health – Page 33 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Statistics to smile about

More children in Scotland have brighter smiles, with 67 per cent of primary one children having no obvious sign of tooth decay.

The latest figures from the National Dental Inspection Programme, show that for the first time all NHS boards have met the Scottish Government target for 60 per cent of primary ones to have no obvious signs of tooth decay – an overall improvement across Scotland of 3% since 2009/10.

Minister for Public Health, Michael Matheson said: “It is fantastic news that record numbers of primary one children have no obvious signs of decay, and for the first time, all 14 NHS Boards have exceeded the target – that 60 per cent should have no obvious signs of decay.

“This tremendous progress is the result of our significant investment in children’s dentistry over recent years. It is also tribute to our work with the British Dental Association and the commitment of Scottish dentists, nursery and school staff and parents to deliver the Childsmile programme. However it is extremely important that we continue this work as we know that the best way to improve the nations dental health is in childhood.”

To ensure this progress continues Scotland’s Chief Dental Officer, Margie Taylor, shares some dental health tips as children eat their Christmas selection boxes and sweets. Ms Taylor is encouraging parents to teach their children the importance of good dental hygiene from a young age and keep sweets until mealtimes as much as possible.

She said: “I know that a selection box can put a smile on the face of most children but it’s important that parents keep those smiles healthy. Children develop their oral health habits, good or bad, at a very young age. So it is important that parents remember their healthful habits and practices throughout the festive season to ensure that their children enjoy a lifetime of beautiful smiles.

“I would advise parents to keep sugary snacks to mealtimes in order to help protect against from decay and to avoid all sweet during the last hour before bedtime. Children over three should then brush their teeth with a pea-sized blob of toothpaste – brushing all surfaces of the teeth and gums, working on two teeth at a time. Children under three should only have a smear of toothpaste on their brush.”

Check your GP opening times

With Christmas upon us, NHS Scotland is now reminding the public of the GP surgery closures over New Year:

While GP practices re-open on Thursday after the Christmas break, the NHS Scotland Be Ready for Winter campaign advises people to be aware that many GP surgeries and pharmacies will be closed for two days again at the New Year (Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd January) .

NHS 24’s Medical Director Professor George Crooks, explained: “While NHS Scotland staff have been very busy over the Christmas period, it is important that people remember there is another period of GP practices’ closures over Hogmanay. It’s important that people know the opening times of their local pharmacy too and make use of the next couple of days to re-stock with simple home remedies to ensure they can look after themselves and their family if needed.

“Knowing you have remedies at home to help if a winter illness does strike can make all the difference and if your symptoms worsen while your GP surgery is closed, you should contact NHS 24”

Many GPs will be working hard throughout the festive period supporting local Out of Hours services and Be Ready for Winter has the backing of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland. Dr John Gillies, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, said: “Cold and flu bugs are most prevalent between January and March. Be prepared by stocking your medicine cabinet with suitable over the counter remedies. If you are in a vulnerable group make sure you have requested a flu vaccine from your practice. Remember that your local general practice will not be closed for very long, but if you do need out of hours advice you can look at NHS inform online or contact NHS 24.”

General advice and information on how to stay healthy this winter can be found at www.nhsinform.co.uk or contact NHS inform on 0800 22 44 88. Winter health advice is also available through the NHSScotland digital TV channel, or follow NHS 24 on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and tips.

The four key steps that Be Ready for Winter is recommending everyone take in preparation for their health this winter are:

Restock your winter medicine cabinet

Many children and adults pick up common winter ailments such as a cold or flu-like illness. These can often be effectively treated at home with readily available medicine. Parents are reminded to restock their medicine cabinet with remedies suitable for children.

Use your local pharmacy

Your local pharmacy is an accessible resource for you and your family. Your pharmacist can offer advice or help if you have run out of any prescribed medication. You can also collect medicine for minor ailments or illnesses.

Make sure you have repeat prescriptions.

If you or someone you care for requires medicines regularly, make sure you order and collect repeat prescriptions in good time to ensure you or your family have enough medicine to last over the Christmas holiday period.

Know when your GP surgery will be open

Your local doctor’s surgery will be open on Monday 31st December and closed for two days on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd January 2013.

Council welcomes Victoria’s temporary re-opening

The city council has welcomed NHS Lothian’s decision to re-open the Royal Victoria Hospital to help meet increasing demand and emergency admissions over winter.

Wards in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) will be re-opened to provide extra capacity for the expected increase in the number of patients over the next few months. The move comes as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is facing increasing pressure from emergency admissions, with the situation then being exacerbated by the numbers of delayed discharge patients and other issues including the winter vomiting virus norovirus.

The temporary solution has been welcomed by the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Convener Councillor Ricky Henderson (pictured above), who said: “There is a growing demand for care and support services, especially at this time of year, so the reopening of the Royal Victoria Hospital will help to meet demand. The Council has been working extremely hard with NHS Lothian to address identified shortages and since April we have increased the level of homecare service the Council provides by an extra 4,000 hours per week. We have also made additional investment in our homecare overnight teams, intermediate care service and telehealthcare service to help ensure the essential care required is available for older people in their own homes.”

Melanie Hornett, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “We have taken a long, hard look at the facilities and resources we have available as part of our winter planning exercises and we know we don’t have the abilities to meet demand. As a result, we have put this temporary solution in place to allow us to serve patients in a timely manner, while increasing our capacity from within.”

The contingency plan was drawn up as part of routine winter planning, which in previous years has seen bed numbers increased on other sites, including Astley Ainslie Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital and Liberton Hospital among others.

Two extra wards will be re-opened over the next few weeks, with the potential to increase as the winter progresses and demand increases as a result of winter weather.

The Royal Victoria Hospital closed in August after the last ward moved on to different sites within NHS Lothian, including the new Royal Victoria Building at the Western General Hospital and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Looking for an NHS dentist in Edinburgh?

The following dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients:

9 Dean Bank Street, Stockbridge EH3 5BS 0131 332 5510

4 Inverleith Gardens, Inverleith EH3 5PU 0131 552 4024

4 Howard Place, Canon Mills EH3 5JZ 0131 556 7232

4 Great Stuart Street, West End EH3 6AW 0131 225 3911

264 Morrison Street, Haymarket EH3 8DT 0131 229 6633

212 Morrison Street, Haymarket EH3 8EA 0131 229 7899

42 Earl Grey Street, Tollcross EH3 9BN 0131 221 9535

1D Pennywell Gardens, Muirhouse EH4 4UA 0131 315 2666

3 Quality St, Davidson’s Mains EH4 5BP 0131 336 1785

32 Duart Crescent, Clermiston EH4 7JP 0131 339 7446

65 Ferry Road, Leith EH6 4AQ 0131 554 1791

163 Great Junction Street, Leith EH6 5LG 0131 554 8589

116 Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JG 0131 208 2222

120 Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JG 0131 555 0376

80/1B Commercial Quay EH6 6LX 0131 553 5959

57 Constitution Street Leith EH6 7AF 0131 555 2020

6 East Hermitage Place, Leith EH6 8AA 0131 554 5028

1 Bellevue Place, Newtown EH7 4BS 0131 556 3240

15 Earlston Place, Meadowbank EH7 5SU 0131 659 5670

Boroughloch Med. Cent, 1 Meadow Place EH9 1JZ 0131 656 4525

59 Ratcliffe Terrace, Newington EH9 1ST 0131 667 4433

39 Mayfield Gardens, Newington EH9 2BX 0131 668 1521

125 Mayfield Road, Newington EH9 3AJ 0131 667 5656

147 Bruntsfield Place EH10 4EB 0131 229 7999

1 Millar Crescent, Morningside EH10 5HN 0131 447 0606

27 Comiston Road, Morningside EH10 6AA 0131 447 2722

3C Washington Lane, Dalry EH11 2HA 0131 337 8272

14 Ardmillan Terrace, Gorgie EH11 2JW 0131 337 2771

296 Gorgie Road, Gorgie EH11 2PP 0131 337 3936

176 St. John’s Road, Corstorphine EH12 8BE 0131 334 2704

9 Bughtlin market, East Craigs EH12 8XP 0131 339 2992

302 Oxgangs Road North EH13 9ND 0131 441 3231

132 Colinton Road, Colinton EH14 1BY 0131 443 4050

1 Hailsland Gardens, Wester Hailes EH14 2QN 0131 453 1151

Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes EH14 2SW 0131 442 4084

38 Balerno High Street EH14 7EH 0131 449 5545

274 Portobello High Street EH15 2AT 0131 669 1193

216 Portobello High Street EH15 2AU 0131 669 2995

310 Portobello High Street EH15 2DA 0131 669 3333

23 Duddingston Park South EH15 3NY 0131 669 9977

198 Peffermill Road, Craigmillar EH16 4DT 0131 661 3424

1 Parkside Terrace, Newington EH16 5BN 0131 667 0500

173 Dalkeith Road, Newington EH16 5BY 0844 387 8333

1 Bellstane, South Queensferry EH30 3PU 0131 319 1879

Information correct on 1 December 2012

High-powered taskforce seeks ways to cut health gap

A new group of experts made up of health professionals and politicians is to seek ways to narrow the health gap between the richest and poorest people in Scotland. The Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities meets for the first time today (Thursday) to examine evidence and to suggest new or better ways to reduce the difference in life expectancy and health among the whole population.

Chaired by Public Health Minister Michael Matheson, the Taskforce includes the Chief Medical Officer, clinicians, health experts, local government representative and other Ministers. The work will build on the Equally Well report of the last Ministerial taskforce in 2008.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said:

“While health in Scotland continues to improve and people live longer lives, health inequalities are still worse than in the rest of western Europe. Of all the challenges facing Scotland, the health gap between our richest and poorest communities is among the greatest. Inequality wastes human potential, while reducing inequalities will improve Scotland’s wellbeing, lead to higher productivity and less pressure on public finances.

”The challenge for the Taskforce is to review the effectiveness of current policy, to respond to new information and knowledge about what has worked to narrow inequalities and to hear to community views on the best way ahead.

“While Scotland is rightly seen as a world leader in public health legislation and policy, the main reasons for health inequality are income and power, so addressing these issues will be part of our overall approach. Delivering on this agenda takes leadership at all levels and I am determined to ensure the Scottish Government does what it can in the current political and economic circumstances to narrow the health gap.”

The Taskforce is expected to report in summer 2013.

Membership of the Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities is:

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health (Chair)

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People

Margaret Burgess, Minister for Housing and Welfare

Angela Constance, Minister for Youth Employment

Derek Mackay, Minister for Local Government and Planning

Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change

Sir Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland

Margaret Burns, Chair of NHS Health Scotland

Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair of NHS Chairs Scotland

Andrew Muirhead, Chief Executive, Inspiring Scotland

Professor Carol Tannahill, Director, Glasgow Centre for Population Health

Cllr Peter Johnston, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Wellbeing

Bump Start Annual Review

Bump Start is a support service for pregnant women, with two bases in North Edinburgh at Pennywell and Leith.

The project has two main ways of helping women and their families. A Bump Start worker can work with individual families and help with a whole range of topics, and there is also a weekly group for pregnant women and their partners, parents and supporters called ‘The Pregnancy Café’ where everyone can learn more about being pregnant and preparing to be a parent. Dads – to – be are particularly welcomed at the café.

The team has public health workers from NHS Lothian, the CLD Health Literacy team, and Stepping Stones all working together to deliver the service and the project works very closely with the local midwives. If you are pregnant and think this type of support would help you please contact your midwife and she will then put you in touch with the Bump Start team in your area.

The picture shows the Bump Start team at their annual stakeholders event in Spartans Football Club, where the team was presenting the project’s independent evaluation which was carried out by COMAS.

A number of organisations were represented at the event including Multi-Cultural Family Base, CEC Community Learning and Development, Public Health NHS, Stepping Stones; CEC Social Work, CEC Early Years, Community Midwifery and Mellow Parenting.

Cathy Wood, North West Local Health Partnership

Is alcohol costing you or someone you know more than money?

Most of us like a drink from time to time and it doesn’t cause any harm, but for others alcohol is like a poison which affects every part of their lives. There are various options available for those who have a drink problem and one of those is Alcoholics Anonymous.

If you think you have a drink problem or work with people who abuse alcohol AA is holding a free public meeting on:

Saturday 24 November 10.30am – 12.30pm in Augustine United Church on George IV Bridge, Edinburgh

At the meeting you will find out about AA and how it works. Everyone is welcome and it is free.

If you don’t have a drink problem or you’re not an alcoholic it is difficult to understand why some people can’t seem to stop drinking. AA shows us that alcoholics have a mental obsession with alcohol and a physical allergy once a drink has been taken into the body. This describes the problem and the solution is a twelve step programme of recovery.

Sue is only 24 years old but has had a difficult time because of the way alcohol affected her. “I started drinking with friends and really liked the effect it had on me. I had more confidence, could talk to boys and felt free to do whatever I wanted. It wasn’t long before I was getting drunk and out of control. I would do things and say things I would never have done without having had a drink – some of it was stupid but some of it was very dangerous. I got into situations where I could easily have been killed or raped. I also started having blackouts when I couldn’t remember what happened the night before. Friends told me what I had done but I didn’t want to hear because I was so embarrassed.

I realised that I had a drink problem but didn’t know what to do about it. Someone suggested Alcoholics Anonymous but I wasn’t interested as I didn’t think I was an alcoholic. However it got so bad that I was willing to do anything to take away the mental pain I was in. I went to AA and found it very strange. There weren’t many young people but I kept going because I had nowhere else to go. People in AA were very friendly and supportive and through their help I’ve not had a drink for four years and my life is so much better.”

Peter who is 63 has another tale to tell:

“I started social drinking when I was at school. I used to hang around with older guys and go to the pub at weekends, especially where there was music. Sometimes I got drunk but not all the time. I went to college, got married, had children and embarked on a career. The first time I noticed something was wrong was when I bought a bottle of cider and took it to the bottom of the garden and drank it in secret. No one was telling me to stop drinking and to this day I don’t know why I did it. I started drinking heavily in my early 20s when my marriage broke up. I moved to Edinburgh where my whole social life was geared around drinking. I had some really good friends and a lot of good times. There came a time when my drinking became out of control and I had to stop socialising because I didn’t know what I would say or do. I drank at home or on my own in pubs. Eventually I started drinking in the mornings when the hangovers were so bad it was the only way to feel better. My health deteriorated but I still had a good job and was well respected in my profession.

I sought help from the Andrew Duncan clinic, psychologists and psychotherapists but nothing worked. I read a lot of books on self development and some biographies of people who had overcome their problem with drink but all of these people had been saved by religion and I am an atheist so that wasn’t any good for me. I even went to AA to get my partner off my back but I didn’t understand what was going on so didn’t hang around. Five years later I was in such state that I went back to AA but I didn’t think I was an alcoholic, I just had a drink problem. This time something changed and I realised that I was an alcoholic. I did what was suggested by AA– I went to meetings, I got myself a sponsor – someone who helped me work the 12 steps which is AA’s programme of recovery. I got involved and helped other people in AA. My health improved dramatically but I still had a long way to go to change the way I thought and acted. Today I have been sober for 20 years, one day at a time, have a great relationship with my partner, my ex wife and children, have the job of my dreams and am “normal” which is all I ever wanted to be. I am still an atheist which shows that AA works for anyone who is willing to be honest and practice AA’s simple 12 step programme of recovery. In AA I learnt about alcoholism and I now understand why I drank, which gives me the freedom to be the person I always wanted to be.”

The free public meeting is a great way of finding out how AA works.

AA Public Meeting flyer

For further information on AA go to http://aa-edinburgh.org.uk/

Western gardener is NHS Lothian Staff Member of the Year

The outstanding achievements of individual staff members and teams from a diverse range of NHS Lothian services received recognition in the organisation’s annual ‘Celebrating Success Awards’ last week – and top of the list was the Western General’s gardening supervisor Ronald Fraser.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday 25 October which was attended by over 200 staff. The evening, hosted by radio personality Arlene Stuart, recognised the inspiring and truly amazing work that takes place across NHS Lothian every day.

This year’s ceremony featured ten categories, including volunteer of the year, staff member of the year and team of the year.

Tim Davison, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian said: “The Celebrating Success Awards are about recognising the very best of NHS Lothian. This is not about being the best for its own sake – it is about delivering the best for the patients in our care and the communities we serve. By involving the public in this event we hope to recognise the staff that our patients tell us are the best.”

Ronald Fraser, Gardening Supervisor at the Western General Hospital, was named Staff Member of the Year at the awards ceremony. Click on the link below to see why …

Watch the Staff Member of the Year video.

Healthy advice from GIC

Granton Information Centre (GIC) has extended their service at Muirhouse Medical Group. GIC’s Michelle Lee can now be found at the Muirhouse Avenue centre on Mondays and Tuesdays from 2 – 4pm.

GIC have provided an advice service in local GP surgeries for many years, and have had a presence in the Muirhouse surgery for almost two years. The extra hours at Muirhouse became possible when the Muirhouse practice was extended, and it’s a service that patients registered at Muirhouse are using in increasing numbers.

“There’s as much of a demand for the service as there has ever been – perhaps even more so”, said Michelle, who has been with GIC for eight years. “The advice service has been getting particularly busy on Tuesdays, and having the additional day here makes a great difference.”

Muirhouse Medical Centre’s Gillian Anderson said: “Michelle is very much a part of our team – she’s been added to our appointment systems and participates in our six-weekly staff team meetings. It’s great to have Michelle here in the practice to give advice – updating staff on changes to legislation and other issues that may affect GPs – to the comprehensive service she provides to the local people who are registered at this practice. There are a lot of questions on benefits and entitlements that we couldn’t give the answers to, so it’s very useful having Michelle here to explain complicated things in a way we can all understand.”

One patient who particularly appreciates GIC’s GP surgery service is Alan, who lives in Muirhouse. Alan, who suffers from depression, turned to Michelle for help when his mother – who was also his carer – suddenly died last Christmas.

“I didn’t have a clue what to do – my mum had always done everything and I really didn’t know where to turn or where to start. It took me a long time to get over the shock of losing my mum and things sort of drifted – I got into a mess and I didn’t have a clue how to sort things out. It affected my health, which was not that great anyway, and I was so lucky that my GP was able to offer GIC’s advice service, saying we’d be able to get things sorted.” At this point I had been refused Employment & Support Allowance due to failing a Work Capability assessment; I had a funeral to organise and to pay for and had accruing council tax arrears and I had no money coming in.”

He went on: “When I spoke to Michelle it was a weight off my mind – it was amazing just how much better I felt just being able to share things with somebody, because I really didn’t have anyone else to help me, no-one else to turn to. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Michelle was my lifeline – she has supported me all the way through. Things were a mess – far too complicated for me – but with Michelle’s help things are looking up now – it’s a whole lot brighter, when just a wee while ago everything seemed hopeless.”

Michelle said: “Alan suffers from severe depression, and when he found himself alone he found it impossible to cope with forms, bills and paperwork. He found himself with an outstanding funeral bill, no money coming in because his benefits had been stopped and there were various other complications. It was a set of circumstances that anyone would have found daunting – never mind someone who had recently lost their mother. Fortunately, we have been able to systematically deal with all of the issues Alan faced, and things that once seemed insurmountable have been resolved. It is not an easy process, but we’ve got there. Alan has started to get his life in order, and he’s feeling better and more positive as a result.”

Michelle explained to Alan that she would assist with appealing the Employment & Support Allowance decision and would also assist with making an application to British Gas Energy Trust for help with the outstanding balance for the funeral. Michelle also identified a possible entitlement to Disability Living Allowance.

The Employment & Support Allowance decision was overturned at the appeal stage and Alan was placed in the support group. His weekly income increased from absolutely nothing to £105.05 a week, and he also received an additional backdated payment of £681.00.

The British Gas Energy Trust application was also successful and Alan was awarded £1960.80 to clear the outstanding balance of his mother’s funeral costs.

The initial application for Disability Living Allowance was unsuccessful, but GIC successfully appealed the decision and this increased Alan’s weekly income by another £41.10 – in total Alan’s annual household income has increased by £7,599.80!

Alan’s life has been turned around. “I’m starting to get out and about a bit more, which is hard to believe,” he said. “I can honestly say that, without this service, I really don’t think I would have been here to tell you this story. Seriously, it was that bad but things are getting better. I can never thank Michelle enough for everything she’s done for me and I count myself so lucky that my GP told me about the advice service.”

Granton Information Centre’s GP Surgery service is also available at Crewe Medical Centre on Tuesday mornings between 10.00am and 1pm.

Changes to Patient Transfer Service this month

Do you need ambulance transport to get to

your healthcare appointment?

_____________

New ambulance booking line for patients

‘goes live’ on 22 October 2012

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) Patient Transport Service is responsible for the transport of non-emergency patients who do not need an immediate or urgent ambulance.

Ambulance transport is available for patients who need support to reach their healthcare appointments if they have medical or mobility needs that prevent them from travelling independently and require the support of ambulance staff during the journey. The core service operates between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

The SAS is implementing a Patient Transport Service (PTS) improvement plan to enhance the clinical care given to patients who need to attend hospital or other healthcare facilities. The roll-out of the first phase of the PTS improvement plan is now close to completion. The plan will be launched in the East Region (NHS Lothian, NHS Borders, NHS Tayside, NHS Fife, and NHSForthValley) on Monday 22 October 2012, when a new direct Patient Booking Line for the PTS will ‘go live.’ The same booking line number is already in use across the North and West of Scotland.

From 22 October 2012, to request a journey by ambulance, patients should call the new ambulance booking line on 0300 123 1236 (calls are charged at local rates for both landlines and mobiles). Patients who are hard of hearing, deaf or speech impaired can contact the service through Text Relay on: 18001- 0300 123 1236. Callers will be asked a series of questions about their condition and – if appropriate – the ambulance booking will be confirmed during the call. Ambulance transport may be requested up to 28 days before the healthcare appointment. Patients who need support making the call should ask their GP or carer.

The SAS is producing a leaflet called Information for patients who need ambulance care services to attend healthcare appointments, which will be distributed to hospitals, GP practices and other healthcare facilities from early October. It will also be on the NHS Lothian website at www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

More information about the new patient booking line and SAS Patient Transport Service is on the SAS website at http://www.scottishambulance.com/WhatWeDo/pts.aspx

Scottish Ambulance Service

NHS Lothian