Scottish Government and local partners must act now to protect vital palliative care services
St Columba’s Hospice Care and Marie Curie Edinburgh are warning that essential palliative and end-of-life care services are now at serious risk due to funding decisions made by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and inaction by the Scottish Government.
The HSCP has chosen to reverse a 3% inflationary uplift in funding to hospices, which they committed to earlier in the year. This decision was taken in reaction to the Scottish Government announcement of an additional £5 million to help hospices address workforce pressures.
That £5 million was solely intended to support hospices with the recruitment and retention of skilled staff during a time of extreme pressure, not to replace existing funding agreements.
This decision from HSCP undermines the purpose of the allocation and places essential palliative and end-of-life services across the Lothians at risk. To date, St Columba’s Hospice Care has not received its share of the £5 million, which is approximately £496,000. The delay is creating further financial uncertainty and threatening frontline services for patients and families.
We call on the Scottish Government and HSCP to:
Reinstate the 3% inflationary uplift immediately.
Release the national pay parity funding without delay.
Commit to a national review of hospice funding to ensure equity and sustainability across Scotland.
Jackie Stone, CEO, St Columba’s Hospice Care, said:“Hospice’s are being pushed to make very difficult decisions that may impact on our patients and families. This reversal sends a devastating message to our staff and to the families we care for that fair pay and essential services are negotiable. They are not.
“The Scottish Government made a public commitment to fair pay and sustainable services, but we are being left with broken promises and growing deficits.
“We urge the Scottish Government and local partnerships to act now before we are forced to withdraw services that thousands of people across Edinburgh and the Lothians rely on every year.”
Hospices are an integral part of Scotland’s healthcare system and must be treated as such. They need sustainable, equitable funding. The government must act now to ensure a consistent national approach to hospice funding.
Hospices deliver vital, high-quality care that the NHS relies on, and they must be supported, not penalised, for working to achieve fair pay for their staff.
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Latest figures highlight 146 children waiting more than a year for mental health treatment, says SCSC
For the third consecutive quarter in a row, there has been continued progress on waiting times for children and young people’s mental health care.
From April to June this year, 91.8% of those referred to CAMHS were seen within 18 weeks, according to the latest statistics from Public Health Scotland. This is a slight increase from 91.6% in the previous quarter, and above the national standard of 90%.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Tom Arthur said: “I welcome the continued progress in these services – staff across Scotland are working hard to ensure children and young people are getting the support they need when they need it, and I am grateful for their continued dedication.
“We have exceeded our promise to provide funding for 320 additional staff for CAMHS by 2026, and this will have contributed to the improvements we are seeing.
“However, I am aware there is still more to do to ensure standards are consistent across the country and we are supporting all NHS Boards to meet the standard and continue development in the delivery of CAMHS and all mental health services.”
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling for parity of action and parity of spend as new figures highlight 146 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment in Scotland.
These figures were highlighted in the latest waiting time statistics from Public Health Scotland published today (2nd September), indicating that 146 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in the quarter ending June 2025.1
Additionally, 271 individuals have been waiting for between nine months and a year for treatment.
The figures come out following a Freedom of Information request to NHS Boards that found that in 2024/25, a patient in NHS Highland waited 1189 days – more than three years – for treatment by CAMHS, and in NHS Tayside, a patient has been waiting 1,137 days to start treatment. 2
The Scottish Government’s target, dating back to December 2014, states that 90 per cent of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
This comes against the background of a mental health emergency, with an increasing demand on services, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with overstretched and under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand.
However, it should be noted that despite this greatly increased demand, only 0.82 per cent of the total frontline NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2023/24 financial year, amounting to £134.188 million (real terms). This equates to just 82p in every £100 of the NHS budget. 3
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures highlighting that 146 children and young people have been waiting over a year for mental health treatment are extremely alarming.
“While the fact that the Scottish Government is meeting its waiting time target is to be welcomed, many children and young people are still waiting years for help, which worsens their mental health and is a sure-fire way to add to their pain.
“What we need is not just parity of esteem between mental health and physical health, it’s parity of action and parity of spend.
“We are facing a mental health emergency, and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels as they battle with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living. This is also having a negative impact on classroom behaviour, affecting the young people concerned, their fellow pupils and staff.
“Each one of these statistics is an individual, and we would urge the Scottish Government to ensure the adequate resourcing of mental health services for our children and young people so that they can get the care and support they need, without lengthy waits.”
In response to today’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services figures, chief executive of Children First Mary Glasgow said: “Today’s figures show the importance of keeping the spotlight on children’s mental health.
“The reduction in waiting times is welcome, but while four months is the target, it is still too long, especially when children are suffering in severe distress.
“By urgently investing in more early help and support the Scottish Government can prevent children reaching a point of emergency.
“Every day our support line and our teams across Scotland hear from children and young people with high levels of worry and anxiety coming to us desperate for help.”
“If you are worried about your child our friendly support line team is here for you on 08000 28 22 33.”
The number of deaths caused by drug misuse fell by 13% to 1,017 last year – the lowest level registered since 2017.
According to statistics published by National Records of Scotland yesterday, there were 155 fewer deaths in 2024 compared to the previous year.
The statistics showed that people in the most deprived areas were 12 times more likely to die from drugs as those in least deprived areas. This is a drop from 15 times more likely in 2023.
There was also a drop in the number of deaths among young people with 34 under-25s compared with 58 in 2023.
However, Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd said there is still work to be done by the Scottish Government to deal with the harm caused by drugs.
During a visit to The Scheme Livi recovery project, which offers a variety of creative workshops to support people dealing with substance use, Ms Todd said: “My heartfelt condolences go to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.
“It is welcome that we have seen progress with the number of deaths at the lowest level since 2017, but I know there is still work to be done and we will continue to do everything we can to save and improve lives.
“This is particularly true as we face new threats from highly dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which further raise the risk of overdose and death.
“That is why we are providing record levels of funding for drugs and alcohol programmes and widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone. We have also supported and funded the opening of the UK’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility and are working at pace to deliver drug-checking facilities.
“The spread of grassroots support, enhanced by our funding of more than 300 organisations and projects, has also made a difference on the ground. However, we will always want to do more and will continue to work hard to adapt to new patterns of consumption and demand to direct support where it is most needed.”
The Scheme Livi co-founder Aidan Martin said: “At The Scheme Livi, we’ve seen first-hand how grassroots projects, supported by Corra, can transform lives. Since launching full-time in March 2023, we’ve welcomed over 3,100 attendees, with 524 unique footprints, to our free creative workshops, which carry both therapeutic and creative benefits.
“These attendee numbers highlight the real need for safe, supportive spaces for people impacted by addiction, trauma, mental health challenges, social isolation, and social deprivation.”
The annual report for drug related deaths from the National Records of Scotland, published today, shows that there were 1017 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2024; a decrease of 13% (155 deaths) compared to 2023.
The report also highlights the worrying extent of premature mortality, with 46% of deaths (467) occurring in the 35-49 age group, similar to 2023, when this age group accounted for 49% of deaths (583).
Opioids continue to be the most common drug type implicated in drug-related deaths (80%), which reflects a similar picture to 2023.
Reflecting on the publication of the figures, Dr Tara Shivaji, Consultant at Public Health Scotland (PHS), said:“We must all take a moment to pause and reflect on the stark reality of this report.
“These deaths are not just numbers; they reflect real people in our communities and families. Those who are working tirelessly within the system will feel the weight today as drug related deaths, and harm, continues to be one of the most significant public health challenges in Scotland.
“Whilst there was a slight decrease in deaths from 2023, Scotland continues to have one of the highest drug death rates in the developed world. Our most recent RADAR quarterly report showed an increase in drug harms during 2025.
“In order to tackle this, we must also address the underlying social determinants of health. Poverty, homelessness, trauma, and stigma play a key role in further entrenching the problematic drug use. We are working with health boards, local authorities and third sector organisations right across the country to reduce these inequalities.
“Scotland’s Population Health Framework 2025-2035 sets out a vision that we, collectively, need to focus on prevention and create supportive environments that promote health and wellbeing and reduce health harming activities.
“Through research and consultation, PHS is working across the system to actively engage with partners, stakeholders and people with lived and living experience.
“Our aim is to prevent substance use harm – making sure our schools, families and communities can reduce early risks and support healthier futures.”
COSLA has issued a short statement following statistics published today (2nd September 2025) on drug-related deaths in Scotland.
A COSLA Spokesperson said: “Every death from drug misuse is a tragedy. These numbers represent loved ones: parents, sons, daughters and siblings. It is a stark reminder of the challenges we still need to overcome across the public and third sectors to end deaths of this nature.
“Local Authorities continue to work in partnership with a wide range of agencies to support to people affected by addiction and drug misuse, and reduce the devastating impacts on our communities.”
Edinburgh charity U-evolve, which has been supporting young people’s mental health since 2015, will host The Art of Taking Up Space, a three-day exhibition showcasing artwork created and curated by young people across the city.
The free exhibition takes place from 30th September to 2nd October 2025 at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Leith.
Marking U-evolve’s tenth anniversary, the project is the culmination of an 8-week art and wellbeing programme, co-facilitated by the charity’s resident Art Therapist, alongside local artists and art students. Young people have explored their experiences of mental health, trauma, resilience and hope, using creativity as a tool for healing, connection and change.
Alongside the exhibition, U-evolve is partnering with organisations including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, The Ripple, LGBT Youth Scotland, Circle and Craigroyston Community High School to deliver pop-up workshops.
These partnerships aim to open up community spaces, widen access and encourage youth engagement with art as a pathway to improved wellbeing.
Alison Wright, Art Psychotherapist & Development Worker at U-evolve said: “I’m so proud of the young people who’ve taken part in our art therapy workshops.
“Art has given them a way to express feelings they can’t always put into words, and it has opened up space for conversations in a safe, informal way. The work going on display is honest and from the heart and shows how creative support groups, along with plenty of snacks, can support healing and better mental health!”
Susie McIntyre, U-evolve’s CEO added: “Our 2025-28 strategy is all about creating space for young people and places where they feel safe, heard and empowered.
“The Art of Taking Up Space will highlight just how vital these spaces and services are for healing, wellbeing, and engaging young people in therapies that resonate. We can’t wait to welcome visitors from across the city to the exhibition and to share these pieces from our amazing young people.”
A young person who has taken part in the art therapy courses commented: “These sessions have always been so helpful and even life-changing. I don’t know how my life would have been without this support.”
Since opening in 2015, U-evolve has supported around 200 young people annually, delivering more than 1,000 hours of free coaching, counselling and therapeutic services each year.
Based in Leith, the charity works extensively across North Edinburgh and the South East of the city, reaching young people aged 11 to 21, many of whom face significant challenges linked to poverty, inequality and trauma.
The Art of Taking Up Space is part of The Big Ten, U-evolve’s anniversary project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the event is sponsored by local Leith opticians Cameron Optometry.
The three days will feature several exhibition spaces, a retrospective of U-evolve’s decade of impact and an evening celebratory launch event on 30th September.
Tickets for the launch event, along with more information about U-evolve, are available at www.u-evolve.org.
UK announces new life-saving support for pregnant women and new mothers, and menstrual hygiene kits for thousands of women and girls
UK announces new life-saving support for pregnant women and new mothers, and menstrual hygiene kits for thousands of women and girls
Foreign Secretary calls for a full resumption of aid into Gaza, as women and girls risk pregnancy complications and disease
It comes amid ‘catastrophic’ humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with ‘women and girls bearing the brunt of the suffering’
Against a backdrop of an appalling humanitarian crisis, the UK has pledged vital funding to deploy midwives and deliver emergency medical supplies for new mothers in Gaza. The aid could reach thousands—but only if Israel allows a substantial increase in vital humanitarian access.
The announcement comes after the Famine Review Committee confirmed famine in parts of Gaza.
The UK reiterates that the Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe and urges it to take action to improve the situation immediately.
The Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, with famine in Gaza City and women and girls bearing the brunt of the suffering.
“The UK is doing all we can to improve the situation but we remain crystal clear: for aid to have impact, Israel must ensure it is allowed in and delivered safely and securely to civilians in desperate need.
“Gaza’s healthcare system has been decimated. With ongoing strikes on healthcare centres and most hospitals no longer functioning at all, pregnant women will be extremely anxious about giving birth safely.
“That’s why we’re announcing this support today as part of our sustained humanitarian assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“This new funding will help improve midwifery provisions and make giving birth safer. It is critical to improving the situation for mothers and their new-born babies.
“But this funding can only have maximum impact if the Government of Israel allows it. Israel must ensure protection of civilians including healthcare staff and health infrastructure, and enable the delivery of life saving medicines, medical equipment and healthcare supplies into Gaza.
“We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, a surge in aid and a framework to deliver long-term peace.”
UK funding is set to support some of the 130 women who give birth every day against the backdrop of conflict in Gaza. This £3m funding, delivered through the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) is supporting midwives to provide essential lifesaving care for mothers and newborn babies in conflicts and crises.
UNFPA is providing life-saving reproductive health supplies for women and girls in Gaza. Since the conflict began, UNFPA has reached over one million people with sexual and productive health services and gender-based violence prevention and response support.
It has also ensured that over 150,000 women and girls have been able to purchase essential menstrual and hygiene items to meet their basic needs.
Laila Baker, UNFPA Arab States Regional Director said: “Women and girls are enduring increasingly horrific conditions in Gaza – with widespread malnutrition and disease putting the lives of pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies at particular risk.
“This vital contribution from the United Kingdom will support UNFPA in providing lifesaving medicines, deploying mobile maternity units, and supporting midwives across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“With one in five babies in Gaza born prematurely or underweight, and maternal and neonatal services collapsing from fuel and supply shortages, UNFPA also reiterates its urgent call for unimpeded, sustained and demilitarized humanitarian aid into the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The FCDO is also working with Oxfam GB to distribute Reemi’s zero waste menstrual hygiene products that are suitable for women and girls with limited access to clean water. In incredibly difficult circumstances, Oxfam and local partners distributed over 5,000 Reemi kits in Northern Gaza in early 2025.
Hourglass – the only UK-wide charity dedicated to ending the abuse, harm, exploitation and neglect of older people – has responded to comments by the Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips, who admitted the DASH tool “doesn’t work”.
DASH – the UK’s main risk assessment tool for domestic abuse – could soon be scrapped, after mounting evidence shows it has repeatedly failed to identify high-risk cases.
For more than a decade, professionals across the UK have relied on DASH. Yet independent studies reveal that victims who were later killed, or suffered repeated abuse, were often assessed as only ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ risk. Families who lost loved ones are now taking legal action against institutions that relied on this flawed tool.
Hourglass has long warned that DASH was never fit for purpose when it came to older victim-survivors. Abuse in later life often looks very different: dependency on carers or family members, economic coercion, neglect and isolation.
By contrast, DASH questions were built around the experiences of younger victims, often focusing on stalking, harassment or recent relationship breakdowns.
Crucially, Hourglass reminds policymakers that abuse of older people is not just a women and girls’ issue:
Older men make up a significant proportion of callers to the Hourglass helpline.
Abuse can be perpetrated by adult children, relatives, or even professional carers – not just intimate partners.
Risk tools designed solely within a VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) framework leave older men, and those outside traditional victim stereotypes, unseen and unsupported.
Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of Hourglass, said: “Older victim-survivors of abuse are too often invisible in the safeguarding system.
“Hourglass has never believed that DASH adequately reflected the realities of abuse in later life – whether those victims are women or men. Replacing DASH must be more than a technical fix.
“It must embed an age-inclusive, gender-inclusive understanding of abuse, backed by training, resourced services, and accountability across every agency.”
Hourglass is calling on government and safeguarding partners to:
Ensure any replacement risk tool reflects the unique dynamics of abuse against older people, including economic dependence, carer-abuse, coercion at end of life, and age-related vulnerabilities.
Recognise that older men as well as women are victims, and provide specialist services.
Mandate specialist training for professionals so older victims are not ‘downgraded’ or dismissed as low-risk.
Collect robust age- and gender-segmented data to monitor risk decisions and prevent systemic neglect of older victim-survivors.
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MINISTER MARKS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd has praised the Scottish Ambulance Service’s successful Take Home Naloxone (THN) programme, which has now issued more than 4,000 kits.
On a visit to Springburn Ambulance Station in Glasgow to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, Ms Todd was trained to use naloxone kits which temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
The packs are given out to people at risk and their families who can use them to deal with any future overdose while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
Since Scotland’s National Naloxone Programme began in 2011, up to December 2024, a total of 205,650 take-home naloxone kits have been issued.
Ms Todd said: “Every drug death is a tragedy, and my condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one, on a day where we remember them.
“The work done by the Scottish Ambulance Service and other partners has been instrumental in saving lives, especially at a time when naloxone has become even more important. I am a grateful for the hard work of all the staff who provide this vital frontline service. I was very pleased to hear about the continued progress in delivery and to be shown how to use the naloxone kits.
“Due to the presence of an increasingly unpredictable drug supply of highly dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which raise the risk of overdose, hospitalisation and death, I would urge anyone who carries naloxone to have extra life-saving kits with them so repeat doses can be given if required.
“I am determined to do even more to tackle the harm caused by drugs. That’s why we are providing record levels of funding for drugs and alcohol programmes, including widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone. We have also supported and funded the opening of the UK’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility, and are working at pace to deliver drug-checking facilities.”
All SAS crews have been trained in in distributing naloxone since 2023, following the launch of its training programme in 2021. As well as treating people for the effects of overdose themselves, and handing out the take-home kits, crews are providing a vital link to support and treatment.
Scottish Ambulance Service CEO Michael Dickson said: “Our staff respond with care and compassion to anyone who experiences an overdose.
“Our call handlers can offer advice during the 999 call, and our ambulance clinicians provide crucial treatment when they arrive at the scene.
“Ambulance crews are able to supply Take Home Naloxone, are starting to provide clean sterile injecting equipment, and can also connect people experiencing problematic substance use with other services who can provide further care and treatment.”
