Patients having blood samples taken at NHS Lothian’s two Emergency Departments (A&Es) are likely to be tested for blood-borne viruses as part of a national initiative to save lives by diagnosing and treating infections earlier.
The testing – which is safe, confidential and optional – will be provided to Emergency Department patients aged 16 and over who are assessed at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh from 4 August, and at St Johns Hospital in Livingston from 1 September.
People may have no symptoms and be unaware they are living with an infection. Of the three viruses that will be tested for, hepatitis C can be cured, and hepatitis B and HIV can be managed with effective treatment so that people can lead long and healthy lives. But if left untreated, these can result in serious illnesses and, in some cases, death.
With around half of Emergency Department patients having blood samples taken as part of their care, the additional tests will enable early detection. If a test is positive, the patient will receive a telephone call within 2 weeks to discuss highly effective treatment options.
Any patient who does not wish to be tested can opt out by letting a member of staff know. This decision will not affect the care they receive.
The initiative, funded by the Scottish Government, follows an NHS Lothian trial. In testing elsewhere in the UK, 1 in 180 patients tested positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV and received specialist follow-up care.
Susan Webb, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, said: “This testing is a positive step for public health in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“It will ensure patients are diagnosed and treated far sooner than they otherwise would have been.
“Early diagnosis improves the clinical outcomes for these patients, and reduces ongoing transmission across our communities. This ties in with the Scottish Government’s drive to eliminate hepatitis C, end new transmissions of HIV and treat people living with hepatitis B – continuing the progress that has already been made.
“The tests are safe, confidential and optional, with the initiative designed to protect and improve health.”
The tests are only for adults attending NHS Lothian’s Emergency Departments because they need emergency care.
Posters about this initiative will be displayed throughout the Emergency Departments, with further information about blood-borne viruses and testing available on the NHS Inform website. All this reminds patients that if they wish to opt out, they should tell a staff member.
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to a blood-borne virus should seek advice and testing as soon as possible from their GP practice, or from sexual health services at the Chalmers Centre or its local clinics.
Urgent work to take place to protect bereaved families
Proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector to be developed following harrowing case in Hull
DHSC to lead cross-government work to ensure that every person in every setting is treated with the respect they deserve in death.
Work will formally commence following the sentencing of criminal funeral director Robert Bush today
Regulation is already in place in Scotland
The UK government has announced urgent plans to crack down on rogue operators in the funeral sector and ensure better protection for bereaved families after the sentencing of Robert Bush yesterday.
Bush, of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a total of 67 charges, including the prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud, fraudulent trading, and theft.
The Department for Health and Social Care will now drive forward work alongside other government departments, including the Ministry of Justice and the Law Commission to crack down on rogue operators in the funeral sector, and to protect bereaved families against the heartbreak of having their loved ones mistreated in death.
This will include developing a range of detailed proposals to drive up standards, including regulation of the funeral sector. These will be drawn up in discussion with established operators, faith groups, families, and other stakeholders.
As part of this work, the Law Commission will undertake a review of the criminal law in relation to the deceased, consider any gaps in existing legal protections and make recommendations on the creation of new offences, if they are needed.
For bereaved families, there can be few things more painful than knowing a loved one was not treated properly after they died. The deceased cannot speak for themselves, which is why clear safeguards, stronger oversight and consistent standards are needed to protect their dignity and give families the reassurance they deserve.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Yvette Cooper said: “Robert Bush’s actions were utterly abhorrent, and my thoughts are with all the bereaved families in Hull who have been so badly let down.
“In the wake of this horrific case, we will now bring forward comprehensive proposals to ensure respect and dignity for the deceased in every setting, including proper regulation of the funeral sector. We are determined to drive rogue operators out of this industry, and protect other families from suffering this same heartache.
“Every person in every situation deserves dignity in death, and every bereaved family deserves certainty that their loved ones are being treated with care and respect.”
The Government will work closely with bereaved families, funeral providers, faith groups and others to ensure that future policy is proportionate, effective and informed by those with relevant experience.
This will ensure action is designed to give families confidence that funeral providers are meeting clear, consistent standards, no matter where they live or which provider they choose.
It will also reinforce the profound responsibility placed on anyone entrusted with caring for someone after death.
This case is another horrendous example of where the deceased have not been honoured with the care and respect many of us would have expected. The findings from Sir Jonathan Michael’s independent inquiry into the actions that allowed David Fuller to commit his horrific crimes showed that we need to consider how we can ensure better standards across all settings that look after our loved ones after they die, including where some level of regulation is already in place.
Many funeral providers offer compassionate and professional care every day. Stronger oversight, including regulation and other measures, would protect families from poor practice, support good providers, and restore confidence in a sector people rely on when they are at their most vulnerable.
Andrew Judd, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Funeral Directors, said: We welcome the government’s commitment to raising standards and oversight across the whole funeral sector and look forward to working with government to ensure that every single deceased person and their bereaved families are treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve.
“We will work with Government and industry during the engagement to secure meaningful change for all bereaved families as soon as possible. We believe that statutory regulation can best achieve this aim and will continue to make that case during this process.”
Paul Allcock, Government Liaison at the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), said: “SAIF welcomes the DHSC’s commitment to engaging with the funeral profession on regulation.
“Any framework must protect the deceased and their families as a priority, but must also uphold standards and recognise small and medium-sized independent funeral businesses. It should be proportionate, preserve family choice and maintain a diverse market.
“We’re committed to supporting the engagement and cross-government work.
“SAIF members currently follow the UK Funeral Director Code and undergo inspections of premises, mortuary facilities and administrative processes. Families also have access to an independent complaints and redress process, delivered by an externally audited alternative dispute resolution body certified by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, providing an added safeguard.
We’ll continue working closely with the DHSC and MOJ to shape regulation that protects the deceased, their families and supports a sustainable funeral profession.”
Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “We look forward to working with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice to ensure the improvement of standards in the funeral sector enable all families and communities to bury their loved ones with dignity and care.
“The Jewish community is proud of its high standards of care for the deceased and internal regulatory processes, which ensure that Jewish people are buried safely, respectfully, and in accordance with religious requirements.”
Mohamed Omer MBE, Chair, National Burial Council, said: “We have followed the Robert Bush (Legacy Independent Funeral Directors) case with deep distress. The findings are profoundly troubling and have caused immense pain to families who entrusted their loved ones to this service. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to all bereaved families affected by this appalling breach of trust, care and decency.
“The National Burial Council welcomes the Government’s commitment to urgent action to strengthen oversight, accountability and professional standards across the funeral sector.
“Muslim and Jewish communities have specific religious requirements for timely burial and respectful handling of the deceased, making dignity and transparency essential. NBC works closely with burial societies and funeral directors to uphold high standards and will support DHSC and the Ministry of Justice in strengthening safeguards and effective self‑regulation.”
NOTE: Regulations are already in place in Scotland.
NHS Rich List finds that 574 senior NHS managers had higher salaries than the prime minister, an increase of 12 per cent in a single year.
1,758 senior managers received more than £100,000 in total remuneration in 2024-25. This is an increase of 3.8 per cent from 2023-24.
The number of NHS senior managers receiving at least £300,000 in total remuneration more than doubled to 292 people. An increase of 134 per cent in a single year.
TaxPayers’ Alliance research presents senior salaries alongside A&E waiting times, revealing failing hospital bosses taking pay rises in defiance of Labour pledge to link pay and performance.
Following the appointment of Yvette Cooper as the new health secretary, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) today reveals there were 574 senior managers in the NHS on a higher salary than the prime minister last year.
The NHS Rich List shows that across the 220 NHS Trusts, 1,758 senior managers received over £100,000 in total remuneration, with the number of NHS senior managers receiving at least £300,000 in total remuneration more than doubling to 292.
While few would disagree with paying doctors and nurses properly, the NHS Rich List shows that managers in hospitals with poor A&E performance and long waiting times from referral to treatment (RTT) are still picking up handsome remuneration packages at taxpayers’ expense.
Total remuneration includes salary, expenses, benefits, bonuses and pension contributions. Looking at salaries alone, 1,603 managers had salary entitlements of at least £100,000, including 319 receiving between £200,000 and £300,000, and 17 who received over £300,000.
After the previous health secretary Wes Streeting announced that NHS leaders would face a new carrot and stick performance drive, the TPA is calling on the new health secretary Yvette Cooper to follow through with these plans and properly link performance to pay inside the NHS.
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals had the senior manager with the highest salary in 2024-25, with chief executive, J Mackey, receiving £377,500, including up to £94,000 moonlighting in other NHS jobs. The trust was ranked 41 out of 140 in England for A&E waiting times.
The worst performing trust for A&E waiting times was East Cheshire for the second consecutive year. The chief executive officer, G J Murphy, had a total remuneration package of £377,500 in 2024-25, rising from £172,500 in 2023-24 despite the persistent poor A&E waiting times. The trust had 7 senior managers who received over £100,000 in total remuneration overall.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough had the worst referral to treatment waiting time of 149 trusts, ranking last for the second consecutive year. The chief medical director, Catherine Walsh, had total remuneration of £322,500 in 2024-25.
In 2024-25, there were 1,758 senior managers receiving £100,000 or more in total remuneration (comprising salary, expenses, benefits, bonuses and pension benefits) across 220 NHS trusts, an increase of 3.8 per cent from 2023-24.
Of these, 1,603 had a salary of £100,000 or more, comprising:
17 who had salaries over £300,000
319 who had salaries between £200,000 and £300,000
1,267 who had salaries between £100,000 and £200,000
574 senior managers had a salary greater than the prime minister’s £172,153 salary entitlement in 2024-25, up from 512 in 2023-24, an increase of 12 per cent.
574 senior managers had a salary greater than the prime minister’s £172,153 salary entitlement in 2024-25, up from 512 in 2023-24, an increase of 12 per cent.
The number of NHS senior managers receiving at least £300,000 in total remuneration increased by 134 per cent in a single year, rising from 125 in 2023-24 to 292 in 2024-25.
Highest salary
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals had the senior manager with the highest salary in 2024-25, with chief executive, J Mackey, receiving £377,500 (£382,500 total remuneration). The trust was ranked 41 out of 140 in England for A&E waiting time.
This was followed by West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals, where chief medical officer, M Van Der Watt, received £372,500 in 2024-25 (£372,500 total remuneration).
Next was Guy’s and St Thomas’, where chief executive, I Abbs, received a salary of £337,500 in 2024-25 (£347,500 total remuneration).
Highest salary in Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish NHS organisations
Crawford McGuffie, medical director at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, was the senior manager with the highest salary in Scotland in 2024-25, at £247,500. The trust was ranked 11 of 14 for A&E waiting times in Scotland.
C Shillabeer, chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, had the highest salary of any senior manager in Wales in 2024-25 at £262,500. The health board was ranked 6 of 7 for RTT waiting time and 7 of 7 for A&E waiting time in Wales.
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust had the senior manager with the highest salary in Northern Ireland in 2024-25, with medical director, C Martyn, receiving £242,500.
Notable individuals
Nottingham University Hospitals was ranked 133 of 149 for RTT waiting times and 131 of 140 for A&E waiting times in England. Their chief nurse, T Pilcher, had total remuneration of £712,500 in 2024-25.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital was ranked 136 of 149 for RTT waiting times and 124 of 140for A&E waiting times in England. Their medical director, Kevin Sargen, had a total remuneration of £542,500 in 2024-25.
University Hospitals Sussex was ranked 144 of 149 for RTT waiting times and 122 of 140 for A&E waiting times in England. Their chief executive, George Findley, received £492,500 in total remuneration in 2024-25, including £32,500 in performance pay.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board was ranked last (7 of 7) for RTT waiting times and 5 of 7 for A&E waiting times in Wales. Executive director of therapies and health science, Emma Cooke, received £367,500 in total remuneration in 2024-25.
NHS Lanarkshire ranked 14 of 14 for A&E waiting times in Scotland. Their medical director, C Deighan, received £462,500 in total remuneration in 2024-25.
Best and worst performing trusts by A&E waiting time (England)
Humber Teaching had the best A&E waiting time of 140 trusts. Six senior managers received over £100,000 in remuneration. The senior manager with the highest total remuneration in the trust was medical director, Kwame Opoku-Fofie, at £272,500 in 2024-25.
East Cheshire remained the worst performing trust for A&E waiting times for the second consecutive year, ranking last in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. The chief executive officer, G J Murphy, had total remuneration of £377,500 in 2024-25, rising from £172,500 in 2023-24 despite the persistent poor A&E waiting times.
Best and worst performing trusts by RTT waiting time (England)
Mersey Care had the best RTT waiting time of 149 trusts. The senior manager with the highest total remuneration in the trust was chief nurse and director of infection, prevention and control, Jenny Hurst, at £297,500 in 2024-25.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough had the worst RTT waiting time of 149 trusts, ranking last for the second consecutive year. The chief medical director, Catherine Walsh, had total remuneration of £322,500 in 2024-25.
Highest salary by function
Digital: Neil Darvill, chief digital information officer shared between North Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, had the highest salary within this function at £195,000 in 2024-25.
HR: Ajit Abraham, group director of inclusion and equity at Barts Health, had the highest salary within this function at £232,500 in 2024-25.
Strategy: Shane Gordon, director of strategy, research and innovation at East Suffolk and North Essex, had the highest salary within this function at £247,500 in 2024-25.
Finance: Roy Clarke, chief financial officer at King’s College Hospital, had the highest salary within this function at £267,500 in 2024-25.
Responding to the findings, Rt. Hon Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Health Secretary, said:“Running the NHS is a demanding job and managers should be rewarded for delivering results. But paying managers large bonuses while patients receive poor care is not good value for taxpayers or fair on NHS frontline staff.
“Labour is handing out bonuses while patients bear the brunt of long waits and poor performance. Funding should be focused on frontline services and better patient care, not bigger payouts for managers.
“The Conservatives know the NHS needs serious reform. Every pound should deliver better care for patients and better value for taxpayers.”
Anne Strickland, researcher at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:“Taxpayers will be appalled that NHS executive pay is soaring while patients are still left waiting for care.
“Andy Burnham’s new government has an early opportunity to show taxpayers that it will get a grip on this culture of rewarding failure.
“Ministers must keep their promise to link performance to pay, so that failing NHS bosses are held accountable and money goes into patients’ care not managers’ pockets. ”
With bowel cancer cases rising among under 50’s in Scotland, extending bowel cancer screening could save more lives.
Public Health Minister @MareeToddMSP has asked the UK National Screening Committee to consider reviewing the recommended age for bowel cancer screening.
Consultation on packaging, appearance and display of tobacco and vaping products
Views are being sought on proposals aimed at restricting the appearance of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products and how they are packaged and displayed in shops to make them less enticing to children and young people.
The consultation fulfils a 100-day Scottish Government commitment and builds on government action to reduce preventable deaths from smoking and introduce tougher measures on vaping, including the introduction of a ban on the sale of single-use vapes last year.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Scotland has been a world-leader on a range of tobacco control measures, and while there has been a steady reduction in smoking rates, we know it still damages lives and kills more than 7,000 people a year in Scotland.
“The use of vapes has increased in recent years, particularly among children and young people – with almost one in five children saying they have tried vaping.
“We know that colourful packaging and displays are used as an enticement to children and young people, which is why we are taking action and consulting on options to address this issue.
“We urge everyone to have their say on how these products are marketed and sold in the future to help protect children and young people and reduce preventable harm in Scotland.”
Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said: “This is a vital step to protect public health and support Scotland’s aim of a tobacco-free generation by 2034. Scotland’s ‘Tobacco and Vaping Framework and Population Health Framework’ place a strong emphasis on prevention and reducing the use of health-harming products, including tobacco and nicotine.
“Action on how these products are promoted is central to that aim, and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 provides a strengthened legislative basis for action. This work will help reduce health harms, address health inequalities, and respond proportionately to emerging risks from vaping.”
Public Health Scotland Consultant in Public Health, Dr Garth Reid said: “Public Health Scotland welcomes the Four Nations consultation on the packaging, appearance and display of tobacco and vaping products.
“We strongly support the ambition to reduce the appeal, accessibility and normalisation of products that cause significant harm to population health.
“The proposals represent a timely and evidence‑informed extension of existing tobacco control measures, and they align with Scotland’s goal of achieving a tobacco‑free generation.”
The consultation will run from 10 July 2026 for 12 weeks.
Five more centres to open in first 100 days of new government
A new GP walk-in service will open in the centre of Aberdeen later this month, Health Secretary Angela Constance has announced.
Based within Aberdeen Health Village on Frederick Street, the new clinic will open on 23 June for any member of the public to attend, with no appointment necessary.
The service will be open on a phased basis initially, run by GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and nurses, offering same day care and treatment for minor illnesses.
The Aberdeen city centre site will be the seventh GP walk-in service across Scotland to open since the start of the year, and the first of the five centres the Scottish Government has committed to open in its first 100 days.
Walk-in centres have opened in Edinburgh, Dundee, Western Isles, Stranraer, Lerwick and Hawick in just over four months and speaking on a visit to the site of the Aberdeen GP walk-in service, Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “The new walk-in centre in the heart of Aberdeen city centre will be an asset to local health services in the area and plans are progressing at pace to welcome patients from the 23rd June.
“We know that accessing GP services on the day, when you need urgent care, can be a source of frustration. That’s why we have opened GP-led walk-in services across the country to support with on the day care to address the ‘8am rush’ and relieve pressure on GP surgeries – freeing up capacity to focus on complex and long-term care.
“We value the key role and expertise that GPs have to play in people’s care. We are underpinning that by increasing investment in general practice by £531 million over three years to significantly boost recruitment from this year, helping to deliver the capacity needed to improve services for patients.”
Emma King, Primary Care Lead for Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership, said: “We are pleased to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to the Aberdeen GP walk-in centre as we make the final preparations for opening to the public later this month.
2We are looking forward to getting to work and testing this new approach to improving access to same-day care.”
16 GP walk-in services were planned initially, backed by £36 million of investment. Five of these, including the one in Aberdeen, are due to open within the first 100 days of this government.
A process to identify 14 more sites, to a total of 30, is currently underway.
Initial 16 planned GP walk-in sites
Phase One
Wester Hailes, Edinburgh – NHS Lothian
Lochee GP Practice, Dundee – NHS Tayside
Benbecula – NHS Western Isles
Stranraer – NHS Dumfries and Galloway
Lerwick – NHS Shetland
Hawick – NHS Borders
Invergordon – NHS Highland
Dunoon – NHS Highland
Aberdeen – NHS Grampian
Cardonald, Glasgow – NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Moray – NHS Grampian
Aberdeenshire – NHS Grampian
Sauchie, Alloa – NHS Forth Valley
Phase Two
East Ayrshire, NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Clydesdale, NHS Lanarkshire
Central Fife, NHS Fife
Locations for an additional 14 additional GP walk-in sites, taking the total number of planned services to 30, will be announced within the first 100 days of the new Scottish Government.
Health Secretary welcomes sustained rise in activity
New figures show the number of operations carried out in the 12 months to April 2026 increased by 7.3% compared to the same period the year before.
New statistics from Public Health Scotland show a total of 281,115 operations were performed during the last 12 months, while 770 operations were carried out per day – an increase from 718 for year ending April 2025.
The increase in activity comes as latest waiting times statistics show new outpatient waits of over a year have decreased for 11 consecutive months and inpatient and daycase waits over a year reducing for 15 months in a row.
This is in addition to new figures which show Scottish Government pledges on extra appointments have been surpassed – the promise to provide 150,000 additional appointments last year has been exceeded, with latest data showing 168,177 additional appointments and procedures were carried out in the financial year up to March 2026 compared to same period in the previous year.
In the first 9 months of 2025-26, 34,089 procedures were carried out in National Treatment Centres, surpassing the commitment to see planned activity increasing to over 30,000.
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “I am pleased to see sustained and continued improvement in the number of operations carried out. Coupled with our continued progress to reduce waiting times, these latest figures show our plan is delivering for Scotland.
“I thank all NHS staff for their continued hard work and dedication – teams all across the country are driving this progress.
“We have delivered on our pledge to provide 150,000 additional appointments last year and our NTCs activity has surpassed our target already this year – our NHS is turning a corner and we are determined to build on this progress and ensure people are receiving the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
Nine in 10 children and young people begin mental health treatment within 18 weeks of referral
The latest figures, published today, show that 91.2% of children and young people referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) began treatment within 18 weeks — meeting the national standard for a sustained period.
One in two children referred to CAMHS is now starting treatment within six weeks — compared to one in two starting within 12 weeks before the pandemic.
Waits of over 18 weeks are at their lowest level since 2013, down nearly 20% in the past year.
The longest waits have fallen to their lowest level since 2015, with 12 out of 14 Boards now reporting zero patients waiting over a year.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “These figures reflect the dedication and hard work of CAMHS teams right across Scotland, and I am truly pleased to see these sustained and significant improvements in waiting times.
“We have increased CAMHS staffing by 51.6% over the last decade, and exceeded our commitment to fund 320 additional posts by 2026 — increasing capacity for cases by over 10,000. This investment is making a real difference to children and young people across the country.
“While there is still more to do, and we will not be complacent, today’s figures are genuinely encouraging. Long waits remain unacceptable and we will continue to support every Board to meet the standard.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition responded:“While we welcome the fact that one in two children referred to CAMHS is now starting treatment within six weeks — compared to one in two starting within 12 weeks before the pandemic, this is still in itself too long and there is much work to do to tackle the current mental health emergency.
“We still have just under 300 children and young people who have been waiting for more than nine months for treatment and 23 more than a year.
“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.
“Each one of these statistics is an individual, and we would urge the new 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.”
Heading out this weekend? Whether you’re at a festival, beer garden, night out or house party, be aware of the signs of spiking.
Call NHS 24 on 111 for advice
Call 999 if it’s a life-threatening emergency
Report suspected spiking to Police Scotland on 101
