Tag: Health and wellbeing

Sight loss choir sings the coronavirus blues away

A choir of blind and partially sighted people that first got together at the start of the year in Edinburgh is now harmonising over the phone-line.

Launched by sight loss charity RNIB Scotland in January, its members continue to sing defiance to the coronavirus blues.

Hazel Kelly (76) from Corstorphine, has experienced two degenerative corneal eye conditions which significantly affected her sight.

“I haven’t sung in a choir since I was a teenager in my church choir,” she said, “but I really fancied getting involved in some way and when I heard about this one I thought I would give it a go!

“It was originally held at the RNIB Scotland offices at Hillside Crescent in Edinburgh every second Tuesday with just four of us and a piano to start with. The numbers attending gradually increased and we all suggested a song we could potentially work on, which has included ‘Will ye go Lassie Go (The Wild Mountain Thyme)’, ‘Wind in the Willows’ and ‘Mull of Kintyre’.

“Of course, everybody has to memorise the words as, having sight loss, we can’t always read them, which is fine for the chorus but not so easy with a lot of verses! Our organiser Mike makes us work hard, including special singing warm-ups, and we had started to harmonise a bit, although this is more difficult now we’re all at home.

“We tried to all get together with Zoom while not particularly ideal , Mike is still working on the best solution for us. However, the good news is, that with the lockdown, more people have joined from other parts of Scotland, and I am now chatting and singing with a lady from Glasgow and another from Stirling among others.

“I don’t think we are quite ready to perform anywhere yet, but never say never is my motto! And it is good fun to find yourself at home singing the songs in the bathroom and while pottering around the house.”

The choir’s organiser Mike Holroyd, a community co-ordinator with RNIB Scotland, is a guide-dog user himself.

“I used to lead a choir of blind and partially sighted people for about 17 years when I lived in Bristol,” said Mike. “One or two people had been asking about starting a connect singing group in Scotland so we did.

“We started face-to-face in January, but when lockdown started folk were keen to continue – and in fact instead of every two weeks, we now get together every week.

“The emphasis at the moment is not so much on the sound we produce but on the learning and the fun of getting together. I’ve started encouraging people to sing solo verses – this helps to reinforce learning, but also works much better on the phone, and assists with building confidence.”

The RNIB Helpline is available to help blind and partially sighted people and their families and carers on 0303 123 9999.

Health visitors continue to provide crucial lifeline for families

Frontline community work continues despite COVID-19, thanks to the efforts of health visitors (HVs) like Laura Gordon. 

Since the pandemic began, Laura continues to manage a caseload maintaining frequent contact, building therapeutic relationships and providing a crucial role in providing support and advice to children and families in the Inverclyde community.

Home visits have had to be reduced, but Laura remains in the community doing face-to-face consultations at least two to three days per week. She believes providing swift support is key, and despite restrictions on face-to-face contact, health visitors around Greater Glasgow and Clyde have adapted to ensure families in need are able to receive the care and advice they require.

From increased telephone consultations and video calls to provide high quality care and support, to risk assessments over the phone before visiting to ensure use of the correct PPE, keeping children and families safe is a top priority.

Raising a new baby can be a stressful and challenging time in normal circumstances, and many new mothers rely on Laura as a key source and primary contact to help answer their questions, and support their babies and children with appropriate development.

Laura provides practical advice and support for topics relating to breastfeeding, nutrition, safety -including safe sleeping arrangements, illnesses and mental health, among others.

As well as the child’s physical and mental wellbeing, Laura works with families to ensure they have access to any services that they may require, including for urgent needs such as  financial aid or for food banks in the area.

HVs also continue to visit families with additional support needs, for example to support postnatal depression, parenting advice, and also in partnership with third sector agencies and social work for child protection support plans.

The nature of Laura’s remit means working collaboratively with families to find tailored solutions for their individual needs and circumstances.

Laura, who has worked within Inverclyde for a number of years, said: “Family life has changed massively since the pandemic began, and many families are under even more pressure than normal.

“Having a new baby is a huge transition and at this time most parents don’t have the support they would normally rely on. They can feel isolated and overwhelmed.  Having somebody to turn to during this time is extremely  important and contributes to the ongoing safety and wellbeing of their children.

“Inverclyde is among the most deprived areas in Scotland and some familes experience challenging circumstances and may have specific and urgent health needs without necessarily knowing what’s available and how to access the appropriate support. We can help them with that and facilitate access. This support can often provide lifelines when families are most in need.”

Inverclyde HVs are very much looking to the future and how they can embrace new methods of communicating effectively with families. Laura explains how they work on social media platforms to engage with patients.

Laura said: “By using Twitter and Facebook we can easily reach our families and provide key messages on all aspects of public health, including child development, brain development, perinatal mental health, weaning, nutrition, safety, safe sleep, immunisations, parental wellbeing, behavior management strategies, play and stimulation.

“The way we engage with patients may have changed due to COVID-19, but we are all still here, and we are all still working within the communities to help families access the services they need while providing them with practical advice and support so they get the best outcomes for their children.”

Increased health risks later in life for child abuse survivors, new study finds

People who have experienced maltreatment during childhood are significantly more likely to develop conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type two diabetes in adulthood, a new UK study has found.

Childhood maltreatment, which includes any form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect experienced by those under the age of 18, is a prevalent global public health issue thought to affect 1 in 4 children in the UK and 1 in 3 globally.

This study, led by the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick, reviewed anonymised data from 241,971 patients using medical records from GP surgeries between 1995 and 2018. 80, 657 patients were identified to have a history of childhood maltreatment compared with a control group of 161 314 unexposed patients.

The study is the first to use UK primary care data to explore the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cardio-metabolic disease.

Results of the study, published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that those with a history of childhood maltreatment were 71% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and 42% percent more likely to develop high blood pressure as well as the risk of developing type 2 diabetes doubled. Patients were also at a 75% increased risk of dying of any other cause during the study period.

Although the research could not ascertain why this relationship exists, previous research suggests that exposure to childhood maltreatment can influence the alteration of the immune, metabolic, neuroendocrine, and the autonomic nervous system.

Additionally, this group may experience greater exposure to other risk factors which may be associated with cardio-metabolic disease.

Lead author Dr Joht Chandan of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Applied Health Research and Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick said “Considering the high prevalence of childhood maltreatment globally, these findings suggest a substantial, but preventable burden of cardio-metabolic disease.

“The findings are particularly notable within the United Kingdom, where conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes pose an increasing burden on the health service.

“Considering that an estimated 1 in 4 children within the UK are affected by maltreatment, our findings could suggest that a significant proportion of the cardio-metabolic disease cases may be attributable to maltreatment.

“Therefore, there is a clear public health message that requires a population- based approach to not only prevent childhood maltreatment but also the negative consequences as a result of it.”

This latest study adds to a growing body of research published by the team at the two Universities examining the physical and psychological effects of domestic abuse and childhood maltreatment.

Earlier this year, the team published research that found that women who have experienced domestic abuse are 40 per cent more likely to die from any cause compared to the general population while a study in 2019 found that abused or neglected children are four times more likely to develop serious mental illness.

Care Inspectorate takes legal action over Skye’s Home Farm Care Home

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The Care Inspectorate has taken legal action over the running of a private care home on Skye where seven residents have died in a coronavirus outbreak.

The inspectorate has asked the Sheriff Court to cancel the registration of the HC-One-owned Home Farm 40-bed nursing home facility in Portree.

It follows an unannounced inspection of the home on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “An inspection has identified serious and significant concerns about the quality of care experienced by residents at Home Farm Care Home in Skye. 

“We understand this is a difficult and distressing time for residents, their loved ones and staff at the home.

“However, our first priority is always the health and wellbeing of residents.

“We have submitted an application to the sheriff court seeking cancellation of the care home’s registration.

“This could mean new care arrangements will be put in place for residents at Home Farm care home.

“We are working closely with partners including NHS Highland to ensure that residents experience appropriate care during this difficult time.”

In addition to the seven deaths, 30 of the nursing home’s 34 residents and 29 staff have tested positive for Covid-19.

A spokesman for HC- One, who operate 56 homes in Scotland, told the BBC: “We have accepted the shortcomings at Home Farm and apologise to our residents, their families, and the local community. We are fully committed to making significant improvements at the home and determined to put things right.”

On HC-One’s website – their slogan is ‘the kind care company’ – Home Farm is described:

‘The home’s caring team has created a family atmosphere, encouraging everyone to eat and celebrate special occasions together. Residents are invited to decorate their rooms with small items of their own furniture and treasured belongings so that it feels just like home. Daily life is carefully designed to support mind, body and soul.

‘Home Farm’s Home Manager makes sure that all Residents receive the kindest possible care. Our extensively trained team will deliver all the nursing and specialist care and support services that your loved one requires.

‘Personalised care plans consider not only medical, personal and dietary needs, but also the individual’s likes and dislikes, religious preferences, and suggestions from family members that might make their stay with us that little bit more enjoyable’.

On 29 April, HC-One wrote to local authorities seeking additional funds:

As we have done throughout the coronavirus crisis, we firmly believe we have a responsibility to our Residents, our Colleagues and to the wider public to highlight the challenges facing care homes at this unprecedented time.

This is why we have published online each day the total number of coronavirus cases and deaths experienced at our homes, and why we are also publishing in full the letter we have sent to the Local Authorities we work with regarding our request for financial support.

The Government has previously announced £3.2bn of additional funding for Local Authorities in response to the additional costs placed on them and their partners, which include all social care providers, by the coronavirus outbreak. We welcomed this announcement and the priority now is that this money reaches the front line.

As set out in our letter, HC-One has been significantly impacted by coronavirus including most importantly and most sadly the loss of more than 700 Residents and three Colleagues from this terrible virus. Alongside this, admissions have understandably fallen, and costs have significantly increased as we invest in the PPE needed to keep our Residents and Colleagues safe.

As a responsible provider, we entered this year and this crisis in a very strong financial position. In response to the financial impact of coronavirus we have taken a range of measures, including engaging with our lenders and our owners, to make sure we have the balance sheet resilience needed to see us through this challenging time.

These are prudent and responsible steps to take, as is looking at our income in the short term and engaging with the organisations that pay for the Residents living in our homes.

The Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, which represents Local Authorities and Social Care Commissioners respectively, have highlighted that care providers experienced a predicted 10% increase in costs linked to their coronavirus response.

Our letter therefore seeks to start a conversation with our Local Authority partners on how we can access some of the additional funding provided by Government to cover these additional costs.

We clearly set out the impact of the virus on our organisation, the statistical modelling we’ve completed that shows the predicted future impact of this deadly virus, the proactive steps we have taken to build financial resilience, and our request to discuss an income guarantee to assist us in the short term.
 
This request aligns with the Government’s COVID-19 Social Care Action Plan, which states Local Authorities must “protect providers’ cashflow”, and reflects the offers we’ve already received from some of our Local Authority partners who recognise the vital role our homes play in communities across the UK.
 
We are fortunate to be in a financially stable position, and to have the support of owners who are invested in the organisation and its mission for the long-term. We are therefore confident we can ‘weather the storm’ caused by coronavirus. Nevertheless, the responsible and prudent action was to engage with our funders, commissioners and lenders to make sure we build the most resilient financial position possible to achieve this.  
 
As we move forward during this public health emergency, HC-One will continue to focus solely on protecting the health and wellbeing of our Residents and Colleagues.

This includes providing the PPE, training and wellbeing support our teams need, but also engaging transparently in conversations with our funding partners about the additional financial support required to support our organisation.

Since the Care Inspectorate’s intervention it has been announced than an eighth resident has died.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman and Scottish Care CEO Donald Macaskill have wriiten a joint letter to all care home staff in Scotland this morning.

JF_and_DM_-_CARE_HOME_STAFF_letter_-_May_2020

An inspection report will be published in due course.

Call to restart cancer services in Scotland

Scottish Conservatives Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has called for the Scottish Government to publish an NHS Scotland Recovery Plan to restart services disrupted by Covid-19, particularly cancer services.

In preparation for the Covid crisis NHS Scotland went to great lengths to free up capacity and many services were paused.

Elective surgeries were postponed for three months to free up beds and cancer screening programmes for breast, cervical and bowel cancer as well as some cancer operations were also indefinitely halted.

Now cancer charities have issued a plea to the Scottish government to get cancer services up and running again and the Scottish Conservatives have asked for a plan to deal with the backlog in treatment and operations.

In NHS England cancer treatments restarted over two weeks ago.

In addition, this morning ISD Scotland published figures showing that attendances at A&E services have dropped dramatically since the end of march, due to the measures put in place to respond to COVID-19.

The statistics highlight that during the week of the 3 May only 16,107 people were seen at A&E, compared to 27,845 for the same week in 2019, the previous year, a staggering drop of over 40%. 

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary said: “It is vital that the Scottish Government brings forward an NHS Recovery Plan – a plan to restart our health service, particularly cancer services and operations, in Scotland.

“Over the last two months, in so many ways, people have selflessly put their own needs on hold.

“The A&E figures show that people have been staying away from the NHS meaning many people may be suffering in silence.

“But further delays will mean more patients could have poorer outcomes.

“It is now over two weeks since NHS England restarted cancer treatments, we could too.

“Thanks to the incredible work from everyone who works in our NHS, our health service has not been overwhelmed during this crisis.

“The Scottish Government must publish a plan to deal with the current backlog of operations and treatments and give everyone access to the healthcare they need before it’s too late.”

Student nurses share their experience of life on the frontline

Two student nurses have documented their experiences of life on the frontline at Glasgow’s Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

It has been just over one month since Stephanie Clark and Rebecca Mason, third year adult nursing students from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) joined the fight against COVID-19.

Both nurses currently work alongside teams at the RAH to help care for COVID-19 patients and filmed their experience over the course of two weeks.

You can view the videos here: 

Rebecca, who was on placement in the orthopaedics department at the beginning of the out break, said: “The way the staff at the RAH initially responded to the outbreak really inspired me to want to opt in and help in any way I could.

“I was in Spain on placement when I heard about coronavirus,” Stephanie added. “But I knew the first thing I wanted to do upon travelling back was opt in to help.”

Stephanie and Rebecca are two of the 1,200 nursing, midwifery and biomedical science students from UWS supporting teams at hospitals and care settings across Scotland during the pandemic.

Both pre-registration student nurses in their final year of study, Stephanie and Rebecca have been based in elderly medicine and COVID-19 wards at the hospital since opting in.

“I’m helping by taking observations, supporting patients who can’t have any visitors just now, and helping clinical practitioners, whilst also learning as much as I possibly can,” Stephanie explained.

Rebecca added: “It can be tough at times, of course. One of my patients deteriorated really quickly and my role was to ensure I was providing comfort to the patient, who didn’t have any relatives with them.

“It can be hard when you’re wearing full PPE – the patients can only see your eyes, but it is so important to show empathy and compassion.”

“The patients are ill and vulnerable, but providing the best support I can to my team and my patients is my number one priority,” Stephanie said.

“The staff have been so supportive and I really feel like I’m starting to find my feet and my role within the team,” Rebecca said. “While it is challenging at times, I feel privileged to be involved and grateful for this opportunity.”

“It’s really important to me to follow the correct infection control policies that have been put in place for all staff at the hospital. While I am a third year student and I do work in the hospital, I’m also a mum and I need to make sure I’m doing what I can to protect my husband and two kids.”

Stephanie added: “We are hugely grateful to the public too, who are staying at home to keep safe and protect the NHS.”

Paul Hendry, NHSGGC’s Lead Nurse for the Emergency Care Medical Specialty Team at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, said: “The contribution made from the student nurse cohort has been a tremendous boost in supporting in the care of patients.

“Joining the frontline at the best of times can be daunting, and to see the skill, professionalism and enthusiasm brought by the students is a testament to their training.

“They work closely with the staff across services, who help support them in the delivery of everything from day-to-day tasks to planning and delivering care in both the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards.

These are unprecedented times and everyone is working together, adapting to changing circumstances and experiencing new kinds of pressures. Despite this, by working jointly, we’re able to continue delivering effective person centred care throughout and I’m extremely proud of the way the whole team has responded to the pandemic.

“This has been a career defining moment for everyone within healthcare.”

UWS is Scotland’s largest provider of nursing and midwifery education, with all four of its Scottish campuses equipped with state-of-the-art clinical skills simulation facilities, replicating hospital, primary care and domestic environments.

Julie Edgar, Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences at UWS, said: “It is hard to put into words how proud we are of all of our students who have risen to the challenge and opted in to help our NHS at this vital time.

“It has been fantastic to watch Rebecca and Stephanie’s video diaries of their time based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

“Hands-on experience is a key component of all of our programmes, with a large proportion of our pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes delivered in practice. It is with this in mind that we had absolute confidence our students would be well-prepared to lend an important hand in supporting the NHS and others on the frontline at this time.

“Each and every one of our students should feel incredibly proud of themselves and know that UWS is here to support them every step of the way.”

“You look after us, so we’ll look after you”

New resources for staff, carers, volunteers and their families 

Organisations from across Scotland have worked together to create a new platform to help health and social care workers and carers look after their physical and mental health.

Launching today, a new national digital wellbeing hub will enable staff, carers, volunteers and their families to access relevant support when they need it, and provides a range of self-care and wellbeing resources designed to aid resilience as the whole workforce responds to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The hub is the first of its kind in the UK and its content has been created by trauma and other specialists in Scotland. Its launch follows the £3.8 million extra funding announced in March to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s mental health helpline services and expand digital therapies.

Specifically tailored to support the challenges being faced by everyone in health and social care, the hub will provide advice on self-care and personal resilience to help users to recognise their own ‘warning signs’. Comprehensive information about services and resources available at national and local level within NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and local authorities will also be available.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This is a tremendously stressful time for our health and social care workforce and unpaid carers, juggling the demands of working in highly pressurised emotional environments with concerns for their own safety and that their families. We will do all we can to support them.

“The hub, the first of its kind in the UK, has the theme ‘You look after us, so we’ll look after you’ and has been developed with the support of a range of organisations, including professional bodies and trades unions. It actively encourages people to make use of available services such local NHS helplines for staff across health and social care services, including care home workers.

“Protecting health and social care staff, wherever they work, continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government and this includes doing all we can to protect people’s mental health. That is why, in addition to the wellbeing hub, we will also be providing staff with access to coaching and the opportunity to shape our future policies through a new Workforce Wellbeing Champion Network.”

The National Wellbeing Hub went live at 2pm on Monday 11 May.

Getting help for people at risk from harm

It’s vitally important during these unprecedented times that people know where to turn to if they feel someone is vulnerable in their communities.

We should all be following government guidance to stay at home to limit the spread of Coronavirus – however, being at home can increase tensions and affect mental health, meaning some people in our communities are more vulnerable now.

Children and adults can be at risk of harm, and some people will be experiencing financial difficulties or struggling with addiction – but help is available.

If you think a child or adult is at risk of harm, you should report your concerns so that professionals from social work, police, NHS and the voluntary sector can help.

The Council has already put in place measures to support people staying at home like support from our educational psychologists for families who may be struggling with home learning and wellbeing.

Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Now more than ever in these challenging times we should all be reaching out to anyone we think may be suffering and requires support. Many people may be unaware that there’s a wide range of networks in the city for those in need.

“We’ve all heard of many amazing tales of kindness and selfless acts in Edinburgh during this pandemic. It’s so important we raise awareness among our communities of the help that is out there. So, our appeal is … please if you have concerns about someone then contact the appropriate organisation to get them support – you can make a real difference just by making that vital phone call.

“As a Council we work really closely with partner organisations like the NHS, police and voluntary sector to support the most vulnerable in our society.

“A great example is our All of Us campaign with the NSPCC which encourages people to get in touch if they’re finding it hard to look after children, a family needs some extra help or someone they know could do with more support.

“It’s vital people know who to turn to if they have concerns – don’t hesitate to make your voice heard and change people’s lives for the better.”

If you’re concerned about your own safety or someone you know like a relative, friend or neighbour then you should contact Social Care Direct on socialcaredirect@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 200 2324.

  • If you’re concerned for the immediate safety of a child or adult, phone the police on 999.
  • If an adult or child needs medical attention with or without COVID-19 symptoms, phone NHS on 111 or if it’s an emergency 999.

There are various forms of support such as Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage helpline on 0800 027 1234,  Edinburgh Women’s Aid on 0131 315 8110 and our All of Us campaign, with NSPCC Scotland.

Scotland has poorest asthma care

Asthma UK Scotland have called for more radical action to improve the level of asthma care available folllowing the results of their yearly Asthma Survey, which shows the level of basic asthma care in Scotland has fallen by 7% in the last year – making it the worst nation in the UK for basic care provision.

The Asthma UK survey was conducted over the summer of 2019, with more than 12,000 people taking part and 1,403 of these respondents being based in Scotland.

It found that only 36% of Scottish asthma sufferers are receiving the most basic level of asthma care, a startling decrease of 7% in two years. Respondents with a lower household income were also found to suffer from asthma symptoms more frequently.

Across the UK, twice as many people (24.9%) from the top income band have well controlled asthma, compared to 11.9% of those in the lowest income band in the survey. The lowest income band is the only one where over half (57.4%) of people have uncontrolled asthma.

Whilst access to basic asthma care remains similar across income levels, the quality of asthma reviews is poorer for lower income groups. Without high quality asthma reviews assessing symptoms, inhaler and preventer usage, poorer outcomes are experienced.

There are other contributing factors that drive health inequalities for people with asthma. In deprived areas, air quality can be worse and poor housing increases exposure to mould, cold air and dust triggers. Almost half (48.8%) of Scottish respondents listed air pollution as a trigger.

In response to these shocking figures, Asthma UK Scotland are calling for more urgent work to be done to develop and implement the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland in 2020.

Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma UK Scotland said: “This survey makes for grim reading and shows the scale of the task needed. It is very disappointing to see Scotland’s level of care decrease so sharply, leaving almost two thirds (64%) of people with Asthma unable to access basic care and asthma reviews.

“It’s also incredibly worrying to read that it is the most deprived communities that are being affected most by this shortfall in care provision. We need to ensure that everyone, regardless of their economic background or where they live, can access the care they need to live a healthy life and keep their lungs well.

“To do this we must also take action to improve the quality of air across Scotland, protecting people’s lung health and helping avoid the development of conditions like asthma and COPD, as well as cracking on with the new Respiratory Care Action Plan.

“The plan is needed now more than ever as we cannot afford to continue on this downward trend. We hope the Scottish Government will soon be forthcoming with proposals to help reverse this trend and that we can refocus our efforts to getting Scotland’s asthma care provision back on track.”

Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead for Asthma UK, said: “As a practising GP I understand the pressure to cover so much in any appointment, especially an annual asthma review.

“When we are providing basic asthma care, healthcare professionals need to have the time to fully assess someone’s asthma and the impact that it has on people’s diverse lives.

“We also need to be able to tailor treatments and their action plan to people’s lifestyles and help them to use their medicines and seek health care at appropriate times. By doing this we can bring down the high rates of asthma attacks particularly in at risk and disadvantaged groups and reduce the burden that poorly controlled asthma has on the NHS.”