Cyrenians, NHS Lothians LEAP, and Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership have been successful in a recent Corra Foundation grant bid to develop and implement a Women’s Recovery House in Edinburgh.
The House, for patients moving on from residential recovery in the LEAP program, offers women who do not have a safe home to return to the opportunity to continue their recovery supported by their peers.
The first of its kind in Edinburgh, the house creates a level playing field for women, who until this point have had limited options available upon completing the 12 week LEAP programme.
Amy Hutton, Director of Services at Cyrenians said, “This is a fantastic step forward in supporting the recovery community, particularly women who have been underserved in this area for quite some time.
‘We know, from experience, that highly traumatised women don’t fare well in standard service delivery environments, so to be able to offer a bespoke, safe home, truly is groundbreaking.
‘Men in Edinburgh completing the LEAP programme have benefited from a similar model for many years, so this new Women’s House really levels the playing field and helps us continue providing peer support to women who otherwise would be isolated in their recovery.”
This new funding not only allows the partnership to provide accommodation beyond the LEAP programme, but will also support the development of a Wellbeing Coordinator, providing assistance to patients throughout the LEAP programme and during their stay at the Recovery House.
Viki Fox, LEAP Manager for Cyrenians added: “The number of women attending our LEAP programme has been increasing year on year. To have this move on option available for those who would otherwise be discharged into an unsafe home, or indeed, homelessness, is a fantastic step forward to improving their quality of life and ability to stay in recovery.
‘By providing additional support through our wellbeing coordinator we will be able to offer practical and emotional support that will help build self-esteem and independence.
‘Recovery is only the first step – learning to live again beyond addiction takes time, and without support can feel overwhelming and thankless. The support from Corra Foundation allows us to address this need directly, and ultimately will provide women in Edinburgh the chance to rebuild their lives on their own terms.”
Veronica Murphy, 70, from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, is calling for every stroke survivor to get the chance of recovery that she did. Veronica received life-changing rehabilitation treatment after a serious brain haemorrhage in December last year.
Veronica’s call for action comes as the Stroke Association’s ‘Thriving after stroke’ report, published today, urges Health Boards to urgently deliver on government plans to enhance recovery after stroke.
Veronica said: “It was my birthday party on the day I had my stroke. My daughter noticed that there was something wrong with my speech so dialled 999, whereupon I was taken to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Glasgow.
“At this point, I couldn’t swallow or move the right side of my body. I was very poorly, and don’t remember much. The doctors couldn’t say what kind of recovery I was going to make, and it must have been hard for my family.”
Veronica was transferred to University Hospital Wishaw, where she was put on a clinical trial and spent 10 weeks undergoing intensive physiotherapy.
She continued: “At first my family couldn’t see any improvement. But then one of my fingers moved, and it gave them a glimmer of hope.
“From then on there was no stopping me. I learnt how to stand, took my first step then gradually more with the support of a rail. My physios were amazing and put so much work into helping me.
“On leaving hospital I was given a plan detailing my goals for returning home. I was assigned a community nurse who checked up on me, noted my progress, and left her phone number asking me to call with any questions, at any time. I continued to get regular home visits from the physiotherapist and occupational therapist, and have achieved my goals of climbing the stairs, making a meal, and walking outside with help from my physio if needed.”
John Watson, Associate Director for Scotland the Stroke Associationsaid: “Life after stroke support is a crucial, but under-provided, part of a stroke survivor’s recovery, helping them to regain independence, communicate, return to work, and deal with the emotional trauma that comes from stroke.
“Core rehabilitation therapies, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, are complemented by other forms of support to address longer-term practical, social and emotional needs that many stroke survivors have.
“Veronica’s experience shows how access to good stroke rehabilitation can be life changing. Unfortunately, we hear too many stories of stroke survivors leaving hospital not knowing what happens next, or where to turn.
Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Scotland, and there are over 130,000 stroke survivors living with the effects of stroke, many with ongoing support needs.
John continued: “Crucially this investment in people’s recovery saves money by helping stroke survivors regain their independence and reducing ongoing support needs.
“It has never been more important than now, to get life after stroke support right.”
The Stroke Association want to ensure every stroke survivor should:
Leave hospital with a personalised rehabilitation plan.
To maximise the benefit of post-hospital support, every stroke survivor should have their own rehabilitation plan. This should be agreed with the patient and their family or carers and issued before leaving hospital.
Have contact information for ongoing support from stroke services.
Every stroke survivor should have continuity of contact for their recovery from an experienced stroke professional who is familiar with them.
Receive a review of their progress and needs six months after their stroke.
Almost two thirds of stroke survivors leave hospital with a disability, with their needs evolving throughout their recovery. It is therefore vital they receive post-stroke reviews to identify these changes and plan further support or intervention.
Scotland’s Stroke Improvement Plan (2023)points to key pillars of holistic rehabilitation incorporating life after stroke support, including:
Personalised care and support
Patients and practitioners work jointly towards agreed goals
Support to overcome communication and other difficulties affecting patient capacity for decision-making
Psychological and emotional support
Six-month reviews carried out by a healthcare professional knowledgeable and experienced in stroke and familiar with the patient
Consideration of those with caring responsibilities.
Dr Matt Lambert, National Clinical Lead for Stroke and Specialty Advisor to the Chief Medical Officer:“What distinguishes stroke from other neurological conditions is the capacity for recovery. We know that getting the right support, in the right amounts, for as long as it is needed, makes all the difference.
“I want to see every stroke survivor resume their life with enhanced capacity, and with reduced need for ongoing support.
“This clearly benefits those who have had a stroke but also reduces their longer-term dependency on relatives, carers and health and social care services which benefits society more widely.”
Veronica concluded:“More recently, I am thrilled to report that I am now able to walk and pick up my four-year-old grandson, Nathan, from nursery!
“My family means everything to me. Without their support, and the specialist support from NHS Lanarkshire, I don’t know if I would be as well as I am today.
“If there was more investment in stroke rehabilitation, there would be less people requiring support, enabling them to work and be part of their community. It’s a win-win situation. I hope health boards can get on with meeting the commitments in the stroke plan and look forward to seeing Scotland leading in this area.”
The Lothians & Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) has become the first rehabilitation service in Scotland to hire people with lived experience to bridge the gap between community treatment and rehab.
LEAP, run by NHS Lothian and partners, is the only therapeutic community rehabilitation for alcohol and other drug dependencies offered by the NHS in Scotland.
Before the launch of this programme, the service was supported by volunteers with addiction and recovery experience but now officially employees six Peer Bridgers.
Peer Bridgers are people with lived experience of addiction and recovery whose role is to support others through rehabilitation and help improve outcomes.
Recruitment began earlier this year, with the most recent bridger joining in June 2023.
Phil Hayes (above, right) is one of the new Peer Bridgers now employed by LEAP.
Phil suffered from substance misuse issues earlier in his life but, thanks to a community programme, moved into recovery over 20 years ago.
Since then, he spent several years learning about the behaviours that led to his own issues around addiction.
Phil said: “I think society in general views recovery as either unattainable or a continual hard slog of fighting your inner demons day in, day out. I want to be able to show people that isn’t the case.
“With the right support and guidance, as well as some honest hard work, anyone can move completely into recovery and be both happy and of value within their wider community.
“The peer bridging project allows me, and the rest of the team, to engage with people from the moment they decide to change their lives.
“We can provide continuity of support and guidance for them to build a life for themselves outside of addiction.”
Recently published research has shown that residential rehabilitation programmes, like LEAP, are effective in reducing the use of substances and have a positive impact on the overall health and quality of life of those with substance use issues.
Research also shows that positive changes in behaviour after residential rehabilitation can be maintained over time.
David McCartney, Clinical Lead for LEAP, said: “Tackling Scotland’s drug and alcohol-related deaths and improving outcomes from substance misuse treatments, including residential rehabilitation, is a national priority.
“LEAP is a unique programme in Scotland. In other areas, the road to rehab can be much more complicated so we’re very lucky in Lothian to have this service.
“There are few people in Scotland whose lives are untouched by the harms of addiction, whether experienced by individuals, their families, friends or colleagues – addiction affects us all.
“We support our service- users through medical and psychosocial interventions within a therapeutic community setting, giving individuals an opportunity to heal from trauma and addiction and continuing to support them after treatment.”
LEAP is part of the services provided by the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Care Directorate in NHS Lothian and is delivered in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, the Cyrenians, Encompass and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships.
The service is funded thanks to both Scottish Government as well as the Alcohol and Drug Partnerships.
Hospitality businesses will be able to place tables and chairs on the pavement outside their premises without submitting a planning application under measures expected to come into force at the end of next month.
Strong support was expressed in a public consultation for the extension of permitted development rights to enable more cafés, bars and restaurants to offer outdoor eating and drinking. Regulations to implement the measures were laid in the Scottish Parliament on Friday 10 February for approval by MSPs.
Councils will, however, retain powers to prevent and deal with obstructions that make it difficult for people to access pavements safely and effectively, for example people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments, or families with children in pushchairs.
The 12-week consultation also backed the relaxation of planning rules for the conversion of certain premises into cafes, restaurants, or small-scale offices, as well as the installation of larger electric vehicle charging equipment in car parks. If approved by Parliament, all these measures would be allowed under certain circumstances without the need for a planning application.
Planning Minister Tom Arthur said: “These measures will support Scotland’s town and city centre businesses to thrive.
“More flexible use of outdoor space can help the hospitality industry recover from the pandemic and cost crisis, while making city and town centres more attractive and welcoming.
“The important safeguards for councils seek to ensure that no one should be prevented from using pavements and visiting town and city centres safely. A more streamlined approach to changes of use can help businesses respond more rapidly to shifting circumstances, support reuse of vacant premises and encourage the return of workers and shoppers to our town and city centres.
“Simplifying planning rules for electric vehicle chargers will support the roll-out of infrastructure across Scotland as part of our commitment to tackling climate change and making Scotland a Net Zero nation.
“These measures will help deliver our ambition to create a fairer, greener and wealthier Scotland, by making places more attractive for people to live, work and visit.”
A clean-up operation is underway following heavy rainfall and flooding across parts of Scotland over the weekend.
Several severe weather warnings were issued for the North East by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on Friday, with a month’s rain falling in some areas and record high river flows.
These were downgraded on Saturday as the situation improved; however, several flood warnings remain with a yellow weather warning in place for a large part of eastern Scotland.
People who lost power during the flooding events have had it restored and a normal rail service has resumed. Local resilience partners on the ground continue to support communities.
Over the weekend, Network Rail has continued to check routes to get them back to normal. Advice remains to check with your operator to see if your service is affected. Some roads remain impacted by flooding and drivers should pay attention to the conditions at hand. Traffic Scotland provides regular updates on the trunk road network and Police Scotland continues to warn of possible disruption.
The Scottish Government’s resilience arrangements remain activated to ensure appropriate measures are in place.
Justice Secretary and lead Minister for resilience Keith Brown said: “This was a serious flood event similar in magnitude to 2016’s Storm Frank, causing significant disruption in some parts of the country.
“As the clean-up gets underway, I want to thank local resilience partners and the emergency services for their ongoing work to ensure those communities most affected are kept safe, and urgently get the support they need.
“We still have flood warnings in place so please take extra care if you are out and about and do not attempt to walk or drive through flood water. The conditions continue to cause some disruption to the transport network – so it’s important people plan their journeys before they set off – particularly if they are looking to use the trunk roads or travel by rail.
“We remain in close contact with resilience partners, local authorities and the emergency services to ensure people in the affected areas receive the latest information, advice and support where needed.”
Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said: “Across Sunday and into next week we’ll see intermittent showers as the clear-up continues. Recent days have shown real resilience from families, communities, businesses and partners across the country with how they responded.
“Localised surface water flooding of land and transport routes remains possible. Take extra care, sign up for SEPA’s free Floodline service and don’t attempt to walk or drive through flood water.”
SEPA issues flood alerts and warnings for Scotland. View the latest updates on its website.
Glenigan’s autumn 2022-2024 Construction Forecast indicates poor market conditions are stifling construction activity, predicting a return to growth by 2024
Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight and intelligence experts, has released its widely anticipated autumn UK Construction Industry Forecast 2023-2024.
The key takeaway from this Forecast, which focuses on the next two years (2023-2024), is that the construction industry will struggle in the face of extremely challenging economic conditions, with predicted growth in decline during 2022 (-2%) and 2023 (-2%).
However, the sunnier uplands, although far off in the distance, are starting to emerge on the horizon, with a 6% increase predicted in 2024.
The slower road to recovery
Post-pandemic project-starts recovery has lost considerable momentum during the second half of 2022. Forecast to slip back by 2% by the end of the year, and in 2023, it paints a dim picture of activity levels in the short term.
Glenigan predicts the next 24 months to be a challenging period for the construction industry, with ongoing material, labour, and energy supply chain disruption continuing to hold back activity for the foreseeable future.
These external events have resulted in rocketing inflation, rising interest rates, and stalled economic growth, affecting the pipeline of future work. This has been further compounded by the promise of higher tax, utility bills, and rising mortgage costs which has constrained consumer-related construction, including private housing, retail, and hotel and leisure.
The situation has prompted some clients, contractors and developers to pause or scale back on planned investments, further stagnating output. This was confirmed by the value of projects securing detailed planning consent during the first nine months of 2022 dropping by 5%, and main contract awards falling by 8% against the same period in 2021.
Resurgence in private residential construction
Housing market activity cooled-off in 2022, and is predicted to slow further in 2023 as developers respond to weakening market conditions.
Project-starts are forecast to drop 4% this year, with a further 5% decline next, as lower household incomes, higher mortgage rates and lack of affordable homes continues to afflict the wider housing market.
The reduction in stamp duty rates announced in the mini-Budget will provide a small benefit to first time buyers. However, the end of the government’s Help to Buy scheme has removed direct support for new builds, coupled with mortgage providers significantly raising rates in reaction to the current rate of inflation, meaning that any benefit for first time buyers will be negated for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, the growing prospect of a stabilising economy in 2023, prompted by a changing of the guard at Number 10, and gradually improving consumer confidence over the next two years supports a forecast of a respectable 15% rise in residential project-starts during 2024.
Social housing slips back
In the public sector, the social housing project-starts prediction is less positive, forecast to slip back during 2022 and 2023, following a rapid 16% recovery in 2021 as housing associations pressed on with schemes delayed during the pandemic.
Despite improved funding, increased construction costs appear to be significantly constraining development activity, with approvals similarly falling back over the past 12 months.
Industrial Consolidation
Industrial project-starts have enjoyed a strong rebound post-pandemic, a rise which has largely been driven by logistics and light industrial projects as significant growth areas. Looking forward, the sector faces a period of consolidation during 2023 and 2024 as the recent spurt in activity inevitably slows.
Weak domestic and overseas demand is expected to temper manufacturing investment in facilities, but warehousing and logistics premises are forecast to remain a growth area. This is due largely to a long-term shift towards online retailing, resulting in continued demand for logistics space, and accounting for the majority of industrial project-starts’ 25% growth in 2022.
Retail tails-off
In the short term, however, the demand for both logistics and retail space is expected to be damped by weak retail sales as consumer confidence falls in response to higher inflation and falling earnings.
An overhang of empty retail premises, weak consumer spending, and the growth in online sales’ market share is predicted to constrain retail construction starts over the forecast period.
Despite this, investment by discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are set to be a bright spot within the sector over the forecast period.
Back to the office
Office starts have also bounced back sharply since 2021, increasing by 27%. The Covid-19 pandemic radically altered working trends globally as many businesses shifted to hybrid working, reducing overall floorspace requirements.
Despite this, the sector is predicted to benefit over the forecast period from a rise in refurbishment projects as tenants and landlords adapt premises to further accommodate these changing work patterns. Conversely, new build office projects are likely to be slower to recover as developers continue to assess the long-term demand for additional office accommodation.
Work, rest and delay
The squeeze on household budgets is set to curb consumers’ discretionary spending in the hospitality and leisure industries. The hospitality sector is still recovering from operational restrictions during Lockdown, as well as reduced revenues due to fewer overseas visitors.
Combined with spiking energy costs over the last 12 months, as well as a potential fall-off in domestic custom over 2023, the hospitality sector will be under considerable pressure. This is predicted to result in retrenchment, causing further delays to project-starts as asset owners wait for confidence to return.
Investment bolsters public sector
A core pillar of the Government’s UK Growth Strategy, public sector investment was set to be an important driver of construction activity over the forecast period. Funding for rail projects and regulated utilities in particular have been tipped to provide the bulk of the output over the forecast period.
However, as a new administration begins, with an ambition to balance the public finance books, planned capital funding allocation may be vulnerable, with a potential range of departmental cuts on the horizon to protect the economy against a looming recession.
Securing our energy infrastructure
Energy security will no doubt remain a national priority following the sharp rises in energy prices over the course of 2022, and an over-dependence on gas-powered electricity. This is expected to drive investment in offshore wind farms, solar PV, increasing our nuclear capacity and strengthening nascent hydrogen capture capabilities.
Building for future generations
The Government is also committed to rebuilding 500 schools over the coming decade. The latest Spending Review includes additional capital funding for the Department of Education, in a move to tackle the shortage of secondary school places. This is expected to support growth in school building projects in 2023 after a weak performance over the last year.
Healthier predictions
Positively, health sector project-starts remained high during both 2021 and 2022, with an optimistic outlook for the future as a 3.8% real-term growth rate in NHS capital funding is set to maintain project-starts at a high level over the forecast period.
Whilst starts are forecast to slip back 6% in 2023, the value of work started during 2021 and 2022 remains above pre-pandemic levels.
Commenting on the Forecast, Glenigan’s economic director Allan Wilen says, “Construction will face a challenging environment in the coming year as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to hinder the UK’s post-Covid recovery, exacerbating supply chain disruption, resulting in materials and energy shortages, and leading to cost inflation and dented market confidence.
“The pattern of UK construction activity is being reshaped by economic slowdown, but structural changes are expected to create new opportunities in warehouse & logistics, office refurbishment and new housing schemes. Going forward, it will be crucial for firms to be responsive and adaptable in order to mitigate risks in the current marketplace and exploit new opportunities as they emerge over the forecast period.”
To request a copy of Glenigan’s November 2022 Forecast click here.
To find out more about Glenigan, its expert insight and leading market analysis, click here.
Residential rehabilitation capacity increased through Scottish Government funding
Additional residential rehabilitation and detox capacity has been created at a life-saving drugs service in Lothian with almost £3.3 million of Scottish Government funding.
Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) has added eight residential rehabilitation places and four detox places – bringing the total number to 28 and 12 respectively – in one of the first projects to be funded through the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme.
This contributes towards the Scottish Government’s aim to treble the number of publicly funded residential rehabilitation placements to 1,000 by 2026.
Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “I am pleased to launch these additional services at LEAP which provide invaluable, life-saving care to people affected by substance use in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“Of course, work on residential rehab is not just about creating more beds. We want to improve pathways through and out of residential rehab, and LEAP is a perfect example of good practice in this area with their three-month holistic programme of therapeutic care.
“We are investing £250 million over the course of this Parliament in a range of different treatments and services in order that all those affected, and their families, can receive the support which is right for them when they need it. £100 million of this is available for the development of residential rehabilitation services and associated aftercare.”
LEAP Clinical lead Dr David McCartney said: “We are thrilled to be launching significant developments to the LEAP residential rehabilitation service including improved access, greater capacity and more comprehensive aftercare.
“These improvements are being made possible due to investment from the Scottish Government and the Lothian Alcohol and Drug Partnerships. LEAP and our partners will see improved outcomes for our patients and their families who are struggling with addiction to substances, helping them move to recovery – something that will benefit individuals, families and communities.”
The Covid Corporate Financing Facility, which provided a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital for large firms, comes to an end with every penny repaid.
The Bank of England facility provided almost £38 billion of support to more than 100 of the UK’s biggest firms, and made a profit for the taxpayer whilst protecting millions of jobs.
Firms that employ almost 2.5 million people were directly supported including those in the car industry, travel, hospitality, and high street stores.
The Chancellor has hailed the success of a Covid scheme that provided almost £38 billion of support to some of the UK’s biggest employers during the pandemic, protecting millions of jobs whilst making a return for the taxpayer, as it comes to an end today.
Household names, such as Gatwick Airport, the Football Association and the National Trust, were among more than 100 of the UK’s biggest employers that benefitted from the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF). The scheme has recouped every penny that was lent – plus a profit of over £60 million.
Rishi Sunak said the Bank of England administered scheme, which was launched in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, was another example of the government offering support at unprecedented speed to protect millions of jobs and taxpayer’s money simultaneously.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “We not only took unprecedented action but did so at unprecedented speed to protect jobs and businesses throughout the pandemic.
“The CCFF scheme ensured that many of the UK’s biggest employers could continue to pay wages and suppliers, protecting millions of jobs – and on top of that every penny has been repaid.”
The final CCFF repayments were made today, with all companies paying back what they owed. The scheme has made a profit of over £60 million for the taxpayer because the rate of interest applied to the cash provided by the Bank of England was priced at rates comparable to the market before Covid. Companies therefore paid back a slightly larger amount at maturity compared to the finance they borrowed initially.
Peter Vermeulen, Chief Financial Officer at the National Trust, said: “The HM Treasury team did an amazing job during the height of the pandemic. The National Trust, like many other large organisations, experienced an unprecedented liquidity squeeze, accompanied by enormous levels of uncertainty around the future.
“The CCFF was set up swiftly and in a highly transparent manner. The team at HM Treasury issued clear guidance and worked tirelessly to support us with the application and the associated legalities.
“We cannot commend the team highly enough for the excellent work they have done. It was an essential lifeline for the National Trust and has safeguarded some of the essential work we do on cultural and natural heritage, for the Nation. Thank you.”
Mark Burrows, Chief Operating Officer at The Football Association, said: “The pandemic was a serious challenge for The FA. We were faced with huge losses from cancelled events and competition disruptions affecting our broadcasting rights.
“As a not-for-profit organisation that reinvests its surplus into grassroots football, being able to rely on the security of CCFF as a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital meant we were able not only to continue to support our business, but grassroots football across the country.”
Through the purchasing of short-term corporate debt – known as commercial paper – the CCFF provided a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital for companies who were fundamentally strong but were at risk of experiencing severe disruption to cashflows.
Because it lent directly to large companies, the scheme also provided banks with the space to lend to a wider population of firms who could have otherwise gone bust during the pandemic.
The scheme helped companies across a range of sectors including the car industry, travel, hospitality, and high street stores. It kept cash flowing and delivered on the government’s commitment to do everything it could to support the economy and protect jobs.
Patients with COVID-19 symptoms are being asked to contact their GP instead of NHS 24 from the end of March.
The move comes after a fall in the number of people using the service since the end of December and represents a return to pre-pandemic procedures.
Currently callers to the 111 helpline are assessed and, if necessary, transferred to a local community hub staffed by clinicians from across the healthcare system.
From 31 March patients will be asked to contact their GP in the first instance during the working day, as they already do for other respiratory conditions. If help and advice is required out of hours, 111 should still be called. NHS Inform’s coronavirus webpage remains the fastest way for people to obtain the latest health advice and information.
Several boards have continued using GP practices as the first port of call for Covid-related calls during the pandemic, including Dumfries and Galloway and Tayside. It is now considered appropriate to return to this approach nationwide.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “This move represents another welcome step back towards normality.
“Call numbers and the number of serious cases are falling and the tailored arrangements put in place at the height of the pandemic are no longer required. But we remain on alert and should a more serious variant of the virus emerge the service can, and will, be swiftly restored.
“We are continuing to support GP practices as they manage acute COVID cases. The GP Escalation Framework remains in place to help health boards and practices deal with sustainability issues and we will invest £15 million this year in sustainability payments”.
NHS 24’s Director of Service Delivery, Steph Phillips said: “NHS 24 staff have provided an excellent service to the people of Scotland throughout the pandemic, both over the phone and online.
“We will continue to update the information and symptom checker on NHS inform and encourage people to use this resource.”
‘Welcome step back to normality’?Covid’s far from over – 11,685 new cases were reported in Scotland yesterday – with 19 deaths.
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.”
