Paisley Daily Express Column

Paisley Daily Express Column - 28 July 2010

ONE HEART ATTACK EVERY 15 MINUTES

Here in Paisley we still face a huge problem – like the rest of west central Scotland in tackling coronary heart disease. We’ve made various efforts over the years – not least through the Have a Heart Paisley initiative.

Yet it is still the sad and shocking case that here in Scotland someone has a heart attack every 15 minutes.

The British Heart Foundation released the statistics recently in the hope that it will remind people of the danger of ignoring chest pains which may be a warning of a heart attack.

The Foundation is urging people to get to a doctor when they first feel that something may be wrong as early treatment can be vital in saving lives.

Scotland still sadly has the highest incidence of heart attacks of anywhere in the UK and I would urge local people to heed the medical advice available from local GPs to help drive the numbers down.

The good news is that the number of heart attacks across the country is steadily falling, but there is still a long way to go. The RAH does outstanding work in this field but our shared challenge is to focus on prevention and early diagnosis.

The most common symptoms of a heart attack are central chest pain spreading to the arms, neck or jaw and feeling sick, sweaty or short of breath.

So if you or someone you know develops symptoms like this I would urge you to get them to a doctor as soon as possible, it may save a life.

HELP WITH FINANCES

I know that the summer holidays can be a time when local families can really feel the pinch as they feel pressure to spend money keeping youngsters entertained.

As the local MP I am very aware of the financial difficulties that are facing many people across Renfrewshire at the moment. I see it in my local advice surgeries across the constituency.

The credit crunch has affected everyone and for some people financial problems are mounting up – not least given the continuing rise in unemployment across Scotland.

There are good sources of help and advice available locally – from the CAB in George Street (Tel: 0141 889 2121), to Advice Works in Cotton St, Paisley (01505381055).

In my constituency office I also have copies of two different leaflets, Coping With the Economic Downturn and Facing Redundancy. Both of these leaflets provide some sound advice for people who are money difficulties or are facing redundancy at work. If you would like a copy of either of these leaflets then call my constituency office on 0141 561 0333

PAISLEY THREAD MILL MUSEUM

If you find yourself with a spare afternoon over the next few weeks and want something cheap to do with the kids, why not make a visit to the Paisley Thread Mill Museum?

The museum is located in the town’s Mile End Mill and is only open during the summer months.
As a local MP here in Renfrewshire I have always been proud of the area’s rich history and weaving heritage.
Paisley of course was a leading town in the weaving industry for many years and the Mill Museum is a celebration of this proud period of the town’s past.

The museum contains photographs dating back as far as the 1890s as well as interesting artefacts such as thread samples and weaving machinery.

I think it’s a great gift to give our children a real sense of our past as a community. The Mill Museum is well worth a visit for anyone who is interested to find out a bit more about our town, and is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12 noon to 4pm, April to September.