Health Secretary Neil Gray has set out how the Scottish Government plans to improve access to treatment, reduce waiting times and shift the balance of care from hospitals to primary care through the publication of the Operational Improvement Plan.
Through the additional £200 million investment contained in the Budget to reduce waiting times and improve flow through hospital, we will create 150,000 extra appointments and procedures using greater use of regional and national working.
By introducing a seven-day service in radiology, using mobile scanning units and additional recruitment, 95% of referrals will be seen within six weeks by March 2026, reducing backlogs in MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures.
To improve flow in acute hospitals and support increases in community care, we will expand Hospital at Home to at least 2,000 beds by the end of 2026, meaning the service, which provides hospital level care in the comfort of the patients home, will become the biggest hospital in Scotland.
By this summer there will be specialist staff in frailty teams in every A&E department in Scotland. Flow Navigation Centres, which direct patients to the most appropriate service for their condition, will be able to refer patients to more services, reducing the number of people who have to wait in A&E.
Investment in primary care will make it easier for people to see a doctor, dentist, optometrist or community pharmacist, and £10.5 million will be invested in general practice to take targeted action to prevent heart disease and frailty.
Digital services will be expanded to modernise services and improve efficiency, with the Digital Front Door app launching in Lanarkshire in December. This launch will be followed by a national roll-out in 2026, allowing people to securely access their hospital appointments, receive communications and find local services. Over time it will be expanded to include social care and community health services.
On a visit to Kirklands Hospital’s Flow Navigation Centre, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “This plan details how the Scottish Government will deliver a more accessible NHS, with reductions to long-waits and the pressures we currently see. It shows how we will use the £21.7 billion health and social care investment in the 2025-26 Budget to deliver significant improvements for patients.
“We want to increase the number of appointments, speed up treatment and make it easier to see a doctor. By better using digital technology, we will embrace innovation and increase efficiencies.
“This plan is ambitious but realistic, and builds on the incredible work of our amazing health and social care staff across our health boards, to deliver real change.”
North Edinburgh Arts presents the first screening for more than 40 years of Heroin, a series of three films by Peter Carr made in North Edinburgh in 1983.
Originally shown over successive nights on prime time national UK television, Heroin is an unflinching fly on the wall glimpse at an often forgotten part of Edinburgh’s social history.
As poverty, crime and drug use in Scotland’s capital was ripping forgotten communities apart, Peter Carr was introduced to Edinburgh’s hidden underbelly by co-founder of the Gateway Exchange, Jimmy Boyle.
Boyle also introduced Carr to SHADA – Support Help and Advice for Drug Addiction – the grassroots organisation set up by what Carr calls “two remarkable women” – Heather Black and Morag McLean – as a lifeline and support network for drug users.
This became the basis of Heroin, which over its three episodes reveals a powerful and moving portrait of a community surviving in the face of institutional neglect and contempt from local authorities who would rather keep it out of view.
After four decades, Peter Carr revisits North Edinburgh for the screenings of his films to take part in a unique event by, for and about North Edinburgh.
Each screening will be followed by a conversation between key figures around the making of Heroin and those around North Edinburgh then and now.
Heroin ‘Uncut’ – The Films of Peter Carr and the Edinburgh Community Stories Behind Them
North Edinburgh Arts
MacMillan Hub
12c MacMillan Square
Edinburgh EH4 4AB
Heroin 1 followed by Irvine Welsh in conversation with ZoëBlack – April 23 – 6.30-8.30pm.
Heroin 2 followed by Dr Roy Robertson in conversation with Victoria Burns – April 24 – 6.30-8.30pm.
Heroin 3 followed by Peter Carr in conversation with Sarah Drummond – April 25 – 6.30-8.30pm.
Running time of each film is 50 minutes, followed by a short break and discussion.
An exhibition of production images from Heroin by Granada TV stills photographer Stewart Darby runs at North Edinburgh Arts alongside Heroin ‘Uncut’, from April 23 to May 17 2025.
A programme for Heroin ‘Uncut’ features a new essay by Peter Carr reflecting on the making of his films alongside Stewart Darby’s images from Heroin.
Heroin ‘Uncut’ is coordinated and produced by Zoë Black, Victoria Burns, Neil Cooper, Sarah Drummond, Graham Fitzpatrick and Kate Wimpress in collaboration with North Edinburgh Arts and Screen Education Edinburgh.
With thanks to Laura Alderman, Alice Betts and Genevieve Kay-Gourlay at North Edinburgh Film Festival, Willie Black, Jimmy Boyle, Morvern Cunningham, Freda Darby and the Darby family, Malcolm Dickson at Street Level Photoworks, Laura Hoffman, Judith Jones and Stephen Kelly at granadaland.org, Jordan at ITV plc, Alan McCredie, Dr. Roy Robertson, Emma Welsh, Irvine Welsh, Bob Winton.
Special thanks to all staff, volunteers and board members of North Edinburgh Arts and Screen Education Edinburgh who made this event happen.
Extra special thanks to Peter Carr.
Heroin was originally produced by Granada Television and screened on the ITV network on November 7th, 8thand 9th1983. All films and photographs are sole copyright of ITV plc, and are shown under licence.
Heroin ‘Uncut’ is dedicated to the memory of Heather Black, Morag McLean and all those friends, neighbours and loved ones who took part in the Heroin films. Though they may no longer be with us, their stories live on.
Sending top doctors into areas of highest economic inactivity in England is ‘busting through the backlog’
Targeted approach is cutting waiting lists twice as fast as rest of the country
Plans to roll scheme out further as government delivers on its Plan for Change
A new Labour government initiative to send top doctors to support hospital trusts in areas where more people are out of work and waiting for treatment is cutting waiting lists faster, new data shows.
In September, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting sent in crack teams spearheaded by top clinicians to NHS hospitals serving communities with high levels of economic inactivity. The teams support NHS trusts to go further and faster to improve care in these areas, where more people are neither employed nor actively seeking work, for reasons including ill health.
Latest data from October 2024 to January 2025 shows waiting lists in these areas have, on average, been reduced at more than double the rate of the rest of the country, falling 130% faster in areas where the government scheme is in action than the national average.
A total of 37,000 cases have been removed from the waiting lists in those 20 areas, averaging almost 2,000 patients per local trust.
The teams of leading clinicians introducing more productive ways of working to deliver more procedures, including running operating theatres like Formula One pit stops to cut down on wasted time between operations.
The scheme has delivered huge improvements in areas of high economic inactivity. They include:
The Northern Care Alliance & Manchester Foundation Trust – where a series of ‘super clinics’ with up to 100 patients being seen a day in one-stop appointments where patients can be assessed, diagnosed and put on the treatment pathway in one appointment. These include Employment Advisors on site to support patients with any barriers to returning to work. Those that require surgery are then booked to ‘high flow theatre’ lists such as those at the Trafford Elective Surgery Hub.
Warrington & Halton – which has run Super Clinics for Gynaecology delivered at weekends, with one-stop models reducing the need for follow up appointments.
East Lancs Hospitals Trust – which has focused on streamlining diagnostic pathways and increasing capacity for Echocardiography, or heart scans, reducing the waiting list for these from around 2700 patients to around 700 – with all of patients having their scan within 6 weeks.
Data shows the number of people unable to work due to long term sickness is at its highest since the 1990s. The number of adults economically inactive due to ill-health rose from 2.1m in July 2019 to a peak of 2.9m in October 2023. The decision to send the crack teams to these 20 trusts first was based on the government’s aim to get people back to health and back to work, helping to cut the welfare bill.
Following the success of the programme, the government has confirmed similar crack teams will be rolled out to additional providers this year to boost NHS productivity and cut waiting times further.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The investment and reform this government has introduced has already cut NHS waiting lists by 193,000, but there is much more to do.
“By sending top doctors to provide targeted support to hospitals in the areas of highest economic inactivity, we are getting sick Brits back to health and back to work.
“I am determined to transform health and social care so it works better for patients – but also because I know that transformation can help drag our economy out of the sluggish productivity and poor growth of recent years.
“We have to get more out of the NHS for what we put in. By taking the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS, reforming the way surgeries are running, we are cutting waiting lists twice as fast at no extra cost to the taxpayer.
“As we boost NHS productivity and deliver fundamental reform through our Plan for Change, you will see improvements across the service in the coming weeks and months.”
The new data comes after the Westminster government confirmed the abolition of NHS England, centralising the way that health care is delivered, cutting bureaucracy and improving care outcomes for patients up and down the country.
The government inherited waiting lists of over 7.6 million last July, and rising numbers of patients waiting months and years to get the treatment they need to get back to their jobs.
Thanks to immediate action taken by the government- including ending the strikes and investing more in the NHS – overall waiting lists have fallen for the last five months in a row, dropping by 193,000.
The targeted teams are the latest success delivered by the government as it continues its fundamental reform of the NHS through the Plan for Change.
Soon after taking office, it confirmed an extra £1.8 billion to deliver extra elective activity across the country.
This helped create an extra 2 million elective care appointments between July and November last year – delivering on the government’s manifesto pledge seven months early.
Other plans to increase elective care productivity and cut waiting lists include opening community diagnostic centres 12 hours a day, seven days a week, revolutionising the NHS app so patients can receive test results and book appointments, and increasing use of the independent sector to improve patient choice.
North-East project boosts capacity outside Central Belt
First Minister John Swinney has officially opened the first phase of a new residential rehabilitation service in Aberdeenshire, which will increase capacity in the North East of Scotland.
The 27-bed facility, named Rae House and run by Phoenix Futures, will be followed by a second phase which will consist of 53 units of housing and therapeutic community ‘Dayhab’ in Aberdeen City, which in total could provide up to 200 placements a year.
In the following phase, the therapeutic community ‘Dayhab’ model will see people living in separate accommodation coming together for day programmes at a central hub in Aberdeen to help them address their drug and alcohol use.
Speaking at the official opening, First Minister John Swinney said: ““We want every person experiencing harm from drug use to be able access the support they need. Residential rehabilitation is central to that and we have made £100 million available to improve access over the course of the Parliament.
“Following our support for Phoenix Futures’ family service in Saltcoats, this further investment of £11 million into the North East service will help address geographic barriers and provide a welcome increase in residential rehabilitation capacity in Scotland, particularly for areas outside the Central Belt.
“I am pleased that the way we have funded placements has allowed more people in the North East to access this type of treatment quickly.
“A recent report suggests we have achieved our aim of 1,000 people a year receiving public funding for their residential rehabilitation placement by March 2026, but we want to do more and our Additional Placement Fund will support even more people to access rehabilitation.
“Yesterday’s suspected drug death figures showed an 11% decrease for 2024 but they remain too high. There has been some encouraging progress, but we know there is much more to do and that is why, through our National Mission on drugs, we’ll continue to invest in a wide range of evidence-based measures to save lives and reduce harms.”
Phoenix Futures Chief Executive Karen Biggs said: “We are delighted to open Phoenix Futures Scotland’s new residential rehab in Aberdeenshire, bringing much-needed recovery support to the North East. This service ensures people can access life-changing treatment closer to home.
“Thanks to the Scottish Government’s innovative funding model, we’ve overcome financial and systemic barriers that previously limited access to residential rehab.
“By prioritising investment in recovery services, Scotland is setting a precedent for inclusive and effective addiction treatment. This facility will provide a safe, supportive space for people to rebuild their lives.
“We look forward to working with local communities and partners to make recovery accessible to all who need it.”
Funding for scientific and technological health projects
More than £6 million will be invested as part of the Accelerated National Innovations Adoption (ANIA) programme to help people with type 2 Diabetes, stroke patients and babies born with a rare genetic condition.
A national digital intensive weight management programme will support 3,000 people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. With £4.5 million invested over three years the project is expected to help around 40% to achieve remission from the condition by the end of their first year in the programme.
Two additional projects will look at pharmacogenetics – how a person’s genetics affect their response to certain drugs.
A total of £1.1 million will support testing of recent stroke patients to determine if they have a genetic variation that impairs the benefits of a drug commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of secondary stroke and which would mean an alternative drug should be considered for them.
A programme to provide a genetic test for newborn babies will also receive £800,000 funding to determine if they have a genetic variation which puts them at risk of permanent hearing loss if they are treated with a common emergency antibiotic.
Cabinet Secretary for Health Neil Gray said: “In January the First Minister laid out our vision for Scotland’s NHS with digital innovation being a crucial part of our plans to reform health services.
“So I am pleased to announce funding for these projects which demonstrate the transformative potential of scientific and technological innovation to improve health and social care.
“These projects have life changing effects for those who will benefit from them, resulting in improved health outcomes and a better quality of life.
“Innovation is transforming healthcare and delivering medical benefits for the people of Scotland and the NHS, which will see reduced pressures as a direct result of projects just like these.”
Chief Executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, Gordon James, said: “”The approval of these innovative projects through the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway is a significant step in delivering transformative innovations at scale to benefit patients all across Scotland.
“Lead by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), this project to deliver the diabetes remission programmes, pharmacogenetic testing for stroke, and genetic testing for newborns was an incredible example of collaboration from NHS organisations and colleagues to deliver the highest possible standard of patient care.
“The ANIA pathway is an initiative by NHS Scotland aimed at expediting the integration of high-impact innovations into healthcare services, and that’s exactly these new programmes will offer for more patients across Scotland than ever before.”
Chief Scientist, Prof Dame Anna Dominiczak said: “Scotland’s triple helix of industry, academia and our NHS are working in partnership to lead a scientific revolution which has the power to transform healthcare.
“These are excellent examples of research enabled, clinically beneficial and cost-effective innovations, which should be prioritised for national adoption”
Ending NHS England will ‘reduce bureaucracy, make savings and empower NHS staff to deliver better care for patients’
Major reforms to empower NHS staff and put patients first
Changes will drive efficiency and empower staff to deliver better care as part of Prime Minister’s Plan for Change
Move will reduce complex bureaucracy and undo the damage caused by 2012 reorganisation
Reforms to reduce bureaucracy, make savings and empower NHS staff to deliver better care for patients have been set out today by the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
NHS England will be brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to put an end to the duplication resulting from 2 organisations doing the same job in a system currently holding staff back from delivering for patients.
By stripping back layers of red tape and bureaucracy, more resources will be put back into the front line rather than being spent on unnecessary admin.
The reforms will reverse the 2012 top-down reorganisation of the NHS which created burdensome layers of bureaucracy without any clear lines of accountability. As Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the state of the NHS found, the effects of this are still felt today and have left patients worse off under a convoluted and broken system.
The current system also penalises hardworking staff at NHS England and DHSC who desperately want to improve the lives of patients but who are being held back by the current overly bureaucratic and fragmented system.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “This is the final nail in the coffin of the disastrous 2012 reorganisation, which led to the longest waiting times, lowest patient satisfaction and most expensive NHS in history.
“When money is so tight, we cannot justify such a complex bureaucracy with 2 organisations doing the same jobs. We need more doers and fewer checkers, which is why I’m devolving resources and responsibilities to the NHS frontline.
“NHS staff are working flat out but the current system sets them up to fail. These changes will support the huge number of capable, innovative and committed people across the NHS to deliver for patients and taxpayers.
“Just because reform is difficult does not mean it should not be done. This government will never duck the hard work of reform.
“We will take on vested interests and change the status quo, so the NHS can once again be there for you when you need it.”
Sir James Mackey, who will be taking over as Transition CEO of NHS England, said: “We know that while unsettling for our staff, today’s announcement will bring welcome clarity as we focus on tackling the significant challenges ahead and delivering on the government’s priorities for patients.
“From managing the COVID pandemic, the biggest and most successful vaccine campaign which got the country back on its feet, to introducing the latest, most innovative new treatments for patients, NHS England has played a vital role in improving the nation’s health. I have always been exceptionally proud to work for the NHS – and our staff in NHS England have much to be proud of.
“But we now need to bring NHS England and DHSC together so we can deliver the biggest bang for our buck for patients, as we look to implement the 3 big shifts – analogue to digital, sickness to prevention and hospital to community – and build an NHS fit for the future.”
Incoming NHS England chair, Dr Penny Dash, said: “I am committed to working with Jim, the board and wider colleagues at NHS England to ensure we start 2025 to 2026 in the strongest possible position to support the wider NHS to deliver consistently high-quality care for patients and value for money for taxpayers.
“I will also be working closely with Alan Milburn to lead the work to bring together NHS England and DHSC to reduce duplication and streamline functions.”
Work will begin immediately to return many of NHS England’s current functions to DHSC. A longer-term programme of work will deliver the changes to bring NHS England back into the department, while maintaining a ‘laser-like focus’ on the government’s priorities to cut waiting times and responsibly manage finances.
It will also realise the untapped potential of the NHS as a single payer system, using its centralised model to procure cutting-edge technology more rapidly, get a better deal for taxpayers on procurement and work more closely with the life sciences sector to develop the treatments of the future.
The reforms to deliver a more efficient, leaner centre will also free up capacity and help deliver significant savings of hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services to cut waiting times through the government’s Plan for Change.
The changes will crucially also give more power and autonomy to local leaders and systems – instead of weighing them down in increasing mountains of red tape, they will be given the tools and trust they need to deliver health services for the local communities they serve with more freedom to tailor provision to meet local needs.
The number of people working in the centre has more than doubled since 2010, when the NHS delivered the shortest waiting times and highest patient satisfaction in its history. Today, the NHS delivers worse care for patients but is more expensive than ever, meaning that taxpayers are paying more but getting less.
Too much centralisation and over-supervision has led to a tangled bureaucracy, which focuses on compliance and box-ticking, rather than patient care, value for money and innovation. In one example, highlighted by Dame Patricia Hewitt’s 2023 review, one integrated care system received 97 ad-hoc requests in a month from DHSC and NHS England, in addition to the 6 key monthly, 11 weekly and 3 daily data returns.
The review also revealed the challenges caused by duplication – citing examples of tensions, wasted time and needless frictional costs generated by uncoordinated pursuit of organisational goals that do not take account of their wider effects.
Substantial reform, not just short term investment, is needed to deliver the government’s Plan for Change mission to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future, and this announcement is one of a series of steps the government is taking to make the NHS more productive and resilient so that it can meet the needs of the population it cares for.
NHS England’s new leadership team, Sir Jim Mackey and Dr Penny Dash, will lead this transformation while re-asserting financial discipline and continuing to deliver on the government’s priority of cutting waiting times through the Plan for Change.
These reforms will provide the structure necessary to drive forward the 3 big shifts identified by government as crucial to building an NHS fit for the future – analogue to digital, sickness to prevention and hospital to community.
Since July, the government has already taken significant steps to get the NHS back on its feet, including bringing an end to the resident doctor strikes, delivering an extra 2 million appointments 7 months early and cutting waiting lists by 193,000 since July.
Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement that NHS England is to be abolished, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Everyone wants more to be spent on frontline services so the sick and injured can be treated sooner.
“Delays and long waits for operations and appointments have left several million unable to work, with a knock-on effect on economic growth.
“More of a focus and greater investment in the entire NHS team of staff, not just nurses and doctors, would help turn around the fortunes of a floundering NHS.
“Put simply the health service needs thousands more staff and to be able to hold on to experienced employees. At the moment, it’s struggling to do that. Giving staff a decent pay rise would help no end.
“But this announcement will have left NHS England staff reeling. Just days ago they learned their numbers were to be slashed by half, now they discover their employer will cease to exist.
“The way the news of the axing has been handled is nothing short of shambolic. It could surely have been managed in a more sympathetic way.
“Thousands of expert staff will be left wondering what their future holds. Wherever possible, their valuable skills must be redeployed and used to the benefit of the reformed NHS and patients.
“Ministers have to reassure employees right across the NHS that there’s a robust plan to rejuvenate a flailing NHS and deliver for working people.”
Following Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement to scrap NHS England, a leading cybersecurity expert has warned the move could leave the health service dangerously exposed to cyberattacks.
While the proposed reforms aim to cut bureaucracy and streamline services, he warns that removing NHS England’s centralised cybersecurity infrastructure is “like a hospital suddenly removing its emergency department and expecting patients to fend for themselves.”
Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point Software, said, “While the Prime Minister’s sweeping reforms cover everything from cutting red tape to reining in bureaucracy, one critical area must not be left in the lurch: our cybersecurity defences. Scrapping NHS England’s centralised services is not just a bureaucratic shake-up; it’s like a hospital suddenly removing its emergency department and expecting patients to fend for themselves.
“At present, NHS England provides the backbone for our cyber defences, from a unified email service to specialised threat protection. Removing these central functions risks leaving individual NHS Trusts to fend off cyberattacks with a patchwork of under-resourced teams. As the adage goes, ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link,’ and our cyber chain is already under severe strain with attacks on the rise.
“Moreover, dismantling these central services could open the door for a surge of third-party suppliers to step in. While more suppliers might seem like a win for competition, it also fragments our defence and leaves us vulnerable; each new supplier is a potential weak link in our security armour.
“We need a robust, unified security system that acts like a digital fortress, not a hodgepodge of outsourced patches. In the midst of these broad reforms, let’s ensure the cyber element isn’t left out in the cold. Our digital defences must be retained or replaced with an equally robust solution; otherwise, we’re setting the stage for a cyber disaster.”
A leading European tobacco control expert is encouraging elected representatives in Scotland and across the UK to dismiss tobacco industry attempts to weaken measures in the UK Government’s four-nations Tobacco and Vapes Bill which is progressing through Westminster.
The call comes ahead of Lilia Olefir, Director of the Smoke Free Partnership (a European coalition of tobacco control non-governmental organisations), leading a discussion as part of ASH Scotland’s Learning Week yesterday (10 February) about the importance of regulating emerging addictive and health harming tobacco and nicotine products.
Alarm is being raised by public health experts as tobacco companies including Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco (BAT), Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Altria have moved into the nicotine pouch market, which is estimated to be worth $2 billion globally, through developing their own products or acquiring companies which produce nicotine pouches.
Nicotine pouches, which are placed under the top lip, are teabag-like products filled with a fibrous white powder and infused with nicotine and ingredients such as sweeteners and flavourings that are released during use.
A health risk assessment on nicotine pouches by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment concluded that high levels of nicotine, which has strong effects on the cardiovascular system, is a health risk. Pouches present high risks for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with cardiovascular disease.
By fighting Big Tobacco, these women are protecting public health and empowering women and girls to stand up for their right to a healthier future. Here are their messages to fellow advocates—urging them to keep exposing Big Tobacco and strengthening global efforts to… pic.twitter.com/T369V747yY
Lilia Olefir, who is also the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control Coordinator for Europe and won the 2024 Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence, said: “The tobacco industry is strategically marketing new nicotine to target young people, claiming that novel products have lower health risks, while simultaneously lobbying to avoid regulation on them for as long as possible.
“The rise in use of novel products by young people is extremely alarming and that’s why updating legislation is vital to address concerns about young people’s access to emerging tobacco and nicotine products.
“Annual tobacco industry spending on lobbying activities in the EU is at an all-time high of €19 million and their interference remains the largest obstacle to the implementation of effective tobacco control policies to protect children and young people.
“It’s not a surprise ASH Scotland’s analysis has found many concerning industry-connected arguments against restrictions that can be enabled by the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which parliamentarians would be wise to ignore for the benefit of younger people’s health.”
In March 2023, Belgium became the first nation in the EU to ban nicotine pouches, followed by the Netherlands a month later, and France decided in February 2025 to introduce a ban.
In Scotland and across the UK, nicotine pouches are currently not covered by tobacco or e-cigarette regulations so are not required to adhere to the same controls on advertising and retail displays as tobacco nor age of sale restrictions that are in place for cigarettes and nicotine containing vapes.
Strong measures to restrict the advertising and promotion of nicotine pouches will be introduced in the event of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill being passed.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “The evidence presented by the Smoke Free Partnership and ASH Scotland’s analysis suggests that the tobacco industry is aiming to attract youths to use its new addictive and health harming products such as nicotine pouches to maintain a sizeable customer base in the UK and across Europe to enable the generation of huge profits into the future, at a considerable cost to the health of our young people.
“We have seen a disturbing increase in marketing campaigns promoting nicotine pouches in Scotland in recent months, including the provision of free samples in major train stations and a proliferation of shop window posters which are seen by children and young people.
“We welcome the robust measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which proposes to restrict the advertising and promotions of nicotine pouches and vapes to reduce their visibility and availability and protect the health of children now and of future generations.
“We strongly urge elected representatives in Scotland and across the UK to reject the destructive interference by the tobacco industry and its profit-motivated business associates who are not public health stakeholders and should never be treated as such.”
People across Scotland encouraged to get potential symptoms checked earlier
The latest phase of the Scottish Government’s ‘Be the Early Bird’ campaign has a new focus on head and neck cancer symptoms.
Around 1,300 new cases are diagnosed each year – Scotland’s sixth most common cancer – yet only one third are detected early. The campaign encourages people to recognise possible cancer symptoms and not delay contacting their GP practice or dentist.
To emphasise this message, a group of people who had their cancer detected early, the ‘early birds’, met Health Secretary Neil Gray to share vital stories of how this provided more treatment options, helped them live well and allowed them to continue doing the things they love.
The group are urging people with unusual, persistent symptoms to do the same and act early.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray said: “Early detection is so important to cancer care. The stories from our ‘early birds’ demonstrate the positive impact it can have on treatment and outcomes.
“So, I’m urging everyone to make sure they contact their GP practice about any unusual, persistent symptoms. The sooner we act, the better the chances for treatment and recovery. So, let’s be vigilant – if something doesn’t feel right, don’t wait, get checked early.”
Dr Gillian Leslie, Deputy Chief Dental Officer for Scotland, said: “Head and neck cancer incidence rates have gradually increased over the past decade, making early detection more important than ever.
“Dentists play a vital role in detecting signs of cancer. Routine dental examinations allow us to identify subtle changes in the mouth and throat, and surrounding tissues that could signal early-stage cancer.
“Early diagnosis leads to better treatment options, so we urge people to attend their check-ups. Most importantly, if you notice any sores, lumps, red or white patches that do not go away after three weeks, don’t wait until your next appointment – we want to see you. It’s crucial not to dismiss any potential symptoms. Get checked right away.”
Dr Douglas Rigg, GP said: “If you are worried about unexplained bleeding, an unusual lump, unexplained weight loss or something that doesn’t feel normal for you, we want to know.
“Don’t be embarrassed or sit at home worrying, give your GP practice a call. It probably won’t be cancer but if it is, finding cancer earlier can mean a much wider range of treatment options being available, and a better chance of living well again.”
Case study
Daniel Morrison, 30, from Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, was one of the early birds at the breakfast meeting with Neil Gray. He was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer but is now recovering and living well with his young family thanks to early detection at his GP practice.
Daniel said: “It’s thanks to spotting my cancer early that I’m now delighted to say I’m in recovery and able to look forward excitedly to the future with my young family.
“I’d noticed fluid under my tongue and felt really fatigued but it’d be easy to try and ignore as nothing. I’m so thankful however that I got checked early, treated and looked after by a team of amazing medical experts throughout.
“This is why I’m passionate about the Scottish Government’s Be the Early Bird campaign – it’s so important that people understand the difference contacting your GP practice early can make.”
The national standard on waiting times for children and young people accessing mental health services has been met for the first time.
Latest Public Health statistics show 90.6% of those who were referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) were seen within 18 weeks from October to December– the Scottish Government standard is 90%.
The figure is an increase from 89.1% for the previous quarter and from 83.8% for the same quarter in 2023.
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Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “This continued progress is testament to the dedication of the staff who work so hard to help the children and young people they care for.
“We want everyone to get the support they need, when they need it. Clearly, reaching the national standard is encouraging but I know there is much more to be done if this is to be sustained and consistent across Scotland.
“However, we are on the right path and the £123 million we have allocated to NHS Boards this year will mean the quality and delivery of all mental health services – including CAMHS – will continue to improve.”
Responding to the latest CAMHS referral figures, Children First chief executive Mary Glasgow said: “While the progress on meeting CAMHS waiting times should be applauded, it shouldn’t deflect attention from the still growing mental health crisis among Scotland’s children and young people.
“Numbers of referrals to CAMHS have risen by almost a fifth and our teams across Scotland are seeing rapidly rising levels of worry and anxiety among the children and young people who come to us for support.
“The fact remains that children are often not getting support until they are in severe distress. This must stop.
“The Scottish Government must invest more in early help and support to prevent children reaching crisis point.”
A Cancer Research UK-funded scheme aims to tackle a waiting list of people at higher risk of developing bowel cancer.
The project, which aims to improve patient access to vital colonoscopies, has launched in the Scottish Borders and, if successful, could change NHS practice across the UK.
The initiative is part of a UK-wide programme from the charity, with additional support from the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, called Test, Evidence, Transition (TET) which aims to accelerate the adoption of best practice in the early diagnosis of bowel cancer.
Cancer waiting times in Scotland are currently amongst the worst on record. In April-June 2024, only 73 per cent of patients who were referred urgently with a suspicion of cancer started treatment within 62 days, with the Borders region performing above the national average at 77.9 per cent. This is still below the 95 per cent standard and nationally is the third worst performance on record since 2012.*
However, patients regarded as being at a higher risk of developing bowel cancer – usually because of pre-existing medical conditions are not covered by this target.
Instead, they are put on ‘surveillance’ lists because they need tests at regular intervals and do not have a current suspicion of cancer based on symptoms.
Stretched resources can mean those with symptoms of suspected cancer take priority, leaving some of those who may have a similar risk, waiting for long periods of time for a colonoscopy with no NHS target in place for them.
To tackle this issue NHS Borders, with the support of Cancer Research UK and research partners at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, has developed a new nurse-led surveillance pathway to improve access to colonoscopies.
Dr Jonathan Fletcher, Consultant Physician and NHS Borders Lead Clinician for the project, said:“With the support of Cancer Research UK and the Bowelbabe Fund, we are excited to be overhauling the colonoscopy follow up arrangements for Borders patients with a variety of conditions that increase their risk of colorectal cancer.
“There will be a range of benefits to patients and the endoscopy service that we hope to examine and measure with this initiative.”
A colonoscopy is a type of endoscopy, a non-surgical procedure using a flexible camera to examine the inside of the colon.
In the new pathway in the Borders, patients will receive a new reminder phone call 4-5 days prior to their colonoscopy appointment to reduce missed appointments and carry out a pre-assessment to note any changes in their health.
It will also offer services advising patients on steps they can take to reduce their risk of developing bowel cancer and will improve the use of IT systems to make management of the waiting list more efficient and effective.
Julieann Brennan, Strategic Lead and Board Coordinator for Public Health National Screening Programmes in Scotland, said:“This is an exciting opportunity to work with Cancer Research UK to improve access to our colonoscopy services, particularly for those who may be at higher risk of developing bowel cancer.
“We also want to make improvements in communications with those patients who may be at higher risk.”
TET is a major Cancer Research UK programme which aims to accelerate the adoption of innovation in the health system while reducing inequalities in access to best practice cancer care. Previously, the scheme has focused on reducing waiting times for people with suspected breast and prostate cancer.
Naser Turabi, Director of Evidence and Implementation at Cancer Research UK, said:“There is a relatively less well-known group of people who are at a higher risk of bowel cancer, waiting too long for crucial colonoscopy tests. It has no official target and so can get less attention and resource.
“We are delighted to support this exciting initiative undertaken by NHS Borders who are keen to reduce the wait and improve outcomes for patients in their region.
“If patients in this pilot scheme can be tested at the right frequency, we have a better chance of diagnosing cancer earlier, when treatment is much more likely to be successful. We hope the learning from this work will be adopted elsewhere in Scotland and across the UK.”
TET has received £2m from Cancer Research UK and the Bowelbabe Fund for projects across the UK, with each project delivered by local NHS teams in conjunction with academics to find new ways to improve both patient experience and cancer outcomes.
The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK was created to continue the inspiring legacy of Dame Deborah James who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of 35.
Launched in the last few weeks of her life and now stewarded by her family, together with Cancer Research UK it works to fund cutting-edge research, raise awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer with the aim of helping more people affected by cancer have more time with the people they love.
