PAGE 2 PAGE 7 Healthy beginnings Business is booming Work on East Lothian Community Businesses snap up units at Hospital is well under way new Brewery Park offices PAGE 5 East Lothian PAGE16 Can you give Put your best the gift of time? foot forward Make a real difference Take the first step in your community to a healthier through volunteering lifestyle www.eastlothian.gov.uk SPRING 2017 Living NEWS FROM YOUR COUNCIL Council budget will protect vital services Three per cent increase Centre, £1.1 million for a new Port Seton Sports Hall and an £850,000 upgrade of in council tax as millions Haddington Corn Exchange. committed to schools, Agreement was also given for a five-year, £85 million council housing programme housing and transport coupled with almost £59 million of investment in housing modernisation AST Lothian Council agreed its and extensions. budget last month which includes The council is also making an additional a major investment of £169 million investment of £1.8 million in adult services in capital projects across and a further £300,000 in children’s services. Ethe county. The council’s spending plans are firmly Resources have been allocated for new focused on maintaining high-quality public schools, adult and children’s services, services while managing finances prudently affordable homes and transport in the face of a £2.9 million reduction in the initiatives, including: Revenue Support Grant received from the l around £97 million of investment over Scottish Government – which makes up three years in new, upgraded or expanded the bulk of the council’s income. schools – including the new Wallyford and To achieve a balanced budget, the council In 2017/18, council tax is expected to Above: an additional £1.8m for Letham primary schools, an additional will use £2.5 million of its reserves. Savings generate around £54 million – around adult services protecting secondary school for the Musselburgh of around £1.85 million will be made in 23 per cent of East Lothian Council’s essential care services. area and an extension to Dunbar the council’s staffing budget over the budget of around £233 million. Crookston Care Home, Tranent Grammar School next three years in addition to a 2016/17 SG Multiplier ELC 2017/18 l £9.8 million of investment over three transformational change programme Band years for initiatives to help to accelerate which will realise efficiencies of around Council Tax increase Increase 3% Council Tax economic growth in the county £2.4 million. A £745.08 £0.00 £22.35 £767.43 l £16.25m for roads improvements over For the first time since 2008-09, East B £869.26 £0.00 £26.08 £895.34 the next three years Lothian Council has decided to increase l £1.5 million towards preparatory work/ council tax. As a result of this decision, C £993.44 £0.00 £29.80 £1,023.24 design in connection with the new East all households will pay an additional D £1,117.62 £0.00 £33.53 £1,151.15 Linton railway station three per cent equivalent to an extra 65p E £1,365.98 £102.45 £44.05 £1,512.48 l a £5.5 million investment in per week for a Band D property. upgrades to IT systems in Separately, the Scottish F £1,614.34 £201.79 £54.49 £1,870.62 schools and across the Ambitious Government has increased G £1,862.70 £325.97 £65.66 £2,254.33 council Draft Council the level of council tax H £2,235.24 £502.93 £82.14 £2,820.31 l £1.1 million for Plan unveiled across the highest Whitecraig Community See pages 8-9 banded properties E to H. *Excludes water and waste water charges set by Scottish Water INSIDE: School improvements • Housing developments • Superfast broadband • Universal Credit 2 Living East Lothian News Spring 2017 Work on East Lothian Community Hospital well under way HEALTH secretary Shona Robison important step forward for the Board chair Councillor Donald MSP marked the official start of community in East Lothian, and Grant added: “We have listened works on the new £70 million with work now under way, we to what matters most to people East Lothian Community Hospital are a step closer to seeing this throughout the extensive at a special ceremony earlier vital new facility become a planning process and with this this year. reality.” invaluable input of the The works, which are being David Small, chief officer, East community, patients, families, undertaken in partnership with Lothian Health and Social Care third-sector organisations and Hub South East Scotland Ltd, Partnership, added: “This is an staff, we will have a facility we Morrison Construction, NHS extremely exciting time for the can be proud of.” Lothian and East Lothian Health communities of East Lothian and It is anticipated work will be and Social Care Partnership, joined-up health and social care completed by 2019. will deliver a modern hospital services in East Lothian. on the Roodlands Hospital site “This project will allow our in Haddington, helping to staff to continue to provide TO FIND out more, go to improve the quality of care safe, effective healthcare and www.eastlothian.gov.uk/ in East Lothian. rehabilitation.” eastlothiancommunity Councillor Donald Grant, far left, chair of East Lothian IJB, joins Ms Robison said: “This is an East Lothian Integration Joint hospital health minister Shona Robinson and project managers on site CONTACT Living East Lothian, Communications and Getting the most out of Marketing, John Muir House, Haddington EH41 3HA Tel: 01620 827743 your medical services E-mail: living@ eastlothian.gov.uk OST of us understand through the practice website is Web: www.eastlothian. that health centres increasingly common. gov.uk are under pressure. There is a nationwide WEBSITES Main photography: Mproblem in recruiting new GPs All our practices have websites, Mark Jackson and our population is growing. which will let you know about People are living longer, too, surgeries and clinics, who’s who, Living is designed by which is great. This is mainly how to order repeat prescriptions, Connect Publications, due to having good lifelong and news about the practice. Studio 2001, Mile End, healthcare, but it also means more OTHER SOURCES OF HELP pharmacist (and increasingly they Our frontline staff at reception Paisley PA1 1JS. people than ever need services, Many surgeries also offer phone will be able to prescribe themselves) can give you good general advice. Web: www.connect support and advice from their consultations with a GP so that you and, if not, you can ask to see the They can put you in touch with the communications.co.uk local practice. Practices have don’t have to come into the surgery pharmacist at your local chemist. medical professional you need to responded to this in a variety of when you or someone you are talk to quickly. They are trained to Printed by Newsquest ways but they all centre on having a looking after is feeling unwell. EYES AND TEETH guide you through the system in a (Herald & Times) Ltd on range of medical and frontline staff Speaking to a doctor on the phone If you have an eye infection or professional, confidential and behalf of East Lothian available to signpost you quickly to can help the GP to understand disease, you should visit your friendly way. Council the services that you need. whether you need an emergency optician. If you have a dental East Lothian Health and Social We realised that you don’t always appointment at the surgery or abscess or oral infection, go to your Care clinical director Dr Jonathan This publication is available need to come into the surgery to hospital, a home visit or would be dentist immediately. They are the Turvill said: “We want to make sure in Braille, large print, audio speak to an appropriate health better to stay at home for a couple specialists and can prescribe the people get the best support from and community languages professional and when you do of days before maybe coming into appropriate treatment. Opticians our medical practices, and part of on request. For more come in, you don’t always need to the surgery. You can also get help (also known as optometrists) have this lies with you. We’re trying to information, please see a GP to get the treatment and and advice from NHS 24 on 111 close links with medical eye get people to understand that they telephone: 01620 827199 support you need. Not all surgeries when your practice is closed. specialists at the Eye Pavilion. don’t always need to see a GP – operate in the same way, but most there are lots of specialist medical have a range of health professionals PHARMACISTS REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS professionals in every practice who who can treat and support you Pharmacists can give you advice Again, practices have different might be able to help you quicker. quickly. For example: about what medication to take for ways of dealing with repeat “They will always refer you on to l advanced nurse practitioners a range of common problems, prescriptions, so ask the reception a GP or hospital promptly, if they Please remember to recycle l district nurses including coughs and colds, skin team for more information or think it is necessary. We are asking your copy of Living l midwives and/or health visitors conditions, headaches and go online and find out more from for your help to make sure that © East Lothian Council 2017 l counsellors emergency contraception. Some the practice’s website. Ordering we all get the best out of our l pharmacists.