Tag: public health

Stop The Deaths: Thousands respond to national naloxone campaign

Almost 4,500 people have signed up to learn how to save someone’s life in the event of an opioid overdose.

A nationwide awareness campaign, launched in August last year, encouraged the public to go to the ‘Stop The Deaths’ website to learn how to recognise the signs of a drug overdose, receive training in the use of the life-saving medication naloxone and get a free naloxone kit.

The joint initiative by the Scottish Government and Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) used TV and radio adverts and billboards at transport hubs and shopping centres to promote the message. While the campaign has finished, people can still register their interest in receiving training and getting a kit.

The campaign livery can also be found on a Glasgow Taxi cab and more than 20 of the firm’s drivers are among those who have volunteered to carry naloxone.

https://youtu.be/aTWZ-kpxL-g

Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “The response to this joint initiative with Scottish Drugs Forum is really encouraging and it emphasises how everyone can get involved in learning how to save a life.

“The campaign raised awareness of how to respond to an overdose and provide an early intervention which could save a life and is therefore a vital part of the national mission on the drug deaths crisis.

“We hope that the campaign has also helped reduce the stigmatisation of people at risk of overdose and people with a drug problem more broadly.

“Naloxone is one of a wide range of measures being used to address the public health emergency of drugs deaths, but it plays an important role and I hope as many people as possible will visit the “Stop The Deaths” website to find out more.”

Kirsten Horsburgh, Strategy Coordinator for Drug Death Prevention at Scottish Drugs Forum, said: “The ‘How to Save a Life’ campaign has demonstrated that people in Scotland are keen to assist efforts to prevent drug deaths.

“Naloxone is an emergency treatment that can help save someone’s life and it is essential that people are equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to provide help to someone experiencing a life-threatening overdose.

“Taxi drivers may also find themselves in this position and we are grateful to Glasgow Taxis for helping to share this important message.”

Glasgow Taxis chairman Dougie MacPherson said: “Glasgow Taxis is proud to support this very important initiative. 

“On a personal level, during the 1980s – before entering the taxi trade – I worked in the north of Glasgow in some of the city’s worst affected areas like Possilpark.

“Heroin and HIV destroyed a generation back then and it left an indelible impression on those who experienced it including me.

“The current drug death figures serve as a stark reminder that the problem has not gone away and any way of reducing the number of deaths is worth supporting.”

Further information on  ‘Stop The Deaths’ and naloxone

Crisis: Scottish Government asleep at the wheel on crisis in NHS dentistry

   
The British Dental Association Scotland has greeted the unanimous support of opposition parties, while accusing the Scottish Government of failing to take needed action to halt an exodus from NHS dentistry and restore access to millions. 
 
In a debate in Holyrood today Scottish Government MSPs voted against a motion on support for NHS dentistry tabled by the Scottish Conservatives and backed by both Scottish Labour and Liberal Democrats.

Ministers have been planning to cut pandemic support from April. While the Government has recently indicated that there will be no “cliff edge”, the BDA has consistently warned that the plans to end Covid support payments and return to a low margin/high volume model of care would devastate dental services across the country.
 
Morale in the profession is at an all-time low, with more than a third of dentists saying they intend to leave the profession in the next 12 months, and 80% planning to reduce their NHS commitment if the Government reverts to pre-pandemic arrangements. Failure to act risks sparking an exodus from the workforce which would mean families across Scotland losing access to NHS dentistry for good.   
 
Over 3.5 million NHS dental appointments were lost in Scotland as a result of the pandemic. As infection prevention and control measures continue to limit the number of patients dentists can see, this unprecedented backlog continues to grow and will likely take years to clear. 
 
The BDA has warned the SNP’s 2021 election pledge of free NHS dentistry for all will be unrealisable without meaningful support and real reform. It is pressing for a workable interim funding model, and long-term change to a system that prioritises prevention, is patient-centred and reflects modern dentistry.   
 
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “NHS dentistry in Scotland is facing crisis, but sadly Ministers seem asleep at the wheel. 
 
“Opposition parties are all seeing the plain facts that Scottish Government plans could devastate services millions depend on and widen already unacceptable health inequalities. 
 
“Promises have been made to the voting public that simply that can’t be kept unless we see meaningful support and real reform as we head out of the pandemic.” 

Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds

Appointments will be sent out to those with parental responsibility

Children aged five to 11 will be offered COVID-19 vaccination appointments in community clinics from 19 March 2022.

This follows the advice last week from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the universal vaccination of five to 11 year olds.

Appointments will be scheduled according to age with 11 years olds invited first, followed by those aged eight to 10 and then those between five and seven years old. Where there are siblings efforts will be made to invite them to back-to-back appointments to avoid multiple trips for families.

Details of how to rearrange unsuitable appointments will be included in the letters.

Children in this age group who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 are already being vaccinated and will continue to be prioritised.

Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds will be delivered alongside second booster jabs for those aged 75 and over and those in specific at risk cohorts following yesterday’s recommendation from the JCVI.

These individuals will be invited as they become eligible from 24 weeks after their last booster with the first groups receiving blue envelopes with appointments from the second week in March.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I’d like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.

“We continue to prioritise at risk five to 11 year olds. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform before they make a decision.

“Appointments for first doses for all five to 11 year olds will be scheduled from 19 March with older children invited first and families invited together wherever possible. This will allow for second doses to be delivered before the start of the new school year provided at least eight weeks have passed since the initial dose.

“Of course, as we have done throughout the pandemic we will continue to prioritise the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 and boosters for those aged 75 and over and those at higher risk of severe illness will be scheduled for as soon as possible after 24 weeks have elapsed since their first booster.

“Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world and vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of our battle against COVID-19. The very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped us considerably on our path back to normality and we urge everyone to take up their invitation when it is offered.”

Vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 years | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot)

Second boosters for at-risk groups in Scotland

Second booster jabs will be offered to those aged 75 and over and those at highest risk of severe COVID-19 disease in Scotland following the latest Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice.

Second booster jabs will be offered to those aged 75 and over and those at highest risk of severe COVID-19 disease following the latest Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice.

To protect those groups a spring booster dose will be offered at least 24 weeks after the last vaccine dose to:

  • adults aged 75 years and over
  • residents in care homes for older adults
  • individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed

These people will be invited as they become eligible from at least 24 weeks after their last booster, with the first groups receiving appointments from the second week in March.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We know that these high priority groups are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and I therefore welcome the further advice from the JCVI and confirm Scotland will offer a further dose to these people from next month.

“Vaccination has been our most effective tool against coronavirus, and that will continue to be the case. I continue to encourage everyone to receive the doses they are eligible for as and when they become available.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Nicola Steedman said: “Our vaccination programme has been highly successful, with 85% of the eligible population having had a booster or third dose vaccination and the World Health Organisation estimating some 28,000 lives saved to date in Scotland.

“However, the degree of protection offered by the vaccines wanes over time, which is why booster vaccination is needed to maintain the best protection against COVID-19 for those at highest risk of severe effects of the virus. The additional booster dose will improve your level of protection significantly and is the best way to protect your health and those around you. 

“The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease, hospitalisation and mortality, arising from COVID-19. I encourage anyone who is still to have any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on Scotland’s plans for recovery from the pandemic in a statement to Holyrood this afternoon.

15 million milestone reached for Coronavirus tests in Scotland

More than 15 million COVID-19 PCR tests have now been carried out in Scotland since testing began, nearly two years ago.

The tests, which include those carried out by NHS Scotland at the three NHS regional hubs set up around Scotland and the network of Health Board diagnostic labs, have now reached 15,092,074.

They also include  the four-nations network of Lighthouse laboratories, partner laboratories and testing sites.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Reaching fifteen million tests is a major milestone and recognition of the hard work and dedication of our testing teams across the country.

“Testing has a vital role to play as restrictions are phased out and we learn to with the virus.

“It may be tempting to think as vaccinations increase and cases drop, that testing will become less important. In fact, this will only make it more important to spot and prevent new outbreaks as cases emerge. We know from our experience  just how quickly one outbreak can lead to another.

“The recent changes to testing requirements and self-isolation guidance are helping to maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing.

“It is crucial that individuals report their LFD test results online to enable us to understand the prevalence of COVID-19 and allows contacts of those with positive results, to rapidly receive the correct advice to prevent onward spread.

“The ability to quickly identify new outbreaks and put appropriate measures in place will remain at the heart of our strategy to help break chains of transmission.”

Three regional hubs were established last year by National Services Scotland (NSS) in  Glasgow (west) at Gartnavel hospital,  Foresterhill in Aberdeen (North) and Lauriston Place in Edinburgh (East) to increase capacity.

These facilities complement the testing capacity provided by the UK Government lighthouse lab network in Scotland.

Long waiting times continue to put patient safety at serious risk

The latest A&E activity and waiting times for major Emergency Departments in Scotland for December 2021 show:

  • 73.7% of attendances were seen and resulted in subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours
  • There were 97,644 attendances, a 6% decrease when compared to the previous month, November 2021
  • More than one in four patients were delayed by four hours or more
  • 5,342 patients were delayed by eight hours or more, equal to 5.5% of all attendances
  • 1,605 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more

Responding to these figures, Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “With fewer attendances performance has plateaued but be in no doubt that the health service and its staff in Scotland remain under unprecedented pressure and increasing burnout.

“One in four patients face delays over four hours, while both eight- and 12-hour waits are still at record high levels not seen before 2021. What is deeply concerning is the pattern and the potential for these long waiting times to become the status quo in perpetuity.

“Both our own report Crowding and its Consequences (below) and a recent article in the Emergency Medicine Journal ‘Association between delays to patient admission from the emergency department and all-cause 30- day mortality’ detail the real harm, and in some cases death, that long waiting times can cause patients.

“The impact of this continued poor performance is distress and moral injury to staff and serious discomfort and risk to the safety of patients. This must be an urgent signal and call to action for system change. We have long called on the government to open 1,000 more beds in the system in Scotland, and to commit to publishing a long-term workforce plan. While there remains an urgent need to address the social care crisis to help patients be discharged from hospital in a timely way.

“Quite simply things cannot continue as they are, more patients will come to harm and staff will face increasing distress at the quality of care they are or, more significantly, aren’t able to provide. The government must recognise the severity of the situation and the risk that continued poor performance, long waiting times, patient harm, and sinking quality of care will continue to spiral.”

RCEM_Why_Emergency_Department_Crowding_MattersDownload

Vaccination programe: Booster jab appointments being sent out to 18 – 59 year olds

Adults aged 18-59 who have not yet had their booster jab for whatever reason will start to receive blue envelopes from today (Tuesday 1 February) with scheduled appointments.

Latest figures show that 83.5% of eligible adults in Scotland have now been fully vaccinated with primary doses and a booster. Approximately 580,000 eligible adults aged 18-59 will now be offered booster appointments from 7 February onwards.

Adults can receive a booster 28 days after they tested positive or if it has been at least 12 weeks since their second dose.

The letters will contain details of how to rearrange any appointment which is not convenient.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “While the number of Omicron cases continues to decline and restrictions are being lifted, it remains crucial that people complete their vaccination course in order that this improvement can be sustained.

“We know that in people who have had two vaccinations, protection against the virus wanes after time. However, recently published Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data indicates that initial vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation of older people increases to around 90% two weeks after a booster dose. This is why it is so vital to get your booster so you can maximise the level of protection against serious illness.

“We urge those who haven’t yet received their booster to take up the invitations being sent out this week in the distinctive blue envelopes so that we can continue to build on the nation’s defences.

“Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world, and I hope this national mailshot will encourage the remaining adults to join the 83.5% of eligible Scots who have already received their booster or third dose.

 “Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of our battle against COVID-19 – the very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped us considerably on our path back to normality.”

Information on booster jabs

NHS Lothian launches vaccination clinics for 5-11-year-old children

Children in Lothian at risk from COVID-19, along with children living with an immunosuppressed person, are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Launched yesterday, dedicated clinics especially designed for to cater for children will operate across the region.  They will be open between 8.30am – 4.30pm, seven days a week, for pre-booked appointments only.

Jane McNulty, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “We are delighted to offer these clinics to the youngest people in our community.

“These clinics will be operated by specially trained paediatric vaccinators in a clinical environment, which will allow children, parents and guardians to discuss the vaccination process in a calm environment.”

The vaccination will first be offered to children with a higher COVID-19 risk factor and children living in the household of an immunosuppressed person, it will then be offered to the wider child population in due course.

Those eligible for the vaccination will receive a letter from NHS Lothian in the coming days with details about how to book an appointment through the National Vaccination Helpline. Parents and guardian do not need to actively contact NHS Lothian to arrange an appointment.

The clinics are opening their doors following the publication and government acceptance of the advice of the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to offer two doses of the Pfizer childhood COVID-19 vaccine.

All children will receive two doses eight weeks apart. A third primary dose is also being offered to children aged 5-11 years with a severely weakened immune system. The third primary dose will be offered from 8 weeks after the second dose.

Ms McNulty added: “We recognise that parents and guardians may have questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and we encourage them to visit the pages on NHS Inform where there is a range of information available.

“Alongside this, our paediatric vaccinators are one hand to answer any questions people may have when they attend their child’s vaccination appointment.

“Vaccination remains critically important in the continued fight against COVID-19 and we welcome the further expansion of the vaccination programme across Lothian.”

Established vaccination clinics for over 12s will continue to operate separately from these clinics, with NHS Lothian still encouraging all over 12s to get any outstanding vaccinations.

Over 18s can receive their 1st, 2nd and booster vaccinations at all drop-in clinics. Those aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose if it has been at least 12 weeks since their first dose and they have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 12 weeks.

More information on the 5-11 vaccination programme is available on NHS Inform:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/the-vaccines/vaccinating-children-aged-5-to-11-years/

Information on clinic locations and opening times for over 12s is also available on NHS Lothian’s website:

https://www.nhslothian.scot/Coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/Drop-in-Clinics.aspx

Boosters provide high level of protection against death with Omicron

The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that boosters significantly reduce the risk of death with Omicron

The findings show that around 6 months after a second dose of any of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, protection against death with Omicron was around 60% in those aged 50 and over. However, this increased to around 95% 2 weeks after receiving a booster vaccine dose.

The data continue to show high levels of protection against hospitalisation from the booster. After a Pfizer booster (after either primary vaccination course), vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation started at around 90%, dropping to around 75% after 10 to 14 weeks.

After a Moderna booster (mRNA-1273) (after either primary vaccination course), vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation was 90% to 95% up to 9 weeks after vaccination. Longer follow-up data is not yet available and these figures may change with time.

An initial analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 (designated VUI-22JAN-01 on 19 January), reveals a similar level of protection for symptomatic infection compared to Omicron (BA.1).

After 2 doses, effectiveness was 9% and 13% respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 from 2 weeks following a booster vaccine.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: “The evidence is clear – the vaccine helps to protect us all against the effects of COVID-19 and the booster is offering high levels of protection from hospitalisation and death in the most vulnerable members of our society.

“The pandemic is not over yet and the vaccine is the best way to increase your protection against the serious consequences of this virus – please book your appointment for your first, second or third vaccine without delay.”

Vaccines minister Maggie Throup said: “A booster vaccine is absolutely crucial to topping up your immunity against the Omicron variant.

“More than 80% of eligible adults in England have already received their booster and this has allowed us to ease COVID-19 restrictions.

“You can book online, visit a walk-in or one of our many pop-up vaccination clinics – please get boosted now.”

Dentistry: Latest data highlights access crisis and widening inequalities in Scotland

The British Dental Association Scotland has called on the Scottish Government to strongly support NHS dentistry to address the large reduction in patients visiting the dentist as new data reveal further decreases in attendance and ever-widening inequalities. 
  
Registration rates remain high due to lifetime registration – over 96% of the Scottish population were registered with an NHS dentist in September 2021 – but the percentage of children registered fell from 91.4% in 2020 to 87.7% in 2021. 
  
Participation rates – contact with a dentist within the past 2 years – continued to fall during the pandemic due to ongoing restrictions imposed on dental practices. At 30 September 2021, just over half of registered patients (52.6%) had seen an NHS dentist within the last two years, a considerable reduction from almost two-thirds (65.1%) in 2020. The participation rate among children was higher than for adults (63.9% compared to 50.2%). 
  
Oral health inequalities between the most and least deprived areas in Scotland continue to grow, with the new data showing record gaps in participation rates.

In September 2008, the gap between the child participation rates for the most and least deprived areas was three percentage points; this had increased to seven percentage points by 2010, and eighteen percentage points (55.3% compared to 73.1%) in September 2021.

Similarly, in September 2008 the gap among adults was three percentage points; this had increased to six percentage points by 2010, and eleven percentage points (45.1% compared for 56.4%) in September 2021. 
  
The BDA has repeatedly warned that lower levels of participation will inevitably translate into a higher disease burden, with deep oral health inequalities expected to widen even further, given the cumulative impact of limited access to services, the suspension of public health programmes, and the impact of lockdown diets.

Lower participation will reduce the chance of picking up early signs of decay and oral cancers at routine check-ups, and delays in treatment will mean higher costs to the NHS and worse outcomes for patients. 
  
Free NHS dental care at the point of use remains a central Scottish Government policy. The stark results of a recent BDA survey showed that Scottish Government plans to revert to pre-COVID models of care risk sparking a flight of dentists from the NHS, with potentially devastating consequences for patient access across Scotland.

BDA Scotland has long warned that a return to a ‘business as usual model’ – low margin and high volume – will put practices under unsustainable financial pressure and will likely lead to closures or movement to the private sector.

BDA Scotland repeats its assertion that the Scottish Government must, in the short term, develop a suitable interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable long-term model for NHS dentistry. 

2022-01-25-dental-summaryDownload


  
Robert Donald of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Council said: 
“Today’s figures provide further evidence of the devastating effect of the pandemic on dental services. 
  
“Plummeting participation rates and the record gap in oral health inequalities present a bleak picture which will take a real commitment of time and resource to fix.  
 
“The Scottish Government needs to heed the concerns of the profession. It’s not just their signature policy of free dentistry that risks becoming unattainable. Failure to act risks sparking an exodus from the workforce that will leave families across Scotland losing access to NHS dentistry for good.”