Tag: alarm bells

Charity fears over PVG proposals

“These changes will inevitably force a decline in the number of volunteering opportunities organisations are able to support in the future” – LifeCare CEO Sarah van Putten

Foysol Choudhury MSP, Co-Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Volunteering, has today raised alarm bells over Scottish Government proposals to replace the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership fee waiver, for volunteers in Qualifying Voluntary Organisations (QVOs), with a fee discount.

MSP Choudhury, who visited LifeCare Edinburgh last month, raised alarm bells over this proposal, which he said would hugely impact organisations such as LifeCare Edinburgh who carry out vital work and rely on volunteers to be able to deliver their services.

Following his visit to LifeCare Edinburgh, Mr Choudhury lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament on Recognising LifeCare Edinburgh’s Contributions to Community Wellbeing. For these essential contributions to continue, however, Mr Choudhury says the Scottish Government must listen to the pleas of integral third sector organisations.

Mr Choudhury said: “LifeCare Edinburgh has worked tirelessly for 80 years providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people, such as through day clubs, support with household tasks and home care, which allow older service users to thrive in their own homes and community.

“LifeCare Edinburgh and many other organisations foster community wellbeing, both by providing volunteering opportunities and by running essential services using volunteers.

“They therefore rely on the goodwill of volunteers being easily accepted by the system, such as via the PVG fee waiver system which allows volunteers to be easily and freely accredited for volunteering opportunities with vulnerable groups.

“The proposal to remove this fee waiver and replace it with a fee discount will, therefore, mean more barriers to volunteering, especially for those from economically deprived backgrounds, which will have a knock-on effect in terms of decreased wellbeing for volunteers and decreased services available to be run for the community.”

Sarah van Putten, LifeCare Edinburgh CEO, said: “LifeCare strongly opposes the Scottish Government’s proposals to remove the current fee waiver for volunteers and replace this with a fee discount.

“The price of a PVG application, even at the subsidised rate, is not inconsiderable, particularly for those from economically deprived backgrounds. 

“The proposed changes would create a further barrier at a time where the cost-of-living crisis is already limiting access to volunteering. Adopting the proposed changes would worsen this problem and further exclude marginalised and disadvantaged communities throughout Scotland.

“The only way volunteer-involving organisations could conceivably help to mitigate this barrier would be to reimburse the cost of the PVG application back to volunteers. However, the cost of even subsidised membership applications is a substantial burden for charities to bear – particularly for organisations like LifeCare who have been significantly impacted by funding cuts, increasing demand rising costs. 

“These changes will inevitably force a decline in the number of volunteering opportunities organisations are able to support in the future. 

“This will ultimately have an adverse impact on all those who benefit from volunteer-supported services across Scotland, and of course the volunteers themselves whose health and wellbeing benefits through the hugely rewarding experience volunteering can bring.”

Mr Choudhury, following his visit to LifeCare Edinburgh and the submission of his motion recognising their work, is joining LifeCare Edinburgh in highlighting concern over these PVG proposals.

Mr Choudhury says he will, as Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Volunteering, continue to pursue this matter with the responsible Minister.

July sees worst performance figures ever recorded in Scotland

‘this should ring alarm bells to all political and health leaders’ RCEM says

Responding to the latest Emergency Department performance figures for Scotland, Dr John-Paul Loughrey, Vice Chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The latest Emergency Department performance figures for July should ring alarm bells to all political and health leaders.

“These are the worst performance figures since records began, with over 4,000 patients waiting 12-hours or more in major Emergency Departments in Scotland – equal to nearly one in every 25 patients.

“The depth and scale of this crisis is deeply concerning. Patients are already coming to harm, a consequence of long and dangerous waiting times. These data must be a call to action, especially as winter is fast approaching.

“The government must urgently expand capacity where safely possible; we know there is a shortfall of 1,000 beds in the health system in Scotland. The Scottish government and local authorities must also bolster the social care workforce. Good social care underpins an effective health service.

“Ensuring the timely discharge of patients, which relies on good social care, is crucial for freeing up beds, admitting patients and encouraging flow throughout the hospital.

“Lastly, we must see a long-term workforce plan for the NHS in Scotland. Staff have been pushed to the brink; burnout and distress are leading to health workers considering leaving the workforce.

“We must do all we can to retain staff as well as look to recruiting new staff into the health service. Without the workforce, more and more patients will face longer and longer waits and come to further harm.

“Our priority is patient safety and delivering effective care, that is only possible with a workforce that is not overwhelmed, not burnt out and not undervalued.”

The latest performance figures for July 2022 for Emergency Departments across Scotland show:

  • There were 110,494 attendances at major Emergency Departments
  • 66.5% of patients were seen within four-hours
    • This is the lowest four-hour performance since records began
    • This meant that 37,067 patients waited more than four-hours to be seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred.
  • 11,419 patients waited more than eight-hours before being seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred
    • This is the highest number of eight-hour waits since records began
    • There have been almost 20,000 more eight hour waits between January 2022 and July 2022 than in all of 2021.  
    • It means that one in 10 patients were waiting eight-hours or more in a major Emergency Department 
  • 4,271 patients waited more than 12-hours before being seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred
    • This is the highest number of 12-hour waits since records began
    • It means that nearly 1 in 25 patients waited 12-hours or more in a major Emergency Department
    • In the first seven months of 2022 there have been double the number 12-hour waits when compared to the whole of 2021
    • It is a 14% increase on the previous month, June 2022 and a 461% increase on the same month last year, July 2021