People living in Lothian can now access a new website dedicated to helping them manage their own wellbeing and mental health and get information on available support and services.
The Wellbeing Lothian website (wellbeinglothian.scot) has been designed by an expert team of NHS Lothian psychologists and practitioners. It aims to help people navigate the range of online self-help advice by providing a hub of trusted information and resources, which are known to be effective.
Dr Belinda Hacking, Director of Psychology NHS Lothian and Consultant Clinical Psychologist explained: “The pandemic has been a source of worry and anxiety for most people. During these difficult times it’s vital that we take positive steps to look after ourselves. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and managing our wellbeing is a really good place to start.”
The website hosts a wide range of self-help resources on topics from managing weight and sleep to dealing with stress and anxiety. It also offers information on how to access online courses such as computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for those who are interested in learning more about these techniques. All the resources are free.
Dr. Donna Gilroy, Consultant Clinical Psychologist for NHS Lothian who coordinated the development of the website said: “We know people use different things at different times to improve their mental health. That’s why we’ve created a resource people can access when they need and where they feel comfortable.
“You can search the website for support on different things, such as improving your mood or coping after a break-up and find out more about normal reactions to these situations, which can help to reassure people. You can also choose whether you want to learn, assess, manage or get support about an issue or condition.”
Wellbeing Lothian was designed with support from Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnerships. It includes a section with links to relevant services and organisations in each regional area and beyond.
Dr Belinda Hacking added: “It was important we designed a credible website based on what we know works well. That’s why you’ll find bite size video and audio clips from health professionals and service users, as well as easy read guides and tutorials.
“We hope it will be a valuable resource for people, particularly during lockdown, and we encourage everyone to explore it.”
Scottish Conservative Edinburgh Southern candidate, Miles Briggs, said: “Wellbeing Lothian is an excellent initiative to provide practical mental health tools for people who are struggling.
“The past year has been incredibly tough, with the stress and uncertainty of Covid-19 being bad for many people’s mental health.
“This website is not a solution for the mental health challenges we are facing in Scotland, but part of the solution, providing access to resources for supporting people to maintain good mental health.”
Anyone can access the website online at wellbeinglothian.scot.
The resources will be reviewed regularly and updated to address people’s feedback and needs.
A giant octopus has taken up residence at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, leaving bosses bamboozled as to where it has come from and why it is here.
The super-sized squid, known by the children at the hospital as “Olly”, is showing no sign of relocating and therefore staff, children and families have decided the only solution is to move themselves.
Fortunately, the brand new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) at Little France is soon ready to open, providing a spotless, octopus-free home for children and families from Edinburgh and beyond.
Fiona Mitchell, Service Director, Women’s and Children’s Services, NHS Lothian said: “We don’t know where Olly came from but he’s extremely friendly and certainly seems to have made himself at home here at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
“We suspect he sensed just how much love, care and memories this building holds, got all warm and cosy and couldn’t bring himself to leave.
“Unfortunately, with eight legs to navigate around, he takes up a quite a lot of space. Luckily for us, we have the new state-of-the-art hospital just down the road at Little France, so we’re getting ready to move there instead.”
Chloe (11), a regular visitor to the hospital, said: “It’s been really lovely to have Olly’s company while staying at the Sick Kids, but I’ve heard the new hospital has a flying dragon, a bagpipe playing dog and a snoring giant, so I’m very excited to meet them. I can’t wait!”
Roslyn Neely, CEO of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), said: “Olly has obviously heard about the tremendous care that the hospital provides and all the fun and distraction provided by our charity.
“However, we will soon have to bid him farewell as the time comes for us to move to our new home at the RHCYP. No child or young person wants to be in hospital, but for those who have to visit the new building, NHS Lothian and ECHC will be there to care for and support them to make their time there as positive as possible.
“For now, we’ll be leaving the wonderful Sick Kids hospital in Olly’s eight capable hands.”
ECHC has partnered with NHS Lothian to install the inflatable octopus at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to create excitement about the move to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and to reassure children, young people and families that this is a positive step for the city.
The inflatable tentacles will appear from different windows of the hospital from Friday 19 March to Monday 22 March. It is hoped the extraordinary sight will bring laughter to children and young people preparing to be transferred and ease any anxieties.
The new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People will fully open on Tuesday (23 March).
From this date, the remaining Children’s services presently located at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Sciennes, including A&E, will move to the stunning and world-class Royal Hospital for Children and Young People located next to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France.
From 8am on Tuesday 23 March, all patients and any child or young person requiring access to A&E, must go to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People at Little France.
NHS LOTHIAN: ‘THIS SHOULD BE RESOLVED VERY QUICKLY’
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has said that an urgent investigation is needed into the breakdown in communication between the Scottish Government and people in the Edinburgh and the Lothians expecting their first vaccination letters.
The target to have everyone over 50 in Scotland vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by mid-April, is expected to be met. Lothian residents are however being told they won’t get their first vaccination until May.
Additionally some residents aged 60 and over are phoning the Covid-19 vaccine helpline, to be told their vaccination is due next week, but they haven’t received a letter.
Yesterday (Thursday 11th March) the Lothian MSP raised the issue of vaccination letters with the First Minister:
‘I have been contacted by a number of constituents who are becoming increasingly concerned about the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Edinburgh and about the inconsistencies relating to people in different age groups being called to be vaccinated.
‘I have raised those concerns with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport. I appreciate that there will be some overlap within age groups, but there seems to be confusion about when those in the 60 to 65-year-old age group will receive their vaccination in Edinburgh.
‘I am sure that the First Minister agrees that it would be unacceptable for NHS Lothian residents to be behind those in other health board areas. What additional resources will NHS Lothian receive? Will she investigate the situation? Why is the Scottish Government not publishing age-specific vaccination uptake figures for health boards?
There has also been a delay to people hearing back from the online system where people submit a vaccination form if they think they should have had a vaccination appointment letter, due to the “high volume of enquiries”.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“It is the responsibility of the Scottish Government to distribute vaccination appointment letters to everyone in Scotland.
“This week something has obviously gone very wrong with people not receiving their letter, or being told their appointment is not until May.
“An urgent investigation is needed to give people clarity on when their appointment will be and they are not being forgotten about.
“The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination is too important to get wrong and we all want it to happen as quickly as possible so that restrictions can be lifted safely.
“SNP Ministers have to date refused to provide a breakdown of the numbers of people in age groups in each Health Board who have received the vaccination. It would be totally unacceptable for people in Lothian to be at the end of the queue.
“I would encourage people aged between 60-65, due for COVID-19 vaccine, who live in NHS Lothian and who have not received an appointment letter then phone 0800 030 8013.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman insisted there are no ‘systemic problems’ when she led the daily media briefing this afternoon.
NHS Lothian finally clarified the situation this evening:
.’We are vaccinating the “priority groups” of patients as fast as the vaccine supply allows. We are currently vaccinating group 6 and next week (week commencing March 15) will extend into group 7, which is patients aged 60 years and over.
‘Appointment letters are being distributed by a central system to patients across Scotland. We understand there has been a delay in sending out some appointment letters this week (March 12).
‘This should be resolved very quickly and the letters are expected to arrive by this weekend. However, if you are over 60 and have not received an appointment letter by Monday (March 15), please call the national helpline on 0800 030 8013.’
Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said:“Every health board in Scotland has been significantly impacted by Covid-19, but none more than NHS Lothian.
“Consecutive years of chronic underfunding for NHS Lothian by SNP Ministers has meant that the health boards was the least prepared for Covid-19, with lengthening waiting times pre Covid-19.
“A recovery plan to restore performance targets will be important across Scotland, but especially for NHS Lothian and the formula for funding health boards needs urgently reviewed.
“It is time for NHS Lothian to receive their fair share of funding, so that patients in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s don’t have to suffer exceptionally long waiting times for treatments.”
Medics against Violence, a charity founded and led by senior clinicians, are partnering with NHS Lothian and Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation to deliver Youth Navigator, a Youth work based community outreach service which will be based in the Acute Receiving Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and St John’s Hospital, Livingston.
Youth Navigator aims to support young people through a joined-up hospital and community youth work approach with some of the life challenges they face that can bring them into contact with health services.
Presentation to hospital at a time of crisis is known to be a ‘reachable moment’. This is when people are more open to accepting support. The Youth Navigator will work alongside the medical and nursing staff to make sure that those important opportunities are not missed.
Dr Christine Goodall, Director of Medics against Violence said: “We are really looking forward to being able to offer the Navigator service to younger people.
“We will also have the opportunity, with the adult and youth Navigator services co-located in Lothian, to offer holistic support to the whole family should they need it.”
Tam Begbie National Co-Ordinator for the Navigator service said: “Starting up a Youth Navigator service just makes sense to us, we’ve seen many people within the adult service who would really have benefitted from this had it been available to them when they were younger.
“We hope it will give the young people who are supported by the service the connections and tools for a happier and healthier future.”
Sanjay Singh, Head of Funding Programmes at Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with NHS Lothian and Medics against Violence to provide match funding for this innovative programme.
“Having the Youth Navigator service available at such a critical point will really benefit vulnerable young people, particularly during these times of increased stress and anxiety.”
Dr Alison McLuckie, Lead Clinician for Youth Navigator in NHS Lothian said: “We are really excited to be able to offer this new service to our adolescent patients which will build on the success of the adult Navigator service and be based around the ethos of one trusted adult and community based outreach to provide the right care at the right time.”
Nine NHS hospital brain tumour centres across the UK have been recognised as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence following the first round of rigorous expert-led assessments by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission – and one of them is NHS Lothian’s Edinburgh Neuro-Oncology Centre.
The Edinburgh Centre for Neuro-oncology is based in two locations: the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and DCN (Department of Clinical Neurosciences) in Little France as well as at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre at the Western General Hospital.
With more than 12,000 people diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour in the UK1, the award has been introduced to recognise hospitals for their excellence in patient care. It represents a step change in the neuro-oncology landscape across the UK.
Centres were measured on a range of criteria including excellent clinical practice and training opportunities; emphasis on patient quality of life; providing clinical trialsand offering a high standard of research opportunities.
Led by a committee of experts in the field and virtual site visits, the assessments were backed up by patient feedback collected by The Brain Tumour Charity about the care they received in these centres.
At least 88,000 British people are currently living with a brain tumour and over 5,000 people a year will lose their lives to it2. The “Excellence” status provides reassurance about the availability of excellent care within the NHS and positive recognition for its staff who, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, continue to go above and beyond for their patients.
As a result, centres are increasingly adapting to the challenges of Covid-19 and are now offering virtual clinics for their patients.
Founded to design a new national strategy for brain tumours, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission is committed to helping as many hospitals as possible achieve “Excellence” status in the future.
To achieve this, themission is launching the Tessa Jowell Academy, a national platform allowinghospitals to share best-practice to improve their services, as well as one-year fellowships for doctors to further specialise in brain tumours.
It is hoped that with the support of the Academy more centres will qualify for excellence status in the future, extending the reassurance of excellent NHS care more broadly and ensuring no patient is left behind.
JessMills,Co-FounderoftheTessaJowellBrainCancerMissionandTessa’sdaughter,said:“Mum’s mission throughout 50 years of her political life was to tackle systemic inequality.
“So, it was tragic whilst fitting, that her final campaign was a call to arms to create universal equality in access to excellence in cancer care throughout the NHS. It is with immeasurable pride that just 3 years later, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission has begun the real-world translation of that vision into reality.
“We are thrilled to have awarded nine centres for their excellent ongoing work for patients and commitment to support other centres in reaching the same level of Excellence.
“Shockingly, the UK still has one of the worst cancer survival rates in Europe, but in time, the Tessa Jowell Centres will make the UK a global leader in the treatment and care of brain tumour patients. We have a long way to go until the cutting edge of science is delivered to every patient, but this is a huge and transformational first step.”
TessaJowellCentresofExcellence:
1. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
2. Edinburgh Centre for Neuro-oncology
3. King’s Health Partners / King’s College Hospital & Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals
4. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
5. Salford Royal Foundation Trust and The Christie
6. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
7. Nottingham University Hospitals
8. St George’s University Hospital, Royal Marsden Hospital and Royal Surrey County Hospital
9. University College Hospital London NHS Foundation Trust
Over £700M is spent on cancer research in the UK every year, yet less than 2% of that is dedicated to brain tumours. The Mission, which will be supported by the All-Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours chaired by Derek Thomas MP, is calling upon further support for NHS centres to enable more of them to achieve “Excellence” status in the future.
To kick-start additional monetary support, the Tessa Jowell Foundation, the charity set-up by Tessa’s family to lead the delivery of her legacy, has announced a fundraising appeal to raise £4M to enable the centres to excel after the network is launched.
ProfessorRichardGilbertson,ChairoftheMission,highlights:“When we put out a call to apply, we received an overwhelming and enthusiastic response from the community.
“There was a real sense of pride from NHS staff about the service they have been providing and how they strive to provide the very best care for patients, even in the midst of a pandemic.
“All applying hospitals were working to provide best care and we will be supporting those not yet ready for Centre of Excellence status to enact best practice across all areas. We will use the evidence collected from the applications forms to make a strong case to further equip these centres.”
Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian, said: “NHS Lothian is delighted our neuro-oncology centre has been awarded Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission Centre designation.
“The service will join a new network of UK centres of excellence in neuro-oncology that provide the highest levels of patient-centred care for people with glioma, bringing innovation, research and clinical trials to advance treatment and quality of life for our patients.
“Sharing expertise and models of care within the Tessa Jowell Academy will allow patients across the UK to benefit from the complementary strengths of the different centres.”
NHS Lothian today opened the doors to a new mass vaccination centre which will help provide thousands more doses of the lifesaving vaccine.The new centre has been created in the former Royal Bank of Scotland Younger building at the Gyle.
The centre will open with eight stations, capable of providing 480 appointments every day, but will have the capability to double in size.
Pat Wynne, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “A significant amount of effort has gone into the preparation of the site to ensure that it runs as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“I am extremely proud of the work undertaken by our staff and our Royal Bank of Scotland partners to get this site up and running and ready to receive patients.
“We are moving through our vaccination programme as fast as the vaccine supply allows. When you do receive an appointment, we would urge you to keep it, even if it is at a centre that seems far away from your home.
“In order for the programme to be successful we need to vaccinate as many people as possible. This will help save lives and provide protection to all our communities across Lothian.”
NHS Lothian has been working with councils, health and social care partnerships and other partners in recent weeks to deliver the mass vaccination programme.
Smaller community clinics will deliver vaccinations in the local area for people with complex needs or who, for other reasons, absolutely cannot and would not be expected to travel to a mass centre.
The opening of the Younger building follows closely on the heels of other mass vaccination sites, following the EICC, Pyramids Business Park, the Royal Highland Centre and the drive-through at Queen Margaret University.
Malcolm Buchanan, chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Throughout our 300-year history, Royal Bank of Scotland has been focused on supporting and helping our customers and communities through the challenges of everyday life.
“The last 12 months have been some of the most challenging in living memory and today we are proud to play our part in supporting the biggest mass vaccination programme our country has ever undertaken.
“This is just one of many ways in which Royal Bank of Scotland has been supporting the response to COVID-19. The generosity and care of colleagues and customers has helped us support charities helping individuals and families affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic.
“Covid-19 has been one of the worst things we have ever experienced but it has also brought out the best in the people we live with and work beside. Everyone wants to make life better.
“We are delighted at Royal Bank of Scotland to be able to partner with NHS Scotland and transform our Younger Building into a vaccination centre. These actions today will lead to a happier and more positive tomorrow for so many.”
Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East, NHS Lothian’s Development Partner, said: “We are delighted to be working with NHS Lothian in the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination centres across the region – surely one of the most important infrastructure developments in recent times.
“Our contractor, Morrison Construction, our designers and the rest of our supply chain partners pulled out all the stops to ensure that the QMU site was handed over safely, to a high quality and on time for its first patients to receive vaccines today. Following the opening of the EICC Centre last week, and with more set to open in the coming weeks, this has been a fantastic partnership effort by everyone involved.”
If patients absolutely cannot keep the appointment they have been given, they are being asked to call the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 or visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine to rearrange their appointment. If they are aged 75 and over, they should phone their GP practice to rearrange their appointment.
To ensure the maximum safety of patient and staff pedestrians, access to Hospital Main Drive from Entrance A (Crewe Road South) will be closed to vehicular traffic through to August 2022.
From Monday 15th March, Hospital Main Drive and car parks (listed below) will only be accessible to vehicles entering the hospital via the Telford Road entrance (Entrance D). No vehicular access will be available to Cancer Services or patient car parks from Crewe Road South.
As part of this closure, a new pedestrian footpath will be constructed to the south side of Hospital Main Drive, from Turner House to the junction between Ward 1 and Car Park 4a, and a shared cycle/ pedestrian lane constructed from Ward 1 to Crewe Road South. Details of these new paths are attached to this communication.
Pedestrians and cyclists will now be safely segregated from construction activity on the north side of Hospital Main Drive, notably from the LINAC construction site and Infrastructure improvement works. All diverted routes into buildings will be signposted accordingly.
Construction traffic will continue to use the temporary construction site access to the south of the SHSC on Crewe Road South and will access the LINAC site across Hospital Main Drive. Pedestrians and cyclists will be assisted by Traffic Marshalls when crossing in this vicinity.
The following car parks will now only be accessible from Telford Road:
Car Park 6
Car Park 4
2 x blue badge spaces at SHSC
Entrance to the hospital from Porterfield Road will remain unaffected by these works.
One of them will open on the 25th of February in at the Jack Kane Centre car park in Niddrie: 208 Niddrie Mains Rd, Edinburgh EH16 4ND. The centre will open from 8am – 8pm every day.
Another walk-through testing centre will open at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre car park, 92 Pilton Drive, Edinburgh EH5 2HF on the Saturday 27 February.
NHS Lothian has announced that, as part of a commitment to the #youngpersonsguarantee, they will be the first Health Board in Scotland to go live with #kickstart opportunities throughout 2021.
The Kickstart Scheme is a 6 month paid job with a local employer, funded by the Government. It provides a fully funded opportunity for young people to gain experience of working in one of Britain’s most exciting companies.
The Kickstart Scheme was announced by the Chancellor in the Summer, and will offer hundreds of thousands of job opportunities over the next two years. A £2 billion pot is available to fully fund exciting positions with businesses across Britain.
Jobs from the Kickstart Scheme are open to 16-24 year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit, and are at risk of long term unemployment. If you have a work coach they will talk to you about the Kickstart Scheme and whether it’s right for you.
We have roles on offer in many different types of businesses, and across England, Scotland and Wales. Plus if you take on a Kickstart placement you might be able to progress to an apprenticeship within the same company.
