The Lothians & Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) has become the first rehabilitation service in Scotland to hire people with lived experience to bridge the gap between community treatment and rehab.
LEAP, run by NHS Lothian and partners, is the only therapeutic community rehabilitation for alcohol and other drug dependencies offered by the NHS in Scotland.
Before the launch of this programme, the service was supported by volunteers with addiction and recovery experience but now officially employees six Peer Bridgers.
Peer Bridgers are people with lived experience of addiction and recovery whose role is to support others through rehabilitation and help improve outcomes.
Recruitment began earlier this year, with the most recent bridger joining in June 2023.
Phil Hayes (above, right) is one of the new Peer Bridgers now employed by LEAP.
Phil suffered from substance misuse issues earlier in his life but, thanks to a community programme, moved into recovery over 20 years ago.
Since then, he spent several years learning about the behaviours that led to his own issues around addiction.
Phil said: “I think society in general views recovery as either unattainable or a continual hard slog of fighting your inner demons day in, day out. I want to be able to show people that isn’t the case.
“With the right support and guidance, as well as some honest hard work, anyone can move completely into recovery and be both happy and of value within their wider community.
“The peer bridging project allows me, and the rest of the team, to engage with people from the moment they decide to change their lives.
“We can provide continuity of support and guidance for them to build a life for themselves outside of addiction.”
Recently published research has shown that residential rehabilitation programmes, like LEAP, are effective in reducing the use of substances and have a positive impact on the overall health and quality of life of those with substance use issues.
Research also shows that positive changes in behaviour after residential rehabilitation can be maintained over time.
David McCartney, Clinical Lead for LEAP, said: “Tackling Scotland’s drug and alcohol-related deaths and improving outcomes from substance misuse treatments, including residential rehabilitation, is a national priority.
“LEAP is a unique programme in Scotland. In other areas, the road to rehab can be much more complicated so we’re very lucky in Lothian to have this service.
“There are few people in Scotland whose lives are untouched by the harms of addiction, whether experienced by individuals, their families, friends or colleagues – addiction affects us all.
“We support our service- users through medical and psychosocial interventions within a therapeutic community setting, giving individuals an opportunity to heal from trauma and addiction and continuing to support them after treatment.”
LEAP is part of the services provided by the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Care Directorate in NHS Lothian and is delivered in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, the Cyrenians, Encompass and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships.
The service is funded thanks to both Scottish Government as well as the Alcohol and Drug Partnerships.
Residents fromStrachan House care home in Blackhall hit the road and made some surprise visits to its local emergency service responders this week, armed with goodie boxes and letters of appreciation for everything they do.
It comes as the 999 emergency number reached its 86th birthday on the 30th June.
The care home staff and residents took to the roads and visited police, fire and ambulance in the Blackhall area to show their appreciation for everything our heroes do in our hour of need when the well-known number is dialled.
Drylaw police officers, Telford Road fire station and paramedics at the Western General were all very surprised when they received our hampers of thanks!
Mandy Burgen, Head of Wellbeing and Lifestyle for Strachan House, said: “Behind every emergency number dialled it’s important to know there is a team of people who respond without hesitation. It has been an honour for staff and residents to deliver these boxes of goodies to say thank you.
“Our local emergency services do so much, so to surprise them with a little gift of kindness was amazing. Our residents loved being able to say thank you, as well as meet and chat with local police, fire personnel and paramedics”
Louise Abraham, a resident at the home, said: “It was lovely to be able to meet so many of our emergency services and show our appreciation for all their hard work they do.”
Strachan House has built up excellent reputations within its local community, regularly holding community events and activities for residents and surrounding neighbours.
Gordon Philp, General Manager at Strachan House said: “We are always keen to show as much support as we can to our local services and 999 day was the perfect day to demonstrate how much appreciate all their hard work and dedication”.
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
A new project by researchers in Edinburgh aims to identify combinations of existing drugs that could be used together to treat motor neuron disease (MND).
Led by Prof Siddharthan Chandran, Group Leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) and Director of the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, both at the University of Edinburgh, the £3.3 million project is funded by the medical research charity LifeArc, as part of an ongoing partnership between the charity and the UK DRI.
The partnership brings together the strengths of UK DRI’s research into discovery science with LifeArc’s translational expertise to take exciting lab discoveries forward and translate them into tangible benefits for patients.
MND is a life-limiting condition that causes progressive weakness of the muscles due to the degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. There is currently only one drug approved to treat the disease in the UK, riluzole, which has only a modest effect.
There is an urgent unmet need for effective therapies to treat MND. But the brain is complex, and targeting one biological pathway with a single drug might not be enough to slow down or stop the degeneration of motor neurons.
The new project seeks to drastically accelerate the development of new treatments by identifying existing drugs which target multiple disease mechanisms implicated in MND.
Typically, new drugs can take up to 15 years to progress through development and clinical trial stages, but with this approach, treatments could be tested in the clinic within four years.
Prof Siddharthan Chandran, Group Leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) and Director of the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, both at the University of Edinburgh, said: “As has been shown for cancer therapy, using combinations of drugs that target different pathways might be our best chance of slowing or stopping the progression of MND.
“This innovative project is an important next step in identifying effective medicines for MND.”
In the first stage of the study, the researchers will prioritise the top drug candidates, using both laboratory-based tests on motor neurons grown in the lab from patient donated stem cells, and a machine-learning, artificial intelligence approach to review published scientific studies of MND.
Next, the top candidate drugs will be tested in pairs in combination in the stem cell models of MND, against different biological pathways known to be implicated in MND.
The ultimate goal is to seek regulatory approval to test the most promising and effective combinations of drugs in the Euan MacDonald Centre’s MND-SMART (Motor Neuron Disease – Systematic Multi-arm Adaptive Randomised Trial) trial.
This pioneering trial across 20 sites in the UK is designed to shorten the time it takes to find medicines that can slow or stop MND. Unlike typical clinical trials which test a single treatment, MND-SMART is testing several treatments at the same time. It is also an adaptive trial which means that new drugs can be added, and those proven ineffective can be dropped.
This new project complements another recently announced MND initiative, EXPERT-ALS, which aims to rapidly identify promising drug candidates in small scale trials, before definitive evaluation in Phase 3 platform trials such as MND-SMART.
Dr Paul Wright, MND Translational Challenge Lead at LifeArc said:“Our involvement in this research is part of an ambitious long-term £100m funding programme we have launched to help tackle neurodegenerative conditions and find treatments where none currently exist.
“By working with UK DRI we are uncovering promising life science research, like Professor Siddharthan’s, that we can support with funding or by offering our scientific resources and expertise in translational research.
“Ultimately, our aim is to accelerate the process of finding medical breakthroughs that can prevent and stop these life-threatening diseases progressing.”
A new strategy to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people across Scotland has been published.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, published in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), is built around three pillars of “Promote, Prevent, Provide”:
promoting positive mental health and wellbeing
preventing mental health issues occurring or escalating while tackling underlying causes
providing mental health and wellbeing support and care.
The strategy reflects views from more than 18 months of consultation, with a particular focus on the voices of lived experience and the role of inequalities. It details the standard of help people can expect, and outlines that it should be available locally where possible. It also recognises that specialist services are a crucial part of a high-functioning mental health system.
Social determinants and underlying causes of poor mental health have shaped the new approach, with a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “Mental health does not just mean mental illness. It is important that we all maintain good mental wellbeing, and that we recognise there are many underlying social determinants, circumstances and inequalities that can affect people’s mental health.
“To deliver the ambitions of this strategy, and to create real and lasting change, we will need collaboration from a wide range of partners across Scotland including health boards, integration joint boards health and social care partnerships, as well as the third sector.
“This strategy has equalities at its heart. We have set out the outcomes we want to achieve so that we can be held to account for our progress and to show how this strategy is making a real difference to people’s lives. The accompanying Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan will be published in the autumn and will detail the work we will take forward to achieve those outcomes.”
Councillor Paul Kelly, Health and Social Care spokesperson for COSLA, said: “This strategy sets out an ambitious vision to improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyone in Scotland.
“Through the strategy and the associated delivery plan we seek to bring real change, ensuring for example, that our communities are equipped to support people’s mental health and wellbeing and that there is increased availability of timely and effective care, support and treatment.
“We know that working collectively presents the best opportunity to achieve these goals and bring lasting change. We are committed to working in partnership across spheres of government, with those with lived experience, those who deliver services, and our valued partners and stakeholders, to realise this vision together.”
Gordon Johnston, Chair of Voices of Experience (VOX Scotland), said: “We welcome the new strategy and we are particularly heartened by the meaningful involvement of our members and people with lived experience of mental health conditions throughout the development of this.
“It is positive to see the strategy outline outcomes and priorities which reflect our members’ feedback and needs regarding timely and effective support, better informed policy shaped by people with lived experience, greater community resources and the expansion and improvement of services for those in distress and crisis.
“We also look forward to the publication of the delivery plan and continuing to work with the Scottish Government on the implementation of the new strategy.”
Report concludes policy has saved lives and cut hospital admissions
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has today published the final report on the independent evaluation of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland. Evidence shows that MUP has had a positive impact on health outcomes, including addressing alcohol-related health inequalities.
It has reduced deaths directly caused by alcohol consumption by an estimated 13.4% and hospital admissions by 4.1%, with the largest reductions seen in men and those living in the 40% most deprived areas.
MUP led to a 3% reduction in alcohol consumption at a population level, as measured by retail sales. The reduction was particularly driven by sales of cider and spirits through the off-trade (supermarkets and shops) products that increased the most in price. Evidence from a range of data sources shows that the greatest reductions were amongst those households purchasing the most alcohol, with little impact on households purchasing at lower levels.
For those people with alcohol dependence there was limited evidence of any reduction in consumption and there is some evidence of consequences for those with established alcohol dependence on low incomes, that led them to prioritise spending on alcohol over food. At a population level there is no clear evidence of substantial negative impacts on social harms such as alcohol-related crime or illicit drug use.
The evaluation report shows that while the impact on alcoholic drink producers and retailers varied depending on the mix of products made or sold, there is no clear evidence of substantial negative impacts on the alcoholic drinks industry in Scotland as a whole.
Clare Beeston, Lead for the evaluation of MUP, Public Health Scotland said: “We have seen reductions in deaths and hospital admissions directly caused by sustained, high levels of alcohol consumption, and this is further evidence that those drinking at harmful and hazardous levels have reduced their consumption.
“MUP alone is not enough to address the specific and complex needs of those with alcohol dependence who will often prioritise alcohol over other needs, and it is important to continue to provide services and any wider support that addresses the root cause of their dependence.
“Those living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas in Scotland experience alcohol-specific death rates at least five times greater than those living in the least deprived areas. Alcohol-related disorders are a leading contributor to health inequalities in Scotland.
“Overall, the evidence shows that MUP has had a positive impact on improving health outcomes, including alcohol-related health inequalities, and can play a part in addressing the preventable harm that affect far too many people, families and communities.”
Dr Nick Phin, Director of Public Health Science, Public Health Scotland said: “Public Health Scotland is committed to evidence-informed policy, and we are confident in the validity of the robust research published today. The evidence in our report is consistent with earlier research on minimum pricing elsewhere.
“Public Health Scotland is confident that MUP is an effective mechanism to reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland and we support the continuation of MUP beyond April 2024.”
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham has welcomed research from Public Health Scotland which concludes that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) has saved lives, reduced hospital admissions and had a ‘positive impact’ on health.
In their final report of a series, researchers said that ‘robust, independent evaluation’ and the best-available, wide-ranging evidence drawing on 40 independent research publications, showed that MUP has been effective in its main goal of reducing alcohol harm with the reduction in deaths and hospital admissions specific to the timing of MUP implementation.
This follows a study published in March by PHS and University of Glasgow showing MUP reduced alcohol consumption by 3%, deaths directly caused by alcohol consumption by 13.4% and hospital admissions by 4.1%. compared to what would have happened if MUP had not been in place.
Ms Whitham said: ““We’re determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm and, as this research demonstrates, our world-leading policy is saving lives, reducing alcohol harms and hospital admissions. Just one life lost to alcohol-related harm is one too many and my sympathy goes to all those who have lost a loved one.
“MUP has also contributed to reducing health inequalities. The study found the largest reductions in deaths and hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol consumption were seen in men and those living in the 40% most deprived areas.
“We know that additional support is needed for some groups, including those dealing with alcohol dependence and issues such as homelessness. That’s why, alongside MUP, last year £106.8 million was made available to Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships to support local and national initiatives. We will now carefully consider this research as part of ongoing work on reviewing MUP.”
Targeted lung cancer screening to help detect cancer sooner and speed up diagnosis
People aged 55-74 with a GP record including a history of smoking will be assessed and invited for screenings and smoking cessation services
Rollout follows the success of the first phase of the targeted lung health check scheme by NHS England with 76% of lung cancers in those tested caught at an earlier stage
A national targeted lung cancer screening programme designed to catch cancer sooner or prevent it altogether has been announced by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Each year the programme – which will cost £270 million annually once fully implemented – is expected to detect as many as 9,000 people with cancer, deliver almost one million scans and provide treatment earlier.
The rollout follows a successful opening phase where approximately 70% of the screening took place in mobile units parked in convenient places – such as supermarket car parks – to ensure easy access and focused on more deprived areas where people are four times more likely to smoke.
The programme, backed by a recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee – will use patient’s GP records for those aged 55 to 74 to identify current or former smokers. Patients will have their risk of cancer assessed based on their smoking history and other factors and those considered high risk will be invited for specialist scans every two years.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: As we approach the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS, I want to ensure that it continues to thrive for the next 75 years and beyond.
“And while we focus on cutting waiting lists in the short term, we must also look to tackle some of the long-term challenging facing the NHS, including lung cancer which costs 35,000 lives every year. Rolling out screening to high-risk 55-74 year olds will save lives by detecting up to 9,000 lung cancers a year at an early stage.
“The NHS has treated record numbers of cancer patients over the last two years, with cancer being diagnosed at an earlier stage more often and survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer. Today’s announcement will help us go further and provide a lifeline to thousands of families across the country”.
The programme could also help people improve their health and reduce their risk of cancer by encouraging the use of smoking cessation services.
During the initial phase almost 900,000 people were invited for checks, 375,000 risk assessments made and 200,000 scans were carried out.
More than 2,000 people were detected as having cancer, 76% at an earlier stage compared to 29% in 2019 outside of the programme.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Through our screening programme we are now seeing more diagnoses at stage 1 and stage 2 in the most deprived communities which is both a positive step and a practical example of how we are reducing health inequalities.
“Rolling this out further will prolong lives by catching cancer earlier and reducing the levels of treatment required not just benefiting the patient but others waiting for treatment.
“I am determined to combat cancer on all fronts through better prevention, detection, treatment and research.”
Smoking causes 72% of lung cancers, around 35,000 people die and 48,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.
It has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers which is largely attributed to lung cancer being diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is much less likely to be effective. Treating cancer early improves people’s chance of survival with 60% of people currently surviving stage one cancer for five years or more and 4% at stage four.
It is estimated the rollout will mean 325,000 people will be newly eligible for a first scan each year with 992,000 scans expected per year in total. Additional radiographers, due to be appointed as part of the long term workforce plan, will help to support the programme.
Anyone assessed as being at high risk of lung cancer will be referred to have a low dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) scan and subsequent diagnosis and treatment if needed. Those whose scans are negative will be reinvited for further scans every 24 months, until they pass the upper age limit.
Some people who test negative but are found to have nodules will be reinvited for more frequent scans. These nodules are often the first signs of cancer developing so by monitoring more frequently if they turn cancerous they can be delt with quickly and at the early stages.
NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “Identifying lung cancer early saves lives, and the expansion of the NHS’s targeted lung health check programme is another landmark step forward in our drive to find and treat more people living with this devastating disease at the earliest stage.
“The NHS lung trucks programme is already delivering life-changing results, with people living in the most deprived areas now more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage, giving them a better chance of successful treatment.
“As the NHS turns 75, we will not stop in our efforts to detect more cancers earlier, when they are easier to treat, and to find new and innovative ways to make it as easy as possible for those most at risk to get life-saving tests as part of their daily routines.
“If you receive an invitation, please do take it up, and if you are worried about a possible symptom of cancer, please come forward to your GP – getting checked could save your life.”
The first phase of the scheme will reach 40% of the eligible population by March 2025 with the aim of 100% coverage by March 2030 following the rollout which will also help support the government objective for England to be smokefree by 2030.
During the pilot Cancer Alliances developed schemes locally. A national programme will benefit from an integrated IT system and a safe, consistent and effective programme across the country and for a number of years.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “This is the news we have been waiting for. This is the day we truly begin to level up the lung cancer playing field.
“Lung cancer screening allows us to get ahead of this awful disease for the first time, catching it at the earliest opportunity – often before symptoms even start – and treating it with an aim to cure.
“Through the success of NHS England’s targeted lung health check programme, we have been able to detect 76% of cancers at stages one and two, which turns current rates on their head. Now, with this announcement, many more lives will be saved, making today a very good day in our mission to beat the UK’s biggest cancer killer.”
Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “Targeted Lung Cancer screening with support to stop smoking at its heart will help prevent as well as treat lung cancer, still the leading cause of cancer deaths.
“Around 7 out of 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking and just over a third of lung cancer patients are smoking at diagnosis. Smokers who quit then can nearly double their life expectancy after treatment and live more comfortably than those who continue to smoke.
“And it won’t just help those diagnosed with lung cancer, smokers who get the all clear but go on to quit will avoid many smoking-related illnesses. Smokers who get support and medication as part of their Lung Health Check are 50% more likely to quit than those who don’t. This is a major step forward in helping deliver the Government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition.”
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: “This is really positive news for a cancer type that takes more lives than any other.
“Targeted lung screening across England could diagnose people most at risk at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful.”
New £72 million Glasgow health and social care hub welcomes Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson
Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson MSP has taken part in the ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony for a new £72 million health and care hub in Glasgow.
Mr Matheson joined Professor John Brown CBE, Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, at the new North East Hub site on Friday (23rd June).
Delivered through a partnership between, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, Glasgow City Council and Hub West Scotland, and built by BAM Construction, the new health and care centre will be a true community asset and has been designed to offer a range of services, providing Community, Clinical, Office and Training accommodation for both NHSGGC and Glasgow City HSCP.
Mr Matheson said: “I am pleased to be able to visit this Hub as an example of the state-of-the-art facilities we are continuing to invest in, with £578 million committed for health infrastructure and assets in 2023/24.
“Facilities like this are key to supporting people to access the care they need close to home and to our commitment to building an NHS fit for the future with world class amenities, including the network of National Treatment Centres.
“This Hub will also contribute to our mission to be as environmentally sustainable as possible to meet our responsibilities in countering the climate crisis.”
The hub, which is set to open in 2024, will improve access to services and better integrate health and social work services and the voluntary and charity sectors.
The facility will host three GP practices, as well as specialist services to support children, adult community care groups, older people, mental health, addictions, criminal justice homelessness services and health improvement activity – all delivered by a range of public and third sector organisations.
The North East Hub will be Scotland’s first working net zero carbon health and social care facility and the site will also offer community space, including a café and Parkhead Library.
Professor Brown said: “We are delighted to have been joined by Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care for the official Topping Out ceremony at the North East Hub.
“This is a hugely exciting project for the North East of Glasgow and is not only the largest primary care development in NHSGGC, but it is also Scotland’s first net zero carbon health and social care facility, making it a beacon for sustainability while improving public services for those living in the local area.
“By bringing services together in one place, alongside so many community projects, people will be able to access the support they need more efficiently, helping to improve population health and tackle the causes of inequality in healthcare.”
Councillor Chris Cunningham, City Convener for Health, Care and Caring and Older People, said: “Today marks the next step into the delivery of what will be a fantastic community asset for the north-east of Glasgow, bringing together key services in one location.
“The end result is an ambitious new centre, a hub that will bring services and facilities together to build an incredible asset for the area. Our ambition is to ensure that everyone in Glasgow can lead healthier and more fulfilled lives and the new hub and the services it will provide will help us to achieve that.
“This is a great example of co-locating services and partnership working, and will offer a one-stop-shop for a range of services from the city council, Glasgow Life and Health and Social Care Partnership.”
A recent report on design and build of the new hub has revealed the project’s carbon impact rating will come in well under the benchmark target set out in the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard.
The findings come following a Zero Waste Scotland Embodied Carbon and Circular Assessment which calculates the embodied carbon emissions in the built environment based on a number of key indicators along the project’s build – from resource extraction through to transport, processing and construction.
The report found the North East Hub was particularly strong in areas in relation to waste management, with a concerted focus on recycling at all stages of the project. The project was also praised for building in future flexibility to its design.
Iain Marley, Hub West Scotland’s Chief Executive said “We are delighted to see the excellent progress being made on site on this, our tenth project and most ambitious health project so far under the highly valued partnership with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow City Council.
“Our thanks also go to the professional team across our supply chain and to BAM Construction for all their commitment to quality and value for money.
“The building will be completed on schedule in summer 2024 and the project is already bringing significant value and benefits to local communities: so far over £11M of social value has been delivered through our education; employment; wellbeing; volunteering and SME development programmes and this will be added to over the future months.”
Life-changing technology that reduces the risk of complications for people with type 1 diabetes will become more widely available thanks to additional funding.
The Scottish Government has invested a further £350,000 to accelerate the distribution of Closed Loop Systems. The technology is considered the most significant development in type 1 diabetes treatment in recent years and can transform lives, particularly for children and young people.
Closed Loop Systems help people improve their glycaemic control and in turn reduce the likelihood of complications, which at their most serious can include blindness, renal failure, and amputations; as well as unplanned admissions to hospital.
The investment will see a dedicated team created by the national Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee to support NHS health boards to rollout the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “There’s no reason why someone living with type 1 diabetes shouldn’t live a long and healthy life, but some people find managing their condition difficult.
Diabetes technologies make the process easier and can enhance people’s quality of life. That’s why we’re aiming to provide access to Closed Loop Systems at the earliest opportunity and are working with NHS boards to improve access.”
National Diabetes Lead Professor Brian Kennon said: Closed Loop systems are truly transformative technologies and help reduce the day-to-day burden of trying to optimise type 1 diabetes control.
“Creation of a dedicated team to help support the adoption of Closed Loop Systems and standardise our approach to access across Scotland will help ensure that our healthcare system is well placed to realise the massive advantages that these innovative technologies offer.”
TODAY – RALLY OUTSIDE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT from 12.30 – 1.30pm
The Abortion Rights Scotland campaign will be joined by Engender and representatives of other organisations to call for decriminalisation of abortion care in Scotland.
MSPs have been invited to come outside to talk with us.
Abortion healthcare has been in the headlines again. In Scotland, although the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 does not apply, our abortion services are framed by the 1967 Abortion Act.
Audrey Brown, retired NHS abortion care consultant said: “Abortion care in Scotland is delivered through the NHS. It is time for abortion care to be regulated by healthcare organisations and providers.
“No-one needing an abortion, or indeed the NHS staff providing abortion healthcare, should be at risk of imprisonment.’
The World Health Organisation, along with all the relevant professional health bodies in the UK, and other organisations such as the STUC, all support decriminalisation.
The removal of criminal sanctions and oversight for abortion will shift abortion care clearly into being managed and regulated within healthcare provisions more generally.
In Scotland the vast majority of these services are provided by the NHS. The WHO recommends that nurses and midwives oversee abortion care.
The 1967 legal requirements for signatures from two doctors for every termination carried out, can cause delay for both staff and patients.
The First Minister, Humza Yousaf MSP, indicated during the SNP leadership campaign that he supported decriminalisation and would bring forward proposals on this within a year.
It’s time to decriminalise abortion care in Scotland.
Nearly 4 in 10 say they wouldn’t ask for financial help if they were in trouble due to embarrassment
81% say they feel anxious about their financial situation
44% say they feel more worried about their financial situation now, compared to a year ago
New research has revealed that those in Scotland are the most at risk of financial turmoil due to embarrassment about their financial situation.
The findings, which were part of a UK-wide study by financial comparison website, NerdWallet UK, found that those in Scotland – alongside those in the South West – are the most likely to not seek help should they find themselves in financial difficulty due to the embarrassment around the topic.
Almost two-fifths of those surveyed said that embarrassment would stop them from seeking help, while just under one-third would be concerned about the impact doing so would have on their credit history, as well as worries around confidentiality. The same number also believe they can manage on their own and do not need external help.
Other reasons which would stop Scots from getting help include, the cost of getting financial advice (29%), and worryingly, just over a quarter said they were not aware of any organisations to help them with debt, or how to contact them.
If I was struggling financially, the following would stop me from asking for help – Scotland:
Reason
Percentage who agreed
I would feel embarrassed
37%
I’m worried about the impact on my credit history
31%
I’m worried about confidentiality
31%
I think I can manage on my own
31%
I don’t want to pay for advice
29%
I don’t think my financial situation is serious enough
28%
I’m not aware of the debt help organisations or how to contact them
26%
I don’t want to speak about my problems on the phone
23%
This is despite 81% of Scots saying they feel anxious about their financial situation, and 25% saying these feelings are daily occurrences.
Furthermore, 44% of respondents in Scotland say they feel more worried about their financial situation now, than they did a year ago.
When asked who they would go to or help first, almost half (48%) said they would speak to their partner or close family member, while 12% said they would speak to a friend.
Adam French, senior editor at NerdWallet UK, said, “It’s worrying that so many Scots would not get help due to embarrassment. Struggling financially is never something to be embarrassed about, and if the cost of living crisis has taught us anything over the last 18 months, it’s that financial trouble can happen to any of us, at any time.
“Getting help when you first find yourself in financial difficulty, and not burying your head in the sand can help to relieve a lot of stress and anxiety around money, and find a way out before things get worse.
“There are plenty of independent experts and companies available to speak to, for free, including Granton Information Centre, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Step Change. Everything is confidential, and discussing concerns will not impact your credit score.”
For information on NerdWallet, and to view the full dataset, visit:
