Legionnaires' outbreak officially 'over'

The Edinburgh Legionnaires’ disease outbreak is officially ‘over’. The outbreak, which struck in May and has so far taken the lives of three people, was declared over following a review meeting of the Incident Management Team (IMT) on Tuesday.

To date, there are a total of 101 confirmed and suspected cases. All of these cases have links to the south west of Edinburgh and fit the timescales of exposure and the incubation period for developing Legionella-related illness.

Detailed investigations into the source of the outbreak continue with further testing and analysis of the environmental samples taken from potential sources being carried out.

Lothian and Borders Police and the Health and Safety Executive are jointly investigating the circumstances of the deaths under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Health and Safety Division, and research is also underway to better understand the full extent of the outbreak.

Dr Alison McCallum, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian said: “As we have seen over the last week, we can expect further cases who have been ill for some time to continue to come forward and our increased surveillance will continue.

“However, all the evidence is suggesting that the action taken when the outbreak was first identified was effective and all cases fall within the expected incubation period, so the decision has been made to declare the outbreak over.

“Laboratory work is ongoing to try and identify the source conclusively but, as we have said from the start, it may not be possible to do so.

“There is also more work to be done to gain a better understanding of the scale of the outbreak and how to manage outbreaks in the future. We hope that people who are approached to participate in these studies will come forward and help us with this significant piece of research.”

A full report into the outbreak detailing the epidemiological, environmental, meteorological and microbiological investigations and recommendations for the prevention and control of future outbreaks will now be produced.

Welcoming the announcement, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is good news that the outbreak has been declared over, and as we have already seen, the number of new cases has been dropping off over recent weeks.

“We have worked closely with NHS Lothian to ensure the outbreak was well managed, and I would like to pay tribute to NHS staff who have coped extremely well with this situation.

“However, we have to remember that there are some patients who remain extremely ill, and NHS staff are maintaining high quality care for those patients.

“The Health and Safety Executive and Edinburgh City Council are continuing their investigations into the source of the outbreak.”

Green cash boost for Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens is to receive £1.5 million to replace ageing glasshouses, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced today. The money is part of a £26 million investment package of which will lead to a greener Scotland.

The money supports renewable energy and low-carbon projects, as well as projects which will help people enjoy Natural Scotland, and comes as part of an overall £105 million package of economic stimulus announced by Mr Swinney last month.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly called on the UK Government to provide resources for capital investment in order to support economic recovery. The projects funded can be taken forward quickly and will support jobs and investment.

The £26 million will go to the following projects which will support Scotland’s environment:

£2.8 million to the Green Bus Fund, to further support the wider roll out of low-carbon buses across Scotland.
£800,000 to the Rutherglen Low Carbon Zone.
£2 million for plant and estate improvements at Arnish Yard.
£16 million for other renewable energy projects.
£700,000 to accelerate the upgrade of visitor facilities at David Marshall Lodge, Aberfoyle.
£500,000 to upgrade visitor facilities at Queen’s View, Perthshire (pictured below).
£1.8 million to improve visitor facilities within the National Parks.
£1.5 million to commence replacement of ageing glasshouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh (above).

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “Scotland’s astounding natural resources are recognised throughout the world, and I am pleased that this funding will support a suite of projects which will help us to take proper advantage of these resources to deliver economic growth for the Scottish people.

“Careful stewardship of Scotland’s resources has allowed us both to identify funding for these capital projects, and to ensure that Scotland’s environment will continue to be an economic and natural asset to be enjoyed for generations to come. The funding for renewable energy and low-carbon projects will help us to capitalise on our world-leading expertise in this area to support jobs and attract further investment. And as we look ahead to next year’s Year of Natural Scotland we will support a number of projects in our National Parks and through the Forestry Commission and Botanic Gardens which will enhance facilities for visitors.”

Legionella latest

No new cases have been confirmed in the Edinburgh Legionnaires’ outbreak for the sixth day in a row. The total number of confirmed cases remains at 50, the number of suspected cases is 49 and the total number of overall cases remains at 99.

At noon yesterday, of those cases being treated in hospital, there were two patients in intensive care and seven on general wards. Twenty cases are being treated in the community, 59 have been discharged from hospital and three people have sadly died.

Ten cases are being treated outwith the NHS Lothian area. The ages of the confirmed cases ranges between 32 and 85, with more males than females affected.

Investigations into the source and cause of the outbreak continue. Lothian and Borders Police and the Health and Safety Executive are jointly investigating the circumstances of the deaths under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Health and Safety Division.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am pleased to see that no further cases have emerged for the sixth day in a row, and the evidence continues to suggest that the outbreak has peaked. NHS Lothian are maintaining high quality care for patients who remain unwell and work to identify and deal with the source of the outbreak continues.”

NHS Lothian

Childcare consultation launched in North Edinburgh

The best package of flexible childcare in the UK, designed to make it easier for parents to access work, education or training is the cornerstone of new legislation, Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell said today. The Minister was speaking as she launched a consultation on the forthcoming Children and Young People Bill at North Edinburgh Childcare in Pilton this morning.

The proposed legislation will help parents structure their childcare to best suit their family’s needs as well as:

Increasing the amount of flexible, early learning and childcare to a minimum of 600 hours annually for three and four year olds and looked after two year olds
Embedding the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach in a single system of planning and delivery across children’s services
A requirement for public bodies to design, plan and deliver policies and services that focus on improving children and young people’s wellbeing
Improving Scotland’s care system to ensure it offers effective, efficient support for children and families, centred on short and long term needs

Ms Campbell said: “The Scottish Government’s vision for children and young people is clear: we want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up.

“As part of this new Bill, I want to put in place the best and most flexible package of family support in the UK to help Scotland’s parents, children and our wider economy.

“This legislation will boost our ongoing efforts to strengthen the rights of the child, making Scotland a nation where the rights of children and young people are not only recognised but rooted deeply in our society and across our public services.

”We have a huge opportunity to make the most important changes to public services in a generation and I encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation and the wider debate on the future of children’s rights and services in our country.”

The consultation on the Children and Young People Bill runs for 12 weeks with the deadline for submissions being September 25. It will provide an opportunity for stakeholders, professionals, parents and carers and children and young people to have their say on the future shape of children’s services and the Scottish Government’s approach to delivering change.

Legionnaires’: the worst may be over

Health experts are hopeful that we now may be in the latter stages of the Legionnaires’ outbreak. As of the latest update at 4pm yesterday the number of cases stands at 82, with indications that the number of cases presenting is slowing down.

The latest reports from the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) on the Edinburgh Legionnaires’ disease outbreak show that there are now 37 confirmed cases and 45 suspected cases: an increase of one in the total number of confirmed cases and an increase of one suspected case.

As at noon yesterday, of those cases being treated in hospital, 15 are in intensive care and 26 are on general wards. A total of 16 cases are being treated in the community, 19 have been discharged from hospital and one person has died.

Five cases are being treated outwith the NHS Lothian area. One patient is being treated in the north of England, two in NHS Tayside, one in NHS Lanarkshire and one patient from NHS Highland is now being treated in Glasgow. At this stage all these cases are considered to be linked to the south west Edinburgh outbreak.

The ages of the confirmed cases ranges between 33 and 76, with more males than females affected.

NHS 24 has received 630 calls to the dedicated helpline for Legionnaires’ disease, and the Health and Safety Executive and City of Edinburgh Council are continuing investigations into the possible source of the outbreak.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “These latest figures are reassuring and in line with expectations, and although it is too early to be definite they do suggest we are now in the later stages of this outbreak. All those involved are responding extremely well: NHS Lothian services are coping with the demands on them and the City of Edinburgh Council and the Health and Safety Executive continue to make significant progress in their investigation to identify the source of this outbreak.”

Dr Duncan McCormick, Chair of the IMT and Consultant in Public Health Medicine at NHS Lothian, said: “We are pleased with the slow down in the number of cases presenting and we hope this will continue over the coming days. The risk to the general public is low but anyone with concerns should contact their GP or NHS 24’s dedicated hotline on 0800 0858 531.”

Legionnaires': the worst may be over

The ages of the confirmed cases ranges between 33 and 76, with more males than females affected.

New scheme will protect private tenants

A compulsory scheme to safeguard millions of pounds in deposits paid by tenants renting properties in Scotland has been approved by Housing Minister Keith Brown.

Annually, tenancy deposits amount to over £74 million in the majority of the 273,000 households that make up the private rented sector in Scotland. It is estimated that up to 11,000 tenants have £3.6 million of their deposits wrongly withheld each year.

The first tenancy deposit scheme to be approved is the Letting Protection Service Scotland.

The scheme also aims to protect the reputation of the majority of private rented sector landlords who act professionally and responsibly. Once in place landlords or their agents must pay deposits to an approved scheme and provide key information about the tenancy, the deposit, and the scheme which is protecting it, to the tenant.

The scheme will be free for landlords and letting agents to participate in and will provide access to a free and independent dispute resolution service, where agreement over the return of a deposit cannot be agreed by the tenant and landlord. Two further schemes are being considered with the intention of starting all three schemes, which will operate across Scotland from July 2, 2012. In order to provide landlords time to prepare, the legal requirements to submit deposits into a scheme will come into effect from November this year.

Keith Brown said: “Up to 11,000 tenants annually have £3.6 million of their deposits wrongly withheld, which is why this Government is taking action to ensure tenants receive a fair deal. It is important to stress that the majority of landlords act responsibly. This scheme is aimed at those landlords who continue to tarnish the image of the private rented sector. The new regulations that allow the scheme to operate are also deliberately streamlined with the emphasis on creating a cost effective approach to safeguarding tenancy deposits.”

Kevin Firth, Director of The LPS Scotland commented: “With 5 years of custodial deposit protection experience under our belts, we are delighted to be approved by the Scottish Government to operate a scheme in Scotland. I encourage landlords and tenants to make sure that they understand the legislation and take appropriate action to ensure they are covered.

“It will be compulsory for landlords and letting agents in Scotland to protect their deposits with a Government approved scheme as soon as the legislation launches. It is crucial that those in the private rented sector don’t fall foul of this legislation and take the appropriate steps to ensure that they are prepared for its introduction.”

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Each year millions of pounds from deposits are unfairly withheld by landlords and agents in Scotland, causing hardship to tenants and the very real threat of homelessness due to a lack of funds to secure their next property. At the same time too many landlords are uncertain about the grounds on which they can legitimately withhold a deposit.

“The introduction of a compulsory scheme to safeguard deposits is a step in the right direction towards protecting tenants, landlords and agents. Against a backdrop of increasing financial hardship and a growing private rented sector we hope the tenancy deposit scheme achieves a transparent and fair system for all.”

Sue Hopson, Brand Standards Director at Martin & Co commented: “I am extremely pleased that the Scottish Government has chosen to back a single type of scheme being custodial. In the eyes of the consumer the rules will be so much easier to understand as every agent and Landlord will be following the same rules, processes and timescales via a transparent custodial method.

“I am sure that the Landlords and Tenants in Scotland will find the scheme as beneficial and as easy to work as we have. Hopefully due to the existing legislation in England and Wales and a more prominent consultation period in Scotland the introduction of Tenancy Deposit Protection will be welcomed by Scotland and not come into fruition quite so quickly as it did for England and Wales 5 years ago. There will be a lead in time for educating Landlords, Tenants and Agents with a generous period of time before all deposits need to be protected”