Tag: NEN

Lockdown is for the birds!

It seems lockdown really is for the birds! As the number of vehicles on the roads decreases, it’s much easier to hear the songs, twitters and warbling of our feathered friends. For some city-dwellers it might even be the first time they’ve noticed their varied sounds.

Now a unique radio station has had the idea of inviting its listeners to share the sounds they can hear from their window, garden or outdoor space.

RNIB Connect Radio is a station with a difference. It is run by the leading sight loss charity RNIB. Based in Glasgow, the multi-award-winning station broadcasts news and entertainment aimed at listeners who are blind and partially sighted across the UK.

“It’s probably fair to say our audience is especially tuned to sound,” says station manager Yvonne Milne. “Indeed, they can often be more aware of the possibilities and nuances of how sound can convey moods, emotions and information – but anyone can listen to RNIB Connect Radio.

“I think listening to the birds is a wonderful idea, and not just for ornithologists. It could be very relaxing and stress-relieving, especially at such a fraught time when people are house-bound.

“And it’s a chance for many of us who live in towns and cities to appreciate a dimension of sound that has always been with us, just lost under the cacophony of everyday urban life.”

RNIB Connect Radio is inviting people to share the sounds they are hearing, and is offering a few tips for recording on your phone:

Hold your phone carefully, as movements can be picked up by the mic.

Put your phone into ‘airplane’ mode and mute your notifications. 

Record a minute at most on the recorder on your phone and then email it to lynne.morgan@rnib.org.uk.

“We’d love to hear sounds of different birds from different parts of the UK,” says Yvonne.

“We’re backing this up with interviews about how to identify different birds and are hearing from blind bird lovers. We’ve also had Iolo Williams from BBC’s ‘Winter Watch’ talk to us about birds and give us some tips.”

RNIB Connect Radio – a mix of news, chat, music, sport and audio-book readings – broadcasts in the Glasgow area on 101FM, and is available across the UK on Freeview 730 and online at  www.rnibconnectradio.org.uk.

* For advice and support for blind and partially sighted people, the free RNIB’s helpline on 0303 123 9999 is open 8am till 8pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.

Whirlpool recalls another 55,000 washing machines

Whirlpool has identified a further 21 models to be added to its list of recalled washing machines. The company estimates this will affect up to 55,000 machines in addition to more than 500,000 originally identified.

In light of Coronavirus, Whirlpool has today set out the measures that will apply during the recall to ensure the safety of both customers and staff, in line with government guidance.

Whirlpool statement and model checker

The initial recall campaign began in early January 2020 and is being undertaken by Whirlpool UK Appliances Ltd, which identified the fault in models of brands it owns. That recall was originally announced on 17 December 2019 when consumers were advised to contact Whirlpool to arrange a replacement.

The advice sets out that there is a risk that the door locks of affected machines could catch fire due to overheating during the washing process. Affected consumers are advised to unplug their machine and register with Whirlpool for a replacement.

Under the recall, consumers with an affected washing machine will be entitled to a free replacement. Old machines will be removed, and replacements installed, at no cost to the consumer.

This latest safety announcement and recall follows ongoing scrutiny by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) which has been monitoring data supplied by Whirlpool since the company first identified the issue.

Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection at Which?, said: “It’s really concerning that Whirlpool has announced that there are tens of thousands of additional unsafe washing machines in people’s homes.

“Whirlpool customers are being drip fed information and serious questions need to be asked about why it took almost five months for this to come to light.

“Some Whirlpool customers may be understandably concerned about dealing with this problem during a nationwide lockdown. Whirlpool has provided reassurances that it has suitable safety measures in place so customers should report their affected machine to the company as soon as possible.

“The OPSS must take control of this situation and ensure that all affected machines have now been identified so there are no more nasty surprises in a few months’ time.”

Additional information:

  • Whirlpool will be required to provide regular updates to OPSS on progress made in the product recall.
  • Consumers can contact the Whirlpool helpline on 0800 316 1442 for more information or visit the Whirlpool website for a full list of affected machines.

Edinburgh charity receives over £22,000 from Scotch Whisky Action Fund

Bright Light, a charity which provides relationship counselling across Edinburgh and the Lothians, has been awarded over £22,000 from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) to support its ‘Families in Recovery’ project.

Three years ago, Bright Light identified a need to offer specialist family counselling sessions for children and young people adjusting to life with a parent or guardian recovering from alcohol addiction. In order to get this off the ground, the charity, which has been running for 73 years, applied for funding from the SWAF.

Now in its third year of SWAF funding, the Families in Recovery project is going from strength to strength, supporting between 30 and 40 families every year, with the charity looking to expand the project further to help more people.

The specialist therapy sessions work with the whole family, providing private counselling and giving families the opportunity to talk about difficult topics, often for the first time.

It focuses on the various strengths of each person and highlights how those around them can work together to aid an individual’s recovery from alcohol addiction.

By helping families in this way, the charity has an ambition to break generational cycles of alcohol abuse as children understand the negative impacts and learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety.

Julie Hogg-Weld, Chief Executive of Bright Light said: “We provide a safe space for families to heal from alcohol-related issues and move on with their lives.

“This is beneficial to the person recovering from alcohol addiction, but it is also incredibly helpful for the whole family. People have a better chance of staying in recovery if they have a strong network around them and that is what we help to establish by looking at the strengths within the family even if they are no longer living together.”

SWAF funding has enabled Bright Light’s ‘Families in Recovery’ project to continuously provide its support, this continuity is critical to those receiving care. The project has come a long way and now boasts a seven-strong family therapy team, led by Sam Petrie.

Julie added: “The Covid-19 lockdown has brought many families’ issues to the fore and so it is more important than ever that we are able to provide support to those that need it. We have been providing our sessions via video conferencing and over the phone and will continue to do so throughout this period.

“Without the funding from the SWAF we would not have been able to pilot this project and build on it each year, providing fundamental support to so many families.”

The Fund was established in 2013 by the Scotch Whisky Association to tackle the effects of alcohol misuse and has already made over 50 awards to initiatives across Scotland working to reduce alcohol-related harm.

By 2023, the Fund will have provided £1m of support to charities. It is just one element of the Scotch Whisky industry’s commitment to addressing issues around alcohol and promoting responsible drinking and is managed by Foundation Scotland.

Dame Joan Stringer, chair of the decision-making panel for ongoing funding, said: “This project has achieved very positive results since first being awarded the funding, making a measurable difference to the communities and the groups it works with.

“Continuation funding is vital to ensure that their impact is ongoing amid unprecedented circumstances, and we look forward to seeing their progress over the coming year.”

Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the SWA, said: “Now more than ever, it is hugely important to be supporting the projects that help to tackle the misuse of alcohol at a community level.

“It has been inspiring to see the impact that this initiative has made, and we are pleased to offer ongoing support via the Scotch Whisky Action Fund, allowing them to build on their excellent work and increase their positive impact.”

The SWAF is now open for applications for funding in 2020-21, the deadline is 2nd July.

To apply, please visit the Foundation Scotland website.

Don’t be conned by cyber-skullduggery!

Thousands of people could be conned if they don’t pay attention, says leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

Fiona Fernie, a partner at the firm said: “Within hours of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) there was significant activity by cybercriminals trying to cash in on the scheme.

“These were in the form of emails that purported to come from the Government and suggested that HMRC needed bank account details into which the grant should be paid.

“The wording most commonly used to-date is:

‘Dear customer, we wrote to you last week to help you prepare to make a claim through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. We are now writing to tell you how to access the COVID-19 relief. You will need to tell us which UK bank account you want the grant to be paid into, in order to ensure funds are paid as quickly as possible to you’.

Fiona added: “Most scams focus on obtaining the banking details of the recipient either by suggesting they can claim some kind of financial benefit from following the instructions in the correspondence, (for example a tax refund to help protect themselves from the Coronavirus outbreak, a goodwill payment from HMRC or a large sum of money in return for a set-up payment), or that they have a ‘fine’ to pay as a result of some misdemeanour: such as leaving the house more than once a day during lock down.

“The most frequent forms of communication are emails and text messages purporting to come from Government or HMRC officials and are designed to lure the recipient into precipitate action before thinking carefully about the substance of the message.

“People should be aware that neither HMRC specifically nor Government more widely communicates with individuals either by email or by text, unless you have signed up to the relevant protocol with them.  Certainly, payments that can be claimed by taxpayers or fines that can be imposed are not dealt with in this way.”

Fiona warned: “The communications are designed to look entirely legitimate and as well as using official logos, fraudsters change the ‘display name’ on their email address to only show the name of the body they purport to represent. They are very clever.

“It is imperative to treat any email or text apparently received from an official body with extreme caution – if you are taken in it could be a very costly mistake.

“WhatsApp or social media messages are also used by cybercriminals and should be treated with similar caution.”

So, what should you do if you receive one of these messages? 

Fiona lists below some of the things that you can do to protect yourself:

  • Do not reply to these emails, texts, WhatsApp or social media messages
  • Do not call the phone number listed in an email or text
  • Do not click on any links or open any attachments in emails
  • Do not provide any personal or financial details
  • If in doubt about whether an email or text is genuine, click on/hover over the ‘display name’ email address from which you have received the email. This will show you the full details of the sender and will make it clear whether the email is from a genuine Government or HMRC source
  • If you are in doubt about the source of one of these messages which appears to be from HMRC, forward it to them. You can do this via email at phishing@hmrc.gov.uk or via text at 60599 (network charges apply) and then delete it.

Fiona said: “In addition, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently launched a reporting service urging the public to forward any questionable emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.  The NCSC’s automated scanning system then checks them, and immediately shuts down and removes criminal sites.

“However, there are other scams which are even less easy to spot, and which are designed to play on the other major anxiety caused by the Coronavirus pandemic – protecting our health.

“Of the over 2,000 online coronavirus scams which have been removed over the last month by the NCSC, almost 500 were fake online shops selling personal protective equipment items such as gloves and face masks which either never arrive or do not meet the required standards.  Some of the sites also distribute malware which damages the computer systems of those who visit the sites.

“Even charities are at risk: some have been contacted by fraudsters claiming to be from an organisation able to provide helpful information such as a list of ‘at risk’ elderly people in the community who may require support from the charity.  The recipient is then directed to click on a link leading to a fake website or a request to make a cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) payment, to enable the release of the information.”

Fiona said: “The messages are not confined to scams allegedly coming from this Government; one received yesterday by a colleague purported to come from the National Crime Investigation Center, USA which is part of the FBI – it was another scam.”

Dear Scam victim,

This is National Crime Investigation Center USA.

In our investigations from banks on International and National Funds Transfer (INFT) protocols in the past 10 years from all banks worldwide. We have come across your contact details and records with one of these Banks. In view of the carried investigations, we have contacted you confidentially for vital information toward your transaction with this bank. It was clear that the bank have delayed your payment thereby looking for a means to divert your fund to different individual account not belonging to you.

However, all bank officials who mishandled your transaction has been duly sacked and management dissolved and dismissed from bank work as a result of this attempt. Upon our investigation conclusion, we found out that your transaction was legitimate and for this reason, a compensation amount of $3,150,567.00 (Three million one hundred and fifty thousand, five hundred and sixty seven dollars) has been allocated to you for immediate payment through our accredited bank, Federal Reserve Escrow.

Kindly contact the compensation paying officer with the below details.

Fiona said: “Sadly, there are always those who are happy to exploit the problems of others to their own advantage.  Despite the many pressures we are all under in these difficult and unprecedented times: we must be vigilant so that we do not become their victims.”

Right to Ask: disclosure requests increase by nearly a fifth

Requests under Police Scotland’s domestic abuse disclosure scheme have increased by 18 per cent since lockdown began. Nearly 260 requests for disclosure were made between the start of lockdown on 23 March to 27 April 2020, compared to 219 in 2019.

The majority of requests are being made by police officers and other professionals (including social work and NHS) raising a concern about someone they think may be at risk of domestic abuse. Police Scotland will then make a decision about whether to make a disclosure in the interests of safeguarding a person.

Assistant Chief Constable Duncan Sloan, lead for Major Crime and Public Protection, Police Scotland, said: “Domestic abuse is an ongoing threat in our local communities and there remains an increased risk as people continue to observe isolation and physical distancing guidance.

“Police Scotland will not tolerate domestic abuse, tackling it and preventing it is a priority for us and that has not changed because of COVID 19.

“Domestic abuse is seldom a one off. People who abuse are likely to do so again and again.

“Survivors of abuse tell us that isolation is a tactic perpetrators use to restrict their opportunities to seek help and support from friends and families, via websites or through social media.

“No-one should live in fear of abuse.”

https://youtu.be/QRkFxkM26FY

In the 12 months to 31 March 2020, Police Scotland received 2,648 requests for disclosure, a 66 per cent increase on the same period 2018/19 (1,596 applications).

In the same period more than 1200 disclosures were made to people indicating that their partner had an abusive past. This represents a 40 per cent increase on the same period the previous year (865 disclosures).

The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland remains in operation, and people can readily access the scheme if they are concerned that their partner or the partner of someone they know may have an abusive past.

ACC Sloan said: “Domestic abuse is about power and control. It can be physical or sexual, but it can include verbal, sexual, psychological or financial abuse. Offenders seek to frighten, humiliate and isolate victims from those who can offer them support.

“This is why it is so important that people understand that we are here to help now.

“Domestic abuse is everyone’s business. We want to prevent harm by identifying people who may be at risk.

“We will continue to treat reports of domestic abuse as a priority, we will listen and we will investigate. Your safety is our priority.”

If you, or anyone you know, are being abused or are at risk of abuse, please contact Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Or if you need support please contact Scotland’s domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline on 0800 027 1234, where support is available 24/7.

More info: http://ow.ly/fAHY50zrz37

Coronavirus update: First Minister’s speech 29 April

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:

Good afternoon everybody. Thank you once again to all of you for joining us for this daily update.

I want to start as usual with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

Now as usual on Wednesdays, today’s update will have two parts – an update on the daily figures that you are used to hearing me present, and also a summary of the key points from today’s weekly publication from National Records of Scotland.

That means more complexity and a bit more length than normal – so please bear with me.

I also know and want to be upfront about this today that both speaking about and hearing about people dying is extremely upsetting. But I hope you understand that it is important that I do report these numbers and do so in some detail.

Let me turn firstly to the usual daily figures.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can report that there have been 11,034 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 313 since yesterday.

A total of 1,727 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – that is a decrease of 27 from yesterday.

A total of 114 people as of last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. And that is a decrease of 12 on yesterday’s figures.

Let me say again that these are encouraging figures.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,521 patients who had tested positive for the virus have now been able to leave hospital.

However I also have to report that in the past 24 hours, 83 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,415. Although I’ll come on to the figures from the National Records of Scotland publication shortly.

Unfortunately there is a further group of deaths that I am able to report on today. Over the course of the pandemic, I can sadly confirm that 6 members of NHS staff and 5 members of the social care workforce have died from the virus. And my thoughts, and the thoughts of all of us in the Scottish Government are with their family and friends.

Now I should stress and it is an important point to stress that it will not necessarily be the case that all of these members of staff contracted COVID through their work – and in some cases, people may not have been in their workplace for some time.

However it is really important for us to understand how many frontline workers lose their lives from this virus, it’s also really important that we ensure appropriate investigation into the circumstances, and of course learn any lessons that we can from those circumstances.

Now the numbers that I have read out – for health and care workers, and indeed for all deaths – are not just statistics. And this is a point that is important for me to make every single day. Behind every one of these statistics is an individual an individual who is loved and cherished an individual who is now deeply missed by those that they’ve left behind. So once again, I want to send my deepest condolences and thoughts to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

And finally I want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that you continue to do. The entire country owes you such an enormous debt of gratitude.

Now I have spoken before about the different ways in which we record figures, but I think it’s helpful if I briefly go through the key points again.

For our daily update figure – which is the one that you have just heard me give – we report on deaths that have been registered by National Records of Scotland, but where the individual has been tested and confirmed as having COVID-19.

These figures are the most accurate ones that we are able to provide on a daily basis. However, as you’ve heard me say before, they don’t capture all deaths associated with the virus.

So National Records of Scotland – or NRS – now produces a weekly report every Wednesday. It’s been published just over half an hour ago.

And this captures all deaths registered within a 7 day period, ending on the preceding Sunday. And it includes – not just those with a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 – but also deaths which are presumed to be linked to the virus.

So it includes cases where COVID is entered on the death certificate as a suspected cause of death, or as a contributory factor in the death, but where no formal test had been carried out.

The number of deaths covered under this reporting system is therefore larger than under the daily system, when you compare the two figures according to the same date. But it is more comprehensive, and it provides a fuller picture of how the virus is affecting our communities.

As I said NRS published the fourth of its weekly reports today. It covers the period up to Sunday 26th April – which is three days ago. At that point, if I can remind you, according to our daily figures, 1,262 deaths had been registered of people who had tested positive for the virus.

However, today’s report shows that by Sunday, the total number of registered deaths linked to the virus – confirmed and presumed – was 2,272.

656 of those were registered in the 7 days up to Sunday the 26th. And that is an increase of 5 from the week before, when 652 COVID-19 deaths had been registered.

Now, as I said a moment ago, these figures are difficult to hear – and they are of course very difficult and upsetting for me as well to report on.

But this more comprehensive information is vital, because it does help to give us as full a picture as possible of the toll the virus is having, and to see how and when it is progressing and where it is progressing. And that is important as we take decisions for the future.

Now because of the importance of this information, NRS once again provided breakdowns of these figures by age, health board area and setting. And I want to discuss briefly some of what these latest figures show.

First, the data says that in total, 52% of people whose deaths have been linked to COVID died in a hospital; 39% of people died in a care home; and 9% of people died at home or in another setting.

However in the past week, on its own more than half of all COVID-related deaths – 338 of the total – were in care homes. That partly reflects the fact that COVID-19 deaths in hospital do now seem to be declining.

The proportion of deaths in Scotland in care homes – while obviously deeply distressing – is however broadly in line with the proportions being reported now for many other countries. And that demonstrates again how crucial it is to make care homes as safe as they can possibly be during a pandemic of this nature.

Care homes have had strict guidance to follow since 13 March. And it is incumbent all care home providers, whether they are in the public or private sector to follow and to implement that guidance.

Our NHS Directors of Public Health are also playing a lead role in assessing how each care home in their area is managing infection control, staffing, training, physical distancing and testing.

Patients being discharged from hospital should provide 2 negative tests before being admitted into a care home, and all new admissions to care homes should be tested and isolated for 14 days.

All care home residents with symptoms of COVID-19 are tested.

Social care staff with symptoms or their families should be tested and we have worked with the care sector and continue to work with the care sector to ensure appropriate provision of PPE.

We know that care homes – due to the age and often the frailty of their residents, and because many people are living together in the same setting – are very, very vulnerable to this virus, not just here in Scotland but across the UK and other countries too. The steps we have taken so far are designed to ensure that they are as safe as they can possibly be. And we will continue to take whatever steps are necessary and appropriate to make sure that is the case.

The second issue I want to briefly cover is that we have again today in this publication provided information on what is sometimes called “excess deaths” – that is the difference between the total number of deaths last week, and the average number of deaths, in previous years, for that particular week.

Today’s figures show that there were 743 excess deaths last week. That is actually lower than in the previous two weeks – by more than 100 – but it is still a much higher number than we would want to see. The overwhelming majority of those excess deaths – 85% of them – can be and are attributed to COVID-19. But there are 112 additional deaths which cannot be attributed to the virus.

That figure – for unexplained excess deaths – is actually also lower than in previous weeks, but it is of course still a source of concern.

The figures published today show that a significant proportion of these additional deaths are due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, or circulatory conditions such as heart disease or stroke.

The other point I would make about the excess deaths overall is that they are high and far too high but on the most recent comparable data we have in Scotland, the proportion of excess deaths is slightly lower at this stage than in England and Wales.

Now I know there have been questions raised about whether all deaths thought to be from Covid are recorded in that way. And I want to be very clear that in reporting and analysing all excess deaths, I hope the NRS report provides some reassurance on that point. And we of course continue our work to understand what lies behind these increases and in particular to understand the excess deaths that are not attribute to the virus.

Thirdly, in terms of the points I want to cover, these figures again demonstrate that this virus disproportionately affects the elderly and that is not just elderly in care homes, the vast majority – nearly all – of deaths from this virus are in the over 65 age group.

However they also show that anyone can get this virus, and that people of all ages have died or become seriously ill from it. So for all of us, strict hand hygiene and sticking to social distancing rules is still the best way of protecting ourselves, as well as protecting our loved ones and our communities.

And that brings me to my final point – and it is one which you hear me make every day but I think it is more important than ever to make it during these Wednesday briefings than perhaps at any other time.

I know how upsetting these numbers are to listen to, because I know how upsetting they are to report on. And there’s a danger of feeling – when you hear numbers like this – dispirited, certainly very sad but also powerless, as a result of the fact that the death toll is still so significant, given all of our efforts in recent weeks.

But every one of us does have power to protect ourselves, our loved ones and communities. And not withstanding these figures, deeply distressing figures of numbers of people dying. Some of the earlier statistics that I have sighted today show that we are making progress.

So by exercising the power that each of us as citizens have, we have already all of us helped protect the NHS, we’ve helped to push transmission rates in the community to a much lower level now than was the case several weeks ago.

So please, I ask you, continue to stick to the rules.

Stay at home – except for essential purposes such as buying food or medicine, and exercising.

If you do leave home for essential purposes, don’t mix with people from other households – stay more than 2 metres away from other people. If you have to be in an enclosed space with other people, like a food shop or public transport, please consider covering your nose and mouth with a face covering like a scarf.

If you have symptoms of the virus, you and your household should isolate completely.

And everybody must still wash their hands regularly and thoroughly and follow all of the other hygiene guidance.

These measures are tough for all of us, and as I say every day because it’s true they are getting tougher. But they are having a positive impact. Notwithstanding some of the upsetting news I reported today. But the converse of that point is equally important and equally as stark, easing up on them now would also have an impact but it would be a negative impact – and that impact would be felt very rapidly.

So we do need to stick with it. These restrictions are the ways in which all of us, together, will slow the spread of the virus even further, continue to protect our NHS, and save lives. So thank you once again to all of you who are doing that.

And please, please keep doing that because you are making a difference.

FORTH 1 listeners lift spirits with ‘Stay Home Orchestra’

Forth 1 listeners have been staying home and staying upbeat while creating their own mass version of club classic ‘Carnaval De Paris’ by Dario G. 

The Boogie In The Morning breakfast team, consisting of Boogie, Arlene and Marty, have been encouraging listeners of all musical talents from across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife  and Falkirk to get involved in the ultimate ‘Stay at Home Orchestra’ which went live yesterday (Tuesday 28th April). 

Otherwise known as the ‘Working From Home Amateur Massive Musical Orchestra (WHAMMO), listeners from across the east of Scotland were keeping themselves occupied during this period of isolation by filming themselves playing along to the song which was originally recorded for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

Speaking about WHAMMO, Boogie, who hosts Forth 1’s Boogie In The Morning, said: “We all know how important it is to stay at home at the moment to protect our NHS and save lives. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun. 

“We’re all in this together and we were not let down by the fantastic response we had from our listeners.

“I was really impressed with the musical talents and creativity of the entries – they definitely showed me and the rest of the team up…apart from Arlene, who was annoyingly, really quite good!” 

You can check out the full ‘Stay At Home Orchestra’ video on the Radio Forth WHAMMO webpage now. 

Watch as Boogie and the team give it a go themselves:

Boogie – https://www.facebook.com/227407058938/videos/205426760719169/

Arlene – https://www.facebook.com/227407058938/videos/169254434107738/

Marty – https://www.facebook.com/227407058938/videos/525774795043064/

 Join Boogie In The Morning every weekday from 6am on Forth 1.

 Keep up with all the latest news, music, competitions and gossip on Forth 1 on FM, online, on DAB radio, via our app, on your Smart Speaker, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat: 

How best can the tourist and culture industry bounce back?

Holyrood’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee has today issued a call for views from the culture and tourism industry on the current Covid-19 crisis.

The committee is seeking to consider how best the industry can be supported during this unprecedented time.

The Committee will use feedback received to recommend how the Government should provide effective support that mitigates the devastating impact the virus is having on the industries.

The Committee has set no deadline for responses. The call for views will remain open on an ongoing basis and will provide a forum for raising issues of concern.

Committee Convener, Joan McAlpine MSP said: “These are unprecedented times and the Committee is here to listen.

“As the weather warms our tourism industry should be coming into its high season. Instead hotels are empty, pubs are dry, and theatres are quiet.  Visitors have been told not to travel to rural areas for understandable reasons, but that will have a devastating impact on tourism business in some already fragile local economies.

“The protection of life and the ability of the NHS to cope as the virus spreads has rightly been the priority but the long-term impact that Covid-19 has created will last longer than any lockdown.

“Scotland relies heavily on its tourism and culture industry and it is vital that our industries are supported effectively during this crisis, so that they can come back and contribute to the economy once more.”

Deputy Convener Claire Baker MSP said: “Mitigating the impact of this crisis must be a top priority of the Scottish Government, as it is for the Committee.

“The mass cancellation of events and the effective lockdown of tourism will have a profound lasting effect. We will be working with the Cabinet Secretary to ensure all that can be done is being done.”

The committee will publish responses on its website on a regular basis over the coming weeks and months.

The call for views can be found here

Which? launches tool to tackle profiteers

Which? has developed a simple tool for people to report coronavirus profiteering amid concerns that price-gougers are getting away with hiking the prices of essential items.

The consumer champion has uncovered widespread problems with basic products being sold for hugely inflated prices on online marketplaces such as Amazon Marketplace and eBay – and there are concerns that similar behaviour could be happening on other sites and in shops up and down the country.

These practices may have left key workers and charities struggling to get essential products they need or forced to pay extortionate prices.

Which? spoke to a charity that helps provide hundreds of meals to elderly and vulnerable people – demand for this vital service has gone up since the Covid-19 crisis. However the price of essential items to keep its employees and vulnerable clients safe, such as antibacterial probe wipes, which the charity has only been able to buy in the high quantities they need from eBay, has more than doubled since the crisis.

The Competition and Markets Authority has set up a dedicated Covid-19 taskforce, and reports shared using the tool will help the regulator to establish the scale of the problem and take action against the worst offenders. Which? is also calling for emergency legislation to give regulators the tools to swiftly crack down on price-gouging on certain essential products during this crisis, and any future ones.

The CMA and Chartered Trading Standards Institute have both raised serious concerns about problems with price-gouging and the Prime Minister has also warned traders against “exploiting people’s need” during a national emergency.

Which? has heard reports from hundreds of consumers that unscrupulous sellers have been taking advantage of the situation and its investigations have uncovered huge price hikes on products such as handwash, cleaning products and baby formula.

Which? experts have found Dettol bleach and cleaning sprays being sold by third-party sellers with price hikes of almost 1000 per cent more than the typical price on eBay with evidence of dozens of purchases being made at these prices.

Researchers also encountered sterilising fluid for baby bottles for more than 10 times the original price by a seller on Amazon and a bundle of one handwash and one antibacterial gel for £30 on eBay, instead of the £3.50 it would usually cost.

Some shoppers have felt pressured into buying these overpriced products because of a lack of alternative options available, including older and more vulnerable people who need access to vital hygiene products such as hand sanitiser.

One told Which?: “I’m disabled and struggle to leave my home, but the current crisis is forcing me to go out and struggle to get essentials when I normally get as much online as I can.

“My trust in buying from online marketplaces has been shattered, some items are fine if I find it at a reasonable price, but others I can’t trust as they’re either gouged, possibly diluted and therefore useless, or it’s a scam listing and the item never existed to begin with.”

Another said: “I paid £19.80 plus £5.25 for post and packaging for 2 x 250ml of hand sanitiser from a seller on eBay. Outrageous price but we are a captive audience and it was the cheapest I could find. Someone is getting very rich from this pandemic.”

Which? has also heard numerous reports of price-gouging at bricks and mortar retailers including pharmacies.

Which? is calling for the government to introduce specific legislation to stop unjustifiable price hikes of essential items during times of emergency, as well as requiring online marketplaces to ensure compliance on their sites or face enforcement action.

New legislation would also give the UK a head start in tackling price-gouging during any future emergencies. The absence of legislation has made it harder to take action on this issue swiftly and left the UK trailing behind other countries that already have laws to combat price-gouging during crises.

In the meantime, Which? believes online marketplaces need to bring in stricter, more effective controls and policies to tackle price gouging, and is encouraging the CMA to take strong enforcement action using its existing powers where appropriate.

Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection at Which?, said: “It is unacceptable for people to be left at the mercy of unscrupulous sellers during a national emergency. We’re calling for people to report opportunistic coronavirus profiteers via our tool so that we can press home the need for swift action and put an end to price-gouging on basic goods.

“The government, working with the CMA, needs to step in with emergency legislation to crack down on price-gouging and keep the price of essential items reasonable during a crisis.”

Link for consumers to submit reports to Which?’s price-gouging tool: https://www.which.co.uk/pricegouging

“Some Promising Signs”: Jeane Freeman updates Holyrood

Statement given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman to Scotland’s Parliament yesterday:

Thank you very much Presiding Officer, and thank you for the opportunity to update the chamber on several key areas around our response to COVID-19, and to say something about our future planning.

Today is International Workers’ Memorial Day, and across Scotland many people observed a minute’s silence to particularly honour health and social care staff who have tragically died during this pandemic. A number of our own colleagues in Scotland have lost their life to COVID-19 and my thoughts, and I know those of members across the chamber, are with their families and loved ones.

In the last 24 hours, 70 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed as having COVID-19 – and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,332.

As always, it is so important to remember that behind each one of those numbers is the loss of someone loved and now much missed and I offer my sincere condolences to their families and friends.

Presiding Officer, notwithstanding all of that, we are starting to see some promising signs that the efforts and the sacrifices that the overwhelming majority of people across Scotland have made are having an impact.

The number of patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 has been broadly stable in recent days, and the number of people in ICU with COVID-19 has shown signs of decline.

We should not read too much into all of this yet – these are early days – but these trends are both welcome and cautiously hopeful.

As of today, 50% of adult care homes have reported an outbreak of suspected COVID-19. Last week I set out a series of additional steps to support those who live and work in our care homes.

These steps increase the clinical support focussed on preventing COVID-19 infection and transmission in care homes. Our NHS Directors of Public Health are now providing enhanced clinical leadership and have contacted every care home in Scotland. They are assessing how each home is managing infection control, staffing, training, physical distancing and testing.

We have provided a direct delivery of PPE to care homes and have worked with local partners to significantly improve the operation of local PPE hubs. Whilst the supply of PPE is primarily the responsibility of care home providers in both the private and the public sector, we will continue to provide both top up and emergency provision to ensure staff have what they need and they and the residents have that protection.

Work is also underway to ensure that all COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospital should provide two negative tests before discharge, and that all new admissions to care homes, and all residents who are symptomatic should be tested and those new admissions should be isolated for 14 days.

Social Care and care home staff continue to be priority key workers for testing and I have written to all care homes reminding them of this and asking them to make sure that as employers they follow through where this testing is required.

As members know we also have over 21,000 returning health and social care staff alongside student nurses, student midwives, AHPs and newly graduated doctors, all willing to apply their skills and experience to the collective effort. Many of them are able to work in both the care and the primary care setting. And, as of today, 185 applicants have been matched into roles in care homes and care at home services, and a further 218 are ready and available. I expect the number of matches to increase rapidly in the coming weeks.

As well as those working in care homes to protect our most vulnerable people, I know there are many carers – both paid and unpaid – who are supporting people to stay in their own homes and they, too, must be protected. So we have extended the provision of PPE to Personal Assistants and unpaid carers.

From the start of this week, the local PPE Hubs for the registered social care sector are receiving enhanced supplies and support so that they can distribute to the whole of the social care sector where normal supply routes have failed.

We have published advice for unpaid carers on the appropriate use of PPE and how to access it, and will be publishing equivalent guidance for Personal Assistants shortly.

I have asked the National Carer Organisations and local carers’ centres to discuss with carers their needs, and help us with directing them to their local Hub where they need PPE.

We will ensure Hub locations are clearly signposted on the Scottish Government website and Health and Social Care Partnerships are working with local carers’ centres to make clear how individuals can get the necessary Personal Protective Equipment.

Throughout this difficult time, it is critical that social care support is maintained to ensure the safety, dignity and human rights of people who already receive that support.

In addition to the funding directed towards social care from the 2020-21 budget, I reached agreement some weeks ago with COSLA that we would meet additional costs incurred because of the impact of the pandemic.

That agreement was specifically reached to ensure that both existing and new demand and need could be met. Alongside this, those additional returning staff I mentioned a moment ago are also available for deployment to these services to ensure staffing resilience.

So it is not acceptable to me that care packages are cut – in some instances by 100%.

I expect the steps I have already taken to be used and if there is more that needs to be done to ensure existing packages are not cut and new demand is met, then I hope that colleagues in the sector know that my door is always open and I expect them to come to me with those additional requirements.

I want to turn now to testing. By 22 April, 17,800 health and social care staff, or symptomatic household members, had been tested. 21 per cent of those tested were social care staff.

By the end of April, all 14 Health Boards should have local testing capacity. In terms of testing capacity, we are on track to reach at least 3,500 tests available per day by the end of this month, making steady progress from the start of this pandemic, where capacity was 350 tests per day, from two labs.

We also continue to work with the UK Government on its testing programme, which is expanding both capacity and access in Scotland.

Four UK Government drive-through testing facilities are already operational, with a fifth due to open in Perth this Thursday.

Five mobile testing units manned by army personnel are going live in Scotland this week, and it is anticipated that a further eight units will be live in Scotland within the next week or two.

This increased capacity in our own NHS labs and through that participation in the four nation testing exercise has ensured that we are able to expand the areas and the groups whoa re being tested. So we have increased availability to key workers beyond the Health and Social Care sector using the categories that we have outlined before, and have today also increased testing to all 70-year-old and over admissions to a hospital setting.

In terms of access to the UK four nation exercise, this is controlled through the queueing system managed by the UK Government and through their digital portal.

I want to touch on now on two other issues before I conclude: research and ongoing changes to healthcare delivery.

The pandemic has required fundamental change to how health and care is accessed and delivered. This has involved a significant reorientation of resources, and the incredible support and efforts of local leaders, planners, clinicians – in fact the entire workforce. The work has included:

  • preparing to quadruple ICU beds and ensuring there is sufficient hospital bed capacity
  • significant increases in digital access for health services – with around 60% of GPs now using “Near Me”, and weekly digital consultations increasing from around 300 to over 9,000
  • the reshaping of primary care to support COVID-19 hubs with 24/7 access
  • shielding almost 150,000 clinically vulnerable people and focusing multi-disciplinary teams working on anticipatory care planning with them
  • and expanding mental health support by moving towards a 24/7 NHS24 mental health hub and digital therapies

What is clear is that, in line with our framework for decision making that was published last week, we need to achieve a careful balance in managing our healthcare capacity going forward including our commitment to continue to treat emergency, urgent and maternity cases. 

So we will continue to work closely with Health Boards and their partners to ensure there are robust plans in place to safeguard local resilience and responsiveness, whilst we also consider how and when we can increase the business as usual work of our NHS.

The incredible levels of compliance with social restrictions that we’ve seen show a clear willingness on the part of the people of Scotland to think beyond individual health to population health. As we move to introduce the test, trace and isolate measures required, we will need that focus on population health to continue.

Finally, I want to update you on research proposals for COVID-19 that we launched on 25 March.

139 proposals were received from across Scotland’s Universities and Research Institutes.

Following an independent expert review process, 55 projects have been selected for funding.

This has resulted in a Pan-Scotland portfolio of research, with 15 different institutions leading on projects.

In summary, the outcome of the call is a programme of projects meeting the aim of establishing a broad Scottish programme of high quality research on COVID-19 that will be delivered rapidly and inform policy and clinical practice in responding to the pandemic.

Presiding Officer, I continue to be grateful for the tremendous resilience of our health and social care staff, our key workers, and most importantly people all across Scotland.

Together, we are making progress, we are suppressing the virus, we are saving lives and we are showing that we can continue to rise to the challenges of this pandemic.

Thank you.