Tag: Politics

Opposition should be targeting Government not GPs, says BMA

Responding to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting’s comments on reform of the existing GP system, Dr Kieran Sharrock, BMA England GP committee acting chair said: “There’s no doubt that the situation in general practice – for both patients and staff alike – has never been under more pressure. GPs share the frustration of patients as demand outstrips capacity, and worry that they’re unable to provide the safe high-quality care that they want to.

“But as Mr Streeting himself alludes to, when supported properly, general practice is value for money and improves health outcomes, meaning people don’t need to go on to receive expensive hospital care. We agree with Mr Streeting that the GP contract needs to be revamped, to enable the most efficient, cost-effective part of the NHS to thrive.

“This shouldn’t be about reinventing the wheel though, when we know people value the continuity of care that their GP practice should be able to provide through the partnership model. We’re not at all averse to change and, in England, the BMA’s GP committee is already looking ahead to what contract will replace the current five-year framework that ends in 2024.

“We’ve already seen changes in recent years with a wider variety of health professionals working with GP practices and more direct referrals to people like physiotherapists that both benefits patients and reduces the burden on GPs. 

“But what cannot be escaped is the spiralling workforce shortage that we have, which has been made worse by a lack of political support and continuous attacks on the profession. Instead of blaming family doctors and their representatives for problems with the health service – the opposition should clearly be setting its sights on the Government that has overseen a haemorrhaging of GPs over the last decade.

“This is not about ‘vested interests’. We represent our members and also want the best for patients. The two co-exist.

“We have offered to sit down and discuss this with Mr Streeting, to ensure that he understands the pressures on the frontline and how these can realistically be alleviated for the benefit of both staff and patients.”

Pro-EU groups join forces with fresh campaign for Scotland to rejoin EU

The European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), the country’s leading pro-EU body, is stepping up its campaign to rejoin the European Union in 2023 with new hires and a fresh membership drive.

EU+me, another pro-European body, is joining forces with EMiS this month to give what its outgoing chair, Prof Stephen Gethins, calls “focus, scale and momentum” to the growing campaign for Scotland to rejoin the EU – in its own right or as part of the UK.

At the same time, EMiS has appointed David McDonald (SNP), a former depute leader and convener for culture, vibrancy and international relations at Glasgow City Council, to be its new membership and campaigns co-ordinator.

These moves come as David Clarke, a financial consultant and ex-journalist who has worked to develop Scotland’s financial services sector and build relations with his native Ireland, takes over from Mark Lazarowicz, the former Labour MP, as EMiS chair with a remit to grow the membership and boost the rejoin movement.

They also come on the 50th anniversary of the UK joining the then European Economic Community in 1973 and amid widespread evidence that British voters are repenting their 2016 decision to exit the EU (Brexit), increasingly tending to favour rejoining the world’s biggest peace project and trading bloc.

According to YouGov, only 32% of people across the UK now believe it was right to leave the EU while a clear majority, 56%, says it was wrong – a margin of 24 points, the widest recorded since the 2016 referendum. Almost three-quarters of young Scots wish to rejoin the EU.

Like EMiS, EU+me has been a non-partisan network of pro-Europeans making the positive case for our future as a European nation at the heart of the EU. Its outgoing chair, ex-SNP MP, Professor Gethins, is joining the EMiS executive as a co-opted member in the wake of the merger.

Stephen Gethins, former SNP MP and spokesperson for international affairs and Europe, said: “The European Union is one of the great success stories of our times. It has delivered peace, prosperity and stability to its citizens since it was founded.

“Every state that has joined the EU has seen an improvement in the quality of life of its citizens. The only Member State to have left, the UK, has seen a deterioration of its citizens’ quality of life.

“We all know that leaving the EU against our will has had a devastating impact on our economy, on our freedoms, protections and rights. Young people, who have had opportunity snatched away, and small businesses who have seen a dramatic increase in red tape have been particularly badly affected. It is unsurprising that support for rejoining the EU is growing in support whilst backing for remaining isolated outside is evaporating.

“This is the right time to consolidate the major pro-European campaigns in Scotland. Providing focus, scale and momentum. EMIS is the obvious point of consolidation and host for that process. EU+me have now formalised the partnership that we have always enjoyed with colleagues in EMIS. We will now be joining forces putting our resources, innovative content and network of relationships fully behind.”

David Clarke added: ” The statistics are becoming clearer by the day, no matter what the Brexit flat-earthers would have us believe – leaving the EU has made us poorer and our lives more difficult. As a result, pro-Europeans in Scotland are uniting around the benefits of closer links with our European partners with the eventual aim of rejoining the EU.

“We are determined to provide a clear and evidence-based path to closer cooperation with Europe and we look forward to working with partners in Scotland and the wider UK to overturn this divisive and disastrous Brexit.”

Prime Minister: Five Foundations

As your Prime Minister, you need to know what my focus will be, so you can hold me to account directly for whether it is delivered.

So I’d like to tell you my five immediate priorities.

These are the five foundations I know can build a better, more secure, more prosperous future that this country deserves:

  • We will halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security.
  • We will grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country.
  • We will make sure our national debt is falling so that we can secure the future of public services.
  • By March, NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly.
  • We will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed.

These are five pledges to deliver peace of mind, so that you know things are getting better, that they are actually changing.

That you have a government working in your interests, focused on your priorities, putting your needs first.

And I fully expect you to hold my government and I to account on delivering those goals.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Read the Prime Minister’s full speech here

Boyack calls for legal right to food as Edinburgh food bank use soars

Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack has said next year must be the year Scotland enshrines a statutory Right to Food in law, as figures show food bank use soaring in Edinburgh.

The Trussell Trust’s mid-year statistics show that the number of food parcels handed out in Edinburgh has soared by 35 per cent since 2017.

The number of parcels given to children has risen even more drastically, increasing by an appalling 77 per cent, with 10,378 parcels being given out in the space of just six months.

This includes a shocking 3,189 parcels for children in the City of Edinburgh whose parents need urgent support now. Its worrying that the number of these parcels has risen by 29 per cent since 2017.

Scottish Labour have said this proves there must be no more delays to the introduction of a legal right to food in Scotland.

Scottish Labour have long campaigned for a statutory right to food in Scots law. The SNP and the Greens both backed this policy in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, however in May the SNP-Green government voted against Labour’s attempt to introduce a Right to Food during the Good Food Nation Bill. 

Commenting, Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “As the cost of living crisis piles pressure on households, more and more people in Edinburgh are being forced to turn to food banks.

“Families are at breaking point and parents are struggling to feed their children.

“It is more urgent than ever that we enshrine people’s right to food in Scots law, but the SNP-Green government keep kicking the can down the line.

“There is no more time to delay – this year must be the year we embed the right to food in law at last.”

Trussell Trust Mid Year Statistics 2022-23 – 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022:

Local Authority     Number of parcels for children Total number of parcels distributed Increase in parcels for children compared to 2017 Increase in total parcels compared to 2017 
Aberdeen City1,2733,57697%168%
Aberdeenshire1,2434,315143%149%
Angus3881,335-5%-29%
City of Edinburgh3,18910,37829%35%
Dumfries and Galloway5842,1622681%1088%
Dundee City2,6567,675200%139%
East Ayrshire1,0273,367115%116%
East Dunbartonshire9223,19573%67%
East Lothian2,0585,488217%197%
East Renfrewshire9932,81144%69%
Falkirk1,3344,27644367%3215%
Fife3,1768,397107%91%
Glasgow City6,27115,61413%5%
Highland1,3753,69154%13%
Inverclyde7103,00829%38%
Midlothian1,5353,073225%136%
Moray– –  
Na h-Eileanan Siar– –  
North Ayrshire6202,528-40%-26%
North Lanarkshire1,7334,805250%197%
Orkney Islands11239026%48%
Perth and Kinross1,1393,674125%64%
Renfrewshire1,3084,29013%2%
Scottish Borders10230410100%3700%
Shetland Islands172841  
South Ayrshire1,3294,016130%88%
South Lanarkshire2,7317,84895%73%
West Dunbartonshire– –  
West Lothian1,8005,316169%156%

*Figures compare 1 April to 30 September 2017 with the same period in 2022.

Source: https://www.trusselltrust.org/news-and-blog/latest-stats/mid-year-stats/

Choudhury: Urgent action needed to tackle housing crisis

“Housing concerns make up over a quarter of my casework – the Scottish Government urgently needs to start prioritising housing for Scotland”

Over the past year, housing issues have made up a significant amount of my casework – currently, approximately 25% of casework is concerned with housing issues (writes Labour Lothian list MSP FOYSUL CHOUDHURY).

Most housing issues that constituents are writing to me about relate to the lack of suitable council accommodation, with many having to live in temporary accommodation.

Recently, a coroner reported that the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak was a direct result of the black mould in the flat he lived in and constituents have, understandably, been concerned about black mould in their properties. 

The Tory Government has inflicted chaos on the country this year, with a staggering display of financial mismanagement. However, funding for local authorities in Scotland is set by the Scottish government, and it is SNP-inflicted austerity that has left Scotland’s local services under threat.

There has been a cut of more than a quarter to the house building budget. This is a disgraceful dereliction of the duty of this Government to solve our ongoing housing crisis and will lead to less homes being built for those families stuck in temporary accommodation, people sleeping on the streets, or languishing on social housing waiting lists for year after year.

Rapid rehousing transition plans and homelessness prevention are flat, meaning that there will be no more support available for local authorities to deal with the continuing crisis of homelessness, made worse by the supply of new homes being cut off.

NHS waiting times, health issues (including delayed discharge), continue to be a major problem in Lothian, with approximately 11% of my casework being related to these issues.

In Scotland, the length of time that people are having to wait for hospital procedures, outpatient appointments and diagnostic tests has shot up to 776,341 – equivalent to 1 in 7 Scots. Figures have revealed that at the end of September 2022, 2,114 people referred for an outpatient appointment and 7,612 patients waiting for a day case, or inpatient procedure had already been waiting for over two years.

These shocking figures have been reflected by the high number of constituents who have contacted me about the length of time that they are having to wait for appointments, hospital procedures, or the length of time they have had to wait in A&E.

For example, some in Lothian are being told that they may have to wait approximately 70 weeks for some eye laser treatments and over 110 weeks for some exploratory gynaecological operations.

The stress and anxiety caused by such long waits can lead to other mental and physical problems or exacerbate conditions that are already present. Constituents have also contacted me about delayed discharge from hospital due to the lack of social care available, or places in care homes.

Despite the SNP promises to end delayed discharge back in 2015, this practice has soared and in October 2022, an average of 1,898 bed days were lost every day – the worst figure on record.

I will continue to press the Scottish Government on these and other important issues, like the cost of living crisis, and will continue to make representations on behalf of my Lothian constituents as we head into the new year.

‘Yousaf must go’ call as thousands wait for over 12 hours in A&E in Lothian

Humza Yousaf must be sacked for ‘dangerous negligence’, Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack has said, as the party revealed that the number of patients waiting over 12 hours to be seen in Accident and Emergency in Lothian has soared.

Statistics have shown that, in the year from November 2021 to October 2022, a shocking 15,936 people in NHS Lothian spent more than 12 hours in A&E waiting to be seen – despite an SNP government commitment to see 95% of patients within four hours.

This figure has spiralled in recent years, with the number of people waiting more than 12 hours now around 18 times higher than the same period in 2018/19.

With A&E services in disarray and the situation only worsening throughout the winter, Scottish Labour is warning that lives will be lost due to the SNP-created A&E crisis.

Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “The facts are plain for all to see – NHS Lothian’s A&E services have been plunged into a deadly freefall by Humza Yousaf’s dangerous negligence.

“Despite the efforts of hardworking staff, the number of patients spending a shocking 12 hours waiting in A&E has soared this year.

“The SNP’s mismanagement of our NHS is putting lives at risk – we urgently need a real plan to put a stop to this chaos and protect services in Lothian.”

The Scottish Conservatives are also calling for Yousaf’s sacking. A spokesperson said: “With each passing week, Humza Yousaf continues to preside over complete chaos in our A&E departments.

“His tenure as Health Secretary has been nothing short of a disaster and Nicola Sturgeon must sack him immediately.”

Number of A&E patients waiting more than 12 hours:

Year to October 2019* Year to October 2022* Change (%)Change (times higher) 
NHS Ayrshire & Arran15578038416%5
NHS Borders5629255123%52
NHS Dumfries & Galloway43392812%9
NHS Fife4105326225%263
NHS Forth Valley20628991307%14
NHS Grampian2816855918%60
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde19759972944%30
NHS Highland206673235%33
NHS Lanarkshire8516267636%7
NHS Lothian910159361651%18
NHS Orkney48100%2
NHS Shetland01
NHS Tayside327800%9
NHS Western Isles00
NHS Scotland3879458951083%12

* 12 month period from November to October

Gender Recognition Reform Bill passed

Improving the legal recognition system for trans people

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.

The legislation improves the system by which transgender people can apply for legal recognition through a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).

Trans people aged 16 and older applying for a GRC will be required to make a legally binding declaration that they are already living in their acquired gender and intend to do so permanently.

The Bill includes safeguards against misuse of the system. It will be a criminal offence for applicants to make a false application. A new statutory aggravator and a risk‑based approach in relation to sex offences strengthen these protections.  

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “This is an historic day for equality in Scotland with the Gender Recognition Reform Bill being approved by parliament and by members of all parties.

“It simplifies and improves the process for a trans person to obtain a gender recognition certificate – which many currently find intrusive, medicalised and bureaucratic.

“The legislation makes no change to the reserved Equality Act 2010 and that principle is enshrined in the Bill. As I have made clear, the Scottish Government continues to support the provision of single-sex services and the rights of women.

“The passing of this bill is a significant step forward in creating a more equal Scotland, where trans people feel valued, included and empowered.”

Background

Factsheet and background to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

Health crisis in NHS Lothian can no longer be ignored, warns Boyack

More than 90 dentists withdrew from NHS Lothian dental list from 2021 to June 2022, a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Scottish Labour has revealed.

Sarah Boyack warns of a health crisis as waiting times for A&E and NHS dentistry continue to spiral, while delayed discharges have gone up.

Scottish Labour’s FOI request revealed that between 2021 and June 2022, 92 dentists withdrew from NHS Lothian dental list. As at beginning of June this year, out of the 163 general dental practices in Lothian, only 51 confirmed that they are accepting patients, with some accepting children only.

Since 8th May 2022 and up until 11th  December, there has been only one week during which the percentage of people seen within Scottish Government’s 4-hour target was above 70 per cent – in the week ending 11th December more than 1,756 people were stuck in A&E for more than four hours – only 63.6 per cent of those attending NHS Lothian’s emergencies were seen within 4 hours. In the same week, 353 people were stuck in A&E for more than 12 hours.

This comes as the recent monthly report on delayed discharge shows rates in NHS Lothian for October 2022 soaring to 1,644 compared to 1,420 in September 2022.

This makes NHS Lothian the second-worst performing health board in Scotland, only topped by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with 3,848 delayed discharges in October 2022.

October recorded the highest average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges in Scotland since the current guidance came into place in July 2016.

Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian Sarah Boyack said: “Another month, another set of damning statistics from NHS Lothian.

“On top of the cost of living crisis, which is taking its toll on people’s mental and physical health, we see piling pressure on our NHS, worsening patients outcomes and huge waste of public money.

“With the freezing cold, people will get sick and they will require care. That’s why we need support to GPs to allow them to respond to the rising demand and handle cases, whenever possible, at primary care level.

“These are not just figures – it is someone’s dad, friend or life partner; it’s the NHS staff who is overworked and underpaid; it’s the people who left our health service because they simply couldn’t cope.

“With a general election approaching, now is the time focus on what really matters and make a difference for millions of people.”

A Budget for a fair Scotland

Spending plan ‘will protect families and public services’

The 2023-24 Scottish Budget will take a distinctive approach to creating a fairer, more equal Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said.

He stressed the three Budget priorities of eradicating child poverty, strengthening public services and moving towards a net zero economy were strongly linked and would give more people the opportunity to flourish.

Ahead of delivering the Budget to Parliament today, Mr Swinney visited a scheme in Wester Hailes, delivered by City of Edinburgh Council and part-funded by the Scottish Government, installing insulation for households at risk of fuel poverty.

He said: “I was encouraged to see the vital work being carried out to improve energy efficiency and make homes warmer for families facing significantly higher bills this winter. This scheme highlights how tackling the increased cost of living can assist our drive towards net zero, and is an example of the importance of effective public services.

“Our Budget goals are mutually beneficial and represent a distinctive approach to the economic challenges we face. The Scottish Budget will take further steps to address inequality and eradicate child poverty. It will encourage a just transition to net zero, creating wealth and opportunity across the country. And it will be the catalyst for reforms necessary to ensure our first-class public services remain sustainable in the face of the challenges to come.

“I would like to go even further but the cost of living crisis has also laid bare the fiscal constraints of devolution, as we cannot borrow to support day to day expenditure when times are hard to assist us through these difficult days. It is clear that businesses and households are paying a steep price for the economic mismanagement of the UK Government.

“The cost of living crisis requires decisive action. In setting this Budget, the Scottish Government will use its limited powers to the maximum extent that is responsible, to meet the challenges faced by the people of Scotland.”

 The Scottish Budget 2023-24 will be presented to the Scottish Parliament TODAY (Thursday 15 December).

‘Stark and Deeply Concerning’: MSPs say more funding must be found for the justice sector

The Scottish Government must ensure more funding is provided for the justice sector in this year’s budget otherwise the sector could face severe cuts to services and staff numbers, say the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.

The Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny was primarily focused on the proposed flat-cash settlement for the justice sector set out in the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review framework (RSR).

Independent research by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) suggested that if current inflationary pressures persist, this settlement would represent a significant reduction in spending across the justice sector, with resource spending falling in real terms by £102 million, or 3.6%.

The Committee’s report highlights extensive evidence gathered from across the sector outlining deeply concerning scenarios of depleted services and cuts to staff numbers, should the figures outlined in the RSR come to fruition.

The Committee say budgets for capital investment in the emergency services, prisons and courts have invariably been less than requested in recent years and that worryingly, the pressures on public spending and the high rate of inflation, mean budgets for day-to-day running costs are at risk too.

Maintaining current staffing levels in our police and fire services, upgrading the prison estate or investing in efforts to improve the prosecution of sex offences could all be under threat if no further funding is provided.

Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “As a Committee we recognise the huge financial pressure facing government budgets, however the evidence we have taken during this year’s pre-budget scrutiny is stark and deeply concerning.

“We have heard from across the criminal justice sector of potentially severe cuts to services and hefty reductions in police and fire service staff numbers if these funding cuts were to come to fruition,

“Although we welcome the commitment from the Justice Secretary that there will be no cuts to police staff numbers, we want to see this recognised through a suitable budget settlement.

“We understand the difficult decisions facing the Scottish Government in this year’s budget but it is essential that criminal justice services receive appropriate funding and a greater settlement than that proposed in the Resource Spending Review, and that any extra resources do more than simply get swallowed up by increased pay awards.

“Otherwise, there is a substantial risk of services in the justice system being downgraded to unacceptable levels and drastic cuts to staff numbers.”

Read the report