Dundee Screening at DCA of New Film on the Lifelong Impacts of Child Trauma Saturday 3rd June 2017

As the Director of the Dundee-based organisation connected baby, Suzanne Zeedyk writes:

"I am co-hosting (along with the organisations NHS Health Scotland and ReAttachment) a Dundee screening of a new documentary film - 'Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope'.

 The film has won awards for its ability to explain the insights of scientific discoveries over the past 20 years about the lifelong impact of child trauma on adult mental and physical health.

Dundee has one of the highest rates of school exclusion, and poor health outcomes in the country. This film helps us to better understand why that is – and more importantly, what we can do about it."
Saturday, 3rd June: 11.00 – 13.00 Cinema @ Dundee Contemporary Arts
£7.50 - Includes film screening and Discussion Panel

Booking early is recommended.

Links to the trailer and a clip from the film.
https://vimeo.com/137282528
https://vimeo.com/214183672

All the Residents of Broughty Ferry Should be Able to Access the Doctors in The Ferry

At its meeting last week, Broughty Ferry Community Council agreed to send a written objection to NHS Tayside about the proposed changes to the GP Practice boundary of Broughty Ferry Family Healthcare GP Practice in Brown Street. 

This busy GP practice has has applied to NHS Tayside to redraw their practice boundary and cut a significant number of streets in The Ferry from the area they cover. If the proposed new boundary were adopted, new residents in Clearwater Park, Ferryfields, Balmossie Brae, Panmurefield and Wyvis would not be able to register with the Doctors in Brown Street. As these areas already fall outside the approved boundary for the Grove Health Centre GP Practice, new residents of the 700-800 households living in these neighbourhoods would not be able to access any of the GP services in Broughty Ferry but would have to go further afield. 

Having heard from Angela Lyall about the reservations and concerns of residents and more than 200 petitioners against the changes, the Community Councillors agreed that the proposal from NHS Tayside was not acceptable. 

Recognising that the responsibility for Health is devolved to the Scottish Government, the Community Council also agreed to write to MSPs including the Cabinet Secretary for Health, local MSP Shona Robison.

While I am sure residents in Broughty Ferry, epsecially in the areas affected by this consultation will be pleased to hear how their views from the petition have been represented to the Community Council, they will await the response from NHS Tayside with some trepidation. 

There must be a better way of responding to pressure on our GP practices than just sending residents elsewhere to surgeries in other parts of Dundee. If it lack of space or lack of staff, surely its preferable that this is tackled now.

All the residents of Broughty Ferry should be able to access the Doctors in The Ferry.

Commenting on Thefts from NHS Tayside over 5 Years

On the basis of Freedom of Information Requests, it is regrettable to learn that over £400,000 of losses to NHS Tayside over the last five years were attributable to theft.

Whether it is lead stolen from roofs or equipment and furnishings removed from wards and surgeries, every pound spent on replacements is a pound not available for spending on the treatment of patients. 

Those who chose to deliberately or opportunistically steal from the NHS are stealing from us all as we all contribute to the cost of the NHS through our National Insurance contributions and taxes. 

Having said that, the budget of NHS Tayside is in excess of £640 million per year and they are a major owner of buildings in many locations. Seen it that light, the figure of £80,000 attributed to thefts per year (averaging out the reported annual losses from the five year total) suggests good security of NHS Tayside premises and sensible oversight of their movable property which I don't think intrudes on the treatment of patients.

National Performance Centre for Sport at Camperdown - Drop In Public Event Wed 24 July Landmark Hotel 4-8pm

Next Wednesday, 24 July, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to attend a drop in event and see at first hand the planning proposals for the National Performance Centre for Sport and Hotel with associated access, parking, landscaping and miscellaneous development. This event is being organised by Keppie Design prior to any formal planning application being submitted to the City Council. The event will run on Wednesday 24 July at the Landmark Hotel, Kingsway West from 4pm to 8 pm.

Last week the Dundee bid for the National Performance Centre for Sport was submitted by Dundee City Council in partnership with the University of Dundee; University of Abertay, Dundee; Dundee College; Dundee United Football Club; Dundee Football Club; NHS Tayside and Leisure & Culture Dundee. Dundee is in competition with consortia in Stirling and Edinburgh for the National Performance Centre for Sport.

Dundee City Council has approved, in principle, £5 million of local authority capital funding to the project. This would help to provide the capital costs of the centre and its facilities in addition to the £25 million grant that has already been pledged by the Scottish Government to the winning bid city. The South East corner of Camperdown Country Park is Dundee’s chosen site to host the National Performance Centre for Sport.