Coronavirus (COVID-19) update Scotland: Sunday 26th April

Statement given by the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, on Sunday 26 April:

Good afternoon. Thanks once again to all of you for taking part in this media conference.

I want to start with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 10,324 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 273 from yesterday’s figures.

As always, let me be clear that these numbers will be an underestimate.

A total of 1,735 patients are in hospital with COVID-19 – this is a decrease of 13 from yesterday.

And a total of 133 people were last night in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. This is a decrease of seven since yesterday.

It is with sadness that I report that 18 further deaths have been registered, of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measure, to 1,249.

As I have said previously at these Sunday briefings, these figures should be treated with some caution. Although deaths can be registered at weekends, registration numbers are usually relatively low. This should be taken into account when looking at today’s figures.

And of course, the number of deaths that is reported every day is so much more than a statistic. Each death represents an individual whose loss will be a source of grief and sorrow to many, and I want to extend my deepest condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones.

As Health Secretary, I also want to thank once again those who are working in our health and care sector, for the incredible work that you are doing.

Those thanks are due to everyone – the doctors and the nurses, the paramedics, the care home staff, the porters, the cooks, the healthcare assistants, the cleaners and many, many more.

Your work is crucial to the health and wellbeing of our country. You will have the same worries and anxieties as the rest of us but you go to work each day, putting that aside to care for others. All of us are truly grateful to you for everything that you are doing

I have two issues I want to update you on today. The first is about people volunteering to join or re-join the NHS and care workforce.

It is now almost four weeks since – as part of our ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign – we established a web portal for students, and former NHS and care workers, to apply to work in the NHS or the care sector, as they respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In total, more than 22,000 people have now volunteered.

The volunteers include experienced former staff, doctors, nurses, social care professionals and nursing, medicine, midwifery, and Allied Health professional students who are either now graduated or coming towards the completion of their training.

We are working with NHS Education for Scotland, our health boards and the Scottish Social Services Council to ensure that volunteers can start work as quickly as possible – while still following the correct induction and training processes.

A number of volunteers have been placed with NHS boards, and more than 3,000 are completing their pre-employment checks – which are being fast-tracked – just prior to being deployed.

The Scottish Social Services Council has placed almost 150 people into work in the care sector, and a further 200 are ready and available for deployment.

Not everyone who has applied to help us will be needed immediately.

But please bear with us – your volunteering and your offer to bring your skills and your talents really does matter, and we will need you, as we go through this pandemic.

Having such a large number of volunteers really matters – it provides us with important flexibility, as we look at staffing needs through the different stages of this pandemic.

I am immensely grateful to everyone who has offered to support our NHS and care services in this way.

The second point I want to update you on is support for those who are shielding. That term, as you know, refers to approximately 160,000 people in Scotland, who are at the highest clinical risk from COVID-19, and who are therefore being asked to isolate themselves completely.

A text message service has been in place for almost a month now, so that people who are shielding can ask for support and receive information.

So far, more than 78,000 people have registered for the text service. I would encourage everyone who is shielding to register.

Even if you don’t need additional help at the moment, as many people don’t, registering will be useful if you ever do need that further help.

You should have received information on how to do that – letters to people who are shielding started to go out on 26th March. But I will also read out the number of our national helpline in a minute or so.

One of the services which you can request by text is free delivery of food packages. More than 80,000 food packages have been delivered so far.

In addition, six supermarkets are offering priority deliveries for people who are shielding.

Over 33,000 people have expressed an interest in these priority slots, and we have passed their information on to the participating supermarkets.

Supermarkets have also identified and contacted existing customers who are eligible for priority slots and many have already received deliveries.

And people who were not existing customers of any of the participating supermarkets, received texts last week with details of how to register.

If you don’t have a mobile phone, you can get access to these services through your local authority. Our national helpline will direct you to the local authority that applies to you.

It is a good way of finding information more generally about the support, which is available. The national helpline number is 0800 111 4000, and the line is open between 9am and 5pm every weekday.

I know for many of the people who are shielding, this is a worrying time, and also a very difficult time. Staying at home all the time is necessary for your own protection – but I know that it is even harder than the restrictions which are in place for everyone else.

We are determined to ensure that support is available for you throughout this time – so please, make use of that support if you need to.

Before I hand over to Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer, and to Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director, I want to emphasise once again the importance of sticking to our public health guidance.

Stay at home – unless it is for essential purposes such as exercising once a day, or buying food or medicine.

When you do go out, stay two metres away from other people, and don’t meet up with people in other households.

And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

These restrictions are tough – and I know they get tougher as the weeks go by, and especially when the weather stays warm. But they continue to be essential. They are the way in which all of us can slow the spread of the virus, protect our NHS, and save lives.

So thank you once again to everyone who is doing the right thing and staying at home. You are making a difference, and you are saving lives, and I thank you very much indeed.

Witness appeal after assault in King George V Park

Detectives are investigating after a man was assaulted in Edinburgh on Saturday (25 April 2020).

At around 2pm on Saturday afternoon, a 21-year-old man was in King George V Park when he was verbally abused by a group of four men. The man continued on his journey, walking towards a tunnel which leads to Broughton Road.

As the man got towards the end of the tunnel, the four suspects followed him, continuing to shout at him. They then demanded money from him before racially abusing him and assaulting him.

Suspect one is white, in his early 20s, around 6 ft. tall with a slim build. He was wearing a block hooded jacket with white lining and black jeans.

Suspect two is black, in his early 20s around 5 ft. 4 inches in height with a muscular build. He was wearing a black hooded top, blue jeans and dark coloured gloves.

Suspect three is white, in his early 20s, around 5 ft. 10 inches in height with a medium build. He was wearing a black hooded top and blue jeans.

Suspect four is black, in his early 20s, around 5 ft. 6 inches in height and wearing a dark coloured puffer jacket.

Officers continue to gather and review CCTV footage for any additional information on the suspects.

Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident.

“I appreciate the number of people out and about is limited during these times but for those who were out, I would ask them to consider if they saw these men or witnessed the incident to contact us. It is unacceptable for people to be targeted in this way and we will do everything we can to trace the men responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2925 of 25 April 2020. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

Jobs secured as Pure Electric takes over 11 Halfords Cycle Republic stores

  • Specialist electric mobility retailer, Pure Electric, announces the opening of eleven UK wide former Halfords plc ‘Cycle Republic’ stores earmarked for closure, securing 85 jobs
  • Founded by entrepreneur and investor Adam Norris, Pure Electric made its name in electric scooters and is now moving to e-bikes and wider e-mobility
  • Norris calls on the government to ‘get a move on’ with proposed legislation for E-Scooters, which are currently banned in the UK but legal in most other countries such as Germany and France

Pure Electric, the specialist electric mobility retailer formerly known as Pure Scooters, has announced its rapid retail expansion plans for 2020.

The company was looking at four key locations across the UK, but now has a fantastic opportunity to accelerate its growth by taking over eleven of Halfords plc’s Cycle Republic stores earmarked for closure, securing a total of 85 jobs.

Halfords plc made the announcement to colleagues at the eleven Cycle Republic stores on Monday, including the store on Lothian Road, informing them that their jobs would be safe and employment transferred to Pure Electric; all jobs at those stores will be retained.

The announcement bucks a high street trend of closures and marks the beginning of a transport revolution, says the company.

Last month, the Department for Transport (DfT) launched an open consultation in March 2020 entitled “Future of transport regulatory review” which calls for evidence on whether e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles should be permitted. The DfT stated that micromobility could “help us decarbonise transport and tackle congestion and air pollution, make travel more affordable and convenient.”

Launched fourteen months ago by entrepreneur and former Hargreaves Lansdown director, Adam Norris, Pure Electric has ‘a passion to make a real, meaningful positive impact on the way we all travel every day’.

Norris’ passion for game-changing technology is aiming to help tackle urban transport and climate problems by delivering fun, affordable and practical mobility solutions.

The company has recently diversified into e-bikes, stocking the iconic Brompton Electric with a broader e-bike range planned when stores open. In 2018 in the Netherlands, e-bikes outsold regular bicycles equating to €823m of €1.2bn in bicycle sales in 2018. In a similar trend in Germany in 2018, e-bikes outsold electric cars.

Last year, Deloitte predicted that 130 million e-bikes are to be sold globally between 2020 and 2023. It also noted that “the number of e-bikes on the roads will easily outpace other e-vehicles by the end of next year.”

The 11 Pure Electric branded stores are due to open by early summer 2020, subject to government lockdown restrictions.

Pure Electric stocks market-leading ranges of electric scooters, electric bikes and accessories and is calling on Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, to accelerate legalisation on electric scooters.

Electric scooters are becoming hugely popular in the UK but are only allowed to be ridden on private roads with the landowner’s permission, because of the archaic 1835 Highway Act, despite being legal in most other countries.

The company recently launched a petition, already gathering 3,000 signatures, calling on the Government to get a move on with proposed legislation to bring the UK up to speed on electric scooters.

Adam Norris, Founder of Pure Electric, said: “The world of mobility is moving incredibly fast and we’re absolutely committed to being at the forefront of this exciting sector by opening prime city-centre locations.

“Our products have the potential to have a huge positive impact on our transport system. Recently, we’ve seen the role that e-scooters and bicycles have had in providing transport to key workers across the UK, helping them avoid public transport where risk of transmission is much higher.

“We need to look hard at the future of our transport system and COVID-19 has accelerated the scrutiny of the status quo. Last week, in a YouGov study, just 9% want a complete to return to normal and 51% have noticed cleaner air. The time for change is now.”

He added: “A staggering 24% of all trips by car in the UK are under one mile and it’s these short journeys which can be swapped out by e-scooter or e-bike, with monumental impacts to congestion and air quality; travelling by these methods is fun too.

“The government needs to work fast to provide these future options, especially as we come out of the current lockdown restrictions. Public transport isn’t the safest option in terms of transmission, so we should be urgently looking at other options, without adding to air pollution.”

Norris concluded: “Our new stores show our vision and the market potential to not only transform the way people move, but the way people try and buy e-scooters and e-bikes. We can’t wait to serve customers a bigger range and offer free e-bike test rides.

“Every store will have a fully equipped workshop for servicing and repairs providing a first class service for commuters. We’re delighted that in the process of our expansion, we’ve been able to secure 85 colleague jobs from Halfords plc, and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Pure Electric team. We thank Graham Stapleton (CEO Halfords plc,) and the team at Halfords plc for their collaborative approach.”

Peter Kimberley, (previously MD of Cycle Republic and Tredz Bikes), now Pure Electric International Managing Director, said: “I know these fantastic high street sites well and I’m looking forward to bringing the Pure Electric brand from online to major cities across the UK, opening up  new personal services including test rides to commuters and everybody who is interested in changing the way they move.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for the world of e-bikes, e-scooters and mobility solutions. Personally, I’m really delighted to be able to bring along some great colleagues from Cycle Republic into the Pure Electric family. We can’t wait to open our doors and start serving the needs of customers across the UK.”

For more information, please visit www.pureelectric.com 

 

BBC’s Big Night In raises over £67 million

BBC’s The Big Night In has raised £67,110.010.

£47m of this figure will be split between Children in Need and Comic Relief, who will use these funds to support many charities and projects helping vulnerable people of all ages across the UK.

The UK Government pledged to match everything raised on the night, with the first £20m going to National Emergencies Trust and the rest split between BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief. So far the Government has given £13,555,005 to BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief. This takes the total raised, with all government match funding, to an incredible £67m.

All the money raised will now be available to go to good causes, through BBC Children in Need, Comic Relief and The National Emergencies Trust.

Greens call for government to cover nursing fees

The Scottish Greens have called on the Scottish Government to demonstrate its appreciation for Scotland’s nurses by covering their 2020 professional registration fees.

Nurses and midwives in Scotland are required to pay an annual registration fee of £120 to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, but Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Alison Johnstone MSP has called on the First Minister to cover that cost this year as a small token of appreciation for the role these professionals are playing in the fight against coronavirus.

Alison Johnstone MSP said: “All across the country nurses and midwives have gone above and beyond during this crisis. From supporting young families, to comforting dying patients whose loved ones cannot be with them, these dedicated professionals play an essential role in the fight against coronavirus.

“It becomes more evident every day how crucial frontline health and care staff are to our communities, and there are rightly calls for a review of how we remunerate all our health and care workers who have put themselves at risk to protect us.

“One modest measure the Scottish Government could take immediately to show a small token of appreciation to our nurses and midwives is to cover their professional registration fees.

“Covering the £120 fee payable by nurses and midwives to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for 2020 would be a small gesture, but one that I’m sure would be most welcomed.

“Quite rightly those retired professionals who have been called back to support our NHS during this crisis have not been charged registration fees, and it would be fitting if this consideration was shown across the board.”

World Health Organisation: “We will only halt COVID-19 through solidarity”

Heads of state and global health leaders have made an unprecedented commitment to work together to accelerate the development and production of new vaccines, tests and treatments for COVID-19 and assure equitable access worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already affected more than 2.4 million people, killing up to 200,000 – including more than 20,000 in the UK. It is taking a huge toll on families, societies, health systems and economies around the world, and for as long as this virus threatens any country, the entire world is at risk.

There is an urgent need, therefore, while following existing measures to keep people physically distanced and to test and track all contacts of people who test positive, for innovative COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.

“We will only halt COVID-19 through solidarity,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Countries, health partners, manufacturers and the private sector must act together and ensure that the fruits of science and research can benefit everybody.”

Work has already started. Since January, WHO has been working with researchers from hundreds of institutions to develop and test vaccines, standardize assays and standardize regulatory approaches on innovative trial designs and define criteria to prioritize vaccine candidates.

The Organization has prequalified diagnostics that are being used all over the world, and more are in the pipeline. And it is coordinating a global trial to assess the safety and efficacy of four therapeutics against COVID-19.

The challenge is to speed up and harmonize processes to ensure that once products are deemed safe and effective, they can be brought to the billions of people in the world who need them.

Past experience, in the early days of HIV treatment, for example, and in the deployment of vaccines against the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, shows that even when tools are available, they have not been equally available to all.

On Friday, leaders came together at a virtual event, co-hosted by the World Health Organization, the President of France, the President of the European Commission, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The event was joined by the UN Secretary General, the AU Commission Chairperson, the G20 President, heads of state of France, South Africa, Germany, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Italy, Rwanda, Norway, Spain, Malaysia and the UK (represented by First Secretary of State Dominic Raab) – but one notable absentee was President of the United States of America, Donald Trump.

Health leaders from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI-the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, UNITAID, the Wellcome Trust, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IFRC), the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA), the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers’ Network (DCVMN), and the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA) committed to come together, guided by a common vision of a planet protected from human suffering and the devastating social and economic consequences of COVID-19, to launch this groundbreaking collaboration. They are joined by two Special Envoys:  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Gavi Board Chair and Sir Andrew Witty, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.

They pledged to work towards equitable global access based on an unprecedented level of partnership. They agreed to create a strong unified voice, to build on past experience and to be accountable to the world, to communities and to one another.

“Our shared commitment is to ensure all people have access to all the tools to prevent, detect, treat and defeat COVID-19,” said Dr Tedros. “No country and no organization can do this alone. The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator brings together the combined power of several organizations to work with speed and scale.”

Health leaders called on the global community and political leaders to support this landmark collaboration and for donors to provide the necessary resources to accelerate achievement of its objectives, capitalizing on the opportunity provided by a forthcoming pledging initiative that starts on 4 May 2020.

This initiative, spearheaded by the European Union, aims to mobilize the significant resources needed to accelerate the work towards protecting the world from COVID-19.

Post Office launches new cash delivery option to help the most vulnerable

Cash delivery payments are now available for the most vulnerable individuals thanks to the Post Office in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The cash payments are available to the DWP to use to support their most vulnerable customers, initially in England, who are shielding because of the risk of infection should they leave their home.

The National Shielding Service is a working partnership with DWP that enables contact to be made with specific customers to determine if they need to receive a cash payment to be delivered.

When notified by DWP of those individuals who require a cash delivery, the Post Office will ensure cash is sent to their home using Royal Mail Special Delivery and that it arrives by 9pm the following day. This means that those individuals who must avoid leaving the home because of the risk of infection receive the cash that they need.

The Post Office has repurposed part of its foreign exchange cash delivery business to enable the overnight delivery of sterling cash and meet demand.

Guy Opperman, the Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, said: “We’re doing whatever it takes to ensure people are supported through these unprecedented times. This joint initiative enables us to reach out directly to those most likely to need support, and get cash delivered to their door where necessary.

“Thanks to the hard work of DWP and Post Office staff, vulnerable customers can rest assured there is help available if they need it.”

Nick Read, Chief Executive at the Post Office, said: “I am delighted that Post Office has been able to switch its travel money delivery business to get cash directly to those that need it most.

“Working with the DWP we are able to help some of the most vulnerable in our society, including those who have been asked to shield themselves at home, with the ability to deliver cash directly to their door.”

Postal Affairs Minister, Paul Scully, said: “Vulnerable people may be self-isolating but they are not alone.

“This vital service will ensure the Government can get cash to people that need it, without them having to leave their homes. I want to thank postmasters and their teams for their continued hard work to support our communities across the UK.”

This new cash delivery option has initially been made available to those POCA customers who are shielding at home and are the most at risk from the virus.

There are around 27,000 Post Office Card Account (POCA) customers to whom this could applyand they are being actively contacted to ensure they are able to regularly access their payments.

This service adds to the range of measures the DWP can use to support these individuals shielding at home, providing a last-option mechanism for customers to receive cash who cannot visit their normal payment location.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money at Which?, said: “This is an important move that recognises vulnerable people need help to access the cash they rely on to pay for essentials during the coronavirus lockdown.

“The difficulties many people are facing without easy access to cash demonstrates why the government must act swiftly on its promise to legislate to protect the availability of cash for consumers for as long as they need it.”

Earlier this week, the Post Office announced details of two its access to cash products – ‘Fast PACE’ and ‘Payout Now’ had been made available to the UK’s banks, building societies and credit unions.

These products can be offered to their customers who are self-isolating and require cash. The Post Office is considering how to make its new cash delivery service available to the UK’s financial institutions and who can offer it to their customers.

Post Office customers can see how coronavirus may affect Post Office services on its website and can find the latest information on the Post Office Card Account and branch opening hours on its Branch Finder.

Mobile Testing Units are on their way

Mobile testing units, operated by the Armed Forces, will travel around the UK to increase access to coronavirus testing.

  • Units will respond to areas of highest demand, travelling to test frontline workers and the most vulnerable at sites including care homes, police stations and prisons
  • The new units will work alongside the country’s drive-through test sites, sending patient samples to the network of Lighthouse Labs, to rapidly increase the number of tests done each day.

Essential workers and the most vulnerable will receive increased access to coronavirus tests after the government unveiled a network of mobile testing units to travel where there is significant demand, including care homes, police stations and prisons.

The number of new mobile units is being scaled up after a successful pilot last week, which saw Department of Health and Social Care vehicles refitted to fully functioning testing sites, following a design developed by the Royal Engineers of the British Army. Today, there are 8 existing mobile units carrying out tests across the country, including in Salisbury, Southport and Teesside.

Mobile facilities can be set up in under 20 minutes, allowing the testing of hundreds of people each day and are now travelling to those most in need and hard to reach. Specially trained Armed Forces personnel will collect swabs at the mobile sites, before they are sent to mega-labs for processing. Those tested will receive results within 48 hours.

Rapid expansion of a network of mobile test units is now underway, with new units being fielded in the coming weeks and at least 96 ready to be deployed by the start of May.

This follows the announcement last week that other frontline workers would join the priority list for coronavirus testing, alongside the existing commitment to make sure patients and NHS staff are tested for the virus.

New mobile sites will travel to frontline workers in places including:

  • care homes
  • police stations
  • prisons
  • benefits centres
  • fire and rescue services

Testing Minister Lord Bethell said: “Everyone who needs a coronavirus test should be able to have access to one. New mobile testing units will travel the country to provide vital frontline workers with tests so those testing negative to safely return to work.

“We have built up capacity in the system with new testing facilities backed by Britain’s world-class scientists and industry partners. This means more workers can know if they have coronavirus if they have been demonstrating symptoms.

“Testing is key in our battle against coronavirus. We now have the ability to provide more people with the certainty they need to get back to the front line when it is safe to do so.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our Armed Forces will help deliver testing to where it’s most needed, using a network of up to 96 mobile units that will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

“They will make sure our care sector get the testing required to remain in the frontline of the fight against this pandemic.”

National Testing Coordinator John Newton said: “Across the country we are creating new infrastructure to rapidly increase our capacity to test for coronavirus. New mobile testing units will help us achieve our goal of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day, providing tests to vital frontline workers wherever they need them.

“In a matter of weeks we have worked with Britain’s leading scientists, academics and industry partners to build scores of new testing facilities and Britain’s largest network of diagnostic labs in history. Each day we are delivering more coronavirus tests, and allowing more frontline staff testing negative for the virus to safely return to work.”

The government’s objective is to deploy 96 mobile testing units during the month of May – 92 will be staffed by the Armed Forces and a further 4, located in Northern Ireland, will be operated by civilian contractors. Five will be deployed in Scotland next week, with a further eight to follow.

Earlier this month the UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the UK government’s 5-pillar plan to rapidly scale up coronavirus testing across the UK. The new 5-pillar plan outlines the ambitions to:

  • pillar 1: scale up swab testing in PHE labs and NHS hospitals for those with a medical need and the most critical workers to 25,000 a day in England, with the aligned testing strategies of the NHS in the devolved administrations benefiting from PHE’s partnership with Roche through a central UK allocation mechanism
  • pillar 2: deliver increased commercial swab testing for critical key workers in the NHS across the UK, before then expanding to key workers in other sectors. There are now more than 30 drive-through sites collecting these samples across the UK
  • pillar 3: develop blood testing to help know if people across the UK have the right antibodies and so have high levels of immunity to coronavirus
  • pillar 4: conduct UK-wide surveillance testing to learn more about the spread of the disease and help develop new tests and treatments
  • pillar 5: create a new national effort for testing, to build a mass-testing capacity for the UK at a completely new scale

Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centres introduced

New centres to reduce the need to attend hospital

New measures have been introduced to help patients with emergency eye problems, reducing the need for them to attend hospital during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Backed by up to £3 million of Scottish Government funding, Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centres have been established in all health board areas.

New technology is also being trialled by NHS Grampian and NHS Forth Valley.

After a telephone consultation, some patients may be referred to optometrists within the treatment centres who can manage a wide range of conditions without further involvement from GPs or hospitals.

In Grampian and Forth Valley, live video and audio feeds between the centres and consultants in hospitals are also being used to enable more patients to be immediately diagnosed and treated.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “While services have changed dramatically over the last few weeks, my message is clear – if you are worried about your health in any way, please get in touch with your GP. The same applies to your vision – if you have experienced any problems with your sight, please contact your local high street optician as soon as possible.

“I would like to thank NHS Boards and the optometry and ophthalmology professions for their excellent collaboration in establishing, at pace, more than 50 Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centres across Scotland to manage patients without COVID-19 symptoms who need an emergency face-to-face consultation.

“I am pleased to see some NHS Boards are also using innovative new tele-ophthalmology technology. This means that more patients can be immediately diagnosed and treated in a community setting while gaining an expert opinion from the secondary care ophthalmology team.”

Patients without COVID-19 symptoms will be referred for an emergency face-to-face consultation after having a telephone triage or consultation with a community optometrist.

Only the Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centres will examine patients face-to-face. These premises have been provided with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to keep patients and practitioners safe. The centres have been established by each Board with guidance and support from Eyecare Scotland, the national clinical leads multi-professional group.

Routine eye care services were suspended on 23 March. Since then, community optometry practices have continued to provide emergency and essential eye care services to patients, enabled by a package of financial support measures from the Scottish Government.

This includes provision of monthly average practice income from NHS services and up to £3 million of funding for the provision of emergency and essential eye care services.

NHS Lothian has established an Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centre.

To access this service, patients must first phone their local optometry practice to be assessed over the phone. If a face-to-face appointment is necessary, then an appointment will be arranged for that patient. 

Further information, including an updated list of community optometry practices offering telephone assessments, can be found here: https://services.nhslothian.scot/EmergencyEyecareTreatmentCentre

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service: 

Annual diabetic retinopathy screening has been suspended until further notice because of COVID-19.  Look out for further updates.

Raise funds for Children 1st and SportsAid through #26OlympiansChallenge

Olympic silver medallist Keri-anne Payne is inviting families to join her and a host of the country’s most famous sports superstars in a lockdown Olympian sports challenge today (Sunday 26th April) as she raises funds for Children 1st, Scotland’s national children’s charity and SportsAid.

The #26OlympiansChallenge is a full body workout, dreamt up by Keri-anne with support from 25 other Olympians including Tom Daley, Greg Rutherford and Rebecca Adlington.

Taking place on what would have been the date of the annual London Marathon, #26OlympiansChallenge is linked to the 2.6 Challenge, a new national campaign to encourage people to develop an activity based around the numbers ‘2’ and ‘6’ to support charities that have been hit hard by the postponement of mass sporting events which raise valuable funds through sponsorship.

Each of the Olympians involved has selected an exercise, suitable for all ages and fitness levels which is specifically beneficial for the physical requirements of their sport and a charity that is close to their hearts. People of all ages are invited to take part, raise their own sponsorship, or to donate £26 or whatever they can on the Olympians’  Justgiving pages.

Keri-anne Payne, who competed for the British team as an open water swimmer at the Beijing, London and Rio Olympic Games, was delighted to come up with the idea of #26OlympiansChallenge to raise funds for Children 1st which prevents child abuse and neglect, protects children and families and supports them to recover from harm and for SportsAid which provides financial support, national recognition and personal development opportunities to talented young athletes across Great Britain.

Keri-anne said: “Family and sport are two of the things that matter most to me,  so I’m delighted to be supporting Children 1st who are continuing to do an amazing job at supporting children and families, particularly through this difficult time and SportsAid which encourages young athletes to achieve their sporting ambitions.

“My family are a huge support, they’ve helped make all my sporting achievements possible. Now that I’m a Mum myself, the work that Children 1st does to keep children safe and support their families, means even more.

“At this time when exercise is so vital to our health and wellbeing and families need more support than ever, I’m proud to shine a light for sport and children through the 2.6 challenge.”

Gary Kernahan, Director of Fundraising at Children 1st said: “We’ve all watched with great pride as our Olympian stars have achieved remarkable things. We are so grateful to Keri-anne Payne for taking on this new challenge and for pulling together this team of Olympians to take on the 2.6 challenge for Children 1st.

“The coronavirus pandemic is affecting Children 1st and charities all across the country. We hope that Keri-anne’s efforts will inspire children and families to get involved and take on their own 2.6 challenge.”

To take part in the workout please make sure to check Keri-anne’s Instagram account – @Kerianne_Payne – on Sunday at 10a.m.

You will also be able to access the #26OlympiansChallenge on Children 1st’s social media channels, SportsAid’s YouTube channel and the other Olympians social media channels from 10am on Sunday.

The workout has been pre-recorded which means you can undertake it whenever is convenient next week. It will predominantly focus on bodyweight exercises and covers a wide range of sports such as athletics, cycling, boxing, swimming, diving, skeleton, canoeing, sailing, taekwondo and judo.

Remember to donate to Keri-anne’s Justgiving page or set up your own sponsorship to support Children 1st and SportsAid at this important time.

The 26 Olympians taking part in the challenge are: Keri-anne Payne (swimming), Tom Daley (diving), Greg Rutherford (athletics), Becky Adlington (swimming), Lutelo Mohammed (Taekwando), Gemma Gibbons & Euan Burton (Judo), Mark Robertson (Rugby 7’s), Jen McIntosh (Shooting), Grace Reid (Diving), Alex Gregory (Rowing) Angela Hannah (Canoeing), Hannah Macleod (Hockey), David Carry (Swimming), Amy Williams (Skeleton), Jess Eddie (Rowing), Fran Leighton (Waterpolo), Bryony Page (Trampolining), Luke Patience (Sailing), Tessa Sanderson & Densign White (Javelin & Judo), Claire Rafferty (Football), Susannah Townsend (Hockey), Pete Reed (Rowing), Gail Emms (badminton), Jamie Cooke (Modern Pentalthlon), Anthony Agogo (Boxing), Colin Flemming (Tennis).