Call to fully re-open ward
July 7 was the anniversary of the closure of the St John’s children’s ward to inpatients and out of hours.
For a whole year families with sick and injured children who are in need of being admitted to a specialist children’s ward over the weekend or in the evening have been forced to drive past their local hospital and travel up to 30 miles for treatment.
Two separate reports from the Royal College of Paediatrics have said that St John’s requires a 24/7 service yet the ward remains closed out of hours. This is completely unacceptable. The reality is that problems with staffing at this ward have been ongoing for six years and still we see very little progress. The Scottish Government and NHS Lothian’s failure in workforce planning is at the heart of this.
This week the NHS reaches its 70th birthday. I want to thank all the staff who work in the NHS delivering care to those us all in our hour of need.
But these workers need support, they are under pressure like never before.
GP practice provision at Stoneyburn has ended, 40 per cent of practices across Lothian have closed their lists to new patients and there is a crisis in mental health provision.
The NHS is our greatest public service – it needs investment, the staff need support and our wards need to staffed at the right levels.
We have a full year of waiting on this ward reopening. I wonder how long patients will have to wait until this becomes a reality. Neil Findlay MSP for the Lothian region (Labour).
RAF 100 Appeal
As the nation looked to the skies on July 10 to see the RAF’s most historic and newest aircraft fly over Buckingham Palace, it was a moment to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made by all RAF personnel during 100 years of service.
The flypast also marked the midway point for the RAF100 Appeal, a major fundraising drive launched by the RAF and its four main charities.
The RAF100 Appeal brings together the Royal Air Force, the RAF Association, the RAF Benevolent Fund, the RAF Charitable Trust, and the RAF Museum to establish a legacy that matches the vision of Viscount Trenchard who steered the formation of the RAF in 1918.
The appeal encourages the British public to get involved in the celebrations and help repay ‘the debt we owe’ and help to raise funds for the past, present and future RAF Family, inspiring, honouring and supporting all who have given so much.
The centenary year of the Royal Air Force provides a unique opportunity to commemorate the service and the sacrifice of those who have gone before.
Very few British people can look back at their family history over the past 100 years and find themselves untouched by the courage, capability and achievements of the men and women who served – and continue to serve – in our Royal Air Force.
The RAF100 Appeal provides an opportunity to show their appreciation and help support RAF charities.
People like Battle of Britain veteran Stan Hartill who serviced the Spitfires night after night during the Second World War, who lives in comfort and dignity thanks to the RAF Benevolent Fund, one of the Appeal charities, or Mike Goody, injured while on patrol with the RAF Regiment in Afghanistan, whose home adaptations have given him back his independence.
As we look towards the next 100 years for the Air Force it is my wish that the legacy of this milestone will be to ensure their sacrifices are not forgotten, their memories live on to inspire the next generation.
The RAF100 Appeal will support tens of thousands of individuals, young people, serving personnel and veterans.
To find out more or get involved visit www.raf100appeal.org Simon Collins, Chairman of the RAF100 Appeal.