The number of cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland has risen to 29, it has been confirmed.
Commenting on the increase in Omicron cases to 29, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The number of Omicron cases now being reported in Scotland is rising, and cases are no longer all linked to a single event, but to several different sources including a Steps concert at the Hydro on 22 November.
“This confirms our view that there is now community transmission of this variant within Scotland. Given the nature of transmission we would expect to see cases rise – perhaps significantly – in the days ahead.
“However, health protection teams are continuing work through contact tracing, isolation and testing to slow the spread as far as possible while we learn more about the new variant’s impact. Ministers are also keeping the situation under daily review.”
A real terms reduction in Local Government funding in recent years must be halted to prevent Scotland’s communities and businesses suffering the effects of further cutbacks, COSLA has said.
This year’s Scottish Budget – to be announced next week on December 9 – should also recognise Local Government’s unique role in economic transformation, and must enable meaningful reinvestment in the services that underpin the economy.
Councils have significant spending power and the potential to build local wealth. Every pound spent in a local area – on pay, goods and services, and on capital projects – stays in and strengthens the local economy that enables people to ‘Live Well, Locally’.
COSLA also warns that without adequate funding for Local Government to support economic transformation, issues such as unemployment and child poverty will continue to rise, hitting communities hard and costing the whole system more in the long run.
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Gail Macgregor, said: “The economic challenges faced across Scotland require a new response – one that is in tune with the needs of local areas and resourced sustainably.
“The Scottish Budget on December 9 presents a perfect opportunity to reset Scottish public spending in a way that empowers councils to achieve their ambition for our communities, creating jobs and sharing prosperity.
“Scotland’s Councils have invaluable local intelligence with local businesses, colleges and universities, about key sectors, local labour markets, and skills/training needs that should be valued and fully utilised to allow our communities to thrive and enable people to ’Live Well Locally’.
“As well as the many great examples we have in our Lobbying document, take somewhere like Dundee where as part of the major development to their waterfront that includes the prestigious V&A Museum, Dundee City Council has used its influence to encourage payment of the living wage by partners and private sector business including its contractors.
“In addition, units that have been created for let are being leased to businesses that are committed to providing the living wage delivering positive and sustainable developments to the local economy.”
COSLA Vice President Councillor Graham Houston added: “Only Councils have the vital local connections across the services that underpin economic transformation we require post-COVID.
“Take something like housing for example – a basic human right. It is not just about throwing up new homes – it’s about building them in a way which helps transform our communities, in a way which is affordable, and in a way which supports our commitments to tackle climate change and to community wealth building.
“There has to be that connectivity that only Local Government can provide. Councils make and shape the places we live in and love and with proper funding form Government would be the real enablers in allowing people to ‘Live Well, Locally.’”
Councillor Alison Evison, COSLA President concluded: “One of the reasons our communities are suffering is that recent years have seen a real terms reduction in Local Government funding overall, so Councils have had to prioritise protected areas like social work and education, over economic development, roads and transport.
“But these are the essential service areas that are critical in attracting investment, developing businesses, and creating jobs – this can create the conditions to lift families out of poverty.
“That is why this year’s Scottish Budget must recognise Local Government’s unique role in economic transformation, and must enable meaningful reinvestment in the services that underpin the economy.”
Tougher action on the sale and use of fireworks and tackling the misuse of pyrotechnics has been backed in a new consultation.
The public consultation, which attracted a total of 1,739 responses, asked for views on the Scottish Government’s Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Bill.
The proposed Bill follows the report of an independent Fireworks Review Group which recommended tightening legislation to reduce the harm fireworks can cause.
The consultation, published today, shows that of those who responded on these individual issues:
92% agreed with the introduction of a new offence to criminalise the supply of fireworks to under-18s
84% backed the introduction of a fireworks licensing system
77% backed a new offence of being in possession of a pyrotechnic in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority
70% agreed with extending police powers to allow a stop and search provision in relation to pyrotechnics
more than 60% agreed with restrictions for the general public on the days fireworks can be sold and used
Community Safety Minister Ash Regan said: “The consultation builds on a significant programme of engagement and evidence gathering and demonstrated the range of views among those who responded.
“I am committed to making our communities safer and we have already moved quickly to introduce regulations restricting the times of day and the volume of fireworks that can be supplied to the public – as well as the times fireworks can be set off.
“We are intent on further improving safety for communities across Scotland by taking forward the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Bill at the earliest opportunity to ensure appropriate action is taken over the sale and use of fireworks and to reduce the misuse of pyrotechnic devices such as flares.”
Senior NHSGGC clinicians write to First Minister and Cabinet Secretary over ‘unfounded criticism’ by politicians and in media
Senior clinicians from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf, to express their disappointment and frustration about the way in which their work and integrity have been portrayed in the Scottish Parliament and the media in recent days.
Here is the full text of that letter:
Dear First Minister and Cabinet Secretary,
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital/Royal Hospital for Children
As NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde clinicians and clinical leaders, we write to express our immense disappointment and frustration about the way in which our hospitals, our colleagues and the treatment of our patients is being portrayed in the press and the chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
Our highly specialist services care for, treat and support some of the most vulnerable adults, young people and children in the country. Our sole aim is to deliver high quality, person centred care to our patients and focus on what matters most to them; fundamental to this is the strong working relationship between our clinical teams and infection control teams to keep our patients safe.
We have been, and remain, fully committed to being completely open and transparent in all that we do and we are dismayed that the integrity of our staff has been repeatedly called into question. Do we always get everything right when we discuss issues with families? Perhaps not. Do we ever wilfully withhold information from them? Absolutely not.
We have grave concerns that the continued undermining nature of the current negative headlines will result in an erosion of trust between clinical staff and patients and their families. Indeed, we have already seen evidence of the impact this is having on individual patients and carers, with staff reporting that families are very anxious about the safety of their relative while in our care.
We are particularly disappointed that individual patients are being discussed in Parliament without the knowledge of the families concerned, causing untold distress to families already grieving the loss of their loved one.
This unfounded criticism of our clinical teams and staff as well as the safety of our hospitals, is also hugely detrimental to staff morale at a time when so much is being asked of them.
Our staff across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, provide professional, dedicated care to their patients and as we prepare for a challenging winter, this sustained criticism of our staff is undoubtedly causing them distress and worry.
We are proud of all of our teams, many of which include leading specialists, but we fear that such negativity will have an enormous impact on our ability to recruit and retain such skilled individuals in the future as well as those of wider clinical, nursing and support staff. We will always treat our patients with integrity, dignity, respect and honesty and this should never be in doubt.
We accept that there will always be improvements we can make and learning we can implement, but at the heart of all that we do, is the commitment from every clinician working within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to provide the best quality of care for all of our patients and to be open and honest with them and their loved ones about their diagnosis and treatment.
Anything less would undermine the professional code of practice each of us sign up to at the start of our careers and adhere to throughout.
Yours sincerely
Dr Jennifer Armstrong, Medical Director Dr Margaret McGuire, Nurse Director Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director (Acute) Angela O’Neill, Deputy Nurse Director (Acute) Dr Chris Deighan, Deputy Medical Director (Corporate) Dr Kerri Neylon, Deputy Medical Director, Primary Care Mr Wesley Stuart, Chief of Medicine, South Sector Dr Claire Harrow, Chief of Medicine, Clyde Sector Ann-Marie Selby, Interim Associate Chief Nurse Clyde Sector Hon. Professor Colin McKay, Chief of Medicine, North Sector John Carson, Chief Nurse, North Sector Hon. Professor Alistair Leanord, Chief of Medicine, Diagnostics Dr Alan Mathers, Chief of Medicine, Women and Children’s Services Morag Gardner, Chief Nurse, South Sector Mandy Meechan, Interim Chief Nurse, Women and Children’s (designate) Patricia Friel, Interim Chief Nurse, Women and Children Services Dr David Dodds, Chief of Medicine, Regional Services Lorna Loudon, Interim Chief Nurse, Regional Services Dr Martin Culshaw, Associate Medical Director, Mental Health Gail Caldwell, Director of Pharmacy Fiona Smith, AHP Director Evelyn Frame, Chief Midwife Margaret Connelly, Assistant Chief Nurse, Governance and Regulation Lesley Rousselet, Chair, Area Clinical Forum
A national voucher scheme helping people access superfast broadband is being extended by three months.
Homes and businesses in Scotland that are unable to access fast internet speeds now have until 31 March 2022 to apply for funding worth up to £400 under the Reaching 100% (R100) Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme. An additional £250 is available for those in the hardest-to-reach areas.
The vouchers can be used to boost broadband speeds by accessing technologies such as those using satellites, mobile and wireless solutions. They are an interim measure pending completion of the Scottish Government’s programme to deliver superfast speeds by installing permanent broadband connections in areas where the work is not viable for commercial providers.
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “The pandemic has reinforced the necessity for everyone to have access to fast, reliable broadband, whether for work, business, or their personal use.
“We will make sure everyone – regardless of where they live – has access to an acceptable level of connectivity so they can be part of the digital world. Extending the voucher scheme will help ensure no-one is excluded while we continue to roll out superfast broadband solutions across Scotland.
“Accessing fast and reliable broadband has never been so important and for our more rural communities it is vital. That is why the Scottish Government is making substantial investments in digital infrastructure to ensure all of Scotland has access to high speed internet.”
The R100 online address checker aims to provide the most up to date information available regarding the R100 programme and eligibility for a voucher.
New transparent face masks, made in Scotland, have been approved for use in health and social care settings.
The new transparent masks, which feature a clear front panel to enable lip reading, will make communication easier and help reduce the challenges the pandemic has created for those with communication needs.
NHS National Services Scotland began distributing the masks to Health Boards in November, and they will be in use from early December onwards.
The product has been designed and made by Scottish PPE supplier, Alpha Solway, based in Dumfries and Galloway, and is the result of close collaboration with NHS National Services Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Humza Yousaf said: “Although face masks are essential to reduce the spread of coronavirus, it can cause difficulties for people who rely on lip reading, or have other communication needs.
“Patients and staff have rightly been calling for an alternative to the usual surgical face masks in clinical settings, so I am pleased NHS Scotland is rolling out these new, innovative transparent masks.
“These masks mean staff and patients can communicate clearly while staying safe.
“It is also great news that the masks are being made right here in Scotland. Businesses across Scotland worked hard to set up a new Scottish PPE supply chain at the start of the pandemic.
“This was an important part of our response to the coronavirus and this new and innovative product illustrates the long term benefits a domestic PPE supply chain can bring.”
Mary Morgan, Chief Executive for National Service Scotland said: “Patient care is of the utmost priority and clear communications is critical to delivering the best possible experience for patients.
“Our procurement team have been working hard to distribute transparent masks to health boards across Scotland in time for December. This is a key step in improving communications with patients and staff as we continue through the pandemic.”
The Minister for Transport and Police Scotland have launched this year’s festive enforcement campaign to tackle drink and drug-driving, highlighting the criminal and personal consequences of being found guilty of driving under the influence.
The campaign is backed by 48-year old Niki Smith, who was paralysed in a road collision in 1997, when she accepted a lift from someone who – unknown to Niki – had been drinking.
Niki, from Aberdeenshire, has now shared her experience to remind drivers that drink-driving can have devastating consequences and urges anyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel – as even one drink is too many if you’re driving.
With Christmas parties returning this year, the festive enforcement campaign warns motorists of a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug-driving.
In the last two months1 852 roadside drug tests have been carried out across Scotland, resulting in 395 positive tests. On average, specialist road officers encounter 40-50 motorists a week who have taken drugs. Drivers who provide a positive roadside drug test are arrested and taken to a police station where a blood sample is obtained and sent for further analysis. In the same time period, 600 drivers were arrested for drink driving related offences.
The campaign draws attention to the significant consequences – criminal as well as personal – of being found guilty of driving while under the influence of alcohol or with drugs in your system.
Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said: “The consequences of drink and drug-driving can be devastating and those found guilty of breaking the law could face a criminal record, a large fine, and up to six months in prison.
“Driving while under the influence puts not only the driver, but passengers and other road users at risk of serious injury, or even worse. Our message is clear, if you’re having a drink, leave the car at home and if you’re driving, the best approach is none.”
More than 20,000 drivers are stopped by the police in Scotland every month2 and Police Scotland’s enforcement campaign will see an even stronger focus on drink driving on Scotland’s roads from 1st December, so the chances of being caught are higher than ever.
https://youtu.be/XWa0cXppVHc
Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock, Police Scotland’s Head of Road Policing said: “We want everyone to enjoy this festive season for all the right reasons and so we are urging motorists to help us keep the roads safe for all.
“We continue to see motorists put others at considerable risk by driving under the influence of alcohol or after taking drugs, despite repeated warnings about the dangers of drink or drug driving.
” As we approach the festive season, our officers will be focused on targeting drivers who recklessly put others at risk by driving after consuming alcohol or drugs. Driving under the influence reduces reaction times and continues to be a factor in serious and fatal collisions. The fact you could kill or injure yourself or another member of the public should be reason enough not to risk it.
“As well as roadside breath testing, officers can also test drivers at the roadside suspected of taking drugs, following limits being set in law in October 2019. There is a zero tolerance approach to drugs most commonly associated with illegal use, including cannabis, cocaine and heroin.
“I am urging drivers to plan ahead this festive season, think how you’re getting home after drinking and consider the impact alcohol can still have the morning after. Please don’t drink or take drugs and drive, it’s not worth the risk, do your part, and help keep our roads safe this festive season.”
Recalling the day of the collision, Niki Smith said: “It was a Friday evening and my sister and I were having a great night out. I enjoyed letting my hair down in between working as a carer and being a busy mum.
“We accepted a lift from someone we knew, although we had no idea he’d been drinking. It was a small decision that changed my life irreversibly.
“It must have been heart-breaking for my family and partner to be told I’d broken my neck and was paralysed. My sister, who was in the car with me, broke her collarbone and was later diagnosed with PTSD. I’m glad it was me, as I would have struggled to accept her having my injury.
“There has definitely been years of stress, physical pain and frustration for me and everybody involved in my life. I have now found ways to enjoy special moments and not just sit at home and dwell on the difficult times. I’ve had to become a more confident person so people see me and not just the wheelchair. If I hadn’t had my kids I don’t think I’d be the person I am today.
“Last summer I got involved with Spinal Injuries Scotland and became a peer support volunteer. Their peer support workers inspired me to come forward and share my story, and the friendship, humour and empathy I’ve found there has been brilliant.
“I hope that by sharing my own experience I can help raise awareness of the devastating consequences drink-driving can have on so many lives.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through the same as me and my family.”
For more information go to roadsafety.scot or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook and Twitter (@roadsafetyscot) pages.
Annual investment of £20 million to help low income households
A consultation has been launched on a new heating benefit that will give around 400,000 low income households the reassurance of a guaranteed £50 payment every winter.
The Low Income Winter Heating Assistance will be introduced from winter 2022 to replace the current UK Government Cold Weather Payment scheme.
The current UK Government benefit triggers a £25 payment only when temperatures are recorded or forecast at below zero degrees Celsius for seven days in a row. The replacement Low Income Winter Heating Assistance benefit from the Scottish Government will provide financial stability, no matter the weather.
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “Low Income Winter Heating Assistance will be an investment of around £20 million every year to reliably support people towards the costs of heating their homes irrespective of the weather, temperature, or where they live in Scotland.
“Although Cold Weather Payments have been a valuable support for some during periods of very cold weather, there have been some years when hardly any payments have been made at all by the UK Government.
“If winters, as predicted, are due to become generally wetter and warmer then this may also reduce the numbers of Cold Weather Payments in the future. We want people to have certainty about receiving a payment.
“Our proposed new benefit will be the equivalent to two payments of Cold Weather Payment and should ensure that most people will be better off. Significantly, it will also enable us to provide assistance to more households that are at risk of fuel poverty.
“This is another important milestone in our ambitious programme, using the devolved social security powers we have to deliver more effective benefits for the people of Scotland, and is also part of our broader approach to support people who need extra help with heating costs during the coldest months of the year.”
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald, has welcomed the First Minister’s announcement that the Scottish Child Payment will be doubled from April 2022.
The announcement will see at least 7555 eligible children across Edinburgh receiving £20 per week per child from spring next year, with more than 106,000 children across Scotland immediately benefitting from the increased payment.
Since the launch of the Scottish Government payment on 15 February 2021, £2,036,820 has been issued in payments to families in Edinburgh.
It is now expected that over 400,000 children could be eligible for the doubled payment by the end 2022, which is when the benefit, which is unique in the UK, will be extended to children under the age of 16.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald said: “I am delighted that at least 7555 children across Edinburgh will have their Scottish Child Payment doubled in just four months time. This will give £20 per child per week to 7555 children in Edinburgh – four times the amount originally demanded by campaigners.
“The Scottish Government’s national mission to tackle child poverty is absolute – with £2,036,820 having been provided to families across Edinburgh since February, and almost £32 million across Scotland as a whole.
“The doubling of the Scottish Child Payment to £20 is the type of bold action that makes a real difference to people’s lives and shows how focussed the Scottish Government is on meeting Scotland’s Child Poverty targets.
“Once again, the tale of two governments is striking. While the SNP are doubling the Scottish Child Payment to lift thousands of children out of poverty, the Tories at Westminster have just cut £20 per week from many of the same families – knowingly pushing thousands of families into poverty.
“The people in Edinburgh deserve the chance to escape the damaging policies we get under Westminster control and get the chance to choose a better path, one with the full powers that an independent Scotland would bring and allow us to build a fairer society.”
The British Dental Association Scotland has said new standard operating procedures for dentists published yesterday will NOT restore access to pre-COVID levels.
With high levels of COVID and other seasonal infections, and now the emergence of the Omicron variant, dentist leaders stress they will also do nothing to avert the potentially catastrophic impact of Scottish Government plans to pull away pandemic support from NHS practices.
Patients in Scotland will now be placed on one of two pathways, given the likelihood of them carrying a respiratory illness. It replaces what amounted to a ‘one size fits all’ approach that has been in place since the outset of the pandemic, which reduced capacity across the service.
Those on the non-respiratory pathway can be managed in line with pre-COVID standard infection control precautions for non-aerosol generating procedures.
However, for an aerosol-generating procedure, enhanced precautions will still be required for non-respiratory patients since pre-appointment PCR testing is not carried out in dentistry.
Any patient placed on the respiratory pathway and requiring urgent care will remain subject to enhanced precautions for all procedures, which will include maintaining ‘fallow time’ gaps of up to an hour between treatments.
The new model is unveiled on the day the Omicron variant was confirmed to be present in Scotland. Even setting aside any potential spike in COVID infection, large numbers of patients are likely to end up on the respiratory pathway given typical patterns with seasonal flu and the common cold.
It is anticipated a number of dentists may opt for a ‘safety first’ approach, and use flexibility within new protocols to maintain existing protective measures, particularly given the uncertain effectiveness of triage questions in identifying symptoms of the Omicron variant.
Over 3.5 million NHS dental appointments have been lost in Scotland since the first lockdown, driven by ongoing restrictions.
Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf wrote to all NHS dental teams last month stating that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022, as part of a new policy to return to the low margin and high volume system the service operated to pre-pandemic.
The move drew criticism from all opposition parties, given the unsustainable pressure it would place on practices. According to a BDA survey conducted at the time 80% of dentists estimate their practices are set to reduce their NHS commitment should the Scottish Government remove emergency support and return to pre-COVID models of care.
Yousaf told the Scottish Parliament on 3 November that “reform at this stage would be a disruption.” Governments in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay are taking through reforms to their NHS dental systems at this time.
NHS dental care free at the point of use remains a centrepiece SNP policy. BDA Scotland has said the Scottish Government must change course to achieve that goal, develop an interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable model for delivering care.
David McColl. Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Since the spring we have been pressing for a plan to safely ease COVID restrictions, to help increase patient numbers.
“Sadly, these new guidelines will not magically restore services. They land as we head into winter when respiratory diseases are set to skyrocket. And with Omicron now present in Scotland many practices will understandably take a safety-first approach.
“We are still facing massive backlogs, saddled with a system that is unfit for purpose. New protocols will not soften the blow of plans to pull away emergency support at this challenging time for infections and try and return to a ‘business as usual’ model during a pandemic.
“Ministers say now is not the time for reform. Reform won’t wait for millions of patients in Scotland who need NHS dentistry to have a future.”
