First Minister Humzah Yousaf has announced additional support for general practices in most deprived areas.People living in some of Scotland’s most deprived communities will benefit from an additional £1 million of funding to help tackle health inequalities.
The Inclusion Health Action in General Practice programme provides targeted funding for support to patients whose social circumstances have a negative impact on their health.
The funding is allocated directly to practices which are in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board area and feature on the list of 100 most deprived practices in Scotland.
First Minister Humza Yousaf made the announcement as he visited the New Gorbals Health Centre in Glasgow.
The First Minister said: “General practice is at the heart of our communities and is uniquely placed to deliver the care and support needed by patients who experience health inequalities.
“Of the one hundred poorest practices in the whole of Scotland, shockingly 81 currently sit within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board area – a statistic I am determined to change.
“This additional funding of £1 million will build on the foundations of previous funding. At a time when the cost of living crisis is widening health inequalities, this is an important step that supports our commitments to prevention and early intervention with patients at highest risk of poor health.”
Lorna Kelly, Chair of the Primary Care Health Inequalities Development Group said: “The NHS needs to be at its best where it is needed the most, or health inequalities will continue to worsen.
“This additional resource to general practices serving the most deprived communities in Scotland is therefore very welcome.”
“Patients continue to face long and dangerous waits as staff continue to be stretched to their limit. Ambulance queues, poor patient flow throughout our hospitals, exit block – where patients are stuck in the system in a ‘traffic jam’ – these remain prevalent across Emergency Departments in Scotland.
“We congratulate the First Minister for Scotland, Humza Yousaf MSP, on his appointment to his new role, and we welcome Michael Matheson MSP (above) to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
“We hope to continue and increase our engagement with the Scottish Government to improve patient care and staff conditions in Emergency Medicine and the wider health service.
“We urge the new Cabinet Secretary to build on the constructive engagement of his predecessor and increase focus on investing in adequate and sufficient social care to discharge patients in a timely way to free up beds.
£Alongside this, we ask him to prioritise expanding acute bed capacity across Scotland and retaining existing staff. These are the short-term priorities for Emergency Care. It would be wrong to take measures to manage demand and reduce attendances on the front door – such measures do nothing to tackle the root causes of long-term problems.
“In the long-term, we urge the new Cabinet Secretary to look at workforce planning and sustained and continued funding and investment in health and social care to ensure we do not reach the troughs of performance and patient care that we saw in 2022.
“We must reduce and eliminate dangerous and unacceptable delays to patient care that we know are associated with patient harm and patient deaths. We would welcome an opportunity to meet with the new Cabinet Secretary to discuss our Five Priorities for UK Governments for #ResuscitatingEmergencyCare.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Meal Planning
It’s 6pm, you’ve just got home from work and are about to make your evening meal, you look in the fridge and find some mince and a pepper and decide to make a chilli. You open the cupboard, grab the kidney beans, and then realise you’ve run out of chopped tomatoes.
The chilli you planned on making is no more, you don’t have the energy to go shopping so you reach for your phone and order a takeaway. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Effective meal planning can make eating healthier easier, save money, time and reduce food waste.
Read on for some meal planning tips.
Plan in advance
Planning your meals in advance is one of the most effective things you can do to make sure you eat a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet.
Seeing your week’s food together in one place can help you identify anything you might be missing. For example, you may notice you haven’t included your two portions of oily fish and can re-design your meals to incorporate them.
A shopping list is key
Once you have your meal plan, you can get to work creating your shopping list. It’s wise to do this in your kitchen so you can check what staples you have in as you go.
If you find this task boring and time consuming, try creating a list of weekly staples that you can reuse each week. You can always cross things off you don’t need that week but it can save time to have a master list and then add things to it based on what meals you’ve planned.
Utilise your freezer
Plans can change and using the freezer wisely can help. Take stock of your fridge every few days and freeze anything you’ve not ended up using. You can always cook meals you haven’t used and freeze them for a convenient meal another day.
It’s a good idea to have some basics in the freezer like frozen vegetables and cook-from-frozen fish. With basics like rice and pasta in the cupboard you can make unplanned meals easily.
Mental healthcare specialists, The Edinburgh Practice, has announced a city-wide art competition, entitled ‘Memory: Your Perspective’ in collaboration with its 2023 charity partner, Alzheimer Scotland, which will be officially unveiled at the opening of its new 6,500sq ft multi-purpose, custom built 26 room clinic in Waverley Square this summer.
The company, founded by Dr Fiona Wilson in 2017, has outgrown three sites in the city due to exponential growth over the last two years and is counting down to opening its new clinic which will include new specialist services for older adults including the provision of dementia assessments through the practice’s new Memory Clinic.
The competition, which has five categories; primary school pupils, secondary school pupils, adults aged 18-65, adults aged 65 plus, and people living with dementia, (or caring for someone with dementia) ties in with the range of new services for older adults and will also help raise awareness of the support offered by Alzheimer Scotland.
The theme for the competition is about encapsulating people’s interpretation of memory, which can range from a fond memory of quality time with grandparents or memorable past experiences of places, people and moments. Entries can be submitted in A0, A1, A2 or A3 format and be submitted digitally by emailing ella@edinburghpractice.com by 5pm on Friday 19th May 2023.
The winning artist in each category will receive a £100 voucher for the St James’ Centre, and their artwork will be displayed for one year in the new practice at Waverley Square.
Dr Fiona Wilson said: “Supporting the wider community is very important to us at The Edinburgh Practice and I am thrilled to announce that our 2023 charity partner is Alzheimer Scotland.
“The charity is doing tremendous work in supporting people with dementia and carers, as well as creating awareness about brain health across the life span.
“We hope that our ‘Memory: Your Perspective’ art competition will stimulate awareness and discussions among all age groups in the community as to how important brain health is to preserve our memory for as long as possible.
“We are very much looking forward to unveiling the winning artworks in each category at our launch event in the summer.”
Josh Munns, Stakeholder Engagement Leader at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are delighted to be the charity partner for The Edinburgh Practice who are helping to raise crucial funds and vital awareness for Alzheimer Scotland.
“People living with dementia and those who love them continue to be disproportionately affected by the legacy of the pandemic and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s essential that we continue to be there to make sure no one faces dementia alone.
“Without the support of organisations like The Edinburgh Practice we wouldn’t be able to support the 90,000 people living dementia, their families and carers”.
Movement for Health coalition advocates physical activity resource to improve nation’s health
A COALITION of 19 leading health charities have endorsed a resource that will help healthcare professionals integrate physical activity conversations into routine clinical care.
Movement for Health (MFH) – a group of charities including SAMH, Age Scotland, and Paths for All – is working with the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK (FSEM) to advocate for use of its Moving Medicine resource which provides health care professionals with the knowledge, skills and confidence to talk to patients about physical activity.
The web resource draws on both clinical and patient experience to create behaviour change for people living with long term conditions. It is free to access and already widely used across England.
MFH has endorsed the resource in the hope it can help improve the resilience of Scotland’s people, communities and NHS while directly aligning to its key aim of making it easier for people with a long term health condition to be more active.
Dr Emma Lunan, Chair of Movement for Health, said: “It’s quite simple – Scotland needs to move more to boost the nation’s health and happiness.
“As a coalition of charities, we are always eager to engage with initiatives supporting and promoting life changing physical activity. It can be transformative for many with long-term conditions.
“Receiving further expertise and resource from Moving Medicine is extremely welcomed and will prove a vital tool post-pandemic to improve the physical, social and mental health of the country.
“MFH exists to promote physical activity for the prevention and management of long term conditions and has been at the forefront championing a way forward for the past four years.
“The Moving Medicine web tool has already had success in paving the way for healthcare professionals to feel confident and have better conversations around physical activity and ultimately make referrals for exercise.
“We encourage those who work within a healthcare setting to seek out and use this resource as it can play such an important role in supporting those with Long Term Conditions to become more active.
“This has never been more important so we are delighted to be working together.”
The CMOs’* Physical Activity Guidelines state that for good physical and mental health, adults should aim to be physically active every day. This can be anything from a short walk to the shop or a 30-minute session in the gym – any activity is better than none alongside reducing sedentary behaviour.
Moving Medicine is led by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK (FSEM), delivered in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Sport England and the National Lottery – with the aim of improving physical activity conversations across healthcare and support the routine delivery of physical activity for all.
The resource was developed in Scotland through a partnership between FSEM, Sportscotland and Public Health Scotland. This partnership also included the development of the resources for children and young people.
Dr Natasha Jones, FSEM President and Clinical Director of Moving Medicine, said: “The Movement for Health coalition brings together charities and organisations that share FSEM’s vision of improving the health of the nation through physical activity.
“We are delighted to be working with the coalition to help us spread the word and encourage everyone in healthcare to have better conversations about physical activity”
Moving Medicine has worked with more than 2,000 clinicians, academics and patient experts to design the resource for a wide range of conditions and life stages, such as cancer, diabetes, pregnancy, and menopause.
In total, Moving Medicine offers resources covering 21 adult conditions and life stages, 6 childhood conditions and 6 conditions affecting young people. These paediatric resources were jointly co-funded Public Health Scotland and sportscotland.
Flora Jackson, Health Improvement Manager at Public Health Scotland, said: “We’re pleased to continue to work with Paths for All to support the Movement for Health Coalition and welcome their voice, providing leadership and advocacy for physical activity and long-term conditions.
“Moving Medicine provides a simple guide on how to raise the issue of physical activity in as little as 30 seconds and we echo the call for more health professionals to do so.”
Regular physical activity provides a range of physical and mental health and social benefits, including: reducing the risk of many long-term conditions, helping manage existing conditions, ensuring good musculoskeletal health, developing and maintaining physical and mental function and independence, supporting social inclusion, helping maintain a healthy weight and reducing inequalities for people with long-term condition.
For more information on Movement for Health, visit:
A new film encouraging families in Edinburgh to access support and advice has been launched today (Wednesday, March 29) as part of a campaign run by NSPCC Scotland and the city’s Child Protection Committee.
The All of Us campaign, set up over two years ago, has involved organisations across the city working in partnership, including Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council, Stepping Stones North Edinburgh and Dads Rock, to highlight the different kinds of support available for families through events and workshops.
The film features two first-time mums who talk about the support they have received from Stepping Stones North Edinburgh and a father who says Dads Rock has helped him become ‘a more confident father’.
As well as helping parents and carers get support and advice, the campaign lets people know where to turn if they have concerns about a child. It also raises awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who are struggling.
About one third of calls made to the NSPCC Helpline are from people concerned a child might be experiencing neglect, which is when a young person’s basic needs are not being met. This includes the child not having warm, clean clothing; enough to eat or drink; receiving love and care; access to healthcare; and support with education.
Neglect can happen due to a variety of issues, including parents not having support, funds or skills, and having poor mental health.
Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland local campaigns manager, said: “We know that taking care of children isn’t always easy and we all need help from time to time.
“Parents might be struggling due to money, health issues or a whole range of factors outside their control and there’s help available across the city.
“The NSPCC Helpline is also there for anyone who wants advice or knows a family that needs support. It takes All of Us to raise happy, healthy children.”
A 25-year-old first-time mum, Shannon Borthwick, who attends Stepping Stones North Edinburgh – a charity that supports young parent families, said: “I don’t have the words to describe how much Stepping Stones has helped me, it’s just changed me as a person, it’s been so good for me.
“They’ve offered me such amazing opportunities. I’m incredibly grateful for all their help and support and I’m definitely finding parenting is easier since I reached out to them.”
24-year-old Marcia Cruz, who is also supported by the charity, added: “I’m also a first-time mum and I experience anxiety sometimes. There are times when it’s very difficult to know why your child behaves in a certain way.
“Having other people to talk with about things really helps and makes me feel much better. You realise you’re not the only person who feels a certain way and other mums are having similar experiences.”
Thomas Lynch, service manager at Dads Rock, said: “Parents really just appreciate having someone else to speak to and knowing they’re not alone and that other people are going through similar stuff.
“Nobody knows everything and it’s good to get a bit of information and support when you need it. I think people need to ask for help as soon as possible.”
Mark Cooper, a dad who has been supported by Dads Rock, said: “In the midst of a baby screaming that can be highly stressful.
“The support has helped me to become a more confident father because I know I’m not alone.”
Amanda Hatton, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said:“The All of Us campaign has been successful in highlighting the very real issues around child neglect and the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee has been working with NSPCC Scotland to raise awareness.
“The holiday period can be a challenging time for families so it’s important that everyone is aware of the wide range of support available here in Edinburgh. The ongoing cost of living crisis has put even more pressures on families, and I would urge people to continue to seek support.”
The film was launched at 10am this morning: Wednesday, March 29.
For parenting advice and support visit NSPCC helpline or call 0808 800 5000, weekdays 8am to 10pm and weekends 9am to 6pm. People can also contact Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324, their health visitor, GP or child’s school. If you’re concerned that a child is in immediate danger phone 999.
With the Easter break on the horizon, this can become a busy period for many employees whether working in the office or at home.
Leading CBD company,Joy Organics, believe employees should implement their own mindfulness routine to reduce stress, avoid burnout and create a positive atmosphere at work.
Introducing goal-setting, breathing exercises and journaling are just a few of the techniques experts recommend to become more mindful throughout the working week.
Here are Joy Organics’ 10 top mindfulness tips for the workplace:
Give yourself a moment Before starting the day and tackling the ever-growing to-do list, take a moment to set intentions for the day ahead. Putting aside time in the morning to mentally check in and be present, means the challenges of the day can be seen with greater focus and clarity.
Lend an ear Creating a mindfulness routine in the workplace is as much about including colleagues as it is about the self. Providing a safe space for others to share opinions, ideas and general chit-chat is a positive tool for creating a happy and warm environment at work.
Be conscious of tech Being conscious of how tech is used throughout the day can dramatically improve focus and productivity whilst at work and reduce stress. Emails especially can become a source of distraction throughout the day, so try to set a limit or schedule when and how often they are checked, where possible. Putting other devices on do not disturb modes can also help to prevent temptation.
Practise breathing Taking a breathing break is a great tool to help refocus and feel present in the moment. Focusing on deep breath work throughout the week to release any built-up tension due to stressful aspects at work.
Stop multitasking It’s a common misconception that performing multiple tasks at the same time is the most productive way of working. Directing attention to a singular task can help avoid context-switching and prevent simple mistakes, which will in turn help to lower stress levels.
Create a growth mindset Setting personal goals at work that are separate from objectives set out in the job role is essential for personal development. These goals don’t have to be extravagant or complex, but small achievable tasks that can help boost happiness and accomplishment at work can accumulate over time.
Go for a walk This may seem like a generic wellness tip, but it is common for a reason. Going for a walk and getting away from the workspace can help improve productivity. Moving the body is a great mood booster. Placing items around the house/office, away from the working space, can provide a reason to move about during the day.
Journal your time Having a work journal alongside a regular notepad at work can be useful to track important feelings and emotions on a day-to-day basis. After a while, these journal entries will compound and can serve as an important benchmark to track stress, satisfaction and career objectives.
Slow down Many work environments can be fast-paced so it can be hard to know when it is appropriate to slow down. Becoming too overstimulated can lead to increased stress and dissatisfaction with the working week. Leaving time between meetings to grab a drink and take a breather, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with a busy schedule so it’s important to switch gears to avoid burnout.
Channel your commute Whether it’s on the morning commute or a lunchtime break it can be easy to slip the earphones in and dive into a gripping podcast or the trusty daily playlist. However, being present in the moment is a great way to unplug and be free of any distractions. Taking in the surroundings is a wholesome way of grounding throughout seemingly repetitive parts of the week.
A spokesperson for Joy Organics said: “Regardless of whether you work from home, in the office or a bit of both, it’s essential to establish a routine to help reduce stress and create positivity in the working environment.
“Trying to completely overhaul the working day with the tips we’ve provided is not advisable. Pick one or two to start with and try to slowly incorporate them into your routine to see how you feel.
“Some may be useful, whilst others maybe not so much, it’s all about finding simple methods that work for the individual, and this can take time.”
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Miles Briggs said:“The figures are an embarrassment for Humza Yousaf and are indicative of the extent to which he failed in his role as Heath Secretary.
“It is completely unacceptable that in the space of 3 years the percentage seen withing 4 hours dropped almost 35% from 94.6% to 60% in Lothian.
“Despite being well into the swing of Spring, the figures for Lothian are now worse than at the peak winter times.
“In taking his eye off the ball and doing his best to appease the independence hardliners during the leadership contest, Lothian and Scotland’s figures have deteriorated further.
“While as Health Secretary he was clearly unable to find a solution to the mess he created, one of his first priorities as the new First Minister must be to get on top of the situation and find someone who can clear up the disaster that he presided over.”
One of the key ‘red flag’ bowel cancer symptoms is blood in your poo but only just over half of people (52%) living in Edinburgh were able to name it.
The other four main symptoms, experienced by many who go on to be diagnosed with the disease, have an alarmingly low rate of awareness based on those people could name:
· Change in bowel habits (13%)
· Pain in tummy (17%)
· Weight loss (13%)
· Tiredness/fatigue (6%)
Even more concerning is that more than six in 10 people (62%) across Edinburgh said if they experienced a change in bowel habit like diarrhoea or constipation that didn’t clear up, or saw bleeding from their bottom, something would stop them from contacting their doctor.
Their reasons included difficulties getting an appointment (29%), being too embarrassed (12%) or being too afraid that it could be something serious (8%).
“I shouldn’t have worried. My GP took my concerns seriously, put me at ease and also offered me a home testing kit. This meant I was able to do the test in the comfort of my own home. Soon after I was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer, which was very nearly developing into stage 3.
“Getting the help I needed in time helped save my life. If you’re worried please speak to someone, early detection saves lives and it helped save mine.”
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care – and now First Minister-elect – Humza Yousaf said:“The Scottish Government launched a new campaign earlier this month to reduce fear of cancer and encourage those with possible symptoms to ‘be the early bird’. As part of this, a roadshow is visiting areas of deprivation across Scotland to raise awareness of symptoms, including bowel cancer.
“The NHS is under significant pressure but diagnosing cancer earlier remains a priority. If anybody is worried about any symptoms highlighted through this research, or any other persistent changes unusual for them, they shouldn’t delay contacting their GP practice – they want to hear from you.”
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, says:“It’s concerning that people aren’t aware of the symptoms of the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.
“Someone dies from the disease every 30 minutes in the UK, which means that in the time it takes to watch an episode of your favourite soap, one family will lose a loved one to bowel cancer.
“But it doesn’t have to be this way as it is treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed early. That’s why this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month we’re launching a new campaign to raise awareness of the five red flag symptoms of the disease and asking people to take our #KnowTheHigh5 quiz.
“By going to straight to your GP if you spot any symptoms, or if something just doesn’t feel right, it’s possible to rule out the disease first and fast. They will want to see you and may ask you to do a test at home to help decide whether your symptoms need further investigation. Get to know the symptoms of bowel cancer, tell your friends and family about them – it really could save your life.”
Bowel Cancer UK is launching a new campaign for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month helping people to #KnowTheHigh5 symptoms of bowel cancer.
People can take the symptoms quiz and share it with others – plus everyone who takes the quiz can enter a free prize draw with five chances to win a year’s supply of Andrex® toilet roll.
