Wellbeing

Grief Awareness

National Grief Awareness is a campaign that helps to raise awareness of the support available and the impact grief can have.

It is also a call to action to encourage us to talk about this topic and check-in on others.

Listen to the podcasts below to learn about some of the ways you can support a team member at work who is bereaved 

• For Managers - Supporting a team member who is bereaved
• For Employees - Supporting someone who is bereaved

Burnout and Fatigue

On this page you will find information that has been developed to support you identify burnout and fatigue symptoms and ways that you can implement self supporting strategies and management and additional sources of support and information that's available.

NSS have developed a quick guide to Burnout and Fatigue which you can access by clicking HERE

NHS National Wellbeing Hub have developed lots of information - the Main page can be access HERE and these are some links to:

Current articles:

- Where do you sit on the stress-to-burnout spectrum?

- Managing exhaustion two years in

- Exhaustion and Fatigue

- Understanding Resilience

- Helping people pace themselves and cope with exhaustion

Self Care Webinair's:

-  Sleep 101: Tips to improve your sleep

- Sleep and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

- Developing your personal resilience in challenging times

How to manager your worries

Its normal to worry, but when we worry about about things which we may not be able to control, it can feel hard to manage. The British Red Cross have developed this YouTube video to support called Circles of Control

Information about how physical activity can help your mental health, and tips for choosing an activity that works for you, and how to overcome anything that might stop you from becoming more active.

Click to access the Mind physical activity page

Mind will explain to you what self-esteem us, provide practical tips for improving your self-esteem, and advice on where you can go for support. Click HERE to access

Optima Health our Employee Assistance Programme has provided us with information on Sun Awareness

UV damage: early detection of skin cancer

The biggest cause of skin cancer is too much exposure to UV light from sunlight or sunbeds. Although skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the UK, it is also one of the most preventable. Taking steps such as using a high-factor sunscreen, covering up and staying out of direct sunlight can help to prevent sun damage.

There are two main types of skin cancer:

• Non-melanoma: the most common type of skin cancer with 210K+ cases diagnosed each year in the UK
• Melanoma: the most serious type of skin cancer, with 16K+ cases diagnosed each year in the UK

Around 90% of melanoma skin cancer cases could be prevented by enjoying the sun safely and avoiding sunbeds.

Symptoms of skin cancer can vary and can sometimes look similar to other conditions. It’s important to get to know what your skin looks like normally to help you spot any unusual changes. Checking our skin on a regular basis is something we can all do to help detect skin cancer early and provide the best chances for treatment.

Checking for signs of non-melanoma skin cancer

Some common symptoms of non-melanoma skin cancer can include a sore area of skin that:

• Doesn’t heal within 4 weeks
• Looks unusual
• Hurts, is itchy, bleeds, crusts or scabs for more than 4 weeks

Find more information about non-melanoma skin cancer symptoms at Cancer Research UK

Checking for signs of melanoma skin cancer

A common sign of melanoma skin cancer is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole. Changes to look out for include a mole that’s getting bigger, changing shape, changing colour, bleeding or becoming crusty, itchy or sore.

You can use the ABCDE checklist to help you tell the difference between a normal mole and a melanoma:

• Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have 2 very different halves and are an irregular shape
• Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
• Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of 2 or more colours
• Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
• Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma

The British Association of Dermatologists have provided guidance on how to check your skin. Further information about the symptoms of melanoma skin cancer including visual examples is available on the NHS website

When to see your GP

If you notice a change in your skin that isn’t normal for you see your GP. This may include changes to a mole, noticing a new mole, or noticing a spot or sore that doesn’t heal within 4 weeks (that hurts, is itchy, crusty and scabs over). The symptom may not be related to skin cancer, but it is important to get it checked

For further advice on staying safe in the sun visit the NHS website. More information about skin cancer and detection is available from Cancer Research UK and Skcin

Optima Health - Ref: WW-HB-004; last reviewed: April 2022 © 2022 Optima Health®. All rights reserved

MH&Wellbeing - Looking after your Wellbeing

Looking after your own mind and body health and wellbeing is crucial, we are all under increased pressure, and its important that we are all able to talk openly and honestly about our wellbeing. There is a lot of information being circulated at the moment, all offering different advice and support, this in itself, can feel overwhelming, so to make it easier for you, we have brought some of this content together into a Employee Information - Looking After Your Wellbeing  

We all have evenings when we find it hard to fall asleep or we wake up in the night. 

Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel, mentally and physically, so it's important to get enough. Watch our video on simple tips for better sleep, with Colin Espie, professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford.

The advice you will find here on NHS Every Mind Matters is a good way to get you thinking about your sleep and what may be stopping you from sleeping well. We also have some simple steps you can take to make a change.

If you look after someone, need care yourself or are planning for your future care needs, you can get the information and advice you need here: Care Information Scotland

NHS Inform contains useful information on general health and wellbeing.
NHS Choices   is a site hosted by NHS England with information on health and self care.
AXA PPP Health Care provide NES with the confidential Employee Counselling Service ICAS. Their website also has a lot of supportive information. 
Greener Scotland has good information on local, fresh seasonal food, green travel and things like insulation which can improve health in the home.
Roar Connections for life is a Renfrewshire-based third sector organisation that provides preventative health and wellbeing services for older people through the development of community opportunities that connect lives.

Learning and Development

You will be able to find details on learning and development opportunities across NSS within the HR Connect page - Learning and Development and Organisational Development.

For specific learning that's highlighted below, please log into Turas Learn

Modules within the Health & Safety tab:

• NSS Stress Management for Employees
• NSS Stress Management for Managers 

Benefits of Social Connection

Social connection is fundamental to our physical and mental health - for more information on why - why not read this newsletter Optima Health - Benefits of Social Connection

The Effects of Change

On this page you will find information that has been developed to support you identify change and its effects and ways that you can implement self supporting strategies and management and additional sources of support and information that's available.

NSS have developed a quick guide to Burnout and Fatigue which you can access by clicking HERE

NHS National Wellbeing Hub have developed lots of information - the Main page can be access HERE and these are some links to:

Current articles:

- A change in my behaviour - avoiding reminders and people

- Supporting positive mental health and wellbeing through compassionate leadership

- Top tips for supporting Teams

- How can I support my colleagues?

Want to try cycling or looking for new routes - click on the tabs below to look at what's around local area

Falkirk and Forth Valley

Lets talk about menopause!!

The Female Menopause

Most women will experience some symptoms around the menopause. The duration and severity of these symptoms varies from woman to woman.

Symptoms usually start a few months or years before your periods stop, known as the perimenopause, and can persist for some time afterwards.

On average, most symptoms last around 4 years from your last period. However around 1 in every 10 women experience them for up to 12 years.

The Male Menopause

Some men develop depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and emotional symptoms when they reach their late 40s to early 50s.

Other symptoms common in men this age are mood swings and irritability, loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise, fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly, a general lack of enthusiasm or energy, difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or increased tiredness, poor concentration and short-term memory.

These symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness, so it's important to find the underlying cause and work out what can be done to resolve it.

If you require additional information you can contact the NSS Health Promotion Advisor through HR Connect Contact Us / Wellbeing 

External websites

Guidance-on-menopause-and-the-workplace-v6.pdf (scot.nhs.uk)

Are you seeking fresh ways to feel healthy? Needing to release stress, anxiety and fatigue? 

These 10 and 20-minute pre-recorded sessions can be used to support physical and mental wellbeing. Accompanied by specially created music, these resources are used by staff in the workplace and at home and are accessible to all staff regardless of fitness level or age. No movement experience is needed. To access these free sessions click the link and scroll down to the page to the coloured buttons - Scottish Ballet Movement and Breath Sessions for all NHS & HSCP Staff

If you think you are regularly drinking too much and would like to change your drinking habits, there are a few things you can do to help yourself:

• Confide in or talk to someone you trust about ways you could tackle this
• Keep a drinks diary for a month to record where, when and how much you drink as you could be underestimating it
• Consider laying off alcohol for a while to give your body time to recover and you time to think about your alcohol use and what changes you want to make whether it be drinking less alcohol, drinking less often or stopping drinking completely

There are a range of agencies which can provide information, advice, help and support to those who want to change their drinking habits, or to relatives who might be concerned about someone else’s drinking.

Internal offer:

• Access to local Occupational Health Services
• Employee Assistance Programme run through HELP, contact details and more information can be found at this link:

External Organisations:

• Drinkline is a national alcohol helpline, if you are worried about your own of someone else’s drinking you can call this Freephone number on 0300 123 100 (weekdays 9am – 8pm, weekends 11am – 4pm)

• Alcohol Focus Scotland has a list of treatment services throughout the country. alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk

• Alcoholics anonymous (AA) provide free self-help groups across Scotland, its 12 step programme involves getting sober with the help of regular support groups. National helpline number is 0800 917 7650 / alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

• Al-Anon Family Groups offer support and understanding to families and friends of people who are dependent on alcohol. Alteen is part of the Al-Non and can be attended by 12 to 17 year olds who are affected by another person’s drinking usually a parent. Helpline number: 0800 0086 811 / al-anonuk.org.uk

• Addaction is a UK wide agency that helps individuals, families and communities to manage the effects of drugs and alcohol. They provide free, confidential information and advice and web chat service / addaction.org.uk

• Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs supports families across Scotland affected by alcohol or drugs and raises awareness of the issues affecting them. Many support services including a helpline, support groups, bereavement support and Telehealth service – helpline 08080 101011. Available 9am-11pm Monday to Friday and as a call back service at the weekends / sfad.org.uk

The Chief Medical Officers' advice for men and women who want to keep their short term health risks from single occasion drinking to a low level is to reduce them by: 

- Limiting the total amount of alcohol, you drink on any single occasion

- Drinking more slowly, drinking with food, and alternating with water

- Planning ahead to avoid problems; an example of planning ahead is making sure you can get home safely or that you have people you trust with you 

The sorts of things that are more likely to happen if you misjudge your overall alcohol intake on a single occasion can include: 

- Accidents resulting in injury; causing death in some cases 

- Misjudging risky situations

- Losing self-control (for example, engaging in unprotected sex)

Certain groups of people are more likely to be affected by alcohol and should be more careful of their drinking on any one occasion. These can include those at risk of falls, on medication that may interact with alcohol or those with ay pre-existing physical and mental health problems which could be exacerbated. 

The Chief Medical Officers (CMO’s) across the UK issued revised and agreed guidance on unit consumption in both women and men states:

This advice is: -

- To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

- If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread your drinking evenly over 3 or more days. If you have one or two heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risk of death from long term illness and from accidents and injuries.

- The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases the more you drink on a regular basis.

- If you wish to cut down the amount you drink, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink free days each week.

There are many risks associated with alcohol some of which are health related and others are more about the social impact.

Your health consequences could include:

- Increased risk of liver disease

- Raised blood pressure

- Risk of some cancers including breast cancer

- Increased risk of thrombosis and sudden cardiac death

- Alcohol poisoning

- Stomach and gastric problems

Your social consequences of drinking too much alcohol could include:

- Unsafe sex

- Risk of drug assisted sexual assault

- Violence and aggression

- Road traffic accidents

- General falls, accidents and injuries

- Embarrassing behaviour in front of family, friends or workmates

One unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. Because alcoholic drinks come in different strengths and sizes units are a good way of telling how strong your drink is. It’s not as simple as one drink, one unit.

The new alcohol unit guidelines are equivalent to six pints of average strength beer or six 175ml glasses of average strength wine. 

All employees have a responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves and others who could be affected by their actions.

It is the responsibility of all employees to ensure that:

- they do not consume alcohol during the course of the working day;

- they do not consume alcohol when on call or on a break from the workplace with the intention/ possibility of returning to it;

- they do not come to work impaired by the effect of alcohol;

- they will take advice from GP/Pharmacist regarding side effects of prescription or over the counter medication in relation to performance at work

- they are aware that they may be required to participate in testing where this is agreed as part of an alcohol or substance dependency programme

If you think that one of your Colleagues may be under the influence of Alcohol at work – report it for not only their safety but that of others.

The flu virus mutates so you need to be vaccinated yearly for protection.

NSS has to consult with all your employees on health and safety. This does not need to be complicated and can be done by listening and talking to them about:

• health and safety and the work they do
• how risks are controlled
• the best ways of providing information and training 

In a very small business, you might choose to consult your workers directly.  Alternatively, you might consult through a health and safety representative, chosen by your employees or selected by a trade union.  As an employer, you cannot decide who the representative will be.

Consultation is a two-way process, allowing staff to raise concerns and influence decisions on the management of health and safety.  Your employees are often the best people to understand risks in the workplace and involving them in making decisions shows them that you take their health and safety seriously.

NHS NSS employees can now participate in a Cycle to Work Scheme through Cycle2Work.  

The scheme is available through Cycle2Work and will enable employees to give up part of their pre-tax salary in exchange for a benefit – in this instance a bicycle and/or accessories.

Cycle2Work allows employees to source bicycles from high street stores and a network of independent bike shops.

Full details can be found under the Payroll Services section of the NHS HR Connect.

Emotional Support

 If you are starting to feel overwhelmed, it’s important to acknowledge your feelings and speak to someone you trust, whether that’s a colleague, a friend or a family member, or a helpline including:

• Breathing Space - 0800 83 85 87
• Samaritans - 116 123
• The Spark's Relationship Helpline 0808 802 2088
• Remploy - 0300 456 8114 (information also available on Remploy Services here on the portal)

Clear Your Head is the Scottish Governments new online support tool that is full of helpful ideas and suggestions to support your mental wellbeing. 

Here is the link to the new National Wellbeing Hub for staff working within Health and Social Care:

https://www.promis.scot/

Bereavement Support

• Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland - Scotland's bereavement charity offering support following any bereavement online and over the telephone (0845 600 2227)
• NHS inform - also have links to support you through the early days of a bereavement
• Our Special Leave Policy includes information on bereavement leave
• Child Bereavement UK provides information for families, groups, schools and nurseries, as well as information on local projects
• HELP have created three resources that offer support on traumatic bereavement, coping with talk of death and dying, grief in isolation (please see below tabs for information)

Information from Optima Health Factsheet - Five steps towards mental wellbeing

Optima Health - HELP / Employee Assistance - https://sgcp.helpeap.com/

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022's theme is ‘loneliness’, which has been a struggle experienced by many during the pandemic.

According to the mental health charity Mind, at least one in four people experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England.

Mental health is a continuum, and different life events or experiences can impact where we sit on that scale.

For example, recent events such as the rise in energy bills, a wave in Covid-19 infections and the Ukraine conflict may have had an impact on people’s wellbeing and increased feelings of anxiety.

Boosting your mental health

Many factors influence our mental wellbeing but the actions we take and the way we think can have a huge impact.

It can help to think about “being well” as something you do, rather than something you are.

Five steps towards mental wellbeing

Here are five things you can try to implement into your routine to help support your mental wellbeing:

Connect - stay in touch regularly with the people that matter to you and spend time positively nurturing these relationships. If you don’t have anyone close you can reach out to, try to connect with colleagues at work, with online communities or with people in your local area – such as your neighbours.

Be active – such as taking a walk, cycling or playing a team sport. Try to find physical activities that you enjoy and make them a part of your weekly routine. 

Keep learning - new skills can give you a sense of achievement and help to boost your self-esteem. For example, you could sign up for a cooking course, start learning to play a musical instrument or spend time on a DIY project you’ve been avoiding.

Give to others - even the smallest act can count, whether it's a smile, a thank you or a kind word. If you keep up the behaviour it will soon feel natural and you’ll start to feel better for it. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre can also help you to build new social networks. 

Be present – try to be in the ‘present’ moment, instead of living in the past or future. Take a pause in your day and notice your feelings and thoughts, your body and the world around you. This is often referred to as “mindfulness” and it can really change the way you feel about life, how you approach challenges and the level of gratitude you feel.

Your Mind Plan

Taking steps to look after our mental health is something we need to do continually. The NHS have created a great interactive tool called Your Mind Plan which offers further ideas you can try tailored to you.

As well as the mental health charity Mind, you can find further support online from Samaritans (call 116 123 for their 24/7 helpline), Mental Health Foundation and NHS Every Mind Matters

On this page you can access and listen to a series of mental health wellbeing audio guides to support and boost your mood

Click to access the NHS Mental Wellbeing Audio Guides:

Low mood and depression explains what you can do to help yourself cope with low mood and depression. 

Anxiety control training explains how you can take control of anxiety.

Sleep problems explains what you can do to give yourself the best chance of a good night's sleep.

Low confidence and assertiveness gives you tips to help build your confidence.

Unhelpful thinking helps you to replace negative thoughts with more positive thinking.

The Scottish Association for Mental Health is a good source of general information about mental health.

MIND (Mental Health Charity) is another good source to use for information and support.

As an employer, NES understands that maintaining a work-life balance is not always easy for staff.   In order to provide support to employees, NES is pleased to provide Employee Assistance by ICAS to help achieve that balance. 

Website: ICAS

Password: please follow the link to NES intranet here

We hope you will find the services of ICAS helpful. If you have any comments about the service provided, please do not hesitate to contact the HR and OD Team.

NHS UK have a great website with Fitness Studio exercise videos that we can all access to support our physical wellbeing.

Take your pick from 24 instructor-led videos created by fitness experts InstructorLive and range from 10 to 45 minutes. 

Exercise categories included:

• Aerobic exercise
• Strength and Resistance
• Pilates and Yoga

There are exercises to tone your abs, raise your heart rate, and tone your upper arms. You will also find workouts suitable for new mums, such as postnatal yoga, or health problems, such as pilates for back pain.

Plus, there's the Wake up! workout, Vinyasa flow yoga, and Belly dancing for beginners to get you moving.

To read more about the Winter Vaccines please click here to take you to the NHS Inform Website

Financial Support

There are lots of places offering financial support and advice at the moment. We have included a link below to some of the places we know about, that can support you, should you need it. 

• HELP EAP - our internal employee assistance programme who can provide support on a range of issues, including financial. 
• Citizens Advice (Scotland)- who offer a wide range of advice and information on financial support during COVID-19

Flu & COVID-19 Winter Vaccinations

You can receive the flu and/or COVID-19 vaccines this autumn/winter if you are in the groups below. At your appointment, staff will check that you are eligible. If you are not, you will not be offered a vaccine on the day.

Wherever possible, those eligible will receive both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 booster at the same appointment. This is a safe and effective way of protecting you this winter.

Appointments for winter vaccines will be available for booking from 22nd August for health and social care staff. All other groups should wait until they are contacted by NHS Scotland before trying to reschedule or book their appointment.

Groups eligible for Flu & Covid19

• aged 50 or over
• frontline health or social care worker
• aged 5 to 49 years with an eligible health condition, including those with poorly controlled asthma
• aged 5 to 49 years and are a household contact of someone with a weakened immune system
• an unpaid carer or a young carer (16 years or over)
• pregnant

For more information, please visit NHS Inform

Groups eligible for Flu Only

• adults aged 16 to 49 with well controlled asthma
• non-frontline health worker
• nursery, primary or secondary school teachers or pupil-facing staff
• support workers in local authority or independent settings
• prison officers or support workers who deliver direct front-facing detention services

For more information, please visit NHS Inform

When can I book an appointment online?

Over 65s and patient facing health care workers can book from Monday, 22^nd August 2022, for appointments starting from 5^th September 2022.  

Everyone else should wait until they are contacted by NHS Scotland.

Flu - Will the flu jab give me flu?

The flu jab cannot give you flu as it does not contain any live viruses.

No! Flu is a virus and can affect anyone, no matter how good your immune system is.

Who will be offered the flu vaccine

You'll be offered the flu vaccine this year if you're:

• aged 50 years or over (or will be by 31 March 2023)
• a resident or staff working in a care home for older adults
• a younger adult in long stay nursing and residential care settings
• a health or social care worker
• aged 6 months to 2 years with an eligible health condition
• aged 2 to 5 years not yet at school (children must be aged 2 years or above on 1 September 2022 to be eligible)
• a primary or secondary school pupil
• aged 5 to 49 years with an eligible health condition
• aged 5 to 49 years and are a household contact of someone with a weakened immune system
• an unpaid carer or a young carer
• pregnant
• nursery, primary or secondary school teacher or a pupil-facing support staff in local authority or independent setting
• part of the prison population, a prison officer, or support staff who delivers direct front-facing detention services

NHS Scotland recommends you get the vaccine as soon as it's offered to you.

If you have a confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, please don't attend your vaccination appointment. You can rearrange it online.

Which vaccines are used?

The following vaccines are routinely used in Scotland for people aged 18 years and over:

• cell based Quadrivalent Inactivated Vaccine (Seqirus)
• cell-based Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (Seqirus)

This year, the Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (aQIV) is being offered to people aged 65 or over. This vaccine contains a substance, known as an adjuvant, to help to stimulate the immune system and create a better response.

This vaccine has been widely used in many other countries and has been shown to offer better and longer-lasting protection in older people than flu vaccines without an adjuvant.

What happens if I don’t have a computer or a smart phone?

You can book via the national help line on 0800 030 8013.  They will find a date and time in the online portal for you. 

Vaccine side effects

Like all medicines, the flu vaccine can cause side effects. They're usually mild and normally last only a day or two. It’s normal to experience side effects after a vaccine. It shows the vaccine is teaching your body’s immune system how to protect itself from the disease. But not everyone gets side effects.

These potential side effects are much less serious than flu or complications associated with flu.

Common side effects

Very common side effects in the first day or two may include:

• having a painful, heavy feeling and tenderness in the arm where you
• had your injection
• feeling tired
• headache, aches and chills
• diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
• mild flu-like symptoms.
• fever (temperature 37.8°C or above)
• feeling generally unwell

You can rest and take the normal dose of paracetamol (follow the advice in the packaging) to help make yourself feel better.

Phone 111 if you're concerned about yourself or anyone else in your household who is unwell following a vaccination.

Fever after the vaccine

It’s quite common to develop a fever (temperature of 37.8°C or above) after a vaccination. This normally happens within 48 hours of the vaccination and usually goes away within 48 hours.

If the fever starts more than 48 hours after the vaccination, or lasts longer than 48 hours, you should seek medical advice as you may have coronavirus or another infection.

More information about vaccine side effects

More information on the possible side effects of the flu vaccine is available in the patient information leaflets:

• cell-based Quadrivalent Inactivated Vaccine (QIVc) Flucelvax Tetra (Seqirus)
• cell-based Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (aQIV) (Seqirus)
• egg-based Quadrivalent Inactivated Vaccine (QIVe)
• Fluenz Tetra nasal spray suspension Influenza vaccine (live attenuated, nasal)

What are my choices likely to be for the venue of my vaccination? 

You will be able to book to attend a community clinic of your choice. These facilities allow us to vaccinate as many people as possible, quickly, efficiently, and conveniently for most people.  However an appointment can be booked in another health board area if more convenient – for example if you live in one town or city but work in another.

We continue to explore available options to maximise capacity in the vaccination programme, for example providing additional clinics at evenings and weekends, or through targeted outreach to support specific communities.

Flu - I've never logged in before to book an appointment

Even if you have never logged in before, you can find your username on your appointment letter or by using the 'Get your user name' option.

You can then set up a password by selecting the new user option to register.

I’ve moved from one area of Scotland to another

You can use the portal or, if you don’t have online access, call the National Helpline on 0800 030 8013 to get an appointment. As long as you have a Scottish vaccination record it doesn’t matter if you have moved address, you can still book.

Flu - I've heard the vaccine does not work and that I will still get flu?

In the past 10 years the vaccine has provided good coverage against flu and it is still the best way to fight flu this winter.

Flu - Is the flu vaccine safe?

The vaccine is well tested and has an excellent safety record.

All medicines (including vaccines) are tested for safety and effectiveness before they're allowed to be used.

Once they're in use, the safety of vaccines continues to be monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

It's also safe to get the flu and coronavirus vaccines at the same time.

NHS Scotland recommends that all pregnant women should have the free flu vaccine every time you're pregnant. This is because the flu viruses circulating change each year.

Why should I get the vaccine?

Pregnant women are at a greater risk of serious flu-related complications so need extra protection. Complications may include as early labour, low birth weight and stillbirth.

Every year in Scotland, a number of pregnant women will get influenza (flu). Some will need hospital treatment or be admitted to intensive care. Those with a health condition such as diabetes or asthma are particularly vulnerable.

It only takes a few minutes to get vaccinated. The flu vaccine takes around 10 days to work, so the sooner you get it the better.

The flu vaccine:

• can help protect you and your developing baby against this year’s flu virus during pregnancy and for at least 3 months after birth
• contains no live viruses and cannot give you flu
• is safe for your baby and for you at any stage of your pregnancy
• can be given at the same time as other vaccines

How do I get the flu vaccine?

Speak to your midwife about getting your flu vaccine.

If you've had the flu vaccine before

Even if you’ve had a flu vaccine in the past, you need to get vaccinated again this year. This is because the virus changes constantly and your immunity reduces over time.

If you’ve been pregnant before, remember that a healthy flu-free pregnancy last time is no guarantee you won’t catch flu this time. To make sure you get the maximum protection, it's recommended that you get the vaccine.

Other vaccines during pregnancy

There are 2 other vaccines offered during pregnancy – coronavirus and whooping cough.

Find out more about the coronavirus and whooping cough vaccines in pregnancy

How do I cancel and /or rebook using the online portal?

We advise people to make every effort to attend a vaccination appointment when one is offered, but accept that this is not always possible which is why we offer an online rescheduling facility on NHS Inform for those who could not attend. 

However, if you were offered an appointment and didn’t attend or reschedule, you will not be able to book a new appointment on the online portal. 

In those specific circumstances you will need to phone the National Helpline on 0800 030 8013 for the Helpline to book a new appointment for you. 

If you have an egg allergy

Some flu vaccines are made using eggs.

Tell the person giving you your vaccine if you have an egg allergy or if you’ve ever had a serious allergic reaction to a flu vaccine.

If you're affected, please speak to your health professional for advice. An egg-free vaccine may be available.

I can't see an appointment online that suit's me, do the Helpline have access to additional appointments?

No, the helpline access the same system used by individuals and so do not have access to additional appointments.  If you cannot find an appointment that suits you please check back at a later time as new options will come up as other people reschedule their appointment.  Health Boards will sometimes add more capacity or new clinics dependent on staffing or other factors, so please check back regularly.

Flu - I can't remember my Username

If you have lost or forgotten your username, you can recover it by selecting the 'Get my user name' option.

Flu - I can't remember my password to the online Portal

If you have lost or forgotten your password, you can recover it by selecting the 'forgotten your password' option.

I cannot access the online portal but am eligible and want a jag – what do I do?

You can book an appointment via the NHS Helpline on 0800 030 8013.

Flu - Do I need the flu jab if I'm not in an at risk group?

Anyone can get flu and pass it on to vulnerable groups, even with no symptoms, therefore it's important to get the flu jab to stop the spread of the virus.

The Healthy Working Lives award programme helps organisations identify issues and improve?health, safety and wellbeing in a structured and productive way. Organisations of any size can join the programme and NES now holds the highest, Gold Award, and has done so for several years.
The Award is reviewed annually and NES must evidence ongoing best practice to maintain the award.
By achieving the Healthy Working Lives award, NES aims to
 - have a healthier, more motivated and productive workforce
 - reduce absence rates and support employees in work and returning to work
 - reduce accidents, incidents and work related ill health
 - enhance its reputation and increase its profile
 - contribute to the health of the wider community
There are NES representatives in every region/directorate, who arrange local monthly Health Promotion information or interactive events, which count towards gaining the award.
The recently relaunched Healthy Working Lives website offers free, personalised advice on workplace health, safety and wellbeing. Access to interactive tools and templates, simple practical guides and much more.
If you wish to become a representative or to contact your local rep please contact hwl_admin@nes.scot.nhs.uk

Dementia Friends Scotland

Alzheimer Scotland provides a wide range of specialist services for people with dementia and their carers.