Wes Streeting: Over 1,000 more GPs to be recruited this year

UK government will recruit more than 1,000 newly qualified GPs thanks to action to remove red tape

  • Government acts to fix front door to NHS and deliver more appointments
  • Slashing burdensome red tape to boost capacity in surgeries and hire over 1000 more newly-qualified doctors
  • Government listening to sector to help end scandal of patients struggling to see a doctor

More than 1,000 newly qualified GPs will be recruited thanks to government action to remove red tape currently preventing surgeries from hiring doctors.

Bringing back the family doctor is central to the Government’s plan to rebuild the health service, and the changes being made to cut through the current rules will help more patients get access to GPs, and ensure more GPs are able to find roles, so that people in communities across England will receive the timely care they deserve this year.

Currently, under a scheme known as the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, primary care networks (PCNs) can claim reimbursement for the salaries (and some on costs) of 17 new roles within the multidisciplinary team – meaning more specialists are available to treat patients.

They are selected to meet the needs of the local population, but are currently prevented from using this to recruit additional GPs. The changes announced today means that newly qualified GPs  can quickly be recruited into the NHS through this scheme in 2024-2025.

It’s thought hundreds of newly qualified GPs could be without a job this summer in England. But thanks to this intervention, they will be able to be hired by the end of the year. 

The Government is listening to GPs, and this has been hard fought by the British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners, and many other groups who petitioned for it, receiving over 11,000 signatures.

It comes as the Government accepts recommendations of the Pay Review Bodies in full, increasing GPs’ pay by 6% – their first meaningful pay rise in years.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “It is absurd that patients can’t book appointments while GPs can’t find work. This government is taking immediate action to put GPs to work, so patients can get the care they need.

“This is a first step, as we begin the long-term work of shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to fix the front door to the NHS.

“I want to work with GPs to rebuild our NHS, so it is there for all of us when we need it.”

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “With hard-working GP teams delivering millions more appointments a month compared to before the pandemic, it is vital they are given the resources to manage this increase in demand.

“Adding General Practitioners to the scheme is something that the profession has been calling for in recent months to make it easier for practices to hire more staff – so I welcome this measure which is an important first step to increasing GP employment in the long-term.

“We will continue to work with GPs, the BMA and the Government to avert any potential action but in the meantime the NHS has a duty to plan for any possible disruption to ensure services continue to be provided for patients – so the public should continue to come forward for care in the normal way if collective action does go ahead.”

This is an emergency measure for 2024-2025 to ensure patients are able to access GPs and GPs are able to find roles, while the Government works with the profession to identify longer term solutions to GP unemployment and general practice sustainability as part of the next fiscal event.

The Government will ensure the NHS has the funding it needs to deliver this, paid for by £82 million from the existing department budget.

In expanding general practice capacity, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme improves access for patients, supports the delivery of new services and widens the range of offers available in primary care.

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP sees community in action in Corstorphine

  • Scottish Lib Dem leader sees value of a local branch to prevent fraud and scams and build financial confidence
  • Corstorphine branch supports charities including their upstairs neighbours at Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust
  • Long-serving colleague’s retirement marked with gifts from local community

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, visited the Nationwide branch in Corstorphine to learn more about how important the branch is to its local community.

The MSP toured the branch and learned more about what branches do to tackle fraud and scams. Fraud has become more sophisticated, and branch staff often act as a last line of defence. In recent times Corstorphine branch staff have noticed spikes in attempted WhatsApp scams and cowboy tradespeople.

Nationwide has promised that everywhere it has a branch, it will still be there until at least 2026 – making sure that face-to-face service stays available on the high street. This policy has led to Nationwide becoming the biggest banking brand network on the high street, with more branches than any other provider across the UK.

Corstorphine’s branch supports a range of charities by acting as a collection point for the Kids Love Clothes clothing bank and with staff from the branch volunteering for Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust, which is located above the branch.

Nationwide offers all its staff two days a year of paid volunteering time, and in 2023 donated over £50,000 to the charity to support young people aged 16-26 who are in or leaving care.

Mr Cole-Hamilton also saw the Safe Space in the branch for people facing abuse, which forms part of an initiative Nationwide has introduced in over 400 branches across the UK. Branch staff at Corstorphine are able to offer a private space for someone to call friends, family, support charities or the police.

Customer representative, Lorraine Mudie, has worked for Nationwide for 42 years and met Mr. Cole-Hamilton a week before her retirement.

She said: “It was such an honour to welcome Alex Cole-Hamilton to our branch. I’m glad to be able to show how important the branch is to our local community here in Corstorphine.

“Some of our customers heard I was retiring and have been bringing in gifts and cards just to say thank you and goodbye – which I find really touching.”

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “At a time when most other banks are closing branches everywhere, it’s refreshing that Nationwide have decided to stick by their communities in this way.

“I know many of my constituents will be delighted to have the reassurance that their local branch will remain open.”

RESIDENT I – First group exhibition at Colstoun House

RESIDENT I

The first group exhibition at Colstoun House, featuring work from eight of its residency artists in August

Friday 2 – Sunday 11 August 2024

Colstoun House, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 4PA

Quickly following its opening exhibition by Joe Grieve in May 2024, Colstoun Arts mounts its second public exhibition showcasing eight artists who have all attended the Colstoun Artist Residency at Colstoun House in East Lothian since October 2022. 

Opening on Friday 2 August, for two weeks the work of artists Raffael Bader, James Dearlove, Lara Cobden, Suhayla H, Marina Renee Cemmick, Joe Grieve, Angelique Nagovskaya & Jen Hitchings will be shown in the historic Colstoun House on the East Lothian estate. 

Globally recognised and exhibited Leipzig artist Raffael Bader’s tension filled landscapes will sit alongside Ingram Prize and Bloomberg New Contemporaries artists James Dearlove’s surrealist takes on the Scottish countryside.

Both will be exhibited alongside Jen Hitchings, so well known for her otherworldly landscapes featured in a number of exhibitions in North America And Europe; Lara Cobden, a member of the Norwich 20 Group focussing on memory and sense of place, responding to the natural world around her; Ely based Suhaylah Hamid, an internationally exhibited self-taught artist who recently announced a collaboration with the V&A on a limited edition print series; Marina Renée-Cemmick, a figurative Artist working across multiple disciplines featured in King Charles’ Royal Collection, whose practice is founded on drawing and human observation; Angelique Nagovskaya, a Canadian-American artist and RCA graduate currently based in Washington DC, who attended Colstoun to spend time developing new ideas for her eminent practice; and Joe Grieve, whose solo exhibition The Other Side was the first exhibition Colstoun Arts mounted in May 2024, and whose work is in collection in over 20 countries.

Annually Colstoun Arts invites 6 to 8 artists to spend a month or more at its home, Colstoun House just outside Edinburgh in East Lothian. During this residency they produce a cohesive body of work inspired by the house and grounds.

During these residencies, Colstoun Arts works with artists to provide learning and development opportunities, introduce them to industry experts, and provide them with guidance.

The Colstoun Arts experience goes well beyond the traditional residency, welcoming artists to become part of life on the estate, experiencing the highs and lows of normal life whilst also providing a dedicated secluded environment with top class studio facilities to push the boundaries of their practice. ​

Beginning in 2022, this residency programme is designed to develop the careers of a handful of artists each year in a meaningful way, it also provides an opportunity for established artists to take a break from their practice. It is hoped that over time the alumni of this programme will begin to help one another and provide meaningful contributions to Landscape, Nature Inspired and British Art.

These new works will be shown alongside more historical works from the Colstoun Estate Collection, including numerous works by RSA artists past including Sir John Watson-Gordon and Joshua Reynolds, as well Italian landscapes and Dutch still lifes. Both elements play important roles in Colstoun Arts’ vision to become a national museum of landscape and nature inspired art.

Alongside the exhibition the main floor of the house will be open to public viewing for the first time, the curatorial focus of this project being to display historical artworks and antique furnishings collected over generations alongside contemporary artworks. The parkland will be open to the public, and the dining room will be open to members of the public for tea and coffee.

Mackie Sinclair-Parry, Director of Colstoun Arts said: “The variety of work created by our selected artists and the impact the seasons here at Colstoun have played on their work is astonishing.

“This exhibition serves as the conclusion on a residency experience we hope will stick with artists for the rest of their lives and provide benefits across business acumen as well as artistic practice. 

“Art has always been a part of Colstoun’s history. When you look at the walls and see hundreds of years of art collected through the generations, it becomes obvious why we should create a sustainable, progressive way in which to collect contemporary art and present it to the wider population.

“It started with the Colstoun Artist Residency but is now being expanded to include public exhibitions and collaborations with external galleries and museums.”

Colstoun Arts will support the acquisition of artworks for the Colstoun Arts Collection which includes works from established contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk, Peter Randall-Page, Conrad Shawcross, Tracey Emin, Carolina Mazzolari, Robin Friend, Alina Zamanova and more as well as emerging artists Raffael Bader, Luke Alen-Buckley, Lily Lewis, Joe Grieve, Lara Cobden, Suhaylah H., James Dearlove and Marina Rennee-Cemmick. 

Crumbs! Comedy troupe Biscuit Barrel kick off food bank fundraiser

Comedy troupe Biscuit Barrel kicked off their Edinburgh food bank fundraiser with a twist this week when members donned biscuit costumes and packed emergency food parcels at the Edinburgh Food Project warehouse.

Their Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Not Another 69-Sketch Show’ runs from 31 July – 26 August at the Gilded Balloon, and will help to support seven local food banks.

Audiences can contribute to the Edinburgh Food Project thanks to post-performance bucket collections and make a real difference to those struggling to afford the essentials.

Collaborative call for a UK-wide deposit return scheme

KEEP Scotland Beautiful yesterday joined a cohort of organisations, led by Keep Britain Tidy, calling for the new UK government to urgently commit to a Deposit Return Scheme.

Alongside environmental organisations, manufacturers and retailers, we have signed a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging him to work with the devolved nations to urgently bring in a Deposit Return Scheme to protect the environment from littered drinks packaging and dramatically increase recycling rates.

The signatories include major soft drinks producers Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Suntory, the British Soft Drinks Association, a raft of environmental organisations including WWF, Surfers Against Sewage and the Marine Conservation Society and trade body the Federation of Independent Retailers – and collectively reiterates unwavering support for the UK Government’s implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme, which has undergone extensive development.

Research from circular economy non-profit Reloop shows that currently more than 20 million drinks containers are incinerated, sent to landfill or littered each day across the UK.   

KSB Chief Executive Barry Fisher, who signed the letter, said: “Our research shows 65% of people report seeing littered drinks cans regularly, and 66% report seeing plastic bottles littered regularly. 

“Additionally, we know from our detailed ground litter surveys that 27% of sites record a presence of litter which would be recoverable under a Deposit Return Scheme.

“The delay of a Deposit Return Scheme from 2025 to 2027 announced by the UK Government earlier this year was a major setback for us in Scotland. We know a sufficient and well-designed Deposit Return Scheme is vital to tackle a significant contributor to Scotland’s litter emergency, and it should have been implemented long before now.”

More than 40 countries have already successfully implemented a Deposit Return Scheme with the best designed seeing return rates of up to 98% as a result.

Establishing global business connections

Techscaler companies to gain international experience

Companies taking part in the Scottish Government’s Techscaler programme are to be given the opportunity to develop their businesses in one of the world’s most vibrant tech economies.

Applications will open in August for a set of start-up companies to spend three weeks in Singapore to establish new connections with fellow business founders as well as potential investors and customers.

The start-ups will be provided with office space in a designated pop-up hub for the duration of the trip, which will begin in October.

First Minister John Swinney met with the Singapore High Commissioner to the UK, Ng Teck Hean, in Edinburgh to discuss the pop-up hub launching in Singapore during a meeting designed to deepen ties between the two countries and help encourage future trade and investments opportunities.  

The Singapore Government has been involved in developing the start-ups’ programme, which will include attendance at Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology.

The First Minister said: “Driving innovation is vital to helping unlock each of the Scottish Government’s priorities of eradicating child poverty, boosting economic growth, achieving net zero and improving public services. Growing and nurturing our pipeline of entrepreneurs and start-up companies is in turn crucial to unleashing its potential.

“Techscaler is central to our ambitions to create one of the finest state-funded entrepreneurial systems in the world dedicated to the creation of high-growth businesses. Connecting our promising start-ups to one of the world’s most renowned venture capital environments is a hugely exciting opportunity.

“By developing our network of global connections and collaborations, including the key strategic partner in Singapore, we are not only providing valuable experience for our fledgling businesses, but deepening relationships, trade links and inward investment opportunities to capitalise on the enormous potential of our growing start-up community.”

A further cohort of Techscaler businesses has already been successful in securing a similar three-week stay in San Fransisco’s Silicon Valley this summer, following a successful pilot earlier in the year.

Shiv Kodam, Co-founder of Neuron and participant in the upcoming Silicon Valley cohort said: “As a Scottish founder, I am buzzing to be going to San Francisco, soaking up knowledge from the world’s best and forging connections with fellow founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders.

“Our start-up has global ambitions, and engaging with the best is how we’ll redefine what’s possible.”

The Singapore pop-up hub, funded by Scottish Enterprise, will run from 21st October to 8th November.

The second Silicon Valley pop-up hub, funded from within the Techscaler programme, will run from 26th August to 13th September.

A new house in North Edinburgh for care-experienced young people

Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust – one of Scotland’s oldest children’s charities – are delighted to announce the opening of our new custom-built house in north Edinburgh for Edinburgh’s care-experienced young people. 

Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust have served the children and young people of Edinburgh since 1733. Over the years we have continued to develop and adapt our support to meet the needs of our changing city.

Today we provide a fostering service for teenagers, a Wellbeing Hub, a range of community support for young families and a unique specialist house for young mums and babies.

Our new house in north Edinburgh has been built in partnership with Harbour Homes with CCG (Scotland) Ltd as the main contractor. T

he house will provide a home for young people aged 15-21. Five young people will have their own en-suite rooms, a range of shared living and wellbeing spaces and gardens. Our dedicated staff will work with each young person to help them on those first steps towards adulthood, education and work.

Gary Dewar CEO of Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust said: “Our new house in north Edinburgh is the result of many years of close collaboration with our colleagues at Harbour Homes.

“We aspired to create a vibrant and welcoming ‘place of hope’ where young people are valued, part of their community and helped to take the next steps in their lives. Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Dean and Cauvin”.

Jaslin Bhagrath, Chair of the Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust Board said: “We are a proudly local charity, and our new house is an investment in our city and in our ambition for young people.

“This could not have been possible without the hard work of our staff, board members and young people and with the additional help of independent funders and community members who contributed time, money and passion to help us realise this.”

Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive at Harbour Homes said: “We have enjoyed collaborating with Dean and Cauvin on this custom-built house which five young people will soon call home.

“There is a real sense of excitement after the opening, and I look forward to seeing how this new Edinburgh community thrives in months and years to come.”

Countdown To Opening Night

Redford Barracks hosts final rehearsal for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo cast from this year’s Show, Journeys, continue rehearsal week at Redford Barracks ahead of its official opening night on Friday (2 August).

Continuing until Saturday 24 August, the Show will honour the seafarers who courageously traverse the oceans to connect people and cultures across continents. Joined by the Royal Navy as the lead service, a wide array of talented performers are set to take crowds on an epic journey.

With over 800 performers from across the globe, the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade will be filled with a vibrant celebration of music, dance, visual artistry, and military traditions from the USA, India, Switzerland, Australia and home-grown talent.

To witness these world-class acts, Journeys will run from 2 – 24 August 2024, with tickets available to purchase: edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or by calling +44 (0)131 225 1188.

COSLA Excellence Awards 2024 Finalists Announced

Fifteen projects from across Scotland have been chosen as finalists for the 2024 Excellence Awards, which are COSLA’s annual celebration of Scottish Local Government success.

All 32 Scottish local authorities and partner organisations were invited over the summer to submit entries to a judging panel comprising a number of experts across local and national government as well as the private sector.

After much deliberation, our judging teams determined just 15 finalists from dozens of high-quality applications – this year, entries surpassed 200 for the second year in a row. The judges’ shortlist features a series of projects and programmes which highlighted areas of best practice and innovative service delivery over five categories; Service Innovation and Improvement, Achieving Better Outcomes for the Most Vulnerable in Partnership, Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health and Wellbeing, Strengthening Communities and Local Democracy and Just Transition to a Net Zero Economy.

Finalists will now be invited to present their projects in person to a panel of judges in August led by COSLA President Shona Morrison, who will decide on a winner in each of the 5 main categories as well as the winners of an additional 4 special awards; COSLA Chairperson’s Award, SOLACE Best Team Award, The Scottish Government – Delivering Excellence Award, and the Excellent People, Excellent Outcomes Award.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at COSLA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition, which will take place on Thursday 19th September 2024 at the Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire.

Councillor Shona Morrison, COSLA’s President and Chairperson of the Excellence Awards, said: “Firstly, I’d like to offer congratulations to our 15 finalists! Getting through to the final part of this awards process is no small feat, so I hope you are feeling incredibly proud of getting this far and I am really looking forward to seeing the presentations in a few weeks.

“The judging teams have let me know that the calibre of applications this year was extremely high, so I sincerely thank everyone who took the time to put in an application.

“The COSLA Excellence Awards are a highlight of my year and it’s always inspiring to hear so many positive and innovative projects coming from across Scottish local government. In such a challenging time for councils it cannot be underestimated how much these teams and the services they offer are relied upon by our communities – overcoming increasingly complex challenges every day.

“Councils do and achieve more than what is often seen or portrayed – the work of these teams affects every part of our lives, and are often a lifeline for the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“I hope you’ll join me in celebrating their efforts, and I am looking forward to the winners being announced at our awards ceremony at the COSLA Conference and Exhibition in September.”

This year’s finalists (in no particular order) are: 

Category 1: Service innovation and improvement (sponsored by Scottish Water)

  • Shared ARC Programme – Digital Office for Local Government
  • Development and implementation of a Chatbot to improve the missed bins ‘experience’ for citizens – West Dunbartonshire Council
  • OneSource: Making a Difference with Data – Pupil Absence and Attendance – Falkirk Council

Category 2: Achieving better outcomes for the most vulnerable in partnership

  • Early Help Clackmannanshire – Clackmannanshire Council
  • My Way To Employment (MWtE) – Aberdeen City Council
  • A Warm Scottish Welcome – North Lanarkshire Ukrainian Resettlement Project – North Lanarkshire Council

Category 3: Tackling inequalities and improving health and wellbeing (sponsored by Public Health Scotland)

  • Reaching Out to People at Risk and Removing Barriers to Accessing Drug Support – Aberdeen City Council Community Planning Partnership
  • Marthas Mammmies – Glasgow City Council and Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health and Social Care Partnership
  • Breast Feeding Friendly North Lanarkshire – Leading the way in Driving Cultural Change – North Lanarkshire Council

Category 4: Strengthening communities and local democracy

  • Top CATs! – Dumfries and Galloway Council
  • Paisley Learning & Cultural Hub – Renfrewshire Council
  • North Ayrshire Islands Programme (incorporating North Ayrshire Islands Recovery and Renewal Pilot) – North Ayrshire Council

Category 5: Just transition to a net zero economy (sponsored by Amey)

  • AMIDS District Heating Network – Renfrewshire Council
  • Improving Inverclyde’s environment through peatland restoration – Inverclyde Council
  • Shetland Rural Energy Network – Shetland Islands Council

Places for the 2024 COSLA Conference and Exhibition can be booked here.

Lord Provost opens new state-of-the-art hearing centre

Scotland’s first state-of-the-art hearing stores open in capital 

  • Edinburgh has welcomed its first-ever World of Hearing store by Boots Hearingcare
  • Almost a fifth of people admit they may have a hearing loss but don’t wear a hearing aid
  • The new store gives customers an immersive experience in order to see which hearing aid is best for them. 

On Monday (29 July), Edinburgh welcomed Scotland’s first World of Hearing store from Boots Hearingcare.

The store is not a regular hearing test centre. It offers an impressive high-tech immersion room designed to revolutionise the way people think about hearing care. 

The Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, officially opened the store, with councillors including Hal Osler, Lezley Marion Cameron, and Claire Miller in attendance, as well as representatives from the Lions Club and Deaf Action.

With approximately 11 million people in the UK living with an untreated hearing lossii, it is the UK’s second most common disability.  

The new World of Hearing store offers customers the chance to test out a range of hearing aids for themselves in a variety of settings – such as a busy restaurant or concert.

This helps people get a feel for what it would be like to have a hearing aid fitted in real life.  The new store supports Boots Hearingcare’s mission to break down old fashioned stigmas around the use of hearing aids and demonstrate first-hand how transformational life can be when you reconnect with the sounds you love.  

The store also allows customers to trial hearing aids before purchasing, enabling them to experience the benefits first hand. 

Jack Lovie, Hearing Aid Audiologist at Boots Hearingcare, said: “The team and I are very excited to be part of the first World of Hearing store in Scotland.

“This state-of-the-art experience will provide a new perspective on hearing aid technology and hearing aids, by providing new and innovative ways for the people of Edinburgh to discover how their hearing, confidence and overall quality of life can be significantly enhanced through the use of modern hearing solutions. 

“Regular hearing tests are crucial not only for ear health but also for mental well-being, as hearing loss can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and reduced social participation. By ensuring that hearing health is actively monitored, individuals can enjoy those special moments more with family and friends.” 

According to Boots Hearingcare research: 

·         35% of hearing aid users in Scotland lived for five years with an untreated hearing loss before taking action, with 44% of people living in denial of their hearing loss. 

·         32% of Scottish hearing aid users began to socialise less frequently as a result of not being able to hear, with 26% who began to dread social situations and / or family occasions.  

·         Almost half (47%) of people missed out on socialising with friends as a result of living with an untreated hearing loss due to feeling anxious about not being able to hear and finding the listening effort too tiring.  

·         Over half (56%) of Scottish hearing aid users coped with an untreated hearing loss by turning up the volume on the TV and by guessing what was being said during conversations.  

·         53% of hearing aid users in Scotland believe there is some stigma associated with hearing loss and/or wearing hearing aids. 

·         74% of Scottish hearing aid users have loved being able to chat with friends and family more easily since being fitted with hearing aids, with 56% of those loving this the most about the hearing aids. 

Echo Lu, Managing Director of Boots Hearingcare said: “We are delighted to be opening the World of Hearing store in Edinburgh, the first of its kind in Scotland, providing customers with an immersive state-of-the-art environment to solve their hearing problems. 

“On average, it takes ten years for someone to address they have a hearing problem. We hope this new innovative format can help remove the stigma associated with hearing loss and encourage more people to act on their hearing loss and to experience the joy of better hearing and better quality of life, with the latest technology and great customer care from Boots.” 

The store is located inside of the Boots UK store on Princes Street.