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
The role NHS Scotland Test and Protect plays in containing future coronavirus outbreaks has been highlighted, as new research suggests people know their actions count.
With the vast majority (89 per cent) of people believing it necessary to follow the Scottish Government’s guidelines if the country is to get out of lockdown, NHS Lothian has reminded people of three things they need to do to help suppress the virus as restrictions ease:
1: Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have coronavirus symptoms: a new, persistent cough, high temperature or loss or change in taste or smell.
2: If the test result is positive, you’ll be contacted by a member of the NHS team and asked to provide them with the names of people you’ve been in close contact with as they may be at risk.
3: If you’re contacted by NHS Scotland to say you’ve been in close contact with someone that has the virus, isolate for 14 days. Following this advice is crucial as it can take 14 days for symptoms to develop, and the virus can be passed on during this time.
The research, released as the nation moves through phase 3 of the route map, shows that the majority of people in Scotland (92 per cent) see the role individuals have in suppressing coronavirus as important.
However, with one in ten (12 per cent) saying they are less likely to follow guidelines if others aren’t following them, NHS Lothian yesterday encouraged people to stick with it over the coming weeks and months to protect themselves, their loved ones and keep their community safe.
Professor Alison McCallum, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian said: “Test and Protect is key to breaking the chains of coronavirus transmission, protecting the progress we’ve made and helping to save lives.
“If you have symptoms, please self-isolate, get tested and share details of those you’ve come into close contact with. If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and are asked to self-isolate by the NHS, it’s essential you follow that advice. Support to self-isolate is there if you need it.
“For this to work, we need everyone’s help. If you have symptoms, we’re asking you to self-isolate, get tested and share details of those you’ve come into close contact with. If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and are asked to self-isolate by the NHS, it’s important to follow that advice.
“These three steps, along with following the FACTS guidelines, shows people you care about others, sets a good example, will help keep the virus under control and will allow us to continue to emerge from lockdown.”
People can book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they can’t get online.
The website provides information on additional support available. If you need to self-isolate and can’t get the help you need from family, friends or online, you can call the National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000. Local help is there for you behind that national number.
To reduce the risk of catching or spreading coronavirus, or being asked to isolate, remember FACTS – Face coverings, Avoid crowded places, Clean hands and surfaces regularly, Two-metre physical distancing and Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have coronavirus symptoms.
Two further cases have tested positive for COVID-19 as part of an existing cluster of cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Both of these individuals are linked to known contacts of the earlier cases.
This now takes the total to 13 and an Incident Management Team (IMT) are contacting anyone who may be affected.
The cases are linked to the M&D Green pharmacy in John Wood Street, Port Glasgow and Amazon in Gourock. Some of the cases visited the following locations during the period in which they may have been infectious to others: The Botany on Maryhill Road in Glasgow City, and The Queen of the Loch by Marston’s Inn, Lomond Woods Holiday Park and Sweeney’s Cruises in West Dunbartonshire.
We can also confirm that a case has a link to the Sitel call centre in Lanarkshire.
Health and local environmental health staff are working closely with all the businesses to trace any close contacts of the cases, and appropriate advice is being given to these individuals including on self-isolation.
All the businesses continue to operate including the pharmacy where precautions have been taken to keep customers and staff safe.
None of the cases or their contacts who are linked to the pharmacy are currently working there, and infection control measures in the pharmacy have been carefully reviewed. Anyone using the pharmacy or getting their medication from the pharmacy can be reassured that it is safe.
Dr Daniel Carter, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Chair of the IMT, said: “All those who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been given appropriate advice and are self-isolating.
“We are working with a number of businesses including a local pharmacy to trace any close contacts.”
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind local residents of the importance of continuing with the general measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19 to themselves and to others. These include social distancing, regular handwashing, and being vigilant for symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should immediately self-isolate and seek a test.
“Anyone who needs to do anything over and above these general measures will be contacted by the Test and Protect service and given specific advice.
“We would also ask that anyone who has been in any of these businesses should stay vigilant and alert to any symptoms suggestive of Covid-19. If symptoms arise people should immediately self-isolate and seek a test otherwise they do not need to do anything additional to these general measures unless they are contacted by the Test and Protect service.”
Dr Linda de Caestecker, Director of Public Health, NHSGGC added: “None of the cases are experiencing anything but mild symptoms and to maintain patient confidentiality we are unable to give any further information on the cases.
“Everyone who may have been exposed to these cases is being followed up and given appropriate advice.
“We want to reassure community pharmacies and general practices in the area that no additional precautions are required beyond those already in place to protect patients and staff.
“The pharmacy named continues to provide a valuable service to the community and is following all the correct infection control protocols to ensure customers are safe.”
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland offers expert help in the community.
People will be able to get healthcare advice and support to treat minor illnesses and common conditions in their local community following the launch of a new service.
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland will allow community pharmacies to give people expert help for treating conditions such as sore throats, earache and cold sores, along with common clinical conditions such as Urinary Tract Infections. Pharmacy teams will offer advice, treatment or referral to other healthcare teams if required.
This new service will help people access the right care in the right place, without having to go to their GP practice or local Accident and Emergency Department for non-urgent treatment.
Everyone who is registered with a GP practice in Scotland, or who lives in Scotland, is encouraged to use their local pharmacy when they have a minor illness or common condition. Accident and Emergency Departments remain open for emergency care, with public health measures in place to protect staff and patients.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “During the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic people followed public heath guidance closely and used their local pharmacy for medical advice and help.
“The launch of NHS Pharmacy First Scotland will make sure that people across Scotland can continue to do this. It gives access to the right care in the right place, getting medical support that is closer to home and often with no waiting time or appointments needed.
“While the NHS is there for all of us, we don’t all need to go to accident and emergency. For many of us, it is not the right place for the care we need. NHS Pharmacy First Scotland provides a local service, giving local access to healthcare help for many illnesses.
“In an emergency you should always call 999 or go to your nearest accident and emergency department. By continuing to do what we have been doing throughout this pandemic and accessing the right care in the right place, we continue to help our emergency teams and ensure accident and emergency provides the fastest and often lifesaving care for people when they really need it.”
Chair of Community Pharmacy Scotland Martin Green said: “NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is an exciting service development for everyone.
“It recognises the role that the community pharmacy network can play in helping patients and the wider NHS team by ensuring people get the right care in the right place. Pharmacists, supported by their pharmacy teams, will be able to offer consultations for anyone with minor illnesses and provide the appropriate advice and support.
“We look forward to community pharmacy demonstrating its value with the Scottish public through this service and developing it further in years to come in line with the needs of the public and the NHS.”
Postgraduate Pharmacy Dean at NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Anne Watson said: “NES are delighted to be underpinning this important service development by providing educational support for the community pharmacy teams – using online resources, national webinars and facilitating peer discussion forums with experts within the Boards.
“In addition, we have provided a quick reference guide sent to all community pharmacies and education and training to support common clinical conditions will continue to be a focus as the service expands.”
More information on NHS Pharmacy First Scotland will be available online and on NHS Inform later today – 29 July 2020.
New campaign to help people get the healthcare they need.
People are being asked to continue following the public health guidance issued during the first phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by using their local pharmacy, GP practice, local minor injuries unit or NHS 24 to get advice and help when they need medical care.
A new public information campaign titled ‘Should you go to A&E?’ is being launched to help make sure people continue to get the right care that they need and in the right place.
By continuing to follow public health guidance, people can help ensure Accident and Emergency Departments are ready to quickly treat those who need urgent care from emergency specialists.
The public are asked to continue:
using the NHS inform website in the first instance to access advice on common symptoms, guidance for self-help and where to go if further medical care is needed
using the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub and Breathing Space telephone helpline to access mental health advice and guidance
using NHS 24 and the Out of Hours service when they are too ill to wait for their GP practice to open and provide the clinical advice and help they need
going to their local community pharmacy for expert help in treating minor illnesses such as coughs, earache and cold sores, along with common clinical conditions such as Urinary Tract Infections
using their local minor injuries unit for non-life threatening but painful injuries such as a deep cut, a broken or sprained ankle or a painful burn injury
contacting and using their local GP practice during the day for an appointment or over the phone advice
Accident and Emergency Departments remain open for emergency care, with public health measures in place to protect staff and patients.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “During this first phase of the pandemic you have followed our guidance closely and when you needed medical care you used your local pharmacy, GP practice, local minor injuries unit or you called NHS 24 for medical and mental health advice and help.
“As we safely and carefully resume NHS Scotland, we need you to continue to do this. We need you to continue to access the right care you need and in the right place.
“While the NHS is there for you, we don’t all need to go to accident and emergency as for many of us, it is not the right place for the care we need. Sometimes self-help may be the quickest way to resolve your health problem and the NHS Inform website provides advice on common symptoms and guidance for self-help.
“Our Clear Your Head website also provides specific advice to support mental health. The campaign we are launching will help ensure you have the information you need to get the care you need, closer to home, and often with no waiting time at all.
“In an emergency you should always call 999 or go to your nearest accident and emergency department. By continuing to do what we have been doing throughout this pandemic, we will continue to help our doctors and nurses, and ensure accident and emergency provides the fastest and often lifesaving care for people when they really need it.”
Vice President of Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland Dr David Chung said: “People in Scotland have responded fantastically during the COVID-19 pandemic and they have played an important role in helping to protect NHS Scotland by using their local emergency department in a sensible way.
“We want to make it easier for patients to be seen in a way that keeps everyone safe. This may mean that making one visit rather than several, and ensuring you access the service you really need, rather than the one that happens to be open at that time.
“To help us do that, we would ask you to use NHS advice lines or online resources. Accident and Emergency Departments remain completely open for emergencies as we have throughout the pandemic, and we know patients who need emergency care are not staying away anymore. We have got the balance right but we need people to use emergency services sensibility to prevent new infections arising.”
Pharmacist and Director of Operations for Community Pharmacy Scotland Matt Barclay said: “The vast majority of the public have been understanding with the safety measures put in place and have continued to access the expertise of community pharmacy teams throughout this pandemic.
“It has been a challenge for everyone however the community pharmacy network in Scotland will continue to deliver for the public in any way we can. For any minor illnesses and queries around medicines we would encourage people to think ‘Pharmacy First’ and the pharmacist will do what they can to appropriately support patients through advice, referral if necessary or treatment.
“By doing this we know we can support patients and the wider NHS by playing our part as accessible healthcare professionals, making sure people receive the right care in the right place.”
To help keep everyone safe, the public are being asked to seek medical advice online at NHS inform, call NHS 24, speak with the GP practice or contact their local pharmacy or minor injuries unit who can also help and prescribe treatment.
Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 should not attend A&E and must adhere to public health advice. They should contact the NHS to arrange to be tested – either online at NHS Inform, or by calling 0800 028 2816.
