Almost one year from the announcement of lockdown in March 2020, NHS 24 are taking time to acknowledge the work of their colleagues during what has been their busiest period to date.
Across 2020, the 111 service received 1,699,796 calls, seeing a huge increase in volumes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steph Phillips, Director of Service Delivery, said: “This year has been tough for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all, NHS staff included.From early 2020 we saw an increase in our call volumes and on our busiest day (Saturday 14th March) we received 13,849 calls in one day.
“Each call to the service represents a patient who needs support or advice, and our amazing staff have continued to work hard throughout this difficult period to provide this support for the people of Scotland. We also hit another remarkable milestone in December, as 111 received its 25 millionth call since the service launched in 2001!
“We’ve also seen a huge increase in the use of our digital service, NHS inform, which has hosted information about COVID-19, testing and vaccination throughout the past year.
‘Vaccination for COVID-19 is well underway which is great news for everyone, however we still advise caution and to follow government guidance in your area.
A draft independence referendum Bill has been published to give people in Scotland the right to decide their future, once the current health crisis is over.
Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said the draft Bill is being brought forward to offer Scotland the choice of who is best placed to lead the country’s post-pandemic recovery – the people who live here or a government based in Westminster.
The draft Scottish Independence Referendum Bill publication sets out a number of key issues for a vote including:
the timing of a referendum should be a matter for the next Scottish Parliament to decide. Ministers have separately made clear it should take place once the public health crisis is over
the question “Should Scotland be an independent country?” is the same one used during the 2014 referendum and it will be tested by the Electoral Commission
voting eligibility will be extended to match the franchise at Scottish Parliament and local government elections
The draft Bill has been published on the Scottish Government’s website. It will be for a future Scottish Government to consider whether it formally introduces a Bill in the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Russell said: “Our top priority will continue to be dealing with the pandemic and keeping the country safe, but we are optimistic that because of the incredible efforts of people across Scotland better times lie ahead.
“The Scottish Government believes it should be the people living in Scotland who have the right to decide how we recover from the pandemic and what sort of country we wish to build after the crisis.
“If Westminster maintains its control, recent history shows what Scotland can expect: an economic recovery hindered by a hard Brexit that is already taking a significant toll and the continued, systematic undermining of devolution, which is weakening our parliament’s powers to maintain food and environmental standards and protect the NHS from post-Brexit trade deals.
“Scotland’s recovery should be made by the people who live here and who care most about Scotland. That is why Scotland’s future should be Scotland’s choice.
“It should be for the next Scottish Parliament to decide the timing of the referendum. So that the recovery from the pandemic can be made in Scotland, the Scottish Government believes it should be held in the first half of the new Parliamentary term.
“If there is a majority in the Scottish Parliament after the forthcoming election for an independence referendum there can be no democratic justification whatsoever for any Westminster government to seek to block a post-pandemic referendum.”
Scot Lib Dem candidate for Northern and Leith slams SNP for prioritising independence over recovery
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Rebecca Bell has criticised the Scottish Government for diverting their attention to an independence referendum instead of focusing on the pandemic.
On Monday 22nd March, the Scottish Government published a draft bill on a proposed second independence referendum which sets out the SNP’s plans to hold a referendum early in the next Parliament.
The document states that the timing of a vote will give power to MSPs to determine the timing of another referendum on independence, rerunning the same question as used in 2014 “Should Scotland be an independent country?”.
Rebecca Bell said: “People are under huge pressure from the pandemic and after years of arguing about independence and Brexit, the last thing we need right now is another independence referendum.
“While families and businesses have been worried about their lives and livelihoods, the SNP have put civil servants and their resources up to the task of planning an independence referendum instead of planning for the recovery from the pandemic.
“We need a Pandemic Recovery Bill, not a Referendum Bill which distracts from our recovery. This should be our absolute priority. The Scottish Liberal Democrats will put the recovery first and use our strength and influence to build a fair, green recovery for everyone.”
Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie said:“Holy moly, they’ve had people working on the referendum instead of dealing with the pandemic.
“Dozens of civil servants could have been planning to get cancer services running full speed but they’ve been ordered to do this instead. Or they could have been working on getting funds to business, better mental health services or support for schools.
“We are still in a pandemic. Thousands have lost their lives, thousands more have lost their job.
“Reasonable people will think that this is the wrong moment to be pushing a referendum.
The Scottish Parliament will today commend the work of churches throughout the pandemic in a debate on the Stories of Hope report, published in December 2020 by the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland.
The report calculated that churches across Scotland had delivered 212,214 acts of support during the first lockdown and that these acts were delivered by 3,212 volunteers and impacted 55,671 beneficiaries.
The motion, which has been submitted by Jeremy Balfour and will be held at the Scottish Parliament on the first anniversary of the UK COVID-19 lockdown, acknowledges that: “churches in 180 locations across Scotland worked in partnership with key stakeholders, including supermarkets, community councils, NHS boards, food banks, voluntary support groups and charities, to deliver services to support vulnerable groups, including older, homeless and young people; recognises the important role that it considers churches and charities play in communities across Scotland, including in the Lothian region, and praises all those involved in delivering these services during the pandemic.”
The report found churches across Scotland had developed support networks and established projects to support the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities.
Projects were active across the country from the Highlands to the Borders, across the breadth of denominations and in partnership with a number of charities including CAP Scotland, the Bethany Trust, and Glasgow City Mission.
Kieran Turner, Public Policy Officer for the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland said: “Often the work of churches in the community goes under-reported and as a result government and parliament are not aware of the role of the church in wider society.
“We are grateful to Jeremy and to all the MSPs who are supporting the debate for the opportunity to show how the church spreads hope and the impact that has been made at a national level during the pandemic.”
The report also highlighted the importance of churches partnering with local businesses and other agencies as more than two-thirds of the projects identified were delivered in partnership to provide support to those in need.
Supermarkets, community councils, businesses, NHS boards, housing associations, voluntary support groups, and food banks have all worked with churches on the ground in these projects. In addition, 11 local authorities were identified, sometimes by multiple projects, as providing emergency funding for weekly support costs.
Keiran Turner continued: “Having the Scottish Parliament debate the report and commend these churches will raise awareness and challenge perceptions of what the church is and what the church does in Scotland.
“The church is a force for good in Scotland and operates at a scale of national significance meaning it must be a core part of the government’s rebuilding plans post pandemic.”
The parliamentary debate has been welcomed across the political spectrum and is being supported by Michelle Ballantyne, Miles Briggs, Donald Cameron, Peter Chapman, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Maurice Corry, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Rhoda Grant, Jamie Greene, James Kelly, Liam Kerr, Bill Kidd, Gordon Lindhurst, John Mason, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Margaret Mitchell, Anas Sarwar, Elaine Smith, Stewart Stevenson, David Stewart, Alexander Stewart, Annie Wells and Brian Whittle.
To find out more and download the full report go to:
Tuesday, March 23rd, marks the anniversary of the day the UK was officially plunged into lockdown. We have lived through what is probably the most extraordinary year in most people’s lifetimes.
Blind and partially sighted people have had to adjust like everyone else to the daily challenges this has created. Thankfully, there’s now light at the end of the tunnel. But some ongoing measures could continue to be barriers to their independence and confidence.
People with sight loss can sometimes find it difficult to judge space, so we’re asking everyone to maintain their own distance, be patient and be helpful.
Just getting out and about can be more hazardous for those without sight. The Government’s ‘Spaces for People’ initiative has already transformed many of our streets and thoroughfares. We must take care that this doesn’t inadvertently create new obstacles for those with disabilities.
The covid crisis has given all of us a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability, of what it’s like to depend more on others.
So let’s make one positive legacy of this crisis a resolve to make sure we re-emerge as a society in which no one is left at the margins.
James Adams
Director, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland
Progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap between the most and least deprived school pupils has been limited. And more evidence is needed to understand educational achievement beyond exams.
A joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission found that exam performance and other attainment measures at the national level have improved.
However, progress since 2013-14 has been inconsistent. And there are large variations in local authority performance, with some councils’ performance getting worse on some measures.
The poverty-related attainment gap remains wide and existing inequalities have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The national curriculum recognises that school is about more than exams.
And there has been an increase in the types of pathways, awards and qualifications available to young people. But better data is needed to understand if other important broad outcomes, like wellbeing and self-confidence, are improving.
The Scottish Government, councils, schools and the other bodies responsible for planning and delivering education were working well together before Covid-19.
That allowed them to respond rapidly in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Funding for education has remained largely static – rising from £4.1 billion in 2013/14 to £4.3 billion in 2018/19.
However, most of that real-terms increase was due to the Attainment Scotland Fund, which the Scottish Government set up to close the attainment gap.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Significantly reducing the attainment gap is complex. But the pace of improvement has to increase as part of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 recovery planning.
“That process needs to particularly focus on the pandemic’s impact on the most disadvantaged children and young people.”
Elma Murray, Interim Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “There is variation in educational performance across Scotland, but this is not solely about exam performance.
“Education also supports and improves the health and wellbeing of children and young people, which has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is vital that councils, schools and their partners work to reduce the wide variation in outcomes as well as understanding and tackling the short and longer-term impact of Covid-19 on learning and wellbeing.”
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The impact of poverty on children’s life chances remains a matter of huge concern, and much more needs to be done to support young people living in poverty to overcome the barriers that they continue to face.
“Schools do all that they can with insufficient resources to support young people from all backgrounds but cannot, in isolation, overcome such serious societal issues as inequality and poverty.”
“We have long known of the devastating impact that poverty can have on young people, and this has been made worse during the pandemic when young people from less affluent backgrounds have been far more likely to have had their in-school learning disrupted and to face barriers in accessing education outwith the school environment.”
“It is clear that much greater and sustained investment is needed to tackle the impact of poverty on young people’s education, and all of Scotland’s political parties must fully commit to tackling this issue in the context of education recovery during the next Parliament.”
Police Scotland is appealing for information after a cyclist collided with a car in Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon.
Around 4.40pm on Sunday (21 March), a 32-year-old woman was cycling a white Specialized road bike on Broughton Street, near to Forth Street, when a collision occurred involving a silver coloured Volkswagen car.
The driver of the Volkswagen stopped, but was not present when police arrived.The woman was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to be treated for minor injuries.
Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick said: “We are trying to establish exactly what happened here and would appeal for anyone with any information to come forward.
“Did you see this cyclist, or vehicle prior to the collision? Or were you driving in this area of Edinburgh and could have dash-cam footage that can help us? We urge you to get in touch.”
Anyone with any information should contact Police via 101, quoting incident number 2942 of Sunday, 21 March, 2021.
Joanna Barrett, Associate Head of Policy (Devolved Nations), NSPCC Scotland, said: “The events of the last year have profoundly impacted so many lives and, sadly, are continuing to do so. We know from Childline and our other frontline services just how difficult it has been for children of all ages.
“The huge pressure on families, combined with schools being closed to most children and the disruption to protective services, has increased the risk of child abuse and neglect. Grief, isolation and uncertainty have also taken a heavy toll on children and young people’s mental health.
“And, we know, the impact on those with very young children has been considerable. Approximately 50,000 babies will have been born in Scotland over the last year, born into a society of heightened anxiety and stress. While we might think infants will be too young to remember, there is extensive evidence showing early experiences can have profound effects on lifelong development.
“And so it is vital that the Scottish Government ensures Covid-19 does not shape the future of our young children. With need increasing as a result of the pandemic, huge investment is crucial to ensure all children in our country are offered the best start in life.
“The next Scottish Government must make the social and emotional wellbeing of very young children it’s number one priority.”
Ministerial Code report published: First Minister cleared of code breach
The independent report by Mr James Hamilton on the First Minister’s self-referral under the Scottish Ministerial Code has been published.
Mr Hamilton is a former Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland and has been an independent adviser on the Code since January 2013, having been appointed by Alex Salmond when he was First Minister.
He was asked to assess whether there had been any breach of the Code by the First Minister, the nature of any such breach and, if a breach had occurred, to advise on the appropriate remedy or sanction.
Mr Hamilton looked at the following:
the First Minister’s meeting with Geoff Aberdein on 29 March 2018, and the meetings / telephone calls with Mr Salmond on 2 and 23 April, 7 June and 14 and 18 July 2018
whether the First Minister misled Parliament about these meetings
whether the First Minister attempted to influence the conduct of the investigation
whether the First Minister broke the code by continuing with the judicial review.
On each point he found the First Minister had not breached the code, saying in his conclusions at para 18.2 of the report: “I am of the opinion that the First Minister did not breach the provisions of the Ministerial Code in respect of any of these matters.”
Mr Hamilton’s report, formally commissioned by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, was delivered to the Scottish Government yesterday. In line with the First Minister’s commitment to Parliament, the report has been published on the day of receipt.
The report is published in full, except for information that needs to be excluded to comply with court orders in force to protect the identity of complainers. In a covering note to the report Mr Hamilton has acknowledged that redactions will be necessary.
Commenting, Mr Swinney said: “I want to thank Mr Hamilton for his thorough and impartial assessment of the facts.
“People can read the report for themselves, but the rigour and independence of his investigation is clear.
“This report is the formal outcome of the self-referral under the Ministerial Code made by the First Minister on 13 January 2019. I hope that everyone will now accept that Mr Hamilton’s conclusions are comprehensive and evidence-based.”
Mr Hamilton’s report said Ms Sturgeon had given an “incomplete narrative of events” to MSPs but he said this was not deliberate, rather a “genuine failure of recollection”.
While Mr Hamilton’s report relieves some of the pressure on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a Holyrood committee is expected to take a very different view when it finally publishes it’s findings this morning.
It’s parliament’s responsibility to hold the government to account, and a cross-party committee of MSPs has been scrutinising the government’s handling of the complaints against former First Minister Alex Salmond.
The committee’s work has been hampered throughout by obstructions placed in their way by the government and the Crown Office, but their final report is expected to be highly critical of Ms Sturgeon’s recollection of events. The report is likely to accuse the First Minister of misleading their investigation – that’s parliament-speak for lying.
The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints will formally publish its full report at 8am.
In a pre-emptive strike, Ms Sturgeon has already dismissed the committee’s report as ‘partisan’.
The Scottish Tories also plan to hold a vote of no confidence in the First Minister today, but this seems doomed to failure as the SNP Government has the support of the Scottish Greens.
When all this is over, it’s full steam ahead to May’s elections – and it remains to be seen whether any of the above will make any difference at all to voting intentions. Was this a deliberate attempt to subvert our democracy – or just a Salmond Sturgeon stooshie of interest only to political anoraks and conspiracy theorists?
New European-wide research by Handiscover indicates that almost two thirds (62%) of disabled people in Scotland say that Hotels in which they have stayed have not met their accessibility needs.
Handiscover, a leading accessibility and disability data organisation, is now calling on the Hotel industry to prepare for a travel restart post-Covid adapted to all travellers, by improving their accessibility or accessibility information, something which is much needed, according to the survey.
Moreover, over half (52%) of those surveyed said that they did not have all accessibility information before they visited.
It’s thought that more than 14 million people in the UK live with a long term illness or disability requiring specific accessibility needs, highlighting the importance of this research for the hotel and hospitality industry.
Handiscover believes that if accessibility, accessibility information and greater training was in place across the travel industry, the EU economy could benefit by up to 25% against current level – that’s almost 196 Billion Euros.
To help businesses, Handiscover has now developed and released an industry leading ‘Accessibility Standard’ for Hotels which it provides free of charge to help hotels start working on their accessibility on their own.
Businesses needing help to improve accessibility can sign up for Handiscover’s Accessibility Management Program. The program includes accessibility data management and assessment, marketing expertise to help communicate accessibility to customers, and Accessibility & Disability Education to help the hotel industry recover in a post COVID world.
Magnus Berglund, Accessibility Director at Handiscover. said: “Improving accessibility in the hotel industry is not just a ‘nice’ thing to do, it is the ‘right’ thing to do and can generate huge increases in revenue for properties!
“The Handiscover Accessibility Management Program exists to help hotels, and other businesses, work with and improve accessibility in an easy way to the benefit of the day-to-day lives of millions of people who live with a disability.”
Sebastien Archambeaud CEO Handiscover added: “Ever since we launched Handiscover, our aim has simply been to use accessibility data to make booking accommodation easier for those with disabilities.
“We now want to take the knowledge and experience we have working with those with accessibility needs and help hotels and accommodation providers improve accessibility and knowledge.
“We want to let businesses know that improving accessibility is not a cost burden, but a means to actually improve business by catering to more customers”.
The research from Handiscover.com also revealed that 58% of the disabled population who required assistance say that staff at Hotels were not as knowledgeable about accessibility needs as they could have been – thus demonstrating the importance of accessibility training and education among staff, not just at hotels, but across industries.
Good progress is being made towards closing the poverty-related attainment gap, a new report has found.
The study examines improvements made through the Scottish Attainment Challenge, and wider education policies, towards closing the attainment gap during this Parliamentary term.
The report highlights a number of key strengths in the education system, including a systemic change in culture and ethos, improved learning and teaching, strengthened collaboration, work with families and communities and a focus on health and wellbeing.
The findings show:
the gap between the proportion of primary pupils (P1, P4 and P7 combined) from the most and least deprived areas achieving the expected level in literacy and numeracy has narrowed since 2016-17
the gap between the proportion of S3 pupils from the most and least deprived areas who achieved their expected level in numeracy narrowed between 2016-17 and 2018-19
the participation gap between those who live in the most deprived and least deprived areas has narrowed year-on-year between 2016-17 and 2019-2020
96% of headteachers felt that they had a good awareness of the range of approaches that can help close the poverty-related attainment gap
90% of headteachers reported they had seen an improvement in closing the gap in their schools in the past five years
88% of headteachers expect to see improvements in closing the gap over the next five years
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and giving every young person the chance to fulfil their full potential, regardless of their background, remains our defining mission.
“Our ambition is a long-term one and this report clearly shows significant progress has been made in the last five years. We know that COVID-19 has made our ambition of achieving equity in education harder and I would like to thank all of our teachers and support staff for their extraordinary contribution and resilience shown throughout the pandemic.
“We have put in place a comprehensive range of measures, supported by the £750 million Attainment Scotland Fund, to turn the corner with the attainment gap.
“We have seen improvements across a number of indicators, including a narrowing of the gap between pupils from the most and least deprived areas achieving the expected level in literacy and numeracy.
“Longer term, we have also seen the gap narrow in initial positive destinations and the proportion of pupils achieving one pass or more at SCQF Level 5 and 6.
“The International Council of Education Advisers has acknowledged progress is being made and headteachers are positive about the impact of our measures, have a clear understanding of what is working and are optimistic about improvements being embedded and continuing over the next five years. I am greatly encouraged by this welcome progress and am confident we are on the right path.
“To mitigate against the impact of the pandemic, we are investing a record £200 million in the Attainment Scotland Fund in 2021-22, including an additional £20 million of Pupil Equity Funding.
“We are also investing £50 million in the Challenge Authorities and Schools Programmes next year and will support the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund with more than £11 million. This is alongside £375 million in education recovery over this year and next to recruit additional teachers and support staff and address digital exclusion.
“I am determined to continue to support our young people through these unprecedented times and the evidence from this report and the Equity Audit will guide our thinking for the next phase of the Scottish Attainment Challenge. Now, more than ever, there is a need to stay the course with our vision of equity and excellence.”
Looking at performance of pupils since 2009-10, the report also finds:
the percentage of school leavers in a positive initial destination consistently increased between 2009-10 and 2018-19, for all leavers. The gap in positive initial destinations also decreased in this period
the gap between pupils achieving 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 5 has reduced from 33.3 percentage points in 2009-10 to 20.8 percentage points in 2019-20
the gap between pupils achieving 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 6 has reduced from 45.6 percentage points in 2009-10 to 36.1 percentage points in 2019-20
Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Chief Executive of Education Scotland, said: “We are happy to see the improvements detailed in the report and it is heartening that nine out of ten schools have seen a recent improvement in closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
“We recognise this work is more important than ever and the evidence from this report and the Equity Audit will inform the Scottish Attainment Challenge moving forward.
“Our Attainment Advisors have strong partnerships with every local authority and remain focused on working collaboratively with them, our schools and their community partners to ensure our most disadvantaged learners continue to be supported to achieve their aspirations.
“This is a long-term commitment that has been supported by a system-wide, collaborative endeavour across Scottish education to make Scotland the best place to grow and learn.”
Professor Chris Chapman, Senior Academic Adviser to the Scottish Attainment Challenge programme, said: “This report highlights both government’s commitment to equity and the cultural change that has occurred in Scottish education over the past five years.
“The drive to improve outcomes for children and young people from Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities has been placed centre stage of the reform agenda.
“Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the challenge and magnified the necessity of ensuring that all children and young people reach their full potential irrespective of their circumstances.”
