This month marks three years since funded early learning and childcare (ELC) was nearly doubled for eligible two-year-olds and all three and four-year-olds in Scotland.
Scotland remains the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded ELC to all 3 and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds regardless of their parents’ working status – putting children first.
If families paid for this themselves, it would cost them more than £5,500 per eligible child per year.
Uptake of the Scottish Government’s flagship offer remains high, with 97% of three to four-years-old accessing funded ELC in 2023.
Children and Young People Minister Natalie Don-Innes said: “Our investment in funded early learning and childcare is vital to achieving our ambition for a diverse, thriving and sustainable childcare sector and I’m proud of the progress made through the 1140 expansion so far.
“We are working to eradicate child poverty and improve the lives of children. This includes increasing uptake of our childcare offer for two-year-olds, and testing new systems of childcare through our investment in six Early Adopter Communities, which are local systems of funded childcare for families who need it most.
“We have also provided funding of £16 million for a pay uplift to £12 an hour for staff delivering ELC in the private and third sectors, and funded a new programme to recruit and retain childminders. All of this is helping parents back into work, study or training, which is not only good for their wellbeing, but good for the economy.
“I am committed to continuing to work together with providers and local government to safeguard the sector and ensure our children get the best start in life through access to high quality funded ELC.”
Funding for projects to benefit patients and clinical staff
A total of £1.5 million funding in 2024-25 is supporting 12 projects to continue providing direct and personalised support to patients with cancer.
The Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilots provide patients with ongoing contact to support them, putting them at the heart of all decisions and actions involving them throughout their care journey.
The NHS Lothian SPoC uses a centralised digital hub delivering telephone communication and support to patients with a range of cancer types.
Around 40% of calls are diverted away from Clinical Nurse Specialist workload, which has led to improvements in the quality of their telephone contacts. Patient engagement work carried out by NHS Lothian and Healthcare Improvement Scotland has indicated high satisfaction with the service.
Confirming the funding, which is included in the 2024-25 Budget, as he met nurses at Edinburgh Cancer Centre with experience of the service, First Minister John Swinney said: “We are fully focused on improving cancer survival, and delivering excellent and accessible care is at the core of how we do that.
“The Single Point of Contact Service meets requirements identified by Boards to deliver improvements in communication and support for patients with navigating cancer care.
“By taking in the region of 2,000 calls per month and providing person-centred support to those patients throughout their care journey, the Edinburgh Single Point of Contact project provides consistent access for patients to have conversations about their care, freeing up capacity for specialist staff to focus on the most complex cases.”
Katie Gibson, Neuroendocrine Tumour Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, said: “I’ve seen first-hand how the SPoC service has transformed our ability to care for cancer patients.
“The centralised system streamlines communication and allows us to spend more quality time with those who need it most.
“As a result, patients are aware of who to contact for the support and advice they require from diagnosis , treatment and beyond.”
Over £1.5 million will support 12 pilot projects across Scotland to deliver a single point of contact to people diagnosed with cancer.
Funding has been delivered in response to needs identified by individual Boards and proposals submitted by them, pilots vary by cancer type and location:
NHS Lothian has received £ 343,740 to support the telephone-based SPoC service at Edinburgh Western General, serving boards within the South East Scotland Cancer Network
NHS Borders has received £82,000 for 3 cancer care co-ordinators, providing support across a variety of cancer sites
NHS Dumfries and Galloway has received £71,000 for 2 cancer co-ordinator posts, providing a telephone-based support service across a range of tumour sites
NHS Fife has received £107,354 to staff a Single Point of Contact Hub, dealing with all urgent suspected cancer referrals.
NHS Forth Valley has received £67,556 for 2 healthcare support workers (HCSW) providing a single point of contact for 7 tumour groups
NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and NHS Lanarkshire have received total funding of £202,668to develop a regional approach to digital remote follow up of prostate cancer patients in the West of Scotland
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has received £67,566 for 2 support workers to augment specialist gynaecological nursing support and £141,324 for 4 SPoC roles across GGC sites to smooth and facilitate the patient journey, for people diagnosed with lung cancer
NHS Grampian has received £84,500 for 3 posts to provide a joint service with Macmillan Navigators, providing support following an Urgent Suspicion of Cancer (USC) referral
NHS Highland has received £270,680 for 7 Cancer Support Workers providing tailored support throughout diagnostic pathway and onto treatment
NHS Tayside has received £33,288 to provide support for people diagnosed with advanced Upper Gastrointestinal or Hepatopancreatobiliary tumours and lung, renal and prostate cancers
NHS Western Isles has received £68,000 for 2 HCSWs, as part of the Macmillan Team, to support people with all types of cancer
Health Improvement Scotland is currently carrying out a scalability assessment of all 12 projects in order to identify best practice and how best to scale and expand these pilots.
5.5% pay increase for nurses and NHS workers in 2024-25
Nurses and healthcare staff across Scotland have been offered a pay increase of 5.5% that will ensure they have the best pay package in the UK.
The offer, if accepted by trade unions, will see an investment of more than £448 million in 2024-25 and will ensure almost 170,000 NHS Agenda for Change staff – including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – benefit from the pay rise which will be backdated to 1 April 2024.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Following weeks of constructive engagement with trade union representatives, I am pleased to have agreed an offer, in recognition of the Pay Review Body recommendations, that will ensure Scotland’s nurses and NHS staff have the best pay package in the UK.
“The unions will now consult their members and I hope it will be accepted.
“I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their commitment and patience – they are the very backbone of the NHS and we are committed to supporting them, particularly during a cost of living crisis.
“I am grateful for the continued efforts around the table and that the trade unions will now put this to their members.”
A total of £448 million has been committed for Agenda for Change pay in 2024-25. This equates to an uplift of 5.5% for all staff.
Examples of increases for 2024-25:
experienced porters (band 2) will receive £1,395
experienced healthcare support workers (band 4) will receive £1,651
experienced staff nurses (band 5) will receive £2,072
experienced paramedics (band 6) will receive £2,535.
Nineteen female Afghan medical students have arrived in Scotland after they were banned from completing their studies by the authorities in Afghanistan.
The Scottish Government amended student funding legislation to ensure the women could be treated as home students and receive free tuition and cost of living support.
Scottish charity the Linda Norgrove Foundation has been supporting the women and secured agreement with four Scottish universities – St Andrews, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen – where the students will now continue their medical degrees as they work to become doctors.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth met the students at Edinburgh Airport to welcome them to Scotland.
Ms Gilruth said: “Gender should not be a barrier to accessing education, and I am pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to support these extraordinary women in their journey to complete their medical education.
“The changes we made to the legislation will ensure they can access the same benefits as their peers, including free tuition and student support.
“Scotland has a proud history of welcoming people from across the world who need support.
“I wish each and every one of these inspiring women the warmest of welcomes to Scotland and look forward to the positive contribution they will make to our country.”
Health Secretary Neil Gray has said that the level of drug misuse deaths remains “hugely concerning”, as the latest statistics showed an increase of 121 deaths compared with 2022.
Figures published by National Records of Scotland found that 1,172 people died due to drug misuse in 2023.
This is the second lowest number of deaths since 2017, with 2022 being the lowest.
During a visit to the ‘The Skylark IX Recovery Trust’ boat-building project which helps people dealing with problem drug use, Mr Gray said: “My heartfelt condolences go to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.
” This level of deaths remains hugely concerning and underlines why we we will continue to do all we can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs.
“We’re taking a wide range of actions through our £250 million National Mission on drugs, including opening a Safer Drug Consumption Facility pilot, working towards the opening of drug-checking facilities and widening access to life-saving naloxone.
“We will also continue to improve access to residential rehab, where we’re on track to meet our target for additional placements, and drive the rollout of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards to make treatment and support available more quickly.
“Despite this unwelcome rise, I believe that National Mission action has led to much being achieved in a short space of time, with projects delivered on an unprecedented scale making a real difference to people.
“We will intensify our efforts and are also working hard to respond to the growing threat from highly dangerous, super-strong synthetic opioids like nitazenes in an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply.
“We’ve seen a 67% increase in funding from 2014-15 to 2024-25 and made record levels of funding, of more than £112 million, available to Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs).
“Additional National Mission funding, and support has created momentum in local areas to put services in place to save lives. We’ve now backed more than 300 grassroots projects, including the Skylark IX project in Dumbarton.”
The Dunkirk ‘little ship’ Skylark IX was rescued from the River Leven in 2010, with its restoration leading to a ‘Recovery for Recovery’ initiative helping people from the Alternatives community-based drug project.
Service users now gain hands-on training at its Boatbuilding Workshop in the Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton.
Skylark IX Recovery Trust community engagement officer Amy Dobson said: “Our woodcraft workshops, funded through Corra Foundation, have been a huge success, and received with a lot of enthusiasm from those in the recovery community.
“Most people at our workshops haven’t done any woodwork since high school, and they’re now learning the skills to be able to build wooden oars and paddles for our skiffs and canoes, which will then be used within the wider community.
“Although Skylark IX will never sail again, all of our project work relates back to her story and history. Skylark IX saved lives during Operation Dynamo in 1940, and continues to act as a symbol of recovery and resilience today.”
James Currie, a previous volunteer trainee who returned as trust recovery support staff member said: “Since being a part of the Skylark IX team, I have finally found a purpose in giving back to my community and helping others to see their potential.
“When they go away from the workshops smiling and talking about how they had a nice day, enjoyed the workshop, and found connection, it gives me hope that we can make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Fisheries management measures proposed in existing Marine Protected Areas to further protect and restore ecosystems
Fisheries management measures could be introduced for 20 sites in Scotland’s offshore waters that are designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), fulfilling a longstanding commitment to ensure protection for MPAs.
A consultation proposes either zoned or full restrictions on the use of specified types of fishing equipment – demersal mobile and static gear – at 15 sites.
For the remaining five sites, the consultation proposes a full site-wide exclusion of specified gear types where this is the only suitable option to achieve conservation objectives.
Our vision for the marine environment is clean, healthy, safe, productive, & diverse seas, managed to meet the long-term needs of nature & people
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said: “Scotland has beautiful and diverse marine ecosystems.
“However, the twin biodiversity and climate crises mean we must act now to support the recovery and resilience of our marine environment, and the sustainability of the communities and industries that rely on it.
“Marine Protected Areas already provide focused protection for the species and habitats in our waters. By implementing proposed fisheries management measures, we can further guard against further biodiversity loss, help to restore high priority marine features and make a greater contribution to supporting and maintaining the marine ecosystem, which in turn supports our long-term food security.
“This will help ensure our seas remain a source of prosperity for the nation, especially in our coastal and island communities. These proposals are the result of many years of development and we will continue to consult very closely with industry and coastal communities to hear their views.”
The Scottish MPA network now extends across more than 230 sites for nature conservation and covers 37% of Scotland’s seas.
Each individual MPA has specific conservation objectives for the features the site is designated to protect, which range from deep sea sponge aggregations to ocean quahog – a thick shelled clam which can live for more than 400 years – and cold water coral reefs.
Ellen Last, MPA and Fisheries Advice Manager at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) said: “Scotland’s offshore MPAs protect a range of important habitats and species, which provide a range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and food provision.
“JNCC has provided statutory advice to the Scottish Government, taking into account available scientific evidence on the designated features and potential impacts of activities, to help develop management measures that will contribute towards meeting the conservation objectives of these MPAs so that they can continue to benefit future generations.”
Drugs and Alcohol Minister Policy Christina McKelvie is undergoing treatment for secondary breast cancer and will take a period of leave, it was announced last night.
Ms McKelvie’s Ministerial duties will be covered by Health Secretary Neil Gray and Public Health Minister Jenni Minto in the short term.
Ms McKelvie said: “In 2021 I was pleased to be able to ring the bell at the Beatson cancer centre to mark the end of my treatment for breast cancer. Unfortunately, in June I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and started treatment in July, again at the Beatson.
“For the past month, I have been able to carry out my duties as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, however following medical appointments today, it is clear to me that I need to take a period of leave to focus on my treatment and recovery.
“I want to thank all those in the Beatson and wider NHS who are caring for me so well during this period and have done since my first diagnosis in 2021. And to all women, please remember to check yourself regularly and always attend your screening appointments.”
First Minister John Swinney said: “My thoughts and very best wishes are with Christina during this difficult time for her and her family.
“It is absolutely right she steps back from her Ministerial duties to focus on her health and treatment right now. I thank her for all her work to date and look forward to welcoming her back when she is ready.”
Scotland’s latest drug death figures will be announced today – and they will not make pleasant reading.
Creative Scotland has taken the difficult decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals to new applications due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm release of £6.6m in Grant-in-Aid budget in the current financial year, 2024-25.
The Fund will close to new applications from 2pm on Friday 30th August 2024.
Creative Scotland planned to apply £3m of the £6.6m budget to support the Open Fund for Individuals in 2024-25, alongside £3m of National Lottery income.
Without confirmation of release of this budget, Creative Scotland does not have enough funds available to support all the funding routes that we currently provide, as set out in our Annual Plan for 2024-25.
All currently submitted Open Fund for Individuals applications will be processed as per the published Guidance. The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations remains open.
Iain Munro, CEO of Creative Scotland said: “The level of uncertainty regarding the provision of Grant-in-Aid budgets from the Scottish Government is creating critical problems for the ongoing support we can provide to Scotland’s culture sector.
“This decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals is not one we would have wanted to take but is unavoidable without the funding from the Scottish Government being available.
“Like everyone working in Scotland’s culture and creative sector, we understand the extreme pressures on public finances but want to see longer term budget certainty from the Scottish Government, including the additional £100m announced in October 2023, details of which have yet to emerge.”
ATTEMPT TO CLARIFY SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT POSITION ON ISRAEL
Following a meeting with the Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador, External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Two weeks ago, I met the new Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador at their request.
“We anticipated the Deputy Ambassador would raise concerns about antisemitism, as well as other issues.
“It was rightly for me to decide whether to take the meeting, however, as is normal practice, the First Minister was made aware before the meeting happened.
“My view was that given the Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador had requested a meeting it was an opportunity to express the Scottish Government’s clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and I did exactly that.
“No one intended that this meeting be presented as legitimatising the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza. The Scottish Government has been consistent in our unequivocal condemnation of the atrocities we have witnessed in Gaza.
“The reality, however, is that this meeting has been taken by many to represent a normalisation of relations between the Israeli and Scottish Governments.
“As such, it is clear that it would have been better to ensure that the meeting was strictly limited to the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the appalling loss of life in the region. I apologise for the fact that this did not happen.
“Going forward, it is clear that, having now spoken direct to the Israeli Government and making them aware of our position on an immediate ceasefire, it would not be appropriate to accept any invitation for a further meeting.
“This will remain our position until such time as real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel cooperates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes.
“The Scottish Government does not support any normalisation of its relations with the Israeli Government during this period.
“The Scottish Government will never hold back in expressing support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to UK arms being sent to Israel, and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within a two-state solution.”
New initiatives to increase access to residential rehabilitation across Scotland which will be able to support more than 100 residential rehab placements have been introduced.
Local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) that are experiencing high demand will be able to access extra funding from the new £2 million Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation Additional Placement Fund (APF).
In addition, a national online service directory will also provide an up-to-date nationwide list of residential rehabilitation providers for the first time.
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Christina McKelvie said: “A recent PHS publication found we are on track to meet our commitment of 1,000 people receiving public funding for residential rehab but we want to do more and we are working hard to remove potential barriers to people accessing it.
“Those working in ADPs have helped design this approach, which complements a range of other residential rehabilitation projects supported by the Scottish Government.
“This demand-led fund will allow ADPs that need the greatest number of placements to draw down on additional funding for these when they need it – helping ensure funding is targeted at those areas which face the biggest challenges in meeting demand and where help is needed the most.
“The online directory of providers will also make it easier for people to access placements. It will help professionals in the sector as well as empowering individuals and their loved ones to access quality residential rehabilitation and identify the service best placed to support them.”
The rehab.scot site contains an up-to-date list of accredited participating residential rehabilitation providers across the country, as well as associated support services, guidance on accessing rehab and a section on lived-experience rehab journeys.
The fund will be delivered by third-sector partners Scotland Excel.
