A study into the long term effects of COVID-19 on the people of Scotland
A major study into the effects of Covid on the health of Scotland’s population has been launched.
The Covid in Scotland Study aims to identify the effects of Covid-19 on the health of people in Scotland. We want to find out how many people continue to be unwell after having Covid-19, what their symptoms are, and how it affects their lives.
Why is the study being done?
Most people with Covid-19 recover within three weeks. Some people don’t because they get ‘long Covid.’ We need to understand the long-term effects of Covid-19, the number of people who have long-term problems and the nature and impact of these.
Hasn’t this already been done?
There have been some other studies looking at long Covid but they have been done on particular groups, such as people who were admitted to hospital. In the Covid in Scotland Study, we are contacting everyone in Scotland who had a positive Covid-19 test as well as a comparison group of people who tested negative.
How will this study help people with long Covid?
Our study aims to help health and social care services make informed decisions about treating and supporting people with long Covid.
How can people take part
We are sending invitations via SMS to all adults in Scotland who have had a positive Covid-19 test and a sample of people who have only had a negative test(s). These messages are automated. We don’t have names, phone numbers or other identifiable information.
Are people who have had Covid-19 involved in designing and running the study?
Yes. People who have had Covid-19 symptoms are on the study steering group. They are providing advice throughout the study, helping to develop the information material and will help to share the findings.
Who is funding the study?
The study is funded by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office.
Where will the study be published?
Our results will be shared with the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and patient groups. The results will be published in a medical journal and shared through social media and a press release.
People across Scotland are being encouraged to ask questions about their care and treatment so they can understand what is being recommended for them.
The campaign, ‘It’s OK to Ask’ is designed to support patients and healthcare professionals in creating positive conversations about care and treatment.
NHS 24’s Head of Pharmacy, Dr John McAnaw says: “It’s happened to us all – you come out of a healthcare appointment realising the questions you forgot to ask, or worrying over the questions you wanted to ask but didn’t.
“This new campaign encourages a little bit of forward planning around what you’d like to know about your care from your healthcare professional.
“Before an appointment or discussion, take some time to think about what you’d like to know about your treatment. Some handy questions are:
What are the benefits of my treatment?
What are the risks of my treatment? Are there other treatments I can try?
What if I do nothing?
“These kind of questions can help you feel more involved in decisions about your care, and give you confidence in following your healthcare plan.
“Your healthcare professional is happy to answer any questions you might have, as they know it’s better to have patients who are content and informed about their next steps, and simply by being more involved, you’ll be able to make better decisions for you about your own care.”
The campaign is supported by NHS Scotland and is supported by a radio and digital campaign.
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Rapid coronavirus (COVID 19) testing is now available for people without symptoms in the Craigmillar area as the Capital’s first Asymptomatic Testing Centre goes live.
The community testing initiative, in partnership with the Scottish Government, aims to drive down local COVID 19 rates and transmission by identifying positive cases more quickly, as people can spread the virus to others before symptoms appear.
Residents who do not have any of the three COVID symptoms (a new continuous cough, temperature, loss or change in sense of taste or smell) are encouraged to get tested.
There is no need to book and testing is available from Craigmillar Library from today, 21 April, until Sunday 2 May 2021 inclusive. The ATC will be open daily from 9am to 6pm.
This site is only for people without symptoms. Anyone with COVID 19 symptoms should self-isolate and book a test in the usual way via nhsinform.scot or by calling 0800 028 2816.
Residents will be tested using lateral flow devices (LFDs), which can give people their results in around 45 minutes. Any positive cases will then be confirmed by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test.
Further advice and information on what support is available for people who need to self isolate is available from nhsinform.scot / www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Things are definitely moving in the right direction now that we’re in a position to unlock gradually, but there’s absolutely no room for complacency – we need to keep on top of case numbers and make sure any localised outbreaks are minimised as much as possible.
“It’s really important we give people in areas where cases are higher the chance to come forward for a test even when they don’t have any symptoms. That way we can monitor and help check the spread of the virus in our communities.
“Edinburgh citizens have gone above and beyond to help us tackle the pandemic by following public health guidance. These new ATCs will help us make even more progress in reducing the spread of this dreadful virus.
“Centres will be rolled out in targeted areas across Edinburgh in response to public health data over the coming months. The next centre is due to open in Wester Hailes Library from 3 – 9 May and future locations will be publicised as soon as they’re confirmed.”
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Recent research has shown that asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases can contribute to more than 40% of Covid19 transmission. it’s quick and easy to get tested – these Lateral Flow swab tests don’t need to be sent to a lab for analysis and the results are available within an hour.
We want as many local people as possible in the Craigmillar area to come forward for a test if they’re not displaying symptoms of the virus, to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe. If we can keep case numbers low in the city as a whole, we’ll all see the benefit as things begin to open up again in a Covid-safe way.”
Trish Lindsay, who lives in the local area, was one of the first people to come forward for a test at the new ATC in Craigmillar Library. She said: “I’d never thought about coming for an asymptomatic test before but, when the centre opened, I thought that I would come along for one.
“As we’ve heard on lots of news reports, there are so many people that are asymptomatic, so the more people that can come along and get tested, the faster we’ll eventually get rid of this pandemic.”
Katie Dee, Interim Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, said: “We are aware that COVID-19 is often spread by people who don’t have symptoms or they have symptoms that are so subtle they do not recognise the infection.
“Asymptomatic testing enables us to identify the infection so that people are not spreading the infection to their families, colleagues and the wider community. It will also allow us to better understand the rate of infection in people who are not showing signs of COVID-19.
“The centres will also give advice about support for isolation for people with a positive test. By participating in asymptomatic testing, you will help reduce the overall spread of COVID-19.”
Anyone with the symptoms of COVID 19 – a new continuous cough, temperature, loss or change in sense of taste or smell – should go online to nhsinform.scot to book a test or call 0800 028 2816 if you cannot get online.
After positive discussions over recent weeks with NHS Trade Unions and NHS Employers, the Scottish Government has offered a substantial pay rise for NHS Scotland Agenda for Change staff.
If accepted by staff, this deal will be most generous National Health Service pay uplift anywhere in the UK, and would represent the biggest single year increase in pay for NHS staff since devolution. The pay rises will benefit 154,000 NHS Agenda for Change employees – including nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals, as well as domestic, healthcare support staff, porters and other front line health workers.
The pay rise would ensure that staff on the pay bands 1 to 7 would receive at least a 4% pay rise compared to 2020/21, with the staff who earned less than £25,000 in 2020/21 getting a guaranteed minimum increase of over £1,000 in 2021/22.
This means that staff on the lowest Agenda for Change pay point would get a 5.4% increase. Those on the highest pay points will receive uplifts of £800.
While pay increases are usually effective from 1 April the 2021/22 pay settlement will be backdated to 1 December 2020 in recognition of an exceptional year of significant pressure for staff. This follows the £500 thank you payment for health and social care workers.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Following positive discussions with NHS unions and employees the Scottish Government has put forward an offer of the biggest single pay uplift since devolution for NHS Agenda for Change staff.
“Over 154,000 staff would benefit from this rise, which would see the average pay of an front line NHS Nurse rise by over £1,200 a year. This deal also includes support staff such as domestic staff, porters and health care support workers, the backbone of our services, who would see pay rises of over £1,000 – uplifts of between 4% – 5.4%.
“The uplift will be backdated from 1 December 2020, rather than the usual 1 April 2021, meaning all those covered by the deal will receive an extra benefit.
“This has been an exceptionally challenging year for our health service and I am pleased that the Scottish Government is able to recognise the service and dedication of our healthcare staff.”
A group of charities is urging for the approval of a drug that can treat an underlying genetic cause of a life-limiting muscle-wasting condition.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) primarily affects boys and causes muscles to weaken and waste over time, with most of those affected needing to use a wheelchair by the age of 12. The life-limiting condition also causes other severe health problems to the heart and breathing muscles.
The drug Translarna, however, can help treat cases of a version of Duchenne that is caused by nonsense mutations.
Today, Muscular Dystrophy UK, Action Duchenne, Duchenne Family Support Group and Duchenne UK are appearing before the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to represent patients who could benefit from Translarna and to seek its approval for use on the NHS in Scotland.
In its joint submission to the SMC ahead of today’s meeting, the charities outlined evidence from a survey conducted earlier this year.
They provided evidence that highlights clear improvements to quality of life reported by those receiving the drug. Significantly, many families of children receiving Translarna say they retained the ability to walk for longer than expected, and that this gave their child greater independence to complete daily tasks and take part in activities with friends.
Families also reported huge behaviour improvements at school and home, as well as positive mental health outcomes.
If SMC approves the submission, Translarna would be the first treatment routinely available through the NHS in Scotland that addresses an underlying genetic cause of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
One parent who took part in the survey, and whose thoughts were included as evidence in the submission, explained: “For our son knowing that he has a medication to help his muscles is a massive boost to him.
“We believe that every time we receive our Translarna it lifts his spirits in this fight. We never for a moment take for granted how lucky we are to be receiving this drug and feel it’s something in our corner as we face this battle head on.”
If approved, Translarna would be given in addition to the current standard treatments on the NHS in Scotland.
A spokesperson for the four charities said: “Every day is a race against time to slow down Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive condition that robs children of their ability to walk and their independence.
“Muscular Dystrophy UK, Action Duchenne, Duchenne Family Support Group and Duchenne UK are pleased to have represented the voices of patients in our joint submission to the SMC.
“We believe our submission highlights both the physical and mental health benefits of Translarna, a drug that has the potential to improve lives for so many families living with Duchenne. We very much look forward to hearing the SMC committee’s thoughts on our submission.”
More support will be available to people experiencing emotional distress following the expansion of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme to further local areas.
If someone presents as ‘in distress’ to emergency services or in a primary care setting, this programme can offer them a call from a trained operator within 24 hours. They will then be provided with up to two weeks of one-to-one support to help address issues which might be contributing to their distress, including, for example, money worries and relationship problems.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran are the latest health board to launch a DBI programme, following the rollout of a local service in Inverclyde earlier this month. Since it began in 2017, the programme has been made available in ten Health and Social Care Partnership areas.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “This is an innovative programme and, we believe, world-leading intervention which provides vital support to people experiencing emotional distress. It is a crucial part of the wide range of actions we are taking to improve public mental health and wellbeing.
“Since its launch in 2017 over 12,800 people have been referred for support and these new sites, in addition to the new pathway through the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub helpline, will help us expand this service across Scotland by 2024.”
Someone who has experience of the DBI programme is Pamela, who self-presented as in distress to her GP. Pamela (her name has been changed to protect identities) had experienced depression and anxiety for some time but was finding it difficult to manage due to an altercation with a neighbour who was verbally aggressive towards her.
Pamela said: “I cannot thank DBI enough for the help I have received from them. I feel less stressed and now have ongoing support in place for the future which has given me more confidence.
“I feel encouraged now to start doing things again that I enjoy, like hobbies and seeing family again. DBI has also improved my self-esteem and I now know that I am worth more than what I had been willing to accept previously.”
National DBI Programme Manager Kevin O’Neill said: “Our partners across Ayrshire and Arran and Inverclyde have shown incredible collaboration in support of building connected compassionate support for people in distress.
“We welcome our new regions to the growing DBI community and we look forward to working and learning with them in our collective programme of incremental growth and continuous improvement with the shared ambition of providing the best connected compassionate support possible.”
NHS Scotland’s latest advertising campaign is aimed at reminding us all to be prepared for winter ailments.
One of the stars of the ad is Julie-Ann Lindsay, a senior charge nurse with NHS 24, who helps people when they call 111 for urgent or out of hours medical care.
Julie (above), from Leven, said: “After what has probably been the busiest year of my professional life I really wanted to help people by reminding them to take a few small steps to look after themselves and their family this winter. Taking part in the TV ad was a good opportunity to do that.
“Our campaign encourages things like keeping things like paracetamol and ibuprofen at home, making sure you’re up to date with any repeat prescriptions in plenty of time, and even taking a bit of time to get familiar with our health information site NHS Inform, which has a number of self-help guides. Each of these steps means you can hopefully avoid illness becoming a problem over winter.”
The festive period is always busy for NHS 24, and in 2019 they answered over 122,000 calls over the eight day period. This Christmas looks to be even busier, and it comes at the end of what has already been a tough year for Julie and her staff:
“When the COVID cases began to rise the first place I wanted to be was in work, offering support to the general public. It’s been a hard job- hearing from families who have each become unwell, and managing my own family’s health, has been a humbling experience.
“No one likes becoming unwell over Christmas, and we will always be available if you need to get in touch. However, these small steps can mean you can relax a little- which I think we could all use right now!-and hopefully avoid needing to pick up the phone. It was a freezing cold day for filming our ad, but I think the message is worth it!”
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this winter can be found at www.nhsinform.scot/winter
People across Scotland are being encouraged to be prepared for winter illnesses in a new campaign launched today/on Friday 4th December.
The NHSScotland campaign takes the ‘clap for carers’ idea and turns it around, showing healthcare workers applauding people as they check their prescription, visit their pharmacy for medicines and health advice, and check the self-help guides at nhsinform.scot.
NHS 24’s Medical Director, Dr Laura Ryan said: “It’s always a good idea to prepare for the common winter illnesses, and this year it’s even more important. Services tend to be busier in the winter so anything we can do to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthier is good.
‘No one can predict illness, so it’s a good idea to keep some common remedies at home such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Knowing the best place to get help if someone does become unwell is also important – there is a service directory on NHS 24’s health information site NHSinform.scot which also has a range of really helpful self-help guides.
‘In the run up to the festive holidays it’s worth checking any repeat prescription you rely on, making sure you order only what you need and in plenty of time.
‘Your local pharmacist can also help with advice about winter health and medicines – all provided in a COVID-safe way! You should continue to stick to the rules for COVID-19 including self -isolation advice and how to access a test if you develop symptoms. All of the up to date information on COVID-19 is on our dedicated pages on NHS Inform.
These are just a few of the ways we can all show we care – for ourselves, each other and our NHS.”
NHS 24 supports the Show You Care, Prepare campaign in partnership with NHSScotland and all Scottish Health Boards.
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this winter can be found at www.nhsinform.scot/winter
An NHS Winter Preparedness Plan outlining steps to ensure a resilient and safe health care system has been published.
With coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continuing to rise, £1.1 billion has already been allocated to NHS Health Boards and Integration Authorities to meet the costs of responding to the pandemic.
An additional £37 million has been announced today to support services cope with the virus, vaccinations and Test and Protect and the delivery of normal winter illnesses and weather. As a result of these continued pressures, NHS Scotland will remain in a state of emergency over winter.
To complement the NHS Winter Preparedness Plan, a comprehensive Adult Social Care Winter plan will be published in early November. This will focus on delivering maximum protection for people who use social care support in residential and community settings and in their own homes, and for those who provide that care, including unpaid carers.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Every effort must be made to prepare the NHS for the pressures it will face in the coming months, including normal winter illnesses, the impact of any severe weather, a significant resurgence of COVID-19 and a potential no-deal Brexit.
“Due to the continued dedication of health and social care staff, and support from the public, NHS Scotland has not been overwhelmed at any point during the pandemic. Our over-riding priority is to ensure the this continues to be the case, not only to save lives and treat COVID-19 patients but to make sure we can continue to deliver healthcare to those who need it.
“I am absolutely determined that we will do everything in our power to be ready for these challenges. We have learnt a lot from the first wave of the pandemic and we are better prepared. We must also recognise that we cannot respond successfully to any of these challenges, if we do not work to support the health, wellbeing and resilience of our staff, of whom we have asked so much already.
“Our Winter Preparedness Plan sets out the range of actions we are taking to support our incredible health and care services and our staff, and outlines how we will work with them to manage this next phase.”
Actions outlined in the plan include:
doubling the number of people protected by the flu vaccine to nearly 2.5 million and preparing to deliver a safe, effective vaccine against COVID-19 as soon as available
increasing testing capacity from around 27,000 to at least 65,000 tests per day by winter, drawing upon both Scottish and UK-wide lab capacities. Three new Regional Testing Hubs will be fully operational by early December, providing an additional 22,000 daily tests
continuing to ensure Health Boards have access to sufficient contact tracers to respond to local surges, with additional national resilience from the National Contact Tracing Centre
the ability to repurpose approximately 3,000 acute beds nationwide for COVID-19 patients; including doubling ICU capacity within one week, trebling it in two weeks and quadrupling to over 700 should circumstances demand, subject to staffing and supplies
investing £20 million to support the redesign of urgent care and ensuring a consistent national framework to unplanned care
continuing to provide care and treatment for both urgent and routine health needs, including treatment for cancer and other life threatening conditions, and where we can, restarting a number of diagnostic and screening services, and elective procedures
investing over £78 million to restore as much elective activity as circumstances allow, supporting over 70,000 outpatient appointments, over 13,800 elective procedures and over 98,000 diagnostic tests
supporting the NHS Golden Jubilee hospital to treat a further 13,000 patients before the end of March 2021
maintaining the NHS Louisa Jordan as a crucial national facility for either COVID-19 or non-COVID patients, building on the 4,000 outpatients who have been seen there since July
supporting key workers in health and social care by ensuring staff ‘hubs’ and rest areas are maintained and establishing a Mental Health Network, backed initially by £5 million of funding
maintaining the COVID-19 Community Pathway with local Community Assessment Centres in every Board area
maintaining the Out of Hours Service in all Board areas for patients who need to be seen urgently and cannot wait for their GP practice to open
