SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed the announcement that veterans and the families of those in the armed forces are to receive more tailored healthcare under a new scheme for GPs.
The General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme is now open to GP surgeries across Scotland, including Edinburgh, following a successful pilot. It includes easy access to training materials setting out the specific issues these individuals face in clinical case to aid understanding of specific needs and the range of healthcare support that can be provided.
This will better enable healthcare providers to focus on the specific health challenges they may face following military service.
Commenting, SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald said: “The launch of this scheme will see more tailored, local support delivered across the wider city but is particularly important in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency given the high numbers of forces families and veterans living there.
“The SNP Scottish Government is taking meaningful action to support those who have served our country and continue to do so, along with their families, and this scheme will go a long way to addressing the specific challenges that these individuals face.
“It is also important to recognise the huge sacrifice that so many have made to keep us safe, particularly as we approach Remembrance Sunday.
“I encourage GPs both in the south west and the wider city who have not already done so to sign up so that more individuals and their families can benefit from this scheme.”
A dedicated Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Ward has been established at East Lothian Community Hospital helping to support individuals across Lothian to get ‘back on their feet’ following orthopaedic surgery at Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary.
The development of the in-patient orthopaedic rehabilitation provision in East Lothian is part of NHS Lothian’s Orthopaedic Recovery Plan to reduce waiting times for elective surgical cases.
The pandemic significantly impacted waiting lists across NHS Scotland due to postponements and cancellations. By ring-fencing dedicated orthopaedic recovery beds at East Lothian Community Hospital, NHS Lothian can increase the number of elective arthroplasty surgeries (hips and knees) that can be performed at the Royal Infirmary, knowing there is ample post-surgery and rehabilitation care available for patients.
Reducing waiting times helps to prevent patients’ conditions deteriorating and health and social care needs escalating whilst awaiting surgery. As a result, this delivers better outcomes for individuals, as well as preventing further growth of pressure on community resources, including care at home services.
It also enables East Lothian patients to benefit from post operative in-patient rehabilitation closer to home, making access and visiting, easier, and supporting local planning and provision for discharge.
Aris Tyrothoulakis, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Site Director, said: “We are delighted that East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) has been able to extend their provision and create this dedicated rehabilitation ward to support Lothian residents following orthopaedic surgery.
“With the Haddington-based hospital featuring an extensive rehabilitation service, it was the obvious venue of choice for this service provision, and it is very much hoped this initiative will pave the way for the hospital to become a ‘centre for excellence’ in orthopaedic rehabilitation.”
Patients who have spent time within the dedicated ward have only praise for the staff and quality of care: “It’s so lovely, it doesn’t feel like a hospital. I’m already well on my way to recovery. The staff are always on hand, to back you up and give you confidence. It’s a very special place, and everyone in it is special.”
Fiona Wilson, Chief Officer for ELHSCP, added: “We were incredibly grateful to NHS Lothian for the opportunity to establish this dedicated service and support the people of East Lothian and beyond to receive post-surgery rehabilitation.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to pass on my thanks, admiration and appreciation to the incredible teams within the East Lothian Community Hospital, the Rehabilitation Service, and our colleagues at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for the extensive planning and organisation that has gone into the set-up of this dedicated ward.
“It has been an amazing team effort, delivered in a very short timescale, and I’m incredibly proud of what has been achieved to date. I’m sure this will pave the way for further success to come.”
Latest data show that more than 4,000 patients faced 12-hour delays in Scottish A&Es as RCEM calls on the Scottish government to increase bed numbers and avoid ‘devastating winter’.
In September 2023, there were 113,864 attendances at major A&Es in Scotland.
66.50 % of patients were seen within four-hours at major A&Es (Type 1 EDs)
38,114 (33.5%) patients waited over four-hours in major Emergency Departments, this is a 1.7% increase from the previous month and a 2.3% decrease from September 2022.
This is a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the previous month.
The number waiting more than four-hours has increased by 145.5% compared with September 2019 (15,526).
11,788 (10.4%) patients waited eight-hours or more in an Emergency Department
This is an increase of 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, and a 1.5 percentage point decrease compared with September 2022.
The number waiting more than eight-hours has increased by more than eight times (701%) compared with September 2019 (1471).
4263 (3.7%) patients waited more than 12-hours before being seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred.
This figure has increased by 0.4 percentage points from the previous month. And has decreased by 1 percentage point compared with September 2022.
The number waiting more than 12-hours has increased by 14 times (1307%) compared with 2019 (303).
There were 1,811 beds occupied due to delayed discharges, the second most for any September on record.
Commenting on these data, RCEM Scotland Vice President, Dr John-Paul Loughrey said:“As we head into winter, we expect many people to attend A&Es with a multitude of conditions and illnesses, and many of them will require admission to hospital for further care.
“It is vital that with this clear expectation comes the necessary winter planning to resource A&Es, and support both clinicians and their patients through the colder months.
“We are concerned that the Scottish government’s winter plan fell short of delivering what is needed ahead of what will likely be a difficult period for emergency care.
“We desperately need to see an increase in bed numbers. This will help to reduce the dangerously high levels of bed occupancy, reduce long and dangerous delays in A&Es, and help to ensure patients are admitted to a bed more promptly.
“We continue to engage with the Cabinet Secretary and his team in good faith and raise the concerns of our members.
“To avoid what could be a devastating winter, we again urge the Scottish government to heed our calls to adopt our priorities to #ResuscitateEmergencyCare.”
The data come as figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests revealed that nearly 4,000 people faced 24 hour waits in Scotland A&Es in the six months up to June this year.
As Dr Loughrey said: “24 hours in A&E belongs on TV, not in daily reality for patients and staff”.
Carol from Shelter Scotland advises Families and Pregnant Women around any housing issues but mainly damp and mould, and overcrowding.
She will be here at PCHP on the first and third Fridays of November and December from 10am until 12pm. Come along to meet her if these issues are affecting you!
One of NHS Lothian’s healthcare heroes was celebrated at this year’s Scottish Health Awards 2023, scooping the Care for Mental Health Award.
Claire Bashford, who works in the Mental Health Team at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Major Trauma unit was named the winner of the Care for Mental Health Award.
Described as providing invaluable care through her training and support, Claire is known to support patients long after their initial injuries as her dedication to helping recovery is second to none.
As well as leading the Mental Health Team as part of the Major Trauma Service during the Covid pandemic, Claire developed an initiative for patients in Critical Care which is still used to this day. She is said to have ‘established a support network for staff and ensure co-ordinated, exceptional care is always available’.
Run by the Daily Record and in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, the annual awards celebrate the NHS staff, support workers, volunteers and specialist teams who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care and support to patients and their families.
Patients, families, work colleagues and members of the public were invited to nominate a local hero across one of the sixteen award categories with over 900 nominations and 51 finalists named.
David Dick, editor in chief of Daily Record and Sunday Mail, said: “Congratulations to Claire for winning the Care for Mental Health Award. With over 900 nominations, the judging panel had a difficult task in picking the winner for each category this year.
“Every winner should be extremely proud of their hard work and dedication in making a difference to their patients, families and communities. It’s with their support that we are able to celebrate 75 years of our National Health Service as a country and it is an honour for us to continue running these awards.”
Winners were named at an awards ceremony at the O2 Academy in Edinburgh on 2 November.
Actions to help improve the lives of British Sign Language (BSL) users have been published as part of ongoing work to make Scotland the best place to live, work and visit for people that use the language.
The BSL National Plan 2023-29 has made 45 commitments aimed at tackling barriers faced by BSL users by embedding the language across health, education, transport, culture and employment.
Commitments made include:
building the right partnerships and connections to ensure deaf and deafblind children and their families can access BSL support at an early stage
improving accessibility to arts and culture events,in addition to promoting BSL culture
working with Transport Scotland and transport operators on solutions to make public transport easier to use for BSL users
improving accessibility of the Scottish Government website for BSL users
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “BSL is a vibrant language which is of significant importance to the lives of many people.
“This plan lays out our ambition to make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to visit and live in. These 45 commitments will improve access to vital services and provide more opportunities for BSL users to contribute further to Scotland’s economy, culture and communities.
“The BSL community should be at heart of our decision making process in this area, which is why we will also establish a BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group, to ensure that the views of the community are properly represented.”
Philip Gerrard, CEO at Deaf Action, said: “I welcome the publication of the new National BSL Plan for Scotland.
“It was a pleasure to be part of the consultation process that led to the new plan, which demonstrates the continued commitment of the Scottish Government to improving the experiences of BSL users who live, work, visit and learn in Scotland.
“I now urge all agencies with responsibilities under this plan to meaningfully engage with it – there is much to do.”
Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the national healthcare improvement body and regulator of private healthcare services for Scotland, has published the latest inspection reports for private healthcare services.
In Scotland, private hospitals and private clinics provided by doctors, nurses, dental care professionals or midwifes are required to be registered with our organisation. We currently have over 500 private healthcare services across Scotland that are registered or completing registration.
It is only by choosing a private healthcare service registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland that patients can be assured that the services they use meet the high standards of quality expected of registered services.
Our organisation published the inspection reports for a total of six private clinics and hospitals across Scotland.
The focus of the inspection to the Spire Hospital, Murrayfield, was on the safe delivery of the service’s provision of systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT).
As the healthcare improvement body for Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland is also the regulator for private healthcare services, including private hospitals, hospices, private psychiatric hospitals and clinics, which provide a wide range of services from cosmetic procedures to wholly private dentistry, health screening, travel clinics and others.
Inspections of services are carried out to ensure that the providers comply with standards and regulations.
Lynsey Cleland, Director of Quality Assurance at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, comments:“It is vital that the people of Scotland who opt to use private healthcare services receive the best quality and standard of care, which is why these clinics must be registered with us and must submit to regular inspection.
“The majority of the private clinics we regulate provide cosmetic interventions. It is crucial that we provide assurances for the public that these procedures are carried out in safe and regulated environments.
“Registered clinics are required to demonstrate that they take the safety of their clients seriously, that they operate to the highest standards and are committed to continually improving the service they provide for clients.
“People should always check that a clinic is registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland before undertaking treatments.”
You can find out more about the regulation of private clinics in Scotland by listening to our podcast episode:
New Reform Scotland research on orthopaedic waiting lists and times
BMA Chair says workforce “running on empty”
Reform Scotland announces major debate on improvements needed to NHS ahead of 2048 centenary
Reform Scotland today releases research that reveals sharply rising waiting lists and times for orthopaedic procedures in Scotland’s hospitals. Freedom of Information requests to health boards obtained comparable figures on waiting lists and times in orthopaedics, and the specific data for hip operations.
The paper also marks the launch of a major Reform Scotland research programme that will explore the changes required if the struggling NHS is to reach its 2048 centenary in better health.
Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of BMA Scotland, said: “It is a system bursting at the seams, with a workforce running on empty – there are not enough of us to give our patients the time and care they need and deserve.
“The time for platitudes has long passed – we need action, and we need it now.”
The full paper – NHS 2048: Future-proofing Scotland’s health and social care – can be read here. It reveals that:
11 health boards have seen at least a doubling in the wait time for a hip operation from point of decision. This includes an increase from 163 days to 386 in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and an increase from 114 days to 360 in Lothian.
The waiting list for a hip operation has more than tripled since 2019 in Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Lothian and Tayside
Well over 10,000 people are on the waiting list for a hip operation, up from just over 3,000 in 2019.
While the increase in waiting times is deeply worrying, waiting times data only covers the point from when a decision to treat was made. As a result, patients will in reality be waiting far longer. There is further data on orthopaedic operations in general, showing around 45,000 on a waiting list.
Reform Scotland, a non-partisan think tank, is calling for an open, constructive and mature conversation about improving the NHS in time for its centenary, and has been joined in that call by Dr Iain Kennedy.
Dr Iain Kennedy said: “The figures in this report from Reform Scotland are shocking, yet not surprising. BMA Scotland has been warning for some time that the NHS in Scotland simply cannot deliver what is expected of it under its current limitation.
“It is a system bursting at the seams, with a workforce running on empty – there are not enough of us to give our patients the time and care they need and deserve.
“The time for platitudes has long passed – we need action, and we need it now. We are in a year-round crisis with our NHS and workforce planning is abysmal.
“The Scottish Government must move forward with their commitment to have a cross-party national conversation on the future of our health service – an open and honest discussion that also involves the profession and the public.
“Enough is enough, we cannot continue on this path if we want to futureproof our NHS for generations to come.”
Jacqui McMillan, a consultant surgeon in the West of Scotland, said: “Reform Scotland’s report is a stark warning of how bad things have become.
“As an orthopaedic surgeon I am working as hard as ever, and yet my waiting list seems to be growing longer. Seeing my patients in pain and knowing how long they are likely going to have to wait for their operation breaks my heart.
“Having to tell patients they could be waiting for more than a year for an operation they need in order to get through a day without pain is really difficult.”
Chris Deerin, Director of Reform Scotland, said: “We need a mature, constructive debate to identify and build consensus around specific measures that will help our health and care services in both the short and long term.
“The electorate can cope with this discussion. They know that the health service is ill – they live with the consequences every day. Are the politicians up to it, though? Can they set aside petty party differences and work together to save this vital public service?
“If we are to maintain a taxpayer-funded, free-at-the-point-of-need system up to the NHS’s centenary in 2048, reform is required in order to make the best use of the resources we have.
“Reform Scotland will provide a platform for that discussion to take place.”
Campaign offers advice as new research gives insight to safety behaviours
The Scottish Government and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are urging people in Edinburgh to plan ahead and stay safe this Bonfire Night (5th November).
While new research highlights that 86 per cent of respondents1 in Edinburgh are concerned about the impact of fireworks on others, it also shows that 43 per cent2 stated they would give sparklers to children under five. Sparklers can get five times hotter than cooking oil and are the most common type of firework to injure children3.
David McGill, Lead Clinician for the Care of Burns in Scotland (COBIS) network and Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Scotland’s Burn Hub said: “Children are frequently burned with sparklers.
“There’s a misunderstanding of how hot they can get, causing severe burns to fingers and hands, or catching clothing alight. Sparklers should never be given to children under the age of five.
“Unfortunately we see a rise in burn injuries around Bonfire Night, in both adults and children, with 41 injuries recorded over the four-week period around Guy Fawkes night last year.
“The majority of these occurred at private properties, ranging from minor, such as burns to the fingers, to severe, including loss of fingers and complex eye injuries with loss of vision.”
As part of the new drive, people are also being encouraged to consider attending an organised public display, something almost half of those surveyed (48 per cent4) plan to do.
This remains the safest way to enjoy fireworks and helps minimise their impact on other members of the community, with 42 per cent of respondents5 in Edinburgh stating they have a family member or pet who is negatively affected.
For those still planning on using their own fireworks, the Scottish Government and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is asking people to consider others, ensure they know how to keep themselves and loved ones safe, and to follow regulations.
It is illegal to set off fireworks in public places, including streets and parks, and to buy or give fireworks to someone under the age of 18, other than category F1 fireworks6.
It is also illegal to set off fireworks before 6pm and after 11pm, extending to midnight on 5th November and 1am on Hogmanay, Chinese New Year and Diwali.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer (DACO) Iain Macleod is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Head of Prevention and Protection. He said: “Every year people are injured by bonfires and fireworks and admitted to hospital, with children particularly affected.
“We encourage the public to follow the safety guidance in the lead up to Bonfire Night and we always recommend attending an organised event if possible.
“People should also be aware of the laws around the use of fireworks, consider the risks and always follow the Firework Code to keep everyone safe.
“Please respect our staff who are working hard to ensure the wider community is safe on one of the busiest nights of the year for our service.”
Fireworks can be particularly distressing for those who experience sensory impairment, and can also cause stress in animals.
Scottish SPCA Director of Innovation and Strategic Relations Gilly Mendes Ferreira said: ‘‘Every year thousands of animals suffer stress and anxiety caused by the use of fireworks.
“Animals can panic and flee at the sound of a bang and this can lead them towards danger such as being the cause of a road traffic accident, also putting human lives at risk.
“Our advice for those with animals includes not walking your dog at night when fireworks are being set off, bringing all pets indoors and stabling horses. Make sure doors, windows and cat flaps are kept closed so your pet doesn’t become distressed and try to escape. If you’re setting a bonfire, always check for cats or wildlife before setting it alight.
“We’d always encourage the public to attend organised displays. If you are going to hold a private display, let your neighbours know so they can safeguard against any distress pets and farm animals may face.”
The Firework Code, details of legislation in Scotland and a list of organised events can be found on firescotland.gov.uk.
To report the misuse of fireworks anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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