Tag: Health and wellbeing

Scots advised to limit social contact

Those most at risk strongly advised to reduce unnecessary contact

To slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) the general public are being asked to stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary social contact.

People over 70 and those who have high risk and underlying health conditions are being strongly advised to stay at home as much as possible and significantly reduce unnecessary social contact.

The advice is that people should:

  • minimise social contact by avoiding crowded areas and large gatherings, including religious congregations and smaller gatherings such as restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, cinemas and gyms
  • avoid using public transport as much as possible
  • work from home when possible
  • follow the latest health and travel advice, and follow basic hygiene precautions, such as washing hands frequently, not touching their face and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing

People showing symptoms suggestive of coronavirus should stay at home for seven days and only contact NHS 111 or their local GP if their symptoms worsen during that period.

Members of a household where someone has suspected symptoms should stay at home for 14 days.

This package of necessary measures comes into force with immediate effect.

Schools will remain open for the time being, however this decision will be consistently monitored and reviewed depending on the spread of the infection.

Those who cannot work from home should continue to go to work unless advised by their employer or if they display symptoms.

These measures will be kept under constant review as we try to slow down the spread of the infection.

The First Minister said: “Life as we know it will change in the coming weeks and months, but our goal is to protect lives.

“We are facing an unprecedented situation that will require major societal change if we are to protect people, especially those most at risk and our NHS.

“The package of measures we are announcing today is based on scientific and clinical advice. While it will cause some disruption and be difficult for us all, it will help us to prepare for the virus and to protect ourselves and each other in the long run.

“We need your help to slow the spread of the infection. That is why we are advising everyone in Scotland to restrict their social contact and to stay at home as much as possible. We are strongly advising those who are over 70 or have an underlying health condition to stay at home.

“People have a vital role to play in helping us contain this infection and I urge everyone in Scotland to follow the latest health and travel advice, and follow basic hygiene precautions, such as washing hands frequently, not touching their face and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

“This has not been an easy decision but it is vital if we are to stop the spread of the infection.”

For those under 70 underlying health conditions refers to all those eligible for the flu vaccine. Those who have compromised immune systems will be contacted with specific advice in the coming days.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman will update the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday 17 March) on the Scottish Government’s plans to build up and scale up capacity in Scotland’s National Health Service.

It’s life, Boris … but not as we know it

PRIME MINISTER’s LATEST STATEMENT ON CORONAVIRUS

Good afternoon everybody, thank you very much for coming. I wanted to bring everyone up to date with the national fight back against the new coronavirus and the decisions that we’ve just taken in COBR for the whole of the UK.

As we said last week, our objective is to delay and flatten the peak of the epidemic by bringing forward the right measures at the right time, so that we minimise suffering and save lives. And everything we do is based scrupulously on the best scientific advice.

Last week we asked everyone to stay at home if you had one of two key symptoms: a high temperature or a new and continuous cough.

Today, we need to go further, because according to SAGE [the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies] it looks as though we’re now approaching the fast growth part of the upward curve. And without drastic action, cases could double every 5 or 6 days.

So, first, we need to ask you to ensure that if you or anyone in your household has one of those two symptoms, then you should stay at home for fourteen days.

That means that if possible you should not go out even to buy food or essentials, other than for exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others.

If necessary, you should ask for help from others for your daily necessities. And if that is not possible, then you should do what you can to limit your social contact when you leave the house to get supplies.

And even if you don’t have symptoms and if no one in your household has symptoms, there is more that we need you to do now.

So, second, now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.

We need people to start working from home where they possibly can. And you should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues.

It goes without saying, we should all only use the NHS when we really need to. And please go online rather than ringing NHS 111.

Now, this advice about avoiding all unnecessary social contact, is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions.

And if you ask, why are we doing this now, why now, why not earlier, or later? Why bring in this very draconian measure?

The answer is that we are asking people to do something that is difficult and disruptive of their lives.

And the right moment, as we’ve always said, is to do it when it is most effective, when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease, reducing the number of victims, reducing the number of fatalities.

And as we take these steps we should be focusing on the most vulnerable.

So third, in a few days’ time – by this coming weekend – it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks.

And again the reason for doing this in the next few days, rather than earlier or later, is that this is going to be very disruptive for people who have such conditions, and difficult for them, but, I believe, it’s now necessary.

And we want to ensure that this period of shielding, this period of maximum protection coincides with the peak of the disease.

And it’s now clear that the peak of the epidemic is coming faster in some parts of the country than in others.

And it looks as though London is now a few weeks ahead.

So, to relieve the pressure on the London health system and to slow the spread in London, it’s important that Londoners now pay special attention to what we are saying about avoiding non-essential contact, and to take particularly seriously the advice about working from home, and avoiding confined spaces such as pubs and restaurants.

Lastly, it remains true as we have said in the last few weeks that risks of transmission of the disease at mass gatherings such as sporting events are relatively low.

But obviously, logically as we advise against unnecessary social contact of all kinds, it is right that we should extend this advice to mass gatherings as well.

And so we’ve also got to ensure that we have the critical workers we need, that might otherwise be deployed at those gatherings, to deal with this emergency.

So from tomorrow, we will no longer be supporting mass gatherings with emergency workers in the way that we normally do. So mass gatherings, we are now moving emphatically away from.

And I know that many people – including millions of fit and active people over 70 – may feel, listening to what I have just said, that there is something excessive about these measures.

But I have to say, I believe that they are overwhelmingly worth it to slow the spread of the disease, to reduce the peak, to save life, minimise suffering and to give our NHS the chance to cope.

Over the last few days, I have been comparing notes and talking to leaders around the world and I can tell you that the UK is now leading a growing global campaign amongst all our friends and allies, whether in the G7, the G20, the UN, the IMF – all those bodies in which we play a significant role.

We’re leading a campaign to fight back against this disease.

To keep the economy growing, to make sure that humanity has access to the drugs and the treatments that we all need, and the UK is also at the front of the effort to back business, to back our economy, to make sure that we get through it.

I know that today we are asking a lot of everybody. It is far more now than just washing your hands – though clearly washing your hands remains important.

But I can tell you that across this country, people and businesses in my experience are responding with amazing energy and creativity to the challenge that we face, and I want to thank everybody for the part that you are playing and are going to play.

Muirhouse Medical Group CLOSED to walk in appointments

A MESSAGE from MUIRHOUSE MEDICAL GROUP

Due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Muirhouse Medical Group is now CLOSED to walk in appointments.

There will be NO open surgery each morning with immediate effect.

If you have a current booked appointment with a GP or Nurse, we are getting in touch to ask you about your condition. We will continue to see patients with no symptoms of the Coronavirus by arrangement. We will always tell you where that appointment is, and which entrance to use when you reach the surgery.

If you feel ill and need to be seen please telephone us on 0131 202 4444. In most cases a GP or Nurse will phone you back and will decide whether you can be seen and, if so, will make an appointment.

If you have any of the Corona Virus symptoms please follow the up to date Government advice. If you have developed a new cough or fever in the last 7 days you must self isolate at home for 7 days from when it developed.

You should contact us (or NHS24 when we are closed) only if your conditions worsen and you have shortness of breath or develop high temperatures – or if there has been no improvement after 7 days.

FOR PRESCRIPTIONS

For the moment repeat prescriptions can be taken over the telephone by using the enquiries line after 9 am. (0131 202 4444 option 4).
We will shortly set up a prescriptions email address where you can order your repeat prescriptions.

In the meantime if you cannot telephone your prescription in please put the requests in the box outside our main surgery rather than come into the surgery.

Prescriptions must be delivered to a pharmacy of your choice and will not be picked up from the surgery any more.

Thank you for your co-operation. We are trying to ensure our patients continue to receive medical attention.

REMEMBER – DO NOT TURN UP AT THE SURGERY WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT – YOU WILL BE SENT AWAY

 

Coronavirus: Edinburgh College suspends classes

Edinburgh College has issued the following statement:

Due to the rapidly changing situation regarding coronavirus and to best protect the health and safety of all of our students, Edinburgh College has taken the decision to suspend all face-to-face classes from 4pm today (Monday 16 March) until Monday 20 April.

Starting from Monday 23 March, additional provision will be in place to enable students to continue studying from home. This week, all students will be issued with guidance on how to continue their studies during this time and individual class information will be made available on Moodle.

We understand that students will be concerned about the impact that this may have on studies and progression. We’d like to emphasise that this situation is national and reassure students that we are speaking with external agencies to limit the longer term impact on everybody.

This week, students will be issued with guidance via online channels on how to continue their studies during this time. Individual class information will be made available on Moodle.

It is important that students continue to keep up-to-date with information regarding the College and their studies via our online channels – email, Moodle, social media and website.

Libraries will remain open across all campuses until further notice for students who don’t have access to Moodle at home

The College is committed to limiting the negative impact this has on students’ studies. During this period, all bursaries will continue to be paid and we are confident we have a plan in place to ensure students can progress to the next stage of their studies.

As the situation develops, we will notify students of any updates on a daily basis via our online channels including this webpage and via email. Please continue to check our channels for the latest information.

It is important that you continue to follow the advice provided by the Government and public health agencies during this time to keep yourself and others protected.

This includes:

  • Anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, should stay at home and not leave their house for 7 days from when the symptoms started – regardless of whether you have travelled to affected areas or been in contact with someone who has the virus.
  • NHS Scotland recommends using good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene. Coughing and sneezing should be into tissues that are promptly disposed down the toilet. Hands should be washed more regularly than usual with soap and water or using an alcohol hand rub even if hands are visibly clean

Crewe Medical Centre CLOSED

Crewe Medical Centre has been closed for routine appointments until further notice:

The surgery is closed for routine appointments until further notice. If you need medical advice please phone us during opening hours on 0131 552 5544 and a doctor will call you back.

For information on the coronavirus outbreak please go to NHS Inform or call the helpline on 0800 028 2816

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, do not go to your GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call your GP or 111 for advice on what to do.

Alpaca parties headline new range of services at LOVE Gorgie Farm 

Edinburgh’s urban farm is marking the beginning of a new era as it announces a new range of services only two weeks after opening the site back to the public. 

LOVE Gorgie Farm, on the former Gorgie City Farm site, will offer a wide variety of activities, including birthday parties and pet boarding. On offer will be alpaca treks and birthday parties, and the farm can act as a venue for corporate gatherings and training events. 

The farm can also be rented as a venue for community events and fundraiser parties. 

Operated by education and social care charity LOVE Learning, most activities on the farm will nurture the organisation’s mission and consequently relate to education and social care. 

As such, the farm will offer animal volunteer sessions for people with additional support needs, hold animal care and animal handling activities, provide “farm to fork” workshops and use its education centre to impart its accredited training programmes. 

LOVE Gorgie Farm will also have a cuddle corner on the site, which can outreach to the community, including care homes and schools. 

Moreover, the urban farm is committed to providing services that align with LOVE Learning’s environmental portfolio and will build a climate change garden, host green conferences and provide innovative social prescribing therapies in partnership with the NHS. 

The urban farm is organising sponsorship packages to help fund the animals and the farm. Interested sponsors will be able to choose from a wide range of options like animal sponsorship, birthday packages and corporate bundles. 

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “Now that the farm is back and running, we want to make sure we provide a wide range of activities that the community enjoys and ensure that we are financially sustainable, delivering enough funds to successfully run the farm.

 “By offering animal, environmental and education services, we will make sure that LOVE Gorgie Farm becomes more than an urban farm but rather an education and social hub with strong environmental credentials that welcomes all members of the community. 

“Aside from these new services, we are looking to launch sponsorship deals for people and businesses who want to be more involved and support the farm through their generous donations.” 

To the general public, the farm remains open seven days a week and it is free to visit, though donations are encouraged. 

Those interested in any of the services should contact LOVE Gorgie Farm at gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk or visit www.gorgiecityfarm.org.uk

Auld Reekie is hooked!

  • New ‘Sea for Yourself’ campaign unveils Brits’ cooking habits at home, raising awareness of seafood caught in UK waters including sole, crab, monkfish, mussels, and herring
  • Study reveals more than half (55%) of Edinburgh residents surveyed are planning to eat more healthily this spring – with seafood high on the menu
  • More than a third of Edinburgh locals (34%) would incorporate even more fish into their diet if they felt more confident cooking it, with 64% people calling out seafood’s health benefits as the main reason for wanting to

 

New research has revealed that four times as many Edinburgh residents (23%) think seafood such as hake, mackerel, and trout is better to eat than avocados to get fit and healthy.

Edinburghers are picking fish, fruit, and wholegrain carbs as the top health foods to help them prepare for exercise and training, over wellness favourites like protein shakes (5%) and avocados (5%).

The study of 4,000 adults for the ‘Sea for Yourself’ campaign, an initiative supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Non-Departmental Public Body Seafish,  highlights the foods we are cooking at home, and their attitudes towards exercising and healthy eating. The findings come as British Olympian, Denise Lewis OBE, backs seafood caught in UK waters as an important part of a well-balanced diet.

Packed full of protein, omega-3 fats and essential vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, selenium, iodine and certain B vitamins, as well as zinc in shellfish, and vitamin D in oily fish, the health benefits of eating seafood are widely acknowledged, and more than half of the UK (52%) are already cooking salmon and tuna dishes at least once a week.

However, 34% of locals admit they would integrate more fish into their diets if they felt more confident cooking it, with 64% people calling out seafood’s health benefits as the main reason for wanting to.

Delicious, easy-to-cook species such as monkfish, mussels, and lemon sole are sometimes overlooked for our nation’s favourites but provide a great alternative to mix up a healthy diet and help Brits out of a recipe rut.

Denise Lewis OBE, British gold-medal Olympian, said: “As a former Olympian, I’ve always been committed to maintaining a healthy diet so I can live life to the full and stay fit enough to race around with my kids.

“Twenty years on from winning gold at the Sydney 2000, seafood continues to be my favourite source of protein and healthy fats, and I love the variety it allows me. Whether I’m concentrating on my training regime or whipping up a tasty meal like grilled brown trout with spinach for my family, testing out a simple yet delicious new seafood recipe is my go-to cooking choice.” 

Juliette Kellow, Consultant Nutritionist at Seafish, added: “Most of us are familiar with nutrition advice that encourages us to eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables for optimal health, and it’s the same when it comes to seafood. 

“Many varieties of fish provide a range of B vitamins, including vitamins B3, B6 and B12, all of which help fight fatigue for those of us always on the go.

“Incorporating new fish like herring, coley or hake, and shellfish like crab and mussels into your diet is smart as they provide a great source of protein and allow you to make the most of all the health benefits seafood offers.

“Whether you’re going through a busy period or have an active lifestyle, you don’t have to be an Olympian to enjoy the wealth of health benefits seafood has to offer.”

Edinburgh’s top 5 food sources for training and exercise
1 Fruit 30%
2 Wholegrain carbs such as brown bread, rice and pasta 30%
3 Fish and shellfish 23%
4 Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and cabbage 32%
5 Eggs 15%

For more information about the health benefits of fish or to discover new recipes to try at home, visit fishisthedish.co.uk.

Top tips to help minimise coronavirus spread in the workplace

Specialist workplace and IT cleaning solutions company Techclean is reporting an unprecedented demand for its services as coronavirus continues its advance across the UK.

Having now been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation, coronavirus (COVID-19) has triggered a surge in bookings for Techclean’s PC and desktop cleaning services, as well as its deep cleaning and Dry Misting treatments.

Demand for Techclean’s services has far outstripped current technician availability and, as a result, the company has implemented measures to fast-track technician training and recruitment so that it can keep pace with customer requests. It has also put together a list of ten top tips on office hygiene which it is urging staff and businesses to follow during the coronavirus outbreak.

Techclean’s managing director, Nigel Toplis, commented: “Our priority is always to help staff and businesses keep their workplaces as healthy as possible.

“For those companies that are not able to access Techclean’s specialist cleaning services as quickly as they might like during this incredibly busy period, we have put together our top ten tips that can help minimise the spread of all germs, not just coronavirus, in the workplace.”

Techclean’s Coronavirus Top 10 Office Tips:

1: Go paperless – Paper is porous and absorbs bacteria, making it one of the easiest ways to spread germs around the office. Avoid the use of any paper circulars, send by email instead, and don’t share newspapers and magazines with colleagues, removing any magazines from reception areas. If a document has to be printed, make sure everyone has their own copy and don’t leave them lying around on desks to be picked up by someone else.

2: Don’t share – Avoid sharing telephone handsets and if you do have a hot-desk policy in your place of work, wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face after touching the keyboard or mouse. Ensure all cleaning protocols are strictly followed for call centre headsets.

3: Be wise and wipe! – Carry your own supply of anti-bacterial wipes and wipe your mouse, keyboard and telephone handset at the beginning and end of the day.

4: Get your own – Have your own supply of office essentials such as pens, calculator, hole punch and stapler. Many offices share these resources but at present it might be wise to bring in your own. And certainly, don’t share pens – you’d be amazed how many of us absent mindedly chew the end of our pen, any pen!

5: Be prepared – Keep a box of tissues and hand sanitiser on your desk. Use the latter regularly throughout the day. Dispose of the former as soon as they have been used and don’t forget to wash your hands whenever you sneeze or cough.

6: Bin it – Consider increasing the amount of waste disposal points around the office for discarded tissues and ensure that these are emptied regularly. Many offices no longer have a wastepaper basket under each desk and the further a tissue has to travel to dispose of it, the greater the chance of it being dropped or left by the photocopier.

7: Tea for one – The office tea round is one of the more social aspects of the working day, but for now the best advice is to make your own tea and coffee and make sure you have your own mug at work that only you use.

8: Kitchen cleanliness – Shared kitchens at work are hotspots for bugs. Make sure there is a regular washing up rota, use disposable paper towels and give worksurfaces, kettles, toasters and microwaves a regular clean with antibacterial wipes.

9: Desk detergent – Ensure your facilities team, in larger organisations, and cleaning staff are using anti-bacterial detergents and are regularly giving desks, meeting hubs and communal area surfaces a thorough cleanse.

10: If in doubt, stay at home – As of the 12th March, the government advised anyone with a high temperature or new, continuous cough, to stay at home for seven days to self-isolate.

You can find the latest NHS advice online here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The MoonWalk Scotland presents Stars on Stage

Breast cancer charity, Walk the Walk is calling on artists, singers and performers from across the country to take up the opportunity of performing on stage at The MoonWalk Scotland 2020. 

Whether it is singing in a choir, a solo, playing in a band or doing a soft shoe shuffle – for one night only, the stage could be yours!

Perhaps your specialty is something completely different – this is your chance to perform on Saturday 6th June in front of a large enthusiastic audience of walkers at Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, before they set off on their MoonWalk Scotland challenge.

By being part of Stars on Stage not only will you be showcasing your talents to many people, but also motivating them before their midnight challenge commences, you will be making a difference to people living with cancer in Scotland.

Nina Barough CBE, Chief Executive and Founder of Walk the Walk said:
“We are so excited to launch Stars on Stage at this year’s MoonWalk! We hope this encourages people from across Scotland to enter this night of opportunity.

“Open to anyone aged 10 and over, we want soloists, double acts, groups and troops to be part of what is going to be a fantastic evening which raises hundreds of thousands of pounds to support people living with cancer in Scotland. To find out more, visit our website www.walkthewalk.org.”

This year marks the 15th MoonWalk Scotland. Since the event started in 1996, it has raised almost £22 million.

Don’t miss your opportunity to audition for Stars on Stage at this year’s MoonWalk Scotland. Closing date for applications is Friday 3 April 2020.

Find out more and sign up now: www.walkthewalk.org