Tag: Health and wellbeing

Protecting education staff: COVID antibody survey launched

A nationwide voluntary survey of education staff in schools or Early Learning & Childcare settings will help identify whether those tested are likely to have had coronavirus (COVID-19).

The COVID-19 Antibody Survey in education Staff (CASS), launched on Friday, will help identify the proportion of people working in an education setting in Scotland who have had coronavirus by testing for antibodies in their blood.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on life in Scotland and understanding how many people have had the virus, particularly those working in an education setting doing a variety of roles, and how this changes over time will inform the measures taken to limit risk and strengthen the ongoing pandemic response.

Following the return to school, protecting the health of all staff working in and around schools is crucial to ensure their safety and wellbeing as well as minimising the disruption of children’s education – a vital component to their own health and wellbeing.

This survey will use home testing kits provided through the UK Government antibody testing programme, which commenced in September 2020. The timing of this study allows for monitoring and the ability to track changes over the school year while staff are in their normal work environment. As the test looks at past infection, it will identify whether those tested are likely to have had the virus in the school year to date.

From the test, we aim to learn whether someone has been infected in the past, and understand how this relates to their occupation, and the setting in which they work. All of which will be important to inform future decision-making for the protection of Scotland’s education staff, and pupils as a result.

The tests, however, will not influence the activities of individuals who take part. This is because an antibody test provides information about whether someone is likely to have had the coronavirus before, but it does not provide information about an individual’s immunity, or whether they can or cannot spread the virus to other people.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This new survey, part of the schools surveillance led by Public Health Scotland, is an exciting opportunity to monitor COVID-19 antibodies in the education workforce.

“This will help us understand more about the virus within educational settings as well as understanding more about antibodies and any protection they may give. I would encourage teaching staff to sign up once they are invited to take part over the coming weeks. There is no need to do anything before you are contacted.”

Dr Diane Stockton, COVID-19 Social and System Recovery Lead said: “Scotland’s education staff are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of children so they can continue their education in the traditional school setting, spend time with their peers and get back to something more like normal.

“We recognise the impact the return to school has had on staff and the CASS study is intended to provide a more detailed look at this particular work setting and provide important surveillance for staff in the long-term.

“Any adult working in a school or Early Learning & Childcare setting in Scotland is eligible to sign up for the CASS study. What we learn from participants’ test results will support and strengthen Scotland’s response to COVID-19 and ensure school settings are as safe as they possibly can be for all.”

Cllr Gail Macgregor, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources said: “The Scottish Local Government workforce has and continues to play a vital role the response to COVID-19.

“Ensuring essential services can continue to be delivered safely is a critical part of supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities. The return to school has been a vital step in not only ensuring the education of children and young people is maintained, but also in strengthening their mental health and wellbeing.

“Doing so has been a whole workforce effort and it is therefore key that all employees who work in and around schools are encouraged to take part in the CASS survey.

“Whether you are a teacher, a pupil support assistant, a cleaner, janitor, caterer or any other of the many roles that keep our schools running, we need you to take part. Doing so will help ensure we know as much as possible about COVID-19 and that we can continue to protect you and everyone in our communities.”

The CASS study is part of a larger programme of enhanced surveillance in schools. People working in education and Early Learning Centres can expect to see communications from their employers and places of work with further information about participating in this study over the coming weeks.

Staff pic being displayed in National Portrait Gallery’s ‘Hold Still’ Exhibition

In the midst of the pandemic, nurse Lindsay Macdonald reassures little Hannah as she carries her to the operating theatre at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. This moment was captured by Lisa Miller, photographer with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Medical Illustration team.
 
It has been selected as one of 100 photos to be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibit: Hold Still which captures a collective portrait of the UK during lockdown and the pandemic over the past six months. Lisa’s photo was chosen out of 31,000 submissions.
 
Lisa Miller, photographer NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Medical Illustration team, said: “I took this shot during the height of the pandemic and it shows that in the middle of what was and still is a scary time for everyone, the comfort of a nurse to a young patient.
 
“I’ve been working in our hospitals throughout the pandemic and have been able to capture moments no one else has been able to. We’ve had to wear full PPE which has made it hard to focus and frame the images through the viewfinder of the camera properly but I’ve been able to expand my skill range and take portraits alongside medical photographs.”
 
Lisa was only allowed to submit one photograph to the National Portrait Gallery and after much deliberation sought the opinion of her mum because she would look at the image from a mother’s perspective.
 
She added: “We’re always in sensitive situations, dealing with patients so it’s important to build up a rapport with them to make sure they feel safe and comfortable.”
 
Lisa has also been shortlisted for a Sky Arts TV photo competition, with another photo of Lindsay.

The National Portrait Gallery exhibit is available to view online: Hold Still.
 
Nurse Lindsay said:  “The picture was taken during a time, right in the middle of lockdown and staff were all adjusting to new ways of working.  At that time we were not using the anaesthetic rooms to put children under an anaesthetic and parents were not able to come with children into theatre.  Because seeing staff wearing the full PPE could be quite scary for some children, especially young children who can’t see your face. 
 
“That day I was going to meet the patient at reception and bring them to theatre.  That way everyone who was already in all the PPE could stay in the theatre room and cause as much little distress for the child before she went to sleep.
 
“I still remember Hannah, she was such a lovely little girl.  I was walking up the corridor to theatre with her in my arms, as she wanted to be there rather than on the trolley. Lisa was also there waiting to go into theatre when she took the photo.
 
“As a nurse I believe the patient feeling safe and happy is crucial to our role, as they are going into an unknown place with people that are complete strangers to them.  I am a parent myself and I completely understand that when parents are handing over the most precious thing in the world to them, they have to believe and put their trust in us that we will absolutely take care of them and make sure that they are in safe hands.”
 
Lisa has also been shortlisted for a Sky Arts TV photo competition, with another photo of Lindsay.
 
The National Portrait Gallery exhibit is available to view online: Hold Still.

COVID-19 and Communities: Community Hub Case Studies

New report from the Carnegie UK Trust

Over the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carnegie UK Trust has been undertaking a series of conversations with communities across the UK, exploring the changing relationship between local government, public services and communities.

Throughout these conversations, we’ve heard from several areas that community hubs were a critical part of the emergency response.

In many cases, these demonstrated strong leadership, creative practice and partnership working. The Trust believes that these hubs could have a longer-term role in recovery from the pandemic, joining the dots between people that require support and connecting them to a range of services to promote individual and community wellbeing.

Building on the learning from four areas, (North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lancaster and Scarborough), our new report offers examples of best practice, challenges, opportunities and learning for the future. We hope that these examples will inspire change.

North Ayrshire: A case study on kindness

On the same day, we are also releasing a report that tells the story of our two-year partnership with North Ayrshire Council.

This ‘case study on kindness’ shares the activities, achievements and learning about what it takes to embed kindness across a local authority area, and finishes with five priorities that we hope will feel relevant and urgent for local government and its partner organisations everywhere.

I do hope that you find these reports helpful.

To let us know your thoughts, please email Pippa@CarnegieUK.org or join the debate online by tagging @CarnegieUKTrust #COVIDConversations – we would be pleased to hear from you.

Best wishes

Sarah Davidson,

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust

40% of Scots feel worse off due to the coronavirus

The financial impact of the lockdown imposed at the end of March has been revealed in new research of UK adults by credit reference agency Equifax. The study found that 40% people living in the Scotland feel worse off financially due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Figures suggest this could be a consequence of the fact that 38% of people living in Scotland reported they took home a reduced salary during lockdown, compared to 37% nationally, with 1 in 5 people believing they will be made redundant when furlough ends.

  • 43% of people in Scotland believe it will take up to 12 months to recover financially compared to 36% nationally  
  • 1 in 10 of those living in Scotland are behind on regular payments for which they don’t have payment holidays
  • 52% of people in Scotland continued saving during lockdown and 44% saved more than pre-lockdown.

Lisa Hardstaff, credit information expert at Equifax, commented: “For those on furlough, the fear of redundancy once the scheme comes to an end is very real. And even for those who don’t believe they will be made redundant; nearly a third of people living in Scotland believe their employer will ask them to reduce their salary in the immediate future once they return to work.

“Everyone has been affected differently during this crisis.  National figures show that more than half (52%) said they were able to put aside more money into their savings compared with pre-lockdown.

“And nearly a quarter (24%) said they actually feel better off.  However, in contrast, 18% admitted they were behind on regular payments for which they don’t have a ‘payment holiday’ in place

“Expenditure on outgoings has changed since lockdown; nearly half of those surveyed that live in the Scotland spent more each week on their food bill and 43% spent more on gas and electricity. As the work from home culture continues it’s likely these additional costs will remain, even though, not surprisingly 66% said they spent less on travel.

“With areas of the country in localised lockdowns and a second COVID-19 wave predicted in the Autumn, recovering from the financial impact of COVID-19 could be prolonged.

“National figures also show that over a  third (36%) believe it will take them up to 12 months to recover and 31% said they think it will take between 13 to 24 months to get back on a solid financial footing. Now more than ever, therefore, it’s vital to have a really good understanding of financial incomings and outgoings.”

With uncertain times ahead Equifax has created an online budget planner that allows people to monitor their income against their outgoings, to help them take control of their finances now and in the future.  

Lisa Hardstaff concluded: “A financial planner not only helps manage outgoings each month, it allows people to prioritise important financial commitments like mortgage payments, council tax, etc.

“It can also help to see where money can be saved, such as unused memberships or cutting back on food bills.”

£1.1 billion MORE for health and social care sector

Additional funding to help pandemic response and winter preparation

Scotland’s health and social care sector will receive £1.1 billion in additional funding to support its work through coronavirus (COVID-19) pressures, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.

The funding will be allocated to NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland to help them meet COVID-19 related costs such as additional staffing or sickness expenditure, enhanced infection prevention and control measures, and the purchase of PPE.

Ms Freeman said: “The health and social care sector has a critical frontline role in responding to the single greatest public health crisis of our lifetimes, and I want to pay tribute to all staff involved for their heroic efforts to overcome the many challenges presented by this pandemic.

“As we continue to safely remobilise our health and social care sector, the Scottish Government is taking action to support services’ capacity to deal with the ongoing presence of COVID 19, and continue preparations for the wider pressures of the winter season.

“This funding ensures the sector will continue to receive the support required to deal with the additional challenges of the pandemic, whilst still delivering the vital health, social care and hospital-based services the public rely on every day.”

Health and social care funding rose to more than £15 billion for the first time under the 2020-21 Budget, with more than £100 million delivered in excess of Barnett consequentials to support frontline services as part of the overall uplift.

Vulnerable children face crisis through missed support opportunities

The lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children are being devastated by a string of missed opportunities to provide them with timely and adequate support, a new report reveals today.

The Adoption Barometer, published by charity Adoption UK, also describes the dramatic impact the right support can have. Now in its second year, the Barometer is based on the biggest ever survey of adopters. This year, 5,000 people responded to the survey.

One of the main themes to emerge is the failure in diagnosing and treating brain damage caused by children being exposed to alcohol in the womb. The report reveals more than one in three adopted children in Scotland (35%) are either diagnosed with or suspected to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Almost two thirds (63%) of families polled in Scotland had waited two years or longer for a diagnosis, and more than half (53%) felt healthcare professionals lacked even basic knowledge about the condition, even though FASD is more common in the general population than autism.

Adoptive mother Gemma (below) said: “When Isabelle came to us at eight months-old she was described as a perfect baby. At two and a half she started headbutting, kicking and biting. Then she became obsessed with sharp knives.

“She told me she wanted to ‘cut me open and see me bleed’. We went to countless GPs, health visitors and social workers but we got nowhere. We finally got a diagnosis of FASD when she was four years old. It has made a huge difference to the support we’ve been able to access.”

Scotland is leading the field in the UK, as the first nation to establish an FASD diagnostic pathway. In 2019 the Scottish Government backed Adoption UK in Scotland to launch FASD Hub Scotland, supporting all parents and carers of people who were, or may have been, exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, including Gemma and her family.

The service includes a helpline, online support communities, one to one support, access to enhanced therapeutic support, training and information, as well as training and resources for professionals.

FASD Hub Scotland Project Manager, Aliy Brown, says: “During the month of September (FASD Month) we have been working closely with professionals within Scotland, other parts of the UK and further afield to drive the campaign around the need for awareness of FASD, both for prevention as well as support for families, which is so badly needed, as evidenced in the report.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to see the condition recognised in the same way the other neuro-diverse conditions are, and enable both individuals and their families to access early diagnosis, support and intervention to promote positive outcomes for life.”

Around three-quarters of adopted children experienced violence, abuse or neglect while living with their birth families, often with life-long impacts on their relationships, their health and their ability to learn. Despite the considerable challenges, the report shows that adopters remain positive and resilient – 73% of respondents in Scotland would encourage others to consider adoption.

But failures in policy and practice and missed opportunities to intervene mean that problems often build into a crisis. Almost half (48%) of families with older children report severe challenges, such as being drawn into criminally exploitative behaviour, including child sexual exploitation and county lines activities.

Almost two thirds (62%) of respondents from Scotland with secondary aged children anticipate they will leave school with few or no qualifications because they lacked the right support.

Director of Adoption UK Scotland, Fiona Aitken, said: “It is crucial that adoptive families are given the right support from day one, from both a moral and economic perspective.

“The survey shows 68% of adoptive families had no support plan in place, which we know can lead to crisis situations. The cost of a family breakdown is too high for all involved, particularly the children who have already experienced so much.”

The Adoption Barometer also assesses the government policies that regulate adoption. Welsh policies scored best, with three areas of policy scoring ‘good’. However, all nations score poorly in at least one area of policy. Policy relating to finding families for children scores best across the board.

Policy relating to FASD scores worst, with all nations assessed as ‘poor’, and adopter experiences also ‘poor’ in all nations, however Scotland does come across better than the other three nations in respect of their nationwide strategy.

There has been some progress since last year’s Barometer, including the extension of the English Adoption Support Fund (ASF) and the first experimental data collection on school exclusions in England, both of which were recommendations from last year’s report. In Wales there has been a £2.3m investment in adoption services.

Although respondents in Scotland were most likely to consider their social worker to be knowledgeable and understanding they were least likely to be satisfied with the range of support services on offer, perhaps reflecting the comparatively low proportion who were able to access enhanced support services.

Currently all support services are expected to be provided by agencies, with the exception of the Big Lottery Funded Therapeutic and Education Support Services in Adoption (TESSA), hosted and provided by Adoption UK Scotland.

The Adoption Barometer calls on the governments in all four nations of the UK to provide detailed therapeutic assessments for every child before they arrive in their new family, with up to date support plans to be maintained into early adulthood.

Flu vaccine: who gets it?

Flu immunisation begins in autumn. This year, with coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, the flu vaccine is being offered to more people than ever before in Scotland.

Please note that flu vaccinations are being offered differently in some areas of Scotland this year, and might not be at your GP practice as in previous years.

The following groups are eligible for the free flu vaccine this year:

A second phase is planned to begin in December, and will include those aged 55 to 64 (by 31 March 2021) who would not usually be eligible.

The vaccine is safe, effective and is the best protection against flu. It reduces your risk of getting flu and spreading it to others, especially those who are most at risk. 

You have to be immunised every year because the virus changes each year and your immunity reduces over time.  The vaccine takes around ten days to work so the sooner you get it the better.  Help our NHS avoid the pressure that a spike in seasonal flu would put on top of coronavirus.

Getting your flu vaccine is one of the most important reasons for leaving your home. Strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place during vaccination.

If you are eligible due to a health condition, the risk of getting seriously ill with the flu virus is greater than the risk of going to get your vaccine.

Find out if you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine and get more information about this year’s vaccine. Or call 0800 22 44 88 (open 8 am – 10 pm, 7 days a week).

Drive-through flu vaccination clinics open in Edinburgh

Drive-through clinics have been opened by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) in Edinburgh this weekend to make it as quick, safe and easy as possible for people to get their flu vaccine.

The clinics will continue to operate on weekends in October and November and each site can vaccinate up to 500 people a day.

As well as over 65s, pregnant people and those at risk due to existing health conditions, this year unpaid carers and those who lived with people who shielded during lockdown will be offered a free flu jab.

By developing flu drive throughs, everyone entitled to a free flu vaccine from a household can attend at the same time. For those who don’t have access to a car, a series of walk through clinics are being arranged and Edinburgh locations will be available on the NHS Inform website once confirmed.

Keeping the people of Edinburgh safe and healthy is a priority, so before the jab is administered, a nurse will ask some questions to make sure it is safe to administer the vaccine. The person receiving the jab doesn’t need to leave their car and will also be asked to wait 15 minutes before leaving the clinic to ensure there’s no reaction to the vaccine.

If you are eligible for a free flu vaccine, or for more information, go to www.nhsinform.scot/flu to find out where you can get your jab in Edinburgh. If you qualify for a free vaccine you’ll be given a time to attend a clinic after completing a short questionnaire.

Judith Proctor, Chief Officer for the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “As part of our mission to support a caring, healthier and safer Edinburgh, we’re committed to making it even easier to get a flu vaccine this year. The flu vaccine is an important health protection measure and we want to make sure that everyone who is eligible has access to the vaccine.

“To keep the people of Edinburgh safe, and to respect physical distancing measures, we have confirmed a range of Edinburgh venues to offer access to the flu vaccine, including a drive through service at sites across the city. This is the first time a drive through model has been used for vaccinations in Scotland, and could provide a blueprint for how to deliver vaccination programmes successfully in the future.

“Details of where people can go to receive a flu vaccine will be available on the NHS Inform website.”

Blackhall Medical Centre, Muirhouse Medical Group, Crewe Medical Centre and Davidson’s Mains Medical Centre patients will be directed to a walk-through facility at Pennywell All Care Centre or the drive-through at Scottish Gas HQ on Granton waterfront.

Occupational Therapists’ concern over testing shortages

The difficulty that frontline key workers are having in accessing COVID-19 tests has recently been the subject of much discussion in parliament and the media.

Occupational therapists across the UK play a key role in the fight against the pandemic, and the lack of testing is of huge concern to the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Commenting on the lack of testing, RCOT Chief executive Julia Scott said: “We have seen over the past few days significant concerns from all areas of the NHS, Social Care, Teachers and those front-line key workers who have struggled to get a COVID-19 test.

“As we see spikes in the infection rates and signs of a second wave, we have huge concerns about the accessibility of testing for occupational therapists and AHP’s on the front-line. In particular, those that work in social care settings, such as care homes, which as we know are extremely vulnerable to the worst impacts of coronavirus.

“Whilst it is positive that government ministers have suggested that the NHS is the top priority for testing, this is worrying for social care which was overlooked in the initial response to the pandemic. Occupational therapists for weeks and months were hampered in providing vital support, such as rehabilitation, to those that needed it due to the lack of guidance and access to personal protective equipment.

“The fact that some NHS staff, Care Workers and Teachers are already having to self-isolate because they cannot access a test within a reasonable distance in many parts of the country, is not good enough. This needs to be resolved in days and not ‘in a matter of weeks’ as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care indicated this week during urgent questions.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54172210

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-nhs-recovery-threatened-as-test-shortages-mean-staff-have-to-self-isolate-12072228

Flu Injection plans announced for Muirhouse Medical Group patients

All Muirhouse Medical Centre patients eligible for the Flu Injection are invited to attend a walk in or drive through clinic. These clinics are being held on Saturdays and Sundays in October and November.

You may attend any clinic, at the time allocated to your surname. Please be aware that the first clinics are likely to be very busy.

Walk-In clinics will be at Pennywell All Care Centre. They are on Saturday 10th, Sunday 11th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October. Please go to the clinic at the allocated time-slot for the first letter of your surname (listed below).

Drive Through Clinics will be held on Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th and Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st, Saturday 7th, Sunday 8th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November at Scottish Gas, 1 Waterfront Avenue, Edinburgh EH5 1SG

You can attend on any of these dates. Please go to the clinic at the allocated time-slot for the first letter of your surname. If there is more than 1 person in the car, come at the time allocated by the surname of the driver.

The time slots are:
A & B: 9.00am – 10.00am
C & D: 10.00am – 11.00am
E – H: 11.00am – 12 noon
I – L: 12 noon – 1.00pm
M – N: 1.00pm – 2:30pm
O – R: 2.30pm – 3.30pm
S – U: 3.30pm – 4.30pm
V – Z: 4.30pm – 5.30pm

Children’s Flu Vaccine

Children from the age of 2 -5 on 01.09.20 will be offered the flu vaccine and it is strongly recommended that you get your child protected from the flu. You will be sent a leaflet telling you how to book an appointment for your child to get it. (It is a nasal spray, not an injection).

Children at Primary school will be given the injection at school between October and December. They will bring an information leaflet home from school and a permission slip for you to sign.

For more information visit www.nhsinform.scot/childflu or call 0800 22 44 88 .