Tag: Winter

NHS Lothian moves to treat waiting time issues

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.”

 

Are you winter ready?

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?

Edinburgh gears up for winter

As the clocks are wound back and Guy Fawkes Night approaches, winter is well on its way, and Edinburgh is fully prepared for the colder months ahead. Plans, which draw on decades of winter weather experience, are already in place, with a fleet of gritting lorries, snow ploughs and mini tractors serviced and ready to go, as well as more than 14,000 tonnes of grit stockpiled in anticipation of icy conditions.

Continue reading Edinburgh gears up for winter

Cauld tatties: Scots lead the race in central heating switch-on

Winter’s coming as Scots race ahead in the official heating ‘switch on’

  • Majority of Scots have already switched on their heating
  • Data based on Hive Active Heating use shows switch on habits across Britain
  • Heating has been switched on two weeks earlier this year
  • Scottish Gas shares tips on how to keep homes a step ahead of winter 

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

Dream of a white Christmas … but plan for a cold one

·         Many people in are Edinburgh hoping for a sprinkling of snow this festive season, but aren’t actually ready for extreme weather

·         Almost one third of people don’t check that their central heating is working ahead of the winter months

·         Almost three-quarters don’t insulate their pipes and one in 10 don’t know how to bleed a radiator

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With the clocks going back and the countdown to winter weather under way, new research has revealed that more than 50 per cent of people in Edinburgh are pinning their hopes on a white Christmas this year – but many are not really prepared for a cold snap.

The survey found one third of people don’t check their central heating is working before it’s time to turn it on, and almost half fail to get their boiler serviced ahead of winter, leaving them open to a potential Christmas disaster.

According to the research by Scottish Gas, 25 per cent of people in Scotland have had to endure a cold shower in the past five years and more than half have gone without heating for more than a day* because of a breakdown at home.

Scottish Gas engineers in Edinburgh are urging people to check their homes before the cold really sets in and get themselves snow-ready as temperatures are set to dip below four degrees.

Martin O’Neill, Customer Service Director at Scottish Gas, said: “Our top priority is to keep our customers’ homes and businesses warm, safe and working during the winter months. As the UK prepares for a cold snap, our engineers are on standby to help if anything goes wrong.”

Danny Stuart, a Scottish Gas engineer in Edinburgh, said: “Our top priority is to help keep our customers’ homes and businesses warm, safe and working during the winter months, and as the UK prepares for a cold snap, our engineers are already on standby if anything goes wrong.

“Simple things, like blocking draughts to stop heat escaping, or bleeding your radiators, can help keep your home warm, yet our research shows that very few people actually do them to prepare for the winter months. It’s things like this that can really make the difference in getting your home snow-ready, so everyone can focus on enjoying that white Christmas they’ve been hoping for!

“To avoid even bigger problems, getting your boiler serviced annually can help detect issues, so is really worth looking into now, before the winter weather takes hold.”

Last winter, Scottish Gas completed nearly 200,000 plumbing jobs, and with meteorologists predicting a cold snap this November, its engineers are expecting to visit more than 70,000 homes in the next week.

Getting snow-ready 

Scottish Gas engineers have some smart, simple advice on how to prepare homes and businesses for colder snaps and help protect against potential costly damage as a result of burst pipes, damaged water tanks or overflowing gutters. 

  1. Love your boiler: Check to make sure that your boiler is working properly before winter sets in. The older your boiler, the more inefficient it will be. If you have a pressure gauge, make sure the boiler is at the right pressure and top up as necessary.
  1. Wrap up your water tank and insulate hot water: The materials can be purchased from most DIY stores and help to conserve heat and save you money.
  1. Insulate your pipes: Burst pipes are a huge issue during winter months. To help prevent burst pipes, ensure all pipes are properly insulated by using lagging, which can be bought cheaply from most DIY shops.

 

Get Ready for Winter

Sean Batty launches Ready for Winter campaign

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Two-thirds of Scottish residents admit they could be more prepared for winter weather – and many of them are not prepared at all.

With last week seeing the first amber warning of this winter with storm Abigail and yellow warnings across Scotland for snow today and Saturday, Scottish households are being urged to make sure they are prepared for severe weather as new research reveals two thirds (66 per cent) have admitted they could do more to be ready or are not at all prepared.

The research was revealed as the Scottish Government’s Ready for Winter campaign launched last week, which encourages people and communities to take simple steps in readiness for tough weather conditions. For individuals this means staying informed on imminent weather conditions, knowing what to do to get ready, such as having a working torch or knowing how to turn off your utilities, and watching out for those who are more vulnerable to severe weather.

Despite more than a third of people (33 per cent) saying they had been hit financially through disrupted travel, time off work or home repairs – many don’t have the essential supplies to help them in an emergency and 46 per cent of respondents said they were not worried about the prospect of severe weather this winter.

Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, said: “With the mild winters we’ve experienced in recent years, it does appear that some people are becoming increasingly relaxed about being prepared for severe weather.

“However, we all know that Scottish winters can quickly bring cold snaps, storms, flooding and high winds all of which can affect people’s homes, those who are travelling, and those who are vulnerable, so there’s no room for complacency.

“Being prepared for winter can make all the difference when severe weather strikes and this can be as simple as having a shovel and grit ready to keep any paths clear and keeping a scraper and de-icer in your car. It is important to remind people of the actions we can all take to get ready in the home, before a journey, at our place of work and in our communities.”

Today STV weather forecaster Sean Batty backed the drive in a bid to warn that weather conditions in Scotland can be volatile and encourage more people to prepare.

Sean said: “If there is one thing I’ve learned from delivering daily weather reports is the speed in which weather can change in Scotland.

“Our weather is very volatile, going from extremely mild and stormy to extremely cold and icy. The outlook for the next three months indicates that the risk of spells of windy or even stormy weather is expected to be greater than usual for the time of year but we could still see periods of ice and snow.

“It’s important to take time to prepare for every weather eventuality so we’re ready and able to cope with whatever winter brings.”

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Top 5 tips for preparing for winter are:

  1. Register with the Met Office and Floodline for their free severe weather warning alerts to stay informed.
  2. Make sure you have emergency supplies at home such as a torch, non-perishable food, grit, essential medicines and emergency contact numbers
  3. Pack a shovel, blanket, food and a warm drink in your car
  4. Know how to turn off your water and electricity supplies
  5. Swap telephone numbers with any neighbours who might be more vulnerable to severe weather and make sure you check on them if the weather turns nasty.

For more information on how to prepare for winter visit www.readyscotland.org