Tag: Scottish Government

Public to help shape plans for a National Care Service

People across Scotland are being invited to have a say on how a new National Care Service should work.

A programme of meetings will take place over the summer, stretching from Dumfries and Galloway to Shetland. There will also be online meetings for anyone who would prefer to join discussions remotely.

There are NO events in Edinburgh or the Lothians.

During a visit to the Allied Health Professionals in Bonnyrigg, which includes the 14 health professions that make up the third largest workforce in the NHS Scotland, Social Care Minister Maree Todd spoke with staff about what they want to see from the co-design of the new national approach.

Details for all events are now available on the online booking page. The first event will take place in Stirling on 20 June.

Ms Todd said: “There are unique demands across the country, which is why we’re going to different areas, ensuring communities the length and breadth of Scotland are represented in designing a National Care Service tailored to local needs.

“Having listened to care providers, unions and the third sector during the Bill scrutiny process, these meetings will allow anyone who uses care services, has a loved one that relies on care or has worked in the sector to have their say. This will help inform future stages of the Bill as it progresses through the Parliamentary process. 

“There is general agreement that social care transformation will be of great benefit. This needs us all to have a shared understanding of what is working well and really focus on what’s needed to support people to thrive with the most suitable care for them. I would encourage everyone to be part of this conversation.

“To do this you can look to attend an event near you or join online, and be part of what will be the biggest social reform of our lifetimes.”

Alison Keir, Chair of the Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland said: “Rehabilitation is central to improving health and social care services in Scotland. Rehabilitation services are vital to people recovering from injury or supported through illness.

“When people get the rehabilitative care they need, they can be discharged from hospital sooner. Then they will need less health and social care, avoid being readmitted to hospital, and be able to regain their quality of life and their role as active citizens in Scotland.

“Allied Health Professionals, such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists, are experts in delivering rehabilitation. It is vital we improve community provision. We will fully engage with the national care service process to ensure we have the right services and systems in place.”

To register online:

  • 20 June – Albert Halls, Stirling
  • 28 June – William Quarrier Conference Centre, Glasgow
  • 14 July – Hilltown Community Centre, Dundee
  • 18 July – Stranraer Millennium Centre, Dumfries and Galloway
  • 26 July – The Corran Hall, Oban
  • 1 August – An Crùbh Community Centre, Skye
  • 8 August – Strathpeffer Community Centre, Highland
  • 17 August – Isleburgh Community Centre, Shetland
  • 22 August – The Inkwell, Elgin
  • 24 August – National online event
  • 29 August – National online event
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New pay offer for Scotland’s junior doctors: 14.5% over two years

Junior doctors across Scotland have been offered a 14.5% pay uplift over the two year period 2022-24, following negotiations with BMA Scotland.

This represents a £61.3 million investment in junior doctor pay – the largest in the last 20 years and the best offer in the UK.

If accepted, the new and final offer will be a pay raise of 6.5% in 2023/24, as well as an additional 3% towards an already agreed 4.5% uplift in 2022/23. This amounts to a cumulative increase of 14.5% over two years and matches the recent pay award accepted by nurses and other NHS workers in 2023. 

This offer means a doctor at the beginning of their career would receive a total salary increase of £3,834 over two years. For those at the end of their training the rise would be £7,951 over the same period. 

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “After weeks of intense negotiations I’m delighted our government and BMA Scotland have come to an agreement on pay which they will now put to their members.

“Recognising the incredible work that junior doctors do, we have offered a fair and progressive rise which will mean a pay increase of 14.5% over two years – the best offer on the table in the UK.

“We have taken their concerns regarding pay, and the need to modernise pay bargaining more broadly, extremely seriously. It’s now up to junior doctors to reflect on this final offer, and I hope they will accept.”

Getting Better: NHS Lothian de-escalated to Stage 2

Following performance improvements in relation to the delivery of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Psychological Therapies, NHS Lothian Health Board has been de-escalated to Stage 2 of NHS Board performance escalation framework.

Robust measures will remain in place to ensure NHS Lothian continues to receive support to help maintain improvements.

NHS Lothian was originally escalated to Stage 3 for mental health performance in July 2019.

The improvements to CAMHS and Psychological Therapies has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of children, young people and adults waiting to start treatment compared to the period prior to escalation.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Escalating a health board is never done lightly and, following progress to improve the provision of mental health services, care and support, I am pleased that we are now able to de-escalate NHS Lothian. This is a positive step forward.

“Staff have worked hard to support the improvement work while delivering high quality patient care. It has been a challenging time for them, as well as patients and families, and support for the Board will continue to improve services even further for patients.”

More help for more families: Income thresholds to be removed for Best Start Foods

 

An estimated 20,000 additional people will become eligible for additional help to buy healthy foods when income thresholds are removed for Best Start Foods payments.

The Scottish Government benefit provides help to pregnant women or their partners as well as families with children aged up to three years old, so they can buy healthy food, milk or baby formula.

It is currently paid to people who receive qualifying benefits, so long as their incomes are not above set thresholds. The Scottish Government will introduce regulations that remove those thresholds increasing eligibility for Best Start Foods to around an additional 20,000 people from February 2024.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of the Scottish Government’s three critical missions.

“Rising food prices disproportionately hurt those on the lowest incomes, so removing the threshold for qualifying benefits means around 20,000 people will now get vital help to buy healthy foods.

“Best Start Foods is one of our five family payments, including the Scottish Child Payment, which together could be worth more than £10,000 by the time a first child turns six and more than £20,000 by the time an eligible child is 16.

“As set out in our tackling child poverty plan, we will use all the resources available to provide immediate support to families, while seeking more powers to enable us to truly tackle poverty.”

Facemasks: Return to pre-pandemic advice for health and social care

People in health and social care settings will no longer be advised to wear facemasks from Tuesday next week (16 May).

The return to pre-pandemic guidance means that mask use will be based on clinical need based on infection prevention and control advice, meaning  staff, patients, service users and visitors will not be routinely asked to wear facemasks in health and social care settings.

It follows a review of the guidance introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect staff, patients, service users and visitors, and recognises that Scotland has entered a calmer phase of the pandemic.

Chief Nursing Officer Alex McMahon said: “Due to the success of vaccines in protecting people, and the availability of treatments, now is the right time to revise the advice on wearing masks in health and social care settings and return to pre-pandemic guidance.

“We recognise that some staff may have concerns around the withdrawal of this guidance and would expect organisations to undertake individual occupational health assessments and risk assessments as appropriate.

“We continue to be vigilant in our response to Covid-19 and encourage everyone to make sure they are up to date with the boosters available to them. We are grateful for the tireless work of health and social care teams during these challenging times and to everyone who has helped them by adhering to the guidance.”

Rosebank: Scottish Government fails to oppose controversial project as Equinor lobbies for more drilling

Climate campaigners have challenged the Scottish Government to speak out against the controversial Rosebank oil field as they revealed details of the lobbying operation by the Norwegian oil giant Equinor who are behind the project.

New data compiled by Friends of the Earth Scotland show that from the 2021 election until end of 2022,  Equinor has met 13 times with MSPs including five times with Scottish Government Ministers.[1] The lobbying register also shows that oil lobby group Offshore Energies UK, who represent Equinor, met with members of the Scottish Parliament at least 36 times over the last two years.

With a UK Government decision on the massive Rosebank oil field drawing closer, Humza Yousaf once again refused to oppose the project when questioned by journalists at the All Energy Conference in Glasgow yesterday. Equinor also faced protests in Norway, Aberdeen and London to coincide with its AGM.

Prior to announcing its formal application to develop the Rosebank field in August 2022 Equinor pursued meetings with 8 MSPs in the North East and Shetland to convince MSPs to back the project, the data shows.

Oil extraction from Rosebank was also discussed at the 2022 Cross Party Group on Oil and Gas, chaired by oil lobby group Offshore Energies UK, and attended by six MSPs. The group lists amongst its aims: “to encourage greater recognition of the importance of the oil and gas industry to Scotland”. [2]

The Scottish Government has repeatedly failed to officially state their opposition to Equinor’s plans to develop the 500 million barrels of oil in Rosebank, despite Nicola Sturgeon speaking out against the much smaller Cambo oil field in 2021. None of the MSPs lobbied have called for the project to be stopped or signed the motion of opposition lodged by Monica Lennon MSP. [3]

Equinor is 67% owned by the Norwegian state and posted £9.5billion pre-tax profits for first 3 months of 2023, in addition to the £62billion in profits before tax for 2022. Despite their claims to be a ‘broad energy company’ more than 99 percent of Equinor’s energy production comes from fossil fuels.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s campaigner Freya Aitchison said: “This research highlights the insidious power that Equinor and other fossil fuel companies have over decision making processes in Scotland.

“The scale and reach of the Equinor lobbying operation designed to influence the Scottish Government should be extremely alarming to anyone who takes the climate crisis seriously.

“For decades, the fossil fuel industry has denied and delayed the need for real climate action, and it is clear that it has significant means to continue doing so. Companies like Equinor have too much vested interest in continuing business as usual and cannot be trusted to play a meaningful part in a transition away from fossil fuels.

“99% of Equinor’s output is fossil fuels and the company is planning for the expansion of oil and gas drilling across the world, with the Rosebank project as well as others in Canada, Argentina and Norway. We know that in order to stay within agreed climate limits we can have no new investments in fossil fuel infrastructure, yet Equinor is deliberately ignoring the science and trying to persuade politicians to let it continue profiting from new extraction.

“There can be no place for the fossil fuel industry in decision-making around climate change – just as tobacco companies were banned from public health decision-making spaces, fossil fuel companies such as Equinor need to be denied access to power and influence in order for real change to happen.”

“To avoid catastrophic climate breakdown, and do our fair share globally, we must phase out oil and gas in this decade. First Minister Humza Yousaf has the chance to chart a new path away from fossil fuels without the industry trying to call the shots. If his Government is serious about tackling the climate crisis and delivering a just transition, it must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and ban them from lobbying.”

Equinor’s influence peddling is aided by the revolving door – whereby politicians and officials jump from public office into lucrative industry lobbying jobs – or vice versa. Equinor’s Vice President Political and Public Affairs Global, David Cairns, was formerly the British Ambassador to Sweden and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Director for the Nordic Baltic Region. [4]

Cairns has had at least 8 lobby meetings with MSPs in 2022 and met with Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes, during COP26 in November 2021. Every single meeting Cairns has had on behalf of Equinor gives the same description of purpose in the Lobbying Register – demonstrating the limitations of lobbying transparency rules. The meetings discussed Equinor’s “broad energy portfolio of oil & gas, offshore wind and low carbon activities” and “Future opportunities for engagement with MSPs in the Scottish Parliament”.

Scottish dentists to join strike action

The British Dental Association has announced that dentists in Scotland employed under the same contract as junior doctors, will join their medical colleagues in a 72-hour walkout, the dates of which are yet to be confirmed, if BMA ongoing negotiations with the Scottish government do not result in a credible pay offer.

The overwhelming majority of voters (91%) from this small but important cohort backed industrial action, on a turnout of 79%.

British Dental Association Chair Eddie Crouch said: “Our members stand ready to do whatever it takes to secure a fair deal on pay.

“Just like their medical colleagues these dentists aren’t worth a penny less than they were a decade ago.

“We are hopeful that a negotiated settlement can be found. But our members will take strike action if the Scottish Government fail to come back to the table with a serious pay offer.”

Charities Bill passes first stage

Measures will increase transparency and maintain public trust

Proposed legislation to update and strengthen charity law has passed its first parliamentary stage.

MSPs have voted to support the general principles of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) Bill which improves accountability and transparency of charities and increases the powers of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

Welcoming Parliament’s unanimous support at Stage 1 of the Bill, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our focus is to ensure the best possible conditions for the sector, which plays a vital role in our society, to thrive.

“Current charity law is now over 17 years old and the sector has changed significantly in that time. That is why we want to strengthen, modernise and improve charity regulation to ensure it meets the needs of charities.

“Scottish charities have a combined income of £14 billion each year so it’s crucial the way they are regulated remains fit for purpose.

“Charities are widely supported by the public. Trust in them and what they deliver is high, and we want to keep it that way.”

The Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill is a 2022-23 Programme for Government commitment.

Provisions in the Bill include:

  • updating the criteria for the automatic disqualification of charity trustees and extending it to individuals with specific senior management positions in charities
  • removal from the Scottish Charity Register of unresponsive charities that fail to submit statements of account.
  • a requirement for all charities in the Scottish Charity Register to have and retain a connection to Scotland.
  • a requirement on OSCR to publish the statements of account for all charities in the Scottish Charity Register.
  • requirements on OSCR to include charity trustee names in the Scottish Charity Register, to keep an internal schedule of charity trustees’ details and to create a publicly searchable record of charity trustees removed by the courts.

The Scottish Government consulted on proposals put forward by OSCR in 2019 and consulted again on a number of specific reforms in 2021 and found a majority of support for the changes.

New national park(s) for Scotland

Call for expressions of interest from local areas

Communities across Scotland are being asked to consider whether their local area could be designated as the country’s newest national park.

Individuals, groups or organisations considering making a proposal can now register early interest. 

Nominations will officially open later this year, once the appraisal framework has been finalised. The government has committed to designating at least one new national park in Scotland by Spring 2026. 

Visiting Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Lorna Slater said: “I look forward to engaging with communities and learning more about their proposals, and I encourage everyone to get involved as we move closer to naming Scotland’s next national park.

“Our existing national parks play an important role in tackling the biodiversity and climate crises, whilst also supporting local communities, businesses and visitors.

“Last year we consulted widely on the future of national parks in Scotland, and there was broad support for our commitment to create at least one new park by 2026.”

Chief Executive of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority Gordon Watson said: “National Parks have a vital role to play in securing a more sustainable future for Scotland. They are unique places where we can maximise the benefits that can be provided for nature, climate and people.

“Scotland has set ambitious targets to reach Net Zero and to restore biodiversity by 2045.

“If we are to reach those targets, urgent, bold action is required and Scotland’s existing – and any new – National Parks can make a substantial contribution. 

“Through scaling up our efforts to lock-in carbon in the landscape, restore nature at scale and enable a greener low-emission economy, we can, together, help Scotland make significant progress towards these commitments.”

Registers of interest should be submitted by email to: NationalParks@gov.scot 

A draft appraisal framework with broad selection criteria for new national parks has also been published for consultation. 

The Scottish Government is already aware of several communities or groups that are interested in putting their area forward for national park status. Our appraisal framework will help to ensure the nomination process is fair, transparent and inclusive.

Registration opened yesterday (Thursday 11 May 2023). There is no requirement to register interest in order to submit a nomination. Nor does registration commit a group or organisation to submitting a nomination. 

Registration will allow the Scottish Government to update interested parties with any important information, key dates and communications throughout the process.

Scottish Transport Minister officially launches the UK’s first autonomous bus service

  • Public service to launch on Monday 15 May
  • An important milestone for autonomous technology
  • Believed to be the first autonomous bus project of this complexity and ambition globally
  • Over one million miles of testing completed

Scotland’s Transport Minister Kevin Stewart has joined partners Stagecoach, Fusion, Alexander Dennis Ltd and Transport Scotland today (Thursday 11 May) to officially launch the UK’s first autonomous bus service, AB1, ahead of it beginning passenger service on Monday (15 May).

The Transport Minister was joined at the official media launch event at the Traffic Scotland National Control Centre today by Ray O’Toole, Executive Chairman for Stagecoach, as well as representatives from each of the CAVForth partners.

CAVForth, is a collaborative project, comprising of Fusion Processing Ltd, Stagecoach, Alexander Dennis, Transport Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Bristol Robotics Lab, and the University of the West of England. It is part-funded by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV).

AB1 is believed to be the first registered bus service in the world to use full sized autonomous buses.

The trial, which will now run until 2025, aims to demonstrate autonomous technology in a real-world environment transporting up to 10,000 passengers per week. During this time, the partners will make improvements and monitor the benefits for passengers, operations and society.

This key milestone in autonomous technology is the result of almost ten years of research and development from Fusion Processing Ltd, with their CAVStar system having covered over 1.8million kilometres in tests.

A fleet of five Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV vehicles will cover the new 14-mile route, in mixed traffic, at up to 50mph across the iconic Forth Road Bridge from Ferrytoll Park & Ride, in Fife to Edinburgh Park Transport Interchange.

The service will have two members of staff on board: a Safety Driver in the driver’s seat to monitor the technology, and a ‘Captain’ in the saloon to take tickets and answer customers questions. The Captain is there to demonstrate what a full-size autonomous bus might feel like in the future, when one member of staff can leave the cab while the computer does the driving, and engage with passengers, much like a conductor would have done.

The recently announced CCAV funding for CAVForth II, sees the project extended to 2025, challenging the partners to extend the route north to Dunfermline City bus station in 2024.

Scottish Transport Minister, Kevin Stewart, said: “It is really exciting to see the innovative and ambitious CAVForth Project take to the roads in earnest after all the hard work of the partner organisations involved in bringing this world first to Scotland.

“We want Scotland to continue to be at the forefront in the development of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles and the start of this live trial will really help the country establish its credentials on the world stage.

“I am excited to see how this technology can help to support our vision for a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system.”

Ray O’Toole, Executive Chairman for Stagecoach said: “This is an incredibly exciting time, and we are delighted to see the hard work of all partners involved, pay off on the official launch by Scottish Transport Minister, Kevin Stewart.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of transport innovation with this project, marking a significant milestone for public transport and we look forward to welcoming our customers on board from Monday.”

Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director, Paul Davies, said: “Our participation in this exciting project is testament to the great expertise of our engineering team, who continue to lead technology development for tomorrow’s mobility.

“We believe that automated driving systems like the one we are trialling in CAVForth will further improve safety by reducing reaction times, as well as offering the ability to drive buses in a more efficient manner by optimising acceleration and deceleration to deliver significant energy savings and reduced wear and tear on the vehicle.

“We look forward to gaining further experience through CAVForth and continuing to develop this promising technology for our customers.”

Professor Nick Antonopoulos, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice Principal of Research & Innovation at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “CAVForth is a world-leading project, and one we are proud to be involved in.

“Automation offers an opportunity to transform the ways we get around in years to come, while improving safety and reducing energy consumption. As this trial gets underway, we look forward to contributing Edinburgh Napier University’s transport research expertise to understand more about the passenger experience on the AB1 service.”

Jim Hutchinson, CEO, Fusion Processing, said: “CAVForth is an exciting showcase of how our CAVstar® Automated Drive System can safely operate in a very complex driving environment.

“This pilot is globally significant and marks a step change in the operation of autonomous commercial vehicles on public roads.”