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News

Record High Wait Times at Scotland’s Largest Children’s Hospital

By  Cameron Noble

 

Following the record attendance of 306 children at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children in one day, parents are encouraged to avoid A&E wherever possible.

71.5% of those who arrived at the emergency department of the Royal Hospital for Children were seen and admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Resulting from a dramatic decrease in Scotland’s emergency departments’ waiting time performance, nearly 500 children waited longer than four hours, and 17 waited more than eight hours in the week ending November 20th.

Attached to the Royal Hospital for Children, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital had managed to deal with 35.1% of attendees within a four-hour period – the worst figures for any individual hospital recorded, according to Public Health Scotland.

Over the entire of Scotland, wait time performance for the week ending November 20th dropped to 63.1% – an alarming figure, considering the Scottish Government’s target aims to deal with 95% of attendees within four hours.

Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, commented on the issue: “The figures for Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow are especially horrendous – the worst ever for any individual hospital with just 35.1% of patients seen within four hours.

“This is completely unacceptable and incredibly alarming for the safety of patients and staff at the hospital.”

Figures suggest the NHS will be undertaking the heaviest challenge to date over the winter period to find a way to improve their wait time performance and strive for 95% efficiency. Yousaf identified apparent factors which have contributed to the decreasing wait time performance and explained the £600m plan which is to be set to tackle the issue.

“Covid continues to impact the performance of services and pandemic backlogs, Brexit-driven staff shortages, and inflation costs have all contributed to make this winter the most challenging the NHS has ever faced.

“Delayed discharge continues to be the single biggest factor driving up A&E waits and we are working hard to ensure people are leaving hospital without delay, freeing up vital beds for those who need them most.

“A key focus of our winter plan is on social care and actions to encourage authorities to help ease delays.

“Our £600m winter plan will see us recruit 1,000 new NHS staff and our £50m urgent and unscheduled care collaborative looks to drive down A&E waits through scheduled urgent appointments, hospital at home and directing people to the most appropriate care.”

News

International Scottish Luxury Brand Reveals Debut Jewellery Collection

Edinburgh-based international luxury brand, Strathberry, unveiled a new collection of products to enter the jewellery market, all while keeping prices accessible to all. Crafted in the heart of Tuscany by Italian artisans with over sixty years of experience, the debut jewellery collection follows the same principles of craftsmanship, durability, quality, and attention to detail which led Strathberry to its international love and recognition. The collection features a variety of gold-toned bracelets, delicate necklaces and earrings which incorporate timelessness and elegance into their designs, the core values of the brand. The inclusion of colourful leather bracelets in the debut collection creatively links the jewellery to the leather and cashmere accessories which Strathberry are famous for. Leeanne Hundleby, Strathberry owner and co-founder, said: “It’s been a dream of mine to add a jewellery range to our collection. We spent over a year in development and production as it was so important to us to create a beautifully made product with the same attention to detail, care and effort we put into our leather and cashmere designs. It’s so exciting to be able to show it to the world.” Strathberry products are made from quality materials sourced from Spain, and each product is carefully designed so it may be cherished year after year, without the risk of becoming outdated. The brand believes it is important for everyone to have access to luxury products, and therefore, their prices reflect this belief by ensuring all products are attached with a reasonable price tag which is fair for both generating profits for the company while being considerate of their customers. “Creativity and quality are at the very core of Strathberry.” Leeanne said, “We simply don’t cut corners, and we love the fact that we are able to offer customers a product so carefully designed and beautifully made, yet at a more accessible price point.” For those who can’t resist a little bit of luxury in their wardrobe, the debut jewellery collection from Strathberry may be of interest as Christmas approaches. Given many jewellery collections from other respected international luxury brands are pricier for the same level of quality, Strathberry has the potential to help balance expensive tastes with the continuing problems resulting from the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Features, News

UNCUFFED: THE SECRET LIFE OF CLOSETED SINGLE MEN

By Cameron Noble

LGBTQ+ culture is no stranger to cuffing season – a period of time where people metaphorically handcuff themselves to a partner on a short-term basis to accompany each other over the course of winter. Cuffing season, for those who participate, enjoy feelings of comfort, intimacy and warmth to combat the cold and possibly lonely season. On the other hand, cuffing season can also evoke feelings of envy, isolation, and a deep sense of hopelessness, particularly for those who are fascinated with the idea of pairing with another for a couple of months and want to get in on the action, but aren’t lucky to connect with the right person.

For closeted single men, it’s a whole new game. The additional pressure of keeping their sexuality under the radar prevents them from fully embracing cuffing season, even if they do desire a short-term partner. During cuffing season, closeted single men face the winter alone, and don’t reap the benefits of having a short-term partner, but is that really the case?

From Auchterarder and Edinburgh, George (22) and Michael (29) shared their thoughts about cuffing season from a closeted perspective, and how they get by without the need for a partner. Their names have been changed to respect their anonymity.

George identified as bisexual, but has not revealed his sexuality to his friends or family, especially his parent whom he still lives under a roof with. His family believe men can be sexually attractive to men, but draws the line at bisexuality where they feel bisexuality doesn’t truly exist. As a result, he is not comfortable sharing his true sexuality in fear it would damage his relationship with his family. George has not been in a relationship before, but is actively searching for women to swipe right on dating apps such as Tinder. Given he keeps his profile clear of photographs of his face, he also swipes through a selection of men so he can safely see everyone he could potentially date without compromising his secrecy.

“You see other people on social media having a blast in their relationships, so you kind of feel like you’re missing out on something,” George described his feelings about being single, “So far, I’ve had better chats with guys on here [Tinder] compared to girls but nothing really develops since my family believe I’m straight.”

Michael is exclusively attracted to men and is open to his family about his sexuality, but as his friends are homophobic, he only reveals his true sexuality to those who need to know. He has great memories with his friends, and feels that the bond they have built with each other shouldn’t be damaged over his attraction for men over women. Michael had previous experience in a relationship, but recently broke-up after realising juggling his romantic life with his friends was becoming a bit of a struggle. For the time being, he has been enjoying the perks of being single and living life by his rules.

“Going our separate ways was best for both of us,” Michael referred to the break-up with his ex-boyfriend, “Now that I’m single again, I can do things on my terms without having to think about commitments.”

Michael has made the most of his reclaimed freedom of being single by dedicating his daylight hours with friends whenever he isn’t working, and reserving his evenings and nights to fulfil his sexual desires by involving himself on gay-oriented hookup apps such as Grindr. Ontop, whenever he is doing neither of those, he enjoys treating himself by taking himself on a date, whether by dining alone at a restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh, or buying last minute tickets and snacks at a cinema to see the latest films.

“For those who are single, count it as a blessing.” Michael said, “I think there’s a stigma attached to single people, and that’s not true. You can focus on you. Do what makes you happy.”

Given Michael has experienced what it is like to be in a relationship, it may be easier for him to accept that relationships aren’t the only source of comfort, intimacy and warmth during winter, compared to George. However, George is aware these feelings can be obtained elsewhere, primarily from his friends.

“My friends love me, and I guess that matters to me more.” George said, “We’ve got a few things planned for December that we’re looking forward to.”

For the lead up to Christmas, George and his friends are hitting the pubs and clubs for a rowdy night filled with drinks and blasting music. Delving deep into an energetic atmosphere with hundreds of people can spark feelings of excitement and inclusion, plus the thick air dampened by the sweat of dancing crowds will certainly keep him and his friends warm through the winter weather (at least for a little while). Pubs and clubs also provide a space where they can further connect with each other, where they can show their love for each other and create fun, lasting memories to cherish.

For those in the LGBTQ+ community who have successfully handcuffed themselves to a short-term partner, they can have their fun, but the closeted singles will certainly not be left out. Throughout cuffing season, closeted single men don’t necessarily need to rely on finding a temporary relationship to obtain feelings of comfort, intimacy and warmth. Instead, they continue living life by their own rules rather than betting all of their happiness on a romance-roulette. Being in the company of good friends, making and sharing memories together can be just as effective as what short-term relationships bring. No commitments to a relationship also keeps schedules more flexible, making it easier than ever to tick off activities on the bucket list without having to concern oneself over the need to include other people and cater to preferences. And as an added bonus, for those who enjoy regular no-strings-attached hookups with different people, being single grants you the ability to sleep with whoever you like without the guilt of cheating on a romantic partner.