Investment to help people settle in Scotland’s communities
A service to help refugees and people seeking asylum integrate into their local areas is being supported with £8 million in funding over the next two and a half years.
Delivered by the Scottish Refugee Council, the Scotland-wide integration support service will provide advice, information and resources to help people fleeing war and persecution settle into their new home.
This will build on the success of the previous grant-funded Refugee Support Service for 2024/25 which supported more than 10,000 people from 113 countries to rebuild their lives here.
The new multi-year funded contract will run until March 2028 with an option to extend for a further two years, enabling more people to be supported.
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Our Programme for Government commits to a multi-year funded service so refugees and people seeking asylum can access the support they need, when they need it.
“Refugees and people seeking asylum are welcome in Scotland and this service will support them to start rebuilding their lives here.
“The Scottish Refugee Council has already provided incredible support to refugees and people seeking asylum to help them work, study and live in Scotland. I’m very pleased that these efforts can continue through the service we’re funding.”
Scottish Refugee Council chief executive Sabir Zazai said: “We’re delighted that our approach to building a better future with refugees in Scotland has been recognised with this investment, which will enable us to continue reaching those who need our help, wherever in Scotland they are based.
“Last year, we worked with people seeking safety in 30 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities and connected hundreds of communities across the country, helping them work together to support and welcome New Scots.
“We’re looking forward to building on this work and reaching even more people seeking refugee protection in Scotland, providing them with essential information, multilingual advice and practical support.”
Initiative to tackle health inequality in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia
A Scottish Government-backed initiative to improve access to healthcare for people in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia has been launched.
The new health partnership programme will help the three countries and Scotland strengthen their health systems by creating networks through which healthcare professionals can share skills, experience and knowledge.
Grant funding will subsequently be made available to organisations working to improve healthcare.
The launch marks the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s international development programme and builds on the success of the NHS Scotland Global Citizenship programme, which supports NHS staff to engage in health work around the world.
Previous work in Malawi funded through the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund includes knowledge exchange on between Malawi and Scotland, the development of an Adult Emergency and Trauma Centre and a disability hearing initiative in Zambia.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said:“At a time when healthcare systems around the world are under great pressure from the lasting impact of pandemics and accelerating impact of climate change, the power of partnership has never been more important.
“These are not isolated issues. Illness and diseases do not stop when they meet a border. So we cannot think of Scotland’s NHS simply as a national institution, it is a global partner in the fight for health equality.
“This new programme launches at a critical moment for global health as major donors cut aid and builds on Scotland’s proud record of international development. By deepening our partnerships with Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia and combining the expertise of Scottish health professionals with the insights and leadership of partners overseas, we can learn through sharing together and deliver real improvements in health for people in Scotland and abroad.”
Global Health Partnerships CEO Ben Simms said:“We are thrilled to have been invited to partner with the Scottish Government on the Scottish Global Health Partnership programme.
“In its international development programme and through its Global Citizenship programme, Scotland has set a standard as a progressive, globally engaged country over many years, and this programme will celebrate and build on this track record in ways that deliver benefits both overseas and across the Scottish health system.”
The Scottish Government will invest £3 million over the next three years from its International Development Fund in the programme, which will be delivered by health charity Global Health Partnerships.
The initiative will support and align with the existing NHS Scotland Global Citizenship programme, which recognises the benefits global citizenship and international volunteering bring to Scotland’s health service and communities such as fostering leadership and driving innovation.
Health was identified as a priority in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic and through discussions with African partner countries and confirmed in the Scottish Government’s International Strategy.
A landmark independent review of Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has called for a simplified and more accessible application process, urging the Scottish Government to protect and improve access to support for disabled people.
Led by experienced charity leader, Edel Harris OBE, the review highlights that while Adult Disability Payment is significantly more compassionate than the UK benefit it replaced, some people still face barriers, complexity and distress when applying for the benefit.
While the review notes that there are several welcome changes such as the cessation of DWP-style assessments and recognises the compassionate approach of Social Security Scotland staff, it concludes that there is still more that can be done to deliver a truly human-rights based approach.
Edel Harris, Chair of the Adult Disability Payment Review, said: “Adult Disability Payment has been described by many as a step change – kinder in tone and more dignified in approach. But too often, disabled people still find the system difficult to navigate, time-consuming, and anxiety-inducing.
“I heard consistently that if we are to realise social security as an investment in people, it is important to ensure that the eligibility criteria fulfil this goal.
“This review highlights the importance of a system that is not only compassionate, but practical and accessible. The recommendations are based on real experiences and a shared commitment to making Adult Disability Payment work better for everyone who needs it.”
The review engaged extensively with disabled people and the organisations that support them. It drew on evidence from a public consultation, written submissions, in-person and online events, and the lived experience of an advisory group made up of third sector representatives, disabled people and people with long-term health-conditions.
Over the course of the review, Edel Harris also met with stakeholder groups, third sector organisations, and officials from the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland to understand a variety of experiences of Adult Disability Payment.
The review makes over 50 recommendations including:
Enhancing the client experience and embedding trauma-informed, stigma-free approaches.
Simplifying the application form and improving the decision-making process.
Training, guidance, and clearer communication for staff and clients.
Reviewing eligibility criteria and improving fairness in decision-making.
A key recommendation from the review is that eligibility should be based on the real-life experience of clients and not just on a list of activities. It also recommends that the application process should be made easier for those with fluctuating conditions and mental health problems and take into consideration the environment in which the person lives.
The report also calls for sustainable funding for welfare advice services, more inclusive communication, and automatic entitlement in some circumstances.
Edel visited Inspire by Community Integrated Care an Aberdeen-based charity supporting adults with learning disabilities and additional support needs. The visit offered an insight into the role of social security in promoting independence, inclusion, and dignity.
Community Integrated Care’s Managing Director for Scotland, Sara Murphy, said: “It was a privilege to welcome Edel to our Inspire by Community Integrated Care service and show how financial support like Adult Disability Payment can make a visible difference in people’s lives.
“As a care provider, we see every day how inclusive, person-centred support enables people to build confidence, develop skills, and live more independently.
“We welcome the review’s call for a system that truly listens to disabled people and reflects their real-life experiences. We hope it leads to meaningful change that makes accessing support fairer, simpler, and more empowering for those who need it.”
The review was commissioned by the Scottish Government in February 2024 to examine the first year of Adult Disability Payment delivery, with the aim of identifying improvements to the eligibility framework, decision-making process and client experience.
As the countdown begins to the introduction of Edinburgh’s visitor levy on 1 October 2025, the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) is expressing serious concerns over the lack of official guidance and support for accommodation providers.
Since the introduction of the short-term let licensing legislation, the ASSC worked tirelessly to support Scottish operators through the transition, offering practical, reliable information and hands-on assistance where government failed to engage.
In 2022, ASSC CEO Fiona Campbell MBE and licensing solicitor Joanna Millar launched a nationwide Regulations Roadshow to help demystify the legislation and empower operators to comply, delivering 26 such events and partnering with many local councils, reaching nearly 10,000 people.
The ASSC also developed a suite of comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions, now in Version 7, which was widely adopted by VisitScotland.
The ASSC had intended to replicate this model – achieved without meaningful support or funding from the Scottish Government – to help operators in advance of the Visitor Levy going live in Edinburgh.
However, with less than 10 weeks to go, this has proved impossible due to the complete absence of guidance from either the Scottish Government or Edinburgh Council.
The outstanding issues include:
No business-specific guidance – only deficient guidance intended for local authorities
No clarity on VAT status
No method of calculation
No confirmed exemptions framework
No timing confirmed for collection (e.g. at booking, on arrival, or departure)
No detail on how the Levy aligns with the Digital Markets Act
A delayed National Portal, not due until March 2026
No consumer-facing communications strategy.
This lack of preparedness raises serious questions about how the scheme can be implemented fairly, consistently, or without negative consequences for businesses.
The ASSC is calling for immediate clarity from both the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council, and remains ready to support a pragmatic and effective rollout of the Visitor Levy – if and when the necessary tools are put in place.
Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the ASSC, said: “We were fully prepared to run another national roadshow to support our members and the wider accommodation sector through this significant change – but we simply cannot provide clarity where there is none.
“It is unacceptable that, with just weeks to go, businesses still have no official guidance on the most basic operational aspects of the Visitor Levy. Once again, industry is left to pick up the pieces.
“We are committed to constructive engagement and practical solutions, but we cannot continue to operate in an information vacuum.
“Scotland’s accommodation providers and guests deserve better than this. The clock is ticking and the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council need to act now.”
The Scottish Government is to distribute £5 million of funding in 2025-26 to support independent hospices with pay parity for clinical staff with their NHS counterparts.
Hospices have now had their funding allocations confirmed and the investment, set out in the 2025-26 Budget, will ensure that frontline staff providing essential palliative and end-of-life care in independent hospices are fairly paid in line with NHS pay scales.
The funding aims to help hospices recruit and retain skilled healthcare professionals during a time of rising workforce pressures and increasing demand for palliative care services.
Health Secretary Neil Gray, said: “Independent hospices provide vital care and support to people and families across Scotland at the most difficult times in their lives. I am pleased we are able to support these organisations in supporting pay parity for their clinical staff.
“This funding recognises the skilled, compassionate care that hospice staff deliver every day, and helps ensure their pay reflects the immense value of their work.”
Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group Jacki Smart, said: “This is a welcome first step in recognising the needs of the hospice sector, which plays a key role in delivering specialist palliative care for Scotland.
“It is right for patients and staff that hospices can pay skilled professionals fairly and in line with NHS colleagues, and we need to keep pace on this.”
Independent hospices across Scotland are independent charitable organisations providing care tailored to local needs. Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) are responsible for the planning and commissioning of independent hospices to meet the needs of their local population.
Hospices work closely with a wide variety of health and social care services, including NHS Boards, to deliver high quality care and support.
The Scottish Government is committed to developing a new national framework to support more effective planning and commissioning between hospices and IJBs. This work will continue alongside discussions about long-term pay parity and funding arrangements.
Tracy Gilbert MP has condemned the SNP Government over damning figures showing years long waits for vital gynaecological treatment, with NHS Lothian among the health boards failing women across Scotland.
New data obtained by Scottish Labour reveals that, despite repeated promises to prioritise women’s health, the average wait for inpatient gynaecology treatment in NHS Lothian has barely improved, in fact, it has fallen by just 12% since 2019/20, even as demand has surged.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “This data shows a staggering failure of leadership from the SNP. Women in Lothian are being forced to wait far too long for care, often in pain, often in silence, while the Government spins promises that never materialise.A 12% decrease over five years is not progress: it’s complacency. Women deserve better.
“They deserve a health system that works for them, not against them. Scottish Labour will tackle waiting times head-on, because women’s health can’t wait.”
First Minister says United States remains one of Scotland’s closest partners
Scotland will have “a platform to make its voice heard” during the visit of the President of the United States, First Minister John Swinney has said.
Speaking ahead of President Trump’s arrival, Mr Swinney said the global attention the visit will receive provides Scotland with an opportunity to respectfully demonstrate the principles of freedom and justice for all, while also promoting Scotland’s tourism sector and economic investment potential.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Scotland shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries. That partnership remains steadfast through economic, cultural and ancestral links – including of course, with the President himself.
“As we welcome the President of the United States, Scotland will be showcased on the world stage. This provides Scotland with a platform to make its voice heard on the issues that matter, including war and peace, justice and democracy.
“It also includes the millions of Americans – many of them potential future tourists or investors in Scotland – who will watch their elected President as he visits our country.
“As First Minister it is my responsibility to advance our interests, raise global and humanitarian issues of significant importance, including the unimaginable suffering we are witnessing in Gaza, and ensure Scotland’s voice is heard at the highest levels of government across the world. That is exactly what I will do when I meet with President Trump during his time in Scotland.
“We are a proud democratic nation, a country that stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world. The right to peaceful demonstration is something we cherish, and everyone has the democratic right to protect and express their views in a peaceful, and democratic manner. That is right and proper.
“I am confident the vast majority of people protesting will do Scotland proud and demonstrate as they should – peacefully and lawfully.
“I am also confident that Scotland’s police service can handle the challenge of keeping all our communities safe and, as they must, in maintaining the appropriate security any US President requires.
“This weekend is a landmark moment in our relationship with the United States, and I am certain it will be remembered for Scotland showing the world the very best of itself.”
Investing in additional capacity across health service
Extra investment to tackle NHS waits is expected to deliver more than 300,000 appointments and procedures this year.
Additional funding of £106 million was set out in the 2025-26 Budget, and an extra £4 million for dermatology activity has been announced today.
The additional planned appointments and procedures delivered through this £110 million are expected to break down as follows.
195,000 imaging scans
31,000 inpatient or day-case procedures
88,000 new outpatient appointments
4,100 new dermatology outpatient appointments
This means 213,000 more appointments are expected to be delivered this year than in 2024/25 – exceeding the Programme for Government commitment of delivering 150,000 appointments by more than 60,000.
A proportion of the funding will also support cancer activity and provide critical supporting services including pathology, diagnostic reporting and pre-assessment.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Reducing long waits in the NHS is one of the biggest priorities for the First Minister and the Scottish Government.
“Our record investment in the NHS this year is allowing us to target specific areas that are experiencing long waits, reducing backlogs and getting people the appointments and treatments they need as quickly as possible.
“I am pleased to confirm that we expect the additional funding committed to reduce waiting times to result in more than 300,000 appointments and procedures this year.
“My thanks go out to all the hard-working NHS teams for their continued efforts.
“Also today I am announcing an additional £4 million specifically for dermatology. We know that this is an area with significant backlogs, so by investing in increased capacity we hope to be able to reduce waiting times for this speciality.”
Kaukab Stewart, Scotland’s Minister for Migration, has commented as changes to immigration rules advanced by Westminster came into force yesterday.
Ms Stewart said: “The UK Government’s approach to immigration simply isn’t working for Scotland. As these new rules come into force, they will hinder the prosperity of Scotland. We have repeatedly called on them to take a more pragmatic approach to migration—one that recognises our distinct demographic and economic needs.
“Ending the international recruitment of care workers, without sufficient notice or any substantial consultation on its impact, will be devastating for the care sector in Scotland and across the UK.
“These changes will prevent, rather than promote, economic growth. By increasing the salary threshold for skilled worker visas, it will become harder for people to choose to work in Scotland, hurting businesses in turn.
“The UK Government should listen to the large majority of businesses who support a Scottish visa to allow migrants to make a positive contribution to Scotland’s economy, public services and communities.
“The UK Government must engage seriously with the Scottish Government on our proposals for tailored migration routes, including a Rural Visa Pilot and a Scottish Graduate Visa, or risk further damage to Scotland’s economy and public services.”
CHI in Local Government Project brings together key partners to deliver better outcomes for citizens
A new project exploring the use of the Community Health Index (CHI) number in Scottish Local Government has been awarded £590,000 funding from the Scottish Government.
The ‘CHI in Local Government’ project, led by COSLA, the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, and Public Health Scotland, seeks to improve information sharing across health, social work, and social care services.
The Community Health Index (CHI) System, which has underpinned NHS Scotland’s digital infrastructure for over 40 years, provides a unique patient number used across the health service. It supports everything from immunisation and screening programmes to primary and secondary care delivery.
The CHI In Local Government project aims to use the CHI number to improve the quality of the data services hold, allow services across health, social work, and social care to better match data, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for our citizens.
Accessing health, social work, and social care services all too often requires people to repeat their information. Using the CHI number as a common identifier across health, social work, and social care will reduce this duplication and improve integration of services. To deliver the highest standard of care, it is essential that our workforce have access to the right information at the right time.
The aims of the CHI in Local Government project align clearly with the ambitions set out in the joint COSLA and Scottish Government Digital strategy, Care in the Digital Age, and Data strategy, Greater Access, Better Insight, Improved Outcomes.
Both strategies emphasise the importance of robust information governance and seamless data sharing across health and social care.
Councillor Paul Kelly, COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson, said:“I am delighted that the CHI in Local Government project has received funding to progress to the Discovery phase.
“By using CHI more widely across our Councils we can improve data matching and, crucially, reduce the amount of times people accessing our services have to repeat their information.
“I look forward to continuing to champion this work as it progresses and ultimately delivers better outcomes for our citizens.”
Tom Arthur, Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing, said:“In line with the priorities recently set out in the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework, I am pleased to support this project.
“Using CHI numbers in social care means people will get a better level of service. By allowing information to be shared safely and confidentially between professionals, we can reduce duplication of work, and the time staff have to spend on administrative tasks.
“It will further embed the integration of health and social care and help in preparations for the health and social care online app, launching in Lanarkshire later this year.”
Martyn Wallace, Chief Digital Officer, Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, said:“I am thrilled with this significant investment as we continue to work closely with our public sector partners to enhance our digital services for citizens.
“By utilising the Community Health Index (CHI), we will streamline access to services, reduce the need for individuals to repeat their information, and ensure timely delivery of care.
“This initiative will also promote better integration of health and social care services, support other collaborative digital projects like the new Health & Social Care App, and ultimately improve outcomes for our citizens.”
Scott Heald, Director of Data and Digital Innovation, Public Health Scotland said:“Our vision at Public Health Scotland (PHS) is focused on ensuring communities can flourish across Scotland.
“We bring together data and intelligence to shape decisions affecting health and care. This work to adopt the Community Health Index (CHI) in Scottish Local Government will make a huge contribution towards how we can work with partners to maximise the benefits of digital and data in ways that will empower individuals and communities.
“PHS already collects and analyses data from across the domains of health and social care, much of which Is sourced directly from Local Government systems.
“The opportunity to integrate the CHI into those underlying systems will lead to faster, more efficient, and accurate production of whole-system data on health and social care services and provide insights on outcomes for individuals across Scotland.”
