Tag: Scottish Government

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.”

Back To Work: Scottish Government announces changes to working from home advice

Businesses can prepare to resume hybrid working from next Monday (31st January), enabling more people to have a flexible return to working between home and the office.

Due to the continued decline in Covid case rates and the progressing easing of protective measures, businesses can implement a return that offers staff more flexibility while ensuring steps are taken to mitigate the potential spread of Covid.

Eligible businesses in the hospitality, leisure, culture and tourism sectors that were impacted by the necessary public health measures introduced to stop the spread of Omicron are now receiving grant payments.

The Scottish Government is working ‘at pace’ with local authorities and other delivery partners to ensure business support funding is paid to all eligible businesses as quickly as possible.

Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “I want to thank businesses and their staff for the continued understanding and willingness to work with the Scottish Government and local partners to respond to the changing challenges we have faced as a result of this pandemic, including responding quickly to the necessary public health measures introduced to stop the spread of Omicron in December.

“Thanks to our collective efforts to stop Omicron spreading, case rates are slowing and so it is possible to resume a measured and proportionate return to hybrid working. This will be welcome news for many thanks to the significant benefits to businesses, to staff and to the wider economy however we must remain cautious.

“We know how quickly Covid can spread and so this must be a phased and flexible return to hybrid working, with employers and employees working together, including with their trade unions where appropriate, to decide the most effective balance of home, flexible and hybrid working.

“The Scottish Government is firmly focused on doing all we can to support businesses and grow our economy. As well as the £375 million business support package, businesses in Scotland continue to benefit from our non-domestic rates relief package which is worth a forecast £802 million in 2022-23.”

The announcement was made during the First Minister’s coronavirus update yesterday:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-25-january-2022/

All businesses and workplaces should follow the principles set out in the safer workplace guidance, and carry out regular risk-assessments. This replaces much of the previous sector specific guidance.

Businesses should also follow advice on ensuring good ventilation in their premises.

Record number of students from deprived areas attend university

The number of Scots from the most deprived areas enrolling at Scottish universities is at a new record high.

Higher Education Student Statistics, published today, show a new overall record number of students enrolling in Scottish institutions – an increase of 8.6% compared to last year. This includes a new record high of Scottish domiciled students enrolling at university.

There has also been a large increase in the number of non-EU domiciled students – up 17% on last year.

Commenting on the figures, Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Every young person should have an equal chance of success no matter their background or circumstance, so it is great to see the number and proportion of Scots from the most deprived areas at university hit a record high.

“By 2030, we want 20% of students entering higher education to come from Scotland’s most deprived backgrounds and the Commissioner for Fair Access has previously said that Scotland is ‘setting the pace’ in the UK in widening participation.

“Today’s data also shows the number of students enrolling at Scottish universities hit a new record high and we have seen a large increase in international students. This highlights the fact that Scotland, along with our world class higher education institutions, remains an attractive place to study and live for prospective students.

“However, we have seen a continued drop in EU students coming to study in Scotland following Brexit. EU students enrich our campus life and I hope we can still welcome many of them to our world-leading institutions.”

Higher Education Student Statistics UK 2020-21 show:

  • A record number of students enrolled at Scottish HEIs in 2020-21: an increase from last year of 8.6% (+22,385) to 282,875

Scottish domiciled                180,170         (+7.9%,   +13,120 since 2019-20)

rUK domiciled                       34,520            (+8.4%,   +2,685 since 2019-20)

Non-EU domiciled               47,630            (+17.0%, +6,935 since 2019-20)

EU domiciled                        20,550            (-1.7%,    -345 since 2019-20)

  • 16.7% of Scottish domiciled full time first degree entrants to Scottish HEIs are from the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. This is an increase of 0.3 percentage points, or 545 entrants, from 16.4% in 2019-20.

New report highlights poverty target challenges

The Fraser of Allander Institute has tday published a new report, jointly authored with @MMUPolicyEval & @PovertyAlliance, that explores some of the challenges and opportunities that the Scottish Government faces in meeting its Child Poverty Targets:

Around 1 in 4 children in Scotland live in relative poverty. This means they live in a
household with an income 60% below the UK median income after housing costs
have been deducted.

Child poverty can have serious and lifelong impacts across a range of outcomes,
and the Scottish Government have stated their aim to reduce significantly the
incidence of child poverty. The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 20172 includes a target
to reduce relative child poverty to 10% by 2030/31.

Meeting this target would represent an unprecedented reduction in child poverty to levels not seen in Scotland certainly since the early 1990s when the current statistical series began.

The purpose of the analysis in this report is to look at some of the large, national level, devolved policy levers that the Scottish Government could use to meet the
targets. We have focussed on childcare, employability programmes and social
security.

By analysing variations of these types of policies, and different combinations, this
analysis illustrates the scale of the impact on poverty and the associated costs and
benefits of different options.

We envisage that this will be helpful for policymakers and stakeholders who will be focused on developing actions for the next Tackling Child Poverty Delivery plan, due to be published by the Scottish Government by the end of March 2022.

Download a summary here.

Eye examinations to remain free in Scotland

The fees paid by the Scottish Government to optometrists for carrying out NHS-funded eye examinations will increase by 3% – helping to ensure everyone can continue to access high quality eye care.

Scotland became the only UK nation to introduce free universal NHS-funded eye examinations in 2006 and, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, 2018-19, a record 2.3 million people had their eyes examined by an optometrist under this service.

This increase will be backdated to include all General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) eye examinations, which provide both a sight test and an eye health check, undertaken from 1 April 2021.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “General Ophthalmic Services is one of the many NHS success stories in Scotland. The introduction in 2006 of free universal NHS-funded eye examinations set Scotland apart from the rest of the UK, and this Government is committed to maintaining this policy.

“Increasing the fees paid to optometrists for providing this vital service ensures everyone in across the country can continue to access high quality eye care services.

“Even if you’re happy with your vision, it’s really important to have your eyes examined regularly by an optometrist. An eye examination helps detect eye problems and signs of other significant health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease before they become more serious.

“Many community optometrists can manage the treatment of certain eye conditions and are able to prescribe treatments to patients instead of having to make a GP or hospital referral.

“I would also like to thank everyone in the community optometry sector for their invaluable work and dedication in response to the pandemic – staffing Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centres during the initial phase of the pandemic, supporting the vaccine programme and the outstanding efforts made in returning to delivering pre-pandemic levels of care.”

David Quigley, Chair, Optometry Scotland said: “We welcome the announcement of a 3% increase to GOS fees.  These are significant developments which acknowledge the excellent service provided by community eyecare colleagues across Scotland.

“We have campaigned for an increase and implementation of a sustainable funding model to safeguard and enhance the future of community optometry, and thanks to a strong working relationship and ongoing constructive dialogue with the Scottish Government we are pleased to see this come to fruition.”

Seatbelt safety campaign launched

Almost one in ten always drive without wearing a seatbelt, new research reveals

A new hard-hitting campaign launched today by The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland asks drivers to wear a seatbelt and warns that not wearing one could cost them their lives – having a devastating impact on the loved ones they leave behind.

Figures show 13 per cent of those killed on Scotland’s roads over the last five years were not wearing a seatbelt. Despite this, new research reveals that almost one in ten drivers always drive a car without wearing a seatbelt.

Drivers surveyed feel that drink-driving, drug-driving, using a phone while driving, driving while fatigued and driving aggressively are all ‘riskier’ than not wearing a seatbelt while driving. Passengers not wearing a seatbelt was seen as ‘risky’ by just 27 per cent.

Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said: “Wearing a seatbelt is something everyone can do to reduce injuries and save lives.

“The consequences of not wearing your seatbelt can be devastating if a collision occurs – not only for the driver and passengers but for other people, including your loved ones.

“This campaign delivers a stark but necessary message to anyone travelling in a car: It’s not just you who gets hurt. Wear a seatbelt on every journey.”

When it comes to considering the serious consequences of not wearing a seatbelt, the majority of drivers surveyed thought of themselves first and were concerned that they might get seriously injured or die if they were involved in a collision. This was ranked above ‘causing injury to someone else’ or the ‘emotional damage they would cause to other people’ (friends, family, emergency services).

Superintendent Simon Bradshaw, Deputy Head of Road Policing said: “Wearing a seatbelt is not a choice, it’s the law and the evidence is clear that seatbelts save lives; it’s not just you that could get hurt if you don’t.

“Our officers will interact with and educate drivers and passengers where necessary but we will also continue to take appropriate enforcement action and those caught not wearing a seatbelt could be fined up to £500.  We’re also reminding drivers it’s their responsibility to ensure all passengers under 14 wear their seatbelts, and they can be fined for every child not properly restrained.”

Running across TV, cinema, radio, digital and outdoor channels, the hard-hitting campaign creative underlines that a collision without a seatbelt doesn’t just hurt you, it can also be devastating for those you leave behind.

Set in a testing facility, the new ad features a car with a crash test dummy – not wearing a seatbelt – in the driver’s seat. As the car starts to drive towards a wall, the camera pans away from the impact and focuses on the effects on the driver’s family as they deal with their grief.

A crash test dummy family are seen sitting at a dinner table with an empty seat poignantly left for their lost family member as the final line appears: ‘It’s not just you who gets hurt. Wear a seatbelt.’

For more information go to roadsafety.scot or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook and Twitter (@roadsafetyscot) pages.

MSPs launch inquiry into how Scots access healthcare services

An inquiry into the different ways patients access healthcare services in Scotland has been launched by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.

Traditionally, when a person seeks healthcare their first point of contact is usually with a general practitioner (a GP or family doctor) but the inquiry is focused on other routes to accessing healthcare that exist in the community, referred to as ‘alternative pathways’.

The aim of the inquiry is to explore how and to what extent these alternative pathways are being used to access primary care, and to identify key issues and opportunities for improvement. 

Alternative pathways to healthcare in the community include:

  • Seeing a different health practitioner, such as a physiotherapist, nurse, pharmacist, speech therapist, or podiatrist who works in the GP practice or in the local community.
  • Being directed to other types of support to improve health and wellbeing – such as walking groups, community groups, advice, or volunteering (referred to as ‘social prescribing’).
  • Using telephone helplines websites to access additional information, advice and online therapies.

The Committee is seeking to find out the current level of awareness amongst health practitioners and patients of alternative pathways to healthcare other than seeing a GP and how this might be improved in the future.

They are keen to find out what capacity other primary healthcare professionals have to take on more patients, the role of social prescribing in alternative pathways and how technology can improve services.

Speaking as the inquiry launched, Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “The traditional model of primary care where you went to see a GP for any and all health issues is placing ever increasing pressure on GP services.

“This isn’t a sustainable situation for general practices – but it’s also not good for patients struggling to get a GP appointment when there may be alternative and better routes they could go down to get the healthcare they need.

“Through our detailed work on this inquiry, the Committee is keen to explore what opportunities exist to make more and better use of these alternative routes to healthcare.

“We want to find out what role they have to play in creating a modern, flexible, community-based healthcare system which allows patients to access the right professional, at the right time.”

If you are a medical professional or organisation who would like to respond to the inquiry you can do so here: https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/alternativepathways 

Members of the public can give us their views here: https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/alternativepathways-survey 

The call for views will close on 22 February 2022.

Scots to become Distance Aware

Voluntary scheme to encourage people to give space

Free badges and lanyards will be available to people who wish to show others they would welcome additional space and extra care while out in public.

The Distance Aware scheme is a voluntary initiative to help those on the Highest Risk List or anyone who feels worried about mixing with others as we adapt to living with COVID-19.

The Scottish Government has joined the scheme set up by the Bevan Commission and adapted it following research which showed that almost three quarters (73%) of people on the Highest Risk List said they would like to signal to others to give them extra space.

From 26 January, the badges and lanyards with the easily-recognisable shield symbol will be available free from all community and mobile libraries in Scotland. Badges will also be free from Asda stores. They can be ordered from the Scottish Government website for a small postal fee.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are beginning to adapt to living with COVID-19 but we know that, for some people who have been at higher risk or feel anxious about going out in public, this is a big step.

“This scheme not only provides vital reassurance to anyone who chooses to wear a badge or lanyard, but also encourages us all to be more aware and considerate of those around us – as we simply don’t know their circumstances or concerns.

“I hope this will help people feel more confident and comfortable to go about their daily lives. The shield symbol can be worn by anyone.”

British Red Cross Scotland Director of Independent Living and Crisis Response Marie Hayes said: “We fully support the aims of the Distance Aware campaign and will be proud to highlight the scheme to callers contacting our Connecting With You service. Many people are experiencing loneliness, and are fearful of going out of their own homes as a result of the pandemic.

“We believe Distance Aware can help overcome this and help them to re-engage with social activities. This could be invaluable in helping to tackle loneliness.”

Asda Senior Director for Scotland Brian Boyle said: “We are delighted to work with the Scottish Government to implement this scheme in Scotland. There has been interest in the free Distance Aware badges, particularly from our more vulnerable customers.

“As people become aware of the badge and its meaning, the more effective it will be in helping people to feel safer and less worried when they are out and about.”

From 26 January, find details of the Distance Aware scheme here. 

Scotland to outlaw glue traps

Legislation to end the harmful practice of setting ‘glue traps’ is to be brought forward by the Scottish Government in order to protect animal welfare.

Glue traps are devices, most commonly but not exclusively, used by professional contractors in food premises, where the use of rodenticide poisons are undesirable due to the risk of poison contamination.

The glue boards work by placing them along areas where rats and mice are likely to frequent; once the animal steps onto the board, it is then firmly stuck to it and is unable to free itself. Once an animal is captured the glue trap can be retrieved and the animal dispatched.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) undertook a review of the use of glue traps and concluded that there are significant animal welfare issues related to their use, not only for rodents but also for non-target species such as wild birds.

Given this, the Scottish Government intends to implement a full ban and will seek stakeholders’ views through a consultation, before forward bringing legislation during this parliamentary term.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “We are committed to maintaining the highest welfare standards in Scotland for animals, including wildlife.

“We have carefully considered the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s findings, alongside all other relevant evidence, I am pleased to announce in Parliament today that we intend to end the cruel practice of setting glue traps.

“The Commission’s report is clear that there are significant animal welfare issues related to the use of glue traps, not only for rodents but also for other animals such as wild birds. Therefore, we will bring forward legislation to ban glue traps in this parliamentary term.

“Our intention is to ban the sale as well as the use of glue traps. However, there are implications arising from the Internal Market Act which can undermine decisions made by this Parliament, including in devolved climate and environmental policy. We intend to work through these issues.”

Restrictions eased for care home residents

Isolation periods reduced and removed

Most people admitted to adult care homes will no longer have to self-isolate for two weeks under new guidance issued to care home operators.

People transferring from hospitals to care homes will no longer need to isolate if they have had a negative PCR test in the previous 48 hours, so long as they have no symptoms of a respiratory virus and have not been exposed to COVID-19 over the previous 14 days.

The isolation period for care home residents testing positive for COVID-19, or for close contacts of COVID cases, is also being cut from 14 days to 10 days to bring restrictions closer to those for the general public.

The measures are being taken in line with clinical and public health advice, recognising the high levels of vaccination in care homes and the need to balance the risk and impact of infection for people living in a communal setting against the potential harms caused to residents by long periods self-isolating.

Residents who have been in hospital for acute overnight stays will also no longer need to isolate, and will not need a negative PCR test, provided there is no clinical reason to think that they have COVID.

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We know isolating for longer time periods can be distressing and harmful for care home residents and for their loved ones.

“Reducing the length of time care home residents have to isolate if they catch COVID, or are identified as close contacts, reflects the ongoing risks facing people who live communally, in a homely environment with other care home residents, many of whom have long term conditions.

“It is also crucial that care homes continue to support indoor visiting. Yesterday the First Minister advised the lifting of guidance limiting the number of  households meeting indoors. However, she stressed that it would be sensible for people to remain cautious in their social interactions for the time being.

“We therefore recommend that there should be no set limits to the number of households visiting each resident, Care homes will determine group sizes and numbers taking into account the size of the visiting area and other factors.

 “As before there should be no restrictions placed on frequency and duration of visiting which will guided by care home arrangements and circumstances.”

Coronavirus (Covid-19) adult care homes guidance