Improving outcomes for neurodivergent and autistic people, and people with learning disabilities
Autistic adults are to benefit from more than £600,000 of new funding to improve access to advice, support and assessment, including support while waiting for assessment.
The funding will ensure more people can access help at the right time, in the right place, based on their individual needs.
It is part of wider work by the Scottish Government to improve neurodevelopmental support for adults and children and comes ahead of the publication of a draft route map for adult neurodevelopmental support in the autumn.
The route map will set out a four-tier approach, based on recommendations from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, comprising public health, universal, targeted and intensive support based on individual need.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd, said: “I know that too many neurodivergent people, including those with autism, are waiting too long for the support they need.
“This funding will help improve people’s access to support based on their individual needs, and supports our aim for people to be able to access support as soon as needs are identified regardless of diagnostic status.
“Specialist secondary services have been overwhelmed in recent years with increased demand for assessments and support.
“Tackling that is key so we can ensure neurodivergent people, and people with learning disabilities are understood, supported, and empowered.”
Scottish Government action to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities, autistic people and neurodivergent people includes:
supporting over 2,800 people with Learning Disabilities through the Learning Disability Support Fund in its first 6 months of implementation
£20 million of funding to implement the Coming Home Action Plan, which sets out measures to ensure people with learning disabilities and complex support needs benefit from tailored support and housing close to home, family and friends.
an additional £29 million of Additional Support Needs (ASN) in 2026/27 to support the ASN workforce
supporting children and young people with neurodevelopmental needs and their families with £7.6 million funding to local authorities, announced in September
taking forward reforms to improve neurodevelopmental support and ensure people can access support, including a draft route map for adult neurodevelopmental support which will set out a four-level approach to support based on recommendations from the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Responding to Scottish Emergency Department performance figures for August 2026, Dr Fiona Hunter, Scotland Vice President at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “These figures show that Scottish EDs continue to operate under sustained and unacceptable pressure, having experienced the worst August on record in terms of four-hour performance.”
Performance figures showed that:
Only 62.3% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, far below the Scottish Government’s 95% target and almost on a par with performance levels in England.
13.4% of patients waited more than eight hours in major EDs, equating to 17,413 patients. This was at least 1.2 percentage points higher than any other summer month in the last 19 years.
5.4% of patients waited more than 12 hours, equivalent to 6,965 patients, almost 20 times higher than July 2019 levels.
On average, 1,971 patients each day remained in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge, highlighting continued problems with patient flow and delayed discharge.
Dr Hunter said: “There has been no let up at all during the summer, and we worry about what lies ahead in winter – although it is very clear that seasonal pressures are a thing of the past and we are now in a state of year-round permacrisis.
“Overcrowding is rife – putting lives at risk – and too many patients remain in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge, which reduces bed availability and creates exit block in Emergency Departments.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s recognition that improving patient flow through hospitals is vital, but recognition must be backed by urgent action.
“We need to see increased social care capacity, consistent seven-day discharge processes – as well as wider hospital services working extended hours – and shared responsibility for patient flow across the health system.”
The visit provided an opportunity to highlight the need for greater specialist expertise in education and more proactive, preventative healthcare for people with cerebral palsy.
Màiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic, visited Cerebral Palsy Scotland’s specialist therapy centre in Glasgow on Wednesday 23 September, meeting children, young people and families with lived experience of cerebral palsy, alongside the charity’s multidisciplinary team of specialist therapists.
The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the experiences of children and young people with cerebral palsy in education, as well as the importance of ensuring people with the condition can access appropriate specialist support throughout their lives.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Every child and young person should be supported to participate fully in education, to be included in their school community and to achieve their potential.
“Cerebral palsy can affect learning, participation and wellbeing and it has been valuable to see the specialist expertise available through Cerebral Palsy Scotland and discuss the importance of ensuring support is responsive to individual needs.
“The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to drive improvement in additional support for learning. That’s why we invest more than £11 million annually to directly fund services to children and families, including support for pupils with complex needs.”
During conversations with the Education Secretary, the charity raised concerns about the support available to children and young people with cerebral palsy within education.
Cerebral palsy can affect learning and participation in ways that extend beyond physical access to a classroom. Pain, fatigue, communication needs, processing speed, concentration, fine motor skills, energy levels, toileting and self-care can all affect a child or young person’s educational experience and wellbeing.
Yet these needs are not consistently being met, with many children and young people with cerebral palsy lacking access to the specialist support and adjustments they need to fully participate in education and reach their potential.
Cerebral Palsy Scotland is calling for greater access to specialist knowledge, expertise and advice across all educational settings, including early years, primary and secondary schools, schools supporting children and young people with additional support needs, and further education settings.
The charity also wants to see improved support for pupils who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and assessment based on individual need.
While discussions with the Education Secretary focused on education, Cerebral Palsy Scotland also highlighted the need for a more proactive approach to health and wellbeing across the lifespan of people with cerebral palsy.
The Scottish Government currently provides £2 million each year to NHS Boards to deliver annual health checks for people aged 16 and over with learning disabilities. The programme aims to address health inequalities and identify unmet health needs, with the Scottish Government describing annual health checks as an important part of preventing premature deaths and improving health outcomes.
There has also been investment of £3 million by the Scottish Government into heart and lung MOTs, to be delivered by Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland. Cerebral Palsy Scotland believes there is an opportunity to build on this approach and develop a specialist annual health and wellbeing review for people with cerebral palsy.
Stephanie Fraser, Chief Executive of Cerebral Palsy Scotland, said:“We were delighted to welcome the Education Secretary and to share directly with her the experiences of children and young people with cerebral palsy and their families.
“We want to see greater access to specialist knowledge and support within education, so that people with cerebral palsy are able to successfully engage in learning and teachers, early years professionals and support staff better understand the diverse ways cerebral palsy can affect understanding, communication, physical health and wellbeing.
“This is particularly important for children and young people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and we want to see assessment and support arrangements that properly reflect individual need.
“We are calling for a more proactive approach to supporting people with cerebral palsy. The Scottish Government has recognised the value of annual health checks for people with learning disabilities and heart and lung checks for those more likely to experience poorer health outcomes. This approach helps to identify needs earlier and connect people with the right treatment and support.
“We believe people with cerebral palsy deserve the same opportunity to benefit from a proactive approach to preventative and specialist care. Cerebral Palsy Scotland has the specialist expertise to work alongside NHS, education and statutory services to help make this possible, and we are keen to work constructively with the Scottish Government to improve outcomes for people with cerebral palsy throughout their lives.”
Cerebral Palsy Scotland will continue to work with the Scottish Government to identify opportunities to improve outcomes for people with cerebral palsy across Scotland, from early years through to late adulthood.
Improving care for women and babies across Scotland
A nationwide review of Scotland’s maternity services begins today, examining how care can be improved for women, babies and families.
Chaired by maternal and child health expert Professor Christine McCourt, the independent review will take a whole-system approach, drawing on data, evidence and the direct experiences of women, families and staff at every level of care.
The review will pay particular attention to how care is provided in rural and island communities, with specific focus on services in Caithness, Elgin and Wigtownshire. It will also examine disparities in maternal outcomes, including higher rates of maternal mortality by Black and Asian women.
The review will run for nine months and will also take account of the unannounced inspections of all 18 of Scotland’s acute maternity units currently being carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Prof McCourt is due to submit her findings and recommendations in July 2027.
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “I want every woman and baby to receive the high-quality care they deserve.
“That is why I announced this independent review, which will sit alongside the inspections already underway of every acute maternity unit in Scotland, to identify the systemic changes needed to strengthen services and improve outcomes.
“While the vast majority of mothers receive good care, I have heard from families who were let down, and from those who have bravely shared their experiences of loss – these are powerful stories. Their experiences must shape improvement.
“While the vital work of the review is underway, we will continue to take action to improve services, through implementation of the Miscarriage Framework and HIS Maternity Standards, the Scottish Patient Safety Perinatal Programme, improved bereavement care through the National Bereavement Care Pathway, and new work to improve triage services.
“HIS will also continue its programme of maternity inspections, driving improvement locally in every acute maternity unit in Scotland, and informing the review.”
Professor Christine McCourt said: “The review team is committed to engaging with women, families, healthcare staff and organisations across Scotland to understand both the challenges facing maternity services and the examples of excellent care that can inform future improvements.
“We want to hear from people with a wide range of experiences and perspectives. We encourage anyone with relevant insights to visit the website, learn more about the review and engage with the process as our work progresses.”
Having opened its doors in 2025 as Scotland’s first permanent, community-based support and wellbeing centre for those impacted by breast cancer, The House of Hope recently welcomed a number of Scotland Women players to learn about the nuances of what they do.
As well as delivering a breast cancer awareness clinic to the squad at Oriam, the charity played host to players Chloe Rollie, Evie Wills, Elliann Clarke and Alex Stewart to offer a peek behind the scenes at their Edinburgh headquarters.
As we enter Breast Cancer Awareness Month, House of Hope want to make it clear to women of all ages that checking your breasts for anything unusual is to be championed, in order that issues can be addressed at the earliest opportunity.
Breast cancer will affect 1 in 7 women in Scotland in their lifetime and by supporting the clinical work that exists, through emotional, practical and social support, House of Hope’s mission is to ensure that care is offered to anyone who might need it as they navigate their way through a breast cancer diagnosis.
Rosie Small, Breast Cancer Nurse Specialist at The House of Hope said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to run a breast health awareness session with Scottish Rugby, as part of our Hope in Your Hands campaign to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and encourage people to ‘check your breasts’.
“Many young women lack confidence, or actually avoid examining their breasts, due to fear of what they might find, so it was good to chat with the team and talk about benign breast conditions as well as breast cancer and answer their questions around breast health.
“I hope it has given them the confidence to regularly examine themselves and empower them to seek medical advice if they notice any changes in their breasts.”
The House of Hope provides wellbeing classes, workshops, support groups, drop-in sessions and holistic therapies such as oncology massage and aromatherapy. It offers a safe haven for those impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis with a relaxing living room, bustling kitchen, bespoke yoga and pilates studio, hair and wig salon, counselling room, kids zone and bra fitting/styling lounge.
Scotland Women centre Evie Wills said: “It is just astounding. When we got a tour, there were rooms upon rooms and they’ve just thought of everything; you can really see why so many people come here.
“As athletes, we think we know our bodies well, but with these workshops we are checking things we’ve probably never checked before. We know what a tweaked hamstring looks like but we don’t necessarily know what a mass looks like in our breast, or any changes in our breasts.
“I just think everyone should support everyone, no matter what they’re going through.”
Scotland full-back Chloe Rollie added: “Being aware of the House of Hope charity is really important. It gives us a chance to use it if we ever have to, or if we know someone who is going through a life-changing experience like this, that we can point them in the right direction to find the support they need.”
Breast Cancer Awareness Month runs throughout October and if you would like to hear more about the work that House of Hope does, or wish to speak to them at any point, you can do so here.
New research conducted by Carers Trust and policy and research consultancy Public First predicts a shortfall of up to ONE MILLION unpaid carers within a generation.
The expected shortfall is calculated from new projections that draw on current trends and future forecasts. It highlights how intense demand for care from an ageing society is set to outstrip the supply of care available unpaid, from family members and friends at an ever-increasing rate over the next two decades.
The shortfall is the difference between the projected ‘demand’ for carers based on the rising number of people with care needs (7.8 million carers needed by 2050) and the ‘supply’ of carers based on the profile of people who care today (6.7 million carers available by 2050).
Under this projection, the number of people able to provide unpaid care will fail to keep pace with ever-greater need, while paid social care – including care homes and home care – will not expand in line with need. this leads to a shortfall of 600,000 unpaid carers by 2035, and an even more alarming one of one million by 2050.
Such a shortfall would have a crippling impact on the provision of care across the UK: a greater number of people would be left with unmet care needs; overall capacity to provide care would be further stretched; and more families and friends would need to step in to fill gaps – from providing sporadic hours of care to caring for multiple people at once.
These changes would have a potentially devastating knock-on effect on unpaid carers’ wellbeing, employment, and the economy.
With care pressures expected to increase across the board in coming years, the research also found that:
10.3m people will need care by 2050, up from 8.4m in 2025
1.2m unpaid carers already provide care hours that equate to a full-time job
1.6m unpaid carers will be in poverty by 2035, rising to over 2m by 2050
The research predicts that the number of people in need of care will have soared by almost two million between 2025 and 2050. Over the same period, without action, the supply of both paid and unpaid care will grow at a much slower rate, thereby failing to keep pace.
These changes are already taking place in society. Over the last 10 years the supply of carers has not increased with rising need, and the average burden on each carer has increased. In the absence of action, the rate at which the gap opening up between supply and demand for care will only quicken over time.
The research comes at a time when Baroness Casey is running her ‘Big Conversation’ amongst the public into the future of social care and follows the announcement by the Prime Minister that he will use what ‘political capital he has’ to reform the system.
Louise Casey has already identified that the work of unpaid carers is one of the main reasons the system continues to function. This research shows that, if nothing changes, this will cease to be the case, with knock on effects on the NHS, public services and the economy.
Carers Trust, as the largest UK charity supporting unpaid carers through its network of 130 local services, is also highlighting the impact on unpaid carers of the current levels of care they are undertaking:
Fewer than three in ten unpaid carers providing care for more than 35 hours a week are in paid work.
Mental and physical health outcomes are consistently worse for unpaid carers than for non-carers.
Unpaid carers are more likely to live in poverty than the broader population, with living conditions worst for those with the most intense caring roles.
Around three in five people in the UK will become carers at some point in their lives. This can happen overnight, often through circumstances that are impossible to predict or plan, such as a family member being diagnosed with a long-term illness or the birth of a child with a disability.
Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive of Carers Trust, said:“Almost all of us will either care for a loved one or be cared for in turn at some point in our lives. However, as a society, we’re simply not facing up to that fact.
“The gap between soaring demand and shrinking supply of care is opening up like a crocodile’s jaws and, unless we act now, it’s unpaid carers, those they care for, and the system itself that will be swallowed whole.
“This grim future is on the horizon, but there is still time to avoid it if we are willing to do the political hard yards now. The Prime Minister’s commitment to fixing our broken social care system is encouraging, but reform needs to focus on more than care home beds, budgets, and the paid workforce. It has to reckon frankly and fairly with the millions of unpaid carers that are holding the system together – at huge personal cost.
“It could be you, your mother, brother, or child who needs care in the future, or who becomes a carer in turn. We cannot go on asking unpaid carers to absorb yet more pressure, and we cannot let the worst-case scenario set out in this research become our reality.
“We need well-funded local support that reaches carers before they hit crisis point, real, comprehensive financial and wellbeing support, and a system that recognises carers as essential and equal, not invisible and expendable.”
Andrew Harrop, Director at Public First, said:“Today family carers provide the lion’s share of support for people with care needs. But Public First’s projections show that the future supply of carers may not keep up with the demand. In 10 years’ time the UK may need 600,000 more people to care than are in a position to do so.
“The number of people with care needs is rising quickly, because more people are reaching late old age. Meanwhile the number in the generation below who typically provide care is barely increasing.
“The shortfall in carers will mean that more people’s needs go unmet and more intensive pressures on those who are able to care.”
