implications and practical steps to take.
  • A look at data protection policies and data management practices and practical steps to take.