MSP HITS OUT AS SHAMBOLIC JAG APPOINTMENT SERVICE LEAVES OAPS WAITING HOURS
heaneymedia
Photo by Jamie Simpson/Marie Curie.
MSPs give their support to Marie Curie’s largest fundraising appeal month, the iconic Great Daffodil Appeal, at the Scottish Parliament today (17 Mar).
Supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal, which started in 1986, by donating and wearing a daffodil pin in March helps Marie Curie to continue providing vital palliative and end of life care and support. The leading end of life charity cared for over 9,000 terminally ill people across Scotland in their own homes and at its two Scottish hospices during 2020/21 – its highest number of patients on record since Marie Curie was established in 1948.
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scottish political support helps Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal flourish
MSPs, lend their support to Marie Curie’s largest fundraising appeal month, the iconic Great Daffodil Appeal, at the Scottish Parliament today (17 Mar).
Following a parliamentary reception last night, MSPs met with staff and volunteers from Marie Curie, to hear about the care and support that is provided to people living with terminal illness, their families and carers across Scotland, especially throughout Covid-19.
The leading end of life charity cared for over 9,000 terminally ill people across Scotland in their own homes and at its two Scottish hospices during 2020/21 – its highest number of patients on record since Marie Curie was established in 1948.
Supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal, which started in 1986, by donating and wearing a daffodil pin in March helps Marie Curie to continue providing vital palliative and end of life care and support.
Ellie Wagstaff, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Marie Curie, said: “With each daffodil worn, there is a personal story, and by donating and wearing your own daffodil, it allows us to continue being there for terminally ill people, their families and carers right across Scotland when they need support the most.
“As a result of the pandemic, where hospital admissions for non-covid patients were reduced, there has been a 40% increase in deaths at home across the country, and Marie Curie’s Community Nursing Service experienced almost a 15% uplift in demand during 2020-21 as it continued supporting terminally ill people at home.
“There has been a significant physical, emotional and financial impact on patients, their families and carers, and health and social care professionals during Covid-19 which will be long-lasting for years to come.
“We must take key learnings from the pandemic to ensure that palliative and end of life care services, including bereavement support, both now and in the future are fully equipped to meet terminally ill people’s needs, as we know that by 2040, 10,000 more people will be dying with palliative care needs each year, with two thirds of all deaths likely to happen in community settings.”
To find out more about the Great Daffodil Appeal, visit mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil
Ends
Notes to Editors
Marie Curie's annual flagship fundraising appeal, the Great Daffodil Appeal is taking place throughout March. The money raised helps to support the charity's nurses, doctors, and hospice staff so they can continue working giving expert care to people at the end of life, and their families. For more information on how to fundraise or donate, visit: mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil
About Marie Curie Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity. The charity provides essential
nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death and bereavement. It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK. Marie Curie is committed to sharing its expertise to improve quality of care and ensuring that everyone has a good end of life experience. Marie Curie is calling for recognition and sustainable funding of end of life care and bereavement support.
Natalie Davidson
Senior PR & Communications Officer
Marie Curie
Care and support through terminal illness
E: natalie.davidson@mariecurie.org.uk
M: 07753258625
Media enquiries: media@mariecurie.org.uk (office hours) /0845 073 8699. For urgent out of hours media enquiries please call.
By Lucy Ashton
Jackie Baillie has demanded answers from those running the vaccination programme in West Dunbartonshire after at least one pensioner left the queue at the Alexandria leisure centre without getting their jag due to the lack of vaccinators.
On both Friday and Saturday, there were lengthy waits at the Alexandria vaccination site, despite residents being given allocated timeslots.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP has been contacted by a number of constituents affected including the daughter of one woman from the Alexandria area who was so tired standing and unable to wait any longer she left the queue without getting her vaccination.
Jackie Baillie said: “The vaccinators are working really hard but there were simply not enough of them to cope with the number of people invited to be vaccinated. Asking older people to stand for hours at a time, outdoors, is not practical.
“We have seen this all before. Why were lessons not learned when we saw pensioners waiting in the rain last year at this same venue for their Covid jags?
“I have written to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Cabinet Secretary for Health Humza Yousaf to find out what has gone wrong and what steps are being taken to sort this problem out before more people are affected.
“I thank the vaccinators who are working extremely hard to get jags into the arms of those most vulnerable to Covid but it must be disheartening when they are faced with such massive queues. It’s not their fault they are being overwhelmed by the number of people invited to attend.
“It is incredibly worrying that because of this shambles, at least one woman has left without even getting her jag. Vaccination is the best way to avoid serious infection from Covid and to protect people during the flu season. The health authorities should be doing all they can to encourage people to attend for their boosters and that means ensuring that there are enough vaccinators.”
At the weekend, Jackie Baillie demanded urgent action after yet another blunder in Helensburgh and Lomond with the vaccination programme left elderly people waiting up to two hours for their Covid vaccine in Helensburgh.
Residents in the town were made to join lengthy queues on Wednesday, September 22nd having been lettered with an appointment for their booster.
However it later emerged that hundreds of local people were given identical appointments.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP, RIGHT, contacted Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership immediately to establish what had gone wrong and seek assurances that the problem would not be repeated.
Earlier this year, elderly people were given appointments for vaccinations which would have meant a 130-mile trip away, some of which would have been by boat.
Jackie Baillie said: “This is a complete shambles. It is unacceptable that we have older people queuing for up to two hours to get their vaccination.
“This is not the first time that there have been issues locally. I had already written to the HSCP to urge them to learn lessons from the mistakes in the past but it is clear basic mistakes continue.
“I have been back in touch with them to seek assurances that the vaccination programme will run smoothly from here on in.
“It is important that people attend for their vaccination to give them the best protection from becoming seriously ill from Covid and there should not be barriers in their way to getting this jag.”
One woman, 83, who contacted the MSP told how she had heard that hundreds of people had been given the same appointment time. She said: “When I got there, I thought ‘what’s going on’. You couldn’t count the people all the way down the street. I waited for an hour and 50 minutes.
“It was all elderly people. It was terrible. It was the same last year. No-one even said sorry.
“I have been getting flu jags since I was 60 and it was done by Helensburgh medical centre and there was never a problem.”
Picture: Jackie Baillie and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
