Campaign launched to ensure city cyclists are seen

A new campaign and series of roadshows to cut the city’s cycle casualty rate was launched at the Western General Hospital this morning. It’s hoped the campaign will encourage both cyclists to ‘light up’ and motorists to be extra aware of cyclists – particularly at junctions.

More than half of Edinburgh’s cycle casualties in November, December and January happen during the hours of darkness. Meanwhile, almost 50% of serious injuries sustained by cyclists in the Capital between 2006 and 2010 were linked to other vehicles carrying out turning manoeuvres. So while cyclists should take extra care to be seen, it is equally important that motorists take extra care to look out for cyclists as they turn at junctions.

Run by the Streets Ahead partnership, the campaign will reinforce these messages in a bid to cut the cycle casualty rate this winter.

The visibility campaign urges cyclists to make sure they are seen on the roads during the winter months by wearing high visibility clothing and ensuring their bikes are fitted with lights and reflectors.

Councillor Jim Orr, Vice Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee, said: “Cycling is a safe and healthy way to travel and as a Council we are committed to encouraging bike use. However, too many Edinburgh cyclists are still taking a cavalier approach to visibility, in particular by cycling without lights. Apart from being unsafe, this contravenes the Highway Code and undermines the goodwill of the motorists we cyclists share the roads with.

“As a keen cyclist, I’m always properly kitted out with high visibility kit and lights. This new joint campaign will reinforce the visibility message with free samples and timely tips on how cyclists can keep themselves safe. My message for all road users – motorists and cyclists alike – is to take special care to look out for each other during the darker winter months and make sure you are visible and brightly lit.”

In addition to the marketing and advertising campaign launched today, a cycling safety roadshow aimed at both cyclists and motorists will tour University of Edinburgh and NHS buildings over the coming days to coincide with the clocks going back at the weekend.

Cyclists will be given free bike lights and information leaflets and advice, and free bike checks by The Bike Station and bike security marking by Lothian and Borders Police are also on offer.

Superintendent David Carradice of Lothian and Borders Police said: “Edinburgh, like many cities in the UK has numerous cyclists travelling on the road network as they make their way to work, school, or who use their bikes recreationally. The road conditions change dramatically during the autumn and winter months, with increased hours of darkness and more challenging road conditions to face.

“It is therefore extremely important for cyclists to take the appropriate steps to ensure their safety. “The cycle safety road shows will provide cyclists with all the necessary advice and guidance on keeping themselves safe while out on the road. Lothian and Borders Police and their partner agencies are committed to promoting cycle safety and reducing the number of casualties on our roads.”

Emma Crowther, Transport and Parking Manager at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Huge numbers of our staff and students cycle to University and we want to make sure they continue to do so through the darker winter months – but safely. Over the last few weeks in the run-up to this campaign we have been spreading awareness of the importance of bike lights and high-viz clothing. Motorists also have their part to play in taking special care to look out for cyclists and we will be relaying this message to drivers.”

Ian Maxwell from Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign, said: “Many people continue to cycle all year round in Edinburgh and this campaign emphasises that winter commuting is just as feasible if you wear appropriate clothing (warm, but in zippable layers so that you can avoid overheating) and use lights after dark. In recent years the traffic counts by Spokes in May and November have shown almost no decrease in cycling in November compared with May.”

Dr Graham MacKenzie, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Lothian, said: “Cycling is a great way to stay active and improve your health. It is important that people cycle safely at all times and NHS Lothian would urge cyclists to make sure they are seen on the roads during the winter months. It’s vital that cyclists and motorists exercise caution on the roads as the dark nights set in.”

Following today’s launch outside the Western General’s Wellcome Trust Building the roadshow moves on to the Royal Infirmary on Monday (29 October), the University of Edinburgh’s King’s Buildings Murray Library on Tuesday and Potterrow on Thursday 1 November.

Anyone wishing further information on keeping themselves or their bike safe can also contact their local policing team or visit the Lothian and Borders Police website at www.lbp.police.uk

Celebs know breast when it comes to cancer awareness!

A galaxy of Scots celebrities have backed an online campaign to help raise awareness of the Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early Campaign. The campaign aims to save lives by helping Scots to spot the symptoms of breast cancer and by encouraging them to visit their GP if they are worried they may have a sign of cancer.

The new online viral featuring Amanda Hamilton, Michelle Mc Manus, Greg McHugh (Gary Tank Commander), Kaye Adams and Tom Kitchen can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_301895&feature=iv&src_vid=lxQdfB-no50&v=yNKbmif0M6c

Missing medication appeal

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for information after a packet of prescription painkillers were lost in Edinburgh on Wednesday (October 4). The box of MST continus were lost around 2pm on Telford Road near the entrance to the Western General Hospital.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “This medication should only be taken by the person it is prescribed to, and could have significant health implications if taken by anyone else. Anyone who finds this box of seven tablets should contact police immediately, or hand them in to their local pharmacy or police station.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Changes to Patient Transfer Service this month

Do you need ambulance transport to get to

your healthcare appointment?

_____________

New ambulance booking line for patients

‘goes live’ on 22 October 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scottish Ambulance Service

NHS Lothian

Family Nurse Partnership celebrates first graduations

Sing-songs and children’s games were the order of the day at the first graduation ceremony of the Family Nurse Partnership programme yesterday( Wednesday 26 September). Forty families and Family Nurse Partnership staff were joined by Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing at a special ceremony to mark the first graduates through the programme.

The children and their families, the first in Scotland to participate in the Family Nurse Partnership initiative, were presented with gold medals and graduation certificates.

The innovative service, which launched as a pilot in Lothian in 2010, has seen more than 148 families and has since been rolled out across Scotland.

Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be involved in this celebration. Investing in young parents and children is high on the Scottish Government’s agenda and we want to give every child in Scotland the best possible start. I can see for myself what a difference this programme can make to young lives and I will continue to champion worthy investments, such as the Family Nurse Partnership, that really do make a difference.”

The Family Nurse Partnership programme offers an early intervention service starting in early pregnancy and designed to support first-time teenage mothers over the first two years after birth.

Val Alexander, Family Nurse Partnership Supervisor, NHS Lothian, said: “We have seen so many positive stories over the first two years of the Family Nurse Partnership and it’s great to see so many families graduating through the service today.

“The programme relies on the development of a strong therapeutic relationship between our nurse and the client. Visits are structured, and cover personal health, environmental health, life course development, maternal role, family and friends and health and human resource services.”

Melanie Hornett, Director of Nursing, NHS Lothian, said: “I am delighted to see the first clients graduating through the programme. The service is all about helping to build on the strengths of young mums and dads encouraging them to focus on their own wellbeing and that of their child. Providing help early on gives them the best possible start in terms of improved healthcare and child development and I would like to congratulate the whole Family Nurse Partnership team on this first graduation.”

Former Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon introduced Family Nurse Partnerships to Scotland in 2010 following a visit to Harlem, where NHS Lothian was chosen as the first test site for the programme.

The Family Nurse Partnership is targeted at first time mothers aged 19 and under having their first baby, and offers guidance on breastfeeding, child development, parenting skills, future pregnancy planning, preventive health measures such as help with alcohol or cigarette dependency, better diet information, advice on better financial planning and advice for mothers wanting to go back to education or employment.

LEAP in the dark

Church of Scotland to sell Malta House – LEAP must find new home by January

Campaigners are saddened and bitterly disappointed at news that Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) is to lose it’s Malta House home. They had hoped that a last-ditch rescue package could be agreed to keep LEAP in Stockbridge, and blame Church of Scotland ‘greed’ for the failure to secure LEAP’s base.

NHS Lothian has leased the Stockbridge building from the Church of Scotland to house LEAP for over five years, but Crossreach – the Church’s social care arm – is selling the property to support it’s own social service provision – and LEAP must now move out of it’s Malta House home by next January.

In a statement issued last week, the Church of Scotland said: “Crossreach, the Social Care Arm of the Church of Scotland, is disappointed that NHS Lothian have not made a bid to purchase Malta House. The indication from NHS Lothian was of a valuation that was significantly below the current market value. The Church of Scotland which has a legal responsibility to be a good steward of its charitable resources is therefore proceeding with a sale to another bidder.

“One of the largest Third Sector care providers in Scotland, CrossReach counts some of the most vulnerable people among its service users. Over the past few years CrossReach has invested heavily in many of its services, particularly in Adult Care, Children and Families and Services to Older People.

“The sale of assets to support new builds and refurbishment of existing services has been an integral part of the strategy to both protect services and secure excellence in service delivery. Failure to achieve the best possible return on the sale of an asset such as Malta House would result in CrossReach’s investment costs being subsidised by its operations, which would not be sustainable, particularly in an already difficult financial climate.

“Peter Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of CrossReach, said: “As a charity the Church of Scotland has a legal responsibility to ensure that it is a good steward of its charitable resources. For the Social Care Council this means that we must use our resources to provide services to support the many vulnerable people throughout Scotland who depend on our seventy-plus projects.

“The Council was happy to discuss the option of sale with NHS Lothian but sadly the gap between the current market value of Malta House and the level of offer that NHS Lothian indicated they might be able to make in some six months’ time was so significant that the Trustees of the Church of Scotland would not have been acting responsibly by agreeing to delay the sale.

“We wish NHS Lothian LEAP well in the future and welcome the statement that NHS Lothian is confident that they can find suitable accommodation from within their existing buildings that will allow this excellent service to continue.

“The Church of Scotland is disappointed and saddened that NHS Lothian has failed to make a bid for Malta House, but quite clearly the Trustees of the Church of Scotland have a legal duty to protect its charitable assets, something that NHS Lothian are all too aware of. By not going with another purchaser, the Trustees would be failing in their duty to the many hundreds of CrossReach service users in Scotland.

“The Church of Scotland has been pleased to lease Malta House to NHS Lothian since 2007. In 2010 when the lease was renewed it was made clear that a sale would be made when conditions were right, and to that end break points were included in the contract. The Church of Scotland has given NHS Lothian adequate warning of possible sale but remains willing to work closely with LEAP to minimise disruption to service users over the next few months.”

However local campaigners believe that the Church of Scotland could have done much more to support LEAP, and say that greed is driving force behind the sale.

In a lengthy statement, campaigner Tim Birley, who is also LEAP’s Malta Row neighbour, said: “LEAP recently celebrated five years and more than 250 patient graduations in Malta House. People who have been treated there feel their lives have been saved. LEAP wanted to stay at Malta House and had been planning to expand. Malta House provides a secluded environment, yet very accessible: within walking distance of where patients stay, with a local pharmacy and health centre close by. Unusually for drug rehab, they found a safe, secure and welcoming community, and feel at home. For more than 100 years Malta House, under the ownership of the Church, has provided a social facility in the heart of Stockbridge.

“In mid-August it emerged that CrossReach (the Church of Scotland Social Care Council) had given six months notice to terminate the lease to LEAP, to sell the property. This action was explicitly kept secret from the local community. A bid had been received from a developer; there had been no open marketing of the property, no for sale sign, no inclusion on the Church’s list of properties for sale. The lease to LEAP had been renewed in 2010 for 5 years, with clauses to terminate included as is standard practice. LEAP had expected to stay and planned to expand its services there, and NHS Lothian had recently invested £10,000 in the property.

“The Church consulted no-one and made no assessment of the impact on LEAP of its decision. It is our understanding that no-one from CrossReach even spoke to LEAP until the story was in the Edinburgh Evening News. Patients and ex-patients asked for a meeting with CrossReach, but this never took place. Petitions and representations went unanswered; the Moderator said that CrossReach was not in his area of influence, just as he embarked on a week’s tour of CrossReach services.

“What the Church did do, when the campaign grew, was to try to ‘retrofit’ a justification for its actions. Despite the secrecy of the sale, the Church tried to argue that everyone knew all along that it planned to sell – even people such as Scottish Ministers who had no role in the lease whatsoever. Clearly everyone did not know: LEAP would not have invested in Malta House had they expected to leave at short notice. The Chairman of NHS Lothian only found that Malta House was being sold in the course of a Ministerial visit in mid August.

“The Church also argued that all its CrossReach services depended on the sale of Malta House, and circulated this widely throughout its facilities. Its own reports tell a different story. Each year CrossReach reports to the General Assembly. Clearly there was a financial crisis in 2009, when services were closed, staff made redundant and properties sold. Then a strategy to ensure financial sustainability was put in place, and by May 2011 CrossReach reported that “we will no longer be reliant on the sale of assets to achieve a balanced budget”, and reported on the continued success of this strategy in May 2012. This picture is confirmed by press reports and by the Church accounts published by OSCR. These show that the Church as a whole was in substantial surplus over the 5 years 2007-2011, with just one year in deficit: 2009. (Note that the lease to LEAP was given a 5 year renewal in 2010!)

“So if asset sales are no longer needed, why the need to sell Malta House and sell in a hurry? We think there are two possible explanations, which may well be linked. First as stated in the latest press release, “the sale of assets to support new builds and refurbishment of existing services has been an integral part of the strategy”. This suggests that the sale looks likely to be for building works elsewhere, and not to support the running costs of all of its services. Second, perhaps the Church simply received an offer to buy which it has found too attractive to refuse? Greed trumps all. Why try to put a smokescreen around this?

“The final insult to injury has been the attempt to blame others for what has happened. In wording worthy of Uriah Heep, Peter Bailey, CEO of CrossReach wrote about LEAP: “we have a great deal of sympathy for the situation they now find themselves in”. This, from a spokesperson for a landlord choosing to evict a tenant!

“Equally outrageous is the statement that “the Church of Scotland is disappointed and saddened that NHS Lothian has failed to make a bid for Malta House”. Only under pressure did CrossReach publicly express that it would be willing to listen to offers from the NHS. Against an impossibly tight timescale for a public body, the NHS started to put together a bid. As soon as the first hurdle was encountered, the Church pulled the plug on further discussion. That hurdle was technically over valuations: the NHS is constrained to value the existing building in its existing use, and not take account of the market value of the site. It would take time and goodwill to close the gap between the offer the Church has from a developer and what public or charitable bodies could raise, and both time and goodwill appear to be missing. The Church should not blame the NHS when it announced the end of discussion in a press release, and those campaigning had to inform the staff at LEAP! But that has been par for the course.

“Finally, the Church claims to be: ”willing to work closely with LEAP to minimise disruption to service users over the next few months.” In fact they have done nothing, and been totally inflexible about any extension of the lease beyond January 2013.

“There is a good side to the story. When LEAP was set up in Malta House in 2007 it was innovative and pioneering, but also experimental with no assurance of a long-term future. Five years later it has become established as providing a successful, significant and growing route out of dependency on drink and drugs. Our campaign has revealed the extent of cross-party political support, its international reputation and above all the moving stories of success by former patients and their families. During the campaign, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee passed a motion in support of LEAP and expanding its activities, and NHS Lothian expressed total commitment to LEAP continuing. It will continue, and we hope be enabled to thrive.

“What has stood out more and more during this campaign has been the wonderful work which Dr David McCartney and his team undertake, and the courage and mutual support of those attending Malta House and their families. Stories have moved us to tears: the parents who emailed:

“as a family member visiting a patient during their stay at LEAP, Malta House has a seclusion and privacy about it, it also has a garden. For family members visiting patients it is a special place for us too. Just to be able to talk and chat in such a lovely, friendly setting puts us at our ease, especially at a difficult time right at the heart of recovery for our loved ones and at a time of real anxiety, fear and desperate hope for us for the future. Malta House has that effect on us. I wish us all the very best of luck.”

Or the two photos, one of the gaunt youngster, the other of the happy young man he has become, proudly on top of a Scottish hill. He writes:

‘After fourteen years as a heroin addict – and with many failed attempts at getting clean – I was referred to Malta House in October 2008. At that time the thought of walking the one mile to and from the accommodation at Randolph Crescent to Malta House seemed absolutely overwhelming. There was, however, no alternative and I just had to dig in and get on with it. For me that daily walk became an important aspect of my recovery. Yesterday I completed my 100th Munro.’

“What has also emerged is the strength of local community spirit. The character of Stockbridge is already under threat from loss of community facilities, loss of open space, lack of parking, and threats to independent shops. In this case, people fought to try to keep a drug rehab unit in their midst, seeking and getting political support for this. This is remarkable in itself. Over 600 people signed petitions to save Malta House for LEAP. Not one single voice said “get these people out of here”. Those campaigning are very grateful for all the support received, fighting a good fight for a noble cause. We are proud of the values we have sought to defend (in the face of the opposition and apparent indifference of the Church of Scotland).

“As for the Church, it is a very sad day. When offered a deal by a developer, they could not resist the money, indeed it was clearly the sole focus. All their claims of principles, their value statements, their advice to others that the purposes of economic activity should be about the disadvantaged, have been shown as hypocrisy to be set aside for immediate financial gain. So the outcome is the classic lose-lose: LEAP is forced to relocate (and there is no other Malta House!); Stockbridge loses a social care facility that has existed from more than 100 years; and the Church shows its lack of compassion and any vestige of Christian ethic.

“How different it could have been. If the Church did have a long-term plan, and been open about it (as their value statement says they will be), they could have discussed this with LEAP, the City of Edinburgh Council and the local community. They could have said “We are looking to sell, do you want to put together a bid to buy?” Then all options could have been explored including purchase by public bodies, charitable foundations or a community buy-out. The cause is so outstanding that there would have been every chance of the Church getting its money, and of LEAP being able to remain at Malta House. How sad this was given no chance.

We will miss our neighbours. We wish them well in their new home, wherever that may be.”

For NHS Lothian, the search is now on for that new home for LEAP.

UPDATE:

Following a meeting this morning, the Church of Scotland has issued the following statement:

‘The Church of Scotland first indicated to NHS Lothian in 2010 our intention to sell Malta House when conditions were right. Two weeks ago, NHS Lothian completed a valuation of the property. They then informed the Church that, even if they could put together the funding to make an offer for Malta House in six months’ time, public sector financial regulations would restrict the value of that offer to a sum less than 50% of the valuation to which we are working.

Given this disparity, and our need to protect our own vital CrossReach services which support many vulnerable people throughout Scotland, we are currently in final negotiations with another potential buyer.

We understand from this potential buyer that the current building will be incorporated into any new development on the site. However any proposals to that effect will have to go through the normal planning process where members of the local community will have the opportunity to raise concerns.

NHS Lothian have also indicated to us that they plan to continue with their Lothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP). They are confident that they can find suitable accommodation from within their existing buildings that will allow this excellent service to continue.’

Leith Rotarians raise £1500 to support local centre

Edinburgh’s MS Therapy Centre received a £1500 donation from Leith Rotary Club yesterday (Thursday). The money raised through a sponsored dragon boat race will be used to refresh ageing physiotherapy equipment.

The Bonnington Road centre, which has more than 200 members throughout Edinburgh, Fife, The Lothians and The Borders, helps those with Multiple Sclerosis by providing practical therapies such as physiotherapy and oxygen therapy as well as emotional support and advice.

Ian Webster, a member of Leith Rotary Club said: “We organised a Dragon Boat Event at Leith Docks some months ago which raised money for Local and National Charities. This is a legacy from this event. We chose to donate to the MS Therapy Centre as they are based in Leith, not far from our club and having spoken to some of the members and volunteers, we felt that it was a charity which gives real practical help and is well deserving of a donation.”

Katharine Jackson, Operational Manager, MS Therapy Centre added: “This is an astonishing amount of money and we are very grateful. We will put the money towards purchasing new equipment for exercise and physiotherapy, which will benefit our members considerably. It costs around £180,000 per year to run the Centre and we rely on donations such as this, so a big thank you to everyone who helped raise such a fantastic amount.”

Pictured (left to right): Ian Webster (Leith Rotary Club), Carole Macartney (Chairperson, MS Therapy Centre), Katharine Jackson (Operational Manager, MS Therapy Centre) and Stephanie Donaghey (Vice-president, Leith Rotary Club).

Go ahead for new Sick Kids

Plans to build a replacement for Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC ) and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) have been approved.

The new building, next to the Royal Infirmary at Little France, will provide a replacement for the current children’s hospital at Sciennes, the Department of Clinical Neurosciences currently based at the Western General Hospital and new facilities for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) which will move from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

The project is due to be completed in 2017 and is part of the NPD and hub initiative pipeline, supported by the Scottish Futures Trust, which will see £750 million of investment in health facilities across Scotland.

Negotiations over the site for the new building, currently car park B at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, have delayed the project but these were completed in August. Approval of the outline business case will see NHS Lothian take the next step in the process to select a private sector partner to design, build, finance and maintain the new facility.

Health Secretary Alex Neil made the announcement as he met young patients and staff at the current Royal Hospital for Sick Children. He also confirmed his commitment to investing over £1billion in NHS Scotland capital projects over the next two years, including £485m in 2013-14.

Mr Neil said: “I am pleased to say that the outline business case for the new RHSC and DCN has been approved meaning work to get the new hospital up and running for 2017 can move apace. “There have been delays with the new Sick Kids Hospital in the past, due to land and commercial issues with an inherited PFI contract on the proposed site. I am pleased to say that there is now a framework in place to resolve the legal and commercial issues that arose in the original contract. “This project is part of a £750 million health pipeline delivering a range of improvements to hospital and community health facilities right across Scotland.

“We have already seen £1bn being pumped into our hospitals and health centres since 2011 and I can confirm that another £1bn will be invested over the next two years. In 2013 alone we will invest nearly £500m. “I’ve been clear in the past that investing in our infrastructure is vital to growing our economy and the NHS presents huge opportunities to do this. Not only will it bring benefits to business and more jobs but it also means that patients can be treated in the best possible surroundings. “High quality health services as close to home as possible is what the people of Scotland want, and that is something this Government is determined to give them.”

Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair of NHS Lothian said: “Having the outline business case approved is a significant step forward in this important project. The benefits of having children’s, maternity and adult services on the same site are well documented. This project to re-provide services from the RHSC and DCN will create a centre of excellence at Little France, bringing paediatric care, specialist neonatal care, neurosciences and A&E together. The proximity to the University and the BioQuarter will also improve opportunities for partnership working and bring research to the bedside. We are working closely with the Scottish Futures Trust to plan the procurement process and, as required, we expect to advertise the project in the Official Journal of the European Union before the end of the year.”

The new hospital will cost around £150 million to build and brings together children’s, maternity and adult services on the same site. The new building will:

bring together paediatric care, specialist neonatal care, neurosciences and adult and children’s emergency departments all on one site, ensuring that that teams can share experience and expertise for the benefit of patients.
provide the ability to deliver paediatric and adult neurosurgery in the same theatre suite, maximising the utilisation of specialist equipment (e.g. intra-operative MRI) and expert staff, with direct internal access to age-appropriate critical care and wards
mental health services for children and young people on the same site as acute hospital services, supporting their physical and psychological care
joint-working and economies of scale in high-cost specialist clinical areas such as theatres and radiology
the opportunity to improve emergency access to services by incorporating a helipad on the roof of the new building

Six hundred sign up to keep LEAP in Stockbridge

Campaigners hoping to save Malta House for Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) handed in petitions containing over six hundred signatures to the Church of Scotland this morning. The move comes as talks over the future of the building continue between the Church of Scotland and NHS Lothian, and campaigners could know the fate of Malta House as early as next week.

In a statement issued earlier today, the Save Malta House for LEAP camapign group said: ‘Copies of the Save Malta House for LEAP petition were handed to the Church of Scotland this morning. More than 600 signatures and heartfelt comments were gathered in less that a fortnight, on-line and on paper in the Stockbridge area. Copies were addressed to the Moderator, the Secretary to the Council of Assembly (the Church’s Chief Executive), the Chief Executive Officer of CrossReach (the Social Care Council of the Church) and the Church’s Solicitor. Mary Macleod, Depute Solicitor of the Church, received the petition. She said that a decision on the future of Malta House and the lease to LEAP would not be made today, but probably early next week.

‘The aim of the petition is to secure the future of LEAP at Malta House. By 7 September, the petition and campaign had encouraged the Church not to commit to immediate sale to a developer, but to enter into discussions about potential purchase by the NHS. This in itself is a great achievement, for which we commend the Church, but we are clearly not yet out of the woods. Should such discussions be successful, it would be a ‘win-win’ situation: the Church would raise money from a sale, and LEAP would continue to lease the property.

‘If these discussions do not lead to this ‘win-win’ outcome, the Save Malta House for LEAP campaign will want to know what on earth has gone wrong. It is not clear why the Church is having difficulty resolving matters. Initially the Church seemed to have found itself in an uncomfortable and stark choice between financial gain and its social responsibilities. The current prospect of purchase by the NHS Lothian (potentially through the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation) looks to offer a solution which delivers both: a way forward to the credit of all concerned.

We remain very aware of the efforts and concern of so many people on this issue of such importance. The outcome has an impact far beyond a local community, on the reputation of the Church, and on all those recognising the importance of LEAP remaining at Malta House and continuing as a beacon of hope for those facing the challenge of dependency on drink and drugs. The on-line petition is being kept open until the objective of keeping Malta House for LEAP is achieved.’

There are indications that the group and LEAP supportersmay indeed achieve their aim. In a statement on Thursday (6 September), Peter Bailey, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Church of Scotland’s Social Care Council (Crossreach), told the campaigners: “In relation to the NHS LEAP project in Malta House The Social Care Council wishes to reiterate the earlier statement that they wish to be as helpful and as flexible as possible in the current situation relating to LEAP. To this end they are now able to confirm that representatives of the organisation are in active discussions with NHS Lothian to explore a positive way forward on this matter within the constraints faced by both NHS Lothian and CrossReach. It would be premature to comment further while these discussions continue.”

LEAP on the hunt for new home

Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) is on the lookout for a new home following a Church of Scotland decision to terminate the lease of Malta House, LEAP’s base since it was set up five years ago.

Dr David McCartney, Clinical Lead of LEAP, said: “We can confirm that our landlord, The Church of Scotland, has informed us it is ending the lease of Malta House and that we require to move out by the end of January 2013.

We would like to reassure patients, their families, staff and partners that LEAP will continue to provide treatment to patients with substance dependence problems.

We are sad at the prospect of leaving Malta House as many people have started their recovery from addiction here and it has met our needs very well. We are now exploring with our partners all of our possible options.”

Funded by NHS Lothian and three local Alcohol Drug Partnerships, LEAP has been a real success story since it was launched in September 2007. Operated in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, Access to Industry (Transition) and the Serenity Café, LEAP has helped people with alcohol and drug dependencies to transform their lives through a three-month treatment and rehabilitation residential programme. In March this year, Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham (below) visited the Stockbridge-based project to join in celebrations to mark the programme’s 250^th ‘graduation’.

In a statement, a Church of Scotland spokesperson explained that the decision not to renew LEAP’s Malta House lease had been ‘difficult’ and was due to financial pressures on the church’s own social care budget.

“We originally leased Malta House to Scottish Ministers, acting on behalf of the NHS Lothian LEAP project, in 2007 for a 2 year period. This was subsequently extended to 2010, when it was renewed. At that point Scottish Ministers accepted the renewed lease of Malta House on the full understanding that the building would be sold when it was deemed that the market conditions were right, and to that end there were break points included in the lease. In June this year, in terms of that lease, we gave six months’ notice of our intention to terminate the lease from January 2013.

“We are pleased that we have been able to support LEAP for many years through the lease of premises at Malta House. However, we simply cannot afford to continue that support, given the financial pressures which we face in relation to our own vital services to people in need throughout Scotland. We recognise the good work that LEAP has been doing and we have a great deal of sympathy for the situation they now find themselves in. We have been trying to find them alternative accommodation in another Church building but have been unable to identify one that meets their needs. CrossReach (the Church of Scotland’s Social Care Council) would dearly love to continue supporting LEAP but find ourselves simply unable to do so. We will continue to be as helpful and flexible as possible in managing this unhappy situation.”

The spokesperson added that no final decision about the sale of Malta House has been made, but that the option to sell is ‘actively being pursued.’

A group of concerned neighbours and supporters are mustering support to keep Malta House available to LEAP – visit http://www.facebook.com/SaveMaltaHouseForLeap for more information.

There is an on-line petition to sign and add comments at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-malta-house-for-leap/