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Stories relating to NHS Lothian:

	Edinburgh IJB faces judicial review over cuts
	An Edinburgh charity is threatening to take the body responsible for commissioning health and care services in the capital to court over the way it has adopted its strategic plan. The Ripple, which runs a community hub in Restalrig and Lochend, says the approval of a three year strategic plan by Edinburgh integration joint board (EIJB) follows an ‘unfair and unlawful’ process. In a read more…
	Thursday 28/8/2025

	New Edinburgh hub set to transform global healthcare
	Scotland’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Minister has, together with the World Health Organisation’s Director-GeneraI, officially opened the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Building at the Edinburgh BioQuarter. The new £49.2m Usher Building will bring together academic, NHS, private and third sector partners to accelerate innovations for health and care. A WHO read more…
	Monday 30/6/2025

	Edinburgh welcomes outdoor brain health centre
	A new outdoor centre for people living with dementia has been launched today in the grounds of Edinburgh’s Lauriston Castle, highlighting the vital role nature can play in people’s brain health. Alzheimer Scotland says the new centre aims to ‘unlock the power of nature’ for people living with dementia, their families and carers. Opened by Alzheimer Scotland and read more…
	Thursday 5/6/2025

	Shocking levels of violence towards NHS staff
	The Scottish government is being told it must act to eradicate violence against NHS Scotland staff, as newly-released figures show there have been over 51,000 violent incidents since 2019 – disproportionately against nurses. Despite a trend of incidents reducing over the past five years, many health boards are reporting a recent rise in violence against staff between 2022 and 2024, and read more…
	Monday 24/3/2025

	NHS Lothian escalated over CAMHS performance
	Failure to meet national standards in children’s mental health services has led NHS Lothian to be the second new health board this year to receive extra government intervention. Under national child and adolescent mental health services (CAHMS) standards, 90% of people should start mental health treatment within 18 weeks of referral. Just 78.4% of those served by NHS Lothian received read more…
	Monday 10/2/2025

	Youth mental health pilot looks to the future
	An Edinburgh charity says it has been ‘overwhelmed’ by success of its pilot programme, The Haven, created to help tackle the mental health crisis among young people in Scotland. Due to close this year, the people behind the pilot have spoken to healthandcare.scot about its progress, learnings and their hopes that similar work can continue amid rising demand. With around 2,500 read more…
	Wednesday 8/1/2025

	Scotland to open four new commercial research hubs
	Four new regional hubs to help patients access innovative new treatments and clinical trials as early as possible are to be set up across Scotland. NHS Lothian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside will each host one of the Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs), with the aim of delivering innovative new treatments with the latest equipment and read more…
	Monday 23/12/2024

	Midlothian GP practice champions clinical research
	A forward-thinking GP practice in Midlothian is actively embracing clinical research opportunities for the benefit of both its patients and staff. Penicuik Medical Practice has welcomed involvement in a Long COVID trial as part of its first steps in expanding research opportunities with positive feedback from local participants. Part of the NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Primary Care Network, read more…
	Saturday 23/11/2024

	Veteran support cut in ‘stark’ review
	NHS Lothian has this week announced its ‘difficult decision’ to withdraw funding from a service that provides dedicated support to local veterans. The health board has told Veterans First Point Lothian staff and patients that it can no longer provide its £214,778 share of the budget required to maintain the service it jointly funds with the Scottish government. By April 2025, read more…
	Tuesday 29/10/2024

	Occupational therapy in Edinburgh prison
	A specialist working with people in Edinburgh prison says better focus on rehabilitation and recognising the role of mental heath in every prisoner’s wellbeing is essential, both in prison and when returning to their community. Talking to healthandcare.scot, the Occupational Therapy Lead for HMP Edinburgh shares the vital role this unique service in Saughton plays. Heather McLachlan who read more…
	Monday 21/10/2024

	Cancer patient support bolstered by new funding
	Twelve projects supporting patients in Scotland with cancer are to share £1.5m of Scottish government funding this year. The funding will support Single Point of Contact (SPoC) teams to provide cancer patients with an individual to support them throughout their care journey. SPoC aims to ensure patients have ongoing communication and support that puts them ‘at the heart’ of read more…
	Monday 23/9/2024

	Health boards given deadline to cut agency nurses
	Health boards have until November to stop their use of agency nurses in efforts to save money. Agency nurses – nurses usually employed by private companies who are offered temporary roles across the NHS to cover staffing gaps, usually at an enhanced hourly rate – will only be allowed in ‘clear situations’ where clinical safety is at risk or where services would otherwise read more…
	Thursday 12/9/2024

	New tech to cut NHS theatre waiting lists
	A new national theatre scheduling software, designed to increase the number of procedures, will be rolled out across NHS Scotland over the next year. Developed by Scottish clinician-led tech company Infix, the national theatre scheduling tool improved operating room efficiency by up to 25% without the need for extra medical staff or additional theatre rooms. The platform will now support all read more…
	Tuesday 28/5/2024

	Financial balance pursued by NHS Lothian
	Efforts to save money in NHS Lothian have escalated, with a Scottish government-led financial improvement group now looking to ‘rapidly develop and implement’ ways to bring the board’s finances back into the black. A financial recovery plan identifying £54m of savings across NHS Lothian was approved by the Scottish government earlier this month. However, a £50m read more…
	Monday 29/4/2024

	‘Invaluable’ impact of mental health volunteers
	Mental health volunteers working at an Edinburgh hospital have been found to be a ‘vital cog’ in the system, with their experience laying the groundwork for future employment in health and care. A total of 71% of volunteers working at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital’s Volunteer Hub responding to a snapshot survey said their voluntary work has helped with their career development, read more…
	Sunday 14/4/2024

	‘Bold action’ needed for children’s health
	A new report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) warns that children and young people are at risk, facing ‘significant’ challenges waiting for NHS care, with doctors calling for urgent action. Scottish paediatricians report that over the past 11 years, the pressures experienced by staff across services has risen, resulting in a greater number of children read more…
	Friday 22/3/2024

	NHS receives extra cash from medicines scheme
	Scotland's NHS boards have received an unexpected windfall of more than £350m under a scheme to limit the costs to the public purse of medicines – allowing at least one NHS board to reduce the amount it will need in loans from the government to meet its deficit. The UK government has for many years entered into an arrangement with the pharmaceutical industry to keep a lid on read more…
	Thursday 29/2/2024

	Holyrood hears evidence on abortion legislation
	The Scottish parliament’s Health, Sport and Social Care Committee has heard from researchers, campaigners and people with experience of protestors about the importance of safeguarding access to abortion and reproductive healthcare without obstruction. The lead committee this week began its scrutiny of Scotland’s abortion clinic buffer zones legislation, marking the start of the read more…
	Thursday 29/2/2024

	National Treatment Centres on pause
	Key tenets of the Scottish government’s NHS Recovery Strategy are at risk of being scrapped, as new construction projects across Scotland’s health service are put on indefinite hold. A flagship policy for a network of healthcare facilities was supposed to deliver an additional 40,000 procedures by 2026 and help reduce waiting times. However, the development of remaining National read more…
	Monday 29/1/2024

	A question of action
	Community group leaders, an NHS doctor and sustainability fellow, and a professor in climate change say individuals have the power to make a positive difference to both public health and the climate, in a climate-focused episode of the Equally Valued podcast. In this episode, we ask contributors for their perspectives on the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities for read more…
	Friday 19/1/2024

	‘Most extensive’ liver disease study backed by £30m
	A new project led by the University of Edinburgh will investigate the causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, aiming to ‘pave the way’ for new treatments for people living with cirrhosis. The University of Edinburgh has today announced a collaboration with Newcastle University and research-driven biopharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim, on the ‘most read more…
	Tuesday 9/1/2024

	Edinburgh team seek new insights into MS progression
	A team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh are set to begin a major five-year international project searching for multiple sclerosis treatments to slow its progression – and ultimately stop or even reverse the resulting loss of ability. The project, which has secured more than €674,000 from the International Progressive MS Alliance, will explore what happens to the read more…
	Tuesday 9/1/2024

	Communities’ role in climate and public health
	In our climate and health episode of Equally Valued, we heard from people across academia, the NHS and community groups here in Scotland about the importance of addressing climate change to improve people’s health and wellbeing, responsibility across sectors in Scotland, and the funding challenges facing voluntary initiatives. In this podcast episode ‘Exploring the intersection read more…
	Sunday 7/1/2024

	Eye provides a window to kidney health
	Edinburgh researchers have revealed that ‘crucial insights’ are being gained into kidney health by looking first at the eye – with a new study showing that 3D eye scans can help detect and monitor kidney disease in its earliest stages. read more…
	Wednesday 6/12/2023

	‘Smart’ scalpels for surgical training
	University of Edinburgh researchers have developed scalpels with built-in sensors to help streamline training for surgeons and ‘pave the way’ for procedures to be carried out by robotic devices. The scalpels are connected to an electrical circuit board with a 3D-printed component, neatly fitted into the handle of the scalpel which allowed the team to collect sensitive measurements read more…
	Wednesday 11/10/2023

	Funding boost for neurological projects
	As part of the Scottish government’s five-year framework to support neurological services and improve the care delivered to people living with neurological conditions, it has announced new funding for projects focused on neurological support across Scotland. Eight projects across Scotland are set to receive a share of around £440,000 to enable them to enhance and expand the services read more…
	Tuesday 10/10/2023

	Action needed on women’s brain health
	The Scottish government is being called on to address a series of inequalities for women across the brain heath, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, which researchers and campaigners say has been overlooked in key Scottish government policies. With women making up 65% of the estimated 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland, attendees at the recent Alzheimer Scotland conference heard read more…
	Friday 6/10/2023

	Air pollution exposure linked to early death
	Exposure to air pollution in early childhood can have lifelong effects on health, cognitive ability and even contribute to an early death, new research from the University of Edinburgh has found. An analysis of nearly 3,000 people born in Scotland in 1936 has revealed those exposed to significant air pollution in early childhood had an increase chance of cancer – and were more likely to read more…
	Tuesday 26/9/2023

	Pain assessments meet AI in Scotland’s care homes
	An app which uses facial analysis supported by artificial intelligence to assess pain levels is set to be trialled in 15 care homes across Scotland. Following the Global Ageing Conference recently held in Glasgow, healthandcare.scot has heard from both the team behind the technology, PainChek, and the Care Inspectorate which is supporting its roll out about the potential of this innovation to read more…
	Thursday 21/9/2023

	The beautiful trauma of student nursing
	As Katie Sanderson, a dedicated nursing student at Edinburgh Napier University, approaches the end of her academic journey, she takes a moment to candidly share her experience Throughout her time as a student nurse, Katie has encountered both uplifting and challenging placements which have played a key role in shaping her professional identity and sparking her passion for community read more…
	Saturday 26/8/2023

	UN told rights of disabled people in ‘crisis’
	Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and the Scottish Human Rights Commission are warning the United Nations (UN) disabled people in Scotland are experiencing ‘unrelenting attacks on their human rights’. Despite Scottish government commitments to fully realise human rights, the coalition says the situation is yet to improve for disabled people. In two parallel reports read more…
	Sunday 20/8/2023

	College: More GPs needed to tackle health inequalities
	The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland has today welcomed the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care at a Deep End GP practice as they outline the need for more action on tackling health inequalities. Michael Matheson’s visit comes weeks after an RCGP Scotland member survey revealed 71% of GPs have seen an increase in the number of presentations read more…
	Sunday 20/8/2023

	Surgeons’ deep concern as 45% planning to quit
	A leading medical Royal College is calling on the government to prioritise staff retention in its upcoming NHS workforce plan, as it reveals almost half of surgeons surveyed plan on leaving the NHS over the next five years. The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSEd) which represents over 15,000 members across Scotland and the UK says it is “crucial” that the read more…
	Friday 18/8/2023

	Transatlantic mental health partnership strengthened
	Mental health research and practice across Scotland is set to be strengthened through a cross-sectoral partnership led by the NHS, the University of Strathclyde and New York University (NYU). The Mental Health Future Collaborative (MHFC) aims to advance understanding of the prevention of mental health issues and advocate for positive policy changes, by sharing international knowledge and best read more…
	Friday 11/8/2023

	Creating climate-resilient, healthy communities
	Public Health Scotland and its collaborators are calling for local governments, health boards and organisations to work together to build climate resilient communities, while tackling health inequalities – having outlined core themes and resources in a briefing. In a new briefing, the public health organisation says climate change will increasingly impact the ‘building blocks of read more…
	Monday 7/8/2023

	NHS board bolsters sustainability team
	NHS Lothian is expanding its programme to deliver a net zero NHS and improve long-term sustainability by introducing new roles and extending its previous landmark fellow position. A year on since NHS Lothian introduced the first ever Environmental Sustainability Medical Education Fellow in Scotland to help lead on efforts to address the climate crisis, the board has committed to continuing to read more…
	Friday 4/8/2023

	Doctors ‘deeply concerned’ for care homes over winter
	With at least one care home across Scotland closing each week, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is urging the Scottish government to ensure the sector is supported and sustained over the winter. Scottish Care has warned that Scotland has witnessed the largest number of care home closures ever experienced over the last few months, with a lack of extra national funding likely to place read more…
	Friday 28/7/2023

	Genome research sees £46.3m boost
	Scottish researchers investigating how people’s genetic code can influence their health and wellbeing have secured ‘major financial investment’ to support ongoing work to uncover the role of DNA in disease development. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh are set to receive £46.3m from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to continue work at the MRC Human Genetics read more…
	Wednesday 26/7/2023

	College: Preserve GPs to preserve the NHS
	The Royal College of GPs in Scotland is urging the Scottish government to recognise that general practice is the ‘cornerstone of our NHS’ and to ensure services are ‘safeguarded and protected’ for the next 75 years. The body representing around 5,000 GPs across Scotland says the country ‘simply needs more GPs’, as it calls for the government to deliver the read more…
	Friday 14/7/2023

	"Earn as you learn" to be a nurse
	People interested in a career in nursing but who are not in a financial position to go to university full-time can benefit from a unique opportunity offered by NHS Lothian. Around 20 people will be offered a permanent contract with NHS Lothian as a health care support worker, as they undertake a BSc (Hons) Nursing: Mental Health. Delivered jointly by the health board and the Open University read more…
	Wednesday 14/6/2023

	£20m pharmacy cash injection small amid rising costs
	Following Community Pharmacy Scotland’s rejection of the Scottish government’s funding package last week, Scotland’s community pharmacies are set to receive a short-term funding boost – however the organisation says this will not be enough to cover increased costs. While an overall 2023/24 financial package for Scotland’s community pharmacies is yet to be reached, read more…
	Thursday 1/6/2023

	Heart drugs show promise in stroke-linked dementia
	A team from the University of Edinburgh have found two cheap and relatively abundant medicines, usually used for heart diseases, can be safely adapted to treat dementias linked to strokes. The Edinburgh researchers led a collaborative trial with the University of Nottingham and the UK Dementia Research Institute. Their study results, published today, suggest there may be an effective read more…
	Thursday 25/5/2023

	AI for early heart attack diagnosis
	An algorithm developed with artificial intelligence could soon be adopted by doctors in Scotland to improve the speed and accuracy of heart attacks diagnoses – and reduce pressure on A&E departments. A newly published study led by the University of Edinburgh reveals that the algorithm ruled out a heart attack in more than double the number of patients than current testing methods, read more…
	Thursday 18/5/2023

	Edinburgh team show how Alzheimer’s spreads
	New insights from research led by the University of Edinburgh reveal that the structures sending neurological signals and supporting normal brain function also enable the build-up of toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease – a finding which they say could prove vital in the search for therapies for slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In collaboration with read more…
	Tuesday 16/5/2023

	Diversity in healthcare – what can we do?
	Leaders from Edinburgh’s two medical Royal Colleges have called for action to close the gender pay gap in healthcare and address inequalities that make careers and opportunities for women and staff from ethnic minorities more difficult. Last month the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RSPE) hosted a first-of-its-kind conference on read more…
	Friday 12/5/2023

	Expanding hospital at home services
	Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care has announced an increased investment into the Scottish government’s Hospital at Home programme, taking the total funding available to health and social care partnerships to over £10m. To support an extra 150 ‘virtual beds’, Michael Matheson says a further £3.6m has been allocated to read more…
	Wednesday 10/5/2023

	Blue-green prescribing for climate and public health
	A Glasgow research team are looking to reduce pharmaceutical pollution and waste through ‘blue-green prescriptions’ in Scotland and to NHS Scotland’s wider net zero ambitions. Lead researcher Julze Alejandre shares their work to build a national blue-green prescribing model and calls for contributions from across the healthcare sector to provide a variety of read more…
	Friday 7/4/2023

	“Damage limitation” underway in Edinburgh IJB cuts
	Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (IJB) grapples with how to make an unprecedented £47m of cuts in 2023/24, as councillors and lay members raise concerns of being forced into agreeing proposals with “one hand tied behind their backs”. Proposals for a first phase of savings, which will see £11.45m in cuts in 2023/24, were agreed by members of Edinburgh’s IJB after read more…
	Friday 31/3/2023

	Scotland first to ban planet-harming anaesthetic gas
	Ahead of the formal launch of the National Green Theatres Programme, the Scottish government and NHS Scotland have announced that a greenhouse gas used as an anaesthetic in hospitals will be completely removed this year. NHS Scotland is set to be the first nation in the UK to fully cease use of the environmentally harmful anaesthetic gas. Desflurane is traditionally used as an anaesthetic gas read more…
	Wednesday 8/3/2023

	Fuel crisis support needed for hospices
	Urgent support is needed for hospices across Scotland struggling with inflation – particularly rising energy costs – with politicians and hospice families calling for more financial assistance from the UK and Scottish governments. An MSP member of Holyrood’s Cross-Party Groups on Carers and Palliative Care, and a mother whose daughter receives support from hospice teams have read more…
	Monday 27/2/2023

	Radiotherapy optional for older breast cancer patients
	In one of the first long term clinical trials of older breast cancer patients globally, University of Edinburgh research reveals that the use of radiotherapy as treatment for older patients with breast cancer does not improve survival rates. A 10-year study has found that radiotherapy can be safely excluded from treatment for patients who are over 65 years old with early stage, low risk breast read more…
	Friday 17/2/2023

	Large scale Scots health study calls for volunteers
	The University of Edinburgh are calling for volunteers to boost their ‘pivotal’ study into health across Scotland, using medical records and genetic data to investigate the cause of diseases and help inform the nation’s healthcare priorities. Led by Generation Scotland which has been running since 2006, the new call for participants invites anyone resident in Scotland to read more…
	Thursday 26/1/2023

	AI to set direction for emergency cardiac care
	A new partnership between NHS Lothian, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Lenus Health is aiming to improve emergency care for cardiac patients in Scotland by using artificial intelligence. Together with university collaborators, NHS Lothian and digital platform Lenus Health say they want to deliver a “transformational” digital health pathway that will read more…
	Tuesday 24/1/2023

	More ambitions than pharmacists
	The full extent of the struggle by Scotland’s community pharmacies to stay open in the months following the ending of pandemic restrictions is shown in data released to healthandcare.scot by NHS boards – but pharmacists themselves say a change in the law could ease the impact of there being too few pharmacists to meet demand. Community pharmacy operators are obliged under their read more…
	Wednesday 21/12/2022

	Old drugs offer new hope for kidney disease treatment
	A team from the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary and French researchers, has found that drugs already licensed for use in heart conditions have the potential to treat a serious kidney condition. A common condition which can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cause the kidneys to stop working may be treatable with existing medicines, the new read more…
	Saturday 17/12/2022

	Glasgow: Working together for a healthy city
	Speaking with Glasgow researcher Dr Annika Hjelmskog during a break from the first UN conference on Sustainable Development Goals, healthandcare.scot heard about the work of GALLANT, including collaborating for climate and wellbeing. From transforming the economic framework to understanding the intersecting aspects of health and wellbeing with our ecological surroundings and the impact of the read more…
	Thursday 15/12/2022

	Profile: First NHS Sustainability Fellow
	Dr Shauna Golden is NHS Lothian’s first Medical Education Fellow with a particular focus on environmental sustainability. A few months into her role, she shares her experience so far, the importance of engaging with climate action in healthcare – and combatting cynicism. “I went into medicine because I was interested in humanitarian work from a pretty young age, and I liked read more…
	Wednesday 23/11/2022

	Social deprivation linked to frailty
	An Edinburgh university research team have identified links between living in deprived areas and greater risk of frailty among older Scots, in findings they say could inform health inequalities policies. In the first study of its kind to explore the impact of living in deprived areas at different life stages on frailty in old age, data from people born in Lothian in 1936 was linked to the read more…
	Friday 7/10/2022

	Pharmacy leaders share vision for profession
	The Directors of Pharmacy Scotland (DoPS) are working together to take forward a new strategic framework to support the whole pharmacy profession to meet the increased pressures and expectations being placed on them. Director of Pharmacy & Medicines at NHS Lothian, Scott Garden, will be talking about ‘the journey ahead for Pharmacy and the plans for professional development’ at read more…
	Tuesday 20/9/2022

	Realistic medicine to help the climate
	The nation’s leading body for pharmacists says a shared decision-making approach in healthcare, and better education and information on medicines’ environmental impact are essential to addressing the climate crisis. Following the launch of the Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy for NHS Scotland, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland welcomed the publication and read more…
	Thursday 25/8/2022

	Staff shortage concerns in latest MWC reviews
	The Mental Welfare Commission has published 13 new reports assessing the support for people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia or related conditions in NHS hospital wards and units. These reports raise issues of understaffing, inconsistent care planning and the pandemic’s impact on services. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWC) helps protect and read more…
	Thursday 18/8/2022

	NHS sustainability strategy launched
	Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has launched NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy, seeking to reducing emissions, adapt to climate change, and better contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland has already supported the strategy, saying it strongly aligns with their sustainability policies. Health read more…
	Wednesday 17/8/2022

	Disposable gloves to protect patients and the planet
	With new COVID waves and heatwaves spreading across the world this year, two of the largest problems in Scotland's healthcare landscape remain climate change and infection control. At the Infection Prevention and Control Conference 2022, healthandcare.scot spoke with Traffi – a sustainable, protective gloves company aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of PPE. In the NHS Scotland read more…
	Friday 15/7/2022

	Charity: Expand ‘ground-breaking’ Long Covid pilot
	More than 70 people across Lothian living with Long Covid are set to benefit from a new digital tool that provides ‘seamless’ support referrals and personalised self-management advice. For the first time, GPs and other clinicians in the area will be able to use a new ‘ground-breaking’ digital platform to automatically refer patients to long covid support services read more…
	Wednesday 15/6/2022

	High cancer diagnoses rate via emergency care
	More than a third of cancer diagnoses in Scotland occur after emergency presentation, newly published research reveals as experts point to funding, community education and workforce as key. Across all cancer types, 38.5% of Scotland’s diagnoses follow emergency care like A&E visits – increasing to more than 1 in 2 for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Andy Glyde, read more…
	Thursday 7/4/2022

	Edinburgh’s older people services review closed
	People in Edinburgh are being told significant risks to older people’s care revealed in an inspection report have now been rectified, after a period of transformation within the health and social care partnership has delivered ‘overall positive progress’. A joint review of Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership’s older people services in 2017 revealed five out of read more…
	Thursday 10/3/2022

	Competition ‘compromised’ care at home delivery
	A senior manager at East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has warned of a ‘crisis’ facing care at home services, with at least two providers at risk of collapse. The interim Planning and Performance Manager at East Lothian, Laura Kerr, told the Integration Joint Board that the ‘current, severe pressure’ is leaving much needed care undelivered. In her read more…
	Saturday 8/1/2022

	Scotland’s new chief nurse appointed
	The former Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals for NHS Lothian has been confirmed as the Scottish government’s Chief Nursing Officer. Professor Alex McMahon has been doing the job on an interim basis since October following the resignation of Professor Amanda Croft for personal reasons in August after less than a year in the role. The Chief Nursing read more…
	Monday 13/12/2021

	Scheme cracks maternity gas emissions
	Technology that captures nitrous oxide pain relief gas in maternity units to reduce their impact on global warming is being piloted by NHS Lothian. There are between 8000 and 9000 births a year in the region. Maternity teams in Lothian say nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen, often known under its trade name Entonox, is used by more than seven out of ten of mothers at some stage in their read more…
	Monday 22/11/2021

	New prostate cancer treatment expanded
	Patients in the south-east of Scotland are to be the first to benefit from the new radiation treatment. The Edinburgh Cancer Centre (ECC) will offer the new high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for treatment of aggressive but localised prostate cancer, following a successful introduction by NHS Lothian earlier this year. A higher dose of targeted radiation is provided by the treatment option, read more…
	Friday 1/10/2021

	Centre adds to new national stroke network
	A step is being taken towards a national stroke treatment service that can dramatically improve patient outcomes with the launch of a pilot initiative in the east of Scotland. The mechanical thrombectomy service, which will be based at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, is the second in the country after a training programme for the north of Scotland launched in Tayside. It forms part of a read more…
	Monday 6/9/2021

	Scotland’s chief nurse resigns after less than a year
	Scotland’s Chief Nursing Officer, Professor Amanda Croft, is to quit her role with immediate effect for personal reasons after less than nine months in the role. Professor Croft, who was appointed in December 2020, will be replaced by the director of nursing at NHS Lothian. Meanwhile Professor Linda Bauld, Bruce and John Usher Chair of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, has read more…
	Monday 23/8/2021

	Watchdog concerned at psychiatric patient DNR
	A patient on a secure ward at an Edinburgh hospital had an inappropriate do not attempt resuscitation form in their notes for the duration of the pandemic, according to a mental health watchdog. Officers from the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland said they “surprised and concerned” to find the directive in the notes of a patient in the secure forensic unit at the Royal read more…
	Thursday 22/7/2021

	Former NHS Scotland CEO moves to health board
	One of the Scottish government’s most senior health directorate civil servants is to retire this month and immediately become chair of a major NHS board. John Connaghan, NHS Scotland’s chief operating officer, stepped up as interim chief executive of NHS Scotland in May 2020 after the resignation of Malcolm Wright for health reasons, working in this role until Caroline Lamb was read more…
	Friday 16/7/2021

	Extra NHS beds and staff funding
	The Scottish government is to release an additional £12m to Scotland’s NHS boards to support non-covid emergency care as it faces ‘significant challenges’ remobilising urgent and emergency services against a growing backlog of people waiting for treatment. The move comes despite NHS boards reporting unusually healthy finances in the current financial year, with the read more…
	Sunday 11/7/2021

	Piecemeal approach to serious NHS errors handling
	Scotland’s NHS boards have still not adopted a consistent approach to how they report and investigate the most serious incidents, including unexpected patient deaths, 18 months on from a new system being introduced. Boards have commissioned reviews into nearly 800 of the most serious failings since January 2020, data released under freedom of information legislation reveals. Different read more…
	Friday 2/7/2021

	Lung health monitoring app heads east
	A smartphone app that keeps people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) out of hospital by allowing clinicians to spot flareups and helping patients manage their condition better, is to be offered to patients in NHS Lothian. COPD, which is the second most common cause of admission to hospital, is a group of lung conditions that can cause severe breathing difficulties. The NHS read more…
	Friday 14/5/2021

	3D printed PPE can offer greener alternative
	‘Custom fit’ facemasks made using 3D printers can offer healthcare workers a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to single-use masks, Scottish researchers have found. Tests by a team at the University of Edinburgh found the tailored face coverings – which are made with 3D-printed components designed using photos taken on smartphones – provided the same level read more…
	Thursday 29/4/2021

	Government buys free hospital parking extension
	Arrangements that allow visitors and staff at three Scottish PFI hospitals to park their cars for free have been extended until March 2021. The Scottish government says it has reached agreement with the private operators of the Edinburgh Royal infirmary, Glasgow Royal infirmary and Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to extend arrangements put in place at the start of the pandemic. Details of any read more…
	Friday 18/12/2020

	Fewer than 5 covid care home transfers at NHS board
	One of Scotland’s largest health boards says further research is required to establish if any of the patients discharged from hospitals during the first wave could have introduced covid-19 to the care home they were placed in. Fewer than five of the 787 patients discharged earlier this year from hospital to a care home within NHS Lothian involved a patient with covid-19 who could read more…
	Thursday 10/12/2020

	Funding bid for £700m Edinburgh cancer centre
	Plans for a £700m cancer centre serving patients across the south-east of Scotland have taken a step forward as a funding bid is submitted to the Scottish government. The blueprint would see a stand-alone centre on the site of Edinburgh Western General Hospital with satellite facilities across the region. Cancer patients from Fife, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway will be treated read more…
	Tuesday 27/10/2020

	New projects to improve neurological support
	Online courses to support the wellbeing of people living with multiple sclerosis and unpaid carers will be developed as part of plans to boost help for people with neurological conditions. Nearly £500,0000 is being allocated to 17 projects in the latest round of funding as part of a five-year action plan, with a focus on responding to the challenges of the covid pandemic. Around one read more…
	Monday 12/10/2020

	Flu vaccination hitting problems
	Difficulties in many areas of Scotland on the first day of this year’s flu vaccine programme have led to questions being asked about whether Scotland will be able to deliver a universal covid vaccine. A series of MSPs raised concerns in parliament about significant problems in different parts of Scotland with people being able to get their flu jab. The programme, which officially kicks read more…
	Thursday 1/10/2020

	Green light for drive-through flu jabs
	Edinburgh residents are the first in Scotland to use new vaccine drive-through centres set up across the city. Up to 500 people can be vaccinated each day at the new clinics and everyone entitled to a free flu vaccine from one household can attend the clinics together. Individuals will not have to leave their car to get the jab and will only need to wait for 15 minutes before leaving to make read more…
	Monday 28/9/2020

	NHS problems ‘still need fixed’ despite pandemic focus
	“Systemic risks” to health and care services may have moved out of the spotlight amid the covid-19 crisis, but the problems of financial pressures, a lack of integration and high rates of senior staff turnover are still needing fixed, warns Scotland’s Auditor General. Hours before tighter lockdown restrictions are expected from St Andrew’s House, Stephen Boyle warns that read more…
	Tuesday 22/9/2020

	New sick kids completion date agreed
	Works are due to be completed at the Edinburgh’s new children’s hospital by the end of January next year – over 18 months after the Health Secretary stepped in to delay the opening of the new site amid safety concerns. NHS Lothian and building contractors IHSL say they have reached an agreement on the final programme of works to be carried out at the Little France site, with read more…
	Wednesday 2/9/2020

	24/7 paediatric services return to Livingston hospital
	NHS Lothian has re-instated round-the-clock paediatric services at St John’s Hospital. Scotland’s Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has welcomed the move that will come into effect on the 19th October. In 2017 patients were transferred to the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh after overnight services at the children’s ward were suspended for the third time in five years amid read more…
	Wednesday 12/8/2020

	Carer support included in city mental health plans
	Nine new services are being launched to promote mental health and wellbeing in Edinburgh, including help for carers and support made available at evenings and weekends. The projects are being funded by £2.6m from Edinburgh Integration Joint Board for the next five years, with a view to extending for a further three years – the first time contracts of this length have been read more…
	Monday 10/8/2020

	Cancer trials ‘back on track’
	Clinical trials to help treat cancer have been given the green light to reopen by the South East Scotland Cancer Research Network. The Network announced today that any clinical trials in the region on hold because of covid-19 are now able to reopen, and that recruitment to new trials has also restarted, opening up more potential treatment options to patients. Dot Boyle, network manager with read more…
	Wednesday 29/7/2020

	Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital opens doors a year late
	Edinburgh’s new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People has opened its door to patients after a year of delay. The relocation to the new site at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Little France campus was halted last July – just days before it was due to take place – after a ventilation system failed safety checks. The first clinical teams have now moved to the new read more…
	Tuesday 21/7/2020

	Interim NHS Lothian head takes up chief exec role
	The interim head of NHS Lothian has been appointed as chief executive of the health board. Calum Campbell, who previously led NHS Lanarkshire for six years, will oversee the task of returning health services to a “new normal” following the covid-19 pandemic. He was appointed interim chief executive of NHS Lothian last month, when he took over from predecessor Tim Davison. Esther read more…
	Monday 20/7/2020

	Mental health support pledge for covid survivors
	A Lothian psychiatrist is to lead efforts to help hundreds of Scots recover from the mental effects of spending time in intensive care with covid-19. The Scottish Government has tasked Dr Nadine Cossette, a liaison psychiatrist at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, with developing a proposal for a national care pathway for patients who hospitalised with coronavirus. Over than 500 people have been read more…
	Thursday 16/7/2020

	Larger care homes more at risk of covid outbreaks
	Care homes with more than 60 residents are twenty times more likely to have an outbreak of covid-19, a study has found. NHS Lothian and University of Edinburgh researchers analysed infection patterns within 189 Lothian care homes that had a total bed capacity of 5,843. In homes where there were less than 20 residents, the likelihood of an outbreak stood at 5%. However, the chance of an read more…
	Thursday 16/7/2020

	Progress on St John’s kids ward “extremely fragile”
	A review of NHS Lothian’s efforts to improve overnight children’s care staffing levels at St John’s Hospital has said progress remains “extremely fragile”. The Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health was brought in to review services after long-standing challenges recruiting enough doctors and nurses to consistently provide overnight paediatric inpatient read more…
	Friday 26/6/2020

	Scots warned not to assume virus immunity
	Health boards have been advised not to offer on-demand antibody testing as Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer warns people should not assume they are immune to a second infection of covid-19. Antibody tests for coronavirus are to be used ‘to improve understanding’ of the virus, Scotland’s health boards have been told, while there remains ‘insufficient evidence’ read more…
	Tuesday 23/6/2020

	UK-wide vaccine trial begins in Edinburgh & Glasgow
	Hundreds of frontline health and care workers in Edinburgh and Glasgow are to take part in UK-wide covid-19 vaccine trial led by Oxford University. Screening and vaccination of 600 volunteers in the Western General Hospital and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and another 250 in Glasgow, will begin from next week and continue into June. It is part of a national effort that will see just over read more…
	Friday 22/5/2020

	New NHS Lothian interim CEO announced
	NHS Lanarkshire executive Calum Campbell is to move to become interim CEO of NHS Lothian. It follows current CEO Tim Davison announcing earlier this year he would step down after eight years in the “often unforgiving” role. Weeks later, Lothian’s then chair Brian Houston resigned, criticising Health Secretary Jeane Freeman for handling of the delayed Sick Kids project. Mr read more…
	Friday 15/5/2020

	Virus study to recruit every UK patient on ventilator
	A new national research project hope to explain one of the biggest mysteries about covid-19 – why some people get no symptoms at all, while others become critically ill or die. The team aim to recruit every covid-19 patient on a ventilator in the UK and a new partnership means whole genome sequencing can take place across the NHS involving up to 20,000 people currently or previously in an read more…
	Thursday 14/5/2020

	Scotland reaches testing target & expands eligibility
	All care home residents and staff where there are reported cases will now be tested for covid-19, the First Minister announced today, saying she expects overall testing capacity to reach 12,000 tests a day by the middle this month. Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland has exceeded its target to have capacity established for 3,500 tests to be carried out per day by the end of April. Combining NHS read more…
	Friday 1/5/2020

	Lothian diabetes trials recruiting
	Teams based at Edinburgh’s Western General and Royal Infirmary are looking for people to be part of research into the causes of type 1 diabetes. Diabetes affects one in 18 people in Scotland and has become the most expensive condition for the NHS to manage. Around 5,000 people live with type one and 37,000 with type 2 diabetes in the area covered by NHS Lothian alone. As well as the read more…
	Tuesday 17/3/2020

	1st Scots covid-19 death as NHS operations cancelled
	The first death of a coronavirus patient in Scotland has been confirmed by the Scottish Government. It comes as health secretary said non-urgent operations will be cancelled to free up space in hospitals as the NHS in Scotland looks to double the number of intensive care beds. Chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said the patient, who was elderly and had underlying health conditions, was read more…
	Friday 13/3/2020

	Health secretary denies “toxic” management claims
	The health secretary has denied claims by a former health board chair of a “toxic” atmosphere between the Scottish government and senior NHS staff. Former NHS Lothian chair Brian Houston resigned in January over “fundamental and irreconcilable” differences with Jeane Freeman relating to the delay to Edinburgh’s new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. In read more…
	Wednesday 11/3/2020

	Drive-through tests for covid-19 among new measures
	As the government ramps up spread prevention measures, testing for coronavirus will now include a sample of people with flu-like symptoms. A surveillance network of 41 GP practices across Scotland testing patients for flu will now submit samples to be tested for coronavirus. A ‘precautionary step’, the Scottish government has said the sample group includes people with flu-like read more…
	Monday 2/3/2020

	European first for ‘next generation’ robot surgeons
	A Scottish hospital has become the first in Europe to pioneer the use of state-of-the-art robot ‘surgeons’ that mimic a human arm. Doctors at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh have performed several procedures using the devices to treat patients with serious bowel disease or bowel cancer. The Versius robot – described as a “leap forward” in surgical read more…
	Thursday 20/2/2020

	Lothian interim chair appointed
	An interim chair has been appointed to ‘stabilise’ NHS Lothian after the former chair resigned with a volley of criticism towards the health secretary. Esther Roberton, currently a governor at Aberdeen university, joins the health board shortly after both the chief executive and chair announced their departures. She previously served as chair of NHS Fife and NHS 24, and has held read more…
	Tuesday 11/2/2020

	Government steps up coronavirus testing
	Two Scottish laboratories are to begin testing samples from people suspected of being infected by the coronavirus. Equipment is being brought on stream from today at NHS laboratories at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to handle all samples from people in Scotland. Until now, all samples were being sent to London. Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr read more…
	Monday 10/2/2020

	NHS whistleblowing champions appointed
	Ministers have appointed whistleblowing champions across the NHS in a bid to create a more ‘honest and open’ NHS work environment as recent reports and surveys tell of a lack of trust and respect that is impacting patient care. A total of 19 whistleblowing champions have been appointed to health boards to help staff report concerns related to their working environment. Health read more…
	Wednesday 5/2/2020

	NHS Lothian chair resigns
	The chair of NHS Lothian has resigned amid criticism of the board’s handling of the delayed Sick Kids project and just weeks after the chief executive announced he was stepping down. Brian Houston left over “fundamental and irreconcilable differences” with health secretary Jeane Freeman, the Edinburgh Evening News revealed. An emergency board meeting is set to take place on read more…
	Friday 31/1/2020

	Nine NHS boards predicting deficits
	Nine of Scotland’s 14 regional health boards are predicting that they will overspend their budgets this year. The Scottish government’s monthly performance report says the financial overshoot will add up to a total of £85m by the end of the 2019/20 financial year, in a period when boards have been asked to make more than £400m in savings. Government loans to make up read more…
	Saturday 25/1/2020

	NHS Lothian CEO to step down
	NHS Lothian chief executive Tim Davison is to retire in August after eight years in the “often unforgiving” role. Mr Davison has served as a chief executive in the NHS in Scotland for more than 26 years, most recently heading NHS Lanarkshire until he moved to Lothian in 2012. Health board chair Brian Houston has paid tribute to his CEO: “Tim Davison is an exceptional leader read more…
	Tuesday 21/1/2020

	Praise for Sick Kids staff in ‘difficult’ environment
	NHS staff have been commended for their work keeping two Edinburgh hospital sites that were set to close six months ago clean and safe. Inspectors praised staff dedication but warned of deteriorating conditions at the ageing hospital for Sick Children in Sciennes and the department of neurosciences at the Western General Hospital. This included ‘damage to flooring, walls and read more…
	Wednesday 15/1/2020

	NHS board action plan to tackle winter demand
	Specialist nurses in A&E and extra weekend GP cover for care homes are being used to tackle winter pressures in the Lothians. A multi-million pound strategy has been announced for hospital and community services, aimed at managing an expected increase in demand the coming months. The NHS Lothian plan has an emphasis on reducing hospital attendance, using community-based initiatives to read more…
	Wednesday 15/1/2020

	Questions remain as hospital delay bill rises to £28m
	The cost of delays to the opening of Edinburgh’s new children’s hospital will add up to an additional £28m, it has emerged. Scotland’s public spending watchdog revealed the figure in a report published today which says key questions around the failure to open the site remain unanswered. Audit Scotland raised concerns over why issues which emerged at Glasgow’s read more…
	Wednesday 18/12/2019

	Edinburgh aims to be world-leader in mental health
	A new mental health assembly is being set up to explore ways of improving the wellbeing of people living in Scotland’s capital. The group is part of an initiative which brings together the council, NHS, charities and academics to make the city a “world-leader” in tackling mental health issues. Inspired by similar projects around the world, Thrive Edinburgh was launched at a read more…
	Tuesday 3/12/2019

	Hospital safety inquiry chair revealed
	The public inquiry looking at safety issues around two crisis-hit Scottish hospitals will be chaired by Lord Brodie. The High Court judge will lead the investigation into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus and the delayed new Sick Kid’s hospital in Edinburgh, which was announced in September. It will examine how serious problems relating to construction occurred and read more…
	Thursday 28/11/2019

	MSPs warning over lack of NHS board scrutiny
	Government’s failure to monitor NHS boards properly has had a significant impact on services and financial performance, according to a Scottish parliament committee. In a letter to the cabinet secretary for health and sport, Jeane Freeman, a cross-party committee of MSPs has called for better scrutiny to identify and address failings among Scotland’s health boards. In recent read more…
	Thursday 28/11/2019

	Edinburgh joins global pledge to eliminate HIV
	Scotland’s capital has become the latest city to sign up to a pledge to eradicate new HIV infections by 2030. Councillors in Edinburgh voted today to join Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee as a ‘Fast-Track’ city. The initiative, which is being supported by 250 cities globally, involves a commitment to the UN’s 90-90-90 eradication target. The aim is for 90% of people living read more…
	Thursday 21/11/2019

	24/7 St John’s kids ward up to five years away
	A 24/7 children’s ward at St John’s hospital in Livingston could be five years away. Recruitment difficulties mean even the current four-day model is “challenging” to operate, according to minutes of the group set up to consider restoring a round-the-clock service. Opening hours at the children’s unit were reduced in 2017 because bosses could not find staff to read more…
	Tuesday 19/11/2019

	MSPs to quiz health secretary over hospital crises
	Health secretary Jeane Freeman will appear before MSPs tomorrow to answer questions over two crisis-hit hospitals. Holyrood’s health and sport Committee will quiz her on the progress of an investigation into incidents at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow and Edinburgh’s delayed Sick Kid’s hospital. Ms Freeman ordered a public inquiry into safety read more…
	Monday 18/11/2019

	New community hospital welcomes first patients
	A new £70m community hospital aiming to bring more services closer to the community has opened its doors to the first patients. The East Lothian Community Hospital (ELCH), in Haddington, will house services previously delivered at the Roodlands and Herdmanflat hospitals. A range of additional services – from minor procedures to out-of-hours care – will be offered at the site, read more…
	Wednesday 13/11/2019

	Review reveals further Sick Kids’ building issues
	The second and final part of a review has revealed further problems with building systems at Edinburgh’s beleaguered royal hospital for children and young people. Remedial work in fire and electrical systems prior to opening is identified in the report, alongside ‘opportunities for other improvements’. This includes installing upgraded fire doors and addressing a potential read more…
	Wednesday 30/10/2019

	Edinburgh GP services to expand
	Officials on the board in charge of health and social care in the city are to submit plans for a brand new health hub in south east Edinburgh. An option to invest between £7m and £10m in a new health facility is one of the proposals included in plans agreed at the most recent meeting of Edinburgh’s Integration Joint Board (EIJB). The proposed 1,700 sqm facility would read more…
	Wednesday 23/10/2019

	Mental illness detentions reach record levels
	A ‘concerning’ rise in the number of young Scots receiving compulsory treatment is among the latest findings of the Mental Welfare Commission. A report published today shows 6,038 new episodes of compulsory treatment occurred in Scotland last year – the highest figure since the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act came into force in 2003. The new data also shows read more…
	Wednesday 23/10/2019

	Two new chief officers for Lothian IJBs
	Morag Barrow has been appointed chief officer at Midlothian. She takes over from Allister Short, who has moved to become chief officer at neighbouring West Lothian. Ms Barrow, who was previously responsible for primary care and older people’s services, has told healthandcare.scot that it is “an honour” to take on the role at a “an exciting and challenging read more…
	Friday 18/10/2019

	Patients endure ‘staggering’ dental treatment wait
	Years of underinvestment and a failure to support high street dental practices are piling pressure on to Scotland’s hospitals, according to the British Dental Association. A British Dental Association (BDA) representative has said “patients shouldn’t be waiting eons for life-changing surgery”, after a freedom of information request revealed one patient was stuck on a read more…
	Monday 7/10/2019

	Five-month wait for key HIV drug
	People in Lothian are facing a five month wait for a key drug that almost eliminates the risk of getting HIV. There are 172 people currently waiting for Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on the NHS, with an average wait of 150 days. NHS Lothian says it is currently expanding the service to bring down waits for appointments. In 2017 Scotland became the first country in the world to provide the read more…
	Wednesday 25/9/2019

	Edinburgh brain mapping could hold key to diseases
	Scientists are set to map the human brain in unprecedented detail, potentially revealing new insights into the foundations of behaviour and brain disease. Scientists based at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences have been awarded a grant of £1.3m by the Wellcome Trust for the work. Researchers hope to map the trillions of connections between brain cells read more…
	Wednesday 18/9/2019

	Public inquiry into safety at two hospitals announced
	Health secretary Jeane Freeman has bowed to political pressure and ordered a public inquiry into construction issues at two major hospitals in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The investigation into safety concerns at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow comes after pressure from opposition parties and affected read more…
	Wednesday 18/9/2019

	New director to oversee delayed hospital move
	A new director has been appointed to oversee work on the delayed children’s hospital in Edinburgh. Mary Morgan is taking up her post today tasked with delivering the relocation of services to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP). The move from the current site in Sciennes was called off in July after final safety checks revealed a ventilation system did not meet read more…
	Monday 16/9/2019

	Edinburgh respiratory research hub to open
	Patients living with conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are set to benefit from a new data research centre, to be coordinated from Edinburgh, that experts say will position the UK at the forefront of what is known as digitally-enabled respiratory health. The data research hub for respiratory health at the University of Edinburgh, known as BREATHE, will advance the read more…
	Thursday 12/9/2019

	New children’s hospital delayed till autumn 2020
	Edinburgh’s delayed Royal Hospital for Sick Children & Young People will not be opening for at least another year, the health secretary announced today. Jeane Freeman MSP said reviews had revealed “significant work” was needed to ensure the empty healthcare facility’s ventilation systems were up to standard. The costs of the remedial works and of keeping the old read more…
	Wednesday 11/9/2019

	Precious metal cancer therapy hope
	A precious metal used as a key component in motor manufacture, electronics and the oil industry could play a vital role in new cancer therapies. Researchers have developed a way of dispatching tiny fragments of palladium inside cancerous cells – a metal that scientists have long known could be used to aid cancer treatment but, until now, had been unable to deliver to affected areas. A read more…
	Monday 9/9/2019

	Eight out of ten babies in Lothian breastfed
	Eight out of ten babies in the Lothian area are being breastfed and rates continue to rise, health services have said. It comes as the health board launches a new drop-in advice and support service in Edinburgh with charity the National Childbirth Trust (NCT). Zoe Brown, Lothian breastfeeding buddies project coordinator, said: “The first few weeks can be tough for new mums and one of the read more…
	Friday 6/9/2019

	Children’s hospital opening still months away
	The opening of the Sick Kids hospital is still at least two months away, healthandcare.scot understands. NHS Lothian chief executive Tim Davison has said the ‘main time barrier’ will be sourcing a new air handling unit. A manufacturer of hospital ventilation systems has told healthandcare.scot this ’typically’ takes around eight weeks. The opening of the £150m read more…
	Monday 2/9/2019

	Rise in NHS staff predicted
	Health services in Scotland are planning to increase staff numbers over the next year, with 2,000 new workers expected to be in post by March 2020. Almost all regional NHS boards are projecting whole-time equivalent staff increases over 2019-2020 financial year. Health services covering Ayrshire & Arran and the Borders are the only ones to predict small decreases, according to a read more…
	Wednesday 28/8/2019

	Briefing: Scotland’s health & care intelligence
	Often cited as an example of a country where various health inequalities that other small nations have managed to reduce persist, Scotland has, in recent years, received high praise for its health and care data – where patients can be tracked from cradle to grave through globally significant projects like the Aberdeen children of the 50s. Despite being ‘awash’ with data, an read more…
	Wednesday 28/8/2019

	Majority of boards miss 18-week treatment target
	Fewer than 90% of patients in 11 of Scotland’s 14 regional NHS boards received treatment within 18 weeks of being referred, the latest figures show. In response to the figures, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), says medical staff need more support so they can ‘innovate as well as treat, teach, and research’. The group is calling for a new workforce plan from the Scottish read more…
	Tuesday 27/8/2019

	Extra staff to tackle psychology services queue
	Around £2.5m is to be spent on recruiting more psychology staff in a bid to tackle a ‘significant queue’ of patients in Lothian. The plans involve an additional 17 temporary full-time and the equivalent of 9.3 full-time permanent posts over the next three years. NHS Lothian has experienced challenges in meeting a target of at least 90% of patients starting treatment within 18 read more…
	Thursday 22/8/2019

	Radical change needed to reduce hospital admissions
	Scotland may have to look to other countries for a ‘more radical approach’ on how to reduce pressure on hospitals due to unplanned admissions, according to a health & social care partnership. The call has been made in a report being presented to Midlothian Integration Joint Board (IJB) today, which outlines plans for reducing unscheduled hospital care over the next three read more…
	Thursday 22/8/2019

	NHS Lothian needs ‘clearer’ financial plans
	NHS Lothian needs a ‘clearer plan’ on how and where savings will be delivered, Scotland’s public spending watchdog has warned. A new Audit Scotland report has highlighted a financial gap identified by the health board of £26m for 2019-20, after taking account of recovery plans. Significant risks that have been identified as potentially impacting on progress include read more…
	Thursday 8/8/2019

	Rising population challenge in Edinburgh
	A reduction in delayed discharges from hospital has been highlighted as part of the progress made by Edinburgh’s health and social care services over the past year. But the arrival of more than 5,000 residents in the city during that time has added to the challenges of meeting rising demand, according to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board’s (EIJB) annual report published read more…
	Wednesday 7/8/2019

	Group to address NHS bullying meets for first time
	NHS boards, trade unions, royal colleges and regulatory bodies have come together for the first meeting of a short-life working group aiming to improve behaviour and workforce practices within the NHS. Chaired by Cabinet Secretary for Health & Sport, Jeane Freeman, the advisory group is investigating measures to promote positive behaviour and address bullying cultures identified in a recent read more…
	Thursday 1/8/2019

	Scotland’s Dementia Award finalists revealed
	An alcohol-free pub, a woodland activity programme and a project using the power of music to improve patients’ wellbeing are among the finalists in Scotland’s Dementia Awards. The awards, now in their eighth year, recognise innovative and ambitious projects making a difference to people living with dementia. There are 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland and it is read more…
	Tuesday 23/7/2019

	More safety checks after hospital delay
	A detailed assessment of Edinburgh’s new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People is being carried out - which is expected to conclude in September - the Health Secretary has confirmed. The move of patients, staff and services to the new site has been delayed after final safety checks revealed a ventilation system had failed to meet national standards. NHS National Services Scotland read more…
	Thursday 18/7/2019

	Scotland’s drug-deaths highest in Europe
	There has been a 27% increase in drug-related deaths registered in Scotland since 2017, figures published today show. The statistics, published by the National Records of Scotland, provide details of 1,187 drug-related deaths that occurred in Scotland in 2018. A widely predicted rise, this is the largest number of such deaths since records started in 1996 and more than double the figure for read more…
	Tuesday 16/7/2019

	Many Scots miss out on key stroke care
	Health boards in Scotland are routinely falling short of a set of stroke care standards that are linked to reduced mortality and increased likelihood of speedy discharge home after a stroke, according to figures released today. Despite an improvement from 65% of patients receiving the appropriate treatment in 2017 to 68% in 2018, performance against a ‘bundle’ of key stroke care read more…
	Tuesday 9/7/2019

	Move to new Edinburgh children’s hospital delayed
	Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, has delayed the move of patients, staff and services from the existing Royal Hospital for Sick Children to the new site at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, which was due to take place next week. The decision was taken following final safety checks which revealed that the ventilation system within the critical care department in the new hospital requires further read more…
	Thursday 4/7/2019

	New chair for Midlothian Integration Joint Board
	Councillor Catherine Johnstone has been appointed as the new chair of Integration Joint Board (IJB) after votes were cast at yesterday’s meeting of the Midlothian Council. Commenting on the two-year-long appointment, Allister Short, chief officer of the Midlothian IJB, said: “It’s an exciting and challenging time for the IJB as we make important decisions about the future of read more…
	Wednesday 26/6/2019

	‘End of an era’ as Sick Kids Hospital closes
	Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children is preparing to close its doors and move to a new site after more than 150 years of caring for children and their families. It will move from its location next to the meadows to a new site in a new BioQuarter alongside the Royal Infirmary in Little France. Staff gathered outside the Sick Kids for a farewell photo to mark the ‘end of an read more…
	Friday 21/6/2019

	Edinburgh hospital gets dementia friendly hub
	A new dementia friendly therapeutic and social space has officially opened for people staying at the Ferryfield House Hospital in Pilton, Edinburgh. The Ferryfield Hub is a dementia friendly café, funded by the Ferryfield League of Friends Charity. Attending the opening, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said: “As a city, our understanding and support for people living read more…
	Thursday 20/6/2019

	Multiple Sclerosis register a ‘powerful new resource’
	A multiple sclerosis map confirms Scotland has one of the highest global rates of the disease – while revealing stark regional differences, the causes of which are not entirely clear. Orkney continues to top the table for rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Scotland, a study has revealed, while Tayside has the highest incidence of the disease in mainland Scotland. The central belt and read more…
	Monday 17/6/2019

	New prostate cancer scanning a ‘game-changer’
	A technique that allows for more accurate diagnosis of possible prostate cancer relapse is to be rolled out to four centres across Scotland. Gallium scanning technology will be funded by NHS Scotland and allows clinicians to identify exactly where any follow-up tumours are located, allowing for appropriate treatment. The scanning will be located in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS read more…
	Thursday 13/6/2019

	MSPs vote in favour of opt-out organ donation
	MSPs today voted in favour of the introduction of an opt-out organ donation system in Scotland. Scotland has the highest percentage of people on the organ donor register in the UK but the lowest actual rate of organ donation per million people. First introduced to the Scottish Parliament in June 2018, the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill is expected to be voted through by a read more…
	Tuesday 11/6/2019

	Calls for ‘minimum’ of 15 minutes for GP appointments
	GP appointments should be extended from ten to at least 15 minutes long, the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland (RCGP) say. RCGP Scotland believes this would reduce risk and ensure patients’ needs are met, but would only be possible with an increase in the number of GPs and a reduction in their current workload. In a report published today the family doctors’ group read more…
	Wednesday 5/6/2019

	NHS agency staff spend rises
	NHS Scotland spent £26.2m on nursing and midwifery agency staff during the last financial year, representing an increase of 10.9% in comparison to 2017-18. Meanwhile, the total spend on bank staff increased by 6.5% to £161.9m. This is one of the health service workforce statistics published today that is raising concerns. Across the health service, staff numbers rose by 0.6% over read more…
	Tuesday 4/6/2019

	Progress in developing genetic disease DNA tests
	Diseases caused by genetic changes could be detected more readily thanks to an advance in DNA analysis software. Research led by teams at the University of Edinburgh and the European Bioinformatics Institute at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL-EBI) has led to the development of a new tool that can spot precise genetic changes that cause disease in the more than three billion read more…
	Thursday 30/5/2019

	Immune discovery could boost cancer therapies
	Cancer therapies that use immune cells to trigger the body to attack tumours could be improved by a molecule that boosts their function, according to scientists at the University of Edinburgh. Studies with mice have found the improved therapies produced a powerful anti-cancer immune response, which led to tumours shrinking. Initial experiments show the molecule – called LL-37 – has read more…
	Wednesday 29/5/2019

	Edinburgh health & care facing funding black hole
	Edinburgh health & social care partnership faces a £7m funding shortfall for the coming year despite introducing a tough savings regime and dipping into its reserves. According to papers for today’s meeting of the governing Integration Joint Board (IJB), senior leaders at the partnership are to meet with NHS Lothian and the council to try to find a way to plug the gap. It comes read more…
	Friday 24/5/2019

	St John’s A&E refurb plans get go ahead
	An ‘ambitious’ £4m plan to transform the emergency department at the St John’s hospital in Livingston has today been approved by NHS Lothian and West Lothian Integration Joint Board (IJB). Health leaders say the expansion programme is needed as demand on A&E at the hospital, which deals with as many as 200 patients a day, has increased by 17% in the past read more…
	Thursday 23/5/2019

	The art of governance - RCPE conference
	A call to arms to address governance across healthcare in Scotland was zealously answered at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh’s inaugural quality governance conference last week. Held at the Royal College’s (RCPE) quarters in Scotland’s capital, a wealth of experience in healthcare and governance from across the country and further afield was brought together for read more…
	Tuesday 14/5/2019

	Edinburgh looks to lower emissions
	The City of Edinburgh Council has published ‘ambitious’ proposals for the introduction of low emission zones (LEZs) as part of efforts to improve air quality in the city. The introduction of LEZs in Edinburgh would see the city become the second in Scotland to implement such restrictions. The Council’s transport and environment committee will consider plans for public read more…
	Monday 13/5/2019

	Capital consults on ‘home first’ approach
	Consultation on the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board’s (IJB) new strategic plan has begun, with residents being asked to comment on a ‘bold new vision for the way the city delivers health and social care services’. The capital’s IJB, which oversees the delivery of much of the city’s health and social care services, has launched an online consultation to gain read more…
	Tuesday 7/5/2019

	Doctors’ wellbeing at ‘enormous risk’
	Pressure on doctors and medical students is leading to a mental health crisis in the profession, a survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) has found. The doctors' trade union says a ‘fundamental shift’ is needed so medics feel they can access mental health help without shame or stigma – after its research found eight out of ten warning they were on the cusp of read more…
	Tuesday 23/4/2019

	Deaths after surgery fall across Scotland
	Deaths following surgery in Scotland have decreased by 36% since 2008 and the introduction of a patient-focused checklist, according to a study published in the British Journal of Surgery. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) surgical safety checklist, introduced to hospitals in Scotland as part of the Scottish patient safety programme in 2008, has been credited with contributing to read more…
	Wednesday 17/4/2019

	New health & social care governance initiative
	The governance, management and leadership of Scotland’s health and social care services will be scrutinised at a major new conference in May. The Quality Governance Collaborative’s inaugural one-day conference - Quality Governance in Health & Social Care: The New Agenda - will explore the impact of quality governance on health and social care provision, from a Scottish, UK and read more…
	Monday 15/4/2019

	New standards for ambulatory care
	The UK Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) have produced new suggested standards to improve outpatient care in the NHS. Ambulatory emergency care (AEC) is a service that provides same day (outpatient) emergency care to hospital patients where they can be assessed, diagnosed, treated and able to go home the same day, without being admitted read more…
	Thursday 11/4/2019

	EU staff qualifications & registrations confirmed
	European citizens working in health and social care in Scotland have received letters assuring them that, regardless of the outcome of EU exit negotiations, any professional qualifications and registrations they hold will continue to be valid. Within the letters, the Scottish Government and COSLA state they are committed to supporting staff to continue living and working in Scotland, read more…
	Wednesday 10/4/2019

	Neonatal fund interim evaluation published
	A fund set up to provide financial support to parents of premature and sick newborns has helped 435 families within four months of being established. Launched on the 1st April 2018, the neonatal expenses fund is designed to help parents of premature and sick newborn babies offset travel and subsistence costs incurred during the early days of their baby's life. A total of £59,923 was read more…
	Monday 1/4/2019

	Revised neurological care standards published
	Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) – the national improvement organisation that works with local communities and individuals receiving or providing care to improve health and social care across Scotland – has published revised general standards for neurological care, which have been developed to take account of the priorities and principles of the Scottish Government’s read more…
	Thursday 28/3/2019

	Endoscopy plan published to tackle "growing crisis"
	The most urgent patients, including those with suspected cancer, are to be receive key endoscopic tests within two to three weeks under a revised endoscopy action plan published by the Scottish Government. The plan is supported by £6m of investment and sets out steps to ensure all new patients are seen within six weeks for key diagnostic tests. There are four key endoscopic tests - read more…
	Monday 25/3/2019

	Possible infection risk for Lothian heart patients
	NHS Lothian’s incident management team have contacted patients who underwent aortic valve replacement surgery within the past six months to advise them of a possible risk of infection. The health board does not anticipate any further cases will arise and has contacted patients “purely as a precaution”. Following notification of an unusual case of heart valve infection, known read more…
	Thursday 21/3/2019

	NHS Lothian board members to stay on
	The Health Secretary has today announced the reappointment of Carolyn Hirst and Martin to the board of NHS Lothian. The pair will continue to sit on the panel that decides on the long-term strategy for the health board, which serves 850,000 people across Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, until 2023. An independent consultant working on mediation and dispute resolution, Ms Hirst has read more…
	Wednesday 20/3/2019

	Milestone for new East Lothian community hospital
	Construction at the new East Lothian Community Hospital has reached a “major milestone” following the installation of the roof and windows, meaning the three-storey, 22,000m2 building is now fully weathertight. ‘‘While there are still external works to be undertaken more of our focus will now move to the internal works of the development. Due to the phased construction read more…
	Tuesday 19/3/2019

	Retired doctors to address rural recruitment gaps
	A new initiative developed by the Scottish Government and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh will see recently retired doctors offered short-term work to support health services in remote and rural services. Jeane Freeman, the Health Secretary, said the Scottish Clinicians Collaborative was needed as the health service was experiencing “a period of unprecedented read more…
	Monday 18/3/2019

	£8.2m Blackburn partnership centre opens
	A new GP practice and community health centre are some of the facilities now accessible to local residents after the opening of the Blackburn partnership centre. A collaboration between West Lothian Council and NHS Lothian, the centre includes library, employability and council services and there are plans to locate a dental practice on the site. Officially opening the facility on the 12th read more…
	Wednesday 13/3/2019

	Westminster committee launches drug misuse inquiry
	The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into the ‘distinct range of issues and problems associated with drug use’ in Scotland. Problem drug use is disproportionately higher compared to England and other European countries. Drugs-related deaths have increased consistently – rising from 224 in 1997 to 934 in 2017 – with opioid drugs, such as read more…
	Monday 4/3/2019

	Edinburgh launches first hearing loss directory
	With over 60 listings, the hearing loss digital directory is the first of its kind in Edinburgh. Designed to serve as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for adults seeking help and support in Scotland’s capital, the directory includes a range of details related to employability services and advice for employers. Details of support groups, accessible courses and resources providing emotional read more…
	Monday 4/3/2019

	Paediatric staffing crisis threatens children’s health
	A shortage of children’s doctors in Scotland is putting young people’s health at ‘significant risk’, according to a report from the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH). ‘Unless urgent action is taken’, staffing shortages could ‘damage the health of future generations’, the report claims. The RCPCH has called for an expansion read more…
	Monday 4/3/2019

	"Poverty remains a problem" for children in Scotland
	Children are more likely to live in families with limited resources, meaning they have low income and cannot afford three or more out of a list of 22 basic necessities, in Glasgow (43%) and South Ayrshire (36%) compared with Scotland as a whole. Children were less likely to live in families with limited resources in East Lothian and Aberdeenshire (both 5%), and East Renfrewshire (9%). The list read more…
	Thursday 28/2/2019

	Milestone for Scotland’s largest children’s hospital
	The project to create Scotland’s largest children’s hospital reaches a significant milestone as NHS Lothian has taken ownership of the £150m Royal Hospital for Children & Young People, the new department of clinical neurosciences, and child and adolescent mental health services. With the transfer of ownership, the project as a whole is on track to open on Monday 15th read more…
	Thursday 28/2/2019

	Expectations exceeded in first year of PrEP roll out
	A new report published by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) shows progress during the first year of Scotland’s first national HIV PrEP programme, which has engaged more individuals than expected Scotland is the first country worldwide to provide PrEP nationally as part of routine state-funded care to people who meet risk-based eligibility criteria. The HIV PrEP (HIV Pre Exposure read more…
	Wednesday 27/2/2019

	Dispensing practices in difficulty
	A lack of IT provision and falling profits were among the challenges discussed at the latest meeting of the government’s pharmacy dispensing group (PDG). Chaired by senior adviser to the Scottish Government, Fiona Duff, the group examined issues related to unused stock, the falsified medicines directive, Brexit and drug reimbursement rates. Funding The minutes of the meeting identify a read more…
	Monday 25/2/2019

	High praise for Edinburgh mental health ward
	An Edinburgh facility for older people with chronic mental health conditions has been rated highly by inspectors. The Mental Welfare Commission praised Willow Ward, Ferryfield House for the quality of care provided by staff, engagement with patients’ families and the activities on offer. Reviewers from the body, which visits mental health care services across Scotland to check the read more…
	Friday 22/2/2019

	Support for Edinburgh carers
	Carers in Edinburgh will be able to access a pop-up emotional wellbeing hub for expert advice on issues such as managing stress and support services. Two one-day drop-in events will be held at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, supported by the charity VOCAL, which offers unpaid carers information, peer support and access to services. The health & care partnership hopes it will be a read more…
	Friday 22/2/2019

	Radical change for Edinburgh health & care
	Edinburgh’s Integrated Joint Board (IJB), the body that governs the city's health and care partnership (HSCP), has backed an ambitious programme to quicken the pace of health and care reform. The transformation and change programme is to be funded with £2m from the £8m of reserves the partnership has built up. With demand for services rising, the aim is to reduce pressure on read more…
	Monday 11/2/2019

	Postcode lottery persists in dementia support
	Fewer than half of those diagnosed with dementia are receiving the post-diagnostic support set out in Scottish Government standards, new statistics show. In 2016-17, 47% of people estimated to have been diagnosed with dementia were directed to post-diagnosis support services. Of more than 8,000 people referred, 84% received a full year’s support. This means just 39% of those diagnosed read more…
	Wednesday 6/2/2019

	COSLA & Government integration report
	Health and social care integration is “progressing well but needs to happen faster”, according to a joint report from the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). The report has been produced by a ministerial strategic group chaired by director general of health and social care, Paul Gray, and chief executive of COSLA, Sally Loudon. Highlighting read more…
	Monday 4/2/2019

	East Lothian sets health & care priorities
	East Lothian health & social care partnership (HSCP) has begun the first stage of its consultation and engagement that will help to set the priorities in its next strategic plan, due to cover 2019-2022. Respondents are being asked to rank the objectives the partnership set itself in 2015. These include reducing unplanned admissions, bringing down health read more…
	Friday 25/1/2019

	Paul Gray updates MSPs on NHS board performance
	The chief executive of the NHS in Scotland and director general of health and social care for the Scottish Government has written to the Health & Sport Committee with further information on which boards are receiving extra support under the government’s NHS board performance escalation framework. Included in the framework are Scotland’s 14 territorial read more…
	Friday 25/1/2019

	Lothian mental health services visited by MWC
	Three acute mental health wards at the Royal Hospital Edinburgh in Morningside were visited by the Mental Welfare Commission in announced visits over September and October, following a previous round of visits in November 2017. The Commission is an independent body that monitors the care of people with mental illness, learning disabilities and dementia to read more…
	Monday 21/1/2019

	Report says delays impacting Royal Edinburgh patients
	A report by the Mental Welfare Commission is revealing the impact on patients of delayed discharge at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital’s Comiston ward. The ward helps to rehabilitate older people with mental illnesses so they can return home or move to other suitable accommodation. While care at the Comiston ward was described as “excellent” and patients’ families praised read more…
	Friday 18/1/2019

	The failure of public policy
	Public policy continues to fail too many people in Scotland because it tries to do too much to too many people without listening to any of them. And change lies in adopting the ‘one person at a time’ approach of Scotland’s voluntary sector. That’s the message of a keynote address to the VHS annual conference from Scotland’s former Chief Medical Officer and now read more…
	Thursday 13/12/2018

	Rise in under-18s admitted to adult wards
	After falling for two years, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland highlights a rise in the number of children and young people reported by health boards as being treated for mental illness in non-specialist wards. Scotland’s 14 territorial health boards have a legal duty to provide age-appropriate services and accommodation. The report states 103 admissions were recorded nationally, read more…
	Thursday 13/12/2018

	Health and care a top priority in Scottish Budget
	Despite the ongoing political turmoil engulfing Westminster, the Scottish Government promised this week’s Budget would not be defined by Brexit, instead prioritising spending on health, education and economic investment. Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, Derek Mackay, identified the UK’s departure from the EU as “the biggest threat to Scotland’s read more…
	Wednesday 12/12/2018

	Scots life expectancy continues to stall
	Life expectancy statistics published today indicate a variation between Scotland’s council areas of up to 7.2 years for males and 5.0 years for females for those born in 2015-17. The figures emphasis the strong link between deprivation and life expectancy; males born in the 10% most deprived areas of Scotland could expect to live 13 years fewer than those in the 10% least read more…
	Wednesday 12/12/2018

	NHSScotland chief executive's annual report
	NHS Scotland chief executive, Paul Gray, has published his annual report for 2017-18, which charts progress towards the “2020 Vision for Health and Social Care”. Examples of progress towards the three key aims centred on improving the quality of care provided, improving the health of the population, and securing the value and financial sustainability of healthcare services, are read more…
	Tuesday 11/12/2018