Mounting Scottish maternity service staffing shortages spark safety fears, says RCM

Understaffing, staff burnout and fears they cannot provide safe care could see many midwives heading for the exit, according to a Royal College of Midwives (RCM) survey of its members in Scotland. A staggering half of respondents say they rarely have enough staff to provide safe care for women.

The RCM said it is deeply concerned by the survey results, which showed seven out of 10 midwives are also thinking of leaving due to low staffing levels and frustration with the quality of care they can provide. As one midwife responding to the survey said, “I love being a midwife, but I hate the care I am giving.”

The RCM lays out several recommendations to move forward positively and address the issues in the survey. These include a call for more support for midwives early in their career to ensure they feel well supported and positive about their chosen career rather than leaving.

There is also a need to ensure midwives have time to undertake essential education and development which is key to delivering safer and better care. An accurate tool to determine midwifery staffing levels is also overdue and a proportionate and substantial increase in the number of consultant midwives and clinical educators – who play a key role in ensuring safe care.

Jaki Lambert, RCM Director for Scotland said: ‘I know midwives and maternity support workers provide excellent care daily to families, but we cannot rely on goodwill alone.

“This shows deep seated and longstanding issues, certainly worsened by the pandemic which midwives fear are already impacting on the quality of care for women and their babies. There is a worrying catalogue of issues and discontent with an exhausted and a fragile maternity workforce with rock bottom morale.

“They have also been emotionally and physically battered by the pandemic and left feeling that their work and efforts are not valued. We need to move forward together with the Government from this point.

“There is a real disconnect between what maternity services need and what resources are available to them in terms of funding, professional development, resources, and staffing. It is only the incredible determination, skill and sheer willpower of midwives and their colleagues that are holding services up.

“Without action the staff, and the system they are propping up, will break. This is not safe, it’s not sustainable, and it’s not acceptable.”

Fears about understaffing run through the survey. Levels of staffing were consistently described as unsafe, with midwives raising concerns for the safety of women using seriously overstretched services.

Concerns with the quality of care being given was cited by six in 10 of those thinking of quitting.

Women with complex care needs benefit from additional midwifery support but the resources needed to support these women are often not factored into funding calculations, says the RCM.

The RCM says they are concerned that more experienced midwives and those near retirement who delayed leaving to help in the pandemic are starting to head for the exit. The loss of such rich experience impacts on the support available to early career midwives and the students following in their footsteps.

Mandatory training, designed to improve safety in maternity services, has also been a casualty of the workforce crisis, with more than four in 10 respondents unable to do this training during working hours, instead having to do it in their own time or not at all.  

The RCM calls for staff to be given the time to do this vital training. One midwife summed up the situation saying, “mandatory safety training cancelled due to short staffing making a dangerous situation even less safe.”

Growing pressures are also leading to worrying levels of strain and anxiety for maternity staff. Nearly all (88%) in the survey say they have significant levels of work-related stress. One midwife said, “I have nothing left to give my own children and family at the end of the day. I am at breaking point.”

Nearly every respondent said they are missing breaks with over half (52%) saying this happens two to three times a week and has become the norm. Many are not even getting the chance to have a drink or go to the toilet on shifts that can be as long as 12 hours. One midwife reported, “When I say no break, I mean flooding through sanitary products onto my clothing because I cannot take 10 minutes to change my tampon in a 12-hour shift.”

Jaki Lambert added, “The pain and anguish of midwives was very difficult to read about and I hope their words are captured in this survey.  It paints a deeply worrying picture of staff that are on their knees and are not currently seeing a way forward or access to the support they need to deliver the safest and best possible care.

“We can and must do better for midwives, women, babies, and families in Scotland. We know that the Scottish Government wants to fix this and we want to work with them to make sure that midwives are valued and their expertise recognised.

“It is essential that we recruit new midwives into the service, treat the midwives we have better to make sure they stay in post, and that they can continue to develop throughout their careers so that women in Scotland get the maternity care they deserve.”

scotland-survey_finalDownload

Extra support for 30,000 families

Best Start Foods eligibility to widen 

Plans to remove all income thresholds from Best Start Foods by 2023-24 have been announced as part of the second Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, ‘Best Start, Bright Futures’.

This will increase eligibility to all people in receipt of a qualifying benefit. As a result, an additional 30,000 people are expected to benefit from Best Start Foods.

Best Start Foods is delivered via a prepaid card and provides £18 every four weeks throughout pregnancy, £36 every four weeks from birth until a child turns one, then £18 every four weeks from one until a child turns three. 

The implementation of this change will be part of the successful delivery in the coming years of our significant, wider benefits programme.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said:  “Tackling child poverty is a national mission for us. We continue to take the necessary steps to reach the ambitious targets set out in our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. Social security is one of the main pillars of this plan and will help us to  deliver support directly into the pockets of those families who need it the most.

“The cost of healthy food was already a pressure for parents and carers, and the cost of living increases are only making this more challenging. We will remove the income thresholds for Best Start Foods so that around 30,000 additional people who receive tax credits or certain benefits will be able to receive Best Start Foods by the end of financial year 2023-24.”

Sharon Hill, the Development Manager of Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust, which runs a community pantry in Midlothian serving local people, said:  “We have been operating the pantry for less than a year but it is clear that people from all walks of life and backgrounds are looking for ways to cut costs when it comes to doing their essential food shopping.

“We encourage people to ensure that they get all the benefits that are available to them and we welcome any move to open that support up to include more people.

“Like many people involved in community pantries and food banks our aim is to help people get to a place where they don’t require these services any more.”

Background

  • The Scottish Government replaced the UK Healthy Start Voucher scheme in Scotland with Best Start Foods on 12 August 2019
  • Best Start Foods aims to help tackle the impacts of child poverty by supporting low income families to buy healthy foods
  • Best Start Foods is delivered via a prepaid card and provides £18 every four weeks throughout pregnancy, £36 every four weeks from birth until a child turns one, then £18 every four weeks until a child turns three
  • The card can be used to buy healthy food, including eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables and pulses
  • Applicants under 18 will be eligible for Best Start Foods during pregnancy and up until their child turns one, without the need to be in receipt of benefits
  • Applicants over 18 need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit. At present, income thresholds also apply for some of these qualifying benefits.  These income thresholds will be removed by 2023-24
  • Eligible families, and carers can find out more and apply at mygov.scot/beststart or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222
  • Best Start Foods is part of a package of Five Family Payments. By the end of 2022, the Scottish Government’s package of Five Family Payments for low income families will be worth up to a maximum of over £10,000 by the time a family’s first child turns 6, and £9,700 for second and subsequent children

Democratic impasse: Lewis moves to break Northern Ireland deadlock

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, made a statement following a series of meetings with party leaders:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, yesterday met with the leaders of Northern Ireland’s five main political parties; Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin; Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP; Naomi Long, Alliance; Doug Beattie, UUP; and Colum Eastwood, SDLP.

In all his meetings, the Secretary of State reiterated the need to respect the electoral outcome of Thursday’s election and restore the full functioning of the devolved institutions as soon as possible – both the Executive and the Assembly.

All parties agreed on the importance of maintaining political stability. The Secretary of State encouraged all party leaders to come together to form an Executive as soon as possible, starting with the nomination of an Assembly Speaker.

The Secretary of State acknowledged that the Northern Ireland Protocol remains a clear barrier to political stability and re-confirmed that the Government will do whatever it takes to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, in all of its dimensions.

He reiterated the Government’s desire to address the outstanding issues by agreement with the EU, but confirmed that the Government stood ready to take further steps to rectify those issues, should that be necessary.

He noted that negotiations with the European Commission related to the Protocol were the responsibility of the UK Government and that they should not stand in the way of restoring the Stormont institutions and enabling the Executive to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland.

He reiterated the importance of taking advantage of the new provisions in the NI (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act passed earlier this year to enable continuity in decision-making during the Executive formation process. This will ensure existing Northern Ireland ministers can remain in place to oversee NI departments, allow legislation to progress and support the delivery of vital public services.

Speaking after his meetings, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP, said: “Northern Ireland’s party leaders must come together to agree a way forward to deliver a stable and accountable devolved government.

“The UK Government’s overriding priority remains the preservation of peace and stability in Northern Ireland and the protection of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its strands.

“The current situation with the Protocol is fundamentally undermining the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and creating an unacceptable situation in Northern Ireland. We will continue to press the EU to agree the crucial changes that are urgently needed but will take nothing off the table in our pursuit of those solutions.

“As I conveyed to party leaders today, our collective focus must be on the restoration of the Stormont institutions so that those newly elected representatives can come together and deliver in the best interests of all the people of Northern Ireland.

“I will remain in close contact with the party leaders over the coming days.”

Fridays launches bottoms up brunch

Fridays, part of newly listed Hostmore plc, has introduced Bottoms Up Brunch seven days a week which is available to book now via its website!

A go to for social gatherings between groups of friends and loved ones, Bottoms Up Brunch at Fridays can be enjoyed for just £29.95 per person. Guests can enjoy their choice of either 4 glasses of Prosecco, 4 pints Fridays American Pilsner, 4 glasses of Clean G&T (less than 0.5% ABV), 4 glasses of orange juice or 4 cocktails per person alongside a signature sharing platter for two.

It wouldn’t be Fridays® Bottoms Up Brunch without our iconic cocktails handcrafted by our expert bartenders. Sip sip hooray! Guests who opt for cocktails can choose from a selection of Fridays finest including the Pornstar Martini, Purple Rain, Long Island Iced Tea and Aperol Spritz.

The new sharing platters are named after New York Boroughs and include the Queens Sharer, an amazing platter with Salmon Tacos, Mac & Cheese bites and a sharing portion of Boneless Hot Wings tossed in Franks® RedHot sauce; and the Manhattan Sharer with everyone’s favourite Fridays® Sesame Chicken Strips, classic Mozzarella Dippers and the Fridays® Corndog.

Fridays’ Bottoms Up Brunch slots will last for 90 minutes and are available all-day Monday to Thursday, and 11:30am-3:30pm Friday to Sunday. T&Cs apply*.

Robert B. Cook, Fridays CEO, commented: “We are thrilled to bring Bottoms Up Brunch to our guests in Scotland, adding another contemporary aspect to our lively restaurants.

“Bottomless Up brunches epitomise that Fridays Feeling. Add in our iconic cocktails with unbelievable New York inspired sharers and Fridays’ generosity of spirit and the result is the best Bottoms Up Brunch experience in town!”

To keep up to date with our latest offerings this summer and full details of our new Bottoms Up Brunch visit Bottomless Brunch | Fridays UK (tgifridays.co.uk) plus follow us at @TGIFridaysUK on social media to get that Fridays Feeling all day, every day!

Call for greater resourcing from new Scottish councils as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed

  • Spending cut of £874 per pupil to support those identified with ASN since 2012/13
  • ‘Postcode lottery’ of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers

An alliance of leading providers of children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call which comes as new council administrations are being formed, comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP.

This reveals that spend supporting those pupils with ASN has slumped dramatically. IIt comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

The SCSC is calling on incoming town hall administrations to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

The figures highlight that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in the 2012/13 financial year [1] to £3,402 in 2020/21 [2] (in cash terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £874 per pupil, representing a 20.4% drop.

Spend per pupil ranges from £2,210 in the Scottish Borders to £5,901 in the Shetland Islands, pointing to a ‘postcode lottery’ in spend across local councils (see Notes to Editors for figures by council). 

This fall is against the backdrop of a 92.2 per cent increase since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 226,838 in 2020, amounting to 108,827 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent just under a third of all pupils (32.3 per cent).3

Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to all-time low of 2,860, a decrease of 529 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 15.6 per cent.4

Against the background of Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools receive the care and support they need

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: ““It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN and we would urge Scotland’s newly elected councils to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

University researchers shine new light on the secrets of Stonehenge

Geophysical sensors, excavations and computers reveal millennia of prehistoric land use at Stonehenge

Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Ghent University (Belgium) have discovered hundreds of possible large prehistoric pits – and thousands of smaller ones – at the heart of the Stonehenge landscape, challenging our understanding of land use through time at the most intensively investigated prehistoric site in the world.

A large pit, over 4 metres wide and 2 metres deep dug into chalk bedrock, stands out as the most ancient trace of land use yet discovered at Stonehenge.

Over 10,000 years old, it bears witness to hunter-gatherers roaming the landscape during the early Mesolithic, when Britain was re-inhabited after last Ice Age. This is only one of many new sites and unexpected patterns of prehistoric activity detected at Stonehenge by the Ghent-Birmingham research team.

These results were achieved by combining – uniquely – the first extensive electromagnetic induction survey undertaken in the Stonehenge landscape with evidence from over 60 geoarchaeological boreholes, 20 targeted archaeological excavations, and computer-generated analyses of thousands of subsurface features, such as pits, revealed by the geophysical data.

Philippe De Smedt, Associate Professor at Ghent University said: “Geophysical survey allows us to visualize what’s buried below the surface of entire landscapes. The maps we create offer a high-resolution view of subsurface soil variation that can be targeted with unprecedented precision.

“Using this as a guide to sample the landscape, taking archaeological ‘biopsies’ of subsurface deposits, we were able to add archaeological meaning to the complex variations discovered in the landscape.”

The combination of novel geophysics and ‘traditional’ archaeology has revealed otherwise elusive archaeological evidence around Stonehenge. From 2017, the team carried out excavations to evaluate just how accurate the results of the geophysical survey mapping and interpretation had been.

These samples provided information for developing a model of types of archaeological evidence revealed in the geophysical data, resulting in computer-generated maps of traces of prehistoric activity.

Henry Chapman, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Birmingham said: “When used correctly, geophysical sensors do not ‘lie’. They represent a physical reality. Converting that observed reality to archaeological knowledge, however, is not a straightforward process.

“As archaeologists, we need information on aspects such as chronology and function as a basis for understanding past human behaviour. That puzzle contains pieces that can only be retrieved through excavation.”

A striking result of the project has been the identification of over 400 potential large pits (each over 2.5 metres in diameter), of which six were excavated in the course of the project, ranging in date from the Early Mesolithic (c.8000 BCE) to the Middle Bronze Age (c.1300 BCE).

While each of these sites adds to our knowledge of prehistoric activity in the Stonehenge landscape, the Mesolithic pit stands out as exceptional. The size and shape of the pit suggest it was probably dug as a hunting trap for large game such as aurochs, red deer and wild boar.

Dating to 8200-7800 BCE, it is not only one of the earliest of the very few Mesolithic sites near Stonehenge (predating, for instance, the Blick Mead occupation site 1.5 kms away), it is also the largest known Early Mesolithic pit feature in north-west Europe. 2/5 Mapping of the large pits also shows that they cluster in parts of the landscape that were repeatedly revisited over millennia, notably on the higher ground to the east and west of Stonehenge.

The social contexts of this activity changed radically over time, yet the spatial distribution of these pits suggest similar interests in locales that allowed extensive vistas overlooking the site of Stonehenge.

The implications of this research for rethinking the spatial extents, temporalities and sensory qualities of diverse kinds of prehistoric behaviour beyond the obvious ceremonial monuments, are highly significant for understanding Stonehenge and its landscape setting.

Paul Garwood, Senior Lecturer in Prehistory at the University of Birmingham: “What we’re seeing is not a snapshot of one moment in time. The traces we see in our data span millennia, as indicated by the seven-thousand-year timeframe between the oldest and most recent prehistoric pits we’ve excavated.

“From early Holocene hunter-gatherers to later Bronze Age inhabitants of farms and field systems, the archaeology we’re detecting is the result of complex and ever-changing occupation of the landscape.”

While the Stonehenge landscape is unique, the research methods used are relevant to all archaeological environments. Sensor technologies and computer-based analysis are increasingly important aspects of archaeological research, providing new ways to explore ancient landscapes.

At the same time, they must be integrated at every stage with evidence recovered by excavation to provide us with the rich cultural, environmental, and chronological information that we need to interpret our findings.

As this project shows, these methods can radically change our understanding of ancient landscapes even in a setting as intensively investigated as that at Stonehenge.

Much of the research and excavation for the project was carried out on land owned by the National Trust.

Dr Nick Snashall, Archaeologist for the Stonehenge & Avebury World Heritage Site, said: “By combining new geophysical survey techniques with coring, and pin point excavation, the team has revealed some of the earliest evidence of human activity yet unearthed in the Stonehenge landscape.

“The discovery of the largest known Early Mesolithic pit in north-west Europe shows that this was a special place for hunter-gatherer communities thousands of years before the first stones were erected.”

Reference to published results: De Smedt, Philippe, Paul Garwood, Henry Chapman, Koen Deforce, Johan De Grave, Daan Hanssens, and Dimitri Vandenberghe. “Novel Insights into Prehistoric Land Use at Stonehenge by Combining Electromagnetic and Invasive Methods with a Semi-Automated Interpretation Scheme.” Journal of Archaeological Science, 2022.

Try Artistic Swimming: free trial at Royal Commonwealth Pool

Would your young swimmer (8+) like to try artistic (synchronised) swimming?

We are having a trial session on 29th May.

Please help us spread the word.

Sign up here: https://edinburghsynchro.co.uk/join-the-club/

Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury: Incineration review published

An independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland, which recommends a  cap on future incineration capacity, has been welcomed by the Circular Economy Minister.

Friends of the Earth Scotland have also welcomed it’s findings but say a clear exit strategy is still needed.

The report, which was authored by waste sector expert Dr Colin Church, reviews the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy, with a focus on aligning national capacity with Scotland’s waste reduction targets.

The report makes 12 policy recommendations for the Scottish Government, local authorities and the wider waste industry, including:

  • no further planning permission should be granted to incineration infrastructure within the scope of this Review, unless balanced by an equal or greater closure of capacity.
  • developing an indicative cap that declines over time for the amount of residual waste treatment needed as Scotland transitions towards a fully circular economy.
  • to strengthen community engagement and trust before, during and after development.

The Scottish Government will set out its initial response to the Review in June.

Public consultations on a Circular Economy Bill and a Waste Route Map will launch this month.

Dr Colin Church said: “The evidence I received shows that, whilst well-regulated incineration does have a role to play in managing unavoidable residual waste in Scotland, the capacity currently being proposed is likely to be more than needed, so a lot of it should not be built.

“For the proportion that is developed, the level and quality of engagement with local communities needs to be excellent, which unfortunately has not always been the case to date.

“There is also more that must be done to reduce the climate impacts of waste incineration, and I look forward to revisiting my provisional recommendations in this area in due course.”

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “I would like to thank Dr Church for delivering this work, which will play a pivotal role in shaping Scotland’s future waste policy.

“We want to create a circular economy, where materials stay in use for as long as possible, and nothing is wasted. Only by increasing reuse and recycling can Scotland meet its net zero targets, and we will be publishing ambitious proposals to achieve this soon.

“It is clear from the review that although incineration has a role to play in managing Scotland’s unavoidable, unrecyclable residual waste in a safe way, that role is inevitably limited. As we transition to a circular economy, Scotland will need significantly less incineration capacity than is currently projected and it is vital that we do not have more capacity than we need.

“Dr Church has proposed some valuable recommendations and outlined some important considerations for how we can align the management of residual waste in Scotland with our net zero ambitions. We will consider the recommendations carefully and provide an initial response in June.”

Environmental campaigners have also welcomed the independent report which calls for an immediate ban on new incinerators – but say a clear exit strategy from incineration is still needed.

The report from an independent review has been published today (10 May), and shows the scale of the nation’s incineration problem. The report makes 12 policy recommendations for the Scottish Government, local authorities and wider waste industry.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “This report shows that the alarming rise in incineration in Scotland must be stopped immediately – rapid action is needed to prevent the loss of valuable resources and stop the climate-wrecking emissions being caused by burning plastics.

“A ban on new incinerators is the first step in turning Scotland’s waste management system around, but it’s only half of the solution. The report makes it clear that more must be done to minimise waste and recycle as much as possible.

“Our current incinerators are some of Scotland’s biggest polluters so they must be phased out if Scotland is to meet its climate goals. It is concerning that the report does not include a detailed carbon assessment, given the direct threat of incinerators to our climate goals.

“Burning plastic releases more carbon than coal and the only way to cut emissions from incineration for good is to stop burning waste. We need to value resources properly, rather than taking from nature, using once then burning or burying the waste.”

The capacity analysis from the report shows that in five years time (2027) Scotland will have more incineration capacity than there is available waste to burn.

One of the first major actions undertaken by Lorna Slater, Minister for the Circular Economy, was to initiate an independent review of incineration of waste. Scotland now joins Wales, which banned incineration in 2021 and has the third highest recycling rates in the world.

Over 1,000 people supported Friends of the Earth Scotland’s calls for an immediate ban of new incinerators and of plastics being sent to incinerators, and a phase out of those already operating.

stop-sort-burn-bury-independent-review-role-incineration-waste-hierarchy-scotland-reportDownload