Police have arrested and charged a man in connection with a fatal road collision that happened at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh last year.
Mary Dawson (81) died as a result of injuries she sustained in a collision with a Skoda Superb car outside the Anne Ferguson Building, around 4pm on December 4.
A 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged, and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
First Minister Alex Salmond worked alongside longstanding Royal Voluntary Service volunteers at the Western General Hospital yesterday. As part of Volunteers’ Week, the First Minister spent an hour meeting volunteers and staff of the Royal Voluntary Service (formerly known as the WRVS), serving tea at the hospital café and chatting to staff, patients and visitors. The First Minister said that the nation’s volunteers are ‘a true credit to Scotland’.
During the visit Mr Salmond met a number of older volunteers including Margaret Collinson, age 83, Eleanor Taylor, age 79, and Agnes McFarlane, age 88, who between them have given more than 100 years of voluntary service.
The First Minister also encouraged people to nominate volunteers for a Diamond Champion award which recognises and highlights the fantastic, selfless volunteering that is being done by older volunteers across the country.
Mr Salmond said:
“Scotland has a rich tradition of volunteering and community involvement is part of the core fabric of Scottish social and community life. Volunteering represents a huge investment of time, energy and commitment by individuals who want to improve the lives of those around them, give something back and help make their communities better places to live.
“The Royal Voluntary Service volunteers who have given so much of their lives in voluntary service have been inspirational to meet. Not only are these individuals doing a wonderful job in serving those who come to their café, they also get so much out of it for themselves.
“A service like this is not just crucial for those who visit hospital, for patients and their families, nurses, doctors and hospital staff but also for the older volunteers as it provides an opportunity to work together, to socialise and to remain active.
“I am overwhelmed by the commitment and dedication of the volunteers here at the Western General and touched by the care and compassion with which they deliver their roles. Volunteers are a true credit to Scotland and I sincerely thank them for all that they do.”
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David McCullough, Royal Voluntary Service chief executive, (pictured above) said:
“We are delighted to welcome the First Minister to our cafe at the Western General Hospital and introduce him to some of our dedicated volunteers. Volunteers’ Week is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the fantastic work of our army of 7,000 volunteers across Scotland who, without making a fuss or asking for reward, give their time selflessly to others, which is why this week we are launching Diamond Champions our search for volunteers over the age of 60; the hidden gems in our community.
“So if you know an older volunteer who deserves some recognition then please nominate them for this prestigious award. We know that our volunteers make a huge difference to the lives of older people and they themselves also get great satisfaction from the work they do; so it’s win-win!”
Carol Crowther, NHS Lothian’s Assistant Nurse Director Person Centred Care, Quality, Patient Experience & Professional Standards, said:
“The presence of the Royal Voluntary Service volunteers in our hospitals is very welcome and contributes to the overall positive experience for users of our services through the warm and welcoming atmosphere in their cafes and shops and their cheerful attitude toward staff and patients.
“The Royal Voluntary Service outlets on our sites give back proceeds to the hospital from income generated from these outlets. This means that these volunteers not only give their time but their support enables this financial gifting through which we are able to provide additional patient comforts at the Western General Hospital.
“We are very proud of the contribution all our hospital volunteers make. They bring a range of skills and life experiences and are extremely beneficial in the delivery of all our services.”
About Royal Voluntary Service Formerly known as WRVS, Royal Voluntary Service has been helping people in Britain for 75 years. Originally set up as the Women’s Voluntary Service in 1938, the charity played a crucial role during the Second World War. Whilst keeping the same values of community service, Royal Voluntary Service has now focused its work on helping older people to remain independent and get more out of life.
Royal Voluntary Service supports over 100,000 older people to stay independent in their own homes for longer with tailor made solutions. Through its army of 40,000 volunteers, the charity runs services such as Good Neighbours (companionship), Meals-on-Wheels and Books-on-Wheels that alleviate loneliness and help older people. Royal Voluntary Service also provides practical support for older people who have been in hospital through its On Ward Befriending and Home from Hospital services. For further information please go to: www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Scotmid set a target of raising £150,000 in a year for their chosen charity partner Maggies’s – but the fundraising efforts of big-hearted Scotmid staff has ensured that they are already within sight of their total – in less than half that time!
When Maggie’s Chief Executive Laura Lee heard how charity partner Scotmid have raised an incredible £144,000 in just five months for Maggie’s, she knew she wanted to celebrate the fantastic news at the first ever Maggie’s Centre – at the Western General Hospital here in Edinburgh.
After all, it was at the Western that Laura first met Maggie’s founder Maggie Keswick Jencks. Laura worked at the hospital as a clinical nurse specialist when Maggie was re-diagnosed with breast cancer. Over time Laura, originally from Peterhead, and Maggie became very close and while the idea for a different type of cancer care was Maggie’s, it was Laura who turned that dream into a reality. It seemed fitting, then, for Laura to celebrate Edinburgh-based Scotmid’s incredible fundraising efforts where the Maggie’s story all began.
Laura said: “Since we first opened the doors of Maggie’s Edinburgh, 17 years ago this November, Maggie’s has grown in ways we could never have imagined. We now have 14 Centres across the UK where we offer our unique programme of support to people with cancer, their friends and families.
“We have many more Centres in various stages of planning as well and by the end of 2014 we hope to have full coverage across Scotland. This is something we are incredibly proud of especially considering we rely solely on donations for our funding, which is why the kind of support we receive from companies such as Scotmid is absolutely vital.
“To have raised £144,000 in just five months is quite extraordinary and I applaud the efforts of everyone involved. Scotmid staff have obviously invested a great deal of hard work and creative energy into their fundraising and I would like them to extend a huge thank you to them all.”
Maggie’s and Scotmid launched their partnership on 1 September last year and fundraising to date has included a Ride Across Britain, a dinner dance in Edinburgh, bungee jump, parachute jump, race nights and Christmas raffles in store – so in just five months they have almost reached their target for the year of £150,000!
Staff do not intend to slow down their efforts with more fundraising events planned for the coming six months, however – they even have a team taking part in this year’s Maggie’s Monster Bike & Hike in May.
Malcolm Brown, Head of Corporate Communications for Scotmid Co-operative said: “The innovation and commitment that our teams have shown to raising funds for Maggie’s is truly remarkable and very commendable. We’ve had all sorts of fundraising activities, from an abseil down the Dundee University tower to staff coming to work in their pyjamas to raise money. This amazing half-way result is testament to the wonderful support that Maggie’s provides to people with cancer. We are delighted to have raised this much and we’re looking forward to raising even more in the next six months for this very worthwhile cause.”
Health Secretary Alex Neil officially opened the new Royal Victoria building within the Western General Hospital this morning. The £43.6 state of the art facility replaces the Royal Victoria Hospital on Craigleith Road which closed last year.
The new building is all single-bed rooms – the government set out an aim in 2008 that single rooms would become the norm for new and refurbished hospitals.
Health Secretary Alex Neil said there are substantial financial and health benefits to single rooms. He said: “You have to look over the life cycle of the hospital, the building, what is going to be the savings made for example by reducing the incidence of hospital acquired infection. It’s not just the financial cost of that, what’s most important is the benefit to the patient. I think most people would want to be in an environment where the risk of hospital acquired infection was kept to the absolute minimum.”
An 81-year-old woman has died after being hit by a car as she crossed Porterfield Road outside the Western General Hospital yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. The woman was treated at the scene, but died from her injuries.
The driver of the vehicle assisted police with their inquiries at the scene, and police are seeking witnesses to the accident, which happened at around 4pm.
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “We are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the collision, which happened close to the Anne Ferguson Building.”
If you have any information please call Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131.
Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses following the theft of two rings worth £10,000 at the Western General Hospital last week.
The incident happened around 3.15pm last Tuesday (23 October). A 33-year-old woman was in one of the bathrooms and took off her wedding ring and eternity ring off to wash her hands. After leaving the bathroom, she realised she’d left her rings inside and when she returned to retrieve them, she found they were gone. Neither item was handed in to security, so the woman has contacted police to report them stolen.
The wedding ring is a platinum band with a single one carat diamond while the eternity ring is platinum with around 24 diamonds around the circumference. The rings (pictured below) have a combined value of around£10,000.
A police spokesman said: “The woman has been left devastated at the loss of her rings and is desperate to have them returned to her as soon as possible. Anyone who comes into possession of the rings is asked to hand them in to their local police station. We would also ask that anyone who can assist with our enquiries into this theft contacts police immediately.”
Anyone with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
The outstanding achievements of individual staff members and teams from a diverse range of NHS Lothian services received recognition in the organisation’s annual ‘Celebrating Success Awards’ last week – and top of the list was the Western General’s gardening supervisor Ronald Fraser.
The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday 25 October which was attended by over 200 staff. The evening, hosted by radio personality Arlene Stuart, recognised the inspiring and truly amazing work that takes place across NHS Lothian every day.
This year’s ceremony featured ten categories, including volunteer of the year, staff member of the year and team of the year.
Tim Davison, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian said: “The Celebrating Success Awards are about recognising the very best of NHS Lothian. This is not about being the best for its own sake – it is about delivering the best for the patients in our care and the communities we serve. By involving the public in this event we hope to recognise the staff that our patients tell us are the best.”
Ronald Fraser, Gardening Supervisor at the Western General Hospital, was named Staff Member of the Year at the awards ceremony. Click on the link below to see why …
Watch the Staff Member of the Year video.
Ever wondered what goes on in your local Maggie’s Centre? Well now is your chance to find out! All Maggie’s Centres – including Maggie’s Edinburgh at the Western General – will now host weekly Maggie’s Welcome Experiences.
Anyone interested in Maggie’s – or who is interested in supporting Maggie’s – can simply drop in to experiences a typical Maggie’s welcome, have a look around our unique centres and speak to our fundraising teams.
It will also be an opportunity to hear first hand, from our inspirational centre users, how Maggie’s has helped give them the clarity they need to begin to make a diagnosis of cancer more manageable within a community of people who have been through or are going though the same thing.
Maggie’s Edinburgh fundraiser Marion Taylor said: “Everyone at Maggie’s is incredibly excited about our new Maggie’s Welcome Experience. We are aware that it can sometimes be difficult for people to fully appreciate what a Maggie’s Centre is like until it has been experienced first hand. Now anyone can simply pop in during our welcome event to get a sense of Maggie’s special atmosphere and to gain an understanding of what a Maggie’s welcome is all about.”
Anyone interested in coming along to visit our fantastic Maggie’s Edinburgh at Western General Hospital just pop in between 4.30 – 5.30pm on Thursdays and we will have the kettle ready to welcome you – as always in Maggie’s teas, coffees and refreshments will be available!
For more information on Maggie’s Welcome Experience please feel free to contact Shona Langlands on 0131 537 3135 or shona.langlands@maggiescentres.org.
Maggie’s Centre
Scotland rugby legend Gavin Hastings joined in the fun and games when he formally opened Royal Victoria Hospital’s Open Day yesterday – and after days of miserable weather the sun was a very welcome visitor too!
The Open Day was a final opportunity to have a look round the old hospital on Craigleith Road – services are transferred to a new state-of-the-art Royal Victoria Building at the nearby Western General Hospital next month.
There was a fascinating photo and exhibits display inside the hospital while out in the grounds there was a magician, disco, football, stalls, bouncy castle, face painting and even some birds of prey.
If you missed yesterday’s event, don’t despair – there will be another one at the new Royal Victoria Building at the Western in a fortnight’s time! It’s a chance to see the magnificent new facilities there – can’t promise any sunshine, though!
Last chance to visit the old Royal Victoria Hospital
Scots rugby legend Gavin Hastings will kick off an open day at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) on Craigleith Road tomorrow. Saturday’s event has been organised to celebrate the history of the landmark hospital which has provided healthcare services to the local community for over 128 years.
Saturday’s event takes place before services at the hospital are relocated to the new Royal Victoria Building at the Western General and will be a chance for the local community to bid a fond farewell.
The RVH, established in 1894 by Sir Robert William Philip, was originally created as a tuberculosis sanatorium before it evolved into a care of the elderly hospital. A special display of memorabilia and photographs taken throughout the ages will take centre stage during the day, along with attractions including a magician, bouncy castle, tombola with prizes and even a falconry display.
The event takes place on Saturday from 10 – 4pm, with the official opening by Gavin Hastings at midday.
Gavin, who won 61 Scottish caps during an outstanding rugby career, said: “The Royal Victoria Hospital has held a special place in the hearts of the local community for a long time. Being part of this community myself, it is a great opportunity for me to get involved and I would encourage everyone to come and celebrate the history of this landmark hospital.”
The new Royal Victoria Building, built nearby on the Western General Hospital site, has been designed to provide the highest quality healthcare services in a modern setting. It will become a new landmark in healthcare history when it opens, as the first of its kind in Scotland to have all the patient accommodation being single en-suite rooms.
Construction company Laing O’Rourke, who are responsible for the construction of the new Royal Victoria Building, will also provide a display for the open day to show the future of healthcare services for the elderly.
The new building was officially handed over to NHS Lothian last month and the first patients are expected to arrive in June. A second open day will be held to give local residents and interested groups an opportunity to see the facilities in the new Royal Victoria Building.
The Royal Victoria Hospital site will be put on the market this summer.
