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Tag: Health and wellbeing
breathingspace.scotVaping ‘best way to stop smoking’, says Vape boss
VPZ is the UK’s leading vaping retailer with over 160 stores throughout the UK. Since it was established in 2012 it has helped over 700,000 smokers quit.
VPZ Director Doug Mutter says the 12 per cent rise in vape sales figures across the industry is no surprise due to its effectiveness as a smoking cessation tool but urged the wider industry to take steps to educate consumers on sustainable products.
Doug said: “The significant increase in sales figures across the industry last month highlights once again that vaping is the best way for people to quit smoking and make a major lifestyle that improves your health and financial wellbeing.
“At VPZ, our stores offer a dedicated one-to-one service to help smokers quit and our consumer intelligence tells us that the majority of customers prefer being instore where they can access a personalised service and get the right guidance and advice from our staff that can’t be accessed elsewhere.
“VPZ specialists are trained and have expert knowledge, engaging with smokers to educate them on the health, environmental and financial benefits of switching to reusable and sustainable vaping products.
“Our approach gives adult smokers the help and advice they need at a time when local stop smoking services across the country are under threat whilst supporting the country’s ambitions to become a smoke free nation by 2030.
“As the UK’s leading vaping retailer we are supportive of the Government’s disposable vape ban but it’s important that they take on board advice and guidance to regain much-needed momentum and ensure that the country meets its targets.”
Million pound milestone in Emily’s memory
A family which has raised more than a million pounds to fund a research project into the most aggressive type of brain tumour has unveiled a plaque at the University of Edinburgh laboratory where the work takes place.
The Emily Morris Fund, set up in memory of a woman from London who died from a brain tumour aged just 31, was established in 2017 in collaboration with The Brain Tumour Charity.
Emily’s father, Jack Morris, then became Chair of Trustees at the organisation.
Now he and his family have seen for themselves how their fundraising is helping to screen thousands of drugs to see if any have the potential to treat glioblastoma.
The project is co-funded by Cancer Research UK and is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world: an unbiased screening of drugs in human glioblastoma cell models.
Emily first became unwell with headaches and what doctors thought was a flu virus in 2015 when she was 29.
Then her heart rate rocketed for no apparent reason and a cardiac specialist prescribed her medication but couldn’t find the underlying cause.
When she began to experience a strange smell and taste up to 20 times a day, she was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist who sent Emily for an MRI scan.
Expecting nothing out of the ordinary, Emily went to find out the results on her own and was shocked when a consultant told her she had a brain tumour and needed urgent surgery.
That craniotomy removed much of the tumour and confirmed it was a glioblastoma multiforme, one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat brain cancers.
Emily’s treatment included 30 sessions of radiotherapy and nine rounds of chemotherapy, but the tumour returned.
Emily’s father Jack said: “Emily had six months after her initial treatment where she did pretty well. Following that it was then a process of, as I used to say, trying hold back a tsunami.”
In November/December 2016 Emily’s oncologist said she was fighting an uphill battle, and her family agreed that she should come home.
Jack continued: “I had a moment that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life with Emily before she died. I was just sitting with her and at this time she couldn’t speak and I did a little wave and said ‘I love you’ and she just said to me ‘love you’. I don’t know how she found the words but they were the last words she ever said to me.”
Emily died on 3 January 2017 and as she had been such a colourful character who loved jewellery, her mum Susan started making bracelets to sell in her memory.
Friends and family far and wide organised marathons, bike rides and numerous other challenge events to raise money in Emily’s memory. Her family used these proceeds to set up The Emily Morris Fund and sought advice from The Brain Tumour Charity.
The Charity told them about Professor Neil Carragher’s research at the University of Edinburgh and they were “absolutely blown away” by his efforts to find treatments for glioblastoma and decided to support it.
Jack said: “Funding research through The Brain Tumour Charity, wherever it needs to be in the world, by the best practitioners, by the best institutions, is the lifeblood of finding a cure for this awful disease.”
Emily’s brother, Bobby, added: “We will always keep Emily’s memory alive because we talk about her a lot.
“Whenever we’re at a family dinner or a birthday, we’ll always do a little toast to her and just make sure that she’s remembered … Our family will always be a family of five people, we’re not a family of four.”
You can find out more about Professor Carragher’s research here:
And read Emily’s full story here: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/emily-morris-fund/
Children use virtual reality to prepare for surgery at New Sick Kids
An Edinburgh children’s hospital has become one of the first in Scotland to use a virtual reality headset to help children prepare for surgery. Patients at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) will now be able to prepare for surgery through an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience.
Thanks to funding from the Hearts & Minds charity, the home of the Clowndoctors, and NHS Lothian charity, the RHCYP will launch its first VR film alongside five headsets this week as part of an innovative pilot.
A number of patients and staff members were involved in the development of the VR pilot including Isla Burns, 14, who advised on the script with Hearts & Minds and recorded the introduction.
The schoolgirl takes centre stage in the project after undergoing ten operations and surgical procedures since she was two-years-old and is keen to reassure and help other children and young people.
Isla from Edinburgh had surgery at the RHCYP to lengthen her left leg which had developed to be 8cm shorter than her right. She underwent an initial 8-hour surgery where her leg was broken and then encased in a brace which screwed 26 metal pins into her leg.
Every day, her mum Annabelle had to turn the pins to move Isla’s bones further apart, encouraging a ‘ghost bone’ to grow in between.
Isla said: “When I was a little younger and virtual reality wasn’t used in hospitals yet, it was hard to visualise what would happen before my operations by chatting it through.
“This virtual reality film will help young people by allowing them to see what the wards look like and get an idea of how the whole process works. It is a great visual tool that will help so many kids prepare for their operations and feel less anxious about what is to come.”
After the operation, Isla’s leg grew 7cm in just seven weeks. She has since had had a further 9 surgeries and spent a full year learning to walk again under the guidance of physiotherapists at the RHCYP.
Under Isla’s guidance, the VR film features the Clowndoctors who are about to undergo surgery at the RHCYP. Alongside the help of NHS Lothian staff, the Clowndoctors showcase a virtual walk through of the pre-operation journey; from the surgical ward, into the anaesthetic room and then into theatre.
Isla used her own experiences to help the Clowndoctors outline every step of the process and put the minds of younger patients at ease.
The film, which was produced by filmmakers Neon8 who initiated the project with Hearts & Minds, uses cutting-edge technology which enables patients to have a gentle immersive viewing experience while remaining seated or reclined.
The VR pilot is being rolled out within the hospital and will be managed by Play Specialists who generally prepare children for surgery.
Allister Short, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at NHS Lothian, said: “I would like to especially thank Isla and her family alongside our staff and charity partners who helped to craft this extraordinary VR film.
“When a child is about to have surgery, it is often an emotionally unsettling time for the entire family. It’s hoped that the VR headsets will help to alleviate patient’s anxieties before a procedure takes place.
“I look forward to seeing the positive impact this ground-breaking technology will have on patients and staff.”
Rachel Colles, Co-Artistic Lead, Hearts & Minds, said: “I first tried a VR headset when running a research project for children exploring virtual reality theatre with Neon8. It was fantastic to see the children’s responses and excitement with this medium and it occurred to us that we could use this in our work as Clowndoctors.
“This collaboration with NHS Lothian alongside our fabulous Clowndoctor colleagues has allowed us to create what I hope will be a beneficial and enjoyable way to support children preparing for surgery at the RHCYP.”
Jane Greenacre, Head of Programmes, NHS Lothian Charity, said: “We are delighted to have funded five VR headsets which aim to reduce children’s worries before they undergo surgery.
“The VR headsets will enable children and their parents to complete a virtual walk through of what will happen at each step of their pre-operation journey.
“This is a great example of how NHS Lothian Charity works with NHS Lothian colleagues and third sector partners to support ideas that improve the experience of patients and their families across the Lothians.”
Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot
A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth
- Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot
- A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) is urging the Scottish Government to take forward its proposal to monitor air quality around urban schools in Scotland.
The College’s costed pilot proposal would see air quality monitors placed for a year in up to three schools, within 50m of those schools, in each of five Scottish cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. The pilot would therefore see up to 15 schools across Scottish cities taking part.
Last year, the College called for air quality monitors to be placed at all city primary schools in Scotland for a period of at least a year, in its submission of evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.
The pilot idea was developed by the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health. It has now been submitted to the Scottish Government following positive discussions with government officials last year. Members of the Working Group highlighted the lack of data on air quality around schools despite the knowledge that air pollution can pose serious health risks to children.
As part of the working group’s preparation of the pilot proposal, clinicians plotted the distances between primary and secondary schools in these five city areas and existing air quality monitors.
The group found that from the 337 primary and 94 secondary schools examined, only one primary school was within 50m of a PM (particulate matter) monitor and only 2 primary schools were within 100m of a NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) monitor.
There were no secondary schools within 100m of either type of monitor.
Professor Jill Belch, Co-lead of the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, and Professor of Vascular Medicine at the University of Dundee, said: “Science has provided robust evidence that children are significantly harmed by air pollution, with sometimes tragic results.
“Whilst lung disease in children is widely recognised as a result of breathing polluted air, less well known to the public, but equally important, are the effects of this pollution on the developing organs within a child.
“For example, exposure to polluted air in childhood has been shown to reduce brain cognitive function in a number of key ways. Further, and of concern, is that children appear to become unwell at lower levels of pollutants than do adults.
“ At present the early work conducted by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh suggests that few school have air quality monitors nearby, so we do not actually know how well or otherwise, our children are protected. It is therefore imperative that we ensure air quality around schools is within regulatory levels, and the College’s proposal to the Scottish Government can start this process.”
Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the other Co-Lead of the Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, said: “ There is overwhelming evidence that air pollution can have a wide range of detrimental health impacts on our children including problems with the lung, heart, brain and immune and hormonal systems.
“We also know that there is a correlation between areas of high deprivation and poor air quality and this can exacerbate pre-existing health inequalities in children and young people.
“ We are concerned at the lack of data on air quality around urban schools in Scotland- with the vast majority of urban air quality monitors currently sited too far away from schools- and believe we must collect as much accurate school level data as possible so we can have an evidence base for action.
“The College hopes that the Scottish Government will consider our proposal positively and we remain committed to working constructively with it and all other stakeholders so that we can better understand the levels of air pollution around our schools and subsequently support implementing mitigation measures where these are required.”
Mike Corbett, National Official (Scotland) for the NASUWT said: “Thousands of people die each year because of occupational diseases caused by air pollution at work. Pollution arising from work and travel to work are health issues for which employers currently take little responsibility.
“Air pollution impacts workers and their families at all stages from before birth to old age and is particularly damaging to the growth and development of babies and children.
“ Being able to quantify the scale of the problem around our schools is the first step to cleaning up the air we and our children breathe and moving towards a heathier and safer future. NASUWT is therefore very pleased to endorse and support this proposal for pilot air quality monitoring around schools.”
St Columba’s: Supporting your child in grief
THURSDAY 8th FEBRUARY at 11am
Our next ‘Supporting your child in grief’ session takes place on Thursday 8th February at 11am.
The session offers an opportunity for you to join other parents and carers to talk, share feelings and connect with one another. You can simply say it how it is, seek advice and hopefully pick up some tips from each other.
Register for free today at https://bit.ly/48YWWf1
Children’s Mental Health Week: Google searches spike
New analysis of Google search data reveals that mental health is amongst the most-searched for topics by parents in the UK.
Anxiety is the most Googled mental health condition for children, with searches looking for help diagnosing children with the condition rising by 190 percent in the past five years, and queries about panic attacks in young people increasing by an incredible 5,000 percent during this period.
This is closely followed by searches for neurodiversity, with 1,000 UK parents per month turning to Google for advice on whether their child has autism.
The analysis, which was conducted by leading name-label manufacturer MyNametags.com, further highlights British parents’ growing reliance on Google to help with all aspects of raising children. In fact, parents across the country use the search engine to answer questions about their children over 10,000 times per day, a third more than this time five years ago.
Alongside mental health, children’s physical health was one of the most commonly Googled aspects of parenting in the last 12 months, with searches concerning chickenpox, croup, and asthma topping the list.
This was followed by more practical, everyday queries about parenting. For instance, searches for what age a child can be left on their own have increased by 280 percent, whilst queries about what age their child can use a booster seat have spiked to 540 percent higher than this time five years ago.
Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, comments: “We offer parents advice on preventing lost belongings every day, so we were interested to find out what more about what other pressing questions families have.
“It was eye opening to discover how many parents are turning to Google for information and resources to help them manage their children’s mental health.
“Whilst the internet is an incredibly valuable tool for parenting advice, we’d always recommend families use trusted sources for information on health and wellbeing, such as the NHS and established mental health charities.”
Top 10 most Googled parenting questions last year:
- Can I go to work if my child has chickenpox?
- How to check my child benefit application
- Is my child autistic?
- What is my cousin’s child to me?
- Why does my child keep getting croup?
- Does my child have ADHD?
- Does my child have asthma quiz
- Does my child have diabetes quiz
- How much is in my child’s trust fund?
- What should I do if my child has covid-19?
Visit the My Nametags website for answers to parents’ most Googled questions about sending their children back to school.
Scottish Government consultation: Have you say on Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill
The Scottish Government’s consultation on a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill is open until 21 April 2024.
The proposals aim to better protect, respect and champion the rights of autistic and neurodivergent people, and those with learning disabilities.
Have your say 
http://consult.gov.scot/…/learning-disabilities-autism…
Experts discuss ways to improve brain tumour diagnosis in Scotland
A Glasgow-based company which is developing a diagnostic tool to detect brain tumours is one of the organisations taking part in roundtable discussions today – 5 February – to review the brain tumour diagnosis pathway in Scotland.
GPs, NHS representatives, researchers, representatives from the Chief Scientist’s Office, the Scottish Steering Committee and The Brain Tumour Charity – representing the patient voice – are also taking part in the meeting at The Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh.
More than 1,000 people in Scotland are diagnosed with a brain or central nervous system tumour each year1 so there is an urgent need to prioritise better care. In addition, The Charity’s Improving Brain Tumour Care surveys show one in three people visit their GP more than five times before they are diagnosed.
Now Dxcover Limited is working alongside researchers at the University of Edinburgh to develop a blood test and AI algorithms that could enable earlier diagnosis in primary care settings by analysing blood samples to look for signs of a brain tumour. Early research suggests that this technology could offer a promising diagnostic tool, although more testing is required.
Cameron Miller, Director of Policy and Strategy at The Brain Tumour Charity said: “This roundtable is a stepping stone to ensure that the right conversations are taking place while these diagnostic tools are being developed.
“When they are ready for patients, we want to ensure that they can access them as quickly as possible. It is also key to ensuring policymakers truly understand the barriers to brain tumour diagnosis and the need to improve current diagnostic pathways.”
Brain tumours can be hard to diagnose due to their non-specific symptoms, including headaches, vomiting and visual disturbances. An early diagnostic test to help identify which people with these symptoms are most likely to have a brain tumour would help prioritise demand on imaging facilities such as MRI and CT scans.
Dxcover is currently running a performance evaluation study across seven sites in the UK and Europe, to understand the effectiveness and viability of their technology.
Prof. Matthew J. Baker, CEO of Dxcover said: “Dxcover has patients at the heart of its thinking. This roundtable is key to changing the picture for brain tumour patients and one which we are excited to be a part of.
“We have recently launched our EMBRACE study – a pan-Europe 2,200 patient performance evaluation of the Dxcover® brain cancer liquid biopsy which will enable CE marking and provide a much-needed tool for patients.”
Dr Paul Brennan, Reader and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon at the University of Edinburgh said: “During several clinical studies involving patients in Scotland we have demonstrated that the Dxcover test is an efficient and effective strategy for brain tumour detection.
“The next step is to find the best route to implement this test into routine care and this roundtable brings together the stakeholders needed to achieve that.”
To find out more about The Brain Tumour Charity’s work with policymakers and healthcare professionals, visit thebraintumourcharity.org
Campaign to silence tinnitus for good during Tinnitus Week
“I haven’t heard silence for 8 years” – Jamie Laing
TV personality, podcaster and entrepreneur, Jamie Laing, has been living with tinnitus since 2016. For Tinnitus Week (5-11 February) Jamie has joined forces with RNID, the charity supporting people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, to share his story and help RNID raise funds for research to silence tinnitus for good.
Jamie talks about the moment he first experienced the condition, describing it as a sudden and overwhelming sensation. Eight years on, he details the impact of tinnitus on his daily life, highlighting its disruptive nature and the difficulty of finding relief from the persistent ringing in his ears.
Jamie shares his story here
Tinnitus is the name for hearing noises that are not caused by an outside source. It’s common – around 1 in 7 adults have tinnitus all the time or regularly. The condition sounds different for different people.
Many people describe their tinnitus as a ringing sound, but tinnitus can also be heard as other sounds, such as buzzing, whooshing, clicking, humming, and hissing, to name a few, or even be a combination of sounds.
Jamie Laing said: “I haven’t heard silence for 8 years. The very first time I ever heard tinnitus, I woke up one morning and I got out of bed, and I could hear this ringing noise.
“And I was looking around, thinking where the hell is this noise coming from? Then it suddenly dawned on me that it was inside my own head. For anyone who’s ever experienced tinnitus that is a really scary moment.
“I would spend a lot of time in nightclubs, but I never wore anything to protect my ears. I should have done and everyone should be protecting their ears. My tinnitus sounds like a dog whistle, with a whooshing noise surrounding it as well.
“So it takes me a lot to cry and I was shooting a television show called Hunted, and in it my tinnitus was so bad. People were asking me questions and I couldn’t hear what they were saying because the ringing was so overbearing. It was so loud, and I was like, this is the moment. This is the moment where tinnitus is going to take over.
“The amazing thing is RNID is doing some incredible work, and through this amazing campaign they are raising money which will go directly towards tinnitus research to silence tinnitus for good.”
Franki Oliver, Audiology Manager at RNID, said: “Tinnitus is in fact much more common than many people realise. Around 1 in 7 adults have tinnitus; that’s over 7 million adults in the UK!
“There is support out there with a range of professional tinnitus management options as well as self-management techniques available that can be helpful.
“Thank you to Jamie Laing for sharing his story and raising awareness of tinnitus and how RNID can support people living with the condition.”
Download your free tinnitus guide at rnid.org.uk/tinnitus
Tinnitus Facts:
· Tinnitus is in fact more common than many people realise. Around 1 in 7 adults have tinnitus. That’s over 7 million adults in the UK.
· Tinnitus sounds different for different people. Many people describe their tinnitus as a ringing sound, but some people hear other sounds such as buzzing, whooshing, clicking, hissing, or even a combination of sounds.
· Tinnitus is known to be more common in people with hearing loss. However, people without hearing loss can also have tinnitus.
· Tinnitus can be caused by loud noise exposure, but this is not the only cause. Tinnitus can be caused by certain ear conditions and other medical conditions. and other medical conditions. Sometimes there is no clear cause.