Tag: Freedom of Information request

£8.2m taxpayer bill for Edinburgh mould crisis revealed in FOI as complaints soar

A recent survey has revealed that one-third of Scottish social housing tenants lack confidence that their landlord will fix damp and mould, with thousands of complaints being made in recent years. 

Between 2021 and 2022, there were at least 14,451 complaints made to local authorities in Scotland, a 19 per cent increase on the year before.

Now, new Freedom of Information (FOI) data sourced by the home experts at Hillarys has revealed that the City of Edinburgh Council has spent more than £8.2 million tackling damp and mould in homes since 2024. The findings reveal that mould and damp complaints in the capital soared by +52% between 2022 (1,215) and 2024 (1,849), as residents report nearly five cases a day.

And while new regulation is set to be introduced from October, enforcing fixed timeframes for social landlords to investigate and start prevention works to address damp and mould, the experts at Hillarys have shared advice on how households can tackle the problem at home while many tenants are still waiting for repairs to be carried out.

Edinburgh Council’s spending on damp and mould in homes

Month20242025Grand Total
January148,000314,000462,000
February244,000352,000596,000
March252,000353,000605,000
April360,000254,000614,000
May291,000436,000727,000
June343,000423,000766,000
July343,000274,000617,000
August313,000367,000680,000
September514,000410,000924,000
October310,000395,000705,000
November589,000301,000890,000
December393,000264,000657,000
Total4,100,0004,143,000£8,243,000

Hillarys Freedom of Information (FOI) request has uncovered that the City of Edinburgh Council has spent £8,243,000 tackling mould and damp across homes in the capital between 2024 and 2025, or £4.1m per year on average.

Edinburgh residents make 143 complaints a month about mould and damp in the capital’s housing stock

In 2022, the council responded to 1,215 reports of damp and mould, soaring by +52% to 1,849 in 2024 and 1,591 in 2025.3 Overall, the council recorded 3,440 cases between 2024 and 2025, equivalent to 143 reports per month or nearly 5 complaints each day.

Edinburgh Council currently reports an average resolution time of 42 calendar days, or six weeks, from the date damp or mould is reported to the completion of treatment work. This is significantly higher than the framework that will be enforced in the autumn, where significant damp and mould must be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within five.

Why are Scottish homes more prone to damp and mould?

Nearly one in ten homes has some incidence of damp or mould in Scotland (9-10%),  compared to 4-5% of homes in England, indicating that while England has a higher total number of homes with damp, the percentage of households affected in Scotland is higher.5,6

One in ten Scottish households is impacted by damp or mould

Households in Scotland are particularly affected due to a combination of cold, wet weather, older buildings and the high cost of heating, which limits proper ventilation. In fact, a recent analysis of EPC data by Hillarys found that the ten most expensive regions to heat nationwide are all in Scotland.

Households in the Highland region pay £1,902 per year on average for heating, with the region found to have the fourth-highest proportion of homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower (63.42).

Victoria Robinson, product expert at Hillarys, has shared how households can tackle the problem at home and when to seek professional advice: “Proper household maintenance is incredibly important for preventing and treating mould.

“With good ventilation from opening windows and using extractor fans where possible, you can reduce the risk of mould and dampness. If you spot mould in your home, the first step is to carefully clean the affected areas by using detergents, white vinegar or mould removers and eliminating dampness at the source.

“Cleaning your own home is important and cost-effective, but sometimes it is not enough to fix mould problems. If mould is present in large areas, normally more than 1m2,  or you find recurring mould patches, musty odours or structural damage, it is time to call in a professional or escalate with your landlord before further damage to your health and home occurs.”

 https://www.hillarys.co.uk/blinds-range/. 

Edinburgh short-term let control area has delivered NO measurable housing benefit, new FOI reveals

ASSC warns other local authorities in Scotland considering comparable schemes

A Freedom of Information response has confirmed that the City of Edinburgh Council holds NO EVIDENCE that its Short-Term Let Planning Control Area has delivered any measurable improvement in housing supply, affordability or market outcomes since it was introduced in 2022.

The findings, released today by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), raises serious questions for other local authorities, including Highland and Fife Councils, that are actively considering introducing similar controls.

In response to the FOI request, Edinburgh Council confirmed it does not hold any quantitative data, impact assessments or evaluations showing improvements in overall housing availability, affordable housing supply, property sale prices or private rental costs since the Planning Control Area (PCA) was implemented.

It also confirmed that no internal or external review has been carried out to assess whether the policy has worked.  

When asked about empty homes and second homes, the Council relied solely on broad Scottish Government statistics published at whole local authority level, rather than providing any analysis specific to the PCA itself.

At the same time, independent market data shows that housing costs have continued to rise. Average property prices across Edinburgh and the wider region increased by more than 4% in 2025, while private rents in the Lothians remain among the highest in Scotland and continue to climb year on year.

The ASSC has described the findings as a clear example of regulation introduced without an evidence base and maintained without proof of success.

In response, it reiterated its call for an independent post-implementation review of the Edinburgh STL PCA and for housing policy to focus on proven solutions, including new build delivery and targeted empty homes initiatives.

The ASSC is also appealing for an immediate pause on the further expansion of PCAs until there is clear, localised and transparent evidence that they actually work. The leading trade body warned that other councils should pause and reflect before following Edinburgh’s lead.

Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: “This FOI response confirms something deeply troubling. A major planning intervention has been introduced, enforced and defended without any evidence that it actually delivers housing benefit. That is not how good policy should be made.

“The facts completely undermine the narrative surrounding this policy. Since the STL Planning Control Area was introduced in Edinburgh, house prices and rents have continued to rise with no sign of improved affordability or increased supply. All that’s happened in nearly three and a half years of operation is increased costs and disruption to small businesses.

“For other councils like Highland and Fife mulling similar schemes, the risks are significant. These controls can damage local tourism economies, undermine small family-run businesses and reduce visitor spend, without delivering the housing benefits that are often promised. Edinburgh’s experience should be act as a cautionary tale, not a template.

“If a policy cannot demonstrate that it has achieved its stated objectives, the answer is not to double down but to reassess. Scotland needs housing solutions that genuinely increase supply and affordability, not ill-conceived ideological measures driven by assumption which only serve to raise false hopes within local communities.”

‘Shocking and shameful’

51,400 older people endured dangerous 12 hour waits in Scotland’s A&Es last year

Extreme long waits in Emergency Departments across Scotland are a political responsibility that can no longer be ignored as more than 51,400 older patients endured stays of 12 hours or more last year – the worst on record.  

New analysis from the Royal College of Emergency (RCEM) reveals in major EDs, one in every eight patients (51,423) aged 60 or over waited more than 12 hours to be transferred, admitted or discharged in 2024.  

That’s 14,407 more patients than the year before (2023). 

And is over 16 times more people than in 2019 when just 3,135 older people endured waits of this length.    

The figures, obtained by RCEM via Freedom of Information requests to Public Health Scotland, also reveal that, concerningly, the older a patient is the longer they are likely to wait in A&E. 

People aged 70-79 have a 12% chance of waiting 12 hours or more – almost 16 times higher than it was in 2019.  

Meanwhile, people aged 80-89 have a 16% chance of enduring extreme waits, and the likelihood rises to 19% for those aged 90 and above.  

Compare that to patients aged 18-29, whose average likelihood of experiencing a 12-hour wait last year was just 2.2%. 

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Older patients often arrive to the Emergency Department with more complicated or multiple health issues.  

This, when combined with the inability to admit them onto a ward due to the lack of available in-patient beds, means older people can become stuck in Emergency Departments – enduring extreme long waits, often on trolleys in corridors.  

And when patients do finally get admitted, they often find themselves stranded in hospital, unable to go home when they are well enough to leave, frequently due to a lack of available social care support.  

Public Health Scotland recently revealed that in 2024/25, there was a record 720,119 days spent in hospital by patients whose discharge was delayed – 474,153 of which were experienced by people aged 75 or over. This accounted for two out of every three (66%) delayed discharge bed days. 

Dr Fiona Hunter, Vice President of RCEM Scotland, said, “This data is both shocking and shameful, and it is abundantly clear that older people are bearing the brunt of a system in crisis.  

“Hundreds of thousands of dearly loved people – great-grandparents, grandmas, grandads, parents – forced to experience extreme long stays in our Emergency Departments every year mainly because we don’t have enough in-patient beds to admit them to when they need one.  

“Often enduring these waits on trolleys in areas that aren’t designed to deliver care in – corridors or even cupboards. 

“It’s a failure of the system. It’s unacceptable, it’s dangerous and it’s putting lives at risk.  

“Enough is enough. The government can’t ignore the ongoing crisis our Emergency Departments – the workforce and patients – continue to face day in, day out.  

“We all deserve an Urgent and Emergency Care system that works as it should and not letting people, our most vulnerable, down when they need it most.” 

Dr Bob Caslake, Chair of the BGS Scotland Council, said, “This report highlights the urgent attention that is needed across the health and social care system to allow older people to access the care they need at the time they need it.

“The current waiting times faced by older people in Emergency Departments are unacceptable, and reducing these delays is a matter of equity, dignity, and patient safety.” 

Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh said, “It is disappointing that this information is not routinely collected, analysed and published and it is unacceptable to see so many older people waiting hours — sometimes days — in A&E wards for the care they need.

“These older people are often living with frailty, dementia, and multiple other health conditions. They deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.

“Long waits for care are neither dignified nor compassionate and can also lead to serious harm. This is not the standard of care we should accept for our parents, grandparents, or neighbours.

“With the numbers of older people in Scotland in need of care expected to increase dramatically, we urgently need a system that prioritises timely treatment and supports frontline staff in delivering the respect and care our older population deserves.” 

The figures come after the Royal College of Emergency Medicine published a report earlier this year looking at the care older people, aged 75 and over, receive in Emergency Departments across the UK.   

Titled ‘Care of Older People 2023-24’, the research found there was insufficient screening for three common conditions which primarily affect this age group, including delirium and for general frailty. 

RCEM also released analysis in February which found the number of people experiencing stays of longer than 12hrs in Scotland’s ED last year was a staggering 99 times higher than 2011 when records began. 

Scotland’s dentists respond to damning FOI data

Responding to new FOI data from the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the British Dental Association Scotland has warned lifetime registration figures are effectively meaningless, and that there can be no complacency from government or opposition over the future of the service.

New figures show nearly 40% of Scots registered with a dentist have not seen one in two years. 39.5% of all those registered with a practice have not been to one in 24 months, and that includes 1.8 million adults and 177,318 children. 80,000 children have not seen a dentist in five years. More than a quarter of adults (28.8%) who are registered with a dentist have not seen one in five years.

Reform to the discredited high volume/low margin model of care NHS dentistry in Scotland works to took place in November 2023. However, official data shows access problems remain the norm and the oral health gap between rich and poor is widening.

Research last summer found that no practices were able to take on new adult NHS patients within three months in Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Inverclyde, Orkney, Perth and Kinross and Shetland.

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “The Scottish Government likes to talk about registration when what really matters is participation. 

“Scotland faces widening oral health inequalities. There’s no room for complacency from anyone at Holyrood.”

Briggs ‘deep concern’ over 83 “red flagged” addresses for ambulances across Lothian

Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian, Miles Briggs, has expressed “deep concern” over addresses that have been “red flagged” to ambulance staff across Scotland.

The concern comes amid reports that nearly 450 addresses have been identified as being “red flagged” for ambulance staff – whereby Scottish Ambulance Staff are not allowed to enter without the presence of police.

A Freedom of Information Request submitted by the Scottish Conservatives revealed the shocking statistics.

The highest number of red flagged addresses come with Glasgow and Edinburgh postcodes, with 107 and 83 addresses identified in these areas, respectively.

In the EH postcode area, the freedom of information request revealed that 83 warnings had been identified.

Mr. Briggs has highlighted concerns over the figures and has expressed doubt of how police and ambulance staff may link up, given that, under the SNP, police officer numbers in Scotland are at their lowest level for 15 years.

Mr. Briggs says that one attack on an emergency service worker in Lothian is one too many and more action must be taken to keep them safe.

Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said: “These figures are deeply concerning.

“This is a significant number of addresses that have been red-flagged in Lothian for our dedicated ambulance staff who are putting themselves at risk for others on a daily basis.

“One attack on any ambulance worker in Lothian is one too many.

“This is a direct result of the SNP slashing local budgets and gutting the police service across the country.

“With police officer numbers at their lowest number since 2008 across Scotland, I am also concerned that they may not be able to easily link up with ambulance crews when called upon at a particular address.

“It is clear from the number of addresses that have been red-flagged in Lothian that more needs to be done to keep our ambulance staff safe, which includes handing out hefty punishments to those found to have assaulted them while they are on duty.

“At the very least, frontline staff in Lothian should be reassured that they can go about their work without serious risk of injury from members of the public.”

2022-FOI-1768-Response-Letter-Download

FoI request reveals unpaid carer support during the pandemic

Freedom of Information data highlights the challenges in the delivery of Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements in Scotland

In response to the challenges of the pandemic, emergency legislation was passed, temporarily easing the duties of local authorities to prepare Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 for unpaid carers.

In May 2021, Carers Trust Scotland, on behalf of the Cross Party Group on Carers, issued a Freedom of Information request to the 32 local authorities in Scotland.

The request asked local authorities to report on various aspects of Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carers Statements in the years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.

Responses were received from 29 local authorities, revealing trends in the support provided to unpaid carers throughout the pandemic.

Across local authorities that provided data:

  • There was a decline of 21% in the number of Adult Carer Support Plans being completed from 2019/2020 to 2020/2021.
  • There was a decline of 24% in the number of Young Carer Statements being completed from 2019/2020 to 2020/21.
  • A reduction by 35% of adult carers met the local eligibility criteria for support in 2020/2021 than in 2019/2020.
  • A reduction by 25% of young carers met the local eligibility criteria for support in 2020/2021 than in 2019/2020.

These findings are particularly important considering Carers Trust research, which found that the pandemic has been very challenging for unpaid carers in Scotland. Research published in July 2021, found that 90% of respondents were spending more time caring and 82% said they hadn’t accessed any respite since the beginning of the pandemic.

With lockdowns and restrictions, many unpaid carers have been unable to share the responsibilities with family and friends and many services paused or reduced their input. This impacted unpaid carers’ mental health and wellbeing, with many expressing feelings of loneliness, isolation, stress and anxiety.

This is the context in which unpaid carers are receiving less support from their local authorities, through Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements. Carers Trust Scotland recognise the considerable challenge the pandemic has posed to local authorities and statutory services more widely. However, for unpaid carers it is vital that support is reinstated, and their rights are upheld.

Hannah Martin, Research and Engagement Officer for Carers Trust Scotland, commented: “The data and analysis from the Freedom of Information report shows a trend in unpaid carers across Scotland, receiving less support throughout the pandemic.

“It has been an incredibly challenging time for unpaid carers, and so moving forward it’s vital that carers receive the support they need. Support needs restored to at least pre-pandemic levels, to allow unpaid carers to live the life they choose.”

Mark Griffin, MSP, (Co-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Carers) said: “Unpaid carers across the country have worked tirelessly to support family and friends at a huge cost to themselves. This important research shows that carers have continued to ask for support and Councils have provided Support Plans and statements, albeit at a much reduced rate.

“The impact of the pandemic on carers’ mental health and wellbeing has been substantial with many expressing feelings of loneliness, isolation, stress and anxiety. We must urgently make sure carers are supported and their rights are upheld as we recover from the pandemic, so that these impacts are not compounded.”

Gillian Mackay, MSP (Co-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Carers) said: “The pandemic has been extremely challenging for many unpaid carers in Scotland and research tells us that the majority are spending more time caring but are unable to access respite breaks.

“This will have undoubtedly impacted their mental and physical health and it’s vital that all carers are able to access the support they need, when they need it. These findings are very concerning as they reveal that, for many carers, support has actually declined during the pandemic.

“This must be restored as a priority so that carers are not left struggling to cope.”

Care home deaths data published

The Crown Office yesterday published data on the Covid deaths in care homes that have been reported to it. The prosecution service was considering at least 3,400 deaths linked to Covid-19 as of 8 April.

The data, which was released to BBC Scotland under a Freedom of Information request, is part of a wider investigation to determine whether the deaths should be subject to the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) mechanism or prosecution.

The figures reveal some individual care homes accounted for a significant number of deaths.

HC-One’s Orchard Care Centre in Clackmannanshire accounted for 19 per cent of that council’s total fatalities (110).

Deaths were higher on average in homes where the provider owns one facility as opposed to a chain. For example, 25 deaths were reported in the one home operated by BUPA Care Homes, while 195 deaths were reported across Advinia’s 11 homes, averaging to roughly 17 per residence.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said the Crown Office data was “consistent with the findings” of a Public Health Scotland report which “did not find statistical evidence that hospital discharges of any kind were associated with care home outbreaks”.

She added: “We mourn every death from Covid and express our sympathy for all those who have lost loved ones, and for the distress and grief experienced by individuals and their families.

“As the first minister and health secretary have previously said the Scottish government will continue to learn lessons from the Covid-pandemic and, subject to the outcome of the election, intends to have a full public inquiry which considers all aspects of how the pandemic has been handled, including the impact on care homes and their residents.”

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has said the Scottish government “didn’t respond quickly enough to what was needed in our care homes”. Ms Freeman is standing down at next month’s Holyrood elections.

A spokesperson for the Crown Office said: “CDIT [Covid-19 Deaths Investigation Team] is working together with other agencies including the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and the Care Inspectorate to ensure that appropriate investigations are undertaken in relation to these deaths.

“These arrangements will ensure that the circumstances of each death can be fully considered by this dedicated team, and appropriate decisions made about any further investigation required, whether criminal or non-criminal.”

In a statement, Scottish Care said: “We note the publication by the BBC of data supplied by the Crown Office detailing the deaths of hundreds of people in Scotland’s care homes during the pandemic.

“This data demonstrates the terrible toll which has been felt by those who live, visit loved ones, and work in care homes as a result of Coronavirus. However, whilst the numbers tell us one story there are many things which they do not communicate.

“The numbers do not describe the unique lives of special individuals who have been lost to the pandemic. Lives which have been cut short before their time by a deadly virus. Behind each number is an individual who is loved and greatly missed by family and friends. Their loss is felt too by care home staff who have cared for and supported them for many months and years.

“The numbers do not describe the sad reality that those living in group and congregated settings such as care homes have been disproportionately affected across the world. They do not describe the reality that those who have suffered the most and who have died across the world are those who are very old and frail, and those living with multiple co-morbidities.

“The numbers do not describe at what point in the pandemic lives were lost in individual care homes. The number may describe deaths in multiple outbreaks across a long period of time or they may equally be a description of an intense and overwhelming single incident.

“The numbers do not detail at what point of time the deaths occurred in the last year. They do not describe whether they happened after testing had been introduced for frontline care staff after we learned the lessons of asymptomatic spread and the risk this posed to residents.

“The numbers do not describe whether individuals had been transferred from hospital or community, potentially carrying the virus into the care home.

“The numbers do not describe whether or not the deaths occurred at a time when we know less than we do now about the use of PPE and other infection control measures which are now protecting so many.

“The numbers do not describe whether these deaths happened during this particularly hard second wave with a much more virulent strain of the virus which has had such a devastating impact.

“The numbers of deaths tell part of the story but what they certainly do not tell of is the amazing professionalism, sacrifice and dedication of frontline nursing and care staff who daily put themselves at risk and on the line to protect some of our most vulnerable citizens facing the threat of this deadly global virus.

“As we consider the numbers, we remember all the lives lost and the dedication of those who worked to save life. As we consider the numbers, we would ask everyone to reach out to support the care homes, staff, residents and families affected and to do so with compassion and solidarity.”

Responding to yesterday’s Crown Office publication of data surrounding COVID-19 and care home deaths in Scotland, GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said: “Before the first lockdown, care home staff were ringing the alarm about the vulnerability of services users and themselves.

“Those concerns were dismissed and even derided by the Scottish Government and care industry representatives.

“The reality is that while Ministers were clapping for carers, staff were having to fight for the proper PPE and workplace testing, the basic tools needed to try and protect their health and safety and their service users too.

“There is no credibility in hiding behind poorly executed reports or investigations that focus on ordinary workers who had no say whatsoever in the decisions that led to one-third of all COVID related deaths to date occurring care homes.

“We need a public inquiry where the inaction of all responsible will be laid bare.”

No Road Safety Audit or Economic Impact Assessment carried out for Spaces for People initiative

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that City of Edinburgh Council have not followed the correct procedures for the Spaces for Peoples initiative.

The initiative has caused significant controversy since being put in place, including floating bus stops, reduced parking and increased congestion.

Local shops in the South of Edinburgh have spoken out this week about the adverse effect the initiative is having on their businesses, with a number being forced to close.

A Freedom of Information request by Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, revealed that no road safety audits or Economic Impact Assessment had been made before road closures were put in place.

A Written Answer from the Scottish Govt. responded that 56 letters or emails had been received concerning Spaces for People projects in Edinburgh which cover a range of issues.

In answer to being asked what consultation with local residents and businesses has been carried out, a City of Edinburgh Council representative responded:

“It is important that we put temporary measures in quickly as our priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents and support businesses. This means we are not able to follow a full engagement process but we have encouraged communities to submit their views”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The initial measures put in place when lockdown started, to give people more spaces on pavements, were understandable.

“Edinburgh has started moving again, shops have reopened and schools are back, so traffic has come up again to pre lockdown levels.

“City of Edinburgh Council has clearly stated that they want to move towards more walking and cycling as lockdown restrictions are eased, but full public consultation must be carried out before any permanent changes are made.

“The lack of any safety audits or an Economic Impact Assessment have led to all of the issues that we have seen with the Spaces for People initiative since it was put in place.”