Tag: public health

Extra respirators brought into use

Action has been taken to bring an additional 1.5 million protective respirators into use from NHS Scotland’s central stockpile.

The tightly-fitting facemasks, which provide a high level of protection for staff working with coronavirus patients, were not previously used because they had recently passed their expiry date.

However, scientific evidence from stringent independent tests has shown the FFP respirators continue to be safe to use.

Both the Health and Safety Executive and Health Protection Scotland have reviewed the evidence and are satisfied the stocks are safe for use by NHS staff.

Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “The safety of our health and social care staff is our upmost priority and it’s essential they have the right equipment to keep them safe as they go about their work.

“While there is currently an adequate supply of respirators, we know there is a significant pressure on global supplies of personal protective equipment due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

“We therefore decided to test this recently expired stock to determine whether it still provides an adequate level of safety and protection.

“Those tests have shown the equipment continues to meet those standards and therefore we will bring these masks into use to ensure we continue to have adequate stocks as the outbreak develops.”

Dr Miles Mack, chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, said: “Effective personal protective equipment is essential and we understand the difficulties around sourcing that have been encountered.

“On the basis of Health Protection Scotland agreement, we have no issue with this stock of masks being distributed for use in the NHS at this time.”

Trams construction work to halt

Construction on Edinburgh’s Trams to Newhaven project will stop this week to protect the safety of workers and residents during the current coronavirus outbreak.

The Council’s decision to instruct contractors Morrison Utility Services (MUS) and Sacyr Farrans Neopul (SFN) to cease site works follows advice from Scotland’s First Minister that all construction sites should close, unless the project being delivered is essential.

SFN and MUS will make sites on Leith Walk, Constitution Street, Lindsay Road and Ocean Drive safe by the end of the week before shutting down. This time is required given the complex nature of the project. Following on from shutdown there will be contractors on site as necessary for safety and security checks, in line with current social distancing guidance.

Work will continue off-site, again operating to strict social distancing guidelines, including design, planning and scheduling, as well as drawing up a remobilisation strategy for returning to the site once restrictions are lifted. The project team will also be closely liaising with MUS and SFN to look at ways of mitigating the impact of work stopping on the wider project.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The health and wellbeing of workers delivering key infrastructure schemes like Trams to Newhaven – and those who live nearby – is of utmost importance to us, which is why we’ve been working with contractors, to halt work since the Scottish Government guidance was issued.

“Of course, this will impact on the wider project, but nothing is more important than the public’s safety. We will, of course, be working with contractors to mitigate the impact of these necessary actions and carefully planning our strategy for returning to the site once restrictions are lifted.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve listened to national advice and the message is clear – we must limit our interactions with others during this crucial period. This is a major decision, and we remain committed to delivering the tram to Newhaven, but right now it is absolutely necessary if we are to limit the impact of coronavirus on the city and country as a whole.

“We are making every effort to protect the public while delivering core services and I would encourage people to do their own bit by observing rules on social distancing and looking out for one another where possible.”

SFN Project Director Alejandro Mendoza said: “We fully back the decision and guidance from the Government this week to shut down construction sites during this period of great uncertainty.

“These are extremely challenging and concerning times for all and we will do what is necessary for our staff and the public to help stop the spread of this virus.

MUS Project Director Mike Thomson said: “The health of our staff, and the residents and businesses in the local community, is our number one priority so we understand and support the decision to temporarily stop work.

“We will be working hard over the next few days to make the site safe and secure for the shut down period.”

While traffic management due to be installed on Leith Walk on 28 March will be postponed, existing traffic management on Constitution Street, Lindsay Road and Ocean Drive will remain.

Safety and security checks following shutdown will include, but will not be limited to, fenced-off worksites, traffic management signage, diversion routes, logistics hubs and the main compound and satellite offices. This will be in line with current social distancing guidance.

Logistics hubs on Mitchell Street will also close. The project’s contact centre will remain operational for any queries.

Other major infrastructure schemes being carried out by the Council across Edinburgh are currently under urgent review in light of UK and Scottish Government guidance, with updates to follow.

Several service changes have been implemented by the Council this week to help limit the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in Edinburgh. These include the suspension of pay and display parking charges, closing play parks and games areas and establishing Local Critical Resilience Centres.

Further information on services, support and how to report any concerns can be found on the Council website. If you’re experiencing an emergency or critical situation, please call 0131 200 2000.

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven online.

Coronavirus: Scotland forms new expert group

A new expert group providing additional scientific analysis of the impact of COVID-19 in Scotland has been announced by the First Minister.

As the number of cases increases, it is important that we have the fullest possible understanding of exactly how COVID-19 is spreading in Scotland.

Professor Andrew Morris, Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and Director of Health Data Research UK, will chair the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group.

He will be supported by vice chair, Professor David Crossman, Dean of Medicine at the University of St Andrews and Chief Scientific Advisor for Health at the Scottish Government.

The group will supplement the advice coming to the four nations from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) to further strengthen Scottish Government modelling work informing national and local decisions in Scotland during the pandemic.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood (above) said: “We are facing an unprecedented situation and it’s crucial we not only follow the latest scientific advice coming from SAGE, but establish what that means here in Scotland on a local level.

“It’s vital that we are well equipped to deal with all possibilities as this outbreak grows globally and this advisory group will play a key role in developing our understanding of the virus and its impact on Scotland.

“We will continue to work closely with the UK Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive as part of a coordinated response to this virus.”

Read the COVID-19 Guidance for Non-Healthcare Settings.

The latest numbers of test results are published at 2pm each day on the Scottish Government website.

Updates on public health advice for coronavirus can be found on the NHS Inform website, and a free helpline has been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice: 0800 028 2816.

Common symptoms of coronavirus include:
• fever or a temperature of above 37.8°C
• persistent cough

Surgeons take to social media to ask people to stay home

It’s a picture we’ve seen from around the world. Now clinicians from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow have recreated it for their own audience.

The group shows the emergency surgical team including Dr Elaine Yeap saying “We stay at work for you. Please stay at home for us.”

Elaine said: “It’s a very simple message. We saw doctors in Italy and the States sharing this, so decided to do a special Queen Elizabeth version.

“It’s so important people heed the warnings and stop the onward spread of Covid-19.

Please share this message with your family and loved ones and help us slow down the spread.”

Irresponsible members of the public continue to ignore our politicians: maybe they’ll listen to our hard-pressed medical staff?

Key Workers: further guidance published

Employers are being urged to think critically about what staff are considered key workers. The plea from the Scottish Government and COSLA comes as further guidance on key workers is published.

Before seeking childcare places, employers should consider:

• working with unions and workers to identify only those staff absolutely necessary to deliver the COVID-19 response and to provide essential and safe services
• introducing new shift patterns, working from home, recruiting more staff or dropping non-essential tasks
• having discussions with staff to identify if they can access any appropriate alternative childcare. This may include another parent or carer who is not a key worker

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We all have a vitally important role to play in the fight against COVID-19. For some that will involve a front line role in a hospital, but for others, staying at home to care for your children will also help to save lives.

“Where children are unable to safely stay at home, including vulnerable children, local authorities are providing childcare. However, only key workers who cannot fulfil their critical functions when they are working remotely from home may qualify for critical childcare provision.

“The number of children taking up these places must be kept to an absolute minimum. The priority must be for children of the most critical key workers and for the most vulnerable children in our society.

“I would urge employers to look at the guidance and consider if there is any way they can provide their essential services in a way that enables children to stay at home.”

Alison Evison, President of COSLA, said: “We recognise the extreme pressures faced by all businesses and employers at this very difficult time. Our priority is to ensure that vital services continue as far as possible.

“Local authorities have worked tirelessly to ensure that there is provision available for the children of key workers in an extremely tight timescale. However, our capacity to do so needs to be established in line with public health advice.

“The safety of our children, young people and staff is paramount. This guidance is aimed at making sure we all work together to get through this crisis while trying to minimise the impact on our society and economy.”

Guidance on key workers 

Coronavirus: NHS Lothian launches new Community Hub

NHS Lothian has announced the launch of a new Community Hub to help reduce pressures on GP practices and hospitals amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Hub, which is part of a national approach, will be staffed by a mixture of nurses and doctors. The Hub will handle calls with members of the public, triaged initially through NHS 24’s 111 phone line, who may be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) and who may need further assessment and advice.

As well as providing information and reassurance, The Hub service will facilitate face to face scheduled appointments for those individuals who may need further clinical assessment, but who do not need emergency care.

David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation, NHS Lothian said: “For many weeks now, we have been working hard to increase capacity across our services.

“The launch of the new Community Hub will help ease some of the pressure that both GP practices and NHS24 have been experiencing as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19).

“At one Lothian GP practice alone, we experienced over 150 extra calls in a single day from patients worried about coronavirus (COVID-19). The Hub will help to better manage this demand, providing information, advice and clinical assessment, meaning that both GP and hospital resources can focus on managing patients with other conditions.

“In what is no doubt a challenging and unsettling time for many, I hope that by sharing these plans, it will offer some reassurance.”

The public should continue to use NHS Inform for information and advice, and to call NHS24 (111) if they have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) which are not improving. Calls will be triaged to the Community Hub if they require more specialist advice.

To stay up to date with the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) advice, visit NHS Inform: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19

A free helpline has been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice. This can be accessed by calling 0800 028 2816. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 10:00pm, Saturday and Sunday, 8:00am – 6:00pm.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre closed

Unfortunately the Neighbourhood Centre has closed its doors until further notice. We are expected to be closed for at least the next three weeks and will then be guided by Government directives.

Emails to the Neighbourhood Centre will be remotely monitored by Roy and Lynda as will our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Emails to info@drylawnc.org.uk is the preferred method of contact.

We hope to see you all very soon and will let you know when we are open for business. Until then stay safe.

Coronavirus: Tailored support for those at highest risk

New guidance and local support is being implemented to help shield around 200,000 of the most at-risk Scots from coronavirus (COVID-19).

The measures are tailored towards supporting people with the highest risk of severe illness from the virus, as identified by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers. Scotland’s CMO Dr Catherine Calderwood will also be writing to those identified as being at greatest risk in the coming days to provide further information and bespoke guidance on how to best protect themselves from infection.

The new support being offered will help people self-isolate – thereby making it less likely that they will contract the virus – and protect them from the detrimental effects of self-isolation, including disruption of crucial health and social care, and social isolation and loneliness.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has ordered the establishment of Humanitarian Assistance Centres across the country as soon as possible.

Mr Swinney said: “Responding to the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest challenge of our lifetimes, and we must do all we can to slow it down and save lives.

“That’s why we are asking people at the highest clinical risk to self-isolate for a long period, and our local services must prioritise them. This will help protect them, minimise the loss of life from Covid-19, and reduce the burden on the NHS in responding to patients who are likely to become severely unwell.

“I have every confidence in the capability of Scotland’s resilience community to effectively lead what will be the biggest response effort ever undertaken in peacetime. We know that it won’t be easy, but by working together everyone can play their part in keeping people safe.”

The new support will be made available through GPs and local resilience partnerships, and will include help with medical conditions, access to medicine and services, and also access to food and supplies.

The Deputy First Minister has written to Local Resilience Partnerships around the country asking them to set up Humanitarian Assistance Centres (HAC) or an equivalent arrangement.

The Scottish Government is engaging with suppliers to put in place a national framework to ensure supplies can be secured at a local level.

The six categories of risk – as agreed by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers – are:

1. Solid organ transplant recipients

2. People with specific cancers:
a. People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
b. People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
c. People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
d. People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
e. People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD

4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell)

5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection

6. People who are pregnant with significant congenital heart disease

The first port of call for anyone looking for information is the NHS Inform website.

Coronavirus: New NHS 24 arrangements

Patients worried about symptoms should dial 111 if they need help

Patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms are now asked to dial NHS 24 on 111, day or night, if their symptoms worsen or do not improve after seven days.

Please do NOT call your GP or go to the surgery. If you require a sick note due to coronavirus, you can get this from the NHS Inform website.

This improvement provides patients with a straightforward dedicated route to clinical advice and support, as well as freeing up GP practices to treat and care for all non-COVID-19 health conditions.

Callers to the 111 helpline will be assessed and, if necessary, transferred to a local community hub staffed by clinicians from across the healthcare system to ensure patients get the best possible advice at the right time.

Depending on their assessment, patients may be given advice to help them continue self-isolating at home or be given an appointment to attend a local assessment centre for further treatment.

NHS Inform’s coronavirus webpage is still the fastest way for people to get the latest health advice and information. There is also a free NHS 24 helpline for people without symptoms looking for general information on coronavirus.

For patients who do not have any coronavirus symptoms, they should continue to telephone their GP when open and not call NHS 24.

In the out of hours period, when displaying symptoms other than coronavirus, you should only call 111 if you need urgent assessment and cannot wait until your GP is open.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This change means that anyone who has coronavirus symptoms and needs additional help or advice can now call the same number any time, day or night, seven days a week.

“As the number of people presenting with symptoms continues to grow, we must adapt to manage the daily growth in demand. As well as ensuring people are getting the right help at the right time, this step will also help ensure GP capacity to provide care for people in the community is protected and that only those cases that need to be admitted to hospital are admitted.”

NHS 24’s Director of Service Delivery Steph Phillips said: “NHS 24 has been at the forefront of supporting Scotland’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, through the NHS Inform website, the special helpline and the 111 service.

“This change will make it easier for people who are concerned about their symptoms to get the help they need as quickly as possible. Please help us to help you.”

NHS Inform’s coronavirus webpage is still the fastest way for people to get the latest health advice and information.

If you need a sick note due to coronavirus, don’t contact your GP or NHS 24. You can download an isolation note directly from NHS Inform.

The latest numbers of test results are published at 2pm each day on the Scottish Government website.

Common symptoms of coronavirus include:

  • high temperature or fever
  • cough
  • shortness of breath

Patients should only call NHS 24 (on 111) if their symptoms:

  • have not improved after 7 days
  • are severe or they have shortness of breath
  • worsen during home isolation

For any other health related concerns, make NHS Inform your first point of contact or call your GP during opening hours. If your GP practice is closed and your query can’t wait you can still call NHS 24 (on 111).

If you don’t have symptoms and are looking for general information on coronavirus, call NHS Inform’s free helpline: 0800 028 2816

Front line role for community pharmacies

Community pharmacists are to perform an enhanced role during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Pharmacists will be able to support more patients, reducing the pressure on other parts of NHS Scotland through the extension of the Minor Ailment Service.

The Scottish Government has also accelerated plans to expand access to Emergency Care Summary (ECS) data, which mainly contains medication information, to pharmacists.

Health Boards have been asked to provide access to this information to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in communities.

More than a thousand community pharmacies provide a range of NHS Pharmaceutical Care services on behalf of the NHS in Scotland.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The vital work of community pharmacies up and down the country is key in ensuring that we continue to reduce the burden across the NHS, and patients continue to get the necessary medicines they need to stay healthy.

“Many people visit a community pharmacy every day, with these numbers increasing in the current COVID-19 outbreak.

“This makes them the most accessible healthcare professionals on the front line of community health services, and a valuable resource to NHS Scotland.

“Strengthening the role of pharmacists, and easing some of the pressure from frontline NHS services, is therefore an important step in our wide ranging response to the current crisis.”