More than 500 people with a passion for community health and social care will have the chance to make history at the first ever annual National Care Service Forum in Perth.
Attendees will be given the chance to shape the future of the National Care Service in a ground breaking opportunity for social care users, families, carers and staff to share their thoughts about the National Care Service and contribute to its design.
The National Care Service is being created following an Independent Review of Adult Social Care Services in 2021, which recommended reforming social care in Scotland and strengthening national accountability for social care support.
It will be the most significant development in health and social care since the establishment of the NHS. The Forum is part of a commitment to work with the real experts – those with lived experience of working or receiving health and social care services – to ensure we can develop an organisation that is fit for purpose, and that takes into account growing demand.
Minister for Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “From the day I took up the role as Minister for Health and Social Care I have been clear that the loudest voice on the future should come from those with living experience.
“Today’s event marks a monumental step towards a National Care Service, bringing together hundreds of people who are passionate about community health and social care, about continuing to make things better, and about developing an NCS that will be serve the people of Scotland for generations to come.
“Those attending will play their part in ensuring the voices of those who use or deliver community health and social care are heard. We must never lose sight of the fact that we’re undertaking this work for people and families and hundreds of workers. Those who are gathering today will write their names into Scotland’s history books by shaping the biggest shake-up of health services since the NHS.
“This is the biggest reform of public services since the formation of the National Health Service. A change of this scale will take time if we are to get it right. The sooner we start, the sooner we will be able to deliver better support for everyone.”
There’s still time to take part in the Forum online. Participants can join via the link
There are other ways people can get involved. The Lived Experience Experts Panel was recently launched to allow adults in Scotland to take part in the National Care Service co-design process. Applications remain open.
Voices of people with dementia, their families and carers to shape new strategy
People with dementia and their carers will be at the forefront of improving the help and support they receive as a ‘National Conversation’ is launched on the condition.
This will be the first step towards a new dementia strategy. People living with dementia, their families and carers will be given the opportunity to spell out what is important to them, what needs to change, and how to build on the first dementia strategy in 2010.
This National Conversation will include a series of online and in-person discussions to make it as easy as possible to contribute. The responses will feed into a new strategy – driven by the National Dementia Lived Experience Panel – which will provide tangible ways to improve the lives of those living with the condition.
This builds on existing work on dementia. Last year the Scottish Government provided an additional £3.5 million over two years to strengthen the support given people with dementia and their families after a diagnosis. This funding is on top of an estimated £2.2 billion spent on dementia by local delivery partners annually.
Minister for Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “Scotland has a track record in supporting people living with dementia, as shown by our world leading commitment to provide immediate support in the first year after people receive a dementia diagnosis.
“If we are to improve that record further, we need to put people and carers at the vanguard of our policy work – helping us develop a new story together that improves the understanding of dementia and allows more people to live well with it.”
Responses will be open until Monday 5 December. The Scottish Government will work with the Lived Experience Panel to develop responses into a fully-formed, outcomes-focused Strategy. This will be published by April 2023.
Pupils around the globe will celebrate International Walk to School Month this October.
Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking is urging UK families to join in and enjoy the benefits of safer streets and being active.
Data released by the Department for Transport this week revealed that car usage and road casualties in Great Britain started to increase again in 2021, the year that lockdown ended.
Members of the public are being asked to share their #WalkToSchoolStories to celebrate the benefits that come from walking to school.
Living Streets, the UK charity behind the biggest walk to school campaign is encouraging families to leave the car at home for International Walk to School Month this October.
Pupils around the globe will walk to school to celebrate International Walk to School Month and Living Streets is urging UK families to join them.
The results of the Reported road casualties Great Britain data released by the Department for Transport (29 September 2022) show that we drove more in 2021, the year that lockdown ended, than in 2020. At the same time, road casualties started to increase.
Casualty numbers remained lower than the pre-pandemic levels but are higher compared to 2020 when restrictions were tighter and motor traffic usage lower.
Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We all saw the benefits to our health and air quality when we walked more and drove less. Quieter streets are safer, cleaner and healthier streets. Where possible we should avoid a return to the car and instead walk, wheel or cycle our short journeys.
“Making small changes can also help alleviate some of the rising living costs we are all facing, while we reap the health, social and environmental benefits of moving more.”
Living Streets is being supported this year by Dr Ronx, who has joined the charity as the celebrity ambassador for WOW – their walk to school challenge. The children’s television presenter and emergency doctor is joining the charity in encouraging more families to walk to school.
A generation ago, 70 per cent of children in Great Britain walked to school but now it’s dropped to around half.
Dr Ronx said: “October is International Walk to School Month – the perfect opportunity to give walking to school a go. Walking to school is simple, fun and free. More children walking to school means fewer cars around the school gates, better air quality, less congestion and less road danger.
“With notable increases in air pollution, rising childhood inactivity and post-lockdown poor mental health, encouraging children to be more active and ditching school run drives for more sustainable modes of transport is imperative.”
Living Streets is running a prize draw throughout October and encouraging people to share their #WalkToSchoolStories, whether they are walking to school now with children or grandchildren or sharing a childhood memory.
To enter the prize draw and for free walking resources, visit:
The Committee is seeking views from individuals and organisations about female participation in sport at both a community and elite level and how female sport is supported, reported, and promoted.
The Committee is keen to understand what barriers limit female participation in sport and physical activity and what can be done to remove these. This will include investigating additional barriers to participation, such as ethnicity and disability.
Launching the inquiry, Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“During our inquiry into the health and wellbeing of children and young people, we heard evidence of a significant decline in participation in sport and physical activity by adolescent girls.
“This has prompted the Committee to launch a dedicated inquiry into barriers to female participation in sport and physical activity and how these might be overcome.
“Statistics show that female participation in sport and physical activity in Scotland is lower than that of males from the age of 11 years old, with typically a 10% gender gap in participation.
“This has clear negative repercussions on the long-term health and wellbeing of women and girls.
“Today, we are launching a call for views to find out more about the barriers women and girls of all ages face in participating in sport and physical activity. We are particularly keen to hear the experiences of those with a disability, from ethnic minority or economically deprived backgrounds or who may face other barriers to participation in sport and physical activity.
“Our aim is to identify actions that should be taken to help increase the numbers of women and girls participating in sport and physical activity, and crucially to make recommendations to ensure they are able to remain active throughout their lives.”
Suicide prevention will be ramped up as the Government and COSLA publish a 10-year strategy to tackle the factors and inequalities that can lead to suicide.
The strategy will draw on levers across national and local government to address the underlying social issues that can cause people to feel suicidal, while making sure the right support is there for people and their families.
This fresh approach will help people at the earliest possible opportunity and aim to reduce the number of suicides – ensuring efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, debt, and addiction include measures to address suicide.
The Scottish Government will fund the Scottish Recovery Network as part of the initial three-year action plan. This will boost community peer-support groups to allow people to discuss their feelings and drive down suicide.
The strategy is supported by record funding through the Programme for Government commitment to double the annual budget to £2.8 million by 2025-2026. It will build on the work of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and continue delivering the existing ‘Every Life Matters’ action plan.
Launching the ‘Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032’, Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Every death by suicide is a tragedy and, while the number of deaths have fallen in recent years, I want to use every lever at our disposal to drive that down further.
“That’s why we are taking a new approach to suicide prevention – considering all the social issues that can lead people to feel suicidal, while supporting those contemplating suicide and their loved ones.
“Peer support is an effective way to support people in their communities, helping them to feel heard and understood. I’m pleased this strategy will provide funding for the Scottish Recovery Network to continue its vital work for people experiencing – and recovering from – mental health issues.”
Councillor Kelly, the COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This approach to suicide prevention will build on the work taking place across local areas in Scotland.
“It will see the partnerships across communities strengthened and build on the collaboration between local and national work to ensure we share the knowledge and insights to help drive suicide prevention forward.
“This strategy will see work which reaches into new areas beyond the traditional settings of health and social care such as education, justice and physical activity, so we can truly see suicide prevention as Everyone’s Business.”
A Scottish Parliament inquiry has concluded by calling for urgent, coordinated action across all levels of Government in the UK to tackle health inequalities in Scotland.
A wide-ranging report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee calls for urgent action to address health inequalities, and for tackling poverty to be considered a major public health priority at all levels of Government in order to address this.
The Committee heard evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapidly rising cost of living have further exacerbated Scotland’s health inequalities.
The Committee is calling for action across the UK and the Scottish governments, and by local authorities, which it says is essential if these inequalities are to be tackled effectively. This includes further public service reform and strategic action across multiple policy areas.
Among its recommendations, the Committee is calling for action on education, employment and housing to improve health outcomes and better tackle health inequalities. It says safe, secure and affordable housing must be available for all and highlights the significant impact planning policy can have on health outcomes and, if implemented poorly, in widening inequalities.
In compiling its report, the majority of the Committee agreed with the recommendation by the Glasgow Centre of Population Health that, within budget constraints, the UK Government should take action to align benefits and tax credits with inflation and to reinstate the uplift in Universal Credit introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report also highlights extensive evidence submitted to the inquiry that informal and unpaid caring has a disproportionate impact on health outcomes and that informal carers face significant health inequalities as a result.
To address this issue, the Committee calls on the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland to provide more targeted support for carers.
Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“The evidence is clear that health inequalities in Scotland continue to grow, while the pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis will only exacerbate these inequalities further.
“A number of witnesses contributing to the inquiry argued that, over the past decade, UK Government policies on austerity have also had a negative impact on health inequalities in Scotland.
“We are particularly concerned that the rising cost of living will have a greater negative impact on those groups already experiencing health inequalities, including those living in poverty and those with a disability.
“Government action to date to tackle health inequalities has not been enough in the face of decades-long, major impacts on household incomes. We are calling for urgent action across all levels of government to reduce these stark inequalities which have real life and death consequences.
“There is currently no overarching national strategy for tackling health inequalities in Scotland. Meanwhile, evidence submitted to our inquiry has revealed multiple instances where the design and delivery of public services may be exacerbating inequalities rather than reducing them. We need to deliver further public service reform to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen.
“The reasons why we have failed to make progress in tackling health inequalities are many and varied. Reducing these will require bold and strategic action across all levels of government and by a range of government departments. Tackling health inequalities must be a major public health priority because lives literally depend on it.”
Other key findings in the report include:
The Committee express concern that certain vulnerable families report being excluded from free childcare provision, including those who care for disabled children and those who do not have a standard Monday-Friday work pattern.
A majority of the Committee is supportive of the concept of a universal basic income and calls on the Scottish Government to work with the relevant UK agencies to consider whether a pilot of the policy could take place in Scotland in order to begin to address health inequalities. A Committee majority would also like to see the implementation of a minimum income guarantee in Scotland.
One in three of us will suffer sight loss in our lifetime, yet half of this could be avoided. Routine eye tests, to ensure early detection and treatment of eye conditions, and adopting healthy lifestyles are key to preventing unnecessary sight loss; however, the findings of a new report reveal many of us lack even the most basic ‘know-how’ when it comes to looking after our vision and eye health.
“Many of us lack even the most basic ‘know-how’ when it comes to looking after our vision and eye health”
The Eye Q report, commissioned by Eye Health UK and Thomas Pocklington Trust to mark National Eye Health Week (19–25 September), found just one in four of us rate routine eye tests as important for maintaining good eye health. Worryingly, the report also found more than 17.5million of us haven’t had an eye test in the last two years, as recommended; with men and minority ethnic groups most likely to skip this essential health check.
As well as fears about the cost of eye care, the misnomer that ‘if your eyes are fine you don’t need to have an eye test’ was a common reason not getting eyes checked.
The report also uncovered a shocking lack of awareness of ‘reg flag’ symptoms linked to sight-threatening eye conditions. Despite being symptoms of retinal detachment – a condition requiring urgent treatment to avoid permanent sight loss – only one in five of us (19%) would seek same-day medical attention if we suddenly saw lots of flashes and floaters in our vision, and fewer than half of us (48%) would take urgent action if we saw a shadow, veil or curtain over our vision.
When it comes to understanding how lifestyle can impact risk of sight loss, a meagre eight per cent of us link exercise and eye health despite evidence showing being physically active can slash the risk of visual impairment.
Eighty per cent of us are in the dark about the eye health benefits of eating a nutritionally-balanced diet; just four in 10 (38%) understand exposure to the sun’s UV can impact eye health, and, a paltry 13 per cent link smoking and sight loss, even though smoking is a direct cause of sight loss, including macular degeneration – the UK’s leading cause of blindness.
Awareness that the menopause can affect eye health was also woefully low, with just 13 per cent of peri- & menopausal women making a connection between the two, despite ‘the change’ triggering dry eye and blepharitis, and, increasing the risk of glaucoma and cataracts.
UV protection is vital to prevent poor eye health and future sight loss, however, one in five believe eyes only need protecting on sunny days, when in fact, eyes should be protected whenever the UV index rises to three or more,[5] even if the skies are cloudy, as 90 per cent of UV can transmit through the clouds.[6]
With increasing screen use more and more of us are suffering screen fatigue – headaches, sore or tired eyes and temporary blurring of our vision – because we don’t know how to be screen smart. Just one in seven of us follow the 20-20-20 rule [look away from your screen every 20 minutes and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds]; only 28 per cent adjust room lighting and four in five don’t consciously blink.
Other misconceptions about factors that can have a negative impact on vision and eye health include:
75% of us think it’s okay to shower in contact lenses. It’s not. Contacts should be removed before showering to prevent water-borne infection.
72% of us are unaware of the dangers of using old mascara. Using mascara that’s been open for more than three or four months is a common cause of eye irritation and infection.
65% of us think reading in dim light could damage our eyes. It won’t. It will simply highlight any existing imperfection.
56% of us are unaware that rubbing our eyes could be harmful. However, excessive rubbing is linked to keratoconus – a condition that distorts your vision.
With little knowledge about how to care for our eyes and factors that can affect them it’s probably no surprise the report found 77 per cent us suffered poor eye health in the last 12 months, whilst more than half of us (52%) say our daily lives have been disrupted by the quality of our vision – affecting our ability to do, or enjoy, daily things like household chores, driving, reading or our hobbies.
The state of our eye health also affected our emotions and mental well-being. Fifty-five per cent of respondents say their vision affected their mental state – leaving them feeling frustrated (24%), anxious (16%) or stressed (13%). The affect of eye health on mental state was particularly prevalent amongst people living with sight loss[7], with 76 per cent saying their vision had affected their mental health.
Commenting on the report David Cartwright, optometrist and chair of Eye Health UK said:“With 60 per cent of us worrying about our long-term vision it’s time for us to wise up and learn how to look after our eyes.
“Making some simple changes to our lifestyle and having regular eye tests could give your eye health a boost and prevent future sight loss.”
Mike Bell, Head of Public Affairs and Campaigns at Thomas Pocklington Trust added: “The Eye Q report has revealed how little knowledge there is about the importance of eye health, including amongst people already living with some form of sight loss.
“Looking after your eyes is just as important as looking after the rest of your body. Regular eye health checks can help prevent or limit the damage done by many eye conditions. They can also help identify the signs of other health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. The message is clear, get regular eye health checks and never ignore changes in your vision.”
Visit the National Eye Health Week website (visionmatters.org.uk) to check your risk of future sight loss using on the online eye health calculator.
Appointment letters for winter vaccines inviting those aged 5 and over who are at higher risk of COVID-19 or flu are being sent out by NHS Lothian via post, e-mail or text over the next five weeks.
This includes those with certain underlying health conditions such as chronic respiratory, liver, kidney, heart or neurological disease, diabetes or with a severely weakened immune system.
More than two million people in Scotland will be offered vaccines over the next three months – with those most at risk the first to be vaccinated to protect themselves and help relieve pressure on the NHS.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director for Primary and Community Care for NHS Lothian, who is overseeing the delivery of this year’s programme, said: “We strongly recommend those who are more vulnerable to serious complications from COVID-19 and flu get the vaccines. Both COVID-19 and flu can be serious even if you are healthy.
“Protection fades over time, so it’s important to restore it by having the vaccines when offered them. If you are unable to make the appointment time, please follow the instructions on your letter to rearrange it.”
Appointment letters will include information about how carers aged 16 and over and people aged 5 and over who live with someone with a weakened immune system can book an appointment.
If you have a condition and do not receive an appointment letter, you can check whether you are eligible and book an appointment at NHS Inform. Appointments for children under 16 must be booked by calling 0800 030 8013.
All people aged 65 or over should have received a scheduled appointment for COVID-19 and flu vaccinations by now. If you have not yet received this you can book an appointment at NHS Inform.
Those who are pregnant are also eligible and should speak to their midwife if they do not yet have an appointment.
If you are aged 50 to 64 with no additional risk factors, please wait to be contacted about your winter vaccination appointment.
Smile Train and Kids Operating Room poised to launch Solar Surgery System
Global health NGOs, Smile Train and Kids Operating Room (KidsOR), have announced an ambitious plan to reduce the cost and carbon footprint of surgery, while increasing quality and patient safety, across low- and middle-income countries, starting in Africa.
After a successful four-month solar panel pilot program at a mock operating room in Dundee, where KidsOR is based, the two organizationsare moving forward to provide sustainable, reliable power to operating rooms in parts of Africa where the main power grid is unstable and power outages are common.
“This initiative aims to give consistent and reliable power to medical professionals in the operating room that will enhance patient care and safety while protecting much needed medical equipment that can be damaged when there’s a voltage irregularity with the main power grid,” said Susannah Schaefer, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Smile Train.
“We work closely with the team at KidsOR on hospital infrastructure projects and we asked them if they could develop a solution to this significant, multifaceted problem.”
Power cuts in African hospitals can severely impact on patient care with many hospitals suffering from hundreds of hours of power outage each month. In some cases, these power cuts last for days. Meanwhile, when they’re working at full capacity, operating rooms are a significant source of greenhouse gas production for hospitals.
To help tackle this dual challenge, Smile Train and KidsOR will begin implementing stand-alone solar battery support systems in pediatric operating rooms in Africa in 2023, with the first hospitals being identified now. Solar panels will be mounted on the roof of a facility, which will charge a battery unit capable of powering medical equipment in an operating room continually during daylight and for a further six hours after sunset.
Picking up the challenge to develop a surgery specific power system, Garreth Wood, chairman of KidsOR, responded: “Our team are experts at working in remote and challenging environments and we approached this with a view that we had to provide seamless power supply to the operating rooms of even the most remote hospitals.
“Our solution is a combination of solar systems with some new developments, some of which are so unique that we 3D print them for each project. We can now deploy a power unit that removes reliance on the national grid, requires no diesel generator back-up, reduces the carbon footprint of each operation, increases patient safety and integrates high tech activities like anaesthetic gas scavenging to even the world’s most remote hospital.”
The non-profits say their shared model is to strengthen the local healthcare system and give the local doctors tools and skills needed to care for their own population.
Garreth continued: “This unique solar surgery system makes the best possible care available to the most vulnerable and remote child. While improving health today, this partnership will also make sure we aren’t contributing to the climate change burdens of tomorrow.
Smile Train and KidsOR work together in countries around the world to increase capacity for safe pediatric surgery, including lifesaving cleft lip and palate surgeries.
About Smile Train:Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children’s lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train’s sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.
About KidsOR: Kids Operating Room is a global health NGO that works directly with local surgeons and their teams across Africa and South America. Transforming hospital spaces into dedicated Operating Rooms for children’s surgery, we create child-friendly surroundings and provide surgeons with the specialist equipment they need to care for their nation’s children.
We also fund training of surgeons and anaesthesia providers and work with National Ministries of Health to develop sustainable healthcare services. www.KidsOR.org
New research has found that 29% of tradespeople in Edinburgh are exposed to asbestos every single year.
Ahead of Mesothelioma Awareness Day tomorrow (26th September), an event aiming to bring more attention to the dangers of asbestos, ElectricalDirectsurveyed trade workers from across the nation to see how often they encounter it, and the impact this has on their health.
The study found that 57% of tradespeople in Edinburgh have come across asbestos – the fibre-like material once used for insulation – in their working lives.
This has serious consequences, with 14% having had symptoms of an asbestos-related disease, or knowing a colleague who has.
Tradespeople are amongst the most at-risk workers of asbestos-related diseases, and across all industries, the majority are exposed to the potentially lethal material on a regular basis. Three in five (60%) find it every year, over a third (35%) say every month, and one in 12 (8%) come face to face with asbestos every day.
Tragically, one in 20 (5%) know someone who has died of such a condition, and every week, 20 tradespeople deaths are attributed to asbestos.
Some trades are more likely to be exposed than others, and so should be particularly cautious. Almost every carpenter (95%) questioned had some history with asbestos, and bricklayers (88%) are a close second.
The trades that are most likely to encounter asbestos are:
With such severe consequences, it’s important that tradespeople know the warning signs of the diseases, and consult a doctor straight away if any appear. Dr Rhianna McClymont, Lead GP at Livi, the digital healthcare provider, says that asbestosis causes a range of symptoms, including:
Persistent cough
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Pain in the chest or shoulder
Tiredness Swollen or ‘clubbed’ fingertips
However, ElectricalDirect’s research found that the majority of UK tradespeople are unaware of these symptoms. When asked to identify the signs of asbestosis, almost two-thirds (64%) failed to select a persistent cough, and over half (55%) didn’t pick out shortness of breath.
Dr Rhianna explains more about the condition:
What is abestosis?
“Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease caused by breathing in large amounts of asbestos dust for a long time. The asbestos gets lodged in the lungs causing scarring around the air sacs (alveoli), which means oxygen can’t reach the bloodstream easily. The scarring leads to the lungs hardening, making it more difficult to breathe because the lungs cannot hold as much air as they used to.”
What causes it?
“The condition is caused by long-term exposure to asbestos, a material used in the past for cement, insulation, car parts, and some roof and floor tiles. The fibres in asbestos break down into little pieces when they’re damaged, released into the air and then breathed in. These fibres get stuck in the lungs, and over a long time, can cause permanent lung damage.”
Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at ElectricalDirect, said: “Despite being banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos is a still a real issue in the industry, and it’s awful that so many tradespeople die from related diseases every year.
“Some people might not experience symptoms for decades after their exposure to the material, so it’s important that individuals remain vigilant, and see a doctor immediately if they spot any signs.”
