Category: News Item

Scientific analysis on a number of CBD  (Cannabidiol) products has found that the majority of those tested contained illegal drugs. The testing has been carried out on behalf of several local authorities by Kent Scientific Services, the Official Control Laboratory operated by Kent County Council.

At the same time, several products were found to contain hardly any CBD element at all.

CBD is classed as a novel food and is currently being assessed for safety by the Food Standards Agency. The FSA has allowed about 6,000 products to be marketed in the UK, pending final approval. If the product is on the list, it can be sold; if it is not on the list, it cannot.

KSS Public Analyst Jon Griffin who led the testing said: “CBD is the non-psychoactive element of cannabis. It is suggested it can have benefits including reduced anxiety, assisting with sleep and managing pain. On its own CBD is not an illegal controlled drug.”

The results of testing on the first 61 products for various interested bodies have shown that:

• 44 samples contained one or more of the psychoactive elements of cannabis. These are controlled drugs and therefore are illegal
• Several contained significantly less CBD than claimed on the pack. Up to 99% deficient.
• 2 did not claim to contain any CBD but did. Neither of these contain any controlled drugs
• 2 contained products which are not on the FSA list.

So, in total, of the 61 samples, 72% contain one or more of these psychoactive elements of cannabis.

Mark Rolfe, the Head of KSS, said: “The issue with this, in my view, is that people don’t know what they are consuming. We have tested one sample for a member of the public who has failed a workplace drugs test having, he says, never touched drugs in his life. He has, however, consumed this product which we have found to contain the drug for which he failed the test.”

The kind of products involved, he said, are wide ranging. Some are foods (and thus covered by the FSA list) and cosmetics and some vapes. Neither of the latter two types are covered by the FSA list.

Examples of the products are:

• Cola chunks
• Marmalade
• CBD oil
• Gummy bears
• Cookies
• Lollypops
• CBD drinks
• Vapes of various flavours including lemon drizzle, watermelon and raspberry
• Muscle balm
• Beard oil

Research by the trade union Unite has highlighted a significant decline in the number of ‘proactive’ inspections that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made in the construction sector since 2013/14.

HSE’s unannounced inspections of construction sites have fallen by 31% over the past eight years, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) data obtained by the Unite trade union.

Unite has highlighted the figures because it says that construction remains one of the most hazardous sectors in Great Britain and points to the latest HSE statistics , which show that 30 construction workers died in the workplace in 2021/2022. 

The Union discovered that the HSE undertook 11,303 unannounced inspections in 2013/14 but that number dropped to 7,793 in 2021/22. 

The data gleaned showed that the biggest regional decline was in Wales where inspections had dropped by 57%, Unite said. After Wales, southeast England (51%) and London (46%) saw the biggest drops.  

Unite said that it also found the HSE had significantly reduced the number of enforcement notices that it had issued to employers to improve safety conditions after an on-site inspection. The union said that the number had declined from 2,293 in 2013/14 to 1,119 in 2021/22. 

‘The HSE must explain and justify the sharp decline in construction inspections,’ said Unite’s national officer for construction Jason Poulter. 

‘For too many employers, it is only the fear of being caught which ensures they follow safety laws.’

A HSE spokesperson said: “The number of inspections we carried out while COVID restrictions were in place was inevitably lower. The number has increased significantly in the last year, focused on sites with the highest risk to workers. Inspections are only one part of what we do to keep workers safe.”

They added that, during the pandemic, the HSE carried out over 400,000 COVID safety spot checks, across all workplaces, to reduce the risk posed by COVID-19 transmission. They said: “During the spot checks, HSE provided advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors, but where some businesses were not managing this, HSE would take immediate action.

“This could range from the provision of giving specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they were made safe and, where businesses failed to comply, it could lead to prosecution.” 

Scotland’s deposit return scheme will go live for consumers in one year’s time (16 August 2023), giving businesses and consumers an easy way to boost recycling.

The scheme, which will be the first in the UK, will play an important part in Scotland’s journey to a circular economy. Estimates by Zero Waste Scotland suggest that the scheme will reduce emissions by an average of nearly 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of 109,000 return flights from Edinburgh to New York.

The 20p deposit will also provide an incentive to reduce littering, helping to cut the number of bottles and cans discarded in streets and green spaces.

The scheme is being delivered by Circularity Scotland Ltd., an industry-led body representing drinks producers, retailers and trade bodies of all sizes. This business-led approach is common among many of the most successful schemes in Europe, include Denmark, Finland, and The Netherlands.

Infrastructure for the scheme is now beginning to be rolled out across Scotland, and businesses of all sizes are being encouraged to act now to make sure they are ready for the scheme launching this time next year.  

Businesses who make, import or sell drinks in Scotland may have legal responsibilities under the scheme. For drinks producers and importers this includes registering to be part of the scheme – they won’t be able to sell their products in Scotland unless they have registered. For retailers, wholesalers and hospitality businesses, this means making sure any drinks they sell in Scotland are from a registered producer and charging the deposit on each drink. They may also have to operate a return point or offer a takeback service, collecting empty containers for recycling and return deposits to consumers

Businesses can register with Circularity Scotland, to make sure they receive information that will help them prepare.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), who are the regulator for the scheme, has also launched a campaign that will help businesses understand their legal responsibilities and the steps they need to take to prepare. SEPA is responsible for the producer registration service, which opens in January 2023. Producers will need to either register directly with SEPA or through the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. SEPA will also carry out audits, inspections, and enforcement activity, ensuring the scheme is a success.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said:

“Scotland is leading the way in the UK on delivering a circular economy. By putting in place a deposit return scheme, we are delivering on the public’s desire to see action on plastic and other waste, and making an important contribution to the response to the climate emergency.

“With thousands of return points across the country, it will be as easy to return your empty bottle or can as it was to buy it in the first place. This will help to nearly double recycling rates for the containers included in the scheme, while reducing the amount of litter on our streets and cutting CO2 emissions.

“This scheme is being delivered by industry for industry. By putting businesses in charge, we are making sure that it works for them. With one year to go until the scheme goes live for consumers, I would encourage all businesses and organisations that produce, ship or sell drinks to get involved with the scheme now.”

Two new UK research papers explain the likely causes of sudden onset hepatitis seen in children aged 10 and under, is due to co-infection with adenovirus 41F and a second virus AAV2 (or less commonly HHV6).

The two investigations, one led in Scotland by the University of Glasgow, the Medical Research Council, Centre for Virology Research, and supported by Public Health Scotland, and the second led by Great Ormond Street Hospital were published on 25 July 2022. The extensive investigations explored various factors which could have acted as a trigger for the illness, including an infectious cause, exposure to environmental toxins, and genetic factors.

Cases were initially reported in April 2022 and as of 25 July 2022, the total number of cases identified in Scotland was 38. No new cases were identified in Scotland between 13 June 2022 and 25 July 2022.

The Scottish research identified an additional genetic factor which may explain why some children developed severe illness whilst others did not. The investigation noted the presence of a marker showing a genetic predisposition in cases of severe disease but found this marker much less commonly in the general population.

Explaining why only some children go on to develop hepatitis, Dr Jim McMenamin, Head of Health Protection, Consultant Epidemiologist, Public Health Scotland said:

“These findings are important. They appear to explain why not all young children with adenovirus infection develop severe disease. Importantly, children need to have a co-infection with an additional second virus that can affect the liver and also have a specific genetic make-up before they go on to develop severe disease.

“Whilst its reassuring that cases have now fallen, we continue to remind parents and care-givers that they should continue to ensure children practice good hand and respiratory hygiene to help reduce the spread of common infections, like adenoviruses.

“If a child shows signs of jaundice, where there is a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes or on the skin, then parents should contact their GP or other Health Care professional.”

Read the Glasgow study here.

Read the London study here.

NHS Lothian has joined forces with local and national partner agencies to investigate a cluster of cases of E.coli linked to Church Street Pear Tree Nursery in Haddington.

The number of confirmed cases stands at 28. Most cases have had mild symptoms and have not required hospital treatment. However, a small number of confirmed cases were admitted to hospital but all have now returned home. 

Investigations so far have not yet revealed a specific source, but advanced microbiological testing is underway to identify the strain of the infection and any links. Those that have been affected have already been excluded and have submitted samples for testing.

As cases have been confined to Church Street Pear Tree Nursery, respective households, or other close contacts, it has closed as a precautionary measure while the investigations continue. The multi-agency Incident Management Team (IMT) will continue to work closely with the nursery to ensure it is safe for children to return.

The IMT is also now working with two other sister nurseries in the same town after a number of people reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. Both Meadowpark Pear Tree Nursery and West Road Pear Tree Nursery in Haddington are now closed as a precautionary measure.

Dr Richard Othieno, Chair of the Incident Management Team and Public Health Consultant, NHS Lothian, said: “We know that this will be an anxious time for many of those who are directly affected by the infection. We have written to parents and carers of the children affected and to staff at the nursery to provide the most up to date information and ongoing health advice.

“NHS Lothian has a robust surveillance system in place to identify E. coli cases which helped us to identify these cases early and put in place essential control measures to prevent further spread.

“This outbreak reinforces the importance of washing hands regularly, particularly before eating or preparing food, and after going to the toilet.”

“We continue to provide support to the nursery and those parents and carers who have been directly affected. We have encouraged parents to keep their children away from other children and those at higher risk until their negative results have been received”.

Edinburgh will become Scotland’s first designated Short-Term Let Control Area after the Scottish Government approved the City of Edinburgh Council’s proposed change to planning requirements.

The control area is intended to help maintain the availability of long-term residential housing in Edinburgh. The measure is also to preserve the character of neighbourhoods, prevent short-term lets in inappropriate places or types of building, and help ensure homes are used to their best effect.

The control area covers the entire City of Edinburgh Council area. Where changing the use of an entire residential home in the control area to short-term letting will automatically require planning permission, unless the exceptions set out in legislation apply.

From 1 October 2022 new hosts must obtain a licence from their local authority before they operate as a short-term let. Existing hosts have until 1 April 2023 to make an application for a licence, and can continue operating whilst their licensing application is being determined.

Where the change of a dwellinghouse to a short-term let took place before the designation of the control area the existing planning rules will apply. These require planning permission for a change of use of property where that change is a material change in the use of the property.

Housing Secretary Shona Robison said:

“Edinburgh was the first local authority in Scotland to propose a Short-Term Let Control Area and Scottish Government approval represents a major step forward. We have committed to give local authorities the powers to address concerns about the impact of commercial short-term letting in their communities, should they want to do that. This is an example of that local choice in action – supported by the majority of respondents to the council’s consultation on the proposed designation.

“I recognise the important role which short-term lets play as a source of flexible and responsive accommodation for tourists and workers, which brings many benefits to hosts, visitors and our economy. However, we know that in certain areas, particularly tourist hot spots, high numbers of lets can cause problems for neighbours and make it harder for people to find homes to live in.

“The Scottish Government considers that the council has adequately considered and responded to concerns raised before seeking approval of the control area designation. We have concluded that the proposed designation would be reasonable.”

City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said:

“This is the news we have been waiting for after leading the way in campaigning for change. I am delighted that Ministers have answered our calls and we look forward to reviewing the full details included in the decision released today.

“It paves the way for Edinburgh becoming the first short-term let control area in Scotland. For far too long, too many homes have been lost in our city to the holiday market. In fact, around a third of all short term lets in Scotland are here in the Capital, so their associated issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise have a detrimental effect on many of our residents. We will now progress implementing the changes and the next step should be looking at whether we can apply a cap on numbers, too.”

Discretionary powers enabling local authorities to designate short-term let control areas came into effect in 2021. Separate legislation introducing a mandatory licensing scheme for all short-term lets in Scotland was approved earlier this year.

The Institute is pleased to share the launch of our new website.  The website has a slightly new look with several extra pages and additional features. Your existing login can be used to access the members only section of the website and you can reset your password by following the instructions on the log in page (please check your ‘junk emails’ where new password confirmation communications may be directed).

Approved Training Centres and members using the website to record their CPD, will see some changes

• You’ll be directed to ‘Your REHIS’ when logged in
• Members will be able to upload CPD and supporting evidence, and annually submit CPD directly from the website
• Chartered EHOs will be able to upload and submit written submissions
• Approved Training Centres course registrations and pack requests have been streamlined

We would encourage you to have a browse around the new website and if you have any queries or have trouble with your log in details, please email contact@

The REHIS website has been given a new look which we hope you like. If you do have any issues please contact us.

Please note that our events are under the heading “Professional Development and Events”.

New regulations are to be considered following a consultation for non-surgical cosmetic procedures that pierce or penetrate the skin and proposals to introduce a licensing scheme which ran from 17 January 2020 to 30 June 2020. 

Measures to enhance public safety around the procedures will be considered which would restrict who can administer dermal fillers, also known as lip or face fillers, and would mean anyone administering must meet rigorous hygiene and clinical standards.

The Scottish Government will also scope other procedures to consider the need for further regulation.

The Scottish Government will now consider legislation to restrict who can administer dermal fillers, with the aim of protecting public safety. This will include further stakeholder engagement and consultation. 

Secondary legislation will also be considered to bring pharmacists who provide services outside of NHS contracts under the regulation of HIS by adding them to the list of service providers included in the definition of an independent clinic in section 10F of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.  The public consultation overwhelmingly supported this proposal.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said:

“Our aim is to ensure that all non-surgical cosmetic procedures carried out in Scotland are delivered from hygienic premises by appropriately trained practitioners, applying recognised standards and using legitimate products.

“The consultation showed that 98% of respondents agreed that further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures was needed. Most of the respondents felt that non-surgical cosmetic procedures should be conducted by trained, qualified and regulated healthcare professionals.

“If things go wrong when dermal fillers are administered, the complications can often cause long term damage that can only be reversed or limited by the urgent administration of specific prescription-only medication. We want to avoid those situations.”

A new data visualisation tool to help to help researchers better understand the effects medicines have on Scotland’s environment has been launched by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on behalf of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership (OHBP).

‘Pharmaceuticals in the Water Environment’ is the first open access interactive tool in the UK to combine national environmental and prescribing data. With data for 60 medicines detected in river water, raw wastewater and treated wastewater, it is designed to help researchers, academics, health professionals and environmental scientists develop a better understanding of the link between medicine use and the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

The One Health Breakthrough Partnership is a unique collaboration between SEPA, NHS Highland, Scottish Water and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). Bringing together key regional and national stakeholders across the water, environment, and healthcare sectors who are committed to addressing the issue of pharmaceutical pollution, the partnership is designed to stimulate innovation to help achieve optimal health for people, animals and our environment.

The data tool leads on from a Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) project for the OHBP which published its findings earlier this year in the report ‘Pharmaceuticals in the water environment: baseline assessment and recommendations’. The project combined and assessed published and unpublished academic data with monitoring data from Scottish Water and SEPA. These environmental data have been used to develop the data visualisation tool, alongside primary care (community) prescribing data from Public Health Scotland.

The main route for human medicines to enter the water environment is via our toilets. Some of this is due to the way our bodies metabolise medicines – between 30% and 100% of the active ingredient in an oral dose ends up being flushed away after people go to the toilet. Some is more easily avoidable – a 2021 survey showed around one in 10 people throw old and unused medicines down the sink or toilet instead of returning them to a pharmacy for safe disposal. In both situations, medicines can end up in sewage in wastewater treatment works, where treatment has not been designed to remove such pollutants, and are then discharged to the water environment.

Pollution of the water environment by medicines can negatively affect aquatic life by impacting their growth, behaviour, reproduction and survival. In most cases the concentrations of medicines in the water environment are much lower than the therapeutic dose, which makes it difficult to determine what impact they may be having. Medicines in the environment may also be contributing to an increase in bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that no longer respond to medicines (known as antimicrobial resistance or AMR) and to the spread of antibiotic resistance in people. Making the data contained within the visualisation tool easily accessible means they can be used to inform research and improve wider understanding of these issues.

The tool will be used by the OHBP, research partners and others to explore and develop appropriate and sustainable solutions to reduce the discharge of pharmaceuticals to the environment. It will also guide monitoring efforts as the group continues to improve understanding of the environmental occurrence and impact of these pollutants.

John Redshaw, SEPA Principal Specialist Scientist and an OHBP lead, said:

“SEPA, as a founding member of the OHBP is pleased to have played a key role in the production of this data visualisation tool, which provides a very important step forward in addressing the discharge of medicines to Scotland’s water environment.

“SEPA is working with the OHBP and other UK partners to identify and prioritise the medicines that are presenting the greatest risks to our water environments and to explore ways in which such information might be used to inform prescribing of medicines and future regulatory standards.”

NHS Highland OHBP lead, Sharon Pfleger, Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health, said:

“NHS Highland is delighted to see the launch of ‘Pharmaceuticals in the Water Environment’. Over the last year we have been working with our partners in the OHBP to develop the first tool which combines prescribing data with data about water quality and the presence of pharmaceuticals. We are committed to helping keep our environment as well as our public healthy and to making the use of medicines as sustainable as possible. We are excited to now have this tool to help us take forward further work to help educate our prescribers and the public and make medicines taking as environmentally friendly as possible.”

A new practice development hub for reducing inequalities is now available on the PHS Virtual Learning Environment. Primarily for those in public service roles, it aims to improve skills and day to day working practice so that action can be taken to reduce inequalities.  

Scotland’s public services have a duty to reduce inequalities and help create a society where everyone can thrive.  This resource provides practice improvement support for making services inclusive, strengthening partnership working and community advocacy.

This hub has been designed as a flexible resource where individuals can select sections most relevant to their learning needs and source information about how to integrate actions in their daily work.

 Vicky Bibby, Director of Strategic Planning and Performance, PHS said:

“Understanding the necessity of addressing inequalities in our community is important; having the tools and support to put this into practice is vital.

“We have already launched the Health Inequalities learning hub which raises awareness of the relationship between discrimination, inequalities and health inequalities, a critical first step for building knowledge to enable actions.

“This new resource has been specifically developed to offer practical guidance, methods and frameworks to help those in public service roles reduce inequalities in the services they provide.

“We will continue to build the wider learning development programme, with a view to adding resources that consider inequalities in Procurement and The Workplace.”

View the Breaking barriers to reduce inequalities hub

Scotland’s councils have had a pivotal role in supporting and working with communities as they responded to the impacts of Covid-19. Now councils must lead recovery work with and alongside their local communities, focusing on getting the services people need in place as pressures and stresses escalate and impact the day to day lives of individuals and communities. 

In its 2022, Local Government Overview report, the Accounts Commission, who report to the public on the performance of local government, detail particular low points for Environmental Health services: 

1. Trading standards and environmental health Services have lost 34% of their expenditure (real terms) since 2010/11. This makes it the third worst hit Local Authority service with street cleaning and libraries at 35% and 36% respectively. These longer-term spending reductions have placed the service under pressure as it responds and recovers from Covid-19. 
2. 50% of Local Authorities in Scotland are reporting a skills shortage for Environmental Health Officers. This makes it the fifth worst Local Authority occupational skill gap in Scotland.
3. The report also highlights the increasing burden on environmental health from new pressures. The inability to clear backlogs and meet new demands is a risk to wider recovery. 

The Accounts Commission are clear that recovery and renewal across councils isn’t about a return to pre-pandemic service delivery. It must be about much more, changing and challenging how services are delivered. 

The position for councils, is however, challenging and complex: 

• dealing with increasing demand and service backlogs 
• long-standing pressures, including rising poverty and inequalities 
• high absence levels and acute skills shortages amongst some key front-line workers 
• a lack of certainty and flexibility over long-term funding 
• national priorities, including climate change and public sector reform. 

William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission said: 

“Councils are operating in a complex and increasingly volatile, unprecedented and unpredictable environment. Strong leadership from councils is needed now more than ever, with new and returning councillors being able and willing to make difficult decisions about where and how to spend highly pressurised resources. 

Pressures on councils and their communities have intensified from spiralling inflation and significant increases to the cost of living. This has direct and unintended consequences on councils at a time when they sought a period of stability to tackle the impacts of the pandemic. Councillors and senior officers must use learning from the past two years, working with their partners and communities in the recovery, renewal and difficult decision making about the future of services.