A Freedom of Information request, lodged by Labour Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack, has revealed that the average wait times for patients at Edinburgh’s Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, has more than DOUBLED since 2014.
The average wait for inpatient appointments in 2014 was 56.6 days, compared to a staggering 132 days in 2023.
This is an increase of over 130% from when the Eye Pavilion was deemed not fit for purpose in 2014.
A replacement Eye Pavilion was deemed as a top priority of NHS Lothian, but the Scottish Government have not yet committed to the project.
This is despite promises by then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon that the Scottish Government would proceed with a replacement building.
The outpatient average waiting times has also skyrocketed by similar margins. In 2014, the average wait times for outpatients stood at 49.8 days – by 2023, it had increased dramatically to 136.6 days.
Commening on the figures, Sarah Boyack said: “These soaring waiting times illustrates that the current Eye Pavilion, is not fit for purpose.
“Patients deserve top notch services, but instead they face ever increasing waiting times and a government that is looking the other way.
“The Scottish Government must look at these waiting times and realise that their decision not to go ahead with the hospital will only make things worse.
“I urge the Scottish Government to do the right thing and finally fulfil their pledge to build a new eye hospital in Edinburgh.”
Craig Spalding, Chief Executive, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, commented: “The soaring waiting times at Edinburgh’s Princess Alexandra Hospital unfortunately come as no surprise, as the building and its facilities are severely outdated.
“The Scottish Government’s decision to not go ahead with a new hospital is letting so many vulnerable people down.
“Growing waiting times are causing lives to be put on hold, and unless positive action is taken, there will likely be more cancellations, prolonged delays, and heightened risks for both patients and staff.”
A man diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2019 after his wife urged him to get blood in his urine checked has spoken of how she helped save his life.
Glen Long, 48 from Blackridge, West Lothian, has backed the ‘Be the Early Bird’ campaign to highlight the importance of getting unusual, persistent symptoms checked, admitting things could have been very different for him had wife Laura not made him an appointment with his GP practice.
The father of two is now seizing every opportunity to enjoy life, recently celebrating his silver wedding anniversary with Laura and walking the West Highland Way with friends to raise money for charity Fight Bladder Cancer.
The ‘Be the Early Bird’ campaign highlights the benefits of finding cancer at an earlier stage when there’s more treatment options available, a greater likelihood of living well after treatment and better news to tell the family.
Targeting those aged 40 and over, the campaign reinforces the fact that GP practices want to know if people have unusual, persistent symptoms, which could include unexplained bleeding, unusual lumps, unexplained weight loss or something that doesn’t feel normal for them.
Glen’s GP appointment led to him being referred for a series of tests at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, with his diagnosis confirmed in June. He underwent surgery to remove the tumour in July, followed by six weekly sessions of chemotherapy injections into his bladder.
As bladder cancer has a high recurrence rate, Glen was monitored every three months, with further surgery required in 2021 to remove a tumour so small that no further chemotherapy was needed.
Glen, who works as a forklift instructor and storeman, said: “I remember noticing my pee was darker and when I turned the light on, there was blood in the toilet. I just thought it was an infection and kind of brushed it off, but my wife Laura said it wasn’t normal and I needed to get it checked straight away.
“Even when my GP referred me for an ultrasound I didn’t think anything of it. I then needed a flexible cystoscopy which involved a tiny camera going into my bladder through my urethra which wasn’t the most pleasant, but it wasn’t painful.
“When I was told that the consultant needed to speak to me, I twigged the news might not be great. The only thing I heard him saying was ‘tumour’ and ‘cancer’. After that I can’t remember a thing, it was like white noise. I genuinely thought it was an infection as I didn’t feel ill or sick and had no fatigue.
“They were able to remove the whole tumour which was such a relief. I consider myself very fortunate I had that symptom and did something about it as things could have gone on a very different path.
“I can honestly say that my treatment was virtually pain free and I was fortunate to have had no side effects from the chemotherapy.
“When I was told the tumour had returned I felt more confident as I knew they were on top of things and it had been caught early again. My last scan was clear and if the next one in a couple of months is clear, I’ll move to annual scans which will be another step forward.”
Glen added: “I can’t really explain it but I look at things so differently. It’s like a new lease of life. I feel reborn, like I’ve been given another chance. Even though I’m still regularly monitored, I don’t even really think about it now. If people ask me about it, I’ll tell them, but I’m definitely not dwelling on it.
“It’s probably my wife that saved my life. I know I wouldn’t have made that appointment as quickly. I’d have done the usual and thought that it would have been alright, but now I know the importance of early diagnosis.
“You know your body and if something doesn’t feel right for you, make an appointment with your GP practice. If it turns out to be cancer, finding it early is so important and there’s more they can do to treat it. Having that peace of mind is priceless.”
Dr Carey Lunan, GP said: “Finding and treating cancer as early as possible is a priority for the NHS in Scotland. If you have unusual, persistent symptoms that you’re worried about, we would encourage you to get in touch with your GP practice.
“Your initial appointment may be over the phone, but we’ll always ask you to come in for a face-to-face appointment if an examination or tests are needed.
“Please don’t delay contacting your GP practice, as there’s more we can do to help if cancer is found at an earlier stage.”
People can find out more about possible cancer symptoms at getcheckedearly.org.
Labour Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack highlighted deeply distressing figures about the fall in GP surgeries in Edinburgh.
The latest figures by Public Health Scotland show that from 2010-2022, the number of Edinburgh’s GP surgeries dropped from 75 to 72. However, over the same period Edinburgh’s population skyrocketed from an estimated 480,000 to 548,000.
Edinburgh recorded the third highest population growth in Scotland, according to the most recent statistics.
This all comes as it was revealed the city of Edinburgh’s average practice list size has jumped from 7,074 in 2012, to 8413 – the 5th highest in Scotland.
In May 2023, the BMA warned that there was a sustainability crisis in Scottish general practice, in part due to the closing of surgeries.
A fall in GP surgeries will leave more and more communities without the adequate facilities to cope with their population increase.
This follows on from the Scottish Government’s decision to freeze capital projects for health boards, as well as freezing the ability to hire new staff.
The Scottish Government also requires health boards to require savings of 6.8%.
These moves will only increase pressures on NHS Lothian to provide adequate healthcare services with diminishing resources.
Commenting on the findings, Sarah Boyack said: “These figures are deeply distressing but will come as no surprise to patients in Edinburgh.
“The Scottish Government’s underfunding has left Edinburgh’s GPs unable to keep up with the city’s population growth.
“If the Scottish Government goes ahead with its budget plans, this will only exacerbate the problem.
“GP surgery staff do amazing work, but they need the funding to fulfil their potential.
“Allowing GP surgeries to close merely aggravates the sustainability crisis we are facing in general practice.
“If we are to tackle this issue, we need investment and strategy from the Scottish Government, not freezes and delays.”
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A team at the Western General Hospital is significantly reducing operating room waste and saving money after introducing reusable surgical hats.
Generally, staff working in surgical theatres use hats as part of infection control measures and at the Western General alone they get through over 30,000 disposable hats a year.
The Breast Theatres team, eager to make their practices more sustainable, applied to NHS Lothian Charity to secure grant funding for washable hats.
Erica Revie, Consultant Surgeon in the Breast Theatres who led the project, said: “We had seen that there was a Climate Challenge Grant available from NHS Lothian Charity so we put together a proposal to try out reusable hats.
“We contacted NHS Fife, which is already using reusable hats, to discuss the practicalities of implementation, and contacted their supplier about our needs in order to undertake a trial. The Infection Prevention and Control Team and Laundry Service were also consulted to ensure we could still ensure the highest standard of cleanliness.”
Beyond cutting waste, the hats are also embroidered with individuals’ names and roles which has improved communication during emergencies when new staff enter the operating room.
Theatre Sister Lorraine Murray, who was also integral to the trial, was called to support a cardiac arrest not long after the introduction of the hats. A staff member who did not know her was able to ask her for specific help by name and instantly understand her role within the team.
“It’s an easy change to make with dual benefits – environmental savings and improved communication,” said Erica. “We encourage other departments and hospitals to embrace it.”
By switching to reusables, the Breast Theatre operating rooms have significantly reduced discarded hats. Once rolled out to the rest of the Western General, it will save the hospital over £6,000 as well as reducing their carbon footprint.
Although it would not be logistically possible to provide hats with names for all theatre staff across the health board, NHS Lothian are looking to roll out generic versions and an initial set of samples are on their way for feedback.
Dr Jane Hopton, Sustainability Lead for NHS Lothian, said: “This is a great example of another team in Lothian wanting to make a difference in their area.
“They applied for the Climate Challenge Grant and used that funding to drastically reduce the waste caused by disposable surgical hats. Well done to Erica, Lorraine and everyone else involved in making this happen.
“Providing reusable surgical hats across all theatres in NHS Lothian is an important next step in reducing waste and our environmental impact.”
Jane Greenacre, Head of Programmes at NHS Lothian Charity, said: “The Charity is delighted to be able to support staff across NHS Lothian to take forward innovative projects like this.
“The aim of our Climate Challenge Grants is to enable staff to explore initiatives that help them embed green practices into day-to-day activities and reduce the impact of healthcare on the environment.”
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Healthcare Improvement Scotland has published a report relating to an unannounced follow-up inspection visit to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian. The inspection took place in September 2023.
The purpose of the follow-up inspection was to assess progress and provide assurance on NHS Lothian’s improvement actions in response to serious patient safety concerns that were identified and escalated during a previous inspection of the hospital in February 2023.
To provide assurance of improvement following the concerns previously identified, the main focus of the follow-up inspection was the emergency department. Inspectors also visited a number of wards and the medical assessment unit.
Donna Maclean, Chief Inspector, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: ““Serious concerns raised in our previous inspection related specifically to the safe delivery of care and to potential patient safety risks. During this follow-up inspection we observed that considerable progress has been made in responding to these concerns.
“The delivery of fundamental care has improved with the addition of care and mealtime coordinators in the emergency department. Improvements have also been achieved in supporting patient care, dignity and leadership and in the coordination of care within the department.
“Implementation of a new continuous flow model has improved the flow of patients through the hospital during weekdays. However, further work is needed to support the timely flow of patients from the emergency department to an appropriate care area out of hours and at weekends.”
Six of the previous 13 requirements have now been met and progress has been made with four requirements, with further work to be undertaken.
Three requirements have not been met. These include hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment and the management of intravenous fluids.
One new additional requirement has been added with regard to the safe management of cleaning products. One new recommendation has been added in relation to the timeframes for the completion of significant adverse event reviews.
An improvement action plan has been developed by NHS Lothian in order to meet the requirements.
The full inspection report is available to view at:
NHS Lothian is urging those who have not yet had their flu and/or COVID-19 vaccines to top up their protection ahead of the festive period, with maximum protection taking around 10 days following vaccination.
Last winter in Scotland, hospital admissions for flu and COVID-19 peaked on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day respectively.
Those who are most at risk from flu and COVID-19 are being invited for vaccination this winter. That includes people who are older, are pregnant, have an underlying health condition, provide vital face-to-face care for someone or who work in certain roles.
People can check which vaccinations they are eligible for, book online or rearrange an appointment by visiting NHS Inform or calling 0800 030 8013.
You can also drop-in to a clinic of your choice across Lothian, including Waverley Mall, The Gyle and Ocean Terminal, open 9am to 7pm seven days a week. More clinic details are available at NHS Lothian, including arrangements for school children and clinics for pre-schoolers.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “As people socialise with family and friends over the festive period, the chances of catching viruses increase. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and those around you from flu and COVID-19.
“We expect another challenging winter for the NHS, and getting vaccinated can also help to alleviate pressures on the system and keep our staff well.
“The flu virus is always changing and protection from the COVID-19 vaccine fades over time, so it’s important that those eligible keep their protection levels topped up by getting their vaccines now.
“To help make it as easy as possible for you to get your vaccine(s), you can drop-in to a number of clinics or book an appointment if preferable.”
