A consultation on proposals to change the response to workplace automatic fire alarm (AFA) signals has been launched by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). These alerts result in more than 28000 call outs each year, with only two per-cent of all incidents resulting in a fire.
The potential options for responding to AFAs are outlined in a consultation document ‘Time for Change: Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals’ (UFAS) and the public are being encouraged to take part and give their views.
The twelve-week consultation will seek views on three proposed options – developed in partnership with staff and stakeholders – to allow the SFRS to use its resources more effectively in future.
Chief Officer Martin Blunden explained why change is needed: “We undertake in the region of 57,000 unnecessary blue light journeys every year responding to workplace AFAs that turn out to be false alarms. This brings risks to our crews, other road users and pedestrians as well as having an impact on the environment with an estimated 575 tonnes of carbon emissions produced.
“In almost all cases they are false alarms and only two per-cent result in fires, many of which are often extinguished before we arrive. In changing our response to these calls, we can use SFRS resources more effectively, including further improving our response to genuine emergencies. We can also use this time for more training and fire prevention activity, as well as realising the knock-on benefits of improving road safety and reducing our carbon impact.
“It will also mean less disruption to businesses as they no longer need to wait for us to attend to give the all clear after an AFA.
“What I also want to be clear on is that there is no change to how we respond to AFAs that are confirmed fires or from private homes, this consultation is about changing our response to workplace AFAs only.”
The consultation brings the SFRS into line with how the majority of UK fire and rescue services respond to workplace AFAs explained Chief Officer Blunden: “The legal responsibility for dealing with an AFA alert lies with the duty holder of a property and most UK fire and rescue services now seek confirmation of a fire before attending.
“Current SFRS practice means that every AFA has an average response of two fire appliances involving at least nine firefighters. Each call takes on average 15 minutes and workplaces and businesses face disruption while firefighters enter the building to confirm on ninety-eight per cent of occasions there is in fact no fire.”
He stressed the scale of the current practice saying: “If we can change how we respond to these alerts potentially 64,000 hours of staff time can be freed up for other activities, including responding even more quickly to genuine emergencies. That’s why we are consulting with the public and key stakeholders to seek their views on the best way to respond to these types of alerts in future.”
Chief Officer Blunden added: “Each of the options will see a significant reduction in the number of UFAS calls we attend. We want to know what you think of our three proposed options so please read the document and have your say on how you think we can best use our resources to keep you, your family and your community even safer.”
The consultation document and survey can be accessed online at
A report based on analysis of the consultation responses – including a preferred option – will be considered by the SFRS Board in December 2021. Any changes to service delivery will be implemented from early 2022 in a carefully managed process and in partnership with directly affected stakeholders.
The three options being consulted on are:
Option A – 61% reduction in attendances
Our Operations Control (OC) will call challenge all AFAs from non-domestic premises, unless exempt
No response is mobilised, if questioning confirms there is no fire, or signs of fire
Sleeping risk premises are exempt from call challenging and will receive the following immediate response:
Residential Care Homes receive a pre-determined attendance (PDA) of two fire appliances regardless time of day
All other sleeping risks receive a PDA of one fire appliance between 0700-1800hrs and two fire appliances out-with these hours
Option B – 85% reduction in attendances
Our OC staff will call challenge all AFAs from non-domestic premises.
No response will be mobilised, if questioning through call challenge confirms there is no fire, or signs of fire.
No exemptions to call challenging apply (i.e. all AFA calls received are call challenged, regardless of property type and caller).
Option C – 71% reduction in attendances
Non-attendance to AFAs from non-domestic premises.
Our OC staff will advise the caller that we will not attend unless a back-up 999 call confirming fire, or signs of fire is received.
Property types recognised by us as having sleeping provision will be exempt and therefore they will receive the following immediate response to an AFA:
Residential Care Homes will receive a PDA of two fire appliances regardless of the time of day
All other sleeping risks receive a PDA of one fire appliance between 0700-1800hrs and a PDA of two fire appliances out-with these hours
On England’s so-called ‘Freedom Day’, PM Boris Johnson made a statement at a Downing Street press conference:
Good afternoon, today we’ve reached the fourth step on our roadmap and I know that with cases increasing steadily and with more and more people being asked to self-isolate, there will, of course, be those who would rather that we waited weeks or months longer and kept social distancing and all the restrictions that we have been placing on our lives.
And so I want to remind you all why I believe that taking this step now – however difficult it seems – and the logic remains the same that if we don’t open up now then we face a risk of even tougher conditions in the colder months when the virus has a natural advantage and we lose that firebreak of the school holiday.
And there comes a point when restrictions no longer prevent hospitalisations and deaths, but simply delay the inevitable. And so we have to ask ourselves the question: if not now, when?
And though both hospitalisations and deaths are sadly rising, these numbers are well within the margins of what our scientists predicted at the outset of the roadmap. And so it is right to proceed cautiously in the way that we are.
But it is also right to recognise that this pandemic is far from over. And that is why I’m afraid it is essential to keep up the system of Test, Trace and Isolate. I know how frustrating it is for all those who have been affected – or pinged and I want to explain that people identified as contacts of cases are at least five times more likely to be infected than others.
And even if they have been vaccinated there is a significant risk that they can still pass the disease on. And so as we go forward I’m afraid the continuing sacrifice of a large minority the continuing sacrifice of those who are being asked to isolate remains important to allow the rest of society to get back to something like normality.
And, at this stage, it is simply a consequence of living with Covid and opening up when cases are high in the way that they are.
As you know we will be moving on August the 16th to a system of testing rather than isolation for those who are double vaccinated by which time we hope that the wall of immunity in our country will be even higher.
And, in the meantime, I want to assure you that we will protect crucial services including the staffing of our hospitals and care homes, the supplies of food, water, electricity and medicines, the running of our trains, the protection of our borders and the defence of our realm, by making sure that a very small number of named, fully vaccinated, critical workers to leave isolation solely for this work.
But for the vast majority of us, myself included, I’m afraid we do need to stick with this system for now. And, of course, the only reason we are able to open up in this way at all, is that we have vaccinated such a large proportion of the population – and at such speed.
It is phenomenal that every adult in the country has now been offered a first dose. But unfortunately that does not mean that every person over 18 has yet had a first dose.
So far 96% of over 50s and 83% of 30-50 year olds have taken up the offer in England. But there are still 35 per cent of 18-30 year olds – 3 million people –who are completely unvaccinated.
And though we can see the enthusiasm of millions of young people to get their jabs, we need even more young adults to receive a protection that is of immense benefit to your family and friends – and to yourselves.
And so I would remind everybody that some of life’s most important pleasures and opportunities are likely to be increasingly dependent on vaccination.
There are already countries that require you to be double jabbed as a condition of quarantine free travel and that list seems likely to grow. And we are also concerned – as they are in other countries – by the continuing risk posed by nightclubs.
I don’t want to have to close nightclubs again – as they have elsewhere – but it does means nightclubs need to do the socially responsible thing and make use of the NHS Covid Pass which shows proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity – as a means of entry.
As we said last week, we reserve the right to mandate certification at any point, if it is necessary to reduce transmission. And I should serve notice now that by the end of September – when all over 18s will have had the chance to be double jabbed –we are planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather.
Proof of a negative test will no longer be sufficient. Let me stress – we want people to be able to take back their freedoms as they can today.
We want this country to be able to enjoy the fruits of our massive vaccination campaign. But to do that we must remain cautious and we must continue to get vaccinated.
And that is why we are asking you to come forward and get your jabs now.
In a statement to Parliament, Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi set out self isolation exemptions for those in critical roles, JCVI advice on vaccination for children and upcoming rules for nightclubs
With permission, I would like to make a statement on the pandemic. Today marks an important milestone Mr Speaker in our fight against this virus, as we take Step 4 on our roadmap.
It is a long-awaited moment for the businesses who now can open their doors at long last, the happy couples who can have weddings without curbs on numbers and of course the people who can see more of their loved ones in care homes.
Although we have made huge advances Mr Speaker in our race between the vaccine and the virus, we are not at the finish line yet. Instead, we are entering what I believe to be the next stage. A stage where we continue with caution, while doing what it takes to manage the risk of this virus – which is still with us and still possess a threat. Cases and hospitalisations have risen over the past week, as we predicted Mr Speaker and we know that these numbers will get worse before they get better.
Although there’s never a perfect time to take this step, making the move today gives us the best chance of success. We’re cautiously easing restrictions when we have the natural firebreak of the school holidays and when the warmer weather gives us an advantage. So we will move forward, with caution, drawing on the defences we have built, as we set out in our five-point plan two weeks ago.
One of these five defences is the protective wall provided by our vaccination programme and I would like to start by updating the House on this life-saving work.
Our vaccination programme has given us extra legs in our race against this virus. The protection it has built up in people across the United Kingdom means the ratio between cases and hospitalisations is the lowest it has been during this pandemic.
This reinforces the need to protect as many people as we can, as quickly as we can and we made a four-week delay to Step 4 so we could do exactly that.
8 million more vaccinations in that period. We set the target of giving second doses to two-thirds of UK adults by today – and we hit that target last week, with five days to spare. We also pledged to offer a first dose of a vaccine to all adults — and we’ve met this target too.
And now almost 88 per cent of adults have taken up this offer – and although uptake amongst 18 to 30-year olds is much lower and needs to increase we are looking at this. So our work is not over yet. Just as we strive to reach the remaining adults who have not yet had first or second doses, we are already making our plans for the next stage.
Because we do not know how long immunity lasts and because coronavirus mutates, just like flu, we must stay one step ahead of the virus.
So we are drawing up plans for a potential booster programme — subject to advice, the final advice from the JCVI — so we can protect the most vulnerable ahead of winter.
And we are also looking at extending our vaccination programme so we can protect even more people. We asked the JCVI to consider whether children and young adults should be given the offer of a vaccine – and this advice has been published today.
Before I continue, allow me to apologise to you for mistakenly referencing to this on air this morning, before setting out the details in full before the House.
The JCVI considered not just the health impacts, but also the non-health impacts, like how education is disrupted by outbreaks in schools. I should reassure the House that the number of children and young people who have had severe outcomes from COVID is extremely low with a hospitalisation rate during the second wave of between 100 and 400 for every million.
And when we look at the small numbers that were hospitalised, most of them had severe underlying health conditions.
Today’s advice recommends that we continue to vaccinate 16 to 17-year-olds who are in an at-risk group , as we do now. But it also recommends expanding the offer of the vaccine to some younger children with underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk of COVID-19. This includes children aged 12 to 15 with severe neuro-disabilities, Down’s Syndrome, immunosuppression, and profound or multiple learning disabilities.
The JCVI advice also recommends offering a vaccine to children and young people aged 12 to 17 who live with someone who is immunosuppressed.
This means we can indirectly protect the immunosuppressed, who are at higher risk of serious disease from COVID-19 and may not generate a full immune response to vaccination. Finally, the JCVI advises that we should offer the vaccine to all 17-year-olds who are within three months of their 18th birthday, so we can make sure they are protected as soon as they turn 18.
Together with Health Ministers in all parts of the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State has accepted this advice and has asked the NHS to put it into action as soon as possible.
As we do this, we will be using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is the only vaccine in the UK that’s been clinically authorised for people between the ages of 12 and 17. I know that people will have questions about what it means for them and their children. But I can assure them Mr Speaker that nobody needs to come forward at this stage.
The NHS will get in touch with them at the right time, and they will make sure that the jabs are delivered in a setting that meets their complex needs. We also asked the JCVI to consider rolling out vaccines out to all children and young people over the age of 12. And although we are not taking this step today, the JCVI is keeping this matter under review, and they will be looking at more data as it becomes available especially on children with a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The steps we are taking today mean we will be offering even more vulnerable people the protection that a vaccine brings. And we will all be safer as a result.
We know that vaccines are our most important defence against this virus. This is especially the case in adult social care settings that are home to some of the people most vulnerable people in our communities who are vulnerable to a devastating impact from COVID-19.
So last week, this House passed regulations to make vaccination a condition of deployment in care homes – and the Lords will consider those regulations tomorrow.
These regulations are designed to help maximise vaccine uptake and protect some of our most vulnerable citizens. Yet I recognise the need for more detail on the Government’s analysis of the expected impact of these regulations.
So today we have published an Impact Statement – and we will be publishing a full Impact Assessment as soon as possible.
As we learn to live with COVID-19 we must be pragmatic about how we manage the risks we face. Self-isolation of positive cases and their close contacts remains one of the most effective tools we have for reducing transmission.
However, we recognise there are some very specific circumstances where there would be a serious risk of harm to public welfare if people in critical roles are unable to go to their workplace – like air-traffic controllers or train signallers.
So people in those kinds of roles who have received two vaccinations — plus two weeks beyond a second vaccine — will not need to self-isolate to perform those critical tasks. They will, however, have to continue to self-isolate at all other times.
The people eligible for this will receive personalised letters setting out the steps they must follow. Mr Speaker, this is a sensible and pragmatic step – and one that will be used sparingly and responsibly.
We are being similarly pragmatic at our borders. As my Right Honourable Friend, the Transport Secretary, has confirmed: UK residents arriving from amber countries who have been fully vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine – although they will still need to comply with necessary testing requirements.
This will not apply to France, due to the persistent presence of cases of the Beta variant, which was first identified in South Africa. We are doing everything in our power to restore international travel – and restore it safely. But new variants pose the greatest threat to our path out of this pandemic – and we will not hesitate to act in a similar way with any other country.
We will continue to keep a close eye on the data and be firm and decisive in how we protect the process we have made and the progress we have made. But the enduring message is this: getting vaccinated is the best way to ensure you can travel as freely as possible.
Vaccination also holds the key for doing the things we love doing here at home Mr Speaker. We are supporting the safe re-opening of large, crowded settings — such as nightclubs, as we saw last night, and music venues with the use of the NHS Covid Pass as a condition of entry, to reduce the risks of transmission. I encourage businesses to draw on this support and use the NHS COVID Pass in the weeks ahead.
We will be keeping a close watch on how it is used by venues, and we reserve the right Mr Speaker to mandate it if necessary. By the end of September, everyone aged 18 and over will have the chance to receive full vaccination – and the additional two weeks for that full protection to really take hold.
So at that point we plan to make full vaccination a condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather. Proof of a negative test will no longer be sufficient.
Any decisions will, of course, be subject to parliamentary scrutiny – and we will ensure the appropriate exemptions for those who have genuine medical reasons for why they can’t get vaccinated. And I am clear: we will always look at the evidence available and do all we can to ensure people can continue to do the things they love.
Our vaccination programme has put us on the road to recovery. We should all be proud of how this national effort is helping us take steps towards a more normal life.
But we must keep reinforcing that wall of protection. Getting the jab. Getting the second jab if you’ve had the first. And getting the booster shot if you’re asked to come forward.
And with such a deadly virus – and the continued threat of new variants – our wall of protection must be more than just vaccines alone. We must continue to do all the other sensible things we know can keep the virus at bay. Getting tested. Considering the advice. And continuing to act with caution.
Taken together, Mr Speaker, this will help us all enjoy these new experiences – and safely slow the spread of this deadly virus.
The Agriculture Industry revealed to have the poorest safety record in the UK
Farm Safety Week 2021 aims to reduce the number of incidents which continue to give farming the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK & Ireland
New figures reveal that fatal injuries on UK farms have almost doubled over the past year – from 21 fatalities in 2019/20 to 41 in 2020/21
According to the Farm Safety Foundation, the charity behind the annual campaign, farmers over the age of 60 accounted for 53% of those killed
When comparing older and younger age groups the fatal injury rate is over 4 times higher for the 65s and over compared to the 16-24 age group.
7 members of the public lost their lives on GB farms in 2020/21 – 5 adults involving cattle and an additional 2 children.
In a recent survey, almost seven in ten farmers would identify tiredness as a major risk with most having taken, or seen others take, risks due to being tired
Farm Safety Week is an initiative led by the Farm Safety Foundation and supported by the Farm Safety Partnerships, the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland
From the 19th – 23rd of July, the Farm Safety Foundation will hold their ninth annual Farm Safety Week, a campaign which aims to draw attention to, and reduce the injury risk farmers across the UK face on a daily basis.
With long hours, intense physical labour, low pay and at the mercy of the elements, farming is a difficult industry to work in, but still, nearly half a million workers are choosing to be farmers today.
Yet, for a workforce that accounts for a mere 1% of GB’s working population, the industry accounts for nearly a quarter of all workplace fatal injuries, giving it the poorest safety record of any occupation (almost 20 times higher than the GB industry average).
The picture is similar in Northern Ireland where farming accounted for 5 of the 13 workplace fatalities in 2020/2021 representing 38% (HSENI) and, in the Republic of Ireland, farming accounts for 5% of the workforce but an alarming 40% of all workplace fatal incidents.
Unfortunately, farm safety is an issue rarely discussed outside of agricultural circles but, according to the UK’s leading farm safety charity, the Farm Safety Foundation, this is exactly what we should be doing.
To mark the start of the Farm Safety Foundation’s Farm Safety Week campaign, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have shared their annual Fatal Injuries in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing in GB report 2020/21 which reveals that, over the past year almost twice as many people were killed on farms in Great Britain compared to the previous year.
A total of 41 people in England, Scotland and Wales were killed in agriculture including 34 farm workers and seven members of the public. Two children have been killed by farming this year and, for an industry that still has between 1 and 2 children being killed through its activities each year, this simply MUST improve.
Now in its ninth year, Farm Safety Week brings together five countries over five days with ONE clear goal – to speak up for safety and encourage farmers to rethink risk so we can reduce the number of life-changing and life-ending incidents happening on our farms.
“Agriculture is a vital part of our economy and everyone involved is rightly proud of the quality and standard of the food produced.” explains Adrian Hodkinson, Acting Head of Agriculture, Health & Safety Executive. “However, this appears to come at a significant cost to many farmers and workers in terms of serious injury, lifelong ill health and in some cases death.
“The causes of farm incidents are well known and the things to stop them are usually straightforward: putting on handbrakes; fastening lap belts in cabs; getting ATV training and helmets; putting cows and calves in fields without footpaths; stopping things before trying to fix or unblock them and so on.
“When we investigate life-changing farm workplace incidents we find, time and time again, that risks are not being removed or managed. It is far too common for people to accept risk is an inevitable part of the job – this isn’t the case, the guidance is easily available to manage the risks and prevent injury”
His advice: “Think a job through and then put the right measures in place to make safer.
“It is not acceptable that agriculture continues to fail to manage risk in the workplace. We need everyone to play their part to change their own behaviours, do things the right way and ‘call out’ poor practices whenever they are seen.
“On a more positive note,” Adrian added: “I’m really encouraged that there now some very high-profile advocates for improvement who see the real benefits for attracting and retaining people and reducing costs. It’s fantastic to see a real focus on maintenance of machinery and trailers, that many ATV users are getting trained and wearing helmets, and cattle handling facilities are being improved.”
Throughout this year’s campaign, the Farm Safety Foundation, supported by the Farm Safety Partnerships, the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland, will highlight the issue of risk-taking, cost-cutting and tiredness on UK and Ireland’s farms and how life-changing and life-ending incidents continue to impact families and communities. We will be meeting farmers who have experienced this first-hand and, of course, exploring what can be done to address it.
In a recent survey into farmers across the UK carried out with funder NFU Mutual, the Farm Safety Foundation found that many farmers need to be more aware of tiredness and realise how excessively long hours can play into the risks when farming. Almost seven in ten (69%) of those surveyed, identified tiredness as a major risk with most having taken, or seen others take, risks due to being tired.
Unfortunately, in farming, 15-hour days are seen as normal but, with 89% of farmers wanting advice on how to combat fatigue, the Farm Safety Foundation did a call out on social media for farmer’s top tips to dealing with tiredness which include giving up alcohol for the two weeks before any busy time like lambing or staying hydrated and grabbing 40 winks after lunch – the full list will be revealed during the week.
According to Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager:“Today’s HSE report is a desperately disappointing read with some very sober statistics. The fact that farming has a fatality rate almost 20 times the GB industry average is shocking and shameful.
“41 people lost their lives on our farms over the past year including 2 children – this is 18 more than the previous year and we can’t become immune to the impact that these deaths have on farming families and communities.
“We can’t just accept that farming is a dangerous occupation. We have to redouble our efforts to drive a change.
“The main causes of fatal farm incidents have not changed over the past 60 years despite legislation and an increased awareness of the importance of working safely.
“We need to reassess the risk of everyday tasks and think about the long-term consequences of each and every risk we have taken and do something to either remove it or control it. Complacency kills – many farmers think they know their farm and the risks involved in going about their daily tasks.
“However, those risks change day-to-day and next time things might not work out the same way. We want to encourage those living and working in the industry to rethink risk, to carry out risk assessments and most importantly put in controls that suit the circumstances of any busy farm.
“As an industry, we need to work together so that farm safety is acknowledged as important. We need to do more than sit around and talk about it. We need action! This is why Farm Safety Week is still so important.
“Over the past nine years, we have been very privileged to have an opportunity to bring together a wide range of organisations and individuals who really do care about the issue and want to drive safety forwards. We need to engage with farmers of all ages to challenge and change attitudes and ultimately make our farms safer places to work.”
For more information on Farm Safety Week visit www.yellowwellies.org or follow @yellowwelliesUK on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using the hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek
Scotland ranks third in GB tourist destinations survey
WITH the nation set to embrace staycations, Wales has been named the most popular UK destination to visit post-lockdown – closely followed by the south coast of England, leaving Scotland in third place.
With 20% of the vote, Wales – famous for its rugged coastline and mountainous national parks – topped the list of the UK places where caravan and motorhome owners plan on visiting once coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted.
Scotland took 17% of the vote, just 2% behind the south coast of England.
More than 1,900 adults aged 35 and over were surveyed by YouGov as part of the research, which was commissioned by Kimberley and carried out in late June.
It comes after a record number of leisure vehicles were sold across Europe in 2020 – rising 12% to around 235,000 units, according to the European Caravan Federation
Chris Lowe, director at Kimberley, said: “When restrictions relaxed last summer, there was a huge rise in demand for passport-free holidays and once all lockdown measured are fully removed, it’s expected that British people will once again opt to remain on home turf.
“From the iconic Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands to the White Cliffs of Dover and Lake Windermere in the Lake District to the Welsh views of Snowdonia, it’s no secret that people have been enjoying so many of Britain’s beauty spots and discovering a new-found appreciation for what is on our shores.
“I’m quite surprised Scotland has come third in the poll. As a country with outstanding natural beauty, we know it’s a firm favourite with motorhome and caravanning fans due to the ability to enjoy everything from coastal views to mountainscapes.”
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: “Scotland’s incredible scenery provides stunning surroundings no matter the mode of transport. With our dynamic driving routes criss-crossing the country, it is no surprise Scotland has ranked so highly as a must-visit destination for caravan and motorhome owners.
“New driving routes – like The Coig covering Ayrshire and some Scottish islands, and South West Coastal 300 – have been a huge success for Scotland’s visitor economy, while showing off the incredible landscapes and attractions to be found across the country throughout the year.
“It is extremely important that we all do our upmost to preserve these special places and enjoy them responsibly. We would urge visitors to ‘know before they go’, checking online whether attractions and businesses are open, welcoming visitors and offering pre-booking – with this being especially important for caravan and motorhome owners. To ensure that visitors and the communities they visit enjoy the best experience possible, we urge all visitors to leave no trace and to dispose of waste and litter responsibly.
“We know that tourism is a force for good – creating economic and social value in every corner of Scotland and enhancing the well-being of everyone who experiences it. We all deserve a holiday, and Scotland, with all it offers, will be the perfect antidote after a series of restrictions and lockdowns.”
The south coast – including Brighton, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall – came second in the list, with 19% of caravan and motorhome owners pining to visit once restrictions are eased. The east coast, including Norfolk and Suffolk, came in fourth place (10%) and the north west placed fifth (7%).
Of those surveyed, 8% of people said they had no plans to travel, with 4% being unsure about where to visit.
Chris said: “Sales of caravans and motorhomes have also surged due to this increase in staycations, with holidaymakers relishing the flexibility that leisure vehicles have to offer. With lockdown restrictions easing but foreign travel uncertain, more people are looking at the domestic holiday market and leisure vehicles allow them to conveniently take a break.”
Kimberley – which was set up in 1981 – has branches in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire; Darlington, County Durham; and is preparing to open its third site in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in late summer 2021.
As well as supplying new and pre-used leisure vehicles, Kimberley offers a variety of exclusive caravans and motorhomes that leading manufacturers Compass, Coachman and Swift have tailored to its own specification – including the addition of multiple unique features and upgrades.
Once coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted, which one, if any, of the following places in the UK do you plan on visiting first?
Location
Percentage of caravan and motorhome owners aged 35 and over
Wales
20%
South coast (e.g. Brighton, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall)
The University of Edinburgh has ‘effective arrangements for managing academic standards and the student learning experience’, according to a review conducted by QAA, the UK’s independent higher education quality body.
The review commended the University’s achievements in several areas including student partnership and the support provided by its Institute for Academic Development in support of teaching, learning and researcher development.
The review was undertaken by a team of six independent reviewers, who were appointed by QAA. The review took place through a Planning Visit in February 2021, followed by a Review Visit in March 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the review was postponed from Autumn 2020. Its commendations included the following areas:
The University’s commitment to working in close partnership with the student body is exemplified by student involvement across all decision-making structures and university initiatives.
The University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD) provides responsive, reflective and proactive university-level support for teaching, learning and researcher development and is valued by staff and students.
The promotion and expansion of the Student Association-led and University supported Peer Assisted Learning Schemes (PALS) have contributed to the integration of students as they join the University.
The University operates a highly professionalised approach to supporting the recruitment, selection and training of students to effectively contribute to the University’s Institutional Periodic Review (IPR) process.
The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 and is one of Scotland’s four ancient universities, occupying an estate of more than 250 buildings organised in five main campuses spread across Edinburgh.
The University describes itself as a large and diverse research-intensive University, and has collaborative agreements leading to a joint University of Edinburgh qualification with 55 international institutions and seven UK institutions.
Professor Tina Harrison, Assistant Principal, Academic Standards and Quality Assurance, said: ‘I’m delighted with the outcome of the ELIR, that re-confirms our effectiveness in maintaining academic standards, commends our positive partnership with our students, and highlights the outstanding work of our Institute for Academic Development.
‘The review process provided an important opportunity for University-wide reflection and, with the expert input from the review team, we have a clear plan for further development and enhancement of the learning experience for our students.’
QAA’s report also makes a number of recommendations, asking the University of Edinburgh to:
establish a systematic approach to enable effective institutional oversight and evaluation of the implementation of policy and practice
develop an effective approach to the strategic leadership and management of change that will ensure more immediate and timely implementation of identified solutions in order to support staff and enhance the student experience
prioritise the development of a holistic and strategic approach to the design and management of assessment and feedback.
Free to attend programme online and at St. John’s Church, Princes Street from 6th – 30th August
Edinburgh’s social justice and human rights festival is coming of age this summer with its biggest event yet.
Among the headline offerings are a poignant new choral work, No Alleluias: A Requiem for 2020, specially commissioned to celebrate the festival’s 21st birthday and an online appearance by former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen (below) who spent several weeks in intensive care after contracting Covid-19.
Both reflect on the extraordinary experiences faced during the past year and Rosen – “not dead yet,” he says – considers how we can emerge from the pandemic with a more equal future.
Originally established as the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, Just Festival celebrates humanity in all its differences and encourages the exploration of new perspectives in the hope of reducing religious, political and social intolerance.
Festival director Helen Trew says: “The last year has shattered many illusions and laid bare the inequality at the heart of our society. So, as we come of age, it is time to put our shoulder to the wheel of a better, fairer, inclusive future for us all.”
Running from 6th – 30th August, the festival features a range of innovative events and art installations presented, through a blend of digital discussion and performance plus live audience event, in St John’s Church and the surrounding area.
The No Alleluias requiem, a mix of live and virtual choir, was inspired by preacher and theologian Rev Dr Karen George Thompson and describes her experience of last Easter Sunday.
Having lost her father to Covid and been infected with the virus herself, she also saw her community suffer and found the uplifting Easter message replaced with melancholy.
The resulting choral work, composed by Anthony Hammond with lyrics by Robert Rae, is an extraordinarily moving piece and will help close this year’s festival.
The programme also includes:
a live installation of Peace Cranes when 140,000 origami birds will be positioned throughout St John’s Church as symbols of hope for inter-generational justice and a call for a solution to the nuclear and climate emergencies;
Photography under Siege, an exhibition of photographer Mahmoud al Khurd’s images of life in Gaza today and an evening of music and conversation with Northern Irish peace activist Tommy Sands.
And the Cabaret of Dangerous ideas returns this year, looking at issues including children’s access to nature and outdoor play, debating whether we need to-re-wild youngsters.
With the exception of the No Alleluias performance, all events are free to attend, although a donation is suggested to support the festival whose main sponsors this year are Elephants in Action, a part of ELE Global, with support from EventScotland, Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund and the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, managed by Arts & Business Scotland.
Helen Foord, CEO and founder of ELE Global comments: “The team is delighted to be supporting Just Festival again, helping to celebrate 21 fantastic years.
“And we’re proud to be associated with an event whose values of tolerance and encouraging new ways of looking at the world are ever more important in these challenging times.”
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “The Just Festival is a timely event that I am sure will spark engaging debate while offering a welcome return to in-person experiences for audiences alongside its impressive virtual programme and I am delighted that EventScotland has been able to support it through Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund.”
A Glasgow charity has received a donation from a UK regional housebuilder to help support children to engage in cycling activities. Free Wheel North received a £1,000 donation from Persimmon Homes West Scotland, as part of the housebuilder’s Building Futures campaign.
The charity encourages children of all abilities to participate in cycling at an affordable cost, improving mental and physical wellbeing as well as learning key life skills.
Not only does Free Wheel North cater for disabled children with specialist bikes, but their facility also allows families who financially cannot commit to owning their own bike or do not have the space to store one, the opportunity to still participate in regular cycling.
Carol Thompson, who applied for the funding for Free Wheel North, said: “Cycling is a key life skill as it means independence for the children as well as it being a skill that they will carry with them for their entire life.
“Donations such as this are so important with COVID-19 restrictions directly affecting our visitor numbers. In 2019 our disability cycle track welcomed more than 41,000 but this year that number has dropped to just 7,224 causing a dramatic drop in our funding.
“With the kind donation from Persimmon Homes, we hope that this year we will be able to create even more opportunities for children to enjoy again. The funding will help us to maintain and service our fleet of speciality bikes, making them ready for when more children can return to the track.”
Persimmon Homes is giving away £1million through their Building Futures programme. The campaign aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health, and sport.
A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 regional businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in October.
In each sector – education & arts, health, and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Chris Logan, managing director of Persimmon Homes West Scotland, said: “Our Building Futures initiative allows us to support community groups that focus directly on young people across the areas that we are building.
“We are delighted to be able to donate £1,000 to Free Wheel North. The inclusive activities they provide for young people within the community is a much-needed service and allows opportunities for those who may not be able to experience them safely elsewhere.
“The Building Futures campaign is still open for applications and we are encouraging charities and services who work specifically with under 18’s to apply now via our website.”
For more information about the new developments available across West Scotland or to find out more about the Building Futures initiative, visit:
15 new studies across the UK will expand research into long COVID to support thousands of vulnerable people, backed by nearly £20 million through the NIHR
15 new studies across UK to expand research that will support thousands of vulnerable people
Nearly £20 million for research projects will help improve understanding of long COVID and identify effective treatments
Projects include the largest long COVID trial to date which will involve over 4,500 people
Thousands of people suffering with long COVID will benefit from new research programmes backed by £19.6 million to help better understand the condition, improve diagnosis and find new treatments.
An extensive programme of 15 new research studies, backed by government funding through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), will allow researchers across the UK to draw together their expertise from analysing long COVID among those suffering long-term effects and the health and care professionals supporting them.
The latest research shows that although many people make a full recovery following COVID-19, a significant proportion of people continue to experience chronic symptoms for months. These ground breaking studies aim to help those people affected return to their normal lives.
The projects will focus on:
Better understanding the condition and identifying it
Evaluating the effectiveness of different care services
Better integrating specialist, hospital and community services for those suffering with long COVID
Identifying effective treatments, such as drugs, rehabilitation and recovery to treat people suffering from chronic symptoms
Improving home monitoring and self-management of symptoms, including looking at the impact of diet, and
Identifying and understanding the effect of particular symptoms of long COVID, such as breathlessness, reduced ability to exercise and brain fog
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “Long COVID can have serious and debilitating long term effects for thousands of people across the UK which can make daily life extremely challenging.
“This new research is absolutely essential to improve diagnosis and treatments and will be life-changing for those who are battling long-term symptoms of the virus.
“It will build on our existing support with over 80 long COVID assessment services open across England as part of a £100 million expansion of care for those suffering from the condition and over £50 million invested in research to better understand the lasting effects of this condition.”
Professor Nick Lemoine, Chair of NIHR’s long COVID funding committee and Medical Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN), said: “This package of research will provide much needed hope to people with long-term health problems after COVID-19, accelerating development of new ways to diagnose and treat long COVID, as well as how to configure healthcare services to provide the absolute best care.
“Together with our earlier round of funding, NIHR has invested millions into research covering the full gamut of causes, mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of long COVID.”
The selection process for this broad range of innovative studies into long COVID involved people with lived experience at every stage and their input has been invaluable in shaping the outcome of this call and the research projects which will receive funding.
The projects include:
STIMULATE-ICP at University College London which will be the largest long COVID trial to date, recruiting more than 4,500 people with the condition. With £6.8 million of funding, the project will test the effectiveness of existing drugs to treat long COVID by measuring the effects of 3 months’ treatment, including on people’s symptoms, mental health and outcomes such as returning to work. It will also assess the use of MRI scans to help diagnose potential organ damage, as well as enhanced rehabilitation through an app to track their symptoms.
The immunologic and virologic determinants of long COVID at Cardiff University with nearly £800,000, which will look at the role of the immune system in long-term disease and whether overactive or impaired immune responses could drive long COVID by causing widespread inflammation.
ReDIRECT at University of Glasgow backed by nearly £1 million, which will assess whether a weight management programme can reduce symptoms of long COVID in people who are overweight or obese.
LOCOMOTION at University of Leeds with £3.4 million, which focuses on identifying and promoting the most effective care, from accurate assessments in long COVID clinics to the best advice and treatment in surgeries, as well as home monitoring methods that can show flare-ups of symptoms. The research aims to establish a gold standard of care that can be shared across England and the rest of the UK.
EXPLAIN at University of Oxford backed by £1.8 million, which will seek to diagnose ongoing breathlessness in people with COVID-19 who were not admitted to hospital, using MRI scans to trace inhaled gas moving into and out of the lungs to assess their severity and whether they improve over time.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Long Covid is a terrible illness affecting thousands of people across the UK, and as it’s such a new disease, there’s still a lot we don’t know about it.
“This UK Government funding, which is supporting studies led by the University of Glasgow and University of the West of Scotland, will help us make progress in understanding long Covid and hopefully improve treatment and support for patients right across the UK.”
Professor Amitava Banerjee, Associate Professor in Clinical Data Science and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, University College London, Chief investigator of the STIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, trajectory, inequalities and management: understanding long COVID to address and transform existing integrated care pathways) trial, said: “Individuals with long COVID have long been asking for recognition, research and rehabilitation.
“In our two-year study across six clinical sites around England, we will be working with patients, health professionals, scientists across different disciplines, as well as industry partners, to test and evaluate a new ‘integrated care’ pathway from diagnosis to rehabilitation, and potential drug treatments in the largest trial to-date.
“We will also be trying to improve inequalities in access to care and investigating how long COVID compares with other long-term conditions in terms of use of healthcare and burden of disease, which will help to plan services.”
Dr Dennis Chan, Principal Research Fellow, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Chief investigator of the CICERO (Cognitive Impairment in long COVID: PhEnotyping and RehabilitatiOn) project, said: “Cognitive impairment, referred to informally as ‘brain fog’, is a major component of long COVID that compromises people’s daily activities and ability to return to work.
“The aim of this study is twofold; first, to understand better the nature of this ‘cognitive COVID’ in terms of the cognitive functions affected and the associated brain imaging changes, and second, to test whether neuropsychological rehabilitation can improve people’s outcomes.
“If this study is successful we will not only understand much better the way in which COVID affects the brain but also provide NHS services with new tools to help people recover from their cognitive difficulties.
Professor Fergus Gleeson, Professor of Radiology and Consultant Radiologist, Oxford University, Chief Investigator of EXPLAIN (HypErpolarised Xenon Magnetic Resonance PuLmonary Imaging in PAtIeNts with Long-COVID) project, said: “Following on from our earlier work using hyperpolarised xenon MRI in patients following hospitalisation with COVID-19 pneumonia, where we showed that their lungs may be damaged even when all other tests were normal, it is critical to determine how many patients with long COVID and breathlessness have damaged lungs, and if and how long it takes for their lungs to recover.
“Hyperpolarised xenon MRI is a safe scanning test that requires the patient to lie in the MRI scanner and breathe in one litre of the inert gas xenon that has been hyperpolarised so that we can see it using MRI.
“The scan takes a few minutes and does not require radiation exposure, so it may be repeated over time to see lung changes. Using this technique, we can see the xenon – which behaves in a very similar way to oxygen – move from the lungs into the blood stream.
“In this way, we can see if there has been damage to the airways in the lungs, or to the areas where oxygen crosses into the blood stream, which appears to be the area damaged by COVID-19.”
Background information
The projects were funded following a UK-wide research call for ambitious and comprehensive research into understanding and addressing the longer term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19 in non-hospitalised people and will build on the existing research already commissioned to look at long COVID.
In February 2021, 4 projects funded by NIHR and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) were announced, following the first research call.
The UK began the commissioning of long COVID research in 2020 and some projects are already producing results that are informing the understanding of long COVID. This research call adds to the existing investment of over £30 million of research funding taking the total investment to £50 million.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued official guidance on best practice for recognising, investigating and rehabilitating patients with long COVID. According to NICE guidance, ‘long COVID describes signs and symptoms that continue or develop after acute COVID-19. It includes both ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 (from 4 to 12 weeks) and post-COVID-19 syndrome (12 weeks or more).’
In October 2020, NHS England and Improvement launched a 5 point plan for long COVID. There are now 89 specialist post COVID-19 clinics operating in England.
On 15 June 2021, NHSEI published a new 10 point plan and announced an additional £100 million expansion of care for patients with long COVID.
Study summaries
Developing and testing the best ways to diagnose, treat and provide rehabilitation for people with long COVID
Dr Amitava Bannerjee, University College of London – £6.8m
The wide-ranging symptoms of long COVID are debilitating and need coordinated care from specialists, hospitals and community services. The STIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, trajectory, inequalities and management: understanding long COVID to address and transform existing integrated care pathways) trial, developed with the help of patient organisations, will be the largest long COVID trial to date, recruiting more than 4,500 people with the condition. This project will test the efficacy of existing drugs to treat long COVID, and measure the different effects of three months’ treatment on patients with regards to their symptoms, mental health and outcomes such as returning to work. It will also assess the use of MRI scans to help diagnose potential organ damage in those recovering from the coronavirus, as well as enhanced rehabilitation – the provision of joined-up specialist care centred around an app for patients allowing them to track their symptoms.
Optimising standards of care for long COVID in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and at home
Dr Manoj Sivan, University of Leeds – £3.4m
Although there are 83 long COVID clinics in England, most people have not had access to them, and face long waiting times to be seen. The LOCOMOTION (long COVID multidisciplinary consortium: optimising treatments and services across the NHS) project focuses on identifying and promoting the most effective care, ranging from accurate assessments in these clinics to the best advice and treatment in surgeries, as well as home monitoring methods that can show flare-ups of symptoms. Drawing from the experiences of current long COVID patients and NHS professionals, the research aims to establish a ‘gold standard’ of care that can be shared across England and the rest of the UK. Analysis will be conducted in 10 long COVID clinics, at home and in doctors’ surgeries, and the study will track referrals and evaluate different services through patient interviews to make sure they are efficient, accessible and cost-effective. Specialists in healthcare inequality will also ensure that views are sought and recorded from people who are not visiting clinics.
Explaining why long COVID patients experience breathlessness and a reduced ability to exercise
Professor Fergus Gleeson, University of Oxford – £1.8m
One of the most prevalent and persistent symptoms among long COVID patients has been discomfort in breathing following physical activity. The EXPLAIN (Hyperpolarised xenon magnetic resonance pulmonary imaging in patients with Long-COVID) project will seek to diagnose ongoing breathlessness in coronavirus patients who were not admitted to hospital, using MRI scans to trace inhaled gas moving into and out of the lungs.
A 15-minute scan using low levels of xenon gas will display lung function and – if abnormalities are found – comparisons of data across different groups of participants recruited from Oxford and Sheffield can help assess their severity and whether they improve over time. Some EXPLAIN patients will also have a separate scan to see if heart damage can be identified. If the MRI scans separate patients with and without lung disease, further CT scans can be analysed, using artificial intelligence and blood samples to identify associated conditions and inform the development of treatments.
Understanding and treating ‘brain fog’
Dr Dennis Chan, University College London – £1.2m
Up to three quarters of people who experience long-term symptoms after COVID-19 report problems with memory, attention or other cognitive functions – symptoms known collectively as ‘brain fog’. The CICERO (Cognitive Impairment in long COVID: PhEnotyping and RehabilitatiOn) project will first determine which elements of brain function are most affected in people with long COVID. The relationship between brain function and other symptoms of long COVID, such as fatigue and anxiety, will be explored, and MRI scanning will be used to identify the affected brain networks. The researchers will then develop and test a new rehabilitation strategy to help people recover from the cognitive aspects of long COVID and return to normal life and working ability. This will support production of a freely available COVID-19 Cognitive Recovery Guide on how best to offer the new rehabilitation approach depending on the patient’s symptoms.
Co-designing personalised self-management for patients at home
Professor Fiona Jones, Kingston University – £1.1m
Long COVID describes more than 200 different symptoms that can interact and fluctuate. Although fatigue and problems with brain function are the most common symptoms, each patient can experience a different set of symptoms. The LISTEN (Long COVID Personalised Self-managemenT support – co-design and EvaluatioN) project will work in partnership with people who have long COVID to design and evaluate a package of self-management support that can be personalised to individual needs. The researchers will first work with people living with or recovered from long COVID, plus a social enterprise with expertise in reaching seldom heard populations, to design the package and associated patient and training resources. The team will then test the self-management package alongside up to six one-to-one virtual coaching sessions from trained rehabilitation practitioners, to test whether the treatment improves how people with long COVID feel and how they cope with everyday activities. The researchers will also evaluate how the package could be implemented more widely, with the aim that self-management for people with long COVID can be delivered at scale.
ReDIRECT: Remote Diet Intervention to Reduce long Covid symptoms Trial
Dr David Blane, University of Glasgow – £999,679
The immunologic and virologic determinants of long COVID
Professor David Price, Cardiff University – £774,457
Quality-of-life in patients with long COVID: harnessing the scale of big data to quantify the health and economic costs
Dr Rosalind Eggo, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – £674,679
Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation for Treating Post-COVID Fatigue (PAuSing-Post-COVID Fatigue)
Dr Mark Baker, Newcastle University – £640,180
Immune analysis of long COVID to inform rational choices in diagnostic testing and therapeutics
Professor Daniel Altmann, Imperial College – £573,769
Understanding and using family experiences of managing long COVID to support self care and timely access to services
Professor Sue Ziebland, University of Oxford – £557,674
Development of a robust T cell assay to retrospectively diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection and IFN-γ release assay as diagnostic and monitoring assay in Long COVID patients
Dr Mark Wills, University of Cambridge – £372,864
Using Activity Tracking and Just-In-Time Messaging to Improve Adaptive Pacing: A Pragmatic Randomised Control Trial
Professor Nicholas Sculthorpe, University of the West of Scotland – £317,416
Impact of COVID-19 vaccination on preventing long COVID: a population-based cohort study using linked NHS data
Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra, University of Oxford – £224,344
Long COVID Core Outcome Set (LC-COS) project
Dr Tim Nicholson, King’s College London – £139,619
Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play centres, Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Scrambles at the EICA and Tumbles at Portobello will finally be reopening their doors to customers today, Monday, 19 July 2021.
Bookings for members went live at 9pm on Tuesday, 13 July and for non-members on Wednesday, 14 July.
Claire Rusack, Leisure Manager at the Royal Commonwealth Pool and Clambers said: “It’s been such a long time coming after an extended lock-down, which meant that we weren’t able to open as originally planned on 7th June, but we’re delighted that we can finally welcome back our youngest of customers and their parents and carers to let off some steam.
“So, for anyone with little ones who need to burn off some energy, make sure you’re not disappointed by pre-booking in advance for any sessions you want to attend via the Edinburgh Leisure app or website. And if you think you might be a regular customer, you might want to consider buying one of our soft-play memberships.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions Edinburgh Leisure has had to adapt their offering with pre-booking done via the Edinburgh Leisure app or website only for all visits, either 8 days in advance for members or 7 days for non-members. No parties or special events can be booked at this stage.
All three venues will follow the same daily opening times from 9.30am-5pm, Monday to Sunday, with five pre-bookable slots of 60-minutes each to accommodate deep cleaning between each. At the start of each month, the frames will be treated with a 30-day virus protection.
Adults will book a table for a maximum of six people, which will include adults, children, and babies.
Adults can remove face coverings while seated at the table but will be required to wear them at all other times, especially when moving around the space. A café service will be available throughout all sessions. However, we are running a restricted menu at this time.
To adhere to Government guidelines, there will be no adults or staff allowed in the frames.
However, adults can enter the frame to support a child with additional support needs. All adults entering the frame or walking around the soft play area must wear a face covering. Space in baby areas where adults are present, will be limited, due to physical distancing.
Currently, frame capacity has been reduced to 40% of normal operating capacity, and ball pools and modular items have been removed.
The cost of a 60-minute session is: free for 0-6 months; £4.40 for 6 months – 2 years; and £6.80 for children 3 years and over.
And for regular soft-play attendees, there is an option to buy a membership, offering great value.
A monthly membership costs £16.70 for one child; £28.00 for two children; £33.80 for three children; and £39.50 for four children, which can be used at any of the three Edinburgh Leisure soft play centres across the city.
The Edinburgh Leisure app can be downloaded from the Google and App stores.
