Record number of Scotland’s A&E patients wait over eight hours

Responding to the latest figures showing the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh sees only 40.6% of A&E patients within 4 hours, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “The figures for patients being seen at A&E within 4 hours in Edinburgh remain alarmingly low, even before the anticipated winter crisis hits.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Health has said that ‘recovery from Covid will not happen overnight’, but we are yet to see any evidence of recovery at all. The 4-hour figures for NHS Lothian last averaged above 90% in March 2021, while the figures for Edinburgh Royal last averaged above 90% in October 2020. The trend has been downwards since then.

“Hard-working NHS staff are doing their best for patients in very difficult circumstances, but they are being let down by long-running structural failures which remain unresolved by this SNP-Green government.

“The Scottish Government needs to take urgent action now to arrest two years of decline in our health service, or risk putting patient safety in jeopardy over winter.”

The Scottish Conservatives said: “This week, A&E waiting time figures showed 1506 patients waiting more than half a day in emergency departments.

“Hardworking NHS staff are being pushed beyond their limits and patients are suffering needlessly as a result of SNP inaction.”

Mr Yousaf said: “A&E departments are working under significant pressure and, in common with other healthcare systems across the UK and globally, the pandemic continues to impact performance.

“Recovery from Covid will not happen overnight, which is why we are continuing to work with boards on a number of measures to reduce pressure this winter.”

Comparison Table: NHS Boards and Scotland

Date ↓ NHS Board Attendance % within 4 hours
09-Oct-2022 NHS Ayrshire & Arran 1,818 67.2
09-Oct-2022 NHS Borders 577 60.5
09-Oct-2022 NHS Dumfries & Galloway 956 78.6
09-Oct-2022 NHS Fife 1,328 63
09-Oct-2022 NHS Forth Valley 1,145 39.7
09-Oct-2022 NHS Grampian 1,923 62.5
09-Oct-2022 NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde 6,471 63.6
09-Oct-2022 NHS Highland 1,257 78.4
09-Oct-2022 NHS Lanarkshire 3,793 54.3
09-Oct-2022 NHS Lothian 4,488 61.7
09-Oct-2022 NHS Orkney 95 93.7
09-Oct-2022 NHS Shetland 187 92.5
09-Oct-2022 NHS Tayside 1,546 90.4
09-Oct-2022 NHS Western Isles 100 96
09-Oct-2022 NHSScotland 25,684 64.2

A new approach to work

Paper outlines plans for fairer labour market

A new single rate for the national minimum wage to reflect the increased cost of living, and more effective employment law to protect workers’ rights underpin plans to build a fairer labour market in an independent Scotland, according to Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

Following publication of the paper Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence, Mr Swinney said the powers of independence would allow the Scottish Government to build a fairer, more equal future for all workers. This includes new measures to improve access to flexible working and better industrial relations.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Improving job security, wages and work-life balance are essential to delivering a more socially just Scotland. The UK labour market model has generated high income inequality while failing to drive productivity growth.

“Compared to independent European countries similar to Scotland, the UK has a higher prevalence of low pay, a bigger gender pay gap, longer working hours and significantly lower statutory sick pay.

“The Scottish Government is committed to Fair Work, but we could go much further to strengthen that agenda in an independent Scotland, developing a legal framework that more effectively addresses the workplace challenges of the 21st century. It would give us an opportunity to redesign the system to better meet the needs of Scotland’s workers and employers.”

Specific measures proposed in the paper include:

  • establishing a Scottish Fair Pay Commission to lead a new approach to setting a national minimum wage, working with employers, trade unions and government
  • improving pay and conditions with a single rate minimum wage for all age groups and better access to flexible work to help parents and carers
  • repealing the UK Trade Union Act 2016 as part of developing an approach to industrial relations which suits both workers and employers
  • introducing a law to help workers organise co-operative buyouts or rescues when a business is up for sale or under threat
  • legislating to support workers in precarious employment, and banning the practice of staff being made redundant and re-hired on reduced wages and conditions
  • increasing transparency in pay reporting and data to address gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps and building on Scottish Government work to break down barriers to employment

The paper outlines how it would be easier for an independent Scotland to deal with labour market shocks.

In responding to the global financial crisis and pandemic, other countries were able to quickly draw on existing institutions and initiatives. This could include a permanent short-time working scheme, modelled on the German Kurzarbeit programme which provides compensation for private sector workers whose hours are reduced because of economic difficulty. A scheme like this in Scotland could help retain skills, reduce long-term unemployment and the associated costs and allow for more rapid economic recovery.

Job Security Councils, modelled on a Swedish initiative, could provide support to workers who have lost – or are at risk of losing – their jobs. These non-profit foundations led by social partners, employer representative bodies and trades unions, would help workers find new employment by providing a range of advice and high-quality retraining.

Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence is the third paper in the Building a New Scotland series which will form a prospectus to enable people to make an informed choice about Scotland’s future before any referendum on independence takes place.

Consultation launches for homes-led redevelopment of former Deutsche Bank offices at Crewe Toll

A public consultation for the homes-led redevelopment of one of Edinburgh city centre’s largest potential development sites is to be launched later this month. 

Regeneration specialists Artisan Real Estate has formed a joint venture company with fund manager REInvest Asset Management to redevelop the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, near the Crewe Toll roundabout. 

The office and data-processing centre was formerly the Scottish base for State Street Bank until the building was vacated by the bank in 2018.  

Over recent years the building has housed a number of charities including EVOC, SHE Scotland and People Know How.

Consultation for the site, to be known as 525 Park View, will begin with a drop-in public meeting on Saturday 28 October, at Fetlor Youth Club on Crewe Road South, between 12 noon and 4 pm.

The open session will allow members of the local community to meet the design team behind the proposed project, which includes Edinburgh-based 7N Architects.  

Follow-up design workshops are also planned before the end of the year, with a full presentation of the final scheme, ahead of any planning submission, anticipated for early 2023.

A project website www.525parkview.co.uk has been set up to provide more details of the project proposals and the ongoing consultation process. All presentation boards will be published on the website within 48 hours of each event, with an opportunity to comment and feedback. 

Welcoming the consultation launch, Artisan’s Regional Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to create a long-term sustainable future for what is a predominantly redundant building and bringing a new community to an accessible city centre site. 

“Our initial ideas will be guided by sustainability and low-carbon design and encompass a mix of development, led mainly by residential as well as much-needed affordable housing and ancillary commercial uses.” 

Artisan Real Estate has a strong track record in delivering complex residential and mixed-use regeneration projects in sensitive city centre environments across the UK.  This includes the award-winning “New Waverley” in Edinburgh’s Old Town and the current Rowanbank Gardens homes development to the west of the city, described as a ‘spectacular blueprint for low carbon living’. 

REInvest Asset Management was founded in Luxembourg as a specialist for future-facing investment ideas and currently manages and develops properties across Europe with a value in excess of EUR 2.3 billion. 525 Park View is held in a progressive property fund within a pan-European portfolio managed on behalf of a German insurance group. 

Thomas Merkes, Head of Asset Management at REInvest Asset Management added: “Our joint venture partnership with Artisan represents a major step forward in providing an innovative and collaborative mixed-use development solution to unlock the potential for this significant city centre site, which is set to create a genuinely transformational development in an accessible city centre location. 

“We are looking forward to the launch of the consultation which will provide the perfect platform to show how we can make a positive contribution to the local area, bringing investment, life and excitement back to this important part of the Capital.” 

For more information on Artisan Real Estate visit: www.artisanrealestate.co.uk. 

For more information on REInvest Asset Management, visit: www.reinvest-am.lu/en 

Life-changing Lottery funding boost for groups empowering young Scots

The National Lottery Community Fund, which delivers the Young Start fund, today announces £1,876,551 to 23 youth led projects that will help develop the skills and talents of thousands of young Scots.

A club which provides fun and friendship for hundreds of young people across Edinburgh can keep its doors open. Thanks to an award of £100,000 Deaf Action will continue to bring young people across the city  together like 17-year-old Emily, who has been part of the Youth Club since she was nine years old.

Emily said: “My experiences with Deaf Action’s Youth Club have been amazing,” says Emily. “When I first joined, I was really shy and didn’t know much about my deafness. But ever since I’ve been here, I’ve met new friends and the activities have helped me learn more about myself.

“The leaders here, who are also deaf, have helped us all learn more about our deafness. We can look up to them and can see how they’re successful, and it just helps to know that things later in life are going to be good.

“The best part of being in the Youth Club definitely has to be making friends. The friends I’ve had for the longest time have been the ones I’ve made here and have to be the best ones I’ve ever met.”

Lauren McAnna, Deaf Action Community Services Manager said: “This funding will be used to continue to deliver and grow our vital Youth Club, which makes it possible for deaf young people to enjoy the same opportunities as their hearing peers.

“We will offer a range of fun and motivational opportunities to help them to build life skills, while they explore their deaf identity and unique culture.

“Our programme is shaped by the diverse voices of our young people, who through our Club, enjoy the sense of feeling like an equal amongst their peers. “

An award of £92,000 to Tweeddale Youth Action SCIO  means they can continue their ‘Food Punks, project which provides cookery, communication and teamwork skills to local young people.

Dave Hodson, Locality Manager at Tweeddale Youth Action said:” We are hugely grateful for the support.

“Through our ‘Food Punks project, we have seen some hugely positive outcomes from young people on the margins, who in some cases had been written off and had written themselves off.

“Learning some nifty cookery skills is the tip of the iceberg for our crew who also learn how to work as a team, communicate effectively, and how important it is to be able to rely on each other and cope with high pressure environments.”

One young person who has benefitted from the project is 16-year-old Cameron* from Peebles who says that the project has helped him gain the experience and skills he will need when he leaves school  and looks for a job.

Cameron said: “I’ll be leaving school soon, and I’ll need to focus on either further education or getting a job, but environments like collage or school aren’t my favourite.

“The youth club has offered me help and are looking for possible employment opportunities for me, which makes me feel confident in that I now have more opportunities than I did before.

“The staff give me responsibilities like handing me a recipe and they know they can safely trust me in the kitchen without accidentally setting the kitchen on fire or cutting myself! Having that level of responsibility really helps me focus on what I’m doing and getting it done safely, and overall, and gives me confidence for a more independent future.”

Announcing today’s funding, The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “These latest awards, made to such a diverse range of projects, will make such a difference to the lives of thousands more young people like Emily and Cameron.

“Deaf Action and Tweeddale Youth Action are both fantastic examples of how Young Start funding can help organisations deliver invaluable services to young people across Scotland.

“We are always keen to support projects that put Scotland’s young people at the heart of the development and running of services. If your group has an idea how you would make this happen, then we’d love to hear from you.”  

Young Start helps young people aged eight to 24 become more confident and play an active part in realising their potential. Funding of up to £100,000 is available for youth led projects.

 Groups can apply by emailing:advicescotland@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk or calling 0300 123 7110.  

Find out more at: 

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/young-start  

4e5509e5-f2dc-4890-a686-5bc60b6fb396Download

  

1 in 10 men think the menopause has no symptoms

Statement-making menopause board game launched to break the stigma

  • Intimate wellness brand INTIMINA has released Menopause: The Board Game, using play to raise awareness of the 40+ symptoms of the menopause
  • The game follows a study pointing to a clear lack of knowledge about the menopause – with one in 10 adults not knowing what the menopause entails
  • 13% of men think the menopause has no symptoms at all
  • INTIMINA has partnered with menopause wellbeing organisation, PositivePause to use the board game in workplace menopause training sessions
  • A limited initial batch will also be available directly. To register interest, email intimina@thisicow.com 

Forget about solving ‘whodunnit’ in the billiard room or playing at being a property tycoon. This year’s must-play – and possibly most important – board game is all about the menopause. That’s right, for the first time, the more than 40 symptoms of menopause have become the basis of a unique and thought-provoking board game. 

Menopause: The Board Game is launching to coincide with World Menopause Day (18th October) and was created by intimate wellness brand INTIMINA alongside gynaecology specialist GP Dr Susanna Unsworth to raise much-needed awareness of the menopause and tackle the taboo that surrounds it.

Appropriate for all ages, the board game will see players race from start to finish answering questions about the menopause along the way. Using uterus-shaped tokens, players will take it in turns to move across the game board – which resembles the changes in oestrogen levels during the menopause. Question cards will quiz players on the many and varied symptoms, with answers and explanations to help people learn as they play.

The board game comes as new research reveals more than one in 10 (12%) adults say they aren’t confident they know what the menopause is. This figure jumps to almost a fifth (17%) when looking specifically at men. What’s more, more than a third (34%) of people asked said they were unsure they knew what perimenopause is or what it entails.

INTIMINA’s research also showed the number of symptoms associated with the menopause is vastly underestimated. On average, respondents said there were 11 symptoms of the menopause, but the reality is there are more than 40. Worryingly, more than one in 10 (13%) men polled didn’t know the menopause had any symptoms at all. 

The startling lack of knowledge about the menopause is also behind a quarter (25%) of those surveyed believing that people are actually given medication to dissolve unused eggs once menopausal. One in seven (14%) also think you can’t have sex whilst going through the menopause. 

It is well-documented that people experiencing menopause need more support in the workplace. And over two thirds (68%) of those surveyed by INTIMINA agree that people should receive menopause sensitivity and awareness training at work.

With this in mind, INTIMINA has partnered, on the launch of its board game, with Positive Pause who provide no-nonsense information on their free to access menopause platform and deliver dynamic, online workplace training sessions. PositivePause will be using Menopause: The Board Game in upcoming training sessions and events. 

Justine Pescher, spokesperson for INTIMINA comments: “The menopause is something that affects around half the population, yet there isn’t enough education and open dialogue surrounding it which leads to misinformation and a lack of sensitivity for those going through it.

“Our research showed only 13% are taught about it at school and it’s widely agreed that it should be a topic discussed as part of workplace training. That’s why we’ve crated Menopause: The Board Game, a game that not only teaches players about the menopause but also encourages conversations in normal, everyday settings.”

Gynaecology Specialist for INTIMINA, Dr Susanna Unsworth, adds: “It’s clear there is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to the menopause and its symptoms, amongst both men and women.

“I’m delighted that INTIMINA created Menopause: The Board Game as a tool to raise awareness and knowledge about a staggeringly overlooked and misunderstood process. I look forward to seeing it kick-start conversations this World Menopause Day and beyond.”

Ann Stephens, co-founder of PositivePause says: “All women and some members of the trans and non-binary community are guaranteed to go through menopause yet most lack basic awareness of the signs and symptoms.

“Many fail to join the dots as they begin to experience the impact of fluctuating hormones in perimenopause. Opening up the conversation brings menopause out of the shadows. By normalising what is all too often perceived as a negative process, it can be turned into a positive.

“The better informed we all are, the better it is for everyone, benefiting women’s health, relationships, and employment. As we like to say, ‘menopause is not about the time of the month, it’s about having the time of your life!’. 

“Menopause: The Board Game is a genius concept for getting the topic of menopause into the workplace, making it positive, interactive, educational and a lot less scary.”

INTIMINA is also offering 15% off its Kegel exerciser, KegelSmart for Menopause Week (from 17th October to 23rd October). Hormonal changes during the menopause can impact pelvic floor, and Kegel exercises can help strengthen it, leading to improved bladder control, vaginal tightness, and sexual sensations.

In addition to board games distributed to PositivePause, a limited initial batch will be available from INTIMINA. To register interest please email intimina@thisiscow.com 

Making Thyme

MEN’S COOKING CLUB at PILTON COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECT

We’re getting ready to launch a new Cooking Club for men!!!

Making Thyme will take place each week on Tuesdays 1-3pm from our kitchen at #PCHP. This is an informal and fun cooking club open to all men. Whether you’re keen to share your passion for cooking with others or interested in learning new skills and socializing, please sign up!

All the info is on the poster, or you can register directly via the link below:

https://forms.office.com/r/wfu3e598rC

We hope to begin this group on Tuesday the 8th of November so stay tuned for more info. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Hope to see you there!

#menshealth

#menwhocook

#community

#eatwell

LIFT’s Haunted House

This year we are doing something a little different, we are hosting our own Haunted House!

This even will run over the course of two nights, Thursday 27th and Friday 28th October! The event will start at 5pm but spaces will be limited!

If you would like to come along it is £2 per family, all kids must be accompanied by an adult! Feel free to get the kids all dressed up

Counting Leaves: pop up photography exhibition at granton:hub

THIS weekend, opening Friday evening 21 October, we welcome a group show featuring photographers Kat Gollock, Zoe Hamill and Erin Semple who use their work to explore the landscape around us and the spaces we inhabit both individually and collectively.

Whilst varied in approach, these three artists are unified in making work that helps to better understand how we as humans engage with the landscapes we find ourselves in.

Their work explores how landscape moulds and shapes who we are and tries to make sense of the emotional narratives that the sense of place nurtures within us all.

Join Halloween Fest … if you dare!

Our Halloween Fest is drawing ever closer!

We’ll be at Granton Community Gardeners on Monday the 31st from 3-6pm and boy oh boy do we have a treat (or trick) in store for you!!!

Pop down for a cup of seasonal soup, get your face painted, and join in with some of our spooky activities.

All are welcome, so get yourself down to Granton Community Garden and have the fright of your life! 🎃👻🍁🍂