Experts from Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive funding from Cancer Research UK to conduct ground-breaking work as part of a chain of research hubs around the UK.
The £12 million investment over the next five years will be used to accelerate the Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre’s work into diagnosing and treating cancers which are among the most prevalent in Scotland, including bowel cancer, mesothelioma, liver cancer and brain tumours.
The Scotland Centre, comprising scientists from Edinburgh and Glasgow, has been chosen as one of just seven locations to secure funding in the latest review of the Cancer Research UK Centres network of excellence.
Understanding cancer
The work taking place in Edinburgh includes Professor Malcolm Dunlop and colleagues studying the faulty genes that underpin bowel cancer. Prof Dunlop’s team is aiming to understand how our genes influence the risk of developing the disease and the chances of surviving it.
Professor Steve Pollard and his team are developing potential new treatments for the most common type of brain tumour in adults, known as glioblastoma multiforme.
Professor Ian TomlinsonCo-Director, Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, said: “This investment will give us the tools we need to deliver high quality research which will make the biggest difference for patients.
“It means we will be able to further develop our work in translational research – getting cutting edge discoveries from the laboratory to patients and learning as much as possible from patients to initiate new research.
Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation, Cancer Research UK, added: “This past year proves, more than any other, the value of investing in science and medical research, and what can be achieved with collective focus and collaboration.
“Just like science is our route out of the pandemic, science is our route to beating cancer. Despite the impact of the pandemic on the charity’s income, we are funding some of the best and most promising research in Scotland to help more people survive.”
Extra £1 million will help people shape the services they need
A £1 million investment over two years will fund work with people with dementia and their families to design and shape the support they need following diagnosis.
The funding, part of the £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal fund, will see the Scottish Government working with Age Scotland to enhance support giving people a bigger say in what works for them.
COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on people with dementia. Through this partnership with Age Scotland, the Scottish Government will grow the community support that have been so critical to people and their families during the pandemic.
Early investment will be focused on building community capacity with a small grant programme, with a broader community grant programme to follow in the second year.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “During the latest phase of the pandemic I have listened to people with dementia and their families about the need for additional flexible support and investment to help address some of the particular challenges they are facing.
“COVID-19 has impacted all of us but I know just how challenging it has been for people living with dementia, their families and carers.
“Trying to reduce this impact is the basis of our Dementia and Covid Action Plan, which we have worked with a wide range of partners to implement, since its publication in December 2020.
“There is a lot of positive work to point to, and the pandemic has particularly highlighted the importance of community-led work, responding to local need. I want to build on this work and enable more local people and communities to design and shape the support they need.
“Through this partnership with Age Scotland we will invest an extra £1 million over two years to support local communities to do that.”
Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Scottish Government to deliver this funding, which will support the development of dementia-friendly communities across Scotland.
“The pandemic has compounded challenges faced by people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. This funding will help address some of these challenges by shaping communities that work for those who have lived experience of dementia.
“Our role is to bring the voices of carers and people living with dementia to the forefront as plans are developed, ensuring those voices are heard at every stage of the design and delivery process. By doing so, we can build communities that truly support and empower people living with dementia and those who care for them.”
Approximately 6.9 million people over the age of 18 are smokers. Smoking harms almost all organs in the body, including your heart and blood vessels, increasing your risk of having a heart attack.
Quitting smoking can be extremely difficult, but it is an important step in reducing your risk of heart disease. We provide some tips to help you stop smoking:.
Decide when to stop and make a plan
The sooner you decide to quit smoking, the better. Choose a date within the next two weeks. If you leave it too long, you will give yourself time to change your mind.
Identify triggers that make you want to smoke and work out how you will overcome them in advance. For example, if you usually smoke during your break at work, plan to go for a walk instead.
Notify friends and family of your intention to stop smoking and ask for their support.
Manage your cravings
Cigarette cravings are intense urges to smoke and they can last for 5 minutes.
Quitting smoking requires a huge amount of willpower. When you get a craving, try to distract yourself for 5-10 minutes until it passes. You could try planning a healthy dinner or plan a route for a cycle ride or a walk.
Once the craving has passed, you can give yourself a pat on the back.
Get support
Getting support to stop smoking can increase your chances of success. You could try contacting your local Stop Smoking Services or chatting to your GP.
You could also seek advice from a friend or family member who has successfully stopped smoking, or from someone who is also trying to quit.
Perhaps consider using a stop smoking aid, such as nicotine patches, gums, lozenges or nasal sprays to help stop the cravings.
As well as reducing your risk of developing serious diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, quitting smoking can also help to improve your mental wellbeing.
Why not reduce your risk by choosing a date to quit smoking today?
For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at:
A new £1 million fund has been established to support projects which look after the wellbeing of staff working in social care.
The Workforce Wellbeing Fund for Adult Social Work and Social Care will be managed by Inspiring Scotland and provide grants of up to £10,000 until December 2022.
Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “Everyone working across social work and social care has shown an invaluable commitment to delivering a first class service and compassionate care through the most difficult of times.
“This fund is about giving staff anything which makes them feel better and supports their resilience. Applications can be as creative as possible, as long as they focus on our most valuable asset, our people.
“Grants could be given for activities or to purchase equipment that will improve the wellbeing of the workforce. Ask your staff what they most want or need, and please take advantage of this fund to help them get it.
“Workforce wellbeing must remain a priority as we continue to move through this pandemic and recovery. We will overcome the challenges ahead if we look after our people.”
Head of Funds at Inspiring Scotland Kaylie Allen said: “We are delighted to be working with the Scottish Government on this programme. The importance of the people providing frontline care and the challenges they have faced delivering the most essential services over the last 18 months cannot be overstated.
“This fund will provide a flexible and easy way for adult social care and social work staff to access support for their own wellbeing.”
The Scottish Government has made £12 million available to support the wellbeing of the health and social care workforce. This new fund, which is open to applications until 29 July 2022, will ensure £1 million of targeted support towards the wellbeing of staff in the social work and social care sector, which faces unique challenges in accessing available funding since it consists of a mix of local authority, private and voluntary sector provision.
73.7% of attendances were seen and resulted in subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours
There were 97,644 attendances, a 6% decrease when compared to the previous month, November 2021
More than one in four patients were delayed by four hours or more
5,342 patients were delayed by eight hours or more, equal to 5.5% of all attendances
1,605 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more
Responding to these figures, Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said:“With fewer attendances performance has plateaued but be in no doubt that the health service and its staff in Scotland remain under unprecedented pressure and increasing burnout.
“One in four patients face delays over four hours, while both eight- and 12-hour waits are still at record high levels not seen before 2021. What is deeply concerning is the pattern and the potential for these long waiting times to become the status quo in perpetuity.
“The impact of this continued poor performance is distress and moral injury to staff and serious discomfort and risk to the safety of patients. This must be an urgent signal and call to action for system change. We have long called on the government to open 1,000 more beds in the system in Scotland, and to commit to publishing a long-term workforce plan. While there remains an urgent need to address the social care crisis to help patients be discharged from hospital in a timely way.
“Quite simply things cannot continue as they are, more patients will come to harm and staff will face increasing distress at the quality of care they are or, more significantly, aren’t able to provide. The government must recognise the severity of the situation and the risk that continued poor performance, long waiting times, patient harm, and sinking quality of care will continue to spiral.”
With the winter months proving a depressing time for many, a new survey conducted by vape brand, blu, has revealed Scots’ favourite ways to boost their mood.
While the New Year may offer a ray of light for some in these dark times, the research shows that almost half of Scots (42%) feel their lowest in January and February.
Somewhat unsurprisingly for Scotland, the main reason for feeling low at this time of year is the dismal weather, with almost two thirds (61%) saying poor weather gets them down.
With a flurry of bad news around COVID-19 and the rising cost of living bombarding Scots 24/7, the news came a close second with half of respondents (51%) saying it has a negative effect on their mood, closely followed by money woes at 44%.
In a bid to combat all these negative vibes, the survey highlights the top ways the Scottish lift their mood and tackle the winter blues. Topping the list at half (50%) of respondents is listening to music, as they look for a way to escape from the doom and gloom experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With food and drink recognised by over half (58%) as having a positive impact on their mood, 42% of respondents say they’ll be eating tasty treats – it seems that healthy eating resolutions may have been put aside in a bid to feel better!
Socialising was seen by almost half (48%) as another great mood boosting tactic, with 42% looking to spend more time with friends and family.
Almost two fifths (36%) of Scots exercise in order to boost their mood, while over a quarter (28%) have an alcoholic drink to cope with the gloom, shedding any dry January resolutions. Indulging in a bit retail therapy was the choice of 19% of respondents.
Making a getaway from the workplace is another big focus with nearly a fifth of respondents (18%) booking time off work.
Colette Flowerdew-Kincaid, Digital Content Manager at blu says: “It’s great to see the resilient and positive approach people take in boosting their mood to battle winter blues.
“Listening to music topped the list. Seeing friends and family is another popular way to banish the blues, with many looking to make up for lost time due to COVID-19. The important thing is to recognise that we might be low in winter and to be kind to ourselves, as well as others.”
Research Summary
Top things that have a positive impact on mood:
· Good weather – 73% Scotland / 76% UK
· Food & Drink – 58% Scotland / 60% UK
· Social life – 48% Scotland / 49% UK
Top things that have a negative impact on mood:
· Bad weather – 61% Scotland / 60% UK
· The news – 51% Scotland / 50% UK
· Money situation – 44% Scotland / 44% UK
Top ways to lift your mood:
· Listening to music – 50% Scotland / 49% UK
· Spending time with friends and family – 42% Scotland / 40% UK
· Eating something tasty – 42% Scotland / 38% UK
· Do some exercise – 36% Scotland / 28% UK
· Have an alcoholic drink – 28% Scotland / 23% UK
· Retail therapy – 20% Scotland / 21% UK
· Take time off work – 18% Scotland / 14% UK
For more top tips on how to beat the winter blues, check out the latest blog at blu.com.
36% of UK workers are unhappy in their job, according to the world’s most comprehensive study on work happiness
Over two thirds (70%) of the Scottish workforce admit their workplace unhappiness has negatively impacted their physical and/or mental well-being
Education is the country’s happiest industry while workers in real estate are the unhappiest
Slough – the famed destination of The Office – houses the happiest workers in the UK, with Stevenage home to the unhappiest
The research marks the launch of Indeed’s Work Happiness Score – the world’s largest study of workplace happiness – developed by the global job site, Indeed, with guidance from experts from the University of Oxford and University of California
More than a third (36%) of the UK workforce is unhappy in their job, according to the world’s largest study of work happiness.
Education stands out as the happiest industry, out as the happiest industry, followed closely by aerospace and defense, and government and public administration. While at the other end of the scale, real estate is the unhappiest, followed by management and consulting, and automotive.
This data has been released from Indeed’s Work Happiness Score which currently displays data for over 1,800 organisations in the UK across 25 different sectors. The score reveals how people feel at work and why, measuring happiness by allowing current and former employees to rate companies on a scale of one to five based on a simple statement: “I feel happy at work most of the time.”
The score, which has so far had more than 170,000 UK responses and 6M globally, considers factors of Belonging; Appreciation; Inclusion; Support; Purpose; Energy; Learning; Achievement; Trust; Flexibility; Compensation; Stress Level; Satisfaction and Manager Support.
The Work Happiness Score was developed with guidance from Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics at Saïd Business School and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University,and Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at University of California.
Supporting research of 2,000 British employees found the average worker spends a fifth of every year feeling unhappy in their role and more worryingly, one in 10 (11%) even start feeling unhappy less than six months into a new job.
But it seems unhappiness in the workplace isn’t restricted to 9-5 – it has a knock on effect on Britons’ personal lives too. In the survey, a fifth (19%) of the Scottish workforce admitted they struggle to find enjoyment in other aspects of their lives due to feeling unhappy at work, while one in five (23%) have taken work frustrations out on their partners.
Over two thirds (70%) agreed that their workplace unhappiness has negatively impacted their physical and/or mental well-being, with 37% losing sleep and 41% lacking energy. A third (33%) of unhappy workers have consequently experienced physical symptoms, with headaches and migraines (55%) the most common ailment and 53% experiencing insomnia.
But while the pandemic threw the jobs market into disarray, for some it was a time of great realisation. It gave a quarter (24%) a chance to reflect on their current career, find a new perspective post-pandemic (20%) and re-evaluate how happy they feel at work.
Prompted by the pandemic, over two fifths of workers (44%) now feel more motivated to make changes to their career and find more happiness at work, stating that a higher salary (28%), better work-life balance (28%), and more praise and recognition (15%) will be sought out during their job search. In fact, 89% who are planning to leave their current job believe happiness in their next role is important.
Proving why it’s so important, being happy at work can lead to a myriad of benefits including less stress and pressure (33%), improved mental health (30%) and experiencing more enjoyment out of life (29%).
LaFawn Davis, Senior Vice President, Environmental, Social & Governance at Indeed said: “Happiness should not be a privilege but when it comes to work, it’s a fundamental right. Measuring happiness is key to understanding employee experience and creating happier organisations, which is why Indeed worked with experts to develop the Work Happiness Score.
“It offers further transparency to help job seekers and employers make better choices and build a better world of work. For employers, this means taking a holistic approach to employee wellbeing, and our Work Happiness Score will make it easier for them to measure drivers of happiness to see where improvements can be made. For jobseekers, the feature provides key insights into work environments where they will be happiest.”
Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University said: “Happiness at work is critical to people’s wellbeing but it is also a driver of their productivity and success.So employers are well advised to get the emotional pulse of their organisation and have a frequent measure of workplace happiness.
“That’s why I’m thrilled to have been involved in developing Indeed’s Work Happiness Score to offer employers and employees robust measures of work happiness, and its drivers, that can be readily compared across thousands of organisations.
“As someone who has spent years of my career studying well being, I am excited to see how these publicly available survey results will change how people choose jobs and how employers build workplace cultures.
“This is only the beginning and I’m so excited to witness the positive impact this score has on fostering happy and thriving workforces across the UK and globally”
Childhood is a particularly important period for forming positive behaviours related to nutrition. Children who learn and practise positive eating habits from an early age are likely to make healthy choices when they grow up.
Here we explore some ways to help promote positive eating behaviours:
Stick to regular meal and snack times
A regular eating pattern forms the basis of a healthy, balanced diet.
Children love routine. Providing three meals, and two or three snacks a day is ideal for children.
Keeping mealtimes regular creates predictability and encourages a healthy appetite.
Set a good example
In the long term, children and young adults are most likely to learn from how we behave rather than what we tell them. The more we can be a role model about healthy eating habits the better!
Set an example to your child by showing them how you make healthy choices and how you practice positive eating habits; this could be something as simple as choosing to eat a wide variety of foods, or by ensuring you drink plenty of water.
Eat together at the table
Wherever possible allow your children to eat with you. Family mealtimes offer an excellent opportunity to teach children good eating patterns as well as a time to connect and talk to each other.
Make the meal table relaxed and enjoyable, free of pressure or tension and minimise distractions by turning off the television and keeping phones away.
Get them involved!
Children love to get involved in new things, so why not get them to help in the kitchen? Cooking with kids and getting them involved in the meal preparation process may encourage them to try new healthy foods.
Small children could be responsible for setting the table, any mixing or stirring and washing fruit and vegetables. Older children could get involved with preparing the shopping list, chopping, and peeling!
We hope this has given you some ideas to try with your family!
