Issue 32 | 25th June 2021

Elected Members Update

for Fife’s MPs, MSPs and
local Councillors 

This weekly update is part of our on-going commitment to keep you informed of the latest developments at NHS Fife that may be of interest to you and your constituents. We would also encourage you to regularly visit and refer your constituents for the latest news and updates from NHS Fife on our website: or follow us on our social media channels –Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

We ask that Elected Members do not contact our staff directly with any queries around the national vaccination programme. Instead, please consult the Scottish Government’s vaccination programme webpage, the national vaccination information phone number on 0800 030 8013, or our own webpage for local updates. We endeavour to cover as much as possible in these updates, however if you believe that there is something that has not been addressed in this or previous editions, or is not available publicly from other sources, your email should be directed to the NHS Fife Chief Executive Office for response and co-ordination. A new guide, which is hosted on NHS Inform, aims to provide awareness and options for those who believe their appointment has gone missing and those who are looking to reschedule an appointment. It can be accessed here.

Following the Scottish Government’s latest announcements on restriction easing, further information on the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 response strategy (Strategic Framework) can be accessed here. Information on its review of physical distancing can be accessed here.

Local COVID-19 vaccination overview

Over a quarter of a million people in Fife have now received their first COVID-19 vaccination, with almost 190,000 completing their two-dose course. 

Throughout this week we have been running a series of drop-in vaccination clinics at venues across Fife, which have received a lot of interest from the public. Whilst these early clinics have been for people meeting specific age and vaccine criterion, we have moved quickly to schedule additional clinics which provide further options – particularly for younger people and those who are awaiting their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Priority order	NHS Fife Status
Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers	Second doses provided to all care homes in Fife.
All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers	Majority of second doses complete.
All those 75 years of age and over	Majority of second doses complete.
All those 70 years of age and over	Majority of second doses complete.
All those 65 years of age and over	Majority of second doses complete.
All those 60 years of age and over	Majority of second doses complete.
All those 55 years of age and over	Majority of second doses complete.
All those 50 years of age and over	87% of second doses complete.
All those aged 40-49	88% first doses administered 36% of second doses complete.
All those aged 30-39	81% first doses administered. 28% of second doses complete.
All those aged 18-29	38% first doses administered. 16% of second doses complete.

Vaccination drop-in clinics 

This week we have hosted drop-in vaccination clinics at four of our larger venues, these were for people over 40 years old and who had not received their first dose vaccination, or those who waited eight or more weeks for their second dose of AstraZeneca (in any age category). The clinics, which have been promoted on social and in local media, have garnered widespread interest and as a result we will also be running a series of new drop-in clinics from Sunday. These clinics will be for people aged 30 or over who have not yet received their first dose, or those who have waited more than ten weeks for their second dose – either Pfizer or AstraZeneca. More information can be found here. 

COVID-19 cases linked to St Andrews bar

A small number of people linked to The Keys Bar on Market Street in St Andrews have tested positive for COVID-19. We are asking people who were in The Keys Bar between 11-17 June 2021 to be especially vigilant of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 – these are a new, continuous cough; a fever; or a loss or change in the sense of smell or taste. Should anyone develop any of the established symptoms of COVID-19, they should self-isolate immediately and book a test as soon as possible. Testing is available seven days a week at Victory Memorial Hall for those with symptoms. Getting tested can potentially help prevent many more people catching the virus and is free. More information is available here.

Second doses for over 40s brought forward 

People aged 40 and over whose second vaccination appointment is scheduled more than eight weeks after their first are being encouraged to seek an earlier slot. They can do this by going online here where they can also check the status of their second appointment, by calling the vaccine helpline on 0800 030 8013, or attending one of our  drop-in centres. It follows recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending that the interval for second doses be brought forward from 12 to eight weeks – where supply allows.

Vaccination of the homeless population

People experiencing homelessness in Fife can access their vaccine without having to be registered with a GP. We are working with colleagues across Fife to ensure everyone sleeping rough and in temporary accommodation can be offered the vaccine. One aspect of this work is the production of a small credit card sized flyer, which is being handed out to the homeless community by local outreach groups and advises that the card entitles them to a vaccination without an appointment at any local clinic.

Local vaccination safety 

We are pleased to report that the incidence of adverse reaction to patient vaccination in Fife has been extremely low – around one incident per 50,000 vaccinations. This is based on a snapshot of January 2021 – April 2021 and is testament to local safety structures. The statistic has been commended by the local vaccination programme group, which noted a low error rate and a culture of reporting and improvement.

Rescheduling appointments

For those who are unable to attend their assigned vaccination appointment, they can reschedule online. The advice to people who are rescheduling their second dose vaccine is to book the next available appointment and that breach of the recommended 12-week period between first and second dose does not mean they have to restart their cycle. More information on rescheduling appointments is available here.

Vaccine progress data update

Public Health Scotland is now publishing daily statistical data on vaccinations in Scotland. The report includes data on; total vaccination – daily count and cumulative total, vaccination by age group, sex, and cohort (including percentage of population to receive first dose), and vaccination by location (health board and local authority area). The weekly statistical report issued by Public Health Scotland on 24/03/21 included a new section on ‘Equality of COVID-19 vaccination’ this week. This included national-level data on uptake rates by ethnicity and by level of deprivation. We would encourage elected members and media to use these resources as the main source for the latest data on COVID-19 vaccination figures. The Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan can be found here.

Local COVID-19 data

You can find the latest COVID-19 statistical report here. The number of confirmed cases, people in hospital and ICU in Fife here. Local information around deaths is published weekly by National Records Scotland at 12 noon on a Wednesday; this includes a breakdown by setting and is sourced from all death registrations. This data can be found here. We have also produced a handy info graphic that we publish every week on the Know Fife website summarising the above data – this can be accessed here. 

Schools and nurseries updates

During the last school term, NHS Fife and Fife Council jointly published information on COVID-19 cases connected to nurseries and schools. For this new school term NHS Fife and Fife Council will be publishing a weekly update on cases within local schools and nurseries. 

More information is available here.

Community testing in Fife

Several testing sites are available across Fife for members of the public with symptoms. Anyone with the symptoms of COVID-19 should book a test at www.nhsinform.scot or call 0800 028 2816. If support is needed with the booking process, call 119. Testing for individuals without symptoms is available through our community testing sites – available to the public on a drop-in basis. Community testing sites are currently available at Glebe Centre, Kirkcaldy; Savoy Centre, Methil; Tryst Centre, Dunfermline, with a mobile site currently at the YMCA, Kirkcaldy. 

In addition, mobile community testing will be held on a weekly basis over the next month at Links Car Park, Burntisland; Kinghorn Community Centre; Aberdour Community Centre; Dalgety Bay Leisure Centre and Civic Centre, Inverkeithing. Scottish Ambulance Service Mobile Units are also based at Hall Street Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy Town House, providing testing for individuals with and without symptoms. Appointments can be made in advance at any of these sites. Individuals who drop-in will need to register details before they leave.

Rapid home testing kits

COVID-19 rapid home testing kits are also now available to individuals who do not have symptoms, with members of the public encouraged to test themselves twice weekly. These free kits can be ordered online and delivered through the post, alternatively they can be picked up from testing sites at Glebe Centre, Kirkcaldy; Victory Memorial Hall, St Andrews; Overton Community Centre, Kirkcaldy; Regional Drive-Through Centre, Bankhead Car Park, Glenrothes; Glenrothes Miners Charitable Society, Glenrothes and the Dell Farquharson Community Centre, Dunfermline. Further information on testing in Fife can be found here. The COVID-19 rapid home testing kits are also being extended for pick up at community pharmacies across Scotland. Participation is voluntary and it is for pharmacy owners to opt-in to provide the service. To date, more than 60 Fife pharmacies have signed up to the scheme and people can find their nearest participating outlet here.

Long COVID patient management

A percentage of patients who are infected with COVID-19 are known to suffer prolonged symptoms or effects because of the infection. These may include a wide range of physical symptoms as well as psychological difficulties. Earlier this year we established a multi-disciplinary oversight group to assess the unmet needs of these patients and ensure that appropriate services, resources, and staff training are in place to meet them. The group includes medical and nursing staff from hospital-based services, primary care and community, allied health professionals and clinical psychologists. The group continue to work towards refining an integrated service response that supports comprehensive assessment and co-ordination of care. The group is currently working on a support programme, similar to INSPIRE, which draws upon peer support from patients who have previously had Long COVID.

Update to hospital visiting restrictions

Everyone in hospital can now receive at least two named visitors from the same household without the need to physically distance. For those visiting a patient in hospital, infection control measures will remain in place, including face coverings, hand hygiene stations, restricted movement around the hospital, and a clear instruction that visits should not take place if the visitor has COVID-19 symptoms or is isolating. Current arrangements, including guidance on visiting criteria and FAQS, can be found here. When visiting arrangements are made, clinical care teams will point out that optional testing prior to a visit is a valuable way to promote safety. Universal lateral flow testing is available for anyone in Scotland either through community testing programmes or home delivery by calling 119 or ordering online. 

Helping people get the right care, in the right place 

The Scottish Government has redesigned the way that urgent healthcare services are accessed across Scotland, supporting the public to access the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Under the arrangements, people with non-life-threatening conditions, who would usually attend A&E, are asked to call NHS 24 first, during the day or at night. Further information about the redesign of urgent care services is available here. 

EU settlement scheme

Our European Union and European Economic Area (EEA) staff remain a highly valued and appreciated group within the team that make-up the hard working and committed workforce that is NHS Fife. We are actively encouraging staff and their families, if they have not already done so, to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme for either Settled Status (indefinite leave to remain) or Pre-Settled Status (limited leave to remain for five years), before the end of the Brexit transition period on 30^th June. A detailed guide to making an application under the settlement scheme can be here.

Remobilisation of services

The Board has formally approved our remobilisation plan, following confirmation of approval by Scottish Government. As COVID-19 related admissions to our acute hospital continue to reduce, we are gradually remobilising elective and out-patient programmes. More information is available here.

Fife integrated performance and quality report

At the last meeting of the NHS Fife Board, the Fife Integrated Performance and Quality Report (FIPQR) was published.  The publication documents local performance in detail against standards and key performance indicators, as well as benchmarking against other mainland NHS Boards. The FIPQR can be viewed in the Board papers here (page 406).

Autism assessment

Following enquiries from Elected Members around the impact of COVID-19 upon autism assessment, the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership recently released a statement reading: “Fife has a multi-agency pathway for children and young people who require assessment for autism. This assessment pathway was paused in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Some Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments were completed using Near Me video links, however, to reach more families an Autism helpline was implemented to assist families awaiting an autism assessment to provide support and advice on issues that were of particular concern at the time. The principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) are embedded in Fife to ensure that children and young people who have autism and require specific support from professionals have been supported and continue to be supported. Services will resume from July 2021 and we look forward to connecting with families again and progressing assessments. We will be reviewing the current pathway, looking at different ways of delivering services to ensure those who need these services, can access them at the right time, in the right place, with the right support.”

Pride Pledge

We have been asking staff to demonstrate a commitment to the issues that LGBT+ people can face when accessing healthcare by taking NHS Scotland’s Pride Pledge and wearing its new Pride badge. The Pride Badge promotes inclusion for LGBTQ+ people and makes a statement that there’s no place for discrimination in NHS Scotland. It  was designed in recognition of the multifactorial and intersectional issues of discrimination and exclusion and incorporates the Progress Flag colours. More information can be accessed in this video. 

Outdoor patient gym opened at Stratheden Hospital

A new ‘green’ outdoor gym has opened for patients at Stratheden Hospital thanks to a £40,000 grant from the Fife health Charity. The pandemic has limited opportunities for inpatients to make use of the indoor gym facilities due to the necessity for physical distancing and enhanced infection prevention measures in enclosed spaces. The new gym will enable far greater numbers of patients to get physical exercise, and because the facility is outdoors, they will be able to exercise in small groups without the same restrictions as an indoor gym. More information is available here.

Patient flow and navigation survey

We’re looking to gauge the experiences of patients who have contacted NHS 24 on 111 for any illness or injuries recently and were diverted to our Flow and Navigation Centre. Patients can help us improve the patient experience by filling out this survey.

LGBT+ survey

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and Public Health Scotland are undertaking a national survey to gain insight from LGBT+ individuals on their health and well-being. They are looking to find out more about the health and wellbeing of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or non-binary who live in Scotland. The responses will help make sure the health service in Scotland can meet the health and wellbeing needs of LGBT+ people, not just in how it provides inclusive health services, but also in the way that ill health prevention and promotion of positive health is delivered. Please consider sharing the survey, which can be accessed here:

Sharing our messages

We appreciate the support of elected members in sharing our health messages and note that you have already been engaging with the topics we have suggested on social media – we are grateful for your support. As such, and in order to help you share our messages with the public in as vibrant a way as possible, we have created a dedicated campaigns area on our website where you will be able to download graphics, videos and any other resources to complement your posts. 

Help us to help you keep your constituents informed 

NHS Fife would ask our elective representatives to share our regular updates and guidance via their own channels of communications with their constituents. By supporting us you can help to ensure that we can reach as many people across Fife in a timely manner. 

Keep in touchElected members enquiries NHS Fife is committed to responding to elected member enquires in a timely manner. However, we need to manage enquiries to ensure that our urgent frontline delivery is not disrupted. To help you and to help us we are asking that all emails for updates and information or to address constituents’ enquiries are directed to our central email address. All emails should be directed to the NHS Fife Chief Executive Office for response and co-ordination at: fife.chiefexecutive@nhs.scot  The Chief Executives’ Office will formally acknowledge receipt of all correspondence and coordinate a response from services to ensure that all enquiries are responded to in good time. Elected members are politely asked not to approach services directly for responses and instead direct all enquiries to the Chief Executive’s Office. Also, during this busy period can we ask that you make use of the excellent public information available on the NHS Fife Website, NHS Inform and the Scottish Government website and only come to us if the request relates specifically to Fife and not covered by local or national updates or guidance. To aid the sharing of information and updates with Fife’s elected representatives we will now be issuing or Elected Members briefing on a weekly rather than fortnightly basis. This will be emailed directly to you and available to access online at: www.nhsfife.org/emu This update will also collate and address any common or shared requests for information from Elected members, received via the Chief Executive’s Office, rather than us having to address each individual enquiry.Accessible information and translation NHS Fife continues to provide interpreting and translation services for patients despite there being no face to face interpretation currently. These assets and further information can be found here.Board papers accessible onlineBoard papers from previous meetings can be accessed online here.

Issued by NHS Fife Communications