Love plants? Love singing? Join our friendly community choir as we celebrate the changing of seasons with plant-inspired songs 
Whether you’re a choir enthusiast or first-time singer, everyone is welcome. No singing experience is required and you don’t need to audition.
We meet every week in person. Term starts on Tuesday 9 September at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
EDINBURGH Integration Joint Board has reined back on plans to slash services delivered on their behalf by third sector organisations across the city. The EIJB is trying to tackle a massive funding deficit but bowed to pressure to rethink their plans at a meeting yesterday.
Change Mental Health is relieved that the Stafford Centre and services delivered in Edinburgh by the organisation are effectively safeguarded, for the time being, following yesterday’s decision by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB). However, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure better collaboration leading to better outcomes.
Nick Ward, CEO of Change Mental Health, said: “While this is good news for the people who use our services, we remain clear that the proposed cuts were in themselves not needed. They represented a tiny part of the EIJB’s budget while having a significant, detrimental effect upon Edinburgh’s population.
“The process they put in place was fundamentally flawed in its approach, causing unnecessary distress to both organisations and service users. It has been disheartening for the third sector to have to continually make the argument that cutting early intervention and prevention services will only ever result in greater costs in the end.
“The fact remains that there are still significant cuts taking place to mental health services in the city and our sympathy and solidarity goes out to those charities affected. We are very disappointed and concerned that many of these cuts have been passed that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities and LGBT+ people.
“We called for the EIJB’s proposals to be paused to allow for a full, evidence-led and co-produced redesign of services. That appears to be what will now happen and we are grateful for that.
“We will now be a part of a crucial recommissioning exercise that can enable services to be more integrated and cost-effective through a better collaborative approach.
“However, trust needs to be rebuilt. There needs to be full transparency and a genuine dedication to working with the third sector by the EIJB, as well as a commitment to the principles of community-based early intervention and preventative approaches. We’re here to work closely with them, along with our partners, to ensure that we can truly meet the needs of our communities.”
Speaking after the meeting, Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), said: “We are in a mental health crisis, and community and preventative mental health support is an essential part of how we tackle it.
“We welcome the IJB’s decision not to go ahead with the original proposals which would have effectively ended that support in Edinburgh. However, we are disappointed that a number of impactful support and advocacy services have been cut.
“This process has shown that we need to come together – funders, providers and especially the people who need this support – to jointly design a mental health system that works for and meets the needs of the people of Edinburgh.
“Redhall Walled Garden will continue to provide essential support to people with mental health problems for the time being, albeit with reduced funding and a recommissioning process to come.
“We’re hugely grateful to everyone that came out in support of Redhall, including Edinburgh’s politicians, members of the public and, most importantly, the people we support at Redhall and who make it what it is.”
The IJB voted in favour of the proposals relating to agenda item 6.1.
A failure to deliver high-quality Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) across Scotland is contributing to a devastating increase in broken hips, say campaigners.
FLS are early diagnosis services for osteoporosis, which is one of the top drivers of disability and early death amongst older people in Scotland.
Osteoporosis causes bones to weaken and break more easily – often just from a fall from standing height, a cough or a sneeze.
Half of women aged over 50 will suffer devastating broken bones as a result of osteoporosis, as well as a fifth of men. The end result of late treatment of osteoporosis is a life-threatening hip fracture, which kills over a quarter of sufferers within a year.
The number of people aged 50 and over who suffered hip fractures rose considerably in 2024 to 8,426* cases, a new report by Public Health Scotland shows.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society is now calling on the Scottish Government to deliver a mandate requiring all health boards to have high-quality Fracture Liaison Services (FLS). The Scottish Government must also set rigorous performance standards for FLSs to ensure enough patients are being identified, treated and monitored.
A mandate like this is already in place in England and Wales, leaving Scotland trailing behind, despite Glasgow being the birthplace of the FLS model, which has been copied in 57 countries.
Without a mandate from the Scottish Government, NHS chiefs are not incentivised to provide high-quality FLS in all areas. The lack of publicly available data – because a national audit of all FLSs has been delayed – is concealing life-threatening gaps where services are not present or performing.
Fracture Liaison Services are specialist NHS clinics that diagnose and treat osteoporosis in people over 50 after the first broken bone. Early detection and treatment – with inexpensive medication that is available on the NHS – is vital in preventing further fractures such as broken hips.
Currently, many patients in Scotland are not having their osteoporosis diagnosed and treated, which is leading to a devastating cascade of further avoidable fractures.
If Scotland had quality universal FLS coverage, over a five-year period, it is estimated:
Craig Jones, Chief Executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: “In England and Wales, the governments have promised a national roll-out of life-saving bone clinics, but the Scottish Government has, so far, declined to match that commitment, saying an audit of current services is needed first.
“The slow pace of auditing services is fuelling the rise in life-threatening hip fractures, which will lead to lost lives. Scotland invented the world standard for fracture care, so it’s hugely disappointing to see the nation fall behind England and Wales.”
Carol Mochan, Shadow Minister for Women’s Health, said: “Every one of these hip fractures represents a person whose life has been turned upside down, and too many could have been prevented.
“The Government knows what we need – a mandate for universal, high-quality Fracture Liaison Services. Wales has done it. England is doing it. There’s no reason people in Scotland should be left behind.”
Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “Scotland led the world in creating Fracture Liaison Services, but that early lead has been squandered.
“Latest figures show that the number of people aged 50 and over with hip fractures has been rising, with the largest increases amongst people aged 70 to 89. This could be prevented by timely diagnosis and treatment, yet only 41.5% of patients in Scotland receive a full inpatient care package within 24 hours of admission.
“The rise in hip fractures is the inevitable result of this inaction. The promised audit remains unfinished, and without a mandate for quality services, patients will keep falling through the cracks. The Scottish Government must act now to put Scotland back at the forefront of osteoporosis care.”
The report by Public Health Scotland also shows standards of care in hospital for people following a hip fracture have plummeted. The average time patients spent in the emergency department after a hip fracture increased to 5 hours 36 minutes, compared with 5 hours 10 minutes in 2023.
Just 30% were admitted to a ward within the four-hour target in 2024, which compares with 37% in 2023. Scottish hip fracture audit – reporting on 2024 – Scottish Hip Fracture Audit – Publications – Public Health Scotland
The Welsh Government issued a mandate to deliver universal FLS, which has been achieved. Wales also published a Quality Statement for Osteoporosis and Bone Health, which committed to delivering quality standards of care for people with osteoporosis. Targets have been set to identify, treat and monitor more patients.
England has committed to rolling out universal FLS by 2030.
MORE THAN 450 RECRUITS SINCE 2020
Health Secretary Neil Gray has welcomed an increase in the number of newly qualified paramedics joining the Scottish Ambulance Service, with 360 new recruits joining the service since 2023.
New figures show a steep increase in recruitment between 2022-23 and 2023-24, and a total recruitment of 489 since 2020.
The investment in newly qualified paramedics is designed to give the service more resilience, improve capacity and increase the number of patients treated in the community.
A three-year paramedic undergraduate degree programme was launched at Glasgow Caledonian University in 2017 and is now available at five universities across Scotland.
Figures for the last five years, which include graduates from outside Scotland, are:
2020-21 = 24
2021-22 = 58
2022-23 = 47
2023-24 = 179
2024-25 = 181
The number of paramedics currently working in Scotland is 2,156.6 whole time equivalent posts.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “The Scottish Ambulance Service is an absolutely vital part of the health service, so the Scottish Government is working hard to provide it with the staff and resources it needs to continue delivering a high-quality emergency service to people across Scotland.
“Since 2020, we have supported the recruitment of additional staff, with further recruitment already underway this year—bringing workforce levels to a record high.
“Ambulance staff have shown outstanding resilience in the face of sustained pressure, and I want to thank them for their continued dedication and hard work.”
Michael Dickson OBE Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We are delighted to welcome this number of newly qualified paramedics to SAS. This reflects their experience to date, and it also reinforces the important role paramedics can play in the future of NHS Scotland.
“Our continued ambition, supported by Scottish Government, is to grow and develop the SAS workforce, ensuring we continue to deliver the very best patient care by boosting capacity and increasing our resilience in communities across Scotland.”
CRUSE SCOTLAND AND GRIEVING FAMILY COLLABORATE TO OFFER FREE SUPPORT
Cruse Scotland, the Nation’s leading bereavement support experts, have joined forces with a family-run charity, Lewis Leap, to launch a new support service for children, young people and adults bereaved by a sudden and traumatic death.
Lewis Leap was founded following the tragic death of 13-year-old Lewis Johnson on a family holiday in 2019. The family from Edinburgh wanted to honour the life and spirit of Lewis and help others who unfortunately find themselves facing such a devastating loss under challenging circumstances.
The Lewis Leap Sudden and Traumatic Bereavement Support Service has been shaped by those with lived experience, including some of Lewis’ family members.
This new service was launched at the charity’s annual fundraising event in the Cammo Estate yesterday (Sunday 24 August 2025), surrounded by Lewis’ family, friends and community as well as members of the Cruse Scotland staff and volunteer team.
Lewis’ mum, Elizabeth Johnson, said, “The impact of Lewis’ death on our family and friends was overwhelming, and we struggled to process what had happened and why it had happened to us.
“The support we so desperately wanted didn’t seem to be available. We committed to work with Cruse Scotland to shape a specialist support service for others to access in the early stages of grief who had experienced a sudden and traumatic death.”
“I’m so proud that the service is named after Lewis, as he was always so kind and generous to friends and strangers alike. Through this service, his selfless spirit lives on.”
Specialist support can be accessed via any of the existing Cruse Scotland routes:
Fiona Arnott-Barron, Cruse Scotland Chief Executive, said, “We are delighted to launch this vital service after three years of hard work and collaboration with Lewis Leap.
“Having members of the Johnson family and many other bereaved people help us shape this support service, which has been extremely valuable in ensuring it will provide the most appropriate support at the right time.
“Although Cruse Scotland had already taken some steps to address the gap in support for people struggling in the early days and weeks following a death, we knew there were still significant gaps for those who had been catapulted into a new and unwelcomed reality following an unexpected and traumatic death.
“For those requiring support with their grief after such a sudden loss, Cruse Scotland is here, and I would like to thank the Johnson family sincerely for their support in making it possible.”
If you need support with your grief, no matter how recent or long ago the death occurred, or your relationship to them, you can find the support that’s right for you at www.crusescotland.org.uk
Deaf children across Scotland are still falling through the cracks and missing out on vital support despite two years passing since a damning report laid bare the inadequacies of NHS Scotland’s audiology services, the National Deaf Children’s Society is warning.
Today marks two years to the day that the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland (IRASS), identified “multiple systemic problems” in NHS Scotland’s hearing services for both children and adults.
The most urgent recommendations were around the quality of auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, carried out to identify deafness in very young children. Issues were identified in the quality of ABR testing at every single health board across Scotland. This is particularly concerning for young children, where delays or inaccuracies in testing can have lifelong impacts.
Other issues flagged by IRASS were audiology services facing barriers with recruiting new staff and addressing long waiting times.
Information obtained by the National Deaf Children’s Society reveals waiting times to be referred to audiology services in Scotland are unacceptably long. In some cases, children who should be seen within 42 days were waiting up to 600 days, posing a serious risk to early identification and intervention.
One mother shared with the National Deaf Children’s Society the “heartbreaking” impact that her son’s unidentified deafness, coupled with a lack of support and intervention, has had on their family.
Melanie Wright suspected her son Dawson was deaf when he was six, despite him having recently had a hearing test, which revealed no deafness. Dawson, from Dunbar, East Lothian, then had to wait three years before his deafness was finally identified, aged nine, despite Melanie’s repeated calls for a follow-up hearing test.
Dawson’s family were told he required grommets surgery but there would be a two-year wait unless they paid to go privately, which was not an option.
Melanie recalled how exhausting it was for Dawson to keep up with conversations at home and his frustration when he couldn’t join in.
At school, Dawson missed key parts of lessons because he could not hear what was said, which made learning harder and knocked his confidence.
Melanie said: “It’s heartbreaking watching your child work twice as hard just to keep up, knowing it didn’t have to be this way.”
Dawson’s deafness also impacted on friendships, and he often felt excluded.
When the Scottish Government committed to accept all the IRASS recommendations in December 2023, it was hoped there would be a root and branch reform of Scotland’s struggling audiology services.
But progress has been painfully slow, and despite the Scottish Government previously pledging to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are “front and centre” these individuals have since been sidelined, as have deaf charities, despite their direct experience on the frontline.
Melanie continued: “This isn’t about special treatment, it’s about making sure children get the care and support they were promised, when they need it.
“This delay is costing children their education, their confidence, and their future — and no one is taking responsibility.
“I’m exhausted and totally broken by the experience.”
A coalition of charities, spearheaded by the National Deaf Children’s Society, has written an open letter to Scotland’s Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health Jenni Minto MSP, expressing concern at the lack of progress made by the Scottish Government since the publication of IRASS.
The charities warn the Minister that delayed hearing tests and inadequate care means that countless other babies and young children, like Dawson, will have unidentified deafness and lack support during this crucial period of their life. This can “severely impact a child’s ability to acquire language – whether spoken, signed or a combination of both”, the letter reads.
IRASS also found an absence of national leadership, strategic planning and workforce planning at audiology departments across Scotland and that there has been no quality assurance of services in recent years.
In their letter to the Minister the charities express their disappointment that action taken by the Scottish Government since the publication of IRASS is “yet to deliver the transformative change so urgently needed” while other recommendations “remain partially or completely incomplete”.
The charities urge the Minister to “equip audiology services with the resources, workforce, and leadership necessary to deliver the best possible outcomes for deaf children and adults”.
The Minister is warned by the charities that without “more ambitious and decisive action…we fear the current system will continue to fall short”.
The charities urge action in three key areas:
“When every moment counts, it is time for action – not words” the letter to the Minster concludes.
IRASS was commissioned after significant failures were uncovered at NHS Lothian involving more than 150 children over nine years. Some children suffered life-changing consequences, including developmental delays in their communication, learning and social skills.
This was because their deafness was identified too late for them to receive cochlear implant surgery, or the communications support they needed.
The open letter to Scotland’s Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health Jenni Minto MSP is signed by: The National Deaf Children’s Society, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) and the British Acadamy of Audiology (BAA).
WEDNESDAY 27th AUGUST from 10.30am – 12 noon
Brand new monthly ‘Tea and Blether’ at The Wee Museum of Memory in Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre starting this week on Wednesday 27th August at 1030am in association with our pals at Alzheimer Scotland.
Full information above – all welcome!
A groundbreaking genetic test that reduces the risk of deafness in newborn babies is being introduced by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) as part of a national rollout funded by the Scottish Government.
The rapid point-of-care test, which will launch in September, identifies a genetic variant that can cause permanent hearing loss when babies are treated with the common antibiotic Gentamicin.
It allows for more tailored care, with babies identified to have the variant provided with an alternative antibiotic.
The Genedrive test will start being used for babies requiring antibiotic treatment for infections within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow next month, with the Royal Alexandra Hospital and Princess Royal Maternity Hospital to follow soon after.
It will be rolled out to all territorial health boards with neonatal units over the next 18 months.
The initiative follows an assessment by the Chief Scientist Office-funded Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), and a Programme for Government commitment from the Scottish Government to provide £800,000 to support national adoption.
NHSGGC, through the West of Scotland Innovation Hub (WoSIH), recommended the test for consideration by ANIA.
It follows the ongoing UK-wide PALOH (Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing) programme and an assessment by the Scottish Health Technologies Group.
Last week, Public Health Minister Jenni Minto visited the RHC neonatal unit to meet clinicians and representatives from the WoSIH, who have played a leading role in bringing the innovation to Scotland.
Ms Minto also discussed the planned national rollout with members of the CfSD.
Once fully implemented, it is anticipated that more than 3,000 newborn babies would be tested during the first year.
The test was developed by the company Genedrive, in collaboration with researchers from Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester.
It is currently being used in 14 neonatal units across the UK, contributing to the PALOH-UK study.
NHSGGC is progressing staff training at the RHC, with the first tests scheduled for September.
Neonatal teams will be equipped to manage the testing process, adjust antibiotic treatment where necessary, and support families with confirmatory genetic testing if a positive result is found.
NHSGGC is also providing real-world data from the rollout and study to support the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)’s evidence generation recommendations, helping to refine national guidance and inform future adoption.
The rollout reflects NHSGGC’s broader commitment to harnessing digital innovation, improving access to personalised care, and shifting the balance of care to prevent harm before it occurs through its Transforming Together programme.
Dr Helen McDevitt, Consultant Neonatologist with NHSGGC and clinical lead for the PALOH-UK study at the RHC, said: “The introduction of this point-of-care genetic testing for newborn babies requiring antibiotic treatment for bacterial infection is a landmark moment for neonatal care in Scotland.
“By introducing this test, we are taking a vital step in preventing avoidable hearing loss in newborns and ensuring safer, more personalised treatment.
“We were pleased to meet Public Health Minister Jenni Minto today to discuss the rollout of this test, which will have a hugely positive impact on the lives of many people.
“Through our adoption of this test, NHSGGC will also be able to provide real-work data to support NICE in order to help inform its national guidance.”
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “I am delighted that the Scottish Government is funding the rollout of this test across all of Scotland’s neonatal units over the next 18 months.
“I want to thank the hardworking staff at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Glasgow who I met yesterday and who showed me a demonstration of the genetic test for newborn babies.
“NHS reform in Scotland will be accelerated by scientific and technological innovation, and this Government is committed to supporting Scotland’s excellent research base and adopting novel, evidence-proven approaches to drive further improvements for patients.”
Katie Cuthbertson, National Associate Director of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, said: “We are delighted to support the rapid adoption of this pioneering genetic test through the ANIA pathway.
“This test will help prevent avoidable hearing loss and improved outcomes for families across Scotland, and represents a major step forward in delivering safer, more personalised care for newborns.
“We are excited to continue to collaborate with Boards and clinicians across NHS Scotland, to ensure we remain at the forefront of innovative, precision medicine and sustainable healthcare transformation.”
Gino Miele, Genedrive Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are proud that NHS Scotland has sought to implement our interventional rapid genetic test nationally, ensuring over time that it is available to neonates across Scotland who might otherwise be at risk of hearing loss.
“We look forward to working closely with CfSD, ANIA and individual sites to implement this into standard clinical practice throughout Scotland.”
MONDAY at PCHP: BREATHING ROOM and CHAT CAFE
Join Jules for #BreathingRoom on Monday morning at 9.30am. A gentle class that helps you welcome the week with deep rest and seasonal mindfulness.
Afterwards, you’re free to join #ChatCafe a social group that seeks to connect women #Connect#Women with each other and their #Community.
We cook, laugh and learn together, why not join us – we’ll be waiting!
