A groundbreaking initiative which helps people overcome their addictions has celebrated helping its 600th graduate. Edinburgh resident Angie Dunn is the latest person to complete the Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP), and she joined staff and NHS Lothian Chair Brian Houston to mark the event. Continue reading LEAP of joy: pioneering programme celebrates 600th success story
NHS Lothian has some healthcare advice for the city’s summer visitors – and it’s useful for locals too:
Are you visiting Edinburgh for any of the 12 summer festivals, including the Fringe and the International Book Festival?
The festivals in August are a huge part of Edinburgh’s modern culture and history. Established in 1947, the International Festival has grown significantly year by year, making it one of the most popular events in the world.
Last year, 31,545 people participated in shows on the Fringe Festival, and 2,475,143 show tickets were purchased. The average audience for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo each year is 220,000. For the Festival finale on 28 August, an estimated 250,000 spectators will see around 400,000 fireworks burst into the sky above Edinburgh Castle.
Given the numbers attending, it’s no surprise that some fall ill and we need to treat them. If you are one of these visitors or performers and you become unwell, it’s important for you to know who to turn to for medical advice or attention when you’re away from home.
Emergency care is always free at the point of use. For temporary residents from around the world, if you access any of our services we will treat you first and then sort things out later – you won’t be denied urgent care.
Here we summarise the most popular services you might need to access. For more details see our Festival Health website pages.
Common questions or minor ailments
Your local pharmacy will provide you with help and advice on common health problems, minor ailments and questions about medicines.
If you are from the UK and run out of repeat medication, a pharmacy may be able to help you get a prescription from your own GP practice, or an emergency supply.
Less serious injuries
For minor injuries (minor cuts/burns, wound infections, sprains and small bone breaks), go to the Minor Injuries Clinic at the Western General Hospital. If you want to check if your injury is suitable for treatment here, phone ahead on 0131 537 3481.
The clinic treats adults and children over one year old and is staffed by specialist nurse, paramedic and physiotherapy practitioners. It’s open every day from 8am – 9pm. The last patient book-in is at 8.30pm, but no appointment is necessary.
Sexual health problems
The Chalmers Centre provides care and advice on sexual health issues, including emergency contraception. For appointments and advice, call 0131 536 1070. For walk-ins, you can attend the Centre between 8:30am and 10am.
GP services
If you are acutely ill and need contact with a General Practitioner (GP/family doctor) that day, you should first phone a local GP practice.
Alternatively, phone 0131 667 3925, where there are a number of additional appointments available during the festivals, between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, from 4 August to 28 August.
Urgent mental health support
The following are some useful telephone numbers to
Mental Health Assessment Service (MHAS) on 0131 537 6000
Breathing Space helpline – 0800 838 587
The Samaritans helpline – 08457 909 090
Edinburgh Crisis Centre – 0808 801 0414
Out of hours
Need urgent medical advice out of hours, and not sure what to do? Call NHS 24 on 111.
Dental health
For information on emergency dental care, see NHS 24’s website.
Emergencies
NHS Lothian has hospital Emergency Departments at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, St John’s Hospital, Livingston and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. These services are for urgent and emergency situations only.
If at any time you think you need an emergency ambulance for a life-threatening condition, call 999.
A big welcome to Lothian’s temporary residents – we hope you all enjoy the summer festivals!
The most recent data for NHS Scotland reveals that 96.6% of patients in NHS Lothian’s emergency departments were seen, admitted or discharged within four hours – beating the 95% target. Continue reading NHS Lothian hits four-hour A & E target
Be sun-aware
We need the sun for vitamin D, so it’s good to get at least 10-20 minutes in the daylight every day to maintain a healthy level of vitamin D. However, everyone is at risk of melanomas and other skin cancers, even if you tan well or have darker skin, so even on cloudy or breezy days, always try and remember to apply sunscreen regularly to keep protected if you’re outdoors. The months between April and the end of September are the highest-risk months, with the most affecting times of day being between 10am and 3pm.
Staying safe
In terms of clothing, the head is very vulnerable, even if you have hair, so it’s important to keep it covered with a hat. Plus, remember to cover your ears and the back of your neck when you’re out in the sun, in addition to wearing sunglasses and tightly-woven clothing.
Things to remember
As soon as you start to get red you should move out of the sun. However, the problem with this is that on holiday you could be sitting under a parasol but you can still get reflection off the sand, the decking of a boat or light pavements. Anywhere close to the water is also dangerous as water is very reflective. So when we say ‘out of the sun’, we mean right indoors, and also avoiding areas like conservatories or inside cars – contrary to popular belief, you can still get burnt through glass.
Keeping children safe
What to do if you get bad sunburn
Useful links
Alison Johnstone, Health and Social Care spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said NHS Lothian’s overspend on care services of £1m a month highlights the need to raise more funds to meet the growing demand for social care services. Continue reading Lothian social care overspend shows need for funds, say Greens
North Edinburgh’s Ferryfield House, one of NHS Lothian’s community hospitals which specialises in short-term and respite care, has received a very positive inspection report. Continue reading Positive report for Ferryfield House
Former health minister Malcolm Chisholm was on hand to help open the new £1.17m Leith Surgery on Thursday. Malcolm was an obvious choice – as well as representing North and Leith at both Holyrood and Westminster, Malcolm has also been registered at the Leith Walk surgery for forty years!
Up to 2,000 more patients will be added to the surgery list as a result of the move which will provide a modern and fit-for-purpose facility. Continue reading To Leith from Leith Walk: Malcolm opens new surgery
The most recent data for NHS Scotland reveals that 96.5% of patients in NHS Lothian’s emergency departments were seen, admitted or discharged within four hours – beating the 95% target. Scottish hospitals have now had the best performing emergency departments in the UK for more than two years.
Ben Macpherson, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, has welcomed the latest figures. He said: “Scotland has had the best performing emergency departments in the UK for more than two years – which is testament to the hard work of our NHS and social care workers.
“It is extremely encouraging that Emergency Departments in NHS Lothian are frequently meeting the four hour waiting times target, with the latest figures published showing that 96.5% of patients are being seen within four hours.
“We will always value the vital work done by our NHS staff – and we should always celebrate their success and continue to support their efforts.”
Continue reading Children’s ward at St John’s: Questions and Answers
“We are committed to reinstating the full service as soon as possible after the summer.”
The children’s ward at St John’s Hospital in Livingston is to close to in-patients from 7 July due to staffing problems. NHS Lothian insists the closure is not permanent, but say that a reduction in opening hours ‘is the safest option for the children of West Lothian’ over summer. The children’s ward has been closed before due to staff shortages. Continue reading Concerns as children’s ward at St John’s to close to in-patients
