Category: News

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HSCP Winter Vaccination Clinics

Keeping our staff and our patients safe from flu and COVID-19 is a priority for us all this autumn/winter.

Book your Vaccination Appointment

 

What am I eligible for?
All NHS Lothian and HSCP staff are being offered a free seasonal flu  vaccination.    Some HSCP staff are eligible for the Covid-19 Winter Booster. 

Some of our staff may not be eligible under the health and social care staff criteria, but may be eligible for the winter booster under the public criteria, which are:

  • adults aged 50 years and over
  • persons aged 5 to 49 years in a clinical risk group
  • persons aged 5 to 49 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression
  • persons aged 16 to 49 years who are carers

NHS Inform has a self-assessment tool you can use if you’re still unsure what you’re eligible for this year.

Why should I get the winter vaccines?

The flu virus is always changing and research shows that COVID-19 vaccine protection can fade over time, so it’s important to keep protection levels topped up by getting the vaccines when offered.

Vaccination is still the best way of protecting yourself and those around you against severe COVID-19 illness. Please speak to one of our vaccinators if you have any questions about the winter vaccines as they are happy to help.

Which COVID-19 vaccine will I be offered?

The COVID-19 winter booster on offer in Lothian is a Spikevax bivalent booster vaccine, which gives great protection from the Omicron variant as well as older strains of the virus.


Can I drop-in or do I have to book?

Some clinics offer drop-ins and some require advanced booking. A list of drop-in clinics for staff can be found at the end of this page.

If you drop-in, you may have to wait to be seen. If you’d prefer to book an appointment, you can do so via the online booking portal. 

If you have booked an appointment and can no longer attend, please make sure you cancel this as soon as possible so we can offer your appointment to someone else.

If you need any assistance with booking or rescheduling, please call the National Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013.

Line managers are expected to support staff to attend their appointments during work time.

 

 

Area Site Days Drop-in times
East Lothian Haddington Corn Exchange Monday to Friday and Sunday

8.30am – 12pm

1pm – 4pm
Edinburgh The Gyle Shopping Centre Monday to Sunday 9am – 6.30pm
Edinburgh Ocean Terminal Monday to Sunday 9am – 6.30pm
Edinburgh Waverley Mall Monday to Sunday 10am – 5.30pm
Midlothian Gorebridge Community Centre Monday to Friday

8.30am – 12pm

1pm – 4pm
Midlothian Penicuik YMCA/YWCA Monday to Friday

8.30am – 12pm

1pm – 4pm
West Lothian Livingston Designer Outlet Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9.30am – 5pm
​ ​ Thursday 9.30am – 6pm
​ ​ Sunday 10.30am – 4.30pm
West Lothian Carmondean Health Centre Monday and Tuesday

9am – 12pm

1.15pm – 4.30pm
West Lothian West Calder Health Centre Wednesday and Friday

9am – 12pm

1.15pm – 4.30pm

 

 

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ELHSCP Response to National Care Service Consultation

A ‘Call for Views’ was launched by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to inform their consideration of the Bill to establish a National Care Service in Scotland.

In August 2022, a new consultation asked for views on the proposed National Care Service Bill (more details here). The Bill would establish a national service for social care, ending local authorities responsibility for such services. The scope of arrangements could be extended to include healthcare functions, which are currently the responsibility of the NHS.  Elements of the Bill also have implications for IJBs.

ELHSCP’s IJB responded to the NCS Bill. You can view the response here.

Download Documents:

AUGUST 2022: ELHSCP Response to NCS Consultation

NOVEMBER 2021: National Care Service Consultation – East Lothian IJB Response.

More Information:

National Care Service Bill published – (www.gov.scot)

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Hello Colleagues

Introducing Fiona Wilson, East Lothian Health & Social Care’s Chief Officer

Having now spent my first few weeks in my new position as Chief Officer, I wanted to reach out of all East Lothian Health & Social Care colleagues, to say hello and formally introduce myself.

Background

I started my career as an Occupational Therapist, before moving into Service Manager roles; firstly in the Western General Hospital, then at the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership where I had responsibility for both health and social care services including care at home, social work, district nursing and care homes.

In 2018, I was seconded to support the Chief Officer in Edinburgh HSCP in addressing the challenge of Delayed Discharge.   In my time at Edinburgh, I secured funding and introduced a number of initiatives that support prevention of admission and early discharge promoting assessment in the individual’s own home.

Prior to moving to East Lothian, I was involved in a number of transformation programmes in West Lothian that looked to change service delivery focused on delivering person centred care, through different models of delivery.

Priorities for East Lothian  

I’m really excited to be taking up this new and challenging role at such a critical time as we recover from the pandemic. I am keen to build on the good work already taking place transforming patient care and supporting the East Lothian community.

My passion has always been improving services in order to ensure people receive the treatment and care they need as close to home as possible, which is where they want to be.

Some of my personal key priorities are:

  • To understand the East Lothian’s local communities and the people who live within them.
  • To meet the multiple teams across the Partnership, understand the challenges we are facing, and together; develop strategies, pathways and action plans to overcome these obstacles. 
  • To familiarise myself with the strategic needs assessment projects currently underway, and from these initiatives, identify ways of enhancing our services to help improve the lives of the people that live within East Lothian’s communities.
  • Develop relationships with the IJB, East Lothian Council, NHS Lothian and our wider stakeholder network to understand how we can support each other and deliver better outcomes for people across the county.

Meeting the Team

Over the coming weeks, I am eager to meet with colleagues wherever possible, across the service and the county.   Teamwork and listening to people is incredibly important. I  strongly believe these are the key elements to person centred care. 

Together, I believe we can make a real difference to health, social care and wellbeing in East Lothian, and I can’t wait to get started.

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Best wishes

Fiona

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Are you an unpaid carer working for ELC?

Many many ELC staff are carers, providing unpaid care by looking after
an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner. They have to manage the difficult job of balancing work with their caring responsibilities, and this sometimes means that
they have very little time to take care of themselves and their needs.

In recognition of this, ELC’s Carer Positive Team has put together a Carers Hub on the council intranet to help carers find support they need at work and general sources of advice and support for their caring role. Just type ELC Carers Hub into the intranet search box..

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Coming soon – Dementia Friendly Meeting Centre in Musselburgh

This Dementia Friendly Week (30th May – 5th June), the ELHSCP, along with Dementia Friendly East Lothian​, Open Arms Carers and Musselburgh Area Community Partnership are delighted to confirm that funding has been secured to create a Dementia Meeting Centre within Musselburgh this Autumn – with the scope to expand to further satellite sites across East Lothian.

What is a Meeting Centre?

Meeting Centres help people with mild to moderate dementia to deal with the challenges around communication, finances, relationships, changes in behaviour and so on. But ultimately it’s a place where people can come together, enjoy each other’s company and activities together.

What makes a Meeting Centre is how people with dementia and carers feel when they are there – welcome, included, supported and listened to. Everyone is considered an equal partner; staff, volunteers and attendees wear name badges only – no titles, and it is the people living with dementia who suggest and decide on the activities that are made available for all to enjoy.

The video below, from Powys, Wales, features a poem written by Yvie George, titled “The Magic”. It is a reflection of her experiences as a Meeting Centre co-ordinator and provides a wonderful insight into what a Meeting Centre is like, and what will soon be available within East Lothian.

For more information about progress, consultations and ongoing project of creating a dedicated Meeting Centre visit: MUSSELBURGH MEETING CENTRE: RESTARTING THE CONVERSATION: FULL REPORT – Dementia Friendly (dfel.org.uk)

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East Lothian Connect Group

Connect is a free service for women who have had some involvement with the justice system and who need support with challenges such as substance use, mental health difficulties or low self-esteem, or feel isolated or have experienced domestic abuse.

Read the very positive article about this service and our wonderful Justice Social Work Team in the East Lothian Courier here.

Please send any referrals to connect@eastlothian.gov.uk

PS – it’s not a new service (as it says in the article) but everything else there is accurate.

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Consultation on Scottish Government Health and Social Care Strategy for Older People

From Sue Northrop, Dementia Friendly East Lothian

The Scottish Government’s ambition is to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow old. 

Their aim is that as people in Scotland get older they experience a great quality of life though safe, integrated, person centred health and social care. They are able to live actively, and drive the decisions about their health and wellbeing; with their human rights respected and their dignity protected.

Ageing is inevitable but ageing in poor health should not be. It is important for everyone in Scotland that we make sure our health and social care services are delivering for older people so that we can grow older healthier and live independently. Hearing the views of a wide range of people will therefore be an important part of developing this new strategy.The Scottish Government has been talking with a wide range of older people to get their views on their health and social care services, how these have been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic and how services could improve, to better meet the needs of our ageing population. 

The importance of health and social care of older people has never been more urgent. A quarter of Scotland’s population will be 65 years and over by mid-2043, and pandemic has brought to light the inequalities that many older people face in being able to access a wide range of support services, allowing them to maintain their health and wellbeing and help prevent social isolation and frailty, which can lead to falls and ill health.

Come along to hear about the Scottish Government’s proposals and give your views on what you think older people in our community want and need. Please book your place.

• Louise Scott, Team Leader – Older People’s Health, Cancer and End of Life Care Unit, Healthcare Quality and Improvement, Scottish Government

• Sue Northrop, Dementia Friendly East Lothian

Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/health-social-care-for-older-people-have-your-say-tickets-338934140137


Consultation documents: https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-health-social-care-strategy-older-people/documents/

Sue Northrop
Dementia Friendly East Lothian CIC
Tel: 07727 883 881
Email: sue@dfel.org.uk
Facebook: @DementiaFriendlyEastLothian
Website: https://dfel.org.uk