It’s important your child gets all the vaccines they are offered at the right time to make sure they’ve got longer-term protection as they grow up.
When it’s time, you’ll receive a letter from the NHS with details of the appointment and what vaccines they’re being offered.
More children across Scotland will have access to free after school activities as part of the government’s national mission to tackle poverty.
The Scottish Government’s Extra Time Programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Football Association, supports local football clubs and trusts to provide free before school, after school and holiday activity clubs to primary school children from low income families.
Last year up to 5,000 children across 28 local authority areas were able to attend regular services which provide childcare options for their parents.
The 2026-27 Scottish Budget is increasing investment to expand delivery and reach of after school services, building on the success of the Extra Time programme, in areas where it is required for families most in need.
First Minister John Swinney met pupils benefiting from after school activities provided by Hibernian Community Foundation as part of the programme.
First Minister John Swinney said: “We know that families greatly value the services provided through the Extra Time Programme, which extend the school day, helping parents enter and sustain employment.
“The clubs are also hugely popular with children, enabling them to take part in football and other activities, learn new skills and access healthy food – helping improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
“The Scottish Government has supported the successful delivery of the programme through grassroots football clubs and trusts across the country, working closely with schools and community organisations.
“This is an excellent example of how we are improving outcomes for families and delivering on my priorities for Scotland – tackling poverty and growing our economy.”
Following publication of a new systematic review and meta-analysis in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health which found no evidence that paracetamol use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or intellectual disability among children, the MHRA has reaffirmed that paracetamol continues to be the safest option for managing pain and fever during pregnancy.
Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, said: “Paracetamol remains safe to use during pregnancy. This large-scale analysis of the evidence found no link between taking paracetamol during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or disability in children.
“Paracetamol has been used for many years and is the recommended first choice for treating pain or fever during pregnancy. When taken as directed, it is safe and effective.
“As with all medicines, pregnant women should speak to their doctor, pharmacist or midwife if they have any questions, and follow the guidance provided with the medicine.”
Paracetamol is recommended as the first-choice painkiller for pregnant women, used at the lowest dose and for the shortest duration.
If pain does not resolve, then patients are advised to seek advice from their healthcare professional.
See NHS Guidance – Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking paracetamol for adults
January often arrives with a wave of “new year, new you” messages – promises of miracle diets, detoxes, and overnight transformations. But what if, instead of leaning into strict restrictions, we embrace small steps and consistency? Because let’s face it, slow and steady always wins the race (well, the marathon at least)!
In this months Healthy Tip Amie Leckie, Registered Nutritional Therapist and Health & Wellbeing Specialist at Heart Research UK offers up her top five ways to eat better this year, not just for January, but all the way through to December and beyond!
Optimal health doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a slow and steady journey that requires small, consistent changes. The five strategies below aren’t rocket science, and you won’t need a degree in nutrition to understand them – it’s simple, back-to-basics stuff that doesn’t require any special supplements or equipment. If you are struggling with your health and want 2026 to be the year you finally tackle it, start with these five simple things and be consistent – you’ll be surprised with the results you achieve.
And whatever your nutrition goals are this year, we’ve got you covered with five delicious Daily Meal Plans to help get you started on the right foot.
Cook From Scratch
Cooking more things at home is one of the best things you can do for overall health. When we cook at home, we have complete control over the ingredients used. This allows us to avoid unhealthy additives, preservatives, and unhealthy fats commonly found in processed foods.
In addition, foods prepared from fresh ingredients are usually richer in essential nutrients compared to highly processed foods. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in whole foods are often lost or decreased during processing – by cooking from scratch, we ensure our bodies receive the full spectrum of nutrients necessary for optimal function.
If you currently eat a lot of processed foods such as ready meals, instant soups, frozen pizzas and flavoured yoghurts, start by committing to cook from scratch a few meals or days per week – slowly build up until processed foods form only a small part of your diet.
Batch Cook/Prep
One of the biggest barriers to consistently eating well is time, or lack of. When days or even weeks get busy, despite our best intentions, we often reach for quick, easy options and these usually aren’t the healthiest.
Amie Leckie, Health & Wellbeing Specialist says: “Setting aside a couple of hours each week to batch cook a few meals and organise snacks for the week ahead really can be a game changer.
“If you have carrot sticks and melon slices waiting for you in the fridge, it will be much easier to snack on those over crisps.”
Sunday afternoon is a good time, go shopping and get cooking – things like a batch of soup for lunches, hummus and veg sticks for snacks, boiled eggs for breakfast and a couple of batch cooked evening meals like curries or a veggie-packed lasagne are great options.
Even if you don’t want to cook the whole meal ahead of time, you can chop veggies, mix spices or marinate meats and fish – do whatever you can ahead of time to make the week run smoother.
Snack on Veggies
We all know that eating more vegetables is good for our overall health as well as our cardiovascular health, but without adding them into our days as snacks it can be hard to consume as much as we need.
All adults should be consuming at least 30g of fibre per day, but only about 4% of adults in the UK meet this recommendation. Upping your vegetable intake is a great way to add more fibre – raw veggies make great snacks that can be prepared in advance. Carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas make great options.
If the thought of snacking on plain veggies isn’t for you, why not try some of our heart healthy dips to make those humble vegetables more appealing?
You can download our Dips Recipe Book here.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is an essential part of nutrition and can either help or hinder your heart’s ability to work effectively. Studies have found that being adequately hydrated is associated with reduced long-term risks for heart diseases.
Did you know that over 66% of the UK population doesn’t drink enough water?
Amie says: “Every single cell in our body needs water to function optimally, its such a simple, yet often overlooked part of the health puzzle.
“If you are even moderately dehydrated it can impact your energy levels, cause brain fog and leaving feeling all-round rubbish.”
Most adults need to drink about 1.5-2 litres of fluids per day (milk and herbal teas count too!), you can download our 30-Day Hydration Tracker to help you keep track of this.
Meal Plan
Meal planning links in with batch cooking and prepping. Taking time each week to write down what meals you will eat each day will take away the decisions during the week making it less likely you’ll end up ordering a takeaway.
What’s more, you can plan your meals based on your goals – for example, if you are aiming to loose weight, plan high protein meals that will help keep you feeling fuller for longer, making it easier and more enjoyable for you to cut calories.
Amie suggests: “One of my favourite strategies is to meal plan very well once and never do it again. Make two or three weeks’ worth of meal plans, with accompanying shopping lists and then alternate the weeks.
“Three weeks is a long enough time that you’ll get in a variety of meals so you won’t be bored, and you can swap out the odd meal here and there when you find a new recipe you enjoy – spend some time doing it upfront and save the headaches every week!”
Heart Research UK Daily Meal Plans.
Each plan focuses on a key dietary principle that supports heart health, so you can choose what fits your goals and lifestyle.
Whether you want to boost your protein, add more fibre, eat more plants, or simply find healthier ways to celebrate, these plans are here to help you start the year strong.
Pick one that speaks to your goals or try a different one each week to explore new flavours and habits.
You might be surprised at how quickly “eating well” starts to feel like a joy, not a chore: download them now.
The National Autistic Society Scotland is calling for real change for autistic people, ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May.
The new campaign calls on the next Scottish Government to introduce the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill to parliament as soon as possible.
Autistic people in Scotland are waiting months, if not years, for an assessment and experience poorer health outcomes than the general population. At school, autistic pupils face exclusion and isolation due to lack of support, and in community settings autistic people face discrimination stemming from a lack of understanding and access to services.
The campaign is split into four key areas: diagnosis and support; accessible healthcare; support in schools; and inclusive communities. The LDAN Bill can play a transformative role in each of these areas by introducing national and local plans to tackle waiting lists, introducing mandatory training in healthcare and education, and addressing a glaring lack of accountability in the public services and systems meant to support autistic people in Scotland.
Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: ‘Too often we hear from autistic people and families that do not have the support they need to live fulfilled lives on their terms, and who are continually being driven into crisis.
“Despite many good laws, strategies and policies in Scotland, there remains a gap between the support people should receive and what they actually receive, whether in school, social care, healthcare or employment.
“The importance of the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill in tackling the inequalities faced by autistic people and their families cannot be underestimated. It is a vital opportunity to address systematic injustices and to improve outcomes for autistic people of all ages, and that is why we are calling on all political parties to commit to introducing the Bill in Government.”
Becca, NAS Campaigner, said: “We must be allowed to have equal access and opportunity. We are not a burden on society. We are useful, we are intelligent, we are creative. We are inspiring. We are contributors.
“We must be allowed the chance to belong, the chance to make a difference, to be educated and be educators, to be validated, taken seriously. We must be allowed to live in a fair and just society where we are not discriminated against and where we have the chance to live our lives fully and freely.
“The LDAN bill will give autistic and neurodivergent people a chance to be involved in a fairer society. It will decrease the amount of discrimination and invalidation by making people aware, trained and knowledgeable.
“It will increase independence and choice, helping people to feel they are active in the decisions that affect their own lives whilst also receiving valuable support.”
You can read more about the campaign on the NAS website.
Workforce pressures, resource constraints and severe overcrowding are exacerbating issues related to substance misuse in Scotland’s prisons, says the Criminal Justice Committee.
The Committee’s inquiry into substance misuse in prisons looked at how substances enter Scotland’s prison estate, the impact of substances in prisons, and rehabilitation and support services.
The Committee found that substance misuse in custody remains a systemic challenge across the prison estate, and reflects deep-rooted societal issues such as poverty, trauma, inequality and mental ill-health. It says systemic reform which treats substance misuse in Scotland’s prisons as a public health issue, not a justice one, is essential to tackle it effectively.
Evidence is highlighted by the Committee of prison healthcare teams often operating under pressures that would be deemed unacceptable in community settings, including chronic understaffing, limited clinical space, high levels of acuity, and inadequate digital infrastructure.
The Committee say persistent and extreme overcrowding in prisons also acts as a major barrier to preventing substance misuse issues and providing effective care.
Highlighting the variations in healthcare provision between NHS Boards and wider health system failings, the Committee say that without significant improvement to the capacity, governance and integration of health and social care services for people in custody, prisons will struggle to absorb unmet clinical needs.
On supply and security, the Committee found that total prohibition is unrealistic in an era of synthetic cannabinoids and nitazenes, and that organised-crime networks continue to exploit vulnerabilities in the prison environment.
Although improved technology and the use of window grilles can limit supply, the Committee say success must be measured by reductions in harm and demand, not simply by the number of seizures.
Mental-health care is an area of particular concern to the Committee and the report highlights evidence of inconsistent access across the prison estate. The Committee is calling for parity between custody and community services to reduce harm and improve post-release outcomes.
The Committee say data gaps limit understanding of the true scale of the harm of substance misuse in prisons and the effectiveness of interventions, and more must be done to improve data transparency and evaluation.
The vital importance of the transition from prison to the community for individuals dealing with substance misuse is highlighted in the report. The Committee say the period after release poses the highest risk of overdose and death and that every individual should leave custody with an integrated, person-centred release plan, including verified prescriptions, housing, and GP registration.
The significant emotional and psychological strain prison officers, healthcare staff, and voluntary-sector partners face is also highlighted. The Committee say increased support and a trauma-informed approach must apply to staff as well as those in custody.
This inquiry has highlighted that tackling substance misuse requires a whole-system approach. The Committee has agreed to continue working with justice partners, health services, and communities to deliver meaningful change.
Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “Our inquiry illustrates clearly that substance misuse in Scotland’s prisons is not simply a justice issue, it is a public health one and can only be tackled effectively by being treated as such.
“The evidence we have gathered reveals a prison system and staff under extreme pressure, with issues such as under-resourced services and overcrowding exacerbating the myriad impacts of substance misuse in prisons. The goal is clear: to break the cycle of addiction and reoffending, and to protect lives.
“It’s clear more must be done to reduce pressure on the workforce and reduce overcrowding, and ensure adequate resourcing of services, particularly specialist staff – all of which are vital to tackle substance misuse in prisons.
“But these issues cannot be understood in isolation from the broader social determinants of health and justice. Systemic reform which prioritises recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration is essential in order to begin to tackle the complex and intertwined issues related to substance misuse.
“Our Committee is determined that this inquiry is not the endpoint of scrutiny, but the foundation for continuing parliamentary oversight of progress in reducing drug and alcohol harms in custody and improving outcomes for individuals.
“The Committee recognises the extraordinary efforts of prison officers, healthcare staff, and voluntary-sector partners who operate daily in difficult and often dangerous circumstances. We’d like to thank everyone who has engaged with our inquiry and informed our scrutiny.”
People will benefit from faster access to GP care as part of a £36 million investment announced in the Scottish Budget.
The funding will support the rollout of a new network of walk-in General Practice (GP) services, designed to make it easier for people to see GPs and other primary care clinicians quickly for urgent health concerns without needing an appointment.
Fifteen walk-in service centres will be established, with services focused on urgent, on-the-day primary care needs, similar to the care currently provided by GP out-of-hours services.
Services – which will be open 12pm-8pm, seven days per week – will allow people to attend without a prior appointment and will complement existing GP practices, NHS 24, community pharmacy, and hospitals.
Visiting the first future pilot site to be announced – Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre – Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray said: “This £36 million investment will help more people get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Walk-in services will make it easier to access urgent care on the day it’s needed, while easing pressure on GP practices and hospitals.
“Open seven days per week, between 12pm-8pm, our new walk-in centres will ensure people can get the care they need at a time that works for them – and will deliver over one million additional GP and nurse appointments.
“The funding for the walk-in services is just part of almost £22.5 billion allocated to health and social care, including a record £17.6 billion for NHS services and resources. Our continued investment in the NHS is allowing us to target areas which are experiencing long waits, reducing backlogs, and getting people the appointments and treatments they need as quickly as possible.
“I am determined to keep driving forward improvements so everyone can get the care they need, when they need it.”
Tracey McKigen, Director of Primary Care for NHS Lothian, said: “We are working closely with Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre, the Edinburgh Health and Social Care partnership and the Scottish Government to shape proposals for piloting a new walk-in GP service.
“While plans are still being refined, we believe the new service will help improve access to primary care and complement existing local health services.”
In Scotland between October and March we do not get enough of the right kind of sunlight for our bodies to make Vitamin D.
People who are more likely to be deficient in Vitamin D are recommended to take a daily supplement all year round.
Those more at risk include:
More information from Food Standards Scotland can be found here:
As January routines begin to settle and New Year motivation turns into lasting habits, Edinburgh Leisure is reminding Edinburgh residents that it’s not too late to get started, with a £0 Joining Fee offer available until 31st January 2026.
The limited-time promotion removes the upfront cost of joining and applies to a wide range of adult memberships, including Fitness, Gym, Fitness Class, Swim, Climb, Golf, Evolve and Young Adult memberships, helping more people take the first step or return to regular physical activity.
A New Year’s Offer Designed for Real Life
Rather than focusing on short-lived resolutions, Edinburgh Leisure’s January campaign encourages a more balanced approach to wellbeing, centred on small, sustainable habits that fit into everyday life.
With no joining fee and no contract, new members can explore activities at their own pace, supported by welcoming venues and expert teams across the city.
At the centre of the campaign is Edinburgh Leisure’s Full Fitness membership, which offers broad access to gyms, swimming pools and fitness classes across multiple venues – all included under one flexible monthly price.
More Choice Across the City
For those looking for variety, Edinburgh Leisure’s wider membership range provides access to climbing facilities, golf courses, specialist fitness spaces and swimming venues, allowing customers to choose the membership that best suits their interests and goals.
The Full Fitness membership now also includes access to Evolve Meadowbank, Edinburgh Leisure’s flagship hybrid gym and training space, adding even greater flexibility and choice for members looking to train in different ways.
Throughout January, members and new joiners are benefiting from a packed programme of activity, including January gym challenges, expanded Les Mills class timetables and Free Friend Week (19-25 January) – reinforcing the role of motivation, community and enjoyment in staying active.
Local Fitness, Close to Home
With a strong local focus, the campaign continues to highlight key venues such as Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh International Climbing Arena Ratho and many more, supporting communities where demand for accessible, affordable fitness remains high. Whether returning after a break or trying something new, Edinburgh Leisure offers inclusive spaces for all ages, abilities and experience levels.
Join Before January Ends
With only weeks remaining to take advantage of the £0 Joining Fee offer, Edinburgh Leisure is encouraging anyone still considering joining to act before the end of January and carry their New Year momentum into the months ahead.Offer valid until 31st January 2026.
Find out more and join online:
https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/january-membership-offer/
