Tag: emergency services

Visit 100+ National Trust for Scotland sights with Boundless Plus

Public servants in Edinburgh can now enjoy free unlimited access to more than 100 National Trust for Scotland places and more, thanks to a new membership package from Boundless – opening the door to £599* in total annual savings.  

The new Boundless Plus membership package offers four new benefits for public sector and civil service workers and retirees, including days out at some of the UK’s top historic sites and attractions.   

Among these benefits, Boundless Plus members get access to more than 100 National Trust for Scotland locations. This includes complimentary entry for up to two adults and up to six children at museums, gardens, historic houses and more, from the dramatic natural beauty of Glencoe National Nature Reserve in the Highlands to the fairytale Fyvie Castle near Aberdeen. 

For those looking to immerse themselves in history, entry is included to sites cared for by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, with admission for one additional adult and up to two children per visit. This includes one of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions, the Tower of London – plus Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens near Belfast. 

Adventurers will find no shortage of activities either, as Boundless Plus members can join the Ramblers community, with unlimited access to more than 50,000 guided group walks and a wealth of walking routes available to try out, including in Scotland.

Basic breakdown cover worth £33 with Roadside Assist by LV= Britannia Rescue tops off the offer, which includes free roadside assistance and local breakdown recovery.  

Darren Milton at Boundless said: “We’re excited to expand our benefits package with a range of new opportunities for our members to enjoy some fantastic free days out in Scotland and across the UK.  

“We hope Boundless Plus members will love exploring these top attractions with friends and family, whilst making great savings along the way.”  

Ali MacLeod, head of fundraising at National Trust for Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Boundless and look forward to welcoming their members to experience and enjoy nature, beauty and heritage at National Trust for Scotland places.” 

Boundless Plus members can access all the new benefits for an annual fee of £68, which builds upon the club’s impressive roster of deals already available with its £40 membership.  

These perks include unlimited complimentary access to Kew Gardens in London, Wakehurst in West Sussex and all nine Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) centres across the UK, as well as discounts for days out through Kids Pass, featuring kids-go-free deals and savings at nationwide attractions, such as Edinburgh Zoo and Go Ape forest adventure park.   

Members get free access to tastecard including Coffee Club – the UK’s biggest dining club, which provides discounts every day of the week at thousands of restaurants nationwide. Boundless members also save up to 37 per cent on cinema tickets through the Cinema Society, including at Vue, Odeon, Cineworld and Showcase cinemas across the UK.   

In addition, the Boundless community can enjoy a range of exclusive events throughout the year – from discounted member days out at some of the UK’s top attractions to online talks and masterclasses, plus a variety of local events organised by Boundless members, including lunches, quizzes, museum visits and more.   

Boundless membership is available to all civil service and public sector workers, working or retired, along with relatives of existing members. This includes teachers, civil servants, local-government workers and members of the armed forces, fire service, NHS, police and more.  

For more information on Boundless membership and to join, please visit: www.boundless.co.uk/plus. 

* The value of Boundless Plus instant benefits is calculated by combining comparable membership deals at RBG Kew, National Trust for Scotland, Kids Pass, tastecard including Coffee Club and the Ramblers, as well as equivalent admission offers at WWT Slimbridge and the Tower of London (HRP). Additionally, it includes annual Roadside Assist by LV= Britannia Rescue. Terms and conditions apply. 

Specialist SAS service celebrates 10 years of life-saving work

The Scottish Ambulance Service’s specialist transport and retrieval service (ScotSTAR) is celebrating ten years of providing life-saving care to some of Scotland’s most vulnerable patients.

ScotSTAR is a multi-disciplinary team of paramedics, nurses, advanced practitioners, and doctors supported by pilots working together to provide specialist care to seriously ill babies, children and adults across Scotland using specialist helicopters and planes.

In 2022/23 ScotSTAR provided specialist care for 3158 seriously ill children and adults with the air ambulance crews attending 4527 incidents – an increase of 10% from the year before.

Mum Amie Taylor, of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, said ScotSTAR provided an invaluable service to her very sick son, Jackson, who was born four weeks prematurely in 2022.

Jackson was placed in a ventilator and had to be transported from Aberdeen to Edinburgh with the help of ScotSTAR staff, Dr Mark Worrall, Paediatric Consultant, and Ashley Daye, Paediatric Retrieval Nurse.

School teacher Amie said: “The retrieval team take the skills of the paediatric intensive care unit on the road and knowing that these specialists were incredibly skilled gave us so much peace knowing that Jackson was being well looked after. I just want to say a massive thank you for how they made me feel on the day. We felt incredibly well supported and cared for.”

 “I am pleased to say he is a very happy and charismatic cheeky wee boy. He has been through more in his little life that some people encounter in a lifetime. He is strong, resilient and a fighter we are beyond proud of.”

Michael Dickson, Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive said: “ScotSTAR is an integral part of Scottish Ambulance Service and is critical to our ability to reach every part of Scotland.

“I’m delighted to be marking its 10th anniversary and I’d like to stay a big thank you to our staff who deliver this vital service for critically ill patients across Scotland, often in very challenging circumstances.

“They are all a credit to the Scottish Ambulance Service.”

Emergency services tackle high rise fire in Bonnington

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Around 70 firefighters, 12 fire appliances and additional specialist resources are currently in attendance at a well-developed fire involving a high rise building in the Breadalbane area of Bonnington.

“We received the call at 4.10am following reports of a fire within a flat.

“The building has been evacuated and firefighting operations remain ongoing.

“There are no reported casualties at this time involving members of the public.

“One firefighter has sustained minor injuries and has received treatment from Scottish Ambulance Service at the scene.”

POLICE are in attendance at a fire at the block of flats in Breadalbane Road.. Approximately 100 local residents have been evacuated and a police cordon is in place.

UPDATE at 10am:

“Around 70 firefighters, 12 fire appliances and additional specialist resources are currently in attendance at a well-developed fire involving a high rise building in the Breadalbane area of Bonnington, City of Edinburgh.”

The Persimmon Homes building is understood to house 111 flats. Some are believed to have been destroyed in the blaze.

PICTURE: Local resident HARRY WILLIAMS

SAS’ Integrated Clinical Hub continues to save 1000s of ambulance journeys

Over 23,000 ambulance journeys have been avoided in the past five months thanks to the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Integrated Clinical Hub (ICH).

The ICH, launched in December 2022, is co-located with the SAS ambulance control centres in the west, north and east of Scotland and is made up of a multidisciplinary team of clinical advisors, advanced practitioners and GPs.

It provides assessments for all patients who are initially triaged as non-immediately life threatening and may benefit from a further virtual consultation and referral to other services in the community, rather than unnecessary trips to A&E.

Latest data shows that around 71,000 patients have been assessed by the ICH since August 2023.

Michael Dickson, Chief Executive of Scottish Ambulance Service said: “For those patients that require an ambulance, such as immediately life-threatening conditions, we will always dispatch the most appropriate resource.

“However, our data shows that nearly 50% of our patients don’t require transfer to A&E and can be better treated in other ways, such as in the home, in the community or through specialist services.

“The ICH plays a vital part in carrying out advanced assessment of these patients to identify their clinical needs to ensure they receive the best possible response for their condition.

“The hub is a vital tool in helping us free up vital capacity to attend our sickest patients whilst also reducing the demand at the A&E front door by utilising regional and national pathway alternatives.

“To help our staff we also would like to remind people that if you need urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night, or your GP during opening hours.”

Penicuik Community First Responders mark 18 years of lifesaving service

Lifesaving volunteers from Penicuik Community First Responders recently celebrated the group’s 18th anniversary.

Penicuik Community First Responders (CFRs) are a group of volunteers trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service to respond to a potential life-threatening emergency in the vital first few minutes before an ambulance crew arrives. 

They cover the EH26 postcode and surrounding areas, and currently have six members who meet up monthly and have been involved in the group for several years.

Yvonne Mitchell, Co-ordinator for Penicuik CFRs said: “We are immensely proud to mark our 18th anniversary. This milestone is a testament to the dedication of our volunteers and the support from our community.

“We train as CFRs to help others who live in our area, whether it is being first on scene at a cardiac arrest, or providing a listening ear and holding someone’s hand while the ambulance crew is on route.

“We look forward to many more years of serving our community and making a positive impact on the lives of those in need.”

Michael Dickson, SAS Chief Executive, said: “Congratulations to the Penicuik community first responders on this fantastic achievement.

“Our Community First Responders play a vital role in their communities, starting treatment while an ambulance is on route as every second counts, particularly when a person suffers a cardiac arrest. We are thankful to each and every one of them.”

To find out more about becoming a CFR, please visit: Community First Responders (scottishambulance.com)

Stranded mum who nearly gives birth on the A9 during Storm Gerrit thanks emergency staff

A mum stuck on the side of the road following Storm Gerrit flooding said she’ll always be grateful to the emergency responders who rushed her to hospital to give birth to her first child.

Louise Lyon, 31 of Pitlochry, was on the A9 near Ballinluig on December 28 around 11.20 am, and enroute to Perth Royal Infirmary to give birth, alongside partner Stephen Nicol.

However, with Louise in the late stages of labour, flooding forced the road to be closed.

An ambulance crew of Selene Rae, Paramedic, and William Young, Paramedic Team Leader, of Pitlochry, Alistair Daw Paramedic and David Bywater, Lead Consultant Paramedic, both working out of SCAA’s Helimed 76 alongside Pilot Captain Kimball Chillcott, also attended to assist with the road transfer of Louise to Perth Royal Infirmary.

Louise said: “As this was my first baby, my partner and I were both scared that we would not make it to the hospital in time.

“From the moment the ambulance arrived, Selene made me feel so at ease and cared for. My waters had broken and I felt embarrassed and scared but she was calm and made me feel comfortable and got me gas and air to help alleviate the pain.”

Louise and her partner were transported to Perth Royal Infirmary by road ambulance and she gave birth to Olivia at 1305.

She added: “A paramedic from the SCAA air ambulance team stayed in the ambulance with us to support should things develop quickly.

“During the ride to the hospital, they continuously checked me after each contraction and encouraged me to use the gas and air to ensure I didn’t give birth in the ambulance before it was time. They spoke to me the entire time to make me feel comfortable and tried to ease the fear I had.

“Upon arrival at the hospital, they stayed with me during my labour and helped me to welcome my little girl into the world. They made a first-time mum feel very safe and cared for. The care that they provided was above and beyond what I could ever have expected.”

To say thanks, Louise also delivered a card to the crew at Pitlochry to say thanks to all those involved.

She wrote: “Thank you so much for the care you gave me whilst I was in labour. Words can’t express how grateful I am to you. You truly went above and beyond to ensure Olivia was brought into the world safely.”

She said that without the responders, her partner would have had to become a midwife and deliver the baby at the side of the road.

She added:” I cannot put into words how scared I was and from the moment the paramedic stepped out of the ambulance my fear completely slipped away. The two paramedics supported both myself and my partner to ensure we remained calm after what had been a traumatic experience.”

Busy night for ambulance staff on Hogmanay

Ambulance staff had an extremely busy night across Scotland on Hogmanay as they dealt with 2,006 calls to Ambulance Control Centres between 7pm on New Year’s Eve and 7am on January 1st.

Hogmanay is traditionally one of the busiest nights of the year for the Service and during this year’s New Year’s Eve, there was an increase of 2.2 percent compared the same period in 2022.

The most intense period was between 1:30am – 2:45am where staff handled 328 calls – around a call every 15 seconds.

Julie Carter, On-call Executive Director with the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The overall level of demand for our service over the festive period has exceeded previous years and Hogmanay was one of our busiest nights of the year.

“Yet again, our staff in our Control Centres, on the frontline and support staff showed what an incredible group of dedicated professionals they are. They are a true credit to the SAS.

“This winter we continue to face significant challenges as a result of the time of year and continuing long hospital turnaround times at some hospitals which are stopping our staff from getting back out on the road to help other patients in need.

“To help our staff, we’d like to remind people to please only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

“If you need urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night, or your GP during opening hours.”

Over 300 assaults on ambulance staff

More than 300 Scottish Ambulance Service staff have been physically or verbally abused in the past year according to latest statistics.

The figures show that 328 staff have suffered abuse, attacks with weapons and death threats this year, with ambulance staff having to deal with incidents of abuse almost every day.

Of these 328 incidents – an increase of 51 over the previous year – 21 staff were threatened with either a knife or bottle, while 140 were either punched, kicked or spat on.

There have also been 124 incidents this year of verbal abuse towards staff.

Michael Dickson, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We strongly condemn violence against our staff. They have the right to carry out their work helping patients and saving lives without fear of assault or abuse.

“Our staff are having to deal with incidents nearly every single day and that is totally unacceptable. No form of abuse will be tolerated and we will continue to work with Police Scotland to take action against perpetrators.”

The majority of the assaults or abuse was in the West region with 176 this year. There have been 123 incidents of physical or verbal abuse in the East, while in the North there have been 27 this year.

Baberton explosion: Police update

MAN DIES IN BABERTON BLAST

An 84-year-old man has died following an explosion at a house in Baberton Mains Avenue in Edinburgh.

Officers received multiple reports following the incident around 10.25pm last night (Friday, 1 December, 2023).

Emergency services attended and a 43-year-old woman and 54-year-old man were taken to hospital for treatment.

Several properties were evacuated as a precaution and the road remains closed.

There are no suspicious circumstances and Police continue to work alongside partner agencies.

UPDATE

The 84-year-old man who died following an explosion at a house in Baberton Mains Avenue in Edinburgh can now be named as James Findlay Smith.

Officers were called to the incident in Baberton Mains Avenue around 10.25pm on Friday, 1 December, 2023.

In a statement released through Police Scotland, his family said: “It is with deep regret that our Father/ Papa/ Father in Law, James Findlay Smith, sadly lost his life in the tragic events at Baberton Mains Avenue on 1st December 2023.

“Our thoughts are with everyone involved and our well wishes go to the impacted families.

“We would like to thank the emergency services and the neighbours who went above and beyond for their support and help on the evening and following days.

“We request that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Scottish Ambulance Service prepares for Winter

The Scottish Ambulance Service is bringing in a range of extra initiatives this winter, including new frontline staff, ambulances and enhancements to 999 call centre operations.

The initiatives will come into place in the coming weeks to help SAS meet the increased demands on their services at a time which is traditionally the busiest for the NHS.

Recruitment is already well underway to support SAS’s dedicated frontline workforce with 317 new paramedics, technicians and advanced practice practitioners joining the Service by the end of March 2024.

Additional clinicians are also being introduced in the Service’s Integrated Clinical Hub. The Hub triages less seriously ill patients who don’t need to go to A&E to receive care and provides alternative routes for treatment, freeing up ambulances and reducing pressure on A&Es.

Michael Dickson OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We know that winter will be an extremely challenging period for the NHS which is why we’ve introduced a range of initiatives to help our patients and support our staff this winter.  

“Our patients are our priority, we will do everything we can to ensure patients are cared for and get the service they need quickly and efficiently.

“Not every call to 999 needs an ambulance or a trip to A&E and we are completely focussed on supporting patients to get care at home or close to home where it is safe to do so, ensuring patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

“The SAS workforce is essential as they carry out their roles often in extremely difficult circumstances and we will continue to support them during this high-pressure time.

“We urge the public to help our staff by remembering that 999 and A&E is for emergencies, if you need urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night, or your GP during opening hours.”

Extra initiatives being brought in this winter include:

  • New staff, including Advanced Practitioners into each region and 52 new vehicles such as Rapid Response Vehicles to help respond in a more flexible manner throughout the winter period.
  • Maximising the use of trained volunteers such as Community First Responders, Cardiac Responders and BASICS, where appropriate.
  • Utilising dedicated Patient Transport Service (PTS) resources for low acuity patients, freeing up ambulances to get help to very seriously unwell patients as quickly as possible.
  • Connecting patients with local services and communicating pathway information to SAS clinicians.
  • Daily meetings with health boards to respond to the challenges relating to hospital handover delays so that our highly-trained ambulance crews can be back out responding to the next patient in the community who needs our help.
  • Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers (HALOs) will work with senior hospital site managers and the Service, improving the hospital admission and discharge process.
  • Ensuring the wellbeing of our crews, working with Health Board partners to provide refreshments for crews at hospitals in periods of high pressure and demand
  • Piloting new processes to help staff finish on time to protect their wellbeing and having a wide range of health and wellbeing services available for them to access should they need them.

PICTURES: (L to r) Newly Qualified Paramedic, Ellie Brown and Laura Robb, Paramedic, recently qualified NQP

Picture TOP: Stewart Ramsay, Paramedic, and Toni Boyd, Technician, both Glasgow East Station