Health and wellbeing – Page 220 – The NEN

NHS 24 backing call for Hope through Action on World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day takes place next Friday – 10th September 2021. This year the international theme is ‘Creating Hope Through Action’.

NHS 24 are encouraging everybody to think about taking one simple action to create hope and support ourselves and people around us who might be struggling, before pressures become a crisis. NHS 24 are supporters of United to Prevent Suicide.

The short animation ‘Ask, Tell – A healthy conversation’ gives practical tips on how and when to have compassionate conversations with people who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or mental distress.

It takes less than 5 minutes to watch. www.unitedtopreventsuicide.org.uk

Anyone in Scotland in need of urgent help with their mental health can contact the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub on 111. This service is available 24/7/365.

Many people who call are experiencing thoughts or worries about suicide. The teams are able to help in a number of ways with compassionate listening, strategies to stay safe, or referral to support services for practical help with problems such as money or relationships.

Some callers are referred to their GP or community mental health team. Occasionally they refer callers to emergency services. NHS 24 work closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland to offer a compassionate, appropriate, safe response to everyone calling.

The Breathing Space service is a confidential phone line for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed.

Open Monday – Thursday 6pm to 2am, and all weekend Friday 6pm -Monday 6am.

Call free on 0800 83 85 87

Donald Macintyre, Associate Medical Director, NHS 24 said: “Taking care of our mental health has been so important during the pandemic.

“I would encourage everyone to take a small action to improve their own wellbeing and to learn about safe ways to have what might be a difficult conversation with someone who may be struggling. Often a brief, caring chat can have a major impact. Our mental health teams are here to offer a compassionate response to anyone who needs urgent help.”

An action could be as simple as trying out the new Mental Wellbeing Signposting tool on NHS inform, which helps users navigate to free online courses provided by the SilverCloud platform or to the most helpful mental wellbeing resources on NHSinform.

SilverCloud courses have been designed by clinical experts and provide support for a range of conditions including sleep problems, general mental wellbeing and stress.

nhsinform.scot/get-help-with-your-mental-wellbeing

Acas: Employee mental health support has got better since the start of the pandemic

New research by Acas has found that over a third (36%) of British employers have seen their mental health support improve since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask businesses in Britain about whether they had seen a change to employee mental health and wellbeing support in their organisation since the start of the pandemic. The poll found that:

Over a third (36%) said it had got better;
Nearly one in ten (9%) said it had got worse;
Half (50%) reported it as staying the same; and
6% of employers did not know.

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “The pandemic has been a challenging period for everyone and it’s great to see that over a third of bosses have managed to improve their organisation’s mental health support for their staff.

“However, nearly one in ten employers have seen this support deteriorate so it is important for businesses to invest in the wellbeing of their workers as they open up again.

“Acas has good advice and training on how to support and manage mental health and wellbeing at work.”

Acas advice for employers on managing mental health during COVID-19 includes:

Be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems;
Keep in regular contact with your team to check how they are coping;
Be understanding towards the concerns and needs of your staff while they work in new or unexpected ways. For example, working from home or managing childcare while working;
Address any individual communication preferences such as asking team members if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings or by email; and
Look after your own mental health and get support if you feel under more pressure than usual. This support could be a colleague at work, a mental health network or a counsellor.

For the full Acas advice, please see: www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus-mental-health

Police to mark World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day – 10th September

To mark World Suicide Prevention Day Police Scotland has joined forces with partners to arrange a series of drop in events throughout Edinburgh, beginning on Sunday (5th September) at Middle Meadow Walk in the Meadows.

Sergeant Mark Innes from our Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships (PIP) team said:“Suicide should never be inevitable. 805 people died by probable suicide in Scotland in 2020 and we all have a part to play in preventing suicide: it is everyone’s business to help.

“Part of our role at the PIP is to raise awareness of the support provided by our partners in relation to suicide prevention and supporting people bereaved by suicide. We work closely with partners including Chris’s House, SAMH, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide, Penumbra, Samaritans and many others through Edinburgh’s Health and Social Care Partnership and the Thrive Edinburgh network.

“In the days leading to 10th September we will be holding partnership information stalls throughout Edinburgh to raise awareness of the support available and let people know where they can get help if needed.

A list of where we will be and when will be published soon.Talking can save lives and we hope that we can encourage people to seek support from the people that are best placed to help.”

House of Hearing: Over 60% of people can’t remember ever having had their hearing checked

Research commissioned by audiology experts at House of Hearing has revealed that even though the majority of Scots believe hearing is important to having a happy and healthy life, over 60% don’t remember ever having it checked.

The research, which surveyed 209 people in Scotland between 26 and 27 July, including 28% from Edinburgh and the Lothians, asked the public how important hearing was for a happy and healthy life on a scale of 1-10.

Over 70% gave it a score of 8 or higher, and just over a third (37%) responded with the highest value (10). Despite this, the survey found that 67% of people don’t remember having their hearing checked, while only 15% reported having it checked in the last 2-5 years.

Additionally, when asked if they have noticed more problems with their hearing during the pandemic, 77% responded that they had noticed no further changes.

Senior Audiologist Stuart Lyness, House of Hearing, said: “These results demonstrate that while people know how important hearing is to have a happy and fulfilled life, there seems to be hesitation when it comes to proactive care.

“It’s great to see that so many people haven’t noticed a difference during the pandemic, but without regularly getting your hearing checked, you will never be 100% sure. Given this, we always recommend getting your hearing tested every 2 years, increasing this to every year after 70 years of age to ensure you aren’t missing out on any aspect of your life.”

House of Hearing has been providing specialist hearing care for over 50 years, with free comprehensive hearing tests available at its new clinic on Melville Crescent.

The new clinic is fully equipped to provide patients with access to the highest quality audiological facilities. The most comprehensive hearing tests and aural care is available in dedicated soundproof consulting rooms with fully qualified Audiologists using the latest equipment.

House of Hearing also recently launched a new private ENT service, the first of its kind in Scotland, at its new clinic in Glasgow. This clinic will also be the first private clinic in Scotland solely dedicated to providing specialist ENT, Audiology and Aural Care Services, in partnership with local ENT consultants, Clyde Consulting Rooms.

Melanie Jackson, Clinical Lead and Head of Nursing at House of Hearing said: “Ultimately, we want to drive home the message that many people will experience some form of hearing loss throughout their lives, but for most people, this doesn’t have to affect their quality of life.

“We also know the pandemic has likely led to an increase in self-management of issues such as excess ear wax. These should always be managed by a professional as otherwise you run the risk pushing the wax further into the ear or damaging the eardrum.

“At House of Hearing, our specialists are all registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and members of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA) to ensure the best care for every patient. We would encourage everyone to consider visiting for either a consultation to assess their wax removal requirements or a free hearing health assessment.”

House of Hearing is the only ENT nurse-led wax removal team in Scotland and their clinic in Edinburgh is the only wax removal service in the country registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The Glasgow clinic is also expected to be registered in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit https://www.houseofhearing.co.uk/

Find your Olympic spirit and up your fitness game

Edinburgh Leisure launches new membership campaign

If the recent Olympics and Paralympics happening in Tokyo have inspired you to up your fitness game, Edinburgh Leisure’s latest membership offer may be just what you need to spur you on.

For those of you who may have neglected your fitness routine during lockdown, or for those who may have cancelled their gym memberships in a bid to save a few pounds but want to get active again, the enticing ‘no joining fee’ offer is available on new memberships from Wednesday, 1 September to Thursday, 30 September 2021.

Applicable to all fitness, swim, gym, class and climb memberships, the offer can be bought online via the Edinburgh Leisure website.

And if you want to share your fitness journey with a friend, existing members who refer a friend who then joins, will receive £25 cash back. For the first time, the ‘Refer a Friend’ offer will be processed using an online form.

With 50+ venues across the city, including a world class climbing centre; 8 swimming pools, which include four modernised Victorian pools and the Royal Commonwealth Pool in their portfolio; 12 state-of-the-art gyms; and 800+ fitness classes per week including Les Mills programmes across the various centres, Edinburgh Leisure is the biggest club in town, with something for everyone to enjoy moving and getting fitter.

With adult memberships starting from as little as £33.50, there is a range of packages, including swim, fitness, gym and climbing.

www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Record high number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment in NHS Lothian

Lothian Tory MSP, Miles Briggs, has warned that NHS Lothian needs a record level of financial support to match a record number of patients waiting for treatments.

The number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment in NHS Lothian has risen to almost 75,000 people, 74,546. This is an increase of 19,873 patients from 54,673 at the end of June 2020, an increase of 36%. The number of patients waiting for an appointment has increased from 65,855 at the end of June 2019, pre the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the last ten years, the number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment in NHS Lothian has almost doubled, from 38,880 at the end of June 2011.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has repeatedly called for NHS Lothian to receive fairer funding from the Scottish Government with the health board receiving a lower percentage of funding than other health boards due to the formula used to work out allocations.

The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice) found the gap between the amount NHS Lothian should receive and its actual allocation added up to a total of £365.7m, over the last 10 years.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Under this SNP Government the number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment has almost doubled.

“Over the last decade NHS Lothian has been underfunded by SNP Ministers and it is patients in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s who are suffering.

“NHS Lothian staff have made an incredible effort over the last year and a half and patients waiting numbers are still growing.

“Significant investment will be needed to return services to even where they were five years ago and this SNP/ Green government -who is independence first and recovery second – isn’t up to the job.”

National campaign launched to prevent deaths from overdose

A nationwide marketing campaign to raise public awareness of the signs of a drug overdose and the life-saving medication naloxone has been launched to mark International Overdose Awareness Day.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) have teamed up to help inform the public of the medication which can reverse the effects of an opioid-related overdose.

TV and radio adverts and billboards at transport hubs and shopping centres will encourage people to go to the StopTheDeaths website to learn how to identify when someone is experiencing an overdose and how to get a naloxone kit and be trained to use it.

The campaign aims to inform the public how to respond to an overdose and provide an early intervention that could save a life and is therefore a vital part of the national mission on the drug deaths crisis.

Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “Firstly, on International Overdose Awareness Day I want to pass on my sincere condolences to all those who have been affected by a drug-related death.

“As I have said before, the number of deaths in Scotland is heart-breaking and I am determined that every penny of the £250 million we will spend on the crisis over the next five years will make a difference.

“That is why I am pleased to launch this joint campaign with Scottish Drugs Forum to encourage the public to get involved in our national mission and equip themselves to save a life.

“It will help inform a wider audience of what naloxone is, how it works and how they can use it in an emergency.

“We hope that the campaign will also help reduce the stigmatisation of people at risk of overdose and people with a drug problem more broadly.

“Naloxone is one of a wide range of measures being used to address the public health emergency of drugs deaths, but it plays an important role and I hope as many people as possible will visit the “Stop The Deaths” website to find out more.”

Kirsten Horsburgh, Strategy Coordinator for Drug Death Prevention at Scottish Drugs Forum, said: “People can feel overwhelmed and powerless in the face of the numbers of overdose deaths in Scotland but these deaths are preventable.

“Even in the moment that people encounter someone who may be experiencing an overdose it is important that people do not feel helpless. With a little knowledge and training people can make a life-saving difference.

“In the time people wait for an ambulance the first steps can be made that can save that person’s life. Recognising that someone may be experiencing an overdose, dialling 999 and administering naloxone are all part of the response that gives that person the best chance of recovery.

“In Scotland there is widespread access to naloxone kits and training and it’s crucial that as many people as possible get involved.”

For further information visit StopTheDeaths

Extra Time for The Changing Room health initiative

Scottish Government funding to boost men’s mental health football programme

A programme to use the power of football to help support people experiencing poor mental wellbeing, using the connection to professional football, has been enhanced by funding from Scottish Government.

The Changing Room – Extra Time has been awarded £100,000. The new programme builds on The Changing Room, an existing support service which uses football to bring men together to tackle mental health.

The Changing Room, which is funded by Movember and supported by the Scottish Professional Football League Trust (SPFL Trust), was first created in 2018 at Hibernian Football Club, and rolled out to Heart of Midlothian Football Club later that year.

Aimed at men in their middle years, the Changing Room is a 12-week programme which uses football to bring men together to tackle mental health.

Extra Time aims to give people the opportunity to speak in more depth about their mental wellbeing and to come together to explore areas which are giving them particular challenges or concerns.

The project will be delivered by SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) in partnership with the SPFL Trust and associated community trusts at Aberdeen (AFC Community Trust), Rangers (Rangers Charity Foundation), Heart of Midlothian (Big Hearts) and Hibernian (Hibernian Community Foundation) football clubs.

The Extra Time initiative will provide an opportunity for people to explore specific areas that often challenge them including how they view themselves, think and feel – all of which impacts on their mental wellbeing.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart, who launched the initiative at Pittodrie, home of Aberdeen FC, said: “Mental wellbeing has never been more important especially as we continue to deal with the ongoing pandemic and I am pleased to see this programme grow and develop.

“Although the focus is on four of our biggest clubs, which are all situated in urban areas, there is significant reach within those clubs across wider Scotland. My message is simple, we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about how we are feeling. This is an excellent way to combine football to improve mental wellbeing.”

Billy Watson, Chief Executive at SAMH said: “We’re delighted that the Scottish Government is funding The Changing Room – Extra Time, which will provide people with an opportunity to focus on resilience and self-care by exploring areas that often challenge them.

“It can be a struggle for many of us to talk about how we feel, and football is a really powerful way of bringing them together and encouraging them to open up.

“The Changing Room pilot projects have shown the difference the right support can make. Extra Time is a result of the value of this unique form of support being recognised not only by our pilot partners, but now also the Scottish Government and our new football club partners.

“Together, we’ve designed this expanded programme to fit the needs of people across the country, and we look forward to starting the next chapter of The Changing Room.”

SPFL Trust operations manager Fiona Taylor said: “Football has an extraordinary power to inspire people to make changes for the better. We’ve seen this with other programmes such as Football Fans in Training, and the pilot of The Changing Room at Easter Road and Tynecastle.

“The Changing Room Extra Time brings together the expertise of SAMH and our brilliant community trust partners to deliver something which we know people are looking for; interaction, safe spaces and friendship. What better place to provide this, than in the sanctuary of a club’s changing room?”

Aberdeen FC Community Trust chief executive Liz Bowie said: “We’re absolutely delighted that The Changing Room Extra Time is coming to Pittodrie, because this programme has a track record of success in supporting men to improve their mental health. We are sure that the Red Army will get right behind the project.”

New clinics introduced to provide COVID jabs for newly arrived asylum seekers

A vaccination clinic has been set up in Glasgow to provide COVID vaccinations for newly arrived asylum seekers.

The clinic, which welcomed the first vaccination patients to its base in Govan last Friday, is part of the Asylum Health Bridging Team which provides a range of health services to some of Scotland’s most vulnerable communities.

Craig Davidson, a senior nurse within the team, helped to administer the first vaccines at the clinic. He said: “People have been really positive about getting access to the vaccine – to protect them and the wider community. We want to make sure that asylum seekers get the same access to health care and the COVID vaccine as the rest of the population.”

The clinic is targeting asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Glasgow, in the four to six week window where the team can offer assistance before patients’ asylum journey progresses. An initial health assessment can take up to 90 minutes, looking at physical illnesses and conditions and to provide mental health and trauma support.

The team also support people who may have been victims of trafficking and women who may have been subject to abuse or FGM. After the initial assessment is over, patients are invited back to the clinic for the COVID vaccination, with accommodation provider Mears, arranging transport.

Craig added: “It’s about building trust. We support them through the traumatic experience they have been through and at least 95% have been through a traumatic journey just to get to the UK.”

The clinic was the brainchild of Stewart Curtis, team leader at the service. While asylum seekers already established in accommodation were targeted as part of earlier COVID vaccination outreach programmes, or able to access their jab through community clinics, Stewart recognised that not everyone could do the same.

Stewart said: “The people we are seeing don’t know the community, they don’t know where to go. I wouldn’t even try to imagine what some of our service users have left behind and what some of them have gone through just to get here.

“We’re the first point of NHS contact for them. We are that friendly face and space, somewhere they feel comfortable and we can have the vaccination clinic here, where people know us and feel they are in a safe and supportive environment.”

Stewart said his team have welcomed the opportunity to add the vaccine to the range of support services on offer.

He added: “I know the positive impact my staff are having on each individual’s life that comes through the door – that makes me really proud.”

Craig has also seen the benefits. He said: “I began my nursing career in May 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. I used to work in a ward treating patients who had COVID and dealing with a high level of death and trauma was, for me, really hard.

“It’s great to see this side with people who are so pleased to get the vaccine in the knowledge that it will protect them and the wider community.”

Stretching in the studio

Why Meadowlark Yoga wants to see your Downward Dog in person

Founder Karen Kirkness on the top five benefits of returning to classes post-pandemic

We have all leaned into our online communities over the last 18 months and there’s no doubt that virtual wellness is here to stay.

Working out in the comfort of your own home, the decreased worry of being amongst others and the ability to fit classes in as and when, have us all questioning why we would go back to in-person movement. However, evidence suggests getting our mats out and stepping back into the studio could be just what we need to boost both our mental and physical health.

Here Meadowlark Yoga owner and teacher, Karen Kirkness, offers five reasons why as a community we need to consider reconnecting over a Downward Dog:

Satisfaction vs Somatic closeness

Jumping into zoom yoga classes is one way we have all stayed fit and sane, and for many of us, the online format continues to deliver a feeling of satisfaction. However, the online space is bereft of the sensory stimulation that you get walking into your community yoga studio. In-person, your olfactory sense is presented with a note of myrrh followed by the sight of a friendly face at reception and a continuous stream of somatic inputs that combine to form a visceral imprint on your consciousness.

This sensory experience reinforces our choices by creating and strengthening deeply rooted psychosomatic memories that help us navigate future behaviour and strengthen our health and wellness choices. This richly physical phenomenon promotes the euphoric feeling of closeness to other humans that can only happen through proximity to like-minded others who are similarly dissolved in the same sensory circumstances forming connected memories. A connection we have sorely missed.

Convenience vs Connectedness

There is no easier way to smash through a yoga practice than to roll out of bed and onto your mat in your PJs. When you have to actually get dressed and present yourself to a room of humans, you’re coming together with those people in a shared social contract. There is an unspoken acknowledgement: ‘Hey, well done class, we all got here despite the many obstacles facing each and every one of us.’ In the moment we all decide to be here, now, even though it was hard and required some sacrifice, there is a kind of next-level connectedness.

Accountability vs Actual joy

Showing up to a studio class is about the authentic feeling of wanting to be there, doing the yoga that you love, surrounded by people who feel the same way.

Accountability is an underlying motivator, but you’re going to that class in-studio not because you care about your name being seen on the participants list. You’re there because the sheer joy of being physically present and experiencing it in real life adds to your overall workout; the joy lives in tandem with a sense of accountability that is magnified by the in-person experience.

Mammalian basics

Pandemic notwithstanding, as mammals we need eye contact, shared biorhythms, hugs, vocal subtlety, pheromonal interaction, and many other aspects of nonverbal communication that the online format can never accommodate.

Our fascial instruments need to vibrate in proximity with other humans as a matter of physical and spiritual health. Our neuroendocrine system is very sensitive to loneliness and in biological terms, our zoom-based lives have left us biochemically and vibrationally isolated. Being in-studio offers our bodies a higher vibration.

Being in-studio amongst people is a pro-mammalian experience, offering unquantifiable benefits that play on every level of our biologic instrument as individuals and as a community. With most of us double-vaccinated, ventilation and hygiene measures permanently levelled-up, and capacities down by 25%, we are now at a point where the benefits of communal interaction now outweigh the individual and collective risk of getting together in enclosed spaces.

Performance Enhancement

A final major reason for getting back in the studio is to get gently but firmly pushed, to feel the burn of training in that zone of opportunity where our bodies learn how to be stronger. Under the guidance of a teacher with others working on the same project is where most of us would rather practice and train. In-studio, the teacher can focus on seeing and feeling the students in the room, respond to the nuances of physical proximity, not having to spend valuable time and attention on the tech aspects.

Getting the best out of ourselves is never an easy project! By definition, we have to nudge ourselves and become uncomfortable to transform and progress, a process that is much more achievable in person.

So, whether you need to connect, feel the vibrations or get in touch with your mammalian instincts, Meadowlark Yoga is here to guide you through your next practice with open arms and a sun salutation!

https://www.meadowlarkyoga.com/