Tag: health
The snow’s stopped – so it must be hayfever time!
With snow settling on the hills again only this week, thoughts of seasonal illness are still more focused on winter coughs and colds – even at the end of May. And while Scots are looking forward to the arrival of some real summer weather, there is bad news for hayfever sufferers now that the grass pollen season is almost here – this time of year marks the peak of allergic reaction for 95% of hayfever sufferers and can often last until the end of September.
Unfortunately there is no cure for hayfever but there are a range of things that we can try to minimise our suffering. NHS 24’s health information service, NHS inform, has lots of tips and advice we can follow – from preventative measures to the types of treatments that are available.
NHS 24 Medical Director, Professor George Crooks, says people should try and be prepared for the season: “Most people who suffer with hayfever understand their own allergies and what triggers them. They’ll also know how to minimise the impact of an attack which, although perhaps not serious, can have a huge impact on a person’s quality of life.
“The severity of reactions can change because of all kinds of environmental influences so it’s important that people keep up to date with the Met Office’s pollen count. We have lots of tips available on www.nhsinform.co.uk and I would recommend that people take a look and perhaps try new techniques to help minimise their symptoms.
“It’s always worth reviewing how we minimise an allergic response since, like the things that cause it in the first place, it does change and evolve over time. I know from my own experience as a GP that patients can benefit from a fresh approach to dealing with the annoyance of hayfever to stop it ruining whatever summer we might get.”
Advice that’s not to be sniffed at!
New course will take music into communities
Edinburgh College is blazing a trail by offering Scotland’s first further education course in Music for Wellbeing, which promotes the enormous benefits of taking music into the community.
Research shows that music can have a wide range of health and social benefits, such as improving communication, managing stress, expressing feelings, enhancing memory – and even alleviating pain and promoting physical rehabilitation.
Jess Abrams, an American-born community musician, youth worker and singer, is leading the new course in Music For Wellbeing, which starts in August. Jess (pictured below, far left) said: “This is a fast-growing sector and will appeal to people with a love of music who want to use music as part of their livelihood.”
Community music projects take place in a range of settings, including arts centres, community centres, schools, hospitals and residential homes.
“There can be considerable social benefits for people taking part in community music projects, such as learning to create music as part of a group and working with others. Music can elicit emotion from people and we need to understand and manage that better. Playing music in a group is a feel good experience and triggers the same pleasure centres in the brain as eating chocolate. And as well as the health and social benefits, participants might learn some musical skills too!”
There are just 16 places available on the one-year course, a National Progression Award delivered with Skills Development Scotland that covers a very broad range of skills.
Jon Buglass, Head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said the course was designed to widen the employment opportunities open to musicians. “We realised there were limited options – you might be in a function band or if you’re lucky, make it as a rock star. Yet there are lots of opportunities in community music – but no course to prepare people for that. It seemed sensible to design a course directly linked to employment opportunities.”
Mr Buglass developed the course with colleagues and SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority). Although several Scottish universities offer modules in community music as part of broader courses, this is the first time an entire course in Scotland has been devoted to this specific area – and the first community music course offered by a college in Scotland.
“If you have well-developed musical skills, that’s great – but this course might also appeal to community and youth workers as it is as much about taking music into the community by using different personal skills,” said Jess. “You need to show confidence, leadership, team-working – and perhaps most importantly, to be able to build a rapport and relationships with different groups of people.
“Historically, community musicians have come up through a more grassroots approach to the field, but as the sector expands there is a growing demand for training. There is great value in learning by doing and the course will have a very strong work experience element. Students will spend at least 100 hours on placement, learning from people already working in community music.”
“There will be a strong emphasis on ‘before, during and after’,” added Jess. “Planning and designing community music sessions, workshops and events, evaluating their success and where improvements might be made as well as reflecting on our own practice.”
Jess, who is also the Development Manager for the Edinburgh Youth Music Forum, an organisation that works to support community musicians in continuing professional development, hopes the course can act as a catalyst to encourage even greater interest in community music. Jess Abrams has a long connection with North Edinburgh – some readers may remember Jess from her involvement in the acclaimed ‘Oyster Wars’ community drama production staged at North Edinburgh Arts back in June 2003.
Stevi Manning, Principal Officer Arts and Learning at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is an exciting new course offering fresh opportunities for people in Edinburgh who have a passion for music – and want to help others to both share that passion and benefit from it.”
To express an interest in the course, email info@edinburghcollege.ac.uk or apply online at www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk
Digging deep to resolve Pilton’s problems
Pilton Community Health Project has been speaking to people in North Edinburgh about issues affecting their lives and what they think is important in the local area.
Many of the same themes come up again and again – safety, dog mess, no motivation, no sense of community.
Lets look at things in a different way; get underneath the issues and work together to come up with inspiring solutions that really change things!
We invite you to join us in some inspiring and thought provoking sessions thinking in a different way to resolve problems and issues and make Pilton a more active community!
What it will be:
Fun, interesting, thought provoking, possibly it may even transform your life.
We will provide:
Food, drink, prizes, childcare and fun for 2 x 5hr sessions on:
Wednesday 29 May
&
Wednesday 5 June
from 10am-3pm
at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
For more info call Lianne or Clare on 551 1671, email: moveit@pchp.org.uk
PCHP: think about health in a different way
Pilton Community Health Project has been speaking to people in North Edinburgh about issues affecting their lives – especially about physical activity and what they think is important in this area. Many of the same themes come up again and again such as safety, dog mess and underuse of greenspaces.
We want to look at things in a different way and work together to come up with inspiring solutions.
Are you someone
- · Who thinks differently?
- · Who likes to get involved in their local area, with local people.
- · Who likes solving problems?
- · Who has energy and enthusiasm!
- Who is interested in physical activity?
We invite you to join us in some inspiring and thought provoking sessions thinking in a different way
What it will be
Fun, interesting, thought provoking, possibly it may even transform your life!
We will provide
Food, drink, childcare and fun
On
Wednesday 29 May & Wed 5 June
times and venue to be confirmed
Interested? Please contact Clare or Lianne on 0131 551 1671
Move It, Pilton Community Health Project
73 Boswall Parkway
Edinburgh EH5 2PW
A happy and healthy birthday to Leith Rehab Group
The Chest Heart & Stroke Rehab Group celebrates it’s first anniversary at the Calton Centre in Leith’s Montgomery Street this month. The group provides much-needed support and exercise for people in the Leith area who are living with chest and heart conditions.
Enthusiastic group member Paul Hodson describes himself as a “stroke survivor” and is really passionate about the support he receives. “There are a couple of things about the Leith group that really matter to me. They’re really good company and also I’m finding I’m getting my strength back, step by step – after a heart attack and a stroke, that’s pretty important.”
The group, which meets every Wednesday from 2 – 3.30pm at the Calton Centre, may only have been running for a year but it has already made a real difference to all those who attend regularly. As well as weekly exercise there is an opportunity to exchange information and relax over a cup of tea.
Group chairman Roger Jones was initially unsure about joining a group. “When it was suggested I join cardiac rehab sessions, I said ‘no way!’ First, I was recovering from a difficult operation and felt that was enough to be getting on with” he explained. “Second, I wasn’t keen on the idea of joining ‘a club’ – I’m not that sort of person. But I was wrong. These classes are both helpful to my health (light exercises only!) and good fun. Being part of a group like the Chest Heart & Stroke Rehabilitation Group offers the chance to meet like-minded people who have been through similar health experiences. They’re a great crowd!”
An important part of keeping well following any hospital stay after a heart or chest incident is exercise. Anyone who has received heart or pulmonary rehabilitation following a stay in hospital is advised to continue exercising – but many do not, and this can lead to further hospital admissions.
Further information is available from Roger Jones on 0131 652 350 or Morag Hammond their trainer on 07818 250871. The Chest Heart & Stroke Rehab Group is affiliated to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and is one of five support groups in Edinburgh.
![chsslogo[1]](https://i0.wp.com/nen.press/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/chsslogo1.png?ssl=1)
Babies to be offered vaccination against rotavirus – and kids can pick up a passport too
All babies in Scotland born on or after May 1 this year will be offered vaccination against rotavirus, the Scottish Government has announced.
Rotavirus causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies and young children, and can lead to dehydration that requires hospital treatment. The introduction of the rotavirus vaccine follows a recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The vaccine will be part of the routine childhood immunisation programme and mainly given in GP surgeries.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “The rotavirus vaccine has already been given safely to millions of babies around the world. Currently in Scotland, around 1,200 babies have to go to hospital every year due to severe diarrhoea and vomiting caused by rotavirus, and in some of the most serious cases that can result in a hospital stay. The vaccine will not only protect tens of thousands of children from the effects of rotavirus every year, it will cut down on costly hospital admissions and the anxiety of hospital stays for parents and children.”
Rotavirus is the first in a number of forthcoming additions to immunisation programmes. Childhood immunisation in Scotland is highly successful and a key contributor to protecting our public health.
A two dose vaccine will be offered routinely to all babies aged two months, and again at three months when they attend for their first and second routine childhood immunisations. The rotavirus vaccine, Rotarix®, is given orally as a liquid and protects against the most common strains of rotavirus. It is not a new vaccine and has been used extensively with millions of doses having been given to babies in other countries. More information can is available from Immunisation Scotland
As with any vaccine or medicine newly introduced in the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency will closely monitor the use of the Rotarix® vaccine.
The introduction of the rotavirus programme is part of a wider programme of changes to the routine immunisation programme in Scotland. They are:
– From June 2013, changes to the current schedule for administering the Meningitis C vaccine
– From September 2013, the introduction of a shingles vaccine for people aged 70 and 79 years to protect against shingles
– From autumn 2013, a phased rollout of the new childhood flu programme – the extension of the seasonal flu programme to all children aged two to 17 years. The programme will be phased over the next two to three years.
And in another child health development, an innovative scheme which aims to help children combat their fear of being in hospital is to be rolled out in children’s hospitals across Scotland. The Hospital Passport scheme was developed by psychologists at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow (Yorkhill) and has been piloted in a number of wards in the hospital.
Children can use the passport around the hospital collecting a variety of stickers and stamps as they go through various treatments, or “travel” to different departments.
It aims to make children feel more at ease, and more involved in their treatment and care.
Health Secretary Alex Neil met some of the children who have benefitted from the passport and said: “Going into hospital can be a scary time for a child, and this passport is a great tool to help put children at ease. It gives them ways to feel more prepared when coming into hospital for appointments, assessments and treatments. I’ve met with some of the children and families who have used the passport to hear their own experiences of how it helped make going into hospital seem less daunting. I am delighted that the passport is now to be rolled out to other children’s hospitals across Scotland, and I hope it can make a difference to the experiences of more children and their families.”
A parent involved in the pilot scheme said: “It definitely helped me and my child talk more and made it easier to approach what is wrong with her and why she has come to hospital.”
One of the children said: “It is good cos it helps the doctors and nurses help me better.”
The passport is jointly funded by Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and NHS Education for Scotland (NES).
There has also been interest from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin to develop their own passport scheme.
Children or their parents can request a copy of the Hospital Passport Coping Kit from staff when they come into hospital.
It includes an information sheet for parents so they can use the passport to talk through with their child what will happen to them in hospital, discuss anything which is making the child anxious, and choose techniques to make them feel less worried.
It is primarily aimed at primary school aged children but can also be used for older children.
Psychologist Dr Janie Donnan, who co-created the Hospital Passport Coping Kit at Yorkhill, explained: “The passport has proven to be a great success not only among children but also with parents and staff and we are delighted that we’ve had so much interest in developing it further and rolling it out across Scotland. Of the children and parents we surveyed about the impact of the passport, 100 per cent of children said they would recommend it to their friends and more than 90 per cent of parents said they would recommend the Hospital Passport as a useful tool.
“It gives children a simple way to make choices about what would help them with procedures and treatments, and communicates those easily to staff, which helps place them at the heart of decision making around their own healthcare. Staff also found the passport helped them with hints and tips in how to support children during procedures and make hospital visits as positive an experience as possible for them.”
Yorkhill Children’s Foundation Director of Fundraising David Welch added: “The Hospital Passport is a crucial tool in supporting children and families during hospital visits and procedures. It is vital children are given as much help and assistance as quickly as possible to ensure any distress or discomfort is dealt with quickly and appropriately – we are delighted the Hospital Passport it set to reach a national audience around Scotland which is an initiative we hope to continue to support.”
Programme Director for Paediatric Psychology at NHS Education for Scotland, Dr Terri Carney, said: “We are delighted to have supported the pilot for the Hospital Passport and to have financed the training in the use of the Passport for paediatric staff throughout NHSScotland. It links in with other ongoing wider skills based training programmes for paediatric staff designed to improve communication with children and young people and increase psychological knowledge and understanding within paediatric staff across Scotland.”
Spa in the City’s back next month
Capital Beauty Bonanza is Back
Spa in the City Returns with fresh new format and top beauty names
Beauty fans can look forward to a bumper weekend as Spa in the City – Edinburgh’s popular free beauty event – returns on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May for a sixth consecutive year.
Heading once again to St Andrew Square, the Essential Edinburgh extravaganza will feature a new ‘Fresh as a Daisy’ theme which will be accompanied by a fresh new format, with six of the city’s most prestigious beauty retailers – John Lewis, Jenners, Harvey Nichols, Boots, Debenhams and the Roxburghe Hotel – each taking over their own marquee.
The weekend will offer city centre shoppers the chance to ‘freshen up their look’ with a menu of free treatments, with brands for this year including Shu Uemura from Harvey Nichols, Liz Earle from John Lewis and Clarins which will be in the Jenners marquee. Luxurious treatments courtesy of the spa team at the city’s Roxburghe Hotel will also be available, alongside Superdrug and Lush Spa.
The event is organised and funded by Essential Edinburgh, the city’s Central Business Improvement District and aims to promote the wealth of beauty and lifestyle retailers on offer in Edinburgh city centre and encourage shoppers into the area.
Andy Neal, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Spa in the City back once again for its sixth year. This has proven to be a really popular event with beauty lovers in Edinburgh and we are confident that this year’s line-up will not disappoint.
“This year, the move to have major retailers hosting their own marquee shows just how far this event has come and how important it has become in the Edinburgh retail calendar. By having this level of involvement in the event, retailers have a prime opportunity to showcase their offerings and brands to thousands of Edinburgh shoppers.
“The Spa in the City event is a great success, driving footfall in the centre and generating valuable follow up business for retailers throughout the city. As we near our renewal ballot, we would like to thank those who have been fantastic supporters of this event and we hope that local retailers will support Essential Edinburgh’s bid so that we can continue providing this key event in the years to come.”
As well as the large marquees, a selection of smaller marquees around the Melville Monument will house brands such as Molton Brown and Kiehls, as well as jazz band Swing Supreme who will be providing entertainment.
Marcello Ventisei, General Manager at Roxburghe Hotel, said: “Spa in the City is a fantastic event for us and having our own marquee this year is great in terms of driving our brand’s presence to the thousands of people passing through the event and the hundreds checking in for their complimentary treatments. The Roxburghe is rebranding to become a Crowne Plaza and this is an amazing opportunity to showcase our spa to the people of Edinburgh”
Spaces for treatments, which are limited to one per person, are secured at the registration desk on the event days from 9.30am until 4pm on a first come first served basis. Some pre-booking will be available through facebook and will be announced at a later date.
For more information visit www.essentialedinburgh.co.uk or www.facebook.com/edsitc
Horsemeat traces found in local school kitchens
Traces of horsemeat have been found in food supplied to six city schools including Craigroyston, Pirniehall, St David’s and Forthview, the city council has confirmed.
Tests carried out on a batch of frozen mince in February found that the meat contained between 1% and 5% horsemeat. The sample was taken from the shared kitchen of Pirniehall and St David’s, and the same batch was also supplied to Forthview, Craigroyston, Oxgangs and Braidburn primary schools.
A letter from Mike Rosendale, Head of Schools and Community Services, has been sent to parents of pupils at each of the six schools, advising them of the test results and reassuring them that there is “no risk to health from consuming horsemeat”.
Councillor Cathy Fullerton (pictured below), the council’s vice convener of education, said: “It’s very important to emphasise that there is no risk whatsoever to people’s health from consuming horsemeat, but obviously we all want to be certain that we know exactly what we are eating. This is why the council chose to seek extra assurance that our external suppliers were not providing any products containing horsemeat by carrying out our own testing.
“Parents can be reassured that we have taken absolutely the correct course of action in immediately making sure there is none of this frozen mince remaining in school kitchens. We have written to all parents in the six schools to let them know about this and will be happy to discuss any further queries they may have.”
![Catherine_Fullerton_7_200x200[1]](https://i0.wp.com/nen.press/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/catherine_fullerton_7_200x2001.jpg?ssl=1)
Food at all six of the schools is procured by the PPP contractor, who sourced the frozen mince from catering firm 3663. 3663 recalled all batches of this product on 8 March.
The council has been carrying out tests on meat products supplied to schools, residential homes and other local authority establishments since 14 February under the direction of the Food Standards Agency as part of their UK-wide authenticity survey. Eighty-five meat product samples have been taken from council catering establishments to date and to date all except one have tested negative for the presence of horsemeat. The results have been reported to the Food Standards Agency.
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and food spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, says the confirmation is further proof that we need to rethink our approach to food. She said: “This latest revelation will be a great worry for parents and it proves we need greater investment and increased traceability in our publicly-procured meals. The council’s website claims that it uses local suppliers for meat so it is extremely important we are told what has gone wrong.
“I have real concerns about the way our schools have moved away from real meals cooked in proper kitchens to ready meals heated up in microwaves. It’s also hard to have confidence when the many of our schools are supplied by massive companies who describe themselves as strategic outsourcing providers rather than caterers, and whose main motive is profit. This isn’t exactly suprising as public procurement favours cheaper bids.
”In recent months in parliament I have highlighted the Soil Association’s Food for Life programme which currently ensures one in ten schools in Scotland has confidence about where its food comes from. I again urge ministers to increase their support for the scheme and encourage local authorities to adopt it.”
DIY – Don’t Injure Yourself – this Easter!
DIY stands for ‘Don’t Injure Yourself’ this Easter!
As many people across Lothian prepare to make the most of the Easter holiday weekend by reaching for the tools or lawnmower, a major health campaign is urging DIY and gardening enthusiasts to be prepared. As part of the NHS Scotland Be Ready for Easter campaign, DIY and gardening enthusiasts are being urged to take care and be prepared to deal with any minor accidents before tackling those home and garden improvements.
By taking a few simple steps and knowing when their GP surgery is open, re-stocking their medicine cabinet and first aid box if needed, and using local pharmacies to seek advice and to treat any minor cuts, bumps, bruises and scrapes, any enthusiastic painters, builders and carpenters can help ensure they stay healthy this spring.
Sheena Wright, Executive Nurse Director at NHS 24, said: “Every Easter we see an increase in calls resulting from DIY accidents and we would encourage Scots to be prepared before they open the toolbox or garden shed. We are encouraging DIY enthusiasts to keep treatments for minor injuries, such as plasters and antiseptic, in the first aid box, visit their pharmacist for health advice and know when they can get an appointment at their GP surgery. With many GP surgeries closed for four days over the Easter weekend, these are a few simple steps people can take to stay healthy.”
Although many GP surgeries will be closed at Easter, some GPs will be working throughout this period supporting out of hours services across Scotland.
The key steps that Be Ready for Easter recommends this spring are:
Restock your medicine cabinet if needed
Minor injuries such as small-scale burns, scratches, knocks and cuts can often be effectively treated at home with readily available treatment such as pain relief, plasters, iodine, antiseptic cream and wipes, gauze and tape. Parents are also reminded to restock their medicine cabinet with child-friendly remedies.
Use your local pharmacy
Your pharmacist can offer advice or help if you need over-the-counter remedies or have run out of any prescribed medication.
Know when your GP surgery will be open
Your local doctor’s surgery may be closed for four days during the Easter weekend from Friday March 29 to Monday April 1.
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this Easter can be found at www.nhsinform.co.uk or contact NHS inform on 0800 22 44 88.
