Acas publishes new guidance on neonatal care leave
Workplace experts Acas has published new guidance on neonatal care leave to coincide with a change in the law this weekend.
Working parents are now entitled to additional time off while their babies are sick in hospital.
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 comes into effect on 6 April 2025, providing a new leave and pay entitlement for parents with a baby in neonatal care.
Acas’s advice provides information on what neonatal care is, who is eligible and the rights of parents who take it.
Acas Interim Chief Executive Dan Ellis said: “Becoming new parents can be an incredibly stressful time, especially if their baby requires care in hospital for a while.
“Any employee that requires time off to help care for their child in these circumstances should be treated with compassion and understanding.
“Our advice provides employers and managers with guidance on how they can support staff members who need to take neonatal care leave.”
The new law aims to give parents the right to have up to 12 weeks leave and pay depending on how much time their baby is in neonatal care. This is in addition to other time off and pay.
The right to take neonatal care leave applies from the first day of work. Eligible parents can take neonatal care leave once their child has been in neonatal care for at least 7 consecutive days.
Caroline Lee-Davey, Chief Executive of Bliss, a charity that supports families with neonatal babies, said: “The most supportive employers have always sought to help parents in these circumstances, but without a clear statutory framework, they’ve had to rely on measures like sick leave and compassionate leave or other improvised solutions, creating challenges for HR teams to navigate.
“This new entitlement creates a clear and defined statutory provision, recognising that the most important place for both parents to be when their baby is in neonatal care is at their cotside.”
Time off for neonatal care is available to anyone birth parent, father or partner, spouse, civil partner or adoptive parent.
When it comes to informing their employers, parents need to self-declare and provide some extra information. Employees should contact their workplace HR representatives to go through specifics relating to their personal situation.
Parents who have a baby admitted to neonatal care up to the age of 28 days might be eligible for up to 12 weeks of leave and it must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby’s birth.
NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub is open to all ages. If you are in Scotland and have an urgent mental health need, there’s support available to get you the right care in the right place.
Find out more about NHS 24’s mental health services:
Award-winning swim school Puddle Ducks is making a splash with the launch of its lessons in Edinburgh.
Launching at Nuffield Health New Mart Road and Nuffield Health Edinburgh Fountain Park, children from the local community will now be able access Puddle Ducks’ unique child-led programme on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays.
The launch comes as owner of Puddle Ducks Edinburgh Ellie Cawdell, saw an opportunity to expand her existing business into Scotland.
Ellie, who also runs successful Puddle Ducks franchises in York and Cambridge commented: “Edinburgh is such a beautiful, family friendly city, I wanted to be able to offer the Puddle Ducks programme to families across this amazing location.
“Our swimming lessons are well loved in York and Cambridge, and I wanted to bring this to Edinburgh. I’m excited to welcome lots of local families through our doors”.
With plans to expand into more pools in the area, Ellie is hoping her business will become part of the local community and has hired two swim teachers from the area. Libby and Isla, both from Edinburgh will be leading the classes and are excited to see the children develop and thrive in the water.
Libby commented: “Being from the local area myself, it’s really exciting to see such a recognised, well established and much-loved brand arriving in our community. I’m delighted to join the team and provide the life-saving skill of swimming to local children; it’s such an honour!”.
Founded in 2002, Puddle Ducks is a multi-award-winning baby and child swimming school; the only 100% child-led swim school in the UK, offering classes from bump through to 10 years of age and all teachers are STA qualified.
Puddle Ducks Edinburgh is looking for more pools across the area to run classes, as well as having upcoming opportunities for more teachers and assistants to join their growing team.
To find out more about Puddle Ducks Edinburgh’s swimming lessons, visit:
“Older victims of abuse were locked in and left behind”– that’s the stark warning from Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of Hourglass, the only UK-wide charity dedicated to ending the abuse of older people, as he spoke to the Domestic Abuse Support and Safeguarding roundtable today.
Attending the Inquiry’s final investigation into the societal consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard Robinson is highlighting the often-overlooked impact of the pandemic and government restrictions on older victims of domestic abuse—many of whom were trapped with their abusers, cut off from support, left out of crisis planning, and their needs ignored in pandemic guidance and restrictions.
Calling for dramatic change, he is urging policymakers to ensure older people are no longer an afterthought at times of national emergency.
The roundtable session, part of the Inquiry’s final investigation (Module 10), took place today, bringing together leading voices from across the domestic abuse and safeguarding sectors to examine the societal consequences of the pandemic, with a specific focus on vulnerable populations.
Speaking ahead of his attendance, Mr Robinson said: “We must be clear: the pandemic intensified existing inequalities, isolating older people and placing many in harm’s way. At Hourglass, we saw a sharp rise in abuse cases as victims were locked in with perpetrators and cut off from help.
Older people in general were left behind – not just in policy, but in protection – and older victim-survivors of domestic abuse were almost entirely ignored. That must never happen again.”
Hourglass data, which Mr Robinson presented to the Inquiry, includes:
A 33% rise in calls to its helpline in 2020/21, with a further 22% increase the following year.
A surge in psychological and sexual abuse cases, and a doubling of reports involving abuse by neighbours.
Widespread concern about neglect and loneliness, with nearly half of the public believing older people became more vulnerable to abuse during lockdown.
Evidence that 43% of adult family homicide victims during the pandemic were aged 65 or over.
Mr Robinson is calling for urgent and lasting change, including a Violence Against Older People Strategy to sit alongside the existing VAWG framework; a comprehensive Safer Ageing Strategy to tackle abuse, ageism, and structural neglect; and ring-fenced, multi-year funding to expand the UK’s critically under-resourced support services for older victims.
He added: “The Covid-19 Inquiry as a whole is a vital opportunity to shine a light on what went wrong and why. But it’s also the moment to commit to doing better.
“Today’s roundtable should highlight that older people must no longer be an afterthought in crisis planning. Their safety, rights and dignity must be central to how we prepare for the future.”
The roundtable is chaired by Kate Eisenstein, Director of Policy, Research and Legal at the Inquiry, and includes representatives from national and specialist organisations across the domestic abuse, justice, and safeguarding sectors.
The charity is urging those keen to support the charity to donate by visiting www.wearehourglass.org.uk/donate or Text SAFER to 70460 to donate £10.
Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAFERNOINFO to 70460.
Thanks to our friends from R2, we will have enough rubbish picking equipment for everyone. if you have any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk
HMRC is encouraging working parents to open a Tax-Free Childcare account to save on their childcare costs for the Easter holidays.
Tax-Free Childcare is a UK Government funded top-up scheme for working parents and can be used to pay for approved childcare for children aged 11 or under, or up to 16 years old if the child has a disability. Parents can save up to £2,000 per year per child or £4,000 if their child is disabled. The funds can be used to pay for a before- or after-school clubs, a childminder or an activity club during the holidays.
For every £8 deposited in a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government tops it by £2 which means parents can receive up to £500 (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) every 3 months to help pay their childcare costs.
Latest figures show 34,440 families in Scotland saved thousands on their childcare in December 2024, an increase of nearly 5,000 compared to the previous year.
In December, parents across the UK received a total of £49.7 million in government cash to save on their childcare bills.
Families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if:
they have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11th birthday. If their child has a disability, they receive up to £4,000 a year until 1 September after their 16th birthday
the parent and their partner (if they have one) earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average
each earn no more than £100,000 per annum
do not receive tax credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
RCEM: ‘The public has recognised tackling A&E waiting times is a priority – it’s time the government did the same’
The British public are deeply unhappy with the National Health Service – just 1 in 5 people (21%) in 2024 said they were satisfied with the way the NHS runs. That’s according to analysis of the latest British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) published today by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund. Satisfaction has plummeted by 39 percentage points since the months before the pandemic.
6 in 10 people (59%) said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied with the NHS in 2024, a sharp rise from 52% in 2023. This is the highest level of dissatisfaction with the health service since the survey began in 1983. The survey, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) in September and October 2024, is seen as a gold-standard measure of public attitudes in Britain.[3]
The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund say that just 12% of people were satisfied with A&E waiting times and 23% with GP waiting times. People are unhappy about waiting times even if they are satisfied with the NHS overall, regardless of age, political affiliation or nation.
NHS staffing and spending are also worrying the public. Only 11% agreed that “there are enough staff in the NHS these days”. While a strong majority (69%) said the government spends too little or far too little on the NHS, only 14% agreed that “The NHS spends the money it has efficiently”.
If forced to choose, the public would narrowly opt for increasing taxes and raising NHS spending (46%) over keeping them the same (41%). Only 8% would prefer tax reductions and lower NHS spending.
Despite low satisfaction with services, there remains strong majority support for the founding principles of the NHS: that it should “definitely or probably” be free at the point of use (90%), available to everyone (77%), and funded from general taxation (80%). However, the percentage of people saying that the NHS should “definitely” be available to everyone has decreased from 67% in 2023 to 56% in 2024.
There is a divide between generations, with satisfaction lower and falling in younger age groups. While the proportion of people who were satisfied rose slightly between 2023 and 2024 for those aged 65+ from 25% to 27%, among those under 65 it fell significantly from 24% to 19%.
A significantly higher proportion of people in Wales (72%) were dissatisfied with the NHS compared to 59% in England and 60% in Scotland (the difference between England and Scotland is not statistically significant).
Public views of A&E services have worsened dramatically, with satisfaction falling from 31% to just 19%, and dissatisfaction rising from 37% to 52%. These are the worst figures on record by a large margin and make A&E the service with the lowest satisfaction levels for the first time.
Satisfaction with GP services continued to fall, mirroring the trend over the last few years, with 31% of members of the British public satisfied with GP services, compared with 34% in 2023.
Satisfaction with NHS dentistry has continued to collapse. As recently as 2019 this was at 60%, but it has now fallen to a record low of 20%. Dissatisfaction levels (55%) are the highest for any NHS service asked about.
Inpatient and outpatient hospital care remains the part of the NHS with the highest levels of satisfaction, with 32% satisfied and only 28% dissatisfied.
Satisfaction with social care remains worryingly low. In 2024, only 13% of respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with social care. 53% of respondents were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied.
For the first time, people who support the Reform party have been included as a separate category in the analysis instead of being part of the ‘other parties’ group, to reflect the party’s increased share of the election vote. Supporters of the Reform party were less likely to be satisfied with the NHS (13%) than supporters of the other main parties. They are also less likely to believe in the founding principles of the NHS.
Report author Bea Taylor, Fellow at The Nuffield Trust said:“Just five years after the British public were called on to “Protect the NHS” at the start of the pandemic, these findings reveal just how dismayed they are about the state of the NHS today. We found that every group in Britain is dissatisfied with access to vital services such as A&E and GP appointments.
“The government says the NHS is broken, and the public agree. But support for the core principles of the NHS – free at the point of use, available to all and funded by taxation – endures despite the collapse in satisfaction. Harnessing this support and fixing the foundations of the NHS must be central to the government’s forthcoming reform programme.”
Dan Wellings, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund said:“The latest results lay bare the extent of the problems faced by the NHS and the size of the challenge for the government. While the results are sobering, they should not be surprising. For too many people the NHS has become difficult to access: how can you be satisfied with a service you can’t get into?
“In 2010, seven out of ten people were satisfied with the NHS – it is now down to only one in five. The scale of the decline over the last few years has been dramatic. The results show that people do not want a different funding model, but they do want the NHS to start working for them again and they want it to have the staff and the money it needs to ensure that happens. The public are also clear that the NHS needs to get better at spending the money it does get more efficiently.
“The government’s focus on bringing down hospital waiting lists may address one area of the public’s concerns, but this year’s BSA shows that all areas are flashing red, particularly A&E. Voters are impatient for change, and Ministers will need to demonstrate rapid improvement, but that should not come at the cost of the bigger, whole-system reforms that are needed to create a truly sustainable health service. These results will form the baseline from which the new Labour government’s reform plans to ‘fix’ the NHS will be judged.”
In an accompanying foreword to the report, Nuffield Trust and King’s Fund Chief Executives Thea Stein and Sarah Woolnough say: “The government now finds itself walking a fine line between meeting public demands for rapid improvements on waiting times and avoiding the pitfall of throwing more money – of which there is virtually none – at a system in need of deeper reform.”
The Chief Executives argue that ministers will need to meet public demand for improving A&E, GP appointments and dental care, but they should not lose sight of the much bigger prize of longer-term, sustainable reform focused around shifting care from hospital and moving the NHS from a sickness to a health service.
Politicians must make addressing the Emergency Care crisis a political priority as new research reveals that public satisfaction in A&E services has reached an all-time low.
That’s the call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) and comes as the findings of the latest British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2024 have been published today (2 April 2025) showing satisfaction with A&E services has plummeted.
The survey, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) from 16 September to 27 October 2024 for The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust, asked 2,945 people across England, Scotland and Wales, for their thoughts on the NHS and adult social care services.
It also questioned 933 people about their satisfaction with specific NHS services, as well as their views on NHS priorities, principles and funding.
The research – which has been carried out every year since 1983 – found:
More than half (52%) of respondents were dissatisfied with NHS A&E services – the highest on record – up 15% from 37% in 2023. Those who were satisfied stood at 19% – a fall from 31% the previous year.
69% of people were very or quite dissatisfied with the length of time it took to be seen in A&E
The most important priorities cited by respondents for the NHS included ‘improving waiting times in A&E (49%), which was considered the second most important – behind access to GPs but ahead of elective care waiting lists.
RCEM President, Dr Adrian Boyle, said: “This annual survey is a barometer of public feeling and people – voters – have given their verdict loudly and clearly.
“The public aren’t daft and can see what is happening in our Emergency Departments. I worry that this situation stops people attending when they should.
“But it is hardly surprising when the message from the Westminster government is that the health service is broken. If that is their assessment, they must get on with the job of fixing it. And it is fixable.
“The public has stated that, behind GPs, the service they most want prioritised is A&E, but we only ever hear about what has been done to improve elective waiting times.
“The public has identified A&E as a priority. It is time the government did the same.”
The survey also revealed:
In 2024, just one in five British adults (21%) were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with the way in which the NHS runs. This is the lowest level of satisfaction recorded since the survey began.
Only 13% of respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with social care (the same figure as 2023). 53% of respondents were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied
Satisfaction with GP services continued to fall, mirroring the trend over the last few years. 31% of respondents said they were satisfied with GP services, compared with 34% in 2023
62% were very or quite dissatisfied with the length of time it takes to get a GP appointment, and 65% for the length of time it takes to get hospital care.
Most (44%) believe the government is spending too little money on the NHS
More than 75% continue to support the founding principles of the NHS, with little sign of change compared to the previous year. However, the proportion ‘definitely’ agreeing that it should be available to everyone fell significantly from 67% to 56%.
The BSA follows a survey by Ipsos Mori conducted in February 2025 which revealed that almost 80% of people polled would avoid attending an A&E because they were worried about ending up waiting for hours on a trolley in a corridor.
More unpaid carers set to benefit from Carer Support Payment
More unpaid carers in Scotland could benefit from financial support as a key change in eligibility rules comes into effect from 6 April 2025.
The earnings limit for Carer Support Payment will increase from £151 to £196 a week. This means that a carer can earn £45 more a week, after tax, National Insurance and certain expenses, and be eligible for the payment.
The change could mean carers already receiving Carer Support Payment will be able to undertake more paid work and still receive the payment. In addition, many carers earning a take home pay of £10,192 or less a year, who were previously unable to access the additional support could now be eligible.
To receive Carer Support Payment of £83.30 a week, carers also need to be providing 35 hours or more of care a week to someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit.
Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer’s Allowance in Scotland, delivered by the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government proposed back in 2022 to raise the earnings limit for Carer Support Payment once fully launched. This was on the back of strong feedback from carers and support organisations that the previous limit was set too low.
“The increase puts the earnings limit at a level which equates to 16 hours at the national living wage. Alongside other improvements we have made, this should help more carers to balance paid work with caring and provide more stable financial support.
“The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring everyone gets the financial support they’re entitled to, despite the UK Government’s recent announcement on changes to welfare.”
Fiona Collie, Head of Public Affairs and Communication at Carers Scotland said: “Carers Scotland welcomes the increase in the earnings threshold to £196 which will support more unpaid carers to earn more from paid employment alongside their Carer Support Payment. This change will also enable more carers to claim Carer Support Payment.
The new threshold amount applies once a carer has taken away deductions for tax, national insurance and half of any pension contribution. Carers may also be able to deduct some of the costs to provide care whilst you are working.
We would encourage all carers in employment or who are thinking about returning to employment to find out more about Carer Support Payment and the earnings threshold from Social Security Scotland or their local carers centre or advice agency.”
Carer Support Payment is a payment of £83.30 a week from 6 April 2025 and is available to carers who are aged 16 or over and who provide unpaid care for 35 hours or more a week to someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit.
Carers need to earn £151 a week (increasing to £196 a week from 6 April 2025) or less after tax, National Insurance and certain expenses. The earnings limit for carers in Scotland who are getting Carer’s Allowance will also increase to £196.
Carers getting Carer’s Allowance in Scotland will have their benefits transferred automatically to Carer Support Payment. This process is due to complete this spring.
Four people have been arrested after warrants were executed at five properties as part of a pre-planned operation following a series of incidents in Edinburgh.
Yesterday, Wednesday, 2 April, divisional officers from Edinburgh and the east of Scotland, supported by specialist resources from Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism and firearms officers, attended at addresses across Edinburgh.
A number of items relevant to the investigation were seized at four of the five properties, including a stolen Range Rover.
A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with threatening and abusive behaviour following an incident on Thursday, 20 March, 2025. He is due to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, 3 April, 2025.
A 38-year-old man was arrested and charged for reset of a stolen motor vehicle. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – Thursday, 3 April, 2025.
A 34-year-old woman was also arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle but was released pending further enquiries.
A 16-year-old man was arrested for reset of a stolen vehicle, various road traffic offences, and being in possession of an offensive weapon for incidents which occurred on Friday, 7 March, 2025. He has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
The activity was part of an ongoing investigation into the discharge of firearms and fire-raising incidents in the city last month.
So far officers have gathered intelligence around 1600 vehicles and recovered seven which had been stolen. Around 2400 hours of CCTV footage are being examined and officers on patrol have delivered 500 leaflets in the community to reassure them.
Extensive enquiries are ongoing and from our investigations so far, we believe the discharge of firearms and fire-raising incidents may be linked to groups who are actively targeting each other.
Detective Superintendent Paul Grainger said: “It is imperative that we trace whoever is responsible for these reckless acts as soon as possible.
“I want to reassure the community that we have a team of detectives working on this investigation and our action today demonstrates our commitment to tackling this type of crime.
“This operation is a result of extensive investigatory work over a number of weeks and we will continue to utilise detectives and specialists from across Police Scotland as this continues.
“Disruption is just one area of our work and we will continue to use every tactic at our disposal to relentlessly pursue individuals who engage in violence within this city.
“If you have any information that can assist our investigation, please get in touch.”
Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “These incidents could have had much more serious consequences and I want to make it clear this behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Significant enquiries are ongoing in relation to all of these incidents, and we are utilising all available resources to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
“We will continue to carry out additional high-visibility patrols and disruption activity across the city and I would encourage anyone with any concerns to approach these officers, so we can take action.
“If anyone has information that can help with our enquiries then please contact us immediately.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 0562 of Friday, 21 March, 2025. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
First Minister John Swinney led Parliament in a Motion of Condolence for Christina McKelvie MSP, who sadly died on 27 March.
Party leaders, government Ministers and MSPs from across the chamber joined the First Minister in paying tribute to Christina, in the presence of her family.
The First Minister said: “Every cause to which Christina devoted herself was underpinned by the core values that she held throughout her life – equalities, fairness and social justice.
“She was a lifelong campaigner on nuclear disarmament. A proud feminist. A staunch socialist, a committed Trade Unionist. A nationalist and an internationalist – deeply devoted to Scotland realising her potential as an independent nation at the heart of Europe.
“In all, Christina made every day count. Even in recent years, when facing her cancer diagnosis, Christina was still thinking of others. She publicly encouraged women to check themselves and to attend their screening appointments.
“She was so passionate about trying to improve the lives of others through her work as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol policy, that she was determined not to step back from her duties until she absolutely had to last summer.
“Christina was a much-loved member of the SNP family, but it was of course her own family that brought her the greatest happiness in her life. Everyone who knew Christina and her partner – our parliamentary colleague and my Party’s Deputy Leader, Keith Brown – could see how much happiness that they have brought each other. She always spoke of her pride in her sons Jack and Lewis as they grew up. And more recently, Christina had the unbridled joy of becoming a Granny.
“I express my deepest sympathy, and that of the government, to all of Christina’s family and friends at their very personal loss.
“In Christina’s heart, there was room for all of us. She was one of the kindest and the most generous people I have ever met in my life. My government has lost an outstanding Minister. My party has lost one of its finest Parliamentarians. And many people – of all parties and of none – have lost a true friend.
“But I know that we will all feel the glow of Christina’s warmth for years to come.”
About Christina
Christina was born on 4 March 1968. She became an MSP in 2007 latterly representing Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse from 2011.
She was Minister for Equalities from 2018 to 2023, when she became Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, and was Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy from February 2024.
As an MSP she was Convener or the European and External Relations Committee and a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe between 2016 and 2018, and then Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee from September 2016 until she was appointed a Minister in 2018.
Christina was a long standing and active member of the SNP and was also a trade unionist with Unison during her time working in social work services in Glasgow.
The Scottish Parliament has opened an online book of condolence. Comments left online will be collated and sent to Christina’s family.
