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Prime Minister: “Levelling Up is our mission and we’re getting on with the job of delivering it”

Johnson attempts to deflect attention from the Downing Street parties scandal – and he’s heading to Edinburgh

Next week the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, will get out of Westminster to see how the government is delivering on the people’s priorities across the country.

Taking the message directly to people on the ground, he will emphasise that under his new No10 operation there will be a laser-focus on levelling up, clearing the covid backlogs and improving living standards across the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I’m getting out of London this week and taking a simple message with me – this government is getting on with the job of uniting and levelling up the country.

“Access to good healthcare, a good education, skilled work, reliable transport – none of this should depend on where you live. We’re changing the rules of the game to put fairness back at the heart of the system and focusing on the priorities that really matter to people. This is our mission and we’re getting on with delivering it.”

Starting the week in Scotland, he will visit a manufacturing site to meet with some of their 800 highly skilled workers and discuss how they’re using advanced technology to revolutionise their manufacturing processes.

He will also see some of the projects contributing to the UK’s world leading research and development sector, which were funded under the UK and Scottish Government’s 2018 Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Deal.

As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, the government committed to increase domestic public investment in R&D by at least 40% outside of the Greater South East.

Recognising the importance of supporting young people into the workplace and delivering his vision of a high skill, high wage, high productivity economy, the Prime Minister will also use the trip to meet with apprentices who are developing a range of skills from Cyber to mechanical and electrical engineering.

Following the publication of the electives recovery plan earlier this week, the Prime Minister will travel to the North West (of England – Ed.) to see how an oncology centre is tackling the covid backlogs by using technology and developing new ways of working.

The recovery plan sets out how the NHS will address unprecedented waiting lists caused by the pandemic, while redesigning how services are delivered to improve care for the long term. It includes more community diagnostic centres, surgical hubs and ways to give patients greater control over their own health and care, rapidly increasing capacity while reducing wait times.

Regular paracetamol use ‘linked to raised blood pressure’

Long-term paracetamol use could increase the risk of heart disease and strokes in people with high blood pressure, a study suggests.

Patients who have a long-term prescription for the painkiller, usually used for the treatment of chronic pain, should opt for the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time, researchers say.

The University of Edinburgh study, published in the scientific journal Circulation, is the first large randomised clinical trial to address this question and complements earlier work in observational studies.

Paracetamol was often suggested as a safer alternative to another class of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are known to increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

Professor David Webb, Principal Investigator and Chair of Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We would recommend that clinicians start with a low dose of paracetamol, and increase the dose in stages, going no higher than needed to control pain.

“Given the substantial rises in blood pressure seen in some of our patients, there may be a benefit for clinicians to keep a closer eye on blood pressure in people with high blood pressure who newly start paracetamol for chronic pain.”

In the latest study, 110 patients with a history of high blood pressure were prescribed one gram of paracetamol four times a day – a routinely prescribed dose in patients with chronic pain – or a matched placebo for two weeks. All patients received both treatments, with the order randomised and blinded.

Those prescribed paracetamol saw a significant increase in their blood pressure, compared with those taking the placebo.

This rise was similar to that seen with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , and might be expected to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by around 20 per cent, experts say.

The research team says the findings should lead to a review of long-term paracetamol prescriptions to patients – particularly those with high blood pressure, or those at particular risk of heart disease or stroke.

Professor James Dear, Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This study clearly shows that paracetamol – the world’s most used drug – increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

“Doctors and patients together should consider the risks versus the benefits of long-term paracetamol prescription, especially in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Dr Iain MacIntyre, Lead Investigator and Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology and Nephrology at NHS Lothian, added: “This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine – but it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain.”

Find Your Perfect Match at IOLLA this Valentine’s Day

Scottish eyewear brand IOLLA are ensuring Valentine’s Day will set your heart aflutter this year, collaborating with one of the country’s most-loved florists Mud Urban Flowers to offer customers the perfect match; stylish eyewear and beautiful blooms. 

With every purchase on Valentine’s Day, customers will receive an orange rose. Every rose will be individually wrapped with peach tissue, craft paper and tied with a satin ribbon. Roses will be available in showrooms including; Glasgow city centre, Finnieston and Edinburgh St James Quarter. The complimentary rose will be the perfect way to brighten up your own Valentine’s Day, or even gift to a loved one. 

Taking place in-store for one day only on Monday 14th February, IOLLA’s friendly team are determined to help customers find their perfect match this Valentine’s Day, pairing them up with a stylish range of sunglasses, glasses and modern accessories with a special treat from MUD included with any purchase. 

The Glasgow based eyewear retailer have also unveiled their newest styles including the ‘Wilson’, available in two of IOLLA’s most popular colours: Khaki Green and Medium Havana with more new styles set to be unveiled over the next few weeks. 

IOLLA, which means sight in Gaelic, create a friendly and inviting atmosphere in their four showrooms across the country, ensuring customers love the look they walk away with. Pairing up with MUD, the brands are brightening up the purchasing process this Valentine’s Day, no matter what kind of stylish eyewear you set your sights on. 

Delivering everything from fresh flowers, bespoke bouquets, daily designs and dried flowers across Scotland, Mud Urban Flowers are an Instagram sensation, delighting customers and followers with their custom designs. Their ever expanding portfolio means no two designs are the same with on-trend, seasonal blooms available to order for special occasions, a treat to yourself or you can subscribe to regular deliveries.

Chloe Milligan, Mud Urban Flowers Founder said, “Valentine’s Day is one of our favourite days of the year here at MUD. It’s all about sharing the love whether that’s with yourself, a friend, a family member or a loved one.

“When fellow Scottish brand IOLLA came to us with the idea of gifting their customers a little something extra special this Valentine’s Day, we instantly said yes.

“We also loved the twist on the traditional red rose, switching to an orange rose is fresh, fun and very IOLLA. We hope you love the idea as much as us and treat yourself or a friend to a pair of glasses and an IOLLA orange rose this Valentine’s Day!”

Kirsty Humpherson, Marketing Manager at IOLLA said: “We love creating new experiences for customers in our showrooms and this Valentine’s Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to pair up two of our favourite things – stylish eyewear and beautiful blooms!

“Whether it’s our handmade frames or sophisticated sunglasses, we make it our mission to find our customers’ perfect match and can’t wait to gift them a little something extra this Valentine’s Day.”

Single stemmed orange roses will be available on a first come first serve basis to guests at IOLLA’s showrooms, on any off-the-shelf purchases including their range of stand out sunglasses, contemporary cases and modern accessories. Subject to availability. 

IOLLA launched in 2015, introducing a better way to buy eyewear with their offering of complete prescription glasses and sunglasses for £75. Their mission is to help people look and feel great, empowering glasses wearers to build an eyewear wardrobe thanks to their diverse range of unique frame designs and affordable price point.

For more information and to keep up to date with all things IOLLA check out their website and follow them on Instagram:

www.iolla.com

https://www.instagram.com/iolla/

A ‘bold new vision’ for Scottish justice

A vision to transform Scotland’s justice sector through the COVID-19 recovery period and beyond has been published.

The new strategy will enshrine key priorities – making sure victims voices are heard, placing women and children at the heart of service delivery and reassessing the role that prisons and the use of imprisonment should play.

Specifically:

  • Victims will take a more prominent role in cases, experience fewer delays and be supported in their recovery. A Victims’ Commissioner will be appointed and there will be increased use of pre-recorded evidence. Restorative Justice services will also be made available across Scotland by 2023.
  • As well as an ambition to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls by tackling societal attitudes of misogyny and gender inequality, the vision prioritises systemic changes to improve the experiences of women and children building on the recommendations of Lady Dorrian’s report on the Management of Sexual Offences and ensuring access to Bairns’ Hoose for every child victim or witness who needs it.
  • Prison will always be needed for the most serious offences to ensure safety, but with evidence demonstrating community interventions are more effective than short prison sentences at reducing reoffending, the strategy seeks to reduce the need for imprisonment through early intervention and providing greater access to community justice alternatives. 

The vision will be underpinned by a requirement for the whole sector to ensure people are treated with empathy and kindness, for example by avoiding additional trauma by having to retell their stories.

The plan also enshrines the need for collaborative work across public services to improve outcomes for individuals, focussing on prevention and early intervention.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “This bold new vision will deliver a just, safe, and resilient sector with the needs of victims very firmly at its centre.

“Transforming the way we view and deliver justice in Scotland will ensure we properly support the most vulnerable in our society, creating a fair system that fulfils and meets the human rights of all who use it.

“This strategic blueprint sets out key priority areas including improving the experience of women and girls in a justice system historically designed by men, taking forward reform to address inequalities. It also stresses the need for a fresh look at the use of custody and firmly puts victims and the needs of victims at its centre.

“Underpinning this, the vision makes clear the need for services to be person centred and trauma informed to avoid re-traumatising people as they journey through the system. And, fundamentally, it stresses the importance of holistic early interventions that leverage the whole of government and public services to reduce offending and the causes of offending at the outset.

“I am determined to drive change and deliver better outcomes through our public services and this new framework envisions the best way to do that. We can and will deliver justice services which meet the needs of modern Scottish society.”

vision-justice-scotland-2022Download

Walk for Autism fundraiser set to return for a fifth year

The team at Autism Initiatives are dusting off their trainers once more for its annual fundraising campaign Walk for Autism, which returns this March.

The charity hopes to make it the biggest one yet in its five-year history when participants from up and down the country walk 10,000 steps per day for the eight days between March 26th and World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd.

Last year, the campaign’s participants collectively walked over an impressive 194 million steps and raised more than £621,000, making it their most successful year to date.

The money raised goes towards helping individuals with autism while supporting autism projects in the UK & Ireland that encourage the pursuit of specialist interests, promote physical activity and help autistic adults and children learn and develop every single day.

Walk for Autism Fundraising Manager Liz Oakley said: “This campaign is especially important to us as we have seen first-hand how much it can improve peoples’ lives; not just with the money raised but for all those who take part. Our aim is to create a wonderful community of likeminded people who are passionate about autism and believe they can make a difference.

“These past two years have been tough for everyone, and walking has been proven to help with mental wellbeing, which is just another positive reason to get involved. 

“Walkers can complete their steps at any time and in whatever way suits them; whether it’s walking the dog, stepping on the treadmill or conquering a long-distance hike. It’s important to remember that each and every step counts so even if you can’t get out and about steps around the garden or even around your home will all contribute.

“You can track your steps easily using a pedometer or smart phone apps to make sure you’re hitting your target. The concept is simple, but the rewards are huge.”

For this year’s theme of ‘We Walk for Autism’, Walk for Autism is encouraging people to do their walking with friends and family. Walkers can sign up on the charity’s website and begin their fundraising straight away, with the charity providing helpful tips on the fun and varied ways to raise money.

Those who sign up and pledge an upfront £20 will get a Walk for Autism t-shirt to assist in their fundraising, as well as a tutorial on how to create their very own homemade confetti canon using household items to celebrate their completion of the challenge.

Liz added: “Autism affects more than 700,000 people in the UK and Ireland each year and it’s vital that we continue to help as many of those people as possible through our fundraising efforts.”

Walk for Autism is a campaign led by charity Autism Initiatives Group who have been working to improve the lives of autistic people and their families across the UK and Ireland for almost 50 years.

You can get involved by visiting their website at:

 https://www.walkforautism.co.uk/register/walk-for-autism-2022/registrationform

Flu vaccination programme success

Huge uptake across the country

More than 2.7 million people have received their free flu jab and anyone eligible who has not yet been vaccinated has been urged to come forward.

The programme, which has so far seen a 90% uptake in over 65s, was paused in December so that health boards could prioritise the delivery of COVID-19 booster jabs to combat the Omicron variant.  

Flu vaccinations are now on offer again until the end of March for those in high risk groups.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Flu can be serious, and the vaccine is the safest and most effective way to help protect the most vulnerable against the illness and alleviate pressure on the NHS and social care services. 

“With COVID-19 still circulating, it is important that those eligible for a free flu vaccine take up the opportunity. The NHS Inform website provides information on the vaccine and how to arrange an appointment in your health board area.

“The fact that 90% of the population aged 65 and over have been vaccinated against flu this season is testament to the incredibly hard work carried out by health boards and Integration Authorities during the autumn and winter vaccination programme.

“I can’t emphasise enough how grateful I am to everyone involved from planning to delivery in these most challenging of circumstances.”

Check your eligibility and how to get a free flu vaccine

Forget price-match, it is all about your perfect love-match with Aldi Scotland this Valentine’s Day!

They say the way to a someone’s heart is through their stomach and this Valentine’s Day, Aldi Scotland has teamed up with an up-and-coming Scottish Agony Aunt to help its shoppers discover what their purchases say about their love life. 

The supermarket is encouraging shoppers to share a copy of their receipt or a list of their latest purchases via Aldi Scotland’s social channels for the chance to receive love and dating tips from Dear Ashleigh, based on what is in their shopping basket.  

Dear Ashleigh, a beautician from Glasgow, has been a trusted listening ear for her clients for over 10 years, but during lockdown decided to use this experience to offer love and life advice to her online followers looking for guidance on their relationships. 

Creating the perfect hybrid of Cilla Black’s ‘What’s your name, where’d you come from’, and Gillian McKeith’s ‘You are what you eat’, Aldi and Ashleigh will be playing cupid in the run up to Valentine’s Day to find what shopper’s eating and drinking habits suggest about their romantic side and to offer tips on what to look for when searching for their soul mate. 

Ashleigh, online Agony Aunt, commented: “In my experience, people tell you the most about themselves subconsciously, and more often than not, it’s the small things that they themselves haven’t noticed which reveals the most. 

“I’m looking forward to helping Aldi shoppers find out a bit more about themselves and where they should be looking for love.” 

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “We have such a varied range of products from local suppliers in our Scottish stores that often the combination of items picked up can say a lot about shopper’s likes and dislikes. 

“So, to mark this Valentine’s Day we thought it would be fun to work with Ashleigh to get her opinion on what a shopping list reveals about our shopper’s love lives and offer some sage advice for our single shoppers looking for love.” 

Shoppers can add romance to any menu this Valentine’s Day with Aldi Scotland’s Valentine’s Specialbuy range available from 10th February, including Love Heart Lorne sausage (£1.09, 150g), Loch Fyne Oysters (£3.99, 360g) and Loch Fyne Scottish Live Mussels (£2.99, 1kg). Customers can also pick up some award-winning gins including Eidyn Premium Scottish Gin (£19.99, 70cl). 

Ashleigh will be sharing her analysis of Aldi Scotland receipts on social media on Valentine’s Day – share your latest purchases with Aldi Scotland via Facebook or Instagram for a chance of personalised dating tips from Ashleigh. 

MSPs seek views on COVID recovery

A call for views into the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill has been launched by several Scottish Parliament Committees. 

The wide-ranging Scottish Government Bill, seeks to make permanent some of the temporary, emergency legislation introduced during the pandemic, and to extend others, which are due to expire by March 2022.

The Bill covers a number of policy areas including alcohol licensing, bankruptcy, justice, education (closing establishments and continuity of education), freedom of information, and vaccinations and immunisations.

Some key proposals outlined in the Bill include:

• maintaining provisions in the UK Coronavirus Act that enable Scottish Ministers to enact measures via public health regulations for any future public health threats, in line with powers that are already in place in England and Wales;

• maintaining provisions that grant Scottish Ministers power to restrict access to educational establishments on public health grounds;

• maintaining pre-eviction protocols relating to rent arrears in the private rented sector, placing more responsibility on landlords to ensure correct procedures are followed and that tenants are fully informed of their rights;

• allowing extended time-limits for criminal proceedings to temporarily remain in place to help the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service manage the backlog of cases arising from COVID-19; and allowing cases to continue to be heard through digital and physical means.

Four Parliament Committees will analyse the Bill. The COVID-19 Recovery Committee is the lead Committee scrutinising the Bill; while the Criminal Justice Committee will consider the justice policy measures; the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will consider the tenancy and eviction policy measures; and the Education, Children and Young People Committee will look into education related provisions. 


Speaking as the inquiry was launched, Siobhian Brown MSP (above), Convener of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee, said: “This pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of our lives, from restrictions on how we live, to mass vaccinations and significant changes in how public services are delivered.

“The threat of COVID-19 meant a great number of temporary, emergency legislatives measure were introduced at speed, but with these measures due to expire in March 2022, the time is now to decide which of these in the Bill should be put in place permanently.

“We recognise the size and scope of this Bill mean a diverse range of people and organisations may wish to comment on it. That’s why respondents will have the option to complete a short survey, where they can give their views on a specific aspect of the Bill, or a longer form, more detailed option is also available.”

“The Scottish Government’s stated aim for the Bill is to support Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic but we want to make sure it does not go too far, and that any changes which are made permanent act to benefit the people of Scotland and ease pressure on the public services we all rely on.”


The Convener continued: “Given the wide-ranging nature of this proposed legislation, the Parliament was keen to ensure it was given an appropriate level of scrutiny.

“That’s why we are bringing several Committees together, who will work collaboratively and use their specific areas of expertise in order to assess the impact of this Bill as effectively as possible.”

Members of the public who wish to respond to our consultation can do so here: https://yourviews.parliament.scot/covid19/recovery-bill-survey

Stakeholder organisations can give us their views here: https://yourviews.parliament.scot/covid19/recovery-bill-detailed

The call for views closes on 25 February 2022.

EVOC: Conversations & Communities

EVOC & EHSCP invite you to a shared learning and networking event focused on building partnerships and networks in Edinburgh’s NW Locality.

Hosted by EVOC and the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, this is one of four locality-based events focusing on how we can develop relationships and referral networks to improve support for clients – particularly those who might benefit by engaging with local organisations to explore preventative and early intervention ‘Conversation 1’ type activities.

NORTH WEST LOCALITY EVENT OVERVIEW

Dr Linda Irvine-Fitzpatrick, EVOC’s Bridie Ashrowan and the NW Locality Manager will discuss the interconnections and learning from the Three Conversations Model, The Edinburgh Wellbeing Pact and work within communities.

Here’s some of that wonderful feedback we received last year:

“So much out there – great to come up to date with the resources and look at the potential supports.”

“I found this simply wonderful!”

Make sure to join us on MS Teams: https://bit.ly/3L8fLkm

Ryanair rock bottom yet again while Jet2 flies high in Which? airline survey

‘Ryanair seems to be proud of being difficult’

Ryanair and British Airways have finished at the bottom of Which?’s annual survey of short-haul airlines, with both companies panned for providing poor customer service to those with disrupted flights during the pandemic.

The consumer champion surveyed more than 1,300 passengers for their experiences of flying with short-haul airlines in areas such as boarding, cabin cleanliness, customer service and value for money since November 2019. 

In a second part of the survey, Which? asked more than 1,100 passengers whose flights were disrupted how satisfied they were with how their airline handled the issue. The actions of some airlines – delaying or denying refunds for flights cancelled, or which passengers could not take, due to Covid – were reflected in these results.

Budget carrier Ryanair received an overall customer score of 55 per cent and a lamentable 47 per cent in the refund satisfaction category, with one in five customers telling Which? it took them more than a month to get a refund. 

One customer said: “Ryanair is the most awkward airline to deal with that I have ever come across. It seems to be proud of being difficult.” 

Themes that have appeared time and again – making Ryanair a fixture in the bottom three of Which?’s airline survey for more than a decade – were also evident, with another passenger adding: “Total lack of transparency about costs, and treating passengers like cattle to be squeezed for the last penny.”

When asked, ‘Is there an airline you would never fly with?’, three-quarters (74%) named Ryanair. Ryanair scored no better than two stars for all the measures in the main customer satisfaction survey – apart from value for money, where it scored three stars.

BA was second from bottom with a customer score of 63 per cent – just behind TUI Airways, but with a much lower refund satisfaction score. 

Passengers reported spending hours on hold only to be hung up on, or passed endlessly between different departments. This disappointing customer service, along with two-star ratings for food and drink, seat comfort and value for money, led one passenger to describe BA as ‘a budget style airline at premium prices’.

However, BA’s cabins ranked as joint cleanest alongside KLM and Jet2. 

Jet2 was top of the table and earned a Which? Recommended Provider endorsement.

Its record on delivering refunds was the best: more than eight in 10 (84%) respondents were satisfied with the outcome when their flight was disrupted because of Covid, and throughout the pandemic, most passengers have received a resolution in two weeks. 

Nine in 10 Jet2 customers told Which? they got a full refund, rather than having a voucher foisted upon them.

Its Covid flexibility policy is one of the best, allowing customers to make fee-free changes for most pandemic-related disruption, including lockdowns, quarantines and changing FCDO advice.

One Which? survey respondent said: “The pandemic has seen Jet2 shine. Its standard of customer care exceeds that of any other low-cost airline.”

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Ryanair’s consistently terrible customer service has made it a fixture among the worst performers in our surveys for many years – but the airline plumbed new depths with its handling of Covid refunds.

“BA’s reputation also deservedly took a battering when it took a hard line on refunds for passengers who could not travel because they followed government health guidance. 

“Many passengers will not forget how they were treated by companies during the pandemic. Covid could still cause disruption to international travel, so we would advise travellers to book with operators that have flexible booking policies and a record of treating their customers fairly.”