Many of us dread the winter months: it conjures up images of bad weather, colds and flu. Additionally, many of us feel the winter blues too. For some of us, however, the symptoms are more persistent and more serious. Continue reading Get your body ‘winter ready’
With this week’s sudden drop in temperatures households in Scotland are being urged to check their heating systems are working correctly to avoid being caught out with an unexpected breakdown when the cold weather bites. Continue reading Get your heating system ready for winter NOW, households in Scotland urged
The effects of the rising flu rate are being seen across A&E departments, Health Secretary Shona Robison said yesterday. Latest figures show the number of people reporting flu-like symptoms shows no sign of slowing. Continue reading Winter health: Flu case numbers yet to peak
Scotland East takes the coldest and frostiest crown with an average winter temperature of 2.3 degrees and 44 days of frost – 18 days more than the least frosty region England South West / Wales South.
Scotland North has the most rain, seeing over 8 weeks of rainy days during winter. That’s 25 days more than the driest region East Anglia which only suffers a month’s worth of rainy days.
England South East/Central sees the most winter sun with a total of 180 hours of clear sunshine during December, January and February. That’s 77 hours more than the darkest region Scotland North which sees an average of 103 hours of cloudless sunshine, almost an hour less sunshine a day.
England and Wales see 45 hours more clear sunshine during winter than Scotland, and 24 hours more than Northern Ireland.
When compared to England and Wales, Scotland has 9 more days of frost, 12 more days of rain and is 1.4 degrees colder on average during winter.
There’s nothing more British than a conversation about the weather, and with winter well and truly here it’s often a moan. Whether it’s too cold, too dark or even too warm to snow, it seems we’re never quite happy with what’s going on outside. Some of us, however, have more reason to complain than others … particularly if you live in Scotland! Continue reading Fifty years of winter: who feels the deepest chill?
NHS Lothian is creating an innovative partnership with Scottish Government to help boost performance and improve patient care across the health board. The partnership, which will also work with the Edinburgh Integrated Board, is creating a Whole System Dynamic Review and Targeted Analysis at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to help tackle delayed discharge and waiting times.
The move comes as health boards across Scotland begin to suffer extreme winter pressures. Earlier this week NHS Lothian recorded the worst performance for A&E waiting time targets since the publication of weekly figures began almost three years ago.
The collapse in its figures follows last month’s admission by NHS Lothian that acute hospitals had been under-reporting waiting times. The latest weekly figures show just 77.3% of patients were dealt with within the four-hour target.
In an attempt to address this the new partnership, which will also work with the Edinburgh Integrated Board, is creating a Whole System Dynamic Review and Targeted Analysis, at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, to help tackle delayed discharge and waiting times.
Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said: “Like a number of other health boards, NHS Lothian is experiencing significant winter pressures across our whole healthcare system. There are a number of contributing factors, including the increasing complexity of cases presenting at emergency departments and significant numbers of delayed discharges.
“This new way of working will allow us to zoom in on processes and procedures, not just in the Emergency Department, but across the acute care system to help improve patient flow through our hospitals.”
The group will provide enhanced support and resources to analyse systems across the board in a bid to improve the patient journey through the hospital.
A set of Whole System Indicators will be created to help boost and measure performance and attainment.
Mr Crombie also reminded patients of the need to ensure they seek the right care, in the right place, at the right time for them. He added: “It could be that self care at home or a consultation with a pharmacist or GP is best when you are feeling under the weather or for many common illnesses.
“As the winter chills bite, so do the numbers of slips, trips and falls. But it is important to remember that these kind of injuries can be treated at the Minor Injuries Unit at the Western General Hospital, rather than a lifesaving emergency department.”
Gas distribution company SGN is supporting a new campaign urging people to be prepared for bad weather this winter and to know what to do if they have a power cut or gas emergency. The launch comes as it’s revealed almost one in five (17%) people in Scotland admit they aren’t prepared for winter weather as colder conditions roll in. Continue reading Are you winter ready?
With winter fast approaching and our hours of daylight getting shorter Brits are being urged to take a supplement of sunshine Vitamin D – especially those north of the border in Scotland. Continue reading Scots urged to top up their Vitamin D as daylight hours drop
Winter’s coming as Scots race ahead in the official heating ‘switch on’
People in Scotland have already started to feel the autumn chill, with more than three-quarters turning on their heating during September – more than anywhere else in Britain. Continue reading Cauld tatties: Scots lead the race in central heating switch-on
With temperatures in Edinburgh plummeting to -2 degrees and December 1st marking the official start of meteorological winter, Scottish Gas is urging residents to take action. Continue reading Edinburgh residents urged to prepare for start of winter
