Latest news with #JennyMinto
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Vaccine against gonorrhoea to roll out in Scotland
A new vaccine against gonorrhoea will be rolled out in Scotland in August following a UK-wide rise in illness, which is the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Scotland is potentially painful and in rare cases can be cases have risen in recent years, with 5,999 infections in 2023 - a rise of 59% from before the Covid eligible for the vaccine will include gay and bisexual men at highest risk of infection, as well those involved in selling or exchanging sex, regardless of their gender. Those most affected by gonorrhoea in the UK are those aged 16 to 25, gay and bisexual men, and those of black and Caribbean vaccine, which is 30-40% effective, is also being delivered in England and Northern and charities called for vaccinations earlier this year after the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a targeted roll-out in November Scottish government is funding the vaccination programme north of the Health Minister Jenny Minto said the campaign was "urgent and timely since the number of diagnoses has been high and the disease is becoming increasingly difficult to treat with antibiotics".She added: "The science tells us that this vaccine will potentially protect thousands of people and prevent the spread of infection."Anything which stops people from contracting gonorrhoea in the first place can have huge benefits, including ensuring our health system remains resilient by reducing the amount of treatment needed."Dr Sam Ghebrehewet, head of the vaccination and immunisation division at Public Health Scotland, said the jab was a "welcome new intervention".He said: "This vaccination programme is expected to help control and prevent the spread of gonorrhoea."Public Health Scotland is working with the Scottish government and colleagues across NHS boards to finalise plans for the rollout of this targeted vaccination, offering to those at increased risk of gonorrhoea from August 2025." Is the vaccine effective enough? The vaccine was not designed for gonorrhoea - it is the meningitis B vaccine currently given to bacteria that cause the two diseases are so closely related that the MenB jab appears to cut gonorrhoea cases by around a it will not eliminate the risk of catching gonorrhoea - it is normally caught while having sex without a Andrew Pollard, the chair of the JCVI which recommended the vaccine, said despite it only being 30% effective, it was "worth having" and could have "a huge impact" is also becoming increasingly difficult to cases are treated with a single dose of antibiotics, but there is an 80-year history of the bacterium which causes gonorrhoea repeatedly evolving resistance to is also happening to current treatments and is why some doctors are concerned gonorrhoea could one day become say the best way to deal with a drug-resistant infection is to never catch it in the first place.
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Endo the Battle: Women's health minister vows to cut endometriosis waitlists
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Our endometriosis survey received more than 400 responses 🏥 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... The Scottish government has said is committed to tackling 'unacceptable' waiting lists for gynaecology services, as it responds to the concerns of hundreds of patients living with endometriosis. Women's health minister Jenny Minto accepted that patients living with the condition are facing 'pain and discomfort' while waiting for a diagnosis, as she highlighted ongoing work to improve endometriosis care - which one patient said was a 'step in the right direction'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We have been amplifying the voices of those living with the debilitating, yet common, condition, in our Endo the Battle campaign. Patients in Scotland currently wait on average eight years and 10 months to get a diagnosis. In April, we wrote an open letter to health ministers across the UK highlighting our findings and calling for an end to the 'cycle of suffering' for endometriosis patients. More than 400 of you shared your experience with endometriosis with us via our anonymous survey, with key issues identified including delays in getting a diagnosis, lengthy waiting lists, knowledge gaps within the healthcare sector and the crippling costs of seeking private care. If you woke up with your first symptoms of endometriosis today, you're likely not to get a diagnosis until 2034 | National World We called for urgent action to improve healthcare and the financial cost of living with the condition, including upskilling frontline medical professionals, committing to care for extra pelvic endometriosis and providing endometriosis education in schools. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In response to our findings, the Scottish Government's women's health minister Jenny Minto said: 'I understand that endometriosis can have a significant impact on people's lives. 'We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis symptoms benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. That is why it is one of the key priorities in the Women's Health Plan. 'We have taken action to support both women and health professionals to learn more about menstrual health - including endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment options - so that women are supported to get the help they need and waiting times for diagnosis can improve. 'We know many women are in pain and discomfort while facing long waits for gynaecology services and this is not acceptable. The 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for Health and Social Care, including almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and improve flow through hospitals, and gynaecology will be targeted as a key priority area for additional funding. Timely access to gynaecology services will be a priority as we continue to develop our Women's Health Plan.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish a Women's Health Plan in August 2021. In its response, the government said that wide-ranging progress had been made in the first three years, as highlighted in the Women's Health Plan Final Report which was published in November 2024. This includes the publication of an Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland and the provision of educational materials for healthcare professionals. The government also told us that they have 'improved access to information for women and girls on menstrual health symptoms, conditions including endometriosis' in Scotland through the Women's Health Platform on NHS Inform. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Menstrual health and wellbeing education is also a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education, and the government has also supported an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people's awareness of endometriosis aimed at those aged 11 to 25. Amy Liston is saving up to travel to London for endometriosis care. | Amy Liston We spoke to Scottish patients about the government's response and while some welcomed a 'step in the right direction', they called for more to be done to improve care. Amy Liston is a self-employed artist who spoke to us as part of our campaign. She is currently saving up to travel to London for care in a multidisciplinary endometriosis centre, after her symptoms continued following a previous surgical procedure. Responding to the Scottish government's statement, the 25-year-old said: 'My opinion is that there needs to be more safeguarding, they can talk about focusing on cutting down waitlists but until there's an overhaul on education from school nurses to specialist surgeons, counselling on hand during the journey and waiting times, and then the financial struggle - we take on trying to self manage the pain and symptoms while waiting. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think to anyone not in the know, their response would seem really promising, but to us who know what's going on, it could be better. 'It is definitely a step in the right direction.' The Endo the Battle campaign is being spearheaded by health writer Sarah McCann - read her endometriosis story. If you have been affected by the content of this open letter or suspect you may have endometriosis you can find out more at the Menstrual Health Project.
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Endo the Battle: Women's health minister vows to cut endometriosis waitlists
Our endometriosis survey received more than 400 responses 🏥 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... The Scottish government has said is committed to tackling 'unacceptable' waiting lists for gynaecology services, as it responds to the concerns of hundreds of patients living with endometriosis. Women's health minister Jenny Minto accepted that patients living with the condition are facing 'pain and discomfort' while waiting for a diagnosis, as she highlighted ongoing work to improve endometriosis care - which one patient said was a 'step in the right direction'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We have been amplifying the voices of those living with the debilitating, yet common, condition, in our Endo the Battle campaign. Patients in Scotland currently wait on average eight years and 10 months to get a diagnosis. In April, we wrote an open letter to health ministers across the UK highlighting our findings and calling for an end to the 'cycle of suffering' for endometriosis patients. More than 400 of you shared your experience with endometriosis with us via our anonymous survey, with key issues identified including delays in getting a diagnosis, lengthy waiting lists, knowledge gaps within the healthcare sector and the crippling costs of seeking private care. If you woke up with your first symptoms of endometriosis today, you're likely not to get a diagnosis until 2034 | National World We called for urgent action to improve healthcare and the financial cost of living with the condition, including upskilling frontline medical professionals, committing to care for extra pelvic endometriosis and providing endometriosis education in schools. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In response to our findings, the Scottish Government's women's health minister Jenny Minto said: 'I understand that endometriosis can have a significant impact on people's lives. 'We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis symptoms benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. That is why it is one of the key priorities in the Women's Health Plan. 'We have taken action to support both women and health professionals to learn more about menstrual health - including endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment options - so that women are supported to get the help they need and waiting times for diagnosis can improve. 'We know many women are in pain and discomfort while facing long waits for gynaecology services and this is not acceptable. The 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for Health and Social Care, including almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and improve flow through hospitals, and gynaecology will be targeted as a key priority area for additional funding. Timely access to gynaecology services will be a priority as we continue to develop our Women's Health Plan.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish a Women's Health Plan in August 2021. In its response, the government said that wide-ranging progress had been made in the first three years, as highlighted in the Women's Health Plan Final Report which was published in November 2024. This includes the publication of an Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland and the provision of educational materials for healthcare professionals. The government also told us that they have 'improved access to information for women and girls on menstrual health symptoms, conditions including endometriosis' in Scotland through the Women's Health Platform on NHS Inform. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Menstrual health and wellbeing education is also a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education, and the government has also supported an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people's awareness of endometriosis aimed at those aged 11 to 25. Amy Liston is saving up to travel to London for endometriosis care. | Amy Liston We spoke to Scottish patients about the government's response and while some welcomed a 'step in the right direction', they called for more to be done to improve care. Amy Liston is a self-employed artist who spoke to us as part of our campaign. She is currently saving up to travel to London for care in a multidisciplinary endometriosis centre, after her symptoms continued following a previous surgical procedure. Responding to the Scottish government's statement, the 25-year-old said: 'My opinion is that there needs to be more safeguarding, they can talk about focusing on cutting down waitlists but until there's an overhaul on education from school nurses to specialist surgeons, counselling on hand during the journey and waiting times, and then the financial struggle - we take on trying to self manage the pain and symptoms while waiting. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think to anyone not in the know, their response would seem really promising, but to us who know what's going on, it could be better. 'It is definitely a step in the right direction.' The Endo the Battle campaign is being spearheaded by health writer Sarah McCann - read her endometriosis story.
