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
“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.
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.”
· 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.
International Development Minister Christina McKelvie has pledged £500,000 to help contain a deadly cholera outbreak in Zambia.
The funding comes in response to an emergency appeal from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies (IFRC) for funding to support measures including contact tracing, vaccination and the supply of safe drinking water.
As of 27 January, 14,900 confirmed cases and 560 deaths have been recorded as a result of the outbreak, with all 10 of Zambia’s provinces reporting cases.
The IFRC reports this rapid escalation has put a strain on local health services and schools throughout the country have been closed in attempt to stop further spread of the disease.
International Development Minister Christina McKelvie said: “The next few weeks will be crucial to prevent this severe and rapidly growing cholera epidemic from escalating further.
“Particularly ahead of Zambia’s rainy season, as the majority of vulnerable communities have no access to clean water and sanitation facilities, which are essential to prevent the spread of cholera.
“This funding reflects the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to ensure Scotland fulfils its role as a good global citizen through international development and humanitarian work, as well as our longstanding partnership with Zambia.”
Rob Murray, Director for Scotland, British Red Cross, said: “Volunteers and staff from the Zambian Red Cross Society are leading the response to the cholera outbreak in the country, alongside the Zambia Ministry of Health, and this funding will help to carry out vital training for volunteers who will be at the forefront of the response in the affected communities.
“Speed is critical in dealing with an outbreak such as this therefore we are extremely grateful for the swift response and leadership the Scottish Government has shown in providing these funds.”
First Minister kickstarts conversation to promote a positive vision for a fairer society
First Minister Humza Yousaf has held a roundtable with practitioners and leaders who are working to promote positive masculinity in their broader approach to achieving equality across our communities.
This involves highlighting to boys and men the benefits that positive masculinity can provide for their everyday lives including mental health and wellbeing as well as positive relations. It also includes highlighting the harm that can be caused by negative behaviours associated with ‘toxic masculinity’ which may also manifest itself in sexism, misogyny and abuse or violence against women and girls.
In his Programme for Government speech, the First Minister committed to leading on this issue.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I am committed to leading on this issue as I believe it’s important to have a vision for masculinity that is uplifting and positive so the negative male role models we are all aware of can be challenged.
“If we can promote positive masculinity, then we address deep rooted inequalities in our society, and tackle the root cause of violence against women and girls, namely abusive behaviour perpetrated by men.
“We need to create the safe spaces for boys and men to come together to talk, without judgement about the challenges they face, the anxieties they have and to talk about the positive male identity.
“We need to be aware of the outcomes for boys of not having this: educational outcomes, mental health and relationships can all be affected at both personal and societal level.
“Having a vision of positive masculinity, and adequate support for boys and young men, can support them to have better outcomes, and can also benefit all of society including helping to reduce abuse and violence.
“I look forward to continue working to achieve a vison of a fairer and more equal society.”
Young people in England set to benefit from 140 new or refurbished youth centres thanks to latest funding round from the UK Government’s Youth Investment Fund of £90 million
Nearly 20,000 more young people will have access to dance, drama and sport as part of the Government’s latest investment in youth services
140 more youth centres to be built or refurbished backed by over £90 million from the Youth Investment Fund
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer officially opens The Chichester Shed – the first new build youth centre funded by the Youth Investment Fund
Young people in villages, towns and cities across England are set to benefit from 140 new or refurbished youth centres thanks to the largest funding round to date from the Government’s Youth Investment Fund.
Totalling more than £90 million, funding announced today (3 February) will support nearly 20,000 more young people per year to access new state of the art facilities such as workshop spaces, sports halls, art rooms, recording studios and skateparks.
Activities ranging from dance, drama and music to sport, horticulture and employment skills development will be on offer, giving young people access to opportunities that broaden their horizons.
Today also marks a major milestone with the very first new build youth centre funded by the Youth Investment Fund opening its doors.
Located in a deprived area with high levels of antisocial behaviour, The Chichester Shed has used a grant of over £420,000 to build a brand new space to support more than 120 young people. The open access service will provide a space to relax and learn new skills, with activities including woodworking, yoga and skateboarding available.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “I want to see every young person have someone to talk to, something to do, and somewhere to go outside of the classroom, no matter where they are from, to help maximise their potential in life.
“This next round of funding from the Youth Investment Fund will help nearly 20,000 more young people achieve this goal.
“We have now committed to building or refurbishing over 220 projects in some of the country’s most underserved areas, creating more opportunities for young people to gain the skills needed to succeed in life and stopping them from falling through the cracks.”
The Youth Investment Fund has now allocated £250 million of its more than £300 million budget to services in areas of the country where need is high and provision is low.
It will engage young people most in need, including those that might have otherwise been at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour or falling out of education, training or employment.
This is the latest announcement that forms part of the Government’s ambition to make sure young people are supported with positive and engaging opportunities both in and outside of school hours.
Clare de Bathe, CEO of Chichester Community Development Trust said: “The Chichester Shed will provide an informal, dynamic and versatile space where young people can connect, learn and experience new activities.
“The space will be a haven for all ages and backgrounds to use throughout the school day and holidays, including intergenerational activities where boundaries can be broken down as well as adult education sessions and group workshops delivered.
“The funding has enabled the project ideas to be brought to a reality and we cannot wait to open the doors.”
Examples of other youth centres receiving grants in this funding round include:
Bodies in Motion, Pendle – a combined grant of over £1.4 million will pay for the refurbishment of Orchid House Gym with new changing facilities and equipment, supporting 290 additional young people a week. The Garden Project will create a community-focused garden and greenhouse facility, engaging an additional 400 young people through therapeutic horticultural activities to promote a sense of wellbeing.
Youth Options, Southampton – a new community café and training centre, backed by £1.2 million investment, will provide a safe haven for nearly 100 additional young people a week in a disadvantaged part of the city.The café will offer training in catering and hospitality, and will be targeted at those not in education, employment, and training, while the indoor space will be transformed to create new activity space and a counselling room.
Positive Futures, Liverpool – The Positive Futures hub will be expanded to provide a sensory room, music rooms, art space, large sports hall and virtual reality spaces to support 250 additional young people a week.
Tinside Cove and Lido, Plymouth – two listed buildings at the Tinside Lido will be renovated to provide space for nearly 300 more young people a week to benefit from new training and educational programmes, while the lido will be used for swimming, snorkelling, diving and life-saving classes.
Weymouth West Air Scouts, Weymouth – The Scouts building will be refurbished with a new shower room, extended kitchen and three breakout rooms, doubling the building’s size and enabling them to run multiple activities at the same time. The project will support nearly 80 more young people a week.
Nick Temple, CEO of Social Investment Business said: “The Youth Investment Fund is transforming the youth service landscape right across the country, enabling youth centres of all shapes and sizes to enhance their services and reach more young people.
I”t’s very exciting to see the first Youth Investment Fund newbuild open its doors to Chichester’s young people today. Before securing the funding, these young people had nowhere safe to go, and nothing to do after school.
“Young people now have a brand-new youth centre, inspired by their ideas and needs, giving them every opportunity to thrive and discover their passions. The Youth Investment Fund is truly unlocking potential and creating a legacy for future generations of young people in communities like this across the country.”
Denise Hatton, Chair of Back Youth Alliance said: “We are delighted that nearly 20,000 young people will be able to access new and refurbished youth clubs through the latest instalment of the National Youth Guarantee.
“With mental health, loneliness and anti-social behaviour all on the rise, now more than ever young people need a safe space to go, a trusted adult to speak to and access to positive activities in their communities all year round.
Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), said: “This multi million-pound investment is so much more than skateparks, sports halls and art rooms. It’s an investment in the resilience, confidence and independence of young people, which thanks to the on-going impact of a pandemic and cost of living crisis, has never been more needed.
“We at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award know first-hand that when you invest in young people, there is no limit to what they can achieve. The government’s National Youth Guarantee has brought the DofE to thousands of young people in England for the first time, breaking down barriers and providing life-shaping activities and volunteering opportunities.”
Today’s announcement forms the latest part of the Government’s ‘National Youth Guarantee’, that will ensure every young person aged 11-18 in England has access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home, and volunteering opportunities by 2025, backed by an investment of over £500 million.
The National Youth Guarantee will provide greater access to activities such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and the National Citizen Service, and uniformed youth groups such as Scouts, Girlguiding, and Cadets.
To further support giving young people the best start in life, in September 2023 the Government announced the opening of the second phase of the £19 million Million Hours Fund, designed to create more than one million additional hours of youth centre provision in areas with high numbers of antisocial behaviour incidents.
Some good news for youth work facilities south of the border then, but here in North Edinburgh the future for children and families provision is looking far from positive. MORE ON THAT NEXT WEEK …
Bringing together women with the condition, clinicians, researchers and support services, it will aim to discuss Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from the perspective of those diagnosed with it, and from the medical community.
The event will also highlight support that is currently available to those diagnosed with PCOS and consider new emerging research around it.
Mick Rae, Professor of Reproductive Biology at Edinburgh Napier, and event co-organiser said: “The aim of this event is to ensure PCOS is better understood, and more effectively supported.
“By teaming up with PCOS Relief, we hope to drive awareness, understanding and support for all dealing with the condition.”
Chand Kaur, Founder and Chief Executive of PCOS Relief, will be on the expert panel. She said: “We set up PCOS Relief to provide support to women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, while advancing education, equality, and dedicated support services.
“This is the first event of its kind that we have ever put on, so have high hopes that it will help us achieve those aims.”
Professor Colin Duncan, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine in Edinburgh and expert panel member, who will address clinical and diagnostic aspects of the condition, said: “Polycystic ovary syndrome is a very common condition that isn’t talked about enough.
“There are a lot of myths about PCOS and educational events such as this can highlight what we know already about this condition, and what we need to focus on in the future”.
Dr Kasia Siemienowicz, Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University, will also appear on the expert panel to discuss new PCOS findings emerging from Edinburgh-based research. She said: “In addition to the more widely known impacts upon fertility, those with PCOS are at increased risk of developing metabolic dysfunctions and obesity.
“These issues can pose significant health, well-being, and economic burdens. Therefore it is critical to better understand PCOS, and ultimately, to advance future treatments.”
Campus building photography 2020 by Student Ambassador Adriana-Iloana Cosma. Craiglockhart iecture theatre interior.
Professor Peter Barlow, Director of Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Biomedicine and Global Health said: “Public-facing events like this, where individuals can share their experience of PCOS with researchers, clinicians, and the wider public, can encourage more holistic approaches to PCOS care and research.
“As a multi-disciplinary group of scientists focused upon understanding origins and causes of disease, we are absolutely delighted to work with the charity PCOS Relief to support this effort.”
Professor Anna Glasier OBE, Women’s Health Champion for Scotland said: “PCOS affects women throughout the life course with symptoms often starting in the teenage years. PCOS does not go away.
“Although the menstrual symptoms disappear with the menopause, postmenopausal women who have PCOS are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease.
“The Women’s Health platform on NHS Inform now provides a lot of information on PCOS including a short, helpful video explaining what it is and what treatments may be useful.
“This platform, together with meetings like this one will help women and healthcare providers have a greater understanding of PCOS.”
Event details:
Date: Thursday 7th March 2024
Time: 6pm – 8:30pm
Venue: Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh Napier University Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH14 1DJ
NHS Education for Scotland and NHS England Education & Training back awareness raising work
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has launched a powerful UK-wide campaign to raise awareness and encourage zero tolerance of sexual misconduct in healthcare.
The ‘Let’s Remove It’ (#LetsRemoveIt) campaign has been activated in response to the alarming findings uncovered by the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery (WPSMS) and the Surviving in Scrubs group, which highlighted the harassment and sexual abuse faced by many in surgery.
The campaign will be driven by a newly formed action committee within RCSEd, The Hunter Doig Group, named after two pioneering women in surgery and consisting of 30 female representatives dedicated to wiping out sexual misconduct and serving as mentors, advocates, and guardians of a new era of respect within the medical profession.
It comes as a report by the WPSMS highlighted how a staggering 89% women and 81% men have witnessed sexual misconduct in the surgical profession in the last five years.
The ‘Let’s Remove It’ campaign will include:
· An online hub of resources and signposting for support
· Hard-hitting posters and billboards around UK hospitals
· An updated Code of Conduct developed for members of RCSEd
· A series of webinars on dealing with sexual misconduct, women in surgery and related topics
Clare McNaught, Vice President of RCSEd, who is leading the campaign, said: “This behaviour simply must not happen and the culture that has allowed it to happen must be wiped out.
“Our campaign says ‘Let’s Remove It’ – we are all in this together and can unite to eliminate sexual misconduct in surgery.
“Sexual misconduct in any form is an assault on dignity and encompasses a range of unwanted actions that create an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for survivors.
“This can include sexual comments or jokes, displaying sexualised pictures, inappropriate emails, texts or WhatsApp messages, unwelcome physical contact, enhanced career opportunities offered for sex, sexual assault, and rape.
“It’s also important to understand that although sexual misconduct is predominately experienced by female staff, it can affect any healthcare worker.”
RCSEd President, Professor Rowan Parks, said: “We’re acutely aware of our role as a College in supporting cultural change to ensure a safer, more inclusive workforce where respect is non-negotiable.
“By launching our ‘Let’s Remove It’ campaign, we say ‘No more’. No more turning a blind eye. No more accepting the unacceptable. This must be a watershed moment for our profession.”
NHS England Education and Training and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are backing the campaign’s roll-out.
Sheona MacLeod, Director of Education and Training in NHS England, said: “We are working hard to improve the learning and working environment in the NHS and are very supportive of this campaign that aims to remove sexual misconduct from surgical teams.
“The NHS needs to welcome surgeons from all backgrounds and genders and harmful cultures must change.”
Professor Emma Watson, Executive Medical Director at NES, said: “We are very supportive of this important campaign that aims to remove sexual misconduct from surgery in Scotland.
“Education and training in our NHS are about more than technical skills – respectful, safe, inclusive conduct is just as crucial and a culture that does not support this must be wiped out.”
The campaign focussing on sexual misconduct builds on RCSEd’s ongoing work to eradicate bullying and undermining in surgery and highlight the destructive impact such unacceptable behaviours have on clinicians and patient care.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
At the beginning of 2024 you may have created a new healthy resolution for the year and now is the time to start thinking about how to maintain it. Creating a new habit or stopping an old one can be difficult, and with motivation at its lowest during the winter months, it can be easy for habits to slip.
A study found that on average it takes 66 days to make a habit become an automatic part of your routine.
Here are some tips to help you change your short-term habit into a long-term one:
Goal setting
When setting your goals, it can be beneficial to make SMART targets to help you maintain them.
Be Specific, do you want to increase the amount of walking or running you do, or do you want to eat more fruits and vegetables?
Make sure your goal is Measurable, track your progress and success.
Make it Attainable, this will help you to achieve your goal.
Keep it Relevant, make sure it helps you reach your longer-term health goals.
Ensure it’s Time-bound, set an end date to achieve your goal.
Track your progress
By tracking your progress, you can monitor your improvements, motivate yourself to go further and stay accountable for your actions.
It is also a good way to adjust or change your approach to your goal if needed, helping you to achieve it. It is easy to track your progress, you can record it in a journal or make a spreadsheet.
Support
Having the support of friends and family can help you to achieve your goals.
Having a strong support network will provide you with encouragement and guidance in your journey.
You could try and get them to set their own goals too and do it together.
Dad saved by his children urges others to learn vital skill with BHF this Heart Month
Scots are leading the way in CPR with 71 per cent having learned the skills to save a life, compared to over half (57 per cent) of respondents across the UK.
New figures released today by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland, show even more – 82 per cent – in the 16-26 age group (Gen Z) know how to perform CPR. Half (50 per cent) of this age group have learned the vital skill in school.
Almost all respondents who have learnt CPR in locations other than school (98 per cent)1 believe it is important that CPR be taught in schools.
The figures have been revealed as the medical research charity calls on the whole nation to learn CPR during Heart Month in February, with the message to help protect the heart of someone you love.
With around 80 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening in the home, you’re often likely to perform CPR on a loved one.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1752005729924329572
Despite the success in Scotland, a survey carried out for the BHF by Censuswide, also suggests an alarming number of households in Scotland still don’t have anyone who knows how to perform CPR.
Of those respondents who answered that they hadn’t learnt CPR, just over half (51 per cent) said that no-one in their household had learnt the lifesaving skill.
The survey also found generational differences in CPR awareness in Scotland:
· Gen Z (age 16-26) is best trained in CPR, with 82 per cent having learnt, compared to 75 per cent of Millennials (age 27-42), 67 per cent of the Gen X generation (age 43-58) and 65 per cent of the baby boomer (age 59-77) generation.
· 95 per cent of Scots believe that learning CPR is important1, yet only 49 per cent of respondents could pick the correct first step of CPR – making sure it’s safe to approach and checking for a response from an unconscious person.
There are over 3100 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in Scotland. Tragically, just one in ten people survive, a statistic the BHF Scotland is determined to improve by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR.
Performing immediate PR and defibrillation in the event of a cardiac arrest can be the difference between life and death.
The charity’s free and innovative online training tool RevivR can teach CPR and the correct steps of defibrillator use in just 15 minutes. Quick CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.
Learning CPR came second only to budgeting, in a list of important life skills1:
Q: How important, if at all, do you think it is to learn the below life skills?
Learning to budget
98%
Learning CPR
95%
Learning to disinfect a cut
94%
Learning to do laundry
92%
Learning to use a washing machine
91%
Learning to change a light bulb
88%
Learning to change a tyre
85%
Learning DIY
81%
Michael’s story
The Welsh family celebrate Christmas 2023
In the early hours of 2 January last year, Alison Welsh, from Broughty Ferry, Dundee was woken by the sound of husband Michael, 55, making a terrible noise.
“I thought he was snoring but when I turned round, he was purple and staring at me. I screamed for the children, who ran through, we got him off bed and started CPR immediately,” she recalls.
Her son Christopher, now 30, took the lead, beginning CPR, assisted by sister Rachel, 23, and his girlfriend Chloe, 27, who was staying at the house. All three had been members of their university canoe clubs, where they’d learned to do CPR.
“While I was on the phone to the ambulance the three of them just took over,” adds Alison. “They were incredible, taking it in turns when they got tired. Without them, Michael would not be here today. There are genuinely no words to express what my children did to save their dad, and how amazing they are. Every day we wake up thankful that he is here.”
Michael has not had any problems since the episode but now has a defibrillator fitted to monitor his heart rhythm and to deliver a shock if a dangerous, abnormal heart rhythm is detected.
He says: “Learning CPR is a simple activity that can mean the difference between life and death. I was one of the lucky ones, thankfully people were around who knew what they were doing.”
1’Very important’ and ‘Quite important’ answers combined
There has been a rise in young people in Scotland vaping in recent years, with more than 40 per cent of children and teenagers saying they’ve tried vapes by the time they reach S4.1
Vaping is a new and emerging pattern of disruptive behaviour in schools, with staff reporting reduced attendance as young people gather to vape in toilets through the school day.2
Nicotine, often found in vapes, can also be linked to stress, anxiety and struggles with sleeping. Research shows that you can become addicted to nicotine within days of starting to use it and a quarter of teens who tried vaping say they are addicted.3
To help tackle this issue the Scottish Government has launched a campaign which encourages and supports teachers to have conversations with pupils about the serious health risks of vaping.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Smoking damages lives and kills more than 8,000 people a year in Scotland and is burden on our NHS and social care services. Research also suggests that almost one in five adolescents have tried vapes.
“While E-cigarettes are one of a range of tools for adult smokers to quit smoking, they should never be used by young people or adult non-smokers. We must take action to prevent young people using vapes and becoming addicted which will damage their health, and that’s why we launched a marketing campaign. It is much easier to never start than it is to give up.”
Allie Cherry-Byrnes, CEO of Fast Forward, a voluntary education organisation, said: “We know from speaking to schools and parents during our vaping workshops that schools have seen a notable increase of vaping among pupils recently.
“The nicotine addiction associated with vaping can affect pupils’ ability to concentrate in school and schools are also seeing a negative impact on attendance.
“The campaign resources are a useful tool for teachers as they continue to speak to pupils about vaping and help young people understand the health risks involved.”
Resources linking to Curriculum for Excellence have been shared with all Scottish schools, including information and facts about vaping, posters, newsletter copy, social media assets and an expert film featuring Professor Linda Bauld talking about the impacts of vaping on young people.
Professor Linda Bauld from the University of Edinburgh said “There is a rise in young people in Scotland who vape and this is a concern. These are products that should be used by adult smokers trying to quit and not other groups.
“Although we don’t have long term evidence on health harms, we do know that many vaping products contain nicotine that can be addictive. Cravings for nicotine can lead to irritability, restlessness, feeling anxious or depressed, trouble concentrating and sleeping.
“It’s important that we communicate to young people and parents about risks and support them to have informed discussions about these products.”
Nicotine withdrawal can have an impact on a young person’s mental health making them tired, stressed and anxious. It can also affect young people’s concentration and impact their ability to learn and study. The first symptoms of nicotine dependence can appear within days or weeks of starting to occasionally vape.
The ‘Take Hold’ campaign also offers advice for parents about talking to their about vaping and features a striking image of a young person being ‘taken hold of’ by vape smoke, to highlight how vaping can quickly take hold of and impact your life.
