The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 3699 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

Know your New Year opening times, tweets Dr Owl

Dr Owl continues his flight across Scotland as part of the Be Health-Wise This Winter encouraging people to know when their GP surgery is open over New Year.

While GP practices re-open today (Monday 29 December) after the Christmas break, the wise Dr Owl is advising people to be aware that they will follow normal opening hours until closing again on Thursday 1st January, before re-opening again on Monday 5th January.

NHS 24’s Medical Director Professor George Crooks, explained: “While NHS Scotland staff have been very busy over the Christmas period, it is important that people remember there is another period of GP practices’ closures over New Year. It’s important that people know the opening times of their local pharmacy too and make use of the next couple of days to re-stock with simple home remedies to ensure they can look after themselves and their family if needed.

“Knowing you have remedies at home to help if a winter illness does strike can make all the difference and you can use the self-help guide available at www.nhs24.com for advice on treating coughs, colds and other winter illnesses at home.”

The national Be Health-Wise this Winter campaign is supported by NHSScotland in partnership with NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and all 14 Scottish Health Boards.

Many GPs will be working hard throughout the festive period supporting local Out of Hours services and the Be Health-Wise This Winter campaign has the backing of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland.

General advice and information on how to stay healthy this winter can be found at www.nhsinform.co.uk/winter or contact NHS inform on 0800 22 44 88.

More Scots women move into work

‘a strong economy will help tackle the inequality that blights our society’ – John Swinney

Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary John Swinney has today welcomed news that 2014 has been another encouraging and buoyant year for Scotland, according to employment statistics covering the period Aug-Oct 2014.

Female participation and youth employment are seen as the key successes of 2014.

The level of youth unemployment in Scotland has fallen by over 26 per cent in the last 12 months and is now at its lowest in the last five years, alongside a fall in the overall Scottish unemployment rate.

Latest Labour Market Statistics show female employment has risen by 46,000 over the year to reach 1,288,000 – the highest female employment level on record.

The number of women claiming Jobseekers Allowance fell by 8,900 over the year. At 27,900 it is at its lowest level since February 2009.

Scotland has a higher female employment rate than the UK – with the Scottish rate 3.2 percentage points above the UK rate. Scotland also has a lower female unemployment rate and higher female participation rate than the UK.

Mr Swinney said: “2014 has seen Scotland consistently outperform the UK on employment, unemployment and inactivity rates and Scotland’s economy continues to go from strength to strength.

“A real success story over the last year is increasing female participation and the narrowing gender gap in employment rates. Over the last two years, the gap between male and female employment rates has narrowed in Scotland, unlike the UK – with the gap closing by 3.6 percentage points in Scotland.

“As the Scottish economy grows our task is to ensure that everyone is able to benefit from that economic success. It is a top priority of this government to tackle the inequalities that blight our society, and by strengthening and stabilising our economy with an active and engaged workforce we can go a long way to make that happen.

“With discussion on further powers for the Scottish Parliament now taking place it is essential that we have the full tools we need to support employment opportunities for everyone in Scotland.”

No happy new year for City Link workers

‘a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement’ – RMT

More than 2,700 staff from the collapsed UK parcel delivery service City Link will be made redundant on New Year’s Eve, the RMT union has said.

That total is likely to include staff from the Edinburgh depot based in Livingston and members plan to join a demonstration outside the company’s Motherwell depot today.

Staff learned on Christmas Day that the company had gone into administration, in a move described as “disgraceful” by the union for transport workers.

Talks between union officials and administrators Ernst & Young were held on Saturday but the administrators have confirmed that ‘substantial redundancies are expected over the coming days’.

The meeting between City Link union RMT and administrators Ernst and Young ‘has exposed a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement at the top of the company dating back to November which leaves more than two thousand staff facing redundancy on new years eve with a skeleton staff kept on for a couple of weeks to wind down the o‎peration’, according to union leaders.

At Saturday’s meeting the union was told that:

the company were working with insolvency advisors since November without telling the staff or their union.
the company was technically declared insolvent on the 22nd December but deliberately withheld that information. A plot to hold the announcement to Boxing Day was only thwarted by the RMT acting on information from a whistle blower.
more than 2000 staff will be made redundant on New Years eve. City Link and it’s financial backers will have no liability for redundancy payments and the staff will have to apply to the government scheme. The remaining staff will be retained short term to wind down the company.
individual sub contractors, owed thousands of pounds, are unlikely to see any of their money.
there is no one in the frame to take over the company as a going concern but there may be a limited number of jobs available at other companies.

City Link, founded in 1969, was acquired by ‘restructuring specialist’ Better Capital in April 2013.

The company called in administrators on Christmas Eve after years of ‘substantial losses’, yet a November press release issued on behalf of the company paints a different picture. Just last month the Coventry-based company heralded it’s plans to ‘deliver an even more successful peak to last year’s winning performance’.

The press release, headlined ‘City Link plans ahead to beat last year’s successful peak performance’ reads:

With Christmas lights already starting to go up in many UK towns and the countdown to the festive season soon to begin, premium express carrier City Link has already got its plans in place to deliver an even more successful peak to last year’s winning performance.

City Link is now in the final stages of putting its Peak preparation plans into action, including bringing on line additional vans, collection and delivery drivers, warehouse staff and a range of new equipment and seasonal supplies.

It hopes to surpass last year’s success. The company received widespread praise for its smooth-running Peak operation – Mothercare even said that City Link had “really stepped up to the mark and delivered a great peak performance for our customers”.

To ensure that Christmas deliveries run smoothly this year City Link is adding an extra 1168 fleet collection and delivery drivers to its workforce to handle peak collections – 433 agency drivers and 735 subcontractors along with 100 additional trunking drivers in the busiest week.

In terms of vehicles, City Link is adding another 434 fleet collection and delivery vans to handle the extra demand, along with 80 additional trailers.

An extra 469 depot warehouse staff will be recruited along with around 30 additional operations support staff. Also, City Link is using 14 more forklift trucks and 963 more hand-held scanners.

City Link’s intensive preparation for the busy Christmas and New Year period also involves making plans for potential harsh winter weather with 1051 tons of rock salt on order together with 106 snow shovels and 24 snow spreaders to ensure they are well prepared to make deliveries in the event of a cold snap this winter.

Liam Tucker, City Link’s Operations Director, is extremely optimistic about this year’s Peak deliveries.

“City Link had one of its most successful peak periods in 2013 and we are looking forward to an even busier and more successful one in 2014. We’ve been planning since January and have worked with all of our larger customers to understand demand, put in place capacity and ensure contingency arrangements are there too,” said Mr. Tucker.

Operationally City Link is ready to cope well with increased demand; with a new automated sortation system in place to help increase throughput at the national hub in Coventry by up to 50% and with a £2m investment in new handheld scanners making life easier for all their drivers, including those temporary drivers coming in to help with the Christmas rush.

Customers will also benefit from a smooth delivery experience with City Link’s new “On Our Way” service which provides those receiving parcels with an estimated two-hour delivery slot and the option of re-arranging their deliveries if they’re not going to be in to sign for them. On Our Way benefits both the business customers sending parcels and the consumers receiving them: first time delivery rates increase and consumer satisfaction with deliveries rises.

Additionally the company’s Parcel Collection Points will also be open from 10.00 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays from the 30th November through to the 21st December being the last Sunday before Christmas.”

RMT is demanding an immediate meeting with Vince Cable and his officials and a government supported rescue plan to save the company as a going concern.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said: “It is crystal clear from today’s meeting that there has been a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement at City Link and that staff and their union have been starved of basic information while a plot was hatched to publicly collapse the business on Boxing Day when in fact it was already declared insolvent.

“What a despicable and callous ‎manipulation of thousands of workers and their livelihoods over Christmas as the venture capitalists cut and run leaving a trail of chaos and misery in their wake.

Vince Cable has said he will meet us in the New Year. Clearly that is too late and the business will have been smashed to pieces by then as the asset strippers hover like vultures over the corpse.

“RMT is demanding a meeting with Vince Cable right now, not when it’s too late. We want to put a plan together for a Government backed rescue that protects the business and the jobs it supports. If the government can nationalise the bankers then they can nationalise City Link which is ‎clearly in the public interest. “

Holiday season is no party for emergency services

‘drink responsibly, keep safe and do not cause any unnecessary burden for our ambulance crews’ – Health Secretary Shona Robison

With Christmas now over, revellers’ attention turns to the New Year celebrations. Party season is in full swing, but too much drink means this is always a busy time of year for the emergency services.

Last year in the 20 days between 13 December – 1 January the Scottish Ambulance Service dealt with almost 32,000 emergency incidents, an increase of around 4,000 – or an extra 200 calls a day – compared to normal demand.

Ambulance cover has been increased by up to 20% at peak periods to deal with the surge in emergency calls.

As well as fuelling more emergency calls, alcohol is behind most of the assaults and abusive behaviour that ambulance teams have to endure.

The safety of ambulance staff is paramount and any assault or threatening behaviour will be reported to the police. If ambulance crews feel that their safety may be compromised, they are instructed to hold near the scene and wait for support from colleagues or the police, rather than put themselves at risk.

Health Secretary, Shona Robison, said: “Our ambulance crews work incredibly hard to provide the best patient care 365 days a year, and this work does not stop at Christmas. While others are enjoying their nights out over the festive period, the emergency services are continuing to work around the clock to respond to 999 calls through all conditions and weather.

“We all have a duty to ensure we are using our public services responsibly and keeping them free for those who really need them. So, while I hope everyone across Scotland thoroughly enjoys the Christmas and New Year festivities, I’d ask people to take on board the advice of the Scottish Ambulance Service and ensure they drink responsibly, keep safe and don’t cause any unnecessary burden for our ambulance crews.”

Pauline Howie, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, said:
“The festive period is the busiest and most challenging time of year for our staff. They deserve recognition and respect for their dedication to serving their communities and dealing with the many alcohol related cases that are a result of people over indulging at parties and in pubs across Scotland.

“As they enjoy festive parties, we would ask people to drink sensibly and wrap up well for the weather. This will help us to ensure that ambulances are dispatched to those people who are in most need of our help.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service responds to the most serious life threatening cases in an average of 6.5 minutes.

Pet passport changes introduced today

Taking your pet out of the country? Changes to the pet travel scheme are being introduced today by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Read guidance: pet travel: changes to the EU scheme

The pet travel scheme allows people to take their dog, cat or ferret in and out of the UK without quarantine, as long as they meet the rules of the scheme.

The changes are in line with new European regulations and are designed to improve the security of the scheme and traceability of the pet passport, whilst also clamping down on abuse of the system.

The changes include:

a new minimum age of 12 weeks before a pet can be vaccinated against rabies
new pet passports will include laminated strips and a requirement for more contact details to be provided by the vet issuing the document and certifying the veterinary treatments
a new requirement for all member states in the EU to carry out checks on their borders (the UK already checks all pets coming into the country through approved routes)
a tighter definition of non-commercial movement which will mean owners who cannot travel with a pet when they enter the EU, must do so within 5 days; owners can still authorise another person to travel with their pet, but again the pet and authorised person must travel within 5 days of each other

All pets are still required to have a microchip which confirms the animal’s identity.

Existing passports will remain valid for the lifetime of the pet or until all treatment spaces have been filled on the document.

All pet passports issued by vets from 29 December 2014 will be in the new format.

More information on travelling with your pet

Good Lord – Provost to join Loony Dookers!

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Councillor Donald Wilson is preparing to plunge into the Forth’s icy waters for charity when he takes on the New Year’s Day Loony Dook challenge in South Queensferry.

Part of the three day festival for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the event will see over 1,000 ‘Dookers’ cheered on by 4,000 spectators start 2015 with a dip in the River Forth in the shadow of the world-famous Forth Bridges.

The Lord Provost has signed up to take part to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI, which provides a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service across the UK.

He commented: “The event is great fun and will be raising money for a fantastic charity. The South Queensferrry branch of the RNLI will receive a 10 per cent donation from each registration fee for the event this year. I’m either brave or barmy to sign up, but I’m very glad to lend my support. I wish everyone taking part the best of luck and a happy – albeit chilly – start to the New Year!”

The Loony Dook is organised by Unique Events, who produce Edinburgh’s Hogmanay on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council. Earlier this month, organisers confirmed that M&D’s, who operate Scotland’s Theme Park in Strathclyde Country Park and also run the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay carnival, will be supporting the event. It is also funded by EventScotland and Scotland’s Winter Festivals.

This year’s event has been a sell out and no more spaces are available. It will start with a Dookers’ Parade, led by the Beastie Drummers, at 1.20pm followed by the Dook itself at 1.30pm on Thursday 1st January. Spectators are welcome to cheer on the Dookers from various vantage points along the route.

Find out more at the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay website

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay programme

Where there’s a will … good news for genealogists

41 million wills can now be searched online

The wills of Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Alan Turing and Beatrix Potter are among millions which have been made accessible to the public through a searchable online database.

The government’s archive of 41 million wills dates back to 1858 and will enable people to find out more about their family histories, as well as researching the last wishes of some of the most influential people of the 19th and 20th century.

As a result of the innovative project carried out by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and storage and information management company Iron Mountain, people will be able to connect to history from the comfort of their own home and look up the wills of people like:

mathematician Alan Turing whose life story has been told in the film The Imitation Game
Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist author Charles Dickens
Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix Potter

Courts Minister Shailesh Vara said: “This fascinating project provides us with insights into the ordinary and extraordinary people who helped shape this country, and the rest of the world.

It is a fantastic resource not only for family historians but also for anyone with an interest in social history or famous figures. I am delighted that HMCTS are leading the way in innovation and are helping deliver a more modern and efficient public service.”

Victorian novelist Charles Dickens, creator of some of the world’s most well-known fictional characters including Christmas favourite Ebenezer Scrooge, left a handwritten will in an attractive cursive script.

The writer George Orwell, who died in 1950, insisted that all his notes, manuscripts, pamphlets, press cuttings and other documents be preserved; while the economist John Keynes, who died in 1946, wanted most of his personal papers and unpublished manuscripts to be destroyed.

Alan Turing, the mathematician and cryptologist who cracked the Enigma code died of cyanide poisoning in 1954 aged just 41. Turing left a brief will sharing his possessions equally among a cherished group of colleagues and his mother.

The creator of Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne, who died in 1956, left a share of future royalties and copyright to his favourite London club and Westminster School, while the creator of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter, left a long and generous will that reflected her passion for natural science and conservation.

Phil Greenwood, Commercial Director at Iron Mountain said: “The completion of this phase of our work with HMCTS marks a significant milestone in a project to help deliver services online.

“The size of the archive is both humbling and impressive. Every will among the 41 million is a precious historical document that can provide remarkable insight into generations of lives lived and lost. The wills offer us a unique glimpse of individuals in their roles as father or mother, friend or colleague. The online availability of the wills is a welcome opportunity for anyone wishing to add detail to their family history.

“It gives the general public, here and overseas, the chance to get closer to their ancestors. The ease of access enabled by technology is matched by careful preservation of the original paper records. These are and will remain in trust for future generations in a secure, temperature-controlled environment.”

The availability of the database of 41 million wills follows the first stage of opening up the archive when soldiers’ wills were made available in 2013.

Since then there have been more than 2 million searches of the site showing people’s considerable interest in family history. The latest phase in the programme means that people can now request a specific will online and receive an electronic copy within 10 working days.

Creating the wills archive is part of ongoing work to transform HMCTS to make it a modern, efficient, digital service which is easy for the public to access.

Members of the public can order scanned copies of the wills for a fee of £10

Giving Scotland’s children the best start

Breast’s best: New Year summit to promote breastfeeding

Health, local authority and third sector partners will come together in the new year to kick off a year-long commitment to actively promote breastfeeding and support more women to breastfeed for longer.

The Breastfeeding Summit, to be held on Tuesday 24 February in Edinburgh, will examine what can be done to increase breastfeeding rates, which have remained relatively static across Scotland over the last decade.

Latest figures show 48.4 per cent of babies were breastfed at the first visit (around 10 days) in 2013/14. This compared with 44.4 per cent in 2004/05. The figures show a trend towards mixed feeding, where the baby is fed both breast and formula milk, and a decline by the 6-8 week review.

Leading experts will share the latest evidence on the benefits of breastfeeding, review what is working well, and identify key national and local actions to drive up rates and remove any barriers that exist.

The event will also explore ways to further support the increasing rates of breastfeeding in the most deprived areas, helping to reduce health inequalities.

While rates are increasing in mothers from disadvantaged backgrounds – up by 7.2 over the last nine years – there remains a clear association between breastfeeding and deprivation: mothers in most affluent areas are nearly three times as likely to exclusively breastfeed at 6-8 weeks compared with those in the most deprived areas.

Minister for Public Health, Maureen Watt, said: “This Summit will give us the chance to explore new ways to drive up breastfeeding rates. It’s an opportunity to bring experts together to discuss how we can support more mothers to decide to breastfeed for longer.

“Breastfeeding has major health benefits, in the short and longer term, for both mother and baby. That is why the Scottish Government continues to promote it as the best source of nutrition for babies.

“We know it is important to understand the factors which influence a mother’s infant feeding decision and develop effective strategies to encourage more women to breastfeed. Research shows that women who know about the health benefits of breastfeeding are more likely to start, therefore it’s essential that in the antenatal period the health benefits of breastfeeding are discussed and explained to all women.”

Promoting and supporting breastfeeding is a key component of Scottish Government’s Framework for Maternal and Infant Nutrition and there is strong evidence that breastfeeding in infancy has a protective effect against many childhood illnesses.

Breastfed infants are likely to have a reduced risk of infection, particularly those affecting the ear, respiratory tract and gastro-intestinal tract. This protective effect is particularly marked in low birth weight infants. Other probable benefits include improved cognitive and psychological development, and a reduced risk of childhood obesity. There is also evidence that women who breastfed have lower risks of breast cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer and hip fracture later in life.

The Breastfeeding Summit will take place at Murrayfield Stadium on Tuesday 24 February. Further details available at http://bookings.shscevents.co.uk/all/2994

Job experts out and about to spread work message

Jobcentre staff are getting out and about and taking work support direct to jobseekers as part of a new blitz targeting unusual locations –from football clubs to prisons and homeless shelters.

Employment numbers have reached a record 30.8 million and the number of people on the main out-of-work benefits is the lowest it’s been for a quarter of a century and now Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches – the government’s ‘army of jobs experts’ – are heading out to meet the public in children’s centres, youth hubs, homeless shelters, and rural work clubs to offer targeted support to people who need it most.

This more direct approach to helping jobseekers back to work has also seen roaming Work Coaches partnering up with professional football clubs, including Arsenal, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur, to set up schemes that help young people build confidence and skills to prepare them to find work.

And they are setting up shop in prisons across the country to help prisoners who are soon to leave custody prepare for a new life away from crime and in work.

New figures released last week show that an average of 1,500 more people were in work every day over the last year and the number of people on the main out-of-work benefits is down by more than 850,000 to under 4 million – the lowest it has been since 1990.

Employment Minister Esther McVey said: “Our hardworking Jobcentre Plus staff have made a huge contribution to Britain’s jobs success this year. By doing things differently, and getting out to where jobseekers are, they’re helping thousands into work every day.

“We have broken record after record in 2014 – with huge falls in youth and long-term unemployment and the highest number of women in work on record.

“This new approach is working. What we can see at the end of the year is that our welfare reforms are ensuring that people have the skills and opportunities to move into work.

“But behind these record figures there are countless stories of individual hard work and determination – stories of people turning their lives around, of families who are now feeling more secure over the Christmas period with a regular wage, and of young people escaping unemployment and building a career.”

Specialist Work Coaches are based in prisons across the country where they can help parolees sign up to Jobseeker’s Allowance up to 6 weeks before they are released. Once they sign up, they are automatically placed on to the Work Programme to help them build up skills and experience.

The Work Programme is designed to get the hardest to help jobseekers back into work and has now helped 368,000 long-term unemployed claimants find sustainable work.

Jobcentre Plus staff have also helped budding entrepreneurs to set up more than 60,000 new businesses through the government’s New Enterprise Allowance scheme, which helps jobseekers, lone parents and people on sickness benefits, with a good idea, to start up their own business.

Since 2011, more than 360,000 people of all ages have taken up opportunities through employer-led sector-based work academies, or work experience placements through Jobcentre Plus, to give them a job taster and a guaranteed job interview.

In Bootle, Merseyside, Jobcentre Plus has staff working from the local Youth Hub to provide guidance and advice to young people in the area and to offer chances to gain skills and experience through Sector-based Work Academies – which are employer-led training courses that lead to a guaranteed job interview.

And in Scotland, Stranraer Jobcentre Plus staff have established weekly work clubs in rural areas to provide help on budgeting, mock interviews, CVs and cover letters, and job applications.

Have you been supported into work this year? Has Jobcentre Plus helped you start your own business? Get in touch!

Police appeal following New Town assault and robbery

Police are appealing for witnesses after six men on mopeds assaulted a 19-year-old man and stole his bag and pedal cycle.

The incident took place on Sunday at around 2am on St Vincent Place at Fettes Row. The victim had been followed from Howe Street by six males who were on four mopeds.

When he fell from his bike he was assaulted and his bike and bag were taken. The victim was assisted by a female passerby after the suspects had fled and police are now appealing for her to come forward.

The bike is a Cove make mountain bike style and ‘Stiffie’ model, which is blue with yellow forks, orange pedals and green bars.

The first suspect is described as white, 16 yrs old, skinny build, 5ft 2in to 5ft 5in, long black hair, pale complexion, wearing dark grey hoodie, light grey jogging bottoms and white trainers.

The other five suspects are described as youths in grey hoodies with hoods pulled tight around their faces. Three of the scooters were a dark and the other one was red.

Detective Constable Alison Wyllie said: “We are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which began on Howe Street leading to the suspects following the victim onto Abercrombie Place towards Fettes Row and St Vincent Place.

“Anyone who may see this bike, which is quite distinctive, should contact the police.

“We are particularly appealing to a lady who was in the area at the time and who assisted the victim following the attack to come forward, along with anyone who saw this group of males on the mopeds around the time of the incident.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.