As a new survey reveals the majority of people have turned their heating back on over the past two months, households in Scotland are being urged not to forget to check their systems are working correctly in the busy pre-Christmas period to help avoid a winter breakdown. Continue reading Don’t ignore your heating system this winter, households in Scotland urged
British drivers have been offered simple do’s and don’ts for driving in icy weather, as the cold snap continues across the country.
Continue reading Car AdvICE – 7 Do’s and 7 Don’ts for Driving in Cold Conditions
Many UK households find the start of a new year is the end of the season to be jolly and now the most common January irritations have been revealed. Continue reading Winter getting on your wick?
With thousands of us hitting the road before Christmas – and flood warnings being issued across the country – motoring experts have given advice on driving safely. Continue reading Safety tips: Driving in wind and rain
NHS 24 is issuing advice to keep people in Scotland safe and well during the winter period.
As we approach another Scottish winter, the icy cold conditions of the ‘Beast from the East’ are fresh in our minds. Older people and those with particular conditions will need to be prepared for low temperatures. Continue reading Scots urged to keep warm this winter
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.”
