REHIS News

The Scottish Government have published its Housing to 2040 strategy, which sets out the government’s vision for housing over the next 20 years. 

Housing to 2040 is split into four sections and the key priorities in the strategy include:

Check In Scotland is a way to collect the contact details of people who visit hospitality businesses, such as pub, bars, restaurants and cafes, that's designed to work with NHS Scotland's Test and Protect.

To help reduce the risk of transmission and support the Test and Protect contact tracing service, the Scottish Government has made it mandatory for hospitality venues to collect and manage customer contact details. 

Compulsory housing measures for poultry and captive birds are set to be lifted at the end of this month, the Chief Veterinary Officers from Scotland, England and Wales announced.

The housing measures, which were introduced across Great Britain in December as one of a range of measures to stop the spread of avian influenza, have been a vital tool in protecting flocks across the country from the disease which is circulating in wild birds.

The hospital set up to support Scotland’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is to close on 31 March, with the mass vaccination centre relocating to The SSE Hydro.

Thanks to the public’s continued efforts to reduce the spread of the virus, the NHS Louisa Jordan was not required to treat COVID-19 patients. Since July 2020 the hospital has played a crucial role in supporting the remobilisation of NHS Scotland.

Funding of £4.5 million has been awarded to Aberdeen City Council for the introduction of 10 new hydrogen buses, taking the city’s hydrogen-powered bus fleet total to 25.

The money comes from the £62 million Energy Transition Fund which was set up to help ensure a green recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and support the energy sector’s transition to a net-zero economy.

With a focus on the North East, the fund underpins the region’s ambitions to become a world leader in the transition to net zero, creating green jobs and growing the local economy.

Food production and processing businesses are being urged to sign up for routine staff testing to help identify cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), keep workforces safe and break chains of transmission.

Free lateral flow antigen test kits are available to eligible businesses which are essential to maintaining an adequate supply of food for the nation, and where outbreak risks can be higher due to the working environment such as abattoirs, meat and seafood processing facilities and dairies, as well as food distribution businesses.

Since REHIS introduced temporary regulations last March allowing courses to be delivered virtually many REHIS Approved Training Centres have risen to the challenge and offered virtual training via platforms such as Zoom and MS Teams. Many course presenters have done a fantastic job of adapting their training methods and course materials and made the transition to remote learning for many REHIS courses.

Food Standards Scotland have updated its guidance for food business operators (FBOs) and their employees on 15 March.

 A summary of the changes in the update are as follows:

Lorna Ross, Food & Safety Support Officer at Aberdeenshire Council discusses how taking the plunge to online learning has resulted in a positive change and how learning in person may be a thing of the past. 

1. Describe you work before the pandemic? 

The Environmental Health Manifesto for Scotland explains what Environmental Health is, its importance to the continued protection of Scotland’s public health both now and in the future and describes how Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and the wider environmental health workforce can help policy makers achieve their objectives. It also sets out four challenges facing the profession and the wider Scottish public.