Health board facing 'extreme pressure' amid norovirus outbreak
NHS Borders has urged people not to visit loved ones following an 'extremely contagious' outbreak of the illness which causes diarrhoea and/or vomiting.
In a statement the board confirmed it is 'currently experiencing significant pressure across the healthcare system, with long waits for admission to the Borders General Hospital'.
It comes just a couple of weeks after NHS Borders said that its community hospitals and emergency departments are currently operating at full capacity.
Anyone feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms of infection is being asked not to visit family or friends in healthcare settings within the area.
Sarah Horan, director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, said: 'Norovirus is circulating in our communities. We know how much it means to visit loved ones in hospital, but we must do everything we can to reduce the spread of illnesses.
'What feels like a minor stomach bug or cold to you could have serious consequences if passed on to someone who is already unwell. It is therefore essential that everyone plays their part in preventing the spread of these infections.
'One of the simplest ways of protecting yourself and your loved ones is by regularly washing your hands with warm water and soap. Hand sanitiser is conveniently placed around healthcare settings, so when you see it, please use it, especially if soap and water is not immediately available.
'By staying home if you are feeling ill and practising good hand hygiene when visiting healthcare settings, you are playing a vital role in keeping our patients, staff and wider communities safe.'
.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
20 minutes ago
- STV News
New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote areas
A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses. Tess Watt, the PhD student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh who led the project to develop the technology, said it is intended to enable early detection of skin conditions anywhere in the world, and without the need for direct access to dermatologists. The technology also works without internet access. The system involves a patient taking a photograph of their skin complaint using a small camera attached to a Raspberry Pi device – a cheap, energy-efficient handheld computer that is capable of storing vast amounts of information. The photograph is analysed in real-time using the latest state-of-the-art image classification, comparing it to an enormous dataset of thousands of images stored on the device to reach a diagnosis. The findings are then shared with a local GP service to begin a suitable treatment plan. The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis with the aim of serving remote communities. Ms Watt explained: 'Healthcare from home is a really important topic at the moment, especially as GP wait times continue to grow. 'If we can empower people to monitor skin conditions from their own homes using AI, we can dramatically reduce delays in diagnosis.' A prototype of the device has already been demonstrated at Heriot-Watt's advanced health and care technologies suite. The research team said the tool is up to 85% accurate in its diagnostic capabilities, but they hope to increase this further by gaining access to more skin lesion datasets, aided by advanced machine tools. Ms Watt is also in talks with NHS Scotland to begin the ethical approval process for testing the technology in real-world clinical settings. 'Hopefully in the next year or two, we'll have a pilot project under way,' she said, noting medical technology often takes years to move from prototype to implementation. She added: 'By the time I finish my PhD, three years from now, I'd love to see something well into the pipeline that's on its way to real-world use.' The university said the long-term vision is to roll the system out first across remote regions of Scotland, before expanding to global areas with limited access to dermatological care. It added the technology could also offer vital support to patients who are infirm or unable to travel, allowing loved ones to assist with capturing and submitting diagnostic images to GPs. Ms Watt's academic supervisor, Dr Christos Chrysoulas, said: 'E-health devices must be engineered to operate independently of external connectivity to ensure continuity of patient service and safety. 'In the event of a network or cloud service failure, such devices must fail safely and maintain all essential clinical operations without functional degradation. 'While auxiliary or non-critical features may become temporarily unavailable, the core diagnostic and even therapeutic capabilities must remain fully operational, in compliance of course with safety and regulatory requirements. 'Ensuring this level of resilience in affordable, low-cost medical devices is the essence of our research, particularly for deployment in resource-limited settings and areas with limited or no connectivity, where uninterrupted patient care must still be guaranteed.' UK science and technology secretary Peter Kyle commented on the research, saying: 'Low-cost technology which could help detect skin cancer early and at home, without even the need for internet access, is an incredible example of AI's potential to break down barriers in healthcare and save lives. 'Promising, first of its kind research like this also demonstrates the crucial role UK innovators can play in improving the lives of people of all backgrounds, wherever they live, and makes clear the value of government investing in research to deliver our plan for change.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world
Technology would enable early detection without the need for direct access to dermatologists Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses. Tess Watt , the PhD student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh who led the project to develop the technology, said it is intended to enable early detection of skin conditions anywhere in the world, and without the need for direct access to dermatologists. The technology also works without internet access. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad PhD student Tess Watt, who has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses | Heriot-Watt University/PA Wire The system involves a patient taking a photograph of their skin complaint using a small camera attached to a Raspberry Pi device - a cheap, energy-efficient handheld computer that is capable of storing vast amounts of information. The photograph is analysed in real-time using the latest state-of-the-art image classification, comparing it to an enormous dataset of thousands of images stored on the device to reach a diagnosis. The findings are then shared with a local GP service to begin a suitable treatment plan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis with the aim of serving remote communities. Ms Watt explained: "Healthcare from home is a really important topic at the moment, especially as GP wait times continue to grow. "If we can empower people to monitor skin conditions from their own homes using AI, we can dramatically reduce delays in diagnosis." A prototype of the device has already been demonstrated at Heriot-Watt's advanced health and care technologies suite. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Up to 85 per cent accurate The research team said the tool is up to 85 per cent accurate in its diagnostic capabilities, but they hope to increase this further by gaining access to more skin lesion datasets, aided by advanced machine tools. Ms Watt is also in talks with NHS Scotland to begin the ethical approval process for testing the technology in real-world clinical settings. "Hopefully in the next year or two, we'll have a pilot project under way," she said, noting medical technology often takes years to move from prototype to implementation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She added: "By the time I finish my PhD, three years from now, I'd love to see something well into the pipeline that's on its way to real-world use." The university said the long-term vision is to roll the system out first across remote regions of Scotland , before expanding to global areas with limited access to dermatological care. It added the technology could also offer vital support to patients who are infirm or unable to travel, allowing loved ones to assist with capturing and submitting diagnostic images to GPs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Watt's academic supervisor, Dr Christos Chrysoulas , said: "E-health devices must be engineered to operate independently of external connectivity to ensure continuity of patient service and safety. "In the event of a network or cloud service failure, such devices must fail safely and maintain all essential clinical operations without functional degradation. "While auxiliary or non-critical features may become temporarily unavailable, the core diagnostic and even therapeutic capabilities must remain fully operational, in compliance of course with safety and regulatory requirements.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
We owe it to Milly Main to give power to NHS patients instead of health board bosses
In his regular column for the Record, the Scottish Labour leader vows to continue his campaign for justice for Milly Main's family. This week marks a decade since the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. There is no doubt that so many amazing lifesaving treatments have been performed by exceptional NHS staff over that decade, but all has not been well. Soon after opening, it became clear that the hospital had major issues that needed to be addressed, with people being put at risk. Whistleblowers raised concerns over a breakdown in communications, issues related to the water supply and risks posed by potential hospital-acquired infections. In response, the health board and Scottish Government flatly denied that there were any issues. Gradually a scandal of enormous and deadly significance was uncovered. The uncovering of this scandal was down to the intrepid journalism of this newspaper, but also the result of the testimony of brave families seeking answers and of NHS staff who were not willing to stand by and do nothing. I first became aware of serious issues when I was contacted by whistleblowers working at the QEUH. They described to me in great detail the issues with the water supply, the scale of infections in immunocompromised children and that there had been tragically at least two deaths of children as a result. These issues had been raised with the board leadership who rather than take action chose to deny it, bully the staff and cover it up instead. Most shockingly of all they told me that the parents of the two children that had lost their lives had not been told the true cause of their deaths. That shook me to my core. Imagine that was me or one of my loved ones. This couldn't be allowed to happen. I had to do something. One of those children was ten year old Milly Main, a young girl full of charm and light, who was in remission and looking forward to getting home when she acquired a deadly infection and died in the QEUH. Milly's mum Kimberley Darroch, one of the most inspiring people I have ever met in my life, read that I had raised the scandal at First Minister's Questions. She believed that one of those children may be Milly. Kimberley contacted me and from that day in 2017 it has been my honour to stand with her and her family in their fight for justice. And what we uncovered is nothing short of the biggest scandal in the history of devolution. In the face of cover up and denial from the health board and disinterest from the SNP government, Milly's family and other campaigners have fought tirelessly for justice. And what has been revealed? Serious mistakes and oversights that led to the opening of the hospital despite reports clearly stating infection of the hospital's water supply - with deadly bugs detected in the water system and cryptococcus from pigeon droppings. This led to serious infection outbreaks and played a role in the death not only of Milly but of several other patients. And as the health board fought against transparency, the full details of their failure became apparent. Serious warnings were missed or ignored. Senior clinicians who raised the alarm were subject to bullying. And the concerns of families and patients were ignored to save the health board's leadership blushes. This is scandalous. But while these families fought tenaciously for justice, they were also failed by an SNP government that at first denied any issues at the hospital and going on to defend the health board leaders at every turn. The health board is now the subject of a corporate homicide investigation. The first time in Scottish history. We can never again allow patients and victims to be ignored and dismissed by an out of touch bureaucracy and a government that is indulging in cover-up. That's why - as First Minister - I will introduce Milly's Law to put power into the hands of families. Our plans would fundamentally re-balance the power between families and the powers that be. And our plans would create an independent public advocate with the authority to investigate incidents to establish the truth. We owe it to Milly all the families impacted to deliver justice. Greedy touts are ripping off music fans This summer, thousands of music fans will have been making the most of the good weather watching their favourite artists at festivals such as TRNSMT and Glastonbury. And in just a few weeks', Oasis will be taking to the stage at Murrayfield in Edinburgh as they embark on their long-awaited comeback tour. But, while these events are the highlight of the summer for many, unfortunately greedy ticket touts are snapping up tickets and flogging them for extortionate amounts. We saw this earlier this month when tickets for Lewis Capaldi's upcoming tour went on sale and were quickly being sold on for more than £400. This is unacceptable, and it is why the UK Labour Government is taking action on this issue by clamping down on ruthless touts gaming the system. The UK Labour government has set out plans to cap resale prices and ban ticket hoarding – actions that will benefit not only music fans, but sports fans, here in Scotland. This will ensure that Scots are not left out of pocket by unscrupulous ticket sellers and are not priced out of big events that they can enjoy with their friends and family. A UK Labour government putting Scottish concertgoers first.
