Politics: Community care and rehabilitation plays a vital role
At the time of writing, the Winter Olympics has just wrapped up with Team GB narrowly missing out on gold by a single shot and winning silver in the Men’s Curling.
This was followed by a much more comprehensive and thoroughly well-deserved gold in the Women’s Curling.
Congratulations to both teams and all involved.
I was also interested to learn that all curling stones used in all the Winter Olympics back to Chamonix in 1924 come from the granite on the tiny Scottish island of Ailsa Craig.
I was delighted to see Turriff’s very own Olympian, Conner Morrison – who competed at last year’s Tokyo Paralympics - claim silver in the World Para Series Men’s 100m breaststroke final last week.
Last week, I had the pleasure of joining a session of the Grampian Cardiac Rehabilitation Association (GCRA) in Turriff.
Participants told me that they have enjoyed getting back to in-person instructor-led sessions at Turriff Sports Centre since the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.
GCRA is a patient-led charity founded in 2002 by three cardiac patients to establish and run Phase IV Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise classes in Grampian.
They currently lead 39 cardiac rehab and prevention circuits-based, gentle movement and chair-based classes throughout Aberdeenshire.
Personal fitness as well as social interaction are very important and GCRA provide fantastic support for people in the Turriff and wider area recovering from and living with cardiac and other long term respiratory conditions.
More information can be found at: www.gcra.org.uk
I have repeatedly raised concerns over the extended closure of the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) in Turriff and the continued shortfall in health provisions such as access to GPs and ambulance waiting times.
Turriff residents tell me they often feel left behind when it comes to decisions on health care and other public services.
I was even told once by NHS Grampian that ‘Turriff is in an awkward location!’.
Of course, this is not the case if you live in Turriff or the large surrounding rural area that depends on Turriff services, like Auchterless, Fyvie, Cuminestown, and everywhere in between.
I will continue to push for Turriff MIU reopening as soon as possible as Covid-19 restrictions continue to be relaxed.
I was relieved and glad to see Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross confirm that no Conservative run council in Scotland will implement the SNP’s punitive car parking tax.
Across rural Banff and Buchan there is often no alternative to using a car.
I am not against initiatives to promote active travel or to facilitate less carbon intensive alternatives to car usage, but any such measure needs to be practical and realistic.
Yet again, it seems that the SNP/Green Scottish Government are applying logic that may be appropriate in the urban Central Belt but shows no cognisance of real life across rural Scotland.
Perhaps if the Scottish Government were to invest in improved transport infrastructure across the North East, such measures may start to look feasible.
But, as we have seen in their recently published ‘National Transport Strategy’, there is precious little in there for rural Scotland and certainly nothing in Banff and Buchan.
Finally, I would like to wish Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Rothsay and all the staff at Windsor Castle who have tested positive for Covid-19, a speedy and complete recovery.
