Healthcare

New Hospital for Lochaber – Community Update July 2021

NHS Highland are beginning to create plans to build a new hospital in Fort William, as part of the wider redesign of health and social care services within Lochaber.

Over the last 7 days there have 89 new positive cases in Highland (to 3^rd June).  This means the latest rate per 100,000 has increased from 4.7 when last reported to you two weeks ago to 37.7 per 100,000 as of 1^st June.  This is reflective of the increase in cases in the Fort William area but also an increase in cases around the Aviemore area.  

It highlights the need to remain vigilant and to stick to the FACTS – Face Coverings, Avoid Crows, Clean Hands, Two Metres, Self Isolate.

Changes in Restrictions

The Scottish Government confirmed this week that from Saturday 5 June, Highland will move into level 1.  Key features and changes to restrictions at level 1 include:

• Indoor socialising – maximum 8 people from up to 3 households may socialise indoors in a public place. Maximum of 6 people from up to 3 households may socialise in a private dwelling
• Outdoor socialising – maximum of 12 people from up to 12 households Under 12s do not count towards restricted numbers or households outdoors
• Hospitality: Outdoors: local licensing laws apply, Indoors: Closed 23:00 Indoors (8 people/3 households) or outdoors (12 people/12 households) socialising rules apply
• Leisure and entertainment – All open, with the exception of nightclubs.  Indoor organised adult non-professional performing arts activities permitted.
• Events and Stadia – Maximum capacities* Indoors: 200 Outdoors seated: 1,000 Outdoors free-standing: 500
• Going to work/Work from home – work from home where possible
• Life events – Weddings/Civil Partnerships – 100, Funerals – 100, Post-funeral/wedding receptions permitted – maximum 100 (alcohol permitted)

Fort William Outbreak

The case numbers in the Fort William area have continued to grow this week with the latest update from NHS Highland suggesting that there are over 70 positive cases in the area.  There continues to be a large proportion of the cases that visited bars in Fort William on Saturday 22nd May. Those customers that visited Sunny’s Bar have been identified as close contacts and advised to self-isolate.

The message continues to be that people across the community should be vigilant for any signs of symptoms.  For customers that visited other local bars on Saturday 22 May, please be vigilant for symptoms and consider taking a PCR test.    

If you do believe you have symptoms, please self-isolate and book a PCR test.

Postal PCR kits are available through NHS Inform either online here or by calling 0800 028 2816.

In addition to the local support that is available, people can get support to self isolate by calling the Council’s helpline number: 0300 303 1362.  This can include access to food and supplies to self isolate and individuals may be entitled to a £500 self isolation support grant. 

Please do share information about the outbreak, where to get tested and where to get support across your networks. 

Community Testing 7 June – 11 June

For groups in Badenoch and Strathspey, the community testing unit will continue to be in Aviemore on Saturday 5^th June and all of next week.  The mobile unit will be at the retail unit on Grampian Road in Aviemore on the following days and times:

• Saturday 5 June 10.30 am to 4 pm. 
• Mon 7 June – Friday 11 June 9.30 to 5 pm.  

The community testing programme offers rapid COVID-19 tests for people without symptoms, and a mobile asymptomatic testing unit was deployed to Aviemore on Wednesday 2 June. There had been small clusters of cases and the people traced to these clusters have been isolating. The mobile testing unit will now remain in Aviemore until Friday 11 June.

At this point, there is still no evidence of wider community transmission. The testing will help identify any asymptomatic cases that may occur, and allow people to become confident in using the test kits.

No appointment is necessary and it will be open both for asymptomatic testing and to collect LFD test kits.

I would appreciate it if you could encourage people across your networks to attend.

Thank you for everything that you are doing in your communities

Best wishes

Alison

Alison Clark

Head of Policy

Highland Council

Over the last 7 days there have 41 new positive cases in Highland (to 10^th June), a fall from the 89 reported last week.  This means the latest rate per 100,000 has decreased from 37.7 per 100,000 last week to 17.4 per 100,000 as of 8^th June.  This still reflects an increase in cases around the Fort William and Aviemore areas but that the number of cases in these communities is falling.  

These recent increases do highlight the need to remain vigilant and to stick to the FACTS – Face Coverings, Avoid Crowds, Clean Hands, Two Metres, Self Isolate.

Community Testing 15 June – 18 June

For groups in Nairn, the community testing unit will be at the Links car park, Cumming Street on the following days and times:

• Tue 15 – Friday 18 June 9.30 to 16.30.  

For groups in Inverness, the community testing unit will be at the Highland Council Headquarters car park, Glenurquhart Road on the following days and times:

• Wednesday 16 June 9:30am-4:30pm

·         Thursday 17 June 9:30am-4:30pm

• Friday 18 June 9:30am-1pm

The community testing programme offers rapid COVID-19 tests for people without symptoms.  Just to emphasise that there is no outbreak in Nairn and Inverness but this is to support normalising testing across the area.  

No appointment is necessary and it will be open both for asymptomatic testing and to collect LFD test kits.

I would appreciate it if you could encourage people across your networks to attend.

Dignity & the Right to Food: Responding to Food Insecurity

Nourish are running a workshop on responding to food insecurity.   It focuses specifically on dignity, the human right to food and a food systems framework that can support sustainable solutions to food insecurity.

The workshop will:

• Further understanding of the link between dignity and the right to food 
• Hear about case studies where dignity and the right to food have been put in practice 
• Reflect on how someone involved in community food provision or decision-making can help develop more sustainable solutions to food insecurity founded on dignity and the right to food.

It is aimed at individuals:

• Involved in community food provision as a community member, volunteer, and / or worker?
• Involved in local-level decision-making?
• Involved in some part of the food system and are interested to find out more about sustainable responses to food insecurity?

For further details and to register please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dignity-the-right-to-food-responding-to-food-insecurity-tickets-157615236415

Thank you for everything that you are doing in your communities

“If you have been identified as close contact, please self-isolate and get a PCR test. If you are identified as a close contact and your test is negative you must continue to isolate for 10 days as advised.”

The community should also remain vigilant for the symptoms of COVID-19. The typical symptoms are a new continuous cough, a high temperature or fever and a loss of, or change in, normal taste or smell (anosmia). 

However, people with COVID-19 can present with a wide range of symptoms including headache, sore muscles and joints, tiredness, sore throat, cold-like symptoms and diarrhoea and vomiting. Anyone that becomes unwell should isolate immediately and seek a PCR test.

You can book an appointment online via NHS Inform here or by calling 0800 028 2816. When booking online you should select the option ‘I have been asked to book a test by my local council or health protection team’ which will allow you to book a test even if you don’t have symptoms.

Acharacle Medical Practice

Easter Holiday Notice

Please note that the surgery will be 
CLOSED ON 
Friday 2^nd and Monday 5^th April 2021

You will not be able to order repeat medications over the telephone when the surgery is closed.  

If you have access to the internet you may order your medications at any time via the surgery’s e-mail address:-
nhsh.gp55662-admin@nhs.scot

 Should you require urgent medical attention when the surgery is closed please telephone 111.   Your call will be handled by NHS24 and the OOH service contacted if necessary

Thank you