For those older adults looking to get back in the saddle again, Ageing Well, will be starting a new 11-week cycling course, where participants can develop those dormant skills in a relaxed and social atmosphere with like-minded companions.
Ryan Dignan, Edinburgh Leisure’s Community Development Officer for Older Adults explained: “Cycling is a great way to keep fit, active and mobile and enjoy the outdoors and countryside on the amazing network of dedicated cycle paths in the Edinburgh area.
“Perhaps you’d like to join grandchildren on family rides or just to meet some new people? And don’t worry if you haven’t been on a bike for ages or don’t currently own one, we even provide bikes, helmets, and Hi-Viz vests, so all you need to bring is yourself! The courses are led by experienced, fully trained volunteers who are passionate about cycling and supporting those who would like to get back in the saddle.”
The initial level 1 course, based on Cycling Scotland’s Bikeability material is an 11-week course, which will get participants comfortable again on a bike, developing skills, at a pace that suits them, in a dedicated area at Saughton. This part of the course will begin on Monday, 27th February at 10am-12noon.
Level 2 lasts 8-weeks and gives participants the opportunity to explore Edinburgh’s extensive cycle path network, from the leisure centres at Ainslie Park and Meggetland.
For more information and to book a place on the cycle course, contact a member of Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team on: Tel: 0131 458 2260 or email: active@edinburghleisure.co.uk
The Ageing Well project promotes healthy lifestyles for older adults (typically 50+) in Edinburgh. The project is a partnership with NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Leisure and Pilmeny Development Project and is part of the UK Ageing Well network, which aims to increase the expectation of good health in later life.
Local Well pharmacies in Edinburgh have geared up to support patients affected by the closure of the Lloyds pharmacies in the following Sainsbury’s supermarkets:
Abbeyhill, Moray Park, Meadowbank, EH7 5TS (Well Edinburgh – Stenhouse Cross, Well Edinburgh – Mayfield Road)
Patients worried about the closure of their local Lloyds Pharmacy in Sainsbury’s are being invited down to meet the team one of their local Well pharmacies, which are just down the road.
Well Pharmacy, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain, has taken steps to make sure that its pharmacies across the country could add the capacity to support former Lloyds Pharmacy patients, including offering roles to some staff displaced by the closures.
And the CEO of the chain, Seb Hobbs, has urged locals to pop into any of the pharmacies to have a chat with the team about their healthcare needs the next time they are passing.
He said: “We were all really sorry to hear about the closures, as we know people really rely on having a local pharmacy that they can depend on.
““We want to make sure patients know there is an established and trustworthy pharmacy nearby that can support their healthcare needs, dispense their prescriptions and provide a full array of community pharmacy services. Our local team would be delighted to meet you, so please pop in anytime.”
Lloyds revealed recently that it planned to close all 237 of its pharmacies within the retailer’s stores, meaning that local patients will need to find a new pharmacy and its many members of staff now face an uncertain future.
NHS Lothian has released a new annual report which looks to provide an in-depth analysis into the health of Lothian.
The report, from NHS Lothian’s Director of Public Health, seeks to outline health and social inequalities, as well as their current and predicted impact on mental and physical wellbeing.
Public Health specialists work to protect and enhance the health of everyone in Lothian, informing local and national policy to improve outcomes for both the individual and community.
Dona Milne, Director of Public Health for NHS Lothian, said: “Understanding our population as it is now and how this is predicted to look is vital to reduce inequalities and improve health outcomes for everyone in Lothian.
“This report highlights and reaffirms what the evidence tells us about the socio-economic factors impacting health the most. When designing and delivering health and social care, we must be able to understand and address those wider factors which lead to poorer outcomes for people.”
The new report brings together evidence and research from a variety of sources, addressing systemic inequalities and the impact of recent seismic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also predicts population trends and the expected health impact of the cost-of-living crisis and increasing child poverty on those already living in more deprived communities.
Dona continued: “We are endeavouring to share this report widely with partners to help inform the collaborative work we need to do to make long-lasting and meaningful changes to public health in Lothian.
“With the cost-of-living crisis and increasing child poverty expected to exacerbate pre-existing inequalities, it’s more important than ever to understand what is needed as part of a whole system approach to ensuring better health outcomes for all.”
Jane Ferguson, Director of NHS Lothian Charity, said: “As the official charity of NHS Lothian, we have a key role to play in supporting Public Health in their work to reduce health inequalities and prevent ill health in all our communities.
“Through our strategic partnership with the health board, we have provided five years of funding for income maximisation services that can be accessed by patients and their families to help mitigate against both the immediate impact of the current cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing impacts of poverty on overall physical and mental health.
“We will continue to work closely together to support Public Health to tackle health inequalities that exist as a result of poverty so that we can improve the health and wellbeing of people across Edinburgh and the Lothians, now and in the future.”
An urgent case review into the management of a transgender person in custody has found that at no point were any women in the care of the prison service at risk of harm.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) review also confirmed the person did not come into contact with any other prisoners during their time at HMP&YOI Cornton Vale and that SPS policy was followed during each decision making process and risk assessment.
The review makes four key recommendations into the management of transgender individuals:
the creation of a shared justice process for admitting transgender people to prisons in Scotland – to help improve decision making at admission and subsequent case conferences
better communication between justice partners to ensure a clearer approach to the transfer of transgender people from court to custody
for the wider SPS Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment (GIGR) Policy Review to consider improvements to ‘admission’ and ‘placement and management’ and for SPS to consider the weight of a person’s previous offending history to be considered as part of the case conference process
to strengthen the balance around the risk of harm with an individualised approach as part of the admissions process to prison, allowing for someone to be located in secure isolation for the sole purpose of a risk assessment based on known and unknown risks
In addition to the recommendations, SPS is also undertaking a full multi-disciplinary case review for each transgender person in custody. The Service is also continuing to progress, in dialogue with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders, a review of the management of trans prisoners as part of its GIGR Policy Review.
Until these reviews are complete any transgender person in custody who has a history of violence against women – including sexual offences will not be relocated from the male to female estate. Additionally, any newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoner will initially be placed in an establishment commensurate with their birth gender.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown welcomed the findings in a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.
The Justice Secretary said: “Firstly, I want to acknowledge my concern for victims of crime and the distress caused to them. It is important that consideration of issues relating to the management of prisoners is measured and does not retraumatise victims or risk unintended consequences for transgender people or individuals in the care of SPS.
“All recommendations from the review have been accepted by Ms Medhurst as Chief Executive and will be progressed by SPS in collaboration with others as needed. As confirmed in the letter, SPS will factor the learning identified from this review into its Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment (GIGR) Policy Review, which is ongoing.
“Pending the outcome of the GIGR Policy Review, measures to provide reassurance as set out in Ms Medhurst’s letter will remain in place.
“I would like to acknowledge the work SPS has done in continuing to fulfil its operational responsibilities while completing the lessons learned review. SPS has considerable expertise in managing complex, high-profile and challenging individuals within their care and keeping people safe; and I commend their professionalism.”
In her letter, the SPS Chief Executive Teresa Medhurst reiterated that the SPS remained firmly committed to providing person-centred care to their entire population, including managing and identifying risks, which are not exclusive to transgender people in their care.
She added: “Staff in our establishments have demonstrated their long-standing expertise and strong track record in the management and care of an increasingly complex prison population.
“My priority remains the health, safety, and wellbeing of all people in our care, many of whom are the most marginalised in our society, and that of staff.”
From April 2021 to March 2022, Childline counsellors delivered 1,345 counselling sessions with children in Scotland who were experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings
NSPCC Scotland has released new data from its Childline service to mark Children’s Mental Health Week and raise awareness of how we can help and support children when they are experiencing poor mental health and suicidal thoughts.
Children’s Mental Health Week (6-12 February) is an annual event in the UK that aims to raise awareness of children’s mental health. It is co-ordinated by the children’s charity Place2Be, and this year’s theme is Let’s Connect, encouraging children and young people to connect with others in healthy, rewarding, and meaningful ways.
This new data from the NSPCC reveals that Childline counsellors delivered 1,345 counselling sessions with children in Scotland who were experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings last year from April 2021 to March 2022.
Adeniyi Alade, service head of Childline in Scotland, said: “At Childline, we know that hundreds of children across Scotland are struggling with their mental health, and it remains the number one concern that our counsellors speak to children about every day.
“Whilst some are grappling with anxiety, others are experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts and feelings. Many of these children tell our counsellors they are the first person they have spoken to and that they’ve not known who else to turn to.
“No matter what a child’s experience is, if they are struggling with their mental health, we believe it is essential they get the support they need to help them cope quickly. That’s why this children’s mental health awareness week we want to remind all young people that Childline is here for them 24/7, whether that be on the phone or via an email or 121 chat.
“As well as speaking with one of our counsellors, we also have lots of resources and advice available online like our monitored message boards which allow young people to speak with their peers and connect and share their experiences.”
Sandra Gordon, a Childline counsellor at NSPCC’s Glasgow call centre, said: “Over the last few years mental health has been a huge issue.For some young people things can be so tough at home and sometimes they think about taking their own life.
“They may feel anxious and be struggling on a lot of levels. Young people feel isolated when they have fallen out with friends, they are arguing with parents and finding their schoolwork difficult.
“We are there to listen, we’d never judge any young person, and we try to build their confidence and self-esteem. We allow them to explore other options and try to make them feel valued. For many young people it can be easier to talk to someone you don’t know and it helps to know they can remain anonymous.”
A boy aged 15 from Scotland who called Childline said: “I’m going to kill myself tonight. Every day is so hard; everyone is upsetting me all the time.
“I’m just so stressed. I’ve been feeling like this all week but today things happened which are the last straw for me.”
Another 15-year-old boy who called Childline said:“For the past few months, I’ve been feeling lonely and like I’m nothing. Most recently I’ve had really dark thoughts about suicide.
“I’ve been self-harming as a distraction as wherever I go it’s always on mind – it seems to just follow me and it’s really overwhelming. I act as happy when I’m around my mum – she seems to think I’m fine but I’m really dying inside.
“I feel like nobody understands and I don’t know who to tell. I’m worried they’ll laugh and won’t believe me or say, ‘you out of all people can’t be feeling that!’.”
A boy aged 17 who called Childline said: “I keep getting these suicidal thoughts and I don’t know what to do about them. I try to distract myself or I ride them out, but the thoughts always end up coming back.
“You’re the first person I’ve told this to. I don’t really want my mam to know cos it will only worry her and probably make me feel even worse.”
Advice for children:
Talk to a trusted adult about how you are feeling and what is worrying you. This could be a parent, guardian, sibling over the age of 18, grandparent, teacher or a Childline counsellor. Sharing how you feel with someone you trust means that they can support you and give you ideas on how to cope. It will also help you feel less alone with your worries, and they can let you know that they will be here for you.
Be kind to yourself. Speak to yourself like you would a friend and take the time to check in on your basic needs such as eating, drinking and resting.
Take a break if you feel overwhelmed or are struggling to cope you could go for a walk or listen to some music to give yourself some headspace. Taking some deep breaths will also help you feel calmer and less panicked and you can visit Childline ‘s Calm Zone to find some activities that can help relax you.
Try and build a healthy routine to give yourself some structure to your day. For example, you could set reminders on your phone to take regular breaks where you may read a book, go for a walk or ring a friend. Or you could get up earlier than normal and start your day with some deep breaths, some gentle exercise and have a healthy breakfast.
Helping others or doing a random act of kindness can help you feel good about yourself and can distract you from your worries. This doesn’t have to be anything extravagant; it could be as simple as offering to do a house chore like the washing up or making someone a cup of tea.
Contact Childline if you feel you have no-where else to turn or would like some extra support.
Our counsellors are available 24/7 and you can get in touch online at childline.org.uk by email or 1-2-1 chat or on the phone on 0800 111 or. Our trained counsellors are here for you and no worry is ever too small.
For Adults:
Let them know you’re there for them, this will reassure them that you are on their side and it will remind them that they can come to you about anything.
Try talking to them over text or on the phone, if they don’t feel able to talk in person.
Be patient and staying calm and approachable, even if their behaviour upsets you recognising that their feelings are valid and letting them know it’s okay for them to be honest about what it’s like for them to feel this way.
Think of things you could do together to help them cope, like yoga, breathing exercises or mindfulness.
Encourage them to talk to adult they trust like their GP, someone at their school or Childline. Especially if they’re finding it hard to talk at home.
Take care of yourself and get support if you need to. Try not to blame yourself for what’s happening and stay hopeful.
“Staff faced increasingly difficult conditions, with huge numbers of patients facing long and dangerous waits throughout the system. We know these long waits are associated with patient harm and even patient deaths, it is increasingly distressing for staff and patients.
“Exit block – where patients are unable to be admitted to a bed because other patients are unable to be discharged – was the worst it has ever been, meaning the entire Emergency Care system has been gridlocked – like a traffic jam.
Patients spending far longer in Emergency Departments than they should be, often in inappropriate or inadequate areas, on trolleys in corridors, in small, cramped spaces with a lack of privacy and lack of dignity.
“We welcome the gravity with which the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary are taking the current crisis in Emergency Care. We have had constructive meetings with the Cabinet Secretary and do feel that there is recognition of the root of the issues and a political will to tackle it.
“We especially welcome the focus on social care and the whole system capacity. It is critical that we sort out discharges, ensuring patients who are medically fit to leave are able to return home or to the community in a timely way. We must continue to focus on this to free up beds so we can increase flow throughout hospitals and admit patients from Emergency Departments into a bed on wards.
“While these are the right initiatives, the green shoots of hope are not translating to big enough or fast enough improvements. Without significantly increasing capacity across Scotland, we will continue to borrow from tomorrow to cover today.
“This means cancelling elective surgery so we can admit Emergency Care patients to a bed, but at the cost of further delaying what may be serious surgery for patients who have already waited for a long time. We should not be in a position where decisions like these need to be made.
“It is wrong for specialties to compete for beds for their patients. What is better is to increase the number of staffed beds throughout the system, where safely possible, so we do not need to compromise on which patients are able to be treated.”
Researchers from NHS Lothian and the University of Edinburgh have conducted a clinical study to investigate the extent to which cancer and cancer treatment affects COVID-19 immunity.
Blood samples were taken regularly from over 760 consenting patients, most from Southeast Scotland, who were receiving routine treatments for cancer.
The samples were then tested for signs of an immune response to COVID-19 using an antibody test.
The study is the largest of its kind in the world with the first patients being recruited in May 2020, just months after the United Kingdom experienced its first lockdown.
Dr Peter Hall, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Edinburgh Cancer Centre, said: “Treatments such as chemotherapy can affect the immune system, so it was really important for us to understand the effects of COVID-19 on people undergoing anti-cancer treatment.
“We now have a better understanding of how the virus affects these patients in the short and long-term, and to what extent the vaccine had an impact on their antibodies.
“It’s very reassuring to see that most cancer patients can go ahead with their treatments without fear of excessive risk from COVID-19, and that vaccination offers an effective means of protection.”
The study found that COVID-19 infection rates in patients with cancer largely mirrored those of their local population and that treatment type did not impact the rate of their antibody response.
It also concluded that vaccination was effective in protecting people with cancer from COVID-19.
Dr Hall continued: “More research is needed, but this was an important step in understanding how people receiving anti-cancer treatment are impacted by the virus.
“It’s also another example of NHS Lothian and the University of Edinburgh working collaboratively to understand how best to care for some of the most vulnerable patients.”
You can read the Scottish COVID Cancer Immunity Prevalence Study in full in The Oncologist.
People in Edinburgh living with secondary breast cancer now have a crucial additional support resource.
Charity Make 2nds Count, which is based in the Scottish capital, has launched a monthly meeting where patients can gather to share experiences and advice and widen their vital friendship network.
The Tea & A Chat initiative is a joint venture with the Karen Henderson Legacy Fund which raises money in memory of the 48-year-old Edinburgh mum, a pioneering Make 2nds Count patient champion, who died two years ago.
Meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of every month, between 11 am and 1 pm, at Morningside Parish Church.
Secondary breast cancer claims 1,000 lives each month in the UK – that’s an average of 31 deaths every day. Make 2nds Count is dedicated to raising awareness of this little-known form of the disease, also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer, which has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body.
Although it can be treated it is incurable and currently affects around 35,000 people in the UK.
Emma Hall, Head of Operations for Make 2nds Count says it is so important that patients can share their experiences: “A diagnosis can take people to a very lonely place but being able to meet with others who truly understand the situation can be hugely beneficial.
“Friendships forged in these circumstances are uniquely valuable and we know this initiative, simple though the premise is, can make a real difference.”
Karen’s husband, Alistair Henderson says he’s delighted to be supporting the launch of the first Tea & A Chat in Edinburgh with Make 2nds Count.
“What Karen benefited from through the charity was the community and the sense of family that Make 2nds Count brought, so this event is a great opportunity for people in a similar position, to get together and support one another”, he said. “Karen would have been so pleased to be supporting this great initiative.”
It is the first study to assess CPTSD prevalence in an active warzone
Addressing the post-traumatic stress caused by the Russian war on Ukraine should play a significant part in the humanitarian response to the conflict, according to new research.
The study, co-led by Edinburgh Napier University’s Professor Thanos Karatzias, is the first to ever assess the prevalence of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in an active warzone – and comes as the first anniversary of the invasion approaches.
It found 40.5% of the 2,000 participants, made up of adults living in Ukraine between July and September 2022, met the global standard threshold for either PTSD or CPTSD. This compares to a prevalence of 26.5% detected in recent analysis of adult survivors of war and around 10% or less in places unaffected by conflict.
The rates were higher in the east of the country, already occupied by Russia in recent years, although people in every region had been severely affected. Respondents also reported very high rates of war-related stressors, such as having an experience of threat to their personal safety, financial security, or local environment.
It is hoped the research could help inform measures to support Ukrainians impacted by the war.
Professor Karatzias, from ENU’s School of Health and Social Care, said: “Almost a year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are beginning to understand the extent of the psychological toll it will be taking on civilians.
“We found people have often been exposed to several potentially traumatic events in that time, whether it is hearing an air-raid siren, facing the destruction of local infrastructure or losing a loved one.
“If and when this war ends, we will need to think about ways we can help people move on with their lives. The humanitarian response, which is already hugely complex, will require some innovative thinking to address these psychological harms.”
Among the other findings were a higher prevalence of CPTSD (compared to PTSD) among female respondents, suggesting the conditions of war in Ukraine have left women more vulnerable to it than men. CPTSD is a more complex condition than PTSD – based on six clusters of symptoms – and may require longer interventions for recovery.
The report also notes that existing trauma treatments would likely be beneficial to support those affected by this conflict – with online delivery a potential solution, given the geographically dispersed population.
