Scotland’s councils continue to face severe financial pressures. The need to consult with communities, clearly communicate the impact on local services, whilst working together to shape and deliver urgently needed transformation, is more important than ever.
Councils closed a budget gap of £759 million during 2023/24, but this required them to make further and deeper savings.
Reflecting on the state of council finances in that financial year, the Accounts Commission reports many councils made savings or used reserves to deliver services within budget and offset a 3.3% real-terms reduction in revenue and income.
Using reserves to routinely balance budgets isn’t sustainable and risks financial sustainability.
Despite an overall increase in funding in 2024/25 and a further funding increase announced for the year ahead, intensifying demand for services, greater borrowing and depleting reserves pose ongoing challenges.
In 2023/24 councils borrowed more to invest in buildings and infrastructure, whilst Scottish Government money to support capital investment continued to decline. Council borrowing increased by over £400 million and almost all councils now face higher levels of debt and annual interest costs.
This investment is vital, however, in supporting spending on key areas including new schools and housing projects, whilst reducing the risk of buildings becoming unusable and impacting services still further.
Jo Armstrong, Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “Scotland’s councils face a challenging future, with significant financial risks and uncertainties.
“This has been compounded by pressures out with their control, including ever-increasing demand on services and inflation. An expected increase in funding for the year ahead doesn’t cancel out the urgent need for transformation, at a pace and depth we’ve not yet seen.
“With services already being impacted, councils must be clear with communities the scale of financial challenge being faced. Working with communities to deliver differently is vital.”
Officers are asking for the help of the public to trace a 60-year-old man reported missing from Edinburgh.
Guy Bargery was last seen around 9.15am yesterday (Monday, 27 January, 2025), in the Dundas Street area.
He is described as white, around 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build with grey/white hair.
When last seen, Guy was wearing a checked green and cream shirt, denim jeans, a beige jacket, and is believed to have been wearing black trainers. He may be driving his grey Volvo XC60 with registration SK13 VPZ, and travelled to the Fife area.
Inspector Jonathan Wilson said: “It is important that we make sure Guy is safe and well, as there are growing concerns for his welfare.
“We urge anyone who has seen Guy, his car, or has any information on his whereabouts to please contact us as soon as possible.”
Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference number 3443 of 27 January.
UPDATE on Tuesday 28 January at 8pm
Officers searching for a 60-year-old man missing from Edinburgh have traced his car near St Madoes, in Perth.
Guy Bargery was last seen around 9.15am on Monday, 27 January, 2025, in the Dundas Street area of Edinburgh.
Enquiries have been ongoing to trace him and his grey Volvo was traced in the Chapelhill near St Madoes around 2.30pm on Tuesday, 28 January, 2025.
Searches are being carried out in the area and officers are continuing to appeal for the help of the public to trace Guy.
He is described as white, around 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build with grey/white hair.
When last seen, Guy was wearing a checked green and cream shirt, denim jeans, a beige jacket, and is believed to have been wearing black trainers.
Inspector James Longden said: “It is important that we make sure Guy is safe and well, as there are growing concerns for his welfare.
“His vehicle has been traced in Chapelhill near St Madoes and that is where our searches are being focussed.
“I would urge anyone who has seen Guy, or who has any information on his whereabouts to please contact us as soon as possible.”
Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference number 3443 of 27 January, 2025.
Shoppers in Edinburgh are eating healthily to live healthily, according to the latest data from Tesco.
The supermarket giant has revealed the top 20 items bought by customers across the region, with a variety of fruit, veg and milk being the main favourites.
Included in the top 10 items bought by shoppers in Edinburgh are milk, bananas, red peppers and avocados.
Tesco’s figures coincide with its recently published Clubcard Unpacked review, which analyses the shopping habits of its Clubcard users.
It shows the strong preference for fresh, locally sourced items among Edinburgh’s residents.
Oonagh Turnbull, Head of Health and Sustainable Diet Campaigns, said: “The trend in what people in Edinburgh are buying most of at our stores has taken more of a turn towards the healthy option.
“Nutrition has become important for customers, with the majority of them putting an emphasis on good-quality fruit and vegetables.
“A lot of this is down to people having an enthusiasm for home-cooked meals and for experimenting with what they prepare in the kitchen.”
Also included in the top 20 items bought by shoppers in Edinburgh are red grapes, raspberries, blueberries and free range eggs.
Oonagh added: “We’re all aware that eating a healthy diet can help to reduce our risk of developing coronary heart disease and stop us from gaining too much weight.
“That’s why we at Tesco are always keen to promote the understanding that having a balance of different foods to provide all the nutrients your body needs is key when it comes to healthy living.”
The top 20 items bought at Tesco stores in Edinburgh are:
Polling shows 77% of the public in Scotland would opt for child safety checks on new generative AI products, even if this causes delays in releasing products.
This comes as new NSPCC-commissioned research identifies seven key safety risks to children including sexual grooming and harassment, bullying, sextortion and the proliferation of harmful content.
NSPCC calls on Government to slow down artificial intelligence action plans until they have embedded a statutory duty of care for children.
New research commissioned by the NSPCC highlights the different ways that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to groom, harass and manipulate children and young people.
This comes as polling shows that the UK public are concerned about the rollout of AI. Savanta surveyed 217 people from across Scotland and found that most of the public (86%) have some level of concern that “this type of technology may be unsafe for children”.
The majority of the public (77%) said they would prefer to have safety checks on new generative AI products, even if this caused delays in releasing products over a speedy roll-out without safety checks.
The new NSPCC paper shares key findings from research conducted by AWO, a legal and technology consultancy. The research Viewing Generative AI and children’s safety in the round identifies seven key safety risks associated with generative AI; sexual grooming, sexual harassment, bullying, financially motivated extortion, child sexual abuse & exploitation material, harmful content, and harmful ads & recommendations.
Generative AI is currently being used to generate sexual abuse images of children, enable perpetrators to more effectively commit sexual extortion, groom children and provide misinformation or harmful advice to young people.
From as early as 2019, the NSPCC have been receiving contacts from children via Childline about AI.
One boy aged 14 told the service*: “I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done, I didn’t mean for it to go this far. A girl I was talking to was asking for pictures and I didn’t want to share my true identity, so I sent a picture of my friend’s face on an AI body. Now she’s put that face on a naked body and is saying she’ll post it online if I don’t pay her £50. I don’t even have a way to send money online, I can’t tell my parents, I don’t know what to do.”
One girl, aged 12 asked Childline*: “Can I ask questions about ChatGPT? Like how accurate is it? I was having a conversation with it and asking questions, and it told me I might have anxiety or depression. It’s made me start thinking that I might?”
The NSPCC paper outlines a range of different solutions to address these concerns including stripping out child sexual abuse material from AI training data and doing robust risk assessments on models to ensure they are safe before they are rolled out
A member of the NSPCC Voice of Online Youth, a group of young people aged 13-17 from across the UK, said: “A lot of the problems with Generative AI could potentially be solved if the information [that] tech companies and inventors give [to] the Gen AI was filtered and known to be correct.”
The Government is currently considering new legislation to help regulate AI and there will be a global summit in Paris this February where policy makers, tech companies and third sector organisations, including the NSPCC and their Voice of Online Youth, will come together to discuss the benefits and risks of using AI.
The NSPCC is calling on the Government to adopt specific safeguards for children in its legislation. The charity says four urgent actions are needed by Government to ensure generative AI is safe for children:
Adopt a Duty of Care for Children’s Safety
Gen AI companies must prioritise the safety, protection, and rights of children in the design and development of their products and services.
Embed a Duty of Care in Legislation
It is imperative that the Government enacts legislation that places a statutory duty of care on Gen AI companies, ensuring that they are held accountable for the safety of children.
Place Children at the Heart of Gen AI Decisions
The needs and experiences of children and young people must be central to the design, development, and deployment of Gen AI technologies.
Develop the Research and Evidence Base on Gen AI and Child Safety
The Government, academia, and relevant regulatory bodies should invest in building capacity to study these risks and support the development of evidence-based policies.
Chris Sherwood, CEO at the NSPCC, said:“Generative AI is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it provides opportunities for innovation, creativity and productivity that young people can benefit from; on the other it is having a devastating and corrosive impact on their lives.
“We can’t continue with the status quo where tech platforms ‘move fast and break things’ instead of prioritising children’s safety. For too long, unregulated social media platforms have exposed children to appalling harms that could have been prevented. Now, the Government must learn from these mistakes, move quickly to put safeguards in place and regulate generative AI, before it spirals out of control and damages more young lives.
“The NSPCC and the majority of the public want tech companies to do the right thing for children and make sure the development of AI doesn’t race ahead of child safety. We have the blueprints needed to ensure this technology has children’s wellbeing at its heart, now both Government and tech companies must take the urgent action needed to make Generative AI safe for children and young people.”
You can read Viewing Generative AI and children’s safety in the round on the NSPCC website.
People across Scotland will have better access to NHS treatment through increased capacity, expanded primary care services, enhanced use of digital innovations and a range of other measures, First Minister John Swinney announced yesterday.
Speaking to representatives from across the health and social care sector, the First Minister set out action to drive down waiting times and reduce pressure on frontline services.
The First Minister was joined by Health Secretary Neil Gray and announced a range of actions including:
A substantial increase in capacity, with 150,000 additional appointments and procedures per year
Increased investment in primary care, making it easier for people to get appointments with their GP
Improved use of data and new digital innovations including the roll-out of a Scottish health and social care app – a ‘Digital Front Door’ to the NHS for patients
The First Minister said: “Protecting, strengthening, renewing our National Health Service – that is a goal I think we can all get behind. A real focus of common purpose.
“That requires action from me, as First Minister, from my Health Secretary Neil Gray, and from my Government. We can offer the leadership and direction – as the measures outlined today seek to do.
“So, today, we commit to a substantial increase in capacity in order to significantly reduce people’s waits.
“Our plan will ensure that a greater proportion of new NHS funding goes to primary and community care. GPs and services in the community will have the resources they need to play a greater role in our health system.
“This increased investment will result in GP services that are easier for people to access. That is important in terms of people’s confidence in the health service – but equally, it will make it more likely that health issues are picked up quickly and dealt with earlier.
“Our National Health Service is there when we need it. No other public institution supports us with so much care through life’s biggest moments. We must support it in return.
“The approach I set out today charts our course to do that. It addresses both the challenges and the opportunities. It sets the NHS on a path of modernisation and renewal.”
Minimally invasive technique makes same-day spinal surgery a reality for NHSGGC patients
A spinal surgery technique that improves outcomes for patients, and has the potential to bring down waiting lists, has been introduced at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Institute of Neurological Sciences (INS).
The INS is currently the only centre in Scotland performing the minimally invasive surgery, which helps people suffering lumbar disc prolapse, and since it was introduced at the beginning of November it has already shown huge potential.
The procedure, called endoscopic lumbar discectomy, involves a surgeon making a tiny incision in a patient’s back – as little as 8mm wide – and then using an endoscope to see inside the patient and remove a prolapsed disc or free up spinal nerves.
And while it’s still a significant operation, the fact the incision is so small, and that the disturbance to surrounding bone, ligaments and muscle is significantly reduced, if not eradicated completely, the post-operative recovery is much better than traditional techniques.
Mohamed Abdelsadg, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Complex Spine Surgeon within the INS, said: “This minimally invasive procedure could offer a quick fix for acute disc prolapse unresponsive to analgesia and physiotherapy.
“After the operation we have seen much earlier mobilisation, and patients are generally treated and discharged within 24 hours – sometimes on the same day. There is also a much lower risk of infection.”
The development was made possible by a major investment of more than £200,000 from the Scottish Government.
Four consultant neurosurgeons at the INS – Mr Mohamed Abdelsadg, Mr Calan Mathieson, Mr Likhith Alakandy and Mr Chris Barrett – have already completed the appropriate trainings and are currently offering the procedure to patients from across the West of Scotland.
While it’s early days and patients are being carefully selected as the new technique beds in, staff are expecting that to change relatively quickly.
Mr Abdelsadg continued: “This is a new technique so we’re not offering the procedure for everyone at the moment and we are being quite careful about the cases we’re selecting.
“However, we’re on a steep learning curve. We’ve been auditing the results of the surgery, reviewing and sharing our data, and we’re seeing a pattern of improvement across the team.
“As our experience grows, we’ll be able to expand considerably the number and type of patients we’re able to treat.”
The minimally invasive technique is a significant departure from the more traditional procedure, called micro discectomy. That involves an incision of 5-8cm in the middle of the back, with the surgeon stripping away muscle and ligaments, often removing bone to create a ‘window’ to work in, and then removing the prolapsed disc or freeing up the nerves.
Because of the amount of tissue affected, this technique can be a more painful process with a raised risk of infection.
In the main, patients are often discharged within 48-72 hours, but they may suffer continuing back discomfort, and in some cases they need to stay in hospital for up to seven days because of the wound pain.
Susan Groom, Director of Regional Services at NHSGGC, welcomed this latest development. She said: “The INS has been in operation for more than 50 years now, and over that time it has earned an international reputation for pushing boundaries and innovation.
“The fact the Scottish Government supported the development of this new service here is testament to that reputation, and I would like to thank all those involved in bringing it to the INS.
“Traditionally, surgery to treat a prolapsed disc can be a painful procedure, so this new approach at the INS will help to reduce the suffering of patients more quickly, with quicker recovery times and with a much lower chance of infection.
“NHS services throughout the UK are under considerable pressure at the moment, and the fact this new minimally invasive technique will help reduce waiting times on top of other benefits is a significant added bonus.”
The INS team plan to continue collating their early results and then present them at the Society of British Neurological Surgeons conference in Belfast in March.
PICTURES
TOP – The INS team involved in the new technique – from left: Janie Smart, William Davidson, Nicola Ferguson , Carla O’Neill , Savitha Meleveedu, Likhith Alakandy, Mohamed Abdelsadg, Marios Theologu, Adam Ross. Kneeling: Johanna Armstrong.
BOTTOM – From left: Marios Theologu, Chris Barrett, Calan Mathieson.
Did you know reusing everyday items can save money, reduce waste and help tackle climate change? Here are some easy tips to try today:
• Glass Jars: Perfect for storage, candle holders, or even flower vases. • Old Clothes: Turn them into cleaning rags, pet bedding, or fun tote bags. • Tin Cans: Make herb planters, pencil holders, or night lights. • Plastic Containers: Great for leftovers, organising toys, or planting seeds.
NHS Scotland is poised to make “major strides” across 2025 in its drive to reduce emissions through breakthrough innovation, a health service partner believes.
After pledging to become a net zero organisation by 2040, the NHS continues to make significant gains through a variety of initiatives including new technologies, new ways of working, and a deep focus on reducing emissions.
A formal partner of NHS Scotland, InnoScot Health says that innovative approaches for more environmentally sustainable care continue to be embedded at greater pace.
Innovation Manager Frances Ramsay said: “There have been some very positive developments across NHS Scotland in recent times which, looked at collectively, add up to a picture of the health service making major strides on the road to lower emissions – from new thinking in building and transport emissions to more reusables and greater upcycling at all levels.
“Its electric fleet is ever-expanding. As of April 2024, 45% of NHS Scotland’s vehicles were electric, representing a significant increase from the figure of 19% in October 2022, and that will only rise.
“Emissions from the energy used to heat and power NHS buildings continue to fall steadily, as do medical gas emissions, including the replacement of anaesthetic gas Desflurane with a less harmful gas which is now saving emissions equivalent to powering 1,700 homes every year.
“In fact, NHS Scotland won the European Sustainable Healthcare Project of the Year award in 2023 after becoming the first national health service in the UK to stop using Desflurane.
“It also means greater cost efficiency with the National Green Theatre Programme supporting health boards to achieve not only annual reductions of around 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide generated from surgery but also financial savings of around £6 million. These better practices significantly add up as we increasingly look to 2040.”
InnoScot Health continues to champion and encourage greener workforce innovation, recently helping to develop a breakthrough with midwives working at St John’s Hospital in Livingston which aids skin-to-skin contact while allowing birthing partners to keep newborns warm by utilising upcycled staff fleeces as a covering material altered onto new scrubs.
Alongside NHS Lothian’s Research and Development team, InnoScot Health helped protect and register the design, meaning that Cozy Cuddle Scrubs (by Stacey)™ are now well-placed to become more widely available through manufacturing partners.
Frances continued: “With so many projects coming to fruition, there is much to be proud of and so much innovation potential in the drive towards a net zero NHS Scotland.
“We want to inspire and encourage that vital push as much as possible by lending our support to the 180,000-strong workforce – and who better to deliver net zero than the people who are closest to the issues and can see first-hand how emissions-producing processes are contributing to climate change?”
Pioneering staff at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital recently announced their role in co-designing friendly and reusable theatre caps made from sustainable plant-based material as part of a research project led by the University of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt University.
The project primarily aims to reduce waste created by the 800,000 single-use theatre cap products disposed of annually by Scottish hospitals, demonstrating the power of innovation-driven collaboration for sustainable design, as well as the potential for further rollout across the country.
InnoScot Health’s own sustainability call aims to inspire health and social care professionals to come forward with their ideas for greener ways of working that can help the health service adapt and strengthen.
Five men and two women have been given Orders for Lifelong Restrictions and jailed for a total of 93 years for sexually abusing children in the Glasgow area.
At the High Court in Glasgow today (Monday, 27 January, 202)5 Iain Owens, 46, was jailed for 20 years, Elaine Lannery, 40, for 17 years, Scott Forbes, 51, for eight years, Barry Watson, 48, for nine and a half years, Lesley Ann Williams, 42, for 14 years, Paul Brannan, 42, for 15 years, and John Clark, 48, for 10 years.
They were convicted in November 2023 following an eleven-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The offences took place between 2012-2019 and were reported to police in June 2019. Following an extensive investigation, eleven individuals were arrested and charged in October 2020.
Detective Inspector Lesley-Ann McGee said: “I hope today’s outcome can help the young victims in moving forward.
“This was a long, complex and challenging investigation for a team of officers and staff who had to work through the most harrowing evidence to bring those responsible for these despicable crimes to justice.
“Since the investigation began we’ve worked closely with a range of partners in Social Work, Health, Education, Crown Office and the third-sector to protect and support the victims.
“We remain committed to supporting victims of sexual crime and protecting children from harm and abuse. We will use all available resources to find and arrest the abusers, no matter how much time has passed.
“I would urge anyone who is a victim of abuse to speak to police in the knowledge you will be listened to, taken seriously and fully supported.”
Mary Glasgow, chief executive at Children First said: “No sentence will ever reflect the extreme cruelty and horrifying abuse that three children endured for so long. The depths of their suffering will be unimaginable to most people in Scotland, but none of us should turn away from it.
“This is one of the most extreme cases of abuse ever seen in a Scottish court, but every day children and young people in Scotland are experiencing violence and abuse.
“Children can’t protect themselves and they need all of us to help them stay safe. And, without support to recover, the trauma of childhood abuse can be devastating and last a lifetime.
“If you have concerns about a child, Children First’s support line will listen and help you work through what’s best for the child. It’s free to call on: 08000 28 22 33 or you can speak to our team online at childrenfirst.org.uk”
