Tag: Health and wellbeing

“We must improve patient strategy for Brain Tumours” – Foysol Choudhury

Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury has called for an improved Scottish patient strategy for brain tumours, following his Member’s Business Debate which marked March as Brain Tumour Awareness Month.

Mr Choudhury, whose Member’s Business Motion on Brain Tumour Awareness Month achieved Cross-Party Support this week (26th March 2024) opened the debate on that Motion and shone a light on the importance of increasing funding for brain tumour research and improved patient outcomes, which he says have changed little in over a generation.

One in three people know someone affected by a Brain Tumour and this prevalence of the disease,  Mr Choudhury argues, is why brain tumours must be treated as a clinical and strategic priority by Government, with increased funding for research into brain tumours.

Mr Choudhury said: “Brain Tumours are a cancer of unmet need- despite poor outcomes, funding for brain tumour research remains at just a percentage of research funding for other cancers.

“Money must be ring fenced to support the discovery science that could transform patient outcomes in the field. More investment in research can lead to more clinical trials, new knowledge, and improved options and outcomes for patients.“

MSP Choudhury also shared the experience of Rayhan and Theo, who both had to eventually attend A&E where a scan diagnosed their brain tumours after these went unnoticed by GPs.

Mr Choudhury said: “The saddening experiences of Rayhan and Theo are unfortunately not unique-many other patients have to struggle with misdiagnosis or their brain tumours going undetected for some time.

“The Brain Tumour Charity found 41 percent of people suffering from a brain tumour had to visit their GP three or more times before being diagnosed.

“This must change if we are going to achieve early and successful treatment for brain tumour patients.

“That’s why it should be a priority to develop new clinical pathways informed by specialist knowledge and clinical training to identify Brain Tumours.”

Thomas Brayford, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said of the debate: “We come together every March to mark Brain Tumour Awareness Month and to raise awareness of this deadly disease, which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

“And, only 12% of brain tumour patients survive beyond five years of their diagnosis. These outcomes can and must improve. But this will only happen if the Government prioritises brain tumours and declares them a clinical priority.”

Mr Choudhury says that Brain tumours have been left ignored for too long and that following his Member’s Business Debate, he will continue to argue for increased funding and clinical development to tackle the devastating outcomes for brain tumour patients.

Foysol Choudhury MSP’s Member’s Business Debate for Brain Tumour Awareness Month on 26/03/34 can be watched here: https://www.scottishparliament.tv/

Lottery funding for Hearts & Minds’ Elderflower programme

Award-winning Edinburgh charity Hearts & Minds has today received an award of £15,360 from the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All Scotland to enable the charity to develop their Elderflower Programme for people living with dementia in Alloa.

Sean Donnelly, CEO, Hearts & Minds commented: “We are delighted that our Elderflower programme has been awarded funding from the National Lottery.

“This crucial support will enable Hearts & Minds to create personalised interactions specifically designed for individuals living with dementia in Clackmannan.

“We understand the importance of fostering positive human connections for those affected by dementia, and our aim is to provide them with meaningful, engaging, and often uplifting experiences that significantly contribute to their well-being and overall quality of life.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the National Lottery for this award, which will allow us to extend our reach and impact to even more individuals this year.”

The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still said: “Every day National Lottery funding is changing the lives of thousands of people in communities across Scotland for the better.

“This project delivered by Hearts & Minds Limited, is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work which is making a real difference to so many.”

Hearts & Minds would like to thank The National Lottery Community Fund, for this award made possible by National Lottery players.

The Elderflowers are professional performers selected for their empathy, compassion, respect, and playfulness and are trained in clowning techniques including improvisation, music, slapstick, celebrating mistakes and rhythm.

They are also trained how to use their clowning skills in healthcare environments for older people living with dementia and other associated cognitive difficulties, who might be feeling anxious, isolated, confused, or frustrated, have sensory decline, and a loss of confidence and self-esteem. 

The Elderflowers currently visit Findlay House, Edinburgh and Borders General Hospital and with this funding will return to Clackmannan.

Championing care-experienced children and young people

£10.5 million to improve educational outcomes

Care experienced children and young people will receive further support to improve attainment, attendance and wellbeing throughout their education and beyond.

The Scottish Government will provide £10.5 million to be shared by local authorities across Scotland through the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund.

Launched in 2018, the funding is provided to local authorities and aims to improve the educational outcomes for care experienced children and young people, supported by the strategic goals of The Promise and the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

The fund has so far provided more than £60 million to deliver initiatives such as mentoring programmes and out of school support.

First Minister Humza Yousaf, said: “I am fully committed to Keeping the Promise – every single child should grow up loved, safe, supported and respected, as well as being given every opportunity to flourish and reach their full potential.

“Supporting care-experienced young people includes helping them to continue or re-enter education and The Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund plays a vital role in delivering additional support to improve educational outcomes.

“We know it is making a real difference as the latest figures show more care experienced children and young people are staying in school for longer and achieving higher qualifications.

“Improving outcomes for care-experienced young people requires a truly national effort, and the Scottish Government will continue to work with local authorities, schools and others to ensure that all young people in Scotland can meet their full potential.”

COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Cllr Tony Buchanan said: “Local Government is committed to keeping the Promise made to care experience children and young people by 2030.

“We have welcomed this funding, which councils have used in recent years for a number of innovative approaches responding to the diverse needs of care experience children and young people across Scotland. This has included ‘virtual’ head teacher and mentoring schemes.

“We will continue to work with the Scottish Government, across Local Government and with our partners across the education system to ensure that all children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected and achieve the best possible outcomes.”

Working towards a Tobacco Free Scotland

ASH Scotland has responded to yesterday’s Scottish Government’s Ministerial Statement on Working Towards a Tobacco-free Scotland by 2034 and Tackling Youth Vaping.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “We warmly welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to reducing the harms caused by tobacco which continues to be the biggest preventable killer of people in Scotland with more than 8,000 deaths each year.

“We are pleased that the Minister has listened to concerns expressed by ASH Scotland and has confirmed the Scottish Government is content that, if the UK Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill is passed at Westminster, no one buying addictive, health harming tobacco products under-age in Scotland will be criminalised.

“We do, however, want to see the Scottish Government taking rapid action in laying, at the earliest practicable opportunity, its proposed restrictions tightening the rules on the advertising and promotions of recreational vaping products which were consulted on two years ago in Spring 2022 and are enabled by legislation passed in Holyrood back in 2016.

“Following mounting evidence of adverse health impacts, and studies consistently showing that youngsters who use e-cigarettes are up to three times at greater risk of starting to smoke tobacco, government must move at pace to take all vital steps to protect young people’s health.

“Waiting for potential four-nation agreement by MPs at Westminster, with a General Election pending, presents a severe risk of delays to regulations that children’s health and wellbeing can ill afford.

“As most e-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine, which is extremely addictive, as well as toxic chemicals that have not been safety tested for inhalation and can damage lung health, retail marketing restrictions need to be introduced urgently as a vital measure to discourage youth vaping by reducing the promotion and visibility of e-cigarettes on our high streets and in communities across Scotland.”

Patients with glaucoma in Edinburgh to access care in the community

PEOPLE living with glaucoma in Edinburgh will soon be able to access support within the community rather than travel to hospital, thanks to a ‘revolutionary’ NHS healthcare policy.

NHS Scotland’s Community Glaucoma Service, which was piloted in Glasgow last year, will soon be rolled out in the capital after a city-centre optician was selected to deliver the scheme.

Michael O’Kane, clinical director of Specsavers in Cameron Toll and Morningside, is one of a handful of opticians across the country who has successfully completed an SQA qualification in Glaucoma Management.

The certificate will allow him to treat people with lower risk glaucoma or treated ocular hypertension in his practices in the city, rather than in hospital as soon as NHS Lothian rolls out the scheme.

It’s hoped the initiative will help alleviate pressure on NHS services in the long-term.

Michael says: ‘After 300 hours of training, clinical placements and studying, I’m delighted to have gained this qualification which will allow me to deliver this revolutionary eyecare service to patients in our community.

‘This qualification means I’ll be able to manage patient’s medications and continue to provide hospital-level care to people in Morningside, Cameron Toll and beyond.

‘This scheme will be of huge benefit to hundreds – if not thousands – of people right across Edinburgh, giving them faster and easier access to treatments and check-ups. I’m delighted to be a part of that.’

The flagship healthcare policy is expected to support around 20,000 patients across Scotland as it is rolled out over the next year.

Speaking at the time of its launch, public health minister, Jenni Minto, said: ‘Scotland is regarded as a world leader in community eye care service provision.

‘We are the only country in the UK to provide free universal NHS-funded eye examinations, and our investment in community optometry services has helped reduce the burden on GPs and secondary care services.’

Michael’s qualification follows the recent relocation of his Morningside practice to 85 Morningside Road.

The new store has seen investment in the region of £750,000 and includes seven new testing rooms, including a fully wheelchair-accessible test room and diagnostics area, and two Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machines, which allows optometrists to take a 3D image of the back of the eye to help spot serious eye conditions – including glaucoma – up to four years earlier.

The store also features two digital slit lamps and a host of state-of-the-art technology which allows opticians to identify the type of glaucoma a patient is living with.

Michael adds: ‘Timely diagnosis and treatment are essential and so our increased testing capacity and state-of-the-art diagnostic machines will allow our expert team to quickly identify any problems that may be detected.’

Specsavers Morningside, located at 85 Morningside Road, is open from 9am – 6:30pm Monday to Thursday, 9am – 6pm Friday and Saturday and 10am – 6pm every Sunday.

To book an appointment, call the store directly on 0131 446 9960 or visit: 

www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/morningside.

Specsavers Cameron toll, located within Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, is open from 9am – 6pm every Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Saturday, 9am – 6:30pm every Thursday and 10am – 6pm every Sunday.

To book an appointment, call the store directly on 0131 672 9210 or visit: 

www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/camerontoll

North Edinburgh projects hit the Lottery jackpot

Community groups across Edinburgh will be able to provide vital services and support for thousands of local people thanks to National Lottery funding announced today.

North Edinburgh projects have done particularly well in the latest round of funding. Both North Edinburgh Arts and Stepping Stones North Edinburgh are awarded six figure sums, while Muirhouse Millennium Centre, Heart of Newhaven, Blackhall Children’s Sports Committee, Ama-zing Harmonies and Granton Parish Church are among other local organisations to receive grants today.

The latest round of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund is shared amongst 384 projects across Scotland, sharing in £15,048,544. 

See below for a full list of projects

North Edinburgh Arts will use their award of £148,821 to continue their ‘Green Projects’ programme which provides green spaces for local people to come together whilst offering a range of volunteering opportunities and arts and garden activities for people of all ages to get involved in.

Valla Moodie, Green Projects Manager, North Edinburgh Arts said: “This funding will enable us to start an exciting phase of work as we move back into our refurbished and extended building after two years in temporary venues, setting up our new Community Shed workshop and redeveloping our community garden at the back of our venue.

“This support, given to our ‘Green Projects’, will allow us to continue to offer opportunities for our local community that improve their health and well-being whilst contributing to the enrichment of their neighbourhood, building local resilience to big issues and sharing and supporting them with actions that combat climate change.”

STEPPING STONES North Edinburgh receive £132,020 through the Improving Lives programme.

The group, based at Inchgarvie Court in West Pilton, will use the funding to continue delivering their Family Wellbeing project, supporting primary school children and their families by providing individual, group and equine mental health support in North West Edinburgh.

Thanks to an award of £126,671, Deaf Action will run a digital literacy programme to help deaf people across the city develop and improve their skillset.

Support will be provided through a series of one-to-one sessions and group work covering specific topics such as word processing, scam awareness, healthcare apps and video calling software.

Lauren McAnna, Community Services Manager, Deaf Action said: “Our Digital Inclusion Service will support deaf people living across Edinburgh to become digitally empowered, unlocking a world of information, resources and opportunities that will foster greater independence and help improve life outcomes.

“We will support deaf adults and older people who face significant barriers to communication and social inclusion and who are likely to be experiencing financial hardship and/or socioeconomic disadvantage. 

“By supporting deaf people to overcome barriers to digital literacy they can become more connected and active citizens, have increased independence and improved wellbeing in many aspects of their lives.”

An award of £19,929 to Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland means they can continue to identify more victims of human trafficking across the city.

Joy M Gillespie, CEO, Survivors of Human Trafficking said: “We will be able to work with our cross-sector partners to recover more victims of human trafficking in Edinburgh and provide vital prevention information to those most at risk. 

“We believe there is power in partnership and are grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for partnering with us to help end end human trafficking in Scotland.”

Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: “This latest round of National Lottery funding will be distributed to groups across Edinburgh who are providing a range of essential services and support for thousands of local people, helping to make a real difference to their lives.

“As The National Lottery prepares to mark its 30th birthday later this year, today’s investment is a timely reminder of the difference that National Lottery players continue to make to communities across the country.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.   

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk    

89c5ba4a-501c-4d2d-b43a-6e1523255829Download

£30 million more funding to support mental health services

Further community support for adults, children and young people

Two funds to support projects aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing in adults, children and young people have been awarded a further £30 million.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults, and the Children and Young People’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports, have been awarded £15 million each for 2024-25.

Launched in 2021, the fund for adults has supported grass roots community groups to deliver programmes for adults which build resilience and tackle social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities. Projects focused on connecting people and providing peer support were delivered through activities such as sport, outdoor activities and the arts.

Funding for the children and young people’s support began in 2020 to help with the mental health impact of the pandemic and its restrictions.

The new funding means more than £65 million has been made available to local authorities since then to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing support for five to 24 year-olds and their families.

Support delivered includes mentoring, art-based therapies, digital services, whole-family support, counselling and sport or physical activities.

First Minister Humza Yousaf, who today visited Edinburgh Community Performing Arts Re-connect project for older people, said: “On becoming First Minister I reiterated my personal commitment to supporting those living with mental health challenges.

“We know how important it is for our society to have access to mental health and wellbeing support. That is why my government is committed to ensuring we fund vital services in our health service and in community settings to ensure we try, as much as possible, to provide a national network of community support for adults, children and young people.

“This further £30 million will fund community based projects which are focused on prevention and early intervention, and this is a significant step forward in supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing by making sure they can easily access the help they need, when and where they need it.

“Since 2020 the Scottish Government has invested over £100 million in community-based mental health support. An independent evaluation published last year shows that projects for adults have lowered social isolation thereby alleviating some of the negative mental and physical health impacts from the pandemic, as well as providing support and self-help for individuals with ill mental health issues.

“More than 300 children and young people’s supports and services are in now in place across the country, and evaluation published by the Scottish Youth Parliament found that nearly three-quarters of young people agreed or strongly agreed that they received support when they needed it.”

Fundraiser and Project Manager at Edinburgh Community Performing Arts Emma Stewart-Jones said: “We are delighted to have funding from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.

“The difference that these community arts projects can have on individual’s health, sociability and well-being can be profound.”

Support for adult survivors of childhood abuse

Funding for mental health and wellbeing services

Up to £2.23 million funding is being made available to third sector organisations providing counselling, peer support and practical support to adult survivors of childhood abuse.

Support groups can now apply for the latest round of grants from the Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support (SOCAS) Fund which will be made available from October 2024 to March 2026 and will enable groups to enhance or expand their current services.

Since it was set up in 2020, the SOCAS fund has seen more than 16,000 survivors supported by 29 organisations.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “We want all survivors to be provided with services which allow them to lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.

“This latest round of funding, up to £2.23 million per annum, builds on almost £10 million invested since establishing the Fund in 2020, and is designed to reduce the impact of the inequalities and disadvantages survivors often experience as a result of abuse.

“Our recently published Mental Health Strategy Delivery Plan outlines the importance of survivors having access to services which promote sustained recovery through person-centred, trauma-informed support and treatment – this funding will enable more people to get the help which is right for them.”

Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland Kaylie Allen said: “The Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support fund provides vital help for survivors to enjoy a safe and healthy life with improved wellbeing and sense of safety.

“Helping people affected by trauma is at the heart of the Inspiring Scotland strategy so we welcome the continuation of the Scottish Government’s funding and look forward to supporting applicants through the application process.”

Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support Fund 2024 – 2026 – Inspiring Scotland

Worried and Waiting: Record waiting times for children in NHS Lothian

NHS Lothian has the longest patients waiting times for treatment, with 69.1% of total patients waiting over 12 weeks. 2382 out of 3448 paediatric patients in NHS Lothian waited over 12 weeks for treatment.

In NHS Highland 48.9% of patients were waiting over 12 weeks at that time. This is in comparison to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde where over 12 week waits made up only 19.2%, and NHS Grampian which stood at 12.9%.

The report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Worried and waiting: A review of paediatric waiting times in Scotland 2024, stated that –

‘It is worrying that children and young people are waiting longer than 12 weeks to be seen in paediatrics. However, what is the most concerning is that in September 2023, 13 out of 14 health boards in Scotland were experiencing very high waits over 12 weeks, with only NHS Western Isles achieving the national standard rate.‘

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “It is extremely concerning that young people in Lothian are waiting over 12 weeks for treatment.

“Over two thirds of young people are now waiting over the 12 week waiting target which is unacceptable.

“SNP mismanagement of our NHS means that hundreds of children are not being seen a quickly as they should be, nowhere more so than in NHS Lothian.

“We urgently need to see our health service properly run. 

“It is also important that NHS Lothian receives funding parity with other health boards.

“This tired SNP Government has had no answers for years.”

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Support for family mental health

Funding for perinatal and infant services

Charities providing support to pregnant women, new mums and their families are to share £1.5 million expand and enhance their mental health and wellbeing services.

It has been estimated that up to 20% of mums and up to 10% of dads are affected by poor mental health in the perinatal period.

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund, which is now open for applications, enables organisations to provide a range of one-to-one and group-based support and care for parents, carers and new babies.

Over 10,000 parents, expectant parents and infants have been supported by existing funded organisations since 2019.

The new round of funding will start from October 2024.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “It is very important that all mothers and their families have access to good mental healthcare throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period.

“The third sector provides vital access to perinatal mental health support, and we are dedicated to supporting them to do so.

“This latest round of funding of up to £1.5 million, building on previous awards of over £2.8 million over four years, is designed to increase the provision of parenting and infant support, peer support and counselling or psychological support. The Fund will enable organisations to provide the services that women and their families need.”

Marie Balment, Infant Mental Health Lead, Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland said: “We’re delighted the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund has been opened for a new round of funding for 18 months.

“This will enable statutory perinatal and infant mental health services to work alongside charity partners to continue offering essential perinatal mental health services that support families with babies.

“The contribution of third sector organisations is needed now more than ever, providing necessary support to parents recovering from mental illness and promoting the mental wellbeing of families during a time of vulnerability. This includes vital work promoting positive parent – infant relationships and infant mental wellbeing, which has a lifelong impact.”

Kaylie Allen, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said: “We are pleased to be managing the application process for the next 18 months of Scottish Government Perinatal and Infant Mental Health funding.   

“We know from the last three years of managing the fund the extraordinary impact community-based peer, parenting and infant focussed support can make for babies, parents, and families. It is so important that we focus on the early years to give all children the best start in life.” 

Perinatal Infant Mental Health Fund 2024 – Inspiring Scotland